Showers or thundershowers may occur in several areas of the Uva, Central and Eastern provinces and Polonnaruwa and Mullaitivu districts after 2.00 p.m. today (5), according to the Department of Meteorology. Fairly heavy rainfall exceeding 75 mm is possible in some areas. Several spells of showers are also expected in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and Galle and Matara districts. The public has been advised to take precautions against temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thunderstorms.

Fairly heavy rainfall expected in some parts of the island

Gloria Steinem, who became a face of the women's liberation movement in the US, has died, aged 92, her foundation says.&nbsp;In a post on Instagram, it said she "passed away peacefully" at her home in New York City, "surrounded by many who loved her".&nbsp;Steinem, who was a writer and magazine editor, co-founded the Women's Action Alliance, a group dedicated to fighting sexism, more than 50 years ago.&nbsp;She started her career as a journalist in New York in the 1970s and went on to co-found Ms. magazine, one of the first publications to focus on other women's issues than the perils of housekeeping and the mandates of the beauty industry.&nbsp;During the 1970s, Steinem was one of the main voices campaigning for women's reproductive rights.&nbsp;She celebrated the US Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in the case of Roe v Wade, which granted women the constitutional right to abortion. Nearly half a century later she witnessed the reversal of this decision.&nbsp;Source: BBC

Feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem dies at 92

Two people were pulled out alive on Friday from a ‌tunnel linked to a hydropower station on the Trishuli River in Nepal, nine days after an ice, rock and mud slide swept through its valley, killing more than 1,200 people and displacing tens of thousands.&nbsp;Officials and rescue workers believe the August 26 collapse of a glacier on the upper reaches of the Trishuli River trapped at least 900 people in tunnels related to six hydropower projects along the river.&nbsp;At least 1,252 people ​were killed in Nepal as houses, streets and schools in towns and villages near the border with China's Tibet were swept away. More than 4,200 people are ​still missing and thousands more displaced.&nbsp;China has put the death toll in Tibet at 21, with 541 others listed as missing.&nbsp;The two workers ⁠pulled from the tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station are the first to be rescued from the hydropower projects and have been taken to an army hospital in ​the capital Kathmandu. A small group had managed to escape from another tunnel hours after the disaster struck.&nbsp;The workers rescued on Friday were Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman, and Kabir Maharjan, a ​mechanical supervisor, Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha’s office said in a statement.&nbsp;Videos and photos released by Nepali authorities showed Maharjan being pulled out of a hole in the ground amid cheering bystanders and put on a stretcher.&nbsp;The other man, Sah, was carried out on the back of a worker to a rescue tent, his face covered in mud.&nbsp;In one of the videos, a team of army doctors attended to Sah at ​a tent near the tunnel before he was taken to hospital, fitting what appeared to be an oxygen mask around his mouth and checking his vitals.&nbsp;"His name is Sanjay Sah ​and he was working in mechanical control room. The vital parameters look normal," an army official said.&nbsp;Sah told rescuers he spent time reciting mantras (verses from a prayer) while he was trapped, according to the ‌Kathmandu Post. ⁠He said three or four more people could be alive in the tunnel, and possibly more deeper in its reaches.&nbsp;Maharjan cannot move his hands and legs but Sah's injuries are not critical, an aide to the energy minister told Reuters.&nbsp;Amir Maharjan, Kabir's brother, said he has not received any news officially but has been told to go to the hospital.&nbsp;"I have been hearing from the news that my brother has been found. The entire family is very happy," Amir said.&nbsp;Both survivors are in the intensive care unit, a source from the army hospital ​where they were taken told Reuters, with their ​vital signs stable.&nbsp;A team of experts in ⁠a WhatsApp group was guiding rescue workers in the search at the hydropower projects in what has become a valuable tool alongside helicopters and heavy machinery in the race to find survivors.&nbsp;More search and rescue operations were underway around the Upper Trishuli 3A project, the Nepali Army ​said. Rescue efforts were being led by the army and police, with assistance from experts from India, South Korea and China.&nbsp;Dhan Bahadur ​Tamang, who earlier escaped ⁠from a tunnel linked to the Upper Trishuli 1 hydropower project, upriver from where the two men were pulled out on Friday, said their rescue was a miracle and raised the hope of finding more survivors.&nbsp;FLOOD LOSSES ESTIMATED AT $2.56 BILLION&nbsp;Property, housing and infrastructure worth at least 387.5 billion Nepalese rupees ($2.56 billion) was lost in last week's catastrophe, Dharma Raj Upreti, chief of the National Disaster Risk ⁠Reduction and Management ​Authority, said on Friday.&nbsp;Nepal will need to rebuild around 20,000 houses in flood-ravaged areas, Upreti said on Thursday, ​with at least 7,500 of those homes destroyed.&nbsp;At least 583 foreign nationals were missing in the floods, Nepal said on Thursday, many of them pilgrims and trekkers.&nbsp;Australian disaster response specialists left for Nepal on Friday to join the ​search for survivors, as the government there expressed "serious concerns" for the welfare of its 36 missing citizens.&nbsp;Source: Reuters

Nine days after disaster, two pulled alive from Nepal hydropower tunnel

Property, housing and infrastructure worth at least 387.5 billion ​Nepalese rupees ($2.56 billion) was lost in Nepal's catastrophic floods last ‌week, the country's disaster authority chief told Reuters on Friday.&nbsp;In the first four months of early recovery, ​the estimated cost to build roads ​and temporary shelters, provide drinking water and ⁠restore power would be around $52.6 million, ​Dharma Raj Upreti, chief of the National Disaster ​Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said.&nbsp;"These are estimated amounts. We have calculated this in coordination with different ​concerned agencies and departments," Upreti said, adding ​that a detailed assessment would be done soon.&nbsp;Nepal will ‌need ⁠to rebuild around 20,000 houses in flood-ravaged areas, Upreti said on Thursday, with at least 7,500 of those homes destroyed.&nbsp;The collapse of ​a glacier sent ​a ⁠flood of ice, rock and mud down the Trishuli River in ​Nepal's border region with China on ​August ⁠26, wiping out towns and villages and killing more than 1,250 people, with more than ⁠4,200 ​still missing and thousands displaced.&nbsp;Source: Reuters

Nepal flood losses estimated at $2.56 billion, official says

U.S. ​Vice President JD Vance on Thursday said the fighting between the United States and Iran was ‌not a war and declined to provide a timeline for when the conflict would be over, underscoring the challenge the Trump administration faces as the hostilities enter their seventh month and midterm elections loom.&nbsp;His comments come as Washington and Tehran exchanged back-and-forth attacks this ​week after a period of relative calm, with no diplomatic talks with the Iranians underway to ​end the conflict.&nbsp;The war has dragged down President Donald Trump's approval ratings and driven ⁠up gas prices, raising the stakes for Republican candidates fighting to preserve their party's narrow congressional majorities ​in November.&nbsp;In a briefing at the White House, Vance touted U.S. efforts to facilitate oil shipping through the Strait ​of Hormuz, where Iranians have disrupted maritime traffic since the war started, crediting Washington's actions with helping to avert a broader global energy crisis.&nbsp;He pushed back on describing the conflict as a "war," saying the U.S. has ended major combat operations with ​Iran, despite renewed fighting this week. He said Washington's focus now was to ensure Tehran cannot keep disrupting ​commercial oil shipping.&nbsp;"I wouldn't call it a war," Vance said. "Right now there's no active shooting. I recognize there's been places ‌where this ⁠has flared up."&nbsp;The U.S. maintains more than 50,000 troops in the Middle East. The Trump administration has surged assets into the region, including nearly 20 warships focused on a blockade. In some instances, troops have been deployed for longer than expected and have been pulled from Europe and the Indo-Pacific.&nbsp;Asked repeatedly about the timeline ​on the war, Vance said ​an end would require ⁠a halt in Iranians shooting at commercial shipping.&nbsp;"When will the Iranians stop shooting at ships? I think the reality is I don't know the answer to that ​question," he said.&nbsp;He also ruled out any negotiations as long as Tehran continued ​to target commercial ⁠shipping.&nbsp;While the most intense fighting has subsided, the recurring exchange of fire and the lack of a definitive end to the war have kept global oil prices elevated.&nbsp;On Tuesday, the United States launched airstrikes on Iran, hitting ⁠what it ​said were military targets along the coast in retaliation for Iranian ​attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The sudden escalation of the war has caused a surge in oil prices to ​levels unseen since July.&nbsp;Source: Reuters

Vance says Iran conflict is not a war, declines to offer timeline for end

U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Laura DiBella and FMC Commissioner Robert J. Harvey will visit Sri Lanka September 6–10 to advance U.S.-Sri Lanka cooperation on maritime trade, investment, and the shipping networks connecting American businesses and consumers to markets across the Indo-Pacific.&nbsp;During their visit, Chairman DiBella and Commissioner Harvey are expected to meet with senior Sri Lankan government officials and maritime leaders, according to the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka.&nbsp;Chairman DiBella will deliver remarks at the 8th Colombo International Maritime and Logistics Conference and Commissioner Harvey will serve on a panel.&nbsp;U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Eric Meyer highlighted Sri Lanka’s strategic importance to international maritime trade, noting that more than 80 percent of containers moving through the Port of Colombo continue to destinations around the world.&nbsp;“Over 80 percent of the containers moving through Colombo continue on to destinations around the world—a remarkable illustration of Sri Lanka’s role at the heart of Indian Ocean shipping,” said U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Eric Meyer.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Chairman DiBella’s visit recognizes the importance of that role and provides an opportunity to deepen our cooperation with the people and institutions that keep this vital trade moving across the Indo-Pacific. Secure and efficient shipping creates opportunities for American businesses, strengthens Sri Lanka’s position as a regional hub, and supports prosperity in both our economies.”&nbsp;Established in 1961, the Federal Maritime Commission is the independent federal agency responsible for regulating the U.S. international ocean transportation system for the benefit of U.S. exporters, importers, and consumers. The FMC works to promote a competitive and reliable international ocean transportation system and protect the American public from unfair or deceptive practices in the shipping industry.&nbsp;Chairman Laura DiBella of Florida was nominated by President Trump on September 3, 2025, to serve on the Federal Maritime Commission for a term expiring on June 30, 2028. The United States Senate confirmed her nomination on December 18, 2025, and she was sworn in on January 6, 2026. President Donald J. Trump designated Laura DiBella to serve as Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission on January 28, 2026.&nbsp;Chairman DiBella previously served as Florida’s first female Secretary of Commerce, President and CEO of Enterprise Florida, and President of Business Development at the Florida Department of Commerce where she was tasked with maintaining and improving Florida’s $1.5 trillion economy. Most recently, before joining the Federal Maritime Commission, Chairman DiBella worked as a government affairs advisor for Adams and Reese LLP.&nbsp;Her career in the maritime industry began after being asked to temporarily stand-in as Port Director of the Port of Fernandina Ocean Highway and Port Authority in 2017 while heading up local economic development in Nassau County, Florida. After a two-and-a-half-year tenure with the port, along with an introduction to the Florida Harbor Pilots Association, Chairman DiBella earned her role as the first-ever full time Executive Director in November 2019. In these positions, Chairman DiBella oversaw the implementation of port improvement projects and worked with state and private organizations to enact legislation and policies to bolster and protect commerce at Florida’s seaports.&nbsp;Chairman DiBella earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management with a concentration in Business Administration and Management from the University of Florida. She is an avid distance runner, having completed the original six world marathon majors and holds the record for the number of overall female winner titles for the world famous 7 Mile Bridge Run in the Florida Keys.&nbsp;Commissioner Robert J. Harvey, of Florida, was nominated by President Trump on September 3, 2025, to serve on the Federal Maritime Commission for a term expiring on June 30, 2029. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on May 18, 2026, and he was sworn in on June 1, 2026.&nbsp;Commissioner Harvey previously served as the President &amp; Executive Director of the Florida Opportunity Fund, a not-for-profit corporation investing in Florida based start-up companies in life sciences, information technology, advanced manufacturing, aviation and aerospace, homeland security and defense, as well as other technology sectors strategic to Florida.&nbsp;He also served as the Executive Director of the Florida Development Finance Corporation, the statewide conduit issuer created by the legislature to issue tax-exempt and taxable bonds for the purpose of promoting economic development throughout Florida. Prior to these positions he was the General Counsel at Enterprise Florida, the principal economic development organization for the State of Florida.&nbsp;He has also served as a partner at several law firms over his career, specializing in securities litigation, arbitration, and regulation. Through these senior legal and business roles, Commissioner Harvey has gained valuable experience in navigating and managing public-private partnerships to promote economic growth.&nbsp;A U.S. Navy veteran and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Commissioner Harvey’s maritime career began when he served as a Lieutenant Commander in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, providing legal counsel on military justice, administrative law, federal law enforcement, and naval law.&nbsp;Commissioner Harvey has a strong interest in the international law of the sea, including freedom of navigation and the right of innocent passage. He is also focused on emerging maritime technologies, including quantum maritime solutions in such areas as route and fleet optimization, sensing and navigation, cybersecurity, secure communications, and predictive maintenance and environmental modeling.&nbsp;Commissioner Harvey earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Eastern Illinois University, and his J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law. Born and raised in Joliet, Illinois, Robert, and his wife Debra hail from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

US Federal Maritime Commission chairman to visit Sri Lanka

Former Minister Johnston Fernando, who was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), has been granted bail.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Johnston Fernando was arrested by CIABOC today (04) in connection with an ongoing investigation.&nbsp;Accordingly, former Minister Johnston Fernando and Hemantha Lalith de Silva, the owner of a private company, were granted bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama.&nbsp;The two suspects were released on two personal bail bonds of Rs. 2.5 million each while a travel ban was also imposed both suspects, Ada Derana reporter said.&nbsp;&nbsp;The order was issued after considering submissions made by CIABOC officials and attorneys representing the suspects.&nbsp;The two suspects were arrested over allegations that the government suffered a loss of approximately Rs. 7.9 million in connection with the purchase of chairs for the Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre in Polgolla.&nbsp;According to the allegations, the chairs were not purchased from the company that had submitted the lowest quotation. Instead, arrangements had allegedly been made to purchase them from another private company, resulting in a loss to the government.&nbsp;CIABOC requested that the suspects be remanded in custody, stating that investigations into the matter had not yet been completed.&nbsp;However, President’s Counsel Sampath Mendis and attorney-at-law Rathwatte, appearing for the suspects, informed the court that their clients had fully cooperated with the investigations. They argued that there were insufficient grounds to remand the suspects and requested their release on bail under the provisions of the Bail Act.&nbsp;The Chief Magistrate noted that the suspects had been accused of committing an offence under Section 70 of the Bribery Act.&nbsp;However, after considering the submissions, the Magistrate ruled that sufficient grounds had not been presented to refuse bail under the Bail Act and ordered the suspects to be released.&nbsp;The case was fixed for further hearing on November 17, 2026.

Ex-Minister Johnston Fernando granted bail

National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa, who was remanded until September 18 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate, was escorted out of the court premises and taken to the remand prison, a short while ago.&nbsp;A large number of political supporters, party members and others had gathered outside the court premises as Rajapaksa was escorted into a prison bus by by prison guards and taken away.

MP Namal Rajapaksa taken to remand prison

A UN Human Rights <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session63/advance-versions/a-hrc-63-18-auv.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">report</a> calls on the Sri Lankan Government to build on the steps it has taken to bolster accountability for human rights violations and advance reconciliation and healing, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).&nbsp;The United Nations Human Rights Council is set to receive the latest report on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka on 7 September.&nbsp;The report, which covers the period between October 2025 and July 2026, notes the steps taken to tackle corruption, as well as the high-profile arrests and investigations in connection with political killings, enforced disappearances and the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. This was also a period during which Sri Lanka found itself grappling with the challenges caused by Cyclone Ditwah and the global spike in energy prices, the statement said.&nbsp;Despite its promise of legal and institutional reforms, however, the Government continues to apply the repressive Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), resulting in arbitrary arrests and prolonged detentions without charge, the report states. Civil society actors, activists and journalists are subjected to state surveillance, and tensions over land and religious sites continue to simmer.&nbsp;“This Government still has an opportunity to turn the tide on decades of abuse of executive power, repressive laws and custodial violence, and entrenched impunity,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. “While it is encouraging that the Sri Lankan authorities have taken action to address corruption cases and some crimes linked to the post-war period, more needs to be done to end the long legacy of impunity in the country.”&nbsp;The report highlights continued cases of torture and deaths in custody. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka documented 602 cases of torture and ill-treatment in 2025 and 138 cases as of April 2026. It also reported receiving 18 cases of deaths in custody last year and another three by April this year. In one such case, a 40-year-old inmate detained for a minor drug-related offence died at Welikada Prison in Colombo on 3 May allegedly from severe beatings.&nbsp;The report also highlights the violent riots at Negombo prison in July, which resulted in at least 32 deaths, underscoring the urgent need for prison reform to address systemic issues, including severe overcrowding.&nbsp;The UN Human Rights Office also received at least 16 allegations of surveillance against civil society actors, activists and journalists, information “indicating a clear and continuing pattern of state surveillance, intimidation and reprisals by military and intelligence officials, including from the Criminal Investigations Department or the Terrorism Investigation Division”, says the report.&nbsp;“Individuals are repeatedly questioned about their travels, especially to Geneva and engagement with UN human rights processes, as well as their organisational affiliations, funding sources, and participation in protests or commemorative events,” the report states.&nbsp;While the Government has continued to denounce racism and promote national unity, wider efforts to ensure truth and justice risk being stalled and the momentum for transformative change being lost, warns the report.&nbsp;Failures to effectively investigate and prosecute crimes under international law allegedly committed during the armed conflict persist, the statement said.&nbsp;“It is crucial that there is decisive and meaningful action toward accountability for crimes and violations by all parties during the more than two-decade armed conflict,” High Commissioner Türk said.&nbsp;The UN Human Rights Chief noted the recent decision by the Attorney-General to indict former Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, Sivanesathurai Chandrakathan, also known as Pillayan, and three others in connection with the abduction and murder of former Eastern University Vice Chancellor Professor Subramanian Ravindranath in 2006.&nbsp;“It is, however, regrettable that many other serious emblematic cases remain stalled for years, including the killing of 17 Action Contre La Faim aid workers in Muttur 20 years ago,” he said, calling for meaningful steps to resolve such delays.&nbsp;The High Commissioner urged Sri Lanka to redouble its reconciliation and accountability efforts. He called for a moratorium on the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, pending its repeal, as well as the release of long-term detainees held under it.&nbsp;Türk also called for all individuals credibly accused of human rights violations to be excluded from senior positions in government, the security sector, or diplomatic service, until such allegations are genuinely addressed and resolved.&nbsp;He urged the Government to support victims’ memorialization initiatives, and the release of military-occupied lands, it added.

Fairly heavy rainfall expected in some parts of the island

Feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem dies at 92

Feminist activist and journali ...

Nine days after disaster, two pulled alive from Nepal hydropower tunne ...

Nine days after disaster, two ...

Nepal flood losses estimated at $2.56 billion, official says

Nepal flood losses estimated a ...

Vance says Iran conflict is not a war, declines to offer timeline for ...

Vance says Iran conflict is no ...

US Federal Maritime Commission chairman to visit Sri Lanka

US Federal Maritime Commission ...

Ex-Minister Johnston Fernando granted bail

Ex-Minister Johnston Fernando ...

MP Namal Rajapaksa taken to remand prison

MP Namal Rajapaksa taken to re ...

UN human rights report urges robust accountability and institutional r ...

UN human rights report urges r ...

Feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem dies at 92

Feminist activist and journali ...

Nine days after disaster, two pulled alive from Nepal hydropower tunne ...

Nine days after disaster, two ...

Nepal flood losses estimated at $2.56 billion, official says

Nepal flood losses estimated a ...

Vance says Iran conflict is not a war, declines to offer timeline for ...

Vance says Iran conflict is no ...

US Federal Maritime Commission chairman to visit Sri Lanka

US Federal Maritime Commission ...

Ex-Minister Johnston Fernando granted bail

Ex-Minister Johnston Fernando ...

MP Namal Rajapaksa taken to remand prison

MP Namal Rajapaksa taken to re ...

UN human rights report urges robust accountability and institutional r ...

UN human rights report urges r ...

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