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The sun rises over a Mosque on the Persian Gulf in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 9, 1990.

Saudi Arabia’s conservative clerics have a new relationship with the government under Mohammed bin Salman

Lifestyle & Belief

Social change in Saudi Arabia has long been deemed impossible due to the influence of the conservative clerical establishment. But as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman supports new cultural attractions, experts are wondering whether the power of these clerics has diminished. Raihan Ismail, professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford University, spoke to The World’s host Carolyn Beeler about what role the clerics play in Saudi society today.

Pakistanis shops in a weekly pet market in Lahore, Pakistan, Nov. 13, 2022.

As Earth surpasses 8 billion people, ‘the planet can feed and sustain billions more,’ demographer says

Lifestyle
A student is escorted into the schoolyard by a teacher as schools outside the greater Montreal region begin to reopen their doors amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, May 11, 2020.

Canadians contend with etiquette questions as they double their social bubbles

COVID-19
Chinese gather near Baiyun Temple in Beijing to pray for good fortune on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year

A Chinese American author explores the East-West culture gap

Books
Women shopping on Taksim St. in Istanbul.

Some in Turkey feel less free now that women are free to wear headscarves

Lifestyle & Belief
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The children of migrant workers are taught Mandarin at a school in Shanghai. Many speak a regional dialect at home, and some don't speak Mandarin at all when they arrive for the first day of class.

China’s linguistic landscape is changing as rapidly as its cities and lifestyles

Development & Education

Beijing has long wanted the world’s most populous country to be unified under a single language. Now, it may actually happen, thanks to increased mobility and migration.

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