The Foreign Desk

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 prepar…

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

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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 report…

African social media has been awash with scandalous videos of Baltasar Ebang Engonga, head of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency, filmed by the man himself, in his own office…

As the dust settles on what was a shocking election result for some, we ask how Trump’s decisive victory happened and what it means for the US and the world. Andrew Mueller speaks to ‘The Atlantic’ s…

While we take stock of what Trump’s victory means for the world, one country’s election result has had a more reassuring effect, at least for the EU. This week, Moldova reelected president Maia Sandu…

Trump the peacemaker, Obama the deporter, George W Bush the foreign aider. Ahead of the election, we interrogate the counterintuitive positions candidates have taken against their party’s (and their …

As the US braces itself for next week’s anxiety-inducing vote and Georgians reel at their own controversial ballot result, Andrew Mueller explains why Uruguay has enjoyed a sublimely excitement-free …

The war in Ukraine and Russia has affected East Asian foreign policy in more ways than you might expect. We explore North and South Korea's involvement in the conflict with former UK ambassador John …

Andrew Mueller explains why Charles III's first visit to Australia as king has drawn the support of some, the ire of others and indifference from most.

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We explore the effects of artificial intelligence and the governments that are desperately trying to keep up with the technology. Are we all doomed or is there hope for mankind? Andrew Mueller speaks…

Following attacks by Israeli troops and the discovery of a Hezbollah tunnel close to its base, the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, is under scrutiny. Andrew Mueller explains why this ne…

With arbitrary borders and conflicts becoming more fashionable of late, we explore three of the world’s stranger borders: Norway-Russia, Spain-Gibraltar and the Beaufort Sea between the US and Canada…

Despite many countries backing out of energy deals with Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, some remaining contracts have required Ukraine to maintain the pipeline between Russia and Eur…

We look back on Hamas’s brutal attack, Israel’s deadly retaliation and the international community’s hopeless response. One year on, do we have any idea how this ends? Andrew Mueller speaks with Mair…

Although they have not achieved a majority, Austria’s Nazi-linked FPÖ party claimed victory after receiving the highest amount of votes at the weekend’s election. Andrew Mueller explains the group’s …

The Foreign Desk is live in the immediate hours after Israel announced the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Andrew Mueller speaks with David Wood of the International Crisis Group …

Andrew Mueller explores the reasons why Sri Lankans ditched their traditional leaders and plumped for Anura Kumara Dissanayake instead.

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It has been more than a decade since a Western Balkan nation joined the European Union and long-simmering tensions between neighbours in the region are beginning to fray. In this special episode, lar…

Andrew Mueller explains the significance of holding local elections in Jammu and Kashmir. 

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