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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
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, the world appears to have turned its back on the crises in Syria, Myanmar, Tigray and…
Sport and politics: an inseparable marriage
The European Football Championship and Copa America kicked off at the weekend in Europe and Brazil, and the Olympics are slated to happen in Japan in July. The organisers of these spectacles will no doubt seek to keep politics out of the events. But sport – especially international sport –…
Canada after Kamloops: what now for indigenous rights?
The remains of 215 indigenous children were found last week at the site of a former residential school in British Columbia, Canada. The devastating discovery prompted nationwide outrage and sent shockwaves abroad. But are we witnessing a watershed moment for indigenous peoples? What do we understand about Canada’s dark past?…
What’s the future of US-Israel relations?
US secretary of state Antony Blinken made his first visit to Israel this week in hopes of bolstering the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The trip epitomises the importance of the US-Israel relationship: a diplomatic alliance that has long been critical to the foreign policy of both countries.…
Gaza’s future
Celebrations broke out on the streets of Gaza following the announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire. And yet, many analysts doubt that the truce will last and question whether meaningful dialogue is possible. More than 240 people have been killed in this latest round of fighting…
Eurovision – but seriously
The Eurovision Song Contest is back and so are its noisy fans. Europe’s most popular cultural event will take place in Rotterdam next week, following last year’s cancellation. While the glitter-encrusted contest is primarily about musical performances, it has, and still does, function as an effective arena for major displays…
Who rules space?
Chinese rocket debris is expected to fall to Earth this weekend but it’s not clear when or where. The major space-power launched the first module of its new space station this week and also plans to build a lunar station in co-operation with Russia. But what are the rules of…
Can Cyprus be put back together?
Talks on the future of Cyprus took place in Geneva this week, attempting to find an answer to the decades-old questions of if and how the divided island can be reunified. How did Cyprus get here? And is there a way out of this? Andrew Mueller is joined by Anna…
The US and guns: can anything change?
One thing that coronavirus didn’t change in the US was the country’s shocking rate of gun deaths: even under widespread lockdowns, mass shootings spiked sharply. But Joe Biden has declared his intention to address a scourge he has described as a national embarrassment. What can actually be done? And is…
Bringing the ‘Benin Bronzes’ home
In recent weeks several museums in Europe announced that they are planning to return the treasures known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, which were looted from what is now Nigeria by British troops in 1897. But why now, after years of clamour for their restitution? Will more museums follow? And what…
