Archive
International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.
WASHINGTON SHOULD WORK WITH ARAB STATES TO SECURE PEACE WITH IRAN - KEEPING CHINA AND RUSSIA AT BAY
President Joe Biden may think he has three main foreign policy priorities this year – China, Russia and Iran – but the truth is, as far as the Middle East is concerned, all these challenges roll into one.
That is because both China and Russia are seeking increased influence in the Middle East, and hoping for potential missteps from the USA over the Iran file to leverage their diplomatic positions.…
EU MEMBER STATE MALTA PLACED UNDER FATF MONITORING AS CONCERN GROWS OVER ITS AML WEAKNESSES
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) member state of Malta – along with Haiti, the Philippines, and South Sudan – have been added to FATF’s increased monitoring watch list, with all four countries promising to work with the global AML body to improve their dirty money controls.…
FATF SAYS GOVERNMENTS SHOULD ADDRESS WEAK AML RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME, RIGHT-WING TERROR AND WEAPONS PROLIFERATION
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has released three detailed reports targeting sometimes weak performances of AML bodies in fighting illicit money flows linked to environmental crime; the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and extreme right-wing (often ethnically-based) terrorism.
FATF was particularly critical of actions combating the laundering of environmental crime proceeds, noting that these amounted to USD110 billion to USD281 billion annually, from illegal extraction and trade of forestry and minerals to illegal land clearance and waste trafficking: “Government actions to detect and disrupt these financial flows have not been proportionate to the scale of this issue,” concluded a new FATF report.…
GOLDEN PASSPORTS RAISE INCREASING CONCERN OVER MONEY LAUNDERING VULNERABILITIES
THE EUROPEAN Commission in June (2021) signalled it was running out of patience with Malta and Cyprus over their ‘golden passport’ schemes which allow people investing in these small island nations to effectively buy citizenship. The European Union (EU) executive has long warned that such policies contain significant ML risks, releasing a detailed report in 2019 that highlighted concerns that governments failed to properly screen the source of funds used to gain golden passports.…
EU ROUND UP – PAINT AND COATINGS COMPANIES TO TAP MAJOR NEW EU RESEARCH PROGRAMME
INNOVATIVE paints and coatings companies, and their suppliers, can from this month (July) explore applying for research funding from the European Union’s (EU) Horizon Europe programme, which has a budget of around EUR95.5 billion. This spending will last until 2027, with companies needing to form international consortia developing research on paints, coatings and chemical ingredients to have the best chance of securing funding.…
HOW DID THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY FARE DURING THE PANDEMIC IN BANGLADESH?
COVID-19 has been a challenge for many industries and the tobacco sector has been no exception, with the disease disrupting consumption and purchasing patterns that underpin profitability and turnover.
Countries where smoking is associated with socialising have been particularly vulnerable and a good example is Bangladesh, where the disease has depressed consumption, temporarily.…
TIME FOR CHANGE AT THE TOP OF THE UN – GUTERRES MUST GO
With the United Nations security council backing the reappointment of António Guterres as UN secretary general for another five years, it is time to ask whether the global body’s political leadership needs a major overhaul.
The answer surely has to be ‘yes’.…
MONEYVAL MEMBER STATES AML/CFT CONTROLS STILL TOO WEAK, SAYS BODY’S ANNUAL REPORT
EUROPE’S FATF-style body Moneyval has raised serious concerns about AML/CFT standards among 19 of its members, with its 2020 annual report concluding their average compliance is “below satisfactory”. The jurisdictions assessed were Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Gibraltar, Hungary, Israel, the Isle of Man, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.…
ISRAEL’S NEW DIVERSE COALITION MAY SHOW BREAD-AND-BUTTER POLITICS PATH TO PEACE
The striking of a coalition agreement in Israel that not only unites right- and left-wing parties, but for the first time in the country’s history includes an Arab party – the United Arab List – signals that real change is possible for Israelis and Palestinians.…
INTERNATIONAL BRANDS START ORDERING IN MYANMAR – BUT UNIONS SAY MILITARY-BACKED MANUFACTURERS WILL BENEFIT
Amid a backdrop of violence and instability, international fashion chains plan to begin placing orders from Myanmar factories in the hopes of bringing back employment and stability to a devastated industry. However, while this may seem like a ray of light in a dark time, many garment workers are not celebrating the news and fear what it might bring.…