China has announced a new visa waiver policy for visitors from 53 countries to Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei for up to six days. The measure, which takes effect from 28 December, applies to visitors from Germany and other members of the European Union’s Schengen area, as well as the US, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Argentina, the official People’s Daily reported …

Italy is to deploy hundreds of soldiers to a desert military base in Niger to confront people-traffickers who are blamed for taking Africans across the Sahara and the Mediterranean. Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni has said his country would send a “non-combat” military mission to Niger to help stop people smugglers from taking people to the EU. Special forces will …

As part of the awareness raising campaign for the International Decade for People of African Descent, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights hosted a Regional Meeting for Europe, Central Asia and North America in Geneva, Switzerland, on 23-24 November 2017. [The International Decade for People of African Descent, 2015–2024, was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly …