President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said fuel imports would cost US$6 billion by the end of this year due to rising fuel prices on the global market.
He made these remarks while attending the 100th Annual Conference of the Government Surveyors’ Association at the Waters Edge Hotel in Battaramulla yesterday morning (23).
“ The conflict in the Middle East has exposed us to an unexpected impact. Last year, we spent US$4 billion on oil imports, and by the end of August this year, we had already spent US$4 billion. Since US$4 billion was spent in just two-thirds of the year, the total could exceed US$6 billion by the end of the year. Therefore, managing the pressure on foreign exchange is the main challenge we face.”
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Low-pressure area in Bay of Bengal likely to develop into cyclonic storm
Published
15 minutes ago
on
October 24, 2026
The low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal near the North Andaman Islands is likely to remain in the same vicinity and develop into a depression by today (24), the Department of Meteorology says.
The system is expected to move west-north-westwards, with a slight westward bias, while intensifying further. There is a very high probability of it developing into a deep depression by 25 October and further intensifying into a cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by the morning of 26 October, the Department said.
Family sources report that Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has undergone heart surgery.
The sources said the surgery was performed at a private hospital in Colombo and was successful.