Author: Buzzer Editorial

The draft bill to establish a Gambling Regulatory Authority has been gazetted under the directives of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.The Bill has been drafted to provide for the establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority, to repeal the Horse Racing Betting Ordinance, the Gambling Ordinance, and the Casino Ordinance, and to make provisions for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.Once tabled in Parliament and passed, the draft bill will come into effect as the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act.The Gambling Regulatory Authority will be established as an independent body with…

The Department of Pensions has stated that no data was damaged or lost in the recent cyberattack on its information systems.In an official statement, the department assured the public that measures have been taken to restore the functionality of its online systems to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.The cyberattack, which targeted the department’s information security infrastructure in the first week of April, prompted immediate action. The department stated that its technical teams began restoring affected systems as soon as they were notified of the breach.It further confirmed that the reactivation process has not resulted in any data loss or damage.Meanwhile, an…

The Association of Civil Aviation Employees has resorted to trade union action from midnight yesterday (28), in protest over issues related to their overtime (OT) payments.The association stated that all its members have withdrawn from performing overtime duties and that the trade union action will continue until a proper resolution is provided.Meanwhile, the Union of Post and Telecommunication Officers says it plans to hand over a memorandum outlining their demands to the Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, today (29).The union stated that following a protest scheduled to take place in front of the postal headquarters this…

A U.S. trade court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s tariffs from going into effect, ruling that the president overstepped his authority by imposing across-the-board duties on imports from nations that sell more to the United States than they buy.The Manhattan-based Court of International Trade said the U.S. Constitution gives Congress exclusive authority to regulate commerce with other countries that is not overridden by the president’s emergency powers to safeguard the U.S. economy.“The court does not pass upon the wisdom or likely effectiveness of the President’s use of tariffs as leverage. That use is impermissible not because it is unwise…

The Directorate of Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation organised a medical camp for disabled and serving military personnel on 27 May 2025 at Abimansala 1 Wellness Resort, Anuradhapura. The initiative aimed to address the healthcare needs of Army veterans residing in the North Central Province.Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo RSP ctf-ndu psc IG, Commander of the Army, together with Mrs Swendrini Rodrigo, President of the Army Seva Vanitha Unit, graced the occasion as distinguished guests. Upon arrival, the Army Chief was warmly welcomed by the Commandant of Abimansala 1 and other Senior Officers.During the visit, the Commander officially handed over a vehicle…

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) states that the cost of living for individuals in the country has doubled compared to 2021.However, the increase in the cost of living in 2024 compared to 2023 has been minimal, according to the Assistant Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara. Speaking at a press conference held at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. Amarasekara noted that although the public is currently benefiting from a decline in inflation, the overall cost of living remains significantly higher than it was in 2021.“Even when we consider personal income, it is evident that we…

A special discussion regarding the sudden closure of the ‘NEXT’ apparel factory located within the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Katunayake was held, with the intervention of Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe.The management of the factory, trade union representatives, and officials from the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka participated in the discussion, which was held at the Labour Ministry premises.Although the management and trade union representatives had previously held separate discussions with the Deputy Minister regarding the factory’s closure, this was the first time both parties engaged in a discussion collectively.The discussion focused on the decision to close…

President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants as the State Department prepares to expand social media vetting of foreign students, according to an internal cable seen by Reuters on Tuesday.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the cable that the department plans to issue updated guidance on social media vetting of student and exchange visitor applicants after a review is completed and advised consular sections to halt the scheduling of such visa appointments.The move comes as the Trump administration has sought to ramp up deportations and…

Postal workers across the country will launch a token strike at midnight today (28), the Union of Post and Telecommunication Officers has announced. Chairman of the union G.G.C. Niroshana said the strike will be launched based on several demands including the filling vacancies and over issues surrounding salary increments.He confirmed the token strike will commence at 4:00 p.m. today at the Central Mail Exchange.

SriLankan Engineering, the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) division of SriLankan Airlines, has been certified by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) as a Foreign Repair Station and Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO). This milestone certification paves the way for SriLankan Engineering to provide high-quality, cost-effective MRO solutions directly to Thai-registered operators and global leasing companies.The accreditation authorises SriLankan Engineering to offer a wide range of MRO services including base maintenance and heavy checks, as well as component repair and overhaul for Airbus A320 family aircraft; line maintenance for Airbus A320 family and A350 aircraft, as well as Boeing 777…