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
Africa Senegal In a surprising twist, Senegalese President Macky Sall officially announced the date of 24 March for the next presidential elections, triggering reactions across the country and evoking a mixture of relief and uncertainty among citizens
Asia United Arab Emirates Starbucks employees based in the United Arab Emirates expressed fears they will lose their livelihoods, as the Gulf retail giant Alshaya Group, which operates the coffee chain in the Middle East, announced plans to cut jobs
Asia Vietnam The country is facing the dual challenge of micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition, which have a major impact on the productivity and health of the population, experts said
America Barbados The country has signed a $50 million loan with the Inter-American Development Bank to support efforts to increase climate resilience in coastal areas
Asia Cyprus The Cyprus Shipping Chamber condemned the Houthi missile attack on the ship True Confidence, with three crew members dead and at least four others injured; the commercial vessel is managed by a Company registered to a Cyprus address in Limassol
Africa Sierra Leone Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, 56, Mayor of Freetown, famous for her commitment to the environment, has taken on an additional important role as a female leader "seeing me in this role today helps many women realize that there is nothing they cannot do" she said
Europe Germany In a long-running dispute over asylum policy between the German federal states and the central government, the states made a request to outsource asylum applications to third countries
Asia East Timor The Prime Minister has met the first Timorese artist to represent the country at the prestigious Venice Biennale: Maria Madeira; she will show her work Kiss and Don’t Tell, which pays homage to the strength and resilience of the women of Timor-Leste
Europe Latvia The definition of maximum permitted teaching hours is considered by Minister of Education as a possible solution to teacher overload; one third of teachers, 34%, carry more workload than the 36 hours provided for by the contract
America Peru A bill aimed at safeguarding freedom of conscience, thought, and religion against potential ideological pressures from the State and its officials has been approved by the Constitution and Rules Committee of the Peruvian Congress
Asia Kyrgyzstan Bishkek has officially become larger after the deputies at the last session of the City Council have approved the annexation of surrounding territories determined by presidential decree
Asia Israel Israel is blocking 1.500 trucks of humanitarian aid at Rafah crossing and preventing them from entering Gaza; the goods are officially being rejected for 'security reasons' and include oxygen, incubators, refrigerators, tents, solar panels
Asia Iran According to a recent UN report, 'repression of peaceful protests' and 'institutional discrimination against women and girls' have led to human rights violations, some of which amount to 'crimes against humanity',