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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
Looking back at 2021 and forward to 2022
We look back on the big events of the past 12 months and peer ahead to 2022. Andrew Mueller speaks to Quentin Peel, Latika Bourke and Lewis Lukens.
War and peas: the role of food in diplomacy
As millions of families tuck into their Christmas turkey and load up their plates with leftovers from the festive season, we examine the role of food in global politics. What is culinary diplomacy? Is the kitchen really the new venue for foreign policy? And what exactly goes into preparing the…
Pandas, pangolins, and koalas: can animals be diplomats?
Exotic animals have long been used as unlikely but effective furry ambassadors to further a country’s international influence. Whether it’s China strategically loaning giant pandas as a gesture of goodwill, Australia flaunting the kangaroo as part of its national brand or Taiwan dispatching pangolins to Prague, animals have been used…
Explainer 296: Merry Christmas, war is over?
Almost 80 years since North Korea signed an armistice deal, South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-In, has announced that talks are in progress officially to end the war between the two states once and for all. Andrew Mueller explains why this is happening now, and, if it’s likely to happen at…
Is Bosnia on the brink of breaking up?
Will Bosnia break apart? Andrew Mueller speaks to Guy De Launey and Irma Baralija, as well as ambassadors Vanja Filipovic and Bruce Berton.
Nordic Council of Ministers series, part ten: Decarbonising industry
The decarbonisation of industry is perhaps the greatest challenge we face in the race to achieve carbon neutrality. Think of it as the invisible stuff, the ugly stuff and the boring stuff we’d probably rather not think about: shipping, construction, steel, data processing and so on. In this episode of…
Sportswashing: what is it and does it work?
As the inaugural Saudi Arabia Grand Prix kicks off in Jeddah, allegations of sportswashing have resurfaced relating to the country’s poor human rights record. What is sportswashing? What does it look like? And does it actually work? Andrew Mueller speaks to Paul Michael Brannagan, Areej Al Sadhan and Bruce Kidd.
Queen’s gambit: The future of Elizabeth II’s states
Barbados has officially removed Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state after 55 years living independently from the UK. The divorce was amicable among all parties and opens the door for more member states to do the same. Andrew Mueller explains how, and when, that might happen.
El Salvador bets on Bitcoin; what could go wrong?
Wearing a backwards baseball cap, El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele unveiled plans to build “Bitcoin City” at the base of a volcano and adopt cryptocurrency as legal tender. While supporters have hailed the president’s ambitions, not all Salvadorans “Feel the Bit”. Is Bukele’s big idea as mad as it sounds?…
Nordic Council of Ministers series, part nine: Preparedness
People in the Nordics often joke about global warming bringing better weather to a region not overly blessed with sun and warmth but, of course, climate change is already having a negative impact – and it’s probably going to get worse. In this episode of the Foreign Desk Explainer, in…
