Dec 10 (CT) As the floodwaters of Cyclone Ditwah slowly recede and the rains finally ease, the devastation left behind reveals itself in layers. Homes are damaged, lives are disrupted, and entire communities are struggling to return to a sense of normalcy. However, what emerges most visibly across the landscape is the sheer volume of waste that has washed over the country. This includes plastic, polythene, household debris and all the forgotten fragments of our daily consumption. more..

Dec 10 (DN) SL U-17 team fought back strongly to level the one day series when they beat Bangladesh U-17 by 6 wickets in the second game played at Chattogram yesterday. SL team led by Rehan Peiris lost the first game by 78 runs at this same venue but they showed superb all round performance to win the second game to keep the series alive and deciding third game will be played on Friday (12) at the same venue. SL chasing a target of 195 made a brisk start adding 30 runs in just three overs more..

Dec 10 (ST) Sri Lanka’s apparel industry is facing a severe adverse impact in the aftermath of the cyclone that hit the country last week as 20 per cent of their workers in the flood affected areas are still finding it hard to get back to normal. Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) Deputy Chairman Felix Fernando said that while about 15 large factories have been directly impacted about 20% of the industry’s workforce in the affected areas were facing the floods. more..

Dec 10 (DM) Export of prawns, which has been a lucrative business that brings in much needed foreign exchange to SL, has come to a standstill due to the disaster situation that had hit the nation, two industrialists in the Puttalam District said. Sarath Rodirigo who is an owner of one prawn farm in Puttalam said that nearly 90% of the farms have got washed away by flood waters. “We have suffered the worst losses since 2016, as an unexpected amount of water came took our farms to the sea,” he said. more..

Dec 10 (FT) National Sales Average (NSA) of tea increased in November on both a month-on-month and year-on-year basis. The NSA for the month was Rs. 1,198.39 ($ 3.91), up Rs. 21.25 and $ 0.04 from October’s average of Rs. 1,177.14 ($ 3.87). Compared with November 2024, when the average was Rs. 1,137.22 ($ 3.89), NSA recorded an increase of Rs. 61.17 and $ 0.02. Cumulative NSA for Jan–Nov 2025 was Rs. 1,164.97 ($ 3.88), a decline of Rs. 63.49 and $ 0.17 against the corresponding period of 2024 (Rs. 1,228.46; $ 4.05). more..

Dec 10 (EN) Sri Lanka is borrowing US$ 30 million from the World Bank to strengthen the electricity grid to accommodate more renewable energy, the Finance Ministry said. Renewable energy is intermittent and money has to be spent to maintain grid stability and reduce the risk of cascading failire, to accommodate electricity that flows in the opposite direction and also to bring renewable power from remote locations. SL’s grid capacity has “hindered the utilization renewable energy presenting more..

Dec 10 (EN) Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) that it has not licensed an entity called Gladius South Asia to operate as a market participant in within or outside the country. Contrary to claims made by claims made by Gladius South Asia, UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has confirmed hat it has not registered the firm either, the SEC said. “SEC wishes to inform the public that Gladius South Asia is not licensed by the SEC to operate as a Market Participant within or outside SL,” more..

Dec 10 (FT) The 13th edition of EXCON 2025, the world’s third-largest construction equipment exhibition organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), opened yesterday at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru, and will conclude on 13 Dec. The event also attracted two SL companies, LAUGFS Rubber and OTR Enterprise Solutions, both exporters of tyres and steel rims for large-scale automobiles. Both companies are looking to expand their presence more..

Dec 10 (FT) United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has called on int'l partners to provide affordable financing and recovery instruments for SL, warning that the country cannot absorb additional debt to rebuild after Cyclone Ditwah, which flooded 1.1 million hectares and exposed 2.3 million people nationwide. Organisation said recovery efforts now hinge on targeted external support to prevent the disaster from deepening into long-term economic and social fragility. more..

Dec 10 (Island) On Friday, 5th Dec, ITN’s Hathweni Peya turned its spotlight on road safety, a subject as urgent as it is lethal. True to the grand tradition of SL television panels, the discussion featured a consultant neurosurgeon and a professor representing the road safety subcommittee. Yet, conspicuously absent were voices that could have grounded the debate in lived reality: a traffic police representative, a Transport Ministry official armed with hard statistics, more..

Dec 10 (Island) Grama Niladharis (GNs) are up in arms, claiming that the JVP/NPP politicians and their lackeys are interfering with disaster relief programmes. SL United Grama Niladhari Association (SLUGNA) President Nandana Ranasinghe said that JVP/NPP politicians and their supporters were meddling with the ongoing disaster relief operations at all levels and even obstructing the GNs. He claimed that the political authority had sent letters to the District and Divisional Secretaries, more..

Dec 10 (GV) While climate change is a long term global challenge, its impact on Sri Lanka is both severe and immediate. Researchers point out that the increase in sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea caused by global warming has significantly raised the frequency and intensity of cyclones. Due to its geography and population density, SL’s terrain is highly vulnerable to monsoon related floods and landslides. In recent decades, the frequency and magnitude of flood and more..

Dec 10 (ST) It’s not the best of times for the Govt. It’s the worst. There will not be a rich nation in the foreseeable future, nor will there be a beautiful life for its citizens. The promises made and the grandiose plans still to be laid had been disposed of by the malevolent gods of fate. The people had played the Grand Lotto with their ballots and lost their entire stakes. Wave after wave of a cyclonic wind accompanied by a torrential rain hit landfall on the southern coast of the island more..

Dec 10 (CT) The University of Peradeniya, known for its quiet charm along the Mahaweli, found itself unexpectedly overwhelmed when heavy rains caused the river to rise rapidly, and therefore much of the campus slipped into a state of disruption that few students or staff had anticipated. Although flooding in the area is not unheard of, the scale of this situation brought a level of displacement and uncertainty that immediately reshaped daily life within the university. more..

Dec 10 (SO) There is no correct post-mortem of a natural disaster. People would inevitably have different opinions on what happened in the aftermath, and what happened immediately before the tragedy that befell SL last week. Asia is reeling. At the time of writing, the collective death toll from the floods in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka was over 1,100. By the time this article appears, people would have, in the best way they can, tried to resume their daily routines more..

Dec 10 (CT) Was the 2025 Ditwa disaster preventable? The Unfinished World Bank Flood-Resilience Program 2016, No One Wants to Talk About. When Cyclone Ditwah hit SL in late Nov 2025, the Opposition’s immediate reaction was to blame the AKD govt. Failure of preparedness, they shouted in Parliament. Lack of mitigation, they proclaimed on television. Social media echoed the same chorus — as if eight months of governance could undo or rebuild decades of structural vulnerability. more..

Dec 10 (TM) After the devastating floods and landslides, Minister Dr. Susil Ranasinghe observed that many people who had previously resisted relocation from risk-prone areas had now themselves requested to be moved. “When we attempted policies to remove unauthorised constructions around tanks, forests, and riverbanks in the past, there was resistance. Now, after the disaster, people themselves have come forward and requested the Govt to relocate them. more..

Dec 10 (DM) The recent floods in Sri Lanka have left individuals and communities facing profound emotional, psychological, and practical challenges. Beyond the visible destruction, many survivors are navigating shock, loss, fear, grief, and uncertainty about the future. These reactions are normal responses to an overwhelming event. When homes, livelihoods, belongings and loved ones are lost, a person’s sense of safety and identity is shaken. In the immediate aftermath of the floods, more..

Dec 10 (DM) As SL assesses the scale of the devastation of Cyclone Ditwah, the worst-ever natural disaster since the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, it should also plan for the next phase of reconstruction in earnest. And given the scale of destruction, the govt should organise an international conference to harness international assistance. The Tokyo donor conference of 2003 may offer the template—and India, with its elevated global profile, should be the partner. more..

Dec 9 (TM) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa today claimed that the difficulties faced by the public during the recent disaster have been worsened by the lack of coordination among govt institutions. Speaking during a visit to the Gatambe Sri Rajopawanaramaya in Peradeniya, Rajapaksa said that field officers at the village level were doing their best to support families affected by adverse weather, but gaps in communication among state agencies were causing further inconvenience. more..

Dec 9 (TM) Construction mobilisation at the BIA Terminal II project site is expected to be delayed until June 2026 as SL needs to negotiate gap financing with the JICA, according to the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation. Deputy Minister Janitha Kodithuwakku revealed that they were currently awaiting the concurrence of JICA on the technical evaluation of the two prospective Japanese contractors who had submitted bids to serve as the main contractor for completing BIA Terminal II more..

Dec 9 (AD) A total of 143.03 km of SL's coastline have been polluted due to heavy flooding caused by the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, according to the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA). MEPA Chairman Samantha Gunasekara stated that the severe flooding caused by the intense rainfall has significantly affected both the SL sea area and the coastline, and that an estimated 5,280 man-hours will be required more..

Dec 9 (Island) SL is facing an environmental catastrophe of unprecedented scale in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah, with leading experts warning that the real extent of the ecological destruction remains dangerously under-assessed. Professor Siril Wijesundara of the National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS) issued a stark warning that SL may be confronting one of the worst biodiversity losses in its recent history, yet the country still lacks a coordinated, scientific assessment more..

Dec 9 (AD) European Union has released €1.8 million in emergency assistance for SL, in response to the devastating landslide and floods in recent days. The funding will serve to provide essential relief to the most vulnerable communities, European Commission has announced in a statement. Up to €1.8 million will support relief efforts in SL, including €500,000 channelled via the Disaster Response Emergency Fund of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. more..

Dec 9 (AD) The National Audit Office is scheduled to conduct a total of 3,508 audits in 2026. According to the 2026 Annual Work Programme, the office is expected to conduct 3,484 Financial Audits, 12 Special Audits, 11 Performance Audits and an Environmental Audit. These were revealed during a meeting of the COPF. The COPF considered several important matters, including the regulations issued under more..

Dec 9 (EN) The year 2025 has been disastrous for Sri Lanka’s agriculture, especially after Cyclone Ditwah caused severe destruction through heavy rains, landslides, and crop damages in different agro-ecological zones. While the immediate physical devastation was evident in the destruction of houses and infrastructure, the deeper and far-reaching consequence are the hidden agricultural toll which will shape food availability and farm incomes well into 2026. more..

Dec 9 (AD) The State of Qatar has underscored its commitment to continuing its humanitarian role and supporting its partners in Sri Lanka to ensure an effective and sustainable response to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah. The assurance was made when Minister of State for International Cooperation Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met the Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando. Their discussions during the meeting focused on advancing cooperation between the two more..

Dec 9 (DM) A businessman who secretly placed a camera in the fitting room of his clothing outlet in the Thalawathugoda area and watched women trying on clothes was arrested by Thalangama Police yesterday. Police examined the suspect’s mobile phone and found 201 video clips of young women changing their clothes. They said the video scenes included young women changing their underwear, and a bare-bodied young woman in a bathroom of a house. 43-year-old suspect is a resident of more..

Dec 9 (NW) SL has thanked the Tamil Nadu govt for sending emergency relief supplies to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah. Minister Vijitha Herath said he conveyed the govt’s appreciation during a telephone call with TN Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Tamil Nadu recently dispatched 950 metric tons of humanitarian aid, including rice, pulses, milk powder, sugar, clothing and blankets, to assist displaced families. The relief was sent aboard Indian Navy vessels from Chennai & Thoothukudi. more..

Dec 9 (AD) All schools in the Western, Southern, Northern, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and North-Central provinces will reopen for academic activities on Tuesday (16), Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Nalaka Kaluwewe has announced. Accordingly, out of the 10,076 schools in the country, 9,929 schools will be reopened on Dec 16. 147 schools affected by recent landslides and floods are not in a condition to resume more..

Dec 9 (AD) The general public has been requested not to be misled by fraudulent messages and to refrain from sharing personal information with individuals who claimed to be involved in programmes to provide relief to those affected by Cyclone Ditwah. Ministry of Women and Child Affairs said it has been observed that numerous short messages are being circulated via WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms, claiming to provide relief to those affected by the recent cyclone and more..