Latest News
Billie Eilish’s Barbie track wins song of the year at Grammys 2024
Billie Eilish’s contribution to the Barbie film soundtrack, What Was I Made For?, has won one of the top prices at the Grammy Awards, song of the year.
The track underscores one of the most emotional moments in the hit movie, as the doll questions her reality.
It also won the Grammy for best song written for visual media at Sunday’s ceremony in Los Angeles.
The other winners included SZA, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, who used her speech to announce a new album.
Swift could make history later if she scoops her fourth best album award. She is currently tied on three wins with Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Frank Sinatra.
Pop star Dua Lipa opened the ceremony with an athletic medley of her songs including Dance the Night, which was also up for song of the year.
She was followed on stage in Los Angeles by Tracy Chapman, making a rare appearance to join Luke Combs, who covered her song Fast Car last year.
R&B star SZA is the show’s leading nominee with nine nods. For her performance, the singer staged a recreation of the Crazy 88 fight scene from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill to accompany her song of the same name.
She was joined by a phalanx of sword-wielding female dancers who swiftly dispatched hordes of men in suits – a reference to her song’s comical tale of killing her ex.
The first award of the night went Miley Cyrus, who picked up best pop vocal performance for her song Flowers. It was the star’s first Grammy, a fact she noted in her acceptance speech, telling the story of a boy whose futile attempts to catch a butterfly ended when he stopped swinging around a net and stayed still.
“And right when he did is when the butterfly came and landed right on the tip of his nose. And this song, Flowers, is my butterfly,” she said.
Billed as “music’s biggest night”, the Grammys are the industry’s most prestigious awards.
The line-up for Sunday’s show includes legends like Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel and U2, alongside the biggest chart names.
Olivia Rodrigo, Eilish, Burna Boy and Travis Scott are also among the performers, with stars like Swift, Beyoncé and Doja Cat in the audience.
Even Meryl Streep turned up – supporting her son-in-law Mark Ronson, who was nominated for producing the Barbie soundtrack.
Only a handful of the 94 prizes are handed out in the live show, with the rest announced during a four-hour “premiere ceremony” in the afternoon.
That pre-ceremony saw multiple wins for indie-rock trio Boygenius, whose debut album The Record combines 1970s California rock harmonies with lyrics about love and friendship.
Rapper Killer Mike won three awards but was later filmed apparently being taken away in handcuffs backstage.
Kylie Minogue won her second ever Grammy, best pop dance recording, for the viral smash Padam Padam; while Joni Mitchell picked up best folk album for a live album that captured her return to the stage in 2022 after a brain aneurysm.
And South African singer Tyla made history by picking up the first ever award for best African performance.
The 22-year-old, who came fourth in the BBC’s Sound of 2024 won for her viral smash Water, which inspired a TikTok dance craze last summer.
“I still have to remind myself that it’s my song,” she said. “Everywhere I go, it’s playing and people know it. I don’t even know how to describe the feeling.”
(BBC)
Hamas says it will release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who is believed to be the last living captive with US nationality in Gaza, as a part of efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement.
The decision comes ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East on Tuesday. Hamas said it was also intended to facilitate a deal for the entry of humanitarian aid. Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for 70 days.
Earlier a senior Hamas official told the BBC that the Palestinian armed group was holding direct negotiations with a US administration official in Qatar.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said it had been informed by the US of the Hamas intention to release Alexander.
A senior Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told the BBC that Hamas’s announcement was intended as a goodwill gesture before Trump’s arrival.
He said another meeting between Hamas and the mediators was scheduled for early Monday morning to finalise the process of Edan’s release, which would require a temporary halt to Israeli military activity and a suspension of aerial operations during the handover.
President Trump confirmed Alexander’s release in a post on Truth Social, calling it “monumental news” and “a step taken in good faith”.
Born in Tel Aviv but raised in New Jersey, 21-year-old Alexander was serving in an elite infantry unit on the border with Gaza when he was captured by Hamas militants during the 7 October attack.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s 2023 attack, 59 remain in the enclave, up to 24 of whom are believed to be alive. Five of the hostages in Gaza are believed to be US citizens and Alexander was thought to be the only one still alive.
In its statement, Hamas said the release was part of efforts to achieve a ceasefire and allow food, medicine and other supplies into Gaza – which has been under a complete blockade by Israel for 70 days. The group said it wanted to reach a final agreement to end the war.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that it had been informed by the US of the Hamas intention to release Alexander “as a gesture towards the Americans” and that the move was expected to lead to negotiations on further hostages.
Israel’s policy was that negotiations would be conducted “under fire, based on the commitment to achieve all of the objectives of the war”, it added.
The Families and Missing Families Forum campaign group said Alexander’s release “must mark the beginning of a comprehensive agreement that will secure the freedom of all remaining hostages”.
They said President Trump had “given the families of all the hostages hope” and urged Netanyahu to now “bring everyone back”.
Hamas has in the past said it will only agree to a deal that includes the end of the war, something that has been repeatedly rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The talks between Hamas and the US are taking place amid multiple reports suggesting growing frustration in the Trump administration with Netanyahu’s position. The prime minister is also under pressure at home, with many accusing him of prolonging the war for political purposes.
President Donald Trump arrives in the Middle East on Tuesday, and Israel has vowed to expand its military offensive against Hamas if no deal is reached by the end of his visit.
Israeli officials have said the plans for their expanded offensive include seizing all of the territory indefinitely, forcibly displacing Palestinians to the south, and taking over aid distribution with private companies despite opposition from the UN and its humanitarian partners, who say they will not co-operate because it appears to “weaponise” aid.
Israel has already blocked the entry of all food, medication and other humanitarian supplies into Gaza for 70 days, which aid agencies say amounts to a policy of starvation and could be a war crime, and renewed its aerial bombardment and other military operations there in mid-March, which have since killed 2,720 Palestinians according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Since the beginning of the year, according to the UN, about 10,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children have been identified. Food prices have rocketed by as much as 1,400%.
The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which saw about 1,200 people killed and more than 250 taken hostage. Some 59 are still held captive, up to 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
Israel’s military campaign has killed 52,829 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
[BBC]
Latest News
May this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings – PM
In her Vesak day message, Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya wished that this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings
The full text of the prime ministers vesak day message:
“It is an honor to extend my Vesak day message to all citizens of the nation during this sacred period in which Buddhist community across Sri Lanka come together to pay homage to the Lord Buddha, upholding both material and spiritual offerings and commemorating the threefold sacred events of the Lord Buddha’s life.
Since ancient times, the lives of the Sri Lankan people have been deeply rooted by the teaching of the Lord Buddha and this is a greater inheritance we have received through the Dhamma. In our country, where people of diverse ethnicities and religions coexist in harmony, the collective celebration of a major religious festival such as Vesak stands as a powerful testament to that unity.
This year Vesak day celebration marks the first to be celebrated under the current government, which was established with the vision of “A Prosperous Country, a Beautiful Life.” I believe that this Vesak season is a particularly a time to heal the hearts and minds of humanity, especially as our nation embarks on a path of meaningful transformation. Through this message, I take this opportunity to invite all of citizens to unite in mind and spirit, bound together by mutual respect and compassion.
I join all Sri Lankans in praying that the flames of war burning in various parts of the world at this moment may be extinguished, and that all people across the globe may be blessed with lives of happiness and peace.
May all of you have a blessed Vesak!”
Latest News
“A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life” Let us unite with determination and diligence to achieve this noble vision- President
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his Wesak Day message says that all Sri Lankans should unite with determination and diligence to achieve the vision of “A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life.”
The full text of the presidents message follows:
“The Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, which marks the Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana of the Lord Buddha, is a day of profound significance for Buddhists worldwide.
It was on such a sacred Vesak full moon day that the Buddha, having fulfilled the Perfections (Pāramitās), vanquished the forces of Māra, cultivated wisdom through the Middle Path, realised the Four Noble Truths and eradicated all defilements to attain Supreme Enlightenment.
Throughout countless lifetimes, the Buddha endured suffering, perfected virtues and ultimately discovered the Dhamma, a timeless truth for the spiritual well-being of all beings. His core teaching was not merely religious but a path to inner development, guiding humanity towards moral and intellectual growth.
The Buddhist philosophy also provides profound insights into good governance. As the Buddha taught:
“Sabbam rāṭṭhaṁ sukhaṁ seti – Rājā ce hoti dhammiko” (The whole country thrives in happiness – if its ruler is righteous.)
This underscores that when a nation’s leader governs with justice and virtue, the people prosper in peace.
Inspired by the Buddha’s teachings, we must strive to build a prosperous nation rooted in selflessness, equality and social justice, fulfilling the aspirations of our people for a “A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life.” Let us unite with determination and diligence to achieve this noble vision.
Moreover, the Buddha’s message of peace remains ever-relevant. In a world torn by conflict and division, we must embrace the Four Brahmavihāras, Loving-kindness (Mettā), Compassion (Karunā), Altruistic Joy (Muditā) and Equanimity (Upekkhā), to foster global harmony.
May this auspicious Vesak Festival illuminate all hearts with the light of Dhamma!”
Pope Leo appeals for no more war in first Sunday address
Hamas to release US-Israeli hostage as part of efforts to reach Gaza ceasefire
May this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings – PM
-
Business6 days agoAitken Spence Travels continues its leadership as the only Travelife-Certified DMC in Sri Lanka
-
Latest News5 days agoNPP win Maharagama Urban Council
-
Business6 days agoLinearSix and InsureMO® expand partnership
-
Business4 days agoJohn Keells Properties and MullenLowe unveil “Minutes Away”
-
Features1 day agoSAITM Graduates Overcome Adversity, Excel Despite Challenges
-
Sports1 day agoASBC Asian U22 and Youth Boxing Championships from Monday
-
News1 day agoDestined to be pope:Brother says Leo XIV always wanted to be a priest
-
Foreign News2 days agoMexico sues Google over ‘Gulf of America’ name change