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Myanmar: Attacks in Rakhine Prevent the Return of the Rohingya

On Monday, Nicholas Koumjian, head of the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, warned that violence against civilians in western Myanmar is preventing the return of the Rohingya—a Muslim-majority community that has faced persecution and displacement to Bangladesh.

“The Mechanism is investigating allegations of very serious international crimes currently being committed in Rakhine State by perpetrators of various ethnicities, religions, and political affiliations,” Koumjian said in a statement upon concluding a six-day official visit to Bangladesh.

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During his visit, the investigator met with Rohingya individuals who had fled the violence. “Many Rohingya shared their recent, traumatic experiences that drove them to seek refuge in Bangladesh, and these testimonies are crucial for advancing our investigations,” he stated.

According to UN data cited in the report, more than 154,000 Rohingya have arrived in the country since the beginning of 2024, following an escalation of violence linked to the conflict between the Burmese military and the Arakan Army. The latter is a Buddhist guerrilla group active in Rakhine that, according to available information, also discriminates against the Muslim minority. The Burmese military seized power in a 2021 coup.

Attacks on civilians in Rakhine State keep the Rohingya population at risk and hinder their safe return to Myanmar, even as UN investigators document allegations of international crimes.

In 1971, #India welcomed millions of refugees from Bangladesh with humanity. Today, Rohingya refugees in #Bangladesh struggle for food and clean water despite millions in international aid. Where is the money going? #Rohingya deserve dignity, not neglect! @vonbrauckmann pic.twitter.com/iVwaZNeFbU

— Aditya Tiwari (@adityatiwarizz8) October 12, 2026

Airstrike in Rakhine

Two weeks prior to Koumjian’s statement, at least 50 people were killed and another 58 injured in an airstrike on a market in Rakhine, according to UN figures. The Arakan Army attributed the shelling to the Burmese military. The incident took place in an area inhabited by the Rohingya population.

Koumjian called for an end to violence against civilians and maintained that ensuring those responsible are held accountable is crucial for Rohingya communities to return safely to their homes.

This new wave of displacement follows the exodus of over 720,000 Rohingya during the military campaign launched in August 2017. Currently, more than 1.2 million Rohingya live in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh—home to the world’s largest network of refugee camps, according to UN data cited in the text.

Established in 2018, the UN mechanism has provided evidence to the International Criminal Court, to Argentine authorities—who opened proceedings in 2024 under the principle of universal jurisdiction—and to the International Court of Justice, in connection with investigations into possible genocide against the Rohingya people.

#Myanmar | Malaysia welcomed military-backed leader Min Aung Hlaing as concerns grow over plans to repatriate thousands of Myanmar nationals.
Rights groups warn returnees could face persecution, forced conscription and violence amid the civil war.#Malaysia #HumanRights… pic.twitter.com/Ls0gW40rsy

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 8, 2026

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Theme for 2026 – create a landscape that cares!

Autumn Mediterranean Garden Fair 2024 - Photo Eric Roth

Various venues have hosted the Autumn Mediterranean Garden Fair over the years, but the wonderful increasing support of plant lovers and gardeners has been the main inspiration for our volunteers.

The post Theme for 2026 – create a landscape that cares! appeared first on Portugal Resident.

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Algarve artists donate artwork for ABLE’s 2027 Charity Calendar

Art by By Samantha Van Der Westhuizen

ABLE – Animal Blue Light Emergency, a registered charity based in Moncarapacho, East Algarve, is producing a 2027 wall calendar featuring work by local artists. The theme focuses on the

The post Algarve artists donate artwork for ABLE’s 2027 Charity Calendar appeared first on Portugal Resident.

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Five days of performing arts for young audiences in Lagos

Encontros Gymnasium

Lagos will host the second edition of Encontros Gymnasium – Performing for Young Audiences from October 13 to 17, bringing five days of theatre, dance, music, cinema and interactive workshops

The post Five days of performing arts for young audiences in Lagos appeared first on Portugal Resident.

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Algarve students return triumphant from UK diplomacy conference

Teams w at the airport

Students from the Agrupamento de Escolas Silves Sul received a hero’s welcome at Faro Airport on Sunday evening after returning from a successful Model United Nations (MUN) conference in Manchester,

The post Algarve students return triumphant from UK diplomacy conference appeared first on Portugal Resident.

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Inside the Subreddit Where Men Share Their Dinners—And Their Most Intimate Feelings

r/BoyDinnerDiaries is a subreddit where men post photos of their often rather sad-looking meals alongside their most private worries. Zack Hauptman carefully explores this unusual place for community and care, meeting the men who are learning to share more than just what is on their plate. We hear a lot about the “male loneliness epidemic,” so it’s heartening to glimpse even a small shift in the other direction.

Others use the forum regardless of whether they have a vast social circle. Robert*, 31, says he has many people to turn to but uses Reddit when he needs to unload his feelings further. “I have an urge to vent when I don’t want to call a friend,” he says. In August, after experiencing repeated rejection from women he was seeing, he decided to post about it online. “I’m at the point where I feel so disappointed and let down but also so grateful that I have the opportunity to learn and grow from all of it,” he wrote alongside a photo of mushy canned tuna in a bowl. “I could talk about it pretty much all the time, but I don’t really want to be doing that,” he says. “Going to the subreddit…it’s like throwing it into the void.”

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Two Iranian Nationals Charged over Alleged Terror Plot Targeting Manchester Jewish Community

Two Iranian nationals have been charged with terrorism offences over an alleged plot targeting the Jewish community in Manchester, with investigators accusing them of researching potential targets and obtaining instructions and materials for an improvised explosive device.

Rahman Salehi, of Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool, were charged on Friday, 2 October, with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

According to the Metropolitan Police announcement detailing the charges, both men are Iranian nationals and were arrested in Manchester on Sunday, 20 September.

They have been remanded in custody and are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 3 October.

The arrests followed what police described as a long-running counter-terrorism investigation into a suspected plot directed against the Jewish community in the Manchester area.

Police allege that the two men were communicating with a third person overseas who may have been in Iran. No allegation has been made in the charges released so far that the Iranian government directed the suspected plot.

The particulars published by Counter Terrorism Policing allege that Salehi and Ahmadyan used encrypted communications and obtained material containing instructions for manufacturing an explosive device.

Investigators say the men acquired instructions relating to a device using powdered chlorine and vehicle brake fluid, along with video material concerning the manufacture or assembly of an improvised explosive device.

They are further accused of acquiring liquids, components and equipment, researching potential targets, obtaining images, maps and plans, and carrying out reconnaissance at locations considered as possible targets.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that prosecutors had authorised charges after reviewing evidence gathered during the investigation.

Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said prosecutors had concluded that there was sufficient evidence for the case to be put before a court.

The CPS stressed that the proceedings are now active and that both men have the right to a fair trial. The charges are allegations and no finding of guilt has been made.

Arrests during Jewish High Holy Days

The arrests took place shortly before Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and came amid heightened security surrounding Jewish institutions in Britain.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said the investigation had disrupted what police believed to be a plot targeting Manchester’s Jewish community.

The timing is particularly sensitive because it comes one year after the terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester on 2 October 2025.

Two worshippers were killed in that attack, which took place on Yom Kippur. EU Today reported at the time on the Manchester synagogue attack and the security concerns facing Britain’s Jewish population.

The latest case also comes against the background of a series of alleged Iranian-linked threats and attacks involving Jewish and Israeli targets in Britain.

British security agencies have repeatedly warned about Iranian activity on UK territory. The government said earlier this year that more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots had been tracked by British security agencies over the preceding year.

Concerns intensified following attacks on Jewish-linked premises during 2026. In July, the government imposed sanctions on an Iran-linked organisation that had claimed responsibility for attacks on Jewish and Israeli-linked locations.

The group, the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right, was subsequently designated under Britain’s new state-threat legislation alongside Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

EU Today has previously examined Iran-linked security threats in Britain following counter-terrorism arrests involving Iranian nationals, as well as alleged Iranian-linked plots targeting Jewish institutions elsewhere in Europe and North America.

Britain expands protection for Jewish communities

The Manchester case comes as the British government increases security around synagogues, Jewish schools and community centres.

In July, ministers announced more than £250 million in additional funding over three years to strengthen protection for Jewish communities.

The package includes funding for more than 500 additional police officers across England and Wales, including around 80 officers in Greater Manchester, as well as additional resources for Counter Terrorism Policing.

The UK’s national terrorism threat level was raised to severe in April, meaning that an attack is considered highly likely. The government said the decision reflected both an increased threat from Islamist and extreme-right terrorism and a wider background of state-linked physical threats against the Jewish community.

EU Today has also reported on the government’s £250 million programme to strengthen Jewish community security and the broader increase in antisemitic incidents and violence affecting Jewish communities across Britain.

The allegations against Salehi and Ahmadyan will now be considered by the courts. Prosecutors have warned against publishing material that could prejudice the proceedings.

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Spies and Their Climate Lies

At the UN last week, Ed Miliband shared details of a secret "damning" climate spy report. Ben Pile points out that a similar secret report appeared 22 years ago – and not one of its apocalyptic predictions came true.

The post Spies and Their Climate Lies appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

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Polanski Tells Jews That “in Practice Zionism is Racism”

Green Party Leader Zack Polanski was booed last night at a Holborn by-election hustings as he told British Jews that "in practice" Zionism is racism and Israel's actions in Gaza amount to a "genocide".

The post Polanski Tells Jews That “in Practice Zionism is Racism” appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

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