Former UNICEF official killed in accident

Merrill Cassell, a former Budget Director for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) was killed in a cycling accident in New York on Friday. A veteran Sri Lankan marathoner, who participated in several New York city marathons, Cassell was a jogger, a long distance runner and a participant in nation-wide bicycle tours.

In his retirement, he was a blogger providing in-depth analyses on financial management, UN budgeting and the impact of the global financial crisis on developing nations. His funeral is scheduled to take place next week.