The coronavirus pandemic has meant progress on gender equality in the European Union is slower than hoped, the Gender Equality Index reports. The domains of work, education and health were hardest hit.

Indeed, Iceland has a lengthy history of passionate political action and discourse surrounding women's rights, and they're still setting the standard for equal treatment today.

Is Iceland the best place to be a woman? Our reporter visits the island nation which prides itself on being a champion of feminism, to see if it is a gender equality paradise.

In this edition we take you to a small Central American country of just 5 million people, but where nearly 100 percent of the electricity is produced from renewables. Costa Rica is the El Dorado of green energy, mainly due to its investment in hydropower and geothermal energy.

For Kashmiris, the only way to get to the winter resort of Gulmarg is through heavily-guarded checkpoints. But the standoff between India and Pakistan is not stopping them from enjoying the slopes.

We look to the French and international media after a fresh day of strikes in France against pension reforms. The papers also pay tribute to Iranian women's brave fight for freedom. Finally, we look at the front page of The Independent by eminent British artist Tracey Emin, who recounts her battle with cancer.

We look to the French and international media after a fresh day of strikes in France against pension reforms. The papers also pay tribute to Iranian women's brave fight for freedom. Finally, we look at the front page of The Independent by eminent British artist Tracey Emin, who recounts her battle with cancer.

For years, many fields have been largely dominated by men, but, in recent times, more women are either taking key positions in various management teams, closing deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars, breaking new grounds, or starting new ventures. Today, Guardian Nigeria host women to a conference titled: IWD 2023: Digital: Innovation and technology for gender equality

Topless bathing was never officially banned in the German capital, but now the city's municipal pool operator has said all genders must be treated equally when it comes to appropriate attire.

On the Italian coast, in the central region of Tuscany, the seaside resort of Rosignano looks like a picture-postcard paradise with turquoise sea and shimmering white sand. But this landscape is a result of its close proximity to a large factory producing soda ash. For over a century, the Belgian chemical company Solvay has managed the site, with the authorisation to discharge up to 250,000 tons of waste – pumped directly onto the beach.

Located some 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos Islands are home to unique biodiversity. But despite conservation zones, the local ecosystem faces multiples threats, including plastic waste.

It is now forbidden to smoke cannabis on the streets of Amsterdam's famous red light district. This is just one of the measures the Dutch municipality has taken to shake up the city's image. The sale of alcohol has also been restricted and the mayor is hoping to move the sex workers to an erotic centre on the edge of the city.