The World Next Week: World Powers Talk Syria, Mexicans Vote, and Congress Recesses

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon was out this week, so Stewart Patrick kindly offered to fill in. Stewart and I discussed the world powers crisis meeting on Syria in Geneva; the Mexican presidential election; and the U.S. House and Senate rise for recess.

[audio: https://www.cfr.org/content/publications/media/editorial/2012/20120628_T…]

The highlights:

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

World Powers Hold Crisis Meeting on Syria in Geneva. The Financial Times reports that in an increased international effort to end the violence in Syria, UN envoy Kofi Annan has invited world leaders to a ministerial conference this Saturday to endorse a political transition plan. The Christian Science Monitor reports that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will attend the meeting. Reuters extends remarks by UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, voicing concern over the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria’s inability to conduct its mission amidst the violence. The New York Times reports that armed Syrian opposition forces destroyed a pro-government television station near Damascus.

Mexican Presidential Election. Reuters reports that opinion polls show Mexican presidential front-runner Enrique Peña Nieto with a wide lead over opponents, as Sunday’s election approaches. The Guardian writes that the Mexican election is being disputed even before the votes are cast as allegations of vote-rigging arise. BBC reports that Enrique Peña Nieto ended his campaign with a colorful rally in his hometown. Reuters notes that the National Action Party is preparing for life in the opposition. The Guardian reports that the failure of the drug war is causing diplomats to explore new policy options.

U.S. House and Senate Rise for Recess. Bloomberg notes that taxpayers face complications with filing returns in early 2013 because of the impending fiscal cliff. The Hill reports that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is urging U.S. officials to find ways to avoid the fiscal cliff, while congressional leaders assure the public that Congress is close to a deal on student loans and the transportation bills. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that concerns about the fiscal cliff are causing companies to hold back on U.S. investment. The Los Angeles Times writes that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is warning Congress of the risks to come with going over the fiscal cliff.