Equality Now

World leaders have gathered at the United Nations for a live session taking stock of progress in the global fight against racism. The high-level meeting is assessing what has been achieved since past commitments to combat racial discrimination and where efforts are falling short. Delegates are expected to reaffirm pledges to equality and call for stronger action against racism worldwide.

China has crossed 1,000 gigawatts of installed solar capacity, the largest amount any country has ever reached, roughly equal to the entire electricity capacity of the United States. Observers are highlighting the scale of the milestone and what it signals for the pace of China's renewable energy build-out compared with the rest of the world.

Iran's foreign minister has stated that the country is prepared either for diplomacy or for war, according to a report by Fox News. The statement underscores rising tensions around Iran's standoff with the West, with officials in Tehran signalling they are open to negotiations while warning they are equally ready for confrontation if talks fail.

Employers across the European Union are preparing for the EU Pay Transparency Directive, which introduces new obligations on pay reporting and gender pay gap analysis. Legal commentary highlights how companies must navigate requirements around equal pay, salary transparency during hiring, and employee rights to pay information, as firms work out compliance steps ahead of the directive taking effect.

Iran's foreign minister said the country is prepared either for negotiations with the United States or for a new war, underscoring Tehran's hardline posture amid ongoing tensions. The statement signals that Iran sees diplomacy and confrontation as equally live options, with officials insisting the country will not yield to pressure while leaving the door open to renewed talks.

A Notre Dame Law School amicus brief is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the question of religious exclusions in higher education funding. The filing argues that programs excluding religious institutions or students from otherwise available public funding raise constitutional concerns and warrant the Court's attention. The brief adds to ongoing legal debate over equal treatment of religious organizations in government benefit programs.

The Bombay High Court has set aside a family court order granting a divorced couple equal 50:50 custody of their child, holding that the concept of 'joint parenting' does not exist in Indian law. The ruling clarifies that custody decisions must follow existing legal frameworks focused on the child's welfare rather than automatically splitting time equally between parents.

A court has heard claims that a Christian was discriminated against after a job offer was retracted because of his views on LGBT issues. The case raises questions about the balance between religious belief and workplace equality protections, and how far employers may take an applicant's expressed opinions into account when deciding whether to hire.

Crypto exchange Bitget has resumed withdrawals on equal terms for all users. The move is being read as a sign the platform considers the recent security alert resolved, allowing customers to move their funds freely again. Traders are watching for confirmation on whether any customer assets were affected during the disruption.

A photographer who documented the Civil Rights movement says current political debates in South Carolina recall the struggles of that era. Reporting from Greenville draws parallels between today's rhetoric and the conflicts he witnessed decades ago, suggesting battles over rights and equality remain unfinished in the state.

The fibermaxxing trend, which encourages people to load up on as much dietary fiber as possible, is facing pushback from nutrition experts who point out that quantity alone doesn't equal quality. According to Fortune, simply maximizing fiber intake overlooks the type of fiber consumed and whether it actually fits an individual's digestive needs. Commenters are debating whether the viral trend promotes genuinely healthy habits or encourages excessive consumption without nuance.

Birgitta Ohlsson is a Swedish politician from the Liberal Party who served as Minister for Gender Equality and later as Minister for EU Affairs and Trade. She has also worked internationally with the National Democratic Institute on democracy and human rights issues. The term is trending in Sweden on X and also appears high in Google searches, but the posts collected do not reveal what specifically sparked the current attention, so the reason for the trend is not clear from the evidence.