The Briefing
1,283 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 18 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
Thursday 5 October
October 05, 2023 11:58 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBUK intelligence warns that Russia may attack civilian ships in the Black Sea. Russia expert Mark Galeotti has the latest. We also head to Zürich as one of the world’s car giants, General Motors, launches its first electric vehicle for the European market. Plus: a look at the rare wines market and this week’s ‘Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 4 October
October 04, 2023 12:05 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBPakistan orders Afghan asylum seekers to leave the country, Naples reels from earthquakes and a roundup of theatre news with critic Matt Wolf. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 3 October
October 03, 2023 12:01 - 31 minutes - 29 MBWe discuss Nato’s weakest flank in the Balkans, the growing rift in the US Republican Party as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s future is in question and the spread of the far right in Germany. Plus: we talk to Fareda Banda, judge of the Caine Prize for African Writing 2023, about last night’s winners. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 2 October
October 02, 2023 11:51 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBWe get the latest from Turkey after a weekend of terror, examine China’s latest cartoon provocation of Taiwan and unpack last night’s presidential debate in Argentina. Plus: Crimea’s Tatar history, and the role of First Ladies in the USA. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 29 September
September 29, 2023 11:53 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MB: As the US government looks set for its fourth partial shutdown in a decade, we ask why Republicans are turning on each other. Plus, the rise of AI – is a summit hosted by UK prime minister Rishi Sunak this autumn too little too late? Plus, an update on Ukraine’s EU accession application and a new e-bike from Angell Mobility and Mini. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thursday 28 September
September 28, 2023 11:45 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBRepublican candidates turn their fire on an absent Donald Trump at the second presidential debate. With British exceptionalism faltering in the past decade, is a national identity crisis undermining democracy? Plus: the latest business news and The Global Countdown from Vietnam. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 27 September
September 27, 2023 11:38 - 29 minutes - 27.5 MBUS president Joe Biden and Donald Trump vie for the support of blue-collar workers in Michigan. Plus: a look at Paris Fashion Week, the latest business news and an exploration of the Hollywood writers’ vote on whether to accept a three-year deal that offers pay raises and protections around the use of artificial intelligence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 26 September
September 26, 2023 11:47 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBWe find out why Russia is trying to rejoin the UN Human Rights Council. Plus: how much can the US stave off China’s influence in the Pacific, the race to control Spain’s politics, the business headlines and a flick through the morning papers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 25 September
September 25, 2023 11:52 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBFollowing Azerbaijan’s seizure of the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenians are fleeing – we have the latest from the border town of Goris. We also discuss the Balkans where old tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have been reignited. Plus: after strikes lasting almost five months, screenwriters and studio bosses in Hollywood have struck a tentative deal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 22 September
September 22, 2023 11:45 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBWe’re joined by James Rogers as the first large ship leaves a Ukrainian Black Sea port since Russia quit the grain deal. And Joana Ramiro has the latest as Brazil’s Supreme Court prepares to vote on abortion rights. Plus: Andrew Mueller’s musings on the week and we check in with Monocle’s fashion editor, Natalie Theodosi, at Milan Fashion Week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thursday 21 September
September 21, 2023 11:54 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBDiplomatic disputes rock several continents as Poland decides to stop sending weapons to Ukraine and India appears to suspend visa services for Canadian citizens. We also discuss Syria’s push to end diplomatic isolation as the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, heads to China. Plus: we head to Luxembourg for the latest instalment of ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 20 September
September 20, 2023 12:01 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBThe latest as Azerbaijan and ethnic-Armenian authorities in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh agree to a ceasefire. Plus: Libya’s media crackdown, why US governors from the country’s southwest are visiting Taiwan and a look ahead to Slovakia’s elections. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 19 September
September 19, 2023 11:47 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBIndia expels a Canadian diplomat amid an escalating row. Plus: Tina Fordham on the United Nations General Assembly as it kicks off in New York, a round-up of news from Latin America and a dispatch from Feria Habitat Valencia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 18 September
September 18, 2023 11:51 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBUkraine sues Poland, Hungary and Slovakia over agricultural bans and China ramps up its aggression, sending more than 100 war planes towards Taiwan. Plus: is French cheese making a comeback? We ask Patricia Michelson, owner and founder of La Fromagerie in London. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 15 September
September 15, 2023 11:56 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBWe discuss the legacy of Mahsa Amini, who died after she was detained in Iran for allegedly violating hijab rules, ahead of tomorrow’s anniversary of her death. We also hear the last instalment of our weeklong series of audio diaries from Morocco’s devastated Atlas mountain region. Plus: Monocle’s Chris Cermak visits a quirky museum in Tallinn dedicated to medals and we get the latest culture news from Laura Kramer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thursday 14 September
September 14, 2023 11:56 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBThe Norwegian Refugee Council’s Ahmed Bayram updates us on rescue efforts in Libya, we discuss the power of China’s new radar chip with technology expert Josh Cowls and Israel’s control of the West Bank. Plus: we hear from ‘GQ Middle East’ international editor Samira Larouci about the destruction of mountain culture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 13 September
September 13, 2023 12:01 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBWe ask whether the fallout from flooding in Libya was preventable, with Monocle’s North Africa correspondent, Mary Fitzgerald, and environmental policy consultant Malak Tayeb. Also in the programme: economist Vicky Pryce discusses the Qantas ruling in Australia, we hear the latest instalment in a weeklong series of audio diaries from Morocco and look ahead to London’s Ukraine Film Festival 2023 with curator Olga Sidorushkina. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 12 September
September 12, 2023 11:57 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBThe US agrees to unfreeze $6bn (€6.9bn) worth of Iranian assets ahead of a prisoner release. Also in the prgoramme: Russia expert Stephen Dalziel examines the Ukrainian take back of Black Sea oil platforms and we hear an audio diary from Morocco. Plus: the latest business news and a wander around Marylebone in the search for blue plaques. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 11 September
September 11, 2023 12:03 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBMary Fitzgerald, Monocle’s North Africa correspondent, discusses rescue efforts in Morocco following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake as we hear from those on the ground. Also in the programme: journalist Ruth Michaelson gives us the latest on Egypt’s anger at Ethiopia over its Nile hydro dam. Plus: Germany and Latvia’s Baltic Sea naval drills and Venice’s floating cinema. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 8 September
September 08, 2023 11:55 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBGeorgina Godwin is joined by Asian defence expert Alessio Patalano to discuss the viability of North Korea’s new nuclear submarine. Drone attacks, growing dissent and opposition in Siberia: Jade McGlynn discusses the challenges facing the Kremlin ahead of local elections in Russia this weekend. Plus: Monocle’s contributing editor Andrew Mueller brings us his shrewd observations from the news of the past week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thursday 7 September
September 07, 2023 11:51 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBAs abortion is decriminalised in Mexico, we ask what’s next for Latin America’s so-called “Green Wave” of women’s rights movements. We also give you the latest from the Three Seas Initiative in Bucharest, where Volodymyr Zelensky addressed leaders. Plus: business news with Bloomberg’s Yuan Potts and we head to Turkmenistan for The Global Countdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 6 September
September 06, 2023 12:02 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MBA roundup of the latest news from Ukraine, including the country’s reconstruction strategy, Wagner’s designation as a terrorist group in the UK and US military drills in Armenia. Also in the programme: Shahin Ghobadi from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran discusses new information related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Plus: Laura Kramer brings us the headlines from the world of culture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 5 September
September 05, 2023 11:46 - 32 minutes - 29.3 MBFollowing a meeting between Russia and Turkey’s presidents in Sochi, is a revived Black Sea Grain Initiative on the horizon? We also discuss the challenges that Africa faces in its “green squeeze” with the Overseas Development Institute’s senior research fellow, Jodie Keane, and what Sweden and Denmark can learn from Finland when it comes to freedom of speech. Plus: the latest Asia news with Monocle’s deputy head of radio, Tom Webb. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 4 September
September 04, 2023 11:46 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBWhere next for Ukraine’s military strategy after the dismissal of Minister of Defence, Oleksii Reznikov? Former Ukrainian MP Aliona Hlivco discusses her country’s options. We also unpack the latest election news from the US, as Democratic senator Tim Kaine calls for the 14th amendment to be used to block Donald Trump from office, and we dive into the biggest stories from Latin America with Monocle’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco. Plus: a new direction for Seattle’s publicly-owned arts festival, B...
Friday 1 September
September 01, 2023 12:59 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBWe present a special episode of ‘The Briefing’ live from Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference in Munich, looking at how governments and businesses can be better prepared for geopolitical risks. Also in the programme: a paper review from London and we ask whether sports can act as a soft power tool for a city’s identity. Plus: we preview a special edition of ‘The Concierge’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thursday 31 August
August 31, 2023 12:18 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MBWith the news that Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to skip a summit of G20 leaders in India next week, we ask about the group's wavering significance. Plus, the Venice Film Festival and the Monocle Quality of Life conference get under way and we head to Germany for this week's Global Countdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 30 August
August 30, 2023 11:53 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBAs Australia’s prime minister names the date for a controversial referendum, we ask how much political capital is at stake for prime minister Anthony Albanese. Plus, the Bavarian state election is upended by an anti-Semitism scandal, a fresh wave of anti-government protests in Syria and the countdown continues to Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 29 August
August 29, 2023 12:30 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBAs Trump’s campaign calendar turns to chaos, we ask how disruptive his latest trial date will be – and how long the disruption might last. We also get the latest on flight cancellations in the UK and head to Taipei to find out more about Terry Gou’s bid to be Taiwan’s next president. Plus: a look at the latest entertainment news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 28 August
August 28, 2023 12:02 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBAfter an informal meeting between Libya’s foreign minister and her Israeli counterpart sparks protests in Tripoli, we ask Libya researcher Mary Fitzgerald how things might escalate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 25 August
August 25, 2023 11:55 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBEmma Nelson is live from Dufourstrasse 90 with the latest on Kosovo, as Brussels and Washington accuse authorities in Pristina of unnecessarily stoking tensions in majority-Serb areas. Plus: Tyler Brûlé is in the studio with the latest on Rolex buying Swiss retailer Bucherer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thursday 24 August
August 24, 2023 12:01 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBZimbabwe’s election goes a day longer than planned after polling stations failed to open on time. Plus: the latest on Donald Trump’s legal troubles as he is due to have his mugshot taken and we head to the UK on ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 23 August
August 23, 2023 11:48 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBChina’s president, Xi Jinping, calls for an expansion of the Brics group. Plus, delays at some polling stations as voting begins in Zimbabwe election, tensions between Finland and Russia rise again and we speak to the former Australian Green Party leader, Bob Brown, about his country’s conservation efforts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 22 August
August 22, 2023 11:42 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBThailand’s most controversial politician is back in Bangkok. Also in the programme: we discuss Botswana’s unique direct democracy, which is built on mining diamonds from the ground, take a look at the papers in Morocco and explain the latest business news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 21 August
August 21, 2023 11:37 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBSweden’s new military support package to Ukraine, election results in Ecuador and Guatemala, and plans for a European high-speed rail link. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 18 August
August 18, 2023 11:56 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBLithuania shuts down its border with Belarus, the US approves sending F-16s to Ukraine and Spain’s Pedro Sánchez scores a tactical win for his party. Plus: the significance of Camp David for US foreign policy and the latest scandal involving former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and official gifts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thursday 17 August
August 17, 2023 11:53 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBVanuatu’s opposition party boycotts parliament following a failed bid to remove the prime minister. Plus, AI-generated works of fiction infiltrate online bookstores, the latest business news and ‘The Global Countdown’ is in Greece. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 16 August
August 16, 2023 11:55 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBPoland holds biggest military parade in decades, as its clout in Europe grows. Plus: prices and wages are still rising in Turkey, additional train services are announced between main Ukrainian cities, the latest business headlines and and Fernando Augusto Pacheco has some important diva news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 15 August
August 15, 2023 11:50 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBScott Lucas discusses the latest from Georgia as Donald Trump faces his fourth criminal case. We also look at the fallout of a police data breach in Northern Ireland, city halls clash with the Finnish government and Monocle’s senior foreign correspondent, Carlota Rebelo, examines the news that train links between Portugal and Spain are set to improve. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 14 August
August 14, 2023 11:58 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBWhat next for Niger’s president, Mohamed Bazoum, who could be prosecuted for high treason? The latest on Portugal’s 2023 tourism numbers, business news with Bloomberg’s Yuan Potts, and the papers with Fernando Augusto Pacheco. Plus: Misha Glenny on the Bangladesh Bank heist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 11 August
August 11, 2023 11:48 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBAs Ukraine orders a civilian evacuation of Kharkiv areas, we check in from the frontline. Plus, we go to Melbourne where the hosts of the Women’s World Cup are looking ahead to their quarter-final, deliver the latest business news and take a look at what we learned this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thursday 10 August
August 10, 2023 11:46 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBA political crisis ensues in Ecuador as presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio is assassinated at a campaign rally. Plus: North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un calls for war preparations, the latest business headlines and our weekly Global Countdown takes us to Japan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 9 August
August 09, 2023 11:51 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBAmazon nations fall short of their agreed goal to end deforestation. Plus, China’s economy falls into deflation as their recovery stumbles, Japan’s bullet trains phase out their famous snack carts and we take a global look at the papers... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 8 August
August 08, 2023 11:46 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBSpain’s conservative People’s Party continues to try to break the country’s political deadlock. We’re also in Niger where a US envoy is attempting to resolve the crisis. Plus: we hear about the latest scandal involving Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro and what Ukraine’s plans are if a bid to assassinate president Zelensky were to be successful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 7 August
August 07, 2023 11:57 - 34 minutes - 32.1 MBNiger’s junta shuts airspace as the deadline passes to restore the ousted President Bazoum. Plus: the UK and India inch closer to a free-trade agreement as they enter a 12th round of talks, why no one wants to host the Commonwealth Games and a look at the world’s papers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 4 August
August 04, 2023 11:45 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBNiger’s president asks the US for help following a coup in his country. Plus: Andrew Mueller wraps up the week, we discuss the latest in culture and recap Habitat for Humanity’s Housing Forum in Latin America and the Caribbean. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thursday 3 August
August 03, 2023 11:45 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBNorth Korea confirms that it is holding an American soldier in custody. Plus: Pope Francis meets with victims of clerical sexual abuse, Turkish inflation jumps to nearly 50 per cent and Fernando Augusto Pacheco takes us to South Africa on The Global Countdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wednesday 2 August
August 02, 2023 11:55 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBDonald Trump faces four charges over efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Plus: We take a look at a pillar of American current affairs broadcasting, provide the latest business news and discuss how cities are beating the heat in Monocle’s new summer newspaper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday 1 August
August 01, 2023 11:43 - 30 minutes - 28 MBChina announces export controls, saying it wants to safeguard “national security and interests”. Plus, how Istanbul is tackling soaring rents and overcrowding, the latest business news and a permanent art collection to be installed on the moon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday 31 July
July 31, 2023 11:50 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBUkraine says that war is coming to Russia as a senior Russian official threatens a nuclear attack. Plus, why Austria’s conservative chancellor Karl Nehammer has become a meme, the latest business news and a global look at the papers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Friday 28 July
July 28, 2023 11:50 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBUkraine’s counteroffensive is ramping up after months of slow progress. We check in with Kyiv for the latest. Plus, British Airways owner IAG reports record profits as air travel recovers, we have a paper review from South Tyrol and we take a look at Kylie Minogue’s Vegas residency. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.