The Foreign Desk

The party is over for former vice-chancellor of Austria, Heinz-Christian Strache, who faces corruption charges following investigations into ‘Ibizagate’. But what was the big scandal about and does it end there? Andrew Mueller explains.

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This week the Australian government announced plans to halve the number of international arrivals it accepts – the latest among a string of restrictions imposed in the country. On numbers alone, Australia can claim to have been a coronavirus success story. But a lockdown as rigorous as the one Australia has imposed on itself is easier to get into than out of. So when will the country actually reopen? What is the way out? And is science or politics driving the decision-making? Andrew Mueller speaks to Karen Middleton, Latika Bourke, Dr Chris Smith and Professor Marc Stears.

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Co-operation between the Nordic countries is experiencing a bit of a wobble. The refugee crisis and now coronavirus have exposed the fissures in this usually well-functioning cross-border fraternity. ‘The Foreign Desk’ and our Denmark correspondent Michael Booth have teamed up with the Nordic Council of Ministers for a series of five monthly special episodes delving deeper into topics of global importance from the region. The fourth episode looks at Nordic co-operation. What’s gone wrong, and what can be done to bring a little more harmony to the countries of the north?

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Sometimes art imitates life; sometimes games do too. And parallels between chess and the political arena have existed for centuries. But are there really any similarities? How was the game used as a pawn in the cold war? And could the chessboard once again become a soft-power battleground? Andrew Mueller speaks to Judit Polgar, David Edmonds, and Dana Reizniece-Ozola.

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Ebrahim Raisi has been elected as the next president of Iran. The former judiciary head enjoys backing from the hardline revolutionary camp and is set to take over from the moderate outgoing President Rouhani in early August. Who is the conservative leader? What does he stand for? And what are his presidential ambitions?

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The United States’ ongoing withdrawal from Afghanistan marks the end of America’s longest war. But it may also signal the end of humanitarian intervention. Perhaps as a consequence of the Afghanistan and Iraq interventions, the world appears to have turned its back on the crises in Syria, Myanmar, Tigray and Xinjiang. Is the age of intervention really over? What circumstances would justify a revival of the idea? And what are the costs of doing nothing? Andrew Mueller speaks to Jaclyn Streitfeld-Hall, General Roméo Dallaire, and David Scheffer.

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Naftali Bennett, the leader of the nationalist Yamina alliance, was sworn in on Sunday as Israel’s new prime minister, ending the 12-year reign of incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett has promised to unite the country despite the fragile government coalition made up of centrist, right-wing, left-wing and Arab parties with very little in common. Who is Naftali Bennett and what are his prospects as Israel’s new prime minister?

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The European Football Championship and Copa America kicked off at the weekend in Europe and Brazil, and the Olympics are slated to happen in Japan in July. The organisers of these spectacles will no doubt seek to keep politics out of the events. But sport – especially international sport – is inherently political. So why do we insist on pretending it isn’t? And is it necessarily a bad thing if it is? Andrew Mueller speaks to Tim Marshall, Fiona Wilson, Fernando Augusto Pacheco and John Taylor.

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Nigeria has banned Twitter after the social-media firm removed an inflammatory tweet by President Buhari. This is not the only issue the Nigerian government has with the platform but, as Andrew Mueller explains, the move is unlikely to work out as desired.

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The remains of 215 indigenous children were found last week at the site of a former residential school in British Columbia, Canada. The devastating discovery prompted nationwide outrage and sent shockwaves abroad. But are we witnessing a watershed moment for indigenous peoples? What do we understand about Canada’s dark past? And is the global struggle for indigenous rights making meaningful progress? Andrew Mueller speaks to Tomos Lewis, Tina House and Kristen Carpenter.

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