World in Progress

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.

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.

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.

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?