There are moments in the long march of international affairs when a summit, otherwise destined for the archives of routine diplomacy, acquires the resonance of a turning point. The BRICS Summit convened
It would be a big surprise if Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) from the National People’s Power (NPP) fails to win the presidential elections due to be held on 21 September. This is
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The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me
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During her nearly 40-minute-long speech on the final day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Vice President Kamala Harris laid out her economic plan for the nation as “an opportunity economy where
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In recent months, international attention has returned to Afghanistan, a nation once again under the rule of the Taliban. The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly rejected claims made by Pakistan’s
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There is a Zen proverb — ‘If you want to climb a mountain, begin at the top.’ All the show of contrived enthusiasm by the US President Joe Biden and CIA Director
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Two mighty ships sailed into our waters recently, the USS O’Kane and the USS Spruance, and I must admit, Colombo’s waters have never been so well-tended. Not a ripple of protest. Not
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned in his Independence Day speech that India is worried about developments in Bangladesh, especially about the safety of Hindus and other minorities there. Promptly Professor Yunus head
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“O ye who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest ye harm people unwittingly and afterward become full of repentance for what ye have
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Introduction Universal suffrage is crucial in shaping a nation’s political landscape. Decisions made at the ballot box lie at the core of democratic societies, guiding the policies that shape our lives and
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Spanish officials reassuringly heralded a “new era” for the country after May 2024 elections. Catalonian pro-independence parties had lost the parliamentary majority that had enabled them to govern their region since 2015, and for
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The infamous question of Sajith Premadasa that he asked of a small group of Tamil people on a recent visit to the North can now be considered archaic, hackneyed and irrelevant news.
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Cynics may well view President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s choice of a gas cylinder as his election symbol as the most titillating bit of news to emerge on Nomination Day last Thursday. With no
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“…who’s the fairest of them all?” ~ Grimm Brothers (Snow White) The most iconic moment at Nelson Mandela’s star-studded memorial service was a handshake. As US President Barack Obama ran up to
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India’s Prime Minister Modi delivered an inspiring 98-minute speech, showcasing his characteristic eloquence, to the nation on its 78th Independence Day. Among the various pertinent observations made by Mr. Modi, his determination
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As the Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region rolls on, war conditions have appeared in Russia for the first time since the Second World War. It is a stunning experience that an
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