A new vote is being held in the US House of Representatives among indications of a government shutdown beginning at midnight on Saturday. Faced with a rebellion by fellow hard-line Republicans, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is trying to secure agreement on a temporary 45-day respite. It’s not clear if the measure – stripped aid to […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday (21)  on the theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting solidarity” and its relevance to Sri Lanka’s recent challenges. He mentioned how Sri Lanka faced significant social, economic and political challenges in the past year, including threats to democratic traditions but has managed to […]

Russia could very well be questioning the legitimacy of the UN system by currently challenging the right of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to arbitrate in the conflicting accusations of genocide brought against each other by it and Ukraine. Russia has countered Ukraine’s charge

Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Iran M.M. Zuhair, PC has warned that the proposed Counter Terrorism Act could be utilised by the government to crush even farmers’ protests. The following is the text of a statement issued by the ex-Senior State Counsel and former People’s Alliance MP: The Counter Terrorism Bill, originally gazetted six years […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe participated in the ‘Ocean Nations: The 3rd Annual Indo-Pacific Islands Dialogue,’ moderated by Dan Baer, Senior Vice President for Policy Research at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and hosted by the Carnegie Endowment and Sasakawa Foundation. During this event, he highlighted the reluctance of island nations in the Indian Ocean and […]

The G20 joint declaration in Delhi is being described as a significant diplomatic win for India. The agreement of a joint statement looked almost impossible a few days ago, given how sharply divided the group was over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the end, we had a declaration

Stating that multiple challenges confront the G20 grouping, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India adopted an unconventional approach to its Presidency, making it much more connected with people. A major highlight of the second day of the Think20 (T20) Summit in Mysuru on Tuesday was a virtual address by Jaishankar, followed by a […]

As matters stand, the West could be described as having further strengthened its defenses against what has come to be seen as the proliferation of China’s global influence and power. The proof of this is the consolidation of the US’ links with its principal Asian allies: Japan and South Korea. Subsequent to meeting Japanese Prime […]

Thuesday 22nd August, 2023 No sooner had the Indian government announced its decision to impose a 40% tax on onion exports to overcome a shortfall in the domestic supply than Sri Lankan traders jacked up onion prices exponentially. They would not have reacted so swiftly to a drop in onion prices in the international market. […]

During the question-and-answer session, Dr. Dushni Weerakoon questioned the sustainability of Sri Lanka’s non-aligned foreign policy, as it weakened the country’s position in trade negotiations. The expert assertion was certainly not restricted to trade negotiations. Having signed ACSA (Access and Cross Servicing-Agreement) with the US, in August 2017, it would be ridiculous to still talk […...

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday (15) said that those who sought to dispute his claim of US involvement in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ouster should follow international media coverage of Pakistan Premier Imran’s Khan’s removal. Referring to agency reports, the former minister said there was no doubt that Premier Khan has incurred the […]

The developing Indo-Lanka relations, particularly the process since early 2022 should be examined taking into consideration the significant role played by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in New Delhi Milinda Moragoda, who received the Cabinet rank. At the time President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sent the former UNP Minister, one -time close associate of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, […]

Japan has sought Sri Lanka’s backing for its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy. Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa has taken up this issue with his Sri Lankan counterpart Ali Sabry, PC, when they met on 29th July. According to a statement issued by the Japanese Embassy, in Colombo, Minister Yoshimasa has also briefed Minister Sabry regarding […]

New York [US], July 19 (ANI): India’s permanent representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj expressed India’s deep concern about the conflict in Ukraine and urged for an immediate cessation of hostilities as well as a return to dialogue and diplomacy at United Nations General Assembly

Some diplomats in China say they are facing heightened scrutiny and interference from Chinese authorities, which is thwarting foreign officials’ efforts to re-engage with the country after three years of COVID-induced isolation. Twenty envoys from 12 Western and Asian delegations told Reuters that in recent months they had noticed larger police presences around some diplomatic […]