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LifeLabs data breach report released after firm loses four-year bid to keep it quietAP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:25 p.m. EST

Kingston Frontenacs sweep the weekend with win 5-1 over North Bay Battalion

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LANSING, MI – Groups representing public educators are raising concerns about the Republicans' proposed $2.7 billion road funding plan that would siphon hundreds of millions of dollars from Michigan schools. Republican lawmakers, however, reiterated Monday, Nov. 25, that all dollars redirected from schools to fix the state’s roads would be replaced by other sources. “If there’s a hole in school funding, I’ll vote ‘no’ on my own bill,” said state Rep. Tom Kunse, R-Clare. “We’re not interested in cutting school funding. That is not going to happen on our watch.” Related : $2.7 billion would be pumped into Michigan roads under Republican plan Kunse was joined Monday by House Speaker-elect Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, and state Rep. Donni Steele, R-Orion Township, for a press conference in Lansing on the Republican road funding plan announced last week. The plan would pump an additional $2.7 billion into infrastructure spending each year with a focus on injecting needed funding into local roads. It would all be done without raising taxes. Funding for the plan would come from redirecting the sales tax on gasoline that mostly goes to schools and using corporate income tax dollars. In a letter to lawmakers Monday co-signed by the Michigan Education Association, Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators and other groups, officials voiced concerns that the Republican plan doesn’t yet outline how schools would be made whole if the dollars are redirected. “As organizations committed to the success of Michigan’s students, families, and communities, we have deep concerns with any lame-duck proposal to eliminate the sales tax on fuel without a clear and specific plan to replace the more than $650 million it generates annually for public schools, about $480 per student,” the letter states. In unveiling the plan Friday, Hall assured that school funding would be unharmed by the maneuver. On Monday, he reiterated that lawmakers would replace the lost revenue from other sources. While Hall hasn’t proposed one specific plan for backfilling the School Aid Fund, some possible methods he floated Monday include using income tax or corporate tax revenues, dollars from restricted funds or funds currently dedicated to work projects that haven’t moved forward. “It’s not fair to say we’re going to cut schools,” Hall said. Part of the funding for roads plan would come from replacing the current 6% sales tax on motor vehicle fuel with an increase of the gas tax that would keep the overall amount of taxes paid the same. The sales tax on gas mostly goes to the School Aid Fund. The gas tax goes entirely to road funding, and Hall the move would result in $945 million more toward road funding. “We urge lawmakers to ensure any changes to the sales tax on fuel include a comprehensive plan to fully replace the funding schools rely on with new revenue,” the education groups wrote. “Failing to do so will undermine not just public education but the other crucial parts of our infrastructure that families and businesses rely on. That would jeopardize Michigan’s future and the success of its students.” The goups said the state’s schools are still recovering from years of underfunding and cannot absorb another large loss in dollars “without significant harm to students and families.” State Superintendent Michael Rice said school children “shouldn’t have to compete with roads for their school funding.” “The Speaker-elect’s proposal doesn’t make clear how schools will be held harmless, let alone how their funding will be improved to continue the strengthening of supports for students and teaching staff in Michigan schools,” Rice said in a statement. Democratic leadership – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and House Speaker Joe Tate – haven’t offered commented on the specifics of the Republican plan. However, in public statements they’ve each said that road funding is a priority and expressed a willingness to work across the aisle on the issue. Whitmer and Brinks additionally touted ongoing progress in repairing bridges, roads and other infrastructure under Democratic leadership. Related: Keep gas tax or adopt pay-per-mile system? Michigan residents are split Republicans flipped the state House on Nov. 5 and will hold the majority next session, with Hall at the helm. Democrats remain in control of both chambers through the end of the year The other dollars for the road funding plan would come from corporate income tax revenues. About $1.2 billion from the state’s 6% corporate income tax would be immediately put toward infrastructure funding, and an additional $600 million would be added in 2026. Hall said there’s room in the state’s General Fund for the manuever. He said General Fund spending has increased by $4 billion since 2018, a 40% increase, with “almost none of that increase going toward Michigan’s crumbling roads and bridges.” Most of the corporate income tax revenue would go to county and city road agencies, with Hall stating that they have been neglected in recent years. He said Whitmer’s $3.5 billion in bonds over the past six years have only supported state highway repairs. Related: Local road agencies ‘treading water’ due to funding constraints The remaining $600 million in corporate income tax revenue would be dedicated in the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The bulk of that additional $600 million would come from $500 million currently earmarked Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund that pays for corporate incentives. That funding is set to expire next year. While Democrats have proposed overhauling the SOAR Fund and continue funding it for another 10 years at $550 million annually, Hall and others have criticized the fund, with the speaker-elect likening it to “corporate handouts.” “I’m just saying, roads is a higher priority than giving the money to corporations,” Hall said. “Who needs it more, right? I would say the people need it for roads more than the corporations need it, many of which have had record years.” Hall went on to criticize General Motors and how GM and Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock are seeking $250 million in state support to downsize and redevelop the five-tower Renaissance Center complex into three towers, according to the Detroit News . “Does GM need it more or does your local county need it more?” Hall asked. “That’s the question that we have to make an answer to very soon.” Hall previously said road funding in the state is “hurtling toward a financial cliff in 2026,” saying that federal infrastructure dollars are drying up and Whitmer’s state highway spending is expiring. Related: Michigan roads are deteriorating faster than they’re being fixed Hall accused Democrats of neglecting road repair funding and instead using budget dollars for other priorities that, in his view, are less important. He touted road repairs, education and public safety as the Republicans’ top priorities.MT Democrats project confidence in Medicaid expansion passage

Kentucky will aim to improve upon its best start in seven seasons when it hosts Western Kentucky on Tuesday night in Lexington, Ky., in the final game of the BBN Invitational. The Wildcats (5-0) are ranked No. 8 in the latest Associated Press poll and are setting impressive offensive milestones even for a program as tradition-rich as Kentucky, which includes eight national championships. The Wildcats have scored 97 or more points in their first four home games for the first time in program history and eclipsed the 100-point mark in three of those games. Their lone trip out of state was a solid 77-72 victory over Duke in a matchup of top-10 teams in Atlanta. Kentucky has also made at least 10 three-pointers in each of its first five games of a season for the first time ever. "I think Kentucky attracts good people," Kentucky coach Mark Pope said after the Wildcats' 108-59 win over Jackson State on Friday. "It's the one place in all college basketball where you represent just a fanbase in a different, unique way." Otega Oweh and Koby Brea have led the Wildcats' early scoring outburst. Oweh, who is averaging 16.2 points per game, had 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting against Jackson State. "He gets us off to unbelievable starts every night," Pope told reporters after that game. "He's probably been our most consistent guy in games." Brea, who scored 22 points against Jackson State and is averaging 16.0 points per game, is leading the nation in 3-point accuracy at 74.1 percent. As a team, the Wildcats are shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. And the few times they miss, Amari Williams has been doing the dirty work on the glass, averaging 10.8 boards in addition to 9.6 points per game. Kentucky faces a different challenge than it's had to contend with so far in the Hilltoppers (3-2), who have won three in a row after losing their first two games to Wichita State and Grand Canyon. Their up-tempo play hasn't exactly resulted in great offensive output, but in the Hilltoppers' 79-62 win over Jackson State on Wednesday, they shot 45.2 percent from 3-point range (14 for 31). "I was happy to see a lot of different guys contribute tonight and, hopefully, get their feet under them a little bit and get some confidence," said Western Kentucky coach Hank Plona, who is in his first season as head coach. "Obviously, Tuesday will be quite a test and challenge for us and we'll need them to be at their absolute best." Western Kentucky has an experienced group, which returned mostly intact from last season. The team is led by Conference USA first-team selection Don McHenry, who is leading the team with 17.2 points and 2.2 steals per game. McHenry is one of four Hilltoppers with scoring averages in double figures. Julius Thedford (11.4 points per game) and Babacar Faye (15.0) are each shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range. Western Kentucky also figures to challenge the Wildcats on the boards as it enters the game ranked in the top 25 in defensive rebounding (30.4 per game). Faye leads the Hilltoppers in that department, averaging 7.8 rebounds per game and figures to battle Williams inside. "We're not the biggest team in the world, but our depth and our quickness are our strengths," Plona said. --Field Level MediaHealey signs jobs bill with legislative additions

How Science Can Drive Global SolutionsLANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert choked back tears taking responsibility for missing the extra point that would have tied the score in the final minute. Jeremy Reaves choked back tears blaming himself for a missed assignment that led to a kickoff return touchdown. And John Bates choked back tears talking about moving forward from his costly fumble. All of those late mistakes contributed to the Washington Commanders' third consecutive loss , 34-26 to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in a game that was wholly unremarkable until fourth quarter chaos. The teams combined to score 31 points in the final four minutes, the most in an NFL game in more than a decade, and the Commanders (7-5) came out on the wrong end of it in a defeat that further endangers their playoff chances. “Any time you lose a game or you lose a game in that type of fashion, it’s very difficult and it’s tough, but it never comes down to one play,” rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels said. “There’s plays throughout the game where little things add up to big things.” There were a lot of little things. After Bates fumbled, the Cowboys (4-7) took an 11-point lead and the Commanders made a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three, Dallas' KaVonte Turpin returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. “I didn’t make the play when it was there to make, and it cost us,” said Reaves, one of the league’s top special teams players and the All-Pro pick for that two seasons ago. “No excuse, man. I’ve made that play 100 times, and I didn’t make it today and it cost us the game. It’s unacceptable. It’s solely on me. It’s going to sting for a while. It’s going to hurt.” After Seibert made a 51-yard field goal, Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard TD that made it 27-26 with 21 seconds left. Coach Dan Quinn said no thought was given to going for 2 in that situation. Seibert, who missed the past two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt. “I just wasn’t striking it well,” said Seibert, who added he felt fine and did not blame a low snap for his miss. "It didn’t make a difference at all. It was on me.” Juanyeh Thomas returned the onside kick immediately after 43 yards for a touchdown to put Dallas up eight with 14 seconds left. The 31 combined points are the second most in a game since at least 2000, behind only Minnesota and Baltimore's 36 in their game Dec. 8, 2013. Cowboys-Commanders was the first game in the Super Bowl era to have two missed extra points, two kickoff return touchdowns and a blocked punt. “We got down to the end there and it was a game-situational extravaganza,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. “It was like Yahtzee. Everything was in there." Story continues below video While Washington's skid continued, the Cowboys ended their losing streak at five thanks to strong play from QB Cooper Rush, a defense that forced two turnovers and, of course, special teams success. Rush was 24 of 32 for 247 yards and TD passes to Jalen Tolbert and Luke Schoonmaker. “Lot of games left,” Rush said. “We’re sitting at 4-7. This is why you play them.” The Commanders have some soul-searching to do after losing as a 10 1/2-point favorite in the meeting of NFC East rivals and doing so in a way that left players so emotional. “The crazy games, I know they feel a little bit better whenever you win them,” punter and holder Tress Way said. “But that’s a tough pill to swallow.” Cowboys: LG Tyler Smith was inactive with ankle and knee injuries. ... RG Zack Martin (ankle), CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) and TE Jake Ferguson (concussion) were ruled out prior to game day and did not travel for the game. Commanders: RB Austin Ekeler was concussed on a kickoff return in the final seconds and taken to a hospital for further evaluation. ... RB Brian Robinson Jr. left with an ankle injury in the first half, returned and then left again. ... RT Andrew Wylie was concussed in the third quarter and did not return. ... C Tyler Biadasz was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth. ... CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) missed a third consecutive game since being acquired at the trade deadline from New Orleans. Cowboys: Host the New York Giants on Thursday in the traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas. Commanders: Host the Tennessee Titans next Sunday in Washington’s final game before its late bye week. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

LifeLabs data breach report released after firm loses four-year bid to keep it quietSeibert misses an extra point late as the Commanders lose their 3rd in a row, 34-26 to the Cowboys

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Pep Guardiola committed himself to Manchester City for another two years on Thursday and quickly set his sights on adding to his record-breaking reign. Guardiola ended uncertainty about his future by signing a contract extension that would prolong his tenure as City manager to 11 seasons. “I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for," said the 53-year-old Catalan coach, whose current deal was due to expire at the end of this season. "Hopefully now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.” Guardiola has overseen a period of unprecedented dominance since joining City in 2016. He has gone on to win six Premier League titles in seven years at the Etihad Stadium and also won the Champions League. In total, he has won 15 major trophies at the club. He has set new benchmarks, with City becoming the first team to win four-straight English league titles and the first to amass 100 points in a single season in 2018. He also led City to the treble in 2023, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in one season — matching Manchester United's achievement in 1999. “Manchester City means so much to me. This is my ninth season here. We have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club,” Guardiola added in his statement. “That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.” Publicly, Guardiola gave no indication about whether he would stay on even as he entered the final months of his contract. That led to speculation about potential successors, but City remained hopeful he could be convinced to sign another extension. He has already managed City for longer than any his former clubs, having spent four years at Barcelona and three at Bayern Munich. City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said he was “delighted” that Guardiola is staying. “His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our club, and the English game at large,” he said. Story continues below video “This renewal will take Pep beyond a decade of coaching Manchester City and the opportunity to continue to re-write the managerial record books.” Guardiola's new deal comes at a time when City's Premier League dominance appears to be under threat . The four-time defending champion has lost four games in succession in all competitions — the worst losing streak of Guardiola's managerial career. Guardiola is widely considered one of the greatest managers of all time, having been a serial winner at Barcelona, Bayern and City. He has won 33 major titles with those clubs, including three Champions League trophies. His decision to stay at City also comes as the club faces a slew of alleged financial breaches . Punishment could be as extreme as expulsion from the league. City faces more than 100 charges ranging over a nine-year period when it was trying to establish itself as the biggest force in English soccer. The club denies the charges and Guardiola had said in September — when a closed-door hearing was scheduled — that he welcomed the chance to clear the club’s name. A verdict is not expected until next year. James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerKentucky will aim to improve upon its best start in seven seasons when it hosts Western Kentucky on Tuesday night in Lexington, Ky., in the final game of the BBN Invitational. The Wildcats (5-0) are ranked No. 8 in the latest Associated Press poll and are setting impressive offensive milestones even for a program as tradition-rich as Kentucky, which includes eight national championships. The Wildcats have scored 97 or more points in their first four home games for the first time in program history and eclipsed the 100-point mark in three of those games. Their lone trip out of state was a solid 77-72 victory over Duke in a matchup of top-10 teams in Atlanta. Kentucky has also made at least 10 three-pointers in each of its first five games of a season for the first time ever. "I think Kentucky attracts good people," Kentucky coach Mark Pope said after the Wildcats' 108-59 win over Jackson State on Friday. "It's the one place in all college basketball where you represent just a fanbase in a different, unique way." Otega Oweh and Koby Brea have led the Wildcats' early scoring outburst. Oweh, who is averaging 16.2 points per game, had 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting against Jackson State. "He gets us off to unbelievable starts every night," Pope told reporters after that game. "He's probably been our most consistent guy in games." Brea, who scored 22 points against Jackson State and is averaging 16.0 points per game, is leading the nation in 3-point accuracy at 74.1 percent. As a team, the Wildcats are shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. And the few times they miss, Amari Williams has been doing the dirty work on the glass, averaging 10.8 boards in addition to 9.6 points per game. Kentucky faces a different challenge than it's had to contend with so far in the Hilltoppers (3-2), who have won three in a row after losing their first two games to Wichita State and Grand Canyon. Their up-tempo play hasn't exactly resulted in great offensive output, but in the Hilltoppers' 79-62 win over Jackson State on Wednesday, they shot 45.2 percent from 3-point range (14 for 31). "I was happy to see a lot of different guys contribute tonight and, hopefully, get their feet under them a little bit and get some confidence," said Western Kentucky coach Hank Plona, who is in his first season as head coach. "Obviously, Tuesday will be quite a test and challenge for us and we'll need them to be at their absolute best." Western Kentucky has an experienced group, which returned mostly intact from last season. The team is led by Conference USA first-team selection Don McHenry, who is leading the team with 17.2 points and 2.2 steals per game. McHenry is one of four Hilltoppers with scoring averages in double figures. Julius Thedford (11.4 points per game) and Babacar Faye (15.0) are each shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range. Western Kentucky also figures to challenge the Wildcats on the boards as it enters the game ranked in the top 25 in defensive rebounding (30.4 per game). Faye leads the Hilltoppers in that department, averaging 7.8 rebounds per game and figures to battle Williams inside. "We're not the biggest team in the world, but our depth and our quickness are our strengths," Plona said. --Field Level Media

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Alternative digital coins are rising rapidly, signaling a major shift in the crypto market. As the winter of 2024/2025 approaches, three key cryptocurrencies are emerging that could change the game. Their sudden growth is drawing attention worldwide. Discover which digital assets might lead the next big trend. Score Big with XYZ: The New Meme Coin Heavyweight The fans are losing it! The XYZ token is in the crypto ring, landing blows on the competition – bullshit coins, worthless farming schemes, and scam projects. Like a true champ, this first-ever all-sports meme token has fought its way through the bear market with fearless momentum and shows no signs of slowing down. 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BOME’s 5,000% takeoff and WIF’s 1,000% year-to-date rally are now relics of the past because XYZ is set to explode by over 9,900% from its current price by the TGE and outshine its sensational predecessors. Get in the game early to secure your spot – currently undervalued , XYZ is going the distance to break new records! 🥇 Rallying the community, securing the win 🥇 XYZVerse will be the MVP in this bull run , giving the community the control to call the plays and steer the ecosystem's direction. Active contributors will receive airdropped XYZ tokens as a reward for their dedication. With rock-solid tokenomics and plans for both CEX/DEX listings, XYZ is positioned for a championship run , ensuring a steady revenue flow and consistent token burns to keep the scoreboard in favor of a strong price and a thriving community. >>The XYZ presale is live – don’t miss out on this knockout 9,900% opportunity!President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, known as AKD, outlined the plans of his Government to rescue the crisis-ridden and slow growing economy in delivering the President’s Address at the opening of the 10th Parliament last week1. In a short speech like this, one cannot give all the micro details of his plan. Hence, by outlining the main policy parameters, he treated his audience to the vision by which his Government is guided in the next five years to deliver prosperity to Sri Lankans. AKD’s forte lies in delivering speeches freely out of his mind instead of reading a prepared text. In his maiden speech at Parliament as the President of the Republic, he spoke for long 55 minutes occasionally looking at the sketch of his speech to pick only the key points. Otherwise, it was a free flow of his mind. In development policy designing and management, there are further steps to be taken by AKD Government. The vision should be converted to a plan, plan broken into projects, projects divided into programs, programs to be represented by implementation units. These units should be given targets with a timeframe. On the other side of implementation, there should be continuous monitoring, progress reviewing, and trouble shooting if there are impediments in the plan implementation. These two machineries should be put in place immediately and they should naturally be under AKD himself to provide the necessary authority and leadership for change management. Without this, the vision will be a talk only devoid of action. James Carville, the political advisor to Bill Clinton is said to have coined in 1992 the phrase, ‘It is the Economy Stupid’, to belittle Clinton’s opposite, George HW Bush, on his ignorance of the ground realities in the ailing US economy2. The underlying connotation was that both the US economy and its chief economic manager were stupid. This soon became the Clinton campaign slogan, and it was successful in denying a second term for the incumbent President. AKD’s chief contender, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe or RW too tried to belittle his two main contenders on a similar ground. RW is reported to have publicly ridiculed AKD as well as Sajith Premadasa that neither one was experienced in running a crisis-hit economy unlike him. In his view, they both had run away from responsibility when the country needed a leader to bring order to the emerging anarchic state. In this context, RW maintained that only he stepped forward to take responsibility and only he had an experienced team to do so3. In the Parliamentary election campaign, RW asked the voters not to send inexperienced people to Parliament and reiterated that only his team has the necessary experience4. The results of both the Presidential and Parliamentary elections showed that RW had failed to convince the voters on this point, like the economy stupid slogan of the Clinton campaign. AKD, in his President’s address, disproved his critics. However, after the Presidential and Parliamentary elections, it is the economy stupid that is going to loom over Sri Lanka making it AKD’s biggest challenge. Like any economic policy program, AKD’s program too has plus as well as minus points. With the unmatched super popularity which AKD has got from the people across the country today, it is natural for his fans to overvalue plus points and gloss over the shortcomings. Such analysis is guided by pure emotional affiliations, and it is injurious to both AKD and the country. The overassessment of his program will not give him an opportunity to correct himself. The country will suffer because of the unintended consequences of his policies. As a result, when, on a later date, the weaknesses are realised, it will be too late to reverse the policies and cut the long-term costs to the economy. Such a fate served on the former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa when he sought to convert the country’s agriculture to organic farming overnight. This daring and obviously destructive attempt was praised by those who were around Gotabaya and, as a result, neither he nor his policy advisors got an opportunity to stop it in time to avoid the long-term damage done to Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector. AKD should not fall into this trap just by listening to people who praise him. Hence, this article will critically review AKD’s policy statement. AKD’s policy vision is based on inclusive development which solicits participation of citizens in all the regions, all ethnicities, all faiths, and all lingual groups. The mandate he has got is from all these diverse parties. But he admitted that there are citizens who have not voted for him, or the candidates fielded by his political alliance. AKD and his Government accept that for a vibrant democracy – a necessity for sustainable development, there should be a multiparty system. It requires the recognition and appreciation of diverse views. This is the foundation of society being promoted under his rule. But for people to participate in development activities, there should also be the observance of the Rule of Law. AKD proudly announced that there should be no one who is above the law and all are under the law. In my view, this rule should be applied to the Executive President as well. A recent example of a President flouting this rule relates to RW who was found guilty by the Supreme Court for violating the Constitution by not holding the local government elections in time5. But RW, instead of observing the Rule of Law, defended his decision not to hold the local government elections implying that he would not obey the Supreme Court’s judgment6. This is a dangerous path for democratic inclusive development. Hence, AKD should not permit anyone to ridicule judicial judgments under his rule. When this precedent is established, it will be observed by future generations as Sri Lanka’s moral and ethical foundation for societal development. It is an essential requirement for inclusive development. Connected to this is his ‘clean Sri Lanka’ program which has gone beyond the environmental aspects of cleaning. It calls for an attitudinal and behavioural change in Sri Lankan people, on one side, and changing the behaviour of Parliamentarians, on the other. In the past, especially during the previous RW regime, Parliament became a place which did not give the best example of behaviour, accountability, and moral ethics to Sri Lankan people. On one occasion, RW speaking in Parliament said that there was no local government election and therefore there was no question of postponing the elections7. When the Supreme Court ordered that the local government elections should be conducted in terms of the prevailing laws, a government party legislator proposed that privileges of Parliament have been breached by an interim order of the Supreme Court8. These are only two glaring instances of immoral and unethical behaviour. These are clear cases of the non-observance of the accountability principle by legislators but there are many more. AKD stressed that Parliament cannot continue to act like this, and it should be brought under the supervision of the public eye. Regarding the behaviour of people, he said that the current ethos and norms should be changed to build a responsible society that appreciates each other. These are what economists call the defects in the institutional structure of the country. They have been branded as destructive institutions and they should necessarily be changed into inclusive institutions if Sri Lanka is to prevent itself from being a failed nation9. AKD also justified, quite correctly, the decision of his Government to go along with the prevailing Extended Fund Facility or EFF from IMF and the associated debt restructuring program. He said that the depth of the economic issue facing Sri Lanka does not leave room for making even the slightest mistake by the Government. It will be fatal to the economic life. Hence, to bring order to the chaos-stricken economy and maintain the trust and confidence of the international community, the Government has decided to be within the parameters set by IMF. He said that the third review of EFF is under way and will be completed by 22 November. This was done as expected10. Debt restructuring with bilateral creditors and commercial creditors, mainly the International Sovereign Bond or ISB holders, will be completed as agreed with them previously by end-December 2024. These are significant achievements with respect to IMF facility contrary to the suspicions of the critics of the AKD Government. However, the external debt restructuring without a significant haircut will leave a massive external sector gap of about $ 17 billion by 2027 as projected by IMF in May 2024 based on the estimated foreign inflows and outflow. It will simply pass the obligation onto the future generations. To avoid another debt crisis and free the future generations of the likely burden falling on them, AKD Government should increase the net foreign inflows in 2025 and beyond through an improvement in the export of goods and services to about $ 45 billion by 2030 as targeted by the Export Development Board11. This is an ambitious target but should necessarily be attained. Proceeding with IMF will help Sri Lanka to tackle the issues in the nominal side of the macroeconomy. That is made up of the inflation, exchange rate, balance of payments, and the government budget. But the development of the real side of the macroeconomy, that is, the production of goods and services, is outside this IMF program. The real sector development will allow Sri Lanka to deliver prosperity to people, improve their living standards, generate employment, and repay external debt by facilitating the earning of foreign exchange through the export of goods and services. For this, a separate plan is necessary. I have presented this case earlier in a separate article12. AKD has recognised this fact. He has proposed to take some immediate measures, known as picking low-hanging fruits, and initiating programs to create a turning point in Sri Lanka’s economy. As low-hanging fruits, he has identified five key areas. They are, information and communication technology or ICT, tourism, use of harbour services, agriculture, and fisheries. These five sectors will help Sri Lanka to increase the incomes of the people, generate employment, and promote consumption which is at a low ebb now. However, given the scale of the foreign funding needed to finance the external financing gap in the immediate future, all these five sectors will not help AKD to generate sufficient foreign exchange income to meet the requirements. They are also medium-term developments rather than quickly pickable fruits. Also, a sector like tourism, though AKD expects to increase the number to 4 million per annum generating a tourism income of $ 8 billion in the next 3-4 years, has two issues to be solved immediately. One is the limited carrying capacity with the available hotel, airport, and transport facilities. These represent investments to be achieved in the medium term rather than immediately. Hence, if Sri Lanka starts investing in these infrastructure facilities immediately, it can attain observable results only after about five years. The second is the low domestic value addition in the tourism sector. To maintain tourists, Sri Lanka should import fuel to power their transportation and electricity generation, vehicles, and above all, foods and beverages. In addition, road and airport expansion also involve foreign exchange expenditure. In these circumstances, the domestic value addition will be only the profits of the hotels, salaries paid to local employees, and purchase of utilities from the domestic market. Hence, out of the $ 8 billion earned as gross income, the net domestic value addition is projected to be about $ 2-3 billion. ICT sector also faces the problem of quick market access and lack of talented personnel. Market access can be achieved through comprehensive economic cooperation agreements with buyer countries on one side, and partnering with seller countries, on the other. In this case, renegotiating the abandoned Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement or ETCA with India should be done by AKD government as a matter of priority. Partnership with Indian ICT firms will provide quick market access to Sri Lankan ICT developers. However, a caveat in ICT sector is the advancements in artificial intelligence or AI which will take over many of the routine and programming jobs from human workers. Developed countries attempt at resolving this issue by evolving with AI13. Without an AI base, Sri Lanka cannot do this. As a turning point, AKD is planning to rely on the development of a digital economy to improve the efficiency and hence, the productivity, in the economy, and the introduction of new technology to Sri Lanka increase its value addition. These are worthwhile medium-term goals to be pursued by the country to make it a rich country in the long run. However, that alone will not help the country due to the scanty natural resource base in the country. Sri Lanka’s only available resource is the brain power of its people. This sector faces two issues which AKD has not recognised in his plan. One is the fast ageing of the Sri Lanka’s population. According to the projections by Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific or ESCAP, Sri Lanka is fast ageing with a median age of 33 in 2025 rising to 40 by 205014. This is a fast increase since 1960 when the median age stood at 18. With an ever-rising low number of young people, Sri Lanka is fast losing its demographic dividend. The second is the increased migration of the professionals in the country which has accelerated during the last three years. The loss of trained professionals is an impediment for Sri Lanka to attain a sustained economic growth. AKD should lay foundation for converting this brain drain to a brain gain. Overall, AKD’s policy statement is comprehensive, well-designed, and quickly implementable. He has not gone for a long-term dream like converting Sri Lanka to rich country by 2048 as was done by RW. His dream was limited only to words without action. In contrast, AKD has tried to tackle immediate as well as medium-term issues. This represents a visionary dream. As argued above, this dream should be converted to an action plan which should be monitored continuously to ensure rapid progress and resolve issues. 1An English translation is available at: https://pmd.gov.lk/news/the-full-speech-delivered-by-president-anura-kumara-dissanayake-at-the-inauguration-of-the-first-session-of-the-tenth-parliament/ 2https://politicaldictionary.com/words/its-the-economy-stupid/ 3https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/Why-Ranil-is-so-Confident-of-Winning-the-Presidential-Election/172-291758 4https://economynext.com/sri-lankas-former-president-calls-for-experienced-members-to-be-sent-to-parliament-184036/ 5https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/sri-lanka-top-court-finds-president-wickremesinghe-guilty-of-unlawful-conduct-over-election-delay/articleshow/112716801.cms 6https://www.instagram.com/colombogazette/reel/C_Fq1EtOqaE/ 7https://citizen.lk/article/watch-there-is-no-election-to-be-postponed-ranil-tells-parliament 8https://ceylontoday.lk/2023/03/08/dolawatte-raises-privileges-issue-over-court-order/ 9This issue has been treated in detail here: https://www.ft.lk/columns/What-can-AKD-and-also-SP-and-RW-learn-from-Economics-Nobel-Laureates-in-2024/4-768187 10https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/11/23/pr24435-imf-team-reaches-staff-level-agreement-with-sri-lanka 11https://www.ft.lk/top-story/EDB-targets-45-b-export-revenue-by-2030-amid-economic-overhaul/26-769471#:~:text=EDB%20targets%20%24%2045%20b%20export%20revenue%20by%202030%20amid%20economic%20overhaul,-Thursday%2C%2021%20November&text=Sri%20Lanka%20has%20set%20its,within%20the%20next%20five%20years. 12https://www.ft.lk/columns/AKD-s-top-priority-should-be-to-appease-a-population-boiling-from-within/4-767000 13https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIL5pVqFceA 14https://www.population-trends-asiapacific.org/data/LKA