Syria announces itself on the international stage: Ahmed Al-Sharaa at the White House after sanctions lifted

In recent months, rocket testing and loudspeaker broadcasts have been added to the list of border incursions in South Korea by North Korean troops. We consider whether military talks could offer a solution. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

German finance minister Lars Klingbeil travels to Beijing at a time of serious questions about just how reliant Germany’s economy is on China. Plus: Andrew Ross Sorkin on the next financial bubble, Pope Leo goes to Hollywood and Shezad Dawood on using art to profile the environment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Switzerland’s hopes rise for tariff relief as talks in Washington intensify. Plus: Chile prepares for a lurch to the right in Sunday’s elections. And: the winner of the Latte Art Grading System World Championship.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Switzerland hopes for tariff relief as talks in Washington intensify. We get the latest as Bern pushes to cut US import tariffs of 39 per cent on Swiss goods. Plus: Chile prepares for a lurch to the right in Sunday’s elections. And: the winner of the World Latte Art Championship.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Venezuela is preparing guerrilla-style resistance in the case of a US attack and the UK halts some intelligence-sharing with Washington over increasingly unpredictable offensives in the Caribbean. Then: Saudi Arabia hosts Tourise. Plus: Japan’s carmakers feel the sting of US tariffs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iraq holds parliamentary elections plagued by political boycotts and voter disillusionment. Can they buck the trend? Then: will a new EU intelligence community secure the bloc’s international standing? Plus: the latest aviation news and Abu Dhabi’s cultural offerings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore life on the ground in Ukraine with a charity founder and the business editor of the ‘Kyiv Independent’ as Russian attacks limit the country’s ability to provide heat and electricity to its citizens. Plus: The Booker Prize winner and Christie’s London head of jewellery.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Syria’s leader can celebrate the UN Security Council lifting sanctions, just ahead of his visit to the White House today. Plus: We ask the founders of A Land for All: is there is a better two-state solution for the Middle East? Also: Baillie Gifford Prize winner Helen Garner.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump hosts Hungary’s prime minister, who hopes that Russian oil won’t be on the meeting agenda. Plus: What next for Hamas, news from the Mediterranean and can you guess the Louvre’s password? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Morocco has declared a national holiday after UN powers recognised its plans for Western Sahara. But what if the Trump administration and others miscalculated in the name of peace? Plus: why the Summit of the Americas is cancelled and the latest from World Travel Market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.