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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
Explainer 272: Nordic Council of Ministers series, part four – Nordic co-operation
Co-operation between the Nordic countries is experiencing a bit of a wobble. The refugee crisis and now coronavirus have exposed the fissures in this usually well-functioning cross-border fraternity. ‘The Foreign Desk’ and our Denmark correspondent Michael Booth have teamed up with the Nordic Council of Ministers for a series of…
Checkmate: chess and politics
Sometimes art imitates life; sometimes games do too. And parallels between chess and the political arena have existed for centuries. But are there really any similarities? How was the game used as a pawn in the cold war? And could the chessboard once again become a soft-power battleground? Andrew Mueller…
Explainer 271: Who is Iran’s next president?
Ebrahim Raisi has been elected as the next president of Iran. The former judiciary head enjoys backing from the hardline revolutionary camp and is set to take over from the moderate outgoing President Rouhani in early August. Who is the conservative leader? What does he stand for? And what are…
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…
Explainer 270: Who is Naftali Bennett?
Naftali Bennett, the leader of the nationalist Yamina alliance, was sworn in on Sunday as Israel’s new prime minister, ending the 12-year reign of incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett has promised to unite the country despite the fragile government coalition made up of centrist, right-wing, left-wing and Arab parties with very…
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 –…
Explainer 269: Nigeria’s Twitter ban
Nigeria has banned Twitter after the social-media firm removed an inflammatory tweet by President Buhari. This is not the only issue the Nigerian government has with the platform but, as Andrew Mueller explains, the move is unlikely to work out as desired.
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?…
Explainer 268: Silencing Pakistan’s journalists
Hamid Mir, a well-known journalist in Pakistan, has been prevented from broadcasting, following comments he made criticising the country’s authorities. This is just the latest incident in a series of serious attempts by the military to silence outspoken reporters but, as Andrew Mueller explains, the unofficial junta may have finally…
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.…
