Sri Lankan AI News Summary.

SRI LANKA DAILY NEWS DIGEST - Saturday, October 17, 2026 ICONIC TUSKER KAVANTISSA DIES Kavantissa, regarded as one of Sri Lanka's largest and tallest tuskers, died at 6.18 p.m. on Thursday (16) while under treatment in the Siyambalangamuwa area, a wildlife official confirmed. The elephant had fallen suddenly ill and the Department of Wildlife Conservation reported his condition as critical, saying he was eating very little and urging the public to stay away. A round-the-clock intensive veterinary care operation was mounted under a specialist treatment plan, with arrangements under way to bring in foreign veterinary expertise if required, but the efforts ultimately failed. MONKS' PROTEST OVER GNANASARA THERA; GOVERNMENT RULES OUT RELEASE Minister K.D. Lal Kantha said neither President Anura Kumara Dissanayake nor the Government would decide to release Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, currently serving a prison sentence for contempt of court, in violation of the Government's mandate. Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa added that laws would not be altered or amended to benefit any specific person, as the law must apply equally to everyone. A group of monks who protested outside the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday (15) relocated to Viharamahadevi Park following a court order, and four monk representatives were later granted a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. SHIRANTHI RAJAPAKSA GRANTED BAIL Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama released Shiranthi Rajapaksa on bail. She is accused of misappropriating Rs. 10 million transferred from the National Savings Bank to the 'Siriliya Saviya' account. PARLIAMENT TO SIT FROM OCTOBER 20 Parliament will meet for three days from October 20 to 23, Secretary-General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera announced. TRANSPORT: LICENCE BACKLOG, NEW NUMBER PLATES, RAIL DISRUPTION The Department of Motor Traffic expects to clear its backlog by June, covering 673,000 driving licence cards and 958,651 number plates, with the first shipment under a new contract due by end-March. Separately, the Government is considering a new vehicle registration procedure under which the owner's name would be displayed on the number plate. On the rail network, a landslide near Kadigamuwa Railway Station has blocked the upcountry line for the third time since services resumed after Cyclone Ditwah. SRILANKAN SUSPENDS SAUDI FLIGHTS TILL OCTOBER 24 SriLankan Airlines has extended the suspension of all Colombo-Dammam and Colombo-Riyadh flights until October 24, citing the prevailing security situation. CHINA'S RMB CLEARING BANK OPENS IN COLOMBO Sri Lanka's financial links with China received a boost with the official unveiling of the RMB Clearing Bank at a ceremony at the Shangri-La on Thursday. IN BRIEF The online application system for Police Clearance Certificates has been restored after a technical breakdown, the Police Media Division said. Some 316 students of Rajarata University are to receive free spectacles today (17) under a President's Fund vision care programme. WORLD Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the lifting of sanctions on Russia's and Iran's 'shadow fleet' of oil tankers in an effort to bring down diesel prices ahead of November. Tesla unveiled a redesigned Roadster fitted with rocket-style thrusters, with production slated for 2028. In Cyprus, a British man was fined 3,000 euros over the death of his two-year-old son, who fell nearly 12 metres from a fourth-floor hotel window.