Ten events most likely to hit the headlines in 2019

Global concern for refugees

There are over 258 million migrants around the world living outside their country of birth, with that figure expected to grow. There are continuing tensions at the US-Mexico border, and Europe is addressing similar issues.

The Global Compact for Migration was on Dec 19 officially approved. It is the first intergovernmental agreement, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, to comprehensively cover international migration.

Ten countries however opposed the compact and will not adhere to it, including the US, Australia, Austria, Chile, and Poland, while six other countries said they would take time to further consider the compact's implications before deciding whether to join.