There is a tendency among sections of Western opinion to view a decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit North Korea after some 24 years, as mainly ‘symbolic’. That is, the visit is seen as an indication that Russia is further cementing its ties with North Korea and strengthening the ‘all-weather friend status’ the […]

By P.K.Balachandran Colombo, June 8: Western democracies see the results of the Indian parliamentary elections as a victory of democracy over authoritarianism. Canada and the US have officially conveyed to the Modi government their hope that it will respect democratic norms and human rights. In its write-up, The Economist expressed confidence that the “shock election result will […...

By Vishvanath Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga, a close associate of SLPP Founder Basil Rajapaksa,has reiterated that the government is planning to hold a snap general election before the next presidential contest. He told reporters in Colombo on Wednesday (June 05) that the parliament was very likely to be dissolved soon after the passage […]The post Rani...

by Amal JAYASINGHE (AFP) When Sri Lanka’s economy crashed in 2022, people sought work abroad wherever they could find it — including ex-soldiers who joined forces fighting in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion. Now the veterans — some of whom swapped their life savings for what they thought would be lucrative, non-combat jobs — are desperate […]

Convicted felon Trump says he prefers to be electrocuted rather than eaten by sharks by Vijaya Chandrasoma The news about the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of the Normandy beaches by allied forces on June 6, 2044 was breaking as I was finishing my column last week. I was not able […]

World leaders are gathering in Switzerland for a summit aimed at pressuring Russia to end its war in Ukraine,  but the absence of powerful allies of Moscow such as China is expected to blunt its potential impact. United States Vice President Kamala Harris and the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan are […]

The world faces threats of huge economic losses in case China attacks Taiwan. There is a high possibility of major powers drawing into the conflict, which would disrupt global trade and cost the world its 10 percent of GDP. The Taiwan Strait is crucial for global cargo transport as over 50 percent of cargo ships […]

The world economy had not recovered from the daunting impact of coronavirus, the geo-political headwinds such as Russia-Ukraine war impacted the recovery process in 2022 and before this war settled, Israel-Gaza conflict deepened the geo-politics and geo-political fragmentation. The geo-political disturbances and geo-political fragmentations caused price escalations in the international commodity p...

Just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s tour of Europe, India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar issued a cautionary message to Indian businesses. Speaking at an event in Kolkata, he highlighted the abnormal situation in Ladakh. He emphasized that the situation at the disputed border cannot be disregarded by any Indian citizen. In 2020, China’s breach […]

For the fifth time Vladimir Putin will be taking the long walk through the Grand Kremlin Palace to the St Andrew’s Throne Hall. There he will take the oath of office and be sworn in as Russia’s president for a new six-year term The route may be familiar, but much has changed since Putin’s first […]

President Xi Jinping has hailed “new vistas” in China’s relationship with France on his first trip to Europe in five years – one that feels much like a charm offensive. Mr Xi will be looking to avert the trade war that is looming with Brussels, driven by fears of cheap Chinese electric vehicles entering the […]

A partnership between an Indian and a Russian firm has secured the management rights for the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota. The airport, once infamous as the “world’s emptiest airport” due to minimal flight activity, is now under the purview of Shaurya Aeronautics (Pvt) Ltd of India and Airports of Regions Management Company of […]

It’s the day of the North-East proxy war all over again. Concrete proof that this is so comes in the form of the latest military aid package approved for Ukraine by the Biden administration running into $60 billion. So substantial is this injection of assistance that it has prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to see […]