# The Examiner
> A weekly newspaper on Sri Lanka. Verified facts, impartial reporting, and stylish writing. 
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## Pages
- [Who are we? What are we doing?](https://www.examiner.media/about.md) - The Sri Lankan press is almost dead. Journalism was murdered by death squads and now, less literally, by the internet, which strangled the newspaper business model. Tiktok is no replacement. But if not social media, then what? The Examiner is the answer to that call. We’re a newspaper you’ll actual…
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- [Thank you very much](https://www.examiner.media/thank-you.md) - Welcome to The Examiner, and thank you for subscribing. If you're a supporter, extra appreciation and good karma. As a subscriber, you now have access to everything: the complete archive and all articles going forward. New issues will land straight in your inbox, and you can log in any time to catc…

## Posts
- [No foreign developers, few foreign buyers — is Port City a scam?](https://www.examiner.media/no-foreign-developers-few-foreign-buyers-is-port-city-a-scam.md) - Port City is now picking up, after being a pile of sand for a decade. At least 150 companies have set up shop. But a closer look suggests that all may not be going according to plan. The zone has drawn local real estate speculators and questionable offshore companies, with few blue-chip investors.
- [Netizens feud with wildlife department over Kavanthissa’s death](https://www.examiner.media/enthusiasts-feud-with-wildlife-department-over-kavanthissas-death.md) - Netizens cry that the wildlife department’s neglect killed Kavanthissa. The department says they did their best, arguing that social media and emotional narratives mustn’t dictate ecological priorities.
- [Power shock and tariff Shylock – US demands tariff deal dues](https://www.examiner.media/power-shock-and-tariff-shylock-us-demands-tariff-deal-dues.md) - The sudden and torturously-long weekend power cut had the government sweating. But it may have bigger problems rounding the corner: the Americans have come to collect their dues. If not paid in kind, Sri Lanka could risk the wrath of Trump’s tariffs yet again.
- [What can the NPP learn from Latin America?](https://www.examiner.media/what-can-the-npp-learn-from-latin-america.md) - Last month we asked “Has the JVP swallowed the NPP?” Andres Mejia Acosta and Mick Moore offer an alternative explanation: by imposing tight discipline on the coalition, the JVP is protecting it. Their justification doesn’t lack caveats, Latin America shows what the party shouldn’t become.
- [Eggs cost more in Sri Lanka than in neighbouring countries](https://www.examiner.media/eggs-cost-more-in-sri-lanka-than-in-neighbouring-countries.md) - Sri Lanka's eggs are more expensive than Bangladesh, Kerala, or Pakistan. Should the cheapest source of protein be more affordable?
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-53.md) - Lend your ears to Colombo’s redoutable Western classical music tradition. The Symphony Orchestra remembers Deshamanya Rohan de Saram, a British-Sri Lankan cellist, this evening. A weaker Lankan tradition is hip hop. Pair it with live instruments at The Sound Room. Grab a free matcha at Havelock Cit…
- [Government  to grant monastic orders power to disrobe convicted monks](https://www.examiner.media/government-grants-monastic-orders-power-to-disrobe-convicted-monks.md) - As monks marched from Kandy to Colombo demanding a pardon for the monk Gnanasara, the government was busy updating prison rules. They plan to allow jailed monks to wear robes when appearing in court. Monastic orders will make the final call, deciding based on the vinaya.
- [Four-year-old sexually abused at Dehiwala pre-school, mother alleges school neglected her](https://www.examiner.media/four-year-old-sexually-abused-at-dehiwala-pre-school-mother-alleges-teacher-neglect.md) - Colombo South International College wishes the four-year-old’s parents came to them with their complaint, rather than going to the authorities. Their lawyers are defending the accused caretaker. When the child complained to her teacher, she didn’t do anything, the child’s mother said.
- [Government MPs PowerPoint briefed on anti-terror law, Namal and Gnanasara overnight together](https://www.examiner.media/government-mps-powerpoint-briefed-on-anti-terror-law-namal-and-gnanasara-overnight-together.md) - The Government is briefing its own MPs, arming them to combat criticism of the new anti-terror bill. But Unredacted learns some MPs harbour reservations themselves. The Mahanayakes refuse to endorse the SJB’s anti-government charges.
- [Plantation sector labour has more than halved](https://www.examiner.media/plantation-sector-labour-has-more-than-halved.md) - Labour grade manpower in the plantation sector has steadily declined.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-52.md) - This evening, assess our music buffs’ nerdiness level at Musicmatters’ trivia night. Kiku hosts RnBingo No. 5, devoted to one-hit wonders, a worthy prelude to what should be their next one: wedding band music. An animation workshop for the teens, not that their lives need any more animating, at All…
- [Sixteen top officials quit government, some cite political interference](https://www.examiner.media/sixteen-top-officials-quit-government-some-cite-political-interference-2.md) - Sixteen officials the NPP appointed have quit. Some feel micromanaged and politically pressured. Others find the government uncooperative or the work too difficult. Appeals to the “top leadership” failed. What will the government do to keep these academics, businessmen, and lawyers from leaving?
- [Shadowy committee drafts organised crime “super law”, critics warn of PTA in disguise](https://www.examiner.media/shadowy-committee-drafts-organised-crime-super-law-critics-warn-of-pta-in-disguise.md) - A secretive committee of CID officers, retired cops, and Attorney-general’s Department lawyers drafted a bill that gives the police sweeping powers. It’s now set to become law and contains provisions similar to the PTA.
- [Shiranthi denied private hospital visit, Namal connected to Indian money laundering scam](https://www.examiner.media/shiranthi-denied-private-hospital-visit-namal-connected-to-indian-money-laundering-scam.md) - This week’s Unredacted is packed with the Rajapaksa family’s court drama. Shiranthi Rajapaksa joins Namal in Welikada. Their newest nemesis, the Bribery Commission, goes international with its investigations into Namal. But their party is loyal, refusing to entertain another for a leader.
- [Diaspora in Australia lead dual-citizenship charts](https://www.examiner.media/diaspora-in-australia-lead-dual-citizenship-charts.md) - The largest percentage of Sri Lankans getting dual citizenship in 2024 were from Australia (2069). Followed by UK (1545), Canada (1048), and Italy (945).
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-51.md) - Bimsara Premaratne is kind to us type Bs. For those of you who missed it, she brings back her acclaimed play A day in July 2019 this evening. The bells ring at the Wendt this month, as workshop players put on The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Theatre takes a hat trick - a screening of Shakespeare’s Cymb…
- [Anojan’s family in the dark, didn’t know appeal could lead to death sentence](https://www.examiner.media/anojans-family-in-the-dark-didnt-know-appeal-could-lead-to-death-sentence.md) - When diplomats visited Sivarasa Anojan in Saudi prison, Anojan had asked them to appeal his five-year prison sentence. But the appeal backfired and he was sentenced to death. The foreign ministry has now retained three Saudi law firms as it gears up for a legal-diplomatic defence.
- [New formula slashes drug prices, 95% of pills untested](https://www.examiner.media/new-formula-slashes-drug-prices-95-of-pills-untested.md) - The medicines regulator is cracking down on pharma overpricing. Over a thousand drugs are now being priced by their formula. Prices at pharmacies are falling, for some drugs by even half. Unhappy companies warn brands might flee. The regulator meanwhile hardly tests quality.
- [IMF-AKD tango, AG-police cha-cha, Gota-Bopage shuffle](https://www.examiner.media/imf-akd-tango-ag-police-cha-cha-gota-bopage-shuffle.md) - The government won’t go for a new EFF programme with the IMF in March. Meanwhile, Ranil Wickremesinghe’s indictment has been sitting on the AG’s desk for three months. Gotabaya Rajapaksa grows modest, telling court he wasn’t involved in military operations when he was defence ministry secretary.
- [More than a third of state schools have less than 100 pupils](https://www.examiner.media/more-than-a-third-of-state-schools-have-less-than-100-pupils.md) - A significant number of Sri Lanka’s state schools have small student bodies. Nearly half have 250 pupils or less, nearly a third have 100 pupils or less.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-50.md) - Deep down, every parent knows that every day is children’s day. This weekend, don’t be shy, admit it to your kids with activities celebrating the holiday. Havelock City’s Kids Land takes over the weekend, as does a sushi workshop for the princelings. Or, rebel parent. On Friday, Angry Indian Goddes…
- [22A opens door for government to appoint majority of Appeal Court judges](https://www.examiner.media/22a-opens-door-for-government-to-appoint-majority-of-appeal-court-judges.md) - The Anti-corruption Act and the 22nd amendment to the constitution passed the Supreme Court’s scrutiny this week. Discussing civil servants’ and judges’ asset declarations will soon be illegal. The government will also be able to appoint a majority of Appeal Court judges.
- [AKD wrangles with IMF over fuel subsidies and taxes, 22A fails to unite opposition](https://www.examiner.media/akd-wrangles-with-imf-over-fuel-subsidies-and-taxes-22a-fails-to-unite-opposition.md) - Two years into office and despite an increasingly turbulent world, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is riding high. To mark the anniversary, the government isn’t only passing laws, it's also beginning to grasp the reins of government more firmly. But rising fuel prices remain a dampener.
- [Credit rating upgrade unexpected, gains hinge on oil prices](https://www.examiner.media/credit-rating-upgrade-unexpected-gains-hinge-on-oil-prices.md) - Sri Lanka’s credit score is back to where it was in 2020, before the fallout from covid-19 and the economic crisis. But the benefits of the credit rating upgrade may be cancelled out by high oil prices and global interest rates.
- [Easter Bombings judgement day: why nine were freed, and 15 sent to jail](https://www.examiner.media/easter-bombings-judgement-day-why-nine-were-freed-and-15-sent-to-jail.md) - The Easter Bombings trial started in 2021. When the judgement was finally read-out this week over a 15-hour court day, nine were acquitted and 15 found guilty. The judges were careful to distinguish between committing a crime and merely being close to its perpetrators.
- [In 2024, a third of Right to Information appeals were in Sinhala](https://www.examiner.media/in-2024-a-third-of-right-to-appeals-were-in-sinhala.md) - Between 2017 and 2023 the RTI commission didn't have a Tamil translator. One was added to the cadre in 2024.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-49.md) - This evening, shatter your history at the Lakmahal’s pow-wow on Dalrymple putha’s new book. Fuel prices are up, delete Uber and read more with a Colombo book fair haul. Or, later in the week, an SSA one. God Given Son Amila Sandaruwan returns at Music Matters. A new exhibition at Radicle offers onl…
- [Why do A-level students wait 1.5 years for university to begin?](https://www.examiner.media/why-do-a-level-students-wait-1-5-years-for-university-to-begin.md) - The Exams Department manually uploads every test score, while the UGC takes a long time verifying each candidate’s residence. Some universities are teaching five or six cohorts at once. It wasn’t always this way: students once entered university just six months after sitting their exams.
- [Fuel prices likely to rise, no electricity price hike expected](https://www.examiner.media/fuel-prices-likely-to-rise-no-electricity-price-hike-expected.md) - With Hormuz unlikely to open this year, alternate pipelines under attack, and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait newly closed to Saudi oil tankers, global oil prices have spiked. In Sri Lanka, the energy minister signals potential price hikes at the pump.
- [Sri Lanka absent at BRICS summit, withdrawing from global south stage](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lanka-absent-at-brics-summit-global-south-stage.md) - Diplomats grow frustrated with the Foreign Ministry, as Vijitha Herath is slow to implement existing agreements. The ministry has also missed important summits like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. But incompetence alone may not explain the diplomatic blunders.
- [Crude oil imports have a ceiling while refined oil keeps rising](https://www.examiner.media/crude-oil-imports-ceiling.md) - Sri Lanka's domestic crude oil refinery appears to have hit capacity. Refined oil imports are on the rise.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-44.md) - Rather cleverly Music Matters is charging performers 300 bucks at their open mic night on Friday, presumably to dole out compensation to the audience after. Leave it to the professionals instead, with a Slipping Chairs performance at Playtrix, washed down with free cocktails for the gals. Kiku open…
- [Nimal Perera to testify against Namal, top UNPers wary of pro-Rajapaksa turn](https://www.examiner.media/nimal-perera-to-testify-against-namal.md) - Namal Rajapaksa was arrested for the fourth time last week. He’s in a cell with other prisoners. In one previous case, he was acquitted. This time might be different. The SLPP is taking no chances, mobilising their supporters through rallies. The government, meanwhile, is also taking to the streets.
- [Has the JVP swallowed the NPP?](https://www.examiner.media/has-the-jvp-swallowed-the-npp.md) - “There is no difference between the NPP and JVP, ” said Mahinda Jayasinghe, a JVP trade unionist and deputy minister. In the last two years, the JVP recruited NPPers into its ranks, consolidated its decision-making power, and ran political classes for NPPers. Some NPPers are now disillusioned.
- [Suresh Sallay case update: police tell courts Bathiudeen helped Zahran travel to India](https://www.examiner.media/police-tell-courts-bathiudeen-helped-zahran-travel-to-india.md) - When a military intelligence corporal got information from Tamil Nadu intelligence that Mohamed Zahran killed two policemen five months before the Easter Bombings, he said his superior asked him to look away. An ex-military intelligence director denies allegations made to the police.
- [Vijitha Herath says “no review” of Indo-Lanka defence pact during defence minister’s visit](https://www.examiner.media/vijitha-herath-says-no-review-of-indo-lanka-defence-pact.md) - The first ever Indo-Lanka defence cooperation agreement was signed last year. Now the Indian defence minister is in town. The foreign minister told The Examiner that reviewing the agreement or its implementation wasn’t on the agenda. No joint statement was released during the visit.
- [Less than a fifth of CSE shares are foreign held](https://www.examiner.media/less-than-a-fifth-of-cse-shares-are-foreign-held.md) - An overwhelming majority of shares in the Colombo Stock Exchange are held by domestic investors.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-48.md) - The opa dupa emerge this weekend, with our new political column and with a bastardised poem-play, airing Dirty Laundry. An unexpected venue for an evening with your granny; Kiku offers RnB and Bingo. Electronic music at hatch, and bodily sculptures at Saskia’s. A murder mystery takes over UK theatr…
- [Cybersec agency detects more Facebook groups selling sexual photos](https://www.examiner.media/cert-detects-more-facebook-groups-selling-sexual-photos.md) - Following social media outrage about Facebook groups sharing non-consensual sexual photos and teaching participants how to drug their victims, the authorities reported four more groups. Over the years Meta’s content moderation has gotten weaker, activists say.
- [Chief Justice faces "double conflict" lawyers argue, Supreme Court burns midnight oil as 67 petitions challenge 22A](https://www.examiner.media/chief-justice-faces-double-conflict-lawyers-argue-supreme-court-burns-midnight-oil-as-67-petitions-challenge-22a.md) - Lawyers argued extending judges' terms requires a referendum and a full bench. They also think the Chief Justice should have recused himself, and called for more senior judges on the bench. The Attorney-General said they “failed to explain how the amendment impinges on the people’s sovereignty.”
- [Sri Lanka Cricket still profiting from illegal gambling advertising](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lanka-cricket-still-profiting-from-illegal-gambling-advertising.md) - Prominent banners for illegal, offshore gambling sites dominate Sri Lanka’s cricket stadiums and screens. They’re often targeting Indians. Online gambling is banned in India, but Sri Lanka Cricket’s wink-and-nod approach gives them a loophole.
- [Fish exports swell](https://www.examiner.media/nominal-net-export-of-fish-has-been-increasing.md) - Sri Lanka returned to a fish-trade surplus in 2017 after deficits in 2015 and 2016. Crabs and prawns have been the highest value items.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-47.md) - Hatch's F#ckup Fridays: considering how many ways a function can go wrong, this week’s speaker, an event planner, should know what they’re talking about. This week’s art — like much of our island’s oeuvre — dwells on the past. Marutha Osai on that nostalgic diadem — paddy fields — at Radicle, while…
- [Flights of Fantasy Part II](https://www.examiner.media/flights-of-fantasy-part-ii-2.md) - Part I of Richard Simon’s essay asked whether Ravana is supplanting Vijaya as the father of the Sinhalese race. Part II traces its historical origins and then why Hela Ravana took so long to penetrate Colombo’s English-speaking bubble.
- [New book publishing almost at pre-COVID levels](https://www.examiner.media/book-publishing.md) - New ISBN registrations rebounded to 11,387 in 2025, just below the 2019 level and close to the 2017 peak.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-46.md) - Naadha gama remembers us before they scoot off on their world tour and Cream soda pops open a culture festival. Have no rhythm but got the blues? Bring it to Cocobar’s R&B singalong. Alternatively, also on this evening, a non-fiction book club and a lecture on narrow gauge railways — they’re to tha…
- [Colombo teens fear social media ban, a 17-year-old reports](https://www.examiner.media/colombo-teens-fear-social-media-ban-a-17-year-old-reports-2.md) - Adults think they know what kids are up to on social media. They don’t. How do children and teenagers actually use the apps, and what do they think of plans to ban them? Seventeen-year-old Nadia Nagpal asks her fellow teens to find out.
- [Police investigating money laundered through 13 banks via phantom imports, some traced to drug lords in Dubai](https://www.examiner.media/police-investigating-money-laundered-through-13-banks-via-phantom-imports.md) - Jiffry Mohamed transferred $716 million from Lankan banks claiming they were payments for imports. But Police found there were no imports. They linked 105 dummy companies to Mohamed, along with over 200 bank accounts.
- [Flights of Fantasy](https://www.examiner.media/flights-of-fantasy-3.md) - Is Ravana supplanting Vijaya as the father of the Sinhalese race? Richard Simon traces how and why the Ravana myth took wing in the island's popular consciousness following the defeat of the LTTE.
- [Sri Lanka has the largest % of people aged 65 or above in South Asia](https://www.examiner.media/more-than-a-third-of-state-schools-have-a-student-size-of-less-than-100.md) - Nearly 1 in 8 (12.5%) Sri Lankans were aged 65 or above in 2025. India, the next highest in South Asia, has 7.4%.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-45.md) - Must Be Looking For A Bride, No? runs Friday through Sunday, for anyone whose relatives have started asking. “Bring your friends. We’ll bring the benefits” claims Coco’’s 90s Chicago Warehouse party. Baila boogie with SARIGAMA at the Havelock Sports Ground. On Saturday not so Secret Events surfaces…
- [How the Metro bus drove through roadblocks to finally hit the road](https://www.examiner.media/how-the-metro-bus-drove-through-roadblocks-to-finally-hit-the-road.md) - In the next few months Metro buses will go cashless, break out into the provinces, and become electric. After years of plans, not only are buses running, the authorities are planning to sign-up private players too.
- [Police's drug war floods forensic lab, many samples fake](https://www.examiner.media/polices-drug-war-floods-forensic-lab-with-samples-many-fake.md) - The narcotics division at the government’s forensics lab is struggling. Drug wars under Wickremesinghe and now Dissanayake led to drug samples doubling in four years. The lab’s over six months late to test 25,000 drug samples so a third of the prison population is stuck in remand, awaiting bail.
- [Is Sri Lanka's English really weaker than the rest of South Asia?](https://www.examiner.media/is-sri-lankas-english-really-weaker-than-the-rest-of-south-asia.md) - India began the 2020s as South Asia’s clear leader in English proficiency, but that advantage disappeared after 2022. Nepal and Bangladesh now head the region, while Sri Lanka remains in a close race for third with Pakistan and India. Note: The EF EPI is derived from self-selected online test-taker…
- [Where to go and what to do](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-what-to-read-44.md) - A tribute film week with our #2 Cannes entrant The Forsaken Land this evening. Karunasiri Wijesinghe sketches four decades of seeing the wood for the trees at Barefoot. Few peer deeper into Lanka’s eyes than Stephen Champion, a rare solo exhibition at the Wendt. More analogue this week: Mount Studi…
- [AKD's ministers dither more than they deliver — inside a cabinet still finding its feet](https://www.examiner.media/akds-ministers-dither-more-than-they-deliver-inside-a-cabinet-still-finding-its-feet.md) - Bimal is bullish but effective. Anil Jayantha consults everyone for everything. Harshana has no vision. Meet the cabinet’s cast of characters, and the shadow cabinet that keeps a close watch.
- [El Niño will be diminished by Indian ocean dipole, heavy rains in October](https://www.examiner.media/el-nino-will-be-diminished-by-indian-ocean-dipole-heavy-rains-in-october.md) - El Niño’s drying effects will be negated by heavy rain brought about by the Indian Ocean Dipole, say scientists. Drought isn’t expected till next year. An El Niño cabinet sub-committee is estimating impact to help with disaster preparations.
- [Why one judge didn’t find Pujith and Hemasiri guilty of murder](https://www.examiner.media/why-one-judge-didnt-find-pujith-and-hemasiri-guilty-of-murder.md) - Two judges found the former IGP and defence ministry secretary guilty of murder, because they didn’t act on intelligence. The other judge on the bench disagreed. He thought the intelligence wasn’t conclusive, investigations weren’t complete, and the IGP was obstructed from doing his duty.
- [PTA arrests rising, even after "moratorium"](https://www.examiner.media/pta-arrests-rising-even-after-moratorium.md) - There's a "moratorium" on the PTA's use since March 2022, but that didn't stop arrests. More and more people are being arrested under the law, despite NPP's promises to abolish it
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-43.md) - The Manchester unplugs: live music this Friday. Now you want to sit back, relax, and enjoy your evening. When all of a sudden, you hear this agitating, grating voice… It’s the Chamber of Commerce with a session on taxes. Alas, painful but important. Kiku’s done eight turns about the sun, and is rew…
- [Prisons overcrowded because superintendents, judges, and lawyers are ignoring the law](https://www.examiner.media/prisons-overcrowded-because-superintendents-judges-and-lawyers-are-ignoring-the-law.md) - Bigger prisons, ankle bracelets, more guards; “common sense” ideas for prison reform abound after the Negombo prison violence. But there’s actually a very simple solution to prison overcrowding — send people home. Our laws actually encourage it, argues Ambika Satkunanathan.
- [Former police chief Pujith Jayasundara sentenced to death for failing to prevent Easter Sunday attacks](https://www.examiner.media/former-police-chief-pujith-jayasundara-sentenced-to-death-for-failing-to-prevent-easter-sunday-attacks.md) - Colombo high court trial-at-bar today sentenced Pujith Jayasundara, the former police chief, to death for failing in his duty to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019 which saw over 200 dead.
- [Judges’ retirement amendment by September says president’s office, critics fear government wants Surasena in and Kodagoda out](https://www.examiner.media/judges-retirement-amendment-by-september-says-presidents-office-critics-fear-government-wants-surasena-in-and-kodagoda-out.md) - As the Bar unanimously opposes extending judges’ terms, the government is doubling down on its constitutional amendment. The president’s office hopes to pass it by September. Lal Wijenayake, a top NPPer, understands they want “certain judges out and certain judges in.”
- [Why Sri Lanka’s overstaffed civil service struggles to issue passports or buy drugs](https://www.examiner.media/why-sri-lankas-overstaffed-civil-service-struggles-to-issue-passports-or-buy-drugs.md) - From passports and driving licences to drugs and fuel, the civil service struggles to deliver. Even though it’s overstaffed thanks to politicians, the government is “always breakdown”. A key problem is the quality of top civil servants, who are paid a fraction of their Indian counterparts.
- [Clinics running out of TB and HIV meds, procurement delayed](https://www.examiner.media/clinics-running-out-of-tb-and-hiv-meds-procurement-delayed.md) - Despite knowing that Global Fund won’t be able to continue donating medicines, the Health Ministry’s failed to secure tuberculosis and HIV medicines. Without an alternative supplier in place, the island will run out of tuberculosis drugs in the next three weeks.
- [Sri Lanka already behind South Asia in internet usage](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lanka-already-behind-south-asia-in-internet-usage.md) - Sri Lanka, which trailblazad mobile adoption in South Asia, lags on internet penetration.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-42.md) - Two meteor showers light the night sky this week; for a longer run, Abhisari, at Scope Cinemas, explores the “raw and complex lives of sex workers.” The fact-y crowd descends into Macfarlane's Underland at Lakmahal's book club. Last call for Lakmahal’s StorySLAM. Everystory screens Pakistan’s Oscar…
- [Trad farmers bet on next-gen fertilisers. Should Sri Lanka too?](https://www.examiner.media/trad-farmers-bet-on-next-gen-fertilisers-should-sri-lanka-too.md) - Conventional fertilisers aren’t very effective, nor are they environmentally-friendly. The world is shifting towards “improved” varieties. But in Sri Lanka, old-fashioned subsidies are slowing down the transition.
- [Constitutional Council throws out candidates for police and human rights commissions, starts again](https://www.examiner.media/constitutional-council-throws-out-candidates-for-police-and-human-rights-commissions-starts-again.md) - Two independent commissions — police and human rights — will be selected solely via applications rather than nominations. But the Constitutional Council was so dissatisfied with the pool, it called for fresh applications.
- [Agriculture employs 1 in 4 workers, but generates just 8% of GDP](https://www.examiner.media/agriculture-employs-1-in-4-workers-but-generates-just-8-of-gdp.md) - One in four Sri Lankans with jobs work in agriculture, but the sector accounts for only a twelfth of GDP. And that share hasn't really fallen in the last few years.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-41.md) - Where to go This evening, Saint Vajra teaches at Lakmahal and art emperor Chandraguptha opens his new exhibit at Saskia’s. Then move from your head into your body at the Tamil-Afro DJ nite. Colombo literary festival opens this weekend. Get Orwellian with our culture minister, who shares his plans f…
- [Double checking email addresses could’ve stopped Treasury cyber-heist; $4.6 million still unaccounted for](https://www.examiner.media/double-checking-email-addresses-couldve-stopped-treasury-cyber-heist.md) - When a fairly amateur phishing attack targeted the Treasury’s new PDMO, they didn’t notice the glaring red flags. Even after India warned them, they sent another million dollars to a fraudulent bank account.
- [Praja Shakthi empowers Pelawatte, not the people](https://www.examiner.media/praja-shakthi-empowers-pelawatte-not-the-people.md) - “We were appointed to do the JVP cadres’ bidding, not to do what the village needs,” says a former Praja Shakthi chair. The opposition argues that the poverty eradication programme is “capturing the state” and leading to “one party rule”. The NPP says Praja Shakthi law is “still under discussion”.
- [Colombo traffic is bad, but not the worst](https://www.examiner.media/colombo-traffic-is-bad-b.md) - Colombo's road speeds are some of the slowest in the region. But road speeds are only part of the story: rail accounted for 2.7% of trips across Colombo, less than half of Chennai. Source: JICA, Chennai Metro Development Authority
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-40.md) - This evening, Project Roots goes rummaging through the diaspora's roots and routes at Hatch, Uncover sadly doesn’t strip at the JDA Perera Gallery, and the slightly inscrutable Denary Odyssey 3 at the Wendt. Shakespeare's lovers lose their way beneath the poson poya moon as Cold Theatre 7 stages A…
- [No Negombo jailers killed; Welikada SWAT team beaten to death, prisoners shot](https://www.examiner.media/no-negombo-jailers-killed-welikada-swat-team-beaten-to-death-prisoners-shot.md) - When a fight between inmates on Sunday spiralled into the second deadliest prison riot in Sri Lankan history, 29 died. This includes eight guards brought to Negombo from Colombo, who didn't know the lay of the land. 14 of the bodies had bullets in them, but the STF denies shooting.
- [Despite Supreme Court orders, impunity for raggers often prevails](https://www.examiner.media/despite-supreme-court-orders-impunity-for-raggers-often-prevails.md) - Ragging has been illegal for almost three decades. The Supreme Court has issued strict anti-ragging orders. Universities have marshals and hotlines. But students continue to suffer serious injuries.
- [Most prisoners haven't been convicted](https://www.examiner.media/most-prisoners-havent-been-convicted.md) - Sri Lanka’s prison crisis is increasingly a remand crisis. Nearly three-quarters of the country’s prisoners are in pre-trial or remand detention, up from less than half in 2015.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-39.md) - This evening, build your "climate character" (presumably no hotties allowed) at Lakmahal's eco writing workshops – they’re on during the weekend too. Ready yourself to storm the barricades with a burgundy tasting at the kopi department – Bastille Day’s almost upon us. Inflict that liquid courage to…
- [Government mulls extending judges' terms, lawyers cry foul](https://www.examiner.media/government-mulls-extending-judges-terms-lawyers-cry-foul.md) - Some think the president favours the incumbent chief justice, Surasena, because he’s expediting high profile cases. The government says the idea to extend judges terms has nothing to do with personalities, its meant to retain expertise in the understaffed justice system.
- [Can machines rescue Ceylon Tea?](https://www.examiner.media/can-machines-rescue-ceylon-tea.md) - Around the world, tea estates are turning to drones and harvesting machines to manage labour shortages. But high equipment costs, hilly terrain, and concerns over quality will make the transition for Sri Lanka especially difficult.
- [Only a fifth of BOI's largest projects are in manufacturing](https://www.examiner.media/only-a-fifth-of-bois-largest-projects-are-in-manufacturing.md) - Of the 50 largest BOI-approved projects since 2015, only 10 are in industrial manufacturing (after excluding raw or natural-resource-based projects such as sugar, mineral-sands processing, and precious-metal refining). The remaining projects are concentrated in ports, logistics, energy, real estate…
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-38.md) - This evening, the Barefoot Gallery reopens to a show from Alex Stewart. Kiku’s DJs take us back to the 90s. Or solve a murder mystery at the Shangri-La's Tiki Bar — presumably the skeletons unearthed during its construction. Come Saturday, the Bar Association’s forum on extending judges retirement…
- [Celebrity monks grab thousands of acres using obscure "pooja bhoomi" gazettes](https://www.examiner.media/celebrity-monks-grab-thousands-of-acres-using-obscure-pooja-bhoomi-gazettes.md) - Monks striving for a “Buddhist renaissance” occupy over 2,000 acres in Trinco’s Kuchchaveli. They believe “pooja bhoomi” gazettes give them land ownership, but the physical planning department insists the land's state-owned.
- [New cricket constitution within weeks, cricket chair hopes](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lanka-cricket-hopes-for-new-constitution-within-weeks.md) - The cricket board’s interim committee says Jay Shah, the ICC Chair, is impressed with their work. If there aren’t any googlies, a new cricketing constitution will cross the boundary next month, the committee hopes.
- [Sri Lanka files relatively more patents than its peers](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lanka-files-relatively-more-patents-than-its-peers.md) - Sri Lanka files more patents relative to GDP than several regional peers. But what are they patenting?
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-37.md) - This Friday, Colombo uni’s lecture halls go still for Prasanna Vithanage’s Silence in the Courts. If you’re more in the mood for tussle than tranquility, discuss a new age of sexism at Lakmahal. MusicMatters trivia from 7, and a drag show in Mount for those a tad more festive. Akurugraphy at the Ba…
- [Dudley Sirisena and his frenemies got rich corporatising rice](https://www.examiner.media/dudley-sirisena-and-his-frenemies-got-rich-corporatising-rice-2.md) - Over the last two decades, rice barons have reshaped the industry. Fueled by credit, they’ve bought expensive machinery and built vast warehouses. As small millers are running out of business, the industry is becoming an oligopoly, and controlled prices are regularly flouted.
- [Dengue surges, biologically engineered mosquitoes buzz to the rescue](https://www.examiner.media/dengue-surges-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-buzz-to-the-rescue.md) - Dengue cases surge in Sri Lanka, with Western Province the worst-affected. Authorities are planning on rolling out new prevention methods like virus-resistant mosquitoes. The Qdenga dengue vaccine, registered in several Asian countries, is yet to be approved in Sri Lanka.
- [Is there anything transgressive about this year’s Gratiaen winner?](https://www.examiner.media/whats-transgressive-about-this-years-gratiaen-winner.md) - The Gratiaen prize winner teases a transgressive story of a gay monk. What unfolds is far more profound, argues Praveen Tilakaratne in his review. “The Son and the Lover” portrays the mundane and excruciatingly normal world of human intimacy and offers a timely critique of Sinhala Buddhism.
- [More dengue, but fewer deaths](https://www.examiner.media/more-dengue-but-fewer-deaths.md) - Although deaths have fallen markedly since peaks in 2009 and 2017, Sri Lanka's case count remains high. Is patient management improving faster than disease prevention?
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-36.md) - Colombo is alive and kicking this evening. The marvelously named HearHere grooves out SanSun at MusicMatters. Then gander over to what used to be the hood, the Rio, for HoodPolitics and its curtain call of hiphop DJs. For more whitebread fare, Where is House? at Coco Bar. Or a more colourful palett…
- [Hayeshika is the mother we all want, in an education industry we don’t need](https://www.examiner.media/hayeshika-is-the-mother-we-all-want-in-an-education-industry-we-dont-need.md) - Hayeshika Fernando, an influencer-tutor, helps grade five students crack the life-changing scholarship exam by relying on a combination of love-bombing and well-executed teaching. Controversies surround her, but many seek her out. In some parents’ books, she’s become a modern-day guru devi.
- [Human Rights Commission  investigates Sallay’s mistreatment claims](https://www.examiner.media/human-rights-commission-investigates-sallays-mistreatment-claims.md) - Suresh Sallay continues his hunger strike on saline, demanding his investigation be moved away from Shani Abeysakara’s purview. With two probes into these claims underway, opposition politicians temporarily halted their satyagraha.
- [Foreign remittances outperform tourism earnings](https://www.examiner.media/foreign-remittances-outperform-tourism-earnings.md) - Since 2009, workers’ remittances have exceeded tourism earnings every single year. Even in 2025, when arrivals surpassed the 2018 level, tourism earned only US$3.2bn, while remittances hit a historic high of US$8.1bn — 2.5 times as much foreign exchange.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-35.md) - This afternoon, “To Whom Does the Buddha Belong?” a children’s book launch at the National Library. Or, speaking of Indian imports, a few hours later, Colombo uni hosts a webinar on the Indo-Lanka FTA. Classical music this weekend: Saturday, the Mahler Society opens their season at the Wendt. Pride…
- [Hans Wijayasuriya to lead latest SriLankan Airlines restructure](https://www.examiner.media/hans-wijayasuriya-to-lead-latest-srilankan-airlines-restructure.md) - A nine-member committee, led by presidential adviser Hans Wijayasuriya, is tasked with reviewing restructuring models for SriLankan Airlines and overseeing their implementation.
- [Sangha isn’t investigating Pallegama Hemarathana](https://www.examiner.media/sangha-isnt-investigating-pallegama-hemarathna.md) - The Malwatta chapter isn’t inquiring into one of their top monks, arrested on suspicion of child rape. They’re waiting for the courts to determine his culpability. Though the sangha has often called for the disrobing of errant monks in the past, they’re adopting a ‘wait-and-see’ approach now.
- [The Examiner at lunch: Nihal Jayawickrama, architect of justice](https://www.examiner.media/lunch-with-the-examiner-nihal-jayawickrama-architect-of-justice.md) - Justice Ministry secretary and attorney-general at 33, Nihal Jayawickrama was the architect of the justice system’s most radical overhaul. Over a leisurely lunch at Tintagel we talk about the speed of justice, an independent public prosecutor, and the 1972 constitution.
- [English medium education is growing - but still tiny](https://www.examiner.media/english-medium-education-is-growing-but-still-tiny.md) - Government schools have expanded English/bilingual-medium enrollment from about 42,000 students in 2006 to 142,000 in 2025. But because the system serves 3.75 million students, the share of English medium students is still only 3.8%. The English divide has narrowed in absolute numbers, but remains…
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-34.md) - This evening, legends of the Sinhalese alt rock scene. Tomorrow Thilini Jinadasa workshops the art of abstraction at the Radicle, GirlWalk glides through Port City, crisis management from crisis veterans at the Bandaranaike Academy, and proud short films. For the competitive kids, a lego challenge.…
- [Rupee’s wild ride isn’t an SOS, economists say](https://www.examiner.media/rupees-wild-ride-isnt-an-sos-economists-say-2.md) - A fortnight ago, the rupee suddenly fell steeply, driven by higher fuel imports. The government and IMF stepped-in and the rupee recovered. But a cautious Central Bank jacked-up interest rates, and now the Public Debt Management Office is in the firing line.
- [Over 470 licenses issued in 30 years, but no new mines](https://www.examiner.media/over-470-licenses-issued-in-30-years-but-no-new-mines-2.md) - Corrupt and lethargic, the mining bureau has locked genuine investors out of mines. Fraudsters and license traders, meanwhile, have been making a quick buck. The government is reviewing past licenses and re-thinking its mineral policy.
- [IMF growth forecasts for Sri Lanka during the EFF](https://www.examiner.media/imf-growth-forecasts-for-sri-lanka-during-the-eff.md) - Is the IMF overly cautious?
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-33.md) - Today, in time for Vesak, Jayadeva Uyangoda launches his text on the “realist, philosophical, and social emancipatory orientations” of Martin Wickremesinghe’s Buddha book. Or head to Playtrix’s ladies night for the social emancipation of Magic Box Mixup and a bottle. Choose between Mumbai’s city la…
- [Police delayed arresting top monk accused of child rape, NCPA intervenes](https://www.examiner.media/police-delayed-arresting-top-monk-accused-of-child-rape-ncpa-intervenes.md) - The police irregularly transferred an investigation into allegations that Anuradhapura’s top monk raped a child. They didn’t arrest the monk for nearly a month and didn’t inform the child protection authority.
- [Police’s inquiry into Brandix worker’s death delayed](https://www.examiner.media/polices-inquiry-into-brandix-workers-death-delayed.md) - It’s been seven months since Pushpalatha Paramasivam died after falling ill at her factory. Her family is suspicious as the police aren't investigating properly. Brandix’s internal inquiry finds the company isn’t at fault.
- [Are there really more creatives than tour guides?](https://www.examiner.media/are-there-really-more-creatives-than-tour-guides.md) - The British Council and IPS released a report suggesting that Sri Lanka's creative industries employ more than tourism. Tourism employs a lot of creatives. How much is the overlap?
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-31.md) - This evening a Music Matters power duet: open mic and Chiththa. But they don’t silence the flowers at the Curado. Lahiru Sandaruwan paints his experience of being hacked, at the Gallery Café. Andrea Novellis rethinks the post-liberal order in a BCIS short course. On Saturday, the history collective…
- [Scam centre arrests double, China shares intelligence](https://www.examiner.media/scam-centre-arrests-double-china-shares-intelligence.md) - The police have arrested Chinese scammers for over a decade. But as South-East Asian governments crackdown, Sri Lanka is an increasingly popular destination for scam operations. Human trafficking risks follow.
- [The South still sees the war through Mahinda’s eyes](https://www.examiner.media/the-south-still-sees-the-war-through-mahindas-eyes.md) - Nearly two decades after the war ended, there are still two commemorations. Though the Lankadeepa is the most read newspaper on the island, it ignores the Mullivaikkal commemorations. But how the frontpage remembers the war has changed since 2009.
- [Was the LTTE’s defeat a government win, or LTTE loss?](https://www.examiner.media/was-the-lttes-defeat-a-government-win-or-ltte-loss.md) - The LTTE’s defeat in May 2009 is almost always portrayed as a government win. Peter Stafford Roberts argues that it was actually an LTTE loss. After Balasingham’s death, Prabhakaran, the LTTE supremo, started making serious mistakes.
- [Sri Lanka's Buddhist population share isn't shrinking](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lankas-buddhist-population-share-isnt-shrinking.md) - Buddhists's share of Sri Lanka's population has been steady since the 1980s.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-30.md) - This evening Vimukthi Jayasundere’s Forsaken Land and the vivacious Fabienne Francotte’s forever exhibition at Saskia’s. There’s a Jaffna Food Festival, but you’re almost certainly better off at the outstanding Olai. Opt for a socialist sabbath this Sunday with an adaptation of the Soviet Guru Geet…
- [Robots won’t eliminate Sri Lanka’s apparel industry](https://www.examiner.media/robots-wont-eliminate-sri-lankas-apparel-industry.md) - AI and robots are replacing humans in industries from car-manufacturing to financial services. Could apparel be next? It’s unlikely for Sri Lanka, especially as the island focuses on more complex garments. But recruitment may take a hit.
- [Vijay’s historic victory, chance for Lanka to reset relations](https://www.examiner.media/vijays-historic-victory-chance-for-lanka-to-reset-relations.md) - Vijay’s two-year-old political party has redrawn the Tamil Nadu electoral map. Though he echoed the long-standing consensus on Sri Lankan issues, this fresh chapter in Tamil Nadu politics may be an opportunity to ‘reset’ Lanka-Tamil Nadu relations.
- [Why can Sri Lanka build highways, but not railways?](https://www.examiner.media/why-can-sri-lanka-build-highways-but-not-railways.md) - Railways are poorly maintained, track length is shrinking, and the share of passengers using trains is reducing. H.R. Pasindu thinks Sri Lanka Railways can reverse this decline, if it copies the Road Development Authority.
- [70% of state university degrees go to women](https://www.examiner.media/70-of-state-university-degrees-go-to-women.md) - Women have, consistently, held the lion's share of UGC-awarded bachelors degrees, while men hold less than one third.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-do.md) - Whether you’re in awe over the Met Gala costumes or in a rage over Jeff Bezos’ money, Take a Chill Pill at Radicle to get the edge off. If that’s not enough, Love, Lies, and Wildlife abounds Friday through Sunday at the Wendt. Sometimes, history is closer to us than we think. The Aragalaya is alrea…
- [Sinhala smut leaves me unsatisfied](https://www.examiner.media/sinhala-smut-leaves-me-unsatisfied.md) - Sinhalese smut online is flaccid, having lost the emotional complexity of classical and modern erotic literature. Yet audiences are turning to niche subgenres, like Korean-inspired boys’ love and erotica written by women.
- [CID links Suresh Sallay with ISIS suspect, Shani in France to meet Azad Maulana](https://www.examiner.media/cid-links-suresh-sallay-with-isis-suspect.md) - In B reports obtained by The Examiner, the CID establishes a link between Suresh Sallay and an ISIS suspect. Other intelligence officers are also implicated. Sallay’s court submission calls the investigation a witch hunt.
- [Wine, women, and watersports: Sri Lanka’s forgotten Ramayana](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lankas-forgotten-ramayana.md) - The Sri Lankan poet-king Kumaradasa fashioned his Ramayana from the familiar ingredients of great epics: gods, demons, wars, and sex. But it remains forgotten. To recover it is to recognise the sophisticated Sri Lankan engagement with Sanskrit literary culture.
- [Inflation the last few years substantially driven by food](https://www.examiner.media/inflation-the-last-few-years-substantially-driven-by-food.md) - Sri Lankan households spend just over a quarter of their income on food. Food prices have risen a lot faster than other categories.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-29.md) - Mayday, mayday! May is here, but barely yet the monsoon. Too much to do, and too much heat to do it in. Poison returns for the weekend. Though sold out twice before, Polymarket isn’t making a book on the odds of this time. Memories of Yaalpanam unveils at Barefoot. Is it kitsch? Probably. Does it w…
- [Will Sinhalese nationalism die?](https://www.examiner.media/will-sinhalese-nationalism-die-2.md) - Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s victory marked a high-water point for Sinhalese nationalism. But the NPP’s recent success in the North shows that its power is receding. Reading Rajesh Venugopal’s 2018 economic history suggests that the structural conditions which sustain this ideology are becoming weaker.
- [Defence ministry recommends seizure of Tamil books, mystery culture ministry committee intervenes](https://www.examiner.media/defence-ministry-recommends-seizure-of-tamil-books.md) - Customs seized a consignment of four books written by a Tamil writer. Writers and activists condemned the government. The culture ministry reviewed the books but recommended releasing only two, intensifying criticism.

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