DAILY BRIEF: TUESDAY, 5TH JULY 2016

July 5, 2016    Reading Time: 2 minutes

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Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan strengthen relations. Image credit - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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*A Daily Brief will not be published on Wednesday 5th of June, due to the local public holiday.

LOCAL NEWS

 
Colombo hosts 6th Interpol Counter Nuclear Smuggling Workshop

The 6th Interpol Counter Nuclear Smuggling Workshop was held in Colombo on 4 July. The workshop was co-organized by the Sri Lanka Police and the Interpol General Secretariat.

The event was attended by delegates from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Nepal.

Agreement signed between Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan

The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Bulat Sarsenbayev, has met with the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chitranganee Wagiswara, to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations.

The ambassador signed an ‘Agreement on Exemption of Visas for holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports’.

Limited licensing of Tamil Nadu trawlers

The Secretary of Defence, Karunasena Hettiarachchi, has stated that all options are being considered to find a viable solution to the problem of illegal Indian fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

The licensing of a limited number of Tamil Nadu trawlers has been considered as an option in this regard.
 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

 
Israeli PM begins Africa tour

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has arrived in Uganda as part of a four-country East Africa tour. He is the first Israeli Prime Minister to visit sub-Saharan Africa in almost 30 years.

The Prime Minister attended a summit of regional leaders from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia, which focused on security and the fight against extremism. Following his visit to Uganda, the Prime Minister will travel to Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

Australian election results in cliffhanger

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been urged to resign, after a cliff-hanger election failed to deliver a clear winner. The Prime Minister’s Coalition government received 67 of 150 seats, and the opposing Labour Party received 71 seats.

The final results for ten seats are yet to be declared. Electoral officials have begun counting 1.5 million postal and absentee votes, a process that could carry on for days. A party would need 76 seats to form a majority in the House of Representatives.

Leader of UK Independence party resigns

The leader of the pro-Brexit UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, has stepped down as the party’s leader following the success of his campaign for the UK to leave the EU.

His departure comes amidst uncertainty following the Brexit referendum, which also resulted in the resignation announcement of Prime Minister David Cameron.