World News is the term in the news media for any news story pertaining to a country or a global subject, as opposed to local stories. It is a subfield of journalism that began in the 17th century as newspapers like the courants of Europe (or their equivalents, such as the Nieuwe Tijdinger in Antwerp) carried news from the outside world. It became a distinct specialization with the development of telecommunications, as it was easier to transmit news from far away places, allowing the formation of foreign correspondents, who travel abroad full-time and regularly report to their newspaper’s news editor.

In addition, the major news agencies prepare hard news and feature articles that they then distribute in bulk (originally by telegraph, but now frequently over the Internet) to various clients. These include not only newspaper companies, but also individuals, corporations and intelligence agencies. This is one of the defining features of world news, which distinguishes it from “national” news, which pertains directly to a nation’s government and national institutions (although there is sometimes a blurring between world news and domestic “national” news).

NPR covers the latest in global news from politics to pop culture and economics to foreign policy and international affairs. Reuters is the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, the world’s largest multimedia provider, reaching billions of people every day. It delivers business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world’s media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. The service is free to use.