The government's move to reopen the Palaly Road in Jaffna with heavy restrictions is truly concerning, MP Namal Rajapaksa said. He said that while the road was initially closed due to security threats, it now appears the government has reopened it without proper security clearance—hence the imposition of heavy restrictions.

In a message posted on X, Rajapaksa claimed that the move seems to be yet another attempt to garner votes ahead of an election, while disregarding potential threats.

"I urge the government not to mislead the people by taking superficial actions. National security must come first, not electoral gains. If the road is to be reopened, it should follow thorough security verifications and be opened fully—without barriers—in a way that ensures public safety," he said in the post.

Due to lower electricity usage during the holiday season, some changes were made on how power is generated in the country, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said.

The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology has issued a "Warm Weather Advisory – Extreme Caution Level" for over 20 districts across the country.

Postmaster General Ruwan Sathkumara says that the official polling cards for the upcoming local government elections are scheduled to be delivered to the Department of Post today (April 16). He stated that April 20 has been designated as a special day for the distribution of official polling cards to households.

While highlighting that the US Reciprocal taxes had created a fresh economic crisis as Sri Lanka will have to find ways and means to settle its debts by 2028, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government should come out with a plan to face the situation.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) requests rooftop solar power system owners to temporarily disconnect their systems from today but only if they receive an official SMS notification from the board and also only till 3p.m on the specified day.

The National Election Commission has announced a delay in postal voting for 18 Local Government bodies, including the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC).

A total of 412 patients have been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital during the two-day New Year holiday period from April 13 and 14, due to accidents.

The Election Commission (EC) has requested secretaries and authorised representatives of political parties, as well as leaders of independent groups, to submit copies of any petitions and court judgments to the relevant District Election Offices.

Four suspects have been arrested at the Katunayake Airport for attempting to smuggle in stocks of Kush cannabis and Hashish to Sri Lanka.