Sri Lanka urged people on Saturday to catch and cook invasive fish species, including the giant snakehead and piranhas, that threaten fragile freshwater ecosystems and are now banned.
Sri Lanka urged people on Saturday to catch and cook invasive fish species, including the giant snakehead and piranhas, that threaten fragile freshwater ecosystems and are now banned.
The Fisheries Ministry launched a nationwide campaign by hosting a fishing competition at a reservoir in central Kurunegala district, where more than 1,000 anglers were instructed to reel in only the introduced predators.
Ministry secretary Kolitha Kamal Jinadasa said the import, sale and transportation of live redline giant snakehead, knife fish, alligator gar and piranha was banned from Saturday.
People who already keep the scarily named breeds in their homes or in private aquariums will also be given three months to register them with authorities.
«It is not easy to catch them with a net, because they are very aggressive and their teeth are very sharp», Jinadasa told hundreds of anglers during the competition targeting snakeheads at Deduru Oya reservoir.
«In one day, we can remove a large number of fish from the natural environment, and then we can control their population», he said.
Jinadasa labeled the day a success, although only 22 snakeheads of between two and four kilograms (4.5 to nine pounds) were weighed in the best angler competition.
Recreational fisherman N. A. V. Sandaruwan, 37, won the top prize of 20,000 rupees ($66) and a rod and reel.
«I nearly had another big snakehead, but it managed to get away», he said.
Officials also encouraged competitors to take their catch home and cook them, although it is not usually a species consumed by locals.
Two anglers from India, Dinesh Kumar and Raj Thilak, joined the competition but neither was able to bag a snakehead.
«Some days you get one, some days you don’t, but that’s fishing», Kumar told AFP.
Jinadasa hoped there might even be a tourism spinoff in the campaign to rid Sri Lankan waters of the invasive species.
He said snakeheads, which can grow to more than a meter (3.3 feet), were multiplying rapidly in the Deduru Oya reservoir, threatening smaller native species.

Every country has air sovereignty, giving them the right to engage an aircraft that enters their airspace. The 1944 Chicago Convention explains their rights.
Every once in a while, one nation’s air asset finds its way into another country’s airspace, which can be problematic. During the Cold War, it was incredibly common for the United States to send its high-flying, super-fast SR-71 Blackbird into Soviet airspace to gather intelligence, but the practice eventually gave way to satellites. However, it does still happen. In 2025, it occurred several times to NATO nations, pushing many in the West to wonder, ‘Can a nation react violently when its airspace is breached?’
The answer to that question is an absolute yes — every nation has what is called air sovereignty, and it’s backed up by a treaty. Air sovereignty is a country’s fundamental right to govern the use of its airspace, which involves allowing passenger planes from other countries and other forms of air traffic. The primary treaty that deals with this is the 1944 Chicago Convention, known as the Convention on International Civil Aviation. It regulates what a nation can and can’t do regarding its airspace, and like other treaties, it’s been updated over the years as new technology arises.
In addition to the international treaty, each nation has its own laws regarding its airspace, but one thing is clear: it’s not okay for one country to violate another’s. In 2023, a Chinese spy balloon found its way into U.S. airspace, resulting in the first «kill» by an F-22 Raptor. In Europe, the Russo-Ukrainian War bled over into both Poland and Romania, when airspace incursions resulted in what can only be described as international incidents.The 2023 Chinese Spy Balloon Incident
Accidental airspace incursions happen fairly often, but when it comes to highly-publicized, possibly purposeful incidents, you need look no further than the 2023 Chinese spy balloon. The incursion was first noted on January 28, 2023, and it continued until February 4. The balloon was a high-altitude vehicle that crossed much of North American airspace, including Alaska, Western Canada, and much of the continental United States. The incursion ended when an F-22 shot it down with an AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile.
China has never acknowledged the balloon’s purpose and claimed that it was blown off course and into U.S. airspace, but analysts in the West are highly dubious of this claim. That said, it was confirmed that the vehicle’s onboard sensors weren’t active, nor did they transmit any information to China, so the claim could be truthful. The U.S. Air Force tracked the balloon with a U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane before finally deciding to shoot it out of the sky after it moved over the Atlantic Ocean.
The debris was recovered from the bottom of the ocean and analyzed to determine how much data was transmitted. While the balloon may not have collected intelligence, China certainly got a look at the U.S. response to an airspace incursion, and the event degraded U.S.-China relations. Of course, the U.S. didn’t request to shoot down a Chinese asset — it did so because it has the legal right to protect its air sovereignty.Russian incursions into NATO airspace in 2025
The Russo-Ukrainian War involves a lot of NATO allies, whose airspace is used to transport supplies, weapons, and ammunition to Ukraine, but the conflict has remained within Russia’s and Ukraine’s borders. Should it cross over into a neighboring NATO nation, though, larger war could erupt across Europe. Nobody wants that to happen, but Russia still violated Polish and then Romanian airspace in two separate events in a single week in September 2025.
On September 9, several Russian drones violated Polish airspace, initiating a response from NATO. Air defenses were activated and engaged the drones via Italian AWACS, Dutch F-35s, Polish F-16s, tanker transports, and German Patriots. The quick reaction showed NATO’s resolve in working together to protect the airspace of its member-nations, but it resulted in the activation of Article 4. This brought in all members for consultations regarding the incident. That was the first Russian incursion into NATO airspace, but it wasn’t an isolated incident.
On September 14, Romania reported that a Russian drone violated its airspace, resulting in yet another potential threat to a NATO ally. Romanian fighter jets were already in the air monitoring the drone as it flew within Ukraine’s borders, but it eventually crossed over into the country’s airspace. The fighters identified the drone as an Iranian-Shahed 136, which is a single-use attack drone. It didn’t fly over any populated areas, but the incursion was nonetheless a second escalation, which could be accidental, but also intentional to test NATO’s air defense response.

Ryobi makes a number of power tools suited for a variety of purposes, and users have particularly taken a shine to the company’s USB Lithium Power Cutter.
In addition to its popular line of 12-volt and 18-volt power tools, the Ryobi USB Lithium series offers a variety of cordless tools that you can use at home or take with you from job to job. Unlike Ryobi’s 12V and 18V systems, its USB Lithium tools don’t require a dedicated charger — they use a lithium battery that resembles a traditional alkaline AA battery that can be recharged by simply plugging in a USB-C cable. This allows these tools to be lighter and more portable.
Of course, you won’t find larger, more power-hungry equipment like cordless circular saws running on a Ryobi USB Lithium battery, but there’s still a wide range of various devices that are part of the system. Plus, the brand continuously adds new Ryobi USB Lithium products to its catalog. One useful tool that’s part of the ecosystem is the Ryobi USB Lithium Power Cutter, which comes in handy in all kinds of applications, from renovations to opening your mail.
Essentially, it acts as a motorized blade or pair of scissors, so you can use it to easily open boxes or those plastic clamshell packages that are seemingly made of titanium. It can also be used for cutting fabric or leather in craft projects, as well as plastic sheets or ropes in various trades. It also works well as a carpet cutter if you’re remodeling your home. The tool is sold with a 2Ah battery and a USB-C charging cable, and has a list price of $60. While it may cost more than a box cutter or a pair of strong scissors, the tool is pretty popular among those who’ve purchased it.Older folks and those with grip issues will appreciate Ryobi’s Power Cutter
With over 1,000 Home Depot customers contributing to its score, the Ryobi USB Lithium Power Cutter has a solid 4.3 out of 5 average user rating, with 90% of customers recommending it. That alone gives you an idea that the tool is good at what it does, but by coming through written reviews and the actual experience of users, you can get a stronger sense of what specifically makes it so popular. You’ll find plenty of specific examples from users of what the tool can actually cut through, including wet carpet, irrigation tubing, bulky fabric, corrugated cardboard, closed cell foam rolls and more.
The tool is particularly popular with users who have weaker grip or strength, such as seniors or those with hand issues. Rather than having to manually apply force to slice through materials, the motorized cutter allows people to simply guide the tool and let it handle the rest. One user sums up its benefits in a 5-star review on Ryobi’s website: «I’m 75 with severe arthritis in my hands, and using knives and/or boxcutters was difficult. This power cutter is an answer to a prayer. It works BETTER than I expected, and makes the job a breeze, no matter how many boxes I have to cut up. This is the way to go, especially for us oldsters.»
In addition to its functionality, the USB Lithium power cutter is popular thanks to its strong battery life, with at least one Home Depot customer calling it «amazing.» Another reports that Ryobi’s Power Cutter «lasted all day with continuous use.» In addition to running for a long time, users also note that the USB Lithium battery charges quickly when it does finally die out.The Ryobi Power Cutter may be less popular with lefties
While most reviews are positive and contribute to its fairly high overall user score, not everyone comes away happy with the Ryobi Power Cutter after using it. For example, some Home Depot customers complain that it isn’t strong enough to slice through thicker materials, such as double-corrugated cardboard. Cardboard comes up a lot, in fact, as a material the tool struggles to cut, with some saying it will even jam. A 1-star review left by one disgruntled user reads, «This thing does not work. I’d be faster using scissors or even a butter knife.»
Several other reviews also note that it would be faster to use a box cutter or a similar instrument. When users mention that the tool struggles to perform its primary function, they cite either a lack of power or issues with the material catching on the blade guard. Another issue with the guard, mentioned by more than one customer, is that it is not adjustable, which is more of an inconvenience than a fundamental problem with the device.
Finally, while many of the Ryobi Power Cutter’s strong reviews point out its ergonomic design, this praise isn’t universal. Just as many left-handed people struggle with manual scissors designed for righties, some southpaws may also find the motorized tool uncomfortable to handle. One user describing the tool says that they are «left-handed and it’s a bit clumsy to operate. Right-side use is very easy overall.» However, these relatively minor qualms and sparse negative reviews don’t make the popular power cutter one of the Ryobi tools you should avoid. Just make sure you’re aware of its limitations before committing to buying one.How Ryobi’s Power Cutter was evaluated for this article
The users cited in this article discussing firsthand feedback for the Ryobi USB Lithium Power Cutter are derived from two primary sources: Ryobi’s website and Home Depot’s website. Ryobi’s page is a great source for reviews and comments from users more likely to have operated other equipment from the brand that have a better sense of Ryobi’s strengths and weaknesses and what level of quality one should expect from the company.
On the power cutter’s product page, over 400 users weighed in, giving it a very positive overall user rating. Average ratings are generally more reliable when they come from a large pool of customers, as any fake or outlier reviews made in bad faith (whether positively or negatively) won’t affect the average much. This is also what makes Home Depot a useful resource, as the retailer has a large base of users that often provide feedback on Ryobi tools. Over 1,000 Home Depot customers reviewed the USB Lithium Power Cutter, giving it a positive review and sharing more than enough experiences with the tool to get a good sense of how users overall feel about it and what makes the product so popular.

OpenAI has allegedly hired 12 former Apple execs to assist with building the device, which includes a screen-free smart speaker, glasses, a digital voice recorder, and a wearable ‘pin.’
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After OpenAI poached famed former Apple designer Jony Ive earlier this year in a multibillion-dollar buyout, the company has allegedly signed a deal with key Apple device assembler Luxshare to make a consumer device.
The current set of prototypes includes a screen-free smart speaker, as well as glasses, a digital voice recorder, and a wearable “pin.” OpenAI is targeting late 2026 to 2027 for the release of the first device. The news was originally reported by The Information, and OpenAI has not yet commented on it.Recommended by Our Editors
The company is reportedly in touch with Goertek, another Chinese manufacturer, which helps assemble AirPods, HomePods, and Apple Watches, to supply components like speaker modules for the planned devices.
In addition, OpenAI has reportedly hired two dozen of Apple’s former consumer hardware people to assist with the devices. These new hires come in addition to numerous former Apple execs that came into the company after it spent $6.5 billion to acquire io Products in May, which brought about 55 new staff to the company.
Jony Ive, who founded io Products, is thought to have played a key role in the design of the Apple Watch, iMac, Power Mac G4 Cube, iPod, iPhone, iPad, MacBook. He was Apple’s senior vice president of industrial design and chief design officer when he left the company.
Though this is the first time deals with suppliers have come to light, reports about its plans to move into the hardware game surfaced earlier this year. In May, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he had plans for an entire “family of devices» following Ive joining the company in a call with staff. The Wall Street Journal reported that the device may be pocket-size, contextually aware, and screen-free, though eyewear was apparently not on the table at the time.