Jun 28 (FT) Premier Ceylon Energy Ltd., has researched and developed yet another innovative new concept and specialised electricity generating engineering finding in producing free electricity specialised for domestic use and for industries as well. This innovative research development and finding is a turning point in energy generation in a specialised engineering mechanism which the Engine is self-energising the electricity generating process and therefore, more..

Jun 28 (DN) SLC will pay tribute to the late spin legend Shane Warne when the first Test between SL and Australia begins at the Galle International Cricket Stadium tomorrow. The spin legend Warne died on March 4, 2022, during a holiday in Thailand nearly four months ago. Late spin legend from Australia Shane Warne was not a popular figure among Sri Lankans in the 1990s but his contributions towards the country�s most disadvantaged kids after Boxing Day tsunami more..

Jun 28 (EN) SL�s intermediate regime central bank which is in the midst of the worst currency crisis in its history will give a payment plan to settle arrears to oil suppliers, statement issued after a meeting with Prez Rajapaksa said. �Governor of the SB has agreed to pay the outstanding payments due to the relevant companies for the fuel supply with a plan,� statement said. �Prez instructed the officials to take immediate action to import more..

Jun 28 (FT) SL�s High Commissioner in New Delhi Milinda Moragoda met with Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs of India Hardeep Singh Puri, to discuss urgent matters pertaining to bilateral energy cooperation. At the outset, High Commissioner Moragoda briefed Minister Puri on the acute challenges that SL is currently facing with regard to the supply and distribution of petroleum products and the severe hardships that the people are undergoing. more..

Jun 28 (Island) Paddy Marketing Board (PMD) Rice outlets and Milco NLDB product outlets were opened yesterday at the Ministry of Agriculture premises. A Milco product outlet and a mobile outlet of the National Livestock Development Board�s coconut, coconut oil and milk products outlets had also been opened there. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera attended the opening ceremony. PMB Chairman Neil de Alwis said that they were marketing their rice to stabilise market prices and make available more..

Jun 28 (Island) Central Bank had blocked a proposal to sell fuel at selected gas stations for foreign currency, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said Sunday. Minister said that there was a proposal that a few gas stations be allowed to sell fuel for US dollars. However, CB Governor told the Ministry that according to Lankan regulations, dollars could not be used for internal retail transactions. Bank was also fearful that it would further encourage the underground money transfer system, more..

Jun 28 (ST) SL hotels are facing a critical stage as time is running out on the June 30 deadline for moratoriums. If an extension is not granted they will face an imminent collapse with layoffs and complete shutdown of the industry. The hotel industry has been meeting PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on several occasions with the latest being on Thursday and even with the banks and the Central Bank in a bid to ensure that an extension of their moratoriums will be granted for another six months as more..

Jun 28 (TM) It is not only the excess State sector employees but all public sector workers that should be allowed to work in the private sector, in order to understand and overcome the bottlenecks in both private and State sectors, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Admin, Home Affairs, PCs, and LG M.M.P.K. Mayadunne said. Ministry has appointed a committee to provide recommendations on allowing the excess employees of State sector to work more..

Jun 28 (CT) Solar Industry Association (SIA) President Kushan Jayasuriya stated that despite having Ministers for Renewable Energy (RE) in the past, renewable energy projects didn�t get off ground, causing Sri Lanka to spend more money on importing fossil fuels. �We are optimistic that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera would look at our industry in an aggressive and expeditious manner.� With regard to the recent amendment to CEB Act, Jayasuriya said, �For the past several years, more..

Jun 28 (DN) With the current economic crisis driving thousands in Sri Lanka to the brink of starvation, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce�s Diwiyata Diriyak social initiative provided emergency relief in the form of 1,0000 essential dry ration packs to vulnerable families in the Kegalle and Colombo districts. Mobilising the Chamber�s Membership to assist low-income families that are struggling to survive the current crisis, the initial distribution which took place at the Kegalle District Secretariat, more..

Jun 28 (EN) Sri Lankan are asked to stay at home from midnight on June 27 until July 10 Minister Bandula Gunewardena said as SL ran out of fuel in worst currency crisis in history of its soft-pegged central bank. Cabinet had decided that fuel will only be issued to essential services like the port, health, food distribution, agricultural transport services from midnight June 27. �All other sectors are requested to stay at home and provide services online and help in this difficult time,� minister said. more..

Jun 28 (Island) Free Media Movement (FMM) called on the govt to immediately stop what it called the suppression of journalists using the CID. In a statement FMM said: Tharindu Uduwaragedara, a journalist, media activist and human rights activist, has been summoned to appear before the CID on 28 June 2022. The FMM, considers this as an extension of the ongoing anti-democratic movement implemented through the CID to crack down on media activists and free-thinking activists, more..

Jun 28 (EN) SL will order exporters, embassies, non-resident visa holders, hotels and will be ordered to settle their electricity bills in US dollars, the regulator has said as the island is in the grip of the worst currency crisis in the history of its soft-pegged central bank. The customers will be invoiced in SL rupees but they will have to settle the bills in US dollars. Money will be used to import coal, spare parts & foreign currency more..

Jun 28 (AD) The Cabinet of Ministers have approved the proposal to gazette the 22nd Amendment and to present it to the Parliament, Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. The amendment, which had been referred to as the 21st Amendment so far, will in fact be the 22nd Amendment, as another draft 21st Amendment has already been gazetted. Last week, the draft constitutional amendment was tabled and passed during the Cabinet meeting following extensive discussions. more..

Jun 28 (TM) Uber Eats stated it has no plans to leave SL, even as the country is battling a fuel crisis that has left most of its riders unable to perform their services. In response to reports that Uber Eats is planning to leave SL due to a fuel crisis and an increase in food prices that has led to low business numbers, Uber Eats SL said we do not have an idea of such when asked about whether it plans to leave SL at the moment. In May, despite the fuel shortage, Uber Eats SL announced initiatives more..

Jun 28 (TM) Despite Minister Kanchana Wijesekera announcing that a token system to distribute fuel would be introduced from yesterday, Minister Bandula Gunawardena said last night that the remaining fuel stocks in the country will be dispensed only to vehicles attached to essential services with effect from today (28) onwards until 10 July. He revealed this at a special media briefing held to announce the decisions taken at more..

Jun 28 (AD) Trade unions of 08 services in the health sector, including the Public Health Inspectors� Union (PHIU), have decided to launch a two-day strike in protest of the ongoing fuel crisis. The trade union action will be carried out tomorrow (29) and the day after (30), the leader of the PHIU, Upul Rohana said addressing a media briefing this afternoon. He also warned of a continuous trade union action from Monday (July 03), if satisfactory solutions are not provided to their issues. more..

Jun 28 (FT) Imagine a young 28-year-old Chathura sitting in Mahiyangana area running his own global logistics solution � one that�s home grown and created by Moratuwa University graduates. Or Ambika sitting in Mullaitivu running her own agri-based business catering to the full island, and beyond into South Asia. And both getting evaluated by global VCs at $ 1 billion each. The country�s first unicorns. Is this just a dream? Or can this really happen? Sri Lanka is in economic trouble. more..

Jun 28 (DM) An extraordinary gazette notification has been issued detailing institutional and legal framework of Dhammika Perera who was sworn in as the Investment Promotion Minister. Seven Departments, Statutory Institutions and Public Corporations to come under his preview. Accordingly, the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, Colombo Port City Economic Commission, Projects related to Colombo Port City, Department of Immigration and Emigration, more..

Jun 28 (FT) Once the US President John F. Kennedy said that when written in Chinese, the word �crisis� is composed of two characters, one represents danger and the other represents opportunity. The Chinese phrase for �crisis� is �Wēijī:� 危机. Wēi, 危, does in fact mean danger, the word Ji (机), represents an incipient moment or crucial point when something begins or changes. Since it can be reinterpreted as, crisis time also is a time when things start to go awry. more..

Jun 28 (EN) Airlines are starting to cut frequencies to SL and the country is running the risk of some airlines pulling out as the main airport runs out of aviation fuel forcing carriers to bring fuel for the return journey or divert to a third airport to refuel, a top official said. SL Civil Aviation Authority issued a notice asking airlines to carry fuel for their return journey from June 28 as the country ran out of Jet fuel. �We can�t go on like this but more..

Jun 28 (SLN) A search operation carried out by the Navy in western seas off Negombo in the dark hours of 27th June led to the seizure of a local multiday fishing trawler with 47 persons, suspected to be on an illegal migration attempt to Australia via sea. In the search operation mounted in seas off Negombo on 27th June, SLNS Nandimithra managed to intercept a suspicious local multiday fishing trawler carrying this group of people who were suspected to be attempting to illegally migrate to Australia. more..

Jun 28 (DM) Airport and Aviation Services Ltd through the Attorney General's Department today filed a motion before Colombo Commercial High Court urging to dismiss the case filed against Russian Aeroflot flight. On June 6, the Colombo Commercial High Court issued an order suspending the operation of Enjoining Order issued against Russian Aeroflot flight, after taking into consideration facts presented by parties including the Attorney General to effect that the Enjoining Order more..

Jun 28 (EN) Cabinet has cleared a proposal to allow companies in oil producing countries to distribute fuel as the country is in the grip of a monetary meltdown triggered by mis-targeting of interest rates by a intermediate regime central bank. At the moment 90% of fuel distribution is done by state-run CPC and about 10% by LIOC. �Due to the currency crisis faced by SL it is a big challenge to supply oil without interruption� more..

Jun 28 (EN) Prez Rajapaksa has met Russia�s Ambassador to Colombo Yury Materiy and discussed economic ties including oil and coal imports, his office said. �Prez Rajapaksa and Russian Ambassador Yury Materiy discussed a number of important economic areas, including generating more demand for Ceylon Tea in Russia, tourism industry, fuel, coal, gas, aviation, education, trade and fertilizer,� a statement said. SL has initiated talks with Russia to buy oil directly more..

Jun 28 (GDI) COPA instructed the officials of the Ministry of Power and Energy to prepare a detailed road map for excavations in the country for the purpose of obtaining gas and crude oil. The afore stated instructions were given to the officials of the Ministry of Power and Energy at the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) held recently under the chairmanship of MP Tissa Vitarana. The officials of the Ministry made a presentation on the Liquefied Natural Gas Mining Projects (LNG) more..

Jun 28 (DM) The British High Commission in SL has called on students to apply for their visa to the United Kingdom as early as possible as the decision to process would take five weeks. �We receive higher number of applications in August so you should start preparing your application and submit now,� the High Commission tweeted. The requirements for visa applications as follows; -Depending on your personal circumstances and where you are applying from, more..

Jun 28 (AFP) Australia's Mitchell Swepson will play the opening Test against SL, with touring skipper Pat Cummins on Tuesday calling the leg-spinner an important cog in their bowling attack. 28-year-old Swepson will partner premier spinner Nathan Lyon at the start of the two-match series on Wednesday in Galle, where the pitch is expected to be a turner. Cummins stopped short of disclosing the full Australian XI, with doubts over batsman Travis Head, who injured his hamstring during more..

Jun 28 (AD) Central Bank says necessary action will be taken to liquidate the five failed finance companies in accordance with applicable legal provisions. Monetary Board of CBSL established the Advisory Committee for Revival of Failed Finance Companies (Committee) in October 2021 to examine possible revival options for five failed finance companies, namely Central Investments & Finance Ltd, ETI Finance Ltd, more..

Jun 28 (DM) Supreme Court today announced that only urgent cases will be taken up in open court for hearing from June 28 to July 1, 2022, taking into account the prevailing situation where the country battles with shortage of fuel and restriction in fuel supply to public transport network. If there are any urgent matters among scheduled applications/ appeals which should be taken up in open court, a Motion containing an application to such effect should be filed before the scheduled date, more..

Jun 28 (DM) Clearing the path for a potential reclassification of SL�s frontier market status to stand-alone market status, leading global stock indexes provider Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) has reduced potential changes in the MSCI Sri Lanka Indexes amid the deepening equity investment repatriation issues triggered by the on-going foreign exchange crisis. �Amidst the ongoing economic crisis in SL and as a result of a lack of liquidity in foreign exchange market, more..

Jun 28 (CI) They may not be as good as Rangana Herath, but they're better than what they showed against Bangladesh. This was what SL Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne had to say about his young spinners, on the eve of the first Test against Australia. In their most recent Test series, against Bangladesh, SL's spinners claimed a paltry three wickets between them. This was across the 196 overs they had delivered in two Tests. more..

Jun 28 (EN) Cabinet had given the approval to hike railway fares to meet the rising costs, the state information office said, as a collapse of a soft-peg raised operating costs steeply. SL is going through the worst currency crisis in the history of its soft- pegged Central bank. Due to the ongoing fuel crisis in the country, public transportation has been impacted massively and transportation services continue to decline due to not getting enough fuel to operate the services to the fullest capacity. more..

Jun 28 (DM) SJB will get together with the people who are waiting to take to the streets and will launch street battles this week for a change of govt, its National Organizer Tissa Attanayake said. Mr. Attanayake who made this remark at a media briefing said days of the Rajapaksa - Wickremesinghe administration are numbered. �The Rajapaksa - Wickremessinghe govt will not remain in power for long,� he said. �We shall start street battles from this week to change the govt. more..

Jun 28 (CT) Private pharmacies have formed a network to help patients and their relatives locate medicinal drugs that they lack, due to the prevailing medicinal drug crisis in the island, All Island Private Pharmacy Owners Association (AIPPOA) said. AIPPOA President, Chandika Gankanda, said they received at least 300 calls per day requesting assistance in locating medicines that could not be found in the State and private sector. The two help lines 045-2275636 and 077-1977177 more..