World News is the news media jargon for reporting on a country or global subject. It is a separate subfield of journalism that usually involves foreign correspondents working for news outlets, although the field may also cover events and subjects directly from a country’s own borders by special envoys or through distance communication technologies like satellite TV or the internet. It is sometimes confused with international relations, which refers to the field of foreign policy and diplomacy.

The earliest news reports were mostly foreign, as recorded by courants and other early newspapers of the 17th century in Europe. These early papers focused on news of other countries, since nation-states were in the process of developing.

Modern world news began with the rise of telegraph technology, which allowed faster transmission of information abroad. By the 19th century, the first major news agencies developed, including Reuters (UK), AFP (France) and others. These prepared articles for reprint by other newspapers and then delivered them by wire service, originally using telegraph, and now via the Internet.

Today, world news focuses on world events that impact people everywhere. This includes coverage of political conflicts like wars, or events such as natural disasters or economic turmoil, which can affect all nations or even multiple continents. It can include coverage of meetings between heads of state, such as summits of the G8 or NATO, which can also draw attention from many other countries. It can also include stories about human rights violations or other global issues that do not involve direct conflict between national governments.