A power behind the throne, be it Sajith or Gota?
Whether Sajith Premadasa or Gotabaya Rajapaksa emerges triumphant, the question of who will be in real command — Numero Uno — after the election remains rather vague. Pohottuwa supporters keep stalking Sajith with the question about his choice of a prime minister in the event of his victory while Gotabaya is asked who the de [...]
Presidential poll: Voters face a Hobson’s choice
For the past few weeks I have been musing about who I should be voting for at the November 16 presidential election. Call it Hobson’s choice, term it a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea – the facts are that there is nothing much to choose between the two major candidates. We [...]
The Spirit of 2019: Another unfinished spring?
PARIS – As in 1848, 1968, 1989, and 2010-2012, a wave of popular protests has taken the world by surprise. Ongoing mass revolts – in Beirut, Santiago, Hong Kong, Algiers, Baghdad, and other cities – are gaining strength and wrongfooting governments. But although the temptation to seek historical comparisons is understandable, the 2019 uprisings also [...]
What happens to the United Kingdom now?
LONDON – The United Kingdom’s Brexit psychodrama continues. Although the UK government and the European Union reached a revised withdrawal agreement in mid-October, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was unable to push the deal through Parliament so that the UK could leave the bloc by his hoped-for date of October 31. EU leaders have, therefore, granted [...]
A billion here, a trillion there and the UN is looking for real money for its development agenda
UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – A Republican US Senator of a bygone era was once quoted as saying “a billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.” And, not surprisingly, at the UN, when it comes to the implementation of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the financial targets keep moving [...]