US lawmakers will vote on a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The package has been stalled by political infighting and comes amid repeated calls from Kyiv for assistance. The US House of Representatives will on Saturday hold a long-awaited and crucial vote on a major aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Voting on the foreign aid and arms bill, valued at $95 billion (€89 billion), is expected to begin at 1 p.m. local time (1700 GMT/UTC). If the vote in the House is successful, the package will then head to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where passage in the coming days is all but assured. US President Joe Biden has promised to sign off on it immediately. Why has the aid package stalled? Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has faced an uphill battle from hardline Republicans over the bill, with continued financing of Ukraine's defensive effort against Russia's invasion hanging in the balance for months. Republicans hold a thin majority in the House.  The foreign aid legislation is similar to a measure passed by the Senate in February, but it contains some differences designed to win over House conservatives.  Republicans opposed to the bill have demanded that stronger controls first be put in place to curb the arrival of migrants at the southern US border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has meanwhile been making desperate attempts to try and shore up support among allies as resources and ammunition stockpiles dwindle. The package includes around $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, a much-needed shot in the arm for Kyiv. Where will the rest of the funding go? Around $14 billion has been allocated for Israel as it continues its fight against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, while around $9 billion would be for providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank. The bill also covers reimbursement for US military operations in the region in response to recent attacks. The rest of the funds are set aside for US partners in the Pacific to counter China, with some $3.3 billion allocated toward the development of submarine infrastructure.  

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

Elon Musk cannot keep his "unfathomable" $56 billion pay package. The judge in the US state of Delaware ruled that the compensation of the Tesla chief executive was too much.   A Delaware judge on Tuesday invalidated Tesla CEO Elon Musk's $56 billion (€51.1 billion) compensation package, siding with a shareholder who claimed the entrepreneur was overpaid. A judge called the compensation "an unfathomable sum" that was not fair to shareholders, according to a court filing. Shares of the electric carmaker fell more than 3% in after-hours trading following the release of the 200-page ruling.     What was the lawsuit about? Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick's ruling comes more than five years after a shareholder lawsuit targeted Tesla CEO Musk and the company's directors. They were accused of breaching their duties to the maker of electric vehicles and solar panels, resulting in a waste of corporate assets and unjust enrichment for Musk. Lawyers for the shareholders argued that the compensation package should be voided because it was dictated by Musk and was the product of sham negotiations with directors who were not independent of him.      What did the judge say? Musk's pay package at Tesla is the largest in corporate America. The judge found it was negotiated by directors who appeared beholden to their headline-grabbing CEO. "Swept up by the rhetoric of 'all upside,' or perhaps starry eyed by Musk’s superstar appeal, the board never asked the $55.8 billion question: Was the plan even necessary for Tesla to retain Musk and achieve its goals?" wrote McCormick. Her decision can be appealed once the parties agree on a final order and on fees for the shareholder's attorneys, which will be paid by Tesla.   What was Musk's reaction? "Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware," Musk wrote in a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, shortly after the decision was announced. "I recommend incorporating in Nevada or Texas if you prefer shareholders to decide matters," he added on X later. After his purchase of Twitter in 2022, Musk changed the company's state of incorporation from Delaware to Nevada. Earlier this month, Musk asked Tesla's board to come up with a new compensation plan for him that would give him a 25% stake in the company.   

The US says it will send military aid worth more than $300 million to Taiwan after recent Congressional authorization. However, it did not detail what equipment would be exported, in a move liable to anger China. The US on Friday unveiled a Taiwan weapons aid package worth up to $345 million (roughly €310 million), in a move likely to anger China.  The Biden administration did not detail what equipment would be included.  What did the US and Taiwan say about the deal?  A statement from the White House spoke of a package of "defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan."  US officials speaking on condition of anonymity when the deal was being prepared had said that Taiwan was keen to acquire US espionage drones among the new equipment, but said that questions about whether they could be adapted appropriately for export in time meant it wasn't clear if they would be included. The announcement came on the same week as a major annual military exercise in Taiwan, simulating the defense in case of a Chinese invasion. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense expressed its appreciation early on Saturday, thanking "the US for its firm commitment to Taiwan's security."  Taiwan's trade office in Washington meanwhile said the US decision to send weapons in this manner provided "an important tool to support Taiwan's self-defense."  How are the weapons being sourced?  The White House secured authorization from Congress for up to $1 billion worth of so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) weapons aid for Taiwan as part of this year's budget, freeing it up for such a step.  The PDA system has also been used to expedite weapons deliveries to Ukraine. What differentiates it from more typical arms sales is that the US can send stocks and material from its own reserves, rather than Taiwan ordering new equipment from arms manufacturers for production and then delivery. Supply chain problems tied to the COVID pandemic and other issues have delayed Taiwanese military purchases from the US of late.  The top US general, Mark Milley, earlier in July called on Washington and its allies to accelerate weapons deliveries to Taiwan to help the island defend itself.  And Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signaled the upcoming step back in May, telling a Senate panel he was "pleased that the United States will soon provide significant additional security assistance to Taiwan."  China has lobbied US to stop military aid China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and says it intends to reclaim the self-ruled island, if necessary by force.  It has increased military pressure on Taipei in recent years, increasing naval and aerial activity close to Taiwanese territory. It held two major drills around Taiwan this year, simulating an invasion and blockade of the island. Beijing has frequently called on the US to halt weapons deliveries to Taipei.  The US has walked a fine line on the issue for half a century now, ever since it struck up diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China mid way through the Cold War. Washington recognizes the "One China" principle and has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in deference to Beijing. But the US maintains informal ties with the island and is also Taipei's most important political and military backer. US officials speaking on condition of anonymity when the deal was being prepared had said that Taiwan was keen to acquire US espionage drones among the new equipment, but said that questions about whether they could be adapted appropriately for export in time meant it wasn't clear if they would be included. The announcement came on the same week as a major annual military exercise in Taiwan, simulating the defense in case of a Chinese invasion.

US President Joe Biden on Thursday proposed a huge $33 billion package for arming and supporting Ukraine, saying that "caving" in to Russia is not an option for the West as the war stretches into a third month. Speaking in the White House, Biden also outlined proposed new laws to allow using luxury assets stripped from Russian oligarchs under unprecedented sanctions to compensate Ukraine for the destruction wreaked by the invading Russians. He acknowledged the dramatic costs of US backing for Ukraine, but said there was no real choice in the struggle with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The cost of this fight is not cheap. But caving to aggression is going to be more costly if we allow it to happen," he said. Reflecting the scale of the US assistance to Ukraine, which is badly mauling the larger and more heavily armed Russian forces, Biden confirmed that the United States has already sent 10 tank-killing weapons for every Russian tank sent into the country. However, he pushed back against increasingly heated claims by Russian officials and state media that Moscow is fighting the entire West, rather than only Ukraine. "We're not attacking Russia. We are helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression," Biden said. Calling rhetoric in Moscow about the possibility of nuclear warfare a sign of "desperation," Biden said "no one should be making idle comments about the use of nuclear weapons or the possibility that they would use that. It's irresponsible." And after Russian state gas giant Gazprom announced it was cutting supplies to NATO and EU members Bulgaria and Poland, Biden said the United States would "not let Russia intimidate or blackmail their way out of these sanctions." - Congressional vote required - The bulk of the proposed $33 billion package will be "$20 billion in military and other security assistance. This means weapons and ammunition flowing to the Ukrainian people," a senior US official told reporters. A further $8.5 billion in economic aid will "help the government of Ukraine respond to the immediate crisis," while some $3 billion is proposed to fund humanitarian assistance and address the global food supply price shock resulting from Russia's onslaught against Ukraine, a major wheat exporter, the official said. Congress needs to approve the request and while both Republicans and Biden's Democratic Party have signalled they are keen to keep backing Ukraine, a dispute over Biden's request for an unrelated $22.5 billion Covid pandemic package threatens to complicate the approval process. The White House will mount a "full court press" to get Congressional approval, Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, adding that Biden's decision to announce the Ukraine package request in person demonstrated his concern. He is likely to push Congress further during a visit Tuesday to a Lockheed Martin factory in Alabama that produces Javelin anti-tank rockets -- one of the key weapons supplied to Ukraine's army. - Going after oligarchs - In parallel with Western military assistance -- which began cautiously with mostly defensive infantry weapons, but now includes heavy artillery and armed drones -- Washington is leading an economic sanctions onslaught designed to isolate Russia and pressure Putin. The measures target Russian energy exports, banks, the ruble, and also personally target the powerful billionaires surrounding Putin. Biden announced a proposal to ratchet up pressure, with enhanced seizure and forfeiture procedures allowing oligarchs' seized assets to be "sold off" to "remedy the harm Russia caused and to help build Ukraine." To date, European Union allies have frozen more than $30 billion in Russian assets, including almost $7 billion in luxury goods belonging to oligarchs, including yachts, art, real estate and helicopters, the White House said. The United States has "sanctioned and blocked vessels and aircraft worth over $1 billion, as well as frozen hundreds of millions of dollars of assets belonging to Russian elites in US accounts," said the statement. One of the latest seizures was of a $90 million superyacht belonging to Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg. The legislative package being proposed by Biden would also tighten the legal squeeze on oligarchs as they try to hide their funds. One proposal is to allow seizing of property used to evade sanctions. Another is to expand the arsenal used by US prosecutors, doubling the amount of time they are allowed to pursue money laundering investigations from five to 10 years, and applying anti-racketeering laws used to tackle organized crime to sanctions evasion. Source: AFP/BSS AH

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday announced a new stimulus package of Tk 5,000 crore to provide financial assistance to small and medium farmers in rural areas for boosting agricultural production facing the fallout of Covid-19. “Bangladesh Bank will formulate a new refinancing scheme of Tk 5,000 crore to pump running capital into the agricultural sector. We’ll create this Tk 5,000 crore stimulus package only for the agricultural sector. We’ll disburse money from this fund to farmers at only 5 percent interest,” she said. The Prime Minister said this while delivering her introductory speech in a videoconference from her official residence Ganobhaban with government officials from 16 districts under Khulna and Barishal divisions. The money from this fund will be disbursed among small and medium farmers, including that of poultry and dairy sector, in rural areas, she said. On April 7 last, the Prime Minister held a videoconference with government officials from 15 districts under Chattogram and Sylhet divisions to discuss the present COVID-19 there. Source: UNB AH

The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft Hajj Package-2020, fixing the minimum cost for an intending pilgrim at Tk 3.15 lakh under package-3 of the government. Pilgrims will have to pay Tk 4.25 lakh to avail package-1 and Tk 3.60 lakh under package-2 under the government management which is Tk 6500 and Tk 16,000 more than the previous year respectively. Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam disclosed this at a press briefing at the Secretariat after the Cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. This year, a total of 1,37,198 people will go to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj and 17,198 of them will go under government management while the rest under private management. Source: UNB AH

In the upcoming Secondary School Certificate (SSC), Dakhil and equivalent examinations, the cover of the question sets will be opened 25 minutes before the start of the exam in the presence and signature of the designated officer (tag officer), the exam centre secretary and the police officer. None except the centre secretary can use mobile phone or unauthorised electrical equipment in the examination centre. The question set will be fixed only 25 minutes before the start of the test. Education Ministry made the disclosures issuing separate circulars in this regard. It has been said in the circular that a magistrate or tag officer will be appointed for each centre. The magistrate accompanied by the in-charge of the centre or his nominated representative will take the question papers from the Treasury or Thana and will reach exam centre escorted by police. It is further said that none can use mobile phones or unauthorized electrical equipment in the center of the examination except the center secretary. However, he will use a simple mobile phone set, which cannot be used for photographing or using the internet. SSC and equivalent examinations will begin on February 2. MHK

From the first day of February the validity for all internet and voice call packages, offers and bundles in mobile telephone service will be at least 3 days. That means the mobile telephone operators cannot offer any package, offer or bundle with validity of less than 3 days. Considering the interest of the subscribers Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has given the direction in this regard. Senior Assistant Director (Media and Communications) of BTRC Jakir Hossain Khan confirmed the information on Sunday evening. Earlier BTRC gave direction to the mobile phone operators to make the validity of data and voice offer for at least seven days. The new direction said, the subscribers can use data worth highest five taka through ‘pay as you go’ after the expiration of validity of any package or data offer. After expiration of that offer the subscribers cannot use internet without purchasing any package. More over there will be facility for offer or package auto renewal. AH