June 23, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, welcomes Sudanese ceasefire. Image credit - 360bb / depositphotos
Reading Time: 2 min read
Indonesia to aid in resettlement of asylum seekers
The Indonesian government has stated that it will permit Sri Lankans with ‘genuine asylum claims’ to remain in Indonesia and await permanent resettlement in a third-country. Those who fail to prove their claims as genuine will be required to return to Sri Lanka.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Harsha de Silva, stated that if the asylum seekers wish to voluntarily return to Sri Lanka, the government will facilitate the process, with the assistance of the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency.
EU steps up assistance for victims of tropical storm Roanu
The European Commission has increased their allocation of humanitarian funding to Sri Lankans affected by tropical storm, Roanu.
According to a statement made by Paul Godfrey, the EU Chargé d’Affaires for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the EUR 500,000 aid contribution will provide relief for those most affected by the disaster.
Bilateral talks between Yunnan and Sri Lanka
Bilateral talks have been held between leaders of the People’s Government of Yunnan province, China, and a Sri Lankan delegation led by the State Minister of International Trade, Arjuna Sujeewa Senasinghe.
Mr. Senasinghe invited entrepreneurs from Yunnan to venture into Sri Lanka and benefit from a positive investment environment.
UN Secretary General welcomes Sudanese ceasefire
The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has welcomed the Sudanese government’s unilateral four-month ceasefire, which came into effect on 18 June 2016.
The Sudanese government has been fighting rebels from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North in the southern states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan since 2011.
Britain votes on EU referendum
Britain will begin voting on the Brexit referendum today. Opinion polls have shown that ‘Brexit’ and ‘Bremain’ camps remain neck-and-neck.
Results of the vote are expected on 24 June. If the majority of British citizens vote to leave the EU, a transition process of at least two years will be initiated. During this time, the UK will negotiate a withdrawal agreement with the EU, while continuing to abide by the Union’s rules.
Ceasefire on Colombian conflict to be signed
The Colombian government and the FARC rebels have agreed on a bilateral ceasefire. The agreement will be signed on Thursday 23 June in Havana, by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC rebel leader Rodrigo Londono.
The conflict between the two parties began in 1964, and has killed over 220,000 people.
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