Author: Buzzer Editorial

The second reading of the 2026 Appropriation Bill has been passed with a majority of 118 votes in Parliament, a short while ago.160 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the 2026 Budget while 42 MPs voted against it.Eight MPs abstained from voting.Samagi Jana Balawegaya MPs Mano Ganesan, V Radhakrishnan and P Thigambaram also voted in favour of the 2026 Budget.Voting for the second reading of the 2026 Budget got underway at around 6:10 p.m. after members of Parliament debated the proposals during the past six days. The second reading of the Appropriation Bill for the year 2026 (the Budget Speech)…

SriLankan Airlines’ Airport and Ground Services, the sole ground handling provider at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), has expanded its self-check-in service for passengers of commercial airlines ahead of the upcoming winter travel season.More than 300,000 tourists are expected to visit Sri Lanka in December, according to authorities.The move follows the installation of 20 new self-check-in kiosks at the BIA departure terminal last month, bringing the total to 28. Developed by the airline’s in-house IT team, the system aims to improve efficiency and enhance the overall passenger experience in support of Sri Lanka’s tourism growth efforts.The system allows travelers…

The Tissamaharama Magistrate’s Court has granted permission to detain and interrogate the suspects arrested in connection with the Kirinda drug haul seizure for seven days.The order was issued after the suspects were produced before the Tissamaharama Magistrate’s Court yesterday (12) afternoon, police said.Accordingly, the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) is scheduled to conduct further investigations into the suspects.The Western Province North Crimes Division arrested eight suspects along with 345 kilograms of the narcotic substance “Ice” (crystal methamphetamine) that were being transported by land yesterday (12), during a special operation carried out on the Andagalawella Beach in Kirinda.Preliminary police investigations revealed that…

The proposal to relocate the Galle Prison from its current location has been discussed at the Galle District Coordinating Committee meeting.Accordingly, Co-Chairman of the Committee, Nalin Hewage, proposed that the land on which the prison stands — which holds significant commercial value — could be used for the development of Galle city.Further expressing his views, Deputy Minister Hewage stated:“This location has high commercial value. It’s about four acres of land.In the future, the process of taking prisoners to court will be discontinued, and those proceedings will take place digitally.Therefore, even if the prison is located a bit farther away, it…

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has reaffirmed that its ongoing tour of Pakistan will continue as scheduled, dismissing speculation of a pullout following a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed 12 and injured 27 on Tuesday.The announcement drew widespread praise from Pakistani officials, who hailed it as a gesture of confidence in the country’s security and in cricket’s resilience amid adversity.SLC Confirms Team to Stay in PakistanSpeaking to Geo News, the Sri Lankan team manager confirmed that “no player is returning home” and that “all Sri Lankan cricketers will remain in Pakistan.”In an official statement, SLC clarified that if…

A high-level meeting has been held at the Parliament Complex to evaluate the progress of releasing privately owned lands in the Jaffna and Palali areas currently under military use.The meeting was jointly chaired by the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) and the Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku.The discussion was held to accelerate the government’s efforts in resolving land-related issues, a cornerstone of the national reconciliation process.Key matters discussed included finalizing boundary re-alignments, expediting the compensation process, prioritizing land plots for release and…

Showery weather condition is expected to enhance over Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces in next few days, today (13), the Department of Meteorology said. Showers may occur at times in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces. Showers or thundershowers will occur in the other areas of the island after 1.00 p.m. Fairly heavy rainfall above 75 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern and Uva provinces and in Ampara district during the early hours of the morning, the Met. Department added. The…

The tech giant is getting in on the trend of people wearing their phones and tapping a luxury fashion brand for its latest collaboration. Apple plans to release this week a special-edition iPhone pocket designed in collaboration with the high-end Japanese brand Issey Miyake.The tech giant said it and Issey Miyake share a mutual design approach that emphasizes simplicity. The accessory was inspired by the concept of a “piece of cloth,” Apple said on its website.“iPhone Pocket explores the concept of ‘the joy of wearing iPhone in your own way,’“ Issey Miyake design director Yoshiyuki Miyamae said in a news…

An Extraordinary Gazette notification has been issued announcing the appointment of Sameera Dhanushka De Silva of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) as a member of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha, representing Ward No. 07, Midigama West.The vacancy occurred following the death of Lasantha Wickramasekara, who was a member representing the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).In accordance with Section 66A(1)(a) of the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance (Chapter 262), the Returning Officer of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha, Pulasthi Serasingha Pathirana, requested the Secretary of the recognized political party to nominate a qualified member from the same party to fill the vacancy within thirty (30) days.The Secretary…

Fitch Ratings – The Sri Lankan government’s latest budget indicates that the authorities remain committed to reducing government debt/GDP over the medium term after beating their targets in the 2025 budget. Fitch Ratings believes sustained strong revenue performance will remain key to meeting the government’s fiscal goals.The budget, unveiled on 7 November, targets a deficit of 5.1% of GDP in 2026, wider than the 4.5% that the government expects in 2025. The original deficit target for 2025 in last year’s budget was 6.7% of GDP, but in March the IMF projected a lower figure of 5.4%. The latest budget forecasts the…