Tea producers have been adversely affected by increased electricity charges and transport costs due to the fuel price hike.

Sri Lanka’s tea plantations crops have dwindled during the month of March due to the extremely hot and humid conditions currently prevailing in those regions. According to the John Keells Tea Brokers weekly tea market report the crop intake has dropped approximately by around 20% to 25% during this month, compared to the corresponding month of ...

A person travelling on a motorcycle was killed in the Giriulla area when the motorcycle crashed into a tree close to the Giriulla fuel station, police stated. Two others travelling on the motorcycle were injured and rushed to the Kurunegala hospital.

One person was killed in a brawl between two parties in front of the Galnewa fuel station today (March 25) after an argument had led to the victim being struck by a bottle and a stone, police stated.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has warned the government of a possible resurgence of the LTTE following the adoption of a Resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) last week. JHU spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe told The Sunday Leader that the army should be kept on alert to counter any fresh ...

The exchange rate (ER) last week had the dubious distinction of making a steep dive to hit Rs. 130 by being depreciated by nearly Rs. 5 against the US dollar ($) in a week in interbank trading on the back of import demand, but since then has seemingly been tenuously holding on to those levels ...

Sri Lanka’s Regional plantation companies and privately owned tea factories are facing a serious cash flow problem as the tea prices are experiencing a downturn, a tea broker report said. John Keells Tea Brokers says, apart from the downturn in prices, the production cost which has increased due to the recent wage hike and increases in ...

At least 3,000 people, made up mainly of farmers and fishermen have converged on to the Dambulla Town to protest at the rising cost of living and the threats to their livelihoods, reports reaching Colombo said. The reports added that the protesters who had come from all parts of the country were being supported by members of the clergy that included Buddhist Monks and Catholic priests. The protest...

Sri Lanka’s president began his second term vowing an economic miracle after decades of conflict, but the post-war boom is already fraying, putting his record on economic management to the test. Mahinda Rajapakse launched his second six-year term in 2010 promising to turn Sri Lanka into the “wonder of Asia” by doubling GDP per capita income ...

By Elmo Leonard Government coffers cannot afford the rising cost of providing electricity and a crisis must be expected sooner or later, Minister of Power and Energy Champika Ranawaka said.   Currently Rs.127 billion is needed for diesel fuel. In the event of the price of crude rising

16 March 2012: Sri Lanka’s military is dominating the reconstruction of the Northern Province, weakening international humanitarian efforts and worsening tensions with the ethnic Tamil majority. Since the war ended in 2009, hundreds of millions of dollars have poured into the province, but the local populations, mostly left destitute by the conflict, have seen only slight improvements ...

The opposition United National Party (UNP) filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition against the police and the Attorney General (AG) today. UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena and Akila Viraj filed the petition in court today which also cited the Inspector General of Police. The UNP filed the FR against the decision by the police to ...

The Governor of the Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal said that while fuel prices were increased the prices of many other things have come down, reducing the expenditure of the people. He said that the inflation is considered based on the prices of 360 goods and most of the prices of many items

Mar 12, Colombo: The main opposition of Sri Lanka United National party (UNP) said that the fishermen have not yet received the fuel subsidy offered to them since the government has not allocated funds for it.

The United National Party (UNP) today provide financial assistance to the family of fisherman Antony Fernando who was killed in a police firing in Chilaw and two other fishermen who were injured in the same incident. Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe presided over the event at the Opposition leader's office in Colombo. Three boats valued at Rs. 450,000 were provided to the families while two ...

The government has taken no steps to compensate the family of the fisherman killed and the families of those injured during the protest in Chilaw against the recent fuel price hike, says the United National Party.

  Sri Lanka is unlikely to win exemption from US sanctions on Iran by reducing its imports of crude oil from Iran by at least 10% per year, as the country imports 93% of its crude oil requirements from that country. The value of Iranian crude oil imports by Sri Lanka is very high, and the country can earn a waiver from the sanctions only if it significantly reduces trade with Iran, Counsello...

Sri Lanka expects crude imports from Iran to drop by at least 10% this year due to a range of inflation-fighting policies that should cool demand, potentially helping it find a way around US sanctions, a government official said yesterday. The Indian Ocean island nation is facing one of the biggest squeezes from the impending sanctions, ...

A prophet spoke at the UNESCO in Paris this week, though he joked that having lived for 90 years, he had written thirty pages and found he had been turned into ‘a rock star’. Stephane Hessel, born in Germany in the year of the Russian revolution, is 95 years old. Anti-Nazi Resistance fighter, concentration camp survivor, ...

The  people for the past three decades have suffered the steady rise in the cost of living with great forbearance. We have no ready index to point to for this Himalayan climb other than the price of bread which Chandrika Kumaratunga in her presidential bid vowed to reduce to Rs 3 per loaf. Now the ...

changeABLEcohesion   By Rozanne MoraesWalking into their rehearsals on a Friday afternoon, it was clearly a sight to behold. Six dancers were moving – writhing – across the dance floor in perfect formation to a  perfect rhythm. It was only after I sat down and had a good look did I realize that three of them were with physical disabilities. They were all standing tall on one foot. Amazing!Of this ...

The UNP’s Chief Organiser for Kalutara, Lakshman Wijemanne was scathing in his attack of the Rajapaksa  Administration. He charged that, “since independence we have never had such a corrupt administration.” He cited the “white-elephant” projects of Mattala Airport and Hambantota port as examples of wastage and efforts at “ego boosting” and nothing else. The people ...

By Indika Sri Aravinda The Transport Ministry is considering requests to increase the maximum speed limit on the Southern Expressway to 120 kmph. Deputy Transport Minister Nirmala Kotalawala said that tests are currently being carried out on the speed limit. The existing maximum speed limit on the expressway is 100 kmph but Kotalawala said that ...

Some 2,600 metric tons, which was the remaining stock of contaminated fuel, has been re-exported to the same supplier, without a loss to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Ministry of Petroleum Industries said today. The issue of the contamainated fuel sparked off a major controversy mid

Since February 2012, Mr Herman Kumara has been subjected to a media smear campaign, repeated threats, surveillance and intimidation following rounds of protests by fisher people in the Chilaw and Negombo areas against an increase in fuel prices by the Government. Herman Kumara was the Secretary

Sri Lanka’s oil import bill during the year 2011 has risen to US$ 4.63 billion, a record high in the country’s history. This is a 53.4% year on year increase compared to just US$ 3.10 billion which the country spent on importing oil during the year 2010. Central Bank of Sri Lanka says, the high oil import ...

Fishermen in Chilaw say they are struggling for survival due to lack of proper income after the fuel price increase.

Minister S.B. Dissanayake has emphasized that the international community will work against Sri Lanka at any moment. As mentioned by Ranil Wickremasinghe decisions taken during his tenure of office as Prime Minister will not influence. As such, the Minister said that everyone should unite and strongly face international pressure.The Minister pointed out that the situation ...

High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha recently launched Sri Lanka s first-ever Cor..

The high cost of living along with the increased fuel prices has caused an additional burden for low income groups. The purchasing power of these segments have dropped and traders now offering smaller quantities of kerosene oil so that the poor can afford them. A trader in Colombo