Author: Buzzer Editorial

A private passenger bus travelling from Kattankudy to Colombo has reportedly been involved in an accident this morning (20) near the bend in front of the Kallar army camp in the Serunuwara area on the Serunuwara-Kantale road, within the Serunuwara Police Division.Police said the accident occurred when the bus veered off the road due to heavy rain, hit a tree on the side of the road, and toppled.There were about 49 passengers onboard the bus at the time, and that 14 passengers, as well as the bus driver and conductor, were admitted to the Serunuwara Hospital for treatment following the…

The first three hostages were released from Gaza and the first Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli custody as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold following 15 months of war, with mixed emotions and more difficult steps ahead over the next six weeks.Palestinians across Gaza began making their way home, and the first trucks with a surge of humanitarian aid began to enter the devastated territory.The ceasefire that began on Sunday morning raises hopes for ending the devastating conflict and returning the nearly 100 remaining hostages abducted in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. But major questions remain…

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reiterated his commitment to completely eliminating the corrupt politics in the country, as promised to the people. He made these comments delivering a strongly worded speech while addressing a public gathering in Katukurunda, Kalutara.The President participated in an interactive meeting held at the Pakistan Sports Ground in Wettumakada, Katukurunda, Kalutara.Speaking at the event, President Dissanayake emphasized his administration’s no-nonsense approach to governance, stating:“We took the oath of office on November 21 with a 21-member Cabinet. There are no state ministers. In the past, there were a number of ministers from Kalutara alone. While we have 8…

Sri Lanka has welcomed the recent ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which has brought an end to the 15-month long conflict between Israel and Hamas.“We are hopeful that the ceasefire arrangement, which paves the way for exchange of hostages and detainees, the return of internally displaced persons to their places of residence in Gaza, and the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, will be sustained.”“We are also optimistic that these developments will contribute to the establishment of sustainable peace in Palestine and the region”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism said in a statement today.

A fire has reportedly broken out in a row of estate houses in Maussakelle Estate, which falls under the Maskeliya Police Division, resulting in the complete destruction of eight houses.The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. last night (17). Estate workers, police officers, and personnel from the Maussakelle Army Camp responded promptly to contain the fire, which had spread across a row of 12 houses.No injuries were reported; however, the personal belongings of the residents in the affected houses were entirely destroyed. The full extent of the damage has not yet been assessed.Preliminary investigations by Maskeliya Police suggest that the fire may have…

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Energy, Kumara Jayakody has stated that as a priority, the government will implement the recommendations of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) to reduce electricity tariffs. He emphasized that recommendation will be implemented considering this as the first phase in the plan to provide a 30% tariff reduction over the next three years for the domestic, hotel, and industrial sectors.He made these remarks in response to an inquiry from Ada Derana.The PUCSL announced that it has decided to reduce electricity tariffs by an average amount of 20% overall for the first 06 months of the…

A 10-month-old infant was reportedly found dead at a residence in the Palugaswewa area of the Habarana Police Division.Habarana Police had received information regarding the incident on Friday (17). The deceased, a male infant, was residing at Bulanagama in Palugaswewa, with his parents and two siblings.According to preliminary investigations, the child’s mother has allegedly confessed to throwing the infant into a water hole behind the house on the night of January 16 while her husband was away. She had later retrieved the child and placed him on a bed inside the house.Following police inquiries, the incident has been classified as a…

The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) has seized Rs. 283 million in currency notes, marking the largest amount of cash ever confiscated from a drug trafficker in Sri Lanka.According to police, the money allegedly belongs to a suspect who is currently in prison, and that he has been orchestrating drug operations from inside the prison. The funds were recovered from a residence in Kurunegala during a search operation.Additionally, officers seized 18 grams of ‘Ice’ (Crystal Methamphetamine), a double-cab, and a van during the raid, police said.The incarcerated suspect was presented before the Kurunegala Magistrate’s Court in connection with this incident. The Magistrate…

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) have renewed the Bilateral Currency Swap Agreement signed in 2021, for a period of another three years, under the terms and conditions stipulated in the original agreement. The CNY 10 billion (approximately USD 1.4 billion) currency swap facility reflects the financial cooperation between China and Sri Lanka, the CBSL said.Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, signed the agreement on behalf of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, while Mr. Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the People’s Bank of China, signed on behalf…

Train operations faced disruptions this morning (17) as approximately 10 train services were cancelled due to locomotive engine drivers preparing for a promotional examination. The exam, aimed at advancing train drivers from Grade 2 to Grade 1, is scheduled for Sunday, January 19, with around 80 drivers expected to participate.The cancellations predominantly affected short-distance train services including trains from and to Awissawella, Polgahawela and Aluthgama causing inconvenience to a number of commuters.Reports indicate that the disruptions will continue into the evening, with an estimated 15 additional train services expected to be cancelled.