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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 254: Genocide – why won’t world leaders call it what it is?
To enact genocide is to commit the most heinous of crimes deserving the strongest of consequences. But calling it out comes with ramifications. Andrew Mueller explains why most leaders will call it anything but ‘that’.
Modi’s agricultural reforms: the last straw?
For the past six months, Indian farmers have been protesting against agricultural reforms that they say will destroy their way of life. This week, the arrest of a young environmental activist who supported them sparked international outrage. We examine what the protests are about and ask how Narendra Modi’s response…
Explainer 253: Guantanamo Bay – here to stay?
The terrorist detention facility is arguably the most controversial prison in the world. Obama proclaimed he’d close it; Trump swore to add to it. Neither got what they wanted. Why? And what can Biden do with it now?
Is something shifting in Russia?
In the wake of widespread winter protests across Russia, we look at how Alexei Navalny became the figurehead for opposition to Vladimir Putin. Are the ongoing protests building momentum? And, if so, is real change becoming more likely? Andrew Mueller is joined by Nataliya Vasilyeva, Andrei Kolesnikov and Mark Galeotti.
Explainer 252: Somalia’s political problem
Somalia failed to hold elections before the term of incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ended on Monday. Andrew Mueller explains the ramifications for the already fragile country.
Who is the ‘international community’?
On Monday morning, the military seized control of Myanmar and detained the country’s elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, along with other politicians. The international community responded with condemnation and threats of consequences. But what do we actually mean by “the international community”? What power does it have? And do…
Explainer 251: The Greene party
The Trump era is over but congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has sprinted forward to take the baton. Is the GOP able to distance itself from her QAnon conspiracy theories or is her popularity too valuable? Andrew Mueller explains.
Tahrir Square, 10 years on
Ten years after Egyptians rose up against long-ruling dictator Hosni Mubarak during the first hopeful weeks of the Arab Spring, we look at why it didn’t work out as the protesters might have hoped and ask if the energy of Egypt’s revolution is still alive anywhere. Andrew Mueller is joined…
Explainer 250: Jerry Rawlings
Andrew Mueller looks back on the eventful life of Ghana’s longest-serving president.
What’s next for Uganda?
Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, has been declared the winner in a general election. We look at what it means for the future of Ugandan politics and the country’s youthful population. What will Museveni’s sixth term look like? And where does this leave his opponent, Bobi Wine, and his supporters? Plus:…
