https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news/253752/eight_col_patient.jpg?1611436031 Scientists say signs a new coronavirus variant is more deadly than the earlier version should not be a “game changer” in the UK’s response to the pandemic. One expert says it’s too early to draw conclusions on the UK variant because information is based on a small amount of data. (file pic) Photo: AFP UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday there is “some evidence” the variant may be associated with “a higher degree of mortality”. But the co-author of the study the PM was referring to said the variant’s deadliness remained an “open question”. Another adviser said he was surprised Johnson had shared the findings when the data was “not particularly strong”. A third top medic said it was “too early” to be “absolutely clear”. At a Downing Street coronavirus news conference, the prime minister said: “In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/mannar.jpg Source:Island There would be significant environmental damage to the Mannar Island if an Australian mining company was allowed to carry out proposed limonite sand mining there, Dr. Ravindra Kariaywasam of the Centre for Environment and Nature Studies (CENS), warned yesterday. Kariaywasam told The Island: “The Company is planning to mine an area of the island that is 2 km wide and about 8 km long. It started preliminary assessment with small-scale drilling on the island in 2015. It drilled more than 4.000 exploratory holes without the permission of the owners of the lands.  The deepest holes is about 12 metres deep.” The 26km long Mannar Island has rich deposits of the mineral limonite in its sand, which is the main source of titanium dioxide that has a wide range of applications, including paint, sunscreen, and food colouring. Kariaywasam said that the mining project would inflict irreparable damage to the water ...

https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news/235469/eight_col_BeFunky-collage.jpg?1594089630 The industry body for stone-fruit growers in New Zealand is reassuring international customers of our Covid-free status, after the virus was reportedly found on fruit packaging in China. Photo: AFP / 123RF Chinese media organisation The Global Times reported that the virus was found on the inner packaging of imported cherries in the city of Wuxi near Shanghai. It said it’s not clear what country the fruit came from. Summer Fruit chief executive Richard Palmer said the Ministry for Primary Industries had not been advised by Chinese authorities that this detection is in any way connected with New Zealand fruit. “As New Zealand officials have not been advised of a Covid-19 detection, and with New Zealand free of Covid-19 in the community, Summerfruit New Zealand can only conclude that this apparent case is not related to New Zealand fruit. “The last case of Covid-19 in the New Zealand community ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Covid-19-vaccine.jpg Source:Ceylontoday Maldives will receive the Covid-19 vaccine (Covishield) on Wednesday becoming the first country to receive the vaccine from India. The source added the vaccine is being sent in numbers enough to cover frontline health workers and senior citizens.  Maldives is now the largest COVID-19 assistance recipient in India’s neighbourhood including medicine supply, food supply, medical team, training and financial assistance of $250 million. Source link ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Antonian-Lasant.jpg Lasantha Wijesuriya Source:Dailynews It is rare to find a person who excelled in sports in addition to leadership qualities. Lasantha Anthony Wijesuriya was one of the finest ruggerites produced by St.Anthony’s College, Kandy and went on to represent several clubs and Sri Lanka Lasantha was born in 1972 to a humble family of four brothers and four sisters. The only sports background that Lasantha had was that his two brothers played hockey for St. Sylvester’s College. No one anticipated that this youngster would mature and transform to become a prominent figure in rugby in Sri Lanka. Lasantha was admitted as a young kid to St. Anthony’s College, Kandy in 1977 for his primary education. He then emerged on the sporting scene by playing football for his club ‘Saunders Sports Club’ in Aruppola, Kandy. This was a stepping stone in his life where he engaged himself to play football for ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Kavindu-Udayanga-Ranasinghe.jpg Kavindu Udayanga Ranasinghe Source:Dailynews Kavindu Udayanga Ranasinghe of Vijaya College,Matale is an outstanding Weightlifter and Powerlifter who has done extremely well to be adjudged Best Sportsman at the age of 17 years. He started Weightlifting at the tender age of 14 years under the coaching of Veteran Weight lifter,Indrajith Fernando in the year 2017. In his first contest itself he got the second place at the Sri Lanka Powerlifting Contest participating in the 44 Kg. weight class in the Under 16 age group in the year 2017 and lifted a total of 206 Kgs. In the following year he secured the third place lifting a total of 141 Kgs.at the Junior National Meet contesting in the Under 17 age group and he took a step forward in the same year to win the 50 Kg. weight class at the All Island Power Lifting meet lifting a full total of ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/SUJITH-MADHUSHANKA-–-Medical-Student-–-Kandy-by-Quintus-de-Zylva.jpg   SUJITH has just been selected for entry to the Sri Jayawardnepura Medical Faculty. He was a student at Dharmarajah College in Kandy. He was in the Biology stream and received a scholarship from DAANAL – the Dharmarajah Alumini Association of North America. He was introduced to us by Rev. Buddadatha Thero – a priest at Bahirawakande – Kandy. His father is a retired Army Officer and his mother a housewife. Sujith supported himself by tutoring students in Kandy. He has asked for a laptop or i-pad and we are grateful to a generous donor from Moorabbin who has provided us with one. AUSLMAT has extended our medical work in Sri Lanka to include support of students in need.   Source link ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/mr-summa-navavaratnam-founder-pr.jpg Donate to eLanka Perera & Sons Breudher – Limited Stock – at Sunil’s Spice Centre, Thornleigh (Sydney) Search eLanka website eLanka Newsletter Signup eLanka Marriage Proposals Best & Less Travel Banner Advertising on eLanka Sri Lankan Events Calendar << Jan 2021 >> M T W T F S S 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Sri-Lankan-cooking-lessons.jpg Nige Sithirasegaram learnt how to cook while in Australia’s detention centres. Now he’s sharing his culinary education with the community. Source:SBS Nige Sithirasegaram learnt how to cook during his six years in Australia’s detention centres. Now, the third-generation Sri Lankan fisherman shows you to recreate his dishes in your own home.  “When I was a kid, I asked my mum a lot of questions about food,” says Nige Sithirasegaram, a cooking instructor at Melbourne’s Free To Feed social enterprise. As his mother prepared dishes, he’d quiz her on why she’d sprinkle salt, pour coconut milk and add blistering chilli — the key steps and ingredients that flavoured her Sri Lankan food. Sometimes the questions became overwhelming for her: “Get out of the kitchen!” she’d say. That didn’t stop him from eavesdropping on relatives and neighbours, as he tried to learn more about spices and other culinary knowledge.  “I wasn’t cooking in Sri Lanka much, because ...