15 April 2020
06 minutes
Photo: Shutterstock
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.
15 April 2020
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
‘The Middle East Crisis Factory’
How did the Middle East get broken, and how can it be fixed? What does the future look like for its 500 million – mostly very young – people? And what role should the West play? These are among the questions considered by…
Explainer 260: Jordan’s royal rift
Jordan’s usually placid and stable monarchy has been rocked this week, after the sudden arrest of Prince Hamzah following claims of a planned coup against his brother, King Abdullah II. Andrew Mueller explains how Saudi…
Why did Brazil’s defence chiefs quit?
In the biggest crisis of Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency so far, the heads of the army, navy and air force all resigned. What are they trying to achieve? What does it mean for Bolsonaro’s future? And what role has the military…
Explainer 259: Nordic Council of Ministers series, part one: Education
‘The Foreign Desk’ has teamed up with the Nordic Council of Ministers for a series of five special, monthly episodes delving deeper into topics of global importance from the region, the first of which looks at education.…
António Guterres
In this special episode of ‘The Foreign Desk’, Monocle’s news editor Christopher Cermak speaks with United Nations secretary-general António Guterres about his plans to revive international diplomacy and reform the UN, and…
Explainer 258: What are Benjamin Netanyahu’s options?
The results from Israel’s fourth election in two years are currently inconclusive. Andrew Mueller explains what prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu might need to do to retain power.
Who are the Boko Haram copycats?
Ever since Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria in 2014, other groups have copied their tactics. Some 800 students have been taken from Nigerian schools since December, including 30 from a…
Explainer 257: A new united leadership in Libya
After over six years of a split government, Libyans are now looking forward to a new united leadership headed by interim prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Andrew Mueller explains whether Dbeibeh’s promises are enough to…
Has the Taliban won?
Violence in Afghanistan has increased in recent months, notably in the form of targeted attacks on female journalists. In a letter addressed to Afghan president Ashraf Ghani this week, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken…
Explainer 256: What the monarchy means to the English
Recent fallings out within the British royal family have caused quite the stir around the world. Often, the noise can be dismissed as an obsession with tattletale gossip but the discourse currently emanating from England…
Papal diplomacy
As Pope Francis makes the first ever papal visit to Iraq, we look at his unofficial but important role as a diplomat. What does a papal visit look like? Who decides where he goes? How far does the Pope’s soft power reach…
Explainer 255: Sentencing Sarkozy
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been convicted for attempted bribery and potentially faces more legal consequences for other crimes of corruption. While the domestic ramifications are likely to be small, Andrew…
Could Colombia’s generosity to migrants inspire others?
Colombia’s president Iván Duque Márquez has announced that the country will grant nearly one million undocumented Venezuelan migrants the right to stay for 10 years, arguably a surprising move by a conservative government…
Explainer 254: Genocide – why won’t world leaders call it what it is?
To enact genocide is to commit the most heinous of crimes deserving the strongest of consequences. But calling it out comes with ramifications. Andrew Mueller explains why most leaders will call it anything but ‘that’.
Modi’s agricultural reforms: the last straw?
For the past six months, Indian farmers have been protesting against agricultural reforms that they say will destroy their way of life. This week, the arrest of a young environmental activist who supported them sparked…
