Oceania New Zealand A women meeting in Wellington marked a year since changes to pay equity extinguished some 180.000 claims for equal work of equal value; a request to the UN was made to investigate whether the move amounted to systemic discrimination towards women
Asia Azerbaijan The 13th Global Baku Forum, themed “Bridging Divides in a World in Transition,” opened at the Gulustan Palace in Baku; the event is a key platform for analyzing global challenges, promoting political dialogue, and strengthening international partnerships
Asia Israel With foreign airlines fleeing war areas, fares skyrocket and local carriers cash in; Times of Israel reports that ticket prices for the coming weeks have shot up in 10 days, as Israeli airlines look to profit off a dominant position during war yet again
Oceania Vanuatu Vanuatu Police and the Australian Federal Police are investigating an abandoned yacht, believed to have contained two tons of cocaine, that was found drifting at Havannah Harbour in North Efate
Africa Botswana To reduce reliance on the export of raw mineral, Botswana plans to increase its presence along the mineral value chain: an assessment is underway to evaluate technical and commercial feasibility of a copper refinery anchored to the Khoemacau Copper Mine
Europe Austria 94 out of Austria’s 96 glaciers have retreated over the last two years, the Austrian Alpine Club reported, with an average loss of 20 meters in length and record of 100 meters of Alpeiner Ferner in Tyrol and Stubacher Sonnblickkees in Salzburg
Africa Guinea-Bissau At the opening of the 2026 cashew season, government said it will strengthen control mechanisms to ensure that cashew nuts are exported legally, warning of losses amounting to $50 million annually because of smuggling
Europe Malta The Malta Biennale 2026 was inaugurated and will run from until the end of May; at its second edition, the event, curated by Rosa Martínez, will host over 130 local and international artists from 43 countries under the title CLEAN | CLEAR | CUT
Europe Czech Republic 82% of Prague residents use the metro at least once a week, according to a new survey, and appreciate frequency and cleanliness; a recent public opinion poll revealed 57% would like it to operate after midnight, 27% frustrated by bus nighttime wait time
Africa Sao Tome and Principe To reinforce institutional presence at the side of farmers and ranchers and bring public services closer to the agricultural sector, a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has been inaugurated in São Lourenço dos Órgãos
America Nicaragua The delivery of passports requested from abroad should not exceed three months, the Minister of the Interior affirmed, explaining that passports are printed in Managua and shipped in diplomatic pouches to Nicaraguan consulates worldwide
Europe United Kingdom Peter Mandelson has been appointed as ambassador to the US notwithstanding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender; PM Starmer made the choice despite warnings of “general reputational risks”
Europe Liechtenstein The premiere of the interactive theatre project “Oh bureaucracy! We can never do without you!” was organized in a classroom at Balzers secondary school instead than on a theater stage
Asia Japan Fifteen years after earthquake and Fukushima disaster, Japan presents plans to reshape the area with F-REI, a hub to study environmental recovery and radiation science and reminds of the importance of memorizing the toll-free disaster phone number