The Briefing

Leila Milana Allen, Monocle’s Middle East reporter, outlines Netanyahu’s push to sway Trump on Iran and regional shifts. Fernando Augusto Pacheco, Monocle culture correspondent, explores why Zootopia 2 became a global animation phenomenon. Konstantin Gürcic, industrial designer, discusses the Whiteout show and design responses to the future of winter sports.

Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia editor with on-the-ground Hong Kong reporting; Ewan Potts, Bloomberg business reporter covering markets and AI; Marco Balic, creative lead for the Milano Cortina 2026 opening ceremony. They discuss the mood in Hong Kong after a landmark sentencing, international diplomatic fallout, market and AI-driven tech volatility, and the design and logistics of a major Olympic spectacle.

Peggy Collins, Washington bureau chief at Bloomberg, offers analysis of U.S. diplomacy and domestic politics. Jonathan Iman, WSJ Asia reporter, breaks down critical-minerals strategy and China’s leverage. Amr al-Bid, STC senior official from Yemen, lays out southern Yemen’s push for autonomy and responses to the Houthis. Julia Jen, Monocle sports writer, shares human-interest stories of unlikely Winter Olympians.

Steve Croshaw, former Human Rights Watch UK director and author, discusses a reported global democratic recession and the role of international institutions. Amr al-Bid, senior STC official from southern Yemen, explains recent STC moves, security motives and shifting ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The show also highlights Puerto Rico’s top artists and reggaeton’s global rise.

Robert Hammond, co-founder of the High Line and organiser of NYC’s Culture of Bathing Festival, talks urban social infrastructure and sauna culture. Ewan Potts, Bloomberg reporter, covers market moves and software sell-offs plus Novo Nordisk’s forecast. Andrew Tuck, Monocle editor, and Tom Edwards, Monocle radio lead, report on architecture, AI debates and on-the-ground summit scenes. Inzban Rashid adds live color from Dubai.

Hannah Miao, WSJ reporter in Singapore who tracks China’s luxury market, and Claudia Jacob, Monocle France expert, unpack France’s fraught 2026 budget and political fallout. Dr. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser in the UAE, discusses Dubai’s convening role and mediation efforts. Tyler Brûlé, Monocle founder, brings on-the-ground colour from the World Government Summit in Dubai.

Julie Norman, UCL politics scholar on Gaza and the Rafah crossing. Karsten Brzezki, ING macro chief on Germany’s transport strike and economic strain. Ewan Potts, Bloomberg markets reporter on the metals sell-off and Fed implications. Fernando Augusto Pacheco, Monocle culture correspondent on the Grammys and a lackluster Melania documentary. They discuss Rafah’s tight reopening, strike disruption, market reactions to Fed moves, and cultural headlines.

Loveday Morris, Washington Post Baghdad reporter who covers Iraqi politics, explains Nouri al-Maliki’s contested return and regional pressures. Noman Chinbat, former Mongolian minister, describes how branding and visa changes sparked a tourism surge. Nick Dahl, Cape Town journalist, celebrates the city’s revived public pools and their community impact.

Noël Salmi, Zurich-based travel and culture journalist who uncovered an AI-made hot spring mishap. Brenda Toohey, Monocle luxury markets editor reporting from Paris on high jewellery and fashion week. Alexis Self, Monocle foreign editor who maps migration and work-from-abroad trends. Anita Riota, Paris-based reporter who covered the Milan/ICE controversy. They discuss ICE in Milan, Monocle’s February themes, high jewellery highlights and AI tourism blunders.

Jaime Brito, oil markets director with Dow Jones, offers analysis on Venezuela and China’s crude buys. Jamie Prentiss, Lebanon correspondent, reports on reconstruction, financing and political hurdles. Andrew Muller, Monocle editor who reported from Nuuk, describes Macron’s working lunch, Greenlandic security, defence debates and even local cuisine. Short, topical conversations on geopolitics, finance and regional strategy.