Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jeddah, Wednesday, June 7, 2023.

Saudi Arabia’s massive push into sports

Full Episode

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jeddah, June 7, 2023. Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday on a trip to strengthen strained ties with the long-time ally as the oil-rich kingdom forges closer.

Amer Hilabi/Pool/AP

The world of professional golf experienced a seismic shift on Tuesday when the US-based PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia-backed league LIV, announced a merger. For Saudi Arabia, it’s only the latest in an ambitious plan to extend the kingdom’s influence and participation in global sports. And, in Canada’s eastern provinces from Quebec to Nova Scotia, wildfires have caused thousands to flee their homes and untold damage. Also, with large numbers of young Russian fighters dying on the Ukraine battlefield, the Wagner mercenary group must constantly recruit to replenish their fighters. They’ve gone online and are using the same tactics that the ISIS once used to lure young men to go to fight in Syria. Plus, female crocodiles can reproduce without males.

In This Episode

PGA-LIV merger just one pillar of Saudi Arabia’s massive push into sports
The humanitarian effort for Ukraine’s flood victims ramp up
Taliban’s top leader holds meeting with foreign official
In Canada, wildfires from Nova Scotia to Quebec
Sikh motorcyclists want exemption from helmet law
Black, white and blue illustration of a man wearing a mask, helmet and sunglasses, centered, with a skull behind him.
A conversation with a former member of Wagner: ‘They were like little kings or czars’
Special Coverage
Group wants to clean up the carbon offset market
Female crocodiles can reproduce without males
Saudi Arabia's massive push into sports - The World from PRX