The Briefing
Monocle
A 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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 17, 2026 • 27min
Trump delays direct talks with Xi as the Iran war rages on
As the US president postpones a high-stakes summit with China’s leader, we discuss the mutual strategies at play. Then: France’s municipal election results and Lucas Santtana’s new album, ‘Brasiliano’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 16, 2026 • 30min
Can the US rely on its allies in the war in Iran?
Trump warns Nato that it must assist the US to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Can he rely on the US’s allies after a year of berating them? Plus: the surge in oil markets continues. Then: we take stock of the Oscars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 13, 2026 • 34min
The future of the far right in Germany. And: The winner of the Pritzker Prize
We discuss what’s next for Alternative for Germany after a court rules that the party cannot be labelled as an “extremist” group. Plus: an interview with Giorgos Karampelas, creative director of K-Studio, at Mipim 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 12, 2026 • 37min
Iran steps up attacks in the Gulf as oil prices jump
We discuss how increased attacks across the region are pushing energy prices back up despite a historic release of reserves. Plus: Amanda Driehorst, strategy and sales manager at Schindler, on innovation in “vertical” home mobility.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 11, 2026 • 36min
Turkey’s mass corruption trial gets under way
Istanbul’s mayor is among hundreds facing corruption charges in a trial that his party says is politically motivated. Plus: Paris Fashion Week highlights and we speak to Hyatt’s Felicity Black-Roberts at Mipim.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 10, 2026 • 31min
How the war in Iran is changing Qatar’s global standing. And: urban festival Mipim
Leila Milana-Allen, Doha-based Middle East reporter, on how strikes are testing Qatar’s neutrality and security ties. Isabelle Le Calenic, MEP, on EU moves toward affordable housing, definitions and policy tools. Fernando Augusto Pacheco, Latin America correspondent, on Colombian and Brazilian political shifts. Rashmi Narayan, travel writer, on new US routes, night trains and evolving EU digital border systems.
Mar 9, 2026 • 31min
Mark Carney on the attractiveness of Canada’s military
Mark Carney, former Bank of England and current Canadian prime minister, on defence strategy, procurement and tech investment. Ewan Potts, Bloomberg energy and commodities reporter, on market moves. Laura James, Oxford Analytica Middle East analyst, on Iran’s new supreme leader. They discuss recruitment, unmanned systems, AI, hypersonics, Arctic and defence industrial resilience.
Mar 6, 2026 • 31min
A war of numbers: can the Gulf keep up?
We get the latest on the Iran war from Dubai and discuss how long defensive ammunition in the Gulf will last against Iranian attacks. Plus: the latest business news and cultural headlines from France. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 6, 2026 • 39min
The US Senate votes against limiting Trump’s war powers
As strikes in Iran continue we get the view from Washington after a bipartisan resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s powers fails in the US Senate. Then: Ukraine’s sought-after drone interceptor technology. Plus: China unveils its next five-year roadmap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 4, 2026 • 21min
Who will take over from Ayatollah Khamenei? Plus: business news and Paris Fashion Week
Thomas Harding, Middle East security expert with deep Iran knowledge; Ewan Potts, Bloomberg markets correspondent tracking oil and market moves; Alexis Self, Monocle foreign editor on European diplomacy. They discuss who might succeed Ayatollah Khamenei, how Iran’s military options shape risk, European leaders’ diplomatic tightrope, Spain’s refusal to allow base use, and oil-driven market reactions.
