Sri Lankan AI News Summary

SRI LANKA DAILY NEWS DIGEST - Wednesday, August 5, 2026 WEATHER EMERGENCY Eight people have died and nearly 12,000 have been affected by adverse weather across several parts of the country over the past few days, the Disaster Management Centre said. All schools under the Hatton Education Zone will remain closed today (August 5) due to the prevailing conditions. Despite the rains, water storage remains modest: only two reservoirs under the Irrigation Department were spilling as of 12.30 p.m. yesterday, with the country's 73 major reservoirs averaging 39.3% of capacity, according to the Water Management Division. POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE The Constitutional amendment and the amendment to the Judicature Bill - which would extend the retirement age of judges - will be presented to Parliament and implemented despite opposition protests, Minister Vijitha Herath said. Separately, UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena warned that the proposed Animal Welfare Bill could damage Sri Lanka's Buddhism-based culture, which he said has survived for more than 2,500 years. The Acting Inspector General of Police has instructed the Central Criminal Investigation Bureau to investigate a statement made about the IGP by SLPP General Secretary Attorney-at-Law Sagara Kariyawasam. CRIME AND COURTS A shooting attempt near the Dahanayake Stadium on Kadawatha Road, Dehiwala, was foiled when the intended victim, a bakery owner, overpowered the gunman and seized his firearm, police said. Two suspects, including the son of the owner of a well-known gate manufacturing and vehicle importing company, were remanded until August 5 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Oshadha Migara Maharachchi over an alleged multi-million-rupee Customs fraud involving luxury vehicle and construction material imports. A 21-year-old man was arrested by the Computer Crime Investigation Division's North Western Province Unit for allegedly defrauding a woman of more than Rs. 6.6 million with false promises of foreign employment. INTERNATIONAL An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi hit severe turbulence on Tuesday morning, briefly dropping about 300 feet and injuring at least 17 people, including four cabin crew. Passengers described the chaos on board, with one calling the landing "a rebirth for all of us." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington and Tehran have not yet finalised talks on passage through key international waterways, but he expects an agreement "very shortly." SPORT Zaheer Khan has taken up a new role with Jaffna Kings ahead of the Lanka Premier League, while the India team has arrived in the country. FIFA also announced major decisions, rounding out a busy day in the sporting world.