BRUSSELS, 26 June, 2021 (TON): At least 200 billion euros in green projects will be invested by the EU, when they help the economies recover from the Covid-19 pandemic; said the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The media reported that the EU's executive chief has just concluded her first leg of a tour of the 27 member states, endorsing their plans to spend the recovery fund for greener and more digital growth.

"At least they meet it, if not a lot of them overshoot it, and that is good. So we will have an investment of at least 200 billion euros in green measures just to name a few topics," she told reporters after a summit of the EU leaders.

The EU is ready to mobilize 750 billion euros on behalf of the 27 member states for a historic recovery package, known as NextGenerationEU, and it started raising funds on the financial markets last week.

"We have raised 20 billion euros with a maturity of 10 years. And it was seven times oversubscribed, which shows the trust and the confidence of the market in NextGenerationEU and the EU," von der Leyen declared.

However, the Council's approval of the plan would allow for the disbursement of a percentage in pre-financing, with the rest disbursed according to the satisfactory fulfillment of the milestones and targets.

LIBREVILLE, 26 June, 2021 (TON): On Friday, President Ali Bongo Ondimba called for the support of MPs and senators not to let Gabon's "unity" disintegrate.

The President spoke in his first speech to parliament in five years and two years and eight months after a serious stroke.

"In a 15-minute speech, Mr. Bongo made general remarks and recalled the actions taken by his government and the laws passed over the past two years, but without any concrete announcements.

"To complete this vast movement that we have initiated, I resolutely need your support and your confidence," he said to the deputies and senators.

"I have to make difficult choices on a daily basis", he said, referring to the very strict measures taken over the past year to combat Covid-19, in particular a curfew that is now dragging on and is strongly criticized.

But "we can congratulate ourselves, Gabon is often cited as a reference on the continent for its rigorous management of the health crisis," said the head of state.

However, Ali Bongo Ondimba, was elected in 2009 after the death of his father Omar Bongo, who had ruled the small oil-rich central African country for nearly 42 years and in 2016  he was re-elected.

BEIRUT, 26 June, 2021 (TON): A proposal to finance fuel imports at a rate of 3,900 Lebanese pounds to the US dollar has been approved by Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab. 

Bassam Tlais, head of the Land Transport Union, said, “We are at the crater of the fuel volcano. What is happening is a gradual lifting of subsidies (that) will negatively affect drivers and the transport sector.”

Diab’s media office said, “We are at the gates of the summer season, which will allow an increase in the value of hard currencies that will come to Lebanon with the arrival of expatriates and tourists, with the consequent positive results.”

It is likely that the decision will increase the price of gasoline sharply, but is expected to temporarily ease the shortage crisis in the country. Moreover, the price of a gas canister is expected to jump from 44,000 pounds to more than 60,000 pounds.

CAIRO, 26 June, 2021 (TON): An initial agreement on compensation has been reached between Egypt and the owner of the Ever Given container ship that blocked the Suez Canal, said the head of the Canal Authority (SCA).

Ossama Rabie said, "We have reached an initial agreement after intense negotiations between the authorities, the ship's owners and insurers."

According to the Egyptian official, the two parties are now putting the "final touches" to the agreement, which could be signed "in the middle of next week".

With a capacity of more than 200,000 tonnes, the Ever Given ran aground on 23 March, blocking traffic on the canal, through which nearly 10% of world maritime trade passes, according to experts.

The blockage lasted six days. According to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Egypt lost between $12 million (€9.8 million) and $15 million (€12.5 million) per day of closure.

However, one of the insurers, UK Club, also announced in a statement that an agreement in "principle" had been reached between the parties.

WASHINGTON/KABUL, 26 June, 2021 (TON): Taking notice of the increased Taliban attacks in the region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Washington is assessing whether the group is serious about ending the conflict in Afghanistan.

“We are looking very carefully at the security on the ground in Afghanistan and we’re also looking very hard at whether the Taliban is, at all, serious about a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” Blinken told a joint news conference with France's foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian,

Afghan Defense Ministry on Friday said that six districts were retaken from the Taliban since Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, the Afghan peace process has stalled as the clashes between security forces and the Taliban remain at their highest level in the last two months.

However, some members of the Afghan Republic’s negotiating team are still in Doha. The two sides, the Republic and the Taliban negotiators held two meetings this month at the contact group level to discuss the possibility of future meetings between the two delegations. However, there hasn’t been tangible progress in resuming the stalled negotiations.

PARIS/ISLAMABAD, 26 June, 2021 (TON): On Friday, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) announced that Pakistan will continue to remain on the watchdog's "increased monitoring list", also known as the grey list.

The organization said the country will remain in the list till it addresses the single remaining item on the original action plan agreed to in June 2018 as well as all items on a parallel action plan handed out by the watchdog's regional partner, the Asia Pacific Group (APG) in 2019.

"Pakistan has made significant progress and it has largely addressed 26 out of 27 items on the action plan it first committed to in June 2018," FATF President Dr Marcus Pleyer said.

He added, "Back in 2019, FATF regional partner, the Asia Pacific Group (APG), identified a number of serious issues during its assessment of Pakistan’s entire anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing system. Since then Pakistan has made improvements. This includes clear efforts to raise awareness in the private sector to money laundering risks and to develop and use financial intelligence to build cases."

But, he said, Pakistan was still "failing to effectively implement the global FATF standards" across a number of areas.

"This means risks of money laundering remain high which in turn can fuel corruption and organised crime. That is why the FATF has worked with the Pakistan government to work on areas that need to be improved as part of the new action plan that largely focuses on money laundering risks. This includes increasing the number of investigations and prosecutions and making sure that law enforcement agencies cooperate internationally to trace, freeze and confiscate assets.

"This is about helping authorities stop corruption and prevent organized criminals from profiting from their crimes and undermining the financial system and legitimate economy in Pakistan," Pleyer said.

Moreover, he stated in response to a question related to the new action plan, that the plan had six action items including enhancing international cooperation and demonstrating that assistance is being sought from foreign countries in implementing UN Security Council designations.

GANDHINAGAR, 26 June, 2021 (TON): On Friday, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani virtually inaugurated the country's first Fenton wastewater treatment plant at the Vatva GIDC in Ahmedabad.

Rupani said, "The state government is committed to protecting the environment while simultaneously focusing on industrial development. At present, Gujarat has 35 common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) having a combined capacity to treat 750 million litres of industrial wastewater per day."

At a cost of Rs 70 crores, the Fenton Catalytic Reactor has been set up by the Green Environment Services Co-operative Society Limited (GESCSL) at its premises in Vatva GIDC.

However, the GESCSL is administering the CETP at Vatva, catering to the industrial effluent released from its 674 member industrial units.

MALE, 26 June, 2021 (TON): A project to establish a waste transfer station in the Greater Male' Area of Male' City and Vilimale, has been awarded to the China State Construction and Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).

While representing the government, Environment Minister Aminath Shauna signed the agreement while on behalf of the company the General Manager of the CSCEC Maldives branch Zhang Tao signed it.

Minister Shauna, during the signing ceremony, said that the establishment of the station would mean that waste could be packed inside containers before being taken to Thilafushi for disposal, reducing the risk of leakage into the ocean. 

The agreement signed with CSCEC is for USD 600,000. The project will be run under phase 1 of the Greater Male' Environment Improvement and Waste Management project conducted by the Environment Ministry with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), JFPRR, TSAF. 

However, seemingly it would provide a permanent solution regarding odors originating from waste when separated into containers whereby specific containers would be used for construction waste, resulting in better hygiene in waste disposal locations. 

COLOMBO, 26 June, 2021 (TON): On Friday, the Leader of the Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya Sajith Premadasa requested the President to resolve six key issues affecting the people seriously.

Ahead of the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s address to the nation this evening, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa stated at the Head Office of Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

He said that what the President should do immediately is to drop fuel price and withdraw his arbitrary decision of fertilizer ban.

Six key issues people are facing should be solved in the statement scheduled to be made addressing the nation, he insisted.

Moreover, the leader Premadasa also said that he expects President to provide solutions to 6 issues the general public have seriously encountered at present.

THIMPHU, 26 June, 2021 (TON): On Friday, 11 fast chargers and 10 semi-fast chargers became operational in Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, Wangduephodrang, Chukha, and Haa dzongkhags.

On Friday, a small inauguration ceremony was held for the public charging station in Thimphu.

A fast charger can fully charge a car between 30 minutes and an hour. The semi-fast charger takes between two and three hours. 

A charging station can charge two cars at a time.

The project will install 15 fast chargers and 10 semi-fast chargers in 14 locations across six dzongkhags. However, two charging stations each in Paro and Phuentsholing are incomplete.

Phub Gyeltshen said that it was equally important to install charging stations in other dzongkhags.

However, Nu 69 million for charging stations is an approved activity under the 12th Five year Plan.