spotlight

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.