Sri Lankan Navy arests 17 Indian fishermen for alleged poaching in country's territorial waters
Colombo (PTI): The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested at least 17 Indian fishermen and seized three trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country's territorial waters, an official statement said on Thursday.
The fishermen were arrested on Wednesday off the coast of Jaffna's Kakarathivu island.
"The Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday arrested at least 17 Indian fishermen and took in custody three trawlers for illegally poaching in the island nation's territorial water," said the statement from the Sri Lankan Navy.
They had been escorted to the port of Kankesanthurai and handed over to the local fisheries directorate, the Navy said.
The fishermen issue is a contentious one in ties between the two countries.
There have been periodic instances of Indian fishermen being apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
This problem has prevailed despite many high-level talks held between the two sides.
There have been several alleged incidents of Sri Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats.
The Palk Strait, which is a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday urged the Union Government to secure their immediate release.
Writing to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Stalin said, "Earlier today, three mechanised boats and 17 Tamil Nadu fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy, allegedly for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) into Sri Lankan waters."
Stalin requested Jaishankar to take up immediate diplomatic efforts to secure their release.
"These fishermen, who rely on fishing as their primary and sole source of livelihood, sometimes find themselves unintentionally drifting into Sri Lankan waters due to the absence of clear demarcation and navigational challenges," Stalin said in his letter.
The Indian Consulate in Jaffna said that it has provided materials and legal assistance to the 17 detained Indian fishermen.
"Consular officials of @CGJaffna provided material & legal assistance to seventeen Indian fishermen detained today in Jaffna. Consular officials sought welfare of fishermen & facilitated phone calls to their family in India," the Indian Consulate in Jaffna said in a tweet on social media platform X (previously Twitter).
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Fact check: Viral ‘Santa drone show’ near Burj Khalifa was fake; Elon Musk also shared video
Dubai: A viral video claiming to show a giant Santa Claus created by thousands of drones near the Burj Khalifa during Christmas celebrations has been debunked as fake. The clarification was reported by Khaleej Times, which confirmed that the clip was created using visual effects and did not depict a real event in Dubai.
The short video, which amassed more than 36 million views across social media platforms, showed what appeared to be a massive Santa figure waving beside the Burj Khalifa. The clip was widely shared with captions suggesting it reflected Dubai’s inclusive and multicultural celebrations. Even Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, shared the video with a heart emoji, further amplifying its reach and lending it unintended credibility.
According to Khaleej Times, the video was originally created in 2023 by UAE-based VFX artist Fawez Zayati. Zayati later clarified on Instagram that the footage was entirely fabricated using visual effects. “I created this video two years ago; it’s fake,” he said, adding humorously that he could create a similar VFX clip featuring Musk if asked.
The video was designed to appear authentic, seemingly filmed from the Souk Al Bahar area near Dubai Mall, with pedestrians visible in the frame. This realism contributed to widespread confusion, despite the creator having initially disclosed that it was a VFX project. Due to backlash and concerns about misinformation, Zayati eventually removed the video and urged users to verify content before sharing it.
Khaleej Times noted that the episode highlights the growing challenge of misinformation in the digital age, particularly as advances in visual effects and artificial intelligence make it easier to create highly realistic but misleading content. The report also pointed to concerns raised by experts following decisions by major tech platforms, including Meta and X, to scale back professional fact-checking teams and rely more heavily on user-driven systems such as Community Notes.
