MERS virus spreads: Why it’s so difficult to fight
It’s starting to feel like the year of infectious diseases. Just as Ebola is winding down in West Africa, another potentially fatal illness has jumped from the Middle East to South Korea and China, spreading fears of a global pandemic. The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus-commonly known as MERS-has killed nearly 40% of the 1,179 people [...]
WHO to hold emergency meeting next week
GENEVA, June 13 (AFP) – The World Health Organization has said it will call an emergency meeting next week on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as the death toll from the virus rises in South Korea. South Korea has suffered the largest outbreak of the virus outside Saudi Arabia.A 72-year-old woman became the latest fatality [...]
Clinton starts presidential race, promises an America for everyone
NEW YORK, June 13, (AFP) – Hillary Clinton announced today she was running for president for all Americans, unveiling a progressive platform promising to promote equal opportunity and fight for a beleaguered middle class. “America can’t succeed unless you succeed, that is why I am running for president of the United States,” she said to huge [...]
Chinese hackers got US security files-report
WASHINGTON, June 13 (AFP) -A data breach of millions of US government employees allowed Chinese hackers to access sensitive information including security clearances of the workers and contractors, the Washington Post said Friday. The report said investigators are looking at two separate attacks, widely believed to be from China, accessing government employee records in a database [...]
Indonesia seeks answers on boat ‘payment’
JAKARTA, June 13 (AFP) -Indonesia today demanded answers from Australia over allegations an official paid thousands of dollars to turn back a boat of asylum-seekers, saying such a development would mark a “new low”. The call came after Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Friday refused to deny allegations that the captain and five crew of a [...]
Suspect shot in Dallas police HQ attack
DALLAS, June 13, 2015 (AFP) – Snipers shot and presumably killed a man Saturday after he attacked the police headquarters in Dallas and planted bombs in a dramatic rampage in the Texas city, though there were no known links to terrorism. Officers from the Dallas Police Department’s specialized SWAT unit shot the suspect through the front [...]
Iran nuclear talks ‘virtually stalled’
VIENNA, June 13 (AFP) -Russia’s negotiator has described a “very worrying” slowdown in progress in nuclear talks between Iran and six major powers ahead of a June 30 deadline to finalise a historic accord. Sergei Ryabkov’s remarks on Friday came as US Secretary of State John Kerry said upon his release from hospital after breaking his [...]
Musical pioneer: Leader of the La Ceylonians passes away
Noel Brian Ranasinghe, the Sri Lankan singer/songwriter who crafted a new style of singing with trademark sarongs, straw hats and calypso music with a local flavour in the 1960s, passed away on Thursday evening. He was 73 and had been ailing for the past year. Noel was the leader of the La Ceylonians, one of [...]
University of Colombo Alumni Association AGM
The 33rd Annual General Meeting of the Alumni Association of the University of Colombo will be held on Thursday, June 25 at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Graduate Studies within the College House premises, University of Colombo at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be followed by fellowship and dinner. Prof. Mohan De Silva, Chairman [...]
Gone Man Squared launch in London
“Gone Man Squared” a book of collected poems by Royston Ellis, a British resident of Sri Lanka for the last 35 years, was launched in England on May 29. The event was held at London’s Poetry Café where Royston Ellis gave a reading. This was his first performance in England since retiring as a performing [...]
An evening of song at Bishop’s College
The Parent Teacher Association of Bishop’s College presents “Follow Me’, an evening of song on June 19 at 7.30 p.m. at the Bishop’s College Auditorium as a fundraiser in aid of school development projects. The first half of the show will feature the singing talents of the students in the nursery and primary in songs [...]
Sunsilk Hedakari in Gampaha
The second in a series of Hedakari programmes was concluded successfully at the Saaketha Medura in Gampaha on June 7. Sunsilk Hedakari – a full day beauty programme, offered a total makeover for women, taking them through six stages of hair care and grooming to achieve a complete look. All women who walked into the Hedakari [...]
Exhibition: ’60 Solutions Against Climate Change’
The exhibition ’60 Solutions Against Climate Change’- was opened on June 4 at the National Art Gallery in Colombo. Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Jean-Marin Schuh, Mayor of Colombo A. J. M. Muzammil and Secretary to the Ministry Of Power and Energy Dr. BMS Batagoda, inaugurated the photo exhibition. The exhibition [...]
Poson Dansela at Sri Dalada Mahamaluwa
Sanjeev Gardiner, Chairman of Galle Face Hotels group (Queens Hotel & Hotel Suisse), sponsored a Poson Dansela to distribute 20,000 packets of lunch to devotees on Poson Poya day at the Sri Dalada Mahmaluwa in Kandy at the invitation of Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep NIlanga Dela. Central Province Governor Surangani Ellawala, Central Province Chief Minister Sarath [...]
Honey-based mead may curb antibiotic resistance, say makers
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Scientists in Sweden are launching their own mead – an alcoholic beverage made from a fermented mix of honey and water – based on old recipes which they say could help in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Together with a brewery, the scientists who have long studied bees and their honey, have launched [...]
Unharnessed wealth of resources available to Police Chief
Inspector General N.K. Illangakoon is held in high esteem as a police officer of high integrity. He has served in the police Special Task Force (STF) with distinction. However, he lacks the experience of being an officer in charge of a police station, police district, police division or police range, where investigations are carried out [...]
The right food fight
DRESDEN – To what extent should governments regulate or tax addictive behaviour? This question has long framed public debate about alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and other goods and services in many countries worldwide. And now, in the United States — arguably the mother of global consumer culture — the debate has turned toward the fight against [...]
