The Globalist de Monocle

Charles Hecker, Alex von Tunzelmann and Chris Cermak assess the US Democratic Party’s historic victory in the midterm elections, and ask how Donald Trump will work with the opposition over his final two years in office. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Americans vote in the US midterms. We look at what to expect and what’s at stake. Plus: South Korea’s record budget and AI ambitions, and the Port of Long Beach CEO on tariffs and global trade. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are authoritarian regimes joining forces? Plus: Russia’s last free newspaper closes; the Texas midterms; South Africa votes; and a Bangladeshi factory that won the Riba International Prize. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Italy faces another day of nationwide protests, we examine how today’s mobilisation compares with the demonstrations earlier this month and the potential impact on Giorgia Meloni. Plus: the Bangkok Art Biennale and the Defence in Space 2026 conference. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spain wrestles with the fallout of a major rail disaster and reflects on broader lessons for the industry. Then: our US midterm series heads to Alaska. And: a look at our favourite Halloween films. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As exit polls fail to identify a winner in Israel’s election, we get the latest from the region. Then: our midterm series in Maine. And: can scientists really make it rain? Plus: we hear from Artsy and Artnet CEO Jeffrey Yin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israelis head to the polls. Can Benjamin Netanyahu stay in power despite mounting criticism over his handling of the October attacks and their aftermath? We examine what’s at stake in this crucial election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brazil’s verdict is in: what changes now? Plus: Oxford Street goes pedestrian, the papers with Nina dos Santos and why Joshua Cooper Ramo thinks that the US and China can’t afford to be enemies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paris prepares for more protests but what should those preparations look like? Then: why will Serbia’s upcoming elections be so consequential for Europe? Plus: Korean speaker wars resume and Monocle’s new ‘Design Directory’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monocle’s no-nonsense guide to the midterm elections is here. Then: Canada’s prime minister visits Turkey while Oman’s sultan heads to the UK. Plus: the Art Basel and Design Miami Paris editions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky meets US representatives in Oslo amid a deepening rift between Kyiv and Washington. Then: police face off with protestors across Europe – is any government getting its response right? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vladimir Putin proposes peace talks with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, leaving Ukraine and Europe out of the picture. What does this mean for peace? Plus: Japan’s evolving security strategy, and unrest in Mauritius. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As protests rock Europe and beyond, we explore where they might head next. Then: will the Israeli elections have any upsides for Palestine? Plus: Alberta’s referendum, ‘The National’ meets Monocle and Italy’s Utopian Hours. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How could this month's Israeli elections affect international relations worldwide? Then: What does Africa stand to from the rise of EV motorbikes? Plus: Utopian Hours in Italy and Why architecture founder Kulapat Yantrasast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hungary revives a newspaper as Turkey cracks down on opposition TV. What’s next for press freedom? Plus: the IMF meets in Bangkok and Lufthansa wins the race for a stake in TAP See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are wars affecting global shipping routes and trade? We examine the risks to commercial vessels and their crews. And: we continue our series on the global fuel crisis. Plus: a new age of train travel and Frieze London. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can diplomacy ease tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis? We examine the prospects for lasting peace and Jordan’s role in regional stability. Plus: the power of protest and whiskey in space. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can the Gulf’s aviation industry recover after the attack in Riyadh? Then: we’re in Dubai, Helsinki, Madrid and Toronto to examine fuel crises. Plus: the Paris Motor Show and London and New York’s film festivals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who are the frontrunners for the Nobel Peace Prize? Then: our housing series heads to Milan and the Nordics. Plus: revisiting aviation safety after the Flydubai Flight 1073 incident and Andrew Mueller’s ‘What We Learned’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio is in Athens for the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue. What does his visit tell us about Washington’s foreign-policy ambitions? Plus: we continue our series on Europe’s housing crisis in Lisbon and Zürich, before ending on a positive note in Vienna. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following Black Tuesday, we ask whether France’s protests point to a deeper national malaise. Then: how Madrid and Amsterdam are tackling the housing crisis. Plus: India’s voter purge and our Entrepreneurs cover. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fighting intensifies in Yemen as the government launches a new offensive against the Houthis. We look at what’s behind the escalation and Saudi Arabia’s role. Plus: Spain’s snap election and housing crisis; Thai Airways’ CEO steps down; and Basel’s latest cultural news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re in São Paulo and Sarajevo for the results of key elections, as well as Taipei for the arrival of F16s and Paris for fashion week. Plus: philosopher Alain de Botton at Livex. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can we balance all of our security concerns if terror attacks can come from pilots themselves? Then: space-junk laser hunters. Plus: a divided electorate in Brazil and Bosnia, and our fragrance series continues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A flight bound for Tel Aviv averts disaster by diverting to Saudi Arabia. We delve into the fallout. Plus: Youtube co-founder Steve Chen; the editor of ‘Folha de São Paulo’; and why Chanel is designing boat-race trophies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tucker Carlson on trust in journalism and his past support for the Iraq War as the last US troops leave the country. Plus: Livex in Abu Dhabi, Airbus’s debut in freight and Paris Fashion Week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Serbia president Aleksandar Vučić is resigning: is he following Vladimir Putin’s playbook? Plus: Livex in Abu Dhabi, World Skills wraps in Shanghai and new London Tube trains with Kirsty Dias of Priestman Goode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore the fallout from Switzerland’s referendum on neutrality. Plus: Pakistan and Turkey mull backing Saudi Arabia. Then: our fragrance series and a visit to the world’s sauna capital. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the final day of the world’s largest diplomacy event ends, we peek behind the curtain. Then: Syria’s first female police graduates. Plus: Are star wars going to become a reality? And: What’s the talk of Milan Fashion Week? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We examine how China and Iran are positioning themselves at the UN General Assembly and what their messages reveal about their relationships with Washington. Plus: how weather has impacted Europe’s economy, Berlin’s likely new leftist mayor and the future of rail travel at InnoTrans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We examine how world leaders are using their speeches at the UNGA to present their countries on the global stage. Plus: Morocco votes, WorldSkills 2026 opens in Shanghai, the Booker Prize shortlist and the latest album releases. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss the sticking points ahead of international leaders’ sideline meetings with Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly. Then: the winners of the new European defence dream and the Lucas Museum opens in Los Angeles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump prepares to meet with Gulf leaders in New York, Russians head to the polls and the Asian Games begin in Japan. Plus: London Fashion Week and what happens to cultural institutions when national leadership changes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe’s military leaders gather in Prague to talk defence and co-operation. And: We go behind the scenes of the UN secretary-general race. Plus: A recap of the Arab Media Summit, aviation news and What We Learned this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canada’s prime minister speaks to the European Parliament and the former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, is jailed for war crimes. Plus: Jaguar Land Rover plans to sell its Defender to Nato and Zürich Design Week begins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK flexes its diplomatic muscles as Nato chief Mark Rutte arrives in London. Then: We take the temperature of the US midterms and Italy’s electoral reform. Plus: Nordic news, Paris Design Week and the Arab Media Summit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweden continues to count the votes of a tightly contested election in which its liberal traditions are being tested. Then: The latest news from the air and sea. Plus: What Okinawa’s new governor means for Japan's defence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweden goes to the polls while New Delhi hosts Brics leaders for a high-profile summit. Then: Art Week in Syria and Berlin, the Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar and a Canadian cartographer on the business of naming things. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweden heads to the polls this weekend. Its centre-right prime minister vows to bring the far right into government but a left-wing coalition has other ideas. Then: why Algeria has cut ties with the UAE and why Brazilian funk is having a K-pop moment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rare mid-term convention puts Dallas – and Donald Trump – into the spotlight. Then: on the ground in Ukraine with Aliona Hlivco and photographer Mark Neville. Plus: life in Ceuta one month after the migrant crisis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poland has signed a defence co-operation deal with Canada as it hosts the largest Eastern European defence fair this week. Plus: How to organise a state funeral in Norway and why Soviet-era music is making a comeback. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore the new trilateral defence drills and the extent of the US involvement. Plus: Undersea drone wars with Verineia Codrean of Euroatlas; the mayors of Lisbon and Maputo; and a look at Biennale Africa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US ambassador Mike Huckabee visits the West Bank as settler violence worsens. Then: the EU makes a deal with Greenland, the global view of the end of summer and the Venice film festival continues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Germany’s regional elections pose one of the greatest threats to Freidrich Merz and Germany’s political firewall against the AfD. Plus: why are some Asian airlines able to absorb the new cost of flying? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xi is visiting Egypt for the first time in a decade. Why does Cairo matter to Beijing and what does the visit tell us about Egypt’s ability to balance its relationships with China, the US and its regional partners? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at Niger to understand Moscow’s continuing military role in the region. Plus: Hagen’s CEO Tim Schroeder on Danish coffee culture, the art of cartography and Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference in Lisbon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the Middle East returning to war? We examine renewed US-Iran hostilities, the Gulf response and whether there is still a path back to negotiations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taiwan and Australia battle China for primacy at the Pacific Islands Forum. Plus: Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths on how a key aviation hub has managed to keep flying through conflict and remain confident in its long-term plan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are relations really deteriorating between the two countries or are they simply returning to old patterns? We analyse the situation in Europe’s southeast and look at what is driving the hostility. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should Iceland get closer to the EU? We analyse what’s at stake in Saturday’s referendum and what it means for sovereignty and security in the North Atlantic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.