Rohingya who moved to island in Bangladesh are learning job skills, says Japanese charity chief
The chairman of Japanโs Nippon Foundation says the charity will spend $2 million to help move tens of thousands more Rohingya refugees to a remote island in Bangladesh and provide them with skills training.
Indonesia's rescue of Rohingya refugees at sea is a reminder of an ordeal that began in Myanmar
A dramatic story of survival and rescue off Indonesiaโs west coast is a reminder of the plight of ethnic Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar who make extremely dangerous voyages across the Indian Ocean to seek better lives.
Weeping, weak and soaked, dozens of Rohingya refugees rescued after night on hull of capsized boat
An Indonesian search and rescue ship has located a capsized wooden boat that had been carrying dozens of Rohingya Muslim refugees, and began pulling survivors who had been standing on its hull to safety.
Out of options, Rohingya are fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat despite soaring death toll
The United Nations' refugee agency is reporting that one in every eight Rohingya who attempted to flee their homeland of Myanmar and the refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh by boat last year died or went missing.
Myanmar and Bangladesh begin cleaning up, counting casualties after devastating Cyclone Mocha
Recovery efforts are underway in Myanmar and Bangladesh after a powerful cyclone smashed into their coastlines, causing widespread destruction and at least 21 deaths, with hundreds of others believed missing.
Thousands along Bangladesh, Myanmar coast told to seek shelter as powerful Cyclone Mocha approaches
Volunteers in coastal districts of Bangladesh are using loudspeakers to urge people to seek shelter as the delta nation braces for an extremely severe cyclone, which is expected to slam ashore in Bangladesh and Myanmar in the next 24 hours.
Dozens dead, thousands homeless in Bangladesh, India floods
Villagers in northeastern Bangladesh are crowding makeshift refugee centers and scrambling to meet boats arriving with food and fresh water as massive floods, which have killed dozens of people and displaced hundreds of thousands there and in neighboring India, continue to wreak havoc.
Born in war, Bangladesh marks 50 years of independence
On March 26, 1971, Bangladesh declared independence, sparking the nine-month war. Pakistan launched a military operation to stop the move to independence, while India joined on the side of what is now Bangladesh. (AP Photo/Dennis Lee Royle, File)DHAKA โ Shafiqul Islam was studying business at Dhaka College in 1971 when a bloody and brutal war for independence ravaged Bangladesh. The land was carved into separate states, with the Muslim-majority regions becoming East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, and West Pakistan, now simply Pakistan. On March 26, 1971, Bangladesh declared independence, sparking the nine-month war.
At least 15 found dead after Bangladesh Rohingya camp blaze
Rohingya refugees cry sitting at the site of Monday's fire at a refugee camp in Balukhali, southern Bangladesh, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Rescuers recovered more than a dozen charred bodies from a Rohingya refugee camp in southern Bangladesh after a devastating fire that destroyed thousands of shelters, officials said Tuesday. (AP Photo/ Shafiqur Rahman)COX'S BAZAR โ COX'Searchers recovered at least 15 charred bodies after a devastating fire destroyed thousands of shelters at a Rohingya refugee camp in southern Bangladesh, officials said Tuesday. I found two of my older kids but I still canโt find my youngest son,โ said Shappuni, a Rohingya refugee who uses only one name. The Danish Refugee Council characterized the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar as the worldโs largest refugee complex, and said Monday's fire displaced 27,000 people.
Fire guts hundreds of shelters in Rohingya refugee camp
Smoke rises following a fire at the Rohingya refugee camp in Balukhali, southern Bangladesh, Monday, March 22, 2021. The fire destroyed hundreds of shelters and left thousands homeless, officials and witnesses said. (AP Photo/ Shafiqur Rahman)COX'S BAZAR โ COX'A devastating fire raced through a sprawling Rohingya refugee camp in southern Bangladesh on Monday, destroying hundreds of shelters and leaving thousands homeless, officials and witnesses said. Bangladesh has hosted the refugees in crowded refugee camps and is eager to begin sending them back to Buddhist-majority Myanmar. In January, another fire destroyed hundreds of shanty-like homes in the camp, leaving thousands without shelter.
Countries urge drug companies to share vaccine know-how
But that knowledge belongs to the large pharmaceutical companies who have produced the first three vaccines authorized by countries including Britain, the European Union and the U.S. โ Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. AdThe deal-by-deal approach also means that some poorer countries end up paying more for the same vaccine than richer countries. AstraZeneca said the price of the vaccine will differ depending on local production costs and how much countries order. Pharmaceutical companies say instead of lifting IP restrictions, rich countries should simply give more vaccines to poorer countries through COVAX, the public-private initiative WHO helped create for more equitable vaccine distribution. โPeople are literally dying because we cannot agree on intellectual property rights,โ said Mustaqeem De Gama, a South African diplomat involved in the WTO discussions.
India finds boat adrift with Rohingya refugees; 8 dead
FILE - IN this Feb. 15, 2021, file photo, Rohingya refugees headed to the Bhasan Char island prepare to board navy vessels from the south eastern port city of Chattogram, Bangladesh. (AP Photo, File)DHAKA โ India's coast guard has found a boat adrift in the Andaman Sea carrying scores of Rohingya refugees, including eight who had died, officials said Thursday. He said the coast guard found 81 people alive on the boat and provided them with food, water and medical care. Two Indian coast guard ships were sent to help the refugees, and the Indian government is in discussions with Bangladesh to ensure their safe return, Srivastava said. UNHCR spokesperson Catherine Stubberfield said she appreciated the Indian coast guard's efforts.
UN: India searching for Rohingya adrift without food, water
Rohingya refugee Nasima Khatun, mother of a 25-year-old man stranded on a boat, speaks with the Associated Press at Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar district, Bangladesh, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. A group of Rohingya refugees is adrift in a boat in the Andaman Sea without food or water, the United Nations said Wednesday, as their families worried that many may have already died. (AP Photo/Shafiqur Rahman)DHAKA โ The U.N. refugee agency said the Indian coast guard had answered its plea to look for a boat carrying Rohingya refugees believed to be adrift in the Andaman Sea without food and water for several days. They have no water or food, they are drinking sea water and dying,โ Lewa said by phone. More than 1 million ethnic Rohingya who fled violent persecution in Myanmar are living in crowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Rohingya refugees fear returning to Myanmar after coup
Rohingya refugee Mohammad Jaffar, 70, talks to the Associated Press at the Balukhali refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Feb.2, 2021. Rohingya refugees from Myanmar living in camps in Bangladesh are condemning the military coup in their homeland and saying it makes them more fearful to return. (AP Photo/Shafiqur Rahman)DHAKA โ Rohingya refugees from Myanmar living in camps in Bangladesh condemned the military coup in their homeland and said it makes them more fearful to return. Bangladeshโs Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that it hopes the coup will not hamper the refugees' return. The United Nations has described the Myanmar military crackdown on the Rohingya as a form of genocide.
Bangladesh sends 3rd group of Rohingya refugees to island
Rohingya refugees walk with their belongings to be relocated to to the island of Bhasan Char, in Chattogram, Bangladesh, Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. Authorities in Bangladesh sent a third group of Rohingya refugees to a newly developed island in the Bay of Bengal on Friday despite calls by human rights groups for a halt to the process. (AP Photo/Azim Aunon)DHAKA โ Authorities in Bangladesh sent a third group of Rohingya refugees to a newly developed island in the Bay of Bengal on Friday despite calls by human rights groups for a halt to the process. But the government said the human rights groups and the U.N. should understand its good intentions. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have urged the government to cancel the plan.
Watchdog: Least corrupt nations produce best virus response
Countries with the least corruption have been best positioned to weather the health and economic challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a closely-watched annual study released Thursday by anti-graft watchdog organization Transparency International. The link between corruption and coronavirus response could be widely seen around the world, according to the report's analysis. 1 as the least corrupt nation with a score of 88 and has been lauded for its pandemic response, there was room for improvement, Transparency noted. โWhile the government communicates openly about the measures and policies it puts in place, more transparency is needed around public procurement for COVID-19 recovery,โ the organization wrote. Overall, of 180 countries surveyed, two thirds scored below 50 out of 100 and the average score was 43.
20 migrants dead off Tunisia after boat sinks, more missing
Tunisian authorities say 20 African migrants have been found dead after their boat, which was trying to reach Europe, sank in the Mediterranean Sea. Five survivors were rescued Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 and authorities are searching for up to 20 others believed missing. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios, File)TUNIS โ About 20 African migrants were found dead Thursday after their smuggling boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to reach Europe, Tunisian authorities said. Five survivors were rescued and the Tunisian navy is searching for up to 20 others still believed missing. According to survivors, the migrant smuggling boat was carrying about 40 or 50 people heading toward Italy, Ben Zekri said.
Bangladesh begins relocating Rohingya refugees to island
A Rohingya refugee woman who is among those being moved to an island called Bhasan Char cries outside a transit area where they are temporally housed in Ukhiya, Bangladesh, Thursday, Dec.3, 2020. (AP Photo/ Shafiqur Rahman)DHAKA โ Authorities in Bangladesh have begun relocating thousands of Rohingya refugees to an isolated island despite calls by human rights groups for a halt to the process, officials said Thursday. Authorities in Coxโs Bazar did not say how the refugees were selected for relocation. โThe United Nations takes this opportunity to highlight its longstanding position that Rohingya refugees must be able to make a free and informed decision about relocating to Bhasan Char based upon relevant, accurate and updated information," it said. Bangladesh attempted to start sending refugees back to Myanmar under a bilateral framework last November, but no one was willing to go.
The Latest: Texas judge upholds El Paso business shut down
(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)AUSTIN, Texas โ A Texas district judge on Friday upheld an order from El Paso Countyโs top elected official shutting down businesses while the region fights an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases. The state reported 540 confirmed coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours. ___TOPEKA, Kan. โ Kansas added a record-setting 5,418 new coronavirus cases over two days as hospitals warned that staffing was being seriously strained. ___PRISTINA, Kosovo โ Kosovo authorities ordered a weekend lockdown following a spike in daily coronavirus cases. Russiaโs tally of confirmed coronavirus cases โ currently the fourth largest in the world โhas exceeded 1.7 million following a quick spread of contagion since September.
Myanmar says militants hampering return of Rohingya refugees
(UNTV via AP)TANZANIA โ A top Myanmar official on Tuesday accused a militant group and its supporters of hampering the repatriation of over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled a military crackdown in 2017 and are now in camps in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh rebuttal accused Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya and urged Yangon to allow international scrutiny on the ground and take back their own nationals under safe conditions. The campaign led to the exodus of Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh and to allegations that government security forces committed mass rapes and killings and burned thousands of homes. In January, the International Court of Justice, the U.N.โs top court, ordered Myanmar to do all it could to prevent genocide against the Rohingya people. Two days earlier, an independent commission established by Myanmarโs government concluded there are reasons to believe that security forces committed war crimes in counterinsurgency operations against the Rohingya โ but not genocide.
The Latest: Mali notable in its absence from UN meeting
As late as last week, the United Nations still listed the deposed president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, as an upcoming speaker. But the final countries addressed the U.N. gathering on Tuesday afternoon with no word from Mali. Before this latest coup, extremists were moving south into more densely populated areas, adding to the frustrations that fed massive protests in the weeks ahead of the coup. He delivered a prerecorded address Tuesday to the U.N. General Assemblyโs annual meeting of global leaders, being held virtually this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emirati foreign minister also warned against what he said were โthe expansionist ambitions of some countries in the region."
Rights group: Myanmar army deserters confirmed atrocities
U.N. agencies and human rights organizations have extensively documented atrocities carried out against the Rohingya by Myanmar security forces. The International Court of Justice agreed last year to consider a case alleging that Myanmar committed genocide against the group. The videos were filmed in July by the Arakan Army, an ethnic guerrilla group in Rakhine engaged in an armed conflict with the government, Fortify Rights said. "These confessions demonstrate what weve long known, which is that the Myanmar Army is a well-functioning national army operating with a specific and centralized command structure, Fortify Rights chief Matthew Smith said in the statement. That the men described similar activities in different areas also may indicate operational consistency between battalions, coordination, and intent to commit genocide, Fortify Rights said.
Gas pipeline blast burns dozens praying at Bangladesh mosque
Doctors treat a burn Muslim worshipper in a hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. Dozens of Muslim worshipers suffered burn injuries critically during evening prayers after explosions of a gas pipeline installed underground near a mosque outside Bangladesh capital, officials said Saturday. (AP Photo/Abdul Goni)DHAKA An underground gas pipeline near a mosque exploded during evening prayers outside the capital of Bangladesh, leaving dozens of Muslim worshipers with critical burns, officials said Saturday. The blast occurred Friday night as people were finishing their prayers at Baitus Salat Jame Mosque at Narayanganj, local police chief Zayedul Alam said. TV stations reported that because of the impact of the gas line blast, at least six air conditioners also exploded inside the mosque.