The Briefing

After Democrats win big in the midterms, will the US become a better friend of Europe – or a foe? Then: the geopolitics of port operations. Plus: Angola steps up its tourism and on-screen gay kisses get Brazil talking. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the midterms’ ‘blue tsunami’, is a reset in US-Israel relations coming? And what of the war in Iran? Plus: nationwide strikes in France. Then: Design Doha and ‘The Global Countdown’ heads to the US. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We gauge reactions from markets, the Gulf and the wider world to the US midterms. Can Democratic control of Congress rein in Donald Trump – or will it provoke further conflict in the Middle East? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How deep into red states can Democrats go in the midterms? We hear from Ryan Williams in Washington and Kathie Obradovich in Iowa. Plus: a fridge-freezer attack across Europe. And: we meet Ayala Land CEO Meean Dy in Manila. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bart de Wever has resigned as Belgium’s debt rises and budget talks collapse. With many centrist European leaders in a similar position, will he be the first of many? Then: we head to Texas for an update on the midterm elections. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the UAE and Saudi Arabia forge stronger ties and Oman proposes a regional security pact, we discuss how diplomacy might still bring peace to the Middle East. Then: Canada-EU relations enter a new chapter. Plus: Milan’s new Stadium Generali. And: what’s next for Eurovision? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss where Israel and the wider region are heading now that the final votes have been counted in Israel. Then: why are the US midterms capturing the world’s attention? Plus: Monocle in New Delhi and ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re in Madrid with the latest as the death toll of a train collision rises. We discuss what happened and what questions it raises for rail safety. Plus: what next for Israel as no clear winner emerges from the election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re in Tel Aviv to assess the mood on the ground as millions turn out to vote in an election that could have global repercussions. Then: 50 stories celebrating 50 years of the National Theatre building in London. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth term in office. While supporters celebrate, investor bets on a right-wing victory are upended. Plus: Serbia’s veteran leader Aleksandar Vučić ousted by the student movement See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new Globsec report argues that Europe won’t be ready to put new defence tech into action fast enough. We explore the solutions. Plus: entrepreneurship in New Delhi and Art Basel adjusts to more civil disruption in Paris. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.