G-7 leaders meet in Germany for talks

The leaders have vowed to stand with Ukraine "for as long as it takes." [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following G-7 leaders meet in Germany for talks [A general view of a G7 leaders meeting with outreach guests as part of the working session of the G7 leaders summit, Kruen, Germany, June 27, 2022.] Credit: Lukas Barth/Pool Photo via AP G-7 Leaders of the G-7 countries are meeting in Germany for talks. The war in Ukraine has been on top of the agenda, and during a virtual call on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought more assistance, saying that he wants the war to end by the end of the year. The leaders vowed to stand with Ukraine "[for as long as it takes](." The US is planning to provide a medium- to long-range surface-to-air missile system for Ukraine to counter Russian strikes. Zelenskiy will also address this week's NATO summit in Madrid. Meanwhile, Western nations have been trying to cut Moscow off from its oil revenues. The leaders are finalizing a deal to try and cap the price of Russian oil. They also agreed during the meeting to adopt new measures to counter [China's infrastructure investments](. Russia Russia has [defaulted on its foreign currency debt]( for the first time since 1918. Moscow’s ability to pay overseas creditors has been restricted by Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. Although the government says it has the cash available, with President Vladimir Putin offering to pay creditors in rubles, it can’t transfer the money due to being [cut out of international payment systems](. Russia even made an estimated $100 billion from fuel exports in the first 100 days of the war, but it failed to meet its deadline on Sunday to pay a $100 million interest payment, despite a one-month extension. Morocco At least 18 migrants have [died in a stampede]( on the Moroccan border with Spain. The migrants were trying to climb an iron fence during an attempt to cross into the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla on Friday. ​​Scores of migrants and police were also injured in the incident. It comes as Madrid and Rabat repaired diplomatic relations last month over the status of disputed Western Sahara. Spain usually relies on Morocco to keep migrants away from the border as people fleeing poverty and violence [try to reach Spanish territory]( in an attempt to get to continental Europe. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Syria's descent into a narco state]( [Syrian authorities display Captagon pills, in rural Damascus, Syria, which they say they’ve seized while being smuggled in pasta, headed for Saudi Arabia, Nov. 30, 2021.]( Credit: Syrian official news agency SANA via AP/File photo German newspaper Der Spiegel has reported that senior members of the Syrian government are at the center of the [illegal drug trade of Captagon](. The World's Carol Hills spoke with Natasha Hall, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about Syria's descent into a narco state status. [Abortion access in China has changed drastically amid declining birth rate]( [Anesthesiologist Liu Jianmin prepares for an abortion at a clinic run by Marie Stopes International in Xi'an in central China's Shaanxi province, Dec. 13, 2010.]( Credit: Ng Han Guan/AP/File photo For more than 30 years, the Chinese government had restricted most people to having only one child. Illegal and [forced abortions were common](, and it led to a massive drop in the country’s birth rate. A new policy that started last year allows couples to have up to three children now, but many people aren't interested. --------------------------------------------------------------- Countdown to our fundraising deadline We’re in the home stretch! There are just a few days left to donate to The World’s nonprofit newsroom before our June 30th fundraising deadline and we need your help. Your generosity ensures that our dedicated team of reporters, producers and editors is able to invest the time and care needed to keep individuals’ lived experiences front and center. Can we [count on your support](? --------------------------------------------------------------- Double take Scientists have discovered the world's largest bacterium, one that can be seen with the naked eye. 🧫 It appears as a thin white filament, about the size of a human eyelash, and was found attached to oyster shells, rocks and glass bottles in a Caribbean mangrove swamp. The single bacterial cell is called Thiomargarita magnifica, or “magnificent sulfur pearl.” [This microscope photo shows thin strands of Thiomargarita magnifica bacteria cells next to a US dime coin, June 2022.] Credit: Tomas Tyml/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory via 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](.