Russia's Putin signs new law easing penalty for domestic violence
14,000 women die in Russia every year at the hands of husbands or other relatives
Home-sharing site Airbnb partners with aid agency for refugees
Airbnb plans to house 100,000 people in temporary homes over five years, including refugees, displaced people, disaster survivors and overseas aid workers
Few female candidates in India state polls reflects failure to boost women politicians
In the world's largest democracy, women hold only 12 percent of seats in the lower and upper houses of parliament combined
INTERVIEW-Boys and girls next door are invisible U.S. sex trafficking victims - judge
"We've been in the mindset that this only happens to foreign kids, that it's not the girl next door, it couldn't possibly be my niece or my granddaughter"
Pakistan electoral reform plans aim to boost women's participation in politics
"Various studies have shown that women elected on reserved seats have done a good job in the legislatures. They have put up good human rights legislations"
In Brazil, recession and housing cuts push families onto the street
Front line volunteers helping the homeless say workers in Brazil's large informal sector have been particularly hard hit by the crisis
Indian indigenous groups protest plan to give women political representation
Indigenous groups torched government vehicles and blocked roads in protest against government plans to reserve one third of all seats in local authorities for women
Kenya's traders battle food waste with a new ally: camels
A herd of camels have become a low-carbon food waste recycling system in a Nairobi market - and they produce milk
Green and safe, or dirty and dangerous? East Asia's cities grapple with growth
With millions of people pouring into the region's cities each year, resources are strained and disaster risks are rising
FEATURE-Drugged and raped: for aid workers, sexual assault is a hidden menace
Her drink was spiked with a mixture of potentially lethal substances. She was then raped by a colleague