Essay: Gangs, kidnappings, murders – why thousands of Rohingya are desperately trying to escape refugee camps by boats
In an article first published on The Conversation, RUTH WELLS and MAX WILLIAM LOOMES, of UNSW Sydney, look at why so many Rohingya are fleeing Bangladesh and what Australia, New Zealand and regional partners can do to help them…
Over 70 Rohingya dead or missing after boat capsizes off Indonesia’s Aceh
Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters More than 70 Rohingya are “presumed dead or missing” after a boat they were on capsized off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province, while 75 have been rescued, the UNHCR refugee agency said on Friday. The UNHCR said in a joint statement with the International Organization for Migration that if the death […]
Bangladesh, Pakistan and India bottom in air quality rankings in 2023, data shows
Singapore Reuters Pakistan remained one of the world’s three smoggiest countries in 2023, as Bangladesh and India replaced Chad and Iran, with particulate matter about 15 times the level recommended by the World Health Organization, data published on Tuesday showed. Average concentrations of PM2.5 – small airborne particles that damage the lungs – reached 79.9 […]
US, UN express concern about India’s religion-based citizenship law
Washington DC, US Reuters The US Government and the United Nations have expressed concerns about a contentious religion-based citizenship law in India, with the UN calling the legislation “fundamentally discriminatory in nature”. Rights advocates have criticised the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act, which the Indian Government moved to implement on Monday. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty […]
Five countries pledge personnel for Haiti security mission, UN says
United Nations Reuters The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin and Chad have formally notified the United Nations of their intent to contribute personnel to an international force to help Haitian national police fight armed gangs, a UN spokesman said on Thursday. Contributions of $US10.8 million have also been deposited into a trust fund to support the […]
Bangladesh building fire kills 46, injures dozens
Last updated: 8:20am, 4th March, 2024(AEDT) Dhaka, Bangladesh Reuters A massive fire in Bangladesh that raged through a six-storey building home to restaurants where many families with children were dining has killed at least 46 people and injured dozens, the health minister said on Friday. Fire authorities said a gas leak or a stove could […]
Bangladesh: Solar power surge set to unlock thousands of green jobs
Analysts say investing heavily in solar energy can bring cost-savings for industry – and create high-quality employment. MD TAHMID ZAMI, of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports…
Essay: More than four billion people are eligible to vote in an election in 2024. Is this democracy’s biggest test?
NICHOLAS REESE, principal fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Melbourne School of Government, provides – in an article first published on The Conversation, a rundown of just some of the significant elections that will shape the world in 2024…
Bangladesh PM Hasina secures fourth straight term in vote boycotted by main opposition
Updated: 8:30am, 9th January, 2024 (AEDT)Dhaka, Bangladesh Reuters Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina swept to a fourth straight term in power, with her party winning almost 75% of the seats in Sunday’s general election that was boycotted by the main opposition and drew a low turnout. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which participated in […]
Bangladesh turnout low in election set to keep PM Hasina in power
Dhaka, BangladeshReuters Bangladeshis largely stayed away from the polls in a general election on Sunday set to give Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a fourth straight term, after a vote boycotted by the main opposition party and marred by violence. Rights groups have warned of virtual one-party rule by Hasina’s Awami League in the South Asian […]