Chinese authorities are working to transform the Pearl River Delta, the most populous region on Earth, into a powerful economic super-metropolis. The initiative seeks to connect nearly a dozen cities, including Hong Kong, through enhanced infrastructure and cooperation, with the goal of creating a cohesive and dynamic economy. But as The World’s Jeremy Siegel reports in the third of a five-part series, the plan’s results, so far, have been mixed.

An iconic café in the heart of Baghdad has witnessed decades of change to Iraq’s history. Through it all, the place has remained a constant — a place for intellectuals and other customers to reflect and connect — a tradition its owner hopes to hold onto.

As migration from El Salvador to the US drops, a small but growing number of Salvadoran immigrants are now returning home voluntarily. They’ve been encouraged by new developments in the country. But not everyone is convinced.

Germany’s dachshund clubs say a new animal protection law could effectively outlaw their beloved sausage dog, whose long body and short legs can cause painful spine problems. Farmers are outraged with proposals in the law for how they should raise their livestock. Now, a culture war is brewing in Germany’s cities and hinterlands, with dachshunds, cows and their humans as unlikely standard-bearers. 

Pro-Palestinian protests at universities in the US are showing no signs of slowing down. But they aren’t limited to the United States. At The University of Sydney, in Sydney, Australia, students have set up a temporary encampment modeled on US ones. And students at other universities around the world are following suit. 

Greenland’s Indigenous peoples once wore bold face tattoos that carried deep spiritual and cultural significance. But during the centuries of Denmark’s colonial rule, the Inuit tradition of getting face and hand tattoos disappeared. One Inuk tattoo artist is now reviving a piece of Inuit heritage for community members living in Denmark.

Nearly a year and a half into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, its impact has been felt most acutely in lost lives, flattened cities and destroyed infrastructure. But the environmental damage from combat has also contaminated Ukraine’s soil, water and air, at a cost the government is estimating to be $56 billion. This impact is likely to be one of the longest-lasting legacies of the war, persisting for decades after the fighting stops.

Israelis see the Lions’ Den group as terrorists, blaming it for a rise in shooting attacks. But in Nablus, many Palestinians hail these men as brave fighters standing up to the Israeli occupation.

Hundreds of children were stolen from their parents during the dictatorship in Argentina, but over the years, some have been reunited with their families.

This past week, girls in the province of Paktia in eastern Afghanistan went to the streets to protest. The Taliban had reopened their schools but ordered them shut again. Girls’ education in Afghanistan has become a sensitive topic since the Taliban came to power last year. They have closed down nearly all secondary schools for girls in the country.