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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 257: A new united leadership in Libya
After over six years of a split government, Libyans are now looking forward to a new united leadership headed by interim prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Andrew Mueller explains whether Dbeibeh’s promises are enough to fix the fractured country.
Has the Taliban won?
Violence in Afghanistan has increased in recent months, notably in the form of targeted attacks on female journalists. In a letter addressed to Afghan president Ashraf Ghani this week, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken outlined proposals aimed at accelerating the peace process to align with the 1 May deadline…
Explainer 256: What the monarchy means to the English
Recent fallings out within the British royal family have caused quite the stir around the world. Often, the noise can be dismissed as an obsession with tattletale gossip but the discourse currently emanating from England is a symptom of something more serious. Andrew Mueller, an Australian residing in London, offers…
Papal diplomacy
As Pope Francis makes the first ever papal visit to Iraq, we look at his unofficial but important role as a diplomat. What does a papal visit look like? Who decides where he goes? How far does the Pope’s soft power reach? And what will Francis’s visit mean for Iraq?…
Explainer 255: Sentencing Sarkozy
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been convicted for attempted bribery and potentially faces more legal consequences for other crimes of corruption. While the domestic ramifications are likely to be small, Andrew Mueller explains how it may be significant for countries struggling with corruption.
Could Colombia’s generosity to migrants inspire others?
Colombia’s president Iván Duque Márquez has announced that the country will grant nearly one million undocumented Venezuelan migrants the right to stay for 10 years, arguably a surprising move by a conservative government. Might other governments take notice of this compassionate and pragmatic pitch? In a world rebuilding itself, could…
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.
