BBC

Hot on the heels of the US President, the Russian leader is the latest to meet with President Xi in Beijing, signing over 20 agreements on trade and technology.

The two leaders failed to come to an agreement on a long awaited Russian gas pipeline between the countries. China is Russia's top trading partner and also its biggest customer for oil and gas.

Elsewhere, we hear from Greenland where President Trump's envoy has turned up at one of the country's biggest business conferences.

Why was the Ebola outbreak able to spread so quickly? We speak to the co-chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response about Ebola testing shortfalls in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Also on the programme: we examine the relationship between Russia and China as Vladimir Putin fails to reach a gas pipeline deal during a visit to Beijing. Plus, we hear why the Tyrannosaurus rex had such short arms.

(Picture: A health worker takes the temperature of an M23 rebel in Goma, North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Credit: REUTERS / Arlette Bashizi)

Stephen Nolan's no nonsense approach to confronting the biggest issues of the day

Are you worried about whether the global disruption could affect your global travel plans? Whether you've booked a foreign trip, are planning a staycation or simply unsure of what to do, this is the programme for you.

Holidays may not be the most important thing in the world, especially when you consider what's happening in Iran that's causing all the uncertainty, but that doesn't mean they don't matter and they are definitely a big expense.

Maybe you're wondering if a jet fuel shortage could ground your flights or don't really know if you have the right insurance cover. With the inflation rate rising, perhaps you’re worried about the pressure on your holiday budget.

Felicity Hannah is joined by Emma Brennan from ABTA, the trade association for travel agents and tour operators, and Lisa Minot, head of travel at the Sun newspaper to answer your questions.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

Producer: James Graham

Editor: Jess Quayle

Senior News Editor: Sarah Wadeson

(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 22nd April 2026)

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China's leader Xi Jinping hosts a colourful welcome for visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. The two leaders have met dozens of times. Mr Putin arrived in China shortly after President Trump ended his trip to the Chinese capital. Also in this podcast: Donald Trump tightens his grip on the Republican Party after orchestrating the defeat of a congressman who defied him. Pro-Palestinian activists go on trial in Germany - raising questions about the country's traditional support for Israel. Arsenal win the English Premier League for the first time in more than two decades. And we investigate a peculiar noise made by humpback whales.

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Kenya is the latest African country to increase fuel prices citing the US-Israel war with Iran. While announcing one of the steepest pump price increments in recent times, the government reduced Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel products from 16% to 8%, as the country's political opposition threatens street demonstrations if measures to lower prices further are not taken. In this episode, we explore if electric vehicles are a viable transport alternative in African countries.

Also, the global fashion industry produces 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year with much of it ending up in landfills or being burned, according to the United Nations. We hear a Nigerian fashion designer's journey to curb rising fashion waste through upcycling.

The former Google CEO got heckled at a graduation ceremony at the University of Arizona. The editor-in-chief of their student paper The Daily Wildcat tells us why.

We also discuss fuel price hikes in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi concludes his European visit in Norway.

And with data centres springing up all over the world, the communities living near them share how they cope with the disruptions they can bring.

Plus, Kenya's government has cut diesel prices after people took to the streets to protest rising costs. An Uber driver and farmer tell us about the impact it's had on them.

More than 130 people are believed to have died in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The World Health Organisation has declared it a public emergency of international concern, and warns the number of infections could soon reach the thousands.

Also on the programme: celebrations in north London as Arsenal win the Premier League for the first time in 22 years.

And as President Putin arrives in China for talks with Xi Jinping, we ask what their ‘friendship with no limits’ really means.

We hear from a journalist in eastern DR Congo on how situation is becoming more and more difficult for people in the city of Goma, a major transport hub - and we speak to Tom Frieden, a leading US scientist involved in fighting the last major Ebola outbreak.

Also on the programme: An interview with former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, pardoned by Donald Trump, now in hiding in the US.

We have a rare report from inside Afghanistan.

And an age-old mystery at sea has been solved - we hear how biologists rumbled the whale.

(Photo: UNICEF staff receive medical supplies from an aircraft in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 19, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere)