Sri Lankan AI News Summary.

SRI LANKA DAILY NEWS DIGEST — Monday, October 12, 2026 ANTI-CORRUPTION AND THE ECONOMY President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the government will allocate Budget funds to open Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption offices in every province, widening the reach of anti-graft enforcement beyond Colombo. The push comes as analysts warn that Sri Lanka's black economy and corruption may be expanding even as the country emerges from its worst economic crisis, despite IMF-linked reform programmes. Separately, the government is advancing legal reforms to regulate virtual assets and virtual asset service providers, strengthening financial oversight ahead of an anti-money-laundering evaluation. On fuel, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation announced plans to expand its network of filling stations, urged consumers not to panic-buy, and confirmed that companies may set their own retail prices while the CPC continues supplying fuel at what it calls reasonable rates. A comparative review of 2016 and 2026 prices for food, petrol, diesel, gold and the US dollar underlines how sharply the cost of living has shifted over the decade. CRIME AND JUSTICE Major drug trafficking suspect Charith Sandakelum, alias "Ran Malli," has been arrested in Bulgaria, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya confirmed. Sri Lankan authorities are in continuous contact with Interpol to secure his extradition. He is allegedly linked to several organised criminal networks at home. An appeal to overturn the death sentence imposed on Sri Lankan national Anojan Sivarasah was filed in the Saudi Supreme Court yesterday, following joint work by Sri Lankan and Saudi legal teams. The government has started drafting regulations allowing imprisoned Buddhist monks to wear their robes when escorted outside prison premises, subject to recommendations from their respective Nikayas, the President's Media Division said. Commentary also marked the long-delayed conclusion of the case of Amali Chathurika, the 23-year-old Sabaragamuwa University applied science student who died in 2015 after ragging. WEATHER AND WATER Spill gates at three major reservoirs have been opened, while two more major reservoirs and two medium-sized tanks are spilling, the Irrigation Department said, signalling heavy inflows across the catchment areas. FOREIGN RELATIONS Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe held bilateral talks with the Governor of Montana on expanding investment and business ties between Sri Lanka and the US state. INTERNATIONAL Riyadh airport was struck again on Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said, a day after a missile attack blamed on the Iran-backed group killed 12 people. The Houthis have since warned passengers against using any Saudi airport. At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, drowned when a boat sank off Djibouti, the UN migration agency reported, with dozens still missing. US President Donald Trump called for Ukraine to replace President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and criticised Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, a day after announcing a diesel supply deal with Moscow that Zelenskiy had sharply condemned. Pakistan declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the northwestern province governed by Imran Khan's party. In India, a Delhi court ordered the release of senior leaders of the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party as the capital braces for fresh protests. Pope Leo XIV said he will undergo surgery in the coming days after a nodule was found on his lung during a routine check-up. Commentary noted that Gaza has slipped from global attention while the Iran-Israel-US conflict and the Strait of Hormuz dominated coverage. SPORT Sri Lanka's women's under-19 team, captained by Chamudi Praboda, meets Pakistan today in their third encounter of the Tri-Nation series, aiming to extend a winning run. In football, Benjamin York scored a hat-trick as Up Country Lions SC beat Blue Star SC 5-3 in a Super League 2025/26 clash at Sugathadasa.