Nov 8 (ST) With just one win away from annexing their third IPL title in four finals under his watch, Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene can easily land a lucrative coaching stint with the SL national team. But Jayawardene isn’t interested – not because he doesn’t enjoy coaching or doesn’t wish to give something to the country that made him the cricketer he is. He is repulsed by the deep-rooted politicking within more..

Nov 8 (IPS) On average, a tobacco-user household spends nearly Rs. 2000 per month on tobacco, constituting 4% of the household budget. Spending on tobacco can drive out other critical expenditures, including basic needs. This crowd-out effect would be greatest for poor families, affecting not only the smoker but the rest of the family as well. Smoking, therefore, is not only unhealthy but costly. “We feel guilty when our family members complain about not having sufficient money to buy food more..

Nov 8 (Island) Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company (previously Ceylon Tea Services) has posted an excellent result within a challenging environment in the year ended Mar 31, 2020, growing revenue 8% and gross profit 14% over the previous year; but the bottom line declined two percent owing to what its chairman, Merril. J. Fernando called a remarkable 46% decline in the exchange rate. Commenting that the outlook for the global economy appeared bleak, he said how long the corona virus will last more..

Nov 8 (ST) Sri Lanka will head to South Africa without playing any red-ball cricket for at least four months. With most of the Test players set to feature in the Lanka Premier League (LPL), their preparations will be further hampered. The two-match Test series starts on Dec 26 at Super Sport Park in Centurion. It is Sri Lanka’s first international assignment since hosting the West Indies in February. more..

Nov 8 (TM) Govt is planning to tackle the long-running issue of the price depreciation of SL’s pepper in the global market through the re-establishment of the Spice and Allied Products Marketing Board. The proposal to re-establish the Board, 12 years since its closure, was presented by the State Ministry of Development of Minor Crops including Sugarcane, Maize, Cashew, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Betel-Related Industries, and Export Promotion & was approved by Cabinet more..

Nov 8 (TM) In a bid to ensure the income levels of fishermen are unharmed due to the impact of Covid-19, the Govt has directed the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) and others purchasing fish to make their purchases directly from the fishermen. “We are working with the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, local canneries, and dry fish processing factories, and have asked them to purchase fish stocks directly from the fisherman to ensure the fish catch is supplied to the market. more..

Nov 8 (ST) Attorney General Dappula de Livera has raised objections over ignoring senior members of his department for vacancies in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal which are to be expanded in terms of the 20th Amendment. The move came as Prez Rajapaksa who is now empowered to make appointments to the Superior Courts after the 20th Amendment was approved, sent in names of more..

Nov 8 (SO) Soil-test-based fertiliser application could drastically reduce fertiliser use in agriculture, a group of agri-experts said last week. The meeting was organised by the Rehabilitation of Degraded Agriculture Land Project (RDALP) of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Based on various types of research carried out by government agencies and universities, experts said chemical fertiliser application in Sri Lanka is extremely high. more..

Nov 8 (Island) LOLC Holdings PLC, the highly diversified conglomerate quoted on the Colombo Stock Exchange, has in its just published annual report told its shareholders that the publication of its results for 2019/20 was, in the words of its Deputy Chairman Ishara Nanayakkara, “an apt occasion to announce the good news……that LOLC has achieved the distinction of being the most profitable listed entity in Sri Lanka for two years in a row.” While an after tax profit of Rs. 19.79 billion, more..

Nov 8 (AD) Sri Lanka has reported four more coronavirus-related deaths thus hiking the country’s death toll to 34. 3 females, and one male had succumbed to the virus in this manner. One of the deceased is identified as a 42-year-old woman from the Maligawatte area who had passed away at home. Reportedly, she had been ailing from a chronic heart condition in addition to COVID-19. more..

Nov 8 (Island) Due to the difficulties of organizing physical export promotion programmes during this pandemic situation, the SL Export Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with Foreign Ministry and the Sri Lankan Missions overseas has initiated online sessions to enable foreign buyers and SL exporters meet via virtual platforms with the objective of creating trade linkages between Sri Lanka and the rest of the world, as it is imperative to sustain nation’s export promotional activities more..

Nov 8 (AP) Democrat Joe Biden defeated Prez Donald Trump to become the 46th Prez of US on Saturday, positioning himself to be a leader who seeks not to divide, but to unify a nation gripped by a historic pandemic and a confluence of economic and social turmoil. “I sought this office to restore the soul of America,” said Biden in a prime-time victory speech not far from his Delaware home, “and to make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.” more..

Nov 8 (AD) The quarantine curfew currently imposed in the Western Province and other areas will be lifted tomorrow (9), Army Commander Lt Gen Shavendra Silva said. The decision will be in effect from 5.00 am tomorrow morning. However, he said that it has been decided to isolate several areas further upon identifying them as risk areas. Reportedly, 12 police divisions in the Colombo District and several apartment more..

Nov 8 (ST) The Govt’s revenue targets for this year have shown further decline with all indications that even the revised targets will not be met, a senior Inland Revenue Department official said. The Govt, which started off with a revenue target of Rs 800 billion at the beginning of the year subsequently brought it down to Rs 600 billion and thereafter reduced it to Rs 470 billion. However, a senior IRD official said the department had sought a further reduction to Rs 411 billion, but more..

Nov 8 (Island) SL’s High Commissioner in London Saroja Sirisena says Sri Lanka wants to be digitally inclusive and drive the country’s vibrant ICT sector to the global platform. She was speaking at the launch of the SL Association for Software Services Companies (SLASSCOM) Global Referral Program webinar last week. She said the High Commission initiated this webinar to provide the opportunity to bring SL talent to the global front with the contribution of the diverse & well-established more..

Nov 8 (ST) SL is at Alert Level 3 (several clusters in different districts) in the COVID-19 response, warned many experts as the Health Ministry issued detailed follow-up guidelines on public activities which could or could not be carried out. These experts pointed out that although the Minuwangoda and Katunayake clusters seemed to be abating, the Peliyagoda fish market and a few other clusters (like Horana) were still active. more..

Nov 8 (SO) The repatriation of nearly 56,000 migrant workers is expected to resume in a week when the domestic Covid-19 is brought under control, officials said. Director General of East Asia at the Foreign Relations Ministry, Kandeepan Balasupramaniam said they hope to bring back the migrant workers to Sri Lanka in a week or as soon as the local condition is favourable. A special flight is due to operate on Tuesday (10) to repatriate Sri Lankans living in parks and safe houses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. more..

Nov 8 (SO) GMOA commended the Govt and Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi for legalising the minimum qualifications for medical education and added that two B passes and a C pass at the GCE A/L exam should have been the minimum qualification to maintain the standard of the medical profession in the country. GMOA Secretary, Dr. Senal Fernando said that it is the Govt’s responsibility to protect the patients’ rights and govt needs to protect quality of medical services more..

Nov 8 (ST) Political dynamics in the ruling SL Podujana Nidahas Peramuna (SLPNS) have shown signs of a dramatic change. This turn portends the dawn of a fresh collective thrust in governance with new faces and a newer approach. It dawned last Sunday when Prez Rajapaksa, now entering the first year in office, chaired a meeting of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 Prevention. This was in the wake of an uncontrollable more..

Nov 9 (CT) Above mentioned profound words of the Buddha which stated twenty-six centuries ago explicitly reveal and bring to light the authenticity and the purity of the Buddha-Dhamma. These words are more than enough to understand the essence of what the Buddha realised and compassionately encouraged us to practice. For Buddhism, numerous interpretations and expositions have been given by foremost scholars & prominent intellectuals who have immensely studied Buddhism in globe. more..

Nov 9 (CT) The North and South of SL have seen armed insurrections. These are signs that the youth are revolted by the insincerity and hypocrisy of their elders, especially from the ruling classes. However, the new COVID restrictions and their arbitrary waiver to oblige the powerful show that we have learnt nothing about the absolute need for the even application of the rule of law and restrictive regulations. It was last Friday 6 Nov that Govt Agent and District Secretary, Mr. K. Mahesan, more..

Nov 9 (ST) Caged in their homes due to the lockdown after the surging Covid-19 pandemic, most Lankans watched the US prez election on television or through social media. In the Western Province, where a curfew was imposed, newspaper distribution is disrupted. That, however, did not mean there was no interest. The antics of a garrulous Prez Donald Trump, seeking re-election and his rival, smirky former Vice Prez Joe Biden, whilst more..

Nov 9 (ST) Tuesday’s Parliament debate reverberated mainly around the Govt’s handling of the new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic although it was a debate on the minimum education qualifications — two credit passes and a simple pass in A/L biology stream — required to follow medical degrees in SL. Opening the debate, Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said the Govt had faced the first wave of the pandemic successfully. “We are working to bring the second wave to an end more..

Nov 9 (ST) Pathetic picture of Heath Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi making a public exhibition of herself last Sunday morn on a lone Ratnapura bridge cuddling a pot of charmed holy water, before throwing the polythene covered receptacle to the flowing Kalu Ganga, and, thereafter, furtively fleeing the scene in a nondescript vehicle, spoke a thousand times more than rising COVID statistics to dramatically bring home to the people the Govt’s despairing battle to dam the unstoppable more..

Nov 9 (TM) The number of Covid-19 cases and the deaths that were a result of complications caused by the virus, spiked over the month of October and seemed to escalate the world over. Meanwhile, SL too is witnessing more clusters & subclusters over the past few days following the second wave that originated in early October. As the vaccination for the virus is yet to reach countries that have to wait for donor countries to purchase more..

Nov 9 (CT) It was reported recently that an inmate of the Moneragala Prison had died and a jailor had sustained injuries during an altercation that took place between jailors and inmates at the Prison. According to reports, the incident had started when an inmate hurled a rock at a jailor. In response to the incident, two other jailors at the Prison had allegedly assaulted the inmate, and as a result, the inmate in question had succumbed to injuries after being admitted to the Moneragala Hospital. more..

Nov 9 (DM) In the early hours of Sunday morning, CNN announced the projected victory of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the US. The tumultuous US election campaign had finally come to an end. Thousands of Americans took to the streets, cheering, honking horns and banging pots and pans and Joseph R. Biden 77, has now been elected -in an election played out in the background of the coronavirus pandemic, its economic fallout and a US caught in the middle of racial struggle. more..

Nov 9 (TM) The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was adopted by the UN member states in 2015. This agenda provides a holistic approach to development, addressing the economic, social, and environmental challenges that the world faces today. Sustainable development is not entirely a new or a western concept, but a concept embedded in our lifestyles through our culture, enriched with Buddhist philosophy. more..

Nov 9 (ST) Lionel Fernando was an outstanding right-hand batsman who excelled in this role, first while playing for St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala, and later for St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena when he went on to captain the cricket first XI side in 1959. After having received his early education at St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala, where his father was the Municipal Commissioner, Lionel Fernando, then attended St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena when he went on to captain College XI team in 1959. more..

Nov 9 (FT) In a major step, Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) has launched an action plan to address key areas relating to the process of listing a company on the Colombo Bourse with the objective of enhancing its efficiency thereby better serving the funding requirements of companies belonging to both state and private sectors. Action plan will further simplify the process, eliminate any redundant approval steps, more..

Nov 9 (Island) President Donald J. Trump was planning to paint the town red. His plan having gone pear-shaped, the Democrats are doing that. Joe Biden has emerged the winner in the US presidential race. He had won 279 electoral votes and Trump 214, at the time of going to press. Prez Trump’s allegations of electoral frauds, undue delays in vote counting and other such issues have taken the gloss off the Democratic win to some extent. This is not the first time there have been allegations of more..

Nov 9 (TM) The re-imposition of a Covid-19 lockdown last week, mainly in the Western Province, was the focus of the public while political circles were engaged in discussing the manner in which the Govt has handled the re-emergence of the virus. Prez Rajapaksa has adopted a hands-on approach to address the re-emergence of the virus by convening daily meetings of the Covid-19 Task Force and personally looking in to the steps taken to address the situation while maintaining more..

Nov 9 (ST) Middle class (low and middle income) families and urban and rural poor households across the country have been struggling with severe economic hardships and most of them are living on borrowings after spending all their savings. The income sources of 64% of the households have been affected while 7% lost their entire income up to now in the COVID-19 induced crisis, a research report by more..

Nov 9 (Island) Hats off to Prof. Sunil Wimalawansa who has pointed out the "a major hiatus of “systems thinking, relevant expertise, and leadership, of managing COVID-19 in Sri Lanka that continues to date”. (Ref. Feature Article on 05/11/20, titled, “Failure to Manage Covid 19: Who is Responsible? A hiatus is said to be “a short pause in which nothing happens or is said, or a space where something is missing.” In the run-up to the elections in August this year, there was a sense of Corona Virus more..

Nov 9 (Island) SL’s most trusted poultry group Crysbro, commends the govt’s initiative to revive and reinforce SL’s maize cultivation industry in a bid to bolster the country’s food security agenda. Spearheaded by Prez Rajapakshe and actioned by the Agriculture Ministry, the initiative is the first step towards making the country self-sufficient in maize, as well as a step towards eradicating poverty in the rural areas of SL by empowering the poultry and animal husbandry industries. more..

Nov 9 (FT) Sentiment surrounding the economy continued to deteriorate in October with only a third of businesspeople consulted for the latest LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey saying that economic conditions are likely to improve in the coming 12 months, declining from 48% in September. On the other hand, 35% of respondents expect economic conditions to continue to deteriorate during this period, while 31% expect the economy to remain the same. more..

Nov 9 (ST) SL University Sports Association fielded five teams at the FISU (Int'l University Sports Federation) World University Mind Sports Online Chess championship 2020 but none of them failed to enter the final round. Team China 1 became the 2020 FISU World University Mind Sports Online champions of the event that brought together 551 student-players from four continents and 40 countries. The champions won all their matches in both the qualification stage and play-offs, more..

Nov 9 (DM) As the Western Province, the economic hub of the country is opened after nearly two weeks of lockdown and people are eager to get back to their normal lives, medical experts say that those asymptomatic or do not show symptoms of COVID-19 and those with mild illnesses would not carry infectious virus after seven days and definitely not after 10 days. Prof. Neelika Malavige of University of Sri J'pura said more..