The world’s food system was under strain even before Russia invaded Ukraine. Now — compounded by the war’s effect on trade and a corresponding spike in global fuel prices — it faces two dangerous and intertwined crises. In the short term, Russia’s war on Ukraine increases the risk of extreme hunger for millions more people. The danger is particularly acute for low-income countries that depend on food imports.

Ahead of global climate talks last year, President Biden said the United States would dramatically increase its international investments in combating climate change. But the money Congress approved last week as part of its $1.5 trillion spending package falls far short of Biden’s vision. The setback will make it even harder for his administration to meet its pledge to boost climate finance and maintain its credibility as a climate leader in the eyes of the world, activists say.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan scattered a team of officials who had been preparing to attend a global climate convention as extreme drought leaves the mountainous country staggering. Now those environmental hardships have been eclipsed by the sudden collapse of the Afghan government, sending some climate officials into hiding and disrupting their plans to attend the U.N. Conference of the Parties in Scotland this November.

The tiny Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan declared itself carbon neutral during climate talks more than a decade ago. It was the first time in the world that happened. Few noticed. By then, other countries were clamoring to reach similar targets — not immediately, of course, but decades in the future. And Bhutan found itself in the spotlight for absorbing more carbon than it emits, making it "net negative." Now that status is at risk.

The group’s aim is to help people in immediate need of housing they can afford but who might not have the time or flexibility to wait for the perfect fit. And in a market that relies heavily on word of mouth, making it hard for renters to know what’s available, linking demand with supply could make the process a lot more transparent.

For much of rural Nelson County’s history, little more than hiking trails and mountain scenery drew visitors. But then farming became harder to sustain, the few factories pulled up stakes and the county knew it needed another way to thrive. Enter Maureen Kelley, the head of Nelson’s economic development and tourism department. She saw the county’s assets blending around outdoor recreation, festivals and locally grown food and beverages -- and that plan is ushering in revitalization.

To Jane Cavarozzi, coffee is more than just a business, and the farmers market is more than just a place to sell her goods: It’s a space to meet community influencers and push her latest project through her brand, Dirty Girl. “It’s our gateway drug,” she said of her coffee.

Some call it the Rappahannock Hustle, and the many who do it need no further description. It’s the way to make ends meet by stitching various small jobs, formal and informal, into a livelihood. It helps prop up the local economy. But it also hews tightly to two challenges facing Rappahannock County’s younger population: stable, well-paid work and affordable housing. Addressing those challenges matters more as the overall population ages and as other rural counties compete to draw in people who bring new ideas and vibrancy.

A Dutch nightly news program recently brought together some of Rappahannock’s more conservative voices to share their views on the Trump administration and gauge how the president is performing after 18 months in office. They covered the gamut: border controls, necessary; corruption, declining; conservatism, ascendant. Do they like what Donald Trump is doing as president? “What’s not to like?” Demaris Miller asked back. “He loves America, he loves the American people, he really wants to put America first, but he wants to be fair, so it’s hard not to like that."

Before the Monsons’ bakery opened last November, the only place to get a hot lunch in the one-stoplight village of Corning, Ohio, was at the gas station deli. Main Street was mostly desolate, marked by buildings long shuttered and empty. But the Monsons, who relocated from California, saw something not many did: potential. “I’m hoping that by [our] coming in, it gets people thinking about the possibilities,” says Malana Monson.

Lidia Florentino Cumes Cumez is one of several women helping helm a project to paint the 800 homes of Santa Catarina Palopó using colors and designs that imitate weavings made by indigenous women. The goal is to clean up the community and usher in jobs and development, and by taking leadership of the initiative the women here also gaining the ability to challenge traditional gender roles.

Countries in Central America have strengthened laws against child marriage, but rates are still high. Real change comes from changing minds, advocates say – and local girls themselves can do that best.

JAKARTA—The world’s largest Muslim organization is helping step up a battle in Indonesia to scrub the internet of fake news. At first glance, a nearly century-old organization that normally focuses on things like maintaining Islamic boarding schools and funding hospitals wouldn’t seem like the tech-savvy champion of such a cause. But Nahdlatul Ulama, which claims 50 million members, has teamed up with information-technology experts and advocacy groups to debunk a flurry of sectarian hoaxes and false news reports that began circulating on WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter last year.

JAKARTA, Indonesia—The most prominent Christian politician in this Muslim-majority country looked set to survive an initial challenge driven by hard-line Islamic groups in a polarizing election seen as a test of religious and ethnic tolerance for this young democracy. Unofficial projections based on early counts Wednesday showed Jakarta Gov. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian from the ethnic- Chinese minority, finishing ahead of two Muslim challengers. But he failed to win a majority, meaning the top two vote-getters will face off in April.

JAKARTA—Tens of thousands of Indonesians held mass prayers at a national mosque on Saturday, in a show of strength by Islamic hard-liners ahead of heated elections pitting the controversial minority Christian governor against two Muslim challengers. Police provided heavy security amid sporadic rain, with no reports of violence. Police had said they would confine the crowd to the mosque’s interior, but people overflowed onto the streets around the giant complex, the biggest of its kind in the world’s most- populous Muslim-majority country. Crowds dispersed peacefully around midday.

JAKARTA, Indonesia—An Indonesian official has called U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy to temporarily ban immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries “a mistake” that could hurt the global fight against terrorism and efforts to address a growing refugee crisis. “We are going down a slippery slope” when issues such as radicalism and terrorism start being based on a particular religion, Arrmanatha Nasir, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing Thursday. “No single country can address the issue of terrorism by itself,” he said.

JAKARTA, Indonesia—Mainstream Muslims here used to dismiss the Islamic Defenders Front as a fringe group—moralist thugs who attacked bars serving alcohol during Ramadan or threatened “sinful” events such as a Lady Gaga concert. But in recent weeks, the organization has captured center stage, sidelining moderate religious groups as it whips up public fury in mass demonstrations against Jakarta’s Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, for allegedly insulting the Quran. “We are in the forefront because we are used to holding rallies,” said Novel Bamukmin, a leader of the Front, known as FPI. “We are trusted.”

JAKARTA—A meme in Indonesia about honking bus horns has gone viral, sparking a craze that has swept the dance-music world and sent social media into a tizzy trying to figure out what it means. The phrase is “Om Telolet Om”—or “Uncle, Honk Your Horn, Uncle" —something kids shout out, hold up signs saying or simply gesticulate to get bus drivers to honk their horns. Videos of the resulting cacophony are posted online.

JAKARTA, Indonesia—The Christian chief of one of the world’s largest mostly Muslim cities delivered an emotional defense at the start of his blasphemy trial Tuesday, a politically charged case that has become a test of pluralism in this young democracy. Hundreds of people had gathered outside the courthouse in central Jakarta to demand that Gov. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama be jailed even before the verdict, carrying on from a series of massive street protests. They were countered by dozens of supporters of the governor—also the most prominent politician in Indonesia from the ethnic Chinese minority. The small courtroom was filled to its capacity, about 80 people. In an unusual public display for Mr. Purnama, a blunt-talker often described as brash, he shed tears while telling the panel of five judges how his Muslim godparents had taught him Islamic values while he was growing up, and how insulting Islam would be tantamount to showing them disrespect.

A man posted a video of the speech on Facebook with captions that made it appear Mr. Purnama, popularly known as Ahok, was criticizing the Quran itself, not the way it was being used against him. Conservative Islamists demanded he face blasphemy charges, and used social media to help mobilize supporters for a series of mass protests. Mr. Purnama has apologized for the remarks, but said in court Tuesday that he intended no insult or offense. He faces up to five years in jail if convicted.