Putin on the back foot? Russian president in China as Ukraine campaign stalls

Where does Europe's far right turn? Populists look to distance themselves from Trump

If the first thing Europeans think of when they fill up at the pump is Donald Trump's decision to attack Iran, it's little wonder that previously pro-MAGA populists are quietly distancing themselves from the president of the United States. In fact, Trump actively campaigning for Peter Magyar's rival actually helped Hungary's new conservative prime minister boot out Viktor Orban, his predecessor of 16 years. Magyar is hoping to cash in this week with a deal to unlock more than €10 billion in frozen EU funds. If Budapest is no longer MAGA's European headquarters, then where do fellow travellers turn in places like France [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/france/], Italy [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/italy/], Spain [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/spain/] and the Netherlands [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/netherlands/]? Do they instead double down on the love for Russia [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/russia/]'s Vladimir Putin [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/vladimir-putin/], like Germany [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/germany/]'s far right? For hardened Eurosceptics, does the master of the Kremlin still seem like an invincible nationalist when he's bogged down in Ukraine [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/ukraine/]? So do they cosy up to outside superpowers – like Britain's Nigel Farage [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/nigel-farage/], who's long been enamoured with Trump – or as shown by recent revelations surrounding the same Reform UK [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/reform-uk/] leader, instead find a billionaire with a bee in his bonnet to bankroll them?  Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Guillaume Gougeon, Charles Wente.

Hotter than July: Can electrification save humanity from soaring heat?

Europe's in meltdown, and it's not even June yet. We're seeing a not-so merry month of May as record highs explode under a heat dome that's drifted north from the Sahara. After the frying pan of an energy crisis, the fire of a heatwave is forcing a reset by the same politicians who pandered to those who complained about the cost and red tape of recent energy transition policy. Enter Emmanuel Macron [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/emmanuel-macron/]. France [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/france/]'s president was precisely one of those politicians who had segued from summits to make the planet great again to cuts in subsidies for homeowners and moratoriums on going green. Flanked by captains of industry [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/industry/], Macron on Tuesday unveiled plans to turbocharge what almost sounds like the electrification of everything. We hear about heat pumps, charging stations and electric vehicle factories here in the land of nuclear power. Read moreWhy is Europe heating up faster than the rest of the world? [https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260526-why-is-europe-heating-up-faster-than-the-rest-of-the-world] More broadly, can industry and technology come to the rescue of humanity? If blocking the Strait of Hormuz [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/strait-of-hormuz/] is all it takes to threaten livelihoods the world over, it's worth asking about the sustainability of the alternative: one that features a scramble for copper, cobalt, uranium [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/uranium/] and whatever else can be extracted in the name of growth. Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Guillaume Gougeon, Charles Wente.

End in sight? Hormuz, nukes at the heart of US-Iran sticking points

Three months into what was originally billed as four-week war, is an end really in sight? Donald Trump's messaging on bargaining with Iran was enough to push Brent crude oil below $100 a barrel for the first time in two weeks. Both Washington and Tehran are managing expectations of a final deal or "memorandum of understanding". Time is not on Trump [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/donald-trump/]'s side, what with a World Cup [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/world-cup-2026/] to host in less than three weeks and inflation [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/inflation/] that's fast erasing the sweetener of tax breaks for voters ahead of the November midterm elections. But if inflation's bad in the US, Iran [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/iran/] has economic ruin to contend with. So again, who blinks first? Read morePossible Iran-US deal: What we know about the key issues on both sides [https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20260525-possible-iran-us-deal-what-we-know] And how do regional players align? Gulf states are divided between hawks – led by the United Arab Emirates [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/united-arab-emirates/], who've drawn closer to Israel [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/israel/] in this conflict – and doves, led by the Strait of Hormuz [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/strait-of-hormuz/]'s other frontline state Oman [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/oman/]. So which is it: a deal, a return to war or permanent state of limbo over the world's biggest choke point for oil and gas [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/oil/]? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Jean-Vincent Russo, Guillaume Gougeon, Charles Wente.

Tipping point? The scramble to contain global energy crisis

It's easy to lecture world leaders about how fuel subsidies ruin the environment and bleed state coffers dry, but try telling that to beleaguered Bolivians and cornered Kenyans, two of the many nations where the energy crisis has reached breaking point with citizens unable to keep up with prices at the pump. It's not just in the Americas, Africa and Asia where the Iran war is destroying livelihoods and derailing fiscal roadmaps. France [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/france/] – which at the outset of an election year is already running the biggest budget deficit of the eurozone at 5.1 percent of GDP – is further loosening the purse strings, with the prime minister announcing fresh measures. Watch moreFrance announces €710 million in new energy aid [https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/business/20260521-france-annouonces-€710-million-in-new-energy-aid] So, to subsidise or not to subsidise? On that score, what lessons have been learned from the last energy [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/energy/] crisis in 2022? Oil and gas prices are notoriously volatile. What if the Strait of Hormuz [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/strait-of-hormuz/] is never the same again? And how much fuel is left before the entire global economy's running on empty? Produced by François Picard, Antonia Cimini, Juliette Laffont, Juliette Brown, Charles Wente.

Ebola returns: How to fight outbreak amid defunding of global health?

Can border walls keep out pandemics? The World Health Organization is officially branding the Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo a "public health emergency of international concern". As the death toll from the rare strain climbs, so does the number of contact cases. Ituri province may seem remote on a map, but nowhere's very far in a globalised world. Watch moreEbola in DR Congo: 'This could be a very bad outbreak,' MSF health worker says [https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/perspective/20260520-ebola-in-dr-congo-this-could-be-a-very-bad-outbreak-msf-health-worker-says] We ask about the outbreak [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/ebola/] and the lessons learned from previous pandemics. Since Covid, the United States has quit the UN [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/united-nations/]'s health body. Public aid and science [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/science/] budgets are trending down among all G7 [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/g7/] nations. What does that mean for the WHO [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/who/] and for global health? Why is it that despite Covid and despite globalisation [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/globalisation/], there's such a backlash against vaccines, cross-border cooperation and more broadly, against science itself?  Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Juliette Brown, Charles Wente.