News

SC declares detention order by Gota, unlawful

Published

2 months ago

March 18, 2025

editor

The Supreme Court today (18) ruled that a detention order issued by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa under the Prevention of Terrorism Act was entirely unlawful.
The order had been used to detain and investigate a woman in connection with a heroin possession case in 2020.

The woman was arrested for possessing heroin in 2020.

The Supreme Court ordered the government to pay her Rs. 100,000 in compensation for the violation of her fundamental rights.

The ruling was made in response to a fundamental rights petition filed by Kanchana Priyadarshani Madurapperuma, a resident of Henagama, Pokunuwita, who was arrested by the Peliyagoda Special Investigation Unit.

The judgment was delivered by a bench of Supreme Court judges, including Dilip Nawaz and Mahinda Samayawardhana, with Justice S. Thurairaja presiding.

The petition stated that the woman and her brother were arrested on January 3, 2020, in Bandaragama by officers from the Peliyagoda Special Investigation Unit.

(News1st)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by News1st has not been edited by SLM staff)

News

COVID subvariants spreading in Asia detected in Sri Lanka

Published

11 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

11 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.