JEDDAH: Muslim World League Secretary-General Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa inaugurated the Integrated Services Center for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on Saturday.
Al-Issa stressed the importance of the completion of the center as soon as possible in line with the MWL’s commitment to the best standards according to the conditions available for each environment, as well as the best practices in comprehensive humanitarian action, which represent a qualitative leap in relief work for Rohingya refugees who live in difficult conditions.
He said that the center will provide a small community for Rohingya refugees with social facilities offering basic education, vocational training and primary health care.
Al-Issa praised the efforts of the International Islamic Relief Organization in preparing and planning for the establishment of the Bangladesh center.
In a previous statement, the MWL addressed the international community, noting that the atrocities suffered by the Rohingya in Myanmar from brutal attacks and genocide in full view of the whole world is stain on the face of humanity and its international system.
“This disturbing historical chapter in the humanitarian and international record will be a witness to the magnitude of the failure to stop certain massacres and crimes of hatred,” Al-Issa said.
“These crimes represent one of the worst brutal and bloody terrorist images, which is no less than the terrorism and crimes of terrorist organizations around the world, such as Daesh.”
Al-Issa said that the MWL is focusing on the economic empowerment of refugees to help them be productive and self-sufficient in their own environments, and thus achieve sustainable development — the main aim of the humanitarian work of the MWL.
The secretary-general highlighted the importance of raising the health awareness of the Rohingya by focusing on and addressing the personal needs of women and their psychological and health requirements, in addition to providing personal health requirements for the rest of the family.
At the same time, these efforts should help mitigate the impact of physical and psychological violence suffered by Rohingya refugees, through specialized psychological and reunion programs, the care of orphans, widows, and other specialized programs, he said.
Al-Issa pointed out that the efforts of the MWL support its international presence as a world organization with great weight and influence, by harnessing all the potential to be present wherever required, on a purely humanitarian basis that does not carry any discrimination, based on the teachings of Islam.
Muslim World League opens Rohingya relief center in Bangladesh
Muslim World League opens Rohingya relief center in Bangladesh
- The center will provide a small community for Rohingya refugees with social facilities
- It will offer basic education, vocational training and primary health care
Britain needs ‘AI stress tests’ for financial services, lawmakers say
- Lawmakers urge AI-specific stress tests for financial firms
LONDON: Britain’s financial watchdogs are not doing enough to stop artificial intelligence from harming consumers or destabilising markets, a cross-party group of lawmakers said on Tuesday, urging regulators to move away from what it called a “wait and see” approach.
In a report on AI in financial services, the Treasury Committee said the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England should start running AI-specific stress tests to help firms prepare for market shocks triggered by automated systems.
The committee also called on the FCA to publish detailed guidance by the end of 2026 on how consumer protection rules apply to AI, and on the extent to which senior managers should be expected to understand the systems they oversee.
“Based on the evidence I’ve seen, I do not feel confident that our financial system is prepared if there was a major AI-related incident and that is worrying,” committee chair Meg Hillier said in a statement.
TECHNOLOGY CARRIES ‘SIGNIFICANT RISKS’
A race among banks to adopt agentic AI, which unlike generative AI can make decisions and take autonomous action, runs new risks for retail customers, the FCA told Reuters late last year.
About three-quarters of UK financial firms now use AI. Companies are deploying the technology across core functions, from processing insurance claims to performing credit assessments.
While the report acknowledged the benefits of AI, it warned the technology also carried “significant risks” including opaque credit decisions, the potential exclusion of vulnerable consumers through algorithmic tailoring, fraud, and the spread of unregulated financial advice through AI chatbots.
Experts contributing to the report also highlighted threats to financial stability, pointing to the reliance on a small group of US tech giants for AI and cloud services. Some also noted that AI-driven trading systems may amplify herding behavior in markets, risking a financial crisis in a worst-case scenario.
An FCA spokesperson said the regulator welcomed the focus on AI and would review the report. The regulator has previously indicated it does not favor AI-specific rules due to the pace of technological change.
The BoE did not respond to a request for comment.
Hillier told Reuters that increasingly sophisticated forms of generative AI were influencing financial decisions. “If something has gone wrong in the system, that could have a very big impact on the consumer,” she said.
Separately, Britain’s finance ministry appointed Starling Bank CIO Harriet Rees and Lloyds Banking Group ‘s Rohit Dhawan as “AI Champions” to help steer AI adoption in financial services.
