Sri Lankans Smoked 6470 Million Cigerattes And Beedis In 2009

Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Geethanjana Gunewardena has said in Parliament today that the Sri Lankans had smoked 4200 million Cigarettes and 2270 million "Beedi"(a kind of local cigarette made from tobacco) in the year 2009.

He has revealed these facts by responding to a question raised by the opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake.Deputy Finance Minister has also said that the total earned tax revanue of the government from Cigarettes and Beedi in the the year 2009 was Rs.37,800 million.

World Bank Specialists Show The Way To Reduce Heart Mortality Rate Amongst Sri Lankans

The Health Specialists attached to the World Bank office in Colombo have stated that during next 10 years Sri Lanka will be able to reduced mortality rate of heart patients amongst the age group of 18-74 by 23 percent through different interventions.This mortality reduction rate in numbers is  around 38,000 according to the specialists.

This goal of reducing mortality of heart patients withing next 10 years can be achieved through population based reduction of risky factors and clinical based interventions including drugs specialists said.

Addressing a press briefing in Colombo yesterday the World Bank specialists said that the spreading of non communicable diseases(NCD) are higher amongst the poor people in sri lanka due to lack of nutrition.The non communicable diseases like Heart Diseases,Cancers,Asthma are mostly seen amongst the poor people they stressed.

Three Tamil Nadu Politicos Arrived Here For The Funeral Of Prabhakeran's Mother Deported By SL Authorities-Chennai Police Arrested Them

Three Tamil Nadu Politicians including MP Thol Thirumavalavan were deported by the Sri Lankan authorities in wee hours of today soon after their arrival to Katunayaka Bandaranaike International Air Port in Colombo .These Politicians reported as arrived Sri Lanka to participate the funeral of the mother of  former LTTE Leader Valupillai Prabhakaren,Parvathi Ammal held this evening in Jaffna.


According to the Sri Lankan Immigration and Emigration Officials the three Tamil Nadu Politicians arrived the Island around 2 a.m this morning without informing on their visit to the Sri Lankan Authorities.

Meanwhile the three deported Tamil Nadu Politicians were arrested by Chennai Police this evening while they are protesting in front of the Sri Lankan Consulate in Chennai against denial of  their access to Sri Lanka to participate prabhakaren's mother's funeral foreign sources has said.

Husband Of Assaulted MP Upeksha Released On Bail After Produced Before The Court

The husband of  the assaulted popular Local Actress and MP Upeksha Swarnamali ,Mahesh Chaminda had produced before the Nugegoda Magistrate Court this noon and released on personal and surety bail.The suspect who is accused for severely assaulted MP Upeksha on last week was released on Rs.100,000 worth Personal and Rs.2500 surety bail on condition that he should settled the personal differences having with his wife and re unite with her according to the sources.

While  allowing bail for the suspect additional magistrate had requested that both the suspect and his MP wife should appear before the court on 02nd of May 2011 for further proceeding of the assault case.

The suspect was produced before the court by Mirihana Police.

Meanwhile MP Upeksha is still receiving medical treatment at the Sri Jayawardenapura Teaching Hospital in Kotte for  facial and eye injuries she has received due to the assault

Jaffna Fishermen Protested In Front Of Indian Consulate

Over One Hundred Fishermen in Jaffna peninsula of the Northern Sri Lanka hold a protest campaign in front of the Indian Consulate in Jaffna against Indian Fishermen entering in to Sri Lankan waters.The fishermen who protests covered their eyes and mouth with a black ribbon and demanding that the Indian Fishermen should stop robbing their fish resources which can lead them to starvation.

Government Doctor's Union Requested Health Ministry To Inquire On Chief Minister's Misbehaviour Towards ICU Staff

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) today has requested the Health Ministry to inquire on Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Mahipala Herath's alleged involvement of  disturbing the Medical Staff of Karpitiya Teaching Hospital ICU while they have been  engaged in saving the lives of two accident victims last week.

According to the Assistant Secretary of the GMOA Dr.Chandana Atapattu the Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa Province unnecessarily requested the permission to enter the ICU at the time these two patients were admitted to the hospital ICU around 11.30 p.m on 15th of February which was denied by the medical staff.After the incident the Chief Minister made a complaint to the Ministry Of Health against the ICU Medical Staff alleging their refusal..In a response Ministry of Health has sent a team of investigators to conduct an inquiry against the medical staff and they failed to proceed the inquiry further after the medical staff's refusal of  giving  any statements to the investigators on the incident.

Dr.Atapattu has said during a Press Briefing held in Colombo this noon that traditionally in any country no one even in the highest rank person of the country would allow to enter the ICU while medical staff is involved in life saving process of a patient."Therefore we urged the Health Ministry to inquire on the Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister's behavior instead of inquiring on medical staff's decision on not allowing the chief minister to enter the ICU that time which was seen as an unnecessary request" he further stressed.

Police Commenced Questioning MP Upeksha's Husband Who Surrendered This Evening

Mirihana Police is reported as questioning the husband of Local Actress and MP Upeksha Swarnamali who had surrendered to the police this afternoon regarding the assault on his wife.The suspect Mahesh Chaminda a businessman from Piliyandala had surrendered to the Mirihana Police this evening  in the presence of his two lawyers.

Still it's not clear whether the suspect will be produced before the Magistrate Court soon  on assault charges.Meanwhile It has been reported that the  Police have obtained the medical reports on facial and eye injuries sustained by MP Upeksha following the assault.