Author: Buzzer Editorial

Leader of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, MP Asanka Nawaratne, has announced that his party will support President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming Presidential Election.

The twin-engine turboprop was flying from Cascavel in the southern state of Paraná to Guarulhos airport in São Paulo city when it came down in the town of Vinhedo, Voepass airline says.Footage circulating on social media shows a plane descending vertically, spiralling as it falls.The ATR 72-500 was carrying 57 passengers and four crew. Local authorities say there were no survivors.Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expressed solidarity with the families and friends of the victims. São Paulo’s state Governor, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas, declared three days of mourning. The authorities said the flight recorders had been retrieved. ATR, the French-Italian…

The National Election Commission has announced plans to send special teams to monitor government institutions accused of violating election laws. This decision follows a surge of complaints alleging illegal activities by certain government departments and agencies.The commission has issued a stern warning that if directives to stop these violations are ignored, the special teams will be mobilized to conduct thorough investigations and enforce compliance with the law.In a related move, the secretaries of two ministries found to be in breach of election laws have been summoned before the Election Commission for questioning.Additionally, the Election Commission has reiterated the importance of…

The national poverty line, which sets the minimum income threshold required to meet basic needs, has nearly tripled over the past decade, according to a report released by the Department of Census and Statistics.In January 2024, the national poverty line reached Rs. 17,014, a significant increase from Rs. 5,223 in 2012/13. This steady upward trend saw the poverty line rise to Rs. 6,117 in 2016 and further to Rs. 6,966 in 2019. By January 2023, the line had nearly doubled again, reaching Rs. 15,970, the department noted.Among the districts, Colombo reported the highest poverty line at Rs. 17,608 in May…

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has urged citizens to apply for passports only if absolutely necessary and advised those who can wait to delay their applications until October when new e-passports, meeting international standards, will be available.Addressing the media, Minister Alles emphasized that the introduction of the new e-passport, which complies with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, will significantly enhance Sri Lanka’s position in the Global Passport Index.The new e-passport, equipped with advanced security features, is set to be issued by the end of October and is expected to boost Sri Lanka’s passport ranking from its current 193rd position…

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka has resigned from his positions as Chairman of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Kelaniya Electorate Organizer.In a letter addressed to SJB Leader and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Fonseka notified him of his decision. This was confirmed by SJB General Secretary, MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara.Madduma Bandara also announced that the party is taking steps to nominate suitable candidates for the parliamentary seats vacated following the court decision regarding Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando.He indicated that Bandula Lal Bandarigoda, who is next in line on the Galle district preferential vote list, will be appointed to fill the…

The Supreme Court, in two landmark judgments today, determined that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s (SJB) decision to expel Ministers Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara from the party is legally valid. As a result of this Supreme Court judgment, the expulsion of Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara will lead to the loss of their parliamentary seats and Ministerial portfolios.The Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justices Vijith Malalgoda, Achala Wengappuli and Arjuna Obeyesekere held that the decision made by the SJB to expel the two petitioners from the party is valid in law.Tourism Minister Harin Fernando and Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkkara…

Yahoo News – A renowned British zoologist has been sentenced to 10 years and five months in prison in Australia after admitting to a series of shocking crimes involving the sexual abuse and torture of dozens of dogs.Adam Britton, 53, a prominent crocodile expert who has worked on productions for the BBC and National Geographic, pleaded guilty to 56 charges related to bestiality and animal cruelty. He also admitted to four counts of accessing child abuse material.The Northern Territory Supreme Court heard that Britton filmed himself torturing the animals, most of which died as a result, and shared the videos online…

Department of Immigration and Emigration at the airport is facing a critical situation with visa checks for arriving passengers, mainly due to the lack of an active Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system.A senior official from the department told the Daily Mirror that officials in the arrival lounge are struggling to verify passengers’ online visas previously submitted before suspension of online visa processing.Some passengers reported dif­ficulties with visa verification when boarding their flights.As a result, the department has decided to issue only on-arrival visas. Online visa checks upon passenger arrival have not returned to normal. However, on-arrival visas are not available for…

The Sri Lankan Rupee has appreciated slightly against the US Dollar today compared to Wednesday, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.Accordingly, the buying rate of the US Dollar has reduced from Rs. 297.50 to Rs. 297.01, while the selling rate has also dropped from Rs. 306.76 to Rs. 306.28. The Rupee has also appreciated against a basket of foreign currencies, including Gulf currencies.