Dec 11 (TM) Land and Irrigation Ministry stated the relevant irrigation officials took all possible steps to manage reservoir systems well during the heavy rainfall brought on by Cyclone Ditwah, both by protecting the reservoirs and minimising any harm caused to nearby communities. The remarks come amid allegations that water was not released early enough and that sluice gates were later opened suddenly without giving residents adequate time to evacuate. more..

Dec 11 (TM) SL’s preparation for the Asian Regional Qualification round ahead of guaranteeing its place at the 17th edition of the 16-team Netball World Cup to be held in Australia in 2027, has hit a roadblock. This stems over Sports Ministry’s failure to expedite the election of office bearers to the game’s local ruling body, since taking over its governance aspect last August. Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage suspended the registration of Netball Federation of SL (NFSL) in July this year, more..

Dec 11 (ST) SL’s long-promised tariff overhaul pitched as a turning point for trade competitiveness has entered a complicated, politically fraught phase. While the govt has recommitted to dismantling para-tariffs under the National Tariff Policy (NTP), the economic stakes are rising, and a once-discussed plan to reduce tariffs on selected US imports to zero has quietly disappeared from official discourse. The reforms revolve around eliminating three major para-tariffs: Special Commodity Levy (SCL), more..

Dec 11 (ST) A JICA-funded project to install a Doppler radar – a vital weather forecasting instrument – is expected to be finished by 2027 after years of delays. A Doppler radar uses waves to detect precipitation, while also measuring its movement and speed, revealing wind direction and intensity, etc, giving meteorologists vital information for severe weather warnings. Sunday Times first reported in 2017 that JICA has agreed to fund the procurement and installation of two Doppler radars in 2017 more..

Dec 11 (ST) Flood victims in Colombo and suburbs are grappling with a multitude of issues as they return to their homes, with some of them not only losing their belongings but also their livelihoods. The lack of an effective distribution mechanism to distribute relief was visible when the Sunday Times visited some of the areas hit by the flooding. In some areas in the interior there was no food or drinking water, while some of those living closer to the main road seemed to be having a better supply of relief goods. more..

Dec 11 (ST) As the country grapples with the aftermath of floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah, allegations of negligence and preparedness mismanagement are being levelled against the govt agencies tasked with monitoring and managing disaster situations. Contradicting reports and statements have been made by Meteorology Dept, Disaster Management Centre and Irrigation Dept, main institutions tasked with the inter-agency coordination during a time of disaster, more..

Dec 11 (Island) SL has faced one of the most devastating natural disasters in its post-independence history. Cyclone Ditwah, with its torrential rains, landslides, flash floods, and widespread displacement, has left an imprint on the nation that will be remembered for decades. While rescue teams continue to work tirelessly and communities rush to rebuild shattered homes and infrastructure, the nation’s disaster assessment is evolving by the day. Funds from govt channels, private donations, more..

Dec 11 (Island) The Opposition has blamed the severity of recent floods that devastated many areas, such as Gampola, on the controversial appointment of some engineers loyal to the NPP govt to oversee the Kotmale reservoir in place of senior, experienced engineering professionals who could have responded to emergencies swiftly. It has claimed that if the experienced officials had been allowed to operate the reservoir, they would have begun releasing water early to prevent flash floods, more..

Dec 11 (CT) SL rarely lacks crises, but Cyclone Ditwah has forced upon the nation a reckoning of an altogether different magnitude. In a candid and unusually forthright interview with Newsweek, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake laid bare the devastating convergence of climate catastrophe and economic fragility that now defines the country’s present. His words carried not merely the weight of loss, but the burden of a State searching for a new grammar of survival in a changing world. more..

Dec 11 (ST) For days, if not weeks, SL has been under siege due to climate changes that caused death and devastation, as the world now knows. It was a tsunami of a different kind—different from the real tsunami we encountered two decades ago. The loss of life then was decidedly more than what the nation suffered in the past ten days or so during the Cyclone Ditwah disaster, though the death toll possibly could rise as destroyed buildings, houses and other infrastructure are cleared and more..

Dec 11 (TM) In the aftermath of the communications outage that occurred during the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, Govt is planning to introduce changes to the national communications architecture, it is learnt. DMC Director Chathura Liyanaarachchi said: “We propose mandatory national standards for telecom operators to reinforce tower bases and use fortified fibre optic conduits. It is critical to have dedicated and guaranteed communication lines for decision-makers and first responders. more..

Dec 11 (CT) When cyclone Ditwah unleashed some of the most intense rainfall Sri Lanka has ever recorded, the national conversation swiftly narrowed into a familiar political ritual. Who warned whom. Who should’ve known earlier. Who failed to act. The debate collapsed into meteorology, as if a different phrasing of a weather bulletin could’ve stopped a billion cubic metres of runoff or prevented hundreds of landslides. Ditwah wasn’t a forecasting failure. more..

Dec 11 (TM) In the aftermath of the recent natural disasters that hit SL, various forms of criticism have emerged against the Govt and key weather and disaster related agencies such as the Met Dept and the Disaster Management Centre. Opposition parties and certain social activists argue that these institutions have failed to issue adequate warnings and did not respond swiftly enough to mitigate the destruction caused by cyclone Ditwah. Some have gone so far as to call for legal action, more..

Dec 11 (CT) The hill country of SL, a region long prone to landslides and accidents, was caught off guard when Cyclone Ditwah struck, unleashing heavy rains that wiped out homes and lives in an instant. The scale of the tragedy is unprecedented, with entire communities plunged into mourning that shows no signs of easing. Already living below the poverty line and facing daily hardships, the affected population — comprising plantation Tamils, Muslims, and Sinhalese more..

Dec 11 (DM) The world’s worst cyclone-hit countries are mainly in South and Southeast Asia – Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Now Sri Lanka and Thailand too, are in that sombre list. The Bhola Cyclone killed an estimated 300,000-500,000 people in Bangladesh back in 1970. India, Vietnam and the Philippines too, have suffered tremendously from cyclones. But all these countries are far more strong economically now than Sri Lanka. more..

Dec 11 (DM) One lesson taught by Cyclone Ditwah is that people need to respect the environment more. With the high demand for real estate, people are convinced to purchase locations with the best view, proximity to the nearest town and other features often ignoring the sensitivity of these locations. Most high risk landslide-prone areas are in close proximity to forest reserves. The demarcation of boundaries and the use of such lands for commercial purposes have been politically driven. more..

Dec 10 (TM) Total number of houses completely destroyed across SL due to the severe disaster situation caused by Cyclone Ditwah has surpassed 5,000. A total of 5,325 houses have been completely destroyed by the disaster so far. Kandy District has recorded the highest number of completely damaged houses, amounting to 1,815. Nuwara Eliya District has reported the second-highest number of houses destroyed, more..

Dec 10 (AD) Russia has dispatched a consignment of 35 metric tons of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. The shipment arrived this afternoon at BIA on a special cargo flight. The consignment includes a mobile power station, vegetable oil, sugar, rice, and tents. The Ilyushin IL-76—Russia’s largest cargo aircraft—transported the aid and landed at BIA at 1:10 p.m. today. Russian Ambassador to SL, Levan Dzhagaryan; Minister Anura Karunathilaka; more..

Dec 10 (CT) The Biyagama area, which was severely affected by the recent floods, suffered extensive damage, generating a large volume of waste across residential, commercial, warehouse and industrial zones. As displaced residents began returning to their homes, the accumulation of garbage along roadsides emerged as one of the most critical challenges, creating severe foul odours and serious public health risks. A similar situation was reported following last year’s floods, more..

Dec 10 (NF) It was a day steeped in pride and tradition as the Sri Lanka Navy marked its 75th anniversary with a historic relocation to the state-of-the-art Defence Headquarters Complex (DHQC) in Akuregoda. The ceremonial occupation of the Navy Headquarters at Block No. 3 wasn’t just a move—it was a bold statement of progress and unity. The event unfolded with military precision and cultural grace. more..

Dec 10 (NW) The former Deputy Chairman of Continental Insurance Lanka Ltd, Chaminda de Silva, was arrested on Tuesday by officers from the CIABOC. He is accused of facilitating a bribe of Rs. 6,415,050 to D.H.L.W. Jayamanna, a former official of the Govt Analyst’s Department, who was previously arrested on bribery charges. Bribery Commission said that the payment resulted in an undue benefit to the private insurance company and that de Silva supported & enabled offense. more..

Dec 10 (NW) A Disaster Information Centre was launched by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today at the Opposition Leader’s Office located in Colombo, to collect information from areas affected by adverse weather conditions. Primary objective of the mission is to gather information from disaster-affected areas at the Grama Niladhari Division level. Facilities have been provided for affected individuals to directly report their problems and needs to this information centre via telephone & more..

Dec 10 (TM) The Housing, Construction & Water Supply Ministry stated the majority of lands donated to the Govt’s proposed housing schemes for the displaced from the floods and landslides has come from the regions of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. Donations have also been received from Colombo suburbs and other areas. Deputy subject Minister T.B. Sarath said that “donations are being channeled through Ministers, around 20 acres have been donated through me," he claimed. more..

Dec 10 (AD) Ministry of Education has decided that the subjects of the 2025 GCE A/L exam, which were postponed due to the adverse weather conditions in SL, will now be conducted from Jan 12 to Jan 20, 2026. Accordingly, Commissioner General of Examinations has released the amended timetable for the 2025 A/L exam. The announcement from the Exams Dept also states that if school candidates affected by the disaster are unable to appear for the examination at their designated exam centre, more..

Dec 10 (AD) In the wake of cyclone Ditwah that triggered landslides, the govt is planning strict implementation of the laws and regulations related to creation of human settlements in hazard-prone areas of the mountainous districts, an official said. According to the mapping of hazard zones prior to the latest disaster, as much as 50% of the landmass of Badulla District had been identified as vulnerable to landslides in the event of heavy rain. more..

Dec 10 (AD) The Rebuilding Sri Lanka programme, initiated to restore the country following the damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, has received a total of Rs. 1,893 million in funding from domestic sources, overseas Sri Lankans, and various institutions. The Secretary to the Ministry of Finance further mentioned that a discussion was held, led by the Insurance Regulatory Commission of SL and attended by the heads of all insurance companies, to establish a compensation framework for more..

Dec 10 (NW) FSP member Pubudu Jagoda says the deforestation operation in the Knuckles mountain range is officially underway. Jagoda said that the Kandy District Secretariat issued a letter in this regard yesterday following discussions with Minister Lal Kantha. “When Gotabaya was destroying Sinharaja, the justification given was the transport needs of the surrounding villages. This govt is saying the same thing; the only difference is the name of the forest and the names of the villages. more..

Dec 10 (NW) Sriyani Dress Point, one of SL’s leading fashion retail chains, has made a substantial contribution of Rs. 20 million to the Govt’s Rebuild Sri Lanka Fund, established to support communities devastated by Cyclone Ditwah. The donation was presented at the Presidential Secretariat, where Mr. M. Selvaraj, Chairman of Sriyani Dress Point, handed over the cheque to Dr. Nandika Kumanayake, Secretary to the President. The ceremony was attended by the company’s more..

Dec 10 (AD) Google Maps has commenced updating information pertaining SL’s road network covering around 12,000 km, Minister Bimal Ratnayake has stated. Accordingly, information pertaining to A, B, and C-class roads in SL are expected to be updated. The initiative introduces six types of condition alerts, including lane closures and construction notices, to help travelers plan their journeys more efficiently. The new feature is expected to reduce travel delays, improve more..

Dec 10 (NW) Former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal welcomed the withdrawal of a bribery case filed against him over CB’s controversial investment in Greek sovereign bonds in 2011. Cabraal said he was happy with the court’s decision. “Many tried to exert immense psychological pressure on me with this allegation. But that didn’t affect me. I had faith in the judicial process, and I’m happy the case has been withdrawn,” he said, more..

Dec 10 (EN) The UK has promised 1 million pounds, or 1.3 million dollars, in aid for Cyclone Ditwah victims, following Acting High Commissioner Theresa O’Mahony’s visit to the Sri Lanka Red Cross operations in Gampaha. “This funding will help deliver emergency supplies and life-saving assistance to those who need it most,” the British High Commission said. The funding will be delivered through humanitarian partners. O’Mahony toured the Red Cross warehouse more..

Dec 10 (AD) Highlands surrounding the Ambokka village within the Pallepola Divisional Secretariat area in Matale, have reportedly become increasingly unstable following recent heavy rains. Accordingly, villagers are urging authorities to seek the immediate involvement of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) to assess the area’s safety and provide clear public guidance. A recent landslide in the village resulted in the tragic loss of seven members of the same family. more..