Author: Buzzer Editorial

The Commissioner General of Examinations Amith Jayasundara said that the group of female teachers involved in a dispute over the dress code, who are currently engaged in the 2024 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination answer sheet evaluation activities at the center established at Pannipitiya Dharmapala Vidyalaya, will continue their duties at the Examinations Department starting tomorrow (18).It was previously reported that the 2024 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination evaluation centre established at the Pannipitiya Dharmapala Vidyala has temporarily been closed, owing to a dispute between the school principal and female teachers engaged in answer sheet evaluation activities with regard to their attire.It…

Three employees of Parliament who were found guilty of sexually assaulting female staff of Parliament have been dismissed.Action on the matter was taken following an investigative process which confirmed the guilt of these employees. Subsequently, based on the recommendation of the Secretary-General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, Hon. (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne, Speaker of Parliament, approved their dismissal on January 9th, 2024.Following reports published in newspapers on July 30th and August 2nd, 2023, regarding incidents of sexual harassment against Parliamentary staff during the years 2021 and 2022, an internal tri-member investigative committee was appointed on August 4th, 2023. This committee was…

Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, has been granted bail, after being produced before the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court.Accordingly, the Nugegoda Magistrate has ordered Weeratunga to be released on two surety bails and a cash bail of Rs. 10,000.The former diplomat was arrested by the Mirihana Police on January 10, for allegedly assaulting his neighbour.The incident had reportedly occurred on January 09 during an argument between them over the alleged breaking of a boundary wall by the ex-diplomat’s neighbor, a resident of Kanaththa Road, Thalapathpitiya, Nugegoda. According to reports, Weeratunga had attacked his neighbor with a plastic pipe, resulting in…

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation has decided to revisit the recent decision to award the operations of Mattala International Airport to two Indian-Russian companies, following concerns over the agreement’s legitimacy and potential complications.Deputy Minister Ruwan Kodithuwakku disclosed that the Indian company selected for the operation is currently listed by the United States for adverse reasons, raising questions about the appropriateness of the partnership.He also highlighted that the terms of the profit-sharing agreement are unfavorable to the Sri Lankan government, prompting a reassessment of the deal.The Ministry will conduct a comprehensive review and present its findings to the Cabinet…

The government has planned a relief package to provide concessions to small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) facing difficulties in repaying loans.This relief package has been prepared with a long-term vision to provide relief to the businesses of affected SMEs while ensuring the stability of the banking sector, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), the Sri Lanka Banks’ Association, representatives of the SME sector and other relevant government institutions.The SMEs which meet the below mentioned criteria are eligible to enter the proposed relief package.i. SME borrowers obtained credit facilities from a licensed bank that have been classified…

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) will issue its recommendation regarding the electricity tariffs revision for the next six months today (17).The PUCSL called for public opinions on the matter from the December 17 last year, while oral sessions were held from the December 27 to January 10, across all nine provinces. Around 400 individuals have submitted proposals during those sessions and it was proposed that the electricity tariff must be reduced between 20% to 30%. Following the proposals, the PUCSL stated that a report containing recommendations on electricity tariff revision, and the percentage of the revision, will be released…

The 2024 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination evaluation centre established at the Pannipitiya Dharmapala Vidyala has temporarily been closed, owing to a dispute between the school principal and female teachers engaged in answer sheet evaluation activities with regard to their attire.It was reported that the disagreement arose yesterday (16), which was a school day. The female principal of the school allegedly refused to allow the teachers to enter the school premises as they had arrived wearing gowns instead of saris, which she had deemed inappropriate attire for a school setting.The teachers argued that since the evaluation centre operates under the authority…

A special meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and members of the Voice of plantation people organization was held at the Prime Minister’s Office today (16).In this meeting, issues related to fundamental rights including land, housing and education of Malaiyaha plantation workers, a marginalized community of Tamils living in the Southern and Western provinces of the country were discussed.The Prime Minister paid special attention to the declaration of basic demands of the Malaiyaha people and said that she would directly intervene in the matter of education and vocational training facilities of their children. “The demands regarding infrastructure facilities, land…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office had said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war.Netanyahu said he would convene his security Cabinet later Friday and then the government will approve the long-awaited hostage deal.Netanyahu’s pre-dawn statement appeared to clear the way for Israeli approval of the deal, which would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and see dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by…

The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL CERT) has issued a warning to the public regarding fraudulent text messages (SMS) and phone calls claiming to offer monetary rewards or prizes.SL CERT’s Senior Information Engineer, Charuka Damunupola, highlighted the prevalence of such fake communications targeting mobile phone users. “Recently, we have seen an increase in fake messages and calls. These scams often claim that you have won prizes, offer discounts, advertise work-from-home opportunities, or promise overseas jobs. We urge the public to be vigilant and avoid sharing personal information through such channels,” Damunupola cautioned.He also provided an update on the recent…