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A live debate on the topic of the day, with four guests. From Monday to Thursday at 7:10pm Paris time.
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Donald Trump had started his Wednesday pondering military strikes before pouring cold water on the concept, even expressing doubts that Iranians would accept as leader the late Shah’s son. More on that with our panel. In a sign of how fast a news cycle can flip, Iran’s foreign minister expressing his assurances in English on Trump-friendly Fox News. After a ruthless response to nationwide protest, has the Islamic Republic once again seen off an existential challenge? After a third night of reported quiet in the capital Tehran, the Internet’s still restricted, the death toll’s still mounting while the same economic woes weigh heavier than ever on citizens. What lessons do Iranians draw? What comes of this latest show of defiance? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
There was no Oval Office made-for-TV drama as US Vice President JD Vance joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark this Wednesday. We ask about renewed pressure by the Trump administration on Copenhagen to hand over that Arctic dependency. How intent is the US on seizing Greenland? Even if it means the end the Atlantic Alliance that's safeguarded Europe's defence under US tutelage since the end of World War II? It's hard to see how NATO could survive coercive action against a faithful ally by its dominant member. Read moreTaking over Greenland, a long-standing US obsession Donald Trump stated his intentions on Inauguration Day nearly one year ago, yet still the question begs: why Greenland? Is it about securing maritime passages, untapped raw materials, muscle flexing or simply the fun of keeping everyone guessing? But as Denmark's prime minister says, it's not fun. It's serious. Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
A big stress test for the West's rules-based order, or will French judges take it all in their stride? It's the opening day of Marine Le Pen's appeal against a corruption conviction that for now bars the far-right frontrunner from the 2027 presidential race. With the verdict expected in July, that's getting awfully close to Election Day next spring. The National Rally politician and her supporters have branded the case lawfare – a political vendetta. Recently, Marine Le Pen voiced her support for another convicted politician – Nicolas Sarkozy, who became the first former French president to serve jail time since the end of World War II. In a new book, he too cries that the fix is in, a message broadly amplified by right-wing media echo chambers. What are the facts of the case, where 24 others have been convicted for funnelling EU parliament staff funds back home to the mother ship? Do said facts matter? Is France like the United States, which denies plans to pressure the judges in the Le Pen case? And what about her party's plan B? Could voters simply turn the page on the scion of a far-right family and happily elect her second-in-command Jordan Bardella as France's first far-right president since Nazi occupation? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente
It's no longer just about the cost of living. Protests in Iran are entering their third week despite evidence of a ferocious crackdown and the shutting of the internet. Each time, the context differs but the under-sanctions Islamic Republic of Iran has always outlasted previous movements. Why should this one be any different? Among the variables, there's maximum pressure from the US that culminated in support for Israel's 12-day bombing campaign last summer and extends to fresh threats of retribution. In the past, like during the 2009 Green Movement, the West has been hesitant to further squeeze a nation where it's ordinary citizens who bear the brunt of sanctions. We ask if Europe wants to also up the pressure. But there's always the "nothing to lose" factor. One of the clear signs that revolution was afoot in 1979 was that elites no longer supported the shah. Is it a sign that this time the protests started with Tehran Grand Bazaar merchants fed up with inflation? Back then, the revolution had a face: Ayatollah Khomeini. In 2026, how far could a leaderless movement go? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente
Iran's biggest protests since the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement of 2022 are extending everywhere from Tehran's Grand Bazaar to remote villages throughout the country's 31 provinces. As usual, the regime is offering dialogue while employing deadly force, issuing menacing warnings and slowing or even shutting down the internet. Every time social movements arise in the under-sanctions, inflation-hit Islamic Republic, the regime outlasts its opponents. Why should this time be different? What are the variables? We ask about a global stage where Iran's influence is in stark retreat – in Syria, Lebanon and further away in fellow OPEC+ member Venezuela. After last summer's US and Israeli bombing campaign, how resilient do the clerics and the Revolutionary Guards remain? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
It’s a tweet pinned to the top of the official account of the US State Department: "This is OUR Hemisphere, and President Trump will not allow our security to be threatened." US diplomacy is making the capture of Venezuela’s president and the threats against Greenland about security. But it was first about drugs and immigration, and now oil and precious minerals. Read moreTaking over Greenland, a long-standing US obsession So what does drive this present-day version of the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine and its claim that the United States holds imperial sway over its entire hemisphere? We ask about motives and targets. The same Trump administration that wanted to cut a quick deal with the Kremlin on Ukraine is first pressuring an ally of Moscow in South America and now defying Vladimir Putin with the boarding in the North Atlantic of a Russian-flagged ghost tanker originally bound for Caracas. What reaction can we expect from China, the main importer of Venezuelan crude? Read moreUS military seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker in North Atlantic And what do NATO allies make of a US that expresses support for a plan that would effectively halt Russia's advance in Ukraine, while threatening to seize Greenland from Denmark? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
As Venezuela's deposed president faces his first US court date on drug trafficking charges, back in Caracas, Nicolas Maduro's regime remains intact. We ask how a US president who promised no more forever wars will deal with an entrenched system whose local militias have their fingers in drug trafficking, gold and also oil. Donald Trump has talked up oil, while the word democracy has yet to pass his lips since Saturday's raid. Why sideline Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado and the civilian opposition, whose election win was stolen? Will he ultimately try to install a US-style occupation authority? Or simply do business with those currently running Venezuela? The country is broken after years of sanctions and mismanagement, but its institutions and cohesion differ vastly from Iraq, Afghanistan and other failed US regime change playgrounds. How will Washington's new age of imperialism mesh with a Venezuela that's about to enter a whole new era? Produced by François Picard, Théophile Vareille, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
It's one of those New Year's resolutions often blurted out after a big family meal. "I'm going to run a marathon!" But like the cautionary saying "puppies aren't for Christmas, they're for life", one wonders how many realise the error of their ways when they're gasping for air during that first January training run. Or not. Not everyone will run a 41-kilometre race in 2026, but more and more will take up what's arguably the world's oldest sport. Why the trend? Is it a mere post-pandemic fad, or the sign of something deeper? We think of running as a solitary pursuit, but it's increasingly a social activity. Running clubs are particularly in vogue among the young, who seek a release from a life that's increasingly happening in front of a screen. Technology is also seeping into the experience, be it with equipment, monitors or apps, to the point that some bemoan the gamification of running. So what's running about: a pursuit or an escape? Goals to achieve or the experience of the journey? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
There's nothing more innately human than humming a tune. Especially when it's made by humans. But don't bother trying to see The Velvet Sundown in concert: the band doesn't exist. The sounds are produced with artificial intelligence. Watch moreThe Velvet Sundown: This band blowing up on Spotify is 100% AI-generated Worse, most listeners can't tell the difference from the real thing. With computers borrowing from real musicians for their inspiration, we weigh the implications. If humans are going to continue to rule artistic creation, then our panel needs to answer one simple question: what makes a hit song? Sometimes it's a gorgeous melody and a brilliant arrangement; sometimes it's an annoyingly easy-to-remember "brain worm" that will stay in your head long after you wish it had departed. Either way, what makes a song special? Produced by François Picard, Aline Bottin, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip and Charles Wente.
It's the word of the year in Japan with a literal take on the Rihanna song "Work". Japan's first female prime minister Takaichi Sanae announced she would "abandon the idea of a work-life balance" when she was elected as the head of Liberal Democratic Party back in October. The 64-year old Takaichi may espouse "work, work, work, work and work", but how about those entering the labour market? Watch more'Work, work, work!' Japan's new PM under fire for asking staff to come in at 3am In the age of the gig economy, 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York thanks to young people, who ask: what's the point of slaving away at a low-paying, high-pressure service sector job when AI is coming for their livelihood and saving up for a home or pension seems like a pipe dream? One survey has 43 percent of Gen Zers stating they quit a job because it didn't fit their personal lives, compared with 28 percent of baby boomers. So what makes a good work-life balance? Is it normal for humans to no longer define themselves by the way they earn their keep? In this age of rapid change and growing inequality, what to expect when it comes to our livelihoods and our lives? Produced by François Picard, Aline Bottin, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
Some brand it "the most crucial EU summit" since the financial crisis of 2008; a last chance to stave off bankruptcy for a Ukrainian government that might run out of money by the end of spring. But where will the money come from? With Vladimir Putin insisting that it's not "European pigs" that will stop Russia from liberating its "historic lands", and with the US actively supporting pro-Moscow parties that continue to surge in polling across the continent, leaders of the 27-member bloc must now make a choice: seize €210 billion in frozen Russian assets for Ukraine and run the risk of legal liability for those billions down the road; borrow on the bond markets, which Germany and other fiscally frugal northern European states reject out of hand; or cave, as a small but vocal minority of leaders would prefer. Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Charles Wente, Ilayda Habip & Jean-Vincent Russo
As 2025 draws to a close, all year long one question has dogged the most plugged-in of football fanatics: what's up with Gianni Infantino? Why all the cameos by the head of an international sports body at the US president's inauguration, a Middle East peace signing and another for DR Congo and Rwanda? Read moreUS President Donald Trump named first winner of FIFA Peace Prize Why create a peace prize for the said leader of the host nation of next summer's World Cup final? Is it the initiative of one man who runs in the same circles as Trump's Gulf monarchy counterparts, or is FIFA collectively panicked about keeping the United States onside as it weighs tighter visa restrictions on foreigners? Read moreTravel bans, border tensions, ICE raids: Trump’s impact on World Cup plans If World Cup organisers fear foreign fans might stay away, they're certainly hiding it. Just look at their ticket pricing. Do they know this is soccer, not polo? Will fans from Haiti or Curaçao pay thousands of dollars per match? Whatever happens, the show will go on despite the expansion to 48 teams and commercial break-friendly water stoppages. That begs the broader question: is the sky the limit, or is there a point at which greed kills football's golden goose?
One month after the stunning assassination of the brother of an anti-gangland activist, French President Emmanuel Macron is returning to the Mediterranean port for an update on the government's plan to win back the streets and offer hope to fed-up citizens of France's second-largest city. The whole reason Amine Kessaci became an activist was the earlier murder of his older half-brother, who got mixed up with the wrong crowd. The unsolved murder of 20-year-old Mehdi Kessaci – who was training to become a police officer – bears the hallmarks of a calling card from the narcos. The lore of Marseille as a hub for traffickers extends back centuries, long before Hollywood glamourised the French Connection heroine smugglers in the 1970s. But it's just one of many European ports of entry for cannabis and cocaine. Cocaine will further flood the market, now that the United States is blowing suspected smuggler boats that head its way out of the water. The drug is cheaper and increasingly in demand. There lies an essential question: is the onus on cartels or consumers? We ask what today's supply and demand of narcotics says about us and our societies in 2025. Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
It was the worst of humanity, and the best of humanity. What kind of a father-son duo decides to go shooting at a gathering that's come together to celebrate the Jewish festival of light? We ask about the motives and circumstances of the Bondi Beach terror attack, and the heroism of a Syrian-born street vendor who took bullets to the shoulder while disarming one of the gunmen. Read more'Genuine hero': Bystander tackles alleged gunman during Bondi Beach mass shooting The amateur video of the incident illustrates not a clash of civilisations, but a clash of selflessness and nihilism. Nihilism and the merchants of hate from all sides seem to thrive in this digital age, where messages of hate seem to travel much faster than messages of love. What's the answer? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Andrew Hilliar.
It turns out that it's not enough to stage peace signings. Half a million people are displaced as fighting rages along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, a resurgence of July's five-day conflict that Donald Trump counts as one of the eight wars in eight months he's ended. We ask why the return to fighting has occurred and examine the root causes of a dispute that's more than a century old and seems to require more than a stroke of the pen to settle. First, who to broker a cessation of hostilities now? This as the old guard on both sides enjoy free rein: Cambodia's Hun Sen, who's officially no longer head of government but whose shadow looms large, and Thai generals who have a habit of taking the lead in times of crisis. As for the Thai prime minister, he's otherwise engaged. Anutin Charnvirakul has paid a late-night visit to the king, followed by his strongest hint yet that he'll soon move up elections scheduled for March. We ask why and where it all leads. Produced by François Picard, Charles Wente, Rebecca Gnignati, Ilayda Habip & Jean-Vincent Russo
Will history remember this as the day the planet started to rein in big tech? Australia is firing the first shot by banning under-16s from platforms and social media that include giants such as Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. We of course ask if rebellious teens will make light work of the ban. More broadly, is this the day regulators start treating merchants of scrolling the way they do tobacco and drinks giants: like businesses with a penchant for encouraging addiction? In tech, profits can be measured in data – often our personal data – and traffic. The longer users stay engaged, the more can be billed to advertisers – any advertisers, even scammers. A report back in June by Reuters found that Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, made a whopping 10 percent of its revenue from scammers in 2024 – scammers that sometimes use forced labour to cultivate potential victims. We ask about the will to crack down on cyber crime and, more broadly, to regulate a "views at all costs" business model, especially when big tech is so beholden to American billionaire tech bros – who certainly have a friend in Washington these days. Produced by François Picard, Charles Wente, Rebecca Gnignati, Ilayda Habip & Jean-Vincent Russo
Europe is weighing its words after Washington's publication of an official policy paper that warns the Old Continent is under threat of "civilisational erasure", with fading powers overrun by migrants. It’s the logical follow-up to Vice President JD Vance's admonishments back in February at the Munich Security Conference, one that goes far beyond the unexplained absence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at last week's NATO foreign ministers' meeting. Read more'They're decaying': Trump recycles far-right tropes about European decline Are we seeing an irrational about-face on historical ties with the continent, or is the real outlier the last 80 years, when Washington took it upon itself to ensure Europe's defence in the name of fighting Soviet expansion? Before that, the US was a much more isolationist nation. Our panel scrutinises the premise that Europe is in economic and moral decline, how it's adapting to this wild swing in superpower alliances and whether it's got what it takes to fend for itself. Produced by Rebecca Gnignati, Elisa Amiri, Ilayda Habip.
It was exactly one year ago that a lightning offensive reached its ultimate conclusion. Syria saw the fall of Bashar al-Assad, ending over five decades of his family's dictatorial regime in a blitz that stunned the world. In Damascus, celebrations erupted in Umayyad Square, as Syrians emerged from 13 years of brutal civil war, marking a moment of both relief and disbelief. In the chaos that followed, Assad fled to Moscow and former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa, now the interim president, took the reins. His charm offensive has seen him meet with world leaders and even speak at the United Nations, presenting a new face of Syria. However, the year since has been fraught with challenges. Sectarian violence in Latakia and Tartous, skirmishes in the south, bombings in Damascus and tensions with Kurdish forces in the northeast have all threatened stability. While Syrians begin returning to a country unrecognisable from its former self, questions remain: Can Syria rebuild? What will become of its minorities? Have we seen enough in terms of transitional justice? And with an economy still in tatters, can the country recover from the horrors of the past? Produced by Théophille Vareille, Elisa Amiri, Riham Mahir.
When should a soldier disobey an order? The US president and his Pentagon chief are doubling down on operations to sink alleged drug boats without summation in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The pair pushed back on a Washington Post report asserting that back in September, Pete Hegseth's orders led to a follow-up strike on a vessel, killing all remaining survivors. Among the issues are whether the interested parties could face war crimes charges. US War Department footage can make this look like a video game, but there are real human beings assassinated in these images – without trial, without warning. Already the family of one Colombian fisherman killed in September has launched legal action. Are these war crimes? And is this a war? Drug cartels are criminal syndicates, not nation states or insurgencies. On that score, Donald Trump's war on drugs is hard to read. Between pinning the blame on Venezuela's leader and pardoning Honduras's former president, who was actually serving time in the US for cocaine trafficking, what's Washington’s campaign in the Americas really all about? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
A peace plan allegedly made in Moscow, a week of furious scrambling to dial it back by Ukraine and its European allies and now it's back to the Kremlin for Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, flanked only by the US president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and an interpreter. Have negotiations in Florida moved the needle back in Kyiv's favor? How hard – or soft – can the bargaining be? Is Witkoff really Putin's puppet, as suggested last week by French newspaper Libération? Beyond last week's leaks that saw the political novice coaching the Russians on how to handle Trump, can this friend of the US president from his New York real estate days make something of the current White House's "art of the deal" approach to trading war for commercial ventures? Read morePutin accuses Europeans of sabotaging peace efforts ahead of US talks on Ukraine With facts on the ground slowly swinging in Moscow's favour, what's Russia's incentive to compromise when it's pounding critical infrastructure nightly and now claims to have taken the key eastern city of Pokrovsk after an 18-month siege? What say allies, what with Putin talking deals with Washington while serving up fresh threats of war against Europe? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
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