17/09/2026

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Sri Lanka summons former first lady COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s police summoned former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa yesterday for questioning over allegations that her charity misused donations, tightening authorities’ anti corruption drive. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government has revived dormant graft investigations involving members of the once powerful Rajapaksa family, which dominated Sri Lankan politics for nearly two decades. The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) served the summons shortly before Shiranthi, 73, boarded a flight to Singapore for medical treatment, family spokesman Manoj Gamage told reporters in Colombo. “She was given the FCID notice minutes before she boarded the aircraft,” Gamage said, rejecting suggestions she was attempting to leave the country to evade investigators. “She is not trying to flee the country but travelling for medical treatment.” Police said the FCID wanted to question Shiranthi over the 10 million rupees (RM124,566) collected in donations by her Siriliya Saviya charity for a PET scanner intended for a local cancer hospital. Investigators have told a court that the scanner had already been donated by the Chinese government, but the charity allegedly continued to solicit donations and misused the funds. Gamage has denied any wrongdoing, saying the money had not been misappropriated. He said Shiranthi, who has been undergoing eye treatment, would return to Sri Lanka after her medical procedures and had no intention of absconding. – AFP Colombia group wins Norway rights prize OSLO: The Collegiate Body of Guardians of the Atrato River (CCGA) was yesterday awarded Norway’s Rafto Prize for its fight against illegal mining and environmental destruction in Colombia. The CCGA was honoured for their members’ “courageous fight against environmental destruction and for the protection of human rights in Colombia”, the Rafto Foundation said in a statement. The Atrato basin in northwest Colombia “is exposed to high levels of violence” linked to armed groups and criminal networks “engaged in widespread, environmentally destructive illegal mining”, the foundation said. It noted that illegal resource extraction and gold mining in particular “have caused severe environmental devastation and pollution in the area”. The Guardians of the Atrato River monitor and document areas affected by illegal extraction, raise awareness among local residents about the risks of pollution, and seek to pressure authorities to ensure that court decisions are enforced. The river, which springs from the Andes and flows into the Caribbean Sea, runs through one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, but also one of the most affected by the Colombian conflict. Its natural resources have drawn in armed groups, cartels and criminal networks, who engage in drug and arms trafficking in addition to the illegal exploitation of resources. The use of mercury in the mining of gold “has led to accumulation of toxic substances in the soil, river water and aquatic life”, the foundation noted. “In these challenging conditions and at significant personal risk, the Guardians have stood firm on the front lines,” it said. First awarded in 1987 and named after Norwegian historian and human rights activist Thorolf Rafto, the prize carries a cash award of US$20,000 (RM81,071). – AFP

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun (right) greeting Vietnam Defence Minister Phan Van Giang at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

China willing to safeguard Iran’s rights

o Stay rational and restrained, warring sides told

confirmation that, in fact, NewsChopper 4 went down just before 7 o’clock tonight in Chatsworth,” NBC anchor Colleen Williams said during an emotional live broadcast. Two other people were taken to hospital, the fire service said. More than 70 firefighters responded to the crash. “Our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight’s devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. Angel City Air did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. such behaviour. By rallying broad-based forces of justice, we must suppress the resurgence of historical dregs and prevent them from exploiting the situation to cause harm,” he said. Some 2,000 military officers, diplomats and academics from 100 countries are attending the three-day event set to run until today, with delegates including some regional defence ministers, a senior Pentagon official and Russian academics. Dong steered clear of direct criticism of the United States or its regional allies, such as Japan, and appeared to hew closely to long held Chinese positions. Dong urged efforts towards a peaceful, multipolar world marked by “partnership rather than alliance, win-win rather than zero sum”. “We must show no leniency towards provocative acts that seek to hijack the overall interests of countries in the region for the sake of personal gain or the interests of particular cliques, and we must work together to rein them in,” he said. – AFP/Reuters

“We do not wish to see regional tensions spilling over into Yemen and the Red Sea,” Wang said. Recent fighting that flared up in Yemen between government forces and Houthis has displaced more than 100,000 people inside the country while thousands have fled abroad, according to the United Nations. At the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Defence Minister Dong Jun yesterday urged nations to avoid provocative acts and curb the resurgence of regressive historical trends. Dong’s comments come at a time of tension over Taiwan and the South China Sea. Warning that the world had arrived at a “fragile moment”, Dong called for a fresher, more equal approach to resolving international tension, but offered few specifics or direct criticism of rivals. “We must bear in mind the lessons of history and remain highly vigilant against all latent manifestations of hegemony, militarism and historical revisionism,” he said in an opening speech. “We must not turn a blind eye or condone

BEIJING: Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China was willing to “safeguard” Iran’s rights during talks with his counterpart Abbas Araghchi yesterday, as Beijing seeks to mediate in Tehran’s war with the United States. “China is also willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Iran, and safeguard Iran’s legitimate rights and interests,” Wang told Araghchi as they met in the Chinese capital. “We encourage Iran and the US to stay rational and restrained,” he said. The talks come one week before an expected trip by President Xi Jinping to Washington, where he will meet President Donald Trump. China, a top economic partner of Iran, has long sought a detente in the months-long conflict in the Middle East.

LA news helicopter crashes, killing three LOS ANGELES: A helicopter providing news coverage of a bus collision in Los Angeles crashed on Tuesday, killing a journalist, the pilot and a person on the ground, broadcasters and authorities said. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”

Parent company NBC News identified two of the victims as employees of helicopter operator Angel City Air: Eliana Moreno, who was also a photojournalist, and George Marciniw, the pilot. One person also died outside the helicopter which was badly damaged, Los Angeles Fire Department said. The crash was announced on air by NBC4. “We knew we’d lost contact with our people out there, and we’ve just received the

No cause was given for the helicopter crash in the city’s Chatsworth area, which came after a Metro bus collided with another vehicle earlier in the day, killing at least two. “We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening,” NBC4 and Telemundo 52 said.