Three men assault student in Kandy

A video clip where a student in school uniform is being severely assaulted by a group of three men in civvies opposite a leading school in Kandy has been going viral on social media since yesterday.

This video clip shows the student getting hammered by this group in the midst of hundreds of people including security personnel, with nobody coming to the student’s assistance.

When an official of the Kandy Police was contacted, he said that they had not received any complaint over this incident and an investigation cannot be initiated without a proper complaint lodged with the Police.

Head Prefect stabbed by student of same School

The head prefect of a school in Theldeniya stabbed by a year 11 student of the same school was admitted in a critical condition to the Kandy General Hospital yesterday.

Preliminary police investigations revealed the prefect was stabbed after taking disciplinary action against the student. The head prefect is said have given the year 11 student a beating on the previous day as punishment for an offence.

The year 11 student had carried a knife to the school the next day. He had stabbed the head prefect when he was dispensing advise to his junior colleague.School authorities informed Katugastota Police of the incident, after admitting the prefect to hospital. The student who stabbed the prefect was taken into custody by Theldeniya Police.

Powerful earthquake hits New Zealand

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 struck central New Zealand today, little more than a week after a powerful tremor centered in the upper South Island rocked the country and killed two people.

Tuesday's quake was centered off the coast of the North Island, 138 km (86 miles) from Palmerston North at a depth of 37 km (23 miles).

Thousands of aftershocks have been registered since a 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Christchurch in the early hours of Nov 14. (Reuters)

Mahinda to China for international support

A special delegation, including former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, left for China at dawn yesterday to obtain international support for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Party, which was launched under the Chairmanship of Professor G. L. Peiris, according to a senior organizer of the party from the Kandy area.

Since foreign countries have promised support to build up future activities of the new political party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, a group including Rajapaksa, Professor G. L. Peiris and Lohan Ratwatte left for China on a special invitation from the Chinese Government.

When an inquiry was made from Lohan Ratwatte, regarding this visit, he said that, the objective of this trip is to obtain international support for the party.

The inaugural discussion regarding establishing the new party was held at the residence of Member of Parliament Lohan Ratwatte in Galkanda, Kandy under the patronage of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Meanwhile, at a special conference of the new party held at the Sunrich Hotel in Aladeniya, Kandy, which had been organized by Member of Parliament Dilum Amunugama on 20 November, under the leadership of Mahinda Rajapaksa, a number of proposals, including contesting at all future elections through the new party, were adopted.

Viagra dominates in Parliamentary coverage

The use and non-use of viagra by members of Parliament dominated yesterday’s morning live telecast of parliamentary proceedings on the state-run Eye channel with actor-turned politician Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake insisting members shouldn’t gratify their carnal desires at the expense of the President’s Fund.

Gampaha District MP Ramanayake said that he didn’t mind it as long as public funds weren’t involved. Ramanayake intervened during a heated argument between former Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwelle and Kurunegala District UNP MP Nalinda Bandara over the President’s Fund having met the former’s medical bills.

Kandy District parliamentarian insisted that unlike some members he didn’t use viagra.

A smiling MP Rambukwella declared that it would be certainly better to have sexual relations with a woman than being a male prostitute. The former defence spokesman also made a reference to the MP and elderly women.

Deputy Speaker Tilanga Sumathipala chaired the session.

Earlier in the day, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya urged all MPs to behave and refrain from resorting to unparliamentary language as parliamentary proceedings were now telecast live from Monday (Nov. 21).

The Speaker said the live telecast of the debate on the third reading of the budget would be on Channel Eye of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation from 9.30 am to 6,30 pm till December 10.

A Pakistani delegation including a former woman Speaker was present during the debate. Deputy Speaker Sumathipala during the stormy session welcomed the Pakistani delegation.

The UNP castigated Rambukwella for receiving Rs 20 mn from the President’s Fund following treatment received in the wake of an accident at a hotel in Melbourne, Australia in February, 2012.

Rambukwelle sustained injuries to his legs after falling off a balcony of his Melbourne hotel.

A Kandy District UNP MP remarked that the then minister had been in an undue haste. Rambukwelle said the MP was one of those who needed viagra.

MP Nalin Bandara emphasized that it was very unfair on the part of Rambukwella to receive so much money from the President’s Fund while many needy people awaited help. Bandara castigated Rambukwelle, alleging that he had made four attempts to switch allegiance to UNP in the run-up to the last parliamentary polls. The UNP claimed that Minister Lakshman Kiriella had thwarted Rambukwelle’s bid.

Rambukwelle also responded to some remarks made by Minister Sarath Fonseka.

JVP files action against Wimal for plagiarism

The Colombo Commercial High Court Judge Shiran Gooneratne yesterday re-fixed the trial in respect of a complaint filed by the JVP and the General Secretary of the party, Tilvin Silva for March 10, 15, 2017.

The complainant has said that the JVP Member of Parliament Wimal Weerawansa had published a book titled, ‘Neththa Venuwata Aththa’, which included ideas, expressed by the Central Committee of the JVP, without obtaining the permission of the JVP for such an action.

The complainants the JVP and Tilvin Silva claimed Rs. 10 million in damages from the author. The defendant, Wimal Weerawansa, is alleged to have authored it when he left the JVP and joined the government of the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The complainant has added that Weerawansa has violated the Intellectual Property Laws.

Duplicate Bindu accused for imitating Bandu

The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) yesterday filed a charge sheet against Bindu Botalegama who is alleged to have duplicated the performances of veteran film actor Bandu Samarasinghe.

The CCD filed charge sheet against the accused following a complaint by Samarasinghe.

Samarasinghe alleged that a person called Bindu Botalegama (Duplicate Bandu) had duplicated his performances including his way of behaviour and his voice in a manner of infringing his economic rights guaranteed under the Intellectual Property Act.

Meanwhile, four other accused allegedly involved in the incident were noticed to appear in Court on February 14 by Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya.

Tsunami warning issued for Japan after 7.4 earthquake

Residents of coastal areas in northeastern Japan are evacuating to higher ground following a powerful earthquake that hit Fukushima Prefecture on Tuesday morning.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says the magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture around 6 AM. It occurred at a depth of 25 kilometers.

The agency issued warnings for tsunami waves of up to 3 meters for Fukushima Prefecture and neighboring Miyagi Prefecture. Tsunami advisories have been issued for other prefectures along the Pacific Ocean.

A tsunami measuring 1.4 meters was observed at Sendai Port in Miyagi.

Municipal authorities in prefectures in the region issued evacuation orders or advisories to residents.

There have been a couple of reports of minor injuries.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company says it has restored a cooling system at the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant that briefly stopped after the quake.

Firefighting officials in the city of Iwaki in Fukushima said a fire broke out at a petrochemical complex in the district of Nishikimachi, but was extinguished at around 6:40 AM.

The central government set up a task force at the Prime Minister's office to gather information about the quake.

The Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train services were suspended but later resumed. Operations of some other Shinkansen lines are still suspended or delayed. (Source: nhk.or.jp)

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