Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has written an emotional letter to his son, MP Namal Rajapaksa, who is currently in remand custody, recalling the advice he gave him when he first entered politics in 2010.

The three foreign companies involved in retail fuel distribution — Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC), Sinopec and RM Parks — have limited their operations amid a surge in global fuel prices, leaving the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) hard-pressed to make up the shortfall, an official said yesterday.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the Ministry of Finance has finalised decisions to close 34 state institutions as part of the government’s efforts to reduce public expenditure and ease the financial burden on the state.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama today rejected a motion filed by Buddhist monks participating in a Satyagraha protest at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, seeking to challenge or vary a court order issued yesterday directing the protesters to vacate the premises.

The first heart surgery performed on former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa has been successful, family sources said. The procedure was carried out following an emergency that arose while she was receiving inpatient treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. However, family sources said another open-heart surgery is expected to be performed at a later date.

Litro Gas Lanka has announced plans to distribute 350,000 gas cylinders to the market over the next three days to ensure an uninterrupted supply of domestic gas across the country.

A developing weather system over the Andaman Sea could mark the beginning of a fresh cyclonic threat over the Bay of Bengal, with a low-pressure area likely to form on October 23, 2026.

The National System Operator (NSO) has announced that electricity demand management measures will no longer be required from today (October 22), following the restoration of Lakvijaya Power Station Unit 02 to its full capacity of 270 MW.

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala today told Parliament that the Government has intensified investigations into drug-related offences, with 586,824 individuals arrested during 588,180 drug raids conducted over the past two years.

SriLankan Airlines has announced that the suspension of all flights between Colombo and Dammam, and Colombo and Riyadh, will remain in effect until and including November 1, 2026, due to the prevailing security situation in the region.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said it is yet to discuss with Sri Lankan authorities the government's claim that around US$ 1 billion has been siphoned out of the country under the guise of import payments for which no goods were delivered.

The Court of Appeal (CoA) today (Oct. 22) rejected a series of intervention petitions seeking permission to make submissions in connection with the writ petition filed by former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay.

Sri Lanka Police have recorded statements from 14 individuals, including politicians, in connection with the installation of a statue of former LTTE member Rasaiah Parthipan, also known as Thileepan, in Nallur, Jaffna.

ITAK Parliamentary Group Leader MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has strongly opposed the establishment of additional liquor outlets in Jaffna and Kilinochchi, urging the government to prioritise development and public welfare in the Northern Province.

The government today assured the public that there was no reason to fear shortages of gas, fuel, fertiliser or medicine, saying sufficient stocks were available in the country.

The National System Operator (Pvt.) Ltd. expects the Norochcholai coal power plant to resume power generation by tomorrow (Thursday), an official said yesterday.

SriLankan Airlines has denied media reports and public statements claiming that its information technology (IT) systems had been hacked or compromised, insisting that its systems were not under the control of hackers.

Wheat flour companies in Sri Lanka have taken steps to increase the price of wheat flour with immediate effect. Accordingly, the price of a kilogram of wheat flour will increase by Rs. 13. The revised prices will come into effect immediately.

The Supreme Court (SC) has commenced hearing petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Bill titled “Protection of the State from Terrorism”, which the Government has presented to Parliament. Twenty-two petitions have so far been filed challenging the Bill. The petitions are being heard by a Trial-at-Bar bench comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli and Sampath Abayakoon.

Generator Unit 1 at the Lakvijaya Power Plant in Norochcholai remains offline following a technical failure linked to the nationwide blackout on Oct. 17, 2026, Cabinet Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa said.