Monocle on Saturday

Former first lady Melania Trump and future US health secretary, RFK Jr, are teaming up to improve the president-elect’s diet. Then, Europe prepares for Trump tariffs and Cop29 discussions go into overtime. Join regular Monocle Radio commentator Vincent McAviney and Georgina Godwin for these stories and more of the week’s news and culture. Plus: arts specialist Issabella Orlando explores how crafted goods from homewares to clothing can inspire us to consume less, value more and forge lasting connections with the things we own.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Isabel Hilton, founder of China Dialogue, and Christopher Weiss, publisher of the Danish Architectural Press, as they dive into captivating discussions. Isabel shares insights on the implications of Trump's cabinet picks and the chaotic American political landscape. Christopher highlights the creation of the 'Most Beautiful Book in the World', exploring the charm of physical books in a digital age. They also touch upon the rising interest in Japanese literature among British readers and the quirky acquisition of Infowars by satirical outlet The Onion.

After a “magnificent victory” for Donald Trump in the US election, Charles Hecker and Vincent McAviney unpack this week’s news. They discuss Musk’s call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, the three men charged with an “Iran-linked” assassination attempt and how world leaders will win Trump’s favour in his second term. Plus: journalist HJ Mai speaks to voters in Washington and Monocle’s Chris Cermak on the health of democracy with Moldovan election officials. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the US election just three days away, producer and investigative journalist, Hannah Cogan, joins Vincent McAviney for a look through a selection of US election stories. They’ll discuss the post-election legal challenge, a documentary on the burnout of US election officials, protest art and more. Plus: Monocle’s senior foreign correspondent, Carlota Rebelo, and US editor, Christopher Lord, on their experience speaking to people on the ground in Atlanta, Georgia, including former city councillor Kwanza Hall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia analyst and author, Stephen Dalziel, joins Georgina Godwin to talk about the week’s news and culture, including Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Iran, the latest on the US election and cocaine in Coca-Cola. Stephen also gave us an insight into his experience translating the late Alexei Navalny’s memoir, ‘Patriot’, as well as meeting his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, in London. Also on the programme: Monocle’s Hannah Lucinda Smith takes us to Minoa bookshop in Istanbul and Monocle’s George Ruskin gives us a tour of the best culinary spots in Taormina, Sicily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monocle’s Amy Van Den Berg meets the creative director of the Frankfurt Book Fair to get a read on the mood ahead of the industry’s largest event. Then: the editorial director of Cheerio Publishing, Darren Biabowe Barnes, discusses independent publishing in 2024. Plus: Charles Hecker joins to go through the latest news and culture, including Russian troops in North Korea, the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and a new book on British food. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference in Istanbul, we hear insights from US submarine officer Taylor Sheppard on maximising quality of life underwater. Then: award-winning author, playwright and essayist Kate Mosse joins Vincent McAviney to talk about her research process and the release of the fourth and final part of her Joubert Family Chronicles series, ‘The Map of Bones’. Plus: writer at large for ‘The Nightly’ Latika Bourke looks back at the week’s news including the continuing conflict in the Middle East, Barack Obama’s comments on the US election and art protests.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a week of escalating tensions in the Middle East, Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, joins Emma Nelson to reflect on the week’s news from the region. Then: Monocle’s Helsinki correspondent, Petri Burtsoff, tells the story of a restored cultural icon in the city, and we learn about the future of digital art with the CEO of Lumen Studios, Jen Roebuck, and the director of The Lumen Prize, Gillian Varney.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly concluded this week but what did it achieve? What can we expect from Keir Starmer’s meeting with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday? And what is behind the surge in popularity of South Korean skincare in the UK? Georgina Godwin and international broadcast correspondent, Nina dos Santos, discuss this and more of the week’s news and culture. Plus: Monocle’s Gunnar Gronlid attends the opening of the world’s first commercial CO2 capture-and-storage facility in Norway, and we get the latest on The Book Hive, a UK-based independent bookshop and publisher, with the owner, Henry Layte.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tessa Szyszkowitz, a seasoned political correspondent, discusses the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and the geopolitical tensions impacting civilians. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition politician, highlights the struggle for human rights in Russia and the importance of supporting freed political prisoners. Andrew Hill, a senior business writer for the Financial Times, shares insights on the upcoming 20th Business Book of the Year awards and the criteria that define standout business literature. Plus, explore the intersection of fashion and politics at design festivals.