Abuses against refugees in Europe and Australia; Long wait for justice in Uganda; World Economic Forum & dangerous politicians; Christians feared ‘disappeared’ in Burma; Tunisia should stop jailing people for drugs; and a new easy-to-read version of our World Report...

Get the Daily Brief by email.
Good news! United States President Barack Obama has commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, jailed in 2013 following her conviction on charges related to her disclosure of a large cache of government documents to WikiLeaks. Many groups have called on President Obama to grant Manning clemency before he leaves office this week. But if President Obama wants to send a clear signal on the protection of US whistleblowers, he should pardon Edward Snowden next.
A Nigerian fighter jet mistakenly bombed a camp for displaced people fleeing Boko Haram. The devastating airstrike killed at least 100 camp residents and some humanitarian workers, and wounded hundreds more. Nigerian officials stated their target was intended to be Boko Haram fighters. Doctors Without Borders called the bombing "shocking and unacceptable."
School is back in session in South Africa, but not for many children with disabilities who, once again, won’t be attending class with their peers. They cannot attend mainstream schools because of a lack of resources to support their needs, and many must wait for a space to open up in specialized schools, leaving them without an education. Meanwhile, many are subjected to discrimination and violence by teachers and fellow students.
Philippine officials have vowed to block a plan to start distributing condoms to students as part of efforts to stem the spread of HIV. The move to derail reproductive health initiatives comes as little surprise, but the risk to young, sexually active people in the Philippines is high, as the country continues to struggle with one of the fastest-growing epidemics of HIV in the Asia-Pacific region.
A court in Azerbaijan has convicted Elgiz Gahraman, 31, to five-and-a-half years in prison on bogus drugs-related criminal charges. Gahraman is a member of a youth opposition group active on social media and highly critical of the government, and his sentencing fits perfectly with Azerbaijan's pattern of using false, politically motivated drug and other criminal charges to punish and imprison activists.
Region / Country