US president Donald Trump doubled down on his attacks against four minority US congresswomen on Monday and dismissed concerns that his comments were racist, prompting outrage from Democrats, who moved to condemn him in the House of Representatives.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said people he described as critical of the United States should leave the country.

Those remarks followed his Twitter messages on Sunday that said the four left-wing lawmakers, known in Congress as “the squad,” should go back to “the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

All four of the first-term House members are US citizens and all but one were born in the United States.

“If you’re not happy in the US, if you’re complaining all the time, very simply: You can leave,” he said, drawing scattered applause from a crowd of businesspeople.

Asked if he was concerned that some viewed his remarks as racist and that white supremacists found common cause with him, Trump said he was not. “It doesn’t concern me because many people agree with me,” Trump said.

The president’s remarks were widely derided and some, though not many, of his fellow Republicans spoke out against them.

Trump did not identify the lawmakers by name in his Sunday tweets, but he appeared to refer to representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

All four have been critical of Trump, as well as of the current Democratic leaders of the House, straining party unity in that chamber.

At a press conference on Capitol Hill, the four lawmakers said Trump was trying to sow division and distract attention from what they characterized as failed policies on immigration, healthcare and taxation.

“Weak minds and leaders challenge loyalty to our country in order to avoid challenging and debating the policy,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Tlaib and Omar repeated their calls for Trump to be impeached.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has been criticised by members of “the squad,” said her party would introduce a resolution condemning Trump’s “xenophobic tweets.”

A draft of the resolution, seen by Reuters late on Monday, said the House “strongly condemns President Donald Trump’s racist comments that have legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color …”

Representative Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, told reporters the resolution could be on the House floor for debate as soon as Tuesday.

Such a resolution could put Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress in an awkward position, forcing them either to vote against their party’s leader, who has strong support among conservatives, or effectively to defend his statements.

Trump’s attacks elevated the profiles of the four progressive Democrats, who have helped push the party’s agenda to the left, causing concern among Democratic moderates who are eager to hold onto their seats in the 2020 election.

A FEW REPUBLICANS SPEAK OUT

Trump has a history of what critics consider race-baiting. He led a movement that falsely claimed former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States, and he said after a deadly, white supremacist-led rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that “both sides” were to blame for violence there.

“This is the agenda of white nationalists, whether it is happening in chat rooms, or it’s happening on national TV, and now it’s reached the White House garden,” Omar said.

Although most Republicans stayed silent on Trump’s divisive rhetoric, several began expressing concern late on Monday.

Texas Representative Will Hurd, the only African-American Republican in the House, called the attacks “racist” on CNN.

Tim Scott, the Senate’s only black Republican, called them “racially offensive” on Twitter.

Others did not go that far. Senator Mitt Romney, the party’s 2012 presidential nominee, and Senator Marco Rubio, who ran in 2016, both condemned the remarks but declined to characterize them as racist.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said the four lawmakers belonged in the United States, but did not criticize Trump. “The president is not a racist,” he told reporters.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell did not comment on the controversy.

Trump regularly used racially charged language during his campaign and continued in his presidency. His latest remarks came as some of his efforts to deal with immigration – a major issue for his conservative base – have faltered.

Trump promised as a candidate to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and that Mexico would pay for it. As president, very little has happened on wall construction and Mexico has resolutely refused to pay for a wall.

‘RACISM, DIVISION’

In his Sunday tweets, Trump said of the four congresswomen, “Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came … Then come back and show us how … it is done.”

Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley and Tlaib were born in the United States while Omar, a Somali refugee, arrived in 1992.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a sometime Trump golf partner and adviser, called the four congresswomen “communist” and “anti-Semitic” on Fox News on Monday, but he also called on Trump to stop making such personal attacks.

“Aim higher … Take on their policies. The bottom line here is this is a diverse country,” he said, adding that he had spoken to Trump.

If you are tired of London you are tired of Life

-Dr. Johnson

Ask Londoners or tourists to name some London icons, as the Tourist Board did a few years ago, and both groups come up with remarkably similar lists. Buckingham Palace, double-decker buses, Big Ben and the British Museum are all mentioned. If you’ve never visited London before, of course, you won’t want to miss its most famous attractions. But even if you’re a first-timer, why not see them from a new angle, one that shows this great world city in all its complexity and diversity and  that is as popular with Londoners as it with visitors?

Iconic London

Big Ben, silhouetted against the sky, is London’s most familiar sight. Technically, the name doesn’t refer to the famous Westminster clock at all but to the bronze bell inside it. To see Big Ben, along with the rest of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and most of London, from an altogether different perspective, take a ride on London’s newest icon-the London Eye. The gigantic observation wheel rises 135 meters above the Thames’ South Bank (about as high as a 40-sotry building). Controversial when first proposed for the Millennium, it’s now London’s favorite visitor attraction. From the top, Buckingham Palace stands out against a forest of royal parks. Rent binoculars in the tickets hall, and you might also make out the thousands waiting for the Changing of the Guard. Those with a bit more “nous” (rhymes with “house”- Londonese for common sense) stroll up the road to the Horse Guards Parade. There, at the Palace of Whitehall, the ceremony of the Queen’s Life Guards offers more regalia and a better view. Mounted officers in red uniforms and plumed helmets have been performing the daily ritual since 1660.

London’s best museums

If you think going to museums is a rainy-day activity, it’s a good thing London has wet weather. The gallery at the Courtauld Institute of Art (free before 2 p.m. on Mondays) is small, but crammed with familiar paintings by van Gogh, Cezanne, Manter, Seurat, Picasso and Gauguin. But familiarity is the last thing you should expect at the Tate Modern on the South Bank. The work of such “Brit Pack” conceptual artists as Tracy Emin, Damien Hirst and Rachel Whiteread may challenge your very definition of art.

The cool, echoing chamber of the British Museum are bursting with delights for history buffs-the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles that once graced the Parthenon in Athens, and more. The Victoria & Albert Museum is a vast storehouse of applied and decorative arts. A Dale Chihuly chandelier in the entrance dome-16 feet of sparking green and blue glass tendrils and balls heralds the museum’s National Glass Collection. The rest of the 6,000-piece collection, just one among hundreds of tempting exhibits, includes everything from prehistoric and medieval pieces to the latest modern art glass.

Cultural London

The commercial theaters clustered in the West End are only a small part of the arts scene. Londoners like the barbican complex for unusual ensembles and challenging world theater, and the Royal National Theatre for high-quality repertory theater. For something completely different, cross the river and join the “groundlings” at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Founded by the late American actor/director Sam Wanamaker, this faithful reconstruction, near the site of the original, has its own company to stage the Bard’s plays in the open air. Seats under the thatched canopy are booked months in advance, but the tickets to mill about in front of the stage like a regular Elizabethan are usually available. Between seasons, the theater and exhibition tour are worth a visit.

Overall, the menu of arts is remarkable. There are 13 classical orchestras and ensemble, two major opera com- panies, dozens of jazz and world music venues. The Proms- a series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring visiting artists from all over is one of the great traditions of British summertime. With the exception of the hottest tick ets in town and seats at the Royal Opera Covent Garden, tickets for most performances can be had at normal box-office prices on the day. Half-price tickets for West End productions are also available from the Society of West End Theaters’ TKTS Kiosk in Leicester Square.

Shopping in cool Britannia

Fashionistas head for Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, just down the road from that London institution, Harrods. Among the department stores Liberty remains a cherished favorite among shoppers out for originality and quality. The store’s reputation for craftsmanship dates from its founding in the late 19th century.

London’s fashion school graduates head straight to the East End to set up shop where the wildest fringes of fashion can currently be found. A changing feast of little shops, specializing in everything from handmade shoes and hats to “deconstructed” tailoring men’s suits tuned inside out and turned into women’s clothing can be sampled in the streets and lanes between the Brick Lane and Spitalfields Markets. Like the markets, most are open only on Sundays.

Among London’s many markets, the foodie paradise of Borough Market is currently the place to shop for French, Italian and English cheeses (Stinking Bishop, anyone?), artisan breads, exotic fruits and vegetables, and gourmet goodies from all over the world. Go for lunch; eat and drink your way around the stalls, then buy some handmade Indian condiments from Mrs. Bassa, or Spanish sauces from Brindisa, to take home.3

Singapore, the city state having the ever-growing economic prosperity of Asia, is also well-known as a location which promotes ease, in the setting up of a new business. The city state is also the world’s easiest place to do business. Singapore’s simple and business friendly tax system, coupled with an obey immigration policy that facilitates the relocation of foreign talent to Singapore attracts foreign investors to Singapore. Singapore, the beautiful city state in also home to one of the busiest ports in the world. Having the most extensive international port connections and sophistical port infrastructure makes it one of the best and preferred port in the world Today, Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy. The 2011 index of  Economic Freedom ranks Singapore as the second freest economy in the word, behind Hong Kong.  

MOSCOW (AP) – A Russian Proton-M rocket successfully delivered a cutting-edge space telescope into orbit Saturday after days of launch delays, Russia’s space agency said.

Roscosmos said the telescope, named Spektr-RG, was delivered into a parking orbit before a final burn Saturday that kicked the spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit and on to its final destination: the L2 Lagrange point.

Lagrange points are unique positions in the solar system where objects can maintain their position relative to the sun and the planets that orbit it. Located 1.5 million kilometers (0.93 million miles) from Earth, L2 is particularly ideal for telescopes such as Spektr-RG.

If all goes well, the telescope will arrive at its designated position in three months, becoming the first Russian spacecraft to operate beyond Earth’s orbit since the Soviet era. The telescope aims to conduct a complete x-ray survey of the sky by 2025, the first space telescope to do so.

The Russian accomplishment comes as the U.S. space agency NASA celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969.

Russian space science missions have suffered greatly since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Budget cuts have forced the Russian space program to shift toward more commercial efforts.

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In this frame grab taken from video on Saturday, July 13, 2019, and distributed by Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service, a Russian Proton-M rocket takes off from the launch pad at Russia’s space facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. A Russian Proton-M rocket successfully delivered a cutting-edge space telescope into orbit Saturday after days of launch delays, Russia’s space agency said. (Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service photo via AP)

A Russian Mars probe, called Mars 96, failed to leave Earth’s orbit in 1996. A later attempt to send a probe to Mars, called Fobos-Grunt, suffered a similar fate in 2011.

Work on Spektr-RG telescope began in the 1980s but was scrapped in the 1990s. Spektr-RG was revived in 2005 and redesigned to be smaller, simpler and cheaper.

In its modern form, the project is a close collaboration between Russian and German scientists, who both installed telescope equipment aboard the Russian spacecraft.

Fun city above the clouds

As the cable car rises past deserted highlands and mountains covered in luxuries greeneries and the height keeps on mounting every moment until everything underneath becomes just a blur, all that you can feel is sheer amazement and excitement. Even those with  the most severe acrophobia is sure to forget their fear, at least for some time, and get totally lost in the natural bounties and man-made wonders around only one feeling overrides-the thrill and eagerness of exploring the “Fun city above the clouds” the Genting Highlands.

Nestled on a mountain peak (with a height of about 1860 m at its highest point) within the Totiwangsa Mountains on the border between the states of Pahang and Selangor of Malaysia. Genting is much more than just a hill resort. It is a complete fun and entertainment package for the whole family with something to offer for every age, taste, and budget. The resort offers six hotels with 10,000 rooms, over 50 fun rides, 170 dining shopping outlets, business convention and performance venues and other entertainment options.

The main attritions of Genting where tourists spend most of their times, are perhaps its three theme parks-Genting Outdoor Theme Park. First World Indoor Theme Park and Water there. One whole day will fall short if you want to explore it all. Even if you go by their signature attractions, there are over 20 of them. However, the ones really not worth missing include the Flying Coaster, Genting Sky Venture, Haunted House, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum, Snow World, and Space Shot. Enjoying these attractions with the clouds hovering just above your head, sometimes dripping and sometimes giving way to a clear sunny sky-is a totally unique and divine experience.

For those with a taste for casino, there is an added bonus. Genting Highlands has the only legal land-based casino-Casino de Genting, in the country, where you can play your heart out. The resort also offers five performance venues where different ceremonies, concerts and other programs can be held. Popular international award ceremonies concerts reality shows, competitions, etc. are regularly held at these venues drawing thousands of visitors performers, and celebrities from all across the world. Arena of Stars is the most popular among these venues.

Usually a day long visit is enough to enjoy the main attractions of the place, and that is what many tourists opt for, but if you want to explore further and have a more elaborate experience, there are plenty of option for overnight stay at different price ranges. Resorts World Genting has five hotels- Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel, Resort Hotel, Theme Park Hotel, and First World Hotel which holds the Guinness World Record as the largest hotel in the world since 2006, with a total of 6,118 rooms. The First World Hotel also hosts the First World Plaza-a modern shopping mall offering souvenirs and many renowned brands. As for night activities, you can spend your time at one of Genting’s four bars-Safari, Cloud 9, All Sports Bar and Patio Bar & Lounge. The dining options are also varied, starting from all kinds of popular fast food outlets to posh dine outs of different cuisines- Indian, Cantonese, Thai,  Chinese, Western, and so on.

Genting is accessible by car from Kuala Lumpur in one hour. But nothing can  beat the experience of traveling by a cable car called Genting Skyway which once used to be the world’s fastest. Buses and taxis are widely available from the main city points to take you to the Skyway station. Getting around at Genting is quite easy as all the main structures are connected  with link ways, underground tunnels, and escalators,  with proper signage and direction. Given the altitude of the place, the temperature is usually much lower than in Kuala Lumpur and it is better to carry some light warm clothes, especially for the night. Prices at Genting be it food, accommodation, or something else, are usually higher than at the capital, but there are all kinds of options, starting from budget to splurge. Overall, Genting is sure to offer a nice, enjoyable experience in a budget and family friendly way.

Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu with Andrew Eagle

When seasonal floods reach her village of Betil Char in Chowhali upazila of Sirajganj, 60-year-old Joygan Begum knows what to expect. Even to find fresh food will be a challenge. But this year Joygan and many like her have reason for a little optimism. Several easy-to-implement strategies recently introduced by a non-government organisation hold the promise of making household vegetable gardens flood-proof.

“At times of flooding we most often take shelter on a bamboo platform in our house,” says Joygan, “If we have to, we move to an embankment and live on the roadside. Mostly we can only eat rice with salt. Vegetables are almost impossible to manage.”

“This year I have planted the vegetables in plastic bags and pots. We have constructed several bamboo platforms around my house,” she continues. “When the next flood comes we will hang the vegetables from the platforms to save them from destruction.”

Joygan is proud of her well-decorated bamboo cabinet where dozens of potted herbs and vegetables grow. She has more than 50 plants of around 12 varieties, all pre-prepared to shift to higher ground. Pumpkin and cucumber vines meanwhile are grown on raised trellises. “This flood season our family will eat rice with vegetables,” she beams.

These simple strategies have been introduced by non-government organisation Manob Mukti Sangstha. “Farmers have been given training on how to continue to benefit from their vegetable and herb crops in times of flood,” explains Md Obaidul Islam, manager of the organisation’s “Climate Smart Village” project. “We supply the equipment needed for them to establish their first mobile gardens.”

For larger trees which can also suffer from being submerged, there are other strategies. “I have planted the big trees at the raised floor-level of our home this year,” says another training recipient, Kadbanu Begum, also from Betil Char. “The trees are bottle-fed water to account for being planted on higher ground.”

Vegetables are also grown in movable cases on a scaffold. Many in Sirajganj are now practising these farming techniques to protect their crops from flood. Photo: Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu

“I also have over a hundred vegetables plants in bags and pots,” she adds. “Every corner of my home is now used for crop cultivation.”

The produce grown isn’t only for household use. As well as ensuring an uninterrupted vegetable supply at home, vegetables can be sold for much-needed cash. Seedlings too can be sown even while a flood is in progress, ready for replanting when water recedes.

“In flood-prone areas people don’t always get the full nutrition that they need,” notes the non-government organisation’s director, Md Rafikul Islam. “Damaged and destroyed crops represent a loss even after a flood has passed. We have been able to train around 5,000 farmers thus far, but many more are learning the same skills from them.”

– many roads inundated

— 94.2mm rail fall recorded

— 800 families evacuated from hill slopes

— 39 unions, 9 upazilas affected by flash flood

— 284 medical teams formed

People in Chattogram city are suffering as many parts of the port city is severely waterlogged due to the ongoing heavy downpour.

Chattogram Met Office recorded 94.2mm rainfall in 24 hours till 12:00noon today, our correspondent reports quoting met office source.

Read More

• Rivers swell, flood situation worsens in 6 dists
• 2 killed in Rangamati landslide

“Heavy to moderate shower may continue in the next 24 hours,” said Bishwajit Chowdhury, forcasting officer of the met office.

Low-lying areas including Chawkbazar, Bakalia, Sholakbahar, Agrabad, Halisahar, Muradpur, Bohaddarhat, Kapasgola, Parbartak Intersection, KB Aman Ali Road, DC Road, Chandgaon, Sholashahar Gate No. 2, East Nasirabad and Dewanbazar areas were inundated in nearly knee-to-waist-deep water.

Most of the commuters in the areas were seen walking through filthy water overflowing from the roadside drains, our correspondent reports from the spot.

There are a very few number of vehicles plying on the roads and three-wheeler rickshaws are demanding double to triple of the usual fare, some of the commuters told our correspondent.

Many commuters expressed their resentment over the authorities “failure” in addressing the waterlogging issue of the city.

“The city people have been suffering each year in the same way. Water entered my house and damaged the valuables. I don’t understand what the authorities are doing except giving assurances,” said Mohammad Hannan, a resident of West Bakalia.

Contacted, Shafiqul Mannan Siddique, chief conservancy officer of Chattogram City Corporation, said the city corporation workers were working relentlessly to clean the drains so that water can pass easily.

Heavy shower during high tide caused this year’s waterlogging in low-lying areas but water was draining out quickly, he said.

On the other hand, Chattogram District Administration evacuated around 800 families from risky hill slopes in the city fearing landslide, said Mahmud Ullah Maruf, revenue deputy collector, adding, they were taken to eight shelter centres.

FLOOD SITUATION DETERIORATES

Over 39 unions of nine upazilas in Chattogram are affected due to flash flood and onrush of hill water, said local sources.

In Fatikchhari upazila, 30 villages under five unions were suffering due to flash floods resulting from damage of Halda dam and torrents from the hills, said Najibul Bashar Maijvandari, lawmaker from Tariqat Federation in Fatikchhari constituency.

In Rangunia upazila, twenty villages of five unions were affected due to flash flood, said Khalilur Rahman, upazila chairman, adding that acres of agricultural land is under water.

Ali Shah, Former upzila Chairman of Rangunia urged the government to declare the upazila flood affected.

Meanwhile, three unions of Anwara, five of Patiya, four of Satkania, three of Lohagara, four of Banshkhali, three of Chandanaish and seven of Hathazari upazila were affected due to flash flood, according to local sources.

Hundreds of acres of agricultural lands in the upazilas are under water.

To combat the situation, Chattogram Civil Surgeon Office formed 284 medical teams and a control room for emergency situation in flood affected areas, said Azizur Rahman Siddique, Civil Surgeon of Chattogram.

“A total of five medical teams in each upazila and one in each union have been performing their duties round the clock,” he added.