The World Next Week: April 21, 2011

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org.

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Hosts
  • Matt Pottinger
    Former Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow, Former Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow
  • Robert McMahon
    Managing Editor

Show Notes

CFR's Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow Matt Pottinger and CFR.org Editor Robert McMahon preview major world events in the week ahead.

 

EU governments squabble over Libya and a North Africa refugee crisis; former U.S. President Jimmy Carter visits North Korea; and Will and Kate tie the knot at Westminster Abbey.

 

Theme music by Miguel Herrero under Creative Commons License

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Israel’s newest military operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah stirs concerns of catastrophe for Palestinians in Gaza, and prompts the United States to condition its offensive military aid for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war broke out; Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet in Ankara, Turkey, to continue their diplomatic efforts; the seventy-seventh Cannes Film Festival showcases new films ranging from niche to blockbuster; and Russian President Vladimir Putin orders tactical nuclear weapon drills as a signal to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Censorship and Freedom of Expression

In this special episode to mark World Press Freedom Day, Jeffrey Gedmin, cofounder and editor-in-chief of American Purpose and former president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, joins Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins to discuss the global state of press freedom. They cover the challenges that a growing number of journalists face in exile or imprisonment, the U.S. role in upholding freedom of the press, and more.

China

Secretary of State Antony Blinken wraps his second visit to China as tensions mount over Beijing’s military support of Russia’s war in Ukraine and ongoing threats in the South China Sea; International Workers’ Day on May 1 comes at a time of revived labor activism over wages and inequality; and U.S. President Joe Biden approves a $61 billion foreign aid package providing critical military assistance to Ukraine, potentially improving the situation on the ground in the war with Russia.

Top Stories on CFR

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

An impending Israeli ground invasion of Rafah could threaten more than a million civilians seeking refuge in the city and further restrict humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Maldives

Once a close Indian partner, the Maldives is now aligning more with China. Is the island nation becoming a flash point in the China-India relationship? 

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

A global surge in avian flu outbreaks in birds and some mammals is worrying poultry farmers, scientists, and health experts. The trend is provoking questions about the future of the disease and global public health.