The Briefing

Hezbollah rejects a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Then: a look at Konfekt’s summer issue with Sophie Grove and a pop-up bookshop by Thames & Hudson at London’s Mount Street Neighbourhood Summer Festival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss Berlin’s failure to secure a seat on the UN Security Council. Then: are the world’s worst displacement crises under-reported? Plus: ‘The Global Countdown’ kicks off its World Cup special. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nic Monisse takes a look at London’s Serpentine Pavilion ahead of opening on Saturday. Plus: Anita Riotta brings us the results of primaries across the US and we wrap the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa with Andrew Mueller. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We consider what Colombia’s polarising election could mean for Latin America’s third-largest economy. Plus: we meet Ari and Ethan Gold, the twins behind one-shot musical film ‘Brother Verses Brother’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We examine the prospects for Poland’s ruling coalition ahead of the 2027 parliamentary election. Plus: we head to Paris to speak with Laetitia and Arthur Cohen, owners of the best Franco-Japanese restaurants in town. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Contributing editor Andrew Mueller joins from the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa, Ukraine. Plus: a painting of Sue Tilley, one of Lucien Freud’s main muses, is set to go under the hammer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We get the latest from Iran, go behind the scenes with UAE defence manufacturer Edge Group and talk all things coffee with a special feature in Monocle’s June magazine, out today. Plus: The Global Countdown from Namibia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the US and Iran battle on with strained efforts to find peace, we assess the implications for Israel as its offensive against Lebanon intensifies. Plus: we discuss opera and AI with the Royal Opera’s Netia Jones. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Tehran and Washington discuss a framework to end their three-month war, Iran’s supreme leader warns that Gulf powers will no longer be a shield for the US and its bases. Plus: Why guilty consumption is taking off in Japan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pope Leo XIV is giving his first ecumenical today on the topic of artificial intelligence, the first official word from the Catholic Church on the topic. Anthropic CEO Christopher Olah is in attendance but will anyone in Silicon Valley truly pay attention to the Church’s teachings? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyar wants to limit the terms of his office to eight years – preventing his predecessor from returning. We’ll discuss the constitutional reforms and how Magyar is doing in his first weeks in office. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss Trump’s punishment of disloyal Republicans in the primary elections. Separately, his IRS settlement could permanently block him and his family from tax audits. What will his base make of these moves? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look ahead to the Nato foreign ministers’ meeting in Sweden as questions over a US drawdown remain. What will the American push for ‘greater burden sharing’ look like and who will plug the gaps? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Moscow recovers from huge Ukrainian strikes, Russia’s president prepares to meet Xi Jinping. Then: how one European development bank is expanding operations. Plus: Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen at her new retrospective. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of actors have been blacklisted for protesting Vincent Bolloré’s political influence over Canal+. Then: how a shadow network across Europe is helping Russia to evade sanctions. Plus: Monocle on Eurovision 2026.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore how Europe is responding to Russia’s latest large-scale attack on Ukraine. Then: what will the world look like after the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is over? Plus: South African music lands in Kyoto.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak with Marie Lora-Mungai, who was on stage in Nairobi when French president Emmanuel Macron implored the audience to show respect, about the viral moment and the future of Africa’s creative industries. Plus: the latest from the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing and a Eurovision-themed ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukraine pushes for an airport ceasefire after its three-day truce with Russia comes to an end. Plus: Katharine Hayhoe on how climate scientists maintain their optimism in the face of the Trump administration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cabinet members are asked to pledge support for embattled UK prime minister Keir Starmer. Plus: redistricting battles heat up in the US, Thaksin Shinawatra is released from prison and Sweden’s Eurovision entry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An end to the Iran war looks unlikely as Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu refuse to entertain Tehran’s demands. Then: a taste of Corsican food in Paris. Plus: the case for Australia Fashion Week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss what next for Donald Trump’s tariffs as he is pushed back for a second time by a US trade court. Then: protests over Russia at the Venice Biennale. Plus: the latest cultural news.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US secretary of state is in Rome for talks with Pope Leo XIV and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, two leaders whose relations with US president Donald Trump have soured. Can Marco Rubio revive them? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Donald Trump backs down from ‘Project Freedom’, Andrew Mueller weighs the likelihood of peace and what it would look like. Plus: Grace Charlton on Paris under its new mayor and a shocking trend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Israel ramps up its killing in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire, we discuss where things could go next. Then: Merz a year on, Romania’s vote of no-confidence and the Venice Biennale.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss Donald Trump’s new plan for the US military to guide stranded ships through the strait of Hormuz. Then: Zambia cites misalignment with ‘national values’ as it cancels major human rights gathering See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.