International Affairs

The European Union (EU) and Sri Lanka held their 23rd meeting of the Joint Commission on 25 January, via video conference.

The World Health Organization director-general on Tuesday continued to press his case against what he calls "vaccine nationalism,” saying poor countries have had to “watch and wait,” while wealthy nations forge ahead with vaccination programs.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the world to come together to fight the coronavirus pandemic and warned against a “new Cold War” in a speech Monday at the World Economic Forum, held virtually this year because of the pandemic.

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called on states on Wednesday to impose “targeted sanctions” on former Sri Lankan military commanders implicated in alleged war crimes during the final years of a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009.

WASHINGTON - For the first time since his inauguration, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, expressing concerns about the arrest of dissident Alexei Navalny, Moscow’s cyber-espionage campaign and bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan, two senior Biden administration officials said.

NEW DELHI - In an unusual diplomatic initiative, India has donated millions of doses of the British-developed AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine being produced in the country to neighboring South Asian nations.

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Joe Biden signed a series of actions Wednesday to combat climate change, saying they will restore “scientific integrity and evidence-based policymaking” across the U.S. government.

The European Union (EU) yesterday called on the Sri Lankan Government to notify its import restrictions to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) stressing that open and fair trade requires a level playing field, something which has not been the case as a result of the limits in place since April 2020.

The world is on the verge of reaching 100 million COVID-19 infections, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center statistics. More than 2 million people have died from the virus.

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - In a dramatic turn of events, a man convicted and later acquitted in the 2002 killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl admitted a "minor" role in his death, upending 18 years of denials, the Pearl family lawyer said Wednesday.

UN Human Rights experts yesterday urged the Sri Lankan Government to end its policy of forced cremation of the COVID-19 deceased, saying it ran contrary to the beliefs of Muslims and other minorities in the country, and could foment existing prejudices, intolerance and violence.

The government will present its response to the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday January, 27 Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage told the Sunday Observer yesterday. The report will be published along with the response as customary ahead of the upcoming sessions of the UN Human Rights Council late February.

කොවිඩ්-19 සඳහා චීන රජයෙන් එන්නත් මාත්‍රා ලක්ෂ 3ක් පරිත්‍යාගයක් ලෙස ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට ලබාදෙන බව මෙරට චීන තානාපති කාර්යාලය පවසයි.

The Sri Lankan Government confirmed its intent on revisiting the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) with a view to making the appropriate amendments, a joint statement by the Sri Lanka-EU said.

The rescheduled Tokyo Games may have to be held behind closed doors if they are to go ahead in Japan this year, athletics chief Lord Coe has admitted.

A level playing field and working with divers’ partners could see more beneficial foreign investment come in to Sri Lanka, US Ambassador for Sri Lanka and Maldives Alaina B. Teplitz said yesterday.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Monday for massive and speedy COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in both developed and developing countries, urging rich nations to make their excess doses available to poorer ones.

A newly formed political party in India, launched by a film star, has promised salaries to housewives if voted to power. A prominent MP welcomed the idea, saying it will "monetise the services of women homemakers, enhance their power and autonomy" and create a near-universal basic income.