Episodes

  • Ukraine’s boosted confidence on display at the Odesa Black Sea Security Forum
    May 29 2026

    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.

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    29 mins
  • Israel’s offensive against Lebanon intensifies
    May 27 2026

    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.

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    32 mins
  • Bolstering UAE defence and Monocle’s coffee special
    May 28 2026

    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.

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    30 mins
  • Iran warns that the US will no longer have a safe haven in the region
    May 26 2026

    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.

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    20 mins
  • Pope Leo has views on AI: will Silicon Valley listen?
    May 25 2026

    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?

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    30 mins
  • Hungary’s constitutional reform and prime minister Péter Magyar’s first weeks
    May 22 2026

    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.

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    34 mins
  • Nato under strain as members seek clarity on US plans to withdraw troops
    May 20 2026

    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?

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    34 mins
  • Will Donald Trump’s Republican party purges cost him in the midterms?
    May 21 2026

    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?

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    33 mins