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
No place like home
In 1965 the UK separated the Chagos Islands, an archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean, from Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory. Everyone living there was evicted and they have…
Hong Kong’s 20-year handover hangover
Twenty years after the “one party, two systems” treaty guaranteed Hong Kongers’ democratic rights, we ask if China has kept its promises and whether the UK should have been a better advocate for its…
Mosul: the end of the fight against Isis?
In Iraq, Mosul is all but recaptured from Islamic State. In Syria, Raqqa looks likely to be freed next. Does the caliphate have a future if it holds no territory? And how can the…
The Gulf – another Cold War?
As tensions continue to rise between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Andrew Mueller asks if the co-ordinated shunning of Qatar by many of its neighbours is just a distraction – and where this political stalemate…
Does independence always matter?
Independence movements don’t always mean a heroic struggle against oppression. Some countries that appear functional and pleasant to the outside world are home to people who do not agree. They want to be free…
Horn of Africa – Kenya
In the last part of a special series looking at the Horn of Africa, we turn to Kenya ahead of this year’s election. Its old problems are still unresolved. So what sort of nation…
Horn of Africa – Ethiopia
In the second of a three-part special looking at the Horn of Africa, we explore a country in a state of emergency: Ethiopia. Protests have put the government under pressure and hundreds have been…
Horn of Africa – Somalia
In the first of a three-part special looking at the Horn of Africa, Steve Bloomfield explores a country in a state of flux: Somalia. The threat of terror, corruption and famine are high and…
Russia’s foreign policy
Russia has had an impact on a vast range of the world’s biggest stories in recent years: from the war in Syria to the unrest in Ukraine and the election in the US. Monocle’s…
Covering the UK election
The UK goes to the polls next month but enthusiasm for the vote is somewhat limited. For the media, reporting on this election is no easy task. Steve Bloomfield is joined by George Parker,…
