Brawl involving a top politician’s son at Night Club?

A group of men reportedly led by a son of VVIP had allegedly assaulted security personnel at a leading night club in Colombo when they were denied entry to the club in the early hours on Saturday, informed sources said.

An injured security person was admitted to the Colombo General hospital with head injuries. Sources said that the son had come to the night club at around 2 am with a group of his body guards in several defender vehicles.

However security personnel at the night club had not allowed them to enter the club. Later the mob had assaulted several security personnel at the club and damaged the entrance to the club.

Meanwhile, police said that they have received a complaint with regard to an incident at a night club and was conducting investigation into the matter.

Joint Opposition Rally in Ratnapura Live

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to make a special statement at the Joint Opposition Rally in Rathnapura today, MP Dinesh Gunawardena has said.

The JO rally will be held at 3.00 p.m. in Ratnapura. It is dubbed "aragalayata pana povana nava janatha balavegaya" (new people's movement tempering the struggle).
It is widely believed that a landmark decision on launching a new movement will be announced.

There are two camps within the JO on the matter of launching a new party, with a sizable minority opposed to the idea.

The 2016 Nobel Peace Prize goes to Colombian President

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the 52-year conflict with left-wing rebels FARC.The Nobel Committee in Norway praised him for his peace agreement with FARC rebels, signed last month after four years of negotiations.

Just days earlier, President Santos had shaken hands with rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, known as Timochenko, at a historic ceremony in Cartagena that sealed the agreement.

The conflict has killed about 260,000 people. More than six million have been internally displaced.

President Santos was selected from a list of 376 candidates - 228 individuals and 148 organizations. They included: the Syrian White Helmets; civil defence volunteers who rescue bomb victims; negotiators of the international deal to limit Iran's nuclear programme; Greek islanders on the frontline of Europe's refugee crisis.

The award did not include FARC leader Rodrigo Londono, known as Timochenko, who signed the accord with Santos.

His efforts to reach peace and end the conflict earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016.

Santos did not always have the optimistic and conciliatory tone that he is now being praised for.

Less than a decade ago, while serving as defence minister, he authorized the controversial bombing of a FARC camp in Ecuador without informing the neighbouring country.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (known as FARC by its Spanish acronym) are Colombia's largest rebel group.

They were founded in 1964 as the armed wing of the Communist Party and follow a Marxist-Leninist ideology.

Their main founders were small farmers and land workers who had banded together to fight against the staggering levels of inequality in Colombia at the time.

While FARC includes urban groups, they have always been an overwhelmingly rural guerrilla organization.

FARC was founded at a time of brutal repression against any form of action considered subversive.

Colombia has historically been a country which has suffered huge levels of inequality, where vast swathes of land are owned by a very small elite.

This is partly due to the fact that the Colombian state sold off large tracts of land to private owners in the late 19th and early 20th century to pay its debts. FARC's main enemy has been the Colombian security forces while its fighters have attacked police stations and military posts, and ambushed patrols.

Some of its founders had established an agricultural commune in the region of Marquetalia, in central Tolima Province.

Inspired by the Cuban revolution in the 1950s, they demanded more rights and control over land. (BBC)

Sri Lanka won’t boycott SAARC – Mangala

Foreign Minister Managala Samaraweera asserted in Parliament yesterday that Sri Lanka has no intention of quitting the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and would not be boycotting the summit this year.

Minister Samaraweera said, Sri Lanka was of the opinion that the prevailing environment was not conducive to hold the summit. He added that he had conveyed this to the SAARC Secretary General at the body's headquarters in Kathmandu, Nepal.

"Sri Lanka will participate in the SAARC Summit whenever it is held.

"We informed the Secretary General of SAARC in Nepal through in writing that the SAARC Summit cannot be held at a time when one Member State decides not to participate in it. The stand of the Sri Lankan Government is that regional cooperation is essential to create better living conditions for its people," the minister said.

He also quoted late President J.R. Jayewardene who had said that 'mutual understanding of Member States is essential for realizing the goals of SAARC'.

Samaraweera also called on all Member States to cooperate in combating and eradicating terrorism.

20 per cent of Lankans dies of heart disease

The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) - 2015 study revealed that 20.6 per cent of Sri Lankans died of ischemic heart disease (Coronary Heart Disease) last year.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University (IHMEU) of Washington said yesterday that the GBD - 2015 study identified it to be one among the top five causes of death in the country last year. The other causes were Cerebrovascular diseases (a group of conditions that affect the circulation of blood to the brain -11.8 percent), diabetes (7.9 per cent) asthma (5.2 per cent) and self harm (five per cent).

The GBD – 2015 also identified the top five causes of years lived with disability (YLDs). Low back and neck pain caused 11.4 percent of total YLDs, 10.6 per cent of sense organ diseases, 7.9 per cent diabetes, 6.6 percent due to skin diseases and 6.2 percent YLDs due to depressive disorders.

The top five causes of disability -adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2015 had been Ischemic heart disease, (9.5 percent), diabetes (6.8 per cent), low back and neck pain (5.1 per cent), self harm (five percent) and cerebrovascular diseases (4.67 percent).

High systolic blood pressure was responsible for 12 percent total DALYs last year. Identifying the top five risk factors in terms of DALYs for 2015, the GBD study revealed that high fasting plasma glucose was responsible for 10.7 percent total DALYs. 5.9 percent cholesterol, 5.7 percent high body mass index and 4.8 per cent diet low in whole grain.

The number of maternal deaths in 1990 had been 269 while the number of maternal deaths last year had dropped to 107. The Ratio of maternal deaths in 1990 per 100,000 live births had been 75.2 while last year it dipped to 33.1 per every 100,000 live births.

The life expectancy of women in 2005 had been 78 while it increased to 81.2 last year. In the same period life expectancy of men has risen from 70.1 to 74.1.

The IHME said that the new global burden of disease study had said that income, education and birth rates were not the only keys to healthy living in 195 countries. It said that improvements in sanitation, immunisation, indoor air quality and nutrition had enabled children in developing countries to live longer over the past 25 years.

However this progress was threatened by increasing numbers of people suffering serious health challenges related to obesity, high blood sugar levels, alcohol and drug abuse.

Man alleges Singer Chillie Thilanka assaulted him

A resident of Pelawatte in Battaramulla had made a complaint with the Talangama Police against singer Chillie Thilanka alleging that the singer had assaulted him under the influence of liquor on Thursday night.

In the complaint, the man had said the singer had also allegedly threatened him with a knife after assaulting for not making way for his vehicle to move ahead.

However, police said the officers of the Talangama Police had visited the location soon after the incident, to find the two men in an altercation. 

Police officers had informed the two to report to the police but Chillie had not reported so far.

The man had complained and admitted himself to the hospital to receive treatment for an injury to his tongue due to the assault.

It was reported that the singer had not turned up to the Talangama Police by Friday night.

Malwana land does not belong to Basil Rajapaksa

Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa informed court on Friday that the 16 acre land in Malwana, of which the ownership was in contention, does not belong to him

A motion filed by Muditha Jayakody citing that the 16 acre land on Ganga-Bada Road in Malwana was not purchased or used by him, and therefore he cannot be held accountable for its security, was taken up at the Pugoda Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

President’s Counsel Jayantha Weerasinghe appearing on behalf of Basil Rajapaksa informed court that the land does not belong to his client and therefore they have no objection on the sale of the said land. As there was no definite owner for the land, Deputy Solicitor General Thusitha Mudalige requested permission from court to sell the land.

Magistrate D.K.Ruwan Pathirana postponed the case to the 14th, to issue an order in this regard.

Attorney appearing on behalf of Basil Rajapaksa, E.A.P. Weeraratne stated that Basil Rajapaksa does not own this land and anyone can issue and order and give it away.

“We have no issue on that. We assisted court to make a correct decision”, he said. He further added that an appearance for the next hearing was ruled as unnecessary and Muditha Jayakody will have to come.

The attorney appearing on behalf of Muditha Jayakody, Thusira Melewwethanthri stated that Basil Rajapaksa is the sole accused in this case and this land was initially purchased by the husband of Nirupama Rajapaksa, Thirukumar Nadesan. That he had given three cheques of Rs.10 Million  each to Muditha Jayakody and the land was purchased with another Rs.34 million  to the total of Rs.64 million afterwards, Thirukumaran Nadesan transferred the deed to Muditha Jayakody after the January 8 elections, it was stated.

“The issue is, where did the money come from ? Everyone denies this. The issue we have is, Thirukumaran Nadesan has not been mentioned in this case”, said Attorney-at-law, T. Melewwethanthri.

Basil Rajapaksa left the court premises without making a comment.

16 year old Girl work in Singapore as a prostitute

SINGAPORE - A 16-year-old Sri Lankan, whose family was having financial woes, was recruited by her neighbours to work in Singapore as a prostitute, a court heard.

The neighbours promised the teen that she would be able to make $1,500 within a month.

Over 12 days, she serviced 207 men in a brothel at 20, Jalan Suka, located between Lorong 22 and Lorong 24 Geylang.But she was arrested on the night of Aug 6 last year, after policemen saw her soliciting customers in the area. She had yet to receive any earnings from her prostitution.

On Thursday (Oct 6), a 68-year-old man who ran the brothel was jailed for three months.

Goh Tiang Ho pleaded guilty to one charge of managing a brothel.

A 27-year-old Bangladeshi national, Sahadat, was also jailed for three months for helping to manage the brothel.

A district court heard that the teen, who cannot be named due to an order by the court, lived with her father and grandmother in Sri Lanka.

In May 2015, her family was in financial difficulty as her grandmother was suffering from stomach cancer and her father was unable to work because of high blood pressure and asthma. She confided her woes in her neighbours.

"The victim's neighbours recruited the victim to work in Singapore as a prostitute," said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Amanda Chong Wei-Zhen.

"The victim was told by the couple that she would be able to make 150,000 rupees (about S$1,500) in Singapore as a prostitute within a month.

"Her recruiters made arrangements for the victim to travel to Singapore."

She arrived in Singapore on the night of July 24 last year and two Sri Lankan men picked her up from Changi Airport.

One of the men, Hathamune Liyanage Pushpa Surange, 29, had arrived in Singapore on the same day on a social visit pass. The other man's identity has not been established.

Hathamune, also known as Ranga, left Singapore on Aug 6 last year and is wanted by the police. He is suspected to be a member of a vice syndicate.

"The victim serviced an average of 20 customers every night and seven customers on the night she was arrested," said DPP Chong.

Her customers paid $30 for 15 minutes of sex with her, including $10 for the rental of a room at Goh's brothel.

Under the Women's Charter, the maximum penalty for managing or assisting in the management of a brothel is a $3,000 fine and three years' jail, for a first conviction; and a $10,000 fine and five years' jail for subsequent convictions.