Robots threatens Bangladeshi garment workers

The CEO of mortgage company Better.com has apologised for firing 900 of his employees on a Zoom call. The video of Vishal Garg announcing the layoffs went viral online, and he has now published a statement admitting he "blundered" through the move, and that the manner of his announcement "made a difficult situation worse." Also today, Turkey's president appeals for patience over his economic policies, as Turks face spiralling inflation and a plunge in the value of the lira.

Government officials in Bangladesh denounced US sanctions but activists hailed them as a step forward for human rights in the country. The measures were implemented over rights abuses and extrajudicial killings.

French armed forces have said they killed a senior "Islamic State" member believed to have been involved in a 2020 attack that left six French aid workers dead.

Over 500 people were aboard the passenger ferry, which had a capacity of 310, when it caught fire in the south of Bangladesh. The blaze was put out after more than three hours, and rescue operations are still underway.

Bangladeshi police have arrested one of the four owners of a ferry involved in a massive fire in which at least 39 people died. Seven other people, including owners and captains of the vessel, are on the run.

Charity Save the Children confirmed that its two missing staff were caught up in an attack that killed at least 35. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed calls for the UN to impose an arms embargo in Myanmar.

International aid groups are once again drawing attention to the plight of Rohingya refugees relocated to the remote, flood-prone island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal. Earlier this month, dozens of people drowned as they tried to flee what some are calling a prison island.

The strike in the town of Dedebit, in the northwest of the region near the border with Eritrea, occurred late on Friday night, said two aid workers, who asked not to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media.

More than 1,100 people were killed when the Rana Plaza textile factory collapsed in 2013. The tragedy drew attention to poor safety standards in Bangladesh's lucrative garment industry.

Amnesty International on Monday called on football's global governing body FIFA to put more pressure on 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar to improve conditions for workers in the Gulf country. But the rights group said Qatar was at risk of slipping backwards.

In Bangladesh headlines are dominated by violence: Secular bloggers murdered by extremists, opponents of the government disappear, the Hindu minority is under attack. Why is Bangladesh finding it harder and harder to reconcile democracy and religion?

The mandate requires all employees in care homes, hospitals, doctors' offices and outpatient clinics to prove they are vaccinated against COVID-19. An emergency motion had attempted to delay its enforcement.