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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 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…
Explainer 243: What do we know about Joe Biden’s cabinet?
As Joe Biden unveils his first cabinet picks, Andrew Mueller talks us through the candidates and explains what it tells us about Biden’s plans for the US’s role in the world.
Peru’s procession of presidents
Last week, Peru’s former president Martín Vizcarra was impeached. His replacement Manuel Merino resigned a few days later after police killed two protesters. Can Merino’s successor, Francisco Sagasti, calm the political turmoil? Andrew Mueller is joined by Maria Luisa Puig, Simeon Tegel and Natalia Sobrevilla Perea.
Explainer 242: RCEP: What’s the Deal?
Arguably the biggest trade deal in the world, the RCEP will bring together 15 countries in and around Asia in a bid to encourage production and cooperation. Andrew Mueller explains why this is a significant leap for China.
Ethiopia: a Nobel Peace laureate goes to war
It’s barely a year since Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Prize for Peace. Now, his country is – at the very least – on the verge of civil war. Why has he chosen military force to resolve his dispute with Tigray? Andrew Mueller speaks to Mary Harper,…
Explainer 241: Saudi’s sporting soft-power attempt
Saudi Arabia will host a new Grand Prix for Formula 1, a clear soft-power move from the country. Andrew Mueller explains that the roar of the engines might not be loud enough to drown out the voices decrying human-rights offences.
The Foreign Desk Live: 2020 election special
Andrew Mueller is joined by Jeffrey Howard and Amy Pope to discuss what a Biden presidency might look like, how he’ll bring a divided nation together and the challenges ahead. Plus: the future of Trumpism with Nicholas Lemann.
Explainer 240: The incumbent
Ivory Coast’s president, Alassane Ouattara, was re-elected to a third term at the weekend despite the constitution stipulating a two-term limit. Andrew Mueller explains how Ouattara has, so far, gotten away with it.
PJ O’Rourke and the search for the centre ground
In our final episode before US voters decide whether or not to renew Donald Trump’s lease on the White House, we look at whether a more reasonable – or at least less obviously deranged – politics is still possible. We’re joined by the satirist PJ O’Rourke, whose new book, ‘A…