Affairs / Podcast

The Foreign Desk

Presented by Andrew Mueller, Monocle’s flagship global-affairs show features expert guests and in-depth analysis of the big issues of the week. Nominated for ‘Best Current Affairs’ show and the ‘Spotlight Award’ in the 2022 British Podcast Awards.

RSS Feed

580

Latest episode

How to win a trade war: It seems clear that the newly inaugurated US president Trump has a philosophy on trade wars: they are good and easy to win. Tina Fordham, Alex von Tunzelmann and Elisabeth Braw join us to discuss whether the history of trade wars can tell us anything about how to wage one. And are these new economic tussles really anything remarkable, or just part of a wider backlash against globalisation?

Play most recent

View in schedule

Latest episodes

Episode	Date	Description	Download	Play
580	8 Feb 2025 30 min	How to win a trade war It seems clear that the newly inaugurated US president Trump has a philosophy on trade wars: they are good and easy to win. Tina Fordham, Alex von Tunzelmann and Elisabeth Braw join us to discuss whether the history of trade wars can tell us anything about how to wage one. And are these new economic tussles really anything remarkable, or just part of a wider backlash against globalisation?	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
★	5 Feb 2025 7 min	Explainer 453: Does China really control the Panama Canal? Is there any truth to Donald Trump’s claims that China controls the Panama Canal or is he out of his depth? Following secretary of state Marco Rubio’s meeting with Panama’s president, Andrew Mueller explains the US’s rocky history with the country and its waterways.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
579	1 Feb 2025 36 min	What is Rwanda doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo? The idea of Rwanda invading the Democratic Republic of Congo looks, on paper, preposterous. However, as an alliance of rebel groups seized Goma, the biggest city in the DRC’s east, we ask: what is the plan? Fred Bauma joins Andew Mueller with the latest from Kinshasa. Then: Jason Stearns and Michela Wrong tell us about the history behind this conflict and consider the view from Rwanda.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
★	29 Jan 2025 7 min	Explainer 452: Trump’s Greenland grab Why is US president Donald Trump eyeing up Greenland? And if it’s not for sale, would he take it by force? Andrew Mueller explains the likelihood of an old-school territorial conquest.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
578	25 Jan 2025 34 min	Can the Israel-Hamas ceasefire become lasting peace? Relative calm has descended over Gaza after 15 months of war. A ceasefire agreement has been enacted but what happens next is unclear. Nada AlTaher, Esther Solomon and Aaron David Miller join Andrew Mueller to discuss how Palestinians would like to move forward, the domestic political tensions in Israel and whether real peace is on the table.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
★	22 Jan 2025 7 min	Explainer 451: The veteran rebels behind Colombia’s violent turf war At least 100 people were killed this week during renewed fighting in Colombia’s northeast. Who is involved? And what are they fighting over? Andrew Mueller explains.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
577	18 Jan 2025 36 min	Mr Trump goes to Washington: the sequel Donald J Trump will head to the National Mall in Washington on Monday for his second inauguration. When he takes the oath of office, Trump will become the second man to serve non-consecutive terms as president and the first convicted criminal to inhabit the White House. Tom Nichols, Nathalie Tocci and Alex von Tunzelmann join Andrew Mueller to consider what Trump 2.0 means for the US and the world. Plus: what makes for an inaugural address to remember?	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
★	15 Jan 2025 6 min	Explainer 450: What is Lebanon’s new government up against? Spoiler: itself As Lebanon welcomes a new president and prime minister, Andrew Mueller explains the peculiarities of the country’s 1943 political settlement and why it has proved to be an inhibitor to actual governance.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
576	11 Jan 2025 40 min	The legacies of US presidents As US president Joe Biden’s time in office comes to a close, we consider how to assess the legacies of national leaders. What makes a president great? And why do our views change over time? Andrew speaks with the custodians of these legacies – biographers, presidential library directors and historians – to see how these mythologies are created and maintained.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
★	8 Jan 2025 6 min	Explainer 449: Is China cutting Taiwan’s cables or are their wires crossed? Andrew Mueller explains how likely it is that China is cutting Taiwan’s undersea cables and what’s in it for them.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
575	4 Jan 2025 35 min	The geopolitical risks of 2025 Andrew Mueller talks to Lithuania’s outgoing foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, and Monocle regulars Latika Bourke, Yossi Mekelberg and Charles Hecker about what to keep an eye on as geopolitical risks rise in 2025.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
574	28 Dec 2024 34 min	Elections, conflicts and the rise of the right: a look at 2024 More than one billion people headed to the polls, wars turned into regional crises and right-wing parties found new footholds in 2024. Andrew Mueller speaks with electoral expert Tony Banbury, and Monocle regulars Latika Bourke, Charles Hecker and Yossi Mekelberg take stock of the year.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
573	21 Dec 2024 42 min	The case for foreign aid The holidays are a time of giving but wealthy nations have not been in a generous mood. Andrew Mueller explores the case for foreign aid and how to turn the concept into a win-win for both donor and recipient. With Mark Lowcock, Andrew Mitchell and Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
★	18 Dec 2024 6 min	Explainer 448: Trudeau in trouble Following the scathing resignation letter of his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, Andrew Mueller explains why Canada’s prime minister may be about to lose his job and what Trump has in store if he doesn’t.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play
572	14 Dec 2024 47 min	The spectacular fall of the Assad regime How did the rebels manage to topple Bashar al-Assad’s regime so quickly? How inclusive will any new government realistically be? Who in the region wins and who loses? Andrew Mueller speaks with Syrian-born writer Rime Allaf, counter-insurgency expert David Kilcullen, Middle East security analyst Burcu Ozcelik and Russia expert Mark Galeotti.	Download Share X Facebook LinkedIn LINE Email	Play

Affairs / Podcast

The Foreign Desk

Latest episode

Latest episodes

How to win a trade war

Explainer 453: Does China really control the Panama Canal?

What is Rwanda doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

Explainer 452: Trump’s Greenland grab

Can the Israel-Hamas ceasefire become lasting peace?

Explainer 451: The veteran rebels behind Colombia’s violent turf war

Mr Trump goes to Washington: the sequel

Explainer 450: What is Lebanon’s new government up against? Spoiler: itself

The legacies of US presidents

Explainer 449: Is China cutting Taiwan’s cables or are their wires crossed?

The geopolitical risks of 2025

Elections, conflicts and the rise of the right: a look at 2024

The case for foreign aid

Explainer 448: Trudeau in trouble

The spectacular fall of the Assad regime