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The Foreign Desk
Monocle’s global-affairs show with Andrew Mueller. Expert guests, in-depth analysis, and sharp commentary on major geopolitical issues.
Latest Episodes
Explainer 505: Are the Winter Olympics apolitical?
Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was not allowed to compete in a helmet decorated with pictures of athletes killed in the war with Russia. But is it really true that the Olympics are apolitical?
Is it worth prosecuting the powerful?
As the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte awaits trial in The Hague, we consider the difficulties around prosecuting individual leaders. Does it work as a deterrent for governments? And what is it like to defend one?
Explainer 504: The jailing of Jimmy Lai: China’s stand against Hong Kong media and the UK’s middling response
Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Despite having a British passport, the UK’s response has been limited. Andrew Mueller explains China’s latest blow to free press.
Could this be the end of Iran’s regime?
From the 1979 hostage crisis to strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, US-Iran tensions have simmered for decades. But are Trump’s latest threats against the ayatollahs serious? Or will imminent talks in Muscat cool the discord?
Explainer 503: Why is the US making nice with West African juntas?
Given Trump’s recent, more combative approach to foreign policy, it was surprising to see the US extend the hand of friendship to West Africa’s military dictators this week. So what’s behind this new alliance?
The capture of Nicolás Maduro: a new horizon for Venezuela and American foreign policy?
One month on from US forces seizing the now former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, its impact still remains unclear. Will Caracas’s new leader bring any real change? Is Trump’s aversion to foreign entanglements over?
Explainer 502: The two-man rivalry fuelling South Sudan’s civil war
This week, General Johnson Olony, deputy chief of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, ordered troops to “spare no one”. Andrew Mueller unpacks the two-man power struggle at the top and how it continues to fuel civil war.
Live from Nuuk: Trump’s threats grip Greenland
‘The Foreign Desk’ reports from Nuuk as Trump’s threat of force grips Greenland. Is Nuuk closer now to Copenhagen or is independence more important than ever? Can the damage done to Nato be repaired?
Explainer 501: Why does Trump really want Greenland?
Are Donald Trump’s designs on Greenland in any way explainable? Andrew Mueller does his best to try.
Trump: One down, three to go… (in theory)
As President Trump completes the first year of his second term, we take stock. Is there a plan underpinning the chaos – or is chaos the plan? And what will the next three years hold?
