August 15, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
Asian Development Bank grants loan for Sri Lankan waste management. Image credit - vidumg / depositphotos
Reading Time: 2 min read
ADB grants loan for water and wastewater management
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide USD 128 million for the ‘Greater Colombo Water and Wastewater Management Improvement Investment Programme’. The grant agreement was signed by the Country Director of the ADB in Sri Lanka, Sri Widowati.
This is the third and final phase of the ADB’s Multitranche Financing Facility, which funds 20% of the Programme’s total requirement of USD 1.5 billion.
Colombo International Financial City agreement signed
The Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development, the Urban Development Authority, and the China Harbour Engineering Company Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd, have signed a tripartite agreement to develop the Colombo International Financial City.
This agreement will replace the one signed by the previous government on 16 September 2014, for the construction of the Colombo Port City.
UNESCO Director-General visits Sri Lanka
Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and candidate for the post of UN Secretary-General, has arrived in Sri Lanka on an official visit from 14-17 August.
Ms. Bokova will meet with President Maithripala Sirisena and various cabinet ministers, and travel to several heritage sites in Sri Lanka. On 16 August, Ms. Bokova will deliver a lecture to an invited audience at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute.
Additional UN troops to be deployed in South Sudan
The UN Security Council has approved the deployment of 4000 additional UN troops to join the 13,000-strong UN mission in South Sudan. The US-drafted resolution was adopted with 11 votes in favor and 4 abstentions.
South Sudan initially stated that it would not cooperate with the UN resolution, but later agreed to accept the planned deployment, provided that the government could negotiate its size and mandate.
Turkey criticizes UN for comments on failed coup
The Turkish Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Tanju Bilgic, has criticized the comments made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, on Turkey’s purging of officials connected to the abortive coup of 15-16 July.
Mr. Bilgic described the statements as ‘unfortunate’, and expressed regret that Mr. Al Hussein had not instead condemned the ‘terrorists’ who had plotted the coup.
Manbij liberated from ISIS control
The Syrian Defense Forces, a US-backed alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, have taken full control of Manbij, a strategically important Syrian city.
Manbij has been under the control of ISIS since 2014, and was liberated following two months of heavy fighting and US-led airstrikes. Over 2000 civilians, who were being used as human shields, have also been freed.
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