East German civil rights activists praised in Bundestag 30 years on

Poland's lower house of parliament will debate a law barring Pride parades on Thursday. The bill was put forward by a conservative anti-abortion rights group that gathered the necessary signatures.

When Gambia's president Adama Barrow came to power in 2016, he promised to step down after three years. His decision to extend his term from three to five years - and seek another - has unsurprisingly divided the country. Edith Kimani meets young Gambians in the heat of the election campaign to hear from both sides.

France's prominent Le Petit Robert dictionary, considered a linguistic authority in the country, recently added a new pronoun to its online edition. The word is "iel", a gender-neutral merging of the masculine "il" (he) and the feminine "elle" (she). This new pronoun, intended for those who identify as neither male nor female, is already used online and by younger generations. But the move to include it in the dictionary provoked a backlash from politicians and linguists. One vocal critic of the new pronoun is French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer. He says it's the latest expression of "wokism" which, he claims, threatens France's universalist model. We take a closer look.

As media attention focuses on a group of women sexually assaulted in Milan on New Year's Eve, we take a look at efforts to combat sexism in Italy. Also human rights activists say accusations of sorcery are being used in Kenya to force elderly widows off their land. Plus we've all heard the jokes about women drivers. So in an attempt to end stereotypes, Argentina has included mandatory gender awareness training in its driving school programs.

Germany's parliament on Wednesday began a debate on a possible wide-ranging coronavirus vaccine mandate, with three main options on the table so far: obligatory vaccinations for all adults, just for everyone 50 and above, or no mandate at all.

Neil Young's ultimatum to music platform Spotify has generated much comment and debate over the past week. We take a closer look at the stand-off between the Canadian-American singer and the controversial US podcaster Joe Rogan.

Police and protesters have clashed for a second time outside Parliament as plans for new infrastructure projects, funded by the United States, were debated by lawmakers.

In January, two women's rights organisations filed a petition with the New Delhi's High Court seeking to criminalise marital rape in India. They want to strike down a legal loophole in the Indian penal code which stipulates that rape within a marriage is not against the law. Indian law states that intercourse between a husband and wife over the age of 15 cannot be considered as rape.

Sexual abuse and rape are taboo topics in many African countries — especially in conservative northern Nigeria. But this 'culture of silence' is changing thanks to new online movements like #ArewaMeToo. Can social media increase awareness around sexual violence and bring positive change?

With less than four weeks to go ahead of the first round of voting in the French presidential election, we check in on the campaign with contemporary history and politics lecturer Andrew Smith. He explains that Emmanuel Macron's choice not to participate in a debate ahead of the first round is right in line with his strategy to stay above the fray. Meanwhile, right-wing candidate Valérie Pécresse and far-right Eric Zemmour face off in a televised debate hoping to revive their flagging campaigns.

As people all around Europe feel the cost of living rise and see their bank balance ever more squeezed amid energy price rises, we're looking into proposals for ensuring meaningful minimum wages are paid to everyone around the European Union.

Engaging with the descendants of Germany's colonial crimes is no easy task. DW's youth magazine show "The 77 Percent" met with young people from the Herero community in Namibia — and apparently broke the ice.