The Middle East braces for the possibility of a full-scale war between Israel and Iran-backed forces after the assassinations of Hamas senior leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr; Venezuelans protest the results of the presidential election that grant incumbent President Nicolás Maduro a third term; the Edinburgh Festival Fringe spotlights wide-ranging, new talent; imprisoned journalists in Russia are freed in a major prisoner swap; and militant groups kill troops from Russia’s private military company Wagner Group, including a Wagner commander, in Mali.  

Mentioned on the Podcast

Steven A. Cook, “Are Israel and Iran Headed for All Out War?,” CFR.org

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Edinburgh Festival Fringe App

Edinburgh Fringe Festival Recommendation Lists: Independent, Playbill, and Time Out Magazine

Kali Robinson, “What Is Hamas?,” CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The World Next Week at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/twnw/israel-iran-tensions-escalate-venezuela-election-questioned-edinburgh-fringe-shines-and