In a week where US President Donald Trump played fast and loose with world markets, his global tariff threats became a reality, with brutal and immediate economic fallout. Dozens of countries reached out to negotiate – or, as Trump described it – begged and pleaded to have the import taxes on supposed friends and foes removed.

We also saw supposed friends within the Trump administration become public foes, as Elon Musk called trade adviser Pete Navarro "dumber than a sack of bricks". Musk did swiftly apologise … to the bricks.  

And while Washington's brinksmanship with Beijing remained, the rest of the world was given a partial reprieve of 90 days.

This week also saw the end of five months of political limbo in Europe's biggest economy. Germany's government had been stuck in neutral since the coalition collapsed in November, but after winning February's election, chancellor-to-be Friedrich Merz has at last struck a deal between his centre- right party and the centre-left Social Democrats. But there's been a timely reminder of the thin ice the new coalition is skating on. A poll released this week shows the far-right AfD in ascendency. It's now regarded, for the first time, as the country's most popular party.

Finally, this week has seen the United Arab Emirates brought to the International Court of Justice, accused of complicity in genocide in Sudan. In the middle of a civil war, the Sudanese military rulers are accusing the UAE of providing direct financial and political support to Sudan's rival faction, the Rapid Support Forces, and claiming that in doing so, Doha has enabled the RSF to carry out widespread atrocities in Darfur. The UAE denies the claims.

Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera, Juliette Laffont, Charles Wente.