We discuss today’s EU meeting on new sanctions on Russia. Then we bring you the latest from Tokyo as prime minister Fumio Kishida returns from his diplomatic trip to Brazil and Paraguay. Plus: business news and why the redesign of the Swiss army knife will remove a crucial element: the knife. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Xi Jinping visits Europe for the first time in five years, we examine the pressure that European leaders are putting on Xi Jinping over the war in Ukraine. And has Turkey’s suspension of trade with Israel had any tangible effect? Then: as student protests continue to shake university campuses across the globe, we ask a Princeton University professor what can be learnt from them. Plus: an interview with the Finnish entrant of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.   See...

Chad holds its first presidential election since the coup in 2021. Plus, a culture round-up with Fernando Augusto Pacheco. Live from London with Chris Cermak.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Xi Jinping visits Europe for the first time in five years, we ask whether China or western Europe have any real interest in reviving relations. Then: UK foreign secretary David Cameron promises long-term aid during a visit to Kyiv as the US warns of chemical weapons being used by Russia. Plus: the latest business headlines and a round-up of what’s hitting cinemas this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As campus clashes continue across the US, Congress looks to counter rising anti-Semitism but is it taking the right approach? Then: millions in Kazakhstan are tuning into the trial of a former government minister accused of murdering his wife. We ask whether the case could be a game-changer for domestic violence in the country. Finally, we look at the deteriorating security situation in Ecuador and this week’s edition of ‘The Global Countdown’ heads to the Netherlands.    See...

Violence breaks out at US university campuses. As protesters clash and police move in, we ask what happens next. Then: Donald Trump is fined for violating his gag order, Russian election meddling lands a Moldovan governor in court and the latest from Broadway as the Tony nominations are announced.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How will the US aid pier on the Mediterranean coast of Gaza work? Haiti’s transitional council elects its new president and a new round of Brexit border checks takes place amid a row with Ireland over asylum seekers. Plus: fashion news with Dana Thomas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ground losses on Ukraine’s battlefield come amid delays to military aid from allies, the prime minister of Spain and first minister of Scotland both face decisions about their future, and we find out how Austria is dealing with its espionage problem. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, TikTok’s parent company insists that it has no plans to sell the social-media company and Boeing burns through $4bn (€3.7bn). Plus: what to watch this weekend in our TV and film Friday wrap. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Polish broadcaster TVP World will begin broadcasting in Russian, China doubles the presence of its military vessels in the Philippine exclusive economic zone, shares slump in Facebook’s parent company, Meta, and how the rise of artificial intelligence will have a lasting effect on how we work. Plus: ‘The Global Countdown’ heads to Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We detail the US aid package approved by Congress last night, join celebrated novelist Monica Ali as she reveals the Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist and discuss why shares in Gucci’s parent company, Kering, have plunged. Plus: we talk about Caravaggio’s last painting, “The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula”.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak’s bill to send illegal migrants to Rwanda has been approved in parliament – but could the courts still get in his way? Also in the programme: we have the business headlines, discuss the opening arguments of Donald Trump’s first criminal trial in New York and explore whether German and British spies for China are just the tip of the iceberg. Plus: a look at the future of Chinese-owned app TikTok.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the US finally approves its latest foreign-aid package for Ukraine, we discuss how Russia might respond to a seizure of its assets to help the invaded country. Meanwhile, we look to the Philippines, where the US is launching a series of military drills in the South China Sea, and hear from a former US ambassador to Kosovo. Plus: the top stories in the Americas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Israel launches retaliatory strikes against Iran, we consider whether this week’s escalation has come to an end. Then: the US vetoes a United Nations Security Council resolution that would recognise Palestine as a full UN member state. Plus: why there’s a private funding effort for Ukraine in Slovakia, the latest film and TV releases and a report from Milan’s Salone del Mobile. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look ahead to India’s elections before voters head to the polls for the six-week-long democratic exercise on Friday. Plus: we examine Germany’s arrest of two German-Russian saboteurs, bring you the second part of our special spring edition of ‘The Global Countdown’ and head back to Milan to join the Monocle team at Salone del Mobile. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Western allies flock to protect Israel from Iran, we look at how Ukraine, which remains highly vulnerable to Russian missile and drone attacks, has reacted. Plus: the Council of Europe’s parliamentary assembly votes to approve Kosovo’s application for membership and a check-in from this year’s Venice Biennale.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Republicans in the US House of Representatives attempt to split funding to Israel and Ukraine despite Kyiv’s urgent pleas, we look ahead to Friday’s vote. Then: as Israel’s war cabinet debates how to retaliate against Iran, the regime in Tehran assesses its own capabilities. Plus: a fire breaks out at Copenhagen’s former stock exchange and the latest business news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the escalation between Israel and Iran continues, we hear the latest on the ground in Jerusalem and look at the risks of contagion in the wider region. Then, to the UK, where MPs are set to vote today on the government’s controversial Rwanda bill and, finally, to New York, where Donald Trump will become the first former US president to stand trial in a criminal case. All that, plus a report from this year’s Salone del Mobile. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Israel confirms that it is prepared to act both defensively and offensively if Iran were to attack, we look at US attempts at deterrence. Then: Olaf Scholz’s visit to China as he hopes to bolster Germany’s faltering economy. Plus: we hear about Europe’s battle with populism from the Delphi Economic Forum, as well as Paris’s new Olympic museum. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden hosts the first trilateral White House summit with Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, and president Ferdinand Marcos Jr of the Philippines. Then: outnumbered on the battlefield, Ukraine scraps demobilisation plans for long-serving soldiers. Plus: we sit down with Stefan Löfven, former prime minister of Sweden, to talk about Nato and more.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss exit-poll results from South Korea’s national assembly elections. Plus: Monocle’s Andrew Mueller checks in from the first day of the Delphi Economic Forum, a court rules South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma is allowed to run in next month’s general election and highlights from the Miami Film Festival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does David Cameron’s US charm offensive tell us about the UK’s foreign-policy strategy? Plus: we discuss whether Ireland’s new taoiseach, Simon Harris, will help to boost Fine Gael’s electoral prospects and why Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has joined Tiktok.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets in more than 50 locations across Israel to protest Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war, we look at the mounting pressure on the government to change its strategy. Plus: will Japan be the next country to join the Aukus security pact? And why the security of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is again a cause for concern. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest as Israel announces that it’s opening new routes for aid into Gaza following a warning from Joe Biden that it must protect civilians. Plus: the Czech Republic warns that Russia has made “thousands” of attempts to interfere with European rail networks. Also in the programme: why three cities are vying to be the home of Josip Broz Tito’s remains. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.