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..

Dec 10 (CT) A wildlife management programme has been launched at Mattala International Airport following incidents of animals entering the airport premises and disrupting operations. Owing to the airport’s proximity to protected wildlife areas, there is an ongoing risk of animals straying into airport boundaries, creating safety hazards. As a result, airport authorities have taken precautionary measures to prevent wildlife from entering operational zones. more..

Dec 10 (AD) Australia and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have partnered to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance to protect women and girls across Sri Lanka, affected by catastrophic floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, one of the most devastating climate-related disasters to strike the island nation in recent years. A contribution of AUD 500,000 from the Govt of Australia will reinforce life-saving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, more..

Dec 10 (EN) Japan, one of the first nations to offer relief to Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah left a trail of destruction, is using shock and awe to treat survivors of the devastating floods. In the coastal town of Chilaw, hours before sunrise, men, women, and children patiently queue to enter Tokyo’s disaster medical camp, which complements the Chilaw base hospital as it recovers from the flood devastation. more..

Dec 10 (NW) Islamic Relief Committee (ISRC), a long-standing humanitarian organization in Sri Lanka, has expanded its emergency response efforts with a series of free medical camps for families affected by recent flooding and Cyclone Ditwa. The organization, accredited this year by the UN through ECOSOC and a member of the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World, said the initiative is being carried out in coordination with govt health authorities to ensure timely treatment for more..

Dec 10 (AD) Heavy vehicles have been barred from using the road over the Kotmale Dam, Mahaweli Development Authority (MDA) has announced. Meanwhile, Nuwara Eliya District MP Manjula Suraweera Arachchi stated that the Mahaweli Development Authority has decided to resettle individuals on 55 hectares of land under its authority. Meanwhile, regarding recent rumors about opening the Kotmale Dam’s sluice gates, Director General of the MDA, H.M.J. Herath clarified that more..

Dec 10 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake instructed the Nuwara Eliya District Secretary, Thushari Tennakoon, to provide govt tourist resorts in the area for the use of Nuwara Eliya Hospital staff—including doctors and nurses—whose dormitories were affected by the recent cyclone, floods and landslides. Prez directed the Director of the Nuwara Eliya Hospital, Dr. Nihal Weerasuriya, to make the request in writing to the District Secretary, assuring that the matter would then be resolved. more..

Dec 10 (AD) Attorney General informed the Colombo High Court today that Daisy Forrest, the grandmother of Yoshitha Rajapaksa and a defendant in a case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, is scheduled to undergo a psychiatric medical report tomorrow by the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer. The disclosure was made by State Counsel Oswald Perera when the case was called before Colombo HC Judge Rashmi Singappuli. State Counsel Perera noted that more..

Dec 10 (AD) Former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal has been released from the case pertaining to the 2012 purchase of Greek Bonds, subject to conditions, Ada Derana reporter said. The Colombo High Court has also ordered that the other three accused in the case be acquitted and released unconditionally. The order was issued by the Colombo High Court after the CIABOC withdrew the charges, subject to certain conditions. more..

Dec 10 (DM) Dear Mr. Prez, When you and your govt won the elections last year, both local and int'l circles were stunned by the sheer magnitude of the victory. A map of SL painted almost entirely in the NPP’s maroon colour sent a clear message from the people — they were exhausted by a corrupt system that enriched those in power while draining taxpayers to their last rupee. Your two-thirds majority was not just a political feat, it was a plea from the nation for something drastically different. more..

Dec 10 (CT) MP Jeevan Thondaman, yesterday, said natural disasters cannot be prevented, and no one should be blamed for them, adding that the President has already taken necessary measures to assist victims. He joined MP Namal Rajapaksa in Nuwara Eliya to distribute books and dry rations, stressing that the most urgent need in the plantation areas is land for families to build their own homes. Speaking at the District Coordination Committee (DCC) meeting, Thondaman said he had more..

Dec 10 (FT) Intrepid Travel Asia–Australia Managing Director Natalie Kidd said Sri Lanka must urgently decide the kind of tourism future it wants and embed strong systems of sustainable destination management if it is to protect its natural assets, strengthen competitiveness and fully capitalise on rising global demand. Kidd, who leads operations for the world’s largest adventure travel company across over 120 destinations, more..

Dec 10 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya has stated that there will be no permission granted for unauthorized constructions within the Colombo District, nor any form of residential developments that endanger the public by being carried out under the guise of a development agenda. The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the media at the conclusion of the Colombo District Disaster Management Committee meeting held at the Colombo District Secretariat yesterday (09). more..

Dec 10 (EN) Sri Lanka’s daily egg output has slumped around 30% after Cyclone Ditwah killed around 500,000 layer chicken Ajith Gunasesekera, President of the All Island Poultry Association said. In Sri Lanka usually consumes around 900,000 eggs are consumed, but lately production had risen to around 110,000 leading to reduced prices, he said. Due to strong production retail egg prices ranged around 22 to 25 to 28 rupees based on size and farmgate prices 21 to 22 rupees. more..

Dec 10 (FT) Cyclone Ditwah, which swept across SL at the end of November, caused massive damage to the country, the extent of which need not be mentioned here, as all are aware of it by now. Heated arguments went on among many parties with regard to how this destruction could have been mitigated and who should take responsibility. Although there may have been shortcomings in several aspects of how we responded to Ditwah, this article highlights a critical area that urgently more..

Dec 10 (FT) Disasters, irrespective of God-made or man-made do more than destroy lives, properties and infrastructure; they expose the strength or weakness of a nation’s governance. Two decades apart, SL has confronted two major calamities that demanded emergency funding and decisive leadership: the Helping Hambantota episode of 2004, which became a national scandal, and the Rebuilding SL Fund of 2025, established in response to the devastating floods and landslides more..

Dec 10 (TM) It is everyone’s responsibility to act with proper supervision during the resettlement of the people, according to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Prez has also instructed all officials and the relevant sectors to complete necessary repairs before 31 Dec, by utilising the allocations given by the Govt for infrastructure development and not to return any part of the allocations under any circumstances. more..

Dec 10 (AD) Flight Lieutenant Eranga Ekanayake, the co-pilot of the SL Air Force Bell 212 aircraft that crashed into the Gin Oya in Lunuwila, Wennappuwa, has stated in court that both the main pilot and he realized there was a technical defect in the aircraft before it crashed. He made this statement before the Marawila Magistrate’s Court during the inquiry into the crash that resulted in the death of the main pilot. Bell 212 helicopter of the SL Air Force, which was engaged in relief operations more..

Dec 10 (DM) A total of 73,000 kilograms of vegetables were transported from the Nuwara Eliya Economic Centre to Colombo on the 9th, following a major demand from Colombo-based buyers, the centre’s manager said. He said that another 73,000 kg had also been sent to Colombo the previous day (8), reflecting steady demand from wholesalers. According to the manager, the stocks dispatched included a range of vegetables commonly used in Chinese cuisine. 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 (NW) Sri Lanka Railways announced that several train services will resume from tomorrow (10) following repairs carried out between Ambepussa and Alawwa. The disruption occurred when an old brick arch culvert near the Bujjomuwa railway station collapsed and was swept into the Maha Oya, creating a 45-foot gap beneath the track and blocking the train services on the main, nothern and eastern lines. As a result, train services were limited to the Colombo Fort–Ambepussa. 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 more..

Dec 10 (DM) Colombo Stock Exchange delivered a powerful rebound on Tuesday, with ASPI surging over 400 points, marking the 8th highest single-day gain in market history. Index maintained a strong upward trajectory throughout the session, fueled by renewed investor confidence and broad-based buying momentum across sectors. Capital Goods sector led market activity, generating LKR 1.11 Bn in turnover with 19.71 Mn shares traded, reflecting heightened interest from both retail & more..

Dec 10 (NW) Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has issued a warning to the public about fraudulent messages circulating on WhatsApp, Facebook, and other social media platforms, falsely claiming to provide post-disaster relief for those affected by Cyclone Ditwah. According to the ministry, these messages often request personal information under the pretense of offering aid. Officials stressed that all legitimate data collection for disaster relief is carried out through official government channels more..

Dec 10 (NW) NOLIMIT has pledged Rs. 60 million to support disaster relief and recovery efforts in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah, which triggered severe flooding and landslides across SL and displaced large numbers of families. Company announced that its contribution includes both financial assistance to the govt and extensive on-ground support in affected areas. As part of the pledge, Rs. 15 million has been officially donated to the Govt of SL to assist urgent national recovery initiatives. more..

Dec 10 (Reuters) Russia has sent a planeload of humanitarian aid to SL after the island nation was struck by Cyclone Ditwah in late November, Russia's RIA news agency reported, citing Shobini Gunasekera, Colombo's ambassador to Moscow. "A plane carrying 35 tonnes of humanitarian aid has already departed for SL," Gunasekera said, adding that it was expected to arrive on Wednesday. Ditwah, which was SL's deadliest natural disaster since the devastating 2004 tsunami, more..

Dec 10 (FT) The external debt stock reached $ 37,238 million at end-Sept 2025, rising $ 100 million from the previous quarter. Although SL remains locked out of international capital markets it continues to access and service loans from multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and ADB. Sri Lanka settled $ 1.36 billion in external debt servicing in the first half of 2025, covering 55% of the $ 2.45 billion due for the full year, more..

Dec 10 (DN) Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chaturanga Abeysinghe said that competition is an essential factor for the development of a sector since with the increases of the competitiveness in a sector it can be observed that its quality and productivity also increase, and the price of goods and services can be expected to decrease. Therefore, the quality and the productivity of the transportation sector will also increase by becoming more competitive. more..

Dec 10 (TM) Global trade supply diversion is likely not to impact Sri Lanka, however, supply chain disruptions are to be expected as Sri Lanka is a major producer of intermediary goods, CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said at the SL Economic and Investment Summit held last week. “The only thing we need to monitor is the overall trade supply chain diversion. The exports from Asia, despite tariffs, still exports from China and all these markets are increasing at a very high phase,” more..

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..