Somali forces, foreign navies prepare attack on hijacked Bangladeshi ship, police say

March 18, 2024

Somali police and international navies were preparing on Monday to attack a commercial ship that was hijacked by pirates last week, the Puntland region’s police force said, two days after Indian commandos rescued another cargo vessel held by pirates, Reuters reports. The MV Abdullah was hijacked off the coast of Somalia last week, the latest […]Continue Reading

In Gaza, Palestinians hold Ramadan prayers by ruins of mosque

March 17, 2024

Palestinians in Gaza held the first Friday prayers of Ramadan outside the ruins of a mosque levelled in Israel’s offensive, one of hundreds the Hamas-run authorities say have been damaged or destroyed in Israeli attacks since October, Reuters reports. Scores of worshippers knelt in rows in the street by the wreckage of the al-Farouk mosque […]Continue Reading

Nine Mandalay Civilians Killed in Myanmar Junta Raids

March 17, 2024

Myanmar’s junta has killed nine civilians during four days of raids in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region, The Irrawaddy reports. Those killed included two people in their 70s and a blind man, according to the Myingyan People’s Strike Committee. From March 11 to March 14, junta troops raided at least six villages and burned houses, the […]Continue Reading

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 31,490

March 15, 2024

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Friday that at least 31,490 people have been killed in the territory during more than five months of war between Israel and Palestinian militants, AFP reports. The latest toll includes at least 149 deaths in the previous 24 hours, a ministry statement said, adding that 73,439 people have […]Continue Reading

Myanmar’s UN ambassador calls for security council action to halt conscription

March 15, 2024

Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations U Kyaw Moe Tun has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to take concrete action to stop the forced recruitment of Myanmar youths as junta soldiers under the conscription law, The Irrawaddy reports. During a UNSC event titled Open Debate Promoting Conflict Prevention – Empowering All Actors Including […]Continue Reading

Fleeing Myanmar junta troops blew up bridges in Rakhine, officer confesses

March 14, 2024

The junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 36 blew up two bridges in Rakhine State last month as it was ordered to abandon a town in Taungup Township, an officer from the battalion said in a confession videotaped by the AA, The Irrawaddy reports. Myo Khant, a warrant officer from the battalion, told his captors that his […]Continue Reading

China tightens access for Myanmar migrant workers entering from Shan State

March 12, 2024

China has tightened access for Myanmar citizens entering the country on temporary border passes (TBPs) from Muse in northern Shan State, residents of the border town say, The Irrawaddy reports. Migrants seeking work at factories and plantations in and around Ruili, in Yunan province, have had to get health checks and drug tests at the […]Continue Reading

Rohingya men in Myanmar are being forcibly recruited by the junta’s military

February 24, 2024

Myanmar’s military is forcibly recruiting Rohingya men from villages and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Rakhine State and it is feared they will be used as human shields, activists and residents of the state warn, The Irrawaddy reports. The warning was prompted by the initial drive to force Rohingya men in the war-torn […]Continue Reading

India, Bangladesh to jointly counter any threat posed by Myanmar conflict: Foreign minister

February 12, 2024

NEWS DESK Bangladesh and India have agreed to work together tackle the regional security threat stemming from the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud announced on Monday. The announcement came during a media briefing at his ministry in Dhaka, following Mahmud’s official visit to India. In discussions with Indian National Security Adviser Continue Reading

Myanmar junta enforces compulsory military service law

February 11, 2024

Myanmar’s junta has enforced a law requiring all men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 to serve at least two years under military command, it said on Saturday, as it struggles to crush opposition to its 2021 coup, AFP reports. The junta “issued the notification of the effectiveness of People’s Military Service Law starting from […]Continue Reading