May 10, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
The US eases military trade restriction on Sri Lanka. Image credit - drakodav /depositphotos
Reading Time: 2 min read
US eases military trade restrictions on Sri Lanka
The US Department of State’s Directorate of Defence Trade Controls (DDTC) has announced the easing of military trade restrictions that were imposed on Sri Lanka in 2008.
The restrictions included the denial of licenses in the export or transfer of defence articles and services to Sri Lanka, under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
Canada to strengthen economic development in northern Sri Lanka
The Canadian Government has partnered with both the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), to strengthen agro-economic developments in the Northern Province.
The Canadian High Commissioner, Shelley Whiting, and the UNDP Sri Lanka Resident Representative, Peter Batchelor, will visit Canadian-funded projects in the north in order to open dairy and agriculture-based cooperatives.
Sri Lankan asylum seekers deported from Cocos Islands
12 Sri Lankan asylum seekers deported from Australia’s Cocos Islands have been arrested and taken into the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sri Lanka police.
The asylum seekers reportedly had their refugee claims assessed under the ‘enhanced screening’ process, introduced by the Australian Labour Government in 2012. The process has attracted international concern over its perceived non-compliance with international law.
Rodrigo Duterte wins Philippines presidential election
Rodrigo Duterte has been declared the winner in the Philippines presidential elections, after gaining over 39% of the votes.
Manuel Roxas, who was in second place, admitted defeat after polls resulted in Mr Duterte gaining an unassailable lead.
Austrian Chancellor resigns
The Austrian Chancellor and Head of the Social Democratic Party, Werner Faymann, has resigned citing insufficient support to deal with challenges facing the country, including the ongoing migrant crisis.
The decision came after the Social Democratic Party’s candidate came second-to-last in the first round of the presidential elections. Mr. Faymann became Chancellor in 2008 and was the EU’s second-longest-serving national leader, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Panama Papers published online
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has published the full dossier of the Panama Papers online.
The searchable database has information on over 200,000 offshore entities in 21 jurisdictions. The data was originally obtained in April 2016 from an anonymous source, by the German newspaper Süeddeustche Zeitung.
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