Asia/Oceania
Rohingya insurgents have declared a month-long unilateral ceasefire to enable aid groups to help ease a humanitarian crisis in northwest Burma. Nearly 300,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh and 30,000 non-Muslim civilians have been displaced inside Burma after the military launched a counteroffensive following attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army insurgents on 30 police posts and an army base on August 25. “ARSA strongly encourages all concerned humanitarian actors resume their humanitarian assistance to all victims of the humanitarian crisis, irrespective of ethnic or religious background during the ceasefire period,” ARSA said. The impact of the ceasefire, beginning yesterday, is unclear. The group does not appear to have been able to put up significant resistance against the military force unleashed in the northwestern Rakhine state. In the past two weeks, thousands of homes have been burned down.
Australian party, the Nationals, have voted down a motion to ban the burqa and other facial coverings in government buildings and other public spaces. North Queensland federal MP George Christensen, who brought the motion to the federal conference, argued it was needed for security reasons but also noted the party was “bleeding to the right” on issues like this. The motion was defeated 55-51 by a vote of delegates at the conference in Canberra.
Ian Roberts, the first Australian star rugby league player to come out as gay, has won the commitment of the NRL to publicly support same-sex marriage. “I have tears in my eyes mate. I’ve never felt so proud about our game. This will save lives,” he told News Corp Australia. NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said the game was committed to inclusiveness. Roberts, 52, is writing to other major sporting bodies over the upcoming weeks to seek support.
At least 12 people, including women and children, have drowned at a beach near the port city of Karachi after being swept away by strong waves in the Arabian sea. Police official Ijaz Khokhar says initially two people drowned and the others died trying to rescue them.