United States
US is invested in Bangladesh’s success: Biden
US President Joe Biden has said his country acknowledges their enduring partnership with Dhaka and termed Bangladesh's economic growth in the past 50 years “a remarkable story”.
“I hope our nations will continue to work on democratic governance, climate change, refugees, and maritime security. We are invested in your success and support the ability of all Bangladeshis to freely participate in and contribute to their country's development,” he said.
The US President made the remarks while accepting the credentials of the newly-appointed Bangladesh Ambassador to the US, Muhammad Imran, at the White House, according to the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC.
“As 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of US-Bangladesh relations, I would like to acknowledge our enduring partnership with Bangladesh,” Biden mentioned in his written remarks.
Read more: US National Security Council official arrives Saturday
While formally presenting the credentials to the US President recently, Ambassador Imran conveyed the greetings of President Md. Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the US President.
Welcoming the new Bangladesh envoy in the United States, Biden said his administration looks forward to working with the ambassador to expand bilateral relations between the two countries.
“My Administration looks forward to working with you to deepen our relations as we address the opportunities and challenges ahead. It is a pleasure to welcome you to Washington,” he said in a letter to the Ambassador.
Biden also assured the Bangladesh ambassador of extending all sorts of cooperation during his tenure in the United States.
Read More: India to host "Voice of Global South Summit" January 12-13 virtually under theme "Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose”
Myanmar's military regime must end its violence, release those unjustly detained: US
The United States has said the military regime in Myanmar must end its violence, release those unjustly detained and allow unhindered humanitarian access.
The military regime must recognize the desire of the people for a genuine and inclusive democracy in Myanmar, said the US in a message marking the Independence Day of Myanmar.
Read more: Army in strife-torn Myanmar lifts curfew for New Year’s Eve
On behalf of the United States of America, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken reaffirmed their commitment to the people of Myanmar as they mark the 75th Anniversary of Myanmar’s independence on January 4.
The United States has long supported the people of Myanmar and their ability to chart their own future.
"Today, Burma’s military regime stands in the way of democratic progress and the will of the people," he said.
Read more: UN adopts resolution on human rights of Rohingya, other minorities in Myanmar
The military’s brutal and horrific campaign of violence has nevertheless failed to overcome the strong commitment of the people of Myanmar to forge an inclusive and democratic country, Blinken said.
"We stand in solidarity with the people of Burma in their determination to bring democracy to their country," said the US Secretary of State.
Millions in US hunker down from frigid, deadly monster storm
Millions of people hunkered down in a deep freeze overnight and early morning to ride out the frigid storm that has killed at least 18 people across the United States, trapping some residents inside homes with heaping snow drifts and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.
The scope of the storm has been nearly unprecedented, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the U.S. population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians, the National Weather Service said.
More than 2,360 domestic and international flights were canceled Saturday, according to the tracking site FlightAware.
Forecasters said a bomb cyclone — when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm — had developed near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard conditions, including heavy winds and snow.
The storm unleashed its full fury on Buffalo, with hurricane-force winds and snow causing whiteout conditions, paralyzing emergency response efforts — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said almost every fire truck in the city was stranded — and shutting down the airport through Monday, according to officials.
Freezing conditions and day-old power outages had Buffalonians scrambling Saturday to get out of their homes to anywhere that had heat. But with city streets under a thick blanket of white, that wasn’t an option for people like Jeremy Manahan, who charged his phone in his parked car after almost 29 hours without electricity.
“There’s one warming shelter, but that would be too far for me to get to. I can’t drive, obviously, because I’m stuck,” Manahan said. “And you can’t be outside for more than 10 minutes without getting frostbit.”
Mark Poloncarz, executive of Erie County, home to Buffalo, said ambulances were taking more than three hours to make a single hospital trip and the blizzard may be “the worst storm in our community’s history.”
Read more: 18 die as monster storm brings rain, snow, cold across US
Two people died in their suburban Cheektowaga, New York, homes Friday when emergency crews could not reach them in time to treat their medical conditions, he said, and another died in Buffalo.
“We can’t just pick up everybody and take you to a warming center. We don’t have the capability of doing that,” Poloncarz said. “Many, many neighborhoods, especially in the city of Buffalo, are still impassable.”
Ditjak Ilunga of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was on his way to visit relatives in Hamilton, Ontario, for Christmas with his daughters Friday when their SUV was trapped in Buffalo. Unable to get help, they spent hours with the engine running in the vehicle buffeted by wind and nearly buried in snow.
By 4 a.m. Saturday, with their fuel nearly gone, Ilunga made a desperate choice to risk the howling storm to reach a nearby shelter. He carried 6-year-old Destiny on his back while 16-year-old Cindy clutched their Pomeranian puppy, stepping into his footprints as they trudged through drifts
“If I stay in this car I’m going to die here with my kids,” he recalled thinking, but believing they had to try. He cried when the family walked through the shelter doors. “It’s something I will never forget in my life.”
The storm knocked out power in communities from Maine to Seattle, and a major electricity grid operator warned 65 million people across the eastern U.S. of possible rolling blackouts.
Across the six New England states, more than 273,000 customers remained without power on Saturday, with Maine the hardest hit. Some utilities said electricity may not be restored for days.
In North Carolina, 169,000 customers were without power Saturday afternoon, down from more than 485,000. Utility officials said rolling blackouts would continue for the next few days.
Storm-related deaths were reported in recent days all over the country: Four dead in an Ohio Turnpike pileup involving some 50 vehicles; four motorists killed in separate crashes in Missouri and Kansas; an Ohio utility worker electrocuted; a Vermont woman struck by a falling branch; an apparently homeless man found amid Colorado’s subzero temperatures; a woman who fell through Wisconsin river ice.
In Mexico, migrants camped near the U.S. border were facing unusually cold temperatures as they awaited a U.S. Supreme Court decision on pandemic-era restrictions preventing many from seeking asylum.
Along Interstate 71 in Kentucky, Terry Henderson and her husband, Rick, weathered a 34-hour traffic jam in a rig outfitted with a diesel heater, a toilet and a refrigerator after getting stuck trying to drive from Alabama to their Ohio home for Christmas.
“We should have stayed,” Terry Henderson said after they got moving again Saturday.
Poloncarz of Erie County tweeted late Saturday that 34.6 inches (about 88 centimeters) of snow had accumulated at the Buffalo Airport and drifts were well over 6 feet (1.8 meters) in some areas. Blizzard conditions were expected to ease early Sunday, he continued, but continuing lake effect snow was forecast.
Vivian Robinson of Spirit of Truth Urban Ministry in Buffalo said she and her husband have been sheltering and cooking for 60 to 70 people, including stranded travelers and locals without power or heat, who were spending Saturday night at the church.
Many arrived with ice and snow plastered to their clothes, crying, their skin reddened by the single-digit temperatures. On Saturday night, they prepared to spend Christmas together.
“It’s emotional just to see the hurt that they thought they were not going to make it, and to see that we had opened up the church, and it gave them a sense of relief,” Robinson said. “Those who are here are really enjoying themselves. It’s going to be a different Christmas for everyone.”
US announces in-person interview waivers for certain visa applicants throughout 2023
The United States has extended the authority of consular officers to waive in-person interviews for certain nonimmigrant visa categories throughout 2023.
The Department of State said that it recognizes the positive impact of travel to the United States by foreign student and temporary work visa holders on the US economy and is committed to facilitating nonimmigrant travel and further reducing visa wait times.
Consular officers are authorized, through December 31, 2023, to continue to waive in-person interviews on a case-by-case basis for certain first-time and/or renewing applicants, according to the office of the Spokesperson at the US Department of State.
Read More: Umrah e-visa: Biometric data must for pilgrims from Bangladesh, 4 other countries
These categories of visas are for temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers (H-2 visas), students (F and M visas), academic exchange visitors (academic J visas), and certain beneficiaries of approved individual petitions for nonimmigrant temporary worker visas in the following categories: persons in specialty occupations (H-1B visas), trainee or special education visitors (H-3 visas), intracompany transferees (L visas), individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement (O visas), athletes, artists, and entertainers (P visas), and participants in international cultural exchange programs (Q visas); and qualifying derivatives.
These waivers are authorized by a determination of the Secretary of State with the concurrence of the Department of Homeland Security.
The authorization to waive the in-person interview for applicants renewing a visa in the same classification within 48 months of the prior visa’s expiration was previously authorized to remain in place until further notice.
Read More: Bangladesh seeks ease of visa process, investment from Guatemala
These interview waiver authorities have reduced visa appointment wait times at many embassies and consulates by freeing up in-person interview appointments for other applicants who require interviews.
Nearly half of the almost seven million nonimmigrant visas the Department issued in the fiscal 2022 were adjudicated without an in-person interview.
"We are successfully lowering visa wait times worldwide, following closures during the pandemic, and making every effort to further reduce those wait times as quickly as possible, including for first-time tourist visa applicants," said the US Department of State.
Also read; US Embassy to remain closed for a number of days
Embassies and consulates may still require an in-person US Visa interview on a case-by-case basis and dependent upon local conditions.
"We encourage applicants to check embassy and consulate websites for more detailed information about this development, as well as current operating status and services," reads the announcement.
Very limited spaces offered for Rohingya resettlement: UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has welcomed and greatly appreciated the announcement by the United States to increase the number of resettlement places for Rohingya refugees.
However, there are very limited spaces offered for resettlement, and these are dependent on many factors, UNHCR said.
"Any resettlement will have to be part of a comprehensive approach with the main focus to remain on preparing the Rohingya for voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return," said Mostafa Mohammad Sazzad Hossain, spokesperson at UNHCR office in Dhaka on Sunday.
At the same time, he said, they need to work towards improving refugees’ resilience while living in the camps and investing in their self-reliance to make them less dependent of humanitarian assistance.
Read more: UNHCR seeks more support from international community for Rohingyas
Responding to a question, he said resettlement may be considered an option for refugees living in extremely vulnerable conditions and who, for various reasons, are unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin.
The primary solution preferred by a large majority of Rohingya refugees is a dignified, safe, voluntary, and sustainable return, once conditions in Myanmar are conducive for such return, said the UN Refugee Agency.
UNHCR’s ROLE:
Resettlement is conducted according to precise criteria established by resettlement countries.
Once a country establishes the criteria for resettlement, UNHCR can provide support.
Resettlement is mostly reserved for extremely vulnerable cases.
It is not a visa process, meaning refugees cannot apply for resettlement.
Read more: Take care of Rohingyas like Bangladesh: UNHCR to regional countries
Extremely vulnerable cases identified through registration or protection activities, which meet pre-established criteria by the resettlement country, may be considered for resettlement.
The final decision on the resettlement of each refugee is made by the resettlement country.
Iran shuts out noise at World Cup but United States looms
After a World Cup start clouded by a disastrous loss and persistent questions about the civil unrest back home, Iran is celebrating the prospect of its first ever trip to the knockout stage.
But first, Team Melli faces the United States.
Iran defeated Wales 2-0 Friday and collected the three points to rise from the bottom of Group B. England and the United States played to a scoreless draw on the same day — setting up a politically fraught match between Iran and the Americans on Tuesday that will decide which team goes through to the round of 16.
The prospects of advancement certainly weren't as bright at the start of the tournament when Iran was routed by England 6-2.
“I told the players, very clear: Football is a game of a different moments. It’s not because you win or you don’t win. Sometimes you lose your dignity, you lose your honor. After the first game, we were bleeding in our pride,” said Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese coach who also led Team Melli at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
Queiroz's task was to convince his team that all was not lost. But at the same time, Iran's players were facing pressure to answer for the wave of protests in Iran.
The turmoil was sparked by 22-year-old Mahsa Amini's death in September while in custody for allegedly violating Iran's compulsory dress code for women. Her death has become a rallying cry against the country's treatment of women.
Read more: Iran government supporters confront protesters at World Cup
The players did not sing the national anthem before the loss to England in an apparent show of solidarity with protestors, but in the days before the match against Wales, it became clear that the team wanted to focus solely on soccer. Queiroz even sparred verbally with a reporter following a pre-match news conference.
The tensions were heightened following the reported arrest Thursday of former national team player Voria Ghafouri in Iran for his criticism of the government.
The players sang their anthem, although not forcefully, before the game against Wales and then went on to win on a pair of second-half stoppage-time goals. Rouzbeh Cheshmi, who scored the go-ahead goal, suggested afterward the team felt pressured.
“I believe at this time, certain things happened for the players that were not quite fair. I believe that they were judged improperly and therefore they received some non-football pressures," Cheshmi said. "I believe that the entire family of the Team Melli helped each other and as a result the entire team were able to win. I scored the goal, that is true, but the team did the work.”
But Iran could not entirely escape the discord at home: Outside the stadium pro-government fans clashed with the few who dared to wear “Women, Life, Liberty” T-shirts, a slogan of the movement. Those in the shirts had to change before they were allowed in the stadium.
While the victory gave Iran back its joy, in the words of Quieroz, it will undoubtedly bring even more focus on geopolitics ahead of the deciding match with the United States. In addition to the over-arching tensions between the two nations, U.S. Soccer had taken a progressive stand for women's rights, granting equal pay between its men's and women's team — including the equal division of World Cup prize money.
As it stands in Group B, if Iran can beat the United States, it will move on. The Americans win and they'll advance, but a draw or a loss sends them home.
England leads the group after the scoreless draw with the Americans. England will qualify for the knockout stage with a win or a draw against Wales. The Welsh will need a victory to keep even slim hopes of advancing alive.
Read more:| World Cup 2022: Cheshmi’s late goal sends Iran to 2-0 win over Wales
If Wales beats England, Iran will need at least a draw against the United States and goal difference will matter.
“Now we need to be sure that we are good enough to go to the second round. So we start immediately the preparation to play against the U.S., which is a brilliant team as well, as we saw them against Wales," Queiroz said. “Our preparation starts with a good rest, refresh the minds and put all the complementary and garbage things outside of our minds and focus on our goal, because what we want to do it to give this gift to Iranian fans.”
North Korea calls UN's Guterres 'puppet of US' after launch
North Korea’s foreign minister called U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “a puppet of the United States” as she slammed the U.N. chief for joining U.S.-led condemnation of the North's recent intercontinental ballistic missile test.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier issued a statement strongly condemning North Korea’s ICBM launch on Friday and reiterating his call on the North to “to immediately desist from taking any further provocative actions.” Guterres’s statement came after the United States and other countries issued similar criticism of the North's ICBM test that showed an potential to strike anywhere in the continental U.S.
“I often take the U.N. secretary-general for a member of the U.S. White House or its State Department,” North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said in a statement carried by state media. “I express my strong regret over the fact that the U.N. secretary-general has taken a very deplorable attitude, oblivious of the purpose and principles of the U.N. Charter and its proper mission which is to maintain impartiality, objectivity and equity in all matters.”
Read more: Missile tests practiced to attack South, US: North Korea
Choe accused Guterres of overlooking the U.S. and its allies taking the North’s ICBM test to the U.N. Security Council, saying that “This clearly proves that he is a puppet of the U.S.”
The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for Monday morning on North Korea’s ICBM launch at Japan’s request. But it’s unclear if it can impose new economic sanctions on North Korea because China and Russia, two of the council’s veto-wielding members, have opposed the previous U.S. and its allies’ moves to toughen sanctions on the North over its banned tests of ballistic missiles earlier this year.
On Sunday, top diplomats from the world’s major industrialized democracies issued a joint statement calling for strong steps by the U.N. Security Council in reaction to the North Korean missile launch. “(North Korea’s) actions demand a united and robust response by the international community, including the need for further significant measures to be taken by the U.N. Security Council,” said the statement by foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Friday’s ICBM launch was the latest in North Korea’s ongoing torrid run of missile tests that experts say are meant to boost its nuclear capability and increase its leverage in future diplomacy.
North Korea said leader Kim Jong Un observed Friday's launch of its Hwasong-17 missile and called it another "reliable and maximum-capacity” weapon to contain U.S. military threats. Some experts say the Hwasong-17 is still under development but it's the North's longest-range missile and is designed to carry several nuclear warheads to overcome U.S. missile defense systems.
Read more: North Korea continues its bombardment of missiles with a potential ICBM
North Korea has argued its testing activities are a warning to the United States and South Korea over their series of military drills that the North believes were an invasion rehearsal. Washington and Seoul have maintained their exercises are defensive in nature.
In her statement Monday, Choe again defended her country’s missile tests, calling them “legitimate and just exercise of the right to self-defense” against “provocative nuclear war rehearsals” by the United States and its allies. She said it’s “most amazing and deplorable to me” as Guterres still blamed North Korea for a recent flare-up in tensions on the Korean Peninsula, not the United States.
A day before her country’s ICBM test, Choe threatened to threatened to launch “fiercer” military responses to steps by the U.S. to bolster its security commitment to South Korea and Japan.
US supports India for G20 presidency
The United States has supported India for the G20 presidency, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted on Sunday (November 13, 2022).
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also tweeted as the two leaders met in Cambodia on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia's Phnom Penh.
Blinken said that he met Jaishankar “to discuss ongoing efforts to expand our partnership and mitigate the effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine.”
Read more: Putin won’t be at G20 summit, avoiding possible confrontation with US
“The US supports India’s G20 Presidency," Blinken continued.
He made the points along with photographs of the two leaders and hashtag - #USIndiaAt75.
Jaishankar wrote that they discussed Ukraine, Indo-Pacific, energy, G20 and bilateral relations.
The development means India will preside over the G20 Summit from December 1.
Read more: G20 Presidency: India to invite Bangladesh as guest country
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the logo, website and theme of India's G20 Presidency, according to The Hindustan Times.
“Notion of universal brotherhood is being reflected via the G20 logo. The lotus in the logo of G20 is a symbol of hope in these tough times," Modi said in a virtual address.
The Hindustan Times quoted Modi as saying that that G20 Presidency is not merely a diplomatic meeting for India, but it is a new responsibility and a measure of the world’s trust in India.
Read more: G20 finance leaders in Bali to tackle Ukraine, inflation
G20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union. It works to address major global challenges related to economy, climate change mitigation and sustainable development.
G20 or Group of Twenty is composed of most of the world's largest economies including both industrialised and developing nations.
US opens new commercial service office in Dhaka to boost trade ties
United States on Thursday (October 27, 2022) formally opened a new commercial service office at the US Embassy, which will play an important role in strengthening trade ties between the two countries.
US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas announced the opening of the office.
“As the United States and Bangladesh celebrate 50 years of bilateral relations, it is an opportune moment to expand upon the strong foundation of our bilateral and commercial relationship,” said Venkataraman.
Read more: 'Media a key tool to promote safe migration'
“The new Commercial Service office here in Bangladesh will play an important role in strengthening trade ties between our countries, and how we support US companies doing business in such a dynamic and fast-growing economy. Trade between our two countries accounts for an estimated $10 billion, showcasing the vast existing and potential opportunities in this country.”
The US Department of Commerce will station a senior Foreign Commercial Service officer at the US Embassy in Dhaka to maximise US export opportunities and work collaboratively with Bangladesh to assist US companies considering entry into or expanding their presence in the Bangladeshi market.
The office will help facilitate one-on-one business counseling, provide tailored export expertise and information on the Bangladeshi market, and work to connect US businesses with potential Bangladeshi partners through business matchmaking and other services.
Read more: Bangladesh a key player in fight against climate change, says British envoy
The US Foreign Commercial Service is the export promotion arm of the International Trade Administration, a bureau of the US Department of Commerce.
The commercial service has an extensive global network consisting of 122 offices around the world and in over 100 US cities.
The new office in Dhaka will increase the number of international markets to 81. Across Asia, the wing will have a presence in 19 markets, including Bangladesh.
Read Currency depreciations risk intensifying global food, energy crisis: World Bank
The International Trade Administration (ITA) at the US Department of Commerce is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace.
ITA has more than 2,200 employees assisting US exporters in more than 100 US cities and 81 markets worldwide.
Summer droughts now 20 times more likely due to climate change
Drought that stretched across three continents this summer — drying out large parts of Europe, the United States and China — was made 20 times more likely by climate change, according to a new study.
Drought dried up major rivers, destroyed crops, sparked wildfire, threatened aquatic species and led to water restrictions in Europe. It struck places already plagued by drying in the U.S., like the West, but also places where drought is more rare, like the Northeast. China also just had its driest summer in 60 years, leaving its famous Yangtze river half its normal width.
Researchers from World Weather Attribution, a group of scientists from around the world who study the link between extreme weather and climate change, say this type of drought would only happen once every 400 years across the Northern Hemisphere if not for human-caused climate change. Now they expect these conditions to repeat every 20 years, given how much the climate has warmed.
Ecological disasters like the widespread drought and then massive flooding in Pakistan, are the “fingerprints of climate change,” Maarten van Aalst, a climate scientist at Columbia University and study co-author, said.
“The impacts are very clear to people and are hitting hard,” he said, “not just in poor countries, like the flooding Pakistan .... but also in some of the richest parts of the world, like western central Europe.”
To figure out the influence of climate change on drying in the Northern Hemisphere, scientists analyzed weather data, computer simulations and soil moisture throughout the regions, excluding tropical areas. They found that climate change made dry soil conditions much more likely over the last several months.
This analysis was done using the warming the climate has already experienced so far, 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit), but climate scientists have warned the climate will get warmer, and the authors of the study accounted for that.
With an additional 0.8 degrees C degrees warming, this type of drought will happen once every 10 years in western Central Europe and every year throughout the Northern Hemisphere, said Dominik Schumacher, a climate scientist at ETH Zurich, a university in Switzerland.
“We’re seeing these compounding and cascading effect across sectors and across regions,” van Aalst said. “One way to reduce those impacts (is) to reduce emissions.”