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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 184: Unlawful, void and of no effect
This week’s ruling by the UK Supreme Court is a huge blow to prime minister Boris Johnson and his government as they try to shove the country out of the EU on 31 October. Andrew Mueller tries to decipher what should happen now, which is probably nowhere near what will…
Twitter diplomacy
Diplomacy used to be a dignified art. But social media has changed that, as it has everything else, into a much faster, more direct and often informal discourse. Is this just a case of governments changing with the times or is the world walking into something much more serious?
Explainer 183: Why does the Rugby World Cup matter for Japan?
With the Tokyo Olympic Games less than a year away, Monocle 24’s Rhys James examines why the success of the Rugby World Cup matters to more than just Japanese rugby fans.
Social gastronomy
*Special episode in association with the Nordic Council of Ministers* We’ve teamed up with the Nordic Council of Ministers for a series of five special episodes delving deeper into topics of global importance from the region. In this, the first, Michael Booth hears how the social gastronomy movement is using…
Explainer 182: What do Moscow’s elections tell us about Putin’s grip on power?
Last weekend’s municipal elections in Moscow shouldn’t have made international news. However, due to some less-than-subtle silencing, imprisoning and broad-daylight beating of the opposition, Vladimir Putin made sure they did. Did the protests, and significant losses at the ballot box for Putin’s supporters, mark a shift?
Keeping the peace
Ending a war is far harder than starting one. That said, once a peace deal has been signed, ensuring that formerly warring parties stick to the deal is even trickier. As Colombia’s deal threatens to unravel, what have we learned elsewhere about how – and how not – to keep…
Explainer 181: Brexit: will it ever end?
As the deadline for the UK leaving the European Union draws ever closer Andrew Mueller looks back on yet another wild week in British politics.
America’s opioid crisis: a turning point?
A judge in Oklahoma this week ruled that pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has to pay $572m for its part in the state’s opioid crisis. The firm is far from the only company embroiled in this ongoing and devastating problem that’s sweeping the US. But does this ruling, and a…
Explainer 180: Why is Australia questioning question time?
Question time is a key part of some parliaments that operate under the Westminster system, allowing MPs direct access to senior members of the government. As Australia considers reforms, Andrew Mueller explains why protecting it is so important for democracy.
Sustainable cities
*Special episode in association with the Nordic Council of Ministers* ‘The Foreign Desk’ has teamed up with the Nordic Council of Ministers for a series of five special episodes delving deeper into topics of global importance from the region. This episode looks at sustainability in the region’s cities. What happens…
