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(CNN) -- Declaring himself frustrated with political fighting in Congress, President Barack Obama on Thursday blamed some of the nation's continuing economic troubles on government inaction and urged Americans to tell their elected representatives in Washington to pass bills that will create jobs.In an energetic speech to workers at a Holland, Michigan, hybrid car battery plant helped by government stimulus funds, Obama said the U.S. economy and American workers are capable of being the best in the world, but were being held back by political stalemate in Congress."There is nothing wrong with our country. There is something wrong with our politics," Obama declared to applause.Last week's first-ever downgrade of the U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poor's "could have been entirely avoided...
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Libyan rebels report progress advancing toward Tripoli
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Rebels pushed Thursday northward on three fronts toward the coastal cities of al-Zawiya, Aziziya and Sorman, with their ultimate goal being Tripoli, rebel field commander Adel Al-Zintani told CNN.Six rebels died and dozens more were wounded in fighting Wednesday and Thursday, he said.He predicted that the fighters would reach the coastal road that leads to the capital city within days.Zawiya is strategically important because the coastal road through the city is the main supply line from the Tunisian border to areas held by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.Regime officials were not available Thursday evening for comment.Fighting...
Revenue explains Thaksin tax let off
The Revenue Department has explained its decision not to pursue a tax claim against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on huge profits gained from the 2006 sale of ShinCorp shares to the Singapore government-owned Temasek Holdings.Department chief Sathit Rangkhasiri said on Thursday the shares were sold on the stock market.The department therefore could not pursue the capital gains tax claim against the former prime minister.The department had not appealed a judgement by the Central Tax Court dismssing a 12-billion-baht tax assessement against Pinthongta and Panthongtae Shinawatra for the Shin Corp sale following a ruling by the Supreme...
Yutthasak: Cambodia ready for GBC meeting
Cambodia says it is ready to resume meetings of the General Border Committee (GBC), Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said on Thursday."I've received a letter from (defence minister) Gen Tea Banh inviting me to pay an official visit to Cambodia."Gen Tea Banh later phoned me asking me to arrange a GBC meeting before the end of this month, and I agreed," Gen Yutthasak said.The GBC meeting would be finalised after the government's policy statement is delivered to parliament, he said.The policy statement has been scheduled for Aug 24, cabinet secretary-general Ampon Kittiampon announced today."Gen Tea Banh said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wants the GBC meeting first, without having to wait for a meeting between the Cambodian and Thai prime ministers."I believe everything will improve after...
Female suicide bomber, 7 others killed in back-to-back Pakistan blasts
Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- A teenage suicide bomber blew herself up Thursday at a police checkpoint in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar -- minutes after a blast targeting a police truck a few blocks away, authorities said.The back-to-back explosions killed seven people, in addition to the female bomber.During the past few years, northwest Pakistan has been repeatedly hit by bombings but suicide attacks carried out by women are rare.The first blast occurred when a truck carrying about 20 policeman passed by, said Hukam Khan, a senior official with the city's bomb disposal squad. The bomb was planted on a parked fruit cart and remotely detonated, he said.The blast killed a child and five police officers, said security officials in Peshawar. It wounded 32 others.Shortly afterward, the...
UK chancellor: Recovery will be 'choppy and difficult'
London (CNN) -- The road to economic recovery in Britain will be "longer and harder than had been hoped" and will require continued commitment to the government's deficit-reduction program, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told lawmakers Thursday,Speaking at a specially convened meeting of Parliament, Osborne -- a Conservative member of parliament who was appointed head of the UK's treasury in May 2010 -- said a reason for the recent turmoil in global markets was because the world had now realized how difficult it would be to overcome the "huge overhang of debt" many nations face.He said weak economic data from the United States and its credit downgrade by Standard & Poor's last week, and the "crisis of confidence" that is spreading to the euro zone's larger economies, "did not...
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PANCHAGARH, Aug 11 (BSS) - A bumper production of jute is expected in all the five upazilas of the district during the current season."About 92,385 bales of jute are expected to be produced on 15,584 hectares of land in the district," said Md Alimuzzaman, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE). He is optimistic that production target of jute would be achieved this year in Panchagarh district.Present price of jute in the district is now Taka 1400 or more per maund while the farmers are happy at the current rate of jute price.Explaining the reasons for good production of jute, DAE officials said climate was favourable and there was no pest attack this season. As a result, jute plants grew well up to a height of 10 to 12 feet in most areas of the district.Harvesting of jute...
RU admission test begins October 23
RAJSHAHI UNIVERSITY, Aug 11 (BSS)-The admission test of Rajshahi University (RU) for the 1st year honours in the 2011-12 academic year will begin on October 23 and continue till October 26.The decision came at a meeting of the admission test sub-committee this noon with Vice-Chancellor Prof M Abdus Sobhan in the chair.The admission forms will be distributed from September 15 and continued till September 30 and submission of the forms will take place during the same period. Admission seekers can apply through SMS by using Tele-talk mobile operator.Detailed information about the admission test will be available on www.ru.ac....
National Mourning Day programme in Faridpur
FARIDPUR, Aug 11(BSS)-An elaborate programme has been drawn up to observe the National Mourning Day on August 15 marking the 36th anniversary of martyrdom of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with due respect and solemnity.The day's programme will begin with hoisting of national flag at half-mast atop all private and public buildings along with black flag reflecting the sign of grief.Wreaths will be placed at the portrait of Bangabandhu kept at Ambica Memorial Hall. A mourning procession will be brought in the town on the occasion.Besides, a centrally arranged Milad and Doa-Mahfil will be held on the office premises of deputy commissioner of Faridpur. Another special prayer will be held at local Ramkrishna Mission Asram.A discussion on the life and contribution of...
Tennis: Vinci topples top seed Wozniacki
TORONTO, Aug 11 (BSS/AFP) - Caroline Wozniacki's bid for a second-straight WTA Canada crown ended abruptly on Wednesday as the world number one was stunned in her opening match by unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci.Vinci defeated the top-seeded Dane 6-4, 7-5 to reach the third round. Wozniacki, playing her first tournament since Bastad in the first week of July, had enjoyed a first-round bye.After dropping the first set, Wozniacki mounted a challenge,taking a 5-1 lead in the second.But Vinci, ranked 22 in the world, battled back to finish off the victory."This is the best victory in my life," said Vinci, 28. "I was 5-1 down but I knew that I can win the set because it was a lot of wind, so some mistakes."I tried to stay focused and play aggressive."Wozniacki, winner of a WTA-leading five titles...
Football: Levein happy as Scotland move in right direction
GLASGOW, Aug 11 (BSS/AFP) - Craig Levein believes Scotland's 2-1 friendly win over Denmark at Hampden is another step in the right direction as they prepare for next month's crucial Euro 2012 qualifiers.Scotland face Group I rivals the Czech Republic and Lithuania at Hampden in September in games that will go a long way to deciding who will take the play-off spot that comes with finishing second behind world champions Spain.But after watching his side defeat Denmark -- who top qualifying Group H along with Norway and Portugal -- for the first time since 1975, the Scotland manager said the result was another sign of progress."The result will do us the world of good. There were a lot of things that were important from the match," Levein said."The win shows a mentality that's needed. This game...
Asia's giants highly exposed to natural disasters - survey
PARIS, Aug 11 (BSS/AFP) - The United States and Japan have the highest bills to pay from natural disasters, but Asia's emerging giants -- China, India and Indonesia -- are proportionately at greater risk from them, a survey said today.British risk assessors Maplecroft ranked 196 countries according to their economic exposure to earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, landslides, floods, storms and wildfires.Four nations -- the United States, ranked first, followed by Japan, China and Taiwan -- were deemed at "extreme risk" in absolute terms, which means the overall cost in dollar terms from a natural disaster.Seven other countries (Mexico, India, the Philippines, Turkey, Indonesia, Italy and Canada) were rated as "high risk" in absolute terms.But a different picture emerged when countries were assessed...
Traders plea for realizing reasonable VAT in Rangpur region
RANGPUR, Aug 11 (BSS) - Leaders of Rangpur Chamber and businesspersons' organisations here yesterday called upon the VATofficials for realizing reasonable amount of value added tax (VAT) from the traders in Rangpur region.They requested the VAT authorities for considering business conditions of the traders having inadequate capability of paying VAT depending on their business conditions while extending theperiphery of fixing VAT in the region.The businessmen community leaders pleaded these while exchanging views with Rangpur Divisional Officer of the Customs,Excise and VAT Mohammad Wajed Ali and senior VAT officials of Rangpur region at Chamber auditorium.President of Rangpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI)and district unit Commander of Bangladesh Muktijuddha Sangshad Mosaddek Hossain...
Eurozone majors move swiftly to cut deficits
PARIS, Aug 11 (BSS/AFP) - France and Italy, the eurozone's second- and third-largest economies, were hurriedly preparing deficit-cutting measures today amid renewed concerns that debt burdens may sink the single currency.Italian lawmakers were set to discuss a constitutional amendment on a balanced budget, while the both the Italian and French grovernments were hurriedly preparing new deficit cutting measures to be adopted within days.A relief rally on the US Federal Reserve saying it would likely keep interest rates at ultra-low levels for the next two years quickly faded on Wednesday and the European and US markets fell sharply.Pressure from the markets and the European Central Bank has seen a redoubling of deficit cutting efforts as the debt crisis that has already hit Greece, Ireland and...
ADB approves $300 million loan to cut power shortage
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is extending a $300 million energy infrastructure loan to help renovate a power station and install energy saving generating system to address the power shortages, which are undermining the economy and slowing poverty reduction efforts.The ADB Board of Directors today approved the loan for the Power System Efficiency Improvement Project, which will help meet the country's urgent need for more energy-efficient generating plants and greater use of renewable power sources, an ADB press release said.The project will fund the replacement of five aging generation units at Ashuganj power station with a new energy- efficient combined cycle power plant using natural gas as the fuel source.It will also finance a 5-megawatt solar photovoltaic generating...
Gold becomes dearer on global surge
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS)- Prices of gold ornaments hit a new high today as Bangladesh Jewellers Samity (BJS) has re-fixed the prices of the precious metal for the second time in a week.The BJS re-fixed the prices of 18-carat at Tk 45, 489, 21-carat at Tk 51,438 and 22-carat at Tk 53,829 per bhori today.On August 4, the Samity fixed the prices of gold (per bhori) at Tk 44,031 for 18 carat, Tk 49,747 for 21 carat and Tk 52,079 for 22 carat."We've adjusted the price of gold today in line with the surging prices in the international market," said BJS General Secretary Dr. Dewan Aminul Islam Shahin.In the international market the price of bullion registered a record high of $1,788 per ounce today with a rise of around four percent over the week, according to Bloomberg."Our local price of gold ornaments...
WZ Railway earns Taka 190.53 crore in 2010-11 fisca
AJSHAHI, Aug 11 (BSS)- The West Zone of Bangladesh Railway has earned revenue of around Taka 190.53 crore during the last 2010-11 fiscal, up by Taka 11.51 crore over the previous 2009-10 fiscal.Of the total earning, Taka 97.10 crore were obtained by carrying passengers while Taka 44.71 crore from the goods transportation.Chief Commercial Manager of the zone Abdul Awal Bhuiyan told BSS that the revenue earning is gradually being increased despite of multifarious problems being faced by the railway sector.The zone, covering Rajshahi, Rangpur and Khulna divisions, has been operating 118 pair trains including 39 doe intercity on different routes including the capital Dhaka at present.He stated that the number of passengers on various routes where the intercity trains plying especially those connecting...
London Sikhs lead fightback against riots
LONDON, Aug 11 (BSS/AFP) - The fires which have raged in London's worst rioting for decades have forged a sense of community rarely seen in the British capital, with Sikhs in the western borough of Southall leading the way.Hundreds of turbaned men gathered outside their gurdwara, or temple, to defend the west London borough on Tuesday after rumours circulated on social networking website Twitter that it was next on the looters' hitlist.Men sporting traditional garb including the kirpan, a ceremonial Sikh dagger, led chants as others patrolled the area by car and motorcycle looking out for the looters who have terrorised the city since Saturday.The Sikh religion obliges every devotee to carry a small stylized dagger sewn in a closed scabbard under their clothes but most were steadfast in their...
US lawmaker wants probe of Bin Laden film project
WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (BSS/AFP) - A Republican lawmaker accused the Obama administration Wednesday of jeopardizing national security by cooperating with a Hollywood film project on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.Representative Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, demanded an inquiry after learning of the Pentagon's collaboration with Oscar-winning filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow."I write to express concern regarding ongoing leaks of classified information regarding sensitive military operations," King wrote in a letter to the inspectors general at the Pentagon and CIA.Cooperating with a film "about the raid is bound to increase such leaks, and undermine these organizations' hard-won reputations as 'quiet professionals,'" he wrote.The Pentagon confirmed preliminary discussions...
Bangabandhu started struggle against injustice in childhood
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS) - Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman started political struggle in his childhood and continued throughout his life, recalls his close associate Sirajul Islam Chowdhury.Mujib's protest against injustice and repression was visible when he was a student of Gopalganj Mission School, Chowdhury told BSS.He said the political life of Bangabandhu started during the period from 1942 to 1947, but its foundation was laid when he was a student of class seven in 1938.Sirajul Islam Chowdhury was the chief coordinator of 1954 Jukta Front election in Gopalganj from where Sheikh Mujib contested the election against Muslim League leader Wahiduzzaman.Octogenarian Chowdhury said, "Mujib Bhai's teacher Hamid Master, an activist of anti-British movement, played a role in...
PM visits ailing former minister Sheikh Aziz
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS)- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today visited ailing former minister Sheikh Abdul Aziz in the city's Gulshan Shikdar Hospital.The Prime Minister stayed there for some time and enquired about the health conditions of the veteran politician.Sheikh Abdul Aziz, 92, suffering from old-age complications for long was in coma for the last couple of days.Aziz is under life support for the last few days at the Shikdar hospital.Assistant Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister Khairul Islam and Saifuzzaman Shekhor, among others, accompanied the Prime Minister. PM visits ailing former minister Sheikh A...
Next general poll will certainly be held in 2014: CEC
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS) - Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda today said the next parliamentary election will certainly be held in 2014 and the political parties through discussion will decide how the election will be held.Addressing a roundtable discussion at Jatiya Press Club, the CEC said the Election Commission (EC) is in dire crisis of manpower. "Even after 40 years of independence, the EC does not have its own office building," he lamented.Leaders of different political parties, journalists and writers took part in the discussion organized by Sushaner Jonyo Nagorik (Sujan) on 'Reform proposals for EC and some related views'.The CEC said the EC is not under any government office, department or wing, but both the ruling and opposition parties stand as barriers for commission...
Foreign aid official calls his meeting with Bangabandhu "unforgettable"
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS) - The British-born international aid official Julian Francis today called his meeting with Bangladesh's founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 40 years ago was "unforgettable" event of his life."My meeting with him (Bangabandhu) is one I will never forget . . . as I spoke (to him), emotion got the better of me and tears welled up in my eyes," Francis told BSS recalling his meeting with him after his return from Pakistani jail in 1972.He added: "Sheikh Mujib put his arm around me to comfort me and said, 'Go young man, be strong, and thank you for coming to me and to Bangladesh."Francis, now in his mid-sixties, was the coordinator of Oxfam's relief operation in 1971 which assisted 500,000 Bangladeshis who took refuge at makeshift camps in India.Francis said in January...
21,600 weavers to get training in fashion & design ... .by Kamaluddin Ahmed
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS) - Bangladesh Handloom Board (BHB) plans to impart training to 21,600 handloom weavers in modern fashion and design of handlooms and textile products to increase their productivity, officials said today.The BHB has undertaken a Taka 35.55 crore project titled 'Setting Up Fashion Design and Training Institute and Basic Centre for the Development of Handloom Fabrics', which would be financed by Japan Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF)."We will provide the handloom weavers with training in theirown looms so that they can produce high-end products," Chief(Monitoring and Evaluation) of the board told BSS today.Sharif said under the project, fashion and design andtraining institute will be set up at the city's Mirpur and threetraining sub-centers in loom-intensive districts -- Belkuchi(Sirajganj),...
8,601 tonnes VGF rice allocated for Rangpur division
RANGPUR, Aug 11 (BSS) - The government has allocated 8,601 tonnesspecial VGF rice for distribution among 8.601 lakh distressed andpoor families in all eight districts under Rangpur division beforethe upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.The government has allocated the rice worth about Tk 30 crore under the special Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme through theMinistry of Food and Disaster Management to assist the poorpeople in celebrating the Eid-ul-Fitr festivity.The allocations have already been given in favour of all 58 upazila administrations in the division to complete the distribution process of the VGF rice among the distressed families before the holy Eid-ul-Fitr festivity, senior officials said today."We have taken all necessary steps to complete distribution ofthe special VGF rice among the...
Time magazine rates Sheikh Hasina as one of top 12 female leaders
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS) - Internationally acclaimed Time magazine has named Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as one of the world's 12 top female leaders it rated in a special edition."Sheikh Hasina, the 63-year-old leader of the left-of-center Awami League, has a history of surviving," the TIME Specials wrote referring to incidents when she escaped attempts on her life as well as political career.It said Sheikh Hasina survived the August 15, 1975 putsch as happened to be abroad when "assassins killed 17 members of her family" including her father and Bangladesh's founder BangabandhuSheikh Mujibur Rahman."She later survived a grenade attack that killed more than 20 people, dodging the bullets that sprayed her car as she fled," the magazine wrote while it also recalled her return overcoming...
Killers of '71, '75 and Aug 21 belong to same sting: Dipu Moni
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS) - Awami League joint general secretary and Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni today said motives of the killers of Liberation War in 1971, black night of August 15 in 1975 and August 21 grenade attack in 2004 are parallel and they belong to same chain."The quarter is still active to halt the country'sadvancement as well as ruin our spirit of Muktijudha, secularismand sacred constitution," she said while speaking at a discussionmeeting at Shishu Academy here.Awami Sechhasebak League organized the discussion meetingwith its president Advocate Mollah M Abu Kawsar in the chairmarking the National Mourning Day on August 15.Pro Vice-chancellor of the Dhaka University Professor DrHarun-Ur Rashid, Awami League organizing secretary AFM BahauddinNasim, former president of Bangladesh Federal...
Order issued to publish advertisement on Tarique's appearance in court in grenade attack case
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS)- A court here today ordered publishing an advertisement in newspapers by August 25 instructing 12 fugitives, including BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tariqur Rahman, to appear before it in connection with August 21 grenade attack case.Metropolitan Sessions' Judge Zohirul Haque issued the order upon a petition filed by Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Syed Rezaur Rahman. The judge also asked the authorities concerned to submit the copy of the advertisement to the court by August 25.The court had already received the reports on warrant of arrest and confiscation of wealth of the absconding accused in the case.A Dhaka court earlier issued warrants against 12 fugitives including former Premier Khaleda Zia's eldest son Tarique Rahman and her political secretary Harris Chowdhury...
PM releases new currency notes with Bangabandhu's picture
DHAKA, Aug 11 (BSS) - Currency notes of five different denominations with picture of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were released today.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally released the notes of Tk 2, Tk 5, Tk 100, Tk 500 and Tk 1000 denominations at her office here this morning, PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told journalists.Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman and artist Quaiyum Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion.Advisers to the Prime Minister HT Imam, Dr Mashiur Rahman, DrGawher Rizvi, Dr Alauddin Ahmed, Professor Syed Modasser Ali,Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister M A Karim, PMO Secretary Mollah Waheeduzzaman, Finance Secretary Dr Mohammad Tariq, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad,...
Syrian forces kill 17 in Homs: activists
DAMASCUS, Aug 11 (BSS/AFP) - Syrian security forces have shot dead 17 people in a protest hub, activists said, while Western nations ramped up calls for action after a "chilling" UN Security Council briefing.After a defiant President Bashar al-Assad pledged early this week to pursue a relentless battle against "terrorist groups," activists said Wednesday that regime forces shot dead 17 people in the city of Homs, wounding another 20."Some bodies are lying in the sun and people cannot remove them because of the shooting," an activist said in a telephone interview from the central city.An AFP correspondent on a government-sponsored tour confirmed reports of a military pullout from the flashpoint west- central city of Hama, but there were signs elsewhere of an intensifying crackdown by Assad's...
