MAHATHIR’S MALAYSIA
On 10 May 2018, history was made when the world’s oldest head of state – 92-year-old Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamad
FIDEL’S CUBA
Cuba is Castro… and Castro is Cuba. That’s what my generation has known of the Latin American nation and its erstwhile leader. It was always about Fidel’s Cuba
STATE CAPTURE
Globally, politicians are the worst culprits when it comes to wriggling out of consequences for wrongdoing. The former President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino
POLITICAL RISK
The recent unrest in some parts of Sri Lanka is having a devastating effect on the economy – but as the full story is still unfolding
THE PUTIN FACTOR
It was in December 1999 that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin became the leader of Russia. He was appointed acting president when his mentor President Boris
PARDON FOR PEACE
Forgiveness is such a powerful weapon, said former South African President Nelson Mandela, since it liberates the soul and removes
THE GLASS CEILING
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) conducted a customary ‘Gender Month’ as part of its annual tradition in March to
DIGITAL DIPLOMACY
Predicting the future of international relations is a challenging task best left to clairvoyants as the current political and economic context consists of
THE KOREAS
The Winter Olympics in Seoul took on an aura of glamour and hope not only for the competitors but also the world at large – possibly with the exception of the US
MALDIVIAN MALADIES
Whenever the Chinese Navy enters the Indian Ocean, it creates ripples both literally and metaphorically. In mid-February
UNEXPLAINED WEALTH
The plunder of national wealth through corruption pushes poor countries into greater poverty. This is a contemporary global reality
SMART CITIES
If Colombo is to transform into a smart city someday, the outcomes from the Digital Cities Kuwait forum held in February would be a starting point. The forum
FAKE NEWS
Fake news is as old as sin. And for long, it was a national enterprise here in Sri Lanka. Fortunately, because of private media, the
THE AFGHAN WAR
The violence is so systemic that it isn’t a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ and ‘where’ in Afghanistan these days. It’s been almost 17 years
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
It is ironic that in a world that’s increasingly becoming a global village, it is harder to find truly
GLOBALISATION UNEARTHED
The learning process is ceaseless – and lessons learnt today may need relearning
THE JERUSALEM EMBASSY
With the help of the Trump administration, Israel is shooting itself in the foot. After more than half a century of isolation in the
GLOBALISATION ON EDGE
Are there winners and losers in globalisation? Is there really such a dichotomy arising from the causes and effects of globalisation?
SOCIAL GROWTH
Fattening one’s wallet at the expense of everyone else is in vogue with much of the contemporary political and corporate leadership
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
On 29 November, a slew of messages were exchanged over social media. This is of course not unusual since Sri Lankans are avid users of social media. According
