News

Keeping 5g of Ice: Death sentence to anyone

Published

3 years ago

November 24, 2022

editor

As of yesterday, the Supreme Court has the power to award the death penalty to anyone for possession of five grams of crystal methamphetamine, which is known as ‘ice’, Justice and Prisons Affairs State Minister Anuradha Jayaratne said.

“If found guilty, such a person could face the death penalty under the Poisons, Opium, and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act No. 41 of 2022, which went into effect yesterday (April 23),” he said.

He said if school children were caught with even 5 grams of Ice they could be sentenced to detention centres. “However, it will be upto the Supreme Court to decide on such cases,” he said.

Addressing the media, he said, these amendments were brought to protect the future generation and to direct the country in the right direction.

The State Minister requested the parents and religious leaders to pay attention in this regard, as it would be useless if we were unable to protect the future generation to build the country.

“Even though the use of ice is dangerous, the law was only enforced on heroin, according to previous laws. As of today, the country is dealing with serious drug problems.

“According to the statistics, a total of 26,000 people are in prison so far. 16,000 of the total are in remand custody. Drug use had left 65% of the 16,000 in prison,” he said.

“As the government and with the advice of the President, we will take all measures to suppress this situation,” he said.

(dailymirror.lk)

News

COVID subvariants spreading in Asia detected in Sri Lanka

Published

9 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

9 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.