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The Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) has announced that Aswesuma benefit payments will be provided only to poor and extremely poor families under the programme’s next phase.

The programme, which was launched in 2023, is currently in its second phase, with data verification and updating processes now underway.

Nearly 1.6 million beneficiaries received assistance under 04 categories when the programme was introduced.

However, payments to 315,000 beneficiaries in the fourth category, classified as the transitional group, were discontinued in April 2025.

In addition, payments to around 425,000 beneficiaries classified under the “vulnerable” category were also discontinued from June 2026.

Assistant Commissioner of the WBB – Ashan Darshaka, said families previously classified under the vulnerable and transitional categories would be eligible to receive benefits again if they are found to be living in poverty or extreme poverty fol

Three individuals Attorney-at-Law Rakhitha Rajapaksa, son of former Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe; Charith Abeysinghe, organiser for the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) in the Horana electorate; and Aruna Warunahandige, a former director of the Civil Aviation Authority have been remanded until 3 July.

They were remanded after being produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court following their arrest today by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

—–Last Update – June 25, 2026 9:33 am

Wijeyadasa’s son arrested over alleged underworld links

Rakitha Rajapakshe, son of former Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

He has been arrested over alleged links with the underworld, reports say.

Meanwhile, Charith Abeysinghe

Sri Lanka Police have stressed that a formal training license is mandatory for instructors conducting lessons at driving schools, warning that legal action will be taken against anyone providing driver training without proper authorisation.

Head of the Traffic and Road Safety Range – DIG W.P.J. Senadheera said that while many driving schools hold valid training licenses, lessons are often conducted in practice by individuals without certification.

He noted that young drivers who receive inadequate training and obtain licenses are disproportionately involved in road accidents, adding that they often lack control over their speed and fail to follow road signs and traffic rules.

DIG Senadheera further said that discussions are currently underway with the Department of Motor Traffic regarding the licensing process, with emphasis on ensuring that only certified instructors are permitted to train learners.

The number of deaths from the earthquakes that struck Venezuela last night now stands at 164, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez has said, according to Reuters and AFP.

In the capital Caracas, rescuers are searching through the rubble.

The quakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, hit a minute apart. The second was the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900.

The US Geological Survey says thousands of people could have been killed in total.

(BBC News)

Sri Lanka’s state hospital system is to receive four advanced cardiac catheterisation laboratory (cath lab) units within the next week.

The Ministry of Health and Mass Media said the programme is being implemented on the instructions of Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa as part of efforts to modernise and expand cardiac care services in the country.

The labs are expected to significantly reduce waiting times for cardiac diagnosis and treatment while improving access to advanced heart care services in state hospitals.Each cath lab unit is valued at Rs. 300 million, bringing the total investment to Rs. 1.2 billion.

According to the ministry, one cath lab will be installed at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital on June 27, another at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital in Kalubowila on June 30, while the other two units will be added to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Colombo on July 02.

The new facilities will be equipped wi

Director General of the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka, Renuka M. Weerakone, retired from her position today (June 25).

Weerakone joined the BOI on June 01, 1994, as an Assistant Manager (Legal) and steadily rose through the ranks to become Director General through a 32-year career.

During her tenure, she served in several key departments, including Investment Promotion, Regional Development, Investment Appraisal, Project Implementation and Project Monitoring, gaining extensive experience across the institution’s operations.

The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education has issued the  circular pertaining to the admission of children to Grade 1 in government schools for the 2027 academic year.

Accordingly, the Ministry stated that Circular No. 25/2026, which outlines the admission process, can be accessed through the Ministry of Education’s official website (www.moe.gov.lk).

Applications have been invited for the admission of new students to Grade 12 of the GCE Advanced Level Vocational Stream for the 2026/2027 academic year.

In a statement issued today (25), the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education stated that this stream is implemented with the objective of guaranteeing 13 years of education for students, irrespective of their GCE Ordinary Level examination results.

Accordingly, GCE Ordinary Level examination results will not be considered when admitting students to this stream.

Any student who sat the GCE Ordinary Level examination in 2025 (2026) or within the past three years is eligible to apply.

While pursuing their school education in Grades 12 and 13, students will have the opportunity to obtain an NVQ Level 4 vocational qualification recognised both locally and internationally.

Students will also have the opportunity to study modules aimed at developing soft skills a

The Nuwara Eliya Magistrate’s Court has granted permission for the suspects arrested in connection with the death of the physiotherapist to be detained and questioned for 48 hours.

Accordingly, the principal suspect, his wife, and a driver attached to the Kundasale Pradeshiya Sabha, who is alleged to have assisted in the murder, are to be questioned.

——Last Update – June 25, 2026 12:30 pm

Physiotherapist’s death confirmed as homicide

The post-mortem examination has confirmed that the suspicious death of the female physiotherapist attached to the Ampara District General Hospital, whose body was found inside a car in the Teldeniya area, was a homicide caused by strangulation.

The deceased, 33-year-old Shyama Darshani, a resident of Weligama, was found dead inside a vehicle parked near the Teldeniya Hospital on June 17. 

Following initial suspicions, police la