Since 2015, approximately 4.5 million Venezuelans have fled their country as the Latin American nation's political, humanitarian and economic crisis drags on, creating one of the “direst” displacement crises in the world, the UN and European Union said on Wednesday, ahead of a solidarity conference next week.

New legislation in Qatar which will allow foreign workers to freely change jobs and leave the country without the approval of their employers, has been praised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as “a momentous step forward in upholding the rights of migrant workers.”

Our top stories for Friday: Day of the Girl Child celebrated around the world; city mayors lead on climate fight; humanitarian alarm rising over Turkey’s Syria offensive; history’s made as countries step forward to tackle global statelessness; Burkina Faso violence forces 500,000 from their homes; 'white extremist’ use of social media in attacks must be curbed.

Tuesday’s top stories: Global need for eye care is set to increase ‘dramatically’; work and reforms of the UN ‘at risk’; progress on Mali security; South Sudan peace accord anniversary; Rights chief Bachelet urges rollback on Australia migration policies; and an interview with Maha Mamo, living proof of why statelessness needs to end worldwide.