Latest Sri Lanka News and Top Stories

The Election Commission of Sri Lanka has informed the factions of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) that the party cannot currently be considered an officially recognised political party.

A 49-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with an investigation into more than Rs. 70 million that circulated through four bank accounts linked to suspected drug trafficking and organised crime.

A retired Deputy Commissioner of Excise and an Excise Corporal attached to the Matara Excise Office were arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Thursday (November 5, 2026), over allegations of accepting cheques as bribes from a licensed company.

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the government is ready to reduce the detention period for suspects under the proposed Prevention of Organised Crime Bill from 72 hours to 48 hours.

The Colombo High Court today (November 5, 2026) ordered a three-month freeze on four bank accounts and two vehicles belonging to lawyer Rakitha Rajapakshe, son of former Sri Lankan Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has postponed the mandatory submission of Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Certificates for eight types of transactions in Sri Lanka until April 1, 2027.

Sri Lanka’s government has not imposed an unnecessary additional tax burden on the public but has made the existing tax system fairer and more efficient, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha said, rejecting misleading claims circulating on social media.

Sri Lanka’s official national poverty line increased to Rs. 17,742 per person per month in September 2026, up 8.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the latest figures released by the Department of Census and Statistics.

The Sri Lanka Navy has confirmed the seizure of more than 189 kilograms of Ice (crystal methamphetamine) and heroin worth Rs. 4.2 billion from a multi-day fishing vessel intercepted in the deep seas south of Sri Lanka.

Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (Lanka IOC) and Sinopec have increased the price of a litre of Octane 95 petrol by Rs. 20, effective from November 5, 2026.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) arrested a director of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) today (November 4, 2026) over allegations of causing a Rs. 5.1 million loss to the government.

The Sri Lankan government will present a supplementary estimate of Rs. 47 billion to Parliament today (November 4, 2026) to ease the impact of rising fuel prices on the public and provide additional relief to Aswesuma beneficiaries.

Liquor prices in Sri Lanka have been increased with effect from November 1, 2026, due to a rise in the cost of manufacturing empty bottles, liquor companies said.

Another shipment of gas arrived in Sri Lanka on November 3, 2026, with Litro Gas announcing that distribution of the new stocks will begin today (November 4) to help ease the ongoing domestic gas shortage.

A fire broke out at a vehicle spare parts shop in the Kudugala area of Katugastota early this morning (November 4, 2026), disrupting traffic on the Kandy–Jaffna A9 main road for nearly an hour.