Mass grave with bodies of at least 65 migrants found in the deserts of western Libya

CAIRO — The U.N.’s migration agency expressed alarm Friday over the discovery of a mass grave containing the bodies of at least 65 migrants in the deserts of western Libya. Earlier this week, Libya’s criminal investigations authority reported the grave had been found in the Shuayrif region, 350 kilometers (220 miles) south of the capital, … Read more

Mother of South African girl missing for weeks is charged with selling her

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The mother of a 6-year-old girl who has been missing in South Africa for nearly three weeks was arrested and charged Thursday with kidnapping and selling or trafficking her daughter, a shocking twist in a case that has seized the country’s attention and sparked deep anger in the small, poor … Read more

Libya’s coast guard tried to prevent rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean, a German charity says

CAIRO — A German charity has accused the Libyan coast guard of threatening its crew members who were rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, causing at least one migrant to drown. The German charity SOS Humanity, which operates the rescue ship Humanity 1, said the Libyan coast guard used violence and fired live bullets into … Read more

Indonesia and Australia hold defense talks as both nations move toward signing a security agreement

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia and Australia held high-level talks in Jakarta on Friday as the neighboring countries seek to strengthen security ties by signing a defense cooperation agreement in the coming months. Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who is set to become Indonesia’s next leader, said that he and Australian counterpart Richard Marles discussed ways of … Read more

Illegally adopted during Chile’s dictatorship, they’re now reuniting with biological families

SANTIAGO — Romina Cortés couldn’t pronounce her sister’s last name. She didn’t know what she smells like, what her favorite food is, or what she likes to do in her free time. Cortés, 43, waited impatiently Sunday at the airport in Santiago, Chile, where she would soon meet her sister, Maria, whose existence Cortés learned … Read more

A plane stuck for days in France for a human trafficking investigation is leaving for India

VATRY, France — A charter plane grounded in France for a human trafficking investigation is scheduled to leave Monday for India, after an exceptional holiday ordeal that left some 300 Indians en route for Central America blocked inside a rural French airport for four days. A lawyer for the airline says most of the passengers … Read more

Judges to decide if 300 possible victims of trafficking from India should remain grounded in France

PARIS — Judges will decide Sunday whether about 300 Indian citizens, suspected of being victims of human trafficking, should continue to be sequestered in a small French airport. En route to Central America, the passengers have been held at Vatry airport — in Champagne country — since Thursday after a dramatic police operation prompted by … Read more

About 300 Indian travelers are stuck in a French airport in a human trafficking probe

VATRY, France — About 300 Indian citizens heading to Central America were sequestered in a French airport for a third day Saturday after a dramatic police operation prompted by a tip that those aboard might be victims of human trafficking, authorities said. Those aboard included children and families. The youngest passenger is a toddler of … Read more

Romanian court rejects influencer Andrew Tate’s request to return assets seized in trafficking case

A court in Romania has rejected a request by influencer Andrew Tate to return assets that were seized during investigations into the case in which he is charged with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women ByThe Associated Press December 11, 2023, 12:22 PM BUCHAREST, Romania — A court in … Read more

South Africa intercepts buses carrying more than 400 unaccompanied kids from Zimbabwe

JOHANNESBURG — Border officials in South Africa say they have intercepted dozens of buses carrying more than 400 young children from Zimbabwe without parents or legal guardians in an anti-trafficking operation. The officials say the children were being “trafficked” into South Africa, although an organization representing foreign nationals living in South Africa says it’s likely … Read more