August 11, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
Sri Lanka to purchase new fighter aircraft. Image credit - javarman / depositphotos
Reading Time: 2 min read
Sri Lanka and Tanzania strengthen investment and business relations
Sri Lanka and Tanzania have launched ‘The Sri Lanka Tanzania Investment Chamber’ in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Chamber was established to strengthen bilateral investment and business relations.
Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs, and Lands, John Amaratunga, stated that the Chamber is a platform for businessmen in Sri Lanka and Tanzania to connect and explore investment opportunities.
Plans for a ‘financial city’ underway
The Cabinet has agreed to appoint one international and one local expert to draw up a legal and business framework for the proposed ‘financial city’ in Colombo.
The Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Media and Cabinet Spokesman, Gayantha Karunathilaka, stated that the financial city is expected to become a regional financial hub, attracting investment from South Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Sri Lanka to purchase eight fighter aircraft
The Cabinet has approved President Maithripala Sirisena’s proposal to buy eight multirole fighter aircraft for the Sri Lankan Air Force. Authorised government agents will begin negotiations with aircraft manufacturers shortly.
The Air Force currently has a fleet of Kfir, MiG-27 and F-7 BS aircraft, many of which are out of commission.
UN requests unimpeded access in Turkey and Ethiopia
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, has urged Turkey and Ethiopia to give independent observers, including UN staff, unimpeded access to conflict affected regions.
The requests followed reports on alleged human rights violations by Turkish military and security forces in south-east Turkey, and allegations that Ethiopian security personnel had used excessive force in the Oromiya and Amhara regions.
UK mends relations with Argentina over Falklands
The Prime Minister of the UK, Theresa May, has written a letter to the President of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, to discuss running more flights to the Falkland Islands, and lifting Argentine restrictions on oil exploration near the islands.
Argentina’s Foreign Minister, Susana Malcorra, stated that the Argentine legal departments were already working on the oil exploration issue.
Russia accuses Ukraine of attempted Crimea ‘incursions’
The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has alleged that Ukraine was ‘choosing terror over peace’, after Russia’s Federal Security Service revealed that it had foiled a series of Ukrainian armed raids on annexed Crimea.
President Putin also stated that holding the planned peace talks in Ukraine would be futile, due to these incidents. Ukraine has denied the allegations.
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