US officials say they made “substantial progress” on trade talks with China, and trade optimism has driven German stocks to record highs. Plus, US President Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates for the first foreign trip of his second term, and the FT’s Christopher Grimes explains why Disney has bounced back amidst a struggling stock price. Mentioned in this podcast:Donald Trump seeks bromance and billions as he heads to GulfGerman stocks hit record high as trade optimism buoys marketsUS claims ‘substantial progress’ after two days of trade talks with ChinaDisney plans first Middle East theme park in Abu DhabiToday’s FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Ethan Plotkin, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Katie McMurran and Peter Barber. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s acting co-head of audio. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.