Swing's rope entangles, kills 11-year-old boy

An 11-year-old boy died in Ampara in Sri Lanka after getting entangled in the rope of a swing, the ‘Divaina’ newspaper reported.

The boy became unconscious while playing on the swing.

Police said the boy had been reprimanded by his mother for not attending a tuition class a few moments before he went to the swing.

50kg of ‘khat’ seized from traveller

A Sri Lankan has been arrested at Colombo Airport for possessing 50kg of the narcotic herb called ‘khat’ which he had brought from Kenya, ‘Daily Mirror’ reported.

Khat or qat is a flowering plant native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula where khat chewing is a custom dating back thousands of years.

Khat contains a monoamine alkaloid called cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant which is said to cause excitement, loss of appetite and euphoria.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) classified khat as a narcotic in 1980 which can produce mild to moderate psychological dependence (less than tobacco or alcohol), although WHO does not consider that to be seriously addictive.

In some countries like, United States, Canada and Germany, it is a controlled substance and in other nations such as  Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen, its production, sale and distribution are legal.

4-year-old girl molested by Navy soldier

A Sri Lankan Navy soldier has been held on charges of molesting a four-year-old girl near Trincomalee, the ‘Ada Derana’ reported.

The victim was admitted to a hospital on Saturday for medical examination.

The suspect, who was working on a water bowser distributing drinking water in the area, entered the child’s home when her parents were away on the day of the incident.

Businessman’s murder surfaces after 9 months

Police in Sri Lanka discovered on Monday that a businessman who disappeared on Sinhala New Year Day in a gambling joint in Devinuwara, was shot and burnt to death, the ‘Lankadeepa’ reported.

A three-wheeler driver arrested on suspicion on Sunday told police during questioning that a gang had abducted the businessman and shot him in a mansion before being burnt.

The 39-year-old businessman, a father of two, had been abducted and murdered on April 13, 2013.

It is suspected that a well-known drug dealer was involved in the businessman’s murder. The drug dealer has fled the country on a fake passport.

Police had earlier arrested him on suspicion but was released on bail on the same day because of his connections with local politicians.

Police found parts of the businessman’s body in a cinnamon plantation.

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