Syrian govt. forces withdraw from Aleppo

Published

6 months ago

December 1, 2024

editor

Syrian government forces have withdrawn from the city of Aleppo following an offensive by rebels opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

The army acknowledged that rebels had entered “large parts” of the city, the country’s second largest, but vowed to stage a counterattack.

The offensive marks the most significant fighting in Syria’s civil war in recent years.

More than 300 people, including at least 20 civilians, have been killed since it began on Wednesday, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Speaking on Saturday, President Assad vowed to “defend [Syria’s] stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their backers”.

“[The country] is capable, with the help of its allies and friends, of defeating and eliminating them, no matter how intense their terrorist attacks are,” his office quoted him as saying.

The civil war, which has left around half a million people dead, began in 2011 after the Assad government responded to pro-democracy protests with a brutal crackdown.

The conflict has been largely dormant since a ceasefire agreed in 2020, but opposition forces have maintained control of the north-western city of Idlib and much of the surrounding province.

Idlib sits just 55km (34 miles) from Aleppo, which itself was a rebel stronghold until it fell to government forces in 2016.

(BBC News)

Internal disputes delay LG member lists

Published

9 hours ago

May 17, 2025

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Due to various issues that have arisen within many political parties during the selection of members for LG bodies, submission of name lists to the Election Commission (EC) are being delayed, reports say.

As a result, the establishment of LG bodies is expected to be delayed further.

In this backdrop, the EC has instructed all political parties and independent groups to submit their name lists within a week.

The gazette on the newly appointed members will follow only after the EC receives all lists.

(Source : Lankadeepa)

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Ministry cancels Br. Charles’ program at Padeniya temple

Published

9 hours ago

May 17, 2025

editor

The Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs has issued a letter over a program organized by Br. Charles Thomas.

The relevant program is scheduled to be held today (May 17) at the historic Padeniya temple and is allegedly scheduled to be held in a manner that is harmful to Buddhism.

The letter notes that the Deputy Minister has taken steps to cancel the program following complaints from various parties, citing strong displeasure expressed by the local Buddhist community.

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Applications open for A/L Vocational stream

Published

9 hours ago

May 17, 2025

editor

The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education has announced that applications are now open for admissions for Grade 12 students for the Advanced Level (A/L) Vocational stream subjects.

According to the Ministry, the vocational stream will be offered in 608 schools starting this year.

The Ministry further clarified that students who have not passed the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examination will still be eligible to apply, as O/L results will not be a determining factor for admission to this stream.

For this, students need to submit an application to the principal of the school they wish to enroll in.