The Foreign Desk

It is six weeks since Hamas’s attack on southern Israel, which indiscriminately and cruelly killed about 1,200 people and prompted a brutal and unrelenting retaliatory ground insurgency led by the Israeli Defence Force. The local authority so far claims figures of 11,000 dead. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vows to bring an end to Hamas but is that even possible? And what comes next? Will there be a Gaza left to govern? And can there ever be peace? Andrew Mueller speaks to Nimrod Goren, Khaled Elgindy and Sanam Vakil.

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Like a previously believed-to-be-dead character in a soap opera, former UK prime minister David Cameron’s episode-ending reveal on Downing Street caused an audible gasp, followed by questions of how, what, where, when and why? Andrew Mueller explains.

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The Arctic is not simply a forbidding and fragile environment. It is a home to millions, many of whom hail from indigenous communities who have harmoniously worked with the land and sea for generations. But who actually speaks on behalf of this region? And is anyone listening? In our final episode recorded at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, we meet representatives of some of the Arctic’s indigenous peoples and a few office-holders who grapple with the unique challenges of governing in – or near – the Arctic. 

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As Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, pays a visit to his Chinese counterpart, Andrew Mueller muses on the fickle relationship between the two countries over the past 50 years. 

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Frozen and remote, the Arctic has long been a region of relative peace and stability. Russia’s war in Ukraine, however, has significantly altered Arctic security. What are Vladimir Putin’s polar ambitions and is the militarisation of the Arctic inevitable? Andrew Mueller speaks to Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the Nato Military Committee; Petteri Vuorimäki, Finland’s Arctic ambassador; James Gray, UK member of parliament; Anu Laamanen, Finland’s ambassador to Iceland; and Volker Rachold, head of the German Arctic Office at the Arctic Circle Assembly.

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As the retaliatory invasion of Gaza continues, Andrew Mueller ponders on what Israel wants to achieve and what outcome is most likely. 

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In this special episode, recorded at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, Andrew Mueller sits down with the president of Iceland, Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, US senator for Alaska, Lisa Murkowski, and Mads Qvist Frederiksen, executive director at the Arctic Economic Council. 

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Andrew Mueller explains the history of Hezbollah and why it is claiming a stake in the conflict with Israel. 

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Feminist foreign policy is gaining traction around the world. How does it work in practice – and what is the role of women in promoting peace? Andrew Mueller speaks to Sweden’s former foreign minister, Margot Wallström, Slovenia’s minister for foreign affairs, Tanja Fajon, politics professor Jennifer Piscopo and peace-mediation expert Johanna Poutanen.

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Daniel Noboa, a 35-year-old son of a banana tycoon, is set to become Ecuador’s next president. Andrew Mueller takes a closer look at the centre-right political outsider’s credentials.

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