News

11 arrested for abduction & torture of trishaw driver

Published

2 years ago

May 2, 2023

editor

Eleven persons including 02 women have been arrested over abducting a trishaw driver and torturing him at a home in Kopai, Jaffna police say.

Upon receiving a tipoff, the police STF and the Jaffna police investigation unit had raided the location to find the trishaw driver bound in a room with serious injuries after being assaulted.

He had been admitted to the Jaffna Base hospital.

The driver had been abducted by a group in a van after being asked to come to Vavuniya town under the guise of going on a hired trip.

The van and 03 other motorbikes used for the incident have been seized, police add.

Initial investigations have revealed that the driver had obtained a sum of Rs. one million from one of the women involved in the abduction, claiming to send her abroad. However, they had demanded the money back and had abducted the driver when he had evaded paying them back.

Police also say that since the women had lacked proof that they had given the money, they had attempted to torture the driver into getting the relevant proof documents in order.

The suspects are said to be residents of the Kopai area aged between 20- 40 years.

(Source : Lankadeepa)

News

COVID subvariants spreading in Asia detected in Sri Lanka

Published

10 hours ago

May 31, 2025

editor

The Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka has confirmed that the COVID-19 variant currently spreading in the Asian region has also been identified in the country.

Dr. Jude Jayamaha, a specialist in viral diseases at the Medical Research Institute, stated that patients infected with the Omicron subvariants LF.7 and XFG are being reported locally.

Dr. Jayamaha explained that this finding was confirmed through research conducted on biological samples collected from several hospitals across the island.

However, he emphasized that there is no need for undue fear regarding these COVID-19 variants.

Health authorities have also stressed the importance of vulnerable groups—such as pregnant mothers, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses—following health guidelines, including wearing face masks and avoiding crowded places.

Dr. Jayamaha reiterated that new COVID-19 variants emerge periodically, and health authorities are continuously monitoring the situation, so the public should remain calm.

(newswire.lk)

(This story, originally published by newswire.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

News

Anudi misses out from Miss World Quarter-Finals

Published

10 hours ago

May 31, 2025

editor

The Miss World organization has announced its quarter-finalists, selecting 40 contestants from across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Sri Lanka’s Anudi Gunasekara, was not selected in the top 40, despite being recognized for her impressive performances in the Multimedia and Head-to-Head challenges.

The top 40 consisted of 10 contestants each from Asia & Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Americas.