Author: Buzzer Editorial

The Department of Meteorology warns that the deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal, which was located 110 km to the east of Trincomalee at around 11.30 a.m. today (27), is likely to move closer to the east coast of Sri Lanka and further intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 06 hours.Under the influence of the system, cloudy skies will prevail over most parts of the island while very heavy showers and strong gusty winds can be expected in Northern, North-central, Eastern, Northwestern and Central provinces, it said. Issuing a “Red” advisory, it said showers or thundershowers will…

Ms. Hannan Sulieman, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday (November 26).The Deputy Executive Director revisited key issues discussed in prior engagements, including child protection, malnutrition, and education.Mr. Sanjay Wijesekera, Regional Director for UNICEF South Asia, Mr. Christian Skoog, UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka, and Ms. Yuko Kusamichi, Regional Chief of Operations, attended the meeting. The Sri Lankan delegation included Mr. Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Mahinda Gunarathna, Additional Secretary (Development), and Ms. Dilini Gunasekera, Director for UN & Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign…

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed officials to provide immediate relief services to affected people in disaster-stricken areas by gathering information on-site rather than relying solely on technological data. The President emphasized the need to establish a strong grassroots-level mechanism to facilitate this process,, the President’s Media (PMD) stated in a statement.These remarks were made during a discussion held today (27) at the Presidential Secretariat with state officials, aimed at expediting relief services for disaster-affected populations.The President instructed officials to ensure that affected individuals are sheltered in secure locations and provided with essential food, water, and sanitary facilities. He also directed…

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka announced that it will from today (27) implement a single policy interest rate mechanism, the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR), transitioning from the dual policy interest rate mechanism. This is expected to result in more flexible targeting of inflation.As announced in the Central Bank’s Annual Policy Statement in January 2024 and the subsequent announcement in September 2024 of the planned implementation of the single policy interest rate mechanism, the Monetary Policy Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has decided to implement a single policy interest rate mechanism transitioning from its dual policy interest rate…

The Examinations Department announced that it has been decided to temporarily suspend the ongoing 2024 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination.Accordingly, the subjects which were scheduled to be held on November 27, 28 and 29 have been suspended, the Commissioner General of Examinations Amith Jayasundara said.Speaking at a special press briefing this evening (26), Jayasundara stated that this decision was taken in view of the prevailing adverse weather conditions.Furthermore, he highlighted that the exam will re-commence on November 30 (Saturday) and will continue as previously scheduled.The exams for the subjects which are scheduled on November 27, 28 and 29 will be held…

The Irrigation Department has issued a flood warning for several low-lying areas of Kelani River Basin, effective until 10:30 a.m. on November 29, 2024.Similarly, another flood warning has been issued for several low-lying areas Kala Oya Basin effective until 9:30 a.m. on November 29, 2024.It states that considerable rainfall has occurred in some of the upstream and middle reach catchment areas of Kala Oya Basin as of 8.00 a.m. today (27).In addition to that, the Rajanganaya Reservoir which is maintained by the Irrigation Department is spilling with a discharge rate of 10000 cubic feet /sec currently.Meanwhile, there is a possibility…

The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants began early Wednesday as a region on edge wondered whether it will hold.The ceasefire announced Tuesday is a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting sparked by the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.There were no immediate reports of alleged violations of the truce, and there were signs of celebration in Beirut. But Israel has said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the agreement.The ceasefire calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are…

Based on information provided by Military Intelligence, officers from Nochchiyagama Police, conducted a successful raid yesterday (26) in the Mahabulankulama area. During the operation, an individual was apprehended for possessing Kerala cannabis valued at approximately LKR 1.6 million.The suspect, a 43-year-old resident of Vijayapura, Anuradhapura, was found in possession of 5.5 kilograms of Kerala cannabis, allegedly intended for sale. It is reported that he has been engaged in this illegal trade for an extended period. The Nochchiyagama Police are conducting further investigations and legal proceedings against the suspect.

The deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal was located to 190 km southeast of Trincomalee at around 11:30 p.m yesterday.It is likely to move northwestwards closer to the east coast of Sri Lanka and intensify further into a cyclonic storm today (27th November).Under influence of the system, cloudy skies will prevail over most parts of the island, with very heavy showers and strong gusty winds to be expected in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western and Central provinces.Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Northern, North-central, Central, western and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Kegalle districts. Very…

SriLankan Airlines recently celebrated the seventh anniversary of its Melbourne-Colombo route, launched in 2017. Since then, the airline has successfully connected many Sri Lankan expatriates and students to Melbourne, while providing seamless travel options for tourists travelling between Melbourne, Sri Lanka and beyond, particularly destinations across India.With steady growth in traffic, including tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka, the Melbourne-Colombo route has become popular among travellers visiting friends and relatives or vacationing between Australia and South Asia, strengthening cultural and economic ties between the two regions. The route is also one of SriLankan Airlines’ top performers, both as a direct flight…