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Articles by Sorwar Alam
Malaysia set to host int'l halal expo
KUALA LUMPUR In three days, Malaysia is expected to host over 1,400 business meetings involving local and foreign companies to boost business in the country's halal industry. Considered one of the most prominent and longest-running halal trade events in the world, the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) is expected to achieve $423 million in trade value during the three-day event.
Indian foreign minister to self-isolate at G7 for coronavirus
NEW DELHI / ANKARA India’s foreign minister will self-isolate at the G7 meeting of diplomats in the UK after possible exposure to coronavirus. “Was made aware yesterday evening of exposure to possible Covid positive cases,” External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Twitter on Wednesday. The minister said that as an “abundant caution” and out of consideration for others, he will conduct his engagements virtually. “That will be the case with the G7 Meeting today as well," he added.
Rebels shoot down Myanmar military helicopter
ANKARA Amid ongoing resistance against the military junta, a powerful rebel group in Myanmar claimed to have shot down a military helicopter on Monday. A spokesperson for the Kachin Independent Army, one of the most powerful rebel groups in the northernmost state of Kachin bordering China, told Anadolu Agency that the incident occurred during an airstrike by the Myanmar military, also known as the Tatmadaw.
1st int'l flight of 2021 lands in Turkish tourist hub
MUGLA, Turkey A flight from Russia with 212 tourists onboard arrived on Sunday at the Milas-Bodrum Airport in southwestern Turkey, marking the first direct international flight to the city this year. Iclal Kayaoglu, head of the airport, said the staff were delighted with the arrival of the first international tourists at the airport as authorities organized a welcome ceremony for the travelers when they landed after a three-and-a-half-hour journey from Vnukovo Airport near Moscow.
Turkey: Bodrum expects threefold Russian, Ukrainian tourists this year
MUGLA, Turkey Turkey’s vacationing hotspot Bodrum is set to host foreign tourists as the town's mayor expects three times more international arrivals than in 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic. As preparations for the tourist season pick up steam, the southwestern Turkish tourist destination hopes to receive three times more tourists this year.
Rohingya militants said to kill 22 Myanmar troops
ANKARA A Myanmar-based Rohingya militant group on Tuesday claimed to have killed 22 Myanmar soldiers in a pre-dawn raid on an army post in the western Rakhine state. "Today [Tuesday] Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) attacked on Burmese military in the morning between 4.30 a.m. to 7.00 a.m. on 44-BP (Burmese military camp), leading to 22 Casualties among Burmese troops," the group said in a statement accessed by Anadolu Agency.
OPINION - 50th year of Independence, Bangladesh achieves a lot but needs to do more
The author is the regional chief correspondent of Anadolu Agency's South East Asia - Pacific Desk. ANKARA From a bottomless basket to one of the fastest-growing economies, this can be the summary of Bangladesh's achievement in the last 50 years as the country is celebrating its golden jubilee of independence from Pakistan. In the past 50 years, the country has seen many ups and downs in the political sector.
Bangladesh mission marks Int'l Mother Language Day
ANKARA The Embassy of Bangladesh in Ankara Sunday organized an event on the International Mother Language Day to commemorate the sacrifice of Bengali people in 1952 for their own language. The event was held at the embassy building with limited participation in line with the COVID-19 measures. Speaking at the event, Bangladesh's Ambassador to Turkey Mosud Mannan said the 1952 language movement of the Bengali nation led to a movement for an independent Bangladesh in 1971.
Myanmar shuts down internet amid anti-coup protests
ANKARA Myanmar's military junta shut down internet services across the country amid anti-coup protests, a mobile service provider confirmed on Saturday. "The Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) has directed all mobile operators to temporarily shut down the data network in Myanmar. Voice and SMS services remain open." said Norwegian telecom giant Telenor that operates the second-largest mobile network in Myanmar.
Myanmar'daki askeri darbe, ülkenin devrik lideri Suu Çii'nin siyasi geleceğini etkileyebilir
Özgür Rohingya Koalisyonu Koordinatörlerinden Myanmarlı insan hakları aktivisti Maung Zarni, AA muhabiriyle çevrim içi yaptığı görüşmede, seçim sonuçlarıyla tansiyonun yükseldiği Myanmar'da dün sabah Devlet Başkanı Win Myint ile Devlet Konseyi Başkanı ve Dışişleri Bakanı Aung San Suu Çii'nin gözaltına alınmasının ardından ordunun, ülke yönetimine el koymasına ilişkin değerlendirmede bulundu.
'Myanmar coup may end Suu Kyi’s political carrier’
ANKARA Myanmar's military seizing power by ousting its elected government, led by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, maybe the end of her political carrier, according to a Burmese exile figure. "I think this may be the end of Aung San Suu Kyi's political career," Maung Zarni, a Burmese scholar, dissident, and expert on genocide documentation based in London, told Anadolu Agency in a virtual interview.
China rescues 11 trapped workers from gold mine
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Bangladesh mission in Ankara celebrates Victory Day
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Pakistan's envoy: India to use UNSC membership to obfuscate terrorism
ANKARA India’s non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council will not bring anything good for Kashmiris as well as Pakistan, says Pakistani envoy to Turkey. Speaking to Anadolu Agency in Ankara, Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi said the basic aim of Indian diplomacy is to convince, persuade, dissuade Pakistan from extending its moral, diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris.
‘Turkey is my 2nd home’: Bangladeshi envoy's bittersweet farewell
ANKARA Just hours before saying goodbye to Turkey’s capital Ankara, Bangladesh’s ambassador – a fan of Turkish cafe culture and an enthusiastic nationwide trekker – told of his love and passion for the country. “Two things I will miss after leaving Turkey: Cafe culture and night-time travel on highways in Turkey,” said M. Allama Siddiki, the outgoing Bangladeshi ambassador to Turkey, who completed his five-year term.
Rohingya to mark 3rd 'genocide' anniversary on Aug. 25
ANKARA /DHAKA, Bangladesh Three years on, the Rohingya Muslim minority on Tuesday will commemorate the crackdown by Myanmar's military forces which drove away hundreds of thousands from their lands. The crackdown in Myanmar's western Rakhine state which began on Aug. 25, 2017, saw the rampant displacement, killings and rape of the world's most persecuted community triggering an international outcry. In the face of the pandemic, campaigns to raise awareness about their plight will be held online.
Myanmar 'underreported' 2017 Rohingya killing: Watchdog
ANKARA, Turkey / DHAKA, Bangladesh A Rohingya rights body on Tuesday disagreed with an "underreported" report of Myanmar government on the number of killed Muslims in a brutal military crackdown on a Rohingya village in 2017.
EXCLUSIVE: Pakistan hails Turkish proposal on Kashmir, says envoy
ANKARA Pakistan has appreciated the Turkish proposal to settle the issue of Kashmir that involves "de-escalation, meaningful dialogue, adherence to international law, and offering its office for mediation." In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Pakistan’s ambassador in Turkey, said his country has already accepted the Turkish offer. “The position taken by Turkey was eminently sensible.
EXCLUSIVE: 'Rohingya issue, not Muslims v/s Buddhist paradigm'
ANKARA/LONDON Maung Zarni, 56, scholar and activist, known for his opposition to the violence in Myanmar and his support to the Rohingya population said the Burmese military was taking advantage of strategic rivalry between China and India and blamed genocide of Rohingya to an institutional hate campaign.
'Malaysian, Turkish tourism entities may collaborate'
ANKARA/Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA Malaysian envoy to Turkey said both countries can work hand-in-hand in the tourism sector as the coronavirus pandemic forced the worst-hit sector to renew its rules and services, bringing health safety issue on the frontline. Speaking to Anadolu Agency in the Turkish capital Ankara, Charge D'affaires Arhan Syafrisyah Shah Anuar applauded Ankara's initiative for a new “healthy tourism certificate” program.
Bangsamoro autonomy fruitful for Muslims
ANKARA The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has achieved six significant advantages with the Muslim majority region’s peace deal with the government, according to a top peace negotiator. Huseyin Oruc, deputy head of the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), said late Saturday night in a video conference that the regional government has exhibited an unprecedented success and gained tremendous support from the local people.
Vietnam: A success story in fight against COVID-19
ANKARA When the health care systems of most powerful countries in the world have failed to curb the spread of COVID-19, the South Asian country of Vietnam performed an outstanding work against the pandemic cutting swath through the globe. The country is considered to have built a success story with its fight against novel coronavirus. A nation of around 95 million population, Vietnam confirmed its first COVID-19 case on Jan. 23.
Bangladesh promising for investors, says Turkish envoy
ANKARA Turkish ambassador to Bangladesh called on Turkish businessmen to invest in the South Asian nation that has huge domestic market and hardworking manpower.
Turkish lawyers group wants funds, support for Bangsamoro
ANKARA A Turkey-based lawyers group wants wider support to rebuilding Bangsamoro Muslim autonomous region in the southern Philippines. As the region received autonomous status following decades of armed struggle with a plebiscite in 2019, residents “need financial and moral support in all areas of life,” said Husnu Tuna, international project coordinator at the International Jurist Union.
Asian embassies in Ankara turn digital this Eid
ANKARA Even with Saudi Arabia yet to formally announce whether the Hajj pilgrimage will be held this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, envoys of Muslim countries in Turkey have already made alternative plans for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Lockdown and social distancing measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus have forced embassies to shift their plans from get-together feasts to video meetings this Eid, which falls on Sunday.
Kyrgyzstan repatriates over 1,000 citizens from Turkey
ANKARA Kyrgyzstan has flown back 1,087 of its nationals from Turkey since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the country’s envoy to Turkey. In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev said the country "appreciates the assistance of the Government of Turkey with the return of citizens to Kyrgyzstan" during the repatriation process.
Malaysia to reopen 'almost all economic sectors' May 4
ANKARA Malaysia will allow almost all economic and business activities to resume from May 4, as the country continues to report decline in the COVID-19 cases, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced on Friday. The country reported a total of 6,002 confirmed cases with 102 deaths and 4,171 recoveries as of Thursday. Muhyiddin said in his Labor Day special message that the decision was made to create a balance between the need to revive the country's economy and curbing the virus.
COVID-19: Singapore shifting foreign workers to ships
ANKARA Singapore has started to shift foreign workers, who have recovered from the coronavirus, to cruise ships. "After passing a thorough assessment by various agencies, the first workers boarded the ship on 29 April from Marina Bay Cruise Centre, which is now equipped with sick bays and an isolation station," said the Singapore Tourism Board in a Facebook post on Friday.
China to donate $30M to WHO in fight against COVID-19
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Malaysia surpasses rest of ASEAN bloc in virus recoveries
ANKARA As Malaysia performed best in fighting the novel coronavirus among the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Singapore recorded the highest number of positive cases among the bloc. The total number of coronavirus cases in the region crossed the 33,000 mark on Wednesday, with nearly 1,500 new cases reported across all 10 countries.
Dropping charges against Rohingya 'just an eyewash'
ANKARA Myanmar's recent move to drop charges against over 100 Rohingya was "just an eyewash" meant "to cheat the international community," according to a Rohingya advocacy group. A Myanmar court on April 8 dropped charges against more than 100 Rohingya who were facing criminal charges for "illegal travel" -- from one part of the country to another -- in the country after fleeing western Rakhine state.
S. Korea: Ruling party wins landslide vote amid virus
ANKARA The ruling party in South Korea clinched a landslide victory in the general elections held amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to unofficial results on Thursday. With nearly all votes for the directly contested seats counted, the country's election commission said the ruling Democratic Party and its satellite Platform Party secured 180 seats, three-fifths of the total, said Yonhap news agency.
'Anadolu Agency pioneer of independent press globally'
ANKARA Anadolu Agency completing 100 years is "a milestone in the history of journalism," Indian journalists said while noting its role for independent press in the developing world. In a congratulatory message on its centenary anniversary of the Turkish agency, the Press Association of India also recalled the role it played during the Turkish War of Independence in 1920.
Passenger train derails in central China: local media
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China to lift Wuhan lockdown on April 8
ANKARA Chinese authorities will lift the months-long lockdown in the city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus originated, on April 8, local media reported on Tuesday. According to Xinhua news agency, the local health authorities in Hubei Province, which includes Wuhan city, has declared a series of new regulations regarding easing restrictions on movement in the area. Authorities had put the city of 11 million under lockdown on Jan.
COVID-19: Japanese emperor's UK visit may be postponed
ANKARA Japanese emperor's planned state visit to the U.K. could be postponed due to coronavirus pandemic, local media reported on Monday. The Japanese government is considering postponing the visit of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako scheduled between April and June, the state-run Kyodo News reported citing a source familiar with the matter. "It will be best for the emperor and empress to make their trip in conditions preferable to both Japan and Britain," the report cited the source as saying.
The Rohingya and their fight for education
COX'S BAZAR/DHAKA, Bangladesh Mohammad Akhter Hossain, a young Rohingya man, was sitting in front of a shanty in a sprawling refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, a district in southern Bangladesh. He stared out aimlessly, his eyes searching for what remains an unknown future. Hossain, 32, was soon whisked away by a few other Rohingya men as they headed to start their day’s work with an international NGO operating in the camp, which hosts over a million refugees.
Turkish delegation visits Rohingya camps in Bangladesh
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh A delegation from Turkey’s ruling party visited Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh on Thursday. The team, led by Mehmet Ozhaseki, former minister and current deputy head of the Ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, examined humanitarian aid activities of Turkey’s governmental and non-government organizations. “Turkey did and will continue to provide support to Rohingya refugees,” Ozhaseki told Anadolu Agency during the visit.
Turkey urged for more support to solve Rohingya crisis
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh A Bangladeshi official on Thursday called on the Turkish government to take more steps at international arena to help resolve Rohingya crisis. “Please draw the attention to the world community so that the Myanmar government is convinced and take the Rohingya refugee back to their country,” said Mahbub Alam Talukder, refugee relief and repatriation commissioner in Cox’s Bazar district.
‘Indian, Turkish partnership can evolve new global order’
ANKARA Trade between Turkey and India has shown strong growth over recent years, however, both countries need to be more ambitious to increase trade and economic exchanges, Indian Ambassador to Turkey Sanjay Bhattacharyya told Anadolu Agency. Bhattacharyya, who came to Ankara in 2018, is departing after completing his term later this week.
Muslim world should build own market: Malaysian premier
ANKARA Muslim-majority countries should build their own markets and produce their own technologies to become self-sufficient, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad said on Thursday. Speaking at a forum during the ongoing Kuala Lumpur Summit, he stressed the importance of technological and industrial progress in national development. "There are 1.7 billion Muslims. Obviously this is a big market if we decide to source our needs from Muslims and Muslim countries. Then we enrich ourselves.
Myanmar: Ongoing Human Rights Violations Against Rohingya
By Fortify Rights Child-slave labor, severe violations against Rohingya continue (YANGON, December 7, 2019)— The International Court of Justice (ICJ) should issue “provisional measures” to Myanmar in response to the urgent situation of indigenous ethnic Rohingya in the country, Fortify Rights said today. New evidence shows how the Government of Myanmar continues to violate its obligations under the Genocide Convention.
Key Rohingya campaigners face abduction threats
Two leading figures of the Rohingya campaign in Europe are fearing for their lives after calls for their abduction were circulated in a racist video message. London-based Maung Zarni and Germany-based Nay San Lwin said they were targeted by Aye Ne Win, a businessman who allegedly financed the genocide against the ethnic group in Myanmar. In a video circulated on social media, Win urged Myanmar’s intelligence service to launch an Israel-style operation to kidnap the two activists.
Key Rohingya campaigners face abduction threats
ANKARA Two leading figures of the Rohingya campaign in Europe are fearing for their lives after calls for their abduction were circulated in a racist video message. London-based Maung Zarni and Germany-based Nay San Lwin said they were targeted by Aye Ne Win, a businessman who allegedly financed the genocide against the ethnic group in Myanmar. In a video circulated on social media, Win urged Myanmar's intelligence service to launch an Israel-style operation to kidnap the two activists.
Rohingya Muslim group says they are not 'Bengalis'
ANKARA A Rohingya group has strongly rejected a joint statement by a coalition of rebels in Myanmar in which the persecuted Muslim community was described as “Bengali”. Mohammed Ayyub Khan, president of the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), termed the joint statement as “baseless, falsification and misrepresentation of the word Rohingya”.
'Turkey will never sit at table with terror groups'
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Turkey to resume operation if YPG/PKK does not withdraw
ISTANBUL Turkey's counter-terror operation in northern Syria will resume if YPG/PKK terror group does not withdraw from the region, said the country's foreign minister on Monday. "We have 35 hours left. If they don't withdraw, our operation will resume. This is also what we agreed with the Americans," Mevlut Cavusoglu said, in his opening speech at the TRT World Forum which kicked off in Istanbul. Turkey on Oct.
'Nuclear war in Pakistan, India could kill up to 125M'
A nuclear war between archrivals India and Pakistan could potentially kill up to 125 million people, a new study estimated, amid heightened tensions in the region due to the ongoing lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir. A study published in Science Advances journal Wednesday said fatalities from such a war “could reach 50 to 125 million people” if India uses “100 strategic weapons to attack urban centers and Pakistan uses 150”.
India: Khan’s remarks on Kashmir not statesman-like
ANKARA India on Saturday said the Pakistani premier’s remarks warning of potential nuclear war with New Delhi were not appropriate to "statesmanship".
Pakistan PM mediating with Iran to ease Mideast tension
ANKARA Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that U.S. President Donald Trump requested him to mediate with Iran to reduce tension in the Middle East, following drone attacks on Saudi oil fields. "Trump asked me that if we could de-escalate the situation and maybe come up with another deal," he told reporters on Tuesday at the UN Headquarters in New York.
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