Sri Lankan AI News Summary.

Sri Lanka Daily News Digest — Friday, October 30, 2026 ECONOMY AND DAILY LIFE Sri Lanka's inflation rose to 8.3% in October, up from 8.0% in September, according to the Colombo Consumer Price Index from the Department of Census and Statistics. From November 1, a valid TIN certificate will be mandatory for eight specified transactions under amendments to the Inland Revenue Act, the Inland Revenue Department announced. The All-Ceylon Bakery Owners Association has raised the price of bread and short eats by Rs. 5 from today. PARLIAMENT The Opposition's no-confidence motion against Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne will not be debated on November 3, Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake announced. The government wants the Opposition to amend the motion, and an adjournment debate moved by the government will be held instead. SJB MP Ajith Perera said a motion already on the Order Paper cannot be removed. WELFARE AND DISASTER WATCH Minister Upali Pannilage has denied reports that Aswesuma benefits for about 1.4 million people have been suspended, calling them factually incorrect. The NBRO has extended its Level 1 landslide warning (Yellow, Be Vigilant) for four districts because of continuing rain. INSTITUTIONS AND JUSTICE President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed retired Judge Malalgoda as Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, with other members also appointed. PAFFREL has written to the President urging that two proposed laws replacing the Prevention of Terrorism Act and addressing organised crime not undermine fundamental rights. The CIABOC has challenged the bail granted to Rakhitha and Charith by the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court on July 28; the Colombo High Court will hear the revision applications on February 9. POLICING AND INVESTIGATIONS Three Kobeigane police officers, two sergeants and a constable, have been interdicted after a 41-year-old suspect died in custody. Investigators including the Walana Anti-Corruption Unit extracted the full dataset from the Motor Traffic Department's computer system to probe alleged corruption. Three employees were injured in a factory explosion in the Meepe area of Padukka, police said. POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE The UNP has restructured its membership to add two categories, the Millennial UNP and the Gen Z UNP, party chairman Wajira Abeywardena said. A Presidential Advisory Council has been set up to guide the conservation and development of the Anuradhapura Sacred Area. WORLD Imran Khan's son warned that his father could face a fate similar to former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, who died during a court hearing in 2019. In Israel, neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor Gadi Eisenkot won a majority in the election, and both claim a mandate to govern without explaining how. A helicopter carrying six people, including five pilgrims, crashed in Uttarakhand, India, and a search for survivors is under way. SPORT Sri Lanka made a strong start at the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes, beating Bangladesh with the second-highest successful chase in the tournament's history. Halambage scored 80 off 17 balls.