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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 173: Will west Africa finally get its single currency?
The Economic Community of West African States has agreed, again, to adopt a single currency. Andrew Mueller asks what lessons have been learned from the euro and what benefits there might be for those who sign up.
The climate culture war
For those Democrats hoping to run against Donald Trump in the 2020 election, the question of what to do about the accelerating climate emergency has become a key campaign issue. But with much of their opposition denying that climate change is even a problem and, as June 2019 would suggest,…
Explainer 172: Is Iran bluffing?
As a reaction to the withdrawal of the US from its nuclear deal with Iran, foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed that Tehran possesses more than 300kg of enriched uranium, exceeding the previously agreed limit. But with few allies, what options does Iran have if its bluff is called?
Islamophobia: a 21st-century hatred
Last year in the UK the Home Office recorded a 40 per cent increase in religious hate crimes – of which more than half were directed at Muslims. What does Islamophobia mean now for the people on the receiving end of it? And given the extensive media coverage of Islam…
Explainer 171: Stonewall at 50
On the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, we take a closer look at the forces that have shaped LGBT history.
Somalia: could the world be doing more?
It might feel as though the rest of the world has given up on Somalia. This is not, however, something the rest of the world can afford to do: the country’s perch on the Horn of Africa gives it extraordinary strategic importance. Though the money spent on Somalia has not…
Explainer 170: Will Mohamed Morsi’s presidency be remembered?
What effect will the passing of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first properly elected president, have on Egypt and the wider Middle East? Andrew Mueller explains.
China’s surveillance state
Everybody is subject to a certain amount of surveillance, whether it’s CCTV cameras in our streets or websites monitoring our online movements to better sell advertising. But what happens when governments use this information to learn things we might not even know about ourselves? China is at the forefront of…
Explainer 169: What is going on in Moldova?
Until last week, Moldova had a crisis caused by a failure to form a government. Now it has a crisis caused by a government being formed. Andrew Mueller explains how events unfolded and looks at what might happen next.
Democracy: the Middle East and north Africa
At the start of this decade, thousands of protesters took to the streets across the Arab world seeking to bring down oppressive regimes. But filling the subsequent power vacuums didn’t prove easy and many countries have been left with similar problems – corrupt strongman leaders, military dictatorships – or worse…
