The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has urged Myanmar to end the military campaign against Muslim Rohingyas.

According to the The Daily Star, the resolution forwarded by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was adopted by a vote of 122 to 10 with 24 abstentions on Sunday.

China and Russia along with some regional countries opposed the resolution, but despite their rejection, the resolution also called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to assign a special envoy to the country.

On Monday, Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingyas-to-return-to-myanmar-soon-bangladesh-minister-27691">Rohingya refugees would return</a> to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressured Myanmar into repatriating them.

Myanmar and Bangladesh had earlier this month formed Joint Working Group (JWG) to handle the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

The crucial JWG with 15 each from Bangladesh and Myanmar will oversee the repatriation of over 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in Bangladesh to escape ethnic violence in the latter.

More than 655,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, escaping a military crackdown in Rakhine state, which many countries and human rights bodies have described as ethnic cleansing.

The military action, which was triggered after their posts became targets of terrorist attacks, invited ire of the international community.

On October 12, a United Nations&#39; report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh found that brutal attacks against Rohingyas in the northern Rakhine state have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes.

The Rakhine state is home to a majority of Muslims in Myanmar, who have been denied citizenship and long faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, especially from the extremists.

Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim had said on Monday that Rohingya refugees would return to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressured Myanmar into repatriating them.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has urged Myanmar to end the military campaign against Muslim Rohingyas. According to the The Daily Star, the resolution forwarded by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was adopted by a vote of 122 to 10 with 24 abstentions on Sunday. China and Russia along with some regional countries opposed the resolution, but despite their rejection, the resolution also called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to assign a special envoy to the country. On Monday, Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim said Rohingya refugees would return to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressured Myanmar into repatriating them. Myanmar and Bangladesh had earlier this month formed Joint Working Group (JWG) to handle the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. The crucial JWG with 15 each from Bangladesh and Myanmar will oversee the repatriation of over 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in Bangladesh to escape ethnic violence in the latter. More than 655,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, escaping a military crackdown in Rakhine state, which many countries and human rights bodies have described as ethnic cleansing. The military action, which was triggered after their posts became targets of terrorist attacks, invited ire of the international community. On October 12, a United Nations' report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh found that brutal attacks against Rohingyas in the northern Rakhine state have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes. The Rakhine state is home to a majority of Muslims in Myanmar, who have been denied citizenship and long faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, especially from the extremists.

UNGA urges Myanmar to end military action against Rohingyas

India on Thursday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-bars-un-rights-investigator-just-before-visit-27284">announced a $25 million development</a> assistance package for Myanmar&#39;s troubled Rakhine State which has become the epicentre of Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh.

India&#39;s announcement comes <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-to-start-returning-from-january-officials-27205">after foreign secretary S Jaishankar </a>held talks with Myanmarese leaders in Myanmar&#39;s capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The amount is set to be spent over a period of 5 years. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-still-fleeing-from-myanmar-to-bangladesh-unhcr-26177">Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State has become </a>the focus of world attention with allegation of large-scale persecution being carried out by the military forcing several thousand Rohingyas to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

&quot;The amount of commitment to the development efforts is $25 million over five years which is an indicative figure and depends on the actual requirement and utilisation,&quot; external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. &nbsp;

The external affairs spokesman said there were several other aspects of discussions which included how India can help Myanmar restore normalcy in Rakhine State and help in the repatriation of Rohingyas who have fled. The spokesman also added that India welcomes intervention by any country which help in restoring normalcy in Myanmar.

India and Myanmar had earlier on Wednesday signed an agreement on restoration of normalcy and development in Rakhine State.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, as the Rohingya crisis brews, Myanmar said two journalists who were detained in Myanmar on December 12 have appeared in court and remanded to judicial custody.

Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who were reporting from Rakhine State were detained by Myanmar authorities after accusing them of violating the Official Secrets Act which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

India's announcement comes after foreign secretary S Jaishankar held talks with Myanmarese leaders in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday.?

India on Thursday announced a $25 million development assistance package for Myanmar's troubled Rakhine State which has become the epicentre of Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh. India's announcement comes after foreign secretary S Jaishankar held talks with Myanmarese leaders in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday. The amount is set to be spent over a period of 5 years. Myanmar's Rakhine State has become the focus of world attention with allegation of large-scale persecution being carried out by the military forcing several thousand Rohingyas to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. "The amount of commitment to the development efforts is $25 million over five years which is an indicative figure and depends on the actual requirement and utilisation," external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. The external affairs spokesman said there were several other aspects of discussions which included how India can help Myanmar restore normalcy in Rakhine State and help in the repatriation of Rohingyas who have fled. The spokesman also added that India welcomes intervention by any country which help in restoring normalcy in Myanmar. India and Myanmar had earlier on Wednesday signed an agreement on restoration of normalcy and development in Rakhine State. Meanwhile, as the Rohingya crisis brews, Myanmar said two journalists who were detained in Myanmar on December 12 have appeared in court and remanded to judicial custody. Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who were reporting from Rakhine State were detained by Myanmar authorities after accusing them of violating the Official Secrets Act which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Rohingya crisis: India announces $25 million aid to restore normalcy in Rakhine State

Even as several countries <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/eu-urges-myanmar-to-free-journalists-as-soon-as-possible-27120">demanded the release of two journalists</a> held in Myanmar, local police said they had completed investigating the two men and would soon begin a court case.

Aung San Suu Kyi&#39;s spokesman told Reuters news agency, a court case would soon begin against two journalists.

Two Reuters journalists were arrested on December 12th in Yangon. The journalists were reporting extensively from Rakhine State which is the epicentre of Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh.

Myanmar&#39;s Information ministry later said the reporters were &quot;illegally&quot; acquiring information with the intention to share it with foreign media.

A police spokesman said the reporters - Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo would have access to a lawyer and be able to meet members of their families, Reuters reported.

The spokesman said Myanmar&#39;s ministry of home affairs and police had detained the two men in Yangon and both were &quot;in good condition&quot; and were not subjected to &quot;illegal questioning&quot;, Reuters said.

Several countries including Germany, Norway, Japan including the US and the UN had&nbsp;condemned Myanmar for arresting the two journalists and called for their immediate release.

Two Reuters journalists were arrested on December 12th in Yangon.

Even as several countries demanded the release of two journalists held in Myanmar, local police said they had completed investigating the two men and would soon begin a court case. Aung San Suu Kyi's spokesman told Reuters news agency, a court case would soon begin against two journalists. Two Reuters journalists were arrested on December 12th in Yangon. The journalists were reporting extensively from Rakhine State which is the epicentre of Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh. Myanmar's Information ministry later said the reporters were "illegally" acquiring information with the intention to share it with foreign media. A police spokesman said the reporters - Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo would have access to a lawyer and be able to meet members of their families, Reuters reported. The spokesman said Myanmar's ministry of home affairs and police had detained the two men in Yangon and both were "in good condition" and were not subjected to "illegal questioning", Reuters said. Several countries including Germany, Norway, Japan including the US and the UN had condemned Myanmar for arresting the two journalists and called for their immediate release.

Court case to begin against journalists held in Myanmar: Police

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-make-massive-payments-to-pakistan-they-have-to-help-fight-terror-groups-trump-27234">We make massive payments to Pakistan, they have to help fight terror groups: Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump slammed Pakistan while unveiling his national security strategy, even as the administration officials expressed concern over JuD chief Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan next year.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Saeed was the &quot;mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks&quot; and leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), adding, &quot;it is a group the US government considers to be a terror organisation.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-repatriation-to-myanmar-should-be-voluntary-and-dignified-us-27223">Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar should be voluntary and dignified: US</a>

The United States said it would like to see &quot;safe&quot; and &quot;dignified&quot; return of Rohingyas back to Myanmar, insisting &quot;Rohingyas need to be treated well as they decide to return home&quot;.

However, even after nearly four months, Rohingyas continue to flee Myanmar in huge numbers. The UN has estimated over 6,20,000 Rohingyas have already crossed over to Bangladesh with thousands more expected to reach trekking over mountains and through forests and rice fields inundated by monsoon rain.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-akshay-kumars-toilet-ek-prem-katha-gets-a-thumbs-up-from-bill-gates-for-being-inspirational-27225">Akshay Kumar&#39;s &#39;Toilet Ek Prem Katha&#39;&nbsp;gets a thumbs up from Bill Gates for being inspirational</a>

Known for his philanthropic work, American business magnate Bill Gates on Tuesday listed out stories of &#39;hope and progress&#39; in 2017 on his Twitter page.&nbsp;

Among inspirational stories from across the world, Gates also mentioned Akshay Kumar&#39;s film Toilet Ek Prem Katha as a film that brought in awareness around sanitation in Indian rural households.&nbsp;

&quot;&quot;Toilet: A Love Story,&rdquo; a Bollywood romance about a newlywed couple, educated audiences about India&rsquo;s sanitation challenge.(sic)&quot; said Gates in his tweet.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-fog-20-trains-delayed-15-cancelled-27228">Delhi fog: 20 trains delayed, 15 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-fog-20-trains-delayed-15-cancelled-27228">cancelled</a>

Due to decreased visibility or operational reasons, 20 trains in Delhi will arrive late, 15 have been cancelled and two have been rescheduled.

There is no information about any delays or cancellations of flights so far.

The national capital has been experiencing bitter cold since the last few days, leading to cancellation and rescheduling of trains.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bitcoin-crashes-over-10-per-cent-on-bitstamp-27226">Bitcoin crashes over 10 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bitcoin-crashes-over-10-per-cent-on-bitstamp-27226">per cent</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bitcoin-crashes-over-10-per-cent-on-bitstamp-27226"> on Bitstamp</a>

Bitcoin value crashed by over 10% on Wednesday to touch $15,800 at a cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp.

&quot;It has since pared some of the losses and is down about 7 per cent in early trade,&quot; noted a Reuters report.

The recent Bitcoin surge overwhelmed investors and financial experts all across the world as the digital currency touched an all-time high soaring at about $19,666 on Sunday, its value has been sliding ever since.&nbsp;

We make massive payments to Pakistan, they have to help fight terror groups: Trump US President Donald Trump slammed Pakistan while unveiling his national security strategy, even as the administration officials expressed concern over JuD chief Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan next year. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Saeed was the "mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks" and leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), adding, "it is a group the US government considers to be a terror organisation." Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar should be voluntary and dignified: US The United States said it would like to see "safe" and "dignified" return of Rohingyas back to Myanmar, insisting "Rohingyas need to be treated well as they decide to return home". However, even after nearly four months, Rohingyas continue to flee Myanmar in huge numbers. The UN has estimated over 6,20,000 Rohingyas have already crossed over to Bangladesh with thousands more expected to reach trekking over mountains and through forests and rice fields inundated by monsoon rain. Akshay Kumar's 'Toilet Ek Prem Katha' gets a thumbs up from Bill Gates for being inspirational Known for his philanthropic work, American business magnate Bill Gates on Tuesday listed out stories of 'hope and progress' in 2017 on his Twitter page. Among inspirational stories from across the world, Gates also mentioned Akshay Kumar's film Toilet Ek Prem Katha as a film that brought in awareness around sanitation in Indian rural households. ""Toilet: A Love Story,” a Bollywood romance about a newlywed couple, educated audiences about India’s sanitation challenge.(sic)" said Gates in his tweet. Delhi fog: 20 trains delayed, 15 cancelled Due to decreased visibility or operational reasons, 20 trains in Delhi will arrive late, 15 have been cancelled and two have been rescheduled. There is no information about any delays or cancellations of flights so far. The national capital has been experiencing bitter cold since the last few days, leading to cancellation and rescheduling of trains. Bitcoin crashes over 10 per cent on Bitstamp Bitcoin value crashed by over 10% on Wednesday to touch $15,800 at a cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp. "It has since pared some of the losses and is down about 7 per cent in early trade," noted a Reuters report. The recent Bitcoin surge overwhelmed investors and financial experts all across the world as the digital currency touched an all-time high soaring at about $19,666 on Sunday, its value has been sliding ever since.

WION morning news brief, December 20, 2017

The United States has identified one person it might impose sanctions on over the brutal crackdown in Myanmar against minority Rohingya Muslims and is examining others, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday.

Tillerson, who last month declared the violence against the Rohingya to be &quot;ethnic cleansing,&quot; has said Washington was considering &quot;targeted sanctions&quot; against those deemed responsible.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to southern Bangladesh since the end of August.

&quot;We are continuing to examine the circumstances around all of the events since the August attacks that have led to the enormous migration of people out of Myanmar, and have already identified one individual and we are examining other possible individuals to hold responsible for targeted sanctions from the US,&quot; Tillerson told reporters at the United Nations.

US officials told Reuters that President Donald Trump`s administration was considering only limited action at this stage. They said it was preparing narrow, targeted US sanctions against Myanmar`s military and could roll out the punitive measures by year-end.

The sanctions will be aimed at increasing pressure on Myanmar authorities, but are not expected to hit the highest levels of the military leadership and will stop short of reimposing broad economic restrictions suspended under former President Barack Obama, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The limited nature of any new sanctions is expected to be seen as little more than a warning for Myanmar and are not likely to satisfy international human rights groups and some US lawmakers who have accused Myanmar`s armed forces of crimes against humanity.

Other world powers and the United Nations called Myanmar`s campaign against the Rohingya population &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; well before the United States did so in late November.

US options mulled

US officials in Washington and Yangon have been looking in particular at ways to use the Global Magnitsky Act, a law originally designed to target Russian human rights violators, but which has recently been expanded to allow sanctions for abuses anywhere in the world, the sources said.&nbsp;

That can take the form of US asset freezes as well as bans on travel to the United States.

A spokesman for the US State Department said the administration was in the final stages of preparing this year`s Global Magnitsky report and had taken &quot;an expansive view of implementation&quot; of the act in the past year, but could not say when it might be delivered.

Myanmar`s powerful army chief, General Min Aung Hlaing, is expected to be spared from the latest sanctions, according to three US officials and a congressional aide familiar with the matter.

In November, Myanmar`s military said it had replaced Major General Maung Maung Soe, the general in charge in Rakhine state, but gave no reason for his transfer from a post as the head of the country`s Western Command.

It was not immediately clear how far down the chain of command the US measures would reach and who might be named.

Two of the US officials said the Trump administration is considering only limited action at this stage to avoid upsetting the delicate political balance in Myanmar, where the civilian-led government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi must still contend with an influential military.

Washington also wants to hold tougher options in reserve to escalate the US response if needed, the officials said.

Although the sanctions plan was still being finalised, the U.S. officials said the aim was to roll it out before the end of December, possibly before Christmas, though one person close to the matter said an announcement could be delayed until early next year.

&quot;We have nothing to announce on sanctions,&quot; a White House National Security Council spokesman said when asked the coming measures. He declined comment on who might be named.

Preparations for Myanmar sanctions come at the same time that Washington has expressed concern over the detention this week of two Reuters journalists. 
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had worked on stories about the military crackdown on the Rohingya population in Rakhine state.

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh say their exodus from the mainly Buddhist country was triggered by a military offensive in response to attacks by Rohingya militant on security forces.

Washington has sought to balance its wish to nurture the civilian government in Myanmar, where it competes for influence with China, with its desire to hold the military accountable for the abuses.

The United States has identified one person it might impose sanctions on over the brutal crackdown in Myanmar against minority Rohingya Muslims and is examining others, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday

The United States has identified one person it might impose sanctions on over the brutal crackdown in Myanmar against minority Rohingya Muslims and is examining others, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday. Tillerson, who last month declared the violence against the Rohingya to be "ethnic cleansing," has said Washington was considering "targeted sanctions" against those deemed responsible. More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to southern Bangladesh since the end of August. "We are continuing to examine the circumstances around all of the events since the August attacks that have led to the enormous migration of people out of Myanmar, and have already identified one individual and we are examining other possible individuals to hold responsible for targeted sanctions from the US," Tillerson told reporters at the United Nations. US officials told Reuters that President Donald Trump`s administration was considering only limited action at this stage. They said it was preparing narrow, targeted US sanctions against Myanmar`s military and could roll out the punitive measures by year-end. The sanctions will be aimed at increasing pressure on Myanmar authorities, but are not expected to hit the highest levels of the military leadership and will stop short of reimposing broad economic restrictions suspended under former President Barack Obama, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The limited nature of any new sanctions is expected to be seen as little more than a warning for Myanmar and are not likely to satisfy international human rights groups and some US lawmakers who have accused Myanmar`s armed forces of crimes against humanity. Other world powers and the United Nations called Myanmar`s campaign against the Rohingya population "ethnic cleansing" well before the United States did so in late November. US options mulled US officials in Washington and Yangon have been looking in particular at ways to use the Global Magnitsky Act, a law originally designed to target Russian human rights violators, but which has recently been expanded to allow sanctions for abuses anywhere in the world, the sources said. That can take the form of US asset freezes as well as bans on travel to the United States. A spokesman for the US State Department said the administration was in the final stages of preparing this year`s Global Magnitsky report and had taken "an expansive view of implementation" of the act in the past year, but could not say when it might be delivered. Myanmar`s powerful army chief, General Min Aung Hlaing, is expected to be spared from the latest sanctions, according to three US officials and a congressional aide familiar with the matter. In November, Myanmar`s military said it had replaced Major General Maung Maung Soe, the general in charge in Rakhine state, but gave no reason for his transfer from a post as the head of the country`s Western Command. It was not immediately clear how far down the chain of command the US measures would reach and who might be named. Two of the US officials said the Trump administration is considering only limited action at this stage to avoid upsetting the delicate political balance in Myanmar, where the civilian-led government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi must still contend with an influential military. Washington also wants to hold tougher options in reserve to escalate the US response if needed, the officials said. Although the sanctions plan was still being finalised, the U.S. officials said the aim was to roll it out before the end of December, possibly before Christmas, though one person close to the matter said an announcement could be delayed until early next year. "We have nothing to announce on sanctions," a White House National Security Council spokesman said when asked the coming measures. He declined comment on who might be named. Preparations for Myanmar sanctions come at the same time that Washington has expressed concern over the detention this week of two Reuters journalists. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had worked on stories about the military crackdown on the Rohingya population in Rakhine state. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh say their exodus from the mainly Buddhist country was triggered by a military offensive in response to attacks by Rohingya militant on security forces. Washington has sought to balance its wish to nurture the civilian government in Myanmar, where it competes for influence with China, with its desire to hold the military accountable for the abuses.

US says identified target for sanctions over Myanmar crackdown

Bangladesh police arrested an alleged human trafficker and intercepted two Rohingya refugees preparing to board a boat for Malaysia, officials said today.

Police acting on a tip-off raided a home near the coastal town of Teknaf in southeastern Bangladesh, where five people had assembled ahead of a promised voyage across the Bay of Bengal. Two Rohingya Muslims, both men, were among the group.

The pair had arrived from Myanmar since August, when a surge of violence in Rakhine state forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya across the border.

The other three would-be passengers were Bangladeshi, another police officer said.

&quot;They were herded there as part of an effort to take them to Malaysia. They said they would be taken there by sea,&quot; Teknaf police chief Main Uddin said.

&quot;Among the five, there were two Rohingya men who had already paid 10,000 taka (USD 120) each. The arrested person is being charged with human trafficking.&quot;

The would-be passengers told police they had promised to pay the alleged trafficker, a Bangladeshi, another 200,000 taka each upon arrival in Malaysia.

Since August nearly 650,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military operation in Myanmar&#39;s westernmost Rakhine state described by the UN and US as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

Bangladesh authorities worry many refugees may risk travelling to Southeast Asia by boat, a route once popular among Rohingya seeking economic opportunities outside the grim, long-standing camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar.

People smugglers in recent years have sent tens of thousands of Rohingya from Bangladesh to Malaysia, a Muslim- majority country in Southeast Asia, usually between November and March when seas are calmest.

But these networks were targeted by Bangladesh in 2015 after Thai authorities discovered mass graves and boats overcrowded with thousands of migrants drifted at sea while Southeast Asian nations squabbled over a solution.

Bangladesh police said they were questioning the alleged people smuggler to determine whether he was part of a larger regional trafficking ring.

Bangladesh has arrested dozens of suspected traffickers and broken up networks since the 2015 crackdown, but authorities fear these networks could be revived during the latest Rohingya crisis.

The refugees living in camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar are prohibited from leaving the area, but already aid groups and officials say trafficking networks are targeting the stateless minority.

Bangladesh in recent months has stepped up patrols in coastal areas and fishing villages where traffickers moor their vessels, police say.

&quot;We have zero tolerance toward human trafficking. We are working day and night,&quot; Iqbal Hossain, head of police in Cox&#39;s Bazar district where the Rohingya camps are located, said.

He said police were not aware of a single journey undertaken by a people smuggling vessel in Cox&#39;s Bazar in the previous two years, citing the success of law enforcement efforts.

Police acting on a tip-off raided a home near the coastal town of Teknaf in southeastern Bangladesh, where five people had assembled ahead of a promised voyage across the Bay of Bengal. Two Rohingya Muslims, both men, were among the group

Bangladesh police arrested an alleged human trafficker and intercepted two Rohingya refugees preparing to board a boat for Malaysia, officials said today. Police acting on a tip-off raided a home near the coastal town of Teknaf in southeastern Bangladesh, where five people had assembled ahead of a promised voyage across the Bay of Bengal. Two Rohingya Muslims, both men, were among the group. The pair had arrived from Myanmar since August, when a surge of violence in Rakhine state forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya across the border. The other three would-be passengers were Bangladeshi, another police officer said. "They were herded there as part of an effort to take them to Malaysia. They said they would be taken there by sea," Teknaf police chief Main Uddin said. "Among the five, there were two Rohingya men who had already paid 10,000 taka (USD 120) each. The arrested person is being charged with human trafficking." The would-be passengers told police they had promised to pay the alleged trafficker, a Bangladeshi, another 200,000 taka each upon arrival in Malaysia. Since August nearly 650,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military operation in Myanmar's westernmost Rakhine state described by the UN and US as "ethnic cleansing". Bangladesh authorities worry many refugees may risk travelling to Southeast Asia by boat, a route once popular among Rohingya seeking economic opportunities outside the grim, long-standing camps in Cox's Bazar. People smugglers in recent years have sent tens of thousands of Rohingya from Bangladesh to Malaysia, a Muslim- majority country in Southeast Asia, usually between November and March when seas are calmest. But these networks were targeted by Bangladesh in 2015 after Thai authorities discovered mass graves and boats overcrowded with thousands of migrants drifted at sea while Southeast Asian nations squabbled over a solution. Bangladesh police said they were questioning the alleged people smuggler to determine whether he was part of a larger regional trafficking ring. Bangladesh has arrested dozens of suspected traffickers and broken up networks since the 2015 crackdown, but authorities fear these networks could be revived during the latest Rohingya crisis. The refugees living in camps in Cox's Bazar are prohibited from leaving the area, but already aid groups and officials say trafficking networks are targeting the stateless minority. Bangladesh in recent months has stepped up patrols in coastal areas and fishing villages where traffickers moor their vessels, police say. "We have zero tolerance toward human trafficking. We are working day and night," Iqbal Hossain, head of police in Cox's Bazar district where the Rohingya camps are located, said. He said police were not aware of a single journey undertaken by a people smuggling vessel in Cox's Bazar in the previous two years, citing the success of law enforcement efforts.

Bangladesh stops Rohingya preparing to board boat to Malaysia

Special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Pramila Patten urged the UN body to visit Myanmar over reported large scale violence by the Army against Rohingyas.

&quot;Some witnesses reported women and girls being tied to either a rock or a tree before multiple soldiers raped them to death,&quot; Patten told the Security Council.

Patten said the 15-member Security Council should visit Myanmar to get a first-hand account of the Rohingya crisis sweeping Myanmar.

UN said recently over 620,000 Rohingyas have crossed over to Bangladesh after August 25th due to atrocities by the Myanmar Army.

Patten said that a Security Council resolution should demand&nbsp;an immediate end to violations against civilians in Rakhine state and outlining measures to hold the perpetrators accountable &quot;would send an important signal.&quot;

The Myanmar Army has repeatedly denied committing any atrocities against the Rohingyas.

A United Nations women&#39;s rights panel had earlier asked the Myanmar government for a report of the last months on rapes and sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls by the security forces in Rakhine state.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) also asked Myanmar authorities to provide details on women and girls killed in the violence since the army crackdown began in late August.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pramila Patten said the 15-member Security Council should visit Myanmar to get a first-hand account of the Rohingya crisis sweeping Myanmar

Special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Pramila Patten urged the UN body to visit Myanmar over reported large scale violence by the Army against Rohingyas. "Some witnesses reported women and girls being tied to either a rock or a tree before multiple soldiers raped them to death," Patten told the Security Council. Patten said the 15-member Security Council should visit Myanmar to get a first-hand account of the Rohingya crisis sweeping Myanmar. UN said recently over 620,000 Rohingyas have crossed over to Bangladesh after August 25th due to atrocities by the Myanmar Army. Patten said that a Security Council resolution should demand an immediate end to violations against civilians in Rakhine state and outlining measures to hold the perpetrators accountable "would send an important signal." The Myanmar Army has repeatedly denied committing any atrocities against the Rohingyas. A United Nations women's rights panel had earlier asked the Myanmar government for a report of the last months on rapes and sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls by the security forces in Rakhine state. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) also asked Myanmar authorities to provide details on women and girls killed in the violence since the army crackdown began in late August.

UN Security Council should visit Myanmar, says UN official

Rohingya Muslims remaining in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state and other communities in the violence-racked region are so terrified of each other that life has basically ground to a halt, the Red Cross said Wednesday.

More than 620,000 of Myanmar&#39;s Muslim minority have <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-still-fleeing-from-myanmar-to-bangladesh-unhcr-26177">fled across the border to Bangladesh </a>since late August when the Myanmar army launched a sweeping crackdown on Rohingya rebels in northern Rakhine state.

The Red Cross, the only international aid organisation with broad access on the ground in Rakhine, estimates that only about 300,000 Rohingya remain in the entire state.

But Dominik Stillhart, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the number should be taken with a &quot;big pinch of salt&quot; since a proper count has so far been impossible.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva after a three-day visit to the area, Stillhart said the situation in Rakhine appeared to have &quot;stabilised&quot;, with few incidents of violence.

Yet people are continuing to flee, with around 300 still crossing the border each day, mainly because of fear and anxiety for the future, he said.

He said he was especially struck by a lack of people on the roads, in the markets and out in the fields.

&quot;Life has stopped in its tracks... There are hardly any people moving around and you can really see that life has come to a halt,&quot; Stillhart said.

&#39;Scale of destruction&#39; 
 
While it was no surprise that the remaining Rohingya are living in fear, he said it was striking that Buddhist populations in neighbouring villages also appeared to be frightened.

&quot;You really get a sense that both communities are deeply scared of each other,&quot; he said.

The United Nations has warned that abuses against the Rohingya in Myanmar could amount to ethnic cleansing.

Stillhart refrained from commenting on the abuses but did say he had personally seen several burned villages.

&quot;You really see on both sides of the road, villages that are completely destroyed. It just gives you a bit of a sense of the scale of destruction,&quot; he said.

Meanwhile, Red Cross staff in the area had not seen many wounded people in the hospitals, and surprisingly few people appeared to have been rounded up and detained, he said.

&quot;Apparently there wasn&#39;t a huge wave of people arrested. The wave is out to Bangladesh, and not into the detention centres.&quot;

Stillhart also said the area did not seem heavily militarised at the moment, and there was no indication troops or police were restricting people&#39;s movement.

Rather, it appeared that people were restricting their own movement, he said.

&quot;People are deeply traumatised by what has happened and they are full of fear and anxiety,&quot; he said, emphasising the need for &quot;a very clear message from the authorities that it is fine&quot; to move about and that all communities &quot;will be protected&quot;.

Until then, any large return movement from Bangladesh is unlikely.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a repatriation deal last month, but so far, Stillhart said, basically no Muslims have returned home.

There has been concern that Myanmar is planning to build camps to house returnees, as they did in central Rakhine state after a 2012 outbreak of violence.&nbsp;

More than 100,000 Rohingya have been trapped in those squalid camps ever since.

&quot;One thing that we definitely don&#39;t wish to see is people being in camps,&quot; Stillhart said, saying the camps in central Rakhine were &quot;clearly not a model to follow.&quot;&nbsp;

Rohingya Muslims remaining in Myanmar's Rakhine state and other communities in the violence-racked region are so terrified of each other that life has basically ground to a halt, the Red Cross says

Rohingya Muslims remaining in Myanmar's Rakhine state and other communities in the violence-racked region are so terrified of each other that life has basically ground to a halt, the Red Cross said Wednesday. More than 620,000 of Myanmar's Muslim minority have fled across the border to Bangladesh since late August when the Myanmar army launched a sweeping crackdown on Rohingya rebels in northern Rakhine state. The Red Cross, the only international aid organisation with broad access on the ground in Rakhine, estimates that only about 300,000 Rohingya remain in the entire state. But Dominik Stillhart, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the number should be taken with a "big pinch of salt" since a proper count has so far been impossible. Speaking to reporters in Geneva after a three-day visit to the area, Stillhart said the situation in Rakhine appeared to have "stabilised", with few incidents of violence. Yet people are continuing to flee, with around 300 still crossing the border each day, mainly because of fear and anxiety for the future, he said. He said he was especially struck by a lack of people on the roads, in the markets and out in the fields. "Life has stopped in its tracks... There are hardly any people moving around and you can really see that life has come to a halt," Stillhart said. 'Scale of destruction' While it was no surprise that the remaining Rohingya are living in fear, he said it was striking that Buddhist populations in neighbouring villages also appeared to be frightened. "You really get a sense that both communities are deeply scared of each other," he said. The United Nations has warned that abuses against the Rohingya in Myanmar could amount to ethnic cleansing. Stillhart refrained from commenting on the abuses but did say he had personally seen several burned villages. "You really see on both sides of the road, villages that are completely destroyed. It just gives you a bit of a sense of the scale of destruction," he said. Meanwhile, Red Cross staff in the area had not seen many wounded people in the hospitals, and surprisingly few people appeared to have been rounded up and detained, he said. "Apparently there wasn't a huge wave of people arrested. The wave is out to Bangladesh, and not into the detention centres." Stillhart also said the area did not seem heavily militarised at the moment, and there was no indication troops or police were restricting people's movement. Rather, it appeared that people were restricting their own movement, he said. "People are deeply traumatised by what has happened and they are full of fear and anxiety," he said, emphasising the need for "a very clear message from the authorities that it is fine" to move about and that all communities "will be protected". Until then, any large return movement from Bangladesh is unlikely. Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a repatriation deal last month, but so far, Stillhart said, basically no Muslims have returned home. There has been concern that Myanmar is planning to build camps to house returnees, as they did in central Rakhine state after a 2012 outbreak of violence. More than 100,000 Rohingya have been trapped in those squalid camps ever since. "One thing that we definitely don't wish to see is people being in camps," Stillhart said, saying the camps in central Rakhine were "clearly not a model to follow."

Life has 'stopped in tracks' in Myanmar's Rakhine state: Red Cross

The Supreme Court has scheduled the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-hear-rohingya-refugees-pil-challenging-deportation-22374" target="_blank"> hearing for Rohingya refugees deportation </a>on January 31.

The apex court has posted all petitions relating to the deportation of Muslim Rohingya refugees for a detailed hearing in January.&nbsp;

The Centre had earlier filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the issue of deportation of Rohingya Muslims from India.

The centre told the apex court that the presence of Rohingyas in the country posed a threat to the national security of the country.&nbsp;Besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions, the centre added.&nbsp;

The argument was based on an information received from intelligence inputs which suggested that some of the Rohingya&#39;s had links with Pak -based terror groups.&nbsp;

The Public Interest Litigation was filed by two Rohingya Muslims challenging the Indian government&#39;s decision to deport around 40,000 people of the community.

In their petition, the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, argue that they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there.&nbsp;

Another Rohingya refugee then filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India, denying the Indian government&#39;s claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan&#39;s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State. The affidavit states that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees.

Over 40,000 Rohingyas are living in India as refugees.

These refugees have been settled in Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.&nbsp;

About half a million Rohingya&#39;s were forced to flee Myanmar in order to escape the deadly violence.

The UN has described the Rohingya exodus as ethnic cleansing.

The apex court has posted all petitions relating to the deportation of Muslim Rohingya refugees for a detailed hearing in January

The Supreme Court has scheduled the hearing for Rohingya refugees deportation on January 31. The apex court has posted all petitions relating to the deportation of Muslim Rohingya refugees for a detailed hearing in January. The Centre had earlier filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the issue of deportation of Rohingya Muslims from India. The centre told the apex court that the presence of Rohingyas in the country posed a threat to the national security of the country. Besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions, the centre added. The argument was based on an information received from intelligence inputs which suggested that some of the Rohingya's had links with Pak -based terror groups. The Public Interest Litigation was filed by two Rohingya Muslims challenging the Indian government's decision to deport around 40,000 people of the community. In their petition, the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, argue that they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there. Another Rohingya refugee then filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India, denying the Indian government's claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State. The affidavit states that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees. Over 40,000 Rohingyas are living in India as refugees. These refugees have been settled in Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. About half a million Rohingya's were forced to flee Myanmar in order to escape the deadly violence. The UN has described the Rohingya exodus as ethnic cleansing.

Supreme Court to hear Rohingya petition on January 31

United Nations Human Rights chief<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-explains-why-he-did-not-say-rohingya-25787">&nbsp;Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said</a> today there were &quot;elements of genocide&quot; against Rohingyas in &nbsp;Myanmar.

Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said there were allegations of &quot;killing by random firing of bullets, use of grenades, shooting at close range, stabbings, beatings to death&nbsp; 
and the burning of houses with families inside&quot;.&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier said &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; was taking place in &nbsp;Myanmar.

The UN has said over 6,80,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed over to Bangladesh since August 25th allegedly due to atrocities committed by the Myanmar Army.

Last week, Pope Francis had visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to find a solution to the crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent months. 
&nbsp;

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said there were allegations of "killing by random firing of bullets, use of grenades and shooting at close range

United Nations Human Rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said today there were "elements of genocide" against Rohingyas in Myanmar. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said there were allegations of "killing by random firing of bullets, use of grenades, shooting at close range, stabbings, beatings to death and the burning of houses with families inside". UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier said "ethnic cleansing" was taking place in Myanmar. The UN has said over 6,80,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed over to Bangladesh since August 25th allegedly due to atrocities committed by the Myanmar Army. Last week, Pope Francis had visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to find a solution to the crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent months.

Rohingya row: 'Elements of genocide' in Myanmar, says UN rights chief

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ayodhya-case-next-hearing-in-supreme-court-in-february-2018-25932" target="_blank">Ayodhya case: Supreme Court defers case to February next year</a>

The Supreme court has fixed the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/babri-masjid-ramjanmabhoomi-dispute-a-timeline-25799" target="_blank">&nbsp;Ayodhya dispute matter</a>&nbsp;for further hearing on February 8, 2018.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-evidence-to-link-mallya-to-fraud-charge-says-his-lawyer-in-uk-court-25947" target="_blank">No evidence to link Mallya to fraud charge, says his lawyer in UK court</a>

Mallya&rsquo;s defence lawyer&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/repeatedly-said-charges-against-me-fabricated-and-baseless-mallya-25834">Clare Montgomery today told the Westminster Magistrates&nbsp;</a>Court that there was no evidence against the liquor baron to extradite him to India The UK court is hearing a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vijay-mallya-arrested-in-london-appears-in-court-granted-bail-20957">case related to money laundering&nbsp;</a>and fraud with Mallya owing several Indian banks around Rs 9,000 crores.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-hear-rohingya-petition-on-january-31-25945" target="_blank">Supreme Court to hear Rohingya petition on January 31</a>

The Supreme Court has scheduled the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-hear-rohingya-refugees-pil-challenging-deportation-22374" target="_blank">&nbsp;hearing for Rohingya refugees deportation&nbsp;</a>on January 31. The apex court has posted all petitions relating to the deportation of Muslim Rohingya refugees for a detailed hearing in January.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/al-qaedas-top-leader-killed-in-us-afghan-joint-op-25926" target="_blank">Top al Qaeda leader Omar </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/al-qaedas-top-leader-killed-in-us-afghan-joint-op-25926" target="_blank">Mansoon</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/al-qaedas-top-leader-killed-in-us-afghan-joint-op-25926" target="_blank"> killed in US-Afghan joint operation</a>

Al Qaeda&nbsp;leader, as well as over 80 other militants, have been killed in a joint operation by Afghan and US officials in Afghanistan, reports say. The leader, Omar Khetab, famously known as&nbsp;Omar Mansoon was gunned down during the attack, Afghan&#39;s Intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) was reported saying.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bus-bomb-kills-eight-passengers-in-syrias-homs-city-state-media-25940" target="_blank">Bus bomb kills eight passengers in Syria&#39;s Homs city: Report</a>

A bomb blast in the Syrian city of Homs killed eight people and injured around 16 in a bus on Tuesday, media reports said.&nbsp;The blast took place near al-Baath university, in the streets of &nbsp;Akrama neighbourhood - home to members of the Alawite minority to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ayodhya case: Supreme Court defers case to February next year The Supreme court has fixed the Ayodhya dispute matter for further hearing on February 8, 2018. No evidence to link Mallya to fraud charge, says his lawyer in UK court Mallya’s defence lawyer Clare Montgomery today told the Westminster Magistrates Court that there was no evidence against the liquor baron to extradite him to India The UK court is hearing a case related to money laundering and fraud with Mallya owing several Indian banks around Rs 9,000 crores. Supreme Court to hear Rohingya petition on January 31 The Supreme Court has scheduled the hearing for Rohingya refugees deportation on January 31. The apex court has posted all petitions relating to the deportation of Muslim Rohingya refugees for a detailed hearing in January. Top al Qaeda leader Omar Mansoon killed in US-Afghan joint operation Al Qaeda leader, as well as over 80 other militants, have been killed in a joint operation by Afghan and US officials in Afghanistan, reports say. The leader, Omar Khetab, famously known as Omar Mansoon was gunned down during the attack, Afghan's Intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) was reported saying. Bus bomb kills eight passengers in Syria's Homs city: Report A bomb blast in the Syrian city of Homs killed eight people and injured around 16 in a bus on Tuesday, media reports said. The blast took place near al-Baath university, in the streets of Akrama neighbourhood - home to members of the Alawite minority to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs.

WION Evening News Brief, December 5, 2017

Pope Francis on Saturday explaned why he had avoided the use of the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; on the first leg of his trip in Myanmar.

The pontiff said he knew that had he used the word in official speeches, Myanmar&#39;s military leaders wold have &quot;closed the door in our faces&quot; and that he wanted to be allowed to go &quot;further in the private meetings.&quot;

&quot;I knew that if in the official speeches I would have used that word, they would have closed the door in our faces. But (in public) I described situations, rights, said that no one should be excluded, (the right to) citizenship, in order to allow myself to go further in the private meetings,&quot; he told reporters aboard the plane returning to Rome from Bangladesh.

The pope said he believed he got his message across to both the civilian and military leadership without shutting down dialogue, Reuters reported. (Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-social-media-furious-after-pope-uses-rohingya-word-25742">Myanmar social media anger after Pope says &#39;Rohingya&#39;</a>)

He also indicated that he had been firm with Myanmar&#39;s military leaders in private meetings about the need for them to respect the rights of Rohingya refugees.

&quot;For me, the most important thing is that message gets through, to try to say things one step at a time and listen to the responses,&quot; he said.

The pope met Myanmar&#39;s military leaders privately on Monday, shortly after his arrival in the nation&#39;s biggest city, Yangon.

About his meeting with the military leaders, Pope Francis said, &quot;It was a good conversation and the truth was non-negotiable.&quot;&nbsp;

Asked if he used the word Rohingya during the private meeting with the military chiefs, the pope said: &quot;I used words in order to arrive at the message and when I saw that the message had arrived, I dared to say everything that I wanted say&quot;.

He then gave a reporter a mischievous grin and ended his answer with the Latin phrase &quot;Intelligenti Pauca,&quot; which means &quot;Few words are enough for those who understand,&quot; strongly hinting that he had used the word the military detests while in their presence.

Myanmar, predominantly a Buddhist country, does not consider the Muslim Rohingya as an ethnic group with its own identity but as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Local Roman Catholic Church authorities had advised him not to say the word &quot;Rohingya&quot; because it could spark a backlash against Christians and other minority groups.

On Friday in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, Francis held an emotional encounter with Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and then used the word Rohingya for the first time on the trip, although he had defended them by name twice from the Vatican earlier this year.

He also disclosed that he cried when he met a group of Rohingya refugees on Friday in Bangladesh, where he defended their rights by name in an emotional meeting.

He told the crowd where the Rohingya were that God&#39;s presence was within them and they should be respected.

&quot;I was crying and tried to hide it,&quot; Francis said on the plane, recounting how moved he felt when the refugees recounted their ordeals to him.

About 625,000 Rohingyas have escaped from Myanmar to Bangladesh following a military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on August 25.

Refugees have said scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, people were killed and women were raped. The military have denied accusations of ethnic cleansing by the United States and United Nations. 
 
(With inputs from Reuters)

Francis said he knew that if he had used the word in official speeches, Myanmar's military leaders would have 'closed the door in our faces'

Pope Francis on Saturday explaned why he had avoided the use of the term "Rohingya" on the first leg of his trip in Myanmar. The pontiff said he knew that had he used the word in official speeches, Myanmar's military leaders wold have "closed the door in our faces" and that he wanted to be allowed to go "further in the private meetings." "I knew that if in the official speeches I would have used that word, they would have closed the door in our faces. But (in public) I described situations, rights, said that no one should be excluded, (the right to) citizenship, in order to allow myself to go further in the private meetings," he told reporters aboard the plane returning to Rome from Bangladesh. The pope said he believed he got his message across to both the civilian and military leadership without shutting down dialogue, Reuters reported. (Also Read: Myanmar social media anger after Pope says 'Rohingya') He also indicated that he had been firm with Myanmar's military leaders in private meetings about the need for them to respect the rights of Rohingya refugees. "For me, the most important thing is that message gets through, to try to say things one step at a time and listen to the responses," he said. The pope met Myanmar's military leaders privately on Monday, shortly after his arrival in the nation's biggest city, Yangon. About his meeting with the military leaders, Pope Francis said, "It was a good conversation and the truth was non-negotiable." Asked if he used the word Rohingya during the private meeting with the military chiefs, the pope said: "I used words in order to arrive at the message and when I saw that the message had arrived, I dared to say everything that I wanted say". He then gave a reporter a mischievous grin and ended his answer with the Latin phrase "Intelligenti Pauca," which means "Few words are enough for those who understand," strongly hinting that he had used the word the military detests while in their presence. Myanmar, predominantly a Buddhist country, does not consider the Muslim Rohingya as an ethnic group with its own identity but as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Local Roman Catholic Church authorities had advised him not to say the word "Rohingya" because it could spark a backlash against Christians and other minority groups. On Friday in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, Francis held an emotional encounter with Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and then used the word Rohingya for the first time on the trip, although he had defended them by name twice from the Vatican earlier this year. He also disclosed that he cried when he met a group of Rohingya refugees on Friday in Bangladesh, where he defended their rights by name in an emotional meeting. He told the crowd where the Rohingya were that God's presence was within them and they should be respected. "I was crying and tried to hide it," Francis said on the plane, recounting how moved he felt when the refugees recounted their ordeals to him. About 625,000 Rohingyas have escaped from Myanmar to Bangladesh following a military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on August 25. Refugees have said scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, people were killed and women were raped. The military have denied accusations of ethnic cleansing by the United States and United Nations. (With inputs from Reuters)

Pope explains why he did not say 'Rohingya'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/shashi-kapoor-passes-away-at-79-25844" target="_blank">Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor passes away at 79</a>

Veteran Bollywood superstar Shashi Kapoor died aged 79 on Monday. The actor&#39;s death has left the cinema industry and his family in a state of shock.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/repeatedly-said-charges-against-me-fabricated-and-baseless-mallya-25834" target="_blank">Repeatedly said charges against me fabricated and baseless: Mallya</a>

Liquor baron&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vijay-mallya-arrested-in-london-appears-in-court-granted-bail-20957">Vijay Mallya appeared in London&#39;s&nbsp;</a>Westminster court today and declared that charges against him were &quot;false, fabricated and baseless&quot; as India continues to push for former Kingfisher chief&#39;s extradition.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-explains-why-he-did-not-say-rohingya-25787" target="_blank">Pope explains why he did not say &#39;Rohingya&#39;</a>

Pope Francis on Saturday explained why he had avoided the use of the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; on the first leg of his trip in Myanmar. The pontiff said he knew that had he used the word in official speeches, Myanmar&#39;s military leaders would have &quot;closed the door in our faces&quot; and that he wanted to be allowed to go &quot;further in the private meetings.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/asurya-prakash-re-appointed-as-chairman-of-prasar-bharti-25825" target="_blank">A.Surya Prakash takes charge as chairman of Prasar Bharti</a>

A.Surya Prakash has been re-appointed as the chairman of the public broadcaster Prasar Bharti. He took charge of the post from today.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/yemen-president-orders-forces-to-retake-sanaa-as-saudi-planes-continue-air-strikes-25839" target="_blank">Yemen president orders forces to retake Sanaa as Saudi planes continue air strikes</a>

Yemen&#39;s<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uae-denies-yemens-houthis-fired-missile-at-abu-dhabi-nuclear-reactor-25768">&nbsp;PM Ahmad Obaid bin Daghr said the</a>&nbsp;government will &quot;grant amnesty&quot;&nbsp;to all those all nationals who cut ties with rebels even as the president ordered forces to retake the capital city Sanaa.&nbsp;

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Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor passes away at 79 Veteran Bollywood superstar Shashi Kapoor died aged 79 on Monday. The actor's death has left the cinema industry and his family in a state of shock. Repeatedly said charges against me fabricated and baseless: Mallya Liquor baron Vijay Mallya appeared in London's Westminster court today and declared that charges against him were "false, fabricated and baseless" as India continues to push for former Kingfisher chief's extradition. Pope explains why he did not say 'Rohingya' Pope Francis on Saturday explained why he had avoided the use of the term "Rohingya" on the first leg of his trip in Myanmar. The pontiff said he knew that had he used the word in official speeches, Myanmar's military leaders would have "closed the door in our faces" and that he wanted to be allowed to go "further in the private meetings." A.Surya Prakash takes charge as chairman of Prasar Bharti A.Surya Prakash has been re-appointed as the chairman of the public broadcaster Prasar Bharti. He took charge of the post from today. Yemen president orders forces to retake Sanaa as Saudi planes continue air strikes Yemen's PM Ahmad Obaid bin Daghr said the government will "grant amnesty" to all those all nationals who cut ties with rebels even as the president ordered forces to retake the capital city Sanaa.

WION Evening News brief, 4 December 2017

Pope Francis&#39;s embrace of the Rohingya during a trip to Bangladesh has sparked some angry comment on social media in Myanmar, where just days earlier he chose not to publicly air their plight.

On Friday the head of the Catholic church met a group of refugees from Myanmar&#39;s stateless Muslim minority in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.&nbsp;

He referred to them as &quot;Rohingya&quot; - a term unacceptable to many in Myanmar where they are reviled as alleged &quot;Bengali&quot; illegal immigrants rather than as a distinct ethnic group.

During his public addresses on the previous leg of his trip in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, Francis did not refer to the group by name or directly allude to the crisis in Rakhine state, from where over 620,000 Rohingya have fled since August.

His caution initially won applause from Myanmar&#39;s tiny Catholic minority - who feared a nationalist blowback - as well as from Buddhist hardliners, who are on the defensive after a global outcry about the treatment of the group.

A deadly attack by Rohingya militants on police posts in late August sparked a ferocious crackdown in Rakhine by the Myanmar military, which the US and UN describe as ethnic cleansing.

As he arrived back at the Vatican, the pontiff said he had taken up the Rohingya cause in private in Myanmar, also describing how he wept after meeting the group of refugees.

&quot;I wept: I tried to do it in a way that it couldn&#39;t be seen,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;They wept too.&quot;

The comments sparked a flurry of online anger in Myanmar, a country locked off from modern communications for five decades but which now has an active social media.

&quot;He is like a lizard whose colour has changed because of weather,&quot; said Facebook user Aung Soe Lin of the pope&#39;s strikingly different stances on the crisis.&nbsp;

&quot;He should be a salesman or broker for using different words even though he is a religious leader,&quot; said another Facebook user called Soe Soe.

Myanmar&#39;s Catholic church had advised Francis not to stray into the incendiary issue of the status of the Rohingya in Myanmar, in case he worsened tensions and endangered Christians.

In his public addresses he treaded softly on the topic, urging unity, compassion and respect for all ethnic groups - but not naming the Rohingya.

&quot;The Pope is a holy person... but he said something here (in Myanmar) and he said different in another country,&quot; another Facebook user Ye Linn Maung posted. &quot;He should say the same things if he loves the truth.&quot;

Others were more sanguine about Francis&#39;&nbsp;choice of language once he had left Myanmar soil.

Maung Thway Chun, chairman of an unofficial party of nationalists called the 135 Patriots Party, applauded the pope&#39;s decision not to name them in Myanmar despite pressure from rights groups.

&quot;It means he respects Myanmar people,&quot; he said. &quot;He even did not use the word many times in Bangladesh... I think he said it once, just to comfort human rights organisations.&quot;

Pope Francis referred to the refugees as 'Rohingya' - a term unacceptable to many in Myanmar where they are reviled as alleged 'Bengali' illegal immigrants rather than as a distinct ethnic group

Pope Francis's embrace of the Rohingya during a trip to Bangladesh has sparked some angry comment on social media in Myanmar, where just days earlier he chose not to publicly air their plight. On Friday the head of the Catholic church met a group of refugees from Myanmar's stateless Muslim minority in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. He referred to them as "Rohingya" - a term unacceptable to many in Myanmar where they are reviled as alleged "Bengali" illegal immigrants rather than as a distinct ethnic group. During his public addresses on the previous leg of his trip in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, Francis did not refer to the group by name or directly allude to the crisis in Rakhine state, from where over 620,000 Rohingya have fled since August. His caution initially won applause from Myanmar's tiny Catholic minority - who feared a nationalist blowback - as well as from Buddhist hardliners, who are on the defensive after a global outcry about the treatment of the group. A deadly attack by Rohingya militants on police posts in late August sparked a ferocious crackdown in Rakhine by the Myanmar military, which the US and UN describe as ethnic cleansing. As he arrived back at the Vatican, the pontiff said he had taken up the Rohingya cause in private in Myanmar, also describing how he wept after meeting the group of refugees. "I wept: I tried to do it in a way that it couldn't be seen," he told reporters. "They wept too." The comments sparked a flurry of online anger in Myanmar, a country locked off from modern communications for five decades but which now has an active social media. "He is like a lizard whose colour has changed because of weather," said Facebook user Aung Soe Lin of the pope's strikingly different stances on the crisis. "He should be a salesman or broker for using different words even though he is a religious leader," said another Facebook user called Soe Soe. Myanmar's Catholic church had advised Francis not to stray into the incendiary issue of the status of the Rohingya in Myanmar, in case he worsened tensions and endangered Christians. In his public addresses he treaded softly on the topic, urging unity, compassion and respect for all ethnic groups - but not naming the Rohingya. "The Pope is a holy person... but he said something here (in Myanmar) and he said different in another country," another Facebook user Ye Linn Maung posted. "He should say the same things if he loves the truth." Others were more sanguine about Francis' choice of language once he had left Myanmar soil. Maung Thway Chun, chairman of an unofficial party of nationalists called the 135 Patriots Party, applauded the pope's decision not to name them in Myanmar despite pressure from rights groups. "It means he respects Myanmar people," he said. "He even did not use the word many times in Bangladesh... I think he said it once, just to comfort human rights organisations."

Myanmar social media anger after Pope says 'Rohingya'

Pope Francis landed in Bangladesh on Thursday after a diplomatically sensitive trip to mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where he made no direct reference to the plight of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh in their hundreds of thousands.

The pope&rsquo;s trip to mostly Muslim Bangladesh is likely to less sensitive though his words will be closely watched following his decision not to use the word &ldquo;Rohingya&rdquo; in public during his four-day Myanmar trip to avoid a diplomatic incident with the country some have accused of ethnic cleansing.

On Friday, the pope is expected to meet a group of Rohingya refugees from among the roughly 625,000 who have fled to Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar since the end of August.

&ldquo;He did not even pronounce the word &lsquo;Rohingya&rsquo; in Myanmar,&rdquo; H.T. Imam, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s political adviser, told Reuters on Thursday.

&ldquo;Here we would be looking forward to what he says.&rdquo;

Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid welcomed the pope at Dhaka airport. Hamid and the pope were both due to make speeches later in the day and to raise the refugee crisis.

The Vatican on Wednesday said the pope&rsquo;s moral authority was unblemished by his failure to refer to the persecuted Myanmar Muslim minority by the name they chose to identify themselves by, and his mere presence drew attention to the refugee crisis.

Pope Francis's trip to mostly Muslim Bangladesh is likely to be less sensitive, though his words will be closely watched following his decision not to use the word 'Rohingya' in public during his four-day Myanmar trip to avoid a diplomatic incident in the country

Pope Francis landed in Bangladesh on Thursday after a diplomatically sensitive trip to mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where he made no direct reference to the plight of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh in their hundreds of thousands. The pope’s trip to mostly Muslim Bangladesh is likely to less sensitive though his words will be closely watched following his decision not to use the word “Rohingya” in public during his four-day Myanmar trip to avoid a diplomatic incident with the country some have accused of ethnic cleansing. On Friday, the pope is expected to meet a group of Rohingya refugees from among the roughly 625,000 who have fled to Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar since the end of August. “He did not even pronounce the word ‘Rohingya’ in Myanmar,” H.T. Imam, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political adviser, told Reuters on Thursday. “Here we would be looking forward to what he says.” Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid welcomed the pope at Dhaka airport. Hamid and the pope were both due to make speeches later in the day and to raise the refugee crisis. The Vatican on Wednesday said the pope’s moral authority was unblemished by his failure to refer to the persecuted Myanmar Muslim minority by the name they chose to identify themselves by, and his mere presence drew attention to the refugee crisis.

Rohingya crisis: After visiting Myanmar, Pope arrives in Bangladesh

Pope Francis addressed a gathering<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-meets-aung-san-suu-kyi-as-rohingya-crisis-simmers-25346"> of Myanmar&#39;s Buddhist monks today </a>and urged them to &quot;surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred&quot;.

Pope Francis has avoided using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; during his visit to Myanmar, following the advice of Vatican insiders who feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmar&#39;s military and government against minority Christians, Reuters reported.

Vatican insiders also feel hardline Buddhist monks could turn against the Pope and Christians living in Myanmar if the Pope pushes too hard on the Rohingya crisis.

In his speech to the Buddhist monks the Pope said: &quot;If we are to be united, as is our purpose, we need to surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred&quot;.

Prayers were then read by members of the congregation in the Shan, Chin, Karen, Kachin and Kayan languages.

The prayer in Karen read: &quot;For the leaders of Myanmar, that they may always foster peace and reconciliation through dialogue and understanding, thus promoting an end to conflict in the states of Kachin, Rakhine, and Shan, we pray to the lord.&quot;

The Pope is on a four-day visit to Myanmar which has been racked by the Rohingya crisis and has been severely criticised the world over for it handling of the refugee issue.

The Pope had met Myanmar&#39;s military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and&nbsp;Nobel peace laureate&nbsp;Aung San Suu Kyi&nbsp;in the last two days and appealed for peace and calm amid the spiralling Rohingya crisis.

Reuters said&nbsp;Vatican sources feel the Pope&#39;s&nbsp;trip to Myanmar was decided too hastily.

Pope Francis will leave for Bangladesh on Thursday, where he will meet a group of Rohingya refugees in the capital, Dhaka.

Vatican insiders also feel hardline Buddhist monks could turn against the Pope and Christians living in Myanmar if the Pope pushes too hard on the Rohingya crisis.

Pope Francis addressed a gathering of Myanmar's Buddhist monks today and urged them to "surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred". Pope Francis has avoided using the term "Rohingya" during his visit to Myanmar, following the advice of Vatican insiders who feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmar's military and government against minority Christians, Reuters reported. Vatican insiders also feel hardline Buddhist monks could turn against the Pope and Christians living in Myanmar if the Pope pushes too hard on the Rohingya crisis. In his speech to the Buddhist monks the Pope said: "If we are to be united, as is our purpose, we need to surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred". Prayers were then read by members of the congregation in the Shan, Chin, Karen, Kachin and Kayan languages. The prayer in Karen read: "For the leaders of Myanmar, that they may always foster peace and reconciliation through dialogue and understanding, thus promoting an end to conflict in the states of Kachin, Rakhine, and Shan, we pray to the lord." The Pope is on a four-day visit to Myanmar which has been racked by the Rohingya crisis and has been severely criticised the world over for it handling of the refugee issue. The Pope had met Myanmar's military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in the last two days and appealed for peace and calm amid the spiralling Rohingya crisis. Reuters said Vatican sources feel the Pope's trip to Myanmar was decided too hastily. Pope Francis will leave for Bangladesh on Thursday, where he will meet a group of Rohingya refugees in the capital, Dhaka.

?Pope Francis addresses Myanmar's Buddhist monks, avoids using the term 'Rohingya' again

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-addresses-myanmars-buddhist-monks-avoids-using-the-term-rohingya-again-25447" target="_blank">Pope Francis addresses Myanmar&#39;s Buddhist monks, avoids using the term &#39;Rohingya&#39; again</a>

Pope Francis addressed a gathering<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-meets-aung-san-suu-kyi-as-rohingya-crisis-simmers-25346">&nbsp;of Myanmar&#39;s Buddhist monks today&nbsp;</a>and urged them to &quot;surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred&quot;. Pope Francis has avoided using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; during his visit to Myanmar, following the advice of Vatican insiders who feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmar&#39;s military and government against minority Christians, Reuters reported.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-ivanka-concludes-india-trip-with-visit-to-golconda-fort-25453" target="_blank">After GES, Ivanka concludes India trip with visit to Golconda Fort</a>

Advisor to United States President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ivanka-trump-arrives-in-hyderabad-to-addressing-the-global-entrepreneurship-summit-ges-25300" target="_blank">Ivanka Trump</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday concluded her three-day trip to India by visiting the iconic Golconda Fort. Ivanka, who posed for shutterbugs there, was taken on a guided tour of the fort and was accompanied by India&#39;s Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna, and others.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-is-it-that-you-have-against-our-army-pm-modi-asks-congress-25435" target="_blank">&#39;What is it that you have against our army,&#39; PM Modi asks Congress at Gujarat election rally</a>

While addressing a rally in Prachi, Gujarat,&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Congress &quot;What is it that you have against our army?&quot;&nbsp;Referring to One Rank One Pension(OROP), he said the demand for raising pension for the armed forces was pending for forty long years, obliquely referring to the Congress.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pervez-musharraf-im-lashkars-biggest-supporter-they-like-me-too-25405" target="_blank">I am Lashkar&#39;s biggest supporter, I know they like me: Pervez Musharraf</a>

Pervez Musharraf has said that he is banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba&#39;s (LeT) &quot;biggest supporter&quot; and that he is aware that they &quot;like&quot; him too.&nbsp;In an interview with Pakistan&#39;s ARY News, Musharraf said that he is similarly appreciative of&nbsp;LeT co-founder and the man thought to be the&nbsp;mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Hafiz Saeed.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bcci-retires-sachin-tendulkars-no-10-jersey-25409" target="_blank">BCCI retires Sachin Tendulkar&#39;s No. 10 jersey</a>

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has &quot;unofficially&quot; retired the No 10 jersey worn by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar all through his One Day International (ODI) career.

&nbsp;

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Pope Francis addresses Myanmar's Buddhist monks, avoids using the term 'Rohingya' again Pope Francis addressed a gathering of Myanmar's Buddhist monks today and urged them to "surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred". Pope Francis has avoided using the term "Rohingya" during his visit to Myanmar, following the advice of Vatican insiders who feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmar's military and government against minority Christians, Reuters reported. After GES, Ivanka concludes India trip with visit to Golconda Fort Advisor to United States President Donald Trump Ivanka Trump on Wednesday concluded her three-day trip to India by visiting the iconic Golconda Fort. Ivanka, who posed for shutterbugs there, was taken on a guided tour of the fort and was accompanied by India's Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna, and others. 'What is it that you have against our army,' PM Modi asks Congress at Gujarat election rally While addressing a rally in Prachi, Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Congress "What is it that you have against our army?" Referring to One Rank One Pension(OROP), he said the demand for raising pension for the armed forces was pending for forty long years, obliquely referring to the Congress. I am Lashkar's biggest supporter, I know they like me: Pervez Musharraf Pervez Musharraf has said that he is banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) "biggest supporter" and that he is aware that they "like" him too. In an interview with Pakistan's ARY News, Musharraf said that he is similarly appreciative of LeT co-founder and the man thought to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Hafiz Saeed. BCCI retires Sachin Tendulkar's No. 10 jersey The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has "unofficially" retired the No 10 jersey worn by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar all through his One Day International (ODI) career.

WION Evening News Brief, November 29, 2017

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-crisis-pope-francis-meets-myanmars-military-chief-25272">A day after meeting the military chief</a>, Pope Francis met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the presidential palace in&nbsp;Naypyidaw today.

The Pope avoided using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; during the address to the nation which was closely watched by the mainly Buddhist population of the country.

Without referring directly to the Rohingya crisis, the Pope said Myanmar&nbsp;should respect&nbsp;&#39;&#39;each ethnicity and its identity&quot; and called for &quot;justice and respect for human rights&quot;.

Pope Francis met Aung San Suu Kyi for 45 minutes in the presidential palace.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-to-meet-myanmars-leader-suu-kyi-25328">The Pope who is on a four-day</a> visit to Myanmar had met General Min Aung Hlaing on Monday, during the meeting General &nbsp;Hlaing had said his country does not have any religious discrimination and the &quot;military performs for the peace and stability of the country&quot;.

The military has come under increasing criticism for its handling of the Rohingya crisis with reports of large-scale persecution by the Myanmar Army.

 
&nbsp;

Pope Francis met Aung San Suu Kyi for 45 minutes in the presidential palace with the Rohingya crisis being the prime focus of discussion.

A day after meeting the military chief, Pope Francis met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the presidential palace in Naypyidaw today. The Pope avoided using the term "Rohingya" during the address to the nation which was closely watched by the mainly Buddhist population of the country. Without referring directly to the Rohingya crisis, the Pope said Myanmar should respect ''each ethnicity and its identity" and called for "justice and respect for human rights". Pope Francis met Aung San Suu Kyi for 45 minutes in the presidential palace. The Pope who is on a four-day visit to Myanmar had met General Min Aung Hlaing on Monday, during the meeting General Hlaing had said his country does not have any religious discrimination and the "military performs for the peace and stability of the country". The military has come under increasing criticism for its handling of the Rohingya crisis with reports of large-scale persecution by the Myanmar Army.

Pope Francis meets Aung San Suu Kyi, avoids using the term 'Rohingya'

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been stripped of the honorific freedom of Oxford, the British city where she studied and raised her children, over her &quot;inaction&quot; in the Rohingya crisis.

&quot;When Aung San Suu Kyi was given the Freedom of the City in 1997 it was because she reflected Oxford&#39;s values of tolerance and internationalism,&quot; the city council said in a statement issued late Monday.&nbsp;

&quot;Today we have taken the unprecedented step of stripping her of the city&#39;s highest honour because of her inaction in the face of the oppression of the minority Rohingya population,&quot; added the release, which was published after a unanimous vote.

&quot;Our reputation is tarnished by honouring those who turn a blind eye to violence.&quot;

Oxford&#39;s world-renowned university removed portraits of Suu Kyi, a former student, from its walls in September.

Suu Kyi&#39;s late husband Michael Aris was a lecturer in Asian history at the university, and the couple lived and raised their two sons in the city.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner has come under fire for failing to speak up in defence of the minority Muslim community.

The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world&#39;s largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

'Today we have taken the unprecedented step of stripping her of the city's highest honour because of her inaction in the face of the oppression of the minority Rohingya population,' said the release, which was published after a unanimous vote

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been stripped of the honorific freedom of Oxford, the British city where she studied and raised her children, over her "inaction" in the Rohingya crisis. "When Aung San Suu Kyi was given the Freedom of the City in 1997 it was because she reflected Oxford's values of tolerance and internationalism," the city council said in a statement issued late Monday. "Today we have taken the unprecedented step of stripping her of the city's highest honour because of her inaction in the face of the oppression of the minority Rohingya population," added the release, which was published after a unanimous vote. "Our reputation is tarnished by honouring those who turn a blind eye to violence." Oxford's world-renowned university removed portraits of Suu Kyi, a former student, from its walls in September. Suu Kyi's late husband Michael Aris was a lecturer in Asian history at the university, and the couple lived and raised their two sons in the city. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has come under fire for failing to speak up in defence of the minority Muslim community. The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world's largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes "ethnic cleansing".

Rohingya 'inaction': Oxford strips Suu Kyi of 'Freedom of City' honour

Pope Francis will hold talks with Myanmar&#39;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday, a key moment of a tour aimed at alleviating religious and ethnic hatreds that have driven huge numbers of Muslim Rohingya from the country.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been ostracised by a global rights community that once adored her but is now outraged at her tepid reaction to the plight of the Rohingya.

After the talks in the capital Naypyidaw, the pontiff will address Suu Kyi and diplomats there -- his first opportunity to speak publicly about the conflict that looms over his trip.

The 80-year-old pontiff late Monday received a &quot;courtesy visit&quot; from the powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- whose troops, according to the UN and US, have waged a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya from Rakhine state.&nbsp;

General Min Aung Hlaing has firmly denied allegations of widespread brutality by his forces, despite the flight to Bangladesh since late August of 620,000 Rohingya who have recounted widespread cases of rape, murder and arson.

His office said he told the pope there was &quot;no discrimination&quot; in Myanmar, and praised his military for maintaining &quot;the peace and stability of the country&quot;.

The pope has repeatedly spoken out from afar about the crisis, standing up for what he has called his Rohingya &quot;brothers and sisters&quot;.

A similar approach in Myanmar is fraught with danger -- using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; is unacceptable in a mainly Buddhist country where the Muslim minority are denied citizenship and branded illegal &quot;Bengali&quot; immigrants.

The country is listening closely to see if Francis will use the word &quot;Rohingya&quot; on Myanmar soil, and risk provoking the outrage of Buddhist nationalists.

Early Tuesday, day two of his four-day visit, the pontiff met leaders from Buddhist, Muslim, Baptist and Jewish faiths in Yangon.

The conversation centred around themes of unity in diversity, with the pope sharing a prayer and giving a &quot;very, very beautiful speech&quot;, according to Sammy Samuels, a representative from the small Jewish community.&nbsp;

Francis flies up to Naypyidaw Tuesday afternoon to meet Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Lady, as she is fondly known in Myanmar, finally came to power after elections in 2015 but has fallen from grace internationally for not doing more to stand up to the army in defence of the Rohingya -- whose name she will not publicly utter.

Rights groups have clamoured for Suu Kyi to be stripped of her peace prize. Oxford, the English city she once called home, on Monday removed her Freedom of the City award for her &quot;inaction&quot; in the face of oppression of the Rohingya.

Catholics congregate

So far, the pontiff has received a warm welcome to the majority Buddhist nation.

Myanmar&#39;s Catholic community numbers just over one percent of the country&#39;s 51 million people.

But some 200,000 Catholics are pouring into the commercial capital Yangon from all corners of the country ahead of a huge, open-air mass on Wednesday.

Zaw Sai, 52, from Kachin state, found space for himself and his family to camp out in a churchyard.&nbsp;

&quot;We feel very pleased because we are from different ethnicities but are one in our religion,&quot; he told AFP. &nbsp;

Just days before the papal visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a deal to start repatriating Rohingya refugees within two months.

But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of returning without guarantees of basic rights.

Francis will travel on to Bangladesh on Thursday. 
&nbsp;

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been ostracised by a global rights community that once adored her but is now outraged at her tepid reaction to the plight of the Rohingya

Pope Francis will hold talks with Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday, a key moment of a tour aimed at alleviating religious and ethnic hatreds that have driven huge numbers of Muslim Rohingya from the country. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been ostracised by a global rights community that once adored her but is now outraged at her tepid reaction to the plight of the Rohingya. After the talks in the capital Naypyidaw, the pontiff will address Suu Kyi and diplomats there -- his first opportunity to speak publicly about the conflict that looms over his trip. The 80-year-old pontiff late Monday received a "courtesy visit" from the powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- whose troops, according to the UN and US, have waged a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya from Rakhine state. General Min Aung Hlaing has firmly denied allegations of widespread brutality by his forces, despite the flight to Bangladesh since late August of 620,000 Rohingya who have recounted widespread cases of rape, murder and arson. His office said he told the pope there was "no discrimination" in Myanmar, and praised his military for maintaining "the peace and stability of the country". The pope has repeatedly spoken out from afar about the crisis, standing up for what he has called his Rohingya "brothers and sisters". A similar approach in Myanmar is fraught with danger -- using the term "Rohingya" is unacceptable in a mainly Buddhist country where the Muslim minority are denied citizenship and branded illegal "Bengali" immigrants. The country is listening closely to see if Francis will use the word "Rohingya" on Myanmar soil, and risk provoking the outrage of Buddhist nationalists. Early Tuesday, day two of his four-day visit, the pontiff met leaders from Buddhist, Muslim, Baptist and Jewish faiths in Yangon. The conversation centred around themes of unity in diversity, with the pope sharing a prayer and giving a "very, very beautiful speech", according to Sammy Samuels, a representative from the small Jewish community. Francis flies up to Naypyidaw Tuesday afternoon to meet Aung San Suu Kyi. The Lady, as she is fondly known in Myanmar, finally came to power after elections in 2015 but has fallen from grace internationally for not doing more to stand up to the army in defence of the Rohingya -- whose name she will not publicly utter. Rights groups have clamoured for Suu Kyi to be stripped of her peace prize. Oxford, the English city she once called home, on Monday removed her Freedom of the City award for her "inaction" in the face of oppression of the Rohingya. Catholics congregate So far, the pontiff has received a warm welcome to the majority Buddhist nation. Myanmar's Catholic community numbers just over one percent of the country's 51 million people. But some 200,000 Catholics are pouring into the commercial capital Yangon from all corners of the country ahead of a huge, open-air mass on Wednesday. Zaw Sai, 52, from Kachin state, found space for himself and his family to camp out in a churchyard. "We feel very pleased because we are from different ethnicities but are one in our religion," he told AFP. Just days before the papal visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a deal to start repatriating Rohingya refugees within two months. But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of returning without guarantees of basic rights. Francis will travel on to Bangladesh on Thursday.

Pope to meet Myanmar leader Suu Kyi today

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-warns-myanmar-religious-leaders-against-cultural-colonialism-25357">After months of wrangling over the issue</a>, Bangladesh government today approved a project to develop an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal to temporarily house Rohingya refugees.

A Bangladesh government <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-meets-aung-san-suu-kyi-as-rohingya-crisis-simmers-25346">committee headed by PM Sheikh Hasina</a> has approved the plan to develop Bhashan Char island, considered to be flood-prone into a temporary housing area for Rohingya refugees who have fled from Myanmar.

The UN estimates over 600,000 refugees have already crossed over to Bangladesh with several more expected in the months ahead.

Bangladesh&#39;s planning minister Mustafa Kamal told Reuters the project to house the Rohingya refugees would be completed in the next two years.

&ldquo;Many people are living in dire conditions,&quot; Kamal said, adding,&quot;it is a threat to both security and the environment.&quot;

Bangladesh&#39;s decision to set up housing for Rohingyas in the remote island in the Bay of Bengal comes even as it reached an agreement with the Myanmar government on repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi had said last week that repatriation of the Rohingya refugees would be based on residency and that it will be &ldquo;safe and voluntary&rdquo;.

However, Myanmar&#39;s army chief had said Rohingya refugees cannot return to Rakhine state until &quot;real Myanmar citizens&quot; are ready to accept them signalling their repatriation was still a long way off.&nbsp;

The army chief also said Myanmar would &quot;not allow the return of all Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh&quot;.

The UN estimates over 600,000 refugees have already crossed over to Bangladesh with several more expected in the months ahead.

After months of wrangling over the issue, Bangladesh government today approved a project to develop an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal to temporarily house Rohingya refugees. A Bangladesh government committee headed by PM Sheikh Hasina has approved the plan to develop Bhashan Char island, considered to be flood-prone into a temporary housing area for Rohingya refugees who have fled from Myanmar. The UN estimates over 600,000 refugees have already crossed over to Bangladesh with several more expected in the months ahead. Bangladesh's planning minister Mustafa Kamal told Reuters the project to house the Rohingya refugees would be completed in the next two years. “Many people are living in dire conditions," Kamal said, adding,"it is a threat to both security and the environment." Bangladesh's decision to set up housing for Rohingyas in the remote island in the Bay of Bengal comes even as it reached an agreement with the Myanmar government on repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi had said last week that repatriation of the Rohingya refugees would be based on residency and that it will be “safe and voluntary”. However, Myanmar's army chief had said Rohingya refugees cannot return to Rakhine state until "real Myanmar citizens" are ready to accept them signalling their repatriation was still a long way off. The army chief also said Myanmar would "not allow the return of all Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh".

Bangladesh approves plan to house Rohingyas in Bay of Bengal island

The U.N. Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar that have driven more than 600,000 into Bangladesh since August, U.N. sources said on Monday.

&quot;There will be a special session on December 5,&quot; a senior United Nations source told Reuters.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-arrives-in-myanmar-on-high-stakes-visit-25246">Rohingya crisis: Pope arrives in Myanmar</a>

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra&#39;ad al-Hussein has described the Myanmar army&#39;s crackdown in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

The military has denied the accusations of murder, rape, torture and forced displacement.

'There will be a special session on December 5,' a senior United Nations source told Reuters

The U.N. Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar that have driven more than 600,000 into Bangladesh since August, U.N. sources said on Monday. "There will be a special session on December 5," a senior United Nations source told Reuters. Also read: Rohingya crisis: Pope arrives in Myanmar U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has described the Myanmar army's crackdown in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. The military has denied the accusations of murder, rape, torture and forced displacement.

UN rights forum to hold special session on Rohingya: UN sources

Myanmar&#39;s Army chief General Min Aung Hlaing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-arrives-in-myanmar-on-high-stakes-visit-25246">met Pope Francis in </a>Yangon today as tensions between Bangladesh and Myanmar continued to simmer even after three months since&nbsp;the exodus of Rohingyas from&nbsp;Rakhine state.

A motorcade arrived at the archbishop&#39;s residence as the Pope arrived earlier in Myanmar with people on the streets coming out in huge numbers to welcome him.

During the meeting, Hlaing told Pope Francis that Myanmar had &quot;no religious discrimination&quot; as the two men spoke with each other for the first time.

&quot;Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all,&quot; adding, &quot;Likewise our military too... performs for the peace and stability of the country,&quot;&nbsp;Hlaing said.

The Pope who is on a four-day visit to the country will meet the Rohingya refugees including Myanmar leader Suu Kyi.

On November 29, the Pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country&#39;s highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy.

Pope Francis is visiting Myanmar for the first time.

A motorcade arrived at the archbishop's residence as the Pope arrived earlier in the day with people on the streets coming out in huge numbers to welcome him.

Myanmar's Army chief General Min Aung Hlaing met Pope Francis in Yangon today as tensions between Bangladesh and Myanmar continued to simmer even after three months since the exodus of Rohingyas from Rakhine state. A motorcade arrived at the archbishop's residence as the Pope arrived earlier in Myanmar with people on the streets coming out in huge numbers to welcome him. During the meeting, Hlaing told Pope Francis that Myanmar had "no religious discrimination" as the two men spoke with each other for the first time. "Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all," adding, "Likewise our military too... performs for the peace and stability of the country," Hlaing said. The Pope who is on a four-day visit to the country will meet the Rohingya refugees including Myanmar leader Suu Kyi. On November 29, the Pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country's highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy. Pope Francis is visiting Myanmar for the first time.

'No religious discrimination in Myanmar,' military chief to Pope Francis

Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh following a repatriation agreement will initially live in temporary shelters or camps, Dhaka said Saturday, a day after the UN raised concern for their safety when they go back.

The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world`s largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-ethnic-cleansing-of-myanmars-rohingya-24870">ethnic cleansing</a>&quot;.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the &quot;earliest&quot; opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday.

&quot;Primarily they will be kept at temporary shelters or arrangements for a limited time,&quot; Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali told reporters in the capital.

The comments come after the UN refugee agency UNHCR on Friday raised concerns over the agreement, saying conditions to enable refugees to safely return to Rakhine State were not in place.

Under the deal, Yangon will &quot;encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households&quot; in Rakhine State or &quot;to a safe and secure place nearest to it&quot;.&nbsp;

However most of the Rohingya villages were burnt during the violence, Ali said, and refugees would have no choice but to live in temporary shelters there.

&quot;There are no houses. Where will they live? It is not possible to physically (return to their own homes),&quot; he said.

Under the terms of the agreement, Myanmar will ensure temporary shelters are only a short-term option and that refugees` &quot;freedom of movement in the Rakhine State will be allowed in conformity with the existing laws and regulations&quot;.

More than 100,000 Rohingya have been living in grim camps for internally displaced persons since violence erupted in Rakhine in 2012.

Rohingya activist Mohammad Zubair told AFP that &quot;Rohingya people will never agree to voluntary repatriation if they are not taken back to their villages and their land returned to them&quot;.&nbsp;

He said Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a similar repatriation agreement in 1992, which led to the return of some 200,000 Rohingya to Rakhine, but unresolved problems, including the issue of citizenship, continue to fester.

The stateless Rohingya have been systematically oppressed by Myanmar, which has stripped the minority of citizenship and severely restricts their movement, as well as their access to basic services.

Myanmar`s government says Rohingya are interlopers from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, even though many can trace their roots in Myanmar back generations.

&quot;Unless we get citizenship in Myanmar, no way the Rohingya will this time return to Rakhine,&quot; Zubair said.

UNHCR has echoed the concerns of the Rohingya, saying all returns must include &quot;the informed consent of refugees&quot;.

According to the agreement, some 700,000 Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh since October 2016 will be considered for repatriation.

But that still leaves hundreds of thousands of Rohingya -&nbsp;some of whom fled Myanmar years or decades ago - in Bangladesh.

&quot;The repatriation of residents who crossed over to Bangladesh earlier will be considered separately on the conclusion of the present arrangement,&quot; the newly-signed deal said.&nbsp;

Impoverished and overcrowded Bangladesh has won international praise for allowing the refugees into the country, but has imposed restrictions on their movement and said it does not want them to stay.

The new agreement has already drawn criticism at home, with the main opposition party saying &quot;taking steps to repatriate Rohingyas without stopping repression and genocide in their homeland will be tantamount to pushing them to the hell&quot;.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the "earliest" opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday

Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh following a repatriation agreement will initially live in temporary shelters or camps, Dhaka said Saturday, a day after the UN raised concern for their safety when they go back. The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world`s largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes "ethnic cleansing". Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the "earliest" opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday. "Primarily they will be kept at temporary shelters or arrangements for a limited time," Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali told reporters in the capital. The comments come after the UN refugee agency UNHCR on Friday raised concerns over the agreement, saying conditions to enable refugees to safely return to Rakhine State were not in place. Under the deal, Yangon will "encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households" in Rakhine State or "to a safe and secure place nearest to it". However most of the Rohingya villages were burnt during the violence, Ali said, and refugees would have no choice but to live in temporary shelters there. "There are no houses. Where will they live? It is not possible to physically (return to their own homes)," he said. Under the terms of the agreement, Myanmar will ensure temporary shelters are only a short-term option and that refugees` "freedom of movement in the Rakhine State will be allowed in conformity with the existing laws and regulations". More than 100,000 Rohingya have been living in grim camps for internally displaced persons since violence erupted in Rakhine in 2012. Rohingya activist Mohammad Zubair told AFP that "Rohingya people will never agree to voluntary repatriation if they are not taken back to their villages and their land returned to them". He said Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a similar repatriation agreement in 1992, which led to the return of some 200,000 Rohingya to Rakhine, but unresolved problems, including the issue of citizenship, continue to fester. The stateless Rohingya have been systematically oppressed by Myanmar, which has stripped the minority of citizenship and severely restricts their movement, as well as their access to basic services. Myanmar`s government says Rohingya are interlopers from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, even though many can trace their roots in Myanmar back generations. "Unless we get citizenship in Myanmar, no way the Rohingya will this time return to Rakhine," Zubair said. UNHCR has echoed the concerns of the Rohingya, saying all returns must include "the informed consent of refugees". According to the agreement, some 700,000 Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh since October 2016 will be considered for repatriation. But that still leaves hundreds of thousands of Rohingya - some of whom fled Myanmar years or decades ago - in Bangladesh. "The repatriation of residents who crossed over to Bangladesh earlier will be considered separately on the conclusion of the present arrangement," the newly-signed deal said. Impoverished and overcrowded Bangladesh has won international praise for allowing the refugees into the country, but has imposed restrictions on their movement and said it does not want them to stay. The new agreement has already drawn criticism at home, with the main opposition party saying "taking steps to repatriate Rohingyas without stopping repression and genocide in their homeland will be tantamount to pushing them to the hell".

Rohingya to stay in temporary shelters after return from Myanmar

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