Sri Lankan AI News Summary

SRI LANKA DAILY NEWS DIGEST - Wednesday, September 2, 2026 CONSTITUTION: RECORD CHALLENGE TO 22ND AMENDMENT The Supreme Court began hearing a record 67 Special Determination petitions against the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution - the largest number ever filed over a constitutional amendment in Sri Lanka. The Chief Justice and four Supreme Court judges are hearing the case after rejecting a request for a full Bench. The determination will be conveyed to the Speaker. Public interest was so heavy that the court adjourned for 15 minutes to let more people into the courtroom, following a request by President's Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said the amendment poses a serious threat to the independence of the judiciary and undermines the rule of law. POLITICS SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa claimed voters who abandoned the party in previous elections are returning, citing growing dissatisfaction with the government. COURTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY A complaint has been lodged with the Bribery Commission (CIABOC) against three Supreme Court judges, alleging their actions led to the non-recovery of nearly US$999 million in compensation owed by the X-Press Pearl shipping company and its local agents. The Colombo High Court sentenced former Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne to 14 years' rigorous imprisonment in a bribery case, with sentences to run concurrently - an effective seven years. ECONOMY Headline inflation rose to 8.0% in August from 7.3% in July, measured by the Colombo Consumer Price Index, driven mainly by the statistical base effect. Sri Lanka and Hong Kong are moving to deepen trade and investment ties, with more than 100 Sri Lankan exporters and business representatives attending a business networking event. Commentators continue to debate whether the country, now stable and growing after the painful post-2022 reforms, will convert this moment into lasting development or squander another opportunity. WEATHER AND ENVIRONMENT The FAO says Sri Lanka will be wetter than average from October onwards due to El Niño. In the meantime, the ongoing dry spell is hurting wildlife: the Wildlife Department is building additional ponds in Yala National Park to supply drinking water to animals affected by the drought. SRI LANKANS ABROAD A Sri Lankan-origin Australian couple and their two young sons are among dozens of Australians missing after catastrophic floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, according to Australian media. SPORT The Sri Lanka women's cricket team, led by Chamari Athapaththu, faces newcomers Indonesia in an Asia Cup T20 fixture and is expected to extend its winning run. In domestic cricket, Baduraliya CC won the Major Club limited-overs title with a 97-run victory, powered by Shehara Induwari's 6 for 25 and skipper Sumudu Nisansala's 56. Table tennis prodigy Taavi Samaraweera again impressed at the WTT Youth Contender 2026 events in Slovenia and Croatia. OPINION A commentary revisits the push to streamline Sri Lanka's educational structures, tracing it back to a request made during the early days of Maithripala Sirisena's presidency in 2015.