World Service

Pascale Harter introduces stories from China, the Canadian Arctic, the Venice Biennale and Sierra Leone. Laura Bicker has been in Beijing where parades, red carpets and singing children greeted Donald Trump. So what progress was made in China-US relations after a frosty period? Canada's far north is so vast and so cold that it can be hard to tell land from sea - much less friend from foe. But the country's pouring new investment and technology into defending its frontier - including some advanced AI-powered robots to patrol the wilderness. David Baillie met the human and robot rangers. The Venice Biennale was meant to help bring nations together through art - but this year the grand exhibition's been beset by rancorous politics over the involvement of Russia and Israel. Kirsty Lang explores how the high concepts on show have been shaped by international disputes. Sierra Leone's first lady, Fatima Bio, has had an extraordinary life - and currently has an unusually high profile inside the country. Megha Mohan joined a hectic motorcade journey upcountry from Freetown to her family farm to interview her. (US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. Credit: Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)