Seylan athletes secure 32 medals at 2026 Mercantile Athletics Championships

Seylan Bank has celebrated the outstanding achievements of its employee-athletes at the 41st Annual Mercantile Athletics Championship 2026, where the bank’s representatives secured an impressive 32 medals, comprising 12 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze medals. The achievement placed Seylan Bank eighth overall among 46 participating companies.

The achievement was recognised at an appreciation event hosted by the Director/Chief Executive Officer Ramesh Jayasekara, bringing together the Bank’s athletes to acknowledge their dedication, perseverance and accomplishments both on and off the field. The event reflected Seylan’s commitment to recognising employees for the talents and passions they pursue beyond their professional roles.

For Seylan Bank, the success at the Mercantile Athletics Championships represents more than a collection of medals. It highlights the diverse talents of its employees and the importance of creating a workplace where individuals are encouraged to develop themselves beyond their day-to-day responsibilities.

Jayasekara said: ‘We are extremely proud of the achievements of our athletes at the Mercantile Athletics Championships. Their success is a reflection of the discipline, commitment and determination they demonstrate both in sport and in their professional lives. We are pleased to celebrate these sporting accomplishments.’

With 32 medals and an eighth-place overall finish, Seylan’s athletes have demonstrated that excellence can extend well beyond the professional environment, highlighting the value of supporting employees as they pursue their ambitions both at work and in their personal lives.

WNPS goes to Court over guns for civilians as elephant killings rise

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), Sri Lanka’s oldest and leading conservation organisation, had initiated legal action in the Court of Appeal to halt the State-issuance of firearms to civilians, which is driving an unprecedented surge in the slaughter of the country’s wild elephants.

The writ application seeks urgent judicial intervention to stop the escalating killing of elephants both within and outside protected reservations. WNPS argued in its Petition that the crisis had intensified following the relevant public authorities’ decision to issue firearms to civilians for the purpose of protecting crops from wild animals.

The legal challenge was filed in August 2025, over a year before the tragic and widely publicised killing of the iconic tusker ‘Kavantissa’. WNPS contends that this legal action should have served as a stark warning to the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Environment, and other state authorities that placing firearms in civilian hands would inevitably result in the death of wild elephants, which are strictly protected under Sri Lankan law.

In its petition, WNPS highlighted the agonising death of another iconic tusker, ‘Bathiya’, who succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds after prolonged suffering in a pool of mud. The petition noted that Bathiya’s slow death exposed severe resource shortages and a critical lack of capacity within the DWC and local veterinary services to handle such wildlife emergencies. Strikingly, just a year later, the nation and the global conservation community witnessed the majestic tusker ‘Kavantissa’ perish under identical, preventable circumstances.

To underscore the staggering scale of the risk, the petition cited a statement made in Parliament on March 18, 2025, by MP Namal Karunaratne, revealing that the Government had distributed 13,207 firearms to farmers under the scheme. Subsequent court disclosures indicated that an extremely large number of these State-issued weapons remained entirely unlicensed, and unaccounted for, presenting an existential threat to Sri Lanka’s endangered wildlife and national heritage.

Demonstrating a clear link between the distribution of weapons and rising violence against wild elephants, WNPS cited official figures published by the State, including the statement made by the Minister of Environment that 21 wild elephants had been shot in various locations within seven months in the period January to July, 2025, with most struck below the knee.

The petition emphasised that shootings account for approximately 20% of annual elephant deaths in Sri Lanka, pushing the endangered species closer to extinction. The Petition quotes the following profound observation made by His Lordship, Justice N.E. Dissanayake, Retired Supreme Court Judge in an in an inquiry report: ‘When the birth rate of elephants is considered with the annual rate of death of elephants it is clear that there is a grave threat of depletion of its numbers. You need not be a great mathematician to conclude that the day will not be too far away for our elephants to become extinct’.

WNPS further argued that releasing over 13,000 firearms to civilians (including where a large volume thereof remained unlicensed and unaccounted for), was an irrational and short-sighted measure, that directly contradicts the Government’s own law enforcement initiatives to seize illegal weapons and combat underworld crime. WNPS maintains that the indiscriminate distribution of firearms undermines the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO), transforms a conservation crisis into a public safety hazard, and threatens the survival of Sri Lanka’s natural heritage.

In 2020, WNPS challenged the Sri Lankan Government’s issuance of 6,000 firearms to Civil Defence Forces to combat human-elephant conflict. This legal action led to the Hon. Attorney General representing the relevant public authorities, furnishing a formal undertaking before the Court of Appeal that the weapons would be recalled and the management of wildlife transferred to the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Despite this court undertaking and formal commitment, the relevant public authorities have repeatedly recycled this failed action, resulting in a continuous cycle of weapon distribution and escalating elephant fatalities.

Through this application, WNPS has urgently invited and moved for judicial intervention to protect Sri Lanka’s iconic national heritage from an unprecedented existential threat.

The Sri Lankan elephant is now listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and faces imminent extinction.

The Parliament of Sri Lanka has explicitly declared the Sri Lankan Elephant as Protected Public Property in terms of the provisions of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, rendering any harm caused to this national heritage a serious criminal offense met with the absolute harshest legal penalties.

WNPS remains steadfastly committed to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s majestic wild elephants and ensuring their survival for generations to come.

WNPS is represented by President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardane, with Attorneys-at-Law Prashanthi Mahindaratne and Dilumi de Alwis, and instructed by Attorney-at-Law Amila Kumara.

In effect yellow warning for thunderstorms on Wednesday

?n Tuesday afternoon the Department of Meteorology issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms on Wednesday. The alert remains in effect from 02:00 until 18:00 today.

Isolated, intense thunderstorms are expected to affect the western half of the island intermittently at first, spreading to other areas from midday onwards, the Department of Meteorology said, adding that rainfall intensity is expected to range between 35 and 55 millimeters per hour, and hail is also possible.

During the thunderstorms, wind gusts may occasionally reach 7 to 8 on the Beaufort scale, it concluded.

Cyprus Department of Meteorology – Forecast for the Sea Area of Cyprus (A)

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1013hPa (hectopascal)

Barometric low is affecting the area. The weather will be at times mainly cloudy with local showers and isolated thunderstorms. IN STORM THE WIND IS EXPECTED TO BE VARIABLE STRENGTHENING, WITH RISK GUSTING TO 7 TO 8 BEAUFORT.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in showers

Sea surface temperature: 25°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA

PERIOD

WIND

STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Morning

Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4, at times 4

Slight

Afternoon

Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4, at times locally Variable 4

Slight

Night

East to Southeast 4 to 5, gradually Southeast to Southwest

Slight, gradually Slight to Moderate

South Coast

Morning

Northwest to North 3, gradually Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4

Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

South to Southwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5

Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

Night

Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4, later 4 to 5

Slight

East Coast

Morning

Southwest to Northwest 3, later Southwest 3 to 4

Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

South to Southwest 4, at times 4 to 5

Smooth to Slight

Night

Southeast to Southwest 4, at times 4 to 5

Smooth to Slight, at times Slight

North Coast

Morning

Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4

Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

Afternoon

Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, at times South to Southwest 4

Smooth to Slight, at times Slight

Night

Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4, gradually 4 to 5

Slight

Time of issue: 0530

Date: 28/10/2026

Grammy-winning artist Apl.de.Ap celebrates Filipino heritage in new EP

Global music icon Apl.de.Ap returns to his roots with the release of his new EP under GMA Music, titled PPP. An acronym for ‘Power to the Pilipino People,’ the three-track EP marks a deeply personal chapter in Apl’s journey as an artist, serving as a love letter, a rally cry, and a testament of devotion to his home country.

‘This is my first solo EP apart from the Black Eyed Peas,’ shares Apl. ‘I wanted to make sure it represented who I am as a Filipino, and I dedicate it to my home country, the Philippines. This EP comes from my love for the Philippines, with songs that hopefully will inspire and empower every Filipino. It’s a reminder for Filipinos of our own power as individuals and as a nation, and how we can make positive, lasting change in our lives and in the lives of others if we all come together and help one another.’

Rooted in Filipino values, culture, and language, PPP weaves together three distinct thematic pillars-love, hope, and peace-across its carrier single.

Serving as the EP’s anchor on love, ‘Why’ is a collaboration between Apl and OPM rockstar Bamboo. The song addresses both the beauty and the heartaches of loving’s one nation, calling on leaders and citizens alike to stand up for integrity and positive change.

”Why’ is a love letter to the country. And like any love story, there is heartbreak in what’s happening,’ Apl explains. ‘It’s a shoutout to leaders and people in position, to care about the country and our countrymen-to act in the best interest of all and not just personal interests, and for Filipinos to not accept what’s happening and to stand up for their rights.’

On collaborating with Bamboo, Apl adds: ‘Bamboo is a true Filipino artist who I respect so much. We have been wanting to do a collab, and I’m so happy this is the result that really showcases PPP. It’s a dream to be able to do this collaboration with him that shows our shared love for the country. It’s always a good time with my buddy Bamboo.’

Highlighting hope, ‘Turn Around’ (featuring Fil-Am artist and co-Black Eyed Peas member J. Rey Soul) speaks of resilience through life’s steepest challenges.

‘Pinoy United’ (featuring the King of Moro Songs Datu Khomeini), on the other hand, champions peace. The anthem was inspired by the peace process and cultural richness of Mindanao, featuring music artist Datu Khomeini to represent the southern regions’ voice and heritage.

‘My music always reflects who I am, with Filipino words, culture, and values incorporated into it,’ Apl concludes. ‘This EP is really about love, peace and hope for the Filipino people.’

Apl.de.Ap’s latest EP, PPP (Power to the Pilipino People), under GMA Music, is now available on all major streaming platforms worldwide.

 Blindspot

FLOP

THE concert was scheduled for this year but it’s been postponed indefinitely. The reason is not just poor ticket sales but also, the producers’ difficulty in finding guest singers for the said concert. The featured performer was once an audience favorite but something happened along the way to change that. She isn’t only unpopular among the audience but also with her peers, many of whom have unfollowed her on social media a long time ago. Showbiz insiders say the artist behaves strangely sometimes and people are uncomfortable with it. To others, this is a sign of mental instability, which should be looked at. It’s a pity because the artist was once an A-lister who enjoyed sold-out concerts. Her songs were playing everywhere. Now, she is treated like a has-been.

PRIVACY PLEASE

THE actress keeps her private life private. Aside from a relationship with a male starlet years ago and a short-lived romance with a co-star, her lovelife has never been talked about again. She is very low key when it comes to her romances. The grapevine says it is allegedly because she moonlights as a high-priced escort when she’s away from the cameras. The actress is well-liked in the industry because she has exhibited professionalism throughout her career. She is always punctual and knows her lines once she arrives on set. She also gets along with people. Through the years, people have wondered why she has never had a serious boyfriend. The answer is that she has other priorities.

MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

THE actress was once on top of her game. She got the best roles and was very rich. What people didn’t know is that she had mental health problems. After she got married and her marriage failed, the actress’ mental health problems worsened. What exacerbated her condition is she initially refused to seek professional help. She later on did seek therapy but she also wasn’t consistent. Years of not working depleted her savings. Although she still has some money and properties left, they aren’t as substantial as they used to be. Her mental health problem is the reason why the actress can’t make a grand comeback. Because of it, her sleeping habits are erratic so she can’t make it to the set on time. She also has mood swings and when these happen, she chooses to just stay home.

IT’S OVER

A politician has just ended his relationship with an actress who is known for having had multiple plastic surgeries. It’s a joke in showbiz that every year, the actress shows off a new face because she does look different everytime she goes through surgery. According to the grapevine, the constant surgeries did not sit well with the politician, who felt it was a waste of money. It’s a pity that the actress seems to have been reduced to a caricature because she is talented and easy to work with. Since she started becoming addicted to plastic surgery, she’s had a string of relationships that have not lasted. Meanwhile, one of the politician’s exes is another actress who’s also known for having had multiple surgeries.

Logistics operators nurse old wounds despite reform gains

Investors in Nigeria’s logistics industry are still reeling from old problems they expected the government’s reforms to solve. Transport operators at BusinessDay’s Mobility and Logistics Conference in Lagos recounted persistent infrastructural gaps that squeeze their operations and threaten the competitiveness of a sector already considered volatile.

‘Disruption has become the order of the day. In those days, disruption would happen, but you would recover before another happened. Today, the disruption is back-to-back. If it’s not currency fluctuation, it’s an environmental disaster like a flood,’ said Obiora Madu, director-general, Africa Centre for Supply Chain (ACSC).

Logistics operators in Nigeria have absorbed heavy risks for years. After the federal government introduced reforms at the turn of the new administration, including the removal of fuel subsidies to provide investable funds in key infrastructure like roads and a new tax reform that promised to axe double taxation, progress has remained slow.

The cost of moving goods is set as much at ports and on the road as at the pump. One freight forwarder panel blamed fragmentation for much of the delay. Shipping lines, terminal operators and customs run separate procedures, which increases waiting time.

‘The number one thing is there’s fragmentation in the processes. And once they are fragmented in this way, what you have is unavoidable delays. That translates to the losses, which we, as freight forwarders, encounter. And of course, these losses are transferred to every other Nigerian,’ said Ifeanyi Onwuachu, managing director of Janksmay Global Services.

The National Single Window, designed to unify some of these processes, is still in the first phase. Operators were promised the launch of the second phase in November this year, which will open for export permit processing.

Madu said shipping lines grant importers 21 free days, which he described as insufficient for a system in which trucks queue for berths and paperwork. ’40 percent of total port cost came from accumulated truck delays,’ Madu said, explaining that 7,000 trucks a day on a Lagos ring planned for 2,400 trucks is a disaster waiting to happen.

Fuel is now the heaviest single input for many operators. Without subsidy, fuel and diesel prices have reached record levels, inflating operational costs. A Chisco executive said the company buys diesel at almost N2,000 per litre and has started sourcing its own supply after third party supply became unreliable.

This inflates freight costs for businesses. ‘Up to 45 percent of trade value is lost to freight costs and inefficiency, versus five percent 10 percent elsewhere,’ Madu explained. ‘So, N3.2 trillion a year lost to transport inefficiency.’

Meanwhile, bad roads have made maintenance of expensive vehicles regardless of lifespan almost inevitable. Chisco said the price of a 56-seater transport bus has doubled to N300 million from N150 million in only two years.

An SBM Intelligence report cited that over 60 percent of Nigeria’s 108,000-kilometre road network suffers from disrepair, costing billions annually in lost productivity and shortened vehicle lifespans.

‘We have to maintain the vehicles. When the roads are rickety, my supposed four-year-old vehicle becomes four years old in two years. This is a real reality,’ said Mildred Ekanem, executive director, Lagride Nigeria Limited.

Buchi Ochuba, head of business operations at Chisco Transport and Logistics, complained that a journey that should take 12 hours sometimes takes 36, and detours and breakdowns burn extra fuel.

Onwuachu said the roads are wearing out his vehicles fast. ‘If these roads survive four years, you should thank your God,’ he he said, adding that a truck can be lost before it has paid for itself.

‘As I’m talking to you now, we have over 30 trucks that have been on the road for the past 15 days. And every day, shipping lines are giving us detention notices. We need to pay. If we don’t pay, the next business will be affected,’ he said.

Public transport operators also maintained that they cannot pass those costs on. Kayode Opeifa, managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, said fares have stayed at the same level for five to six years because the agency subsidises riders.

‘We have been charging the same rate for the past five, six years,’ he said, adding that the fares cannot rise to economic levels without hurting passengers.

Persistent power outages also disrupt charging for electric vehicles, introduced as a buffer against high fuel and diesel costs. Lagride said it costs revenue and strains relations with drivers and partners.

In 2025, the federal government promised logistics operators lower taxes with the introduction of an unpopular new tax regime in early 2026.

The Nigerian logistics industry, where more than 90 percent of goods are moved by road, has been dealt with excessive taxation, where haulage and logistics companies face over 200 legal and hidden taxes along highways.

Taiwo Oyedele, the czar of the Presidential Tax Committee and now minister of finance, assured players in the industry of relief when the new tax laws take effect in January 2026.

However, industry players insist that the promise is yet to be fulfilled.

‘The government is one of our major problems in doing business in Nigeria. They tax you. They tax everything that is taxable. Even when you want to repair a road by yourself, you’re asked to pay money to repair your road,’ said Ochuba.

Opeifa said the state of the sector comes down to government. ‘If government does not invest in infrastructure, the private sector will never invest,’ he said. He also said the data needed to plan the sector is being kept from operators. ‘There are data, but they are not available,’ he said, calling on agencies to publish their figures every month.

For Madu, infrastructure is necessary, but integration is what creates value. ‘You can have solid infrastructure, standing alone, but you won’t get any value from it,’ he said. He encouraged regulators to make predictability, correlation, and efficient compliance central to service delivery. ‘To operators, look beyond your own assets. Optimise the interfaces that decide total system performance,’ he said.

Operators plan to press their case. Opeifa said he intends to meet officials from the Nigerian Shipping Council and the Nigerian Ports Authority, along with freight associations, before the end of November to address logistics costs.

EFCC recovers additional $40 million USD in ongoing nestoil investigation, total recovery hits $100 million USD

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, has recorded another major breakthrough in its ongoing investigation involving Nestoil Limited, Neconde Energy Limited and a consortium of lenders, with the recovery of an additional US$40 million US dollars in favour of the Banks.

The latest recovery, made on Monday, October 19, 2026, brings the total amount recovered in the course of the investigation and ongoing repayment process to US$100 million US dollars.

The development follows the earlier recovery of $60 million, which was reported on Monday, August 17, 2026.

Though, the media department of the EFCC could not be reached to comment on this landmark recovery, the lenders opined that the additional US$40 million US dollars represents a significant step forward in the recovery process.

The ongoing investigation centres on certain financial transactions involving Nestoil Limited, Neconde Energy Limited and a consortium of lenders. The EFCC’s intervention has, among other objectives, focused on facilitating the recovery of outstanding obligations owed to the lenders while simultaneously safeguarding the interests of depositors in the various banks.

Following a meeting chaired by the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede, a structured repayment arrangement was reached between Nestoil and the consortium of lenders. The agreement provided a framework for the orderly repayment of the outstanding indebtedness, subject to the terms agreed by the parties and the applicable laws.

The first tranche of US$60 million was subsequently paid to the lenders, while the latest payment of US$40 million US dollars brings the cumulative recovery under the arrangement to US$100 million US dollars.

The consortium of lenders is happy and has welcomed the latest payment as a significant and encouraging development in the recovery process. The lenders have also reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation with the EFCC and other relevant stakeholders towards ensuring the full recovery of outstanding obligations.

The lenders consider the recovery significant not only from the perspective of the funds involved but also because of its potential impact on the stability and integrity of Nigeria’s financial system. The recovery of funds owed to financial institutions ultimately serves to protect the interests of lenders, depositors and other legitimate stakeholders whose funds are deployed in the financial system.

While the cumulative US$100 million US dollars recovery represents substantial progress, the recovery process is not yet concluded, as a significant portion of the outstanding indebtedness remains to be settled in accordance with the agreed repayment plan.

The lenders appreciate the efforts of the EFCC for deploying its investigative powers professionally and diligently in accordance with its statutory mandate, with the ultimate objective of safeguarding Nigeria’s financial system and strengthening public confidence in the fight against economic and financial crimes.

Court allows Safaricom to join Jamii’s mobile spectrum-fees fight against CA

Safaricom has won a court battle to join a dispute challenging the Communications Authority of Kenya’s move to increase spectrum fees for radio frequencies that carry mobile calls and internet services.

Justice John Anuro allowed Safaricom to join the suit where Jamii Telecommunications Limited is fighting the 2025 regulatory fee schedule, which has remained suspended since April last year.

The dispute concerns how the regulator charges telecommunications operators for access to radio frequencies that carry mobile calls and internet data.

The revised spectrum-fee schedule introduced band-based charges calculated according to the amount of spectrum assigned to an operator, moving away from a system based on the number of transmitters in its network.

The Authority says the review is accounting for inflation, technological changes, efficient spectrum use and the need to support investment and connectivity.

Safaricom paid CA Sh16.3 billion in the year to March as licence fees for the year to March, up from Sh14.6 billion a year earlier, making changes to the spectrum charges a driver of costs.

The Authority notified licence holders on March 10, 2025, that revised annual fees would take effect on July 1 that year. Jamii appealed, arguing that the pricing system favoured larger operators and weakened competition.

Jamii told the Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal that the schedule ‘advantages the more dominant market players with greater resources and revenue share’, making the structure ‘discriminatory, uncompetitive, unfair, unsustainable, and unreasonable’.

It also argued that the Authority had conducted only superficial public participation and perpetuated existing market inequalities.

Jamii asked the tribunal to overturn the CA’s revised spectrum-fee schedule, arguing that it unfairly favoured dominant telecommunications operators, undermined competition and was introduced without adequate public participation.

The tribunal suspended the schedule on April 24, 2025, pending determination of Jamii’s application.

Safaricom sought to join the case but the tribunal rejected the request, saying the company had not adequately explained the prejudice it would suffer if excluded or disclosed whether it supported or opposed Jamii’s appeal.

Safaricom appealed that decision in the High Court, arguing that the outcome could affect its regulatory obligations, costs, business plans and competitive position.

It also offered to address the technical and economic basis of spectrum pricing and its effects on competition and service delivery.

The Communication Authority opposed Safaricom’s entry, saying the company had not attached material setting out its intended case and had not clarified its position.

It warned that admitting Safaricom could prejudice the regulator, which had responded to Jamii’s appeal, and amount to litigation by ambush.

The Authority reckoned that Safaricom had not identified a justifiable reason to be joined in the suit. Jamii Telecommunications did not oppose Safaricom’s appeal. The tribunal proceedings were suspended on September 19, 2025 following Safaricom’s appeal.

Justice Anuro found that the tribunal had applied the legal test too rigidly and overlooked material in Safaricom’s application. He said the tribunal had acknowledged that Safaricom would be affected by the dispute but then concluded that it had shown no prejudice.

The court said Safaricom’s affidavit stated that the appeal could affect its ‘regulatory obligations, financial outlay, business planning, and competitive position in the sector’.

‘That is a statement of prejudice. It may not have been elaborate, but it is certainly not absent,’ said the court.

The court also rejected the view that Safaricom had to declare whether it backed or opposed Jamii’s challenge before being admitted.

‘A proposed interested party is not a proposed co-appellant or co-respondent,’ said the judge, explaining that an interested party could support some arguments and oppose others, or focus on how the dispute affected its position.

The court also found that the Tribunal erred in treating Safaricom’s offer of sectoral knowledge as a reason to refuse joinder, as that reference to ‘expertise’ was simply a subsidiary reason.

‘Its (Safaricom’s) application was not founded solely upon its expertise, its primary contention being that it was itself subject to the fee regime under challenge. I understood its avowed ability to provide technical and industry context to have been merely an additional reason advanced in support,’ said the judge.

Safaricom’s role will, however, be limited. The court ordered that it must stick to issues already raised by Jamii and cannot introduce a new claim, ground of appeal or remedy, or take control of the case.

The tribunal is expected to set timelines for Safaricom’s affidavit and submissions and allow the other parties to respond.

The underlying case will examine Jamii’s challenge to the spectrum-fee framework.

A draft market review published by the Communications Authority and ICT Authority says spectrum fees form a significant operating cost and notes that the pricing changes are being litigated.

It warns that a new structure could raise fees for operators with smaller networks, while stressing that pricing should not risk excluding smaller rivals.

Floods affect 6,870 people in three provinces

Flooding remained in Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi and Satun provinces, affecting 3,128 families or 6,870 people in 86 villages on Wednesday morning, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

In Kanchanaburi, floods continued in Muang, Sangkhla Buri, Tha Muang, Sri Sawat and Bo Phloi districts, affecting 285 families or 519 people in 19 villages.

In Ratchaburi, floods were reported in Photharam, Muang and Damnoen Saduak districts affecting 2,465 families or 5,145 people in 42 villages. Both provinces are in the Central Plains.

In the southern province of Satun, flooding hit Muang and Langu districts, affecting 378 families or 1,206 people in 25.

Flood levels in all three provinces were reported as declining.

From Oct 1, floods hit 20 provinces and killed six people, two in Kanchanaburi and one each in Chiang Mai, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi and Trang.

The Meteorological Department said that in the North, the Northeast, the Central Plains and the East, rain would decline until Thursday, increase on Friday and Saturday and decrease again on Sunday and Monday next week due to the changing strength of cold air from China.

In the South, rain will be lower from Thursday to Monday next week but there could be isolated heavy rain in the region.