US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

Decision will end constitutional protections for abortion and is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half of US states. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade [The Supreme Court in Washington, June 24, 2022.] Credit: Steve Helber/AP United States The US Supreme Court has [overturned Roe v. Wade](, which will end constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place for nearly 50 years in the country. The decision was made by the court’s conservative majority with a 5-4 vote. And the move will now leave the question of [abortion legality to individual states]( and is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half of US states. Governors, attorneys general and other state and local leaders will now be able to decide if and when abortions will be permitted, who should be prosecuted and who could potentially be incarcerated once bans go into effect. Jordan Jordan’s King Abdullah II has said that he would support the formation of a military alliance in the Middle East similar to NATO. Jordan has worked actively with NATO, considering itself a [partner of the alliance](. Abdullah’s comments come ahead of a visit by US President Joe Biden to the region. Meanwhile, regional diplomacy has intensified in recent months. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has visited Egypt, Jordan and Turkey. And a handful of countries have normalized relations with Israel, including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. Gulf countries have been pushing the US for more defense capabilities against attacks they blame on Tehran. And Israel said it has developed an [air-defense alliance]( with the US and regional partners against Iran. United Nations UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday that the world is [facing a “catastrophe”]( because of the growing food shortages around the world. “There is a real risk that multiple famines will be declared in 2022,” he said in a video message. “And 2023 could be even worse.” Guterres said that the war in Ukraine was adding to disruptions caused by climate change, COVID-19 and inequality, affecting hundreds of millions of people. He called for debt relief for poor countries and for the private sector to help stabilize global food markets. And he said that UN negotiators are [working on a deal]( to allow Ukraine to export its food and let Russia bring food and fertilizer to world markets without restrictions. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [MBS visits Ankara as Turkey attempts to repair relations with its regional rivals]( [Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman review a military honor guard during a welcome ceremony, in Ankara, Turkey, June 22, 2022.]( Credit: Burhan Ozbilici/AP Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for [talks in Ankara]( this week. The visit comes as Turkey seeks to repair ties with its regional rivals. Steven A. Cook at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington spoke with The World's host Carol Hills about the significance of the visit. [‘We’re just breaking even’: Small businesses in Ukraine reopening in uncertain climate]( [Illona Kocharyan and her husband shuttered Finik Family, their boutique dry goods store in Kyiv, Ukraine, when war broke out. They reopened it on May 30.]( Credit: Ashley Westerman/The World ​​​​​​​Nearly half of Ukraine's small businesses closed when the war began. Now, many Ukrainians are returning home, and businesses are reopening. But they’re faced with [serious financial challenges](, among other concerns. --------------------------------------------------------------- Keep The World paywall free Your vital support sustains The World’s nonprofit newsroom so that The World’s independent reporting and human-centered stories can remain open and paywall free. We have a goal of raising $25,000 between now and June 30 to power our nonprofit newsroom for another year. Can we [count on your support]( to ensure The World remains free and accessible? --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot Cologne's majestic cathedral was the first thing that Syrian refugee Fadel Alkhudr saw when he arrived in Germany in 2015. Fascinated by the famous Gothic landmark, Alkhudr — who learned carving from his father at the age of 13 — took photos, drew sketches and began carving a 6.5-foot wooden replica of it, finally finishing after 2.5 years. “When we were in Aleppo we used to have ... no issues between a mosque and a church,” he said. “Our neighbors were Christian and we are Muslims, we used to invite each other into our homes and there were no problems.” The carving is currently on display at the cathedral’s Domforum visitor center just across from the original. [Fadel Alkhudr from Syria poses beside his wooden model of the word heritage Cologne Cathedral on display at the Domforum in Cologne, Germany, June 20, 2022.] Credit: Martin Meissner/AP In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.