The World Next Week

Group of Twenty foreign ministers convene in Nagoya, Japan, district council elections are held in Hong Kong amid rampant and ever-growing protests, and NATO leaders hold a meeting in London.

Russia’s Sergei Magnitsky is remembered ten years after his death, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper travels to Southeast Asia, and the fifth Democratic presidential debate is held in Atlanta.

The first episode of CFR's new podcast, Why it Matters, takes a look at nuclear launch authority in the United States.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with U.S. President Donald J. Trump at the White House, Spaniards hold their fourth general election in four years, and the United States continues trade talks with the European Union.

Protests intensify in Lebanon, Chile, and elsewhere, and the U.S. House of Representatives votes on rules that will govern the impeachment inquiry against President Donald J. Trump.

In this first-ever live taping of The World Next Week, Jim and Bob sit down with NPR’s Deborah Amos to discuss what’s made headlines over the last decade. Bob shares his thoughts on the state of democracy around the world, Deb describes the progress made in the Middle East in recent years, and Jim discusses the ever-changing relationship between the United States and China. This event was produced in collaboration with CFR’s Outreach team.

Turmoil continues throughout northern Syria, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson strives for a last-minute Brexit deal, and Canada holds a general election.

Northern Syria faces an uncertain future after a U.S. military withdrawal, the fourth Democratic presidential debate is held in Ohio, and Poles go to the polls                      

U.S. House Democrats pursue an impeachment inquiry against President Donald J. Trump, denuclearization talks with North Korea resume, and U.S.-China trade negotiations continue.

Afghanistan attempts to hold a presidential election, China commemorates the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, and the world remembers Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi one year after his murder.

Climate change activists around the world are protesting during the Global Week of Action; tensions between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States continue to rise; and U.S. President Donald J. Trump hits the road with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces another general election, Tunisia holds its second democratic election since the 2011 Arab Spring, and the funeral of Zimbabwe’s former leader Robert Mugabe takes place.

South American leaders convene to discuss the recent fires in the Amazon, Russia holds local and regional elections, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Dublin.

In this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by CFR senior fellow Carla Anne Robbins to discuss their most recently beloved books, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the book they’re reading for fun. Read more about Jim, Bob, and Carla’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge. Jim's Picks Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945–1975 by Max Hastings President's of War by Michael Beschloss A Legacy of Spies: A Novel by John le Carré Bob's Picks Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide by Tony Horwitz This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality by Peter Pomerantsev Carla's Picks Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century by George Packer The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un by Anna Fifield Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem by Philip Kerr Havana Gold: The Havana Quartet by Leonardo Padura    

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the ASEAN summit, Congress begins its August recess, and Muslims from around the world travel to Mecca for the hajj.