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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 471: Who gets to be an Italian citizen?
(Some) Italians headed to the polls this week to decide who gets to be one of them. Andrew Mueller explains what’s at the heart of this debate and why apathy might have won the day.
Odesa, the Black Sea, the front line and Ukraine’s future
Andrew Mueller reports from the Black Sea Security Forum, asking why Odesa matters beyond Ukraine’s borders and how Ukrainians have managed to keep fighting more than three years into Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion.
Explainer 470: The on-again, off-again US-Iran nuclear talks
The latest round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran, why Trump is now eager after rejecting the previous deal and why Iran has fewer cards to play than in the Obama years.
Are journalists safe?
At least 124 journalists and media workers were killed in 2024, about two-thirds of whom were Palestinian. Why is reporting becoming more dangerous and what can we do to protect journalists?
Explainer 469: Who are India’s Maoists?
Indian security forces killed 27 rebels this week, including a top Maoist leader. This week, Andrew Mueller explains the nearly half-century long conflict between the state and the Communist Party of India (Maoist).
Why does Russia still have influence in eastern Europe?
While eyes are fixed on Ukraine, Putin’s influence continues to spread across eastern Europe, with many countries seeing a rise in far-right parties with Soviet-era sympathies. But why is this a winning policy?
Explainer 468: Tantrum or tactic? Why has Australia’s National Party split from the Liberals?
After a humiliating general election defeat, Australia’s National Party has bid farewell to its coalition partners of more than 60 years. But what is behind this seemingly self-defeating manoeuvre?
Does the dream of a Kurdish state end with the PKK?
After 40 years of war with Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) lay down their arms. So, where does that leave hopes for a sovereign Kurdish state? Or ambitions for a more democratic Turkey?
Explainer 467: Why does Qatar want to gift Trump a jet?
President Trump is currently fielding accusations of corruption after being offered a $400m (€356m) jet by the Qatari royal family. While the US grapples with the ethics, we explain what’s in it for Qatar.
The Trump factor
To what extent can the centre-left’s landslide victories in Australia and Canada be attributed to Trump? And will the opposite be true in upcoming elections in Eastern Europe?
