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Affairs / Podcast

The Foreign Desk

​Presented by ​Andrew Mueller, Monocle 24’s flagship global-affairs show features​ expert guests ​and in-depth analysis of the big issues of the week. Winner in the ‘best current affairs’ category of the 2018 British Podcast awards.

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What is QAnon and why does it matter?:

QAnon is not the first conspiracy theory to have run wild in American politics but it is the first to have been indulged and encouraged by the sitting president. Many millions of US voters believe some or all of it, despite a complete lack of evidence. Could it be a factor in this election? Andrew Mueller talks to Will Sommer, Tia Mitchell and former believer Jitarth Jadeja.

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35119 Sep 2020
30 min

What is QAnon and why does it matter?: 

QAnon is not the first conspiracy theory to have run wild in American politics but it is the first to have been indulged and encouraged by the sitting president. Many millions of US voters believe some or all of it, despite a complete lack of evidence. Could it be a factor in this election? Andrew Mueller talks to Will Sommer, Tia Mitchell and former believer Jitarth Jadeja.

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★16 Sep 2020
5 min

Explainer 233: Peru’s culture of presidential corruption: 

Peru’s president, Martín Vizcarra, is facing impeachment. This would be more outrageous for Peruvians were he not just the latest in a long line of presidents to be caught on corruption charges, as Andrew Mueller explains.

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35012 Sep 2020
30 min

The Democrats – what have they learnt?: 

In the second episode of our series on the US election, we take a closer look at the party taking on the president. Have the Democrats learnt from their mistakes? What has changed since 2016? And can Joe Biden unify the party? Andrew Mueller talks to Errin Haines, Amy Pope and Brian Klaas.

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★9 Sep 2020
8 min

Explainer 232: Ethiopia’s struggle to stay united: 

The Ethiopian state of Tigray is holding elections despite instructions from the federal government not to do so. Andrew Mueller explains the history behind this and the future ramifications.

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3495 Sep 2020
30 min

How did the GOP become the party of Trump?: 

In the first episode of our series on the US election, we take a closer look at the party in power. Was Donald Trump an extension of a journey that the Republican party was taking already, or is the current president an anomaly? And what does the future of the GOP look like? Andrew Mueller talks to three Never Trumper Republicans: Bill Kristol, Linda Chavez and Tom Nichols.

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★2 Sep 2020
7 min

Explainer 231: Paul Rusesabagina’s arrest: 

Paul Rusesabagina, the inspiration for the film ‘Hotel Rwanda’, has been arrested by the Rwandan government on charges of terrorism – but could dissent be his real crime? Andrew Mueller explores president Paul Kagame’s history of silencing critics.

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34829 Aug 2020
40 min

Black Lives Matter: a movement or a moment?: 

Three months after the global wave of protests that followed the death of George Floyd, has anything shifted? How has the conversation around anti-racism moved on around the world? And why is the transition from solidarity to meaningful change so difficult? Andrew Mueller speaks to Rokhaya Diallo, Madeline Hayman-Reber, Yasmine Ouirhrane, Fatima Zaman and Nesrine Malik.

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★26 Aug 2020
5 min

Explainer 230: Greece vs Turkey: 

Andrew Mueller explains Greece and Turkey’s centuries-old geopolitical grudge match, stretching from the Ottoman Empire to the present day.

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34722 Aug 2020
30 min

After Mali’s coup: 

After this week’s coup d’etat, how serious is Mali’s military about giving power back? How will it affect France’s relationship with Mali? And how worried are Mali’s neighbours? Andrew Mueller is joined by Amadou Thiam, Regina Sondo and Vincent Rouget.

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★19 Aug 2020
6 min

Explainer 229: Israel and the UAE: why now and what’s next?: 

Andrew Mueller explains why the deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates might not be a big deal in itself – but what happens next could be significant.

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34515 Aug 2020
30 min

The end of Europe’s last dictatorship?: 

Last weekend’s presidential election led to an unprecedented level of protest against Belarus’s authoritarian government. Police have cracked down with violence and mass arrests. How did Belarus get here? To what lengths will Alexander Lukashenko – and his security forces – go to cling to power?

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★12 Aug 2020
7 min

Explainer 228: Lebanon’s government resigns – now what?: 

Following last week’s devastating explosion in Beirut, Lebanon’s government resigned. Andrew Mueller looks at a country that was already in economic and political turmoil, and asks how it can rebuild itself from here.

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3448 Aug 2020
30 min

Mary Lou McDonald: 

In this special episode, Andrew Mueller speaks to the president of Sinn Féin about the Irish party’s historic result in last February’s general election, how she manages the party’s historic link with the IRA, and the future she envisages for her country.

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★5 Aug 2020
7 min

Explainer 227: Why Belarus’s presidential election might actually matter: 

This weekend’s presidential election in Belarus might not lead to the demise of Europe’s last dictator. But, as tensions rise domestically and with neighbouring Russia, Andrew Mueller explains why it is worth monitoring.

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3431 Aug 2020
30 min

Peacemaking in the 21st century: 

​In this special episode, Andrew Mueller is joined by Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia and recipient of the 2016 Nobel peace prize for his work ending Colombia’s half century-long civil war, and Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff to Tony Blair and chief negotiator on Northern Ireland. What lessons have they learnt about resolving conflict? And can they be applied elsewhere?

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