LPD Ariyawathi, who returned from Saudi Arabia with 24 nails inside her body, is treated at a hospital in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
LPD Ariyawathi, who returned from Saudi Arabia with 24 nails inside her body, is treated at a hospital in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
LPD Ariyawathi, who returned from Saudi Arabia with 24 nails inside her body, is treated at a hospital in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
LPD Ariyawathi, who returned from Saudi Arabia with 24 nails inside her body, is treated at a hospital in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka blacklists agent who recruited tortured housemaid


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COLOMBO // Authorities investigating how a Sri Lankan maid working in Saudi Arabia ended up with 14 nails in her body have temporarily barred the local agent who recruited her from soliciting more workers. Sri Lankan officials also have asked Saudi authorities to investigate the agent in the kingdom who was involved in getting the job for the maid, said Mangala Randeniya, deputy general manager of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment.

If necessary, Sri Lanka will pay to fly the woman to Saudi Arabia to help in the investigation, he said in an interview. The bureau has ordered that the Saudi agent, who must be registered with local authorities here, be temporarily removed from a list of authorised agents. The employer has been blacklisted, so neither the agent nor the employer can recruit in Sri Lanka, he said. The case of LPD Ariyawathi, 50, has drawn worldwide attention, prompting the president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to order an investigation.

Local newspapers have been running the story throughout the week, a few days after Ms Ariyawathi revealed that her employer had forced 14 nails and five wires into her body. Thousands of Sri Lankan women are employed in the Middle East as domestic workers and there are often complaints of abuse, sexual harassment and unpaid wages. However, this is one of the most bizarre cases reported so far, said Mr Randeniya of foreign employment bureau.

Ms Ariyawathi is being treated at Kamburupitiya Hospital and on Friday underwent an operation to remove the metal objects. Dr Kamal Weeratunge said in an interview that X-rays indicated there were 14 nails and five metal wires embedded in her body. There was a metal wire inserted over her eye brow and the others were in the lower and upper limbs. He said he did a three-hour operation and removed all except four thin pins, two in the forearms and two in the arms as they were too close to the bones.

"We took into consideration the surgery versus benefits and decided to let them be so that the body could adjust to them," he said. He said the injuries were probably not self-inflicted. "Usually if a right-handed person inflicts injuries on herself, they would most be on the left side - but it is not so in Ariyawathi's case. Her injuries are all over her body," the surgeon said. Ms Ariyawathi's son-in-law, H Gunapala, speaking by telephone from the hospital, said that when she returned to Sri Lanka on August 21, just five months after arriving in the kingdom, she had to be carried to a vehicle at the airport.

"When asked what was wrong, she said that she had trampled thorns from the date tree. "She was afraid to state the truth because the family was opposed to her going to the Middle East," he said. It was the next day when she was taken to a private doctor that she said she had been abused. "She didn't have any mental problems at the time she left Sri Lanka," he said. On Monday, women promoting the rights of migrant workers demonstrated outside the Saudi Embassy in Colombo demanding an impartial investigation into the alleged abuse.

The Saudi Arabian ambassador and his counselor were unavailable for comment, despite repeated calls to the Colombo embassy. Other officials there declined to talk, saying they are not authorised to speak to the media. @Email:foreign.desk@thenational.ae

THE SPECS

Touareg Highline

Engine: 3.0-litre, V6

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 340hp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh239,312

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO

Champions League last 16, first leg

Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic

Power: 169bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Price: Dh54,500

On sale: now

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Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

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MATCH INFO

Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai

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RESULT

Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1 
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’

French Touch

Carla Bruni

(Verve)

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The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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Scoreline:

Everton 4

Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', ​​​​​​​Digne 56', Walcott 64'

Manchester United 0

Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now