SL repatriates 41 Indian fishermen
Colombo, Jan 22: Forty-one Indian fishermen detained by the Sri Lanka Navy have been repatriated by authorities here, the Indian mission here said on Wednesday. Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters. “41 Indian fishermen successfully repatriated from Sri Lanka! They are currently on their way home,” the Indian High Commission here said on X. The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters. (PTI)
Germany knife attack kills 2; suspect held
Berlin, Jan 22: Two people were killed and two others were injured in a stabbing attack in Bavaria on Wednesday, German police said. Police said a suspect was detained in the knife attack, which occurred in a park in the southern German town of Aschaffenburg. Police said they did not immediately know the motive for the attack, but that it was not terrorism. Train services in the town were temporarily interrupted as the suspect tried to flee from police along the tracks, German news agency dpa reported. However, the suspect was quickly detained after the incident, police wrote on the social media platform X. (AP)
Pope prays for wildfire-affected people in LA
Rome, Jan 22: Pope Francis offered prayers on Wednesday for the people of Los Angeles as they endure deadly fires. Francis referred to the disaster during his weekly general audience on Wednesday and invoked Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is revered by many Latino Catholics. “My heart is with the people of Los Angeles who are suffering so much as a result of the fires that have devastated entire neighbourhoods and communities,” Francis said. “May Our Lady of Guadalupe intercede for everyone to be a witness of hope.” Fires fuelled by hurricane-strength winds and parched weather have been raging in parts of Los Angeles since January 7. The blazes have killed at least 28 people, forced tens of thousands to flee their homes, destroyed more than 14,000 structures and rank among the most destructive in California’s history. (AP)