US$ 700m bank deposits scandal haunts Malaysian PM Najib
In the post-Mahathir era Malaysia has battled with pervasive corruption and a rise in organised crime.But now the country’s incumbent Prime Minister Najib Rajazk is contesting allegations that US$700m (Rs. 93.4 billion) had been deposited into what are suspected to be his personal bank accounts from a money trail that appears linked to the state [...]
UN remains divided over domestic and state terrorism
UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – When nine African-American worshippers were gunned down by a white supremacist inside a historic church in Charleston, South Carolina last month, there was a sharp division of opinion in the United States whether that murderous act of killing innocent civilians constituted a “hate crime” or an “act of terrorism.” Or both? [...]
House of song and flowers
GALUMPHING dinosaurs in the new 3-D blockbuster “Jurassic World” bring to mind the dinosaurs we met as children in a smaller but no less thrilling Jurassic World, one that existed long ago, purely for our entertainment. This was the wonderful garden wilderness at No. 105, New Buller’s Road, the Colombo 4 residence of civil servant [...]
Vernon, Vivian and Sir Laurence
AS a broadcaster on the Arts, Vernon Abeysekera met and interviewed many celebrities. His most memorable meetings were with the husband and wife actors, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. This was during the filming of “Elephant Walk”, which was shot in Ceylon in 1953. The story of Leigh’s predicament during the filming is well-known – [...]
Racist terrorism: Never again as a political slogan
Hilary Clinton speaking to supporters on Tuesday June 23 is reported to have decried the Charleston church massacre as an act of “Racist Terrorism”. In Sri Lanka, it is unfortunate that some politicians, who are bent on grabbing power, are making use of “Racism and Terrorism” to come back to power. They continue to make public [...]
A photograph that says it all
Isn’t it wonderful when a surprising gift lands in your inbox just when you are least expecting it? Isn’t it even more rewarding when such a gift flows from something you absolutely love doing; that you know is essential for our collective future and that connects you with people who blow your socks off? That [...]
Lankan Physician in Research Team to detect early-stage cancer
NEW YORK – Dr. Jiva Ganepola, Professor of Surgery at Columbia University, New York, and his team of researchers have developed a blood test that will someday help detect early-stage lung cancer when it’s most treatable.If the preliminary findings are replicated in a larger study, according to a published news report in the New Jersey [...]
UK Sri Lankan Muslim community honours veteran journalist
The Sri Lankan Muslim community in the UK honoured veteran Sri Lanka journalist Latheef Farook for his services in highlighting Muslim issues in the context of the need for communal harmony at a function at the Sri Lankan Muslim Cultural Centre (SLMCC) in the London Borough of Harrow. While in the UK he addressed Sri [...]
News 1st to launch morning political show
News 1st will launch a hard-hitting morning political show titled ‘Press Release’, hosted by former diplomat, editor and Presidential spokesman Bandula Jayasekara and Chamika Roshan. The show will be aired every weekday morning at 6 a.m., on Sirasa TV. ‘PRESS RELEASE’ will focus on the morning headlines, and also the main issues of the day. [...]