World news is the term media outlets use to describe news that is international in scope or about a global subject. Often, it refers to news sent from a foreign correspondent or, more recently, from a news agency or other source that gathers and distributes news reports on a global scale.

The world is a complicated place filled with many events and issues. Whether it is a conflict in Gaza, a tragedy in a coal mine in China or a political scandal in the US, there are always stories that need to be told and that can impact us all.

At the dawn of modern journalism, most news was foreign. This is documented by the courants of 17th century Europe — newspapers that carried mainly foreign news, with only a small percentage of domestic content. With the advent of the telegraph, it became much easier to spread news from abroad. This led to the founding of news agencies like AP, Reuters and AFP, among others.

From a dramatic eruption in Iceland to the historic opening of a Hindu temple in India, the world has been busy this week. But it wasn’t all bad news: Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II stepped down from the throne, and Taiwan chose a new president to ease tensions with Beijing. Click through the gallery to see a selection of images from around the globe.