When international students arrive to study in the US, life can be harder than expected. Some universities have found that religious chaplains can help students make the transition. While mental health is stigmatized in some countries, spiritual care is not. As a result, student chaplains have become de facto front-line mental health care providers.
When the terrorist group ISIS emerged in Syria in the last decade, some 30,000 foreign fighters went to Syria to fight for the group. Most were from Europe and Asia. About 300 Americans joined or attempted to join ISIS, including one woman who was married to an American ISIS fighter.
ISIS still conducts large-scale attacks like the one in Russia last month that killed about 130 people. In Syria, where the group originated, it continues to be active. One strategy to contain ISIS has been to hold thousands of people in detention camps in northeastern Syria.
Gazoz is an old-school, hyper-local soda that’s been ubiquitous in Turkey since it was invented more than a century ago. Every town has a signature brand, often incorporating local flavors like pine, lavender, or sweet almond. The World’s Durrie Bouscaren reports from southern Turkey on why this beloved drink is having a moment.
PIX is a three-year-old system developed by the Brazilian Central Bank that has revolutionized how Brazilians pay for things. It’s like sending an instant wire transfer through the banking app on your phone with the click of a button, and no fees. Michael Fox reports from Florianópolis, Brazil, on how the banking app has changed Brazilian society in just three years.
A total solar eclipse made its way across Mexico, the US and Canada on April 8. The city of Mazatlán, on the Pacific coast of Mexico, was the first place in continental North America on the path of totality, and more than half a million people traveled there to see it. The World’s Tibisay Zea reports on how residents and visitors have experienced the celestial event.