September 7, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
Belarus calls for increased relations with Sri Lanka. Image credit - DmitryRukhlenko / depositphotos
Reading Time: 2 min read
Minimum wage of migrant workers to increase
The Minister of Foreign Employment, Thalatha Athukorala, has stated that the minimum wage of migrant workers will be increased to USD 300 per month. This minimum wage will be enforced from January 2017.
Minister Athukorala also stated that Sri Lanka has already signed memorandums of understanding with other countries to increase the minimum wage of workers.
Malaysia investigates attack on Sri Lankan High Commissioner
The Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anifah Aman, has released a statement expressing regret over the attack on Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ibrahim Ansar, and confirmed that Malaysia’s authorities are investigating the assault.
The Chief of Police for the Malaysian state of Selangor, Datuk Abdul Samah Mat, stated that ‘following the incident, police have set up a special investigation team and have managed to trace and arrest five suspects’.
Belarus encourages stronger relations with Sri Lanka
The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has expressed hopes for increased cooperation with Sri Lanka, in a letter written to President Sirisena on 3 September.
President Lukashenko wrote of his confidence in President Sirisena’s leadership, and mentioned that Belarus and Sri Lanka should strengthen ties based on ‘principles of mutual respect and partnership’.
UN Security Council condemns North Korean missile launches
The United Nations Security Council has condemned the ballistic missile launches conducted by North Korea on 5 September. The Council stated that the launches indicate the development of nuclear weapons delivery systems in North Korea, and violate the country’s international obligations.
The Council reiterated that North Korea should refrain from further actions in violation of the Security Council’s resolutions and comply with its obligations under these resolutions.
G20 members commit to early ratification of the Paris Agreement
The G20 member countries have committed to ratifying the Paris Agreement as soon as ‘national procedures allow’. The joint communiqué issued at the end of the G20 summit reiterated the members’ commitment to ‘sustainable development, and strong and effective support and actions to address climate change’.
The joint communiqué followed the ratification of the Paris Agreement by China and the US, which took place ahead of the G20 Summit.
African Union to send delegation to mediate in Gabon
The African Union is expected to send a delegation led by the President of Chad and current Chair of the African Union, Idriss Déby, to mediate the dispute between the recently re-elected President of Gabon, Ali Bongo, and his chief rival, Jean Ping.
A European Union mission observing the elections in Gabon has claimed that there was an anomaly in the results of the province of Haut-Ogooué. Gabon’s election commission has stated that Haut-Ogooué had a 99.9% voter turnout, of which 95.46% of the votes were won by President Bongo.
Tags: Sri Lanka, North Korea, Security Council, Malaysia, Belarus, G20, African Union
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