It’s all been stage-managed to a degree: some of the French players aren’t singing; and ‘RIP La France’ – as one placard proclaims – seems a monumentally inappropriate message in the circumstances. But still .. a glorious, fleeting, powerful moment of Ango-French solidarity before the kick-off of last night’s soccer friendly between the two countries. Vive La France! Solidarité entre nous, citoyens européens et du monde entier! http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2015/nov/17/france-and-england-fans-unite-to-sing-la-marseillaise-video?CMP=share_btn_fb

Here’s an article published in Ceylon Today (15 November 2015) focused around extensive extracts from my new book – albeit on aspects of the story of Norwegian involvement in Sri Lanka that will probably be of most interest to students of the island’s recent history rather than the lay reader. Still, both the stories Mohan hones in on are good ones: unfettered Indian – or more specifically, Tamil Nadu – support to the LTTE in the 1980s; and smuggling LTTE strategist Anton Balasnigham out of the country for an urgently-needed kidney transplant – with a bit of help from the… More

If there is a reliable strategic purpose to terrorism it is simply this: to shake things up. To change things. To kick over the table and play a different game instead. The best way, always, to win that particular game is not to accept the invitation to play. Thoughtful, focused openDemocracy commentary on the IS Paris attacks. President Francois Hollande. Demotix/ Zaer Belkalai. All rights reserved. IS attacks and not playing their game Gilbert Ramsay 15 November 2015   For the terrorists, best would be to be left alone to consolidate. Next best would be an epic all-out confrontation with… More

There’s some simplification, more than a few touches of stereotyping and hyperbole: it doesn’t offer any solutions; and it comes from a traditionally robustly conservative UK media soource. But in the main this article offers a well-articulated analysis of the serious challenges facing Sweden on the back of Europe’s continuing refugee crisis. Choice quote: ‘Britain is a country that is unsure of immigration, but loves immigrants. In Sweden, sadly, it’s the other way around’.   How Sweden, the most open country in the world, was overwhelmed by migrants Sweden used to pride itself on giving a warm welcome to outsiders…. More

Long, utterly brilliant Lena Sundström interview with Edward Snowden in today’s Dagens Nyheter. (Available in Swedish & English). Covers all the main issues raised by Snowden’s intelligence revelations in depth. Here’s a sample quote: “The drone program creates more terrorists than it kills. There was no Islamic State until we started bombing these states. The biggest threat we [the US] face in the region was born from our own policies.” Powereful, intelligent, and consistently thought-provoking. Snowden remains a brave – and much misunderstood – man. Truly essential reading! Here’s the English version: DN Fokus DN meets Edward Snowden Five hours… More

Some good photos and a brief report (in Tamil) by Sarawanan Nadarasa from Monday’s  launch at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Oslo for To End a Civil War: Norway’s Peace Engagement with Sri Lanka. Anne Julie Semb, Professor, University of Oslo Iselin Frydenlund, Senior researcher, PRIO Erik Solheim (former Norwegian Development Minister and Special Envoy to Sri Lanka) Mark Salter (Author) and Erik Solheim Erik Solheim, Iselin Frydenlund and Moderator Henrik Syse (Senior Researcher, PRIO) ————————————— இன்று ஒஸ்லோவில் வெளியிடப்பட்ட “To End a Civil War: Norway’s Peace Engagement with Sri Lanka” என்கிற நூல் ஒரு முக்கியமான நூல். 550பக்கங்களைக் கொண்ட பல தகவல்களை உள்ளடக்கிய இந்த… More

Here are a few shots from yesterday’s Norwegian book launch at the Oslo Peace Research Institute (PRIO). Good discusssion at a well-attended event – and once again, we could have sold double the number of books available…. Note to the best-seller lists: here we (don’t) come . . . .  

Here’s a piece from the weekend edition of The Island, also reprinted in the Sri Lankan Guardian. The reporting of Erik Solheim’s speech is surprisingly accurate. And he, of course, is very much in the limelight. More of this to come, I suspect . . . . ‘MR was prepared to give self-rule to Tamils within Sri Lankan state’ — Solheim Without calling for elections in the region The Island, October 31, 2015 From left: Mark Salter, Erick Soheim, Vidar Helgersan, Suthaharan Nadaraja and Prof. Michael Hutt (Chair at the meeting) By Sujeeva Nivunhella in London Former Norwegian Norwegian Development… More

Here’s an in-depth Sri Lanka book interview I did with Nihal at BBC Asian Network yesterday. First part of his programme is on a rather different topic. But if you want to get to the Sri Lanka bit scroll to c. 2hr 15 mins into the programme…. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06kbwz3

Book launch at SOAS, London this evening. Well-attended, good discussion – and copies of the book even completely sold out! Hopefully a good sign of things to come . . . . (And here FYI is the publisher’s link to the book  . . ) http://www.hurstpublishers.com/