The Monocle Daily
Monocle
Hear our take on the news and enjoy sharp reporting on the big stories every weekday. Tune in as our guest panel reviews the day’s events in Europe, follows developing stories in the Americas and welcomes early risers in Asia and Australasia. Plus: reports and analysis from Monocle’s correspondents and bureaux around the world. Nominated for ‘Best Daily Podcast’ in the 2022 British Podcast Awards.
Location:
London, United Kingdom
Networks:
Monocle
Description:
Hear our take on the news and enjoy sharp reporting on the big stories every weekday. Tune in as our guest panel reviews the day’s events in Europe, follows developing stories in the Americas and welcomes early risers in Asia and Australasia. Plus: reports and analysis from Monocle’s correspondents and bureaux around the world. Nominated for ‘Best Daily Podcast’ in the 2022 British Podcast Awards.
Language:
English
Contact:
Midori House, 1 Dorset Street, London, W1U 4EG, UK +44 20 7725 4388
Email:
info@monocle.com
Episodes
Our weekly quiz and a look ahead to Salone del Mobile
4/17/2026
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.
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Duration:00:44:09
Macron and Starmer take the lead on securing the Strait of Hormuz: will they cut Trump out?
4/16/2026
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.
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Duration:00:39:03
Israel and Lebanon face to face for the first time in decades
4/15/2026
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.
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Duration:00:42:35
Fresh US-Iran talks and China’s new international role
4/14/2026
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.
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Duration:00:35:31
The Middle East war: why did diplomacy fail and what now?
4/13/2026
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?
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Duration:00:36:28
Revealed: Monocle’s new weekly quiz!
4/10/2026
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.
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Duration:00:39:28
Has the Iran ceasefire been set up to fail?
4/9/2026
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?
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Duration:00:36:40
Iran has a ceasefire but what about Lebanon?
4/8/2026
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?
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Duration:00:37:26
Donald Trump threatens to wipe out Iran
4/7/2026
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.
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Duration:00:35:26
Is a ceasefire in Iran coming? Plus: the looming global jet fuel crisis
4/6/2026
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.
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Duration:00:35:41
Is Europe prepared for the consequences of the Iran war?
4/3/2026
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.
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Duration:00:37:51
Why Armenia has become Putin’s latest target
4/2/2026
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.
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Duration:00:39:07
Will China’s plan to position itself as a peacemaker in the Iran war work?
4/1/2026
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?
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Duration:00:44:27
What is the realistic timeline for ending the conflict in the Middle East?
3/31/2026
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.
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Duration:00:38:16
Russian fuel enters Cuba after another Donald Trump U-turn
3/30/2026
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?
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Duration:00:35:56
Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz closed as Trump hints at a ‘final blow’
3/27/2026
The US considers sending 10,000 more troops to the Middle East. Then: Can Mark Carney’s alliance save world trade from Trump? Plus: British museums consider a tourist fee and funeral directors accused of faking reviews.
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Duration:00:35:54
Trump lashes out at Nato as Rutte reports defence spend increase
3/26/2026
Trump takes another swipe at Nato for its caution over the Iran war. Then: is Europe’s far-right firewall fading? Plus: the White House hosts an AI robot and the world’s biggest marathon gets even bigger.
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Duration:00:39:16
Has Iraq joined the war against the US and Israel?
3/25/2026
Why Iraq’s foreign ministry is executing an audacious and rarely seen diplomatic manoeuvre: the double-summoning. Plus: are European holiday makers turning their backs on the beach vacation?
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Duration:00:36:33
Global travel disruptions and energy price hikes: how are governments responding?
3/24/2026
Americans are stuck in hour-long queues at airports while Europeans are battling high fuel prices and Asians are figuring out new ways to get around the Middle East. Nadine Batchelor-Hunt and Isabel Hilton assess the changes to our consumer habits, and government responses.
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Duration:00:33:37
Is the end game near between the US and Iran?
3/23/2026
Donald Trump claims that talks with Iran have yielded results. Is this a sign that the US is looking for an off-ramp? Panellists Yossi Mekelberg and Julie Norman consider the latest from the war with Iran, as well as the conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.
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Duration:00:39:28