Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Move Rohingya on Bangladesh island to refugee camps: UN chief

Hundreds of Rohingya rescued by Bangladesh and sent to a flood-prone island after being stranded at sea for weeks should be moved to existing refugee camps, the UN secretary general has said.

The appeal by Antonio Guterres to Bangladesh's foreign minister in a letter comes as concern grows over a coronavirus outbreak in the sprawling camps near the border with Myanmar.


A fourth virus case has been detected in the crowded camps, officials said.

The Rohingya on Bhashan Char island -- a silty strip of land prone to violent and potentially deadly monsoon storms -- were rescued in early May after floating adrift in the Bay of Bengal.

Dhaka has said they were not initially sent on to the camps in the southeast as authorities were afraid they might have coronavirus.

Guterres said the 308 refugees should be moved to the camps after their time in quarantine is completed.

"While those rescued at sea may be quarantined for public health purposes, they must also be extended the protection they deserve as refugees," Guterres said in the letter to Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen.

"I trust that they too will benefit from the humanitarian services offered to the Rohingya in Bangladesh and that, at the end of their quarantine period... they will be allowed to rejoin their families in Cox's Bazar."

Dhaka has not said how long the refugees will remain in isolation.

However, Momen said he had yet to receive the letter, but said those concerned about Bhashan Char -- where facilities for 100,000 people were built last year -- should host the Rohingya in their own countries.

"We don't want any more Rohingya," Momen told AFP.

"We don't have any other place to keep them. If they (other countries) don't like Bhashan Char, let them take them back to their countries. (Or) else, let them return to Myanmar."

He said more pressure should be put on Myanmar to repatriate the Rohingya to their home state of Rakhine.

The foreign minister previously said the mainly Muslim refugees would "most likely" have to live in the shelters on Bhashan Char until they return to Rakhine.

New clothes and food

An official with the Bangladesh navy, which is looking after the refugees on the island, said they were "comfortable" and were given new clothes and food including iftar — the daily fast-breaking meal during Ramadan.

He added that authorities were not concerned about a brewing cyclone in the Bay of Bengal as Bhashan Char was fortified with three-metre (9.8-feet) high embankments and had dozens of cyclone shelters.

Nearly one million Rohingya live in squalid camps in Cox's Bazar. Many fled Myanmar after a 2017 military crackdown.

Emergency teams are racing to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the camps. Authorities said Sunday that a fourth Rohingya had tested positive there.

"We have already locked down an entire block, housing 5,500 people," Cox's Bazar health authority chief Mahbubur Rahman said about an area in Kutupalong, the largest of the Rohingya camps.

He said a 200-bed isolation unit was being prepared to treat patients.

More For You

Police officers

Police officers stand guard between an anti fascist group and Tommy Robinson supporters during an anti-immigration rally organised by British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, in London, Britain, September 13, 2025.

REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

UK defends France migrant returns deal after court blocks first removal

THE British government has defended its new migrant returns deal with France after a High Court ruling temporarily blocked the deportation of an Eritrean asylum seeker, marking an early legal setback to the scheme.

The 25-year-old man, who arrived in Britain on a small boat from France on August 12, was due to be placed on an Air France flight from Heathrow to Paris on Wednesday (17) morning. But on Tuesday (16), Judge Clive Sheldon granted an interim injunction, saying there was a “serious issue to be tried” over his claim to be a victim of trafficking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian surgeon sentenced to six years for sexual assault

Dr Amal Bose. (Photo: Lancashire Police)

Asian surgeon sentenced to six years for sexual assault

AN ASIAN senior heart surgeon, who abused his position to sexually assault female members of staff, has been jailed for six years.

Dr Amal Bose, from Lancaster, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault against five colleagues at Blackpool Victoria Hospital between 2017 and 2022. He was cleared of two other charges.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi & Trump

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025.

Reuters

Trump greets Modi on 75th birthday, trade talks continue in Delhi

Highlights:

  • Both leaders reaffirm commitment to India-US partnership
  • Trade talks resume in New Delhi amid tariff tensions
  • India defends purchase of discounted Russian oil

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Tuesday called Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and greeted him ahead of his 75th birthday. The phone call sparked hopes of a reset in India-US ties, which had been under strain after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Forecasters say 30–40mm of rain is likely to fall widely

iStock

Met Office issues yellow weather warnings as heavy rain threatens flooding in 15 UK areas

Highlights:

  • Two yellow weather warnings issued for parts of Wales and the Midlands
  • Up to 70mm of rain expected, bringing risk of flooding, power cuts and travel delays
  • Flood alerts in place for rivers in Cumbria, Devon, Cornwall and Carmarthenshire
  • Residents advised to prepare emergency kits and stay updated with forecasts

Heavy rainfall set to cause disruption

The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings covering parts of Wales and the Midlands today, with forecasters warning of potential flooding, travel disruption and power cuts. Between 6am and 11am, persistent downpours are expected to sweep eastwards, bringing nearly a month’s worth of rain in just a few hours.

Areas under warning

South and southwest Wales are expected to be worst affected, with Ceredigion, Conwy, Gwynedd and Powys in the Midlands also on alert. In Wales, warnings apply to Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Donald Trump and Melania Trump

Donald Trump and Melania Trump exit Air Force One after arriving at London Stansted Airport for a state visit on September 16, 2025 in Stansted, Essex.

Getty Images

UK rolls out royal welcome as Trump begins second state visit

Highlights:

  • Trump begins his second state visit to the UK with a royal welcome at Windsor Castle
  • Prince William, Catherine, King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in ceremony
  • State banquet and trade talks with prime minister Keir Starmer scheduled
  • Protests and security operation mark visit amid political challenges

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump began his unprecedented second state visit to Britain on Wednesday with a lavish welcome from King Charles and the royal family at Windsor Castle.

Keep ReadingShow less