- President Ranil Wickremesinghe meets UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Egypt: briefs him on Government’s plans on National Environment Policy: due to address UN COP 27 World Conference on Climate Change in Sharm-El-Shiek on 8th November.
- CB data shows Rs.366.4 bn (91.3%) of total T-Bills of Rs.401.4 bn issued in last 6 auctions were for 3-mths duration: analysts express concern over possible unmanageable “bunching” in near future: fear that such vulnerability would lead to inevitable sharp spike in interest rates or local debt default.
- Sri Lanka’s most famous singer-songwriter-rapper Yohani shifts base to Mumbai: focuses on Bollywood: starts to learn Hindi.
- Navy conducts special operation in seas North of Talaimannar to chase Indian poaching trawlers within Sri Lanka’s waters: apprehends 2 trawlers with 15 Indian fishermen.
- Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara says the weekly fuel quota of 5 litres for 3-wheelers on National Fuel Pass will be increased to 10: increase applicable only to full time 3-wheeler taxis in the Western Province, and registered online with the authorities.
- Minister Bandula Gunawardena begins discussions to transform the Railway Department into an Authority: intention to provide the best possible benefits to commuters: conversion to be done after careful study of proposals of Railway officials, trade unions and employees.
- Statue of former Minister D A Rajapaksa that was toppled during the May-9 mob violence, re-erected and unveiled at commemoration ceremony in Tangalle: former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, PM Dinesh Gunawardena and Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene attend the event
- Oil tanker with 99,000MT of crude oil valued at approximately USD 80 mn still remains off the West coast of Sri Lanka for nearly 45 days: awaits payment from Central Bank to unload: Trade Union Leader Ananda Palitha claims such tanker vessels normally charge USD 150,000 per day in demurrage.
- Around 50 inmates escape following a clash between two groups at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre in Polonnaruwa: joint search operation by the Army and the Police underway.
- Top Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka arrested by Sydney Police for an alleged “sexual assault” incident: the complainant is a woman 29, who had been introduced via a “dating” website.
Note: Cardinal Ranjith has subsequently said that he has been “misquoted” by the relevant newspaper yesterday re. his comment on the IMF.