The Briefing
Monocle
A pacy round-up of the day’s main news stories, anchored from London by a Monocle editor. The show features informed reporting, prescient business analysis and invaluable industry reports covering everything from technology to aviation and retail to...
Location:
London, United Kingdom
Genres:
World News
Networks:
Monocle
Description:
A pacy round-up of the day’s main news stories, anchored from London by a Monocle editor. The show features informed reporting, prescient business analysis and invaluable industry reports covering everything from technology to aviation and retail to media.
Language:
English
Contact:
Midori House, 1 Dorset Street, London, W1U 4EG, UK +44 20 7725 4388
Email:
info@monocle.com
Episodes
Iran warns that the US will no longer have a safe haven in the region
5/26/2026
As Tehran and Washington discuss a framework to end their three-month war, Iran’s supreme leader warns that Gulf powers will no longer be a shield for the US and its bases. Plus: Why guilty consumption is taking off in Japan.
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Duration:00:19:45
Pope Leo has views on AI: will Silicon Valley listen?
5/25/2026
Pope Leo XIV is giving his first ecumenical today on the topic of artificial intelligence, the first official word from the Catholic Church on the topic. Anthropic CEO Christopher Olah is in attendance but will anyone in Silicon Valley truly pay attention to the Church’s teachings?
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Duration:00:30:12
Hungary’s constitutional reform and prime minister Péter Magyar’s first weeks
5/22/2026
Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyar wants to limit the terms of his office to eight years – preventing his predecessor from returning. We’ll discuss the constitutional reforms and how Magyar is doing in his first weeks in office.
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Duration:00:34:12
Will Donald Trump’s Republican party purges cost him in the midterms?
5/21/2026
We discuss Trump’s punishment of disloyal Republicans in the primary elections. Separately, his IRS settlement could permanently block him and his family from tax audits. What will his base make of these moves?
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Duration:00:33:18
Nato under strain as members seek clarity on US plans to withdraw troops
5/20/2026
We look ahead to the Nato foreign ministers’ meeting in Sweden as questions over a US drawdown remain. What will the American push for ‘greater burden sharing’ look like and who will plug the gaps?
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Duration:00:33:30
Vladimir Putin heads to Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart
5/19/2026
As Moscow recovers from huge Ukrainian strikes, Russia’s president prepares to meet Xi Jinping. Then: how one European development bank is expanding operations. Plus: Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen at her new retrospective.
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Duration:00:31:57
The political controversy engulfing Cannes film festival
5/18/2026
Hundreds of actors have been blacklisted for protesting Vincent Bolloré’s political influence over Canal+. Then: how a shadow network across Europe is helping Russia to evade sanctions. Plus: Monocle on Eurovision 2026.
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Duration:00:29:46
Is Russia looking to end the war or escalate it?
5/15/2026
We explore how Europe is responding to Russia’s latest large-scale attack on Ukraine. Then: what will the world look like after the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is over? Plus: South African music lands in Kyoto.
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Duration:00:26:18
On stage for Emmanuel Macron’s viral moment in Kenya
5/14/2026
We speak with Marie Lora-Mungai, who was on stage in Nairobi when French president Emmanuel Macron implored the audience to show respect, about the viral moment and the future of Africa’s creative industries. Plus: the latest from the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing and a Eurovision-themed ‘The Global Countdown’.
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Duration:00:34:08
Ukraine-Russia ceasefire ends but Kyiv’s renewed confidence continues
5/13/2026
Ukraine pushes for an airport ceasefire after its three-day truce with Russia comes to an end. Plus: Katharine Hayhoe on how climate scientists maintain their optimism in the face of the Trump administration.
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Duration:00:30:55
Is it all over for Keir Starmer? Cabinet faces questions
5/12/2026
Cabinet members are asked to pledge support for embattled UK prime minister Keir Starmer. Plus: redistricting battles heat up in the US, Thaksin Shinawatra is released from prison and Sweden’s Eurovision entry.
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Duration:00:34:48
Trump rejects Iran’s peace proposal
5/11/2026
An end to the Iran war looks unlikely as Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu refuse to entertain Tehran’s demands. Then: a taste of Corsican food in Paris. Plus: the case for Australia Fashion Week.
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Duration:00:29:51
Trump’s global 10 per cent tariffs ruled illegal as he pushes for an EU-trade deal
5/8/2026
We discuss what next for Donald Trump’s tariffs as he is pushed back for a second time by a US trade court. Then: protests over Russia at the Venice Biennale. Plus: the latest cultural news.
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Duration:00:30:02
Can Marco Rubio smooth things over with Pope Leo XIV and Giorgia Meloni?
5/7/2026
The US secretary of state is in Rome for talks with Pope Leo XIV and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, two leaders whose relations with US president Donald Trump have soured. Can Marco Rubio revive them?
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Duration:00:32:00
Does the end of ‘Project Freedom’ point to peace? Plus: Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire’s Paris
5/6/2026
As Donald Trump backs down from ‘Project Freedom’, Andrew Mueller weighs the likelihood of peace and what it would look like. Plus: Grace Charlton on Paris under its new mayor and a shocking trend.
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Duration:00:23:41
Is the ceasefire in Lebanon all but over?
5/5/2026
As Israel ramps up its killing in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire, we discuss where things could go next. Then: Merz a year on, Romania’s vote of no-confidence and the Venice Biennale.
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Duration:00:33:32
Trump announces ‘Project Freedom’ and Zambia cancels world’s largest human rights and tech conference
5/4/2026
We discuss Donald Trump’s new plan for the US military to guide stranded ships through the strait of Hormuz. Then: Zambia cites misalignment with ‘national values’ as it cancels major human rights gathering
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Duration:00:32:26
Trump threatens troop withdrawal in Europe
5/1/2026
We discuss the US-Europe security relationship as Donald Trump threatens to pull troops from Italy and Spain after making the same threat to Germany. Is an increasingly antagonistic Trump accelerating European military independence?
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Duration:00:30:22
Pete Hegseth defends Iran war – and calls his critics the true adversary
4/30/2026
We discuss US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s congressional hearing and the broader Iran strategy, plus interest rate decisions in Washington and Frankfurt. Then: ‘The Entrepreneurs’ live in Shanghai and ‘The Global Countdown’ with Fernando Augusto Pacheco.
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Duration:00:31:56
How healthy is the special relationship? Assessing King Charles III’s speech to Congress
4/29/2026
King Charles III emphasises the need for stronger UK-US ties in an address to Congress. Then: could the EU put sanctions on Israel over the purchase of Ukrainian grain? Plus: the latest from the world of business.
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Duration:00:25:35