Diplomatic contacts surge ahead of anticipated escalation in the Israel-Hamas war; the United Kingdom (UK) hosts its first artificial intelligence (AI) Safety Summit to develop strategies that mitigate the risks of AI; Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrives in Washington, DC to speak with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan; and Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan possibly faces the death penalty.   Mentioned on the Podcast   “The...

As the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip continues, diplomacy ramps up in the Middle East amid concerns of spreading tensions; Argentina holds an election while its economy suffers record inflation; Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials venture abroad to seek allies as their war with Ukraine grinds on; and the death toll from Sudan’s conflict reaches at least nine thousand.   Mentioned on the Podcast   Keith Bradsher, Anatoly Kurmanaev, and David Pierson, “Putin...

Israeli and Palestinian casualties rise as fighting between Israel and Hamas continues; Poland holds a pivotal parliamentary election; Australia votes on whether to enshrine representation for Indigenous people in its constitution; and Afghanistan struggles with the aftermath of a 6.3-magnitude earthquake.   Mentioned on the Podcast   Wojciech Kość, “Poland’s Ruling Party Publishes Top Secret War Plan as a Campaign Stunt,” Politico   Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, “Afghanistan Earthquakes a...

Recent satellite imagery indicates that Russia is preparing to test a new nuclear-powered missile; the UN Human Rights Council votes on new members, with Russia vying to rejoin after its April 2022 suspension; the International Court of Justice (ICJ) begins hearings on torture in Syria; and one hundred thousand ethnic Armenians flee as Azerbaijan asserts control over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.   Mentioned on the Podcast   Isabel Debre, “Israeli Arms Quietly Helped Azerbaijan Retake...

Important provisions of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) could expire due to partisan divisions, threatening a widely successful initiative; libraries take part in U.S. Banned Books Week in the face of a rising censorship movement; Slovakia holds an early parliamentary election amid concerns that pro-Russia parties will gain power; and Chinese President Xi Jinping and Syrian President ​​Bashar al-Assad announce a partnership.   Mentioned on the Podcast   Michelle...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with U.S. President Joe Biden and members of Congress to ensure continued U.S. military aid amid Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia; the Spanish parliament attempts to choose a prime minister, with both Alberto Núñez Feijóo and serving President Pedro Sánchez reliant on smaller fringe parties to secure a majority; the United Nations observes the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons despite the continuing global...

One year after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police prompted widespread domestic protests, the Islamic Republic appears to have rebounded while keeping a prominent international profile; the United Nations General Assembly begins its high-level debate week with leaders gathering to attend major summits on Sustainable Development Goals and climate challenges; and Cuba arrests Russian recruiters looking for more fighters.   Mentioned on the Podcast   “Who Runs the...

Leaders of major global economies meet in New Delhi, India for the annual Group of Twenty (G20) summit to solve the most pressing economic challenges; on September 11th, Chile marks fifty years since General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte’s military coup and the United States observes the twenty-second anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks; a possible meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin troubles national security experts; and the European Union...

Southeast Asian leaders meet in Jakarta, Indonesia for the forty-third Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, working to improve the bloc’s cooperation with external partners; Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, commonly known as AMLO, begins the last year of his six-year term; new COVID-19 variants drive a spike in U.S. cases and hospitalizations; and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo’s visit to Beijing spurs renewed interest in U.S.-China trade.   For an...

Major technology companies rush to comply with the European Union (EU) Digital Services Act, which makes online platforms responsible for moderating harmful content; questions mount about the Russian private military company Wagner Group after its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is reportedly killed in a plane crash; the Taliban enters its third year in power since the U.S. military evacuated from Afghanistan; and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visits Saudi Arabia as the former...

U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol meet at Camp David to try to strengthen security cooperation against North Korea and coordinate China policies; Ecuador holds a snap election amid political violence; South Africa hosts the fifteenth summit of BRICS nations Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa with the goal of expanding the group’s geopolitical influence; and Niger’s crisis worsens as the military junta vows to...

In this special episode of The World Next Week, Rosa Brooks, the Scott K. Ginsburg Chair in Law and Policy and professor at Georgetown University Law Center, joins Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins to discuss the books they recommend reading, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and other entertainment they’re enjoying this summer.   Mentioned on the Podcast   Carla’s Picks   Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, American Prometheus: The Triumph And Tragedy Of J. Robert...

A Russian court will deliver the final verdict for opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s trial on “extremism” charges; eight South American heads of state meet in Belém, Brazil to try to strengthen a common policy for Amazon Rainforest protection; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push for judiciary reform intensifies; and protesters in Niger direct their anger towards France.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Mariel Ferragamo, “The Niger Coup Could Threaten the Entire Sahel,“...

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Australia to wrap up a visit aimed at boosting security ties and offsetting Chinese influence; the Colombian government and guerrilla group the National Liberation Army (ELN) agree to implement a cease-fire; the formation of a newly elected Thai government remains in limbo as differing factions disagree on who can stand for prime minister; and China’s government removes former Foreign Minister Qin Gang after only seven months of service.    For an...

Russia’s rejection of extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative threatens global food security; Spain holds an early general election amid signs of a resurgent populist right; Comic-Con and the media industry cut back on events due to strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA); and a U.S. soldier crosses through the demilitarized zone into North Korea.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Kali Robinson,...

Leaders from the European Union (EU), Latin America, and the Caribbean meet to renew a strategic partnership on issues including trade and climate change; the U.S. Congress wrestles with unprecedented divisions over the annual National Defense Authorization Act; thirty-two soccer teams land in Australia and New Zealand for the FIFA Women’s World Cup; and grim days appear likely for the Wagner Group amid a post-rebellion crackdown from the Kremlin.   Mentioned on the Podcast Jon Wertheim,...

In this special episode of The World Next Week, Rosa Brooks, the Scott K. Ginsburg Chair in Law and Policy and professor at Georgetown University Law Center, joins Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins to discuss the books they recommend reading, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and other entertainment they’re enjoying this summer.   Mentioned on the Podcast   Carla’s Picks   Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, American Prometheus: The Triumph And Tragedy Of J. Robert...

Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to assert control and stability after the coup attempt by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin; NATO prepares for its summit in Vilnius, Lithuania with mounting questions about Ukrainian membership; hundreds of thousands attend Denmark’s Roskilde music festival that highlights the power of art in society; and Zambia secures a deal to restructure its $6 billion in sovereign debt.   Mentioned on the Podcast Liana Fix, “For Europe, Time to Plan for a...

Heads of state from the European Union’s twenty-seven members meet in Brussels to discuss support for Ukraine and new initiatives to coordinate defense, economics, and migration; the Biden administration takes part in events marking the one-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which continues to draw international scrutiny; Guatemala holds its general election with voters concerned about poverty, crime, and political corruption; and the UN pledges $1.5 billion in aid to Sudan...

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken finally heads to China amid hopes that U.S.-China tensions will subside; U.S. President Joe Biden hosts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state visit to focus on expanded, strategic economic ties; Ukraine presses on with its long-awaited counteroffensive; and four indigenous children survive forty days in the Amazon after a plane crash.   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: ...

Canada’s unprecedented wildfire season overwhelms Canadian firefighters, and many in the eastern United States deal with dangerous levels of smoke; the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries releases its monthly oil report as Saudi Arabia seeks to boost prices; Germany hosts NATO’s largest air defense exercise as a signal to Russia; and Ukraine rushes to respond to the humanitarian and security crises caused by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam.   For an episode transcript...

The International Atomic Energy Association reports on the nuclear-powered submarines that the United States and the United Kingdom will provide to Australia within the AUKUS alliance; world leaders and defense officials meet in Singapore for Asia’s premier security event– the Shangri-La Dialogue; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wraps up his Nordic tour with his final stop in Helsinki, meeting with Finnish officials to discuss North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) priorities; and...

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his opponent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu face off in Turkey’s runoff election; U.S. government leaders contend with a looming deadline to avoid a disastrous default; president-elect Bola Tinubu is sworn in as Nigeria contends with an economic crisis; Evan Gershkovich’s pre-trial detention is extended; and Sudan struggles to find a lasting solution to the conflict between the military and a paramilitary group, exacerbating its humanitarian crisis.    Mentioned on the...

The Arab League summit marks the return of Syria and its president, Bashar al-Assad; Japan hosts the leaders of the Group of Seven democracies in Hiroshima, Japan, with concerns over China and Russia at the fore; the UN Security Council discusses sanctions on North Korea amid the country’s missile buildup; and migration slows at the southern U.S. border after the lifting of Title 42.   Mentioned on the Podcast   “After Twelve Years of Blood, Assad’s Syria Rejoins the Arab League,” The...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan faces off with opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in Turkey’s presidential election; Thais vote in their first general election since 2019; the Black Sea grain deal faces possible expiration; international film makers step forward at the Cannes Film Festival; and Ukraine fends off Russia’s recent drone attack.   Mentioned on the Podcast   Steven Cook, “What if Kemal Kilicdaroglu Wins Turkey’s Election?,” Foreign Policy   For an episode transcript and...