Monthly archive

M.A. Qader-Our Correspondent in Bangladesh

Waterborne disease like Diarrhea has taken an alarming turn in Cyclone ‘Aila’-hit Satkhira, Khulna and Barisal districts of Bangladesh as the cyclone-affected people have been forced to drink contaminated water. At least four people have been reported to have died of diarrhea in the cyclone affected district of Satkhira on Thursday, said local officials although the district administration did not confirm any death due to the disease, so far. Union parishad chairmen and local leaders and journalists said diarrhea and skin diseases were breaking out in the area as flood waters became stagnant and polluted.

By Gopal Ethiraj from Chennai

Kamal HasanA six-day international workshop on screenplay writing, jointly organized by Raaj Kamal Films International and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Madras), was inaugurated in Chennai on Thursday. "It has been my dream to conduct such a symposium for screenplay writing,” said Kamal Hasan, the brain behind the workshop, inaugurating. "It is a celebration that marks our payback to the industry". The actor, who dedicated the workshop to the memory of screenplay writer and his mentor Ananthu, said that he and the acclaimed scenarist Anjum Rajapalli had fought with the faculty at Pune Film Institute to create separate department for screenplay writing.

By Don Wijewardana

The end came fast. By Saturday the last of the remaining 50,000 hostages were rescued. And by Monday it was all over. After having rescued 250,000 hostages earlier it was thought releasing the last lot held as a human shield by the terrorists could not be accomplished without much bloodshed. The whole world was watching with baited breath. Clinton, Brown, UN’s Pillay and the European Union as well as the INGOs waited to see a ‘blood bath’ and a ‘human catastrophe’. They warned the government of “severe consequences for its actions”.

Hilary Rajakarunanayake, Editor – Sri Lanka, Asian Tribune

"The International Monetary Fund standby loan to Sri Lanka should not be delayed any longer because it was of paramount importance for the economic development of the country ravaged by civil war". This was stated on Friday, by US Representative Heath Shuler (Democrat from North Carolina) just before leaving Sri Lanka after visiting the country to obtain a firsthand knowledge about conditions prevailing in the North of Sri Lanka. Shuler was leading a visiting delegation from the US which arrived in the country for a four-day visit. He had discussions with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Government officials and Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe during his visit here.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Rohitha Bogollagama, is currently attending the 8th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The Shangri-La Dialogue is a high-profile global conference, primarily focusing on security and security related aspects and is participated by Ministers of Defence, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, military strategists and top brass, academia, diplomatic corps, think-tanks and senior bureaucrats from world over. Sri Lanka is participating at this three day Conference for the 3rd consecutive year. The fundamental objectives of this event are to assess and deliberate on new developments and dynamics in the realm of global and regional security.

By Stephen Long - Los Angeles, California

I just returned from a lengthy visit to Sri Lanka, and I witnessed first-hand the Government’s splendid victory over the LTTE terrorists. Every day I read with great interest the many comments and opinions that were written on the conflict by both Sri Lankan and international journalists. From my perspective, I can assure you that the Government acted with restraint and compassion throughout the entire ordeal. I also saw that the so-called "Western Powers" were totally misinformed on the situation, which resulted in their passing a hasty judgment that condemned the Government’s conduct toward the IDP’s and the human shields still trapped in the No Fire Zone.

By M Rama Rao, India Editor, Asian Tribune

There is outrage in India amidst demands for recall of all students from Down Under over a spate of racial attacks on Indian students including a petrol bomb attack in what have been termed as 'curry bashing'. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who telephoned Manmohan Singh to congratulate him on taking over as India Prime Minister for a second term, heard firsthand the heightened concern, shared the outrage, termed the attacks as 'appalling in every sense', and said 'sorry' for these ‘criminal acts’. By the time Rudd called Singh, both countries had witnessed a flurry of diplomatic activity, with South Block here summoning the Australian envoy to give an earful and Indian diplomats High Commissioner Sujata Singh and Consul General in Melbourne, Anita Nayar, met the top brass to lodge a strong protest and to goad them to make the police to quickly nab the culprits.