By Dr. Dayantha Laksiri Mendis “Multilateral treaties are the bones and sinews of global politic, making it possible for states to move from talk through compromise to solemn commitment.”– Professor Thomas M. Frank BACKGROUND The UN system is the catalyst for the creation of multilateral treaties. It is the greatest achievement of the UN system […]

by Vijaya Chandrasoma War does not determine who is right. Only who is left. Bertrand Russel Saturday, October 7, 2023 was yet another Day that will live in Infamy, like December 7, 1941, when US President Roosevelt coined the phrase after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, which paved the way for America’s involvement in World […]

By Sanjeewa Jayaweera The English cricketer Moeen Ali, who incidentally is also the vice-captain of the team, posted on his Instagram page a thought-provoking quote: “If you are not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing”. The quote is attributed […]

US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday to be briefed on its plans for war against Hamas militants. The announcement that President Biden will visit Israel was made at the US embassy in Jerusalem after a marathon seven hour meeting between top US diplomat Antony Blinken and PM Netanyahu on Monday. Biden will […]

‘Speaker’s silence meant he accepted revelation the US offered him a chance to lead interim administration’ By Shamindra Ferdinando Western powers backing President Ranil Wickremesinghe would allow him to postpone both presidential and parliamentary polls, National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa has said.That would be in line with their overall strategy, the Colombo District lawmaker [̷...

Poland elects a new parliament this weekend after a bitterly fought campaign that has seen each side paint the other аs a dire, national threat. The governing, right-wing Law and Justice party, or PiS, is battling to secure a record third term in office. It says the opposition would weaken Poland with mass migration and […]

Saturday 14th October, 2023 We are said to be living in a civilised world, and much is spoken about global democracy, human rights, equality and justice, but the underlying principle of the so-called rule-based world order seems be ‘might is right’ in all but name. More than 2,000 people have reportedly been killed in Gaza, […]

The International Olympic Committee’s executive board has suspended the Russian Olympic Committee “with immediate effect until further notice”. The move comes after the ROC recognised regional organisations from four Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Russia since its full-scale invasion began in 2022. Olympic Councils from the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zap...

Oil prices have jumped on concerns that the situation in Israel and Gaza could disrupt output from the Middle East. Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed by $2.25 a barrel to $86.83, while US prices also rose. Israel and Palestinian territories are not oil producers but the Middle Eastern region accounts for almost a third […]

The US says it is moving an aircraft carrier, ships and jets to the eastern Mediterranean and will also give Israel additional equipment and ammunition. It follows the Hamas attack on southern Israel, which President Biden called an “unprecedented and appalling assault”. The US was also working to verify reports its citizens were among those […]

The United States said it was “disturbed” by a Russian envoy’s announcement that Moscow will reverse its ratification of a 1996 treaty that banned the testing of nuclear weapons. Russia’s envoy to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Mikhail Ulyanov, said on Friday that Moscow will revoke its ratification of the pact. The announcement by Ulyanov […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the 5th Forum of Ministers & Environment Authorities of the Asia Pacific at the Shangri La Hotel in Colombo today (05), delivering a passionate speech that emphasized three crucial points: the urgency of the climate crisis, Sri Lanka’s ambitious climate plans and the dire state of global biodiversity. President Wickremesinghe opened […]

A Russian missile strike on a grocery store and café in Ukraine s east killed at least 49 people on Thursday, Ukrainian officials said.

The price of oil will continue to stay elevated as demand for energy increases, says the secretary general of Opec+. Opec+ is a group of 23 oil-exporting countries which decides how much crude oil to sell on the world market. “We see demand growing about 2.4 million barrels a day,” Haitham Al Ghais told the […]

Monday 2nd October, 2023 There are no signs of an early détente between India and Canada. The two countries continue to trade allegations. Other nations are divided along the lines of strategic alliances rather than anything else. Interestingly, the US government is seen to be tilting towards Canada. What the ongoing diplomatic row of epic […]