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US President Donald Trump will sign legislation that imposes sanctions on Russia, the White House said on Friday, after Moscow ordered the United States to cut hundreds of diplomatic staff and said it would seize two US diplomatic properties in retaliation for the bill. The US Senate had voted almost unanimously on Thursday to slap new sanctions on Russia, forcing Trump to choose between a tough position on Moscow and effectively dashing his stated hopes for warmer ties with the country or to veto the bill amid investigations in possible collusion between his campaign and Russia. By signing the bill into law, Trump cannot ease the sanctions against Russia unless he seeks congressional approval. Moscow's retaliation, announced by the Foreign Ministry on Friday, had echoes of the Cold War. If confirmed that Russia's move would affect hundreds of staff at the US embassy, it would far outweigh the Obama administration's expulsion of 35 Russians in December. The legislation was in part a response to conclusions by US intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election, and to further punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Late on Friday, the White House issued a statement saying Trump would sign the bill after reviewing the final version. The statement made no reference to Russia's retaliatory measures. Russia had been threatening retaliation for weeks. Its response suggests it has set aside initial hopes of better ties with Washington under Trump, something the US leader, before he was elected, had said he wanted to achieve. Relations were already languishing at a post-Cold War low because of the allegations that Russian cyber interference in the election was intended to boost Trump's chances, something Moscow flatly denies. Trump has denied any collusion between his campaign and Russian officials. The Russian Foreign Ministry complained of growing anti-Russian feeling in the United States, accusing "well-known circles" of seeking "open confrontation". President Vladimir Putin had warned on Thursday that Russia would have to retaliate against what he called boorish US behaviour. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on Friday that the Senate vote was the last straw. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson by telephone that Russia was ready to normalise relations with the United States and to cooperate on major global issues. Lavrov and Tillerson "agreed to maintain contact on a range of bilateral issues", the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The ministry said the United States had until Sept 1 to reduce its diplomatic staff in Russia to 455 people, the number of Russian diplomats left in the United States after Washington expelled 35 Russians in December. 'EXTREME AGGRESSION' It was not immediately clear how many US diplomats and other workers would be forced to leave either the country or their posts, but the Interfax news agency cited an informed source as saying "hundreds" of people would be affected. A diplomatic source told Reuters that it would be for the United States to decide which posts to cut, whether occupied by US or Russian nationals. An official at the US Embassy, who declined to be named because they were not allowed to speak to the media, said the Embassy employed around 1,100 diplomatic and support staff in Russia, including Russian and US citizens. Russian state television channel Rossiya 24 said over 700 staff would be affected but that was not confirmed by the foreign ministry or the US embassy. The Russian Foreign Ministry's statement said the passage of the bill confirmed "the extreme aggression of the United States in international affairs". Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov met outgoing US ambassador John Tefft on Friday to inform him of the counter measures, Russian news agencies reported. The US Embassy said Tefft had expressed his "strong disappointment and protest". Most US diplomatic staff, including around 300 US citizens, work in the main embassy in Moscow, with others based in consulates in St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was also seizing a Moscow dacha compound used by US diplomats for recreation, from Aug 1, as well as a US diplomatic warehouse in Moscow. In December, the outgoing Obama administration seized two Russian diplomatic compounds - one in New York and another in Maryland - at the same time as it expelled Russian diplomats. Trump and Putin met for the first time at a G20 summit in Germany this month in what both sides described as a productive encounter, but Russian officials have become increasingly convinced that Congress and Trump's political opponents will not allow him to mend ties, even if he wants to. The European Union has also threatened to retaliate against new US sanctions on Russia, saying they would harm the bloc's energy security by targeting projects including a planned new pipeline to bring Russian natural gas to northern Europe. A European Commission spokesman in Brussels said the bloc would be following the sanctions process closely.....

Published at: 2017-07-29 00:00:04

CHITTAGONG, July 27: Chittagong City Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin said Thursday serious water-logging in the port city will go in next two years following execution of various projects in this regard.    He said the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) is aware of all these problems and has taken necessary steps for a permanent solution to the water-logging problem. Mr Nasir Uddin said the port city is facing unprecedented water-logging this year due to rise of sea level, recent release of water from the Kaptai Lake, suspension of the Karnaphuli River dredging, inadequate silt trap and other problems created by a section of people. "I sincerely believe and hope that the projects for permanent solution of the water logging problem would be implemented within next two years," he said. The city mayor said these while attending as chief guest the presentation of Action Plan for the Revenue Department and Estate Section for the fiscal year 2017-18 (FY 2018) of the CCC at the city's Theatre Institute. The CCC organised presentation of such Action Plan for the first time in its history. The mayor said the tax money realised from the citizens would be spent for their welfare. There is no scope of misuse of their hard-earned money. Mayor Nasir urged officers and employees of the City Corporation to behave with the citizens in a polite manner so that the people are convinced to pay their municipal taxes as per law of the land to expedite overall development of the city. While the meeting was presided over by Chief Executive of the CCC Md Shamsuddoha, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) Md Mostafizur Rahman presented details of the drafted Action Plan. The CRO also presented a comparative statement of the revenue collection of Chittagong City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation of the last four years. The event was moderated by private secretary to the Mayor Md Manjurul Islam. The event was also addressed by finance standing committee chairman of the CCC and ward councillor Md Shafiul Alam, ward councillor Habibul Haque, CCC secretary Abul Hossain, chief engineer Lt Col Mohiuddin Ahmed, chief education officer Mrs Nazia Shirin, special magistrate Jahanara Ferdous, executive magistrate Sanjida Sharmin, Engineer Abdur Rashid and Advocate Chandan Biswas. The mayor emphasised expediting of holding tax collection, quick resolution of cases relating to holding tax, special steps for collection of taxes and other charges in the city's less developed areas, completion of trade license automation activities and organising trade tax fair. pankajdastider@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-07-28 00:00:05

The Department of Environment (DoE) has strongly pleaded for amending the Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kiln Establishment (Control) Act. Such an amendment will make brick production more sustainable considering greater interest of environment, the DoE Director General said at a workshop in Dhaka on Thursday said. The Brick Kiln Act was passed in 2013 to establish control over brick manufacturing and brick kiln establishment for the interest of conservation and development of environment and biodiversity. This law came into force from July 1, 2014 and permits two years' time limit to introduce modern technology in brick kilns. After three years of enactment of this Act, question has arisen as to feasibility and enforceability of the provisions of the law, said speakers. "This Act should be amended in the light of field-level study considering the issues with participation of the concerned people", DoE director general Md Raisul Alam Mondal said. His observation came at a stakeholder consultative workshop on national strategy for sustainable brick production in Bangladesh, held at the DoE in the city. It was organised jointly by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the DoE. The DoE is now working for a strategy sustainable for brick production considering environmental issues. The DoE DG said for effective implementation of this Act, concerned institutional frameworks should be strengthened and necessary by-laws should be framed. He said the amendment should be done emphasising agricultural land, barring use of top soil, labourers' health issue, reduction of carbon emission, stopping import of sulfur-poisoned coal etc. Md Shahjahan, consultant with the Asian Development Bank and a former DoE official, presented the keynote paper titled 'National Strategy for Sustainable Brick Production in Bangladesh'. The paper revealed that the country's 7,000 brick fields have been producing 22.8 billion pieces of bricks annually. It said 4,227 traditional brick kilns (FCK) have been turned into zigzag kilns in 2017. The number was 150 in 2009. Zigzag kilns are 15 to 20 per cent more fuel-efficient than that of FCK or traditional brick kiln. However, Tunnel and HHK, two more modern technologies, have been adopted in 99 brick kilns in the country so far, the paper said. It revealed that most of brick kilns still use top soils of agricultural lands.    The paper in its policy recommendation said an updated brick policy, amendment of Brick Kiln Act and a brick information service should be considered. Easy access to finance for sector people, protection of health and safety of workers, enabling environment for sustainable brick kilns and subsidiary rules under the Brick Kiln Act will also formulated. Bangladesh Brick Manufacturing Owners Association (BBMOA) general secretary Alhaj Md Abu Bakar said the FCK brick kiln owners will have to give time to turn their units into modern ones gradually. Vice president of BBMOA Md Asadur Rahman Khan said automated brick kilns are not yet capable enough to meet the gigantic demand for bricks in a growing economy like Bangladesh   Secretary General of Bangladesh Auto Brick Manufacturers Association Dr B N Dulal called for reducing bank interest rate and VAT rate for auto kilns to help minimise prices of the key infrastructure input. Additional DG of DoE Quazi Sarwar Imtiaz Hashmi chaired the programme while ACIMOD regional programme manager Mats Eriksson, DoE Director (AQM) Md Ziaul Haque, among others also spoke.     tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-07-28 00:00:05

WASHINGTON, July 27 (CNN): Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director who was brought in to bring order to a press shop in turmoil, called into CNN's "New Day" on Thursday and all but blamed chief of staff Reince Priebus for leaking information. In the remarkable interview, which lasted for more than a half hour, the developing power struggle inside the West Wing was on full display, with Scaramucci at one point warning that "the fish stinks from the head down." Scaramucci, whose relationship with Priebus has been fraught since he was initially unable to secure a White House job after President Donald Trump's election, did little to show his relationship with Priebus was changing and said it was up to the chief of staff to show he was not leaking. Hours earlier, the White House communications director-who notably announced last week that he reports to Trump, not Priebus-copied the chief of staff in a tweet about leaks before deleting it. He later told CNN the message was not a call for the FBI to investigate the chief of staff. "When I put out a tweet and I put Reince's name in a tweet, they're all make the assumption that it's him because journalists know who the leakers are," Scaramucci said on "New Day." "So if Reince wants to explain he's not a leaker, let him do that. But let me tell you about myself. I'm a straight shooter and I'll go right to the heart of the matter." Scaramucci-who wasn't originally booked to appear on "New Day" but called in to explain his version of events surrounding the tweet-also blasted leakers in the administration, saying, "the President and I would like to tell everybody we have a very, very good idea of who the leakers are, who the senior leakers are in the White House." Scaramucci, who regularly appeared on cable news before entering the White House, told CNN's Chris Cuomo that he can't have dinner with "a couple of friends up from 'Fox & Friends' and Sean Hannity, who is one of my closest friends" without it getting leaked to the media. "It's absolutely, completely and totally reprehensible," he said. "And as you know from the Italian expression: The fish stinks from the head down. But I can tell you two fish that don't stink, and that's me and the President." "I don't like the activity going on in the White House," Scaramucci added. "I don't like what they're doing to my friend. I don't like what they're doing to the President of the United States or their fellow colleagues in the West Wing." In his first appearance in the White House briefing room last week, Scaramucci said he and Priebus were like brothers who fought at times. In Thursday's interview with CNN, he compared the relationship to that of Cain and Abel, the biblical sons of Adam and Eve. According to the Book of Genesis, Cain murdered Abel and later lied about his actions.....

Published at: 2017-07-28 00:00:05

The central bank set on Thursday an agriculture credit target of Tk 204 billion for the banks to disburse during the current fiscal year. The loan was estimated to be 16.24 per cent higher than that of the last fiscal year's target, but nearly Tk 5.99 billion lower than the disbursement of the last fiscal year.   Bangladesh Bank (BB) unveiled the agriculture and rural credit policy and programme for the fiscal year (FY) 2017-18 at press conference at its headquarters in the capital. "We've fixed an achievable target," deputy governor SM Moniruzzaman said, announcing the policy. Of the target, state-owned commercial banks get a target of Tk 30.10 billion for disbursement in the fiscal year (FY) 2017-18 while specialised banks Tk 65.80 billion, private commercial banks Tk 103.27 billion and foreign commercial banks Tk 4.83 billion. Under the existing provisions, if any bank fails to achieve its target, it will have to deposit the undisbursed amount of the target with the BB without any interest. The deposit would be refunded in the following fiscal year subject to achieving 100 per cent of the current fiscal year's disbursement target. Meanwhile, the disbursement of farm credit exceeded the target in the last fiscal year. All the banks have achieved nearly 120 per cent of their total annual agriculture loan disbursement target of Tk 175.50 billion for the FY'17, the press conference was told. The overall disbursement of farm credit increased by nearly 19 per cent or Tk 33.52 billion to Tk 209.99 billion in the FY'17 from Tk 176.46 billion in the previous fiscal year. The BB deputy governor said the central bank has already slashed the maximum ceiling of agriculture credit rate by 1.0 percentage point from 10 per cent to 9.0 per cent, considering it a priority sector. The new rate came into effect from July 1 last. "We hope that the policy will help minimise the income inequality of the rural poor and achieve sustainable economic development," Mr. Moniruzzaman said, seeking supports from all concerned. He suggested the banks to provide the loans with their own windows instead of the network of NGOs (non-government organisations) so that the farmers receive such loans at lower interest rate. The micro-credit regulatory authority (MRA) has already formed a committee to slash the interest rate on agriculture loan provided by the NGOs, said Ashok Kumar Dey, BB executive director, while replying to a question about the rates charged by the NGOs. "The committee is still working," he said. Among others, Manoj Kanti Bairagi, general manager of the agriculture credit department of BB, also spoke on the occasion. siddique.islam@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-07-28 00:00:05