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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 247: The fight for the Central African Republic
CAR president Faustin-Archange Touadéra has been re-elected for another term. However widespread violence from militias purportedly under the direction of former president François Bozizé look set to undermine his premiership. Andrew Mueller explains.
2021: Back to normal… or is it?
We look ahead to 2021. Even after Joe Biden becomes president and a vaccine has been rolled out, will things go back to what we thought of as normal or has the definition of normal changed? What will post-pandemic life look like? Is Trumpism here to stay? Has Black Lives…
2020: The year in review
It hasn’t been an easy 12 months to keep up with, but ‘The Foreign Desk’ has done its best. We pick out our highlights in an attempt to make sense of the 21st century’s weirdest year yet.
Ami Ayalon on the two-state solution
The retired admiral and former director of Israel’s Shin Bet security service talks about his book ‘Friendly Fire: How Israel Became its Own Worst Enemy’. It is a memoir criticising Israel’s counterterrorism policies and arguing for a two-state solution in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. He argues that it is not…
Explainer 246: How does the electoral college work?
Joe Biden was officially voted in as president-elect this week. Andrew Mueller explains what the electoral college is, why it matters, and what the recent vote means for president Donald Trump
Australia vs. China: a cautionary tale?
Tensions between Australia and China have noticeably worsened this year. Andrew Mueller asks Beijing-based journalist Sophia Yan what lies behind the ongoing spat – and former Australian prime minister and China specialist Kevin Rudd offers suggestions for how to fix the relationship.
Explainer 245: Japan – Love is in the AI
As Japan faces a rapid decline in its native population, the government turns to Artificial Intelligence to help nature along. But, as Andrew Mueller explains, this may be treating a symptom rather than the cause.
The United Kingdom: United no more?
After Brexit, coronavirus and other shocks, how long can the United Kingdom hold together? Is momentum for Scottish independence accelerating? Where is Wales heading? Might Northern Ireland want to join the Republic of Ireland after all? And what would it all mean for an England left on its own? Andrew…
Explainer 244: Who killed Mohsen Fakhrizadeh?
Andrew Mueller explains why the who, what, how and why of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh’s assassination – and why it depends on who you ask.
Soft Power 2020
As the latest issue of Monocle hits newsstands, we take a close look at the magazine’s annual Soft Power Survey, which considers how well countries project themselves abroad. Andrew Mueller is joined by Megan Gibson, Chiara Rimella and Fernando Augusto Pacheco. Plus: a conversation with Enna Park, South Korea’s ambassador…
