International Affairs

COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH - At least five people were killed and dozens injured Saturday by police gunfire in eastern Bangladesh, a hospital doctor said, as security forces tried to quell protests against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As cases of the coronavirus continue to rise in the United States, officials are racing to open up vaccine eligibility in the hope of staving off another wave of the pandemic.

UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet has expressed hope that Sri Lanka would “change course” from current policies as she welcomed the decision of the Human Rights Council to ramp up monitoring of human rights and war-time abuses in the island.

CAIRO - Egypt's Suez Canal Authority continued Saturday to try to refloat a gigantic container ship that was blocking one of the canal's main arteries, causing a massive traffic backup and seriously affecting international trade that uses the waterway.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is to consider at its next meeting the Sri Lanka government’s request to construct a reservoir covering a landmass of five hectares within the Sinharaja forest to be used as a source for a drinking water project to be implemented for the benefit of people living in the south -eastern part of the country, an official said.

Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena will make a special statement to Parliament today, giving the Government’s reaction to the resolution on Sri Lanka, which was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka says talks to purchase coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech have been successful and a final agreement is expected to be reached soon.

The Foreign Ministry is currently in the process of studying what it should do at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly regarding the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) seeking an additional programme budget of US $ 2.8 billion to implement the resolution on Sri Lanka, an official said yesterday.

LONDON - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the United States' commitment to NATO as he sought to strengthen the transatlantic relationship in a two-day summit this week in Brussels, which wrapped up Wednesday.

The Government of Japan provided a grant of $ 36,759 (approx. Rs. 7.2 million) through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) for the provision of “Reconditioned Ambulances for the Moolai Co-operative Hospital”.

US President Joe Biden was pressed on how he would address the surge in migrants at the southern border at his first official press conference.

WHITE HOUSE - President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden highlighted the gap in pay between American men and women in an event marking Equal Pay Day on Wednesday with members of the U.S. national women's soccer team.

Reuters: The rollout of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, the shot much of the world is relying on to beat the pandemic, faced further complications on Thursday as India halted exports of the vaccine and Europe discussed its own export controls.

The vaccine producer AstraZeneca must "catch up" on its promised deliveries to the EU before exporting doses elsewhere, the bloc's chief has said.

OHCHR to appoint investigators, legal advisors
Funds awaited for more staff and related work
UN seeks over $2,856 million
Sri Lanka may face long term repercussions
Future dealings with over 40 cosponsors at risk

BEIJING - Chinese officials briefed diplomats Friday on the ongoing research into the origin of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, ahead of the expected release of a long-awaited report from the World Health Organization.

The long-term security and prosperity of Sri Lanka depends on respecting human rights today, the US Government said, as it announced its co-sponsorship of the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka which was adopted on Tuesday.

The High Commission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Pakistani community based in Sri Lanka celebrated the 81st National Day of Pakistan with traditional fervour and resolve to make Pakistan a strong, vibrant, progressive, democratic and welfare state.