In this edition of The World This Week: US President Donald Trump appeared to lose patience with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize; and French President Emmanuel Macron made a three-day state visit to the UK.

This week, the war in Gaza appeared to get closer to a 60-day truce. The past seven days also saw a corruption trial facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed by an Israeli court. The move came hours after US President Donald Trump took to social media, claiming the case was a witch hunt and would interfere with the Israeli prime minister's urgent diplomacy to negotiate a deal for Gaza.  

This week has seen unprecedented US intervention in Iran, in a pre-dawn operation code-named "Midnight Hammer". It's also seen another high profile message leak on the Signal app and deadly protests in Kenya. 

In a week of escalating conflict between Israel and Iran that's been decades in the making, assassinations, air strikes and missile attacks have pushed the region to the brink. Iran is striking back, with seven days of air raid sirens across Israel and a hospital hit in Beersheba. As the crisis deepens, US President Donald Trump faces a pivotal choice: whether to join the fight and unleash the only weapons capable of destroying Iran’s underground nuclear site at Fordow. A decision is promised within two weeks. 

It’s been a week of escalating global tensions. Israel launched a series of targeted strikes on Iran – codenamed Operation Rising Lion – aimed at crippling Tehran's nuclear capabilities. Iran has vowed a swift response. In the United States, protests erupted in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement, as federal officers intensified roundups of undocumented migrants – part of President Donald Trump’s broader plan for mass deportations. Meanwhile in Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa came under heavy fire. Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults yet, striking the capital with a wave of 315 drones and ballistic missiles. And in Europe, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte delivered a stark warning in London: defence spending is no longer optional –it’s existential.

This week, Ukraine launched Operation Spider's Web. Some 18 months in the planning and personally overseen by President Volodymyr Zelensky, simultaneous drone attacks were launched across Russian airfields, destroying its fighter jets and strategic bombers. The Ukrainian intelligence service claimed 40 planes had been left burning on the tarmac. Russia described it as terrorism and President Vladimir Putin vowed revenge.

This week saw Israel attempt a new plan to distribute food in Gaza, bypassing the UN and using American private contractors known as the Gaza Humanitarian Fund. But it was suspended on day one after looting, chaos and security measures were overwhelmed by desperate crowds. Meanwhile, the once-steadfast support of Israel's key allies has seen a diplomatic erosion, with private outrage turning to public condemnation.

For the first time, leaders of France, the UK, and Canada have issued an explicit threat of sanctions if Israeli forces don’t halt their renewed offensive to seize full control of Gaza. The warning came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that “minimal” humanitarian aid would resume – a move the UN has dismissed as a drop in the ocean.

President Donald Trump made the first overseas tour of his second term this week to the Middle East, where Riyadh royalty rolled out a lavender carpet ahead of a 600-billion-dollar pledge of Saudi investment for US contracts. Qatar next, where The Beast was surrounded by a caravan of camels, while the man inside watched a ceremonial sword-dance spectacle.

In a week that marked US President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office, national security adviser Mike Waltz wasn't celebrating, as he was moved being aside. The first cabinet casualty of the president's second term, Waltz's departure appears to be a direct result of Signalgate, when he accidentally added a journalist to a group chat planning attacks on Yemen's Houthi rebels.

The world said goodbye to Pope Francis this week. Tens of thousands of mourners queued to pay their respects as he lay in state in Saint Peter's Basilica over three days of mourning. We discuss his life and legacy, the geopolitics of his papal funeral and look ahead to the conclave that will follow. 

A week on from Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff's meeting with Vladimir Putin, Witkoff has been in Paris for transatlantic talks. We assess the state of play for Ukraine. We also look at the significance of US-Iran nuclear talks – the first major level of engagement in years. We then discuss the significance of the UK Supreme Court’s landmark ruling: the terms "woman" and "sex" refer to biological sex. Finally, we look at reactions to the first female space flight in six decades.

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.

The past week will be, according to US President Donald Trump, "remembered forever" for what happened on Wednesday, April 2. "Liberation Day", as he called it, saw the US leader announce sweeping tariffs on friend and foe alike.

This week has seen the biggest unrest in Turkey in a decade. Mass street protests have taken place there in the face of a heavy government crackdown, where large gatherings have been banned, social media has been limited, and almost 2,000 people have been arrested.

This week, a high-stakes call between the Russian and US leaders shaped the Ukraine conflict, with Russia claiming a diplomatic victory while key issues remained unresolved. Meanwhile in Gaza, Israeli air strikes reignited violence, killing over 600 Palestinians, including children, and deepening PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s political crisis. Plus, the Trump administration deported hundreds of alleged gang members to El Salvador, setting up a showdown with the US judiciary.

This week, our set of experts gathered around Gavin Lee to take a look at the latest in the Ukraine-Russia ceasefire proposal, clashes and mass killings in Syria and Donald Trump's tariff war against the EU and its neighbouring countries. 

This week, the US tightened the screws on Ukraine, pausing military aid until Kyiv shows more willingness to negotiate – starting with handing over half its rare earth resources to America. Moscow welcomed the shift, calling it “aligned with the Kremlin’s vision,” while Ukraine scrambled to smooth things over with a letter to Trump. 

There have been unprecedented scenes in the White House this Friday: a fierce row unfolding in front of cameras at the Oval Office between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader was described as "disrespectful" by both Trump and US Vice President JD Vance, who also accused him of playing to the media. Four international correspondents discuss the unprecedented fallout with FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee and talk through the "excruciating" scenes at the Oval office. Plus our White House correspondent Fraser Jackson reports live as events unfold. We ask: what are the implications for Zelensky and the security of his country?

Three years after ending all official communications with Moscow, the US government is suddenly back in Russia’s orbit. The two nuclear powers sat down in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to find 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?