The Briefing

European and Gulf countries sign new deals on defence and energy. We examine the ties forged in crisis. Then: Google’s data centre plans in Finland are put on ice. Plus: ‘The Global Countdown’ heads to Helsinki. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia has announced that it’s releasing detained American Stephen Hubbard. Is this another signal of a warming relationship? Then: Romania forms a government after a 6-month political deadlock. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Albertans vote to remain, we look at the lasting impact of the campaign to leave Canada. Then: Volodymyr Zelensky and Steve Witkoff head to Oslo. What shape could talks take? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re in Paris as Emmanuel Macron asks some cities to impose partial curfews after a weekend of riots and looting. But what’s next as his interior minister says that the police “lost control”? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Trump rebukes Ukraine’s attacks on a Russian oil refinery, we speak to a former Ukrainian ambassador about how negotiations have changed. Then: the UAE’s changing security landscape and Sumo at the London Film Festival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EU leaders gather in Brussels, hoping to find a way forward for the bloc’s next budget. Is there room for manoeuvre? Plus: Giorgia Meloni criticises Donald Trump’s Russia diesel deal and Frieze London opens to the public. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky meets UK prime minister Andy Burnham as Russia strikes critical infrastructure in Kyiv Plus: the future of fashion retail and why Ford is re-entering rallying. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss the latest global economic forecast and what it means for financial systems as the IMF warns of ‘resilience under strain’. Plus: commissioning contemporary art and the Paris Auto Show opens to the public. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monocle and Hitachi Energy host a series of exclusive events in New Delhi featuring our editors and invited experts. Then: what’s getting everyone revved up at the Paris Motor Show? Plus: The CEO of Dubai Airports explains how the Gulf can make it through an increasingly turbulent period. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re in Oslo as the Nobel Institute recognises the achievements of the former UN rights chief and ICJ judge who stood up against apartheid. Plus: Anthony Vaccarello leaves Saint Laurent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We get the latest from our Gulf correspondent as explosions hit the Saudi capital. Then: Italy prime minister Giorgia Meloni secures final approval for electoral overhaul. And: the latest on protests in Paris. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Donald Trump sows doubt about mail-in voting, Republicans face a dilemma. Then: France roils European bond markets. Plus: Jesper Brodin of the Earthshot prize. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As students, teachers and parents blockade schools across France, we speak to Anita Riotta in Paris. Plus: We review the Chanel show at Paris Fashion Week and speak with Éternel Parisien founder Gilles Rosier. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, calls an early election amid widespread housing protests. Plus: right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro wins the first round of elections in Brazil but fails to secure an outright majority. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to the editor of The Kyiv Independent in London as the war in Ukraine escalates. Plus: Tyler Brûlé on rebranding a failed airline and why China is regulating AI relationships. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Israel’s ambassador to the UAE as details of the diverted Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv continue to emerge. Plus: the business news, how your environment affects your lifespan and this week’s ‘The Global Countdown’ live from Brazil. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We follow the developing story suggesting that a pilot was stabbed on flight FZ103 en route to Israel. Plus: Mineblast tests South Korea’s approach to North Korea and Paris Fashion Week in full swing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Beijing hosts the highest-level Japanese delegation in a year, we consider what this might do to thaw relations. Plus: we’re in Sao Paulo ahead of Brazil’s election and Abu Dhabi as Livex kicks off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France’s National Rally and its allies have secured a record 14 seats in partial Senate elections. Is it a ‘major milestone’? Plus: an apology from Asian Games organisers and a check-in with our team at Paris Fashion Week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did Xi Jinping and Donald Trump’s meeting at the White House go well and what did Europe think? Then: what international force comes after Unifil? Plus: Thailand’s first America’s Got Talent winner. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As countries strike out on their own and conflicts abound, does the UN still hold sway? Alex von Tunzelmann reminds us what the organisation is capable of. Then: Monocle’s October style issue hits newsstands. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If progress can be made with anything at the UNGA, will it be with Iran and the US? Then: why are Milan Fashion Week parties an important event for sartorial diplomacy? Plus: Zürich’s cultural revolution. And: can AI help us sleep better and longer? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaders from Canada, Japan, Brazil and more take centre stage at the UN General Assembly today. Are they the new power brokers? Then: we head to Fondazione Prada as Milan Fashion week hits the runway. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As world leaders descend on New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, we discuss the gathering’s relevance. Then: Fresh election setbacks for the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz. And: What do city monuments mean to us? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brazilians prepare to head to the polls as the presidential race narrows. Then: we look ahead to Fine Arts Paris and head to the Toronto Film Festival. And: we hear about the late architect César Pelli’s final project. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We hear from the CEO of the British Fashion Council as London Fashion Week begins. Then: we meet the team behind the One London project. And: Fernando Augusto Pacheco brings us his Slovak “Global Countdown”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canada is set to become the EU’s first associate member. Then: we look at the crackdown against the LGBTQ+ community in Turkey. Plus: we head to the Arab Media Summit and look inside the new issue of Konfekt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

How has Oman found itself in the firing line of the United States? And what is its motivation to reach a deal with Iran in the Strait of Hormuz? Plus: chef-turned-CEO Hugo Worsley and shoe designer Yuki Matsuda. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US pushes to revive its Gaza peace plan as Jared Kushner meets Hamas and Israeli officials. Plus: Anita Riotta previews ‘The Foreign Desk’ and Fernando Augusto Pacheco tells us about ‘Monocle Meets’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Japan slams Putin’s recent visit to the disputed Northern Territories, we discuss what history tells us about how these matters are resolved. Then: the Gulf gears up for EVs and Eurovision proposes major voting changes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.