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
Russia in Africa
Russia’s slow but steady spread across Africa has hardly gone unnoticed. Its projects include precious metals, diamonds, oil and nuclear research, as well as arms trading and military training. But is Russia just in…
Venezuela: a solution at last?
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has long outstayed his welcome – and it appears that the world’s patience is wearing thin, as countries and institutions begin recognising a rival leader. Andrew Mueller is joined by…
Church and state
The church’s influence on politics has been in decline in countries around the world for years. But as populism continues to rise, so does the chance for religious organisations to push their own agenda.…
Yemen’s civil war: is the end in sight?
It is nearly four years since the start of Yemen’s civil war, which has turned into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. It is also a complex conflict that seems to have reached…
Flags: whose is best?
We wave them at sporting events, we paint them on our faces at national celebrations, we fly them from our tanks when we go to war. To some they are merely a useful way…
Conspiracy theories: from obscurity to mainstream
Once traded among small pockets of people on society’s fringes, conspiracy theories (and those who believe in them) have become a powerful political force. How have they infected the mainstream?
2019… if we must
It seems that every year we look back and say, ‘Could it get any worse than that?’ But there has to be a limit… doesn’t there? Andrew Mueller is joined by Parag Khanna, Tom…
The world in 2018
Andrew Mueller leafs through ‘The Foreign Desk’ archives to tell the story of another turbulent year.
Russia and the Middle East
Russia’s increasing presence is being felt across the Middle East. Not just in Syria, where it has been fighting alongside the Assad regime for almost three years, but also with business, arms and oil…
Does Europe need an army?
A unified European army is not a new idea but whenever it’s raised it’s usually forgotten just as quickly. Will this time be any different? And, if it is, what would a unified military…
