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US aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson started what it calls "routine operations" in the South China Sea on Saturday, with a fleet of supporting warships, reports BBC. The deployment comes days after China's foreign ministry warned Washington against challenging Beijing's sovereignty in the region. China claims several contested shoals, islets, and reefs in the area. It has been constructing artificial islands with airstrips in the South China Sea for a number of years. The aircraft carrier was last seen in the South China Sea two years ago, for exercises with Malaysia's navy and air force and has made 16 voyages to the region in its 35 years of US navy service. Shortly after US President Donald Trump took office on 20 January, his administration vowed to prevent China from taking territory in the South China Sea. On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: "We urge the US not to take any actions that challenge China's sovereignty and security."....

Published at: 2017-02-19 00:00:10

A man was killed and three people were injured as a human hauler overturned at Palashpur Zone in Matiranga upazila under Khagrachhari on Saturday evening. Officer-in-charge of Matiranga Police Station M Shahadat Hossain Titu said the deceased, M Kabir Hossain, 37, son of M Jasimuddin, a resident of Masterpara in the upazila, was going to Amtali from Matiranga in the human hauler, reports UNB. When the vehicle reached Palashpur, it turned turtle, leaving Kabir dead on the spot and three of his co-passengers injured. Later, police rescued the injured and sent them to Matiranga Upazila Health Complex, the OC added.  ....

Published at: 2017-02-19 00:00:10

The mastermind of numerous bomb plots in New York in the early 1990s died in prison in the US, his family says, reports BBC. Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, a blind cleric who preached at mosques in New York, was sentenced to life in 1996 for planning the attacks. He plotted to attack multiple landmarks in New York with the aim of stopping US support for Israel and Egypt. He was accused of inspiring the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, but was not convicted over that attack. The judge at his trial said that if his plans had been enacted, thousands of people would have died. Sheikh Rahman's death was announced in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Saturday by his family. Often referred to in the US as the Blind Sheikh, Rahman was also suspected of roles in numerous other violent attacks in Egypt in addition to developing close links with al-Qaeda. Rahman and nine others were convicted of planning a "war of urban terrorism" in the US which would have culminated in five bombings of prominent New York landmarks including the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels. The prosecution maintained that the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center was also part of the conspiracy, but neither Rahman nor his co-defendants were formally accused of any role in that attack. Six people died in the 1993 attack.....

Published at: 2017-02-19 00:00:10

US President Donald Trump has launched another fierce attack on the media at a "campaign rally for America" event in the state of Florida. He told the crowd in Melbourne the media did not want "to report the truth" and had their own agenda. He also defended the achievements of his presidency so far, insisting that a spirit of optimism was sweeping the US. Mr Trump had attacked the media at a press conference on Thursday, as pressure mounted on his presidency. His national security adviser Michael Flynn quit earlier in the week. Mr Trump is to interview candidates for the role on Sunday. Then things changed: Tara McKelvey, BBC News, Melbourne Before Air Force One landed, President Trump came to the back of the aeroplane. He shook our hands and told us we'd see "a fantastic crowd of people" at the rally. He was warm and friendly to us on the aeroplane but things changed at the rally. Standing on stage, he said reporters "are part of the corrupt system". When he attacked the media, people in the audience screamed their support. I sat with other journalists in an area that was surrounded by metal gates. At times the animosity towards the media felt personal: my colleague was taking photos, and one man held his hand in front of her lens. As we left the hangar, another man said to us: "Goodbye, lying media." On Saturday, President Trump and his wife Melania were greeted by thousands of supporters at the rally in a state he won in November's election. Protesters have also promised to line the route to the venue. In his speech, Mr Trump said he wanted to speak to Americans "without the filter of fake news". Describing the media as "dishonest", he repeated his assertion that some outlets "don't want to report the truth" and were making up their stories about him. "We will continue to expose them," he said, pledging to "win, win, win". In his speech, the president also: # Repeated his campaign pledge to keep America "safe" and said the country would "have strong borders again" # Said Americans would have "a great healthcare plan" and Obama reforms would be repealed # Stressed that the White House was running "so smoothly", dismissing claims that his administration was in disarray # Promised to "downsize the bloated bureaucracy" and "drain the swamp" in Washington #Said a plan would be developed to "totally destroy" so-called Islamic State #Promised to create more jobs in the US and rebuild the country's military It is unusual for a sitting president to hold a rally in the style of those held during election campaigns. One supporter, Gene Huber from West Palm Beach, said the decision to hold a rally was not a concern. "No jitters at all," he told the AFP news agency. "This is a world leader now who's taking control." Throughout the week, Mr Trump launched attacks on the media while indicating his excitement at facing crowds in Florida again. On Thursday, he held a 76-minute press conference where he told reporters their level of dishonesty was out of control, citing coverage of his campaign's alleged contacts with Moscow. Michael Flynn, Mr Trump's national security adviser, resigned on Monday after he misled Vice-President Mike Pence about whether he had discussed US sanctions with Russia's ambassador before his own appointment. Meanwhile, the New York Times reported earlier this week that members of Mr Trump's campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election. While in Florida, Mr Trump is staying at his Mar-a-Lago resort for the third weekend in succession. In a tweet, he referred to the property as the "Southern White House", although the private club is part of Mr Trump's portfolio and is not government property. While there, he will interview four candidates for the role of national security adviser. They are: #Acting adviser Keith Kellogg #Former US envoy to the UN John Bolton #Lt Gen HR McMaster #Lt Gen Robert Caslen  ....

Published at: 2017-02-19 00:00:10

The government now moves to build overhead expressways along potential national highways and second bridges over major rivers under a mega traffic plan. Officials said the objective is to make nationwide road infrastructures ready for growing traffic beyond 2030. Building such communications networks is particularly being seen as an imperative for the fact that Bangladesh is poised to become an important regional transport corridor. The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges (MoRTB) has already directed zonal offices under Roads and Highways Department (RHD) to recommend the possibility of developing the infrastructures in their respective areas, the sources said. The RHD offices have been asked to conduct survey on traffic movement on regular basis to find trend in increases and guide the department concerned about conducting feasibility study on building expressways or bridges--whatever needed where. "We have already taken enough measures to develop uninterrupted road infrastructures in the country. So time has come to go for next steps--expressways and second bridges over major rivers," said Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary MAN Siddique. This, he said, will help ensure readiness of roads to take traffic loads with Bangladesh's graduation to middle-income country and upper- middle-income country and so on. With the completion of the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway, the government has already taken steps to build expressway on the same corridor. The RHD has almost completed detailed design work of turning 1750- kilometre national highways into four-lane broadways. Under this plan, work on Joydevpur-Elenga route has already begun. On the other hand, Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) under the same ministry has made a move to conduct feasibility study on construction of expressway on the entire corridor in elevated form. Besides, work also started to upgrade Dhaka-Mawa road to expressway to take loads of both Mongla and Pyra ports through Padma Bridge. Officials said on completion of the four-lane works, the country will be ready to take the burgeoning traffic loads up to 2020-21. So the RHD has moved to start necessary work just now for managing the traffic beyond 2030. They, however, said on getting recommendations from zonal offices, the RHD will then conduct feasibility studies on finding scope of expressways and bridges to start construction in time. "These will be constructed mainly targeting district Sadar but, if necessary, proposal for developing upazila towns would be taken into consideration, depending on creating scope of increase in economic activities," said the secretary. He, however, said upazila towns or islands are to be connected with multimodal transport systems as investing in bridges may not be found economically viable at this stage. smunima@yahoo.com  ....

Published at: 2017-02-19 00:00:10