31 January 2018
06 minutes
Photo: Flickr
Poland’s government wants to extend its laws against Holocaust denial to include suggestions of Polish complicity. Andrew Mueller asks if this will really prompt constructive discussion?
The full episode of ‘The Foreign Desk’ is back on Saturday – this week we’re assessing the US’s 16-year military involvement in Afghanistan. Be sure to subscribe to get each new episode.
31 January 2018
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
The Foreign Desk - latest episodes
Explainer 277: Ethiopia and Tigray revisited
Nine months have passed since ‘The Foreign Desk’ last reported on the conflict in Ethiopia in episode 395. Andrew Mueller explains the latest events and why a resolution seems a distant possibility.
Historical series: The Iran Hostage Crisis
In part four of our historical summer series, we travel back to 1979 to examine the Iran Hostage Crisis. Where is the Ayatollah Khomeini going with this? What are President Carter’s options? And how, why, and when did…
Explainer 276: Nordic Council of Ministers series, part five – Green transport
Coronavirus has offered us an opportunity to rethink our travelling habits. But how will we travel in a greener way in the future? ‘The Foreign Desk’ and Michael Booth, our Denmark correspondent, have teamed up with the…
Historical series: The Cuban Missile Crisis
In part three of our historical summer series, we travel back in time to 1962 to chart the Cuban Missile Crisis. What does Fidel Castro think he’s playing at? Who is making the decisions in the Kremlin and the White House…
Explainer 275: Venezuela’s two presidents
Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro was comfortably re-elected to office in 2018. Or was he? Allegations of a false result have led the UK government to formally recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s…
Historical series: the Suez crisis
In part two of our special historical series this summer, we examine the Suez crisis of 1956. Ever since Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser announced his plans to nationalise the Suez Canal, the UK hasn’t looked quite…
Explainer 274: England vs Racism
England has been awash with ugly outbursts of racism during the Euro 2020 football competition and since the national team’s defeat against Italy at the final, it has been directed at the home squad. How was bigotry allowed…
Historical series: The assassination of Franz Ferdinand
In part one of our special historical summer series, we travel back in time to 1914 to discuss the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Who has done this and why? Is this a big deal or not? Or could it possibly become…
Explainer 273: Ibizagate
The party is over for former vice-chancellor of Austria, Heinz-Christian Strache, who faces corruption charges following investigations into ‘Ibizagate’. But what was the big scandal about and does it end there? Andrew…
When will Australia reopen?
This week the Australian government announced plans to halve the number of international arrivals it accepts – the latest among a string of restrictions imposed in the country. On numbers alone, Australia can claim to have…
Explainer 272: Nordic Council of Ministers series, part four – Nordic co-operation
Co-operation between the Nordic countries is experiencing a bit of a wobble. The refugee crisis and now coronavirus have exposed the fissures in this usually well-functioning cross-border fraternity. ‘The Foreign Desk’ and…
Checkmate: chess and politics
Sometimes art imitates life; sometimes games do too. And parallels between chess and the political arena have existed for centuries. But are there really any similarities? How was the game used as a pawn in the cold war?…
Explainer 271: Who is Iran’s next president?
Ebrahim Raisi has been elected as the next president of Iran. The former judiciary head enjoys backing from the hardline revolutionary camp and is set to take over from the moderate outgoing President Rouhani in early…
Is the age of intervention over?
The United States’ ongoing withdrawal from Afghanistan marks the end of America’s longest war. But it may also signal the end of humanitarian intervention. Perhaps as a consequence of the Afghanistan and Iraq interventions…
Explainer 270: Who is Naftali Bennett?
Naftali Bennett, the leader of the nationalist Yamina alliance, was sworn in on Sunday as Israel’s new prime minister, ending the 12-year reign of incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett has promised to unite the country…
