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
2016 in global affairs
What are the biggest events to look forward to in 2016? Monocle’s Steve Bloomfield is joined by guests Isabel Hilton, Quentin Peel and Oscar Guardiola-Rivera to discuss the year ahead in current affairs.
Affairs highlights of 2015
Monocle’s Steve Bloomfield is joined by guests Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, Isabel Hilton and Quentin Peel for a review of the past year in affairs.
The battle over Zwarte Piet
Like a number of nations, the Netherlands has its own version of Father Christmas – in its case, Sinterklaas. But Sinterklaas has a little helper not found anywhere else: Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete.…
Interests vs values
Richard Murphy, former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Syria and John Everard, former UK ambassador to Uruguay, North Korea and Belarus, discuss what is more important: to promote a nation’s interests or a…
Who will fight the ground war against Isis?
The UK has joined the US and France in bombing Isis targets inside Syria but victory will be impossible without ground forces. So who will provide them? The Kurds? Syrian opposition groups? An outside…
Trying to save the world from itself
Former European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard and Jennifer Morgan from the World Resources Institute discuss the United Nations Climate Change Conference. The last time world leaders gathered to try to solve the…
Paris and the media
How has the media covered the attacks on Paris and its aftermath? We speak to the editor of ‘Paris Match’ about the challenges faced by French media and hear how two international editors balance…
The corruption of sport
Another week, another sporting scandal – but why exactly is corruption such a problem for so many international sporting organisations? Steve Bloomfield sits down with Owen Gibson, Martha Kelner and Gideon Haigh to discuss…
What next for Turkey’s Kurdish population?
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has a majority once more. But what will this mean for the country’s Kurdish population? Peace talks with the PKK are over and the conflict has begun again. Is…
What is a war crime?
The phrase is often used but what we call “war crimes” are hardly ever prosecuted. Monocle’s Steve Bloomfield chairs a powerful discussion on what is a war crime and why the outrage rarely leads…
