The Sri Lanka man, who pleaded guilty to killing a Sri Lankan mother, her four children, and a family friend, in a mass stabbing, in Ottawa, in 2024, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.

Febrio De-Zoysa pleaded guilty to four counts of first degree murder, two counts of second degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

The judge presiding over the case called it one of the worst crimes in the city’s history and said it has “shocked” the community and “shaken it to its core.”

The victims’ family members read out impact statements to a packed courtroom yesterday.

Thirty-five-year-old Darshani Ekanayake and her four children, who ranged in age from two months to seven years old, along with 40-year-old Gamini Amarakoon, were killed in the attack.

De-Zoysa was a 19-year-old international student living at the family’s rented townhouse at the time of the murders.

De-Zoysa had stabbed Amarakoon to death in the basement and soon after told Dhanushka on the phone that the alarming sounds his family heard were from a horror film on television they were watching.

He managed to convince the family that everything was fine, then headed up stairs and stabbed all four children and Darshani to death. Darshani held her baby in her arms and failed to fend off the attacks.

The court heard De-Zoysa told police that he had watched TikTok videos trying to calm himself down before attacking the father when he came home many hours later.

Dhanushka came home late after working two jobs that day when De-Zoysa attacked him.

He told the court De-Zoysa struck him multiple times, stabbing his face and chest. He tried to escape to his family upstairs — who in fact were dead in the basement — but the doors were locked and he was stabbed again.

Dhanushka managed to fend off De-Zoysa’s attacks and overpower him, then ran outside, covered in blood and wailing. Police were called and De-Zoysa was arrested.

Dhanushka was stabbed six times in total, suffering extensive pain and nerve damage and losing multiple fingers. He told the court he lost his family, his home and livelihood in the “unbearable tragedy.”

Justice Kevin Phillips called it one of the worst crimes in the city’s history, telling De-Zoysa he destroyed “two beautiful families” and shook the community “to its core.”

Phillips said De-Zoysa violated the trust of a family that took him into their home and that he used the knife to “grotesque effect.” He called the level of violence involved “stupefying, monstrous — even demonic.”

“You are the stuff of nightmares,” the judge said. “You have caused so much loss and grief. If I could give consecutive life sentences, I would.”(GlobalNews)

The ‘1966’ Vocational Education Hotline was officially launched on Thursday (06) to provide students with accurate and efficient information on transitioning to vocational education after secondary education.

A release issued by the Ministry said that the hotline was launched at the Nipunatha Piyasa premises, in Narahenpita, under the patronage of Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Training, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya.

Through the ‘1966’ hotline, students can access vocational education information in Sinhala, Tamil, and English.

For enhanced service delivery, users can also interact with an AI-powered chatbot developed by the Ministry’s technical officers, capable of providing solutions to any vocational education-related queries.

Addressing the gathering, PM Amarasuriya emphasised the importance of integrating modern technology with the evolving transformational education process, especially as students begin foundational vocational learning under the new school curriculum.

She further stated that the vocational education structure must be adaptively reformed to develop the human and physical resources needed for students to successfully enter tomorrow’s workforce.

Veteran South Indian actor R. Sarathkumar has lauded Sri Lanka’s vast tourism potential during his ongoing four-day visit to the island.

Sarathkumar arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday as part of a promotional initiative to position the country as a premier travel destination.

During a visit to Kandy on Thursday, the actor toured a seven-star luxury hotel, currently under construction, and set to open in May or June next year.

“This hotel matches the world’s finest, offering seven-star facilities and even helicopter services from Colombo,” Sarathkumar told reporters.

Expressing admiration for the island’s diversity, he said Sri Lanka offers “everything a tourist could want.”

“Everything is available here—except snow. Every other climate is available in Sri Lanka,” he remarked with a smile.