Business, Economics and Jobs

The warning labels are found on a number of Israeli, American and European products.

Jordanians boycott American companies seen as pro-Israeli

As Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza continues, a boycott campaign is growing in the Middle East and beyond. In Jordan, many have stopped buying American and European products that they say support Israel financially or have a pro-Israel stance. Starbucks and McDonald’s in Amman sit mostly empty. In supermarkets, everyday items carry warnings.

Jordanians boycott American companies seen as pro-Israeli
Illustration of a destroyed library.

Saving Ukraine’s cultural heritage with a click

Saving Ukraine’s cultural heritage with a click
People marching in street with a Panamanian flag

Copper mine protests roil in Panama

Copper mine protests roil in Panama
Zimbabwe's unique stone sculptures grace museums, gardens, and art lovers' homes worldwide.

Zimbabwe's stone sculptors struggle to keep carving

Zimbabwe's stone sculptors struggle to keep carving
Pre-trial detention hearing for RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva started in Kazan, Tatarstan, and was immediately closed for the press. 

Russian American journalist detained in Russia

Russian American journalist detained in Russia
Screenshot from "Prehistoric Planet" on YouTube.

For ‘dinosaur music,’ prehistoric instruments set the tone

Musicians Anže Rozman and Kara Talve invented prehistoric instruments to help transport viewers back in time for the BBC series, “Prehistoric Planet.”

For ‘dinosaur music,’ prehistoric instruments set the tone
Portrait photo of a woman

Microfinance was meant to help the world’s poor, but in Cambodia, it’s plunging people deeper into debt

Microfinance was hailed as a way to change the lives of hundreds of millions of people without access to credit. It worked so well that Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus was awarded a Nobel Prize. But then, banks jumped in to get in on the profits. To manage high debt levels, Cambodians are migrating for work, eating less and even pulling their children out of school.

Microfinance was meant to help the world’s poor, but in Cambodia, it’s plunging people deeper into debt
prison getting raided

What is behind the seizure of Venezuela's most-notorious prison?

In Venezuela, security forces recently seized one of the country’s most-notorious prisons, with the mission of dismantling a transnational criminal gang that was ruled from inside. But the head of the gang was able to escape, and now, countries across South America are searching for him.

What is behind the seizure of Venezuela's most-notorious prison?
Aerial view of the village of Mutucal, Mãe Grande Curuçá Extractive Reserve.

Rural communities in the Amazon face a complex world of carbon credits

Brazil has embraced carbon credits as a way to protect the Amazon and mitigate climate change. But many community activists in the Amazon say carbon offset projects can be problematic.

Rural communities in the Amazon face a complex world of carbon credits
mopeds and motorbikes lined up outside of a hotel

A new underground gig economy is booming in New York City as migrants wait for work permits

The Biden administration announced it will grant work permits for nearly half a million Venezuelans. City officials in New York have been calling for it, as tens of thousands of migrants, mainly from Venezuela, have arrived in the city in recent months. However, the process of applying for the legal right to work can take months.

A new underground gig economy is booming in New York City as migrants wait for work permits
shack

Formerly homeless American in Barcelona helps others get off the streets

​​​​​​​Some years back, an American in Spain became homeless after a string of bad luck. Now, he’s helping others who’ve hit a similar rough spot. Especially other foreigners with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Formerly homeless American in Barcelona helps others get off the streets
Rising poverty, unemployment, and inflation have plagued Costa Rica. Every few blocks, a person is passed out or sleeping on the street.

‘This is not a peaceful country’: Violence and poverty soar in Costa Rica

Costa Rica sells its image as a “green paradise,” with ample nature reserves and no standing military. But many say this reputation is more myth than reality as violence, poverty and unemployment is on the rise.

‘This is not a peaceful country’: Violence and poverty soar in Costa Rica
The Rhine River passes through Basel, a Swiss city that sits near the borders of Germany and France.

Salmon are returning to Europe's Rhine River, but a key barrier remains

European countries that border the Rhine River are working together to restore an old migration route, but manmade structures present a major hurdle.

Salmon are returning to Europe's Rhine River, but a key barrier remains
Woman takes a picture of a sunset at a park.

Barcelona gets bombarded by selfie-taking tourists

Spain’s on the rebound with tourism after huge losses during the pandemic. Those in the tourism business are relieved. But visitors are back with a vengeance and they’re not always well-behaved, irking locals who miss the quieter days.

Barcelona gets bombarded by selfie-taking tourists
The Crooked House before it got demolished.

Demise of ‘Crooked House’ pub is cautionary tale about loss of British heritage

The mysterious demolition of a lopsided 18th-century pub in England has infuriated the local community and raised questions about the loss of British heritage and the demise of the country’s famous pub culture.

Demise of ‘Crooked House’ pub is cautionary tale about loss of British heritage