Gender pay gaps, humanitarian crises, and international financial standings dominated the headlines on February 15th, 2026, with reports of significant developments across several global fronts. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) warned that the gender pay gap in the UK would not close until 2056, while the United Nations reported a devastating loss of life in Sudan. Additionally, Iran continued its efforts to be removed from a global financial blacklist.
According to the TUC, the gender pay gap, which measures the difference in salaries paid to men and women in the same industries, is projected to persist for another three decades. Their analysis of official pay data revealed a disparity of 12.8%, or £2,548 per year. The finance and insurance industry exhibited the widest gap, at 27.2%, while the leisure service sector showed a much smaller gap of 1.5%. Employers with more than 250 UK staff are required to report pay data.
In Sudan, the city of Al Fashir was the site of a horrific attack. The UN reported that over 6,000 people were killed in just three days when a Sudanese paramilitary group took control of the key city last October. The UN Human Rights Office stated that the offensive by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) included widespread atrocities, potentially constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity. Videos circulating online depicted RSF fighters committing acts of violence. Meanwhile, in the city of Dilling, life was cautiously returning after the Sudanese army broke a two-year siege by the RSF and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). The siege had isolated the area, creating a severe humanitarian crisis.
On the international stage, Iran continued its efforts to be removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist. Despite 20 years of domestic opposition, Iran's Financial Intelligence Unit of the Ministry of Economic Affairs stated that it would continue its efforts to be removed from the list. The FATF, a global watchdog on money laundering and terrorism financing, renewed its blacklisting of Iran, according to a report.
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