US
US stays top of FIFA women's rankings; England up to No. 4
The United States women’s soccer team extended its five-year reign atop the FIFA rankings on Friday and new European champion England moved up to No. 4.
The U.S. won its regional championship for the third straight time in July and leads No. 2 Germany, which rose three places despite losing the Euro 2022 final on Sunday.
Read:England beats Germany in extra time to win Euro 2022
Sweden, the 2020 Olympics silver medalist, drops one place to No. 3 after being beaten by England in the semifinals at Euro 2022.
Fifth-place France and No. 6 Netherlands both dropped two spots. Olympic champion Canada is No. 7.
New African champion South Africa jumped four places to No. 54 in the rankings which now include a record 185 of the 211 FIFA member federations.
US says Russia aims to fabricate evidence in prison deaths
U.S. officials believe Russia is working to fabricate evidence concerning last week's deadly strike on prison housing prisoners of war in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine.
U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russia is looking to plant false evidence to make it appear that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the July 29 attack on Olenivka Prison that left 53 dead and wounded dozens more, a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence finding told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Russia has claimed that Ukraine’s military used U.S.-supplied rocket launchers to strike the prison in Olenivka, a settlement controlled by the Moscow-backed Donetsk People’s Republic.
The Ukrainian military denied making any rocket or artillery strikes in Olenivka. The intelligence arm of the Ukrainian defense ministry claimed in a statement Wednesday to have evidence that local Kremlin-backed separatists colluded with the Russian FSB, the KGB’s main successor agency, and mercenary group Wagner to mine the barrack before “using a flammable substance, which led to the rapid spread of fire in the room.”
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the classified intelligence — which was recently downgraded — shows that Russian officials might even plant ammunition from medium-ranged High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, as evidence that the systems provided by the U.S. to Ukraine were used in the attack.
Read:Cold showers, no lights: Europe saves as Russian gas wanes
Russia is expected to take the action as it anticipates independent investigators and journalists eventually getting access to Olenivka, the official added.
Ukraine has effectively used HIMARS launchers, which fire medium-range rockets and can be quickly moved before Russia can target them with return fire, and have been seeking more launchers from the United States.
Earlier Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is appointing a fact-finding mission in response to requests from Russia and Ukraine to investigate the killings at the prison.
Guterres told reporters he doesn’t have authority to conduct criminal investigations but does have authority to conduct fact-finding missions. He added that the terms of reference for a mission to Ukraine are currently being prepared and will be sent to the governments of Ukraine and Russia for approval.
The Ukrainian POWs at the Donetsk prison included troops captured during the fall of Mariupol. They spent months holed up with civilians at the giant Azovstal steel mill in the southern port city. Their resistance during a relentless Russian bombardment became a symbol of Ukrainian defiance against Russia’s aggression.
More than 2,400 soldiers from the Azov Regiment of the Ukrainian national guard and other military units gave up their fight and surrendered under orders from Ukraine’s military in May.
Scores of Ukrainian soldiers have been taken to prisons in Russian-controlled areas. Some have returned to Ukraine as part of prisoner exchanges with Russia, but other families have no idea whether their loved ones are still alive, or if they will ever come home.
US will not abandon Taiwan as China protests: Pelosi
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meeting leaders in Taiwan despite warnings from China, said Wednesday that she and other members of Congress in a visiting delegation are showing they will not abandon their commitment to the self-governing island.
“Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy,” she said in a short speech during a meeting with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen. “America’s determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad.”
China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, announced multiple military exercises around the island and issued a series of harsh statements after the delegation touched down Tuesday night in the Taiwanese capital Taipei.
Taiwan decried the planned actions.
Read: US House Speaker Pelosi arrives in Taiwan, defying Beijing
“Such an act equals to sealing off Taiwan by air and sea … and severely violates our country’s territorial sovereignty,” said Captain Jian-chang Yu at the National Defense Ministry’s media briefing Wednesday morning.
Pelosi’s trip has heightened U.S.-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress because of her high-level position as leader of the House of Representatives. She is the first speaker of the house to come to Taiwan in 25 years, since Newt Gingrich in 1997.
Tsai, thanking Pelosi for her decades of support for Taiwan, presented the speaker with a civilian honor, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.
“Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down,” Tsai said. “We will firmly uphold our nation’s sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy.”
Tsai later said in a news conference, “Military exercises are unnecessary responses.”
Shortly after Pelosi landed, China announced live-fire drills that reportedly started Tuesday night, as well as a four-day exercise beginning Thursday in waters on all sides of the island.
China’s air force also flew a relatively large contingent of 21 war planes, including fighter jets, toward Taiwan.
US lauds Bangladesh’s response to Covid-19
US Deputy Coordinator for Global COVID-19 Response and Health Security Laura Stone has appreciated Bangladesh’s impressive response to Covid-19.
"We have been very impressed with Bangladesh’s ....(response to Covid-19). We reviewed the excellent cooperation that we have with Bangladesh," she said.
Stone made the remarks while talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after her meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Tuesday.
She said they are discussing further cooperation in the health sector building on the decades of relations and want to see the best ways to highlight the excellent cooperation on Covid-19 front.
Talking to reporters separately, State Minister Shahriar said the US side has proposed Bangladesh to be part of the ministerial meeting of the Global Action Plan for Covid-19 Response which will be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September.
“We will officially convey our decision after further reviewing the proposal but initially we welcomed it,” he said, hoping that Bangladesh will play an active role in the meeting.
Bangladesh to continue to attract increasing foreign investment despite issues: US
Bangladesh will likely continue to attract increasing investment, despite severe economic headwinds created by the global outbreak of COVID-19, says the United States.
The US sees the sustained economic growth over the past decade, a large, young, and hard-working workforce, Bangladesh's strategic location between the large South and Southeast Asian markets, and vibrant private sector as some positive things to attract investment.
Bangladesh has made gradual progress in reducing some constraints on investment, including taking steps to better ensure reliable electricity but still there are issues that hinder foreign investment, said the US government in its latest report.
The U.S. Department of State’s investment climate statement noted that inadequate infrastructure, limited financing instruments, bureaucratic delays, lax enforcement of labor laws, and corruption continue to hinder foreign investment.
Also read: US assistant secretary Sison to visit Bangladesh soon
Bangladesh’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) stock was $20.87 billion through the end of September 2021, with the United States being the top investing country with $4.1 billion in accumulated investments.
Bangladesh received $2.56 billion FDI in 2020, according to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The rate of FDI inflows was only 0.77 per cent of GDP, one of the lowest rates in Asia.
The government of Bangladesh actively seeks foreign investment.
Sectors with active investments from overseas include agribusiness, garment/textiles, leather/leather goods, light manufacturing, power and energy, electronics, light engineering, information and communications technology (ICT), plastic, healthcare, medical equipment, pharmaceutical, ship building, and infrastructure.
Bangladesh offers a range of investment incentives under its industrial policy and export-oriented growth strategy with few formal distinctions between foreign and domestic private investors, says the US government.
The US government says Bangladesh's efforts to improve the business environment in recent years show promise but implementation has yet to materialize.
Slow adoption of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and sluggish judicial processes impede the enforcement of contracts and the resolution of business disputes, according to executive summary of Bangladesh chapter.
The U.S. Department of State’s Investment Climate Statements provide information on the business climates of more than 170 economies and are prepared by economic officers stationed in embassies and posts around the world.
Also read: Hasina, Modi likely to inaugurate Maitree Power Project in Sept 1st week
They analyze a variety of economies that are or could be markets for U.S. businesses.
The Investment Climate Statements are also references for working with partner governments to create enabling business environments that are not only economically sound, but address issues of labor, human rights, responsible business conduct, and steps taken to combat corruption.
The reports cover topics including openness to investment, legal and regulatory systems, protection of real and intellectual property rights, the financial sector, state-owned enterprises, responsible business conduct, and corruption.
Buoyed by a young workforce and a growing consumer base, Bangladesh has enjoyed consistent annual GDP growth of more than six percent over the past decade, with the exception of the COVID-induced economic slowdown in 2020.
Much of this growth continues to be driven by the ready-made garment (RMG) industry, which exported $35.81 billion of apparel products in fiscal year (FY) 2021, second only to China, and continued remittance inflows, reaching a record $24.77 billion in FY 2021.
As a traditionally moderate, secular, peaceful, and stable country, Bangladesh experienced a decrease in terrorist activity in recent years, accompanied by an increase in terrorism-related investigations and arrests following the Holey Artisan Bakery terrorist attack in 2016, says the US report.
Rohingya Issue:
Bangladesh continues to host one of the world’s largest refugee populations.
According to UN High Commission for Refugees, more than 923,000 Rohingya from Burma were in Bangladesh as of February 2022.
This humanitarian crisis will likely require notable financial and political support until a return to Myanmar in a voluntary and sustainable manner is possible, says the US government.
Workers’ Rights:
International retail brands selling Bangladesh-made products and the international community continue to press the government of Bangladesh to meaningfully address worker rights and factory safety problems in Bangladesh, says the US government.
With unprecedented support from the international community and the private sector, the Bangladesh garment sector has made significant progress on fire and structural safety, it said.
Critical work remains on safeguarding workers’ rights to freely associate and bargain collectively, including in Export Processing Zones (EPZs), according to the US government.
The Bangladeshi government has limited resources devoted to intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and counterfeit goods are readily available in Bangladesh. Government policies in the ICT sector are still under development.
Current policies grant the government broad powers to intervene in that sector.
Capital markets in Bangladesh are still developing, and the financial sector is still highly dependent on banks.
US rules out summer COVID boosters to focus on fall campaign
U.S. regulators said Friday they are no longer considering authorizing a second COVID-19 booster shot for all adults under 50 this summer, focusing instead on revamped vaccines for the fall that will target the newest viral subvariants.
Pfizer and Moderna expect to have updated versions of their shots available as early as September, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. That would set the stage for a fall booster campaign to strengthen protection against the latest versions of omicron.
The announcement means the U.S. won’t pursue a summer round of boosters using the current vaccines for adults under 50, as some Biden administration officials and outside experts previously suggested. They had argued that another round of shots now could help head off rising cases and hospitalizations caused by the highly transmissible omicron strains.
Currently, all Americans age 5 and over are eligible for a booster shot five months after their initial primary series. Fourth doses of the Pfizer or Moderna shots — a second booster — are recommended for Americans 50 and older and for younger people with serious health issues that make them more vulnerable to COVID-19.
The FDA urged eligible adults who haven’t been boosted to get their extra shot now: “You can still benefit from existing booster options and leave time to receive an updated booster in the fall,” the agency said in a statement.
The White House has also emphasized that getting a fourth dose now won’t impact anyone’s ability to get omicron-targeted shots once they’re made available — although how long its been since their last dose will play a role in how soon they’re eligible.
Two omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, are even more contagious than their predecessors and have pushed new daily cases above 125,000 and hospitalizations to 6,300. Those are the highest levels since February, though deaths have remained low at about 360 per day, thanks to widespread immunity and improved treatments against the virus.
The subvariants are offshoots of the strain responsible for nearly all of the virus spread in the U.S. this year.
All the COVID-19 vaccines given in the U.S. until now have been based on the original version of the virus that began spreading across the country in early 2020.
In June, the FDA told the vaccine makers that any boosters for the fall would have to combine protection against omicron BA.4 and BA.5 and the original coronavirus strain. Both manufacturers have been speeding their production and data gathering to have those so-called bivalent vaccines ready for the fall.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would have to sign off on revamped shots before their launch.
Also read: Global Covid cases top 578 million
The U.S. has a contract to buy 105 million doses of the Pfizer combination shots once they’re ready, and 66 million of Moderna’s version. But how soon large amounts would become available isn’t clear. The government contracts include options to purchase 300 million doses each, but reaching that total will require more funding from Congress, the Biden administration said.
As for timing, getting a booster too soon after the previous dose means missing out on its full benefit — something policymakers will have to take into consideration when rolling out revamped shots.
The White House has at times been frustrated by the pace of decision-making at the FDA and CDC, most notably last summer, when the regulators took weeks to decide whether to authorize the first booster dose for U.S. adults. Privately, West Wing officials believe the delay cost lives, preventing optimum protection amid the delta and omicron surges, but also fed into doubts about vaccine and booster effectiveness that impacted their uptake.
In recent weeks, some of those frustrations have bubbled up again, as regulators considered whether to recommend a fourth shot for all adults, not just those at highest risk from the virus. Some in the White House believe that the additional dose would have helped somewhat with the rapidly spreading BA.5 subvariant, and also lift the confidence of anyone worried that their protection had waned.
Still, officials across the government have acknowledged the risks of vaccine fatigue among Americans, including tens of millions who still haven’t received their first booster. Government figures show less than half of those eligible for a booster have gotten that third shot.
Kim threatens to use nukes amid tensions with US, S. Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned he’s ready to use his nuclear weapons in potential military conflicts with the United States and South Korea, state media said Thursday, as he unleashed fiery rhetoric against rivals he says are pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war.
Kim’s speech to war veterans on the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War were apparently meant to boost internal unity in the impoverished country suffering pandemic-related economic difficulties. North Korea will likely intensify its threats against the United States and South Korea as the allies prepare to expand summertime exercises the North views as an invasion rehearsal, some observers say.
“Our armed forces are completely prepared to respond to any crisis, and our country’s nuclear war deterrent is also ready to mobilize its absolute power dutifully, exactly and swiftly in accordance with its mission,” Kim said in Wednesday’s speech, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
He accused the United States of “demonizing” North Korea to justify its hostile policies. He said U.S.-South Korea military drills show the U.S.’s “double standards” and “gangster-like” aspects because it brands North Korea’s routine military activities — an apparent reference to its missile tests — as provocations or threats.
Kim also called new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol “a confrontation maniac” who’s gone further than past South Korean leaders and said Yoon’s conservative government was led by “gangsters.” Since taking office in May, the Yoon government has moved to strengthen Seoul’s military alliance with the United States and bolster its capacity to neutralize North Korean nuclear threats including a preemptive strike capability.
“Talking about military action against our nation, which possess absolute weapons that they fear the most, is preposterous and is very dangerous suicidal action,” Kim said. “Such a dangerous attempt will be immediately punished by our powerful strength and the Yoon Suk Yeol government and his military will be annihilated.”
This year, Kim has been increasingly threatening its rivals with his advancing nuclear program in what some foreign experts say is an attempt to wrest outside concessions and achieve greater domestic unity.
In April, Kim said North Korea could preemptively use nuclear weapons if threatened, saying they would “never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent.” Kim’s military has also test-launched nuclear-capable missiles that place both the U.S. mainland and South Korea within striking distance.
Kim is seeking greater public support as his country’s economy has been battered by pandemic-related border shutdowns, U.S.-led sanctions and his own mismanagement. North Korea also admitted to its first COVID-19 outbreak in May, though the scale of illness and death is widely disputed in a country that lacks the modern medical capacity to handle it.
“Kim’s rhetoric inflates external threats to justify his militarily focused and economically struggling regime,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. “North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are in violation of international law, but Kim tries to depict his destabilizing arms buildup as a righteous effort at self-defense.”
Also read: North Korea reports 15 more suspected COVID-19 deaths
North Korea has rejected U.S. and South Korean offers to resume talks, saying its rivals must first abandon its hostile polices on the North in an apparent reference to U.S.-led sanctions and U.S.-South Korean military drills.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said last week that this year’s summertime military drills with the United States would involve field training for the first time since 2018 along with the existing computer-simulated tabletop exercises.
In recent years, the South Korean and U.S. militaries have cancelled or downsized some of their regular exercises due to concerns about COVID-19 and to support now-stalled U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear program in return for economic and political benefits.
US commerce department partners with DNCC for municipal organisation, planning workshop
The US Department of Commerce's Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) conducted a workshop on municipal organisation, planning, and green initiatives in collaboration with Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and the US Embassy in Dhaka during July 24-26.
CLDP municipal experts covered topics such as green procurement, identification of capital projects, and key legal issues that will help DNCC strategically design, review, and implement important infrastructure projects to mitigate air and water pollution.
DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam, DNCC CEO Md Selim Reza and CLDP Deputy Chief Counsel Joe Yang provided opening remarks.
As part of the long-term partnership, DNCC, CLDP, and the US Embassy in Dhaka are planning more workshops, consultations, and municipal exchanges that will take place in Bangladesh, the US, and the Indo-Pacific.
Created in 1992, CLDP provides technical assistance in the commercial law arena to the governments and private sectors of developing countries in support of their economic development goals.
The assistance consists of long-term training and consultative partnerships with government officials, lawmakers, regulators, judges, lawyers, educators, and other stakeholders.
Also read: DNCC demolishes two police boxes from in front of SSMCH
US takes emergency action to save sequoias from wildfires
The U.S. Forest Service announced Friday it’s taking emergency action to save giant sequoias by speeding up projects that could start within weeks to clear underbrush to protect the world’s largest trees from the increasing threat of wildfires.
The move to bypass some environmental review could cut years off the normal approval process required to cut smaller trees in national forests and use intentionally lit low-intensity fires to reduce dense brush that has helped fuel raging wildfires that have killed up to 20% of all large sequoias over the past two years.
“Without urgent action, wildfires could eliminate countless more iconic giant sequoias,” Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said in a statement. “This emergency action to reduce fuels before a wildfire occurs will protect unburned giant sequoia groves from the risks of high-severity wildfires.”
The trees, the world’s largest by volume, are under threat like never before. More than a century of aggressive fire suppression has left forests choked with dense vegetation, downed logs and millions of dead trees killed by bark beetles that have fanned raging infernos intensified by drought and exacerbated by climate change.
The forest service’s announcement is among a wide range of efforts underway to save the species found only on the western slope of Sierra Nevada range in central California. Most of about 70 groves are clustered around Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and some extend into and north of Yosemite National Park.
Sequoia National Park, which is run by the Interior Department and not subject to the emergency action, is considering a novel and controversial plan to plant sequoia seedlings where large trees have been wiped out by fire.
Read: Wildfires scorch parts of Europe amid extreme heat wave
The Save Our Sequoias (SOS) Act, which also includes a provision to speed up environmental reviews like the forest service plan, was recently introduced by a bipartisan group of congressmen including House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, whose district includes sequoias.
The group applauded Moore’s announcement Friday but said in a statement that more needs to be done to make it easier to thin forests.
“The Forest Service’s action today is an important step forward for Giant Sequoias, but without addressing other barriers to protecting these groves, this emergency will only continue,” the group said. “It’s time to codify this action by establishing a true comprehensive solution to fireproof every grove in California through the SOS Act and save our sequoias.”
Work planned to begin as soon as this summer in 12 groves spread across the Sequoia National Forest and Sierra National Forest in would cost $21 million to remove so-called ladder fuels made up of brush, dead wood and smaller trees that allow fires to spread upward and torch the canopies of the sequoias that can exceed 300 feet (90 meters) in height.
The plan calls for cutting smaller trees and vegetation and using prescribed fires — intentionally lit and monitored by firefighters during damp conditions — to remove the decaying needles, sticks and logs that pile up on the forest floor.
Some environmental groups have criticized forest thinning as an excuse for commercial logging.
Ara Marderosian, executive director of the Sequoia ForestKeeper group, called the announcement a “well-orchestrated PR campaign.”
He said it fails to consider how logging can exacerbate wildfires and could increase carbon emissions that will worsen the climate crisis.
“Fast-tracking thinning fails to consider that roadways and logged areas ... allows wind-driven fires because of greater airflow caused by the opening in the canopy, which increases wildfire speed and intensity,” he said.
Rob York, a professor and cooperative extension specialist at forests operated by the University of California, Berkeley, said the forest service’s plan could be helpful but would require extensive followup.
“To me it represents a triage approach to deal with the urgent threat to giant sequoias,” York said in an email. “The treatments will need to be followed up with frequent prescribed fires in order to truly restore and protect the groves long-term.”
The mighty sequoia, protected by thick bark and with its foliage typically high above the flames, was once considered nearly inflammable.
The trees even thrive with occasional low intensity blazes — like ones Native Americans historically lit or allowed to burn — that clear out trees competing for sunlight and water. The heat from flames opens cones and allows seeds to spread.
But fires in recent years have shown that although the trees can live beyond 3,000 years, they are not immortal and greater action may be needed to protect them.
During a fire last year in Sequoia National Park, firefighters wrapped the most famous trees in protective foil and used flame retardant in the trees’ canopies.
Earlier this month, when fire threatened the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park, firefighters set up sprinklers.
Flames burned into the grove — the first wildfire to do so in more than a century — but there was no major damage. A park forest ecologist credited the controlled burns with protecting the 500 large trees.
US releases Trafficking in Persons Report 2022 next week
Officials of the US Embassy in Dhaka Thursday said the country will release its Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2022 next week.
Calling the report the "world's most comprehensive resource of governmental anti-trafficking efforts," the officials said it will contain information on 188 countries, including the US in 22 chapters.
"The US believes the fight against human trafficking is crucial because it is a crime that exists around the world, including in the US. It poses a serious threat to individual welfare, public health, public safety, national security, economic development and prosperity," an official said at a press conference at the American Center in Dhaka.
Read: Comprehensive support mechanism sought for trafficking victims
The report emphasises the efforts of the governments, not private organisations such as civil societies or international organisations. It also highlights possible steps and shortcomings in the governments' efforts to move forward to curb human trafficking.
Working against human trafficking is one of the priorities of the US Embassy in Dhaka, and the mission regularly engages with the Bangladesh government on this to provide adequate support, the officials said.
To improve protection services for persons rescued from trafficking and reduce the risk of human trafficking, the US Department of Justice provides training to Bangladeshi law enforcers, prosecutors and judges.
The United States Agency for International Development provides long-term support to improve protection services for trafficking survivors and reduce their vulnerability to trafficking.
"For the past five years, Bangladesh has been making progress in preventing human trafficking. We are grateful for the long-term cooperation with the Bangladesh government in the fight against human trafficking. Close cooperation between the NGOs and governments is important to stop this crime, and we believe it takes a combined effort of the society to eliminate human trafficking," the officials mentioned.
Also read: Human trafficking gang busted in Dhaka, 3 held
The TIP Report classifies countries into three tiers based on their performance in combating human trafficking.
Tier 1 countries are those that have been assessed to completely comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act's minimum requirements for the abolition of trafficking.
Countries assessed as not fully meeting the minimum standards, but making significant efforts to meet them, are placed in Tier 2.
And countries assessed as not fully meeting the minimum standards and not making significant efforts to do so are ranked Tier 3.
Bangladesh moved from Tier 3 to Tier 2 in 2020.