NATO members are gathering in Madrid for what many are calling the most important summit in at least a generation. From the war in Ukraine to the threat of China's rising power, much is at stake. And, as leaders prepare for the NATO summit this week we look at the outsized role of the US within NATO and its direct support of Ukraine’s military. Plus, language learning app Duolingo recently added a course in Haitian Creole for English speakers. The course helps Haiti’s diaspora communities reconnect with the mother tongue of families and ancestors. We need just 130 more listeners to donate $100 before July 1 to make our goal — can we count on you? Learn more and donate here.

Efforts to expand reproductive freedom in the US in recent decades have propelled similar changes in other countries. Now that the US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, that momentum could flip. And, the Chinese trend of made-to-order videos featuring African children often contain racist, exploitative content. A recent expose has triggered calls for this to end. Also, local farmers in Honduras turn to cashews as erratic weather patterns in Central America are leaving millions of people facing food insecurity. We need just 130 more listeners to donate $100 before July 1 to make our goal – can we count on you? Learn more and donate here.

The US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, revealing a canyonlike divide across the nation over the right to terminate a pregnancy. Abortion rights supporters condemned the decision as a dark day in history, while abortion foes rejoiced and said it will save countless lives. Also, in Lebanon, a pregnancy can only be terminated if three doctors agree that a person's life is at risk. But this doesn't stop them from happening — abortion pills are available online, and some doctors provide abortions privately. Plus, meet King Rao, the central figure in a new dystopian novel called "The Immortal King Rao," by Vauhini Vara. The World is supported by our generous listeners, like you! Make a monthly gift to power our nonprofit newsroom all year long. Learn more and donate here.

The first delivery of heavy weapons from Germany arrived in Ukraine this week, marking the end to a longstanding policy not to send lethal aid into active conflict zones. In a country where history looms large, many Germans are uneasy with their country’s new proximity to war. Also, Southeast Asia is opening up to tourists this summer for the first time since the pandemic began. But Chinese tourists will be conspicuously absent due to the country’s restrictive COVID-19 policy. Plus, at the last minute, pop star Dua Lipa was forced to change the location of her Sunny Hill music festival from Kosovo to Albania. The World is supported by our generous listeners, like you! Make a monthly gift to power our nonprofit newsroom all year long. Learn more and donate here.

Rescuers are trying to reach provinces in eastern Afghanistan after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook the area on Wednesday. Initial reports suggest a high death toll and injuries. And Mohamad Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince, is in Turkey on Wednesday for a visit with President Recep Erdoğan. The visit is seen as the two sides normalizing relations following the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. The World is supported by our generous listeners, like you! Make a monthly gift to power our nonprofit newsroom all year long. Learn more and donate here.