SEOUL, 03 September 2022, (TON): Pyongyang on Friday accused the newly appointed UN special rapporteur on North Korean human rights of being a puppet of the US and making unpardonable reckless remarks against the regime.

The accusations came as the new rapporteur, Elizabeth Salmon, visited Seoul on her first trip since being appointed to the role last month.

Salmon, a Peruvian professor of international law, has had a series of meetings with South Korean officials and civic group members to discuss the situation in the North since arriving earlier this week.

An unnamed spokesman for North Korea’s foreign ministry said “we had already made clear our principled stand that we neither recognize nor deal with any ‘special rapporteur’ who is merely a puppet of the US.”

BERLIN, 03 September 2022, (TON): G7 industrialized powers vowed Friday to urgently move toward implementing a price cap on Russian oil imports in a bid to cut a major source of funding for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The G7 said “it was working toward a broad coalition of support for the measure but officials in France urged caution, saying a final decision could only be taken once all 27 members of the European Union had given their assent.”

Households on the continent have borne the brunt of rising energy prices, with governments under pressure to alleviate the pain of the resulting high inflation.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said “Russia is benefitting economically from the uncertainty on energy markets caused by the war and is making big profits from the export of oil and we want to counter that decisively.”

MANILA, 03 September 2022, (TON): Officials said “Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will travel to Indonesia and Singapore on his first overseas trip since taking office in June to strengthen security ties and discuss problems confronting the region, including strife in Myanmar.”

Marcos Jr. will also fly to the US to speak at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 20, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza said in an online news conference.

Marcos Jr. will meet his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, during a three-day state visit starting Sunday.

Daza said “the two leaders will witness the signing of a number of agreements, including the renewal of an expired 1997 pact governing defense activities from joint training to cooperation on border security.”

WASHINGTON, 03 September 2022, (TON): The Pentagon said “the US State Department has approved a potential $1.1 billion sale of military equipment to Taiwan, including 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles.”

The package was announced in the wake of China’s aggressive military drills around Taiwan following a visit to the island last month by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking US official to travel to Taipei in years.

Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said “the sale includes Sidewinder missiles, which can be used for air-to-air and surface-attack missions, at a cost of some $85.6 million, Harpoon anti-ship missiles at an estimated $355 million cost and support for Taiwan’s surveillance radar program for an estimated $665.4 million.”

The principal contractor for the Harpoon missiles is Boeing Co. Raytheon is the principal contractor for both the Sidewinders and the radar program.

CHICAGO, 03 September 2022, (TON): The World Health Organization is monitoring a cluster of 10 cases of pneumonia from an unknown cause in Argentina in an outbreak that so far has included three deaths.

The cases are linked to a single private clinic in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán, located in the northwest part of the country, according to the Pan American Health Organization, the regional office of the WHO.

An initial report included five healthcare workers and a patient who was treated in the intensive care ward of the clinic, with symptoms emerging between Aug. 18-22.

On Thursday, local health officials reported another three cases, bringing the total to 9, including three deaths.

All three people who died had other health conditions.

By TON Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached an initial agreement on an emergency relief loan to the financial disaster-hit country and a formal announcement has been made on Thursday in this regard. The island nation is struggling desperately with its worst economic crisis which is severe and grave in its nature in more than seven decades, had sought up help to $3 billion from the IMF.

The IMF and the Sri Lankan government did not instantaneously showed the details of the agreement. Staff-level agreements are classically subject to the consent of the IMF management and its executive board, after which the recipient nations get access to funds.

A visiting IMF team held meetings with Sri Lankan government officials, including the treasury secretary, late into the night on Tuesday to remove the concerns on the political front. Most of the technical details had been agreed to earlier.

The country of 22 million was plunged into political crisis last month when then president fled after a popular rebellion against an acute shortage of basic goods and souring prices. As the former president was replaced by six-time prime minister who is also now the of head finance department and held several rounds of discussions with the IMF team.

It is a great news and a big relief for Lanka. Through this way Sri Lanka can gradually increase the exports and put some limits on needless imports for the time being. IMF and EU would have taken into thought that for this disaster-hit country. The current president is also trying to bring about a religious harmony in different segments and races of the Sri Lankan society in a bid to steer the country out of the current crisis.

The IMF disbursements for future is possible only once the IMF agree upon restructuring of the Sri Lankan debts with creditors. It is everybody’s guessing what are social and economic cost are going to be. There is hardly any time and space for us now as we are at very bad wicket with creditors.

If parameters extend beyond critically needed reforms in the negotiations with creditors economic and social cost is enormous or may be unthinkable for Sri Lanka society. The government should stop the euphoria and prepare masses for difficult time that is ahead of them. Nobody give money free, Sri Lankans need patience and work hard to help finishing this economic crisis.

IMF puts conditions it is for a valid reason in face of misuse of loan money in Sri Lanka. A good and committed government is the need of hour for monetary control, religious harmony human rights, etc.

IMF must have done some kind of staff level process improvement by the government to help Sri Lanka to get out of the economic disaster and to increase the financial benefits reaching anyone to make their pockets filled. Strict measures and management accountability must be a priority for getting a national goal.

Today, Sri Lanka needs honest educated political and economic team decent team to work consistently for prosperity and well-being of the nation. It is just the start of a long and hard journey. If the Sri Lanka follow the roadmap than hopefully future generations will benefit out of it.

It is also anticipated that IMF will supervise and audit every cent of the loan. As the corrupt norms and malpractices are routine matters in Sri Lanka. However, the present president is being blamed for protecting and maintaining the bunch of thieves, who caused this miserable situation. A permanent political harmony is mandatory for the future of the country and its younger generation.

DHAKA, 03 September 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit will open new windows of cooperation between the countries, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The visit is significant for both Bangladesh and India, said the government of Bangladesh.

At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina will pay a visit to New Delhi from September 5 to 8.

Hasina will visit India after three years since she last visited in 2019 before the pandemic broke out.

The forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries based on strong historical and cultural ties and mutual trust and understanding, said the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

KABUL, 03 September 2022, (TON): The former US special envoy for Afghanistan’s reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, urged Washington and the Islamic Emirate to pursue the agreement which they reached on February 29, 2019.

In an interview the US former envoy for Afghan peace called on the Taliban to mull over their policies regarding several issues including the closure of girls’ schools beyond grade six in order to engage with the international community.

He said “the Taliban want to have a legal government and be part of the international community and make a strong Afghanistan, they should revise their views.”

Khalilzad suggested the US and Taliban sit for talks and discuss the points of the agreements which have not been implemented.

DHAKA, 03 September 2022, (TON): Bangladesh has urged the United Nations to address the root causes and drivers of fragility in the conflict-affected countries and extend support to the national actors in developing their capacities to deliver basic services, create economic opportunities and implement necessary governance reforms.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said “a coherent and coordinated approach is needed between all actors including United Nations Police, United Nations Country team and agencies and relevant national authorities.”

The minister was speaking at the high-level meeting on “fostering sustainable peace and development through United Nations policing” held during the third United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

He said "as a proud member of the United Nations Police since 1989, we reiterate our commitment to contribute to any UNPOL initiative for the promotion of sustainable peace and development.”

DHAKA, 03 September 2022, (TON): Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan has reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to contribute in any initiative for sustainable peace and development as a member of the United Nations Police.

He said, addressing a high-level meeting “the UN peacekeeping operations must be advanced through a balanced and integrated approach with maintaining peace and security to facilitate development activities.”

The home minister said that security and development were interdependent and mutually strong.

Members of Bangladesh delegation led by home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and inspector general of Police Benazir Ahmed joined the third United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit.