15 August 2018
04 minutes
At the beginning of September, the 18 full-time members of the Pacific Islands Forum will gather on the tiny atoll of Nauru. Our Hong Kong bureau chief James Chambers explains why not everyone is looking forward to attending, and why some aren’t allowed to attend at all.
15 August 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
Is this China’s world now?
Has the pandemic accelerated China’s plans? Andrew Mueller talks to James Chambers about the escalating situation in Hong Kong, to Beijing journalist Sophia Yan about China’s plans elsewhere and to former diplomat John…
Explainer 217: How will Benjamin Netanyahu survive his trial?
As the trial begins of Israel’s long-serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Andrew Mueller explains what the charges are why Netanyahu is still in the job.
Remember Brexit?
The devastating impact of coronavirus has, quite rightly, become the top priority of the EU and the UK. But Brexit is still happening. The current transition period is due to end on 31 December and the 30 June deadline for…
Explainer 216: Afghanistan’s power-sharing deal
Afghanistan’s president Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah have signed a power-sharing deal that ends months of political uncertainty. Andrew Mueller wonders if this really will bring the kind of change that the…
Socially distanced democracy
How do you hold elections during a pandemic? What impact does it have on voters? And what effect might it have on the result? Andrew Mueller is joined by Lukasz Lipiński, Ryan Williams and Victoria Kim.
Explainer 215: Why were Chinese and Indian troops having a border brawl?
After Chinese and Indian troops stage a cross-border fistfight (and not for the first time), Andrew Mueller explains how the dispute began and asks whether this is likely to escalate further, or if it’s just a case of bored…
The myth of exceptionalism
The US and the UK both think of themselves – and each other – as exceptional nations. In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, however, they have both been badly hit – and criticised for their slow response. Have they…
Explainer 214: Who tried to overthrow Nicolás Maduro?
Earlier this week, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro survived a coup attempt, which appears to have been organised by a former US Green Beret (who has also worked as a bouncer for Donald Trump). Andrew Mueller has a…
What can the world learn from Taiwan?
Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu talks to Andrew Mueller about his country’s successful response to the Covid-19 outbreak, why Taiwan wants to join the World Health Organization and why the status quo in its relationship…
Explainer 213: Can Mikheil Saakashvili return to power in Ukraine?
As Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky offers the former Georgian president a deputy prime minister’s seat, Andrew Mueller takes a look at Saakashvili’s questionable track record.
Coronavirus vs privacy
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the world, many governments are seeking to extend powers of surveillance to contain the outbreak. How can democracies protect their citizens’ health as well as their privacy? We…
Explainer 212: Why is Lesotho’s prime minister really standing down?
It’s not unusual for prime ministers to resign. It is unusual for prime ministers to resign in the hope of avoiding murder charges. Andrew Mueller considers the astonishing scandal consuming Lesotho.
International aid organisations and the pandemic
We meet the director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the international president of Médicins San Frontières to hear how some of the world’s poorest and most dangerous places are adapting to the…
Explainer 211: Does Iraq have a new prime minister at last?
As Iraq names its third prime minister-designate in 10 weeks, Andrew Mueller analyses the country's political deadlock and looks at Mustafa al-Kadhimi's chances of keeping the job.
South America and coronavirus
Coronavirus had some way to travel to reach South America but it got there. And for distinctive national reasons, some of the continent’s countries look more vulnerable than others. We hear from our correspondents and…
