Dec 8 (ST) The appointment of a new Auditor General has been further delayed after the candidate Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake put forward to fill the vacancy in an acting capacity failed to muster the minimum number of votes required for Constitutional Council (CC) approval. Prez Dissanayake had recommended that the CC approve the name of Senior Deputy Auditor General L.S.I. Jayaratne to serve as Acting Auditor General for three months. According to the Constitution, more..

Dec 8 (ST) The Dept of National Archives has issued an urgent appeal for freezers in which to deposit documents damaged in recent floods so as to stop mould from growing on and destroying them. “Hundreds of cubic metres of irreplaceable public records are now water-damaged,” National Archives Director General Nadeera Rupesinghe said. “We have no time before mould renders them permanently destroyed.” “Freezing water-damaged documents stops mould growth and stabilises materials until more..

Dec 8 (FT) SL is projected to fall short of its export target of achieving $ 18.2 billion in 2025 due to external and internal shocks, though preparing for a major structural shift in its strategy to boost earnings to $ 20 billion next year. “We expect to close 2025 with $ 17–17.5 billion in export revenue, slightly below the original forecast of $ 18.2 billion, due to external and domestic factors, particularly the recent adverse weather,” more..

Dec 8 (DN) Jason Fernando hit a fighting unbeaten knock of 78 in 116 balls but it was in vain as Bangladesh U-17s registered 78 runs win over Sri Lanka U-17 in their first one day game of the three match series played at Chattargon Stadium in Bangladesh yesterday. It was superb batting display by home team with Adrito Gosh leading the way scoring unbeaten 103 in 137 balls to post a challenging total of 271 for 6 wickets in 50 overs while SL U-17s chasing a target of 272 were struggling 36 for 3 more..

Dec 8 (FT) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) has written to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake with reference to the provisions of the Emergency Regulations, No. 1 of 2025, which were issued on 28 Nov. The Commission expressed its deep sorrow with respect to the national disaster that has arisen in SL as a result of Cyclone Ditwah. It recognised the enormity of the cost to human life and property and acknowledged the difficult path to recovery that Govt of SL has undertaken. more..

Dec 8 (FT) Mrs India Pride of the Nation, one of India’s most respected and purpose-driven platforms for married women, is all set to make its grand international debut with its Season 7 Grand Finale in Colombo, SL. For the first time ever, the iconic pageant will step beyond Indian borders, creating a landmark moment for the platform and strengthening cultural ties between the two nations. The Grand Finale will take place on 11 Dec, at the prestigious ITC Ratnadipa, Colombo, more..

Dec 8 (EN) SL’s railway system was badly damaged by Cyclone Ditwah leaving only two lines operating, General Manager of Railways, Ravindra Padmapriya said, after landslides and torrential rains washed away chunks of tracks and damaged bridges. “After this natural disaster we only had the Coastal line and Kelani Valley line left,” he said. The worst damage was to the Kandy, Badulla & Matale tracks in the hill country. In at least 15 places with the ground blasted from under the track by Cyclone Ditwah. more..

Dec 8 (EN) Sri Lanka is going for its 18th IMF program, barely a year after the country was given hopes that the current Extended Fund Facility which came in the wake of 2020 inflationary rate cuts will be the last. Prez Dissanayake said a team will be in Sri Lanka in January and a new review will be conducted. The visit was later confirmed by the IMF. President Dissanayake said that next year’s budget will have 500 billion rupees of extra spending after the Cyclone Ditwah. more..

Dec 8 (FT) IMF yesterday confirmed that SL’s request for $ 200 million in emergency financing now takes priority over the Fifth Review of the EFF, which will be deferred to early next year. Fund also signalled that the next tranche—previously set at about $ 347 million—could be increased, subject to further evaluation. “In light of the SL authorities’ request for emergency financing, IMF Board consideration of Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) request is the priority at the current juncture,” more..

Dec 8 (FT) A joint program by the Finance Ministry and the banking sector to provide loan facilities for new entrepreneurs is scheduled for launch in January next year, Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunneththi told Parliament’s Ministerial Consultative Committee recently. The Minister said Rs. 80 billion allocated in the Budget 2026 for entrepreneurial lending will be channelled through this program to ensure more effective and targeted distribution of funds. more..

Dec 8 (FT) Colombo welcomed a new chapter in its urban landscape on 3 December as Unity Plaza revealed SL’s largest outdoor LED digital screen, drawing a distinguished audience that included the Board of Directors and the Management of On’ally Holdings, over 250 invitees, representatives from its international business partner and members of the media. The unveiling signals the completion of Unity Plaza’s ambitious redevelopment journey that began with its relaunch in Nov 2023. more..

Dec 8 (FT) Serendib Flour Mills Ltd, has been recognised with a Merit Award under the Medium-Scale Manufacturing Organisations category at the SL National Quality Awards (SLNQA) 2023, presented by the SL Standards Institution (SLSI), held in November. Serendib Flour Mills’ achievement at SLNQA 2023 reinforces the position of a trusted and progressive player in Sri Lanka’s food manufacturing industry, highlighting the dedication to aligning with international best practices. more..

Dec 8 (FT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) as the regulator has directed all licenced banks to implement a series of relief measures for individuals and businesses whose income or operations were directly affected by the recent cyclonic-related natural disasters. The directive, issued through Circular No. 04 of 2025 on 5 Dec, follows proposals submitted by the SL Banks’ Association and aims to support borrowers without undermining financial system stability. more..

Dec 8 (Island) Further to my earlier letter titled, Psychology of Greed and Philosophy for a New World Order (The Island 26.11.2025) it may not be far-fetched to say that the cause of the devastating cyclones that hit Sri Lanka and Indonesia last week could be traced back to human greed. Cyclones of this magnitude are said to be unusual in the equatorial region but, according to experts, the raised sea surface temperatures created the conditions for their occurrence. more..

Dec 8 (Island) The number of deaths due to the recent weather disasters reached 627 yesterday. The Opposition has blamed the gov’s poor disaster response for the high death toll. SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has fired another salvo at the govt, accusing it of trying to scapegoat the Meteorological Department officials for its failure to take swift action to save lives despite repeated warnings of the impending disaster. He has said the Met Dept personnel began issuing warnings of adverse weather more..

Dec 8 (CT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) would remember his 58th birthday on Nov 24 for long as the disastrous cyclone Ditwah struck a few days later. Before the cyclone struck, heavy rains in coastal cities and northern highlands flooded the infrastructure and caused landslides. Road and rail communication have been disrupted due to flooding. The inclement weather also resulted in cancel of flights. As the month ended, the cyclone seems to dissipate its energy while more..

Dec 8 (GV) Why was Sri Lanka unprepared for Cyclone Ditwah? This question haunts every survivor, every family member who lost a loved one, every rescue worker who arrived too late. The uncomfortable truth emerging from post-disaster analyses is clear: while the storm itself was tracked and forecasted, Sri Lanka’s warning and response systems failed catastrophically, contributing to a death toll exceeding 470 people and leaving over 1.4 million affected. This was not an act of God that more..

Dec 8 (CT) SL’s transport arteries lie fractured after the devastation of Cyclone Ditwah, exposing not only the scale of physical destruction but also long-standing structural weaknesses in disaster preparedness, infrastructure maintenance, and crisis governance. With only 30% of the country’s railway network currently operational, and highway damages now estimated at a staggering Rs 190 billion, the cyclone has delivered one of the harshest blows to national connectivity in decades. more..

Dec 8 (CT) At a time when SL and a few countries in Southeast Asia are struggling to recover from a post-cyclonic devastation it is worth spending some thoughts on an issue that lies fundamental to understand why natural disasters have become so frequent in this age of scientific and technological domination over human life. Perhaps because of the increasing frequency of cyclones and other natural disasters that meteorologists and climatologists had started naming these events to differentiate one from the other. more..

Dec 8 (ST) Amid accusations by sections of the opposition that the disaster brought on by Cyclone Ditwah had rendered it irrelevant in its current form, Budget 2026 was passed in Parliament by a majority of 157 votes on Friday. Many in the opposition ranks were absent when the Third Reading came up for a vote around 7.30pm. Aside from those from the NPP govt, opposition MPs Jeevan Thondaman from the UNP and K. Kader Masthan from the SL Labour Party voted in support of Budget 2026. more..

Dec 8 (TM) The day Cyclone Ditwah made landfall in SL, it extracted a toll that is still unfolding, with numbers of missing and dead continuing to climb with each official accounting. As floodwaters slowly recede and SL assesses the damage caused in the aftermath of the destructive path of the cyclone, it has left behind a nation struggling to wrest some control in the midst of chaos, with questions of State accountability, disaster preparedness, more..

Dec 8 (CT) SL’s mountains, forests, and rivers are part of a natural heritage that has shaped our civilisation, our culture, and our spirituality for centuries. Yet these landscapes are now being consumed at a pace faster than at any moment in our modern history. The recent outcry over illegal constructions in environmentally fragile zones—from Ambuluwawa to Sri Pada—has once again exposed the deep fractures across our governance system. It is a crisis not merely of policy but of moral responsibility. more..

Dec 8 (DM) When Cyclone Ditwah swept across SL in late November 2025, the force of nature felt almost unreal. Hundreds of people died, thousands remain unaccounted for, and more than 147,000 were pushed from the places they once called home. Beneath this stark physical destruction, another emergency has unfolded more quietly, and it may take much longer to heal- the toll on older adults. To SL’s elderly, the immediate danger of floods and landslides is just the first blow. more..

Dec 7 (ST) When Prez Anura Dissanayake convened an emergency Cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening, there were two matters he said those in govt should focus on urgently. One was getting aid across to those worst affected by Cyclone Ditwah, and the other was countering opposition allegations that the govt had ignored warnings of the incoming natural disaster, thus leading to the heavy loss of lives. more..

Dec 7 (AD) The death toll due to the adverse weather conditions experienced in the country over the past few days has climbed to 618 as at 8 p.m. today (6), according to the DMC. It confirmed that another 209 individuals remain missing as search operations continue. Extreme weather has impacted all 25 districts of the island, affecting a total of 2,078,436 people from 583,030 families. The districts of Gampaha (362,664), Puttalam (347,211) & Colombo (328,846) are the worst affected. more..

Dec 7 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Road Development Authority has re-opened all major roads after Cyclone Ditwah, and the Kandy – Colombo road is open in the daytime from Dec 5, Director General Wimal Kandamby said. Cyclone Ditwah had blocked 256 major roads in 298 places and 40 bridges were damaged. Some roads were impassable due to flood inundation, but there were also rock falls, trees falling and landslides, he said. By December 05, 252 locations had been cleared, Kandamby said. more..

Dec 7 (ST) The govt is to set up a statutory body to handle a special fund, starting with a Rs 500 billion supplementary estimate to be passed in Parliament next month to undertake a rebuilding plan after cyclone Ditwah left more than 600 dead, 213 missing and over 75,000 houses fully or partially damaged. The govt will pass a new law setting up the statutory body to oversee rebuilding of infrastructure, housing construction, more..

Dec 7 (ST) From January 1 next year, public sector employees will no longer be granted no-pay leave to work elsewhere, as was allowed under a 2022 Cabinet decision, according to a new circular. Public Administration Ministry Secretary Aloka Bandara said the Cabinet has approved a proposal to cancel the five-year leave option, which was used by many to seek alternate employment either locally or overseas. A circular ending the special leave was issued this week. more..

Dec 7 (Island) World Health Organization (WHO) SL has issued fresh public health guidance on the safe handling of dead animals in the aftermath of widespread flooding, warning that carcasses pose significant health risks. According to the advisory, animals may die from drowning, disease or injury during disasters, and improper handling of their remains can contaminate food and water sources and trigger outbreaks. WHO has urged the public not to touch, collect or consume dead fish more..

Dec 7 (NW) A ship carrying emergency relief from the Govt of Tamil Nadu is en route to Sri Lanka to assist communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah and the subsequent floods and landslides. The vessel, loaded with 950 metric tons of essential supplies, left the Port of Tuticorin today carrying food items and clothing meant for distribution to disaster-hit families across Sri Lanka. The aid shipment has been dispatched under the direction of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin. more..

Dec 7 (TM) Amid the devastating floods that have swept across SL, the Ministry of Trade, Commerce & Food Security has assured that there is currently no critical shortage of essential goods in the country. According to the DMC’s Rapid Needs Assessment as of Tuesday, approximately 1.5 million people reside in districts classified as having moderate to high food insecurity risk. Floods have caused severe crop losses, disrupted inland fisheries and shrimp farming, and damaged fishing vessels more..