Three years after ending all official communications with Moscow, the US government is suddenly back in Russia’s orbit. The two nuclear powers were sitting down in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday finding a path to ending the Ukraine war and more besides. The talks were no longer about how to deal with the aggressor in the conflict, but how to normalise relations and make Russia a potential partner for future energy deals. So what of Ukraine? 

Left out of talks, its President picking up scraps of detail via the press he said. His biggest ally, the US, now his biggest problem. Volodymyr Zelensky suggested President Trump was living in Putin’s disinformation space. Trump’s defence was to attack… accusing Zelensky of being a dictator. “Moscow holds the cards in the conflict”, said Trump. But does Moscow have the President’s ear? 

It’s been a week where Europe was forced to rapidly rethink its own defences and consider how to remain a relevant voice in Ukraine after also being sidelined in the talks. Emergency meetings were scrambled in Paris. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it a once in a generation moment for national security, and offered to send British peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the future. Notably no room at the table for Hungary or Slovakia, their leaders being on friendly terms with President Putin. The Slovak PM Robert Fico said Europe should stop crying with unnecessary nervousness, referencing the shock caused by the US Vice President’s recent blunt critique of Europe, which had the head of the Munich Security Conference in tears on Monday.

This week’s also seen the final TV debate of the German election campaign. The Conservative opposition leader Freidrich Merz is odds on favourite to be the next Chancellor, a helicopter flying multi-millionaire, and long time bitter rival of former Chancellor Angela Merkel. But analysts say he’s capable of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and has to avoid conversationally slipping on a banana skin if he’s to win.

Meanwhile current Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he still thinks he can triumph, even if others have written him off. There’s much focus too on the continuing rise of the far right AfD, expected to double their vote, and having notable support from US Veep JD Vance, and Elon Musk and his x algorithm too. Migration and the economy are key voter issues with Europe’s biggest economy sliding closer towards recession. We’ll examine the key issues and profile the contenders.

This week, Moscow got what it wanted. A Trump-Putin call ended with talk of visits and no NATO future for Ukraine. As Vladimir Putin steps back in, Volodymyr Zelensky risks being shut out and the EU warns of a behind-the-scenes deal. In Gaza, the truce nearly collapsed as Hamas delayed hostage releases, citing Israeli violations. Donald Trump launched an ultimatum: free them all or "let all hell break loose". Hamas dismissed the threat, but stuck to the plan. Freed hostages spoke of starvation and abuse. Meanwhile, at the Paris AI summit, US VP JD Vance pushed for no regulation, while Emmanuel Macron warned of AI's "Wild West" risks, yet seized the business opportunity. Safety concerns barely got a mention.

Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon.

This week, Donald Trump’s latest bombshell—suggesting the US should own Gaza and relocate its population in what he calls a Real Estate solution. Critics call it ethnic cleansing; he calls it Gaza Lago. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer kept a low profile at his first EU summit as Trump threatened tariffs on the bloc. And over in France, PM François Bayrou has clung to power after yet another no-confidence vote. 

Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon.

This week, conflict and crisis dominate the headlines. In DR Congo, M23 rebels appear to have seized the key city of Goma, forcing thousands to flee and reigniting tensions over Rwanda's alleged involvement. In Gaza, displaced civilians are finally returning north, but the fragile ceasefire is under strain after a controversial hostage transfer by Hamas. And in the United States, a tragic air disaster – the first major commercial crash in 16 years – is raising serious concerns over air traffic control and sparking political blame games.

Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon.

This week we examine three major global stories shaping the headlines. In the US, the Trump administration’s return to power has brought bold, controversial promises of American expansionism and mass pardons for January 6 rioters, signaling a dramatic shift in policy and rhetoric. In the Middle East, Gaza is experiencing a fragile ceasefire after 470 days of war, marked by hostage exchanges and ongoing struggles for humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, NATO faces internal discord, with its chief warning of a crisis over underfunding, as European leaders call for urgent measures to secure the alliance and support Ukraine.

Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon.

It’s been a week of high-stakes developments around the globe. In Gaza, a long-awaited ceasefire deal has been reached and is set to begin on Sunday, with plans to exchange hostages for prisoners in a bid for "sustainable calm." In South Korea, the dramatic arrest of President Yoon Suk Yeol unfolded amid accusations of insurrection. Meanwhile, in the US, TikTok's future hangs in the balance, driving users to a rival Chinese app as a court ruling edges the platform closer to a potential shutdown.

Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon. 

We are 10 days BT: Before Trump is back in office. This week saw the US president-elect given an unconditional discharge: spared jail time or a fine, but confirmed as a convicted felon for fraud relating to hush money payments to an adult film star.

Meanwhile, Trump is making ever clearer his long-held desire to acquire Greenland, with his son and apparent envoy Donald Jr. flying in on Trump Force One to the capital Nuuk. Trump's expansion plans also appear to include the Panama Canal. The fact that neither are for sale seems a mere detail as he says he wouldn’t rule out military force to control them.

It was on Trump’s favourite TV station Fox and Friends that a surprise announcement came on Tuesday: a recorded video from Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Meta – the company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The site moderation is being changed, with no more fact checkers being used in the US to fight disinformation and fake news. They are too politically biased, he says.

Meanwhile, arguably the influencer of all influencers right now, Elon Musk, has been engaging in online warfare with the British government this week, attacking Prime Minister Keir Starmer on a daily basis.

Plus, why did Canadian PM Justin Trudeau throw in the towel and who is likely to replace him?

This year, headlines have been dominated by the wars in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East. Israel's leader has been accused of war crimes, while the revolution in Syria has led to the downfall of a dictator. However, the full scale of Bashar al-Assad’s regime of terror continues to emerge.

It has been a record year for elections around the world, with more than half of the planet’s population voting in over 60 countries. Recurring themes included populism, polarisation, immigration, and identity politics. It was a tough year for incumbents, with compromises in India and South Africa, and changes of leadership in the UK, Senegal, Ghana, Portugal, and Lithuania.

Meanwhile, in Paris, an Olympic year saw a baton-passing of prime ministers worthy of a relay team, with four changes in total.

In the United States, it has been a year where Donald Trump was re-elected as president, and Time Magazine named him Person of the Year again. This came in a year when he was convicted as a felon, survived multiple assassination attempts, and defeated two Democratic candidates in the race to the White House.

This week, our set of experts gathered around Gavin Lee to take a look at the latest in French politics, with the National Assembly voting to bring down Michel Barnier's government in a no-confidence vote. Meanwhile Syria is plunged back into uncertainty, with various rebel groups taking large cities. We also look at what happened when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol decided to trigger a short-lived martial law.

This week, guests gathered around Gavin Lee to discuss the fragile ceasefire that was agreed between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. We also look at how Donald Trump plans on launching a new tariff war with America's neighbours and discuss the ongoing crisis in Sudan, where a civil war is still raging. And as a Black Friday special, our set of experts also dive into former German chancellor Angela Merkel's legacy book.