Author: Buzzer Editorial

American actor James Earl Jones, best known for being the voices of the Star Wars villain Darth Vader, has died aged 93.He died early on Monday morning surrounded by his family, agent Barry McPherson said. Jones starred in dozens of films including Field of Dreams, Coming To America, Conan the Barbarian and The Lion King. He was best known for giving the Star Wars supervillain Darth Vader his distinctive, gravelly voice.Mark Hamill, who played Vader’s son Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, posted “RIP Dad” with a broken heart emoji as he shared a news report of the death.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced that all schools across the island will remain closed on September 20 (Friday), due to the 2024 Presidential Election.The closed schools are scheduled to reopen on September 23. Meanwhile, several schools that will be used as polling stations and counting centres are to remain closed from 18 to 24 September.They are to be handed over to the Grama Niladhari officers after school hours on September 19.The announcement also specifies that schools used as counting centres will be closed only during the period relevant to each school, as detailed in the below document.

Fifty-nine people have been confirmed dead in central Nigeria’s Niger state, after a fuel tanker collided with a lorry carrying passengers and cattle, the state emergency agency said.The Niger State Emergency Management Agency said the collision happened at about 00:30 local time on Sunday (23:30 GMT Saturday), and caused an explosion which engulfed both vehicles. Director-general of the agency, Abdullahi Baba Ara, said response teams were dispatched to the scene to manage the situation.A number of other vehicles were also caught up in the explosion.Ibrahim Hussaini, spokesman for the Niger state emergency unit, told the BBC that the death toll could…

State Minister Geetha Kumarasinghe has expressed her support to Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) candidate Sajith Premadasa at the upcoming Presidential election after joining him on stage at a rally in Kandy.The actress-turned politician climbed on stage midway during the SJB election rally in Kandy and extended her support to Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who was also in attendance at the event. A Member of Parliament for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) from the Galle District, Kumarasinghe currently serves as the State Minister of Women and Child Affairs.

Jamie Smith’s pulsating 67 breathed life into England but could not stop Sri Lanka moving into pole position to win the final Test at The Kia Oval.Needing 219, the tourists ended the third day on 94-1 from only 15 overs, 125 runs short of a famous win.Sri Lanka would have been much closer, or may already have the game won had it not been for the brilliance of Smith, who electrified his home ground with some breathtaking batting.England have been awful for large parts of the past two days and were in tatters at 82-7, 144 ahead, when Smith launched…

A team of officials from the Immigration Department have departed for Poland to look into the production process of Sri Lankan passports, as the department faces challenges related to the e-passport tender and an existing shortage.The e-passport tender issue has led to a crisis within the Immigration Department, causing long queues near the department’s premises. Due to the current situation, the process of booking appointments through the online system has been temporarily suspended.Department sources have confirmed that a new stock of passports is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka on October 25. Accordingly, on that date, a total of 50,000 blank passports…

India’s health ministry says it has recorded a suspected case of mpox found in a man who recently travelled from a country suffering an outbreak of the virus.The young male patient has been isolated in a hospital and is in stable condition, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday, adding that the world’s most populous nation had “robust measures” in place.“The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country,” the health ministry added.The ministry did not specify which strain of the mpox…

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara has completed the payment of Rs. 75 million in compensation to the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks, as ordered by the Supreme Court.It is reported that he made the final payment on August 30, completing the full amount in eight installments.Meanwhile, former President Maithripala Sirisena had also recently completed the payments of compensation of Rs. 100 million to the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks as ordered by the Supreme Court.Accordingly, it is reported that the former President had paid the remaining amount of Rs. 12 million on August…

A principal has been arrested in Mullaitivu after allegedly photographing a postal ballot paper after casting his vote.The incident occurred on Friday at the voting center located within the Mullaitivu Zonal Education Office.According to reports, the principal, who was serving as an assistant returning officer, cast his vote on the ballot paper and then took a photograph of it. This was noticed by another officer at the location, who promptly filed a complaint.The principal was taken into custody yesterday evening. The 55-year-old suspect, a resident of Puthukkudiyiruppu, has since been released on bail.

The distribution of official polling cards for the upcoming presidential election is currently in progress.Against this backdrop, the Executive Director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Rohana Hettiarachchi assured that the absence of an official polling card would not hinder the voters from exercising their right to vote, if they are able to provide necessary identity documents.“The Election Commission, in collaboration with the Postal Department, is distributing official polling cards to the registered voters. This serves as an invitation for voters to cast their ballots,” Hettiarachchi explained. “However, whether or not you receive this invitation will…