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WHO Chief hopes COVID will no longer be emergency

Published

3 years ago

December 15, 2022

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World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday he is “hopeful” that the COVID-19 pandemic will no longer be considered a global emergency some time next year, Reuters reported.

His comments at a briefing with media come as China dismantles its rigid “zero-COVID” policy and allows people to live with the virus, stirring concerns that the world’s No.2 economy faces a surge in infections.

A WHO body meets every few months to decide whether the new coronavirus, which emerged three years ago in China’s Wuhan and has killed more than 6.6 million people, still represents a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC).

The designation is intended to trigger a coordinated international response and could unlock funding to collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments.

Asked about the conditions needed for the end of the PHEIC, WHO’s senior epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said: “There’s more work to be done.”

“If there are huge chunks of the population that have not had vaccinations, the world still has a lot of work to do,” said WHO’s emergencies director Mike Ryan.

News

Nishantha Wickremesinghe remanded (Update)

Published

2 hours ago

June 27, 2025

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Former Chairman of SriLankan Airlines Nishantha Wickremesinghe has been remanded until July 01.

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(Previous News : June 27, 2025 4.41pm)

2 ex-heads of govt. institutions, arrested

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has arrested two former Chairmen on corruption charges.

Former Chairman of the Fisheries Corporation – Upali Liyanage and former SriLankan Airlines Chairman – Nishantha Wickremesinghe have been arrested in this manner.

However, Liyanage, who was produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali Jayathunga, was released on three sureties amounting to Rs. 5 million.

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Body of undergrad who went missing at Port City beach, found (Update)

Published

5 hours ago

June 27, 2025

editor

The body of the undergraduate who had gone missing at the Port City beach, has been found.

The body was found during a search by divers.

(Previous News on 27th June 2025 at 10.06 am)

Undergrad goes missing at Port City beach while snorkeling

A 24-year-old university student from Asgiriya, Gampaha, has gone missing yesterday morning (June 26) while swimming in the sea off the Colombo Port City beach.

According to the police, the student, a resident of Gampaha, was part of a group of students from the Universities of Colombo and Moratuwa who had visited the artificial beach and engaged in snorkelling.

The student failed to resurface, prompting a complaint to the Colombo Port Police.

Lifeguards later recovered the snorkeling gear believed to be belonging to the missing student.

A joint search operation involving Navy divers from the Colombo Port and Rangala Navy Division is currently underway. Further investigations are underway by the Colombo Port Police.