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.

1222 - Explainer 508: How did rapper Balen become prime minister of Nepal?

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The Foreign Desk

Episodes

Explainer 508: How did rapper Balen become prime minister of Nepal?

The Foreign Desk Exclusive: Canada prime minister Mark Carney on the new world order

Live special: War in Iran

Explainer 507: Pakistan-Afghanistan: What’s fuelling this week’s overlooked conflict?

Munich Security Conference special: Is Europe awake yet?

Explainer 506: How did Mexico’s drug cartels bring the country to a standstill?

Munich Security Conference special: Will the transatlantic alliance survive?

Powering Purpose in Munich

Explainer 505: Are the Winter Olympics apolitical?

Is it worth prosecuting the powerful?

Explainer 504: The jailing of Jimmy Lai: China’s stand against Hong Kong media and the UK’s middling response

Could this be the end of Iran’s regime?

Explainer 503: Why is the US making nice with West African juntas?

The capture of Nicolás Maduro: a new horizon for Venezuela and American foreign policy?

Explainer 502: The two-man rivalry fuelling South Sudan’s civil war

Live from Nuuk: Trump’s threats grip Greenland

Explainer 501: Why does Trump really want Greenland?

Trump: One down, three to go... (in theory)

Explainer 500: Why are Malaysia and Indonesia alone in taking on Grok?

What can the world expect in 2026?

Explainer 499: Why is Donald Trump ‘running’ Venezuela?

The best of the Explainer 2025

The best of 2025

2025 in review

Explainer 498: Belarus’s balloon offensive

Could Taiwan draw the US, China and Japan into war?

Explainer 497: The art of (stopping) the coup

One year on from the toppling of the Assad regime, how far has Syria’s revolution come?

Explainer 496: Is Hegseth in deep water?

Powering Purpose in Brussels

What do Russians really think of Putin?

Explainer 495: What’s the deal with the Ukraine peace deal?

Stranger than fiction?

Explainer 494: The bright side of Ukraine’s corruption scandal

How the Arctic is hotting up

Explainer 493: Trump vs the BBC

Are the world’s Gen Z protests different?

Explainer 492: Why is Nigeria the US military’s latest target?

Is Milei’s chainsaw cutting through?

Explainer 491: Trump’s third term?

Eighty years on, is the United Nations a relevant institution?

Explainer 490: Who is Japan’s new prime minister, other than a woman?

Donald Trump, the diplomat

Explainer 489: Why have Gen Z protests spread to Madagascar?

Two years on from 7 October: did it have to be like this?

Explainer 488: Why has Australia signed a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea?

Why is Moldova’s election result so significant to its neighbours?

Explainer 487: India, Pakistan and a dearth of cricket diplomacy

Is social media a threat to national security?

Explainer 486: Why recognise Palestine now?

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