By Sanja de Silva Jayatilleka
The Valdai Discussion Club, established in 2004, held its 20th meeting in Sochi, Russia from October 2 to 5, seeing over 140 “leading experts” from 42 countries attending the conference despite ongoing hostilities between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin attended the conference for the plenary session on…
By Chandani Kirinde
While successive Sri Lankan governments have recognised the right of the Palestinian people to independent statehood, based on relevant United Nations resolutions, its relations with the State of Israel have been less than consistent.
Sri Lanka established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2000, but relations between the two have historically vacillated depending…
By Rathindra Kuruwita
On October 7, Hamas launched a rocket barrage of at least 3,000 missiles against Israel. This was followed by an invasion by land and on air. Militants broke through the Gaza-Israel barrier and forced their way through the Gaza border, entering and attacking Israeli communities and military installations, and killing at…
By Aavin Abeydeera
In September this year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the Canadian House of Commons. His speech included statements that went on to spark one of the most consequential diplomatic crises in the world today.
Trudeau essentially accused Indian intelligence of being behind the assassination of one Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a…
By Jagath Liyanarachchi
On September 18, 2023, the Draft Online Safety Bill was published in the Sri Lankan Government Gazette on the orders of the Minister of Justice. The following is a brief introduction to the Bill.
Objectives of the Bill
As stated in Section 3, the purpose of the Bill is
1/ To protect…
By Uditha Devapriya
The last week has been very busy for President Ranil Wickremesinghe. First he travelled to Cuba, in time for the G77 Plus China Heads of State Summit in Havana from September 15 to 16. Largely dismissed by the Western press, the Summit saw the participation of delegations from more than a…
The emergence of new economic powerhouses within Africa has been a defining recent phenomenon.
These emerging powers are playing an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the continent's economic landscape, challenging established norms, and spearheading transformative development. Emerging powers like Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia are driving this change in Africa's trajectory, along with other…
By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna (Retd)
Given recent media reports, mostly Indian, marine science research appears to have become a hot topic yet again. Whilst debates linger over this, I wish to share some of my thoughts for readers to understand these issues from a Sri Lankan point of view. I consider this important,…
By Vinod Moonesinghe
In North Korea, August 15 is Liberation Day, August 25 Songun Day, and September 9 Foundation Day.
The popular picture of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as a prison camp on the brink of collapse may be exaggerated.
As the late Pyongyang-based AP journalist Eric Talmadge reported in 2017,…
By Uditha Devapriya
Sri Lanka’s future lies in its ability to balance the three great powers in – and not of – the Indian Ocean: India, China, and the US, and in that order. Its dilemma has something to do with it being a small state, but more importantly with it being a small state…
By P. K. Balachandran
China’s aggressive posturing on the Sino-Indian border, its support to Pakistan-based anti-Indian Islamic terrorists, and its bid to encircle India in South Asia, are key factors pushing India into the waiting arms of the United States.
But India is not entirely comfortable in the American embrace. And the reason, again, is…
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Bloodshed has been averted in Russia, probably to the relief of many who didn’t want further destabilization of the international order.
Russia seemed to be on the verge of civil war by Saturday when the leader of the Russian PMC Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced that his forces had taken control of…