Protests as Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa visits Berlin and London

Despite the build-up of US troops in the Middle East, Trump has announced that the war may end soon. Then: Pakistan emerges as an unlikely mediator. Plus: how do you count the population of India?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was met with protests and support in Berlin for talks with German chancellor Friedrich Merz, including on whether to repatriate Syrians. We assess how Syrians view their new president, whether they’re likely to return and what Al-Sharaa wants from European leaders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Military drones are everywhere: Ukraine is helping defend Gulf nations and Russia is helping Iran’s attack. We assess the impact of drones in Ukraine and Iran, and the link between the two conflicts following Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Saudi Arabia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe braces for the economic fallout from the war in Iran as the OECD warns of a surge in prices. Plus: the impact on global aviation. Then: what we learned this week and Art Basel heads to Hong Kong.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio is expected to join the second day of the G7 foreign-ministers meeting outside Paris. Can he turn around the cooling attitudes from allies that have infuriated Trump? Plus: Tyler Brûlé on the world’s 10 best airports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We untangle the mixed messages from the US and Iran and discuss how talks to end the war could move forward. Then: Belarus’s president, Alexander Lukashenko, visits North Korea and Estée Lauder and Puig in talks to merge. Plus: an interview with Argentinian duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen finalises a trade deal with Australia after years of talks. Plus: Danish election and Italian referendum results.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We cross to Tel Aviv as the war in Iran enters its fourth week. Then: how do the French municipal election results set the stage for 2027’s presidential race? Plus: misinformation in Ljubljana and BTS’s long-awaited comeback in Seoul.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reaction from Washington and Tokyo after Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, meets Donald Trump following his demands for help to protect the Strait of Hormuz. Plus: Why Finland is still the happiest country in the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the Middle East crisis continues, we discuss Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz and Israel’s intensified strikes on Lebanon. Then: China’s strategic economic model, the Passenger Terminal Expo 2026 and business news from Asia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.