News headlines in 2008, page 17

The Rights and People project -- an Arabic-language anti-death penalty venture -- will start work in early 2009 with the launch of an online magazine, the first of its kind run by human rights activists in the 24-country region.

The current political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe is dealing a blow to the provision of free treatment and care to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs).

China has failed to coax its old communist ally North Korea into signing an agreement to verify the state’s secretive nuclear activities.

The past two months have seen an upsurge in violence unleashed by Pakistani Taliban in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the adjacent tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a new green deal that would work for all nations, rich as well as poor, in the face of both climate change and the global economy.

Pundits these days warn of a Middle East arms race if Iran brings its alleged nuclear weapons programme to fruition, while others fear that missile defence in Eastern Europe could spark escalation involving Russia.

The older the democracy, the less there seems to be now of freedom of expression and right to information, according to a new study by the London-based group Article 19.

European Union governments are in no hurry to widen the scope of the bloc's anti-discrimination rules so that gays and lesbians can enjoy greater rights.

Experts at multilateral forums usually begin their speeches with diplomatic words praising some aspect of the country or government under examination, before delivering their barrage of criticism.

The years will pass and their children’s children will ask how much truth there was in their grandparents’ stories.