Today is World Press Freedom Day—but there is little to celebrate. The latest index from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) shows this is the worst year in its 25-year history, with the global average score at a record low. For the first time, more than half of all countries are classified as having “difficult” or “very serious” press freedom conditions, and just one percent of the world’s population lives in countries rated “good.” At the bottom, Eritrea remains the most dangerous place for journalists, while Gaza Strip is among the deadliest places to report. To discuss, France 24’s Gavin Lee is joined by Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent at The Sunday Times, who is calling for an independent body to investigate crimes against journalists.

From Ukraine’s evolving battlefield, where drone warfare is redefining frontlines and so-called “killing zones,” to reports of “Martian drones” and their impact on both Russian and Ukrainian forces, we also look at the expanding use of unmanned systems in rescue operations, including the evacuation of a 77-year-old woman in Odesa region. France 24’s Gavin Lee is joined by Olena Krizhanivska, a Ukrainian defence analyst specialising in drones and unmanned systems, and founder of Ukraine’s Arms Monitor.

As Mali’s military struggles to maintain control amid a growing jihadist insurgency, a number of its own soldiers have been arrested, accused of collaborating with Al-Qaeda-linked militants in coordinating widespread attacks. Islamist group JNIM, alongside separatist rebels, has reportedly seized two northern cities, killed the defence minister, and is now attempting to impose a blockade on the capital, Bamako. We take a closer look at what’s happening on the ground, the escalating security crisis, and the role of Russian mercenaries in supporting the government. France 24’s Gavin Lee is joined by Beverley Ochieng, a specialist in West Africa and political risk analyst at Control Risks, to discuss.

In a week that’s seen a third apparent assassination attempt against President Trump with shots fired at the White House Correspondents Dinner. The suspect, 31 year old Cole Thomas Allen, had booked a room at the Washington Hilton, and taken a selfie in his room which prosecutors say shows him arming up 30 minutes before storming the ceremony. Tackled by secret services before he could run down a staircase to the ballroom, the President and his team were rushed away as journalists dived under tables. 

Gavin Lee welcomes Adrian Blomfield, Senior Foreign Correspondent at The Telegraph. His reporting from the Strait of Hormuz offers a rare, intimate view beyond satellite imagery and policy abstraction. “One of the things you get a sense of when you're out on the water,” he reflects, “is just how much more complicated the picture is.” That complexity is not theoretical. It is kinetic, obscured by haze and shaped by “about 300 small speedboats… bouncing along the water” at high speeds, forming a dense and ambiguous maritime ecosystem where smugglers, civilians and military actors blur into a single, indistinguishable flow.

In a week where a stalemate appears to have developed after nearly two months of asymmetric conflict between the US and Iran, President Trump’s Truth Social posts have swung between belligerent maximalism and breezy deal-making—one minute suggesting a within-reach deal, and that Iranian forces would personally help their enemy confiscate what he called its “nuclear dust” and move it to America.

Joe Buccino is the former communications director of US Central Command, CentCom, which directs and commands American military operations in the Middle East, Central and Sout Asia.

One of the notable aspects of Pakistan being the centre of peace talks is just how the country positioned itself as the mediator, or facilitator, between the US and Iran.

The precise location of the house that William Shakespeare bought in London has been discovered thanks to evidence unearthed by British academic Professor Lucy Munro, who’s pinpointed the exact location and layout of a property the Bard bought for £140 back in 1613, three years before he died. She tells us more in this edition of Spotlight.

A detailed report by The Atlantic's Sarah Fitzpatrick raises many questions over the alleged excessive drinking and erratic behaviour of FBI Director Kash Patel. Patel has described the allegations as "fake news" and is threatening to take legal action against the publications. FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee speaks to Sarah Fitzpatrick in this edition of Spotlight.

Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome Robert B. Murrett, retired Vice Admiral in the US Navy, Professor of Practice and Deputy Director of the Syracuse University's Institute for Security Policy and Law. The Israel-Lebanon and US-Iran ceasefires are at a critical juncture In the evolving geopolitical dynamics of the Strait of Hormuz, where military risk, energy security, and diplomatic recalibration intersect.

Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Italy's former head of state offers an in-depth, insightful and thought-provoking reading of contemporary geopolitics, European cohesion, and leadership ethics. Speaking from the vantage point of a former leader of a major European country, he reflects on instability in global alliances, energy vulnerability in Europe, and the evolving nature of political leadership. His analysis is marked by a tension between pragmatism and principle, where shifting allegiances are both criticized and, at times, cautiously endorsed.