After eight years of tough negotiations with the European Union's 27 member states, the European Parliament has approved a fundamental reform of asylum policy in the bloc. The new migration pact comprises several intertwined laws and is primarily intended to reduce the number of new arrivals, speed up asylum procedures and establish centers for doing this at the European Union's external borders. According to the EU's statistics agency Eurostat, the number of asylum applications has risen steadily in recent years, reaching 1.14 million in 2023. Around 4 million refugees from Ukraine have been accommodated in the bloc since 2022. How will asylum procedures be implemented at the external borders? In the future, asylum-seekers and refugees will be clearly identified within seven days of arrival in the EU by land, sea or air. Their details will be stored in the European asylum fingerprint database Eurodac, which will be expanded with further biometric data. Migrants from countries with recognition rates below 20%, such as India, Pakistan or Morocco, could be detained at the border for up to 12 weeks. Holding centers are to be set up in Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, Croatia and Cyprus, and shall be where authorities will decide whether to send applicants back to their country of origin without further inquiry. This is expected to affect only a small number of arrivals. Across the EU, these centers should be able to accommodate up to 30,000 people at any time. Migrants from countries with higher recognition rates will be able to pass through the regular asylum procedure. Currently, this process can take years and is set to be shortened. Those people whose applications have been rejected will be deported directly at the EU's external borders. Burden on first points of entry to be decreased The so-called New Pact on Migration and Asylum also states that countries where migrants first arrive will be able to relocate a certain number of asylum-seekers to other EU member states. For this, a system of "mandatory solidarity" will be put in place. If states such as Hungary refuse to accept people, they will have to pay compensation or send equipment and personnel to countries of first reception. The amount of €20,000 ($21,400) per person not admitted has been put forward, but this is nonbinding and member states will negotiate details on a case-by-case basis. If one country thinks it is bearing too much of the burden, it will be able to request more solidarity. In crisis cases, all 27 member states will decide together. Standardize conditions across bloc Currently, many asylum-seekers in Greece and Italy, for example, try to continue their journey to reach countries like Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. This is the case whether someone is granted asylum or not. According to the current system, the countries where applicants first arrived are supposed to take back people who have not been granted asylum. This does not usually happen. The new pact will attempt to revise the system by providing more uniform services and conditions across the EU, so that certain member states are not considered more attractive than others.  Deportations to become easier The new pact will also allow for the speedier deportation of people to countries of origin or transit, if these have been declared safe. The EU is attempting to seal more agreements with third-party states, such as Tunisia, Mauritania and Egypt, to persuade them to take in more people whose requests for asylum have been rejected. Tunisia, for instance, has agreed to take back its own nationals in return for economic aid, but its government does not want to take in people from sub-Saharan Africa who initially passed through Tunisia on their way to the EU. A 2016 agreement between the EU and Turkey had led to fewer Syrians arriving in Greece over a period of four years. But now, the Turkish government does not want to take back Syrians whose applications have been rejected, so the deal no longer applies.  Database will provide EU-wide information According to the new pact, personnel on the external borders of the EU will in future record all people entering the bloc. Biometric information will be stored in a database that will be accessible across the EU. This will help determine whether somebody who is applying for asylum in one EU member state has already been rejected in another. It will also make it easier to deport people back to the first point of entry or to their country of origin. There have been several attempts to implement such a database since 2015. The current Eurodac database, which only stores fingerprints, has various technical deficiencies. New pact remains controversial Supporters of the new pact have argued that stricter asylum rules and procedures will speed up deportations and act as a deterrent. They've said that fewer people will risk making the journey to Europe because their chances of being able to stay will be restricted. Critics have said the pact undermines the fundamental right to asylum in the EU, and fear people in need of protection will be rejected. They've said people trying to get to the EU by crossing the Mediterranean, for example, will continue to die. What now? At the end of April, the Council of the European Union, which represents the 27 member states, will have to give its approval to the new migration pact, but this is considered just a formality. When the pact does come into force, with its various laws and regulations, it remains to be seen whether member states will fulfill their new obligations. Will Italy set up functioning centers on its borders? Will the bloc's northern and eastern member states show solidarity and take in more migrants, or at least provide funds for them? It's expected that it will take two years for the pact to be implemented, but it will be many more years before it's clear whether the number of asylum-seekers in Europe has fallen as a result or not.

The US Senate has approved a $95bn (£75.2bn) aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after months of political wrangling. While Democrats were in favour of passing the bill, Republicans were divided and previously voted it down. The package includes $60bn for Kyiv, $14bn for Israel's war against Hamas and $10bn for humanitarian aid in conflict zones, including in Gaza. The bill will now go to the House, where its fate is uncertain. The package, which also includes more than $4bn in funds for Indo-Pacific allies, passed the Senate despite criticism from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and former President Donald Trump. Lawmakers voted 70 to 29 to approve the package. Twenty-two Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, joined most Democrats to vote for the legislation. "History settles every account," Mr McConnell, a Kentucky senator, said in a statement following the vote. "And today, on the value of American leadership and strength, history will record that the Senate did not blink." Ukraine's leader said he was "grateful" to senators. "For us in Ukraine, continued US assistance helps to save human lives from Russian terror. It means that life will continue in our cities and will triumph over war," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The vote came after an all-night Senate session during which several Republican opponents made speeches in a bid to slow down the process. "Shouldn't we try to fix our own country first?" Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said on Monday. Some left-wing lawmakers, including Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon and independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont, also voted against the bill, citing concerns about supporting Israel's bombing of Gaza. The aid package is a stripped-down version of a $118bn package that Senate Republicans voted down last week. Republicans had initially demanded that any foreign aid be tied to more security measures at the southern border. But after Mr Trump came out against the border provisions, Republicans were divided on the package. Some lawmakers suggested border measures could be added back into the current version of the legislation. Mr Johnson suggested in a statement on Monday night the new bill would not pass the Republican-controlled House of Representatives without such provisions. "House Republicans were crystal clear from the very beginning of discussions that any so-called national security supplemental legislation must recognise that national security begins at our own border," he said. The Louisiana congressman said lawmakers "should have gone back to the drawing board" with the legislation to focus on border security. With Senate passage of the aid bill stripped of immigration measures, Mr Johnson and the House Republican leadership will have to decide whether to bring the package to a vote in that chamber, attempt to amend it and send it back to the Senate, or to ignore it entirely. That last option could prompt those House Republicans who support Ukraine military assistance to join Democrats in filing a discharge petition. This is a rare parliamentary procedure that would circumvent Mr Johnson and force a vote. Some on the left may baulk at the military aid for Israel in the package, however, making such a manoeuvre - which requires the support of a majority of the House - more difficult. After the Senate vote, Mr Johnson said his chamber "will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters". He could divide the different pieces of aid into separate components, or add conservative US immigration reforms. Mr Johnson will be hard-pressed to convince his narrow House majority, which is sharply divided on aid to Ukraine, to follow his lead, however. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, hailed the passage of the bill on Tuesday. He said the Senate was "telling Putin he will regret the day he questioned America's resolve". President Joe Biden applauded the measure, too, saying it would allow the US "to stand up for Ukraine's freedom and support its ability to defend itself against Russia's aggression". The US is one of the largest providers of aid to Ukraine. The White House asked Congress months ago to pass a bill that included foreign aid. This could be Congress's last shot at passing Ukraine aid for the foreseeable future, and Ukraine has warned it may not be able to successfully defend itself against Russia without Washington's backing.   Source: BSS

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) approved the charge sheet against Grameen Telecom and Nobel laureate professor Muhammad Yunus as well as 13 others on Januray 29 in a case filed for allegedly embezzling Taka 25 crore from the company. The approval came from a meeting which was held at the commission’s headquarters at Segunbagicha in Dhaka on Monday (Jan 29) afternoon.  Mahbub Hossain, ACC Secretary has confirmed the matter to the reporters.   Professor Yunus is the chairman of the company. The accused people, who have been named in the charge sheet in the case are Chairman of Grameen Telecom Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Managing Director Nazmul Islam, Director and former Managing Director, MD Ashraful Hasan, Director Parvin Mahmud, Naznin Sultana, Md. Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum and Director SM Hajjatul Islam Latifee, Advocate Md. Yusuf Ali, Advocate Zafrul Hasan Sharif, President of Grameen Telecom Sramik-Karmachari Union President Kamruzzaman, General Secretary Feroz Mahmud Hasan and Office Representative Md. Mainul Islam has been accused. According to the case statement, on May 9, 2022, a decision was made at the company’s 108th board , which was presided over by Dr Yunus,  But it was found that the account was opened only a day before the decision was even made. On May 30 of last year, ACC filed a case against 13 people including Muhammad Yunus for embezzling 25 crores 22 lakhs 6 thousand 780 taka of workers' welfare fund.  Gulshan Anwar, Deputy Director of the organization, filed the case.

“The current Cabinet will be dissolved as soon as the new one is formed,” noted a Cabinet Division circular issued Wednesday (Jan 10). Prime Minister Hasina met President Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban in the afternoon, their first meeting since the Awami League secured a two-thirds majority in the 12th national election held on January 7.   The Head of State congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her landslide victory in the 12th parliamentary polls. During a meeting, the President, in line with the Constitution of Bangladesh, invited Sheikh Hasina, the incumbent Prime Minister of the 11th Parliament, to form the cabinet as the the majority of lawmakers were elected from Awami League in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad polls. He hoped Hasina would steer the country towards ‘Smart Bangladesh' and ‘Sonar Bangla’ envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.   Prime Minister Hasina expressed her gratitude to the people for giving the Awami League another opportunity to serve them.   This will be the Awami League’s fourth consecutive term in office and fifth overall, led by Hasina.

Japan has approved record levels of defense spending in a major shift from its postwar approach to military spending. Japan will also loosened arms export controls for the first time in nearly a decade. Japan's defense spending will increase by more than 16% next year under a record military budget. With Japan facing a regional threat in the shape of North Korea, the cash injection is intended to accelerate the deployment of long-range cruise missiles. The budget adopted by the Cabinet also will further fortify the military with F-35 stealth combat jets and other American weapons as Japanese troops increasingly work with allies and take on more offensive roles. The 7.95 trillion-yen (roughly $56 billion or €50 billion) defense budget for the 2024 fiscal year that begins in March, marks the second year of a five-year military buildup program under a new security strategy that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government adopted a year ago. Japan move echoes Germany's military shift The announcement signals a major break from Japan's postwar principle of limiting the country's use of force to self-defense. The defense budget is part of a 112.7 trillion-yen national budget plan and still needs parliament's approval. Germany, another major defeated power in World War II, has also been looking to expand its military spending and activities for the modern era in recent decades. The most recent and major catalyst to this process, which began with deployments in places like Kosovo and Afghanistan, was  Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, after which Germany has increased its defense budget, reaching a total spend of just over €60 billion (if including supplementary funds not in the government's main budget) in 2023.    Japan plans to spend 43 trillion yen by 2027 to bolster its military power and to nearly double its annual spending to around 10 trillion yen. The budget would boost Japan's arms spending for a 12th year. Last year, the government budgeted 6.8 trillion yen.   The move is the first major revision of the arms export ban since it was initially eased in 2014. The Japanese Foreign Ministry said the change would contribute to reinforce the bilateral security cooperation and the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific, but opponents said it would let Japanese-made weapons help in escalating conflicts.   Japan also loosens weapon export controls Japan also relaxed arms export controls on Friday, for the first time in nearly a decade, after lifting an outright ban on all military exports in 2014. With the new rule, Japan "will be able to export arms which were domestically produced under licence of a foreign company to the licensing country," a national security official in the prime minister's cabinet told news agency AFP prior to the cabinet approval. It is a move that would enable the US ally to sell missiles it manufactures indepently for the US Patriot missile defense system to Washington. This in turn could help the US with dwindling stocks amid large-scale donations to Ukraine. However, Japan is expected to stipulate that the missiles it sells to Washington must be stationed in the Indo-Pacific region. This could still allow Washington to relocate munitions it has in Asia at present. "The appropriate transfer of defence equipment overseas will contribute to ... international peace and security, and will also strengthen cooperation with allies and the US in security fields," a government document said after the rule was approved by the cabinet on Friday.  

The EU has approved a ban on the destruction of unsold clothing. New rules will also ensure products are more enviromentally friendly and that goods are also more easily repaired and recycled. Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states on Tuesday reached an agreement to stop large retail groups of destroying unsold clothes and footwear. The rules are aimed at cracking down on the impact of "fast fashion" and reducing waste.    What we know about the ban  Brussels is seeking to address textile consumption in Europe, which has the fourth highest impact on the environment and climate change after food, housing and transport. Although the ban in principle will begin after two years for large businesses, exceptions have been agreed for small companies, as well as a transitional period of six years for medium-sized companies.  The latest agreement comes as part of a wider initiative after the European Commission proposed changes to the bloc's so-called ecodesign rules. This would make products longer-lasting and easier to reuse, repair and recycle, reducing the consumption of resources such as energy and water. MEP Alessandra Moretti, who spearheaded the legislation through parliament, said: "It is time to end the model of 'take, make, dispose' that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy."  "New products will be designed in a way that benefits all, respects our planet and protects the environment." The Commission will also have the power to widen the ban to other unsold products beyond clothing and footwear.   What other materials might be effected? Full details of requirements for individual products have not yet been finalized with parliament and member states still needing to officially approve the agreement, although that this is believed to be a formality.  The agreement outlined that the European Commission can issue legally binding requirements to make goods such as furniture, tyres, detergents, paints and chemicals more environmentally friendly.  Goods must also be sold with a "digital product passport", which could be a QR code, in order to help consumers make informed choices about their purchases. However, numerous raw materials such as iron, steel and aluminium are also to be regulated accordingly in future. Exceptions are planned for goods such as cars and military products.   

The United Nations Security Council approved on Monday deploying a multinational force to Haiti, where authorities have been struggling for nearly a year to control criminal gangs. The force was described as a Multinational Security Support mission "to take all necessary measures."  The resolution authorizes the force to deploy for one year, with a review after nine months. "More than just a simple vote, this is in fact an expression of solidarity with a population in distress," said Jean Victor Geneus, Haiti's foreign affairs minister.  "It's a glimmer of hope for the people who have been suffering for too long," he added. The deployment was approved by 13 votes, with permanent members Russia and China both abstaining. The council also approved widening a UN arms embargo to include all gangs, rather than just some individuals, following a push from Beijing. What do we know about the mission? The taskforce is expected to be led by Kenya, which pledged last summer to send 1,000 troops. Neighboring Caribbean countries Jamaica, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda also expressed readiness to contribute forces. The United States meanwhile promised logistics and $100 million (approximately €95.43 million) in support. Haiti's foreign minister described the vote as a "glimmer of hope" and an "expression of solidarity with people in distress." "It is a glimmer of hope for people who have been suffering the consequences of a difficult political, socio-economic, security and humanitarian situation for too long," Jean Victor Geneus told the Security Council. Why is it controversial? The decision to deploy the multinational force comes nearly a year after Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry requested the immediate deployment of a foreign armed force to help control the gangs, alongside 18 top government officials. Henry, who leads an unelected administration has also cited the violence and instability as a reason for a delayed election. The country has been left without any elected representatives since January. However, many are still wary of international intervention. A previous UN mission which started in 2004 was marred by a sex abuse scandal and a cholera outbreak which killed over 9,000. It ended in 2017. The introduction of cholera to the country was blamed on UN peacekeepers dumping infected sewage into a river. Meanwhile, Kenya's police, which is expected to make up much of the new mission, has long been accused of torture, deadly force and other abuses. Monday's resolution asked countries contributing to the mission "to adopt appropriate wastewater management and other environmental controls to guard against the introduction and spread of water-borne diseases."

The World Bank has approved a $200 million loan to help Bangladesh improve primary healthcare services for treatment, prevention and referral for common illnesses including mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and medical waste management in Dhaka North and South City Corporations, Chattogram City Corporation and Savar and Tarabo municipalities. The Urban Health, Nutrition and Population Project will establish a network of primary health centers offering a broad range of health, nutrition and population services along with a direct referral system with secondary and tertiary-level facilities, said a press release on Wednesday. About 2.5 million children under 5 in these urban areas will receive services. "Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in improving healthcare, particularly in rural areas," said Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan. "But urban areas have limited public healthcare facilities. Hence, poor people and slum dwellers are often forced to turn to more expensive private healthcare. Further, with high population density, climate change, and rapid urbanization, new health challenges are emerging, including an increase of dengue cases, infectious and non-communicable diseases," he added. The project will improve antenatal services for women, with a target of over 250,000 women receiving at least four checkups during pregnancy. It will also support hypertension screening and follow-up of about 1.3 million adults. To reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on medical care for the poor people, the project will renovate selected existing public health facilities, including government outdoor dispensaries and family planning clinics.  The project will also focus on environmental health and preventive services like mosquito control, medical waste management, and behavior change communication to promote healthy lifestyles to prevent illnesses and mitigate the effects of climate change and air pollution on human health. It will support the development and implementation of a multi-sectoral strategy to manage infectious disease outbreaks in cities and municipalities. To prevent dengue, the project will introduce a climate-based dengue early warning system and outbreak response capacities as well as take measures to clear breeding sites. "The impact of climate change on mosquito-borne and infectious diseases is often overlooked. An overreliance on fogging or spraying targeting adult mosquitoes and untargeted larval control is not an efficient use of resources," said Iffat Mahmud, Senior Operations Officer at the World Bank and Task Team Leader for the Project. "As mosquito lifecycle is influenced by climatic conditions, the project will strengthen the mosquito control laboratory and build capacities to implement innovative mosquito control measures and other community-based interventions," added Mahmud. The credit is from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), which provides concessional financing and has a 30-year term with a five-year grace period. The World Bank was among the first development partners to support Bangladesh. In its 50-year partnership with Bangladesh, the World Bank has committed about $40 billion in grants, interest-free and concessional credits to the country. Currently, Bangladesh has the largest IDA program in the world with a total of $15.9 billion commitment to 54 ongoing projects.

The final approval to the draft of Cyber Security Act, 2023 which will replace the existing Digital Security Act.  The approval came from the Cabinet meeting held on Monday at Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the city chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.  Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain said in a press briefing that, "In the draft law, the offenses under four sections - 17, 19, 27 and 33, have been made non-bailable." He said the trial procedure of the ongoing cases filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA) will be run following the same law.

In a move to enhance connectivity in the northeastern region of India, Indian Railways has allocated substantial investments for infrastructure development. Recently, the Railway Board granted approval for the Final Location Survey (FLS) of the Zubza (Nagaland)–Imphal (Manipur) new rail line project, spanning 140 km. The new Zubza–Imphal rail line project will establish direct connectivity between the states of Nagaland and Manipur. When completed, the project is expected to boost mobility of railway traffic, benefiting both passenger and freight services, an official release from Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) stated. NFR stated that the reduced time, cost, and distance of transportation will have a far-reaching socio-economic impact on the region, stimulating growth and prosperity. It added, “Infrastructural development like new stations, road connections, goods yards, businesses will lead to overall economic growth of the nearby districts.” Meanwhile, businesses relying on freight services will experience significant cost reductions due to the seamless movement of goods along the new railway route, it informed. Indian Railways is progressing with other vital railway projects in the northeastern region. The Dimapur-Kohima new railway line project, commencing from the Dhansiri station in Assam to Zubza near Kohima, is progressing. Additionally, the Jiribam–Imphal new line railway project, which aims to connect Manipur’s capital city, Imphal, to the rest of the country, is also underway. The sanctioning of the FLS for the Zubza–Imphal railway project is expected to significantly boost inter-state connectivity in the northeastern region. Source: www.eastmojo.com