Railway operations severely disrupted after natural disaster; 39 power sets stranded

The Railways Station Masters’ Association (SLSMA) has warned that 39 train power sets could not be brought to Colombo for operation due to the sudden natural disaster, significantly affecting the normal functioning of office trains.

Mannar district bans meat sale and slaughter for a week

The sale, storage, and slaughter of beef, goat, and pork have been banned in Mannar District for one week, starting from December 3, to prevent contaminated meat from entering the market, Sri Lanka Public Health Inspectors’ Association Chairman Pradeep Boralessa said.

Guidelines issued on food support for people affected by ‘Ditwah’

The Ministry of Health has issued new guidelines outlining minimum standards for providing food and nutrition support to people affected by emergencies such as floods, landslides and mass displacement.

Port City Colombo deploys heavy machinery to Central Province

CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd. has deployed its full fleet of disaster-response machinery to the Central Province within 24 hours of committing support, as Sri Lanka continues efforts to restore access and critical infrastructure following Cyclone Ditwah.

Station Masters’ Association urges Government to seek international support to rebuild railway network

The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Association (SLSMA) has called on the government to obtain public, private, and international support to restore the country’s railway network with safety and reliability.

Opposition claims to sue government over disaster absurd: SF

Former Member of Parliament Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said the opposition’s move to sue the government for failing to prevent the disaster is absurd and claimed that the situation would have been the same even if the previous rulers had been in power.

JICA donates essential relief supplies to Sri Lanka for cyclone-affected regions

A significant consignment of emergency relief items donated by the Government of Japan has been officially handed over to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to strengthen Sri Lanka’s ongoing response to the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Namal donates monthly salary and allowances to support children affected by disaster

MP Namal Rajapaksa has announced that he will donate his monthly salary and allowances to the “Adaraya” program, an initiative he launched to support thousands of children from families affected by recent floods and landslides.

President pays final respects to Group Captain Nirmal Siyambalapitiya

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (04) visited the residence of the late Group Captain Nirmal Siyambalapitiya in Ratmalana to pay his final respects.

Over 1,000 houses completely damaged due to landslides: NHDA

Some 1,289 houses have been completely destroyed, while approximately 44,500 houses have sustained partial damage due to landslides and related impacts, the Housing Development Authority said.

Kala Wewa spill gates opened to manage rising water levels

Two spill gates of the Kala Wewa have been opened by four feet each as of 9:00 a.m. today (04) in response to rising water levels, the Department of Irrigation said.

Over 260 tourists affected by Cyclone Ditwah

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) announced that 269 tourists were affected by Cyclone Ditwah, which impacted parts of the island recently.

How Sri Lanka can get one Billion Dollars in two months - Former Envoy Kananathan

As Sri Lanka navigates one of the most difficult chapters in its recent history, diplomats and development strategists are re-evaluating how the nation can accelerate recovery.

More than 300 flights cancelled as Indian airline faces ’staff shortage’

India’s biggest airline IndiGo faced a growing crisis, with more than 300 flights cancelled since Tuesday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded nationwide.

Expressway toll waiver lifted

The Road Development Authority (RDA) has ended the temporary toll waiver that was in place during the recent adverse weather caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Obtain assistance of former heads of state to rebuild nation: UNP

The Government should seek the assistance of former heads of state to rebuild Sri Lanka following the recent disaster which has caused unimaginable damage, the United National Party (UNP) said.

Public transport resumes as one lane reopens on Kandy-Mahiyanganaya road

Public transport services resumed today following the reopening of a single lane on the disaster-hit Kandy-Mahiyanganaya road.

Pakistan sends relief team and supplies to Sri Lanka

A Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying emergency relief supplies and a specialised search and rescue team arrived in Sri Lanka last evening (03), as part of a large-scale humanitarian operation launched by the Government of Pakistan in response to the widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

South Korea developing app that shows real-time location of stalkers

South Korean authorities are developing a mobile app for stalking victims to track in real-time the location of their stalkers, if they’re nearby.

CEB technician dies while on field duty in Kurunegala

A 41-year-old line technician of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Anuruddha Kumara, died on Wednesday while carrying out restoration work in the Kurunegala area.

One-third of Colombo CCTV cameras non-functional

Nnearly one-third of CCTV cameras installed across Colombo are non-functional, severely undermining the city’s surveillance, traffic monitoring, and public safety operations, a recent audit of the Sri Lanka Police has revealed.

No reason to panic but be aware: Met. Department

There is no reason for panic about the Northeast monsoon as it will not bring in heavy rains though it is expected to become more active within the coming days, the Department of Meteorology said yesterday.

Sri Lanka must lead the global fight for a fair climate loss and damage framework

Climate change is no longer a distant concern, it is the harsh reality Sri Lanka is forced to confront again and again. Floods, tsunamis, droughts, economic crises, and once again floods, this vicious cycle keeps returning, each time with greater intensity. A small island like ours cannot endure this indefinitely, and we are not alone in this struggle.

Did we prepare ?

First of all, this level of severe weather has never been experienced by nearly 80% of our country in our history, from the time we started to keep records or in ancient times. It may have happened during our king’s time but there is no record of such events. So, this is the first time that we are seeing this level of rainfall going back 100s of years.

Eight year old child stranded at Kottawa bus stand

A eight year old boy stranded at the Kottawa main bus stand was taken charge of by the police in the early hours of last morning.

Admissions-2026 open for S. Thomas’ College, Gurutalawa

S. Thomas’ College, Gurutalawa (STCG) — the largest residential school campus in Sri Lanka — is now accepting applications for Nursery and Grade 1 for the 2026 academic year, with a limited number of vacancies available from Grades 2 to 11.

Japan Disaster Relief Medical team arrives in Sri Lanka

A Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Medical Team comprising doctors, medical experts, relief personnel and rescue specialists, arrived in Colombo last night to strengthen emergency humanitarian operations.

Cyclone Ditwah cause Rs.190 billion damage to highways

Sri Lanka’s highway network has sustained damages roughly estimated at a staggering Rs.190 billion following the recent weather-induced disasters such as floods, earth-slips and landslides, an official said.

Sripada pilgrimage season begins

The Sripada pilgrimage season for 2025/26 commenced today on Unduwap full moon poya day after taking the caskets of sacred relics, the image of the deity and the royal regalia from the Sripada Rajamaha Vihara in Galpottawala in procession to Sri Padasthanaya.

Cyclone leaves only 30% of railway network operational

Only 30 percent of Sri Lanka’s railway network is currently operational following the extensive damage caused by the recent cyclone, Commissioner General of Essential Services B.K. Prabath Chandrakeerthi said.