End child marriage in the US; Lesbian love story censored in Indonesia; Myanmar Supreme Court to hear Reuters journalists' appeal; numerous human rights issues in Ukraine; Germany should resist pressure to resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia; migrants subjected to horrific violence in Libya; Twitter users rally to the cause of arrested Burundi girls; South Africa launches plan to combat xenophobia.

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More than 1,200 children were married in Massachusetts between the years 2000 to 2016. Almost all were girls marrying adult men. Child marriages are deeply harmful. Massachusetts lawmakers should make it their priority to put an end to them.

A university in North Sumatra, Indonesia, gave students who publish a student news website 48 hours to shut down the site after a story about a woman expressing her love for another young woman went viral.

Myanmar’s Supreme Court will hear the appeal of two Reuters journalists imprisoned for breaking a colonial-era official secrets law. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested in December 2017 while investigating a massacre by the military in Rakhine State and have been in prison ever since. 

On March 31, Ukraine will hold its second presidential election since 2014, when conflict broke out between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed armed groups. Whoever wins will inherit a number of human rights issues, from attacks on freedom of expression to hate crimes and threats to the health and safety of those living near the front lines in the east.

On the fourth anniversary of the war in Yemen, Germany has come under pressure from the French and British governments to resume its arms sales to Saudi Arabia It should stick to its principles and not compromise for the sake of profits.

Refugees and migrants trying to reach Europe from Africa are being subjected to horrific and routine sexual violence in Libyan detention centres, a report by the Women’s Refugee Commission says.

Authorities in Burundi  have jailed three schoolgirls who are accused of having scribbled on a picture of President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose security services have killed, arbitrarily arrested, abducted, beaten, raped, and intimidated real and perceived political opponents with impunity. Now, Twitter users have rallied to the girls’ cause.

And finally, South Africa has launched a National Action Plan to combat xenophobia, racism, and discrimination. While the plan marks an important step to fight all forms of prejudice, it fails to address accountability for past xenophobic crimes. 

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