Here is what Tony Abbott has to say to some of the most persecuted people on Earth

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NEED TO KNOW:

A lot has been written in recent weeks about the Rohingya. And with good reason. They are among the most persecuted people in the world.

A Muslim ethnic minority living in Myanmar for generations, they aren't allowed passports or citizenship. Their movements are restricted. They can't marry. Thousands have been forcibly moved to militarized ghettos in Myanmar. Of those who escape, many die at sea of thirst and hunger as country after country refuses to let them land. Some make it to Thailand where they are tortured and extorted by human smugglers or left for dead in jungle camps. It can't get worse.

But all the media attention is finally leading to some action. Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to let boats full of thousands of Rohingya land on their shores. They will give them temporary shelter, but only for a year. Then they have to find a third country to resettle in.

That country could be the United States, reports GlobalPost Senior Correspondent Patrick Winn. It has offered to take the lead on a multi-country effort, organized by the United Nations, to resettle the most desperate of the Rohingya. Meanwhile, it says it will put pressure on Myanmar to end the apartheid-like conditions.

Australia won't be part of that multi-country effort. Prime Minister Tony Abbott — who designed the groundbreaking strategy of towing boats full of starving refugees back out to sea to fend for themselves — responded to the suggestion with, “Nope, nope nope.” He added: “If you want to start a new life, you come through the front door, not through the back door.”

Abbott seems to think that the Rohingya should amble on down to the Australian embassy in Yangon, present all the necessary IDs and fill out all the correct paperwork to begin the process of obtaining some kind of visa to legally enter Australia. Then they should board a plane and fly to whatever Australian city they choose. Once there, they can freely start the fairy-tale life they've so viciously been denied for so many decades.

WANT TO KNOW:

The Palestinians are another one of the world's most persecuted groups of people. A UN envoy on Tuesday said Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are “desperate and angry." It felt like the understatement of a generation.

Almost 2 million Palestinians live in Gaza, which is essentially a large, open-air prison. Land, air and sea routes are all mostly sealed by Israel and Egypt. Their movements restricted, Palestinians in Gaza are caught between the armies of Hamas and Israel. The result is deadly.

A brutal Israeli offensive in Gaza last summer killed more than 2,000 Gazans, many of them civilians. Many of the civilians were children. About 70 Israelis were also killed in attacks by Hamas. Israel's response, however, shocked the world. Bombs leveled thousands of Gaza Strip homes, schools and hospitals. Gaza was left a smoldering pile of rubble with almost no working infrastructure.

Donors pledged $5.4 billion in aid to help it rebuild and recover. But only a fraction has actually made it to Gaza. GlobalPost Senior Correspondent Laura Dean has reported before on some of the creative accounting behind the pledge. But it doesn’t explain why so little has been spent, and why so much of Gaza is still in ruins.

Why aren’t the donors keeping their promises? You can help us find out. We’ve partnered with crowdfunding site Beacon Reader, which helps people like you support important journalism projects. We’re looking for funders willing to put a few dollars toward making sure this important story gets told. Please check out our pitch to hear more about the project and why this reporting matters so much.

STRANGE BUT TRUE:

Singapore is celebrating 50 years of independence this year. “That means it's also celebrating a somewhat less thrilling milestone — 50 years of diplomatic relations with Australia,” writes GlobalPost's Timothy McGrath.

So what do you get the city-state that has it all? Australia is going to send Australians to paint 50 murals in the city. It is also going to send Australians to barbecue some 10,000 steaks. And, finally, and this is perhaps the most exciting of the gifts, Australia will send the “Snuff Puppets.”

These are performers who dress as giant disembodied body parts. More here.