The World

US President Joe Biden is in Saudi Arabia on Friday to meet with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Biden has said he’d make the kingdom “the pariah that it is.”  But as gas prices skyrocketed, he changed his tune. And the euro may be having its worst week in over 20 years, but that didn't stop the bloc from inviting Croatia to join the eurozone. The Balkan state is set to ditch the Croatian kuna beginning this January. Also, a zoo near Kyiv was under occupation for more than a month at the beginning of the war. Russian forces are now gone but the zoo has lost a dozen animals to stress and trauma. Plus, a Pakistani song called “Pasoori,” all about unrequited love and distance, has struck a chord around the world — but especially in India.

President Joe Biden is in the Middle East this week talking with US allies. Iran is watching the visit with Israel and Saudi Arabia — its regional adversaries — very closely. And Pacific Island regional leaders agreed at a recent forum to consult with each other before signing onto individual security deals. The agreement is seen as a rejection of China's forays into influencing the region, most notably through a secretive security pact with the Solomon Islands. Also, could Colombia soon legalize cocaine? The Legislature may resume conversations about a controversial bill that would make the addictive drug legal. Plus, we hear all about the career and life of Vietnamese superstar Son Tung MTP.

As US President Joe Bident heads to Israel, regional security is a top agenda item. Scheduled meetings with Israeli officials will focus on strengthening the regional relationships that Israel has forged with some of its Muslim neighbors. Biden will visit the occupied Palestinian territories in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. And a Russian hacking group’s attack on Costa Rican government databases this past spring has had a lasting impact. Also, a new climate change study says the US and China are each responsible for more than $1.8 trillion worth of economic loss from 1990 to 2014 due to climate-related disasters. Plus, we hear the story behind a Peruvian parody song that went viral.

Moscow plans to shut off the gas supply to Germany for pipeline repairs. But will it turn the gas back on? We hear about the planned shutdown and what it means for Germany. And four-time gold medalist Mo Farah’s revelation that he was trafficked as a child to London puts the issue of child trafficking back into the spotlight. How do child traffickers operate and what can be done to stop them? Plus, the next time you play the lotto, turn to your dreams for the winning number. People in Naples, Italy, have believed for centuries that dead loved ones send encrypted messages with the winning lottery tickets.

Protesters in Sri Lanka occupied the president's residence in the capital Colombo over the weekend. They also set fire to the prime minister's residence nearby. Both men have said they will now resign after months of protests over the lack of fuel, food, and electricity cuts. And after a chaotic week in British politics, the scramble is now on to fill the seat of prime minister after Boris Johnson was forced to resign. Members of his Conservative Party have laid out the rules for the election of a new leader. Plus, for US vacationers to Europe, the fact that the euro is now nearly the same value as the dollar could be bad news for the US economy, according to economists.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed during a campaign speech on Friday in Nara, Japan. We hear reactions from Japan and thoughts on Abe's legacy in the country. Also, tennis player Peng Shuai has made few public appearances since last year when she accused a former high-ranking member of China's Communist Party of sexual assault. Since then, many in the global tennis and human rights communities have feared for her safety. Plus, Danish Klezmer artists Mames Babegenush are back on the road again in North America, and their message is that COVID-19 stopped them in their tracks — but they’re back! And, listen to music from around the globe curated by The World's director April Peavey, host Marco Werman and the team of journalists that create the show every week day.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Thursday that he is stepping down as leader of the Conservative Party. It took over 50 resignations from his government and the wider party for Johnson to finally concede defeat. And Europe — the leading clothes importer — seeks to crack down on environmentally destructive fast fashion by demanding factories to make sturdier clothes. But these proposals would require a revolution in Asia, where 65 million people stitch clothing in garment factories. Plus, the former US envoy in Haiti says its government is "in cahoots" with armed gangs that control much of everyday life there.

Two key ministers plus a dozen lesser ministers have resigned from Boris Johnson’s government, with more expected. These officials are responding to Johnson's most recent scandal: defending the hiring of a minister with a long history of sexual misconduct. And in June, Gustavo Petro won the presidential election in Colombia and became the nation's first leftist president, joining a wave of other progressive politicians elected in Latin America. Will this leftward shift have a major impact on US foreign policy in the region? Plus, Georgia’s Soviet-era sanatoriums have provided shelter for decades for those fleeing conflict in the region. Now, Georgia’s government plans to restore the dilapidated buildings to boost tourism.

Moscow's capture of the eastern city of Lysychansk this past weekend gives Russia total control of the Luhansk region. Russian troops are now looking to take even more territory further north in Donetsk. And as authorities have started to identify the bodies of the 53 migrants who lost their lives in an abandoned tractor-trailer in Texas, the portraits of the victims are slowly coming together. One common narrative is that the victims wanted to pursue a better life. Plus, COVID-19 is on the rise, again. We hear from a molecular biologist about how to make practical use of the news as people begin to break out of routines and travel again.

Enjoy a compilation of music segments that have aired on The World, including a conversation with Ukraine’s Go_A band, which combines Ukrainian folk music and modern electronica. We also bring you UK breakout artist Joy Crookes, who is a student of history, born in London to a mother from Bangladesh and a father from Ireland. And a look at how the Beatles inspired a rock revolution in Argentina.