The Foreign Desk

As the US Democratic party takes steps towards choosing who will attempt to win the presidency, Andrew Mueller discusses the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses and asks if they are up to the job. Andrew is joined by Kara Voght, Asma Khalid, Jacob Parakilas, Olivia Nuzzi, Ryan Williams and Brian Klaas.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, fresh from the Libyan peace talks, has signalled that his sights are now set on Somalia. Andrew Mueller asks what he hopes to gain from these partnerships.

Former US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power also served as a foreign policy adviser for Barack Obama. She talks to Andrew Mueller about her memoir and discusses Obama’s foreign policy, Trump’s disruption of the diplomatic order and whether the US can reconcile its interests with its values.

Russian president Vladimir Putin might be better known for starting disputes than trying to solve them. But he has displayed an uncharacteristic interest in bringing the civil war plaguing Libya to an end. Why? Andrew Mueller asks what might actually be in it for Russia.

​The effects of the assassination of Iranian military officer Qassem Suleimani and Iraq's Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad on 3 January are yet to be fully seen. What is known is that it reignited or reaffirmed many of the tensions that previously existed. Tom Edwards chairs a discussion asking what could be next for an already unstable situation.

Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen looks set to be re-elected this weekend but it will be a tough term, with China seeking reunification while opinion on the island shifts towards independence. James Chambers asks what the future might hold for Taiwan.

Andrew Mueller is joined by Isabel Hilton, Lina Khatib and Jeffrey Howard to discuss the challenges that 2020 will bring – and what to look forward to.

Andrew Mueller is joined by Isabel Hilton, Lina Khatib and Jeffrey Howard to discuss the highs and lows in global affairs in 2019.

Leading a country is no easy task, not only at home but also on the international stage. In a special episode Andrew Mueller is joined by Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Yossi Mekelberg and Quentin Peel to discuss which global leader has won the world over with their soft-power prowess.

Many of Pakistan’s leaders, or at least their careers, have met an untimely end – and now a court in Islamabad has sentenced former president Pervez Musharraf to death for high treason. Andrew Mueller looks at what Musharraf might have done to deserve this.