Sri Lankan AI News Summary

SRI LANKA DAILY NEWS DIGEST — Thursday, September 3, 2026 GOVERNANCE AND THE CONSTITUTION The proposed 22nd Amendment reached the Supreme Court, with the Attorney General and several intervenient petitioners arguing it can be enacted with a two-thirds parliamentary majority and does not require a referendum. The amendment would raise the retirement age of Superior Court judges, lifting Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67, with a similar increase for other superior court judges. Separately, Parliament will take up the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Bill on September 9 for its Second Reading, after the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection approved it. Independent trade unions and multi-society organisations held a leaflet campaign on the evening of September 2 against a proposal to move the Employees' Provident Fund and Employees' Trust Fund out of Central Bank control and place them under a three-member committee. WORLD Iran and the United States exchanged their heaviest fire since July, with US forces striking Iran's southern coast and Iran firing on American bases across the region. The escalation has raised fears of a wider war among Iranians and their Arab neighbours. DIPLOMACY AND TRADE Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya held bilateral talks with Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay in Thimphu, where she is delivering the keynote address at the inaugural Global Conscious Food Systems Summit 2026. Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath is on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates from September 2 to 3. Sri Lanka and Italy also discussed deeper trade ties, with a focus on drawing Italian investment into emerging sectors of the economy. ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT The Government aims to lift gem and jewellery export earnings to US$3 billion a year and turn Ratnapura into a major global gem trading hub. A national programme to create 250 "Ceylon King Coconut Villages" over three years was launched at the Coconut Cultivation Board's Mahayaya Estate in Kurunegala. In the north, Delft Island officials are seeking Asian Development Bank support for infrastructure, transport, water, education and health upgrades to unlock the island's tourism potential. The Colombo Stock Exchange gave up Monday's slim gains on Tuesday, September 1, with both benchmark indices closing lower as selling pressure built late in the session. EDUCATION A Kurunegala District student topped the 2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination in the Sinhala medium with 193 marks. The Women and Child Affairs Ministry warned that strict legal action will follow against anyone who punishes or mentally harasses children over their scholarship results. CRIME AND INVESTIGATIONS Former Hambantota Mayor Eraj Ravindra Fernando, 57, was found dead in his Bambalapitiya apartment on September 2; police said the body was found hanging inside the premises. Former Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva and former Secretary Krishantha Kapuwatte were summoned before the CID's Illegal Assets Investigation Division. Meanwhile, the return of wanted suspects from overseas is being seen as a new phase in the crackdown on drug trafficking and organised crime. SPORT Dasun Shanaka returns to the ODI fold, named alongside Charith Asalanka in both Sri Lanka's ODI and T20I squads for the England tour beginning September 15. The first ICC Women's Champions Trophy will be held in India from February 14 to 28 next year. In tennis, top seed Alexander Zverev survived a near five-hour first-round marathon against Lorenzo Sonego. WEATHER AND OTHER Polonnaruwa recorded the country's highest maximum temperature on September 2 at 37.9°C. The Dehiwala National Zoo is inviting the public to suggest a name for its newborn Nile hippopotamus.