July 12, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
North Korea declares termination of all communication with the US. Image credit - nndrnl / Depositphotos
Reading Time: 2 min read
US representatives visit Sri Lanka
The Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Tom Malinowski, and the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Nisha Biswal, will visit Sri Lanka this week.
Mr. Malinowski will focus on Sri Lanka’s progress in relation to resolution 30/1 of the UN Human Rights Council resolution. Ms. Biswal is scheduled to hold talks on economic cooperation and reconciliation.
BOI signs new agreements
The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) has ratified 46 investment projects worth an estimated total of USD 982 million.
Domestic and international corporations will be involved in projects that span various sectors, including the apparel, construction and manufacturing industries. These projects are expected to generate approximately 8,000 employment opportunities.
President Sirisena to attend Sri Lanka Economic Summit
President Maithripala Sirisena will attend and inaugurate the Sri Lanka Economic Summit as the Chief Guest. This 2-day summit will be held 2-3 August 2016.
The Finance Minister, Ravi Karunanayake, and the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, will be the keynote speakers at the summit.
David Cameron to step down on Wednesday
The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has stated that he will step down on 13 July, two months earlier than previously announced. He will be replaced by the home secretary of the UK, Theresa May, who will become the second woman to hold the post.
The decision follows the withdrawal of the other contender, Andrea Leadsom, to become UK’s the next head of government.
Egypt and Israel hold bilateral discussions
The Foreign Minister of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, has met with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem. This is the first official visit to Israel after 2007.
The Foreign Minister called for renewed peace talks between Israel and Palestine, which were last held in 2014. The Minister met Palestinian leaders on 29 June, during a visit to Ramallah in the West Bank.
North Korea terminates all communication with the US
The North Korean government has stated that it will sever the last channel of North Korea – US communication, through its diplomats based at the UN in New York.
Its announcement was triggered by the recently imposed sanctions of the US on the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. The North Korean government also stated that it will handle the cases of two American detainees under a ‘wartime law’.
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