Page 2 - World In Progress News Today

What if the identity you were given at birth didn’t fit with how you felt on the inside? And try as you might, dressing, speaking and existing in a certain way just didn’t feel right — in fact, it felt wrong. Millions of people share this struggle worldwide, and for those living in Iran, the fight for transgender equality is shaped by the country’s determination to prevent same-sex relationships.

As the war in Ukraine rages on, we look at the fallout in Ukraine's neighboring countries Belarus and Russia. Russians in opposition to President Vladimir Putin have fled the country in fear of repression. And in neighboring Belarus, Putin's ally Alexander Lukashenko is clamping down on Belarusian language and heritage. Many were arrested and their books destroyed.

As Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko continues to up the pressure on freedom of expression, it becomes increasingly dangerous to voice any sort of dissent. The European Writers' Council wants to give writers their voices back and has launched its 'Free all words' program to translate as many of their works as possible. DW speaks to Nina George, President of the European Writers' Council.

As Russian attacks on Ukraine continue, Russians opposing the war look on in shock. Those who couldn't take it anymore have fled the country – either, because they feared for their own safety since they've openly criticized the Putin regime or because they simply couldn't bear being in the country anymore.

Despite reaching retirement age, work never stops for civil servants in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many civil servants are well past 70, sometimes even over 100 years old. They hold on to their jobs and their salaries. In Japan, some seniors also choose to continue working part-time jobs – to boost their pensions and because they believe it helps stave off dementia.

Since the pandemic, hunger and poverty are even worse for most of the 6 million indigenous people in the country. Many children lost years of education and their future looks bleak. But there are also many who try to help.

Education is key, but what if the education on offer doesn't take into account local languages or the students' needs? That's what a remote region in India is grappling with. And mobile teams in Kenya with a more hands-on approach want to help those who weren't able to get any formal schooling in rurual areas in the country's north.

For decades, access to higher education had been sorely lacking in Ladakh. Students had to travel hundreds of kilometers to other states of India to be able to further their education. Eucationists want to provide higher learning courses that are adapted to the region - at institutes in Ladakh.

Many people weren't able to feven finish primary school in a very remote village in Samburu county in the north, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) away from the capital Nairobi. Most in the Samburu community are nomads and climate change has hit them hard. To help them make a living, they are now being trained in a number of skills by mobile teams that come to visit their villages.

June 19th or Juneteenth is the day where the US commemorates the end of slavery. Dealing with the remnants of slavery is still an issue, even today. We visit Mount Vernon, home to first president George Washington, who held slaves! We also talk about today's ongoing racial profiling. The US Justice Department has just launched an investigation into Louisiana State Police.