Author: Buzzer Editorial

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is currently on an official visit to India, arrived in Bodh Gaya this morning (17). He paid homage at the Mahabodhi Temple and the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree, the site where Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment, and received blessings.Bodh Gaya is one of the four main sacred sites associated with the life of Gautama Buddha, holding immense significance for Buddhists. In 2002, the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The General Secretary of Maha Bodhi Society of India, Venerable Pelwatte Seewalee Thero, and the Head of the Sarnath Center, Venerable…

Her Excellency Ms. Qin Boyong, Vice-Chairwoman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Vice Premier level, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, at the Parliament of Sri Lanka.The Prime Minister welcomed Ms. Qin Boyong and her delegation, appreciating the longstanding friendship and underscoring the importance of strengthening bilateral relations. Strengthening cooperation in disease control, sustainable developments, improving trade and cooperation in multilateral forums were discussed further.Senior officials present included H.E. Qi Zhenhong, Ambassador of China to Sri Lanka; Mr. Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister;…

The tri-forces personnel assigned to provide security to former presidents will be withdrawn from next week and only police security will continue to be provided, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala said.Speaking during today’s (17) parliamentary session, the Minister highlighted that the police protection will be provided to each former President in accordance with the outcomes of the security assessment conducted every 06 months.Accordingly, the security for former heads of state would now be based on biannual security assessments. This decision comes as part of the government’s efforts to reassess and reduce public spending, particularly in the face of ongoing…

Indictments have been filed before the Colombo High Court today (17) against a biomedical engineer attached to the Division of Biomedical Engineering Services at the Ministry of Health, alleging that he caused financial losses to the government through the purchase of 35 operating room lamps in 2015.Accordingly, the indictments filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) were handed over before the Colombo High Court Judge Nawarathne Marasinghe today.Subsequently, the court ordered the defendant to be released on two surety bails of Rs. 2.5 million each and a cash bail of Rs. 25,000. Furthermore, the court imposed…

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa stated in Parliament today (17) that he will present all of his educational qualification certificates to the House tomorrow morning (18).He made this statement in response to a question raised by Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.“I plan to present all the educational qualifications I have obtained to the Parliament tomorrow morning. Not just the degree certificate but all the other additional certificates as well,” the Opposition Leader added.

The year-on-year GDP growth rate for the third quarter of 2024 has been reported as 5.5 percent of positive growth rate, the Department of Census and Statistics indicated.Accordingly, the GDP for the third quarter of 2024 at constant price (2015) has increased up to Rs. 3,151,941 million from Rs. 2,987,544 million which recorded in the third quarter of 2023.The year-on-year GDP growth rate for the third quarter of year 2024 has been reported as 5.5 percent of positive growth rate, while the Agricultural, Industrial and Services activities expanded by 3.0 percent, 10.8 percent and 2.6 percent respectively in the third…

National People’s Power (NPP) Member of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickremeratne has been unanimously appointed as the new Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament.The Polonnaruwa District MP was nominated by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya following the commencement of today’s parliamentary session.The proposal was seconded by the Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Ratnayake.Accordingly, the Deputy Speaker, Dr. Rizvie Salih announced to the House that Dr. Wickremeratne was unanimously appointed as the new Speaker of the Tenth Parliament as no other names were proposed.The appointment comes following the resignation of MP Asoka Ranwala from the position on December 13, amidst the controversy…

The All-Share Price Index (ASPI) of the Colombo Stock Exchange has exceeded the 14,500-points mark for the first time in history.Accordingly, the index gained 295 points (2.08%) to close at 14,500.44 points today (16), marking a new all-time high.Meanwhile, the S&P SL20 increased by 105.37 points (2.48%) to reach 4,349.82 points at the close of trading today. Today’s total turnover was recorded as over Rs. 8.27 billion while the number of shares traded is over 211 million.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has held bilateral discussions with the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in New Delhi, during his state visit to India.

Zakir Hussain, one of the world’s greatest tabla players, has died at the age of 73.The Indian classical music icon died of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said in a statement.Hussain was a four-time Grammy award winner and has received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.Through his performances, he transformed the tabla into a globally loved solo instrument that was the star of the show.The tabla – a pair of drums used in north Indian classical music – was historically viewed as an accompaniment to the main performance.As news of…