Author: TELO Admin

Responding to queries regarding the plight of Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka during the question hour in the Rajya Sabha, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said the government has inherited this problem due to events that can be traced back to 1974 and 1976.

“Sri Lanka has two laws — the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act of 1996 and the Fisheries Regulation of Foreign Fishing Boats of 1979. Both these acts were amended in 2018 and 2023, providing for much stiffer sentences, bigger fines, and greater detention,” he told the House.

He explained that many of those serving sentences are boat owners, skippers, or repeat offenders, complicating resolution efforts.

He stated that the “root cause” of the ongoing issue related to the detention of Indian fishermen in Sri Lanka began in 1974 when the international maritime boundary line was drawn, followed by an exchange of letters in 1976 with Sri Lanka delineating fishing jurisdiction.

“The House is aware that, in a way, our government has inherited the problem. This problem began in 1974 when the international maritime boundary line was drawn, followed by an exchange of letters in 1976 delineating fishing jurisdiction. These decisions are the root cause of the situation,” Mr Jaishankar said responding to the issue raised by DMK member Tiruchi Siva.

He further noted that most of the fishermen detained in Sri Lanka are from Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry due to geographical proximity. “Because it is Sri Lanka, it is natural that most of the fishermen will be from Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry,” he said.

Providing an update on the number of fishermen detained in the island nation, he said, “Till yesterday, there were 86 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody. Today, one more trawler has been apprehended, adding 11 more fishermen. So, in total, 97 are in custody–83 are serving sentences, three are awaiting trial, and 11 have been apprehended today.”

(The Statesman)

The Election Commission of Sri Lanka has announced the dates allocated for the marking of postal votes in the 2025 Local Government (LG) Elections.

Accordingly, postal voting for the LG Polls will be held on April 22, 23 and 24 at all District Secretariats and election offices.

Meanwhile, those unable to mark postal votes on the aforementioned dates can do so on April 28 and 29, the Election Commission said.

A discussion has been held between US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung and senior members of the United National Party (UNP) at the party headquarters in Sirikotha today.

Accordingly, Ambassador Julie Chung had engaged in discussions with UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardana and General Secretary Thalatha Athukorala.

It is reported that the discussion, which had taken place for over an hour, had focused on the current political state and the UNP’s political activities.

US Ambassador Julie Chung has previously held discussions at the headquarters of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) as well.

Commenting on the discussions, US Ambassador Julie Chung said the meeting had taken place as part of a cross-party engagement.

“Grateful for the perspectives shared today at my meeting with UNP Secretary General Thalatha Athukorala and UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena as part of our cross-party engagement. We spoke about our nations’ shared commitment to democracy and how our U.S.-Sri Lanka cooperation — on maritime security and economic growth — makes both nations safer, stronger and more prosperous,” she said in a statement on ‘X’.

Singaporean incorporated digital payments solution platform, Alipay+, is open to work with Sri Lankan tourism authorities to boost tourism to the island by targeting the South East Asian region and tourism source markets, Alipay+ Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand General Manager Edward Yue told The Daily Morning Business.

“We always take an open collaborative approach and work with local partners to support the travel ecosystem. In our past and ongoing efforts working with local regulators and tourism boards, we have seen very positive results,” Yue said, speaking at the launch of Alipay+ in Sri Lanka, in partnership with Lankapay on Tuesday (25).

The partnership’s aim is to elevate inbound and outbound travel experiences within the island, as users are enabled to make payments at over 400,000 LankaQR merchants within Sri Lanka.

The partnership is to also enable Sri Lankans who use the LankaQR-enabled apps to pay at Alipay+ merchants when traveling overseas.

In 2024, the cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation technology solutions platform collaborated with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to create a customisable in-app programme that features essential travel and cultural information, local merchant recommendations and city guides for Thai destinations.

“We started with offering seamless payments, and going beyond with in-app marketing and new travel innovations, which is creating new forms of engagement between tourism boards, merchants and travellers.”

The collaboration was opportune to strengthen Thailand’s digital offerings catered to Chinese tourists, its biggest tourism source market. For Sri Lanka, Chinese tourists consistently rank among the top five main source markets for tourism.

Chinese tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka doubled during the Chinese Lunar New Year period this year, with 19,809 arrivals, statistics from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) shows.

Sri Lanka as a destination has been platformed on Ctrip, China’s largest online travel agency, to offer customised tour packages.

Yue noted that tourism has become a significant driver of the global economy, and especially in destinations like Sri Lanka, that will benefit from new traveller preferences for more unique, localised, sustainable holidays.

“But for local businesses to benefit from this growth, they need to adapt to new traveller habits. Since the pandemic, mobile wallets have become the preferred choice of payment method, particularly for consumers from Asia,” he said.

“By connecting 14 international payment partners to Sri Lanka, we build on the national LankaQR infrastructure by LankaPay to enhance the travel experience for these users. Now, they can visit local shops, food stores, attractions and much more, and pay just like they would at home,” he explained.

“In doing so, we can provide growth opportunities for local merchants, who may miss out if they don’t offer solutions that travellers are used to.”

A recent survey conducted by the Family Health Bureau of the Ministry of Health has revealed that 18% of school children in Sri Lanka are suffering from various mental health issues.

The survey, which covered over 2,500 students aged 13 to 17 across the country, was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

The survey, carried out between September and October 2024, involved 78 questions across 10 health-related topics.

The findings highlighted several concerning trends among school children, including feelings of isolation, sleep disturbances, and increased anxiety and depression.

Dr. Chiranthika Withana, National Program Manager for Adolescent Health at the Family Health Bureau, noted that 22% of students reported feeling isolated in the past 12 months, while 12% experienced sleep disturbances due to various issues.

Additionally, 18% of students were found to be suffering from depression and anxiety.

Alarmingly, the rates of suicidal thoughts, planning, and attempts have increased compared to 2016, with 4.4% of students contemplating suicide, 9.6% planning it, and 9.1% attempting it.

The survey also revealed that 63% of students suffer from sleep deprivation due to excessive internet use.

Cyberbullying was reported by 5.4% of students, and 63% indicated that they do not get enough sleep, which is crucial for their health.

Dr. Withana highlighted various forms of harassment faced by students, including physical attacks (23.8%), sexual harassment (6.1%), dating violence (10.1%), and cyber sexual harassment (6.9%). Physical fights were reported by 34.5% of students, and despite legal prohibitions, 47.9% of students reported experiencing physical punishment in schools.

To address these issues, Dr. Withana emphasized the importance of creating a healthy environment for children, including promoting healthy eating habits, increasing physical activity, and implementing effective school health programs.