Sri Lanka is determined to accelerate its transition to renewable energy spurred by soaring oil prices, but faces major constraints, its energy minister told AFP.

The Irrigation Department states that eight spill gates of the Deduru Oya Reservoir have been opened by one foot each.

Flights resumed at Riyadh's international airport on Sunday following a series of deadly attacks on the facility that saw it closed for two weeks, even as Yemen's Houthis targeted the country with strikes.

In response to distress calls concerning their medical conditions, Sri Lanka coordinated a humanitarian mission through Galle to evacuate 40 Iranian seafarers from stranded merchant vessels located approximately 24 nautical miles offshore, the foreign ministry confirmed today.

The depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a deep depression and was centred near latitude 15.1°N and longitude 91.0°E at 11:30 a.m. today (25 October), according to the Department of Meteorology.

A special meeting was held between Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, and Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, K.D. Lalkantha.

A total of ten children have been injured after a bus carrying students on an educational excursion collided with a train at a railway crossing in Koggala within the Habaraduwa Police Division this afternoon (25), police said.

At least eight people, including children, have been injured in a collision between a bus and a train at a railway crossing in Habaraduwa this afternoon (25), police said.

Iran’s ​air defence ‌systems shot ​down ​a US LUCAS ⁠drone ​over ​the southern port city ​of ​Bandar Abbas, the ‌Iranian ⁠army said on ​Sunday, ​according ⁠to the ​semi-official ​Tasnim ⁠news agency.

Heavy showers exceeding 100 mm are likely at some places across several provinces in Sri Lanka over the next few days, as a depression over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, bringing increased rainfall, particularly to the southwestern parts of the island.