September 30, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting to be held in Washington D.C. Image Credit - steveheap / depositphotos
Reading Time: 2 min read
Sri Lanka to host Asia-Pacific internet conference
The Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) has held their annual internet and networking conference, APNIC 42, in Colombo. An estimated 417 local and foreign experts from the Asia-Pacific region were expected to attend the conference.
The conference will cover a variety of topics such as internet infrastructure, cyber security, and women in ICT. The Director-General of APNIC, Paul Wilson, encouraged Sri Lankan network operators and technical specialists to share their experiences with global experts at the conference.
Commonwealth Finance Ministers to meet in Washington
The annual Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting will be held on 6 October at the International Monetary Fund headquarters in Washington D.C.
Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake will attend the conference, which will focus on the issues arising from the leaked Panama Papers, and facilitating access to new financial instruments and climate finance.
Bangladeshi ships dock in Colombo
The Bangladeshi Navy Ship (BNS) ‘Somudra Avijan’ and the BNS ‘Somudra Joy’, have arrived at the Port of Colombo on 29 September for a six-day goodwill visit. The Commanding Officers, Mohammad Kamrul Hoque Chowdhury, and M. Humayun Kabir, will meet with the Commander of the Navy, Ravindra Wijegunaratne, on 30 September.
The Bangladeshi crew will participate in training regiments and programmes organised by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Hinkley nuclear power plant confirmed
Representatives from the UK, China, and France have signed off on the construction of the Hinkley nuclear power plant. The UK had previously delayed signing the agreement over concerns regarding China’s involvement and the funding capacity of the state-owned French power company, Électricité de France.
The GPB 18 billion power plant is expected to produce 7GW of electricity when operating at full capacity, and fulfill 7 % of the UK’s power needs for 60 years.
Measles eradicated in North and South America
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Americas as the first region in the world to eliminate measles completely. The announcement was made at the 55th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization/WHO, which was attended by the Health Ministers of countries from both North and South America.
Measles is the fifth vaccine-preventable disease to be eradicated from North and South America, following smallpox, poliomyelitis, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome.
Prime Minister of Nepal inaugurates SAARC Effectiveness Conference
The Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has inaugurated the SAARC Effectiveness Conference, which was attended by politicians, diplomats and journalists from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The conference took place to discuss ways to improve the effectiveness of the SAARC.
The Nepalese government has urged member states to cooperate and create an environment conducive to the scheduled SAARC summit.
Tags: Sri Lanka, China, UK, Bangladesh, France, Commonwealth, SAARC, WHO, Nepal
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