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$17 mn. WHO grant for SL for pandemic preparedness

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has awarded Sri Lanka a $17 million grant for its proposal, “One Vision, One Shield,” aimed at strengthening pandemic preparedness and response.

This proposal was developed with the support of five key implementing agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank (WB), the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF, in collaboration with One Health stakeholders in Sri Lanka.

The grant will be distributed over a three-year period starting in January 2025.

It aims to implement the recommendations from Sri Lanka’s most recent Joint External Evaluation and the subsequent National Action Plan for Health Security. The focus areas include enhancing surveillance, laboratory capacities, and the health workforce.

In addition to this grant, Sri Lanka is also a beneficiary of a multi-country proposal submitted for the WHO South-East Asia region.

The second round of the Pandemic Fund grant allocations, announced on October 18, 2024, aims to bolster pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response capacities in 40 countries across six geographical regions.

To date, the two rounds of funding total $885 million, mobilizing an additional $6 billion in support of 75 countries, half of which are low- and middle-income countries.

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Petition against secret ballot at Seethawaka PS, dismissed

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The Court of Appeal has dismissed without hearing, a petition filed by opposition members of the Seethawaka Pradeshiya Sabha.

The petition sought an interim injunction against Western Province Local Government Commissioner – Sarangika Jayasundara, urging to stop a secret ballot for electing the Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

The decision, delivered by a panel of judges comprising the Chairman of the Court of Appeal – Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya and Justice Priyantha Fernando.

Meanwhile, the similar petitions from the Mawathagama and Seethawaka Urban Councils were also rejected.

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Duminda granted bail under strict conditions

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Former Minister Duminda Dissanayake, who was arrested and remanded over the discovery of a gold-plated T-56 firearm at an apartment complex in Havelock Town, Colombo, has been granted bail under strict conditions.

Colombo Chief High Court Judge – Manjula Thilakaratne today (July 14) ordered his release on a cash bail of Rs.250,000 and 02 surety bonds of Rs.05 million each.

The court further directed that the 02 sureties must be Colombo residents and ordered that Dissanayake’s passport be handed over to the court, imposing a travel ban on him.

Although the counsel for the Attorney General strongly objected to bail being granted, the Chief High Court Judge ruled that, since it has not yet been established that the suspect was in possession of the firearm, the court decided to grant bail.  

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CEYPETCO halts recruitment amid workforce downsizing

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Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO) Managing Director – Dr. Mayura Nettikumara says no new recruitments will be made, as modern technology has enabled the corporation to reduce its workforce.

He assured that existing employees need not fear about their job security, explaining that the current staff strength has been downsized from around 3,290 in 2012 to 2,031 under a new manpower structure.

Many employees are due to retire this year and next, and will not be replaced, he said.

“We have stopped many inefficient services, so there is no need for new people now,” Dr. Nettikumara has further said.

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