March 21, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
President Maithripala Sirisena opposed to foreign judges. Image credit - news.lk
Reading Time: 2 min read
*A Daily Brief will not be published on Tuesday 22nd March, due to the local public holiday.
Sri Lanka climbs up World Happiness ranking
The World Happiness Report, published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), has released its 2016 ranking.
The ranking measures happiness using criteria such as GDP per capita, life expectancy, and social welfare. Sri Lanka ranked 117th in the world in 2016, up 15 places from its 132nd position in 2015.
President opposed to foreign judges
President Maithripala Sirisena, speaking at the National Law Conference in Wadduwa, reiterated that he objects to international judges investigating allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka.
The resolution of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2014 encouraged Sri Lanka to set up an international mechanism to probe war crimes. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has expressed reservations about a purely domestic court’s capacity to deliver justice.
Sri Lanka to sign the Paris Agreement
The Cabinet has approved a proposal by President Maithripala Sirisena to sign the Paris Agreement. The proposal was made in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment.
The Paris Agreement, made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is expected to be signed this April and to come into effect in 2020.
FlyDubai plane crashes in Russia
All 62 passengers and crew have died during an attempted landing of a FlyDubai passenger jet, which was en route from Dubai to the city of Rostov-on-Don in Russia.
While news reports suggest that the weather was a significant factor, the immediate cause for the crash is yet to be confirmed.
President Barack Obama visits Cuba
President Barack Obama has become the first sitting US president to visit Cuba since the 1959 revolution. Speaking at the United States’ embassy in Havana, he referred to the visit as “historic”.
He is expected to meet the Cuban President Raul Castro, to discuss trade and political reform.
Congo to hold elections under a media blackout
Congo’s Minister of the Interior, Raymond Mboulou, has urged telecommunication companies to shut down telephone, internet and SMS services for 48 hours during the forthcoming presidential elections.
Government sources have stated the blackout is for security purposes and to stop the illegal publication of election results.
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