Welcome to the City: The future of mobility

The recent Saudi-Iran deal is a major triumph for Chinese diplomacy, but Beijing may find the Middle East to be a tricky region to operate in, say experts.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at Kotoka International Airport in Ghana on Sunday, the first stop of a three-nation tour of Africa. The visit is part of a diplomatic push by the Biden administration to deepen ties with the continent amid competition from China and Russia.

Every year, new TV series are released during the Muslim religious holiday. And every year, some cause controversy, upsetting clerics, governments or activists. Media analysts in the Middle East say they know why.

European countries are shutting down their visa- or residency-for-investment schemes, worried about corruption and security. Meanwhile, the Middle East is just getting started in the so-called "citizenship industry."

In Yemen, more than 900 prisoners were released this past week as momentum builds to end the nine-year conflict there. This is linked to the fact that the leadership in Saudi Arabia and Iran are talking to each other again. The two powers broke off relations seven years ago, impacting politics and conflict across the region.

China has been promoting itself as a peacemaker in the Middle East. Beijing brokered a peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia — and is now eyeing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As intense heat becomes more frequent, the Middle East will see a rise in heat-related deaths. Even though the region lags in public health planning, experts say it has a lot to teach us about surviving extreme weather.

Former Vice President Mike Pence joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss former President Donald Trump's federal indictment, the 2024 race, and more.

LGBTQ activists are trying to counter the conservative narrative that suggests homosexuality has no place in Muslim culture. There's plenty of evidence in regional history that says otherwise.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.⁣

On July 12, the landmark Nature Restoration Law was adopted in a cliffhanger vote at the European Parliament. Our guest, prominent Finnish MEP Heidi Hautala – who's one the parliament's vice-presidents – says she is "relieved" that the EU parliament now has a position to negotiate with the member states. She applauds the law as "step towards combating climate change", and decries what she calls the use of "fake news and disinformation" by far-right as well as right-wing parties on the nature restoration issue.

Child trafficking and exploitation is on the rise along the route that undocumented migrants take from the Horn of Africa to Saudi Arabia, the UN says. Boys and girls aged 13 to 17 are particularly vulnerable.