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Sri Lanka suspends fuel sales for two weeks: official

The Anews reported, citing the AFP, cash-strapped Sri Lanka announced a two-week halt to all fuel sales except for essential services and appealed to the private sector to work from home as it ran out of supplies.
Government spokesman Bandula Gunawardana said: "From midnight today, no fuel will be sold except for essential services like the health sector, because we want to conserve the little reserves we have.”
He apologised to consumers for the shortages: "We regret the inconvenience caused to the people."
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, and has been unable to finance even the most essential products, such as fuel, food and medicines since late last year.
The country is also facing record high inflation and lengthy power blackouts, all of which have contributed to months of protests -- sometimes violent -- calling on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down.

Last week, all government schools shut and state institutions operated with skeleton staff because of the acute shortage of fuel as the government did not have dollars to finance imports.
The state sector shutdown was meant to end this week, but it is now being extended till July 10, when Gunawardana promised to restore fuel supplies. And the government is appealing to the private sector too to follow suit.
Bankrupt Sri Lanka allows younger women to work abroad
The unexpected announcement came a day after Colombo said it will implement a token system to ration distribution of limited fuel stocks.
There have been long queues outside the few pumping stations which still had supplies.
Earlier this month, the United Nations launched an emergency response to the island's unprecedented economic crisis, feeding thousands of pregnant women who were facing food shortages.
Sri Lankan government workers to work from home for two weeks
Four out of five people in Sri Lanka have started skipping meals as they cannot afford to eat, the UN has said, warning of a looming "dire humanitarian crisis" with millions in need of aid.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April, and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout.
Source: anews
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More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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