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.

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.

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

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’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.

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.

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

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.