The US president has penned a defense of his planned visit to Saudi Arabia for The Washington Post. His trip comes after pledging to make the country a "pariah" on the campaign trail.

The US president has penned a defense of his planned visit to Saudi Arabia for The Washington Post. His trip comes after pledging to make the country a "pariah" on the campaign trail.

During his campaign for the US presidency, Joe Biden described Saudi Arabia as a 'pariah state' in the aftermath of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But since taking office, Biden's language has changed. This week, he is making his first trip to the oil-rich kingdom as president, as global energy prices soar in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. To discuss the trip (which also includes Jordan and Israel), we talk to Middle East expert and former CIA officer Douglas London, who is adjunct associate professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University.

US President Biden said efforts to secure a two-state solution must continue despite appearing far off. Palestinian President Abbas said there was a narrowing window to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The US president has announced executive actions to tackle climate change, but stopped short of declaring a formal emergency. The move coincides with heat waves battering the US and Europe.

The pandemic and a weak economic recovery have pushed back progress on closing the gender gap around the world. Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, says that issues including family care policies, an increasingly digital economy, and ongoing struggles in certain industries have all been setbacks for women. The WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2022 now projects it will take 132 years to reach gender parity.

United States of America's President, Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19. White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, disclosed in a statement, noting that the 79-year-old president is experiencing “very mild symptoms.” Biden is fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

The president highlighted his predecessor's decision to just sit and watch for "three hours" while the events at the US Capitol unfolded. Biden said Trump's "lies" emboldened "the crazed mob."

The new Philippine president has set out an ambitious economic and social blueprint for his six-year term. However, his family's chequered past and the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic pose significant hurdles.

The death toll in torrential floods in the US state of Kentucky continued to rise days after floods began. The flooding has swamped towns across the Appalachian mountain region of the central eastern United States.

Facing generally low approval ahead of the midterms, Biden is hoping to get young voters on his side. The plan would cancel $10,000 in student debt for millions of Americans.

The two leaders discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and means to "address the challenges posed by China." Biden had earlier called Sunak's appointment a "pretty astounding, a groundbreaking milestone."