Dec 5 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake today announced a comprehensive housing assistance package for families affected by the recent floods and landslides, unveiling a series of financial grants and long-term support during his address to Parliament. He stated that the govt will ensure immediate and long-term relief for displaced households, prioritising safer relocation away from landslide-prone and high-risk flood zones. more..

Dec 5 (EN) Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) said the sector is working closely with all member organizations to identify disaster-affected employees and provide assistance. “Across the country, companies are already providing emergency support, including food, clothing, temporary shelter, transport assistance & other essential supplies for displaced workers, their families and the local community,” it said in a statement. Most factories across SL have resumed normal operations, more..

Dec 5 (FT) Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma said that as of Tuesday (2) over 19,000 Sri Lankans working abroad have contributed to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, established to support national recovery efforts following the extensive damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah. Delivering a special statement, Secretary explained the ongoing initiatives undertaken by the Ministry in collaboration with other state institutions. “A large number of our citizens are currently suffering more..

Dec 5 (NF) Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams has been officially awarded the esteemed 5-Star Certification by SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), underscoring its status as a landmark in SL’s hospitality landscape and a benchmark for excellence in the region. As South Asia’s largest and first fully integrated resort, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams represents a transformative investment in SL’s tourism and leisure economy. Developed by John Keells with a historic USD 1.2 b more..

Dec 5 (CT) Minister Susil Ranasinghe said that 146 of the 156 water supply systems that became inactive due to the adverse weather have now been restored, while work is underway to repair the remaining 10 systems. He noted that out of the 342 water supply systems operating across the country, 156 systems were affected across all districts, with 17 of them completely destroyed due to the extreme weather conditions. Minister also acknowledged the assistance provided by the Armed Forces, more..

Dec 5 (AD) Govt of SL held discussions with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to mobilize a policy-based loan amounting to USD 100 million to implement the Power Sector Reforms and Financial Sustainability Program. This policy-based lending program will support the establishment of independent and financially sustainable electricity utilities. It will also support the streamlined and more..

Dec 5 (FT) CH17 has announced plans to issue 10,000 special digital privilege cards to individuals, groups, organisations supporting the ongoing rescue and disaster relief work. Additionally, CH17 has developed a program that could assist agencies who are in control over any type of aid relief work, to monitor on real time basis, the process and to take immediate action should there be shortcomings. CH17 has launched a special nationwide initiative to honour & support everyone working tirelessly more..

Dec 5 (NF) As SL battles the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, Operation Sagar Bandhu continues to deliver critical support on the ground. A fully operational field hospital is being established by the Indian medical team in Mahiyanganaya, near Kandy, bringing advanced trauma care, surgical facilities, ambulances, and essential medical services directly to one of the hardest-hit communities. This initiative ensures that disaster-affected residents have immediate access to life-saving treatment, more..

Dec 5 (FT) DC Group, SL’s leading independent digital and creative powerhouse, has made history by becoming the first SL agency ever to win Gold – Digital Innovation Agency of the Year (South Asia) at the prestigious Campaign Agency of the Year Awards 2025. In a landmark moment for the country’s creative and digital industry, DC Group also secured Gold – Digital Innovation Agency of the Year (Rest of South Asia), making it a double-Gold victory and positioning homegrown agency more..

Dec 5 (NW) A Tanzanian passenger in transit at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) gave birth to a baby boy on Friday with the assistance of the airport’s medical team. The mother, a transit passenger from Tanzania, gave birth while en route through BIA. Airport officials said the delivery occurred safely on-site, and both mother and child are reported to be in good health. BIA officials praised the medical team for their swift action and professionalism during the incident. more..

Dec 5 (TM) Observing that certain provisions of the recently issued emergency regulations (ERs) are not in line with the Constitution, Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) stated they would submit their observations to Prez Dissanayake next week. HRCSL Commissioner, Nimal Punchihewa said that certain clauses in the regulations appear problematic at first reading and stressed that Emergency powers must be more..

Dec 5 (TM) Despite the increased disposal of plastic and polythene in the wake of the recent disaster, Environment Ministry stated that no significant challenges to regional garbage collection or the waste management system have arisen so far. Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody confirmed that while these impacts have not yet materialised, the Ministry anticipates a second wave of such waste as recovery continues. He noted that during the process of resettling and cleaning homes, more..

Dec 5 (DN) Chairman of SLTB announced that passengers holding train season tickets will now be allowed to travel on SLTB buses by simply presenting their tickets. This initiative aims to provide relief to passengers who have purchased train season tickets but have faced difficulties due to disruptions in the train boarding process. Chairman noted that this arrangement has been implemented following a decision by Ministry of Transport, ensuring passengers can continue their more..

Dec 5 (CT) Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB) has introduced a hotline for farmers affected by Cyclone Ditwah to report crop damage. Farmers can now report losses by calling 1918. Floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah have damaged agricultural land across several districts, prompting the Board to begin collecting data to provide compensation to affected farmers. D.P. Wickramasingha, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, more..

Dec 5 (DM) Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archchuna said today that he was rescued by the war heroes when he was caught in the floods. He told Parliament that he was caught in the floods along with the car and that his car was washed away in the floods. "My car was recovered in a paddy field," he said. The MP said he was rescued by the war heroes and sheltered in a Navy camp. "I was rescued by a Sinhalese war hero. I was sheltered in a camp. A Colonel provided me with his room more..

Dec 5 (EN) About 563,950 hectares of SL’s main Maha rice cropping season was sown when Cyclone Ditwah high, a Joint Rapid Needs assessment conducted by UN and DMC said. SL farmers usually sow about 800,000 to 850,000 hectares in the Maha season. Just before the Cyclone hit 563,950 hactares were sown by 774,996 farmers which were at various growth stages. “Large areas are now submerged or waterlogged more..

Dec 5 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake today assured Parliament that emergency regulations will not be used to suppress freedom of expression or criticism directed at the govt. Addressing concerns sparked by remarks made recently by Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala, Prez said there was unnecessary uproar over the statement and insisted that public opinion will not be curtailed under emergency law. He stated that neither he nor the administration is bothered by critical or more..

Dec 5 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama today rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by former Director General of the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority, Keerthi Kotagama. Kotagama had sought an order preventing his potential arrest in connection with investigations into a case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption against former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa, relating to the alleged wrongful use of State property. more..

Dec 5 (TM) A joint programme by the Ministry of Finance and local banks to provide loans for new entrepreneurs will be launched in January next year, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunneththi announced during a parliamentary committee meeting. He said Rs. 80 billion allocated in this year’s Budget will be distributed through the new scheme to support emerging businesses, with MPs to be briefed on eligible sectors and procedures in January. more..

Dec 5 (DM) Central Bank issued a public advisory on how to handle wet or flood affected currency notes, in the aftermath of the recent floods that devastated the country. When seperating wet notes, the public are advised to handle them gently, without pulling them apart if notes are bundled together. Once notes are unbundled, it is advised to wrap them in absorbent material and leave them to dry at room temprature, the advisory stated. When drying notes, they should be laid out on a clean more..

Dec 5 (Island) Media organisations have denounced Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala after he urged law enforcement authorities to use emergency regulations to take action against those posting allegedly defamatory content about the Prez and senior ministers on social media. The SL Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) issued a strongly worded statement condemning Watagala’s remarks, warning that they posed a direct more..

Dec 5 (NW) Dept of Meteorology says rainfall may increase on Dec 9, 10, and 11 due to the Northeast Monsoon weather affecting SL. The department’s Director General, Athula Karunanayake, stated that during this period, the wind speed will also increase. He also said that thunder showers are fewer during the Northeast Monsoon, compared to the Inter‑Monsoon. Because of the activation of the Northeast Monsoon, rainfall may increase after December 9 in the Northern, North Central, more..

Dec 5 (EN) A CEB technician had died while restoring the national grid which was badly hit by Cyclone Ditwawh, the power utility said adding to first responder deaths. Anurudda Kumara, a 41 year old techninician who joined the CEB as a temporary worker and was confirmed in 2017 as a permanent staffer attached to Ukuwela Power Station. From 2022 he was working as a cable linesman. On Dec 3, while working to restore the Bowatte-Weerapokuna high tension line, more..

Dec 5 (NF) Govt of the Republic of Korea has committed USD 500,000 to support emergency relief efforts for communities devastated by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka. The funds will be channeled through the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide essential supplies to the most affected districts: Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Kurunegala, Kandy, Trincomalee, and Mannar. Expressing deep sorrow over the tragedy, President Lee Jae Myung conveyed his condolences to Prez Anura more..

Dec 5 (FT) Nations Trust Bank (NTB) has announced that it has received approval from the Central Bank (CB) to acquire HSBC’s SL retail banking business. The deal is worth Rs. 18 billion and applicable taxes, if any. NTB and HSBC signed a binding Sale and Purchase Agreement in September this year, with completion expected in the first half of 2026. The acquisition of HSBC SL’s retail banking business will bring approximately 200,000 customer accounts under NTB, including more..

Dec 5 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya said that despite the recent devastation caused by severe flooding and landslides, SL continues to recover rapidly due to the exceptional strength and solidarity demonstrated by the people. “We have taken a blow, but we are far from fallen. Our people have shown remarkable resilience, and that spirit has carried us through every crisis we have faced,” she stated while addressing more..

Dec 5 (AM) Severe floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah have created a rapidly escalating humanitarian emergency across SL, with 1.8 million people exposed to flooding, according to a joint rapid assessment by the DMC and UN agencies as of 4 Dec. The assessment identifies 362,939 children and 326,703 older persons among those affected. Critically, the crisis has also disrupted essential health services for an estimated 450,000 women of reproductive age, 144,000 adolescent girls, more..

Dec 5 (NW) Sri Lanka received a consignment of canned tuna from the Maldives today as relief for the people affected by the adverse weather. The consignment, handed over this afternoon, consists of 25,000 cases of canned tuna, in 14 containers. The shipment was formally handed over by the High Commissioner of the Maldives to Colombo. Representing SL at the handover were Brigadier Roshan Dharmawickrema, Director Operations of DMC, Aruna Wijewardane, more..

Dec 5 (FT) It didn’t take long for them to show through the velvet glove. Arrogance amongst the amateurs, appeals to elites to save the state, acting out of customary character in times of repeated crises. There is little surprise perhaps but certainly a lot of regret and even disappointment. Citizens beyond their electorate were beginning to expect more or better from a regime set on system change. Shall we leave it to these five trends to illustrate the current state of the nation? more..

Dec 5 (FT) SL entered 2024–2025 with cautious optimism. After navigating one of the most severe economic crises in its post-independence history, the nation has made meaningful progress toward macroeconomic stabilisation, debt restructuring, and fiscal consolidation under the IMF Extended Fund Facility. Inflation has eased, reserves are strengthening, investment sentiment is slowly improving, and structural reforms that have been long overdue are finally taking shape. more..