The Sri Lanka Navy swiftly responded to bring ashore an ill fisherman and transfer him to hospital, for urgent medical attention yesterday morning (19 ). The fisherman was aboard a multi-day fishing trawler on the high seas off the south coast and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo coordinated the retrieval of the sick fisherman.

The multi-day fishing trawler ‘Sinusha’ (IMUL-A-2195GLE), with seven crew from Galle, was fishing approximately 474 nautical miles south of Sri Lanka on 25 December when a fisherman suffered severe chest pain. The developments prompted the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to alert the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo, seeking immediate assistance.

The Navy, alerted by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo, provided remote medical guidance (Tele Therapy) and directed the trawler towards the nearest harbor. Meanwhile, a naval craft was dispatched from the Southern Naval Command.

Subsequently, the patient was transferred at sea, within Galle’s Offshore Patrol Limits, given first aid aboard the naval craft, and was brought to Galle Harbour. He was then rushed to the Teaching Hospital Karapitiya for medical attention.

The Navy remains alert to such emergencies affecting the fishing and naval communities, in close coordination with MRCC Colombo

The 315th annual feast of St. Joseph Vaz, the “Apostle of Sri Lanka,” was celebrated with deep devotion at the historic Shrine dedicated to him in Kandy.

The feast commemorates the extraordinary life of the Saint who revived the Catholic faith in Sri Lanka during the Dutch occupation, a period when the religion was strictly prohibited.

Born on April 21, 1651, in Goa, India, Joseph Vaz was ordained as a Priest in 1676. He arrived in Sri Lanka, in 1687, disguised as a beggar, to evade Dutch authorities. Until his passing in 1711, he rendered an unparalleled service to the local Catholic community, traversing the island to provide spiritual guidance.

St. Joseph Vaz passed away in Kandy on January 16, 1711. Recognising his sanctity, Pope John Paul II beatified him on January 21, 1995, during a historic visit to Sri Lanka.

Subsequently, he was canonized as a Saint by Pope Francis on January 14, 2015, in Colombo.

A significant highlight of this year’s feast was the participation of a group of 125 Catholic devotees from Goa, India, the birthplace of the Saint.

The festive High Mass was presided over by the Bishop Emeritus of Kandy, Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Vianney Fernando.

The visiting delegation from Goa is scheduled to embark on a week-long pilgrimage across various sites in the island, associated with the missionary journeys of St. Joseph Vaz.

By S.K. Samaranayake

The BASL will commence an Online Certificate Course in Intellectual Property Law on 29 January 2026.

The BASL press release is as follows: “The course will be conducted every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. over a period of 10 weeks and is open to BASL members, non-members, legal apprentices, and law students.

Sharing his views on the commencement of the programme, the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Mr. Rajeev Amarasuriya, stated that the certificate course is designed to strengthen understanding of intellectual property law with a practical focus, addressing key legal, commercial, and technological aspects relevant to contemporary practice. The sessions will cover core areas of intellectual property law as well as emerging issues arising from innovation, technology, trade, and sustainability.