February 29, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
President Sirisena aims to bridge the wealth gap across Sri Lanka. Image credit - www.news.lk
Reading Time: 2 min read
Government aims to end wealth disparities
President Maithripala Sirisena has stated that the government is taking steps to end disparities of wealth between different parts of the island.
Speaking at an event in Polonnaruwa yesterday, he added that the government aims “to share the benefits of development with all provinces in the island” and to “thereby end the era when the people had to come to Colombo for better health services and education.”
First US-Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue takes place
An annual Partnership Dialogue between the United States and Sri Lanka was inaugurated last week in Washington DC. The Dialogue featured bilateral talks between Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera, and United States’ Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Thomas Shannon.
The Dialogue is envisaged as an annual meeting to facilitate consultation and cooperation, especially on policies of governance, security, economics and development.
UN Special Rapporteurs to visit Sri Lanka
Two Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations are scheduled to visit Sri Lanka, with the aim of strengthening the judiciary.
The Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other inhumane, cruel or degrading treatment, will be in the country between late April and early May.
Dozens killed in explosions in Baghdad
Two suicide bombings took place yesterday in the Iraqi capital, claiming seventy lives.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which took place in a market located in a predominantly Shiite area of Baghdad.
Proposal to evict foreigners rejected by Swiss voters
In a poll last weekend, 59% of Swiss voters voted against a new proposal to evict foreigners who commit low-level crimes from Switzerland.
The proposal, which was put forward by the Swiss People’s Party, sought to include expulsion in the sentencing of foreign nationals who commit the same crime twice within a decade.
New information-sharing pact finalized
In a recently concluded information-sharing pact, the United States has agreed to restrictions on how it uses data collected about European citizens.
Key features of the new Privacy Shield framework include limits on the purposes for which collected data may be used, an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, and an annual review of the framework.
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