Latest Sri Lanka News and Top Stories

Cement manufacturers in Sri Lanka have increased the price of a 50 kg bag of cement by Rs. 100 due to rising production costs.

A special task force will be established to respond to flooding in Colombo after officials revealed that approximately 129 mm of rain fell within one hour on November 6, 2026, exceeding the city’s drainage capacity.

A former Sri Lanka Army soldier has been arrested in connection with the murder and attempted murder of two people in a shooting in Kappalthurai, Trincomalee, on November 2, 2026.

A former supplies officer of Lanka Phosphate Limited was arrested on November 6, 2026, over alleged corruption involving a US$5,830 loss during the import of machinery spare parts in 2017.

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says the government plans to further increase the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax threshold through the 2027 Budget to provide additional tax relief to salaried employees.

Members of Sri Lanka’s Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection inspected five prison facilities on Friday (November 6, 2026) to examine overcrowding and ways to reduce it.

A 25-year-old suspect was arrested with over 6 kilograms of heroin, crystal methamphetamine (Ice) and Kush during a police raid in Madiwela on the night of November 6, 2026.

The Government of Sri Lanka signed loan agreements worth a total of US$200 million with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today (November 6, 2026) to improve vocational education and training and strengthen the country’s water and sanitation sector.

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.