GENEVA: Nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar, an “untenable situation” for neighbor Bangladesh, the country’s UN envoy said on Monday, calling on Myanmar to let them return.
About 600,000 people have crossed the border since Aug. 25, when insurgent attacks on security posts were met by a ferocious counter-offensive by the Myanmar army in Rakhine state which the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing.
“This is the biggest exodus from a single country since the Rwandan genocide in 1994,” Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told a UN pledging conference.
“Despite claims to the contrary, violence in Rakhine state has not stopped. Thousands still enter on a daily basis,” he said.
Bangladesh’s interior minister was in Yangon on Monday for talks to find a “durable solution,” Ahsan said.
But Myanmar continued to issue “propaganda projecting Rohingyas as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh,” Ahsan said, adding: “This blatant denial of the ethnic identity of Rohingyas remains a stumbling block.”
Myanmar considers the Rohingya to be stateless, although they trace their families’ presence in the country for generations.
Jordan’s Queen Rania visited Rohingya refugee camps on Monday and called for a stronger response from the international community to the plight of the Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh to escape “systematic persecution” in Myanmar.
“One has to ask, why is the plight of this Muslim minority group being ignored? Why has the systematic prosecution been allowed to play out for so long?” she asked after touring the camps.
The United Nations has appealed for $434 million to provide life-saving aid to 1.2 million people for six months.
“We need more money to keep pace with intensifying needs. This is not an isolated crisis, it is the latest round in a decades-long cycle of persecution, violence and displacement,” UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the talks.
“Children, women and men fleeing Myanmar are streaming into Bangladesh traumatized and destitute,” he added.
“We assess we have pledges of around $340 million,” Lowcock said before the mid-day break in the meeting.
New pledges included 30 million euros announced by the European Union, $15 million by Kuwait, 10 million Australian dollars by Australia and 12 million pounds from Britain.
He reiterated the UN call on Myanmar to allow “full humanitarian access across Rakhine” where aid agencies have been denied entry.
Myanmar must “guarantee the right to safe, voluntary and dignified return so that the Rohingya can live in peace with their human rights upheld in Rakhine,” Lowcock said.
Bangladesh says Rohingya outflow “untenable,” seeks solution
Bangladesh says Rohingya outflow “untenable,” seeks solution
Saudi Arabia forms new committee to spur private sector role in petrochemicals
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has launched its first-ever national committee for energy and petrochemicals under the Federation of Saudi Chambers to bolster private sector participation.
This comes as investments in the petrochemical sector are projected to reach $600 billion by 2030, with the council set to collaborate with ministries, authorities, and major companies to unlock opportunities for local and foreign investors.
This initiative marks a significant step in fostering closer ties between the private sector and government to shape policies and accelerate investment in energy and petrochemicals.
Jaber bin Ayed Al-Fahad was elected chairman, with Saad bin Ajlan Al-Ajlan as vice chairman.
Fans praise co-star as May Calamawy’s role is cut from ‘Gladiator II’
DUBAI: Fans of Egyptian Palestinian “Moon Knight” actress May Calamawy have taken to social media to complain after almost all her scenes were cut from Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” while co-star Pedro Pascal seemed to wade into the online debate this week by sharing behind-the-scenes shots including the actress.
Pascal posted a series of photographs on Instagram taken on the film shoot in Morocco, including several snaps with Calamawy, after she was removed from all promotional material and largely removed from the film.
“Thank you for reminding people May Calamawy was in ‘Gladiator II.’ So sad how she’s been treated in this,” one user commented on his Instagram post.
The 38-year-old star played the dual role of Layla El-Faouly and Scarlet Scarab in Marvel series “Moon Knight” before being cast in the highly anticipated “Gladiator II,” a sequel to the Oscar-winning original released in 2000.
Her casting in the film was first announced in May 2023.
At the time, Deadline reported that Scott had cast Calamawy after a lengthy search, writing: “While many of the leading roles were straight offers, Scott wanted to do a similar search he did for the (Paul) Mescal part for the role that Calamawy ultimately landed.
“Given the importance of the character to the story, Scott wanted a thorough search, and following multiple auditions Calamawy landed the part,” Deadline added.
However, fans noticed that in the final cut, which hit cinemas last weekend, Calamawy is only seen in passing and she has no dialogue.
Scott has yet to comment on Calamawy’s removal from the two hour and 28-minute film, although her storyline may have not made it past the editing stage in order to trim the runtime.
Regardless, fans on social media are unhappy about the cuts.
“May Calamawy you will always be loved!!! They didn’t deserve you anyway,” one social media user wrote on X, while another posted: “You had May Calamawy … and you decided to cut her? This could’ve possibly been her breakout role!”
Calamawy also stars in upcoming crime mystery “The Actor,” alongside André Holland, Gemma Chan, Toby Jones and Tracey Ullman.
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports surge 16.8% in Q3: GASTAT
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports reached SR79.48 billion ($21.17 billion) in the third quarter of 2024, a rise of 16.76 percent compared to the same period in 2023, according to official data.
As reported by the General Authority for Statistics, the Kingdom exported non-oil goods worth SR19.58 billion to the UAE, followed by India and China at SR6.78 billion and SR6.48 billion.
Chemical products led Saudi Arabia’s non-energy exports in the third quarter, accounting for 25.5 percent of total shipments, marking a 5.3 percent annual rise. Plastic and rubber products followed, comprising 24.9 percent of the total, with an 8.9 percent increase compared to the third quarter of 2023.
Strengthening the non-oil private sector is a key objective under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 as the Kingdom works to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on crude oil revenues.
“The ratio of non-oil exports (including re-exports) to imports increased to 36.6 percent in the third quarter of 2024 from 34.9 percent in the third quarter of 2023. This was due to a 16.8 percent increase in non-oil exports and an 11.4 percent increase in imports over that period,” said GASAT.
In October, Moody’s projected the Kingdom’s non-hydrocarbon real gross domestic product would grow between 5 percent and 5.5 percent from 2025 to 2027, driven by increased government spending.
The International Monetary Fund projected the Saudi economy would expand by 4.6 percent in 2025, supported by diversification efforts to strengthen the non-oil private sector.
However, GASTAT highlighted that overall merchandise exports decreased by 7.3 percent year on year in the third quarter, primarily due to a 14.9 percent drop in oil exports.
Consequently, oil exports as a share of total exports fell to 71.3 percent in the third quarter from 77.3 percent recorded during the same period last year.
To stabilize the market, Saudi Arabia implemented a production cut of 500,000 barrels per day in April 2023, a reduction extended until December.
Key trade partners
China remained Saudi Arabia’s top export destination in the third quarter, receiving SR41.94 billion worth of goods. Japan and South Korea followed at SR25.62 billion and SR25.50 billion, respectively, while India received SR24.35 billion.
GASTAT data revealed that imports to the Kingdom increased by 11.4 percent year on year in the third quarter, reaching SR217.25 billion, while the nation’s surplus of the merchandise trade balance decreased by 43.4 percent.
In the third quarter, China accounted for the largest share of imports at SR53.78 billion, followed by the US and India at SR17.58 billion and SR11 billion, respectively.
King Abdulaziz Sea Port in Dammam was the primary entry point for goods in the third quarter, with imports valued at SR64.88 billion, representing 29.9 percent of the total inbound shipments.
Among the other major terminals of entry for imports was Jeddah Islamic Sea Port, which handled 20.1 percent of the incoming shipments, followed by King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz International Airport, which handled 12.6 percent and 6.4 percent of the imports to the Kingdom.
September figures
In a separate report, GASTAT revealed that Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports increased by 22.8 percent year on year in September, reaching SR25.95 billion.
The authority revealed that the Kingdom sent non-energy goods valued at SR6.54 billion to the UAE in September, while India and China received inbound shipments worth SR2.35 billion and SR1.73 billion, respectively.
Plastic and rubber products comprised 25.7 percent of non-oil exports in September, a 19.5 percent annual rise, while chemical products accounted for 25.3 percent, marking a 4.4 percent increase.
The ratio of non-oil exports to imports rose to 37.1 percent in September, compared to 34.8 percent during the same month in 2023.
Despite the growth in non-oil exports, overall merchandise exports dropped 14.9 percent in September due to a 24.5 percent decline in oil exports. Consequently, the share of oil exports in total exports fell from 79.7 percent in September 2023 to 70.7 percent in September 2024.
China remained the leading trade partner, receiving SR13.91 billion in exports, followed by Japan at SR7.98 billion and the UAE at SR7.49 billion.
Other major destinations for Saudi Arabia’s exports include India, South Korea, the US, and Egypt, as well as Singapore, Bahrain and Poland.
In September, Saudi Arabia’s exports to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries stood at SR12.08 billion, while the value of outbound shipments to Islamic non-Arab nations was SR6.71 billion.
According to GASTAT, the Kingdom’s imports increased by 15 percent year on year in September, reaching SR69.88 billion, while the surplus of the merchandise trade balance decreased by 56.9 percent during the same period.
China held the first position in the Kingdom’s imports, constituting 25.8 percent of total imports in September, valued at SR17.99 billion.
In September, Saudi Arabia received incoming shipments valued at SR5.39 billion and SR3.45 billion from the US and Germany, respectively.
The report revealed that the Kingdom handled inbound shipments valued at SR19.65 billion or 28.1 percent of the overall imports at the King Abdulaziz Sea Port in Dammam in September.
Jeddah Islamic Sea Port handled 17.9 percent of the overall inbound shipments, while King Khalid International Airport managed 13.1 percent of the total incoming goods.
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil sector is a key focus of its Vision 2030 plan to reduce reliance on oil and diversify the economy.
Initiatives like giga-projects, renewable energy investments, and expanding industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and tourism aim to drive growth and boost job creation.
These efforts are strengthening the Kingdom’s global trade position and attracting foreign investment, with the non-oil sector playing an increasingly vital role in its economic transformation.
‘Star is born’: From homeless to Test hero for India’s Jaiswal
- Yashasvi Jaiswal, 22, put India in driving seat against Australia in Perth with stellar century
- A young, homeless Jaiswal used to sell snacks on the streets to finance cricketing ambitions
NEW DELHI: India’s Perth Test hero Yashasvi Jaiswal, who hit a stunning century on Sunday, rose to stardom from being homeless and selling snacks on the streets to finance his cricketing ambitions.
The 22-year-old opening batsman turned an overnight 90 into 161 on day three in the opening match of the five-Test series against Australia.
It was his fourth ton in his 15th Test.
He hit 171 last year on his debut against the West Indies, off a grueling 387 deliveries over more than eight hours at the crease in Dominica.
He smacked two double centuries against visiting England earlier this year.
The attacking left-handed batsman burst into the consciousness of cricket-mad India with a stellar showing in the Indian Premier League last year.
He was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals in the 2019 IPL auction and last season made one half of a fearsome opening pair with England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler, amassing 625 runs with a strike rate of more than 163.
After his latest heroics, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said it was all the more special because he had “come the hard way.”
The batting great called Jaiswal a “wonderful role model for those who come from the villages to the cities,” showing how if “you work hard, you’re dedicated, you have a dream, you can fulfil it.”
“This boy is a man,” Gavaskar said in his commentary show.
English commentator Mark Nicholas said:
“This innings will announce him as a star is really born.”
Jaiswal dreamed of playing for India and moved to the financial capital Mumbai at just 11 years old, leaving his parents back home in their village.
“I used to sleep in a dairy and then stayed at my uncle’s place, but it wasn’t big enough and he asked me to find a different place,” Jaiswal told AFP in an interview in 2020.
“I then started to stay in a tent near Azad Maidan” — a field considered the birthplace of cricket in India — “and would play cricket there during the day.”
In between he sold popular street snacks to make enough money to pay for his own meals, supplementing a side hustle in cricket scoring and ball fetching in club games.
Jaiswal eventually won a place in the Mumbai state team in 2019 and became the youngest batsman, at 17 years and 292 days, to score a domestic one-day double century.
82 killed in three days of Pakistan sectarian violence
- Mobile network across Kurram is suspended and traffic on main highway remains halted amid tensions
- Around 300 families fled on Saturday as gunfights with light and heavy weapons continued into the night
PESHAWAR: Three days of bitter sectarian gunfights in northwestern Pakistan have killed at least 82 people and wounded 156 more, a local official said Sunday.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country but Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province — near the border with Afghanistan — has a large Shiite population and the communities have clashed for decades.
The latest bout of violence began on Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims traveling under police escort were ambushed, killing at least 43 and sparking two days of gunbattles.
“The clashes and convoy attacks on November 21, 22, and 23 have resulted in 82 fatalities and 156 injuries,” said a local administration official speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Among the deceased 16 were Sunni, while 66 belonged to the Shia community,” he told AFP.
Around 300 families fled on Saturday as the gunfights with both light and heavy weapons continued into the night, however no fresh casualties were reported on Sunday morning.
“The mobile network across Kurram remains suspended and traffic on the main highway is halted,” said the local administration official.
Police have regularly struggled to stymy violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.
A delegation from the provincial government held talks with the Shiite community on Saturday and is scheduled to meet the Sunni community later on Sunday.
A security official in the provincial capital of Peshawar told AFP the negotiators’ helicopter had come under fire as it arrived in the region, although no one was harmed.
“Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues,” provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said Sunday.
Last month at least 16 people, including three women and two children, were killed in a sectarian clash in Kurram.
Previous clashes in July and September killed dozens of people and ended only after a jirga, or tribal council, called a ceasefire.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people died between July and October in sectarian clashes.
Several hundred people demonstrated against the violence on Friday in Pakistan’s second largest city of Lahore and Karachi, the country’s commercial hub.
