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Rohingya exodus: Myanmar signs repatriation pact with Bangladesh

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9 years ago

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Rohingya exodus: Myanmar signs repatriation pact with Bangladesh

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since the army began an ethnic cleansing drive in August; repatriation to begin in two months

Even as global leaders and human rights organisations continue to voice concerns over the safety of Rohingya Muslims in the strife-torn Rakhine State, the Myanmar government signed a repatriation deal with Bangladesh, on Thursday, under which it would allow members of the persecuted ethnic minority to return to their home country.

The deal, termed by the Bangladeshi establishment as a “primary step” towards the rehabilitation of Rohingya Muslims, will however take about two months to come into effect since both countries will first have to prepare the ground work for identifying and then verifying Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar’s Rakhine State since August this year.

The Rohingyas, often seen as the world’s most persecuted ethnic minority, had begun to flee the Rakhine State – a majority of them taking refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh – since August this year when Myanmar’s military began a violent and barbaric crackdown against the community. The crackdown, described by the international community and more recently by US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson as ‘ethnic cleansing’, had begun after militant members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) allegedly attacked an outpost of the Myanmar army.

Thursday’s repatriation deal was signed by Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH. Mahmud Ali and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been under a strident attack by the global community and her brethren from the Nobel laureate fraternity for allegedly turning a blind eye towards the atrocities on the Rohingyas.

According to some estimate, over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar to take refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh since August this year. The mass exodus of the people from Rakhine State has caused huge stress on the resources of a financially constrained Bangladesh which also stare at the possibility of clashes erupting on its soil if the humanitarian crisis is not addressed at a war footing.

Details on the repatriation deal were, however, not immediately available and the Bangladesh foreign minister was quoted in media reports as saying that his government would elaborate on the nuances of the memorandum of understanding “once we return to Dhaka.”

“We have to start the process. The houses there (in Rakhine State) have been torched… levelled. They need to be rebuilt… We are ready to take them (Rohingyas) back as soon as possible after Bangladesh sends the (registration) forms back to us,” Myint Kyaing, a permanent secretary at Myanmar’s Ministry of Labour, told mediapersons in Naypyidaw.

All Rohingya refugees who wish to avail benefits of the repatriation deal are required to fill the registration forms and submit them to the Bangladesh government. These forms will then be verified by the Myanmar government following which the repatriation process is expected to commence.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had, prior to signing of the deal with Suu Kyi, renewed her call to Myanmar to immediately start the repatriation of Rohingya.

While Bangladesh has been insistent on repatriation of the Rohingya Muslims within a time-bound framework, it is learnt that the Myanmar government has not agreed to such conditionality yet and has also rejected the possibility of involvement of agencies affiliated with the United Nations to help in the verification process.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have, however, decided to form a joint working group at the foreign-secretary level to start the repatriation process which Aung San Suu Kyi has described as a “win-win situation for both countries” while calling for “amicable bilateral negotiations” to end the crisis.

On September 18, Under attack from the global community and her fellow Nobel laureates, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi had invited diplomats of various missions in her country to speak to them on the issue of violence in the troubled Rakhine state and the measures being taken by her government to restore peace.

Suu Kyi had then asserted: “We are concerned to hear that numbers of Muslims are fleeing across the border to Bangladesh. We want to find out why the exodus is happening.” She had, however, also sought to apparently downplay the extent of the humanitarian crisis in her country by asserting that while her administration wanted to “talk to those who have fled”, it also felt important that the world must take into account “those who have stayed”.

“More than 50 per cent of villages of Muslims are intact and are as they were before the attacks took place”, Suu Kyi had said, despite reports from the ground and by various independent human rights groups who visited Rakhine during the period suggesting otherwise.

It was during her 30-minute speech to diplomats in September that Suu Kyi had first announced that her government was “prepared to start the verification process of refugees (who moved to Bangladesh from the Rakhine) who wish to return” to Myanmar and insisted that “those who have been verified as refugees will be accepted without any problems and with full assurance of security and access to humanitarian aid.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Trump says Iran getting more serious in talks, no decision yet on major strikes

Donald Trump says Iran is becoming more serious in negotiations with the US but insists no decision has been taken on launching major military strikes against Tehran.

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2 days ago

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July 25, 2026

By

Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet decided whether to authorise major military strikes against Iran, stating that Tehran has become “more serious” in its negotiations with Washington even as tensions between the two countries remain high.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump said discussions with Iran were continuing and suggested diplomatic efforts were showing signs of progress.

“We’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by,” Trump said, adding that no final decision had been taken on launching military action.

Trump says diplomacy remains an option

Trump said the United States remained prepared for military action if required but indicated that ongoing talks could still lead to an agreement.

“We’re locked and loaded and ready to go. But we’re talking to them, so I think while we’re talking, we’ll see what comes of it. I believe they’re very serious. They should be,” he said.

The US President also warned that Iran would face a “much higher level” of strikes if negotiations failed, while reiterating that preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon remained his key red line.

The United States has said its military operations are aimed at preventing Iran from closing the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Iran, meanwhile, has carried out retaliatory strikes on US bases, with four American service members reported killed.

Reports claim Trump discussed large-scale military operation

Trump’s remarks came after media reports suggested he met senior advisers to discuss the possibility of a large-scale military operation against Iran. Another report said he was considering a “massive attack”, although Trump did not confirm those reports during his interaction with journalists.

He also acknowledged that the prolonged conflict, which he had earlier expected to last only a few weeks, was approaching its fifth month and had become a political challenge ahead of the US midterm elections scheduled for November.

Trump issues warning over support for Iran

Trump also addressed reports claiming that Russia and China were providing intelligence or military support to Iran. He said both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin had assured him they would not arm Tehran.

“I think they wouldn’t want to have me disappointed,” Trump said.

In a separate post on his Truth Social platform, Trump warned Moscow and Beijing against supplying weapons to Iran, saying such a move would not be in their interests.

He further stated that Xi had assured him during their meeting in Beijing in May that China would not provide weapons to Iran, while Putin had conveyed a similar position despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

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India News

For second time, US strikes ship with Indian crew near Strait of Hormuz

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5 days ago

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July 22, 2026

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Strait of Hormuz

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has said that an oil tanker carrying Indian crew was drifting with its engine switched off near the Strait of Hormuz before it was struck by US forces.

A CENTCOM spokesperson said the vessel had stopped due to engine failure and was drifting after its crew repeatedly sought additional time to carry out repairs. US officials said the tanker was struck only after it failed to comply with directives issued by US forces enforcing a blockade on vessels allegedly transporting Iranian oil. The military said the strike was aimed at disabling the ship by targeting its engine room rather than sinking it.

The incident involved a tanker carrying Indian seafarers near the Gulf of Oman, close to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes. The strike triggered a fire onboard, prompting rescue efforts by Omani authorities and maritime agencies. Indian authorities closely monitored the situation and coordinated with local officials regarding the welfare of the crew members.

The incident has drawn concern in India, with the government emphasising the safety of Indian nationals working aboard commercial vessels in the conflict-hit region. The Ministry of External Affairs has remained in touch with the authorities concerned as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to pose risks to international shipping.

In June, three Indian sailors were killed in a US strike on another oil tanker. The Strait of Hormuz handles a significant share of the word’s oil trade, and the latest incident has renewed concerns over the security of merchant vessels operating in the region. Maritime experts have warned that escalating hostilities could further disrupt commercial shipping and endanger civilian crews navigating one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.

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Trump announces phased tariff of up to 200% on generic drug imports, India may face impact

US President Donald Trump has announced a phased tariff plan on imported generic medicines, raising duties to 200% after three years, a move that could affect India’s pharmaceutical exports.

Published

5 days ago

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July 22, 2026

By

Donald Trump

The United States has announced a phased tariff plan for imported generic medicines that could have implications for pharmaceutical exporters, including India. US President Donald Trump said the policy is intended to encourage companies to shift generic drug manufacturing to the United States by imposing steep tariffs after a two-year transition period.

The announcement is particularly important for India, one of the world’s largest suppliers of affordable generic medicines and a major exporter to the US market.

Trump outlines phased tariff plan

In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump said the new policy will take effect from August 1, 2026. Under the plan, imported generic medicines will continue to attract zero tariffs for the first two years.

Beginning in the third year, the tariff will increase to 100%, before rising further to 200% thereafter.

Trump said the measure is designed to encourage pharmaceutical companies to establish manufacturing facilities in the United States instead of relying on imports.

He added that companies choosing not to invest in US-based production during the transition period would face the higher tariff rates. According to Trump, the existing policy governing patented, branded and innovative medicines will remain unchanged.

Why India could be affected

India is widely regarded as the “pharmacy of the world” because of its large-scale production and export of generic medicines.

Indian generic drugs account for nearly 40% of the US generic medicine market by volume. According to a Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) report, India exported pharmaceutical products worth USD 9.7 billion to the United States during the 2024-25 financial year, representing around 38% of the country’s total pharmaceutical exports of USD 25.8 billion.

However, the immediate impact of the newly announced tariff policy on Indian pharmaceutical companies remains uncertain.

Existing trade agreement and industry concerns

India and the United States struck a trade pact in February that states India would receive negotiated outcomes regarding generic pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients.

Despite that provision, previous tariff threats by Trump had already raised concerns within the pharmaceutical industry over the future of affordable medicine exports from India.

Indian pharmaceutical companies supply a wide range of generic medicines used to treat conditions including hypertension, diabetes, depression, cancer, infectious diseases and mental health disorders.

According to a Financial Post report cited in the source material, around 65% of birth control pill prescriptions in the United States during 2024 were manufactured by two India-based companies — Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Lupin Ltd.

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