Lankan in Dubai Bit Part of ex-girlfriend's ear off

A 34-year-old Sri Lankan man is accused of attacking his ex-girlfriend and biting off a part of her ear in Dubai. 

On April 28 the woman said she was walking to work in Al Satwa when the cook’s assistant attacked her from behind, restrained her arms and tried to snatch her purse. When she tried to break free, he bit off a bit of her ear, she said.

 “We were in a relationship about three years ago but we broke up and since then he has been stalking me and attacking me and even stealing my money,” said the 36-year-old woman. 

 She said her bag contained Dh610, her bank card and mobile phone. The woman headed to Bur Dubai police station and reported him. Prosecutors charged him with theft and causing a 5 per cent permanent disability. He was not present at Dubai Criminal Court on Thursday to enter a plea. The next hearing will be on November 21, the National UAE reports.

New study associates Facebook with ‘longer life’

A new study of over 12 million social media users has found, using Facebook may help you live longer but only when it serves to maintain and enhance your real-world social ties.

It documents, for the first time that, what happens online may matter as well as people who have stronger social networks live longer – as for scientists.

“Interacting online seems to be healthy when the online activity is moderate and complements interactions offline”, said a doctoral student at University of California San Diego at the time of the study, now postdoctoral.

He added, “it is only on the extreme end, spending a lot of time online with little evidence of being connected to people otherwise, that we see a negative association”.

The researches matched California Facebook users with vital records from the California Department of Public Health.

They studied counts of online activity over six months, comparing the activity of those still living to those who had died.

All of those studied were born between 1945 and 1989, and all the comparisons were made between people of similar age and gender.

The first finding is that those who are on Facebook live longer than those who are not. In a given year, an average Facebook user is about 12% less likely to die than someone who does not use the site.

Among people who do use Facebook, the researchers looked at numbers of friends’, numbers of photos, and status updates, numbers of wall posts and messages sent, to see if people who were more active lived longer.

Baby elephant tied to tree rescued

Residents along with Wildlife officials in Hambegamuwa yesterday, rescued a baby elephant which was tied to a tree. 

The Wildlife officials arrived at Habegamuwa on information provided by the residents of the area and rescued the baby elephant Hambagamuwa Police yesterday, deployed a team of Police officials to nab those who brought the baby elephant from the forest and tied it to a tree with the objective of transferring it to another area.

Wildlife officials said the baby elephant would be handed over to the Eth Athurusevana after being examined by veterinary surgeons. The Criminal Investigation Department has also initiated investigations to trace those involved in the incident and their motive.

Country indebted to maestro Amaradeva: President

The nation is stricken by the news of the demise of maestro W.D.Amaradeva; he was an unparalleled genius in music that we witnessed, President Maithripala Sirisena said in a condolence message on the death of Pandit W.D. Amaradeva.

The message read as follows:

'Maestro Amaradeva belonged to the generation of pioneers, whose quest was the Sri Lankan identity and the indigenous character.

The country is indebted to him for the exceptional service he rendered to us by exploring the roots of local music to enrich it to an unprecedented high.

Maestro Amaradeva reached the pinnacle of Sinhala music and brought fame to our nation. He was a true genius, blessed with innate wisdom refined in the school of life and perfected by the association of scholars of language, the arts and philosophy. Above all, his was the voice of the deep seated Sinhala cultural self.

The two songs Sasara Wasana Thuru and Rathnadeepa Janma Bhumi suffice to distinguish the eminence of maestro Amaradeva. Though he has left us today after his magnificent contribution to the nation, the aura of his oeuvre will kindle and inspire us for ever.

He was also the embodiment of simplicity and containment in life. Although the voice that awakened the nation has been silenced today, it will continue to echo in the ears and infuse life into the hearts of the future generations too.

Maestro Amaradeva may you attain the bliss of Nibbana.'

Final rites of late Amaradeva with full state honours

Final rites of veteran artiste, Dr. Pandith W.D. Amaradewa, who passed away on Thursday morning, will be held with full state honours at Independence square at 3:30 pm on Saturday.

Further, a week of mourning has been declared commencing today. The remains will be placed at Independence Square from tomorrow for the public to pay their last respects.

The veteran artiste who rendered a yeoman service to the Sri Lankan music industry, passed away while receiving treatment at the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital. The late veteran musician was 88 years old at the time of his demise.

Mother commits suicide with Child in Vavuniya

The body of a twenty-three year old woman along with her two-year old child was recovered from a well in Vavuniya this morning. 

She is believed to have committed suicide with her child, because of her inability to pay back a loan obtained together with her husband. It is reported that the woman had left the house with her child yesterday, following an argument with her husband and had not returned.

Relatives and neighbours had found her body along with the body of her child in an abandoned well in the area. No arrested have been made so far. Vavuniya Police is investigating.

Amaradeva's Body To Be Handed Over To Medical College

Pandit W. D. Amaradeva's body will be handed over to the Colombo University Medical Faculty, members of his family have decided. 

Amaradeva passed away this morning after being admitted to the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital. Religious rites will be held on November 5 and his body will be handed over to the medical faculty afterwards.

Arjuna Mahendran arrives at BIA

Central Bank's former governor Arjuna Mahendran, who was out of the country for almost a week, returned to the country a short while ago. 

Mr. Mahendran left the country just days before the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) released its report holding him responsible for the bond scam. 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament last week that Mr. Mahendran had informed him about going abroad to attend a wedding.