Sri Lankan AI News Summary.

SRI LANKA DAILY NEWS DIGEST — Sunday, October 11, 2026 SAUDI AIRPORT ATTACKS DRAW COLOMBO CONDEMNATION Many people were wounded in a blast at Riyadh's international airport on Saturday, according to two eyewitnesses and two people briefed on the matter. Travellers were evacuated from parts of the facility. Sri Lanka has condemned the recent attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia, which have caused deaths and injuries. The Gulf state hosts a large Sri Lankan migrant workforce, making the security situation there a direct domestic concern. In separate consular news from the kingdom, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, O. L. Ameer Ajwad, visited Anojan Sivarasa at Dammam Central Prison on October 8 to inquire about his well-being and current situation. GNANASARA PARDON AND PRISON RULES UNDER SCRUTINY Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has explained the circumstances behind the presidential pardon granted to Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, saying the decision followed discussions with Buddhist monks, ministers and then President Maithripala Sirisena. Separately, a special committee appointed to review regulations and standing orders under the Prisons Ordinance held its first meeting at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday, following talks with the Maha Sangha. RAILWAYS: CYCLONE DAMAGE AND ELEPHANT DEATHS Daily train services on the Northern Line have fallen from 18 to eight in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, the Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters' Association said, causing significant inconvenience to commuters. The Court of Appeal has ordered state authorities to act to prevent elephant deaths from train collisions. The order came in two connected public-interest writ applications, supported by counsel from Colombo Law Alliance, filed after the Batticaloa–Colombo "Meenagaya" Express struck a herd of wild elephants. WATER LEVELS HIGH ACROSS IRRIGATION NETWORK Eight reservoirs under the Irrigation Department were spilling as of 1 p.m. Saturday, with spill gates remaining open at three major tanks, according to the department's latest reservoir status report. WILDLIFE MOVING INTO CITIES Peacocks, monkeys and deer are increasingly appearing in urban areas including Colombo. Hasini Sarathchandra, a Department of Wildlife Conservation official, attributed the trend largely to habitat loss, disruption of natural food chains and declining predator populations. ROAD AND EMPLOYMENT BRIEFS A car overturned on the Southern Expressway near the 29th kilometre post after striking the rear of a van, officials said. The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment held a job fair in Jaffna on Friday, offering young people the chance to explore and apply for overseas employment opportunities. REGIONAL Hundreds of protesters were reportedly detained in Delhi, including leaders of the Gen-Z led Cockroach Janta Party, during the latest demonstration pressing for electoral reforms in India. — End of digest —