The Foreign Desk

Hamid Mir, a well-known journalist in Pakistan, has been prevented from broadcasting, following comments he made criticising the country’s authorities. This is just the latest incident in a series of serious attempts by the military to silence outspoken reporters but, as Andrew Mueller explains, the unofficial junta may have finally gone too far in the eyes of the public.

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US secretary of state Antony Blinken made his first visit to Israel this week in hopes of bolstering the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The trip epitomises the importance of the US-Israel relationship: a diplomatic alliance that has long been critical to the foreign policy of both countries. But what do the US and Israel really get out of the alliance? Why is Israel so important to American evangelical voters? And what’s the future of this “special relationship”? Andrew Mueller speaks to David Makovsky, Sarah Posner and Anshel Pfeffer.

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The global environmental agenda has been dominated by aims to reduce CO2 emissions but increasingly the Nordic countries are turning their focus to biodiversity and protecting nature. ‘The Foreign Desk’ and our Denmark correspondent Michael Booth have teamed up with the Nordic Council of Ministers for a series of five special, monthly episodes delving deeper into topics of global importance from the region. The third episode looks at how the region is balancing the often-conflicting demands of CO2 reduction, industrial agriculture and the natural world.

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Celebrations broke out on the streets of Gaza following the announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire. And yet, many analysts doubt that the truce will last and question whether meaningful dialogue is possible. More than 240 people have been killed in this latest round of fighting and Israel’s 11-day bombardment of Gaza has had a devastating effect on the everyday lives of its civilians. But even when there is no conflict, what is life in Gaza actually like? Who are Hamas and how have they evolved? And is a long-term peaceful resolution still possible?

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After years of mass demonstrations against the inequities in Chile’s constitution – which was drawn up during the 1980s military dictatorship – the government of president Piñera granted the citizens a referendum to scrap it. The result was an overwhelming “yes”. Voting took place last weekend to determine representatives who would write a new set of principles but, as Andrew Mueller explains, the results have not quite worked in the government’s favour.

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The Eurovision Song Contest is back and so are its noisy fans. Europe’s most popular cultural event will take place in Rotterdam next week, following last year’s cancellation. While the glitter-encrusted contest is primarily about musical performances, it has, and still does, function as an effective arena for major displays of soft power. But what are the dos and don’ts of using Eurovision to project your nation? Does it really have real-world political potency? And does it even matter? Andrew Mueller talks to Fernando Augusto Pacheco, Carlota Rebelo and Lance Price.

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Inflammatory claims in an open letter penned by several hundred members of the French military are causing a stir in France. The letter warns of the risk of civil war and targets radical Islam and national immigration policies – issues likely to loom large in next year’s presidential election. Andrew Mueller explains why the controversial letter matters in French politics.

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Chinese rocket debris is expected to fall to Earth this weekend but it’s not clear when or where. The major space-power launched the first module of its new space station this week and also plans to build a lunar station in co-operation with Russia. But what are the rules of space – who makes them and how are they enforced? And what would conflict in space look like? Andrew Mueller talks to Chris Hadfield, Namrata Goswami, David Burbach and Christopher Newman.

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Australia has been incredibly successful in curbing the spread of coronavirus within the country, mainly due to the reactive and stringent lockdown measures that have been in place over the past year. However, many Australian citizens have found themselves stranded around the world with no hope of returning any time soon. Andrew Mueller explains why the Australian government isn’t feeling pressured to reverse its decision.

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Talks on the future of Cyprus took place in Geneva this week, attempting to find an answer to the decades-old questions of if and how the divided island can be reunified. How did Cyprus get here? And is there a way out of this? Andrew Mueller is joined by Anna Koukkides-Procopiou, Sertac Sonan and Hubert Faustmann.

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