Sri Lankan AI News Summary.

Sri Lanka Daily News Digest — Saturday, October 24, 2026 WEATHER ALERT: The Meteorology Department has issued a red warning for strong winds and rough seas. Naval and fishing communities should stay out of deep-sea areas between 10°N–20°N and 85°E–95°E until further notice. A low-pressure system is building over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to strengthen. Rainfall will increase over the southwestern parts of the island in the coming days. RECORD DRUG BUST: The Navy and Coast Guard seized 561.7kg of heroin and crystal methamphetamine (Ice) worth over Rs. 11.8 billion. The joint operation took place on Saturday morning in the coastal area of Naotunna, Thalalla, in Matara. PRESIDENT'S HEALTH: The President's Office has denied social media reports that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was admitted to a private hospital after a sudden illness. FATAL INCIDENTS: One soldier was killed and 11 were injured when an Army Defender vehicle crashed into a palmyrah tree on the Mannar-Talaimannar main road. Separately, a 12-year-old schoolboy was killed in a crocodile attack at Wambatuwewa in Maneruwa, in the Galkiriyagama Police Division. POLITICS: Jailed SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa marked 50 days in prison, saying his imprisonment cannot silence the aspirations of his supporters. SLPP Jaffna District Organizer Geethanath Cassilingam questioned whether the government applies the PTA and Section 149 of the anti-corruption law fairly. He also accused some young politicians of choosing political convenience over criticising the NPP government. COURTS AND PRISONS: The Supreme Court ruled that three officers at the Meetiyagoda Police Station violated a police sergeant's fundamental rights by allegedly assaulting him and unlawfully detaining him in a cell. Two of the officers must pay him Rs. 200,000 in compensation. Separately, the Acting Commissioner General of Prisons gazetted new rules on removing the robes of Buddhist monks when they are imprisoned. CRIME AND PUBLIC SAFETY: A 34-year-old man was arrested at Kirigala Junction in Mawanella with two pistols, five magazines, 156 lead pellets and 20 rounds of 12-bore ammunition. Police also warned the public about a rise in financial scams run through online dating apps and urged extreme caution with online relationships. DIPLOMACY: More than 150 participants from over 21 diplomatic missions, the UN and the Foreign Ministry marked International Diplomat Day 2026 at the Indonesian Embassy in Colombo on Saturday. WORLD: Russia and Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire in the occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky, brokered through US First Lady Melania Trump, and plan to hold peace talks next month. In the US, a new Trump administration rule lets hunters bait bears on federal land in Alaska with human food such as doughnuts and bacon.