Dec 4 (FT) Finance Ministry yesterday convened a donor forum with diplomatic missions, bilateral and multilateral development partners, and lending agencies to review the current situation, outline the way forward, and coordinate support for national relief, rescue, and restoration efforts following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. The forum was Co-Chaired by CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Treasury Secretary more..

Dec 4 (FT) SJB MP Mujibur Rahman called for a Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate the Govt’s preparedness for Cyclone Ditwah, arguing that the administration failed to act despite clear early warnings. He also challenged the legality of the Rebuilding SL Fund, claiming it bypassed established disaster management laws and oversight mechanisms. Rahman said there was continuing uncertainty over whether the Govt had been properly informed about approaching more..

Dec 4 (EN) Cyclone Ditwah has left 829 dead and missing in Sri Lanka with hardest hit in areas in the central province of the hill country of the Indian Ocean Island. By Dec 3 evening 479 persons were confirmed dead and 350 were still listed as missing in Sri Lanka, with 1.61 million were hit by floods and landslides, the island’s DMC data said. In the more highly populated Kandy area in the central hills which includes Gampola, 118 were confirmed dead and 171 missing. more..

Dec 4 (NW) Only 478 km of SL’s 1,593-kilometer railway network are currently usable following extensive damage caused by the recent cyclone, Commissioner-General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi said Wednesday in a detailed situation update. He said the cyclone had severely disrupted transport, agriculture, power supply and telecommunications across multiple districts. The Ministry of Health has directed more..

Dec 4 (TM) Housing, Construction & Water Supply Ministry is preparing to engage the general public in discussions regarding the permanent relocation of individuals from hazardous areas officially identified as risky by the NBRO. Deputy Minister T.B. Sarath said that the recent disaster of a cyclone and related floods and landslides, which has wrought widespread havoc, both on a human and material scale, has brought about a grave realisation of the situation’s gravity and severity more..

Dec 4 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said the SJB will take strict disciplinary action against members of the Kandy Municipal Council who obstructed a volunteer-run relief centre operating inside the municipal premises. Premadasa apologised to those affected by what he described as the bad behaviour and unwarranted actions of the councillors. He said the conduct of the members who objected to the activities of Soome and his team of volunteers was unacceptable, more..

Dec 4 (FT) SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva called for Parliamentary approval and oversight over the Rebuilding SL initiative. Speaking in Parliament, he said the proposed Rebuild Sri Lanka Fund cannot be created without the approval of the legislature. “Parliament has full control over public finance in terms of the Constitution,” he said. He noted that the Public Financial Management Act does not permit statutory funds to be established at will. “We have no objections to establishing the fund. more..

Dec 4 (TM) Devotees from other parts of the country have been requested to refrain from attending religious observances to be held in view of the Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day in Anuradhapura today (04). The Chief Prelate of the Atamasthana, the Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Thera made this request considering the prevailing adverse weather conditions affecting Sri Lanka. He conveyed this message during a media briefing held in Anuradhapura. more..

Dec 4 (Island) NDF MP Ravi Karunanayake told Parliament that the Central Bank had not been under his purview when the bond scams took place. “At no point during my tenure as the Minister of Finance I was assigned the Central Bank. This is the first time I am publicly mentioning this,” Karunanayake said. He said so making a special statement under the provisions of the Section 27/8 Standing Order of Parliament. more..

Nov 4 (DM) SL Banks Association (SLBA), in a meeting with the Governor of the CB, pledged its fullest support to revive the country’s economy, following the damage inflicted by Cyclone Ditwah. The banks represented by the association stated that a detailed impact assessment has already been initiated across the banks to identify the impact to individuals, small businesses and large corporates and encouraged the impacted customers to speak to their respective bank branch managers. more..

Nov 4 (CT) The Attorney General’s Department, yesterday, informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama that steps have been taken, with Cabinet approval, to open a special account at the Central Bank to deposit funds recovered from suspects linked to the ‘Onmax DT’ pyramid-style financial fraud. Appearing for the Attorney General, the State Counsel said this was the first time such an account had been opened and that it would remain strictly under govt control. more..

Dec 4 (NW) Opposition political party leaders and representatives said that no govt can face the current national crisis alone, calling for a collective national effort to rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. They made the remarks at a meeting held in Colombo, convened by former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the UNP headquarters on Malik Road. UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena said leaders or representatives from more than 35 registered more..

Dec 4 (DN) SL celebrates Unduvap Poya on the Full Moon of the Unduvap month, usually in December, to honour the arrival of the Sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi sapling in Anuradhapura. This profoundly meaningful event was made possible by Sangamitta Theri, daughter of Emperor Ashoka, who brought the sacred Bo tree sapling from India in the 3rd century BC. This holy day also commemorates the establishment of the Bhikkhuni (nun) Order by Sangamitta Theri—an event that transformed more..

Dec 4 (FT) In a rare show of unified industry action, top tourism bodies— Hotels Association of SL (THASL) and SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) have joined hands with Sri Lanka Tourism to urgently reassure international travellers that the island’s tourism industry is back to normal following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. The two leading industry bodies have requested Sri Lanka Tourism more..

Dec 4 (NW) Opposition MP Harsha de Silva told Parliament today that the govt already has substantial fiscal space to assist communities hit by Cyclone Ditwah, insisting there is no excuse for delays in relief and cleanup operations. He said the govt currently has LKR 30 billion allocated for recurrent expenses and another LKR 20 billion that can be reallocated, providing a total of LKR 50 billion that can be deployed immediately for disaster response. De Silva also noted that more..

Dec 4 (FT) The UN is leading the development of a Joint Rapid Needs Assessment in close coordination with the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and humanitarian partners following the devastating Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka. “This effort includes analysing geospatial data to identify the flood impact and coordinating a data collection process across partners to fully understand the situation,” the UN Office of the Resident Coordinator SL said. The UN and key humanitarian partners continue to more..

Dec 4 (ST) SL’s tourism industry has taken charge of ensuring the safety of tourists and is adhering to necessary precautions required and requested most arrivals to be postponed in the wake of the cyclonic storm Ditwah. While southern resorts have been largely unaffected by the crisis, the problem areas are the hill country and Northcentral Province. All tourist sites have been closed since Thursday while some travellers more..

Dec 4 (EN) Sri Lanka Customs is facing a four-day backlog due to the last week disaster and the clearance would be normal by end of December, Customs Director General Seevali Arukgoda said. “The clearance was affected from last Thursday up to Sunday because there was lack of staff. There was light flooding as well around the port,” Arukgoda said on Tuesday on the sideline of a media briefing. He said the unloading ships were taken out of the port due to heavy wind as well. more..

Dec 4 (ST) SL’s long-troubled state housing finance sector is set for its most consequential restructuring in decades, following the govt’s decision to merge the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) and the State Mortgage and Investment Bank (SMIB) with two of the country’s largest state-owned commercial banks. The move, approved by Cabinet in Nov 11, comes after the Central Bank flagged serious concerns about the long-term survival of both institutions. more..

Dec 4 (Island) The year 2025 ends with devastating loss of lives and property, both private and public, as a result of floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah. Social media erupted over accusations that NPP govt failed to issue a proper warning, in spite of the Director General of the Met Dept, Athula Karunanayaka, declaring the impending unprecedented danger. Karunanayaka made the deadly prediction on 12 Nov on Big Focus. He said so responding to Big Focus presenter more..

Dec 4 (FT) Starlink has announced that it is providing free satellite internet service in SL for those affected by Cyclone Ditwah and subsequent flooding, extending support to both new and existing users until the end of Dec 2025. Company said it is working closely with the Govt to deliver additional assistance as restoration efforts continue across several districts. Starlink said free service credits are being automatically applied to active users in the impacted areas, requiring no action from more..

Dec 4 (TM) The reported failure of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to press ahead with the election of office bearers for the 20025-27 term for Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) thus far since taking over its governance four months ago, is likely to put a spoke in the wheel of local athletics. Furthermore, it has put a dampener on the country’s participation at several high-profile global events in 2026, sources in athletics circles stated. more..

Dec 4 (Island) Cyclone Ditwah has dissipated, but the trail of destruction it left remains. More than 475 people have already been confirmed dead. Many have gone missing, and the death toll continues to rise. It may not be possible to trace most landslide victims who were buried alive. It is too early to assess the economic cost of the recent weather disasters. Commissioner General of Essential Services has given a ballpark figure—USD 6 -7 billion or about 3 – 5% of GDP. more..

Dec 4 (DHS) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) law enforcement officers arrested Sumith Gunasekera, a criminal illegal alien sex offender from Sri Lanka, in Detroit on Nov 12. During processing, Gunasekera claimed to be employed as an associate professor for Ferris State Uni in Big Rapids, Michigan. On Aug 28, 1998, Gunasekera was arrested by the Peel Regional Police in Brampton, Ontario for uttering death threats. He was arrested again just three days later again more..

Dec 4 (FT) Cyclone Ditwah struck SL on 27 Nov with a ferocity that quickly overwhelmed communities, infrastructure and emergency services. Official reports in the days that followed documented widespread flooding, catastrophic landslides and the collapse of critical services, leaving hundreds dead, many more missing and millions displaced. The precise toll is still being assessed as rescue and recovery operations continue, but there is no question that the scale of the disaster more..

Dec 4 (TM) On 28 Nov, Cyclone Ditwah swept across SL accompanied by intense rainfall and destructive winds, producing widespread devastation throughout the island. Extensive flooding overwhelmed low-lying areas while unstable slopes triggered multiple landslides. Numerous villages were submerged, leading to the loss of hundreds of lives and the disappearance of many others. As of early this month, more than one million individuals across all 25 Districts continue to be affected. more..

Dec 4 (TM) British Govt has reaffirmed its support to the recovery efforts in Sri Lanka following the devastating landslides and floods in recent days. Govt has already provided assistance of Pounds 675,000 to SL’s rescue and relief efforts. British MP and the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on SL, Andrew Snowden stated that he met with the SL High Commissioner, Nimal Senadheera, to discuss more..

Dec 4 (CT) The scale of the damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah is still unclear, but in a speech on Sunday night, President AKD described it as the largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history. Villages across the island were decimated, and many homes, schools and businesses still remain underwater, including across the capital Colombo. According to the country’s Disaster Management Centre, more than 1.1 million people had been affected by the cyclone’s impact. more..

Dec 4 (GV) Sri Lanka is once again grappling with the devastating consequences of a natural disaster that, despite weeks of scientific forecasts, struck a nation structurally unprepared to withstand it. Cyclone Ditwah, which made landfall in late Nov 2025, has become the country’s most destructive calamity since the 2004 tsunami. With fatalities surpassing 400, thousands still missing and more than one million people affected, this tragedy is not merely a force of nature it is a reflection of more..

Dec 4 (TM) Across many productive industries in SL, workers are increasingly pushed to prioritise meeting targets over protecting their own health and safety. Underscoring this, Commercial and Industrial Workers’ Union President Swasthika Arulingam noted that since salary structures are tied directly to productivity, workers often feel they have no choice but to ignore basic safety measures in order to earn enough to more..

Dec 4 (TM) The recent devastation caused by cyclone Ditwah has left SL grappling with an immense loss of life, widespread destruction and also a deepening humanitarian crisis. As the country struggles to recover, frustration has spilled over onto social media platforms, where many citizens have openly criticised the Govt’s actions and inactions concerning the recent disaster. These range from the perceived failure to issue timely early warnings to what many describe as slow or inadequate more..

Dec 4 (CT) Cyclone Ditwah has passed, but for 100s of 1,000s of SL women and children, its harshest consequences are only beginning to unfold. As floodwaters recede and landslides leave behind muddy scars, the nation again stands at a familiar crossroads: whether to merely respond to disaster, or rethink how it protects its most-vulnerable when nature turns hostile. More than 1.4 million people are estimated to have been affected, including over 275,000 children. more..