Lanka News – Lanka Gazette – Sri Lanka News Portal

Jubilant Foodworks , which runs the Dominos Pizza chain in the country, plans to open two more stores in Sri Lanka over the next two months, its chief executive Ajay Kaul said in anearnings conference call yesterday.

 The company entered Sri Lanka last September and operates one store in the country.  (Reuters)Tweet

India have still to win on their Australia tour after losing the first of two Twenty20 internationals by 31 runs to the home side at the Sydney Olympic stadium on Wednesday.

Before the biggest crowd for a single day’s cricket in Sydney of almost 60,000, Australia rattled up 171 for four off their 20 overs after being sent into bat and reduced India to 140 for six.

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Mahela Jayawardene on Thursday said he has taken up the Sri Lanka captaincy for a short term and rejected rumours that there was an internal bickering in the side.

"I took up the captaincy once again, for one-year. Our target is to win matches, to regain our place as one of the top-four Test playing nations," Jayawardene told reporters in Colombo.

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‘Thirteen Plus is correct and accurate. The meaning of Thirteen Plus is establishing a Senate. The entire thirteenth amendment is a vast decentralization of powers. There is no big issue when it comes to decentralizing land powers, but, there is a serious issue on the system of devolving Police powers. Therefore, the question is what is wrong with discussing this single issue in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC)’, Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing held at the Government Information Department yesterday, Minister Rambukwella said that it is questionable whether the devolution of land and Police powers are actually wanted by the ordinary people living in the North and East or a few politicians. The most important fact is acting in the best interest of the country. The government has not decided a deadline for PSC activities because it has no intention to take a decision alone, stating that there are no participants in the PSC from other political parties. The government will not be responsible for any delay or dragging its feet on the process. Absence of deadlines has done good things so far. One such positive sign is now there are two sides in the TNA, UNP and in the JVP which thinks that they should take part in the PSC and should not take part.

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Double centuries by Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting and another shaky start by India‘s stuttering batsman left the visitors under pressure in the fourth Test in Adelaide on Wednesday.

Skipper Clarke declared for the second time in the one-sided series – this time at 604 for seven – before his bowlers claimed two early wickets to put Australia well on top at the end the second day.

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The Sri Lanka Navy arrested two persons including a former LTTE cadre when they crossed into Sri Lankan waters from India, Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya said.

They were arrested by a patrol team attached to the North Western Naval Command. At the time of the arrest the two men were swimming to the 9th Sand Bank from the 8th after entering the waters through a hired Indian boat.

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The first stage of the Atchuveli industrial zone would be ready by March this year. Several local and foreign investors have expressed interest to commence operations. The President of The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Yarlpanam, K. Poornachandran said that the first stage would include the developing of 25 acres and a further 67 acres would be added to the second stage. ‘Under the first stage 40 companies would operate and the total direct and indirect employment from the project would be over 6,000.’

One of the biggest advantages similar to the Hambantota airport and harbour industrial zones would be the close proximity of an international harbour and airport. “The Palali airport which is to be elevated to an international airport and Kankesanthurai harbour are located less than 10 kilometres to the zone giving investors the opportunity for exports,” he said speaking at the opening of the three day Jaffna International Trade Fair (JITF) which was concluded last Sunday at Alfred Dureiappa Stadium.

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‘The salaries of Cabinet ministers and Supreme Court judges should be on the same scale according to the constitution but the salary increase was given only for judges. No salary increase was given to ministers. President Mahinda Rajapaksa said ‘no’ to such an increase, Cabinet Spokesman and Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

“A worker attached to a certain corporation gets a salary of around Rs. 69,000, including all allowances and other payments,” he said. Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Department Auditorium yesterday, Minister Rambukwella said that the government has already held serious negotiations with the three institutions and came to a clean cut position to offer them a flat rate (a salary increase of 25 percent).

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Five youngsters from Rajanganaya brought fame to Sri Lanka by showing their supremacy in different age categories at the South Asian Open Karate Championships held in Chennai, India recently.

The event was organized by Ko Sikorio Kiyo Kai Association. Twenty two Karatekas from Sri Lanka participated in the event where they won 12 championships and second places while winning the third places in three events. K.M.D. Nadun Kulasekara won the under 7 championship while Ishan Sujeewa Karunatilaka won the second place in the under 13 age group. A. Ashan Madusanka and B.G. Iresh Salitha Baddegama grabbed second places. G.G. Lahiru Krishan Karunatilaka won the second place in under-18 age group. K.M. Shelton Anil Kumara instructed the team from Rajangana.

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India‘s horrific tour of Australia got worse when captain M.S. Dhoni was suspended for one Test by the International Cricket Council (ICC) Sunday for a slow over rate. Dhoni was punished under the ICC Code of Conduct after being two overs behind the required rate, adding to the humiliation of his team’s defeat in the third Test by an innings and 37 runs inside three days.

It means struggling opener Virender Sehwag, whose place in the team has been questioned due to his poor form against Australia, is likely to captain India in Adelaide for the fourth Test starting Tuesday week.

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