2016, has been on hold from a ruling by federal District Judge Carlton Reeves that it unconstitutionally privileges people who hold three particular religious beliefs, in violation of the First Amendment.

A three-judge panel of the appellate court had ruled the plaintiffs, Campaign for Southern Equality, lacked standing to bring the challenge. The full court declined to rehear the case.

More:Religious liberty or anti-gay? Appeals court will decide

Roberta Kaplan, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, vowed to do "everything humanly possible to continue to fight this harmful law on the merits," noting the appellate court did not address the law's constitutionality.

"HB 1523 is a reckless law that discriminates against and hurts the LGBT community," said the Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, director of the Campaign for Southern Equality. "We have fought this fromGovernment Raises Tea Prices

The tea industry in Sri Lanka has been going through difficult times recently with a decline in tea exports due to decreased demands from the Middle East, Iran, and Russia.

Total tea exports dropped by 14% in July this year and the island exported tea worth $126.5 million to the US in July compared to $147.2 million in July 2014. And although factories have been receiving funds from government to subsidise payments to smallholder farmers at a minimum of 80 rupees (LKP) per kg, smallholders are often only being paid rupees LKP 65-68.

So, at the end of September, the government brought to an end the guaranteed rupees LKP 80 per kg of fresh green leaf, and, at the beginning of October, Navin Dissanayake, minister of the