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GoSL donates $1 mn. to aid children in Gaza strip

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The Government of Sri Lanka donated USD 01 million to assist children impacted by the conflicts in the Gaza Strip. The donation was formally transferred to the Government of Palestine through the United Nations’ official channel, overseen by President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (01).

President Ranil Wickremesinghe personally presented the donation cheque to Mr. Zuhair M.H. Zaid, the Palestinian Ambassador in Sri Lanka.

This contribution adds to the growing support for the Children of Gaza Fund, initiated by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to provide aid to affected children in the Gaza Strip.

In response to the President’s call to allocate funds from ministries and government institutions for this cause, the initial USD 01 million donated to the fund has been transferred to the Palestinian government in the first phase.

Furthermore, in response to the President’s call to support the “Children of Gaza Fund,” over Rs. 20 million has been contributed. These funds are scheduled to be formally transferred to the Palestinian government in the coming days.

Donors are encouraged to participate in this initiative before the deadline of April 30, 2024. Contributions can be made by depositing donations to the Bank of Ceylon (Account number: 7040016), Taprobane Branch (Branch code: 747), before the aforementioned date. Donors are requested to send the relevant deposit receipt via Whatsapp to 077-9730396, as instructed by the President’s Office.

At the ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat today, the cheque handover was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Ali Sabry PC, Secretary to the President Mr. Saman Ekanayake, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms. Aruni Wijewardena, and a delegation of senior officials from the Palestinian Embassy in Sri Lanka.

(dailynews.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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Weather Alert: Showers to ease in Southwest, strong winds forecast in North

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Prevailing showery condition in the southwestern part of the island is expected to reduced gradually from today (01st)

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.

Fairly strong winds of about (30-40) kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Hambantota and Trincomalee districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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Aluthgamage and Fernando assigned printing work in prison

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Former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and former Sathosa Chairman Nalin Fernando, sentenced this week to jail for 20 and 25 years, respectively, have been assigned duties in the printing section at the Welikada prison, sources said.

Both of them are being held together away from the main section of the prison’s ‘chapel’ section, where prisoners serving life sentences and those convicted of murder and rape are held. The prison’s printing section prints its own documentation.

Prison sources said that in placing them in relevant wards to serve their jail term, the authorities had taken into consideration the security of the two convicts, as they might have had political enemies.

Mr Aluthgamage was handed a 20-year term of rigorous imprisonment, while Mr Fernando was given a 25-year term of rigorous imprisonment by a High Court trial-at-bar after being found guilty of causing a Rs 53 million loss to the state.

They were accused of importing carrom boards and checkers boards through Sathosa during the 2015 presidential elections and distributing them to clubs.

Their lawyers said yesterday they were awaiting the certified copy of the judgement to prepare the appeal papers. The appeal will be considered by the Supreme Court.

(sundaytimes.lk)
(This story, originally published by sundaytimes.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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COVID subvariants spreading in Asia detected in Sri Lanka

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The Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka has confirmed that the COVID-19 variant currently spreading in the Asian region has also been identified in the country.

Dr. Jude Jayamaha, a specialist in viral diseases at the Medical Research Institute, stated that patients infected with the Omicron subvariants LF.7 and XFG are being reported locally.

Dr. Jayamaha explained that this finding was confirmed through research conducted on biological samples collected from several hospitals across the island.

However, he emphasized that there is no need for undue fear regarding these COVID-19 variants.

Health authorities have also stressed the importance of vulnerable groups—such as pregnant mothers, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses—following health guidelines, including wearing face masks and avoiding crowded places.

Dr. Jayamaha reiterated that new COVID-19 variants emerge periodically, and health authorities are continuously monitoring the situation, so the public should remain calm.

(newswire.lk)

(This story, originally published by newswire.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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