Nov 30 (ST) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake couldn’t have asked for a worse birthday week. First it was the news a day ahead of his 57th birthday on Monday that the JVP General Secretary, Tilvin Silva, the party’s big brother figure, had come under attack by a group of LTTE supporters while on a tour to Britain. Mr Silva escaped unhurt, but the incident no doubt unsettled those in govt. But what was to follow was worse. more..

Nov 30 (TM) SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) claimed that all necessary arrangements had been made to assist tourists currently holidaying in SL. Dept of Immigration & Emigration has agreed to extend visas for those whose permits expire during this period, while airlines have waived additional charges for extending departure dates owing to the prevailing situation across the island. SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam said that visas of tourists that were expiring today (30), more..

Nov 30 (ST) Cyclone Ditwah caused major travel disruptions on Friday and yesterday, with AASL reporting flight cancellations, delays and diversions. The turmoil continued into yesterday, with a total of 17 SriLankan Airlines departures cancelled. The company expressed hope that the situation would regain some semblance of normality by tonight. Operations at BIA were severely affected by staff shortages as several employees could not report to work due to flooding and transport difficulties. more..

Nov 30 (ST) The cyclone Ditwah that has left a path of destruction in SL, was a name submitted by Yemen. According to the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) ESCAP panel, of which SL is one of 13 member countries the name was proposed by Yemen and is derived from Ditwah lagoon – a popular natural attraction on the island of Socotra in Yemen. The countries that contribute to the rotating list of names for cyclones include Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, more..

Nov 30 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasised that maintaining proper coordination among all stakeholders involved in providing relief to disaster-affected communities would enable those benefits to reach the public in a more productive and effective manner. Prez made these remarks during a meeting held with representatives of non-governmental organisations yesterday at the Defence Headquarters. Expressing his gratitude to all those who have stepped forward on behalf more..

Nov 30 (TM) Disaster Management Centre (DMC) Director – Awareness Pradeep Kodippili is holding his ground against allegations that disaster warnings were not issued promptly, stating that the centre had issued timely updates on its official platforms during the recent flooding and landslide events. “I do not believe there were delays in issuing warnings, because our website is generally updated,” he claimed. more..

Nov 30 (TM) Officials from key State agencies warn that the full scale of the damage to the national road and connectivity networks remains unknown as of last evening (29), as continuous rainfall and flooding continue to hamper assessment efforts. With several bridges washed away and major roads blocked by earthslips, fallen debris, and submerged surfaces, authorities say immediate priorities remain life-saving operations and restoring minimal access to isolated regions. more..

Nov 30 (ST) A tense, day-long rescue mission along Kala Oya concluded safely yesterday morning when the Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) jointly carried out an operation to save 67 people who sought refuge on an asbestos rooftop after getting stranded in a bus submerged in flood waters. The operation began when an emergency response boat of the Rapid Action Boat Squadron was initially deployed to evacuate the passengers trapped in a flooded bus at around 9.15 a.m. on Thursday, more..

Nov 30 (Island) Sri Lanka has once again been submerged not by unprecedented rainfall but by decades of political negligence, environmental crime, and institutional paralysis, says a climate expert. The latest floods have exposed a truth long avoided by those in power: this disaster was engineered, brick by brick, landfill by landfill, approval by approval, he says. SL Scientist Dr. Thasun Amarasinghe working at the Climate Research Centre in Indonesia describes more..

Nov 30 (DM) Airport and Aviation Services (SL) (Pvt) Ltd has issued an important travel advisory for all passengers departing through the BIA, as several airport access routes remain affected by flooding due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions. Authorities urged departing passengers to use Colombo–Katunayake Expressway, noting that it currently offers the safest and most reliable route to reach the airport. In a bid to ease congestion within the terminal during this challenging period, more..

Nov 30 (TM) Authorities are struggling to supply stranded hospital staff with food even as medical supplies reach facilities, Dr. Samiddhi Samarakoon said. He said that although camps for IDPs had received medicines and essential medical supplies through Regional Directors of Health Services (RDHS) in affected areas, a number of hospitals, medical staff, patients, and civilians in surrounding communities remained trapped more..

Nov 30 (NW) Two Indian Navy helicopters rescued eight people trapped by floodwaters in Pannala on 29 Nov, as India’s aerial support to SL’s disaster response continued to increase amid the ongoing emergency. Authorities confirmed that four Indian helicopters are currently deployed for rescue missions across the country, including two aircraft operating from the Indian Navy’s INS Vikrant. The helicopters carried out multiple sorties in the Pannala area, where rising waters had cut off more..

Nov 30 (NW) A shortage of blood has emerged in the country as a result of the ongoing disaster situation, according to Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe, Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service. He said the current weather conditions have disrupted the ability to organize mobile blood donation campaigns, which usually supply the majority of daily blood requirements. “On average, we need between 1,400 and 1,500 blood units per day to maintain the national blood system, more..

Nov 30 (AD) Manusath Derana Flood Relief programme, launched to support those affected by the prevailing adverse weather, continues for the second consecutive day today (29). In partnership with Dialog Axiata, Manusath Derana has sustained its relief operations, receiving essential dry food and hygiene item donations from people across SL at TV Derana Head Office. Since last night (28), both institutional and individual donors have contributed supplies to assist those in need of shelter. more..

Nov 30 (DM) CEB announced that the Kotugoda 220/132/33kV Grid Substation has been temporarily taken out of service due to severe flooding in the area. Continuous heavy rainfall has caused floodwaters to rise rapidly, resulting in the entire substation premises becoming submerged. By yesterday (29) water levels had reached the control panel height, posing a significant operational risk. With conditions exceeding safe operating limits, the CEB said it had safely de-energized more..

Nov 30 (TM) SL is grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis following Cyclone Ditwah, which has caused widespread destruction across the island, leaving at least 159 people dead and 203 missing. The disaster, which had been forewarned, has affected over 230,000 families and impacted over 833,000 individuals, forcing tens of thousands to seek refuge in makeshift emergency shelters. At present, 34,198 families are taking shelter more..

Nov 30 (EN) Japan is sending team to SL to assess the Cyclone Ditwah damage along with disaster relief, the Japanese embassy in Colombo said. “The team, which consists of 4 members including JICA staff and medical personnel, will monitor medical needs on the ground, and coordinate the possible dispatch of a JDR (Japan Disaster Response) team,” the statement said. “Govt of Japan has also decided to provide emergency relief goods including tents & blankets to affected people through JICA. more..

Nov 30 (NW) Nagalagam Street recorded a sharp rise in water levels early this morning, crossing into major flood stage as the Kelani River reached 7.05 feet at 6.06 a.m., according to official data. The rise marks the most critical point downstream, with authorities warning of increasing risk to surrounding low-lying city areas. The water level had hovered around minor flood stage for several hours before climbing steadily overnight and breaching the major flood threshold at dawn. more..

Nov 30 (TM) Dangerous play has become one of the most pressing issues affecting rugby worldwide and SL is no exception. As the domestic game seeks revival amid the rise of unsafe tackles, reckless collisions, and poor technique, player welfare, match integrity, and the sport’s credibility are at stake. Amid this optimism, one issue threatens to derail progress: the rise of dangerous play. Reckless tackles, unsafe collisions, and poor technique are not just isolated incidents; they are becoming systemic, more..

Nov 30 (IE) SL captain Dasun Shanaka thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and their security forces for ensuring the team’s safety during their tour, which was under heightened alert after a recent bomb blast. This came after the T20I Tri-Series final loss at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday, a match that saw SL collapse from a strong position. After being 81-1, they lost their last eight wickets for just 16 runs to be bowled out for 114. Pakistan chased down the target of 115 more..

Nov 30 (CI) Pakistan thundered to victory in the final of the tri-series, their attack blazing through the last nine Sri Lanka wickets for 30 runs, before their batters carried them without major drama to a target of 115. The victory came in the 19th over. Earlier, it had been three-wicket hauls for Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz, and two wickets for Abrar Ahmed, that had seen Pakistan produce the definitive passage of the game more..

Nov 30 (Island) There has been no let-up in nature’s fury; torrential rains and gale-force winds continue to lash many parts of SL, triggering floods and landslides. About 60 lives had been lost at the time of writing. What is unfolding has been described as one of SL’s worst weather disasters. At this hour, the focus of the nation must be on mitigating the crippling impact of natural disasters and helping the victims crying out for help. Some areas have been totally cut off by floods, landslides, rockfalls more..

Nov 30 (Island) The IMF issued a lessons learnt report in Sept 2025, giving us extensive information of their observations on SL’s debt restructuring undertaken after the declaration of the debt standstill in April 2022, including painstaking details of the entire exercise from their point of view, information which was shrouded in secrecy during the process of restructuring. The IMF calls the report Sri Lanka’s Sovereign Debt Restructuring: Lessons from Complex Processes. more..

Nov 30 (ST) My dear Namal baby and the organisers of the Nugegoda rally, I thought of writing to you after seeing you at Nugegoda last week. I heard it being called the first gunshot against the maalimaawa regime and the beginning of their end, but seeing all of you in action, I am not so sure. You promised Mahinda maama but delivered a string of ‘B’ team speakers. It seemed that you were intent on creating confusion. First, you tell us that none of the ex-Presidents- and more..

Nov 30 (ST) This week’s deluge that hit the country from north to south, east to west and the centre without discrimination, is proof that nature’s fury is no respecter of race, religion or geography. While the people begin to pick up the pieces from the deaths and debris, and the mopping-up operations get underway, postmortems will spill over to next week on the Government’s ill-preparedness and subsequent handling of what is going to be a very costly clean-up. more..

Nov 30 (ST) Indian-born, London-based writer Sonia Faleiro’s latest book, The Robe and the Sword, was reviewed by the left-leaning Guardian newspaper in the UK, and it has raised eyebrows among readers not only because of the contents of her tome but also because of her family’s business credentials. First, about the book. She has relied on a hackneyed theme popular in the West, the dangerous rise of Buddhist extremism, that more..

Nov 30 (ST) The penultimate week of the Parliamentary debate of Budget 2026 was overshadowed by outside events as the disaster brought on by Cyclone Ditwah forced lawmakers to pause the ongoing committee stage debate for two days. With the extent of the disaster becoming clear, Committee on Parliamentary Business which met on Thursday decided not to hold the budget debate on Nov 28 and 29 to allow MPs to apply themselves towards aiding relief efforts in their respective more..

Nov 30 (CT) The recent declaration of a National Emergency following the devastation of Cyclone Ditwah, which tragically claimed around 160 lives, has raised a critical question: Was this a necessary and proportionate response to a natural disaster, or does it signify a broader lack of experience in crisis governance? A critical examination of SL’s disaster history suggests the latter. SL is no stranger to catastrophic natural events. Yet, the official response to Ditwah stands more..

Nov 30 (TM) The JVP-led NPP Govt is caught in the eye of Cyclone Ditwah as the human and infrastructure toll continues to mount and the Govt’s disaster preparedness and management mechanisms are being criticised by the public, let alone the Opposition politicians. With 153 deaths and another 191 persons missing as of yesterday evening, JVP/NPP Govt faces a herculean task ahead of it in the form of regaining waning more..

Nov 30 (TM) While the nation mourns the hundreds of lives lost in the destruction unleashed by Cyclone Ditwah, questions remain whether they perished needlessly when warnings about the impending danger were issued weeks in advance and the authorities did nothing. As the destructive system moves away from Sri Lanka’s shores, the nation is only beginning to grasp the scale of destruction unleashed by the cyclone. But one reality is already clear: the economic cost will be staggering. more..

Nov 30 (SO) The Ditwah (Lagoon in Arabic) cyclone affecting SL and ensuing incidents such as the one near Kala Oya involving a bus caught in floodwaters, have reignited questions about Govt preparedness and responsibility in times of disaster. In the immediate aftermath, images of people stranded on rooftops, rescue teams attempting daring operations, and helicopters battling swift currents captured the nation’s attention. The instinctive question that follows such incidents is predictable. more..