Dec 6, 2018

128,000 Rohingya Muslims remain displaced in Myanmar

Photo: Dibyanshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images

Myanmar's government has said it will close refugee camps housing 128,000 displaced Rohingya Muslims in an effort to to spur development, but a Reuters investigation has revealed the act will do little to restore freedom of movement — meaning the situation in Rakhine state will remain largely the same for a group UN investigators suspect has been targeted for ethnic cleansing.

The big picture: While the government of Aung San Suu Kyi builds more permanent homes next to the camps, Rohingya refugees will be unable to return to the areas from which they were displaced. They remain to subject to official checkpoints and threats of violence, essentially causing them to be cut from "sources of livelihood" and dependent on humanitarian aid, according to Reuters.

Go deeper: Rohingya refugees long to return home but fear what they'd find there

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Axios
Updated 34 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 a.m. ET: 21,243,513 — Total deaths: 766,488— Total recoveries: 13,272,162 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 a.m ET: 5,314,814 — Total deaths: 168,462 — Total recoveries: 1,796,326 — Total tests: 65,676,624 — Map.
  3. Health: The coronavirus-connected heart ailment that could lead to sudden death in athletes.
  4. States: New York to reopen gyms, bowling alleys, museums.
  5. Business: How small businesses got stiffed — Unemployment starts moving in the right direction.
  6. Politics: Biden signals fall strategy with new ads.
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Fadel Allassan
3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Kamala Harris and the political rise of America's Indian community

Vice presidential hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

When Democrats next week formally nominate the daughter of an Indian immigrant to be vice president, it'll be perhaps the biggest leap yet in the Indian American community's rapid ascent into a powerful political force.

Why it matters: Indian Americans are one of the fastest-growing, wealthiest and most educated demographic groups in the U.S. Politicians work harder every year to woo them. And in Kamala Harris, they'll be represented in a major-party presidential campaign for the first time.

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Bryan Walsh
3 hours ago - Health

The cardiac threat coronavirus poses to athletes

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

Cardiologists are increasingly concerned that coronavirus infections could cause heart complications that lead to sudden cardiac death in athletes.

Why it matters: Even if just a tiny percentage of COVID-19 cases lead to major cardiac conditions, the sheer scope of the pandemic raises the risk for those who regularly conduct the toughest physical activity — including amateurs who might be less aware of the danger.

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