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Global Newsstand: Put women at the negotiation table, and more

See what the global press had to say this week about stories shaping the world.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abul Gheit and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini attend a joint meeting of E.U. and League of Arab States foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 4, 2019.

Francois Lenoir/Reuters

March 23, 2019

EUObserver / Brussels

鈥淢arch 8, International Women鈥檚 Day 鈥 or 鈥榃omen鈥檚 Combat Day鈥, as many feminists call it in Germany 鈥 has just been declared a public holiday in Berlin,鈥 writes Hannah Neumann. 鈥淎wareness for discrimination and sexualised violence is rising.... At the same time, from Bilbao to Brussels to Berlin and Bucharest, women and their concerns remain grossly marginalised.... The EU urgently needs to get its equality homework done.... And this is not just about symbolic representation. It is also about success.... Research shows that if women play a central role in peace negotiations, the chance for those deals to last two or more years increases by 20 percent.... It鈥檚 time to take big steps.鈥

Haaretz / Tel Aviv, israel

鈥淭he late February air strikes by Indian fighter jets were meant to send a tough message to Pakistan...,鈥 writes Rupakjyoti Borah. 鈥淭he strike was in response to the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama in which at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force troops were killed by Pakistan-based militants.... In the aftermath of the initial Pulwama terror attack on Feb 14, one of the strongest expressions of support came from the Trump administration.... New Delhi sees that its interests are clearly aligned with the U.S. in the global power stakes.... [T]he United States clearly understands the importance of India and its capacity to act as an amicable swing state in the Indo-Pacific.鈥

South China Morning Post / Hong Kong

鈥淚srael has almost the same number of artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups as China, but with a population that is [much] smaller,鈥 writes Chua Kong Ho. 鈥淚t is a global leader in cybersecurity.... In short, Israel punches way above its weight class on the global stage in technology and innovation.... In talking about Israel鈥檚 tech ecosystem, the role of the military looms large.... In a nutshell, the risk-taking culture (from being in a tough neighbourhood) that underpins Israel鈥檚 start-up scene is hard to replicate. But the right government support, encouraging global talent, having strong universities that work closely with industry and government to advance research and development goals 鈥 that is doable in many countries.鈥

鈥業t鈥檚 everyone鈥檚 business.鈥 In Finland, national security is a shared responsibility.

The New Times / Kigali, Rwanda

鈥淕ender equality and women empowerment (GEWE) lies at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which recognizes that achieving gender equality is a matter of human rights...,鈥 writes Nadine U. Rugwe. 鈥淭he 2016 Africa Human Development Report indicated that African economies would benefit immensely if women鈥檚 access to paid work was equal to that of men.... Considering that women鈥檚 employment and earnings are important assets ... more investments are needed to ensure the economic empowerment of women. This will require measures to change current power dynamics and social stereotypes including ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.鈥

Arab News / Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

鈥淎s Daesh fighters try to defend Baghouz, their last enclave in eastern Syria, it is important to heed the warnings of top military commanders that the fight against the terror group is not going to be over any time soon,鈥 writes Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. 鈥淢ost likely, Daesh will lose Baghouz.... However, although Daesh will soon be without any significant territorial hold, most likely this is not going to be the end of the terror group.... What accounts for the resilience of Daesh and its core ideology?... [I]ts ideology still attracts enough misguided young people in Syria and Iraq who are frustrated, humiliated and marginalized.... The global coalition, and its individual members, should now switch gears and work harder on ensuring peace....鈥