Monocle 24: The Briefing

The Dutch government collapses as far-right leader Geert Wilders pulls his far-right PVV party out of a coalition. We have the latest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a series of air strikes over the weekend, Ukraine and Russia sit down for a second round of talks in Istanbul.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaking in Singapore ahead of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, called on European leaders to harden their collective position on Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza doesn’t improve soon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Viktor Orbán hosts the Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) next European stop in Budapest, former Hungarian MP Zsuzsanna Szelényi joins to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gorana Grgić examines the EU’s €150bn SAFE scheme, a new arms fund aimed at countering Russian aggression and US withdrawal. Then: how bread became Ukraine’s symbol of resistance. And: Monte Carlo with Jacquemus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles III is set to give the throne address to open Canada’s 45th session of parliament. Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, said the royal visit “clearly underscores the sovereignty of our country”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pacy round-up of the day’s main news stories, anchored from London by Chris Cermak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As US and Iranian representatives meet in Rome, Burcu Özçelik joins to discuss. Plus: Germany’s biggest troop deployment since the Second World War, Hong Kong’s news sector tax audits and Brazil at Cannes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Netanyahu condemns international rhetoric following the killing of two Israeli embassy workers, the president of the US-Middle East Project, Daniel Levy, joins to discuss. Plus: Taiwan’s last nuclear reactor and ‘The Global Countdown’ heads to Argentina. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel continues Gaza offensive despite international criticism and prepares to strike Iran without Washington’s support. Plus: Vietnam’s $60bn high-speed rail, how to observe an election and Wall Street’s view on Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leaders in Italy protest the Meloni government’s call to abstain from a referendum on birthright citizenship. Plus: flying taxis in Al Ain and the best beach reads from the summer issue of Konfekt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK and the EU strike a deal to “reset” relations. Then: Laura Kramer reports from Bucharest as the city’s mayor wins the Romanian presidency. Plus: Fernando Augusto Pacheco and Christopher Cermak discuss Eurovision.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following “difficult but useful” US-Iran talks in Oman, what will come of fresh discussions with European partners today? Plus: election campaigns in Portugal and South Korea, business news and the British Fashion Council awards. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leila Molana Allen joins to discuss the disparities between US and Israeli policy in Gaza. Plus: Hong Kong’s security crackdown, foreign investment in UK newspapers and a Eurovision special of ‘The Global Countdown’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the US lifts sanctions on Syria, Nada AlTaher joins to discuss Trump’s meeting with president Ahmed al-Sharaa. Plus: Macron’s marathon TV appearance, Estonia’s largest military exercise, remembering José Mujica and the EBRD forum. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xi Jinping extends more than €8.2bn in credit to Latin American and Caribbean countries. Plus: Denmark takes over as chair of the Arctic Council, the new pope speaks and Estonia’s Eurovision entry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China and the US have agreed to slash tariffs for 90 days. But will this trade war ceasefire last? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, heads to Saudi Arabia and Qatar ahead of the Iran-Arab World Dialogue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK is expected to be the first country to announce a deal with the US since Trump’s tariffs were announced. Is the special relationship alive and well? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As leaders across the globe call for restraint following India’s strikes on Pakistan, we speak to journalists in New Delhi and Islamabad about the mood on the ground. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friedrich Merz suffers a dramatic defeat in the Budestag, failing to win a majority in a parliamentary vote to become chancellor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Ukraine’s forces move into Kursk on a second incursion, we examine what lies ahead for the peace deal. Plus: The future of AUKUS after Albanese’s win, Germany’s new era, the conclave begins this week and hospitality at tonight’s Met Gala.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a vote is announced to ratify parts of the minerals deal in Ukraine’s parliament, Ukrainian MP Oleksii Goncharenko joins us to discuss the future of Ukraine-US relations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We consider how the Ukraine and the US’s minerals deal will actually work. Then: will shifts in US and Canadian politics influence Australian voters? Plus: the view from Ghana ahead of the papal conclave.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We unpack how much Putin actually wants to make peace with Ukraine. Then: the view from the Philippines ahead of the papal conclave. Plus: luxury markets news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomos Lewis reports from Toronto as Mark Carney emerges victorious in Canada’s elections. Then: we consider what the conclave process will look like as the Vatican sets a date. Plus: the latest film news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Voting begins in Canada’s election: we discuss the latest with Tomos Lewis. Then: North Korea confirms the presence of troops in Ukraine. Plus: Najwa Shihab speaks at Monocle’s The Chiefs conference in Jakarta.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands pay their respects at St Peter’s Basilica. Then: the IMF and World Bank welcome finance ministers. Plus: we speak with Andrew Tuck about Monocle’s new website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak with economist Liliana Rojas-Suarez about treasury secretary Scott Bessent and the US’s position on the IMF and World Bank. Plus: Monocle’s The Chiefs conference in Jakarta, the Monocle Design Awards and ‘The Global Countdown’ from Indonesia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boeing sells its Jeppesen unit to Thoma Bravo for $10.6bn (€9.2bn). Then: we join Andrew Tuck at Monocle’s global leadership conference, The Chiefs, in Jakarta, ask how international politics will affect Poland’s presidential election and the EU fines Apple and Meta. Plus: a dispatch from the two-day Nordic Happiness Summit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vladimir Putin has indicated that he could be open to bilateral talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. Also: the annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group spring meetings take place and AC Grayling debates wokeism. Plus: we explore the love of short pop songs in our culture news round-up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pacy round-up of the day’s main news stories, anchored from London by Chris Cermak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Washington trip of Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, marks the first sit-down meeting that Donald Trump has held with a European leader since he launched his trade war. What will she accomplish? Then: we flick through Brazil’s newspapers with Monocle’s Fernando August Pacheco and explore Dubai’s artistic identity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A previously unannounced meeting is held in Paris between US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and European and Ukrainian leadership. Is a deal on the table? Then: Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, takes to the debate stage and hits out at Trump. Plus: we head to Delphi and Osaka. Then: Fernando Augusto Pacheco takes us to Chile for this week’s ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Latika Bourke brings us the latest from the Australian campaign trail as prime minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton face off ahead of the nation’s elections. Then: Japan’s top trade negotiator has travelled to Washington for talks with Trump’s administration and we hear from technology summit Gitex Africa. Plus: the latest in the world of business with Bloomberg reporter Yuan Potts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We get the latest after US university Harvard has its federal funding cut by the Trump administration; what does this mean for the future of the nation’s higher education institutes? Also in the programme, we assess Turkey’s role in Black Sea ceasefire negotiations and dig into business news. Plus: Uzbekistan’s pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly Dagres on the “positive and constructive” talks between Iran and the US in Oman over the weekend. Also on the programme: Hong Kong’s opposition Democratic Party moves forward with its plans to dissolve and visits to the US from Western Europe plummet. Then: Amah-Rose Abrams brings us the latest arts news from Kyoto. Plus: a tribute to late Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We hear from Ruth Michaelson in Istanbul as the city’s jailed mayor is expected to appear in court. Also on the programme: Japan’s largest yakuza crime syndicate pledges to end its decade-long internal feud. Julian Ryall in Tokyo tells us more. Then: Andrew Mueller sits down with senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, Ian Brzezinski, at the Delphi Economic Forum and we hear from our team at Salone del Mobile. Plus: how transferable are TV show formats? We ask Scott Bryan as the UK announces its own version of the US’s popular Saturday Night Live. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Emmanuel Macron announces France’s plan to recognise Palestinian statehood at a conference in June, Georgina Godwin is joined by Leila Molana-Allen to discuss what the future holds for Gaza. Plus: The ‘coalition of the willing’ meet in Brussels, the Delphi Economic Forum, Milan Design Week and a Eurovision edition of ‘The Global Countdown’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Germany’s CDU and SPD reach a coalition deal, we discuss what the country’s new government will look like. Also on the programme: Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs have created global market turmoil – but what do the president’s allies at home think? Then: we check in with our teams at the Delphi Economic Forum and Salone del Mobile. Plus: we speak to Sam Rice-Edwards, editor of ‘One to One: John & Yoko’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washington and Tehran agree to meet in Oman this weekend – will the talks be direct or indirect? Also in the programme: we check in with our team on the ground at Salone del Mobile 2025 and get the latest in the world of diamonds. Plus: as ‘The White Lotus’ draws its third season to a close, we discuss its soft-power strength.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian and European markets tumble as Donald Trump’s trade war rattles investors, we discuss the global stakes. Then: Serbia’s political crisis deepens. Can president Aleksandar Vučić hold on to power? Plus: ‘Konfekt’ editor Sophie Grove joins the show from Milan as Salone del Mobile gets under waySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.