Sri Lankan AI News Summary.

SRI LANKA DAILY NEWS DIGEST - Wednesday, October 14, 2026 GNANASARA SENTENCE DISPUTED Former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva has called the six-year prison sentence imposed on Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera unlawful, alleging a conspiracy and questioning the legal process behind it. Separately, police will record a statement from Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila over his claim that the Thera's robes were forcibly removed at Welikada Prison, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. RAJAPAKSA MRI CASE: REMAND EXTENDED Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama further remanded former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, noting that the three-page medical report submitted by the Deputy Director of Health Services contained no indication that she was undergoing or had been recommended for open-heart surgery. She underwent an angiogram yesterday morning, with no decision yet on surgery, Minister Jayatissa said. In court, the Additional Solicitor General said the MRI scanner donated by the Chinese Government was passed to Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children as a donation by the Siriliya Saviya organisation, with the handover ceremony held on the birthday of a child of the second suspect. OTHER COURT ACTION Transparency International Sri Lanka has moved the Supreme Court to begin contempt proceedings against former minister Keheliya Rambukwella and four others over failure to comply with payments ordered in a March 27 judgement. In consumer enforcement, a Bandarawela shop and a Nittambuwa company were fined a total of Rs. 240,000 after pleading guilty to selling plastic drinking bottles without the required SLS certification mark. ECONOMY AND INVESTMENT The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce opened the two-day Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026 with over 800 delegates, including more than 60 international participants. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told the summit the Government is building a regulatory framework to safeguard investments and businesses while streamlining business approvals. Reliance Consumer Products CEO T. Krishnakumar, in the keynote, urged deeper partnerships between Sri Lankan and Indian businesses. The IMF projects Sri Lanka's growth slowing to 3.7 percent in 2027 from an estimated 4 percent in 2026, citing external shocks; globally, the Fund slightly upgraded its 2026 outlook while warning of rising debt and the financial frenzy around artificial intelligence. Port City Colombo courted UAE, Oman and Qatar investors at a forum in Abu Dhabi, and ten startups pitched at First Capital Startup Nation by Hatch Demo Day 2026, where Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya said Sri Lanka offers a strong proposition for global investment in the digital space. FIRES Around 25 houses caught fire in the Mahawatta area of Grandpass, Colombo, according to the Colombo Fire Service Department. A separate blaze destroyed a mattress showroom in Thotawatta, Panadura, with lightning suspected as the cause. ENVIRONMENT The Centre for Environmental Justice has questioned plans to rebuild two elephant fences in the Nakolagane area, saying the move sits uneasily with a 2022 Supreme Court ruling on forest land and human-elephant conflict measures. ROAD SAFETY Commentary notes Sri Lanka averages about 2,500 fatal accidents a year, calling on the Traffic Police to educate long-distance drivers on real precautions rather than superstition. SPORT Wicket-keeper batter Anjala Bandara and fast bowler Eshan Malinga have earned maiden Test call-ups for the two-match series in Pakistan. In motorsport, seven-year-old Avish Silva finished second in Round Four of the IAME Bambino Cup 2026/27 in the UAE, a first for a Sri Lankan at that level.