India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, has concluded his official visit to Sri Lanka, which focused largely on post-disaster recovery following Cyclone Ditwah. During the visit, which began yesterday (22), Minister Jaishankar held discussions with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on ongoing restoration and relief efforts in areas […]
The Sri Lanka Navy has seized a local multi-day fishing boat suspected of involvement in drug trafficking during a special operation carried out in the deep southern waters. Naval sources said the interception followed an intelligence-led maritime operation conducted south of Sri Lanka. The vessel has since been taken into naval custody and is being […]
The government expects to complete the disbursement of the Rs. 25,000 allowance allocated for cleaning homes damaged by recent disasters by next week. Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that the distribution of disaster relief payments is in its final stages across most affected areas, with only a small number of regions remaining […]
Train services on the Northern Railway Line between Kankesanthurai and Anuradhapura resumed today after being suspended for 24 days due to damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah. The services were halted from November 27 following severe flooding that impacted rail infrastructure along the route. Operations officially recommenced at 6.00 a.m. today, with the departure of the […]
Two Sri Lankan nationals have been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake for attempting to smuggle gemstones valued at approximately Rs. 32 million out of the country. The suspects were apprehended by Sri Lanka Customs officers during an inspection at the airport’s Departure Terminal. Customs officials said the individuals were attempting to […]
A police constable attached to the Suriyakanda Police has been arrested following an altercation with National People’s Power (NPP) Ratnapura District Member of Parliament Shantha Padma Kumara. Police said the arrest was made on charges of wrongful restraint and use of criminal force. MP Shantha Padma Kumara had filed a complaint with the Kolonna Police, […]
The 16th meeting of the National Council for Disaster Management was held today (15) at the Presidential Secretariat under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. During the meeting, a Cabinet Memorandum was presented regarding the establishment of a National Integrated Disaster Management Mechanism and proposed amendments to the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act, No. […]
A total of 640 schools in the Uva, Central, and North Western provinces will not reopen tomorrow, according to Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Nalaka Kaluwewe. Although schools that were closed due to the disaster situation caused by Cyclone Ditwah are scheduled to reopen island-wide tomorrow (16), the Education Ministry said a significant number […]
Emirates, in collaboration with Dubai Humanitarian, has launched a humanitarian airbridge to deliver urgent relief supplies to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the airline announced on Monday. Under the initiative, Emirates will offer more than 100 tonnes of cargo capacity free of charge over the next two weeks […]
Sri Lanka is reeling from one of its worst natural disasters in recent years, as torrential rains trigger catastrophic floods and landslides across the country. The human toll continues to rise, with 159 confirmed deaths and 203 people still missing. According to the latest update from the Disaster Management Center (DMC), 833,985 individuals from 234,503 […]