Russia proposes bilateral talks with Ukraine

Thousands pay their respects at St Peter’s Basilica. Then: the IMF and World Bank welcome finance ministers. Plus: we speak with Andrew Tuck about Monocle’s new website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak with economist Liliana Rojas-Suarez about treasury secretary Scott Bessent and the US’s position on the IMF and World Bank. Plus: Monocle’s The Chiefs conference in Jakarta, the Monocle Design Awards and ‘The Global Countdown’ from Indonesia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boeing sells its Jeppesen unit to Thoma Bravo for $10.6bn (€9.2bn). Then: we join Andrew Tuck at Monocle’s global leadership conference, The Chiefs, in Jakarta, ask how international politics will affect Poland’s presidential election and the EU fines Apple and Meta. Plus: a dispatch from the two-day Nordic Happiness Summit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vladimir Putin has indicated that he could be open to bilateral talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. Also: the annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group spring meetings take place and AC Grayling debates wokeism. Plus: we explore the love of short pop songs in our culture news round-up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pacy round-up of the day’s main news stories, anchored from London by Chris Cermak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Washington trip of Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, marks the first sit-down meeting that Donald Trump has held with a European leader since he launched his trade war. What will she accomplish? Then: we flick through Brazil’s newspapers with Monocle’s Fernando August Pacheco and explore Dubai’s artistic identity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A previously unannounced meeting is held in Paris between US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and European and Ukrainian leadership. Is a deal on the table? Then: Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, takes to the debate stage and hits out at Trump. Plus: we head to Delphi and Osaka. Then: Fernando Augusto Pacheco takes us to Chile for this week’s ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Latika Bourke brings us the latest from the Australian campaign trail as prime minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton face off ahead of the nation’s elections. Then: Japan’s top trade negotiator has travelled to Washington for talks with Trump’s administration and we hear from technology summit Gitex Africa. Plus: the latest in the world of business with Bloomberg reporter Yuan Potts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We get the latest after US university Harvard has its federal funding cut by the Trump administration; what does this mean for the future of the nation’s higher education institutes? Also in the programme, we assess Turkey’s role in Black Sea ceasefire negotiations and dig into business news. Plus: Uzbekistan’s pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly Dagres on the “positive and constructive” talks between Iran and the US in Oman over the weekend. Also on the programme: Hong Kong’s opposition Democratic Party moves forward with its plans to dissolve and visits to the US from Western Europe plummet. Then: Amah-Rose Abrams brings us the latest arts news from Kyoto. Plus: a tribute to late Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.