Case against Indian-origin Singapore lawyer
Singapore, Sep 17: An Indian-origin lawyer, who has already been suspended from practising in connection with some other case, has been charged for four different offences under law by the State Courts for allegedly slapping a woman on her cheek at a Hindu temple here. Ravi Madasamy, who is also known as M Ravi, faced one charge for voluntarily causing hurt, one for disorderly behaviour in public and two under the Protection from Harassment Act at a Hindu temple in downtown South Bridge Road after the incident on Friday, according to a report by The Strait Times on Sunday. The 54-year-year lawyer had allegedly slapped the woman at Sri Mariamman Temple, where he is also accused of shouting vulgarities and using indecent language, the news report said, adding, he then purportedly called another woman at the temple a prostitute, with the intention of causing harassment. Prior to this incident, Ravi had allegedly used abusive words against a man along Pagoda Street in the temple vicinity by shouting a vulgarity in Tamil at him, also intending to cause harassment. Ravi was remanded at the Institute of Mental Health on Saturday for medical examination, and will be produced in the court on September 29. (PTI)
China issues blue alert for severe weatherr
Beijing, Sep 17: China’s meteorological authorities on Sunday issued a blue alert for severe convective weather in vast stretches of the country. From 2 pm Sunday to 2 pm Monday, thunderstorms, gales, and hail will sweep parts of Beijing, Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei and Henan, the National Meteorological Center was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying. Short bursts of heavy rainfall with hourly precipitation ranging from 20 to over 60 millimetres will scatter across China, lashing parts of Beijing, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Hubei, Fujian, Chongqing, Yunnan and Guangdong, among other places, the centre said. The effects of the weather conditions will most likely be observed from Sunday afternoon to evening, it said. It has recommended a reduction in outdoor activities. Vessels operating in or transiting affected waters should return to port or detour. The centre has also suggested that drainage systems in cities, farmlands, and fishponds be inspected and that preparations for flash floods, landslides, mudslides, and other disasters are made. (IANS)
14 dead in plane crash
Sao Paulo, Sep 17: At least 14 people were killed when a small plane crashed in Barcelos, an inland city of Amazonas state in northern Brazil, local authorities have said. “They were all tourists who were going on a fishing trip,” Amazonas Governor Wilson Lima told a press conference on Saturday, adding that initial information showed all the tourists were Brazilian, Xinhua news agency reported. It was reported that the pilot had trouble finding the runway for landing in Barcelos, a sport fishing destination. The Manaus Aerotaxi airline confirmed the accident in a social media statement. (IANS)