The announcement that India will overtake Japan in nominal gross domestic product in dollar terms in 2025 has shocked Tokyo. Until 2010, Japan had been home to the world’s undisputed second-largest economy, but it’s now on the brink of slipping to fifth place. In estimates released in late April, the International Monetary Fund indicated that […]

By Norman Palihawadane The number of persons arrested and detained for involvement in human smuggling facilitating recruitment of former military personnel to serve on the Russia-Ukraine front increased to nine with the police taking into custody a retired Army Major General and his wife, police said on Friday. Police said that hundreds of ex-servicemen had […]

Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador in Iran M. M. Zuhair has questioned the government’s stand on sending workers to Israel amidst growing international condemnation and isolation of the Jewish State over the Gaza genocide. Apropos ‘Labour Minister: Govt. won’t heed demand for severing diplomatic ties with Israel, halt sending workers,’ carried in the May 16 edition […]

by Rajan Philips The attempted assassination of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has sent shivers down western spines. In a rare moment of unity, both Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin condemned the shooting. The identity of the arrested shooter has not been made public, but he is believed to be a 71 year old poet […]

State Foreign Affairs Minister Tharaka Balasuriya yesterday (16) disclosed that a high level delegation would be soon leaving for Moscow to inquire into ex-military personnel serving with Russian Army on Russia-Ukraine front lines. The delegation would be led by Defence Secretary General (retd.) Kamal Gunaratne. Balasuriya said that they had received instructions in this regard […]

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said  that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued directives to send a specialized delegation to Russia to investigate the welfare of Sri Lankans embroiled in the on-going Russia-Ukraine war. According to the state minister, this delegation will include the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, a former Ambassador to […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed to send a team comprising the Defence Secretary, a Foreign Ministry official and a former Sri Lankan diplomat to Russia to look into the Sri Lankans who have joined the Russian military in the Ukrainian warfront, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to replace his long-standing ally Sergei Shoigu as defence minister, the Kremlin has announced. The 68-year-old has been in the role since 2012 and is to be appointed the head of Russia’s Security Council. Papers published by the upper chamber of the Russian parliament said  Shoigu will be replaced […]

MP Dayasiri Jayasekera informs House: By Saman Indrajith Parliament was yesterday informed that two Indians were recruiting ex-Sri Lankan servicemen to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war. SLFP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said the leading operator had identified himself as a lawyer while his brother called himself a doctor. They were in touch with ex-servicemen of Sri […]

Colombo has demonstrated its own brand of strategic autonomy on issues from Russia’s war in Ukraine to China’s global footprint By Michael Kugelman Most South Asian governments tend to have nonaligned foreign policies, balancing their relations with major powers. This maximizes their diplomatic flexibility and ability to operate independently on the world stage, also known as […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando Against the backdrop of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s quite belated (but better late than never) public confirmation of external interventions in Aragalaya, that led to the overthrow of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government in mid-July 2022, former cashiered Flying Officer Keerthi Ratnayake, with a never-say-die attitude even when odds are overwhelmingly stacked ag...

The Defence Ministry has urged all members of Lankan tri-forces not to join Russian or Ukraine military forces through illegal means. In response to foreign media reports regarding the Sri Lankan soldiers killed in the Russia– Ukraine war, the Defence Ministry has said that although information has that members of Sri Lankan security forces have joined those […]

By Norman Palihawadane The CID is investigating a human trafficking network enabling Lankan ex servicemen to fight as mercenaries in both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war, Police headquarters sources said on Friday. According to information confirmed by the investigators, at least five such mercenaries have been killed in the fighting. There were two confirmed deaths […]