News

Navy arrests 11 Indian poachers, total reaches 333 for the year

Published

9 months ago

August 25, 2024

editor

Eleven Indian poachers were arrested by the Navy on Friday along with a fishing craft bringing the total number of those arrested this year to 333, Navy Spokesman Capt. Gayan Wickramasinghe said.

He said the latest detention was made on the high seas of Point Pedro in the Northern seas.

The apprehension had been carried out during a regular patrol conducted by the Navy in the Northern waters on Friday.

The seized trawler together with the 11 Indian fishermen were later taken to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for legal proceedings, he said.

Meanwhile, in a related development the Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu, M. K. Stalin has protested against the arrest of the 11 Indian fishermen and called for their immediate and unconditional release.

In a letter to the Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Stalin stated, “I am writing to you with grave concern regarding yet another incident of apprehension of fishermen from Tamil Nadu.”

The fishermen were apprehended while fishing southeast of Kodiakarai in the Nagapattinam district, he said.

Further, in the past two weeks, there have been a couple of instances of attacks on fishermen at sea by unidentified persons from Sri Lanka, and this issue needs to be addressed immediately, the Chief Minister added.

“Therefore, I urge you to initiate immediate and concrete diplomatic efforts to secure the expeditious release of all our fishermen and their fishing boats,” Stalin told Jaishankar.

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.