Author: Buzzer Editorial

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…

Former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Suresh Sallay, who is currently being detained by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), has been produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.He was brought to court under tight security by CID officers, Ada Derana reporter said. The case related to him is scheduled to be taken up for hearing later today.Sallay was arrested by the CID in February in connection with investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. He has since been detained and interrogated under the PTA while investigations continue.Police said further proceedings…

Sri Lanka has reported approximately 2,500 thalassemia patients, while between 45 and 60 children are born annually with major thalassemia, health officials revealed.The information was disclosed during a media briefing held in conjunction with International Thalassemia Day, observed on May 8.The Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases Unit at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sriyani Alahapperuma stated that although the current number of patients may appear comparatively low, there is a growing risk of the disease increasing steadily in the future.He emphasized that preventing marriages between thalassemia carriers and promoting pre-marital screening are among the most effective strategies to control the…

The Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development, Bimal Rathnayake, stated that the annual maintenance cost for Sri Lanka’s entire expressway network, spanning 312.57 kilometers, amounts to Rs. 5,180.90 million.Minister Rathnayake made this revelation in Parliament today (20) while responding to a question raised by Member of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake.According to the Minister, the maintenance costs for each expressway are as follows:• E01 Southern Expressway (Kottawa to Mattala), covering 200.45 kilometers: Rs. 2,024.5 million• E02 Outer Circular Highway (Kottawa to Kerawalapitiya), spanning 28.86 kilometers: Rs. 767.6 million• E03 Colombo–Katunayake…

Former Member of Parliament Wimal Weerawansa says he is prepared to face any legal proceedings in connection with the recent incident near the National War Heroes’ Memorial.The former MP made the remarks today (20) while leaving the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court after attending court proceedings.When asked by journalists whether a case could be filed over the event near the memorial, Weerawansa stated that he would not hesitate to face such action if legal proceedings were initiated over an attempt to pay tribute to war heroes by placing a floral wreath.“We will never hesitate to face such a case if attempts…