World in Progress

This week we zoom in on North and South Korea. For more than 70 years, the Korean peninsula has been divided. Many hope the two countries will one day reunite. But there's still a long way to go — they are technically still at war. Also on the show: The latest on North Korea's food shortage and how aid organizations are trying to avert a looming humanitarian crisis.

This week on the program: Brazil's indigenous communities raise the alarm after a surge in land grabs, students defy Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria, the push for inclusive education in Ethiopia, and how a project to distribute cheap glasses is changing lives in Bolivia.

Life is becoming more difficult for many Russians. Along with steadily increasing prices, dissatisfaction is on the rise. The annexation of Crimea and military successes in Syria aren't enough to distract people from the declining quality of life at home. And hopes the Kremlin would finally tackle urgent domestic matters after the 2018 election have been in vain.

This week on the show: Nicaraguans living in exile push for political change in their home country, refugees with disabilities launch their own businesses in a Kenyan camp, and a teenager recounts her escape from Boko Haram.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say. But according to South Korean beauty standards that usually means plastic surgery and full face make-up at all times! Some say it's high time for change. In India, midwives could be the answer to reducing maternal mortality. We also hear from young women in Nigeria who are rebuilding their lives after fleeing from their Boko Haram captors.

Running out of medications: After eight years of civil war, doctors in Idlib in Northern Syria are are faced with increasing problems -- Thousands are trying to escape violence and poverty in central America by taking the 3000 km trek north, hoping to reach the USA. DW meets some migrants from Central America on the first leg of their journey, in Guatemala.

South Africa has been hailed as the most liberal African country when it comes to gay rights, but there's a dark side to it as discrimination is still rife in the country. There's also a dark side to the South Korean phenomenon of K-pop: As more and more K-pop groups take center stage, so do reports of abuse.

Every 12 years, millions of Hindu pilgrims make their way to the northern Indian city of Prayagraj to take a dip in the Ganges River. The Kumbh Mela festival celebrated there is one of Hinduism's holiest events – pilgrims believe the river helps cleanse sins and brings salvation. This year, for the first time ever, a transgender group was allowed to bathe in the holy waters, too.

Migrants have long used France as a jumping-off point to get to the UK, mostly by trucks travelling from Calais via ferry or through the Euro tunnel. But now truck parking areas are monitored around the clock, so migrants are looking for new ways to cross the English Channel. More and more are choosing to go by boat - a dangerous venture that France and Britain are working together to prevent.

Water can mean life or death for people across the world. In France, migrants are risking their lives crossing the English Channel by boat to reach the UK. In India, a transgender group was allowed to bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges River for the first time. And in Iraq, a taxi driver offers more than just a ride to people.

Ali, a taxi driver in Basra in southeastern Iraq, offers more than just a ride to people. He also invites his passengers to read one of the many books he stores in his cab. If they read a book for more than 10 minutes, they are free to take it home. Ali's unique service has garnered quite a bit of publicity in Iraq. Authors and publishers have now even begun supplying him with books for free.

Topics: Making food safe for African consumers - Concerns over distribution of aid for Syrian civilians - Why Taiwan's kids need to rest their eyes more and play - a visit to the most complicated ski resort in the world - Master oud maker in Bagdad has few Iraqi customers

We look at some of the lesser-known realities of migration. Including Haitians being sent home from Chile — if they promise not to return for nine years — the surprising role of blockchain in a refugee camp in Jordan and the dark side of working in Italy's produce fields. Plus, just how well have migrants in Germany integrated?

The world's largest airport, an gigantic bridge, an new canal: ambitous infrastructure projects are supposed to make Istanbul a major international logistics hub. But there's also criticism about these mega projects //  The freedom of two wheels and a powerful engine: Women Bikers in India

Venezuela has been suffering from severe hyper-inflation, leading to food and medicine shortages. Millions of people have already left the South American country in search of a better life elsewhere. The crisis has spilled over into other countries in the region, as Venezuela's neighbors Brazil and Colombia struggle to cope with the influx of refugees.

Once they have completed their medical degree, many Ghanaian doctors prefer to move to Europe or North America instead of working in a hospital back home. The problem is even worse in the countryside. And the health professionals, politicians and NGOs who are trying to counter the problems caused by the missing doctors face huge challenges.

Many people in El Salvador were overjoyed when Oscar Romero, was canonized as a saint by the Vatican in October 2018. In 1980, the Arch Bishop had been assassinated by a henchman of the military regime. Romero had spoken out on behalf of the poor, against social injustice, torture and killings. Four decades after his death, he remains an inspiration for many in the troubled country.

Let's dive into the world of music. Did you know the Christmas song Silent Night originated in a small Austrian village 200 years ago? We hear how gospel music in Tanzania is changing as young people take center stage. We'll also have futuristic sounds from Japan and much more here on DW's World in Progress.

As the UN Declaration of Human Rights turns 70, we take a look at the state of human rights. Are our democracies at risk as populism rises? We also go to Jordan to see how Syrian refugees are faring and check in with returnees in Somaliland who are now trying to realize their dreams back home.

Client Earth CEO James Thornton how using the law creatively helps to save the planet / Marid's new traffic restrictions to curb air pollution meet mixed reactions / villagers in India use plastic waste to create new items while protecting their tribal culture and their ancient forest.

The Florida Keys were devastated by Hurricane Irma over one year ago — we check in to see how residents are coping with destructive storms and rising sea levels. We also take a look at new ways of helping the homeless. And just before the COP24 global climate summit kicks off in Poland, we talk about what's at stake and where the stumbling blocs are.

This week on the program we look at how lives can be improved across the world. In a remote village of Kyrgistan, we find out how the internet offers new opportunities. We learn how the UN is supporting change for the millions of migrants and displaced people in Somalia. And we meet girls in a Cairo slum, who are learning to become more self assured.

With more than five million inhabitants, Alexandria is Egypt's second largest city, facing typical urban problems like overpopulation, and crushing poverty. Until the 1950s, Alexandria was a cosmopolitan idyll, dubbed the "Paris of the Middle East." During the Arab Spring, it was a hotbed of political activists and visionaries. Today, many are disillusioned. What happened to people's dreams?

Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in Morroco, is a European town on African soil. It's often the frontline of clashes between Africans trying to reach Europe in search of a better life, and a European Union desperate to keep them out. It's also a port town where 85,000 people live, providing livelihoods for many Moroccans.

This week on the show: How three brothers are bringing the internet to rural Zimbabwe, the young entrepreneurs building a future for themselves in Kigali, and we meet activists working to improve human rights in the DRC, China and Brazil.