
The Briefing
A fast-paced news round-up with expert reporting, business insights, and industry updates on technology, aviation, retail, and media. Anchored from London.
Latest Episodes

Syria’s National Dialogue Conference begins
Since the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, there have been questions about what comes next for the country – and whether any future government will be democratic and inclusive. Today marks the first real…

The CDU claims victory. What next?
Germany will have a new government but in what form? Monocle Radio’s Chris Cermak checks in from Berlin to tell Andrew Mueller what a CDU-led coalition could look like. Plus: European leaders rally around…

Germany braces for a divisive election and London Fashion Week
How will the shocking hostage revelation affect an already fragile Israel-Gaza ceasefire? Then: we turn to Germany ahead of this weekend’s federal election, examine the spat between New Zealand and the Cook Islands and…

Trump at war with Zelensky
As the president of the United States continues to sour relations with the president of Ukraine, Ukrainian MP Oleksii Goncharenko joins Chris Cermak to discuss how the rising tension might be resolved. Then: is…

How safe is it to fly in 2025?
We discuss the effects of recent plane crashes on the aviation industry. Plus: How Trump’s threats of 25 per cent tariffs could affect Japan’s auto industry, Casa Loewe’s Shanghai debut and why Zürich cyclists…

US-Russia talks and scam centres on the Thai-Myanmar border
Direct talks between American and Russian officials are taking place in Saudi Arabia, Thailand cracks down on trafficking across its border with Myanmar, why the far-right Alternative for Germany has drawn the backing of…

The idea of a European force
As Europe examines the granular practicalities of Zelensky’s call for an “army of Europe”, Simon Bouvier joins Andrew Mueller to discuss the steps that have already been taken towards achieving this. Then: negotiators are…

Yoon’s impeachment trial and a bounty for escaped salmon
The European Union has vowed to fight back against Donald Trump’s steel tariffs, the Munich Security Conference gets under way and the world’s largest farmed-salmon producer offers a bounty for missing fish. Then: South…

Putin’s call with Trump and the Honda-Nissan merger collapses
Donald Trump says that he had a “lengthy and highly productive” call with Vladimir Putin. Also on the programme: who were the AI power players at Emmanuel Macron’s Paris summit? Then: the Honda-Nissan merger…

King Abdullah meets Donald Trump and Peru’s National Archives dispute
Jordan’s King Abdullah II meets with Donald Trump at the White House and we analyse the effects of Donald Trump’s executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Then: Peru’s National Archives battle…