January 22, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
India’s largest naval ship, 'Vikramaditya,' makes its maiden port of call in Sri Lanka. Image Credit - www.navy.lk
Reading Time: 2 min read
Officials welcome Indian naval ship’s maiden port of call in Colombo
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera, and State Minister of Defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, among others, visited India’s aircraft carrier and largest naval ship, ‘Vikramaditya.’
The occasion depicted a goodwill mission to mark the long standing friendship and close defense cooperation between the two countries.
Sri Lanka approves Japanese bank’s entry into local financial sector
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd, Japan’s largest bank, announced that it would commence activity at its representative branch in Colombo.
The bank’s Asia and Oceania CEO, Go Watanabe, noted that Sri Lanka is a country where Japanese direct investments have been growing.
Importer dollar demand causes Sri Lankan rupee to depreciate
The rupee appeared slightly weaker yesterday, due to importer dollar demand. Dealers stated that it avoided a sharp fall due to the activities of a private bank.
Records indicated an increase in the Central Bank’s net holding of government securities by Rs. 25.535 billion, on the same day.
Vietnam set to begin process of selecting new leaders
Vietnam’s congress, consisting of 1,510 members, will begin the process of nominating the country’s President, Prime Minister, and General Secretary of the Communist Party.
The congress of the one-party state is held once every five years.
Canada makes plans to airlift Syrian refugees
Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, John McCallum, stated that Canada is on course to airlift 13,000 Syrian refugees.
The undertaking is expected to cost 680 million Canadian dollars – making it a signal project of the country’s new government.
World’s oceans may have more plastic than fish by 2050
The World Economic Forum published a report, stating that the world’s oceans may have more plastic debris than fish by the end of 2050.
The study revealed that 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean on an annual basis, while 32 percent of all plastic packaging escape into natural ecosystems.
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