Fairly heavy rainfall exceeding 75 mm is likely at some locations across Sri Lanka today (23), as the influence of a low-pressure system near the island continues despite the system moving westward and away from the country.

At least 16 people were killed and 32 more were injured when a strong 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck China's remote Tibet region, state news agency Xinhua said, citing local authorities.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that "illegitimate" protests would ​be banned in the coming days and blamed "seditious" ultra-left groups and vandals for last weekend's ‌riots and looting.

An earthquake of magnitude 7 ​struck China's southwestern region of Tibet ‌at around 10:33 p.m. (1433 GMT) on Thursday, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said.

Leader of the ‘Sarvajana Balaya’ and Member of Parliament Dilith Jayaweera has criticised the government’s handling of international relations, claiming that diplomatic failures and a lack of strategic foresight have undermined Sri Lanka’s international standing.

French health officials on Thursday confirmed that they had detected the Shamonda virus in a human — who died early this month — in what they say was the first-ever case of a human contracting the livestock disease.

The Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs has informed the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha that the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thero, will not be produced before the court tomorrow (23).

A tense situation has been reported at the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, as police officers arrived with a court order at the location of the Satyagraha campaign launched by a group of Buddhist monks, demanding the release of Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thero.

The Department of Meteorology warns that a low-pressure area is likely to form over Southeast and adjoining East-central Bay of Bengal around tomorrow (23 October).

A section of the Kandy-Jaffna A9 Road, specifically at the '7th Mile Post' (7 Kanuwa) area in Kurugoda, within the Alawathugoda Police Division—is scheduled to be temporarily closed from 10.00 p.m. tonight (22) until 2.00 a.m. tomorrow (23).

The low-pressure area in the vicinity of Sri Lanka is moving westward away from island. However, the influence of this system may persist tomorrow (23), the Department of Meteorology said.

Brent prices rose to their highest since ‌May on Thursday after more Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia stoked concerns over a broader escalation of conflict and further disruptions to crude oil supplies from the world's key exporting region.

Two people were killed and eight injured ​in an attack on King Fahd ‌International Airport in Saudi Arabia's eastern oil hub of Dammam on Wednesday evening, Saudi ​Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation ​said on Thursday.

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

A total of 14 major reservoirs and 11 medium-sized reservoirs across Sri Lanka have reached spill level due to the prevailing heavy rainfall, according to the Department of Irrigation.

Daily power cuts will not be enforced from today (22), following the restoration of the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Station Unit 02 to its full generating capacity of 270 megawatts (MW), the National System Operator (NSO) has announced.

The number of inmates in Sri Lanka’s prisons has declined significantly following measures taken to ease prison overcrowding, Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara stated.

The Department of Motor Traffic has warned that motorcycles with an engine capacity of 48cc must be registered before being used on public roads, despite claims by some sellers that registration is not required.