Sri Lankan AI News Summary

SRI LANKA DAILY NEWS DIGEST - Saturday, July 25, 2026 PARLIAMENT AND THE LEGAL PROFESSION A no-confidence motion against Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara was defeated in Parliament by a majority of 116 votes, with 36 MPs voting in favour and 152 against. In a separate row stemming from the chamber, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka rejected allegations made against its President, Rajeev Amarasuriya, by Government MP Asitha Niroshana Egoda Withanage. The BASL called the claims utterly false, baseless and made with malicious intent, and challenged the MP to repeat them outside Parliament, where they would not be covered by parliamentary privilege. ELECTORAL REFORM President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed M. K. Saman Sri Ratnayake as the new Chairman and a member of the Delimitation Commission, alongside other new members. CRIME AND CONSUMER PROTECTION Four suspects, including two women, have been arrested over the fatal shooting at a birthday party in the Palliyawatta area of Kadirana, Wattala. They are accused of aiding and abetting the killing. A supermarket in Gampola was fined Rs. 500,000 after pleading guilty to selling locally produced Nadu rice above the government-controlled maximum retail price. DEFENCE Rear Admiral Buddhika Liyanagamage assumed duties as Commander of the Eastern Naval Area yesterday at the Eastern Naval Command Headquarters in Trincomalee. TRAVEL AND DIPLOMACY The High Commission of India in Colombo has clarified that there is no change to visa fees for Sri Lankan pilgrims travelling to India, and announced the reintroduction of the free, or Gratis, visa facility for eligible pilgrimage groups. ENVIRONMENT The Ministry of Environment will designate eight mangrove ecosystems in the Puttalam District as new protected reserves this year. EDUCATION Candidates sitting the 2026 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination can amend their admission cards online until midnight on August 3. The Examinations Department stressed that the deadline will not be extended. MARKETS The Colombo Stock Exchange closed lower on Friday. The market opened with broad-based buying, but profit-taking in index-heavy counters intensified in the second half of the session, erasing the morning's gains and pushing both benchmark indices into negative territory. INTERNATIONAL In northwest Pakistan, Islamist militants drove an explosive-laden vehicle into a security checkpoint. Reported death tolls varied between 10 and 15, including 12 soldiers; the military said 12 militants were killed in retaliation. Spain declared a national emergency after wildfires threatened communities near Madrid and in the neighbouring province of Avila. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated as firefighters struggle to contain the blazes. --- Note: source item [4] was internally inconsistent (headline said 10 killed, body said 15 including 12 soldiers) — I flagged the range rather than pick one. Character count is roughly 2,900, within the 3,500 limit.