The Briefing

Episoder

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  Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial: what do we know in week 10? 15.09.2026 26min

  Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial in the Philippines. Then: We check in with Monocle’s team at the Arab Media Summit in Dubai. And: The best of Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  The EU ices out the US with its new Arctic agenda 14.09.2026 28min

  European leaders carve out a new Arctic agenda without the US at the table. Then: Mark Carney's bid to turn Canada’s political reliability into economic gain. Plus: Design on display in London, Paris, Venice and Zürich.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Are markets recognising a renewed threat to global energy supplies? 11.09.2026 28min

  Oil is more than $100 (€86) a barrel and European diesel prices have hit record highs. Are markets finally recognising a renewed threat to global energy supplies? Then: Konfekt’s autumn spa special and Paris Design Week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Does the future of the transatlantic relationship lie with Poland and Canada? 10.09.2026 38min

  Could Poland and Canada’s defence deal mark a new chapter for Western security? Then: can the US Democrats capitalise on their success in the primaries? Plus: Apple’s new CEO is put to the test.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How to preserve a political legacy: the view from ‘Trumpapalooza’ and Macron’s twilight years 09.09.2026 30min

  We’re in Dallas as the Republican party begins to grapple with its post-Trump future and then in Paris, where Macron and his MPs strategise for plans after his departure. Then: New York Fashion Week kicks off.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Rubio in South America: celebrating the region’s rightward shift and eyeing 2028 08.09.2026 32min

  US secretary of state Marco Rubio lands in Colombia, lauding the continent’s right-wing swing. Will he leverage his regional influence for a 2028 presidential run? Then: Portuguese architecture and Lisbon’s Cape Verde ties.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Germany’s far-right wins big: The view from the Bundestag and Brussels 07.09.2026 30min

  We head to Berlin as Germany’s far-right AFD party eyes a path to power. Then: a global foresight strategist on how businesses can navigate volatility. Plus: 2027 travel trends emerge, with long-haul trips and cooler climes prevailing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  What the biggest restructuring in Volkswagen’s history says about Germany 04.09.2026 30min

  Could Volkswagen’s restructuring actually be a positive sign that corporate Germany is facing up to reality? Plus: Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference under way in Lisbon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  That’s Goethe hurt: Russia’s cultural swipe at Germany following accusations of drone attacks and spying 03.09.2026 34min

  Russia looks to close Germany’s Goethe-Institut cultural centres. Then: big tech makes Trump’s Lake America official, the latest from Hong Kong and the Quality of Life global countdown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Live from Zürich, which has just topped an index of the world’s smartest cities 02.09.2026 27min

   Emma Nelson is live from our headquarters in the city that has just topped the IMD’s global Smart City Index. Plus: an alliance unfolding between Al-Qaeda and Houthis in Yemen and the start of the Venice Film Festival.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  The Mecca defence pact and Meloni’s record-breaking run 01.09.2026 31min

  We head to Istanbul for Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan’s first-ever Mecca Defence Alliance meeting. Then we’re off to Milan to discuss Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s new era of stability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  La rentrée politique: France’s presidential hopefuls kick start their campaigns 31.08.2026 31min

  There are seven months to go before the first round of the election that will find a replacement for outgoing leader Emmanuel Macron. As politicians return to their offices after the summer break, we look at the runners and riders in this presidential race, and what the latest polls tell us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  The death of Norway’s King Harald V and the enduring soft power of monarchy 28.08.2026 32min

  In light of Harald V’s passing, we explore why monarchy still influences an increasingly divided geopolitical landscape. Then: Dubai airport perseveres amid war and Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference in Lisbon next week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  A moment of truth for Volkswagen and Germany’s wider car industry 27.08.2026 32min

  Volkswagen’s CEO Klaus Blume and unions are clashing over massive job cuts. Plus: New York Mayor Mamdani takes on Fifth Avenue. And: The Global Countdown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Spain vows to overhaul immigration laws as the Ceuta crisis persists 26.08.2026 32min

  The Spanish government requests emergency EU funding as the cabinet holds an extraordinary meeting over the Ceuta crisis. Then: how to fail upwards in business. And: Australia bans AI-generated music from its charts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  A ‘path to prosperity’? The US removes Syria from list of state sponsors of terrorism 25.08.2026 31min

  Washington says that it is recognising Damascus’s positive moves to distance itself from international terrorism. Syria’s foreign minister calls the decision a “historic step”. We look at what the Trump administration’s decision means. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Andy Burnham delivers secret missile plans on Ukraine’s Independence Day 24.08.2026 33min

  The UK prime minister is in Kyiv on his first foreign trip, boosting Ukrainian missile production and defying Russian threats. Plus: Iran “D-Day” hyperbole shrugged off by markets and the Edinburgh International Book Festival.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Myanmar’s post-coup leadership’s diplomacy tour lands in Bangkok – what does legitimacy look like? 21.08.2026 35min

  We head to Bangkok as Myanmar’s post-coup leadership arrives for a diplomatic push. What does it mean for a government to gain legitimacy? Then: Rail Baltica brings the Baltics ever closer. Plus: Rob Bound previews ‘Monocle on Culture’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Can Ukraine’s new defence minister Yevhenii Khmara deliver what Kyiv needs most? 20.08.2026 38min

  As pressure mounts on Zelensky amid calls for elections, what does the scandal mean for Ukraine’s morale? Plus: Can design be a vehicle for development in post-industrial cities; and a flick through Monocle’s September issue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How do trade routes tip the balance of geopolitical scales? 19.08.2026 29min

  China is launching an Arctic Sea route as an alternative to the fraught Middle East shipping lanes. How would this shift global ties? Plus: will Moldova and Romania merge? Then: Libyan reggae and Lebanese city-pop with Habibi Funk.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.