The Briefing
1,283 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 17 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.
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Episodes
China’s industrial expansion
December 15, 2023 12:48 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBChina reports its fastest industrial expansion in nearly two years. Plus: South Korea warns of a potential North Korean missile launch this month, a report on Hungary’s new laws to curb foreign influence and the latest headlines in business and fashion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Will Venezuela invade Guyana?
December 14, 2023 12:56 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBVladimir Putin says that there will only be peace in Ukraine when Russia achieves its “goals” at his first major press conference since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Plus: the presidents of Guyana and Venezuela meet in Saint Vincent amid border tensions, the EU debates Ukraine’s future membership and another wintery edition of The Global Countdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How ambitious is the Cop 28 deal?
December 13, 2023 12:43 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBSuzanne Lynch discusses how ambitious the new Cop 28 agreement is. Plus: Australia breaks from the US and calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, Volodymyr Zelensky’s trip to Washington and the latest Russian strikes on Kyiv. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Which cities are best prepared for the future of mobility?
December 12, 2023 12:41 - 34 minutes - 32 MBXi Jinping arrives in Vietnam as Beijing and Washington jostle for influence in the Southeast Asian manufacturing hub. Plus: tense talks at Cop 28 over fossil fuels, the EU’s shifting policy on Israel and Gaza, and Helsinki tops the latest Urban Mobility Readiness Index. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why was voter turnout so low for Sunday’s Hong Kong elections?
December 11, 2023 12:41 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBAn update on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where aid operations are struggling to meet rising needs. Plus: why voter turnout in Hong Kong’s weekend local election was historically low, an immigration overhaul for Australia, and Japanese cinema makes waves in the US. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did Israel deliberately target journalists in Lebanon?
December 08, 2023 12:50 - 30 minutes - 28 MBWorld leaders call for calm as a border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana escalates. Plus: leading human-rights organisations claim Israel deliberately targeted journalists in southern Lebanon. Also in the programme: Turkey and Greece warm ties after a landmark meeting and why ‘Oppenheimer’ will finally be released in Japan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two months of war between Israel and Hamas
December 07, 2023 12:49 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBWe assess the long-term regional implications of the Israel-Hamas war. Plus: Italy formally leaves China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Air New Zealand buys its first battery-powered, all-electric aircraft. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is US support for Ukraine running out?
December 06, 2023 12:52 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBTop Ukrainian defence officials arrive in Washington for key talks with their US and Nato counterparts. Plus: rising settler violence in the West Bank, the latest from Cop 28 in Dubai and Italy’s other leaning tower. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Pressure on Netanyahu at home and abroad
December 05, 2023 12:42 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBA fraud trial against Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, restarts as he comes under international pressure to reduce civilian deaths in Gaza. Plus: a former US diplomat is accused of spying for Cuba, France exerts itself in the South Pacific and George Santos’s post-Congress life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Israel extends its ground offensive in Gaza
December 04, 2023 13:16 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBIsrael strikes Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip and warns residents in central areas to evacuate. Plus: Europe’s hard-right launches its EU election campaign, a new exhibition of repatriated Indonesian artefacts and the Oxford English Dictionary’s “word of the year” is rizz. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Humanitarian operations are scaled back as fighting resumes in Gaza
December 01, 2023 13:10 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBAfter the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas expires, hostilities resume in the Gaza Strip. Plus: an immigration challenge for Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and our Helsinki correspondent reports from the start-up conference Slush. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Henry Kissinger’s divisive legacy
November 30, 2023 12:56 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBControversial former American diplomat Henry Kissinger, who shaped US foreign policy in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, has died aged 100. We examine his legacy. Plus: Israel and Hamas extend their temporary truce, Cop 28 kicks off in Dubai and a soft-power special of ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Humanitarian efforts in Gaza, and Japan and Vietnam’s security ties
November 29, 2023 12:52 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBWe speak to Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, who brings us a snapshot of the situation in Gaza. Also in the programme: Vietnam and Japan agree to strengthen security and economic ties, a look at the newspapers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and a report from the World Architecture Festival in Singapore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thai hostages freed from Gaza
November 28, 2023 12:49 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBThailand’s deputy prime minister visits Israel after 17 Thai hostages are freed by Hamas – but several remain in Gaza. Plus: Australia bans the Nazi salute and closing arguments are due to begin in the high-profile trial of 16 pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Modi-Bibi bromance: why India’s PM is backing Israel
November 27, 2023 12:46 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBHamas and Israel suggest that they are willing to extend the four-day truce agreement, which saw dozens of Israeli hostages freed from Gaza in exchange for 117 Palestinian prisoners. Plus: why Narendra Modi is behind India’s public embrace of Israel, a report from the Finland-Russia border and The Booker Prize 2023 goes to ‘Prophet Song’ by Irish author Paul Lynch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Israel-Hamas truce begins
November 24, 2023 13:33 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBIsrael prepares to receive its first group of freed hostages. Plus: the feud dividing Taiwan’s opposition, a closer look at the Barclay family’s bid to regain control of UK newspaper ‘The Telegraph’ and the latest business news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The rise of the Netherlands’ far-right Party for Freedom
November 23, 2023 12:46 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBThe far-right Party for Freedom, led by anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders, is set to become the largest grouping in the Dutch parliament. Plus: can Joe Biden take credit for a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas? And The Global Countdown heads to the Pacific. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Israel and Hamas agree a temporary truce. What next?
November 22, 2023 12:46 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBHamas has agreed to release 50 hostages being held in Gaza during a four-day pause in fighting. Plus: tensions rise between Seoul and Pyongyang after North Korea launches a spy satellite and John F Kennedy’s presidential library marks 60 years since his assassination. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are Israel and Hamas approaching a truce?
November 21, 2023 12:38 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBIsrael and Hamas militants are said to be close to agreeing a temporary truce in Gaza. We ask SOAS’s Lina Khatib what both sides want from negotiations. Plus: Washington’s defence chief announces a $100m (€91,000) military aid package for Ukraine, candidates register for Taiwan’s presidential election and the nominees for the 2023 European Film Awards. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can Javier Milei fix Argentina’s economic woes?
November 20, 2023 12:51 - 30 minutes - 28 MBMonocle’s Alex de Royere and Fernando Augusto Pacheco discuss what the victory of right-wing libertarian Javier Milei in Argentina’s presidential election means for the country and the region. Plus: Arab leaders meet in Beijing, Microsoft hires OpenAI’s Sam Altman and we reflect on the life of former first lady Rosalynn Carter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can Israel’s raid on Al-Shifa hospital be justified?
November 17, 2023 12:54 - 34 minutes - 32 MBIsraeli forces claim to have found Hamas tunnels beneath Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. Plus: a leading English-language Argentinian newspaper says a government led by right-wing firebrand Javier Milei “would pose a grave threat to democratic coexistence” in the country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Xi and Biden meet in San Francisco
November 16, 2023 12:59 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBAs Presidents Biden and Xi meet for their first face-to-face talks in a year, we look at the key issues left out of discussions. Plus: the UN Security Council calls for humanitarian pauses in Gaza and thousands gather in Lisbon for Europe’s largest technology conference. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Supreme Court Rwanda ruling, French-Swiss relations and ‘Napoleon’ review
November 15, 2023 12:42 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBThe latest as the Supreme Court strikes down the UK government’s Rwanda policy, warming Swiss-French relations and why local innovation is key for smart cities. Plus: Karen Krizanovich reviews Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’ biopic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The International Committee of the Red Cross’s Gaza response
November 14, 2023 12:41 - 30 minutes - 28 MBAs concern grows over Gaza’s biggest hospital, we hear from Matthew Morris of the International Committee of the Red Cross about the organisation’s humanitarian response in the region. Plus: protestors rally against Pedro Sánchez’s amnesty deal in Spain, Donald Trump’s latest legal woes and entertainment news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can the return of a former PM unite the UK government?
November 13, 2023 12:47 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBFormer British prime minister David Cameron, who resigned as an MP over Brexit, is back in government. Vincent McAviney has the latest on a dramatic cabinet reshuffle. Plus: Gaza’s hospitals in crisis and San Francisco gears up for its biggest international summit since 1945. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Ukraine is hunting Wagner in Sudan and North Korea is shutting embassies
November 10, 2023 12:50 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBThe latest on the conflict in Sudan and why Ukrainian forces are hunting down Wagner fighters in the country. Plus: European nations remain divided on how to respond to the Israel-Hamas war and why North Korea is scaling back its global diplomatic footprint. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Will Macron’s ‘humanitarian conference’ achieve anything?
November 09, 2023 12:48 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBAs world leaders meet in Paris to discuss the war in Gaza, international broadcast correspondent and former CNN Europe editor Nina dos Santos examines Europe’s response to the crisis. Plus: Hollywood actors’ union reaches a tentative deal to end a months-long strike and how Sydney is addressing its housing shortage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
G7 nations announce a unified front on the Israel-Hamas war
November 08, 2023 12:55 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBThe latest on fighting in Gaza as the G7 group of industrialised nations call for “humanitarian pauses” between Israel and Hamas. Plus: another branch of Germany’s far-right party, Alternative for Germany, is designated “extremist” and Morocco invests in its tourism industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What went wrong for WeWork?
November 07, 2023 12:43 - 31 minutes - 29 MBUK director of Human Rights Watch Yasmine Ahmed on her organisation’s call for an international arms embargo on “all warring parties” in Israel and Gaza. Plus: Donald Trump clashes with a judge as he gives testimony in a civil-fraud case and WeWork, once valued at $47bn (€44bn), files for bankruptcy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Netanyahu’s political career in trouble?
November 06, 2023 12:48 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBAfter protesters gathered outside Benjamin Netanyahu’s home over the weekend, we ask whether his political career can survive the war with Hamas. Plus: Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, makes a historic visit to China – and why a Ukrainian bear is moving to Scotland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Washington changing its stance on the Israel-Hamas war?
November 03, 2023 12:47 - 34 minutes - 32 MBUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken will call for ‘humanitarian pauses’ in fighting as he visits Israel for the second time since its war with Hamas began. Plus: Japan prime minister Fumio Kishida battles a weak yen, King Charles wraps up a visit to Kenya and why cowbells are causing a row in Switzerland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who is allowed to leave Gaza?
November 02, 2023 12:59 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBHundreds more foreign passport holders are expected to leave the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing into Egypt. Will Iran-backed militia groups enter the conflict? Also in the programme: fighting “Ukraine fatigue” and why the US is renaming its birds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Rafah border crossing to Egypt reopens: will it help Gaza?
November 01, 2023 12:50 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBInjured people and some foreign nationals are expected to be able leave the Gaza Strip. Ruth Michaelson has the details. Plus: China addresses its ageing population, the US sanctions Myanmar and why a French town is protesting against McDonald’s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How prepared is Israel to fight Hamas in Gaza?
October 31, 2023 12:46 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBAndrew Mueller asks Middle East analyst Noam Ostfeld about the complexities of fighting Hamas militants inside Gaza. Plus: Paris sues the European Commission for favouring English over French and the latest business news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What does Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza mean for its civilians?
October 30, 2023 12:51 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBAs Israeli troops and tanks move further into Gaza, we ask Tom Porteous of Human Rights Watch how the invasion is affecting civilians. Plus: free-trade talks between Canberra and Brussels break down and the latest business headlines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hamas delegation visits Moscow
October 27, 2023 11:43 - 33 minutes - 31 MBWe speak to one of the world’s leading hostage negotiators as Hamas representatives travel to Moscow. Plus: the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, the latest business news and a look at what to watch this weekend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
China’s top diplomat visits Washington
October 26, 2023 11:49 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBWang Yi, China’s foreign minister, travels to Washington amid tensions in the Indo-Pacific. Ahead of a potential presidential summit, we ask whether the preservation of the Arctic and economic opportunities are contradictory to one another. Plus: the latest business headlines and ‘The Global Countdown’ comes from Australia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Israel lashes out at the UN
October 25, 2023 11:48 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBIsrael threatens to withhold visas from UN officials over comments by secretary general António Guterres. Plus: another House speaker vote ends with inconclusive results, the Indonesian court paves the way for the president’s son to run in the country’s 2024 elections and why Polish leadership hopeful Donald Tusk hopeful is in Brussels. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could violence in the West Bank erupt into a new war?
October 24, 2023 11:47 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBWith the world’s attention on Gaza, violence escalates in the West Bank. Plus: Thousands in Kuala Lumpur gather for pro-Palestine protests, Slovenia increases border control and why Arctic security matters to Japan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza escalates
October 23, 2023 11:48 - 30 minutes - 28 MBWe give you the latest from Gaza as the Israeli bombardment escalates. Plus: a surprise result in Argentina’s presidential election, a maritime spat between China and the Philippines, and Uber’s balloon rides in Cappadocia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Where might the Israel-Palestine conflict end?
October 19, 2023 11:55 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBAs Israel prepares a major ground offensive into Gaza, we ask Daniel Levy, a former member of the Israeli delegation to the Israel/Palestine peace talks, where the conflict will end. Plus: election season kicks off in Indonesia and Fernando Augusto Pacheco reviews the Icelandic charts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hospital blast in Gaza
October 18, 2023 11:44 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBAfter a blast at a Gaza hospital kills hundreds, we ask what it means for Joe Biden’s trip to Israel and the country’s relationship with its Western allies. Plus: the Venezuelan government agrees to hold elections in 2024 after talks with the opposition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Israel’s week-long Gaza blockade
October 17, 2023 12:04 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBConditions in Gaza deteriorate after more than a week of an Israeli blockade. Can Joe Biden negotiate the delivery of aid from Egypt? Plus: Brussels is on alert after a terrorist attack kills two, India’s Supreme Court rules on same-sex marriage and the latest business headlines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Potential Gaza ceasefire takes a hit
October 16, 2023 12:24 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBThe latest from Gaza, as Israeli forces launch more airstrikes despite hopes of a brief ceasefire. Plus: coalition talks begin after voters turn against the New Zealand Labour Party and record-low approval ratings are announced for Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida’s cabinet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Israel’s evacuation order of Gaza asking the impossible?
October 13, 2023 11:56 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBAs Israel orders more than one million Gazans to evacuate, we hear from an aid worker on the ground and a Palestinian journalist about whether the evacuation is feasible. We also unpack US secretary of state Anthony Blinken’s diplomatic mission in the Middle East. Plus: Monocle’s Chris Cermak takes us on the Republican campaign trail in New Hampshire and Alexei Korolyov makes sense of the OSCE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thursday 12 October
October 12, 2023 11:57 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBUS secretary of state Antony Blinken visits Israel in a show of support. Plus: the race to elect a new House Speaker continues in the US, Frieze London and a special edition of ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 11 October
October 11, 2023 11:44 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBThe Arab League holds an emergency meeting over the Israel-Hamas conflict. Plus: Israel ramps up airstrikes on Gaza; Russians seek refuge in Central Asia; and the Pad design fair in London. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 10 October
October 10, 2023 11:46 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBAs the Israel-Hamas conflict escalates, we discuss the EU’s rift over the complex delivery of aid to Palestine. Plus: the deadline for Canadian diplomats to leave Indian soil looms, a check-in from the World Economic Forum’s Urban Transformation Summit in Detroit and a flick through the papers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 9 October
October 09, 2023 12:09 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBAs fighting continues between Israel and Hamas, we give you the latest on the ground and assess why Israeli intelligence was blindsided by the assault over the weekend. Plus: a look at the state of global support for Ukraine and Nasa’s plan to build homes on the moon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 6 October
October 06, 2023 11:45 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBIranian activist Narges Mohammadi is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. We discuss the value of the award in times of war. Plus: a special interview with Sweden’s minister of defence and Andrew Mueller’s ‘What We Learned’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.