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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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