Myanmar, Algeria, India
Today's three stories you should know
Myanmar
More than 500 people are feared dead after two large boats reportedly capsized off the coast of Myanmar since the end of June, two U.N. agencies said in a joint statement today. The vessels are believed to have been carrying people from Myanmar’s persecuted Muslim Rohingya minority, escaping war in Rakhine state. Others are reported to have crossed into Myanmar from overcrowded camps for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to board the boats. More than one million Rohingya now live in refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing Myanmar when its military launched a crackdown on the community in 2017 during which acts of genocide were committed, according to U.N. experts.
More from the Guardian here.
Listen to The Proximities Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
Algeria
A fire at an orphanage in Algeria has killed 11 people, including children, according to emergency services and media reports. The blaze broke out in the early hours of the morning inside the Childhood Relief Institution, which provides shelter and support to orphans, abandoned minors and children with special needs. The Civil Protection Agency gave no details about the victims or their ages or the possible cause of the fire. Algeria has been in the grip of a severe heatwave in recent weeks, with firefighters battling almost 1,000 fires since July 8.
More from Al Jazeera here.
India
India has barred ship owners, managers and recruitment agencies from sending the country’s seafarers on vessels trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Two Indian seafarers have been killed in attacks on vessels in the Strait over the last three days, according to the government, and others have died previously. More than 15,000 Indian seafarers are still stranded west of the Strait, Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, said. India is the world's third-largest supplier of seafarers, with more than 300,000 sailors working in global shipping fleets, according to Indian government data.
More from Reuters here.