The Briefing
1,283 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 13 hours ago - ★★★★ - 80 ratingsA 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.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Ukrainian troops withdraw from Donetsk
April 29, 2024 11:41 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBGround 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.
Antony Blinken meets with Xi Jinping during a warning of crossing ‘red lines’
April 26, 2024 11:48 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBUS 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.
China doubles its presence in the West Philippine Sea
April 25, 2024 11:50 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBPolish 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.
US Congress approves $95bn (€110bn) aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
April 24, 2024 11:49 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBWe 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.
The UK green lights controversial immigration policy
April 23, 2024 11:49 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBUK 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.
Aid for Ukraine and drills in the South China Sea
April 22, 2024 11:56 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBAfter 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.
Israel retaliates and Slovakia fundraises for Ukraine
April 19, 2024 11:49 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBAs 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.
India heads to the polls and a spying scandal
April 18, 2024 12:05 - 38 minutes - 35.7 MBWe 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.
Ukraine’s defence deficit
April 17, 2024 11:59 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBAfter 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.
The US considers splitting foreign aid
April 16, 2024 11:56 - 32 minutes - 30 MBAs 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.
Israel-Iran escalation and Trump stands trial
April 15, 2024 12:10 - 39 minutes - 36 MBAs 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.
Israel-Iran relations and Olaf Scholz in China
April 12, 2024 13:37 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBAs 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.
When two become three: Biden, Kishida and Marcos Jr meet
April 11, 2024 11:54 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBJoe 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.
South Korea heads to the polls and the Delphi Economic Forum
April 10, 2024 11:53 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBWe 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.
David Cameron’s US charm offensive
April 09, 2024 12:57 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBWhat 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.
Protests in Israel against Benjamin Netanyahu’s Gaza strategy
April 08, 2024 12:46 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBAs 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.
US pressure on Israel and Prague warns Moscow is sabotaging European railways
April 05, 2024 11:46 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBThe 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.
Finland’s new security pact with Ukraine
April 04, 2024 11:50 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBAs Nato celebrates its 75th anniversary, Finland and Ukraine have signed a long-term security agreement. Charly Salonius-Pasternak and Olga Tokariuk discuss the new pact and Nato’s support for Ukraine. Also in the programme: how has the Italian city of Bolzano managed to largely avoid the country’s demographic plunge? Plus: the White House instructs Nasa to develop a time zone for the moon and ‘The Global Countdown’ with Fernando Augusto Pacheco. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...
Nato: Braindead no more?
April 03, 2024 12:03 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBA major earthquake strikes Taiwan. We discuss what this means for business as markets brace for a supply-chain aftershock. Plus: a look at the health of Nato as the alliance marks its 75th anniversary and the latest fashion news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Experts slash Germany’s economic-growth forecasts
April 02, 2024 11:53 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBEurope’s largest economy, Germany, is hit by new inflation figures. We examine what this means for the continent and the path of interest rates. Plus: The Hague hosts a conference on holding Russia to account for war crimes in Ukraine and Poland’s government investigates its predecessor’s use of Pegasus software to spy on its citizens. Also in the programme: what the closure of a small bookshop in Hong Kong means for the city and the latest entertainment news. See omnystudio.com/listener ...
Special edition, no 3: Live from the Sustainable Cities in Action Forum at Expo City Dubai
April 01, 2024 15:00 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBThe last in a series of special live editions recorded at the Sustainable Cities in Action Forum at Expo City Dubai. Tom Edwards hosts a discussion on “the living city”, featuring insights from director of ESG and innovation Middle East and Africa at AECOM, Farah Naz; founder and director of Future Places, Juan Carlos Belloso; associate urban planner and Middle East sustainability leader at Arup, Ghaith Tibi; and Monocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...
Monday 1 April
April 01, 2024 11:43 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBA pacy round-up of the day’s main news stories, anchored from London by Vincent McAviney. Plus: A flick through Latin American newspapers with Fernando Augusto Pacheco. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 29th of March
March 29, 2024 12:45 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBA pacy round-up of the day’s main news stories, anchored from London by Georgina Godwin. Plus: Art Basel gets underway in Hong Kong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kenyans question why their police are being sent to Haiti
March 28, 2024 13:08 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBWith Haiti facing a huge political and security crisis, we look at why Kenya is still considering coming to the nation’s aid. Plus: why cocoa prices around the world are surging and what that means for Ghanaian farmers. We also check in with Monocle’s The Chiefs conference in Hong Kong, get the latest business news and hear ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why did Baltimore’s bridge disaster happen?
March 27, 2024 12:52 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBAs experts recover the data recorder onboard container ship ‘Dali’, we examine why the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed so quickly. Voters in Turkey head to the polls in local elections, with president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party hoping to win back cities that it lost five years ago. Plus: the latest on the ground from Ukraine and what foreign TV is allowed to be broadcast in North Korea? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox conscription row
March 26, 2024 12:56 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBBenjamin Netanyahu is facing major pressure over the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service. Could this collapse Israel’s coalition government? Then: retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan discusses China’s military readiness for a potential invasion of Taiwan. Plus: a look at how declining fertility rates will transform the global economy and a flick through today’s Latin American papers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Special Edition No 2: Live from the Sustainable Cities in Action Forum at Expo City Dubai
March 25, 2024 16:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBThe latest in a series of special live editions recorded at the Sustainable Cities in Action Forum at Expo City Dubai. Tom Edwards hosts a discussion on heat and wellbeing in the city, featuring insights from the chief heat officer for North Dhaka, Bushra Afreen; director of Art Jameel, Antonia Carver; and Monocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck. Plus: Monocle meets Seafood Souq co-founder Fahim Al Qasimi. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Special Edition, no 2: Live from the Sustainable Cities in Action Forum at Expo City Dubai
March 25, 2024 16:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBThe latest in a series of special live editions recorded at the Sustainable Cities in Action Forum at Expo City Dubai. Tom Edwards hosts a discussion on heat and wellbeing in the city, featuring insights from the chief heat officer for North Dhaka, Bushra Afreen; director of Art Jameel, Antonia Carver; and Monocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck. Plus: Monocle meets Seafood Souq co-founder Fahim Al Qasimi. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Moscow concert attack: a major blow to Putin?
March 25, 2024 12:49 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBJenny Mathers and Mateusz Mazzini discuss the Moscow terror attack and the reaction in Poland after a Russian missile breached Polish airspace. Plus: The latest on Senegal’s presidential election, business news and a special interview with Ambassador Mark Green, president of the Wilson Center. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What lies ahead for India’s elections?
March 22, 2024 12:51 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MBAfter the arrest of a major opposition politician in India, we examine why the country’s forthcoming elections might be off to an auspicious start. Then: we discuss Armenia’s efforts to cosy up to the West and head to a European aviation conference. Plus: a special report on the rise of the Communist Party in the Austrian city of Salzburg and a look at the legacy of Karl Lagerfeld as his last apartment in Paris goes up for sale. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What progress has been made towards a ceasefire in Gaza?
March 21, 2024 12:52 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBAs US secretary of state Antony Blinken returns to the Middle East, we examine whether there’s any progress towards a ceasefire in Gaza. Then: we get the latest on a long-standing legislative fight over immigration policy in the UK and how it could affect the country’s elections. Plus: we head to Finland for a special extended edition of ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Texas’s controversial immigration law
March 20, 2024 12:56 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBA fight over immigration between Texas and the Biden administration has become a fight between the US courts. We discuss the last-minute freezing of the state’s controversial immigration law and what comes next. Then: Senegal faces an election that will test its democracy and Hong Kong successfully tightens its security laws. Plus: a flick through the day’s papers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The future of dissent in Russia
March 19, 2024 13:34 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBVladimir Milov, former advisor to the late Alexei Navalny, discusses Russia’s sham elections and the state of political dissent in the country. Plus: Moldova gears up for a referendum on EU membership, the Bank of Japan ends an era of negative interest rates and Belgian designer Dries Van Noten steps down from his label. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Special edition, no 1: Live from the Sustainable Cities in Action Forum at Expo City Dubai
March 18, 2024 16:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBThe first in a series of special live editions recorded at the Sustainable Cities in Action Forum at Expo City Dubai. Tom Edwards hosts a discussion on sustainable placemaking, featuring insights from author and authority on creative cities, Charles Landry; Monocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck; anthropologist and director at Gehl, Sophia Schuff; and Jonathan Ashmore, founding principal of Anarchitect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Benjamin Netanyahu hits back at Israel’s Western allies
March 18, 2024 13:01 - 43 minutes - 40 MBBenjamin Netanyahu has rejected the US and Germany’s criticisms of Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Is the rift between Tel Aviv and its staunchest allies deepening? Plus: A look ahead at India’s election and the UK’s decision to join Asia’s trade club. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is the tide turning in US-Israel ties?
March 15, 2024 12:48 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBHamas presents a new ceasefire deal and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer calls for new elections in Israel. Gregg Carlstrom has the latest. Plus: as Russians vote in an election with no real opposition, we hear from Evgenia Kara-Murza, wife of jailed political activist Vladimir Kara-Murza. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Washington considers a TikTok ban
March 14, 2024 13:04 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBThe US House of Representatives has approved a bill that could ban TikTok amid concerns about Chinese influence over the social media giant. Plus: the leaders of Germany, France and Poland plan a meeting to iron out their differences and ‘The Global Countdown’ goes to Brazil. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The US heads for a Biden-Trump rematch
March 13, 2024 12:53 - 37 minutes - 34 MBThe latest round of primary votes has set up a rematch between Joe Biden and his bombastic predecessor Donald Trump. Plus: the European Parliament votes on a landmark artificial-intelligence bill and a Japanese-made rocket fails on launch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bosnia and Herzegovina recommended to start EU accession talks
March 12, 2024 12:52 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBThe European Commission recommends that Bosnia and Herzegovina start EU accession talks, eight years after the Western Balkan country applied to join the bloc. Plus: Dutch coalition talks grind on and the latest business headlines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Caribbean leaders hold emergency meeting on Haiti
March 11, 2024 12:49 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBLeaders from the Caribbean regional bloc are meeting in Jamaica to discuss Haiti’s escalating gang violence. Plus: France’s far-right leads the polls ahead of the European elections and Fernando Augusto Pacheco reflects on the 2024 Academy Awards. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Orbán meets Trump in Florida
March 08, 2024 13:03 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBHungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, travels to Florida to meet with Donald Trump. Plus: Ireland votes on the definition of “family” and Japan joins military drills in France for the first time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
China’s National People’s Congress and Arco Madrid
March 07, 2024 12:59 - 31 minutes - 29 MBWe get an update on the National People’s Congress in Beijing, preview Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech and check in on the Arco Madrid contemporary art fair. Plus: a biscuits countdown special. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Super Tuesday and Pritzker Prize winners
March 06, 2024 12:52 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MBWe head to a viewing party in Virginia to assess Super Tuesday’s results with Simon Marks. Plus: Why the Philippines is worried about Asean’s stance on China, an interview with the head of the Munich Security Conference and the Pritzker Architecture Prize goes to Riken Yamamoto. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nordic Response 2024 and the future of Macy’s
March 05, 2024 12:47 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBWe hear about the first major Nato exercises with Finland and Sweden as members, Monocle’s Carlota Rebelo gives us an update on Portugal’s elections and the uncertain future of Macy’s. Plus: What next for Austria after Sebastian Kurz’s conviction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Haiti’s state of emergency and Olaf Scholz in hot water
March 04, 2024 12:47 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBKenya considers leading a “multinational force” to crisis-hit Haiti, which has declared a state of emergency; Germany’s Olaf Scholz suffers the consequences of two major intelligence flaps; and Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council calls for an independent state. Plus: An entertainment news roundup of the Brits and Oscars with Laura Kramer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gaza aid convoy deaths spark global outrage
March 01, 2024 12:45 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBThe US blocks a UN statement blaming Israel for Gaza aid convoy deaths, Giorgia Meloni makes her second official visit to the US and nationwide strikes in Germany bring public transport to a near standstill. Plus: Max Richter speaks to Monocle’s Robert Bound about his soundtrack for the movie ‘Spaceman'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
EU takes the lead in the Red Sea
February 29, 2024 16:06 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBThe EU’s Red Sea mission is involved in its first skirmishes, Mitch McConnell announces his departure as Republican Senate leader and an exhibition on UK-Ukraine relations at the Houses of Parliament. Plus: ‘The Global Countdown’ from Nigeria. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hamas downplays US ceasefire optimism
February 28, 2024 13:02 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBHamas and Israel underemphasise Joe Biden’s hopes of imminent ceasefire, why artificial intelligence is a big opportunity for the news media and the women missing from family trees lost from the history books. Plus: the latest news from the world of architecture and design. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kyiv-Warsaw ties come under pressure
February 27, 2024 12:52 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBJoe Biden says he hopes for a truce in Gaza by next Monday as Hamas reviews a ceasefire deal. Plus: ties between Poland and Ukraine are strained as farmers’ protests continue at their border and music concerts drive a tourism boom in Singapore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why will Nikki Haley not drop out?
February 26, 2024 12:51 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBThe government of the Palestinian Authority resigns amid US pressure to improve governance of the West Bank. Plus: European leaders meet in Paris to show a united front on Ukraine and even after Nikki Haley loses to Donald Trump in her home state, why is she staying in the race to be the Republican nominee for president? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.