MALAYSIA: Blacklisted For Not Enforcing Trafficking Laws

After years of lobbying by rights activists and the international community, Malaysia passed an effective and comprehensive law in 2007 against human trafficking with provisions for protection, shelter and return of trafficked person to their home countries.

MOROCCO: African Refugees Targeted

More than 300 African refugees are gathered at the gates of the Moroccan United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), asking to be moved to another country because their rights are not respected in Morocco. Several refugees say they have been beaten up by Moroccan UN personnel.

GREECE: New Laws Being Rushed in Against Migrants

Following a big defeat in the European parliament elections, the right-wing New Democracy (ND) government is cracking down on irregular migration to counter the far right.

POPULATION: The Worst Places to Be a Refugee

Gaza, South Africa and Thailand are among the world's worst places to be a refugee, according to the latest annual World Refugee Survey released here Wednesday by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI).

MIGRATION: Pakistan Refugee Crisis Worst in a Decade, U.N. Says

Forty-two million people were forcibly uprooted by conflict and persecution worldwide in 2008, said a new report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released Tuesday.

RIGHTS: Sexual Violence in War Hauled Out of the Shadows

On Jun. 19, 2008, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1820, expressly addressing the problems of sexual violence in conflict situations. One year later, three experts in the field gathered to speak at the United States Institute of Peace to evaluate the implementation of 1820 and consider how it might better prevent this widespread crime.

DEVELOPMENT: Global Campaign to Salvage U.N.’s Health Goals

The global economic crisis, which has pushed millions more into extreme poverty, is threatening to have a devastating impact on the health of women and children.

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Focus on Housing the Urban Poor

Millions of people move to Africa’s cities every year, swelling the numbers of urban poor. "We cannot chase people away from slums," says Kelvin Mmangisa, chief executive of the Lilongwe City Assembly. "But we can improve the conditions there to make their lives better."

ARGENTINA: Drumming Up Black Awareness

Argentina’s small black community, ignored by historical constructions that have traditionally focused on the influence of European immigration, is now fighting for recognition of its contribution to culture in the Argentine capital.

LATIN AMERICA: “Sexuality Is an Essential Part of Humanity”

In an effort to promote the free enjoyment of human sexuality, separate from reproduction, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) launched the world's first declaration of sexual rights in the Argentine capital on Wednesday.

Q&A: South-South Cooperation Key to Tackling Ageing Populations

While explaining the reasons for rapid economic growth during the last decade and showcasing their potential for future development, many developing countries in Asia and Latin America highlight the strength of their youth population. But, they are also increasingly becoming aware of their aging populations - which could be converted into a source of strength rather than a liability.

INDIA-AUSTRALIA: ‘Curry Bashing’ in Oz Sours Bilateral Ties

A series of bloody attacks on Indian students in Australia, that many are convinced have racial undertones, threaten to undermine efforts to build relations between the two Asia Pacific countries.

POPULATION: Developing Countries Must Focus on ‘Positive Ageing’

The success of the global fight to eradicate poverty is largely contingent on welfare policies related to swiftly ageing populations, particularly in the developing world where a majority of old people live below the poverty line, say experts.

SUDAN: Civilians Under Siege in Refugee Camps

A report by the United Nations that the Sudanese Air Force bombed northeastern Chad near a refugee camp has sparked strong condemnation from the Save Darfur Coalition (SDC) following military and paramilitary attacks over the past week.

RIGHTS: Greece Cannot Take Very Much More

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has asked the European Commission to call a meeting between the agency and countries around the Mediterranean to work out a joint strategy to deal with irregular migration.

Q&A: ‘Climate Change Will Soon Make Millions Homeless’

Millions of people will soon have to leave their homeland as a result of global warming, says a report on environmental refugees by the Italian environmental association Legambiente. Half of them will move due to natural catastrophes, the rest will be hit by desertification and rising sea levels.

HEALTH-NEPAL: Baby Boom in Maoist Army

At the annual military parade of the People’s Liberation Army, Nepal’s ex-guerrillas, curious bystanders saw a young woman clad in military fatigues kiss and cuddle a baby before handing her back to an older woman.

GREECE: Showdown With Muslims Building Up

Fears have arisen for peace in Athens ahead of a large Muslim demonstration planned for Friday May 29. The demonstration has been called following rioting last week.

CHINA: Cashing In on ‘Earthquake Tourism’?

Cashing in on huge public interest in one of the deadliest earthquakes of recent history, China has officially endorsed ‘disaster tourism’ as a form of economic subsidy to devastated areas. Home debris and whole sections of partially wiped out cities and villages during last year’s massive earthquake in southwestern China will now be open to tourists, the state media announced this week.

SRI LANKA: U.N. Urges Focus on Relief and Reconciliation

A United Nations team including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon returned from a trip to Sri Lanka Tuesday, where they met with government leaders and inspected the battered conflict zones and refugee camps.

POLITICS-DRC: Debate Over Truth Commission

The search continues for the best way to expose the truth surrounding crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), not least in Ituri, in the north-east of the country, a region which where years of atrocities and massive human rights violations have gone unpunished.