Author: Buzzer Editorial

Sri Lanka Police say complaints regarding lost, misplaced and stolen mobile phones are reported daily to police stations across the country, warning that such devices can be misused if they fall into the wrong hands.The Police Media Division stated that stolen or lost phones are often used for anti-social and illegal activities, with owners sometimes becoming unintended victims due to sensitive personal and financial data stored on the devices.Accordingly, Police have urged the general public to take immediate precautionary steps in the event of a phone loss or theft, including deactivating the SIM card through the relevant service provider to…

The government will not request an increase in electricity tariffs from the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) until September, according to the Minister of Energy, Anura Karunathilaka.The Energy Minister made the statement in Parliament today (21) while responding to a question raised by Member of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake during the oral questions session.Addressing concerns over the recent increase in the US dollar and the impact of the Middle East crisis on energy costs, Minister Karunathilaka said the direct impact of the latest electricity tariff revision would mainly affect consumers using more than 180 electricity units.He further stated that…

The National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa, has responded to accusations related to the Easter Sunday attacks’ probe stating that it is no secret that he visited Sivasathurai Chandrakanthan, alias ‘Pillayan’, while the latter was in prison during the 2018/2019 period.Rajapaksa made this statement in a post on his ‘X’ account, after his name was mentioned during today’s court proceedings when the progress of investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks was reported to the court by the Attorney General’s Department.Former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Suresh Sallay, who is…

The government has decided to lift the regulations previously imposed on the use of fuel and electricity in view of the Vesak festival, according to the Office of the Prime Minister.The final coordination meeting on the “Buddha Rashmi Vesak Zone” was held at Temple Trees under the patronage of Secretary to the Prime Minister, Pradeep Saputhanthri.The discussions mainly focused on the arrangements of the Buddha Rashmi Vesak Zone and the management of energy consumption during the period of the Vesak celebrations.During the meeting, participants were informed of the government’s decision to lift the regulations previously imposed on the use of…

A total of 42 antique paintings from the National Art Gallery have been reported missing, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Hiniduma Sunil Senevi told Parliament.The Minister made the statement today (21) while responding to oral questions in Parliament.He said that a stock verification board had conducted an inspection of paintings and sculptures at the National Art Gallery in 2015, after which information regarding the missing artworks was identified.Accordingly, while the stock register recorded a total of 281 paintings, only 239 are currently present at the National Art Gallery, the Minister added.

The government is hopeful of receiving US$700 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on May 27, the Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, (Prof.) Anil Jayantha Fernando has stated.Speaking in Parliament today (21), the Deputy Minister said Sri Lanka is continuing efforts to strengthen foreign exchange inflows through exports, foreign remittances and international financial assistance.He expressed confidence that the IMF Executive Board would approve the release of the next tranche amounting to US$700 million later this month.Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha further stated that Sri Lanka could also obtain up to US$480 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) during…

The Sri Lankan Rupee continues to weaken against the US Dollar amidst multiple factors including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.The selling rate of the US dollar exceeded Rs. 350 today (21), according to the latest daily exchange rates issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.The Central Bank stated that the buying rate of the US dollar was recorded at Rs. 342.63, while the selling rate stood at Rs. 354.03.Yesterday (20), the buying rate of the US dollar was recorded at Rs. 332.23, while the selling rate was recorded at Rs. 342.70.

Police have frozen assets belonging to a married couple accused of trafficking narcotics through instant money transfer systems.The decision was taken by the Illegal Assets Investigation Division following a lengthy investigation conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, police said.Investigations have revealed that the couple, residents of Siri Sara Uyana, Baseline Road, Borella, had been engaged in drug trafficking activities since 2017.Police further stated that proceeds from the alleged illegal trade were deposited into bank accounts belonging to the female suspect’s mother.It has also been revealed that the female suspect had used illicit earnings to purchase a property in…

A total of 128 wild elephant deaths have been reported so far this year, according to the Department of Wildlife Conservation.The Department noted that the deaths were recorded between January 1 and May 15.Among the reported incidents, 20 elephants were killed in shootings, 15 died due to electrocution, 10 died after consuming “hakka patas” explosives and five died after falling into agricultural wells.The Department further stated that additional deaths had occurred due to poisoning, train collisions, drowning and other accidents.The highest number of wild elephant deaths has been reported from the Eastern Region, while deaths have also been recorded in…

The Sri Lankan rupee has been identified as the worst-performing currency in Asia this month, according to a report published by a leading global business news platform.The report stated that the Sri Lankan rupee had weakened significantly against the US dollar in recent days and warned that the currency could depreciate further.Commenting on the situation, Professor Wasantha Athukorala of the Department of Economics and Statistics at the University of Peradeniya said the rapid depreciation of the rupee within a short period posed a serious risk to the country’s economy.He warned that inflation could rise sharply in the future if urgent…