May 19 (EN) Softlogic Holdings group said it had acquired the franchise for Baskin-Robbins ice cream which would help expand its retail and fast food restaurants business. Softlogic Restaurants Ltd, group subsidiary, had acquired the exclusive master franchise for Baskin-Robbins ice cream and its allied products in a deal with Blue Ginger Ltd. The deal, terms of which were not disclosed, gives Softlogic rights to import, distribute and retail Baskin-Robbins ice cream and more..

May 19 (PHC) Sri Lanka-Pakistan Friendship, Trade and Investment Association will hold its 4th Ramazan Bazaar on Sunday (21) at the Dutch Burger Union, No. 114, Reid Avenue, Colombo 4. Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in SL Dr. Sarfraz Sipra will be the chief guest on the occasion. Following the huge success of its preceding Ramazan Bazaars, SL-Pakistan Friendship, Trade and Investment Association will be continuing its drive to augment people-to-people contact more..

May 19 (Island) The national cricket team left for Champions Trophy yesterday promising to raise fielding standards. Fielding woes have cost the Sri Lankans dearly during their recent bilateral series against South Africa and Bangladesh and Angelo Mathews’ side has been termed world’s worst fielding unit. A week long residential training camp was held in Kandy with the main focus being improving fielding. more..

May 19 (FT) A MoU was signed between the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Seafood Exporters Association of SL, committing to work together to improve the biological and ecological status of Sri Lanka’s longline tuna and billfish fisheries and to develop and implement national and int'l fishery specific management measures that will maintain the biological and ecological status of each fishery at a level consistent with a sustainably managed fishery.  more..

May 19 (Island) The ICC announced the umpire and match referee appointments for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, which will be staged from 1-18 June at Cardiff Wales Stadium, Edgbaston and The Oval. Chris Broad, David Boon and Andy Pycroft of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees will officiate in the tournament while the umpiring responsibilities will be shared between all the 12 Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, namely: Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, more..

May 19 (ST) Sri Lanka is considering opening up ground handling services, a lucrative business at international airports, to global airlines in a bid to ensure competitive pricing. “Several airlines have complained that ground handling charges in Sri Lanka are high, so in order to be competitive we need to open it up. With two it will be more competitive,” Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director General H.M.C. Nimalsiri said. more..

May 19 (FT) Supreme Court yesterday ordered the depositors of several associations affiliated to the Ceylinco depositors’ case not to alienate the assets involved in the case in anyone’s name until the court resolved the case. The Judges of the Supreme Court hearing the depositors’ case gave this direction to the depositors upon considering the submissions made by counsel for several depositor associations. At outset of the case Senior Counsel Ian Fernando told court that more..

May 19 (DN) Sri Lanka’s fast bowling consultant South African Allan Donald said that it is upto the team and its players to do the country proud after they had gone through one of the most thorough preparations ahead of the ICC Champions trophy. “The attitude and intensity the boys brought to the table over the last 10-15 days it’s been unbelievable, we couldn’t have asked for anymore than that,” said Donald who prepared the players in their training in Colombo and Kandy. more..

May 19 (HRW) Sri Lanka’s latest counterterrorism bill falls far short of the govt’s pledges to the UNHRC to end abusive detention without charge, Human Rights Watch said. The Cabinet approved the third draft of the Counter Terrorism Act (CTA) on May 3, but no parliamentary vote has been set. While the bill improves upon the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), it would still permit many of the abuses more..

May 19 (NR) A special traffic plan will be implemented in Colombo from 2pm to 7pm today, in view of the National War Heroes Commemoration scheduled to be held today at the Parliament Grounds in Battaramulla. The traffic plan will come into effect under several phases. The first phase of the traffic plan will function from Polduwa Junction to Pelawatte Junction and the Parliament Road, Kimbulawala Junction, Keangnam Roundabout until the Sri Lanka Japan Friendship Road. more..

May 19 (DM) The Meteorology Department’s digital display erected within its premises in Colombo was seen displaying ‘0’ mm for the rainfall category even during the torrential rains today. A photo which showed this peculiar weather characteristic was captured by a passerby.  The digital display had been installed to show the daily weather report. When contacted, an official of the Department said the display, which is updated automatically had stalled recently. more..

May 19 (DM) JVP condemned the teargas and baton charge carried out by the police on the university students who were engaged in a protest march organised by the IUSF. JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said the IUSF students did not engaged in a fight with the govt or the police, but only held a peaceful protest for a very reasonable demand. “Govt treated them as criminals and attacked them in inhuman manner. more..

May 19 (DM) The purohita in charge of the public purse and the head of the bank controlling the country’s monetary policy – had reportedly been involved in a heated exchange at the meeting of a high-level committee on economic management the other day. The purohita had reportedly taken exception to some comments contained in the latest annual report of the bank and a heated argument had ensued when the bank head defended the contents of the report. more..

May 19 (Island) Weather played havoc in most parts of Colombo yesterday disrupting normal life and causing injuries to several people. Adverse weather hampered rescue of victims trapped under a collapsed building in Wellawatte. Heavy rains caused flash floods in several areas of the city, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill and compelling people to wade through water on roads. Train services on the Kelani Valley line were disrupted due to fallen trees blocking tracks. more..

May 19 (Island) SL Medical Council Chairman Prof. Carlo Fonseka urged relevant authorities to investigate and take action against all criminal offences committed against SLMC and its officials since 2002. He said that from the setting SLMC premises on fire in 2002 to the most recent incident, where an unexploded hand grenade was detected within its premises, SLMC and its members had been faced several attacks & threats. more..

May 19 (DN) The ceremony to commemorate thousands of service personnel who laid down their lives to save the country from the shackles of terrorism will take place at the National War Memorial at Battaramulla under the patronage of President Sirisena today. PM, Ministers, Tri Forces Commanders and family members of the those who made the supreme sacrifice for the Motherland will participate in this ceremony. Ceremonies to commemorate war veterans who saved the more..

May 19 (CT) Minister of Fisheries Mahinda Amaraweera, yesterday said a Cabinet reshuffle was imminent. He said he was not aware of any UNP State Ministers who were opposed to the reshuffle. Pressed for comment he added that he was not aware of any turmoil within the UNP itself that has been stirred up by the imminent Cabinet reshuffle. "It seems that there are issues within the UNP itself but I have not heard of any State Ministers opposing a reshuffle," he said. more..

May 19 (Island) Police have told The Island that they will question the owner and two contractors of the six storeyed building which collapsed at Wellawatte yesterday injuring 26 persons.   The building housing Excellency Banquet Hall located near Savoy Cinema on Charlemont Road had collapsed around 11.00 am, police said, adding that the injured had been rushed to the National Hospital and Colombo South Teaching Hospital. more..

May 19 (DM) Refuting the allegations that PMs and Cabinet ministers imported vehicles worth at least Rs.45 million each, Minister Daya Gamage said today the cost of such vehicles did not exceed Rs.7.5 million each when imported under the vehicle permits granted to them. Addressing a news conference held at Sirikotha recently, He said most of the ministers used their permits to import common vehicles such as Toyota Land Cruisers which cost about 50,000 USD each. more..

May 19 (DM) Amid speculation of a Cabinet reshuffle, UNP sources said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe had informed President Sirisena and former president Chandrika Kumaratunga that the portfolios assigned to the UNP should not be changed. In such a scenario, any reshuffle, will only apply to portfolios held by SLFP members. UNP MPs Bandulalal Bandarigoda and Asoka Priyanatha have expressed views opposing any reshuffling of portfolios currently assigned to the UNP. more..

May 19 (AP) Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamils on Thursday lit lamps and displayed photos framed in flowers of relatives killed in a bloody civil war, marking the eighth anniversary of the end of the fighting. A Sri Lankan court barred activists from holding a commemoration near a monument to Tamils killed in the fighting, but other memorials were carried out unhindered in many parts of the country's north and east. more..

May 19 (DM) Wednesday (17) was the UN World Telecommunication and Information Society Day with this year’s theme being, Big data for big impact. UN in a statement says the theme focuses on the power of Big Data for development and aims to explore how to turn imperfect, complex, often unstructured data into actionable information in a development context.  According to the UN, the insight brought on by advanced analysis can strongly complement evidence-based nature more..

May 19 (DM) Hard on the heels of his fast unto death in prison calling for his release on bail, NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa was again in the news and became a laughing stock by calling for the hoisting of the black flag against Indian PM Narendra Modi during the latter’s visit to Sri Lanka to participate in the United Nations’ International Vesak Festival.  Pathetically there were no takers for his call even within his political group, the Joint Opposition. more..

May 19 (DM) From Paranthan, the road to Vallipuram is rich and green. Great expanses of paddy stretch out before you, clumps of palmyrah dot the land and little streams of water trickle by. As we near the fighting, paddy fields give way to broken buildings and blasted vehicles. Twisted trees and uprooted trunks line the way. Everything is covered with a layer of brown dust. An occasional boat lies stranded on either side of the road, more..

May 19 (DM) Consultant Bowling Coach Allan Donald believes SL Team had a good preparation for the Champions Trophy but said one of the key factors for team’s success could be the bowling at the death overs. The 50-year-old joined as consultant fast bowling coach for two months in the run-up to the tournament starting on June 1. “No question about it,” said Donald when asked how crucial the death bowling is going to be more..

May 19 (DM) The United National Party (UNP), the grand old party was formed 6.5 decades ago with the leadership of the late PM D. S. Senanayake. His son late Dudley Senanayake took over as the party leader after his death. This is despite the expectations of people such as J. R. Jayewardene and Sir John Kothalawala who had prime ministerial ambitions and the striving to hold prominent positions in the party. more..

May 19 (ST) Govt intends to rid the Metropolis of roaming cattle, stray dogs and beggars. Megapolis Ministry, starting mid-June, will launch a massive programme to round up all the cattle, dogs and beggars on the roads and transport them to shelters in distant areas. This step is taken in view of several road accidents caused by an increasing number of cattle roaming the roads of cities and towns. In addition, beggars more..

May 19 (cau) Few players get the chance to walk past their own portrait on their way out to bat, and even less have the honour of doing so at Lord's. But that's exactly what SL legend Kumar Sangakkara will do after the MCC announced they'll unveil recently-commissioned portraits of him and fellow Test star Mahela Jayawardena on Friday. The two paintings will go on display in the Lord's Pavilion on the opening day of Middlesex's more..

May 19 (Island) The govt would not change its decision to bring in Indian teachers to be appointed to Tamil schools in the estate sector, Education State Minister V Radhakrishnan vowed. State Ministry of Education has, quoted Minister Radhakrishnan as saying that the govt has decided to bring in 100 teachers from India to overcome the prevailing shortage of science and maths teachers in estate schools. more..

May 19 (CT) Minister Mano Ganesan stated that he was ashamed that this govt tolerated the likes of BBS, following an attack by the latter on his ministry. On Wednesday evening the chief monk of BBS Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera had barged into the Ministry for National Co-Existence Dialogue and Official Languages and demanded to speak to the Minister. According to a video clip of the incident which went viral more..

May 19 (PTI) An unidentified gunman opened fire on Friday on police in Sri Lanka’s former LTTE stronghold of Kilinochchi, a day after Tamils observed the eighth anniversary of the end of the three-decade long civil war. Several police officers of the Kilinochchi police station in the war-ravaged northern province escaped unhurt in the incident that took place in the early hours. The army and police officers have launched a search operation more..

May 19 (Island) Former Director General of the Treasury Operations Department of the Finance Ministry M.S.D. Ranasiri, said that he was not aware that Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake had sent a letter to the CB Governor in 2015 Feb or there after requesting Rs. 75 billion. He said that he could not recall an occasion where a Finance Minister had requested money directly from the Central Bank while he was in service. more..

May 19 (Hindu) Australia is exploring options with the TN govt and Sri Lanka to rehabilitate some Sri Lankan refugees in the State that will in turn reduce the number of refugees trying to enter Australia through illegal means, a top Australian Border Force official said. Roman Quaedvlieg APM, Commissioner of Australian Border Force, met TN Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and discussed options including Australian assistance more..

May 19 (CT) Today marks the eighth anniversary of SL's victory over LTTE terrorism, now known as Remembrance Day. Post 19 May 2009, much has been done towards eliminating racial discrimination, the chief cause for LTTE terrorism, and in the wider context Tamil terrorism. The effects of the cause had its origins on the first day of independence itself, when on 4 Feb, 1948 black flags were hoisted in Jaffna, indicating that independence to SL meant death to the Tamils. more..

May 19 (CT) In one of the worst cases of domestic violence in recent times, F.S a young 18 year old Muslim girl is currently battling life threatening injuries after being tied to a chair, poured oil and set on fire by her abusive husband last Friday. She was four months pregnant and lost her baby. She is also the young mother of a 7-month old baby. F.S is also a victim of forced child marriage, which is legal for SL Muslims. She was 16 years old when was taken to Nallanthaluwa Kodi Palli Mosque more..

May 19 (EN) Govt has been urged to lift restrictions on electronic bidding, accept e-signatures and mandate online publication of procurement plans in an effort to introduce electronic procurement. Electronic govt procurement could improve efficiency, cut costs and reduce corruption in SL govt procurement, according to Verité Research, a think-tank. “E-procurement offers the govt major cost savings, higher value for money and better fiscal management,” it said in a new report. more..

May 19 (NR) The 8 students including a Buddhist Monk of the Inter University Students Federation, arrested and remanded on charges of behaving in an unruly manner and violating a court order, have been released on bail. The order was issued by the Colombo Chief Magistrates Court when the suspects were produced before court today. Students were arrested on Wednesday during a protest carried out against the conduct of SAITM. 8 students were subsequently remanded until today. more..

May 19 (DM) GMOA said it had allowed its district level branches to decide whether they need to extend Monday's token strike originally planed for 4 hours to 24 hours. GMOA Additional Secretary Haritha Aluthge said that several district level branches were keen to extend the token strike to 24 hours. “Our district level branches have requested us to extend this scheduled trade union action for 24 hours considering the prevailing situation. more..