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On Sunday, rescue workers pulled the last survivor from the devastating crash in India's eastern Odisha state, that has left at least 275 dead and more than 1,000 injured. Relatives are now on the scene trying to locate their loved ones. And, there's been a push to add new members to BRICS — a group from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — in an effort to counterbalance the power of Western countries. Also, hundreds of thousands of people hit the streets yesterday in Poland, protesting what they see as growing authoritarianism in the country. Many were motivated in response to a new law that is supposed to target Russian propaganda in Poland. Plus, gang violence in Haiti loosens its grip.

A new investigation from Reuters found billions of dollars labeled as "climate finance" going to projects that only had a tangential relationship to climate solutions. And, it's pufferfish season in Southeast Asia. Most fisherfolk will throw pufferfish back, but some bring them to market, serving niche groups of customers who love eating them, despite the warnings. Also, Tunisia is the birthplace of the so-called Arab Spring, and Syria is where protesters witnessed some of the most brutal crackdowns. Today, both countries are "turning a new page," as one Syrian official recently put it. Plus, Ama Ata Aidoo, a giant in the African literary scene, died this week at the age of 81. 

Ukrainian journalist Volodymyr Solohub has traveled to eastern Ukraine near the front lines in Donetsk this week. He talks about how Ukrainian troops are using new Western weaponry and low-tech homemade drones. And, in Europe, inflation is getting curbed, stocks are up, key sectors are rebounding and the US Congress seems to be on course to raise the debt ceiling and prevent the global markets from meltdown as a result. Will it last? Also, Iraq’s date palms were nearly decimated after decades of war. We hear about one group's efforts to save them. Plus, this blues musician fled Russia for Serbia.

The United Nations says more than 1 million people have been displaced by the conflict in Sudan. Despite on and off ceasefires, the fighting between the country's armed forces and paramilitary has shown no signs of ending soon. And, Nigeria has only about 1 doctor for every 5,000 residents. Members of Nigerian Parliament are backing a new bill that will medical graduates to work in the country for five years to limit the medical brain drain. Also, a spacecraft with an all-private astronaut team splashed down off Texas in the Gulf of Mexico late Tuesday. Two of the four astronauts on board are from Saudi Arabia including the first Arab woman to go into orbit. Plus, a the $70 billion deal that could impact the future of cloud gaming.

At least eight military drones appeared over the skies of the Russian capital and its suburbs early Tuesday. Russian Defense Ministry officials say all of the drones were intercepted and damage from falling debris was minimal. And, on Monday, Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu was sworn in as the country’s new president in the capital Abuja. He enters office amid ongoing court disputes against the election results, rising insecurity, and a struggling economy. Also, on the Serbian border with Hungary, 90 minutes from Belgrade, a group of five Russian game developers have found a new home after fleeing Russia under threat of arrest. Plus, in Hong Kong, public censorship of Tiananmen Square is underway.

In parts of northern Ukraine, near the border with Belarus, Russian troops were firmly in control for several weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion started in 2022. The World revisits a story from the Chernihiv region, about how residents there are putting their lives back together, even while the war rages on. We also go back to a school in Romania where Ukrainians are starting over. And, Ukrainians are finding ways to keep living their lives amid war. That includes searching for — and finding — love.



School is out for the summer! But we have one more assignment for you. If you are a student or a recent graduate from an American university, we’d like to know why you chose to study in the US. Was it what you hoped for? What do you like, what do you not like? When you graduate will you return home? Record a voice memo with your story. Include your name and location and email the voice memo to myworld@theworld.org. We might feature your story on the program.