# The Examiner
> A weekly newspaper on Sri Lanka. Verified facts, impartial reporting, and stylish writing. 
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. Use `/llms-full.txt` for consolidated page and post context.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).

## 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…
- [Signup](https://www.examiner.media/signup-2.md)
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- [Signup](https://www.examiner.media/signup.md)

## Posts
- [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.
- [The IRD is finding its mojo](https://www.examiner.media/the-ird-is-finding-its-mojo.md) - Famously bureaucratic and long neglected, the IRD is getting a facelift. Mick Moore is hopeful: fixing the tax department’s personnel and technology woes will help solve a good chunk of the country’s budgeting problems.
- [Higher education ≠ higher employment](https://www.examiner.media/higher-education-higher-employability.md) - NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) rate is decreasing steadily. But educational attainment doesn't correspond to more employment or productivity.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-28.md) - Whisper words of wisdom this evening, at Lakmahal’s non-fic book club, on Arundhati Roy’s Mother Mary Comes to Me. AI is laying-off Colombo’s techies. ’Fully automated luxury communism’ presumably isn’t the pick-up line to use at this tech mixer. Don’t speak tech? Cheers is also hosting a language…
- [Sri Lankan techies are cheap, AI is cheaper](https://www.examiner.media/ai-is-cheaper-than-sri-lankan-tech-workers.md) - Tech layoffs are here, but they aren’t as bad as the rumours suggest. Small outsourcing companies, and specific jobs like tech writers and quality-assurance engineers face the greatest threat. Tech education isn’t keeping up.
- [Some NPPers think energy minister should’ve resigned before opposition pressure](https://www.examiner.media/nppers-think-energy-minister-shouldve-resigned.md) - The no-confidence motion against the energy minister cites negligence in procuring coal, and corruption from a stint at a state company. The motion is unlikely to pass but will publicly test the government’s commitment to anti-corruption. Government members disagree on how to handle the allegations.
- [IT exports beat tea in 2024](https://www.examiner.media/it-exports.md) - Export revenue from the IT/BPM sector has steadily increased over the last decade, surpassing the much-lauded Ceylon tea.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-27.md) - Artemis II has flown off to space – the Examiner, too, is flying off on vacation. Diary covers the whole fortnight to sustain our readers while we’re beached. Feeling adventurous? Fly the coop and escape Colombo’s furnace with Border Adventures or Extreme Adventures. Or enjoy Colombo at its best, w…
- [Post-Ditwah government and plantation companies haggle over land for Malaiyaha Tamils](https://www.examiner.media/plantation-companies-haggle-over-land-post-ditwah.md) - Some Malaiyaha Tamils displaced by Cyclone Ditwah wait for transitional shelters in tents. Many need permanent housing. Their wait, prolonged by bureaucratic bottlenecks and plantation companies’ reluctance to let go of profitable land, exposes how disasters disproportionately harm minority groups.
- [Blackout risks grow with fuel ship delays, power prices set to surge](https://www.examiner.media/blackout-risks-grow.md) - If scheduled fuel shipments and expected rains don’t materialise, power cuts are likely over the coming months. Even if fuel and rains arrive on time, electricity prices are still set to rise.
- [A decade of suicide prevention gains eroded](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lanka-reverses-a-decade-of-suicide-gains.md) - Pesticide control helped bring down suicide rates in the early 2010's. Will the strategies that worked then, work now?
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-26.md) - Welcome the Avurudhu sale: Aluwihare heritage centre’s for our supporters, BMICH’s for our subscribers. Tumble into the trance this weekend. Psychethaalam at candiroom and at the Lotus Tower, desperately trying to redeem itself, a rave. At Cinnamon Lakeside, a baila festival. For the kids, Bawa Tru…
- [After a ‘little break’ away from children, Catholic priest sent back to Kandy school — sex abuse resumed](https://www.examiner.media/after-a-little-break-away-from-children-catholic-priest-sent-back-to-kandy-school-sex-abuse-resumed.md) - The church knew of sexual abuse allegations against one of their teacher-priests, Gregory Fernando. They transferred him to India for a couple of years, then returned him to classrooms in Kandy, where he continued to molest young children. Faced with their indiscretions, they refuse to repent.
- [Sri Lankans in the Gulf face salary cuts and job loss](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lankans-in-the-gulf-face-salary-cuts-job-loss.md) - As war rattles the Gulf, nearly a million Sri Lankans living and working there are uncertain about their safety and livelihoods. Yet most are choosing to stay as the money is ‘too good to let go’.
- [What do we want from SriLankan Airlines?](https://www.examiner.media/what-do-we-want-from-sri-lankan-airlines.md) - SriLankan Airlines has accrued billions of rupees in losses. Many believe the government should sell it, restructure it, or simply run it better. But Stefan Furkhan argues the biggest problem isn’t ownership, it’s clarity.
- [Sri Lanka's poorest are getting less of the pie](https://www.examiner.media/income-share-held-by-the-lowest-20-of-the-population.md) - Over the last three decades, Sri Lanka's poorest have been getting less of the pie. While, in other countries, they're getting more of it.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-25.md) - This evening, Saskia’s gallery promises not to give a damn. But their group exhibition, Little do I care, doesn’t live up to its name — with “measured resistance to histories of control”. The rebellious Sugathapala de Silva retrospective steals the limelight at the Kamatha Theatre festival. It’s al…
- [Why an Anandian should read Thomia](https://www.examiner.media/why-an-anandian-should-read-thomia-2.md) - A review of Richard Simon’s Thomia, subtitled ‘the entangled history of Lanka and her greatest public school’. A history of failed promise and a requiem to Anglophone Lanka, Thomia traces the mighty currents, momentous events, and complex men who forged the fate of independent Sri Lanka.
- [Only 25 days of fuel left on the island — new shipments confirmed](https://www.examiner.media/25-days-of-fuel-left-on-the-island.md) - Fuel stocks currently on the island are enough for just over three weeks. Sri Lanka is the only country in the world to ration fuel at the pump, dusting off the fuel QR system. Trishaw and bus drivers say their quotas aren’t sufficient.
- [Sri Lanka became steadily more literate over the last 150 years](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lanka-literacy-rate-last-150-years.md) - Education has become more accessible over the last century, but did the quality of education keep pace too?
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-24.md) - The fuel queues have returned and you may be tempted to just stay at home. Over our dead bodies. We’ll try to be constructive too - curating this week’s happenings by location as much as time. Today, right after work, study Madison Avenue’s evil spells - advertising - at Lakmahal’s thought-y book c…
- [Why Telugu villages are leaving their culture behind](https://www.examiner.media/why-the-telugu-villages-are-leaving-their-culture-behind-2.md) - Sri Lanka’s Telugu community resents being boxed as the ‘Ahikuntakas’ or gypsies. Most Sri Lankans overlook the diversity within the community, and push them away as social outcasts. To secure a better future, the youth are embracing Sinhalese culture and Christianity.
- [Dena sinking: to investigate, or not?](https://www.examiner.media/dena-sinking-to-investigate-or-not.md) - After the US torpedoed the Dena, Sri Lanka had to decide on letting the Bushehr dock. Amid a whirlpool of competing considerations, Sri Lanka took nearly two days to grant the ship entry. The commercial fallout was contained, but sans an investigation Sri Lanka’s maritime reputation may suffer.
- [Russian tourist arrivals up, China and Maldives down](https://www.examiner.media/ru.md) - Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals over the years have remained largely consistent, but Russia's rank rose rapidly in 2020. China and the Maldives declined.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-23.md) - “No one cares” about opera and ballet anymore, pronounced Chalamet, that adonis of our time. In Colombo at least, the cosmos strikes back: writers, catch the Gratien Trust’s Creativity in Writing lecture this evening, and Lakmahal’s author talk with Savin Edirisighe on Saturday. Thespians, The Woma…
- [Trump’s Iran war: shocks and opportunities for Sri Lanka](https://www.examiner.media/trumps-iran-war-sri-lanka-braces-for-shocks-and-opportunities.md) - The Iran war’s fallout is already here, including via higher oil prices and torpedoed ships. Sri Lanka is better placed than in the past to manage the adverse impact, which will depend greatly on the war’s duration. But there are silver linings too.
- [Government spends millions on mystery scholars’ foreign education](https://www.examiner.media/government-spends-millions-on-mystery-scholars-foreign-education.md) - Thirty two bachelor’s students will set off for overseas study this year, fully funded at taxpayer expense. They aren’t going to the best universities, and it’s unclear how they were selected or whether they can be compelled to return to Sri Lanka.
- [Sri Lanka highest ranked in South Asia for Claude usage](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lanka-highest-ranked-in-south-asia-for-claude-usage.md) - Although one of many AI providers, Claude's data on Sri Lanka's usage wasn't quite expected. If anyone has any thoughts on why, do write in.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-22.md) - Women’s Day is nigh. So pink and purple are in fashion 👀, as are all things girlypop. If you’re a woman, throw some hoppers and drink some drinks tonight. Sea of Change, a worryingly timely exhibition, also opens at the Wendt. Next week, the Wendt's theater attacks fairytales. Over the weekend, th…
- [Goraka, fish, kithul, dodol: cooking beyond the Bentara river](https://www.examiner.media/goraka-fish-kithul-dodol-cooking-beyond-the-bentara-river-copy.md) - Sri Lankan food isn’t a monolith. Specific dishes like Jaffna crab curry are associated with particular communities, but regional cuisine isn’t explored. Geography and trade give rise to a distinct culinary tradition beyond the Bentara, and with it delicacies like fish ambulthiyal and kalu dodol.
- [CID arrests Suresh Sallay – Channel 4 whistleblower to give statement](https://www.examiner.media/suresh-sallay-arrested-police-to-take-statements-from-azad-moulana-copy.md) - The CID arrested former spy chief Suresh Sallay in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks. The police have witness statements and plan to record the Channel 4 whistleblower’s statement. Sallay’s rise in the intelligence services was marred with controversy.
- [Bond scam’s EPF losses still unknown as auditors hands were tied](https://www.examiner.media/bond-scams-epf-losses-still-unknown-as-auditors-hands-were-tied.md) - Eleven years after the Bond Scam, will the EPF’s losses finally be calculated? Past forensic reports don’t tell the full tale.
- [More than twice as many people work in apparel as tea](https://www.examiner.media/more-than-twice-as-many-people-work-in-apparel-as-tea.md) - Nearly 400,000 people work in apparel manufacturing as compared with 140,000 in tea plantations.
- [Where to go and what to read](https://www.examiner.media/where-to-go-and-what-to-read-21.md) - The testosterone has arrived: big match season starts this weekend. Here’s how you can escape the SSC. Start with the art and jazz festival — perhaps Fairway’s contrition for GLF. Then walk over the OGF for the World Press Photo exhibition. For the evening, Tamil speakers head to a comedy show, oth…
- [What is Tilvin doing?](https://www.examiner.media/what-is-tilvin-doing.md) - Some call Tilvin Silva the phantom President. The JVP’s general secretary for thirty years, he is the party’s ‘nucleus’ and role model. The president calls him ‘aiya’. Hiranyada Dewasiri examines what Tilvin is doing with all this influence.
- [No one likes the new microfinance bill, except finance companies](https://www.examiner.media/no-one-likes-new-microfinance-bill-except-finance-companies.md) - Parliament will vote on the new microfinance bill in March. But it could crush non-profit village lenders like women’s societies. It falls short in protecting victims from predatory lending. The bill’s ambiguity may also affect supplier and trade credit.
- [Sri Lanka's exports platleau as Tamil Nadu's surge](https://www.examiner.media/sri-lankas-exports-platleau-as-tamil-nadus-surge.md) - Sri Lanka's exports aren't growing nearly as fast as Tamil Nadu's. Do Tamil Nadu's exports have growing demand? Or are their policies more export friendly?

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