Author: Buzzer Editorial

Here are some reactions from top officials and governments around the world:EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN”President Trump’s announcement of universal tariffs on the whole world, including the EU, is a major blow to the world economy.””Uncertainty will spiral and trigger the rise of further protectionism. The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe.””We are already finalising a first package of countermeasures in response to tariffs on steel. And we are now preparing for further countermeasures, to protect our interests and our businesses if negotiations fail.”CHINA COMMERCE MINISTRY”China firmly opposes this and will take countermeasures…

The Matara Magistrate’s Court has ordered suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon to be further remanded until April 10 in connection with the 2023 shooting incident near a hotel in the Pelena area of Weligama.Tennakoon, who had been subject to an arrest warrant, surrendered to the court by submitting a motion on March 19, after evading arrest for nearly 20 days.The Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously issued an arrest order for eight police officers, including former officers of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, naming them as suspects in the shooting incident that occurred in…

The Colombo High Court has sentenced to death a person who was found guilty of being in the possession of over 16 grams of heroin and drug trafficking.Following a lengthy trial, this verdict was delivered by Colombo High Court Judge R.S.S. Sapuwida today (03).The accused had been arrested by police during a raid carried out in Grandpass on 17 February 2019 along with 16.88 grams of heroin.Later, the Attorney General filed charges against the accused for possession and trafficking of heroin.The judge, who declared the verdict after a lengthy trial, stated that the charges leveled by the prosecution against the…

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa says that the 44% US trade tariff on Sri Lanka is not just a trade issue, but a wake-up call to stop the silent defiance of regional interests of other nations and protect mutual interest.Posting on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) regarding the matter, Premadasa stated that those who are now in government, in the past blocked every trade deal, distrusted globalization, and saw investment as intrusion, and stressed that this legacy must end and that they have to switch up their stance. Furthermore, the Opposition Leader called on Sri Lanka to have a strategic reset by…

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed a high-level committee to analyze the potential economic impact of the newly imposed reciprocal tariffs by US President Donald Trump and to provide recommendations to the government.The committee comprises key economic policymakers and industry experts, including the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), the Chairman of the Export Development Board (EDB), and the Director General of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Additionally, Senior Economic Advisor to the President Duminda Hulangamuwa, Chief Economic Policy Advisor of…

A magistrate of the Marawila Magistrate’s Court has been suspended following a preliminary investigation conducted by the Judicial Service Commission.The suspension was imposed after an investigation was carried out based on a complaint received by the Judicial Service Commission regarding the magistrate in question.

Suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon, who is currently in remand custody, is scheduled to be produced before the Matara Magistrate’s Court once again today (03).Tennakoon was remanded until today, after he surrendered to the court on March 19.Tennakoon, who was subject to an arrest warrant in connection with a shooting incident near a hotel in the Pelena area of Weligama in 2023, surrendered to the court by submitting a motion after absconding for nearly 20 days.Following his surrender, the Matara Magistrate ordered that the suspect be remanded until today.The Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously issued an arrest…

Former Chief Minister of the North Central Province, S.M. Ranjith, and his Private Secretary, Shanthi Chandrasena, who were each sentenced to 16 years of rigorous imprisonment on corruption charges, have filed an appeal against their conviction.The appeal was submitted to the Colombo High Court to be presented before the Court of Appeal, Ada Derana reporter said.In the appeal, they claim that the High Court judge failed to consider the facts they presented during the trial.Accordingly, they have requested the Court of Appeal to acquit them of the charges.

Extreme heat and heavy rain in Myanmar could cause disease outbreaks among earthquake survivors camping in the open, global aid bodies warned on Thursday, complicating rescue efforts made difficult by a civil war, as the death toll surpassed 3,000.Last Friday’s 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar’s strongest in a century, jolted a region home to 28 million, toppling buildings such as hospitals, flattening communities and leaving many without food, water and shelter.Deaths rose to 3,085 on Thursday, with 4,715 injured and 341 missing, the ruling junta said.The World Health Organization flagged a rising risk of cholera and other diseases in the…

United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a sweeping set of reciprocal tariffs, imposing a baseline 10 per cent tax on all imports and significantly higher rates on dozens of countries with which the US runs trade deficits.The sweeping duties, which drew bewildered condemnation from many long-standing U.S. allies who found themselves tagged with unexpectedly high tariff rates, promise to erect new barriers around the world’s largest consumer economy, reversing decades of trade liberalization that have shaped the global order.In a statement delivered from the White House Rose Garden, Trump described the measure as a “declaration of economic independence”…