Malaysia

Top of The World: Tens of thousands of people remain stuck in Afghanistan, desperate to be evacuated following the Taliban’s takeover. And, Vice President Kamala Harris’ once low-risk trip to Asia has taken on new importance as she will attempt to reassure allies of American credibility. Also, health officials in Australia are warning that major cities like Sydney and Melbourne may be losing control of a COVID-19 outbreak fueled by the more contagious delta variant.

The highly infectious COVID-19 delta variant is leaving a devastating wake around the globe. The surge of infections raises a lot of questions and sparks concern among public health officials. The World's Carolyn Beeler moderated a discussion about the delta variant and what's next in the pandemic with Harvard Chan School epidemiologist William Hanage.

In Beirut, rescuers were still digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings Friday after finding “signs of life, Malaysia’s Bernama state news agency has reported that prosecutors in Kuala Lumpur withdrew criminal charges against three Goldman Sachs units, and The Lancet medical journal has published early-stage trial results showing that Russia’s “Sputnik-V” vaccine for the coronavirus produced a legitimate antibody response.

US Attorney General William Barr heads to Capitol Hill today and will face questioning on what critics argue is a politicization of the Justice Department. And, in a case seen by many as a test of Malaysia’s resolve to stamp out corruption, the country’s former prime minister, Najib Razak, was found guilty of corruption Tuesday. Also, a new study has found that almost 3 billion animals were killed or displaced in the recent devastating bush fires in Australia.

In a statement this week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its "maritime empire." Bonnie S. Glaser, senior director for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins The World's Carol Hills to discuss the significance of this policy shift and what it means for China-US relations. 

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Israel, where Iran, China and the annexation of occupied Palestinian territories is on the agenda. Europe is optimistic about a summer travel season. But Lebanon, facing a potential resurgence of the novel coronavirus, has locked down. And Malaysia is applying lessons from its experience with the Nipah virus. In Shanghai, Disneyland is reopened — but pandemic precautions are making their mark on the magical place.