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Photos reveal impact of U.S. aid cuts on Rohingya children in camps in Bangladesh

UKHIYA, Bangladesh (AP) — Deep cuts to foreign aid by U.S. President Donald Trump this year, compounded by reductions from other donor countries, have led to the closure of thousands of schools and youth centers in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, severely weakening child protection programs. As a result, girls have been forced into marriage, children as young as 10 have been pushed into hard labor and some girls as young as 12 have been forced into prostitution. The U.S. State Department said it has provided more than $168 million in aid to the Rohingya since Trump took office, citing efforts to improve efficiency and share the burden among donors.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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