Europe Netherlands Equal opportunities are under scrutiny on Women's Day, as government plans to reduce parental leave benefits for higher income earners: the measure would disproportionately affect men, who often earn more than women, discouraging fathers from taking leave
Oceania Australia Armed carjackings have almost doubled in Victoria, increasing to an unprecedented extent, despite “tough new laws” being introduced to combat the crime in 2016, with rideshare drivers and delivery workers increasingly targeted
Asia Azerbaijan Azerenerji has started building the Zangezur high-voltage power transmission line to connect the enclave of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to Azerbaijan’s main power grid, as well as to establish the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Europe international energy corridor
Europe Montenegro The number of foreign nationals working in Montenegro has almost doubled since 2017 in response to a widening shortage of labour in the country; authorities and employers intensity efforts to fill gaps in the legal framework and the jobs market
Europe Estonia Shuttle ships on the Tallinn–Helsinki route are increasing the use of cleaner fuel and will soon be fully powered by renewable energy: in January, 74% of the fuel used was liquefied biomethane and Tallink is set abandon LNG for liquefied biomethane
Africa Lesotho A major coordinated field campaign of Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2, one of the region’s main long-term biodiversity monitoring initiatives, is involving birdwatchers, conservationists, citizen scientists in Lesotho that hosts its highlands leg
Asia Turkey Adana Mayor and eight other local politicians from the main opposition Republican People’s Party were released from prison; Karalar called for the release of other opposition mayors, including Istanbul's mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu
Asia Qatar The first edition of Art Basel Qatar concluded establishing a new long-term platform for artistic exchange, institutional engagement, and market development in the region; the awaited inaugural edition was met with an enthusiastic response from the public
Africa Ivory Coast Ivory Coast could be buying its entire stockpile of cocoa beans as stocks pile up in a low of the international market; the move would help thousands of smallholder cocoa farmers, who are the backbone of the world's largest producer
Asia Indonesia Sovereign investment fund Danantara, which manages state stakes in strategic sectors will fund a new Krakatau Steel plant, reflecting the recent push to use state capital to revive key industries, cut imports and strengthen industrial self-sufficiency
America Grenada On Petite Martinique, Grenada’s smallest inhabited island, the solar-powered ice facility is now fully restored and operational; it is a critical lifeline for the island’s fisheries sector and the livelihoods of more than 50 local fishers
Asia North Korea Tons of meat products worth hundreds of thousands of dollars have been shipped in from Belarus -reports independent media project Zerkalo- while North Korea supplied automotive parts to a Belarusian truck manufacturer that also produces missile launchers
Africa Zimbabwe A mass seizure of stray dog has started earlier this week in Chegutu; the campaign at municipal level has been organized in partnership with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and aims to curb increasing dog bites episodes
Africa Sao Tome and Principe The International Conference on the 150th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery will culminate in an academic dialogue between two São Toméan historians and several foreigners: excluding reputable local historians from the panel has left many doubtful