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Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, and his grandmother Daisy Forrest Wickramasinghe were formally indicted today (2) before the Colombo High Court on charges under Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The indictments, presented before High Court Judge Pradeep Abeyratne, allege that the accused were involved in laundering approximately Rs. 59 million through three private bank accounts.

The Attorney General’s Department claims the funds were acquired through means that could not be legally justified, constituting a violation of anti-money laundering laws.

Following the indictment, both Yoshitha and Daisy Forrest were released on bail, each posting Rs. 1 million in personal surety.

Representing the state was State Counsel Oswald Perera, while President’s Counsels Sampath Mendis and Anil Silva appeared for the defense.

The case has been scheduled to be heard again on August 4.

Jayne Howell, a career US diplomat, has been appointed as the Deputy Chief of the US Embassy in Sri Lanka, effective from June 2025.

According to the US Embassy, Jayne Howell is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counsellor.

Jayne has extensive overseas experience, including recent postings as Minister-Counsellor for Consular Affairs (MCCA) in both Pakistan and Türkiye, where she served as the Ambassador’s senior advisor on immigration and visa policy as well as coordinated countrywide services for the thousands of American citizens visiting those countries each year. Jayne also worked as the Consular Section Chief in Accra, Ghana; Harare, Zimbabwe; and Kabul, Afghanistan.

In Washington, Jayne has served in several senior leadership roles in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, including Deputy Executive Director, Supervisory Regional Consular Officer, and inaugural Director of 1CA, the Bureau’s leadership and management excellence program. For her work in 1CA, Jayne received the Department of State’s Luther I. Replogle Award for Management Improvement.

Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Jayne holds a B.A. in Archaeological Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Outside of work, Jayne is a passionate explorer of ancient and historical sites, goes deep-sea fishing whenever she can, and tries to learn to cook a traditional dish from every country she visits.

Elon Musk announced via X, (Formerly known as Twitter) that Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency satellite internet service is now officially available across the island nation.

“Starlink now available in Sri Lanka! 🇱🇰”, and included a screenshot from Starlink’s official account confirming the launch. The image featured a map of Sri Lanka, shaded entirely in blue, indicating nationwide coverage, with key cities marked to highlight accessibility.

Sri Lanka mourns the loss of Prof. Malani Andagama, a distinguished historian, academic, and former Head of the Department of History and Archaeology at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, who passed away at the age of 85.

Born in Galapitamada, Kegalle, Prof. Andagama began her academic journey at Ruwanwella Central College, later entering the University of Peradeniya, where she earned her Honours Degree in History.

She briefly served as an Assistant Lecturer before joining the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in 1971, where she remained until her retirement in 2005.

Prof. Andagama was widely respected for her pioneering research on Sri Lanka’s village council and municipal systems, and her acclaimed book “Sri Lankave Gam Sabha Kramaya” earned the State Literary Award.

She also served as the Chairperson of the Mahavamsa Editorial Board, contributing significantly to the preservation and study of Sri Lanka’s historical chronicles.

She was married to the late Pandula Andagama, a prominent anthropologist and scholar.

Final rites will be announced in due course.

Minister of Transport and Highways Bimal Rathnayake says the Cabinet has approved the implementation of an islandwide online traffic fine payment system.

He made this statement during a media briefing near the Kottawa Expressway entrance, following a public awareness programme on mandatory seat belt use for vehicles travelling on expressways.

“The Cabinet approved the proposal today. At present, the online fine payment system is available only between Kurunegala and Anuradhapura. Now, we’re providing all police units with mobile devices, so that from this year, traffic fines can be paid from anywhere via mobile phones,” the minister said.

He emphasized that while the government is making it easier to pay fines, the real objective is road safety. “Rather than paying fines, we urge everyone to drive carefully, wear seat belts, and avoid violations. Our core message is simple, travel safely,” he added. 

 Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) F.U. Wootler is the new Police Spokesperson, effective immediately. 

The announcement was made by the Police Media Division in an official statement.

ASP Wootler takes over the role from Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Buddhika Manatunga, who has been transferred to serve as the Officer-in-Charge of the Polonnaruwa Division.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali ordered to further remand of former SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe until July 15.

Wickramasinghe was arrested on June 27 in connection with an investigation into three allegations of corruption.

During his court appearance, Assistant Director of Legal Affairs at the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, Sulochana Hettiarachchi, explained the nature of the charges.

She stated that the investigation was initiated based on a report submitted on March 17, 2017 on an investigation carried out by a Presidential Commission of Inquiry .

Among the allegations are:

• A financial loss of USD 4,512 to the government due to the rerouting of a flight scheduled from Kuala Lumpur to Katunayake on January 22, 2014.

• A loss of USD 19,160 resulting from the transfer of 75 passengers—originally scheduled to travel from the Maldives to France via Sri Lanka on January 26, 2014—to a different aircraft.

Quoted Statement from Sulochana Hettiarachchi:

“Your Honor, on December 19, 2014, the suspect used funds belonging to SriLankan Airlines to organize a musical event at the Katunayake 18th Mile Post Grounds to support then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election victory. This event cost the government approximately Rs 12.5 million. The suspect abused his authority by assigning extra flight duties to flight attendant Chathurika Muhandiram in a manner that provided her with undue financial benefits. He also altered flight routes to suit his personal preferences, causing significant financial losses to the government.”

Assistant Director of Legal Affairs at the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, Sulochana Hettiarachchi requested the court to remand the suspect, citing concerns that he may influence witnesses.

In response, Attorney-at-Law Asela Rekawala, representing Wickramasinghe, requested bail on medical grounds, stating that his client suffers from several health conditions.

The legal team assured the court that the suspect has no intention of leaving the country and will fully cooperate with the investigation.

After considering the submissions, the Magistrate ordered that Wickramasinghe be remanded until July 15 and instructed the Bribery Commission to conclude the investigation and report to the court on that date.

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The Ministry of Health says that 27,932 dengue fever cases have been reported so far this year, with 16 related deaths recorded during this period.

According to the Ministry, 45 percent of the cases have been reported from the Western Province. The Western, Eastern, Sabaragamuwa, and Southern provinces have been identified as the most affected regions. The health sector also confirmed that several child deaths have been reported due to dengue.

To curb the spread of dengue and chickenpox, a mosquito control week will be carried out from tomorrow (30) until the 6th of next month.

Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena, stated that the campaign will target 16 districts and aims to reduce mosquito density, particularly following the increase in southwest monsoon rainfall. 

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has confirmed a minor reduction in bus fares under the annual fare revision, with a 0.55 % decrease set to take effect from 4 July 2025.

The adjustment applies to fares beyond the fixed tiers, offering modest relief to commuters on extended routes.

Under the new structure: Minimum fare remains at Rs 27

Second section fare remains at Rs 35

Third section fare remains at Rs 45

Dr. Sanjeewa Thennakoon has been elected as the new President of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA).

The election of the GMOA was held yesterday (28).

He contested for the position against Dr. Darshana Sirisena, a former President of GMOA.

Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa was elected as the new Secretary of the GMOA after he won the election against former Secretary of the GMOA Haritha Aluthge.

16 Officials were elected to the Executive Council of the GMOA, while 40 members were elected to the Central Council.

Former Minister and veteran politician Gamini Lokuge has passed away a short while ago at the age of 82, according to family sources.

Lokuge commenced his political career in 1960 as a member of the United National Party (UNP).

His first successful national-level campaign came in 1983, when he was elected by a clear majority to represent the Kesbewa Electoral District.

He served as Minister of Tourism during the UNP-led governments in 1989 and 2002. In 2006, following personal disagreements with then UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, he crossed over to the government of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

In January 2007, Lokuge was appointed Minister of Sports and Public Recreation. He was re-elected to Parliament in both 2010 and 2015.

On 27 November 2019, he was appointed State Minister for Urban Development, and on 12 August 2020, he assumed duties as the Cabinet Minister of Transport.

Sri Lanka Customs says the congestion and delays in clearing import containers at the Colombo Port have now been fully resolved.

Customs Media Spokesperson and Additional Director General Seevali Arukgoda stated that the delays, experienced over the past several days, were due to a sharp increase in the number of containers arriving at the port.

He explained that while the port usually handles around 1,200 containers a day, on some days that number rose to as high as 2,900, creating significant congestion and slowing down the clearance process.

However, Arukgoda confirmed that as of this morning (29), all pending containers scheduled for release have been cleared, and regular clearance operations have resumed.