The Foreign Desk

Monocle

​Presented by ​Andrew Mueller, Monocle’s flagship global-affairs show features​ expert guests ​and in-depth analysis of the big issues of the week. Nominated for ‘Best Current Affairs’ show and the ‘Spotlight Award’ in the 2022 British Podcast Awards. 

  • 42 minutes 44 seconds
    The case for foreign aid

    The holidays are a time of giving but wealthy nations have not been in a generous mood. Andrew Mueller explores the case for foreign aid and how to turn the concept into a win-win for both donor and recipient. With Mark Lowcock, Andrew Mitchell and Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou.

     

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    21 December 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 6 minutes 10 seconds
    Explainer 448: Trudeau in trouble

    Following the scathing resignation letter of his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, Andrew Mueller explains why Canada’s prime minister may be about to lose his job and what Trump has in store if he doesn’t. 

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    18 December 2024, 5:52 pm
  • 47 minutes 45 seconds
    The spectacular fall of the Assad regime

    How did the rebels manage to topple Bashar al-Assad’s regime so quickly? How inclusive will any new government realistically be? Who in the region wins and who loses? Andrew Mueller speaks with Syrian-born writer Rime Allaf, counter-insurgency expert David Kilcullen, Middle East security analyst Burcu Ozcelik and Russia expert Mark Galeotti.

     

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    14 December 2024, 11:54 am
  • 7 minutes 16 seconds
    Explainer 447: Why is Israel striking Syria?

    As Syrians celebrate Assad’s fall, Israel is striking targets across the country. Andrew Mueller explains why. 

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    11 December 2024, 5:36 pm
  • 31 minutes 2 seconds
    The case for indigenous political inclusion

    Against strong resistance, indigenous communities are asserting their right to inclusion in the political systems of their respective nations. Andrew Mueller speaks to Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the illustrator of ‘When the World Was Soft: Yindjibarndi Creation Stories’, Alex Mankiewicz, and a justice of the Shawnee Tribe Supreme Court and law professor, Kristen Carpenter.

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    7 December 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 7 minutes 8 seconds
    Explainer 446: The South Korean coup that wasn’t

    As South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol attempts to undo last night’s shock announcement of martial law, Andrew Mueller explains the real reasons behind the attempted coup.

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    4 December 2024, 6:20 pm
  • 32 minutes 57 seconds
    Taiwan’s China problem

    As Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te embarks on his first international tour, we explore this delicate moment for an island that China still claims as a rogue province. Will China really try to reclaim Taiwan? And how would the island – and its allies – go about its defence? Andrew Mueller speaks with journalist, William Yang, and defence expert, Arthur Ding, in Taipei, plus filmmaker Venessa Hope in London.

     

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    30 November 2024, 8:38 am
  • 6 minutes 52 seconds
    Explainer 445: Are Romania’s election candidates really that surprising? 

    As we wait to hear if Romania will annul its first round of elections, Andrew Mueller explains why the shocking result should not be that shocking. 

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    27 November 2024, 6:08 pm
  • 32 minutes 35 seconds
    Is Europe ready for war?

    This week, households in Sweden received a government pamphlet entitled ‘In Case Of Crisis Or War’, while similar manuals were published across Scandinavia. Some European nations are evidently preparing for war, but are they ready? Andrew Mueller is joined by Monocle’s Gunnar Gronlid to speak with Richard Shirreff, the former Nato Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, former director and CEO of the German Council on Foreign Relations.  

     

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    23 November 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 6 minutes 3 seconds
    Explainer 444: Why are New Zealand’s Maori protesting? 

    Andrew Mueller explains the origin of the controversial bill New Zealand’s Maori are protesting against. 

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    20 November 2024, 5:47 pm
  • 41 minutes 12 seconds
    Trump’s doctrine: the sequel

    Following Trump’s first cabinet appointments, we consider what his second term might mean for tensions between international powers. Andrew Mueller speaks with Amy Mackinnon, national security reporter for ‘Foreign Policy’; John Herbst, former US ambassador to Ukraine; Stephen Young, former ambassador to China; and Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator.

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    16 November 2024, 2:11 pm
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