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Politics and Government

The World Next Week: Romney Travels, Mercosur Meets, EU Catches Flak, and Apple and Samsung Battle

<p>Mitt Romney speaks to the press following a meeting with British prime minister David Cameron and British chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne outside 10 Downing Street in London. (Jason Reed/courtesy Reuters)</p>
Mitt Romney speaks to the press following a meeting with British prime minister David Cameron and British chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne outside 10 Downing Street in London. (Jason Reed/courtesy Reuters)

By experts and staff

Published

Experts

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed Mitt Romney’s foreign trip; Mercosur’s special summit in Rio; anger at the EU’s efforts to make foreign airlines pay for their greenhouse gas emissions; and the Apple-Samsung battle over patents.

[audio: https://www.cfr.org/content/publications/media/editorial/2012/20120726_T…]

The highlights:

For more on the topics we discussed in the podcast check out:

Mitt Romney Visits Great Britain, Israel, and Poland. Following Romney’s speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, Steve Walt has ten questions for the presumptive GOP nominee. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Romney challenged Obama’s foreign policy credentials before jet setting across Europe. Business Insider notes that Romney will steer clear of debt-ridden eurozone nations during his international tour. The New York Times reflects on Romney’s foreign policy campaign tactics.

Mercosur Holds a Special Summit in Rio. BBC provides a general overview of Mercosur—South America’s leading trading bloc. The Wall Street Journal reports that as Brazil-Argentina trade relations sour, Brazil may find new opportunities on the horizon. Reuters reports that Venezuela will join Mercosur as a full member. The Economist reports that Mercosur could be crippled by protectionism and rule-breaking. Associated Press reports that Mercosur sanctions on Paraguay loom as members question Paraguay’s presidential impeachment process. MercoPress reports that Paraguay may challenge Mercosur in front of the International Court of Justice.

The EU’s New Emissions Rules. Reuters reports that a dozen countries will convene for a two-day meeting in Washington, DC, to discuss their opposition to the EU’s emissions trading system. Deutsche Welle reports that the emissions trading system may cause an international trade war. The Guardian notes that 99 percent of major airlines have complied with the first step of the EU’s carbon emissions plan. Reuters suggests that the controversial emissions trading system may stall global climate change talks.

Apple and Samsung Face-Off over Patents. The Wall Street Journal reports the details of the court room arguments and the stakes for both sides. All Things D notes that Google warned Samsung that it was producing products too similar to that of Apple. Bloomberg writes that senior Apple executives will testify in court proceedings. The Wall Street Journal reports that a federal judge sanctioned Samsung for routinely destroying email evidence pertinent to the patent case. FirstPost shares that Samsung charges Apple’s iPhone maker of copying Sony design.