Author: Buzzer Editorial

A total of 120 persons have been arrested on charges of various offenses during a special operation conducted in the Ratnapura, Embilipitiya, Seethawakapura and Kegalle Police Divisions in the Sabaragamuwa Province yesterday (06), police said.The raid was conducted between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.Around 900 Police, Special Task Force, Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Air Force and Sri Lanka Navy personnel were part of the joint operation.During the operation, a total of 23 persons with outstanding warrants were apprehended.Furthermore, legal action has been taken against 19 individuals for driving under the influence.Meanwhile, a total of 457 persons were arrested on…

Former senior civil servant Bradman Weerakoon has passed away at the age of 94, according to family sources.He had served as a senior staff member to nine former presidents and prime ministers.Bradman Weerakoon studied at Holy Cross College, Kalutara, and was later one of the first boarding students at S. Thomas’ College, Gurutalawa.He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree with second-class honours (upper division) in Economics and Sociology from the University of Ceylon, and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study at the University of Michigan for one year, where he completed his MA in Sociology.Weerakoon joined the Ceylon Civil…

Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel have rescued four Indian fishermen from a distressed fishing boat in the seas off Chilaw.Upon receiving information from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo, a coordinated Search and Rescue (SAR) operation was launched by the SLN, leading to the successful rescue of the four Indian fishermen on Sunday (06), the Navy said in a statement.The MRCC Mumbai, India, had alerted Colombo about an Indian fishing boat that went missing without any communication link on June 29, due to severe weather conditions.Responding swiftly, the Navy deployed Fast Attack Craft from the Western Naval Command to…

Former Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles has allegedly received death threats over the phone from a notorious underworld figure.It is reported that he has also lodged a complaint with the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) in this regard.According to reports, former Public Security Minister Tiran Alles received several threatening phone calls from a Sri Lankan underworld criminal gang leader residing in Dubai, on July 5.It is further alleged that the threats were made in connection with actions taken by Tiran Alles during his tenure as Minister of Public Security, specifically his orders to bring back underworld leaders and…

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has announced that the annual bus fare revision will come into effect from today (04).Director General of the NTC, Naomi Jayawardena, stated that bus fares have been reduced by 0.55% in accordance with the annual revision.However, the Commission noted that the minimum fare of Rs. 27, as well as the second and third lowest fares of Rs. 35 and Rs. 45 respectively, will remain unchanged.From the fourth fare band onward, adjustments will be implemented, she said. Accordingly, fares such as Rs. 56, 77, 87, 117, 136, and 141 will be reduced by Rs. 1. Other selected…

A new VAT refund counter for tourists was declared open today (July 4, 2025) at the Bandaranaike International Airport by Minister of Industries and Enterprise Development Sunil Handunnetti and Deputy Minister of Finance and Labour Anil Jayanta.This initiative, implemented under a policy approval submitted to the President on March 14, 2025, by the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and the Ministry of Industries, allows tourists who have stayed in Sri Lanka for more than 90 days and spent over Rs. 50,000 on VAT to claim a refund.The service aims to encourage tourists to purchase locally made products and streamline VAT…

President Donald Trump said Washington will start sending letters to countries on Friday specifying what tariff rates they will face on imports to the United States, a clear shift from earlier pledges to strike scores of individual deals.Acknowledging the complexity of negotiating with over 170 nations, Trump told reporters before departing for Iowa on Thursday that the letters will be sent to 10 countries at a time, laying out tariff rates such as 20% to 30%.“We have more than 170 countries, and how many deals can you make?” Trump said. “They’re very much more complicated.”The Republican president said he expected…

Former Minister S.M. Chandrasena was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) a short while ago. Chandrasena had appeared before the Commission earlier today (04) to record a statement regarding an investigation into a corruption allegation.

A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of residents and tourists, officials said on Thursday (Jul 3).Hot, dry weather in Greece, which is not unusual for this time of year, has heightened the risk of a repeat of the summer wildfires that have hit the country in recent years.Media reports said around 1,500 people had to be evacuated because of the blaze, which broke out on Wednesday evening.“Evacuations took place in numerous hotels and tourists were safely transferred to a closed gymnasium in the municipality of Ierapetra,” vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis…