The World Next Week

Tunisians will vote in the first elections since the adoption of a new constitution that critics say is antidemocratic; the U.S. Congress rushes to pass a spending bill to avert a government shutdown; and Argentina and France compete in the World Cup final as host Qatar faces international scrutiny.  

Mentioned on the Podcast

Steven A. Cook, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tunisias-election-us-congress-seeks-avert-shutdown-world-cup-ends-and-more

Russia celebrates its Constitution Day as President Vladimir Putin manages the messaging around his war in Ukraine; the European Union’s top political leaders discuss possible expansion of the bloc and energy and security concerns amid the Ukraine war; and President Joe Biden hosts the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit to boost cooperation on trade, food security, COVID-19 responses, and other issues.  

Mentioned on the Podcast

Charles A. Kupchan, “Is Bosnia on the Verge of Conflict?,” CFR.org

James McBride, “Russia’s Influence in the Balkans,” CFR.org 

Stephen Sestanovich, “It’s Time to Debunk Putin’s Existential Fallacy,” Foreign Policy

The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) takes place in Montreal, Canada; the European Union and Group of Seven (G7) plan to implement price caps and partial embargos on Russian oil to respond to the war in Ukraine; and the Chinese Community Party reacts to nationwide protests over its zero-COVID policy. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Oliver Holmes, “China Censors Maskless Crowd Footage in World Cup Broadcasts,” The Guardian

Yanzhong Huang, “Can Xi Jinping Reopen China?,” Foreign Affairs

Ian Johnson, “Xi Versus the Street,” Foreign Affairs

James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon, “U.S. Midterm Results, G20 Summit, Prospects for Russia-Ukraine Diplomacy, and More,” The World Next Week

“Russia Is Using Energy as a Weapon,” The Economist

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/un-biodiversity-conference-russian-oil-sanctions-chinas-covid-protests-and-more 

The UN Human Rights Council meets for a special session on the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters; the COP27 conference draws to a close amid calls from developing countries to increase funding for climate damages; and the 2022 FIFA World Cup begins in Doha, Qatar, even as controversy lingers.

The United States takes stock of the midterm election results; geopolitical tensions loom over the Group of Twenty summit in Bali, Indonesia; and conversation swirls around possible diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

“The Chinese City That COVID Forgot,” The Economist

Brad Dress, “Russia Says Nuclear War ‘Must Never Be Fought’ Despite Fiery Rhetoric,” The Hill

Egypt hosts the COP27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt; Americans vote in closely watched midterm elections; and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, kicks off a month of summitry in Asia. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva face off in Brazil’s presidential runoff; the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party selects Rishi Sunak to be the new prime minister; and Israel holds general elections, with Benjamin Netanyahu looking to make another political comeback. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Investors and high-ranking officials land in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Future Investment Initiative, dubbed the ‘Davos of the Desert;’ the German Group of Seven (G7) presidency and the European Commission host experts to discuss Ukraine’s postwar recovery, reconstruction, and modernization; and U.S. import controls on chips take effect, with major consequences for China’s technological growth.

Mentioned on the Podcast

Edward Alden, “Washington Raises Stakes in War on Chinese Technology,” Foreign Policy

Steven A. Cook and Martin S. Indyk, The Case for a New U.S.-Saudi Strategic Compact 

John Hudson and Widlore Mérancourt, “U.S. backs sending international forces to Haiti, draft proposal says,” The Washington Post

The Iraqi parliament meets to choose a new president; Xi Jinping is expected to consolidate power at the Twentieth National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party; and Israel and Lebanon prepare to finalize a historic agreement on a disputed maritime border. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

Richard Haass, A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, National Intelligence Estimate: Climate Change and International Responses Increasing Challenges to U.S. National Security Through 2040 

The White House, Biden-Harris Administration's National Security Strategy

The UN General Assembly is set to vote on a resolution condemning Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory; thousands of participants gather in Reykjavik, Iceland, for the Arctic Circle Assembly; and the United Nations marks the tenth anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child. 

Mentioned on the Podcast

“Child Marriage,” CFR.org

Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “The West Holds Firm,” Foreign Affairs

Barbara Herz and Gene B. Sperling, What Works in Girls’ Education 

“U.S. Policy Toward Russia, With Derek H. Chollet,” The President’s Inbox

Meighan Stone and Rachel B. Vogelstein, “Investing in Girls’ STEM Education in Developing Countries,” CFR.org