An on-stage fracas which saw the the current Mrs World pull the crown from the head of the new Mrs Sri Lanka has lead to the beauty queen being arrested by Colombo police.
Caroline Jurie, who was last year’s winner and went on to win Mrs World, yanked the crown from Pushpika de Silva minutes after she was declared Mrs Sri Lanka 2020 in a gala at Colombo's Nelum Pokuna theatre on Sunday.
Jurie claimed that de Silva was ineligible for the prize as she was divorced, and the rules stipulate that all contestants must be married. However, while de Silva is estranged from her husband, the pair are still legally married.
Jurie’s surprise announcement sparked unruly scenes minutes after the chief guest, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's wife Shiranthi, had left the theatre.
De Silva needed hospital treatment after the incident, seen by stunned spectators in a packed venue as well as a live social media audience.
On Thursday, police in Colombo arrested Jurie. "We have arrested Jurie and [her associate] Chula Manamendra in connection with a charge of assault and causing damage to Nelum Pokuna Theatre," senior police official Ajith Rohana said.
De Silva told reporters outside a police station in Colombo on Thursday that she was ready to drop the charges if Jurie made a public apology, but she had refused.
"I tried to end this out of court, but she has refused," De Silva said. "I can forgive, but not forget."
Police said a court hearing was fixed for April 19 and Jurie and her associate who crashed the stage have been released on bail.
Neither of them or their lawyers made any comments to reporters outside the police station.
The local franchise holder for the pageant, Chandimal Jayasinghe, said they were "deeply disturbed and sincerely regret" the behaviour of Jurie.
Jayasinghe said they were claiming compensation from Jurie for damages to the stage and backstage dressing rooms, where several mirrors had been smashed.
The incident also meant the event dragged on for two hours longer than scheduled, leading to theatre management demanding an additional fee of half a million rupees ($2,500), Jayasinghe added.
Jurie has also been accused by organisers of bringing disrepute to the event.
Social media calls have been mounting to strip Jurie of her Mrs World title, with one meme calling for her to be rebranded as "Mrs Under World".
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Al Montaqem, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m | Winner: Daber W’Rsan, Connor Beasley, Jaci Wickham
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m | Winner: Bainoona, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: AF Makerah, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 | Winner: AF Motaghatres, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,600m | Winner: Tafakhor, Ronan Whelan, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
AGUERO'S PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD
Apps: 186
Goals: 127
Assists: 31
Wins: 117
Losses: 33
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Fixture
Friday, March 29, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, The Sevens, Dubai
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
The%20specs
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Match info
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)
