A rights group has called for targeted sanctions and an arms embargo against the Myanmar military in response to an offensive that has sent 410 scarpe vans offerte ,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh to escape what the United Nations has branded ethnic cleansing.


The latest spasm of violence in western Myanmar's Rakhine State began on August 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts and an army camp, killing about 12 people.


Rights monitors and fleeing Rohingya say Myanmar security forces and Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes responded with what they describe as a campaign of violence and arson aimed at driving out the Muslim population.


Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejects that, saying its forces are carrying out clearance operations against the insurgents of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which claimed responsibility for the August attacks and similar, smaller raids in October.


The Human Rights Watch group said that Myanmar security forces were disregarding condemnation by world leaders over the violence and the exodus of refugees, and the time had come to impose tougher measures that Myanmar's generals could not ignore.


"The United Nations Security Council and concerned countries should impose targeted sanctions and an arms embargo on the Burmese military to end its ethnic cleansing campaign," the group said in a release.


About 1 million Rohingya lived in Rakhine State until the recent violence. Most face draconian travel restrictions and are denied citizenship in a country where many Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.


Myanmar government leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of criticism from abroad for not stopping the violence.


RIO DE JANEIRO, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Santos missed a chance to reduce Corinthians' lead at the top of Brazil's Serie A standings by suffering a 1-0 home loss to Sport Recife on Saturday.


The game looked to be headed for a 0-0 draw before veteran midfielder Oswaldo broke the deadlock by firing in a close-range shot with nine minutes remaining.


The result at the Vila Belmiro stadium left Santos third, seven points behind Corinthians, who have a game in hand.


Sport, who are coached by former Brazil and Real Madrid boss Vanderlei Luxemburgo, rose to 12th, four points behind Santos.


Meanwhile, Santos' Brazil international midfielder Lucas Lima has denied reports that he will join Barcelona as a free agent in January.


"Do you think that if I have a contract with Santos I would tell you that I'm going to Barcelona?" Lima said in a television interview after his team's loss to Sport.


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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (right) looks on as lawmakers raise their hands shouting "banzai!" (Hurrah!) after the dissolution of the Lower House of the Parliament in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday. Photo: IC

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolved parliament Thursday, effectively kicking off a national election campaign where he faces an unexpected and formidable challenge from the popular governor of Tokyo.


Members of the lower house raised their arms and shouted "Banzai" three times - the Japanese equivalent of "three cheers" - after the speaker read out a letter officially dissolving the chamber.


Voters in the world's third-biggest economy will go to the polls on October 22, as Abe seeks a fresh popular mandate for his hardline stance on North Korea and a new tax plan.


"A difficult battle starts today," Abe told reporters, shaking his fist.


"This is an election about how to protect the lives of people," said the premier. "We have to cooperate with the international community as we face the threat from North Korea."


Abe asked for public support for his "strong diplomacy" on Kim Jong-un's regime, which has threatened to "sink" Japan into the sea and fired missiles over its northern Hokkaido island twice in the space of a month.


"We need to fight for our children's future."


Abe stunned Japan on Monday with a surprise call for a snap election, seeking to capitalize on a weak opposition and a boost in the polls, as voters welcome his hawkish policy toward Pyongyang.


But Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has upended Japanese politics in recent days, stealing Abe's limelight with her newly launched "Party of Hope" that seeks to shake up the country's lethargic po-litical landscape.


Koike's new party, formally unveiled Wednesday, has attracted an influx of lawmakers from a wide range of ideological backgrounds and has succeeded in unifying opposition to Abe, presenting Japanese voters with a credible alternative to the premier.


Japan's main opposition Democratic Party later Thursday decided not to run candidates in the election, effectively joining forces with Koike's juggernaut.


For the moment, although Koike is leading the party, she is not running for a seat in parliament, preferring to concentrate on governing the world's most populous city in the run-up to the 2020 Olympic Games.


A Nigerian lawyer who helped secure the release of more than 100 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram was on Monday awarded one of the UN's top prizes.


The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said Zannah Mustapha was given the annual Nansen award for his "crucial mediating" role as well as his work helping children affected by the long-running conflict.


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