Sri Lankan AI News Summary

I'm a news editor task here, not a coding task — no skill applies. Here's the digest. --- Sri Lanka Daily News Digest — Friday, July 24, 2026 PORT CITY VIOLENCE ESCALATES The body of a Chinese national, believed abducted and murdered by fellow Chinese nationals linked to a violent clash at Colombo Port City, has been found hidden in a forest area in Karandana, Eheliyagoda. The Chinese Embassy in Colombo has urged Sri Lankan authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the confrontation and establish the facts as soon as possible. NEGOMBO PRISON DEATHS The Negombo Magistrate's Court was told that 17 of the 28 deaths in the Negombo Prison incident were caused by gunshot injuries, with the remaining 11 resulting from assaults with blunt weapons. DEMATAGODA SHOOTING One person was injured in a shooting near the Kuppiyawatta cemetery in Dematagoda. ECONOMY & COST OF LIVING Lanka Sathosa has cut prices on 11 essential food items, effective today. Globally, oil prices hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May as the escalating Middle East conflict revived fears over energy supplies. EDUCATION The 2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination will be held on Sunday, August 9. The second school term for government and government-approved private schools (Sinhala and Tamil) ends today, July 24. TRANSPORT & AVIATION Sri Lanka Railways launches a new Colombo Fort–Thalaimannar Port train service starting tomorrow. Separately, the Ministry of Defence reviewed measures to strengthen domestic aviation, including a proposal for a dedicated helicopter landing facility within Colombo Port City. SPORTS The Oval in London will host the ICC World Test Championship Final 2027, running Wednesday, June 9 to Sunday, June 13. WORLD A mid-air brawl involving around 10 passengers forced a Liverpool-bound easyJet flight to return to Tenerife. --- Grouped the three Chinese-national/Port City items but kept the helipad proposal under aviation since it's a policy story, not the clash. Under 3500 chars.