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The search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will resume on December 30, Malaysia's transport ministry said on Wednesday, more than a decade after the Beijing-bound flight disappeared in one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries. Flight MH370, a Boeing 777, was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew when it vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in 2014. Multiple search operations for the plane have been conducted since then but all proved fruitless.

The most recent search in the southern Indian Ocean was suspended in April after just a few weeks due to poor weather conditions. Exploration firm Ocean Infinity has confirmed it would recommence seabed operations for 55 days, conducted intermittently, the transport ministry said. "The search will be carried out in targeted area assessed to have the highest probability of locating the aircraft," it said in a statement. No precise location of the search area has been given. Malaysian investigators initially did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft had been deliberately taken off course. Debris, some confirmed and some believed to be from the aircraft, has washed up along the coast of Africa and on islands in the Indian Ocean.

The resumed search will be in accordance with the terms and conditions agreed upon between the government and Ocean Infinity for restarting the MH370 wreckage search, the ministry said. Malaysia will pay the firm $70 million if substantive wreckage is found during the search on the seabed of an area in the southern Indian Ocean covering 15,000 sq km (5,790 sq miles). Ocean Infinity had conducted prior searches for the plane up until 2018 but failed to find substantive wreckage. A 495-page report into the disappearance in 2018 said the Boeing 777's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to go off course, but investigators could not determine who was responsible and stopped short of offering a conclusion on what happened, saying that depended on finding the wreckage. Investigators have said there was nothing suspicious in the background, financial affairs, training and mental health of both the captain and co-pilot.

More than 150 Chinese passengers were on the flight. Others included 50 Malaysians as well as citizens of France, Australia, Indonesia, India, the United States, Ukraine and Canada, among others. Relatives have demanded compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce and the Allianz insurance group, among others.

(Source - reuters)

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has announced that the number of lives lost due to the extreme weather conditions affecting the island has risen to 474. Heavy rains, floods, and landslides over the past several days have devastated multiple districts, with Kandy emerging as the worst-hit area, reporting 118 fatalities.

In its latest update, the DMC also revealed that 356 individuals remain missing. Search, rescue, and relief efforts are ongoing across affected regions as emergency teams work to locate those unaccounted for and provide assistance to displaced families.

Israeli forensic services concluded that remains handed over by Hamas on Tuesday were not those of the last two hostages in Gaza, the office of Israel's prime minister said.

Hamas had handed over remains described by the Red Cross as those of one of the last two deceased hostages still in Gaza, in line with commitments made under a U.S.-backed October ceasefire deal.

Israeli forces said they sent for forensic testing the remains they described as "findings".

"The findings brought yesterday for examination from the Gaza Strip are not linked to any of the deceased hostages," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Wednesday.

The identification had been made at the National Center for Forensic Medicine, it added.

The Al Quds Brigades - the armed wing of the Hamas-allied Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement - said later on Wednesday it was searching for a body of a hostage in northern Gaza, along with a team from the Red Cross.

It did not say which of the two remaining deceased hostages it was searching for.

The two are Israeli police officer Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak, both kidnapped during Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that touched off two years of devastating war in Gaza.

The Geneva-based Red Cross has acted as an intermediary between Gaza militant groups and Israel throughout the war triggered by Hamas' attack, helping to pave the way for the release of living hostages and the handover of remains.

(Source - reuters)

The Public Health Inspectors’ Union of Sri Lanka has raised concerns that the ongoing floods across several regions could lead to a surge in infectious diseases in the near future. According to Union Secretary Chamil Muthukuda, health authorities are closely monitoring the heightened risk of dengue, chikungunya, and leptospirosis spreading among affected communities.

Muthukuda explained that the recent disaster has created conditions favourable for the rapid transmission of several communicable illnesses. He also noted that the situation has disrupted routine medical care for many individuals suffering from non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, as some patients have lost access to their regular medication due to the floods.

Given these challenges, he stressed that the health sector is placing increased focus on both preventing disease outbreaks and ensuring treatment continuity for vulnerable patients.

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has assured the public that drinking water quality across the country remains safe, despite the extensive flooding and landslides triggered in recent days.

According to NWSDB Chairman Chandana Bandara, continuous water supply has been ensured in 13 of the 22 disaster-affected districts. He added that routine water quality monitoring has been strengthened, and no contamination risks have been detected so far.

The board also noted that efforts are underway to restore supply in the remaining districts experiencing disruptions due to damaged infrastructure and restricted access.

Almost 1,500 bus journeys operated by the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) have been cancelled as widespread roadblocks and flooding continue to affect several regions following Cyclone Ditwah. According to the service provider responsible for SLTB seat reservations, around 15,000 passengers had pre-booked seats on the now-cancelled services.

The reservation agency confirmed that affected passengers will be permitted to select a new travel date of their choice without incurring additional charges. Commuters seeking to amend their bookings may contact the SLTB through the hotline 1315 or via 070 3110 506.

While bus services to several destinations -including Nuwara Eliya, Nawalapitiya, Walapane, Muttur, Jaffna (Route 87), and Bible—remain suspended, operations on other routes have resumed. Seat reservations for those active routes are now open again, the SLTB added.

Sri Lanka Customs, historically criticized for inefficiency and corruption, has recorded a revenue surge this year that starkly contrasts with its 2024 performance.

Official data shows that by the end of November 2025, Customs collected LKR 2,260 billion an astonishing 65.3 percent increase from the LKR 1,367 billion collected during the same period last year.

In November alone, Customs exceeded its monthly target of LKR 210 billion, collecting LKR 245 billion despite operations being partially paralyzed for four days due to Cyclone Ditwah.

Overall, the agency has already surpassed 107 percent of its full-year revenue target of LKR 2,115 billion, set 36 percent higher than 2024’s target.

The contrast with last year is striking. In 2024, revenue growth was moderate, and the agency was often criticized for allowing under-invoicing and misdeclaration of imports to go unchecked.

Experts note that the current surge reflects a combination of stricter enforcement measures, improved valuation practices, and tighter monitoring of goods entering the country.

The rebound in imports after the 2022 economic crisis also plays a key role. Following severe restrictions to conserve foreign exchange, imports had fallen sharply, constraining customs collections.

With stabilizing foreign reserves, relaxation of certain import controls, and growing consumer demand, Customs has been able to tap into previously underreported revenue streams.

Analysts emphasize the magnitude of the year-on-year jump as both remarkable and questionable.

“A 65 percent increase compared to last year suggests that a substantial portion of revenue may have been lost due to inefficiency or malpractice previously,” said a senior economist, noting the historical reputation of the agency.

Currency fluctuations and rising import volumes further contribute to the spike. Import duties, excise, and other levies have all surged, positioning Customs as one of the Treasury’s most important revenue sources in 2025.

While the figures signal progress, they also prompt scrutiny: if such growth is achievable now, critics argue, why was it not realized in previous years?

The sudden turnaround has significant implications for fiscal planning. Customs’ enhanced performance provides a critical cushion for Sri Lanka’s government as it works to meet its IMF-supported fiscal targets, yet it raises deeper questions about governance, transparency, and the agency’s ability to sustain these gains beyond 2025.

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has announced significant progress in restoring water infrastructure damaged by the recent extreme weather. Out of 343 water pumping stations nationwide, 156 experienced either full or partial damage, and 126 of those have now been brought back into operation, NWSDB Chairman Chandana Bandara confirmed.

Repair work is ongoing at approximately 30 additional stations. Bandara added that the Meewathura pumping station is expected to resume functioning within the day, enabling the restoration of water supply to Pilimathalawa and Geli Oya.

Water distribution to Kandy city has also recommenced, though at reduced capacity initially. However, arrangements are already in place to ensure uninterrupted supply to the Kandy and Peradeniya hospitals.

Restoration efforts are underway at the Katugastota pumping station as well, with the NWSDB anticipating full water distribution once all remaining non-operational stations are repaired in the coming days. The Board is working closely with the Road Development Authority and other relevant agencies to access areas where floods and road obstructions have hindered repairs.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Commissioner-General of Essential Services reports that 387,964 out of 2,947,833 domestic water connections remain disconnected. The districts with the highest proportion of unresolved disruptions are Kandy (66.8%), Kegalle (75.09%), Kurunegala (41.34%), and Puttalam (52.82%).

Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka with devastating force. This prompted the government to request international assistance. India responded within hours

I vividly remember boarding the then INS Vikrant — formerly HMS Hercules — with my father during a special port call to Colombo in the 1970s. I was a young boy then, absorbed in a hobby of building model airplanes and ships, especially aircraft carriers. The encounter was unforgettable. It was my first time aboard a carrier — a steel giant that captured both my imagination and my awe.

So, the announcement that the newly built, fully indigenous INS Vikrant would make its maiden overseas visit to Sri Lanka for the International Fleet Review 2025 and the Sri Lanka Navy’s 75th anniversary celebrations stirred nostalgia. But, only afterward did I fully grasp how fortuitous and meaningful her arrival would prove to be.

Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka with devastating force, leaving hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, alongside widespread destruction to infrastructure and housing. This prompted the government to request international assistance. India responded within hours. Humanitarian relief operations under Operation Sagar Bandhu were swiftly mobilised.

By extraordinary circumstance, INS Vikrant, along with INS Udaygiri, was already berthed in Colombo. INS Sukanya soon joined them to strengthen the operation. This marked the third major instance in recent years in which India, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Neighbourhood First policy, has stepped forward to support Sri Lanka: First, during the Covid-19 pandemic through the Vaccine Maitri initiative; next, during the economic collapse of 2022, when India extended more than $4 billion in financial assistance; and, now again in 2025, through rapid disaster relief.

(Hindustan Times)

The government has decided to provide financial assistance of Rs. 25,000 to each student whose education has been disrupted by the recent floods and landslides. According to the President’s Media Division, the support will be disbursed through the President’s Fund.

This initiative is intended to help affected children meet their immediate educational needs, including replacing school materials and other essentials lost during the disaster.

Cyclone Ditwah did more than unleash floods and landslides across Sri Lanka it exposed the country’s alarming dependence on fragile, ground-based telecom infrastructure.

As fibre backbones snapped in 11 locations and power failures crippled nearly 4,000 of the nation’s 16,000 mobile towers, vast regions were abruptly cut off. Into this communications blackout stepped an unexpected saviour: Starlink, the low-earth-orbit satellite service brought to Sri Lanka under an initiative led by then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Wickremesinghe’s push to introduce Starlink in 2024 was politically explosive at the time. Then-opposition MP Sunil Handunnetti fiercely criticised the move, accusing the president of inviting “economic hitmen” such as Elon Musk into the country.

Although Handunnetti later apologised for his wording, the political firestorm contributed to delays in Starlink’s formal rollout. In an ironic turn, Handunnetti eventually entered the new administration as a minister and the same government approved Starlink while still stalling its operational launch over data-security concerns.

The recent disaster has now rewritten the political narrative. With two key fibre routes including the vital Nuwara Eliya span still down by Sunday, operators scrambled to reroute traffic through surviving corridors, but the terrestrial system was overwhelmed. In this vacuum,

Starlink’s portable terminals became a lifeline. Unlike traditional VSAT or microwave backups that require technical alignment, Starlink units were deployed by emergency workers within minutes.

They provided high-bandwidth connectivity in districts where both fibre and towers had collapsed, allowing medical teams, first responders, and district authorities to coordinate rescue operations.

Telecom specialists say Starlink’s role was far from supplementary it prevented large swathes of the interior from becoming digitally invisible.

In several central upland communities, satellite terminals enabled evacuation planning and real-time weather updates at a moment when telecom engineers were still battling blocked access roads and failing power systems.

The disaster marked the first major test of satellite broadband in Sri Lanka, and it filled a vacuum that terrestrial systems simply could not.

 The crisis has triggered a long-overdue national debate: Should Sri Lanka formally build satellite broadband into its telecom-resilience strategy? The evidence points to an unavoidable “yes.”

The country currently lacks structured continuity planning for satellite-based communications during disasters.

Future preparedness must include pre-deployment agreements with satellite providers, including Starlink, ensuring access to terminals, emergency bandwidth, and rapid-activation rights before the next climate catastrophe.

Disaster-response institutions police, hospitals, district secretariats, and DMC units require permanently installed satellite fail-safes. TRCSL must also design a fast-track licensing and frequency-coordination system that activates satellite links instantly during national emergencies, avoiding bureaucratic paralysis.

Starlink is not a substitute for fibre or mobile towers, but as Cyclone Ditwah demonstrated, it is an essential fail-safe. Without hybrid terrestrial-satellite redundancy,

 Sri Lanka’s telecom network will continue to collapse under climate-driven pressure. This disaster has delivered a stark message: integrating satellite broadband is no longer optional it is a national necessity.