Author: Buzzer Editorial

Around 300 police officers have been suspended owing to various offenses since January, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala has revealed.Although around 200 police personnel were suspended in 2024, the numbers have increased significantly this year, the Public Security Minister noted.The Minister said due to the actions of certain government employees, the image of the entire state service has been tarnished.He said some workers even have lost their monthly pension payments despite working for 25 years in the state service after being found guilty of committing various offenses.Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala said…

Effective from today (August 1), it is now mandatory for all passengers travelling in the rear seats of light vehicles on expressways to wear seat belts.According to police, special inspections will be carried out to ensure compliance with this new safety regulation.Meanwhile, the National Transport Commission (NTC) has announced that, starting from September 1, all passengers travelling in passenger buses on expressways will also be required to wear seat belts.NTC Chairman, Engineer P.A. Chandrapala, highlighted the importance of this measure, stating:“There is a need to ensure that all passengers, including the driver, wear seat belts in passenger buses operating on…

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday reducing tariffs on Sri Lankan goods to 20% from 44% announced in April, the White House said.Trump had initially announced a tariff rate of 44% in April for Sri Lankan exports. However, the rate was then reduced to 30%, according to a letter directed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on July 10.On April 2, President Donald Trump declared a US economic emergency and announced tariffs of at least 10% across all countries, with rates even higher for 60 countries or trading blocs that have a high trade deficit with the…

Lung cancer is more prevalent among men compared to women, at present, according to Dr. Saman Iddagoda, a Thoracic Surgeon at the National Hospital For Respiratory Diseases in Welisara.Dr. Saman Iddagoda also noted that there is a rising trend in the number of lung cancer patients in Sri Lanka.Dr. Iddagoda made these remarks at a media briefing organized by the Health Promotion Bureau, coinciding with the World Lung Cancer Day, which falls tomorrow (August 1).He noted when analyzing records in the cancer registry of Sri Lanka, there is a clear increase in the number of lung cancer cases among the…

The second Kumbal Perahera of the Kandy Esala Festival is scheduled to parade the streets of Kandy tonight (31).The Kumbal Perahera will commence from the Kandy Temple of the Tooth Relic at 7.05 p.m. tonight.The first Kumbal Perahera of this year’s Kandy Esala Festival paraded through the streets last night (30), and a large crowd gathered to witness it, Ada Derana reporter said.The Kumbal Perahera will continue for five consecutive days, from July 30 to August 03, before the commencement of the Randoli Perahera, which is scheduled to take to the streets on August 4.The grand Randoli Perahera will take…

The German double Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has died after a mountaineering accident in Pakistan, her management confirmed on Wednesday.The accident occurred at around noon on Monday, at an altitude of approximately 5,700 metres at Laila Peak, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said. Dahlmeier was climbing with her mountaineering partner when she was struck by a sudden rockfall in the Hushe Valley, part of the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.“Laura Dahlmeier died on 28 July in a mountain accident on Laila Peak (6,069 metres) in Pakistan’s Karakoram range,” her representatives told Germany’s Die Welt newspaper. “A recovery operation was launched but…

The number of tourists who have arrived in the island so far this year has exceeded 1.3 million, according to the latest data.The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said a total of 1,341,953 tourists have visited the island between January 01 and July 27, 2025. The majority of the visitors are Indian nationals, numbering 274,919. In addition, it is reported that tourists from countries including Britain, Russia, Germany, China, France, Australia, and the Netherlands have also visited the island in significant numbers. According to information provided by the SLTDA, a total of 173,909 tourists arrived in the island within the first 27…

The Meteorology Department has issued a Warm Weather Advisory for Northern, Eastern and North-central provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts.It states that the Heat Index, the temperature felt on human body is expected to increase up to ‘Caution level’ today (31) at some places in Northern, Eastern and North-central provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts.As per the advisory, under the ‘Caution’ level of temperature, fatigue is possible with prolonged exposure and activity while continuing activity could result in heat cramps. Thus, the members of the public are advised to stay hydrated, take breaks in the shade as often as possible and…

The daughter of Member of Parliament Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Rochelle Abeygunawardena, who was arrested yesterday (30), has been granted bail, Ada Derana reporter said.The Matugama Magistrate’s Court accordingly ordered MP Abeygunawardena’s daughter on two Rs. 2 million surety bails each.She was arrested yesterday after surrendering to the Walana Anti-Vice Unit, in connection with investigations into the alleged possession of an illegally assembled vehicle, police stated.According to police, her statement was recorded for over nine hours.After recording her statement, Rochelle Abeygunawardena was arrested and handed over to the Matugama Police Station for further investigations.Her husband, Dhanushka Weerakkody, is currently in remand custody…

The ceremonial sitting to welcome the new Chief Justice of Sri Lanka Preethi Padman Surasena took place at the Supreme Court complex today (31).Judges representing the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, as well as judges from the High Court, District Courts, and Magistrates’ Courts attended the event.During the traditional welcoming ceremony, Chief Justice Padman Surasena stated that all necessary measures will be taken to enhance the judicial process in a manner that strengthens public trust.The Chief Justice also stated that the digitization of court proceedings will be expedited in order to accelerate the hearing of cases and provide…