Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa accused the government of blaming meteorology officials despite warnings issued for nearly 15 days ahead of the ‘Ditwah’ cyclone. He said the Meteorology Department began warning the public via media on November 11, detailing Bay of Bengal developments, expected rainfall exceeding 100mm, and the potential formation of a cyclone. Premadasa noted that the Meteorology Department, Disaster Management Center, and National Building and Research Organization issued warnings even before adverse weather appeared in the country. He questioned why disaster-management operations were not activated promptly, stressing that officials who issued accurate warnings should not be targeted. He urged…
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Photo courtesy of France 24 Why was Sri Lanka unprepared for Cyclone Ditwah? This question haunts every survivor, every family member who lost a loved one, every rescue worker who arrived too late. The uncomfortable truth emerging from post-disaster analyses is clear: while the storm itself was tracked and forecasted, Sri Lanka’s warning and response systems failed catastrophically, contributing to a death toll exceeding 470 people and leaving over 1.4 million affected. This was not an act of God that arrived without warning. This was a preventable tragedy. It was made worse by systemic failures in communication, discrimination in information…
Photo courtesy of BBC With every disaster, the impact seems to edge closer to home. This past weekend, my family and I found ourselves scrambling to help a small group of people stranded in a town near Gampaha, one of the areas worst hit by the floods triggered by Ditwah. They had taken refuge on the first floor of a building – a familiar response in a town that experiences some level of flooding almost every year -assuming it would be sufficient this time as well. On Friday evening, when the water was only about two feet high, one of…
Sri Lankan sports fans have plenty to look forward to this weekend, with key Premier League fixtures, more play from The Ashes, and a Formula 1 finale that will crown this year’s world champion. Here’s a simple look at what’s coming up, with all times listed for Sri Lanka.
England will begin their World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia, while Scotland have been drawn alongside Brazil at next summer’s tournament.
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Road Development Authority has re-opened all major roads after Cyclone Ditwah, and the Kandy – Colombo road is open in the daytime from December 05, Director General Wimal Kandamby said. Cyclone Ditwah had blocked 256 major roads in 298 places and 40 bridges were damaged. Some roads were impassable due to flood inundation, but there were also rock falls, trees falling and landslides, he said. By December 05, 252 locations had been cleared, Kandamby said. “RDA staff, from Deputy Directors, to Provincial Directors, District Engineers, Executive Engineers, Technical Officers, Supervisors and labourers worked 24 hours to…
United States President Donald Trump received the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize before the draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is considering Sri Lanka’s request for US $ 200 million under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI), according to Evan Papageorgiou, its Mission Chief for Sri Lanka.
Bizarrre scenes in Adelaide during the innings break in the Strikers-Hurricanes clash saw the match abandoned, a result that keeps alive the Strikers’ finals hopes
The government will provide Rs. 5 million as compensation for fully damaged houses, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced today.
The government has negotiated with the International Monitory Fund (IMF) to increase the amount of the sixth tranche which was due in December this month, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today.
Budget 2026 was passed with a majority of 157 votes with 158 MPs voting for and one member voting against.
The Colombo Stock Exchange witnessed another challenging session on Thursday, as investor sentiment was weighed down by adverse weather conditions and ongoing assessments of the disaster’s impact. Caution prevailed in the market, with muted trading volumes and turnover reflecting investors’ hesitancy amid uncertainty.
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank has announced relief measures for individuals and firms hit by the Cyclone Ditwah-hit disaster after considering the proposals of the Sri Lanka Banks’ Association (SLBA). The Central Bank has issued a circular on the need to grant effective relief to those affected without unduly compromising financial system stability to all licensed banks. Accordingly, licensed banks have been requested to provide following relief measures, upon receiving a request from such borrowers in writing or through electronic means, by 15.01.2026. Temporary Debt Relief: (a) Suspend the repayments of capital and/or interest of existing credit facilities of…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced sweeping relief for people who are affected by Cyclone Ditwah-hit devastation from 72.2 billion rupees over the next 25 days. He disclosed how this money will be spent: Each affected family for cleaning – Rs. 25,000 One off grant per household, to purchase essential kitchen equipment – Rs. 50,000 Monthly payment for families who lost houses (extendable for 6 months)– Rs. 25,000 Monthly payment for families who lost houses from Dec-March – Rs. 50,000 Grant for affected paddy fields (per hectare) – Rs. 150,000 Grant for affected vegetable fields (per hectare)…
Government issues new circular outlining disaster relief payments The Ministry of Finance has issued Budget Circular No. 08/2025, detailing financial assistance for families affected by the recent disaster. The circular provides a range of one-time allowances for housing, livelihoods, agriculture, and rebuilding support The post Govt issues new circular outlining disaster relief payments appeared first on Newswire.
President’s Address in Parliament during the Third Reading of the 2026 Budget In particular, today we have presented to Parliament subjects concerning the Ministry of Finance, the supplementary estimate and the regulations introduced for the imposition of a State of Public Emergency under the Public Security Ordinance. Among all these matters, our principal focus should be directed towards the disaster that we have been compelled to face. Our country has encountered such disasters on many occasions. At times, when the disaster has occurred close to the coastal areas, people living in the hill country and other provinces have been shaken…
The Government of the Republic of Korea has pledged USD 500,000 to support emergency relief efforts in Sri Lanka following the severe impact of tropical cyclone Ditwah.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama today rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by former Director General of the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority, Keerthi B. Kotagama.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) 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.