WASHINGTON, 22 June 2022, (TON): The United States confirmed that a second American was killed fighting for Ukraine, as it warned of risks amid worries over two other US citizens captured battling Russia.

The State Department said “52-year-old Stephen Zabielski died in Ukraine and that it was providing his family with consular assistance.”

A State Department spokesperson said “we once again reiterate US citizens should not travel to Ukraine due to the active armed conflict and the singling out of US citizens in Ukraine by Russian government security officials.”

The spokesperson called on US citizens in Ukraine to depart immediately if it is safe to do so using any commercial or other privately available ground transportation options.

Zabielski is the second American known to be killed fighting for Ukraine since Russia attacked its neighbor in February.

By TON Research Desk

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) a global financial watchdog for fighting money laundering and terrorist funding on Friday declared a procedure to remove Pakistan from the “grey list” after four years of arduous monitoring of its efforts to fight terror financing, a decision that will end the danger of Islamabad being banned internationally.

At its June 2022 Session, the FATF made the primary determination that Pakistan has substantially completed its two action plans, covering 34 items,” according to a declaration issued by the FATF on Friday. An on-site review mission decision was taken by the worldwide body during its June 14-17 plenary meeting held in Berlin, Germany.

The initial determination “permits an on-site visit to confirm that the execution of Pakistan’s AML/CFT reforms has begun and is being continued and that the essential political promise remains in place to endure implementation and upgrading in the future. The FATF will continue to screen the Covid-19 condition and conduct an on-site visit at the earliest possible date, it added, without mentioning the date for the visit.

As the global body will next month send a mission to Pakistan to decide the accuracy of the government’s assertion that it has completely applied all the 34 conditions that the FATF had set in February 2018 and then in June 2021. Pakistan had been asked to implement these conditions in 15 months but it took around four years due to the intricacy of these matters.

The FATF’s conclusion will now need promises from all the Pakistani stakeholders to show to the FATF’s future mission that no grave deficiency remains in its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating Terror Financing (CFT) regimes.

The FATF also observed Islamabad’s continued political commitment to combating both terrorist financing and money laundering has led to significant progress since June 2018, when Pakistan prepared a high-level governmental pledge to work with the FATF and Asia Pacific Group to strengthen its AML/CFT regime to address its strategic counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies.

In specific, Pakistan made terror funding inquiries and trials against the senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups and there is a positive upwards trend in the number of money laundering investigations and prosecutions being pursued in Pakistan, in line with Pakistan’s risk profile.

Furthermore, Pakistan also mainly implemented its 2021 action plan before the set times, according to the FATF. The Pakistani officials said that Pakistan will present its development report in the first week of July to the FATF. The FATF team will then make on-site visits to Pakistan in the last week of July and hold meetings with related government departments.

The on-site inspection team will submit its report to the FATF and on the basis of the on-site team report, the FATF will announce the decision of keeping or removing Pakistan from the grey list in the next plenary. In February 2018, the FATF had decided to place Pakistan on the grey list with effect from June 2018 and handed it over a list of 27 conditions that it needed to implement to exit the grey list. In the last plenary meeting, the FATF also acknowledged the “significant progress” made by Pakistan in completing the required action items.

Earlier, Pakistan had completed 26 of the 27 action items in its 2018 action plan and one remaining point was about CFT-related item by demonstrating that terror financing investigations and prosecutions target senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups. The remaining action item was the most significant among all in the view of the member countries including the US and India, which have circled Pakistan through the FATF platform.

As the FATF forum demanded that Pakistan should take action against eight groups the Afghan Taliban, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Haqqani Network, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

In reply to extra shortages later identified in Pakistan’s 2019 APG Mutual Evaluation Report (MER), in June 2021, Pakistan delivered an additional high-level commitment to overcome these strategic deficits pursuant to a new action plan that chiefly concentrated on battling money laundering. The FATF had given a new six-point action plan in June last year, keeping Islamabad vulnerable to worldwide pressure maneuvers.

Previously, Pakistan was asked to endure to work to address its strategically important AML/CFT shortages by augmenting international cooperation by amending the Mutual Legal Assistance law and that it was seeking assistance from foreign countries in implementing UNSCR 1373 designations.

As the supervisors were conducting both on-site and off-site supervision equal with specific risks related with designated non-financial businesses and persons (DNFBPs), including applying suitable prohibitions where necessary.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) jointly cleared Pakistan on several of its action plan checks. This is the start of the process of Pakistan being detached from the grey list. A technical assessment team will be sent to Pakistan to finish their work before October 2022 preliminary cycle.

It is indeed a triumph for Pakistan and the hard work of the government of Pakistan must be appreciated in this regard. However, it requires more efforts to be fully cleared from the “FATF grey list” on a permanent basis.

By TON Nepal

At last, Nepal government chooses not to move forward and endorse the US government’s State Partnership Program (SPP). The incumbent administration had come under extreme stress following the controversy contiguous Nepal’s sharing in the SPP that alleged to risks the country’s independence. The government has decided not to move onward with the US government’s State Partnership Program.

On Monday, a cabinet gathering took a conclusion to this effect and has made three conclusions not to move ahead on the SPP and will make inform the US government .There is point that direct communication by the army has not done fine to the country. Therefore, all the communication would be made through the Foreign Ministry in the future.

On Thursday home Minister said that Nepal is not part of the State Partnership Program of the United States government and that it has no plan of joining it while replying to enquiries of lawmakers on behalf of Prime Minister and Defense Minister.

On Wednesday, the general secretary of Nepali Congress press the Prime Minister to explain the Parliament about the much talked about State Partnership Program of the United States, which has activated a new debate in Nepal in the political and intellectual circles. Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting of the House, the secretary general said the prime minister need to elucidate that Nepal is not going to sign the SPP.

As Nepal was never in favor of such a strategic interest of any country. So it is comprehensible that the prime minister also has the similar view. He requested him to present his clear views. What the US wants is up to it and we should let us know about it. When it comes to strategic issues, Nepal must walk carefully. When there are strategic interests, Nepal should start away from the politics of powerful countries.

Earlier on Wednesday, the main opposition CPN-UML warned the government not to push the country into any geopolitical conflict by signing the SPP. Signing the SPP will push the country into a geopolitical conflict and it is intolerable. At the same time UML leader and former foreign minister also demanded clarification from the government. The draft proposal of the SPP has raised serious concerns,” he said. “Nepal’s foreign policy will be breached if it decides to be part of any military alliance

The State Partnership Program (SPP) has become a passionately discussed topic lately, leaving the political and intellectual circles of Nepal divided. Nepal’s “participation” in the SPP has irked the political parties which became engaged in a blame-game. According to the US, Washington accepted Nepal in the SPP in 2019 after it applied twice in 2015 and 2017.

The current Prime Minister was under enormous stress from the key opposition CPN-UML as well as his own party, the Nepali Congress, to dismiss the Nepal’s partnership in the SPP. After controversy exploded over Nepal and its partnership in the SPP.

When Nepal asked to participate in the program in 2015, and again in 2017, the request involved civilian, government, and military leaders from Nepal, openly looking to take advantage of a program focused on security cooperation and exchanges, and humanitarian assistance and disaster readiness.

However, now it is clear that after the rejection of SPP by parliament has forced the Nepalese government to simply inform the United States that they no longer wish to participate in the State Partnership programme (SPP) and don’t want to become a part of competition in the Indo-Pacific ocean between US led western alliance and China. In this regard the Lawmakers of Nepal welcome government’s decision not to proceed with SPP proposed by the United States of America.

DHAKA, 22 June 2022, (TON): A total of 110 officers and members of the Bangladesh Navy ship BNS Sangram who were engaged in the UN peacekeeping mission in Beirut, Lebanon have been awarded the Peacekeeping Medal in recognition of their contribution to peacekeeping operations.

An ISPR press release said “Maritime Task Force commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Rear Admiral Andreas Mugge presented the medal to the officers and sailors at the Medal Parade of BANKON-12 Contingent of BNS Sangram in Beirut.”

Assistant Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral M Ashraful Haque, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Lebanese Navy Capt Asad Abdullah, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Lebanon Maj Gen Mohammad Jahangir Al Mustahidur Rahman, Mission Support Director Mis Melva Crouch, and senior officers were present on the occasion.

Addressing the Medal Parade, MTF Commander Rear Admiral Andreas Mugge thanked all members of the Navy deployed to the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon as well as commended all the Navy members for their tireless and dedicated contribution to the world.

DHAKA, 22 June 2022, (TON): A total of 22 people have died in recent floods of Sylhet division since June 15, said Divisional Health Director Himangshu Lal Roy.

Among them, 14 people died in Sylhet, five in Sunamganj and three in Moulvibazar.

Himangshu said “the fatalities occurred due to lightning strikes, snakebite, electrocution, landslides and drowning during the period.”

People of Sylhet division have been experiencing severe floods for the past one week and 80% areas of Sylhet and Sunamganj districts have been flooded, leaving four million people marooned.

The residents of the two districts also have been going through immense suffering due to an acute shortage of food and pure drinking water.

KYIV, 22 June 2022, (TON): Ukraine acknowledged difficulties in fighting in the east of the country as Russian forces captured territory and intensified pressure on two key cities ahead of an EU summit this week expected to welcome Kyiv's bid to join the bloc.

The governor of the Luhansk region, scene of the heaviest Russian onslaughts in recent weeks, said “the situation was extremely difficult along the entire front line as of Monday evening and the Russian army had gathered sufficient reserves to begin a large-scale offensive.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had predicted Moscow would escalate attacks ahead of the EU summit on Thursday and Friday. In his regular address to the nation, he was defiant, while also referring to "difficult" fighting in Luhansk for Sievierodonetsk and its sister city Lysychansk.

He said "we are defending Lysychansk, Sievierodonetsk, this whole area, the most difficult one. We have the most difficult fighting there.”

RIYADH, 22 June 2022, (TON): the Saudi Minister of Trade, Majid Al-Qasabi announced "Saudi Arabia and Egypt have signed 14 investment deals worth $7.7 billion.”

The two countries have also agreed three Memorandums of Understanding, Al-Qasabi revealed during a meeting of the Egyptian-Saudi Business Council.

The deals include a cooperation agreement to build Egypt Center for Petroleum and Petroleum Products Storage, between the Saudi Ajlan & Bros Holding Co. and the Egyptian Arab Supply Chain Group Co., at a value of SR12.25 billion.

Ajlan & Bros Holding will sign eigh agreements with Egyptian parties with a total value of SR18.6 billion.

TOKYO, 22 June 2022, (TON): Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio may attend the Tokyo International Conference on African Development conference in Tunisia in August to discuss the food and energy crisis caused by the Ukrainian situation.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa said “we will monitor very closely the situation with regards to the infection caused by pandemic, but if various circumstances allow, the Prime Minister Kishida will visit Tunisia to participate in TICAD 8.”

Hayashi added “in addition to pandemic, the surge of food and energy prices caused by the Ukrainian situation is causing a huge impact to the social economic situation in Africa. Therefore, now is the time when international solidarity is necessary more than ever.”

The minister said “he chaired the TICAD Ministerial Meeting earlier this year and discussed the necessity of cooperation by the international community, regarding the impact that the Ukrainian situation has caused on the African continent.”

CAIRO, 22 June 2022, (TON): Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Al-Ittihadiya Palace for an official reception.

Upon the arrival of the crown prince at the palace in Heliopolis, the two leaders stood under a canopy as members of the Egyptian Republican Guard played the national anthems of their countries.

The crown prince is visiting Cairo on the first leg of a foreign tour that will also take him to Jordan and Turkey.

A number of royals, ministers and senior members of both governments were also in attendance at Tuesday’s event.

TOKYO, 22 June 2022, (TON): Trade and Industry said “Japan and the UAE confirmed their cooperation on the energy market, the Ministry of Economy.”

METI Minister Hagiuda Koichi held a video conference with Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, to discuss working toward stability in the international crude oil market.

The ministry said “the two ministers also discussed stronger bilateral cooperation in the clean energy field, of hydrogen, fuel ammonia, and CCUS.”

During the meeting, held last week, Minister Hagiuda expressed his gratitude for the reliable supply of crude oil to Japan, despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other factors keeping crude oil prices high.