The Monocle Daily

Andrew Mueller and Rob Bound return for a quiz on the week’s headlines. Then: Charlotte McDonald-Gibson joins from Washington to dissect King Charles’s visit, pageantry and speech before US Congress. Plus: music from Corb Lund and Hayes Carll. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at the latest call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, who both find themselves in wars with no obvious end. Then: Greece and Ukraine hit a stumbling block on drone co-operation. Plus: can anonymity on the internet be banned? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss the drivers behind Putin scaling back this year’s Victory Day commemorations. Then: The Afghanistan-Pakistan ceasefire teeters and former FBI director James Comey faces fresh charges from the Trump administration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keir Starmer’s days as PM might be numbered as MPs vote on an inquiry into his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. Then: Friedrich Merz nears one year as German chancellor with historically low approval ratings. Plus: breaking news with Manus Cranny as the UAE leaves Opec. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles III goes to Washington to rescue the special relationship and France is talking about Jordan Bardella’s love affair with a Sicilian princess. What is it with our royal fascination? Plus: how Germany’s Bundeswehr plans to lead Europe’s military rearmament and ‘madman theory’ with James D Boys. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emma Nelson takes on Rob Bound in the weekly quiz and Nic Monisse and Grace Charlton round up their week at Salone del Mobile. Plus: An alternative look at the recent news cycle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As more ships are seized in and around the Strait of Hormuz and an uneasy ceasefire continues, our panel assesses which countries are best equipped – politically and economically – to withstand the shocks that continue to reverberate around the world.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore US president Donald Trump’s ceasefire extension and how Iran has seemingly managed to control much of the narrative without even attending talks in Islamabad – and also through an extraordinary amount of memes.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hungary is poised to end its blockade of an EU loan for Ukraine while Sweden suggests that Russia is hiding its economic troubles. Plus: auditions for the next United Nations secretary general begin in New York. Then: an interview with Venetian chef Simon Piovesan.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Keir Starmer pleads ignorance over Peter Mandelson’s failed vetting, how long can he survive as UK leader? We explore Europe’s changing democratic landscape. Plus: Horse-meat pies have become a menu staple in Auckland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob Bound and Andrew Mueller quiz each other on this week’s headlines. Then: a design perspective on Donald Trump’s Jesus memes and what to see at the the world’s leading trade fair for furniture and interiors.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France and the UK are to meet with “non-belligerent” countries to discuss how best to police the waterway after a ceasefire. How will excluding the US play out? Plus: the UK rejoins the EU’s Erasmus exchange scheme. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first meeting between officials since 1993 but will diplomacy make a difference? We discuss what can be achieved as Lebanon and Israel agree to direct negotiations, while attacks between Hezbollah and Israel continue. Plus: Democrats want JD Vance to help oust Trump and Hungary’s Péter Magyar comes out swinging. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We break down the prospect of new US-Iran negotiations as Washington’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz continues. Plus: is Hungary’s Viktor Orbán the first far-right domino to fall? And: Japan’s new “guilty consumption” boom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the US announces new military plans to block the Strait of Hormuz, we discuss where escalation could lead to from here. Then: is Cuba next? Plus: what makes a democracy’s leader popular. And: should AI get involved in the afterlife? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Bound joins Andrew Mueller for a quizzical look at the biggest headlines from across the week. Then: garish golf garments, ‘What We Learned’ and a look ahead to Monocle Radio in the UAE.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of scheduled peace talks in Pakistan on Saturday, we discuss how much damage Israel has done to the fragile ceasefire with its deadliest attacks on Lebanon since the start of the war. Then: is Nato all but doomed? Plus: should we live in virtual-gated communities? And would you make a video call on a plane? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniella Peled and Yossi Mekelberg consider why the US and Israel agreed a ceasefire in Iran but not Lebanon. Plus: why Pakistan is the Middle East’s mediator. And: are journalists liable for social-media comments? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US president warned Iran that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if his demands are not met by the deadline. Then: Russia and the US apprehensively await the Hungarian elections and Kanye West is blocked from entering the UK. Plus: a look behind France’s premier intelligence agency, the DGSE.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran and the US examine a proposed ceasefire deal as the two sides trade threats. Russia’s former ally Syria agrees to security cooperation with Ukraine. Plus: the jet fuel crisis strains global aviation. And: the dark side of the moon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hannah Lucinda Smith and Emma Nelson discuss the consequences for European leaders as they push back against President Donald Trump’s demands in the Strait of Hormuz. Plus: Why Brazil is allowing separated couples joint custody over pets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Vladimir Putin issues a public warning to Armenia against forging closer ties with the EU, we assess the seriousness of the threat. Plus: India begins the world’s largest census. We explore why it is so controversial. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As China pushes for a swift end to the conflict in the Middle East, we assess whether its role as a peacemaker will work. Plus: Japan’s new rules for cycling come into force today but do they go far enough? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We assess the possible timeline for ending the war in the Middle East, as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that more than half of his military aims have been achieved. Plus: Why Eurovision is heading to Bangkok. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US president has given Cuba a lifeline, despite wanting the country’s socialist leadership to fall. Then: Volodymyr Zelensky uses the Middle East conflict to his advantage and Viktor Orbán flounders on the campaign trail. Plus: how does political satire make light from darkness?    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.