World Today

①Finland and Sweden inch closer to joining NATO. What's the significance of it? ②Shanghai cuts off community transmission of COVID in 15 districts and plans to return to normalcy in June. What are the latest? ③Saudi Arabia's national oil company Aramco posts record quarterly profit amid surging oil prices. We take a look at the impact of the Ukraine crisis over the global energy market.

In light of the current developments globally, is a new multi polar world emerging? What are the challenges to the postwar systems that have given rise to the US hegemony? To delve into these issues, host Ge Anna is joined by Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow at Taihe Institute; Prof. Richard Stoll, Albert Thomas Professor of Political Science at Rice University; Prof. Swaran Singh, Chairman of Center for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University; and Prof. Qu Bo at China Foreign Affairs University.

①Why does Joe Biden host ASEAN summit when the Ukraine war seems to be Washington's top foreign policy priority? ②Finland’s President and Prime Minister said the country should apply to join NATO "without delay". ③Sri Lanka’s president promises changes as the country plunges further into chaos. But will that be enough to resolve the crisis? ④US inflation continues to stay at 40-year high. ⑤US Covid deaths pass 1 million. What’s the biggest lesson the US ought to learn from the tragedy?

①Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping discussed the war in Ukraine in a phone call. What are the points of consensus between France and China? ②Why has the US State Department quietly removed a line on its website stating it did not support Taiwan independence? ③Dropping zero-COVID policy in China without safeguards would risk 1.5 million lives, according to a new study. ④China's consumer prices rose more than expected in April. ⑤Elon Musk says he would reverse Twitter’s Trump ban.

①Xi Jinping addresses a ceremony marking the centenary of Communist Youth League of China. What is required of young people in age of uncertainty? ②Ferdinand Marcos Jr is on course to win the Philippine presidential election by a landslide. ③Olaf Scholz has held talks with visiting Emmanuel Macron. Can Germany and France act together in response to the war in Ukraine? ④Yoon Suk-yeol takes office as South Korea’s new president. ⑤Sri Lanka is in talks with AIIB for $100 million emergency funding.

①John Lee has been elected the next leader of Hong Kong. We look at the changes he's likely to bring to the city. ②Latest in the Ukraine war: G7 nations ramp up sanctions on Russia. ③China's foreign trade grows 7.9% in first four months amid COVID pressure. ④After heavy losses of Tories in local elections, Boris Johnson tries to re-energize his government with a new legislative program. ⑤What has led to the decision by China's Renmin University to stop participating in world university rankings?

President Emmanuel Macron, now in his second term, is among the strongest voices campaigning for a European Union taking its destiny in its own hands. In Macron's words, the E.U. needs "strategic autonomy." This concept of sovereignty encompasses everything from a common budget and spending more on defense, to stronger supervision of the digital market and much more.

How much is Macron's progress toward these goals? Is he the de facto leader of the E.U. after German Chancellor Angela Merkel's retirement? Is Macron steering the European Union in a French direction? Host Liu Kun is joined by Christian Lequesne, Professor of European Politics at Sciences Po; Dr. Susan Collard, Senior Lecturer in French Politics & Contemporary European Studies at the University of Sussex; Clifford Kiracofe, Washington-based author and former Senior Professional Staff Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

UK and Japan are set to agree new defense agreement as their leaders meet in London. What's behind Britain's Indo-Pacific strategy? North Korea launches suspected ballistic missile. We'll take a look at the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. An Irish nationalist party is expected to claim a historic win in the election of the Northern Ireland Assembly. What will be the implications for the region?

Macron and Putin resume phone contact, but what are the issues that keep them far apart on the Ukraine war? A former official of the Asian Development Bank calls for unity, saying cliques can hinder international collaboration to deal with current global crisis. As today marks the 103rd anniversary of the May 4th movement, how is its legacy still inspiring Chinese young people today? Joe Biden is calling on the US Supreme Court to uphold a landmark abortion rights ruling. We take a look at the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned.

Germany says it could back immediate EU ban on Russian oil. How will it deal with the economic costs? Modi's European tour kicks off in Germany. Why can India buy Russian oil and still be friends with the west? The EU is charging Apple with abusing market power in mobile payments. How important is fair competition in a digital payment market?