Sponsored by
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 229: Israel and the UAE: why now and what’s next?
Andrew Mueller explains why the deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates might not be a big deal in itself – but what happens next could be significant.
The end of Europe’s last dictatorship?
Last weekend’s presidential election led to an unprecedented level of protest against Belarus’s authoritarian government. Police have cracked down with violence and mass arrests. How did Belarus get here? To what lengths will Alexander Lukashenko – and his security forces – go to cling to power?
Explainer 228: Lebanon’s government resigns – now what?
Following last week’s devastating explosion in Beirut, Lebanon’s government resigned. Andrew Mueller looks at a country that was already in economic and political turmoil, and asks how it can rebuild itself from here.
Mary Lou McDonald
In this special episode, Andrew Mueller speaks to the president of Sinn Féin about the Irish party’s historic result in last February’s general election, how she manages the party’s historic link with the IRA, and the future she envisages for her country.
Explainer 227: Why Belarus’s presidential election might actually matter
This weekend’s presidential election in Belarus might not lead to the demise of Europe’s last dictator. But, as tensions rise domestically and with neighbouring Russia, Andrew Mueller explains why it is worth monitoring.
Peacemaking in the 21st century
In this special episode, Andrew Mueller is joined by Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia and recipient of the 2016 Nobel peace prize for his work ending Colombia’s half century-long civil war, and Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff to Tony Blair and chief negotiator on Northern Ireland. What…
Explainer 226: Mali’s malaise
Andrew Mueller examines the political unrest in Mali and its potential impact on West Africa.
Shinzō Abe’s plans for Japan
The Olympics were supposed to have started on 24 July. The Games should have been an opportunity for Shinzō Abe to present Japan as the major world power he believes it should be. What vision does Japan’s longest-serving prime minister have for his country? Andrew Mueller is joined by Tobias…
Explainer 225: Is it the end of the line for Omar al-Bashir?
Thirty years after seizing power in Sudan through a military coup, Omar al-Bashir faces indictment – and not for the first time. Andrew Mueller explains the significance.
Where is President Erdoğan going with this?
The Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul, a Unesco World Heritage site, has been turned back into a mosque. Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, announced the decision last week after a court annulled the site’s museum status. But what is he trying to achieve? And how can the world engage with…
