Looking Ahead

June 10

Egypt’s quest to repatriate artifacts originally discovered near the Pyramids of Giza will be highlighted as Berlin’s Egyptian Museum holds its ceremonial inauguration today. The museum brags that it is the only museum outside of Egypt to house and display Egyptian antiquities exclusively, including a bust of Nefertiti, a boast grating to Egyptians who claim the antiquities were looted.

June 10

Barring an unforeseen delay or dismissal, George Zimmerman goes on trial today in Florida for the high-profile killing of Trayvon Martin. The February 2012 episode that left the 17-year-old Martin dead ignited a national discussion about race and self-defense. Lawyers for Zimmerman will argue the neighborhood watch volunteer was acting in self-defense when he shot Martin from close range.

June 13

The Duchess of Cambridge, known as Kate Middleton until her marriage to Prince William, will have a busy summer. On June 13, the Duchess will follow tradition and help christen the newest ocean liner in the Princess Cruises fleet. The ceremony at Southampton will come three days before the Princess Royal is due to make her maiden voyage.

June 14

Iranians may go to the polls today to pick their next president, but he already will have earned the approval of the nation’s Guardian Council and the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. With current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unable to run again due to term limits, the religious leaders in the Islamist nation have vetted their slate of replacements. That means whoever the Iranian people select today to replace Ahmadinejad, the policies of the prickly republic aren’t expected to change much.

June 18

Scandal-plagued, President Barack Obama may be relieved to travel overseas. The president is scheduled to arrive in Berlin on June 18 for two days of talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel following a G8 summit. It will be Obama’s first trip to Germany as president, and will roughly coincide with the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech.