Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Foreign Desk

Following President Trump’s National Guard deployment in Los Angeles and Washington, cities across the US are bracing themselves. What is he trying to accomplish? And how can a city mayor prepare for it?

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As many as 22 people are dead and hundreds injured in Nepal during riots against corruption and a social media ban. But is the government’s ruling as pure-hearted as they want it to appear? 

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As the right engages in fearmongering and the left struggles with coherent messaging, can immigration be reformed? Is shutting the door effective? And how does anyone win against those who want to shut it?

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There has been an uptick in St George’s flags festooned on buildings and spray-painted over road signs in England. But why, despite right-wing associations, is Labour endorsing the practice?

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The US Navy sets sail for Venezuela. What does president Trump hope to accomplish with this gunboat diplomacy? How has president Maduro clung to power and will the US ever leave South America alone?

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For the first time ever, Australia has expelled an ambassador. But why is Iran’s Ahmad Sadeghi packing his bags and what does it have to do with antisemitic attacks?

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As president Trump’s isolationist leanings become US foreign policy, is the era of the American hegemony over? Did the US lead us somewhere worthwhile? And if the US recedes, who steps up?

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Myanmar’s military, which has held power since 2021, has announced a general election for later this year. Has Myanmar suddenly become a democracy? Or is something else afoot? 

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Israel was once regarded as an essentially left-wing project. Now, the country has grown more conservative, defensive and, some would argue, extreme. Is a liberal Israel recoverable? And might that lead to peace?

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The Balochistan Liberation Army has been reclassified by the US as a “foreign terrorist organization”. But why the sudden interest in a Pakistani bête noire?

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Political leaders around the world face waning popularity and seem to be unable to change their fates. Is this the result of less effective leaders or more impatient electorates?

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Jair Bolsonaro was placed under house arrest after breaking pre-trial rules this week as he faces charges for attempting to stage a coup. But why is Trump throwing his support behind Brazil’s former president?

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International pressure mounts on Israel to end its war in Gaza, which has been dubbed a “catastrophe of epic proportions” by the UN. Plus: we examine the prospect of a Palestinian state.

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This week, militants attached to Islamic State attacked a church in Komanda, killing at least 43 people. Why is the jihadist group keen to establish itself in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

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Cameroon’s 92 year-old president Paul Biya seeks re-election to extend his 43-year tenure. We investigate the long and often violent conflict in his country. Is Anglo-Franco reconciliation possible? And is anyone paying attention?

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Andrew Mueller examines the fatal clashes between Druze and Bedouin Syrians.

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A Lesotho MP is facing charges after accusing the country’s monarch of signing over land to its neighbour, South Africa. Andrew Mueller explains the history and prospects of this decidedly niche territorial dispute. 

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From drones to radios, the war in Ukraine has rapidly accelerated technical development. In this fast-evolving landscape, what does the future of warfare hold and will humans have a role on the battlefield?

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Recent Filipino elections were, arguably, a political episode of family feud. We examine the creation and durability of political dynasties. Plus: a banned would-be Thai leader explains how to run against a prime minister.

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Russia has become the first country to recognise the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government. Andrew Mueller explains why. 

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As last year’s rapid descent of Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad attests, when a dictator falls, they fall fast. But what are the conditions under which that fall occurs? And how can they be sparked?

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Andrew Mueller explains the relocation ballot being offered to Tuvaluans by Australia and what’s in it for the host nation.

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 Despite Trump’s assertions, the state of play between Israel and Iran remains unclear. We’re joined by Arash Azizi, Tara Kangarlou and Tom Nichols to consider the possible consequences of the past 12 days.

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Andrew Mueller explains the leaked phone call scandalising Thailand in its ongoing border dispute with Cambodia. 

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Reporting from the Globsec Forum in Prague, we hear from guests including the host country’s foreign minister and Georgia’s president to discern how their countries are adapting to today’s security, military and political threats.

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Andrew Mueller explains how the rivalry between the late and former president, Edgar Lungu, and the current president, Hakainde Hichilema, is going well beyond the grave. 

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Reporting from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, Andrew Mueller talks to leaders – domestic and international – about why Ukraine’s struggle for survival matters around the globe.

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(Some) Italians headed to the polls this week to decide who gets to be one of them. Andrew Mueller explains what’s at the heart of this debate and why apathy might have won the day.

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Andrew Mueller reports from the Black Sea Security Forum, asking why Odesa matters beyond Ukraine’s borders and how Ukrainians have managed to keep fighting more than three years into Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion.

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Andrew Mueller unpacks the latest round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran, asks why Trump is now eager after rejecting the previous deal and why Iran has fewer cards to play than in the Obama years.

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At least 124 journalists and media workers were killed in 2024, about two-thirds of whom were Palestinian. Why is reporting becoming more dangerous and what can we do to protect journalists?

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Indian security forces killed 27 rebels this week, including a top Maoist leader. This week, Andrew Mueller explains the nearly half-century long conflict between the state and the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

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While eyes are fixed on Ukraine, Putin’s influence continues to spread across eastern Europe, with many countries seeing a rise in far-right parties with Soviet-era sympathies. But why is this a winning policy?

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After a humiliating general election defeat, Australia’s National Party has bid farewell to its coalition partners of more than 60 years. But what is behind this seemingly self-defeating manoeuvre? 

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After 40 years of war with Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) lay down their arms. So, where does that leave hopes for a sovereign Kurdish state? Or ambitions for a more democratic Turkey?

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President Trump is currently fielding accusations of corruption after being offered a $400m (€356m) jet by the Qatari royal family. While the US grapples with the ethics, we explain what’s in it for Qatar.

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To what extent can the centre-left’s landslide victories in Australia and Canada be attributed to Trump? And will the opposite be true in upcoming elections in Eastern Europe?

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As the eligible cardinals assemble at the Vatican, Andrew Mueller explains the expected and unexpected goings on during a papal conclave. 

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Trump’s first 100 days have been busy. But what has he actually achieved? And what can we expect from the next 1,360 days? We are joined by experts to assess five policy areas.

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The fraught history of India and Pakistan’s seemingly perpetual fight over Kashmir. 

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With the change of the past 12 months, we ask experts: what does Turkey want in the Eastern Mediterranean? Is Cyprus actually solvable? And do we understand how the Middle East is being reshaped?

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Ecuadorian officials have placed the country on high alert, claiming imminent terrorist attacks and presidential assassination attempts. There is, however, very little evidence of these dangers. This week, Andrew Mueller explains whether the threats in Ecuador are real, invented, politicised or all the above.

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In fewer than 100 days in power, Donald Trump has upended his country’s historic alliance with Europe, told the continent that it can no longer rely on security guarantees from the US and launched a trade war that threatens the global economy. Reporting from the Delphi Economic Forum, we spoke with attendees with experience at the Pentagon, Nato, the US Army and more about whether the sun is setting on the transatlantic relationship.

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Nepo-corruption or a politically motivated smear? Andrew Mueller explains why Bangladesh has issued a warrant for the arrest of UK MP Tulip Siddiq. 

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In the days before this year’s edition of the Delphi Economic Forum, Donald Trump launched, and then only partially retreated from, a global trade war in which the EU was a target. Reporting from Delphi, Andrew speaks with Greece prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on what it’s like to lead an EU and Nato country in this moment. Plus: former Italian prime minister and EU commissioner for the economy Paolo Gentiloni on how Europe should respond and Meghan Hays, former special assistant to Joe Biden, on how Democrats need to reshape their opposition if they want to be the party of transatlanticism. 

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Andrew Mueller explains why what could have been a minor diplomatic dispute has sparked a massive feud between Mali and Algeria. 

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As the ceasefire in Gaza falls apart, Tahani Mustafa, Nimrod Goren and Faysal Itani join ‘The Foreign Desk’ to weigh possible paths forward. Is Netanyahu even interested in peace? How will Lebanon fare? And as Trump, the Arab League and the EU push for their own ends, what will become of Gaza?

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This week Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzlement and banned from seeking public office for five years. Andrew Mueller explains why the far right cares deeply about law and order – until its own is in the dock. 

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Hundreds of thousands of protestors have poured onto Turkey’s streets after president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his authorities arrested Istanbul mayor and presidential candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu. Since then, thousands more have been arrested, detained and, in the case of some foreign journalists, deported. So, what prompted the move? And, after 22 years in charge, could Erdoğan’s latest power grab prove a step too far? We hear from experts on the ground.

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As the US government scrambles to explain why the editor in chief of ‘The Atlantic’ was added to a group chat discussing war plans, Andrew Mueller considers just how serious a security breach this is.

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