Railway Trade Unions To Launch A 48 Hour Island Wide Strike From Midnight Tonight

The Professional Railway Trade Union Alliance(PRTUA) consists with 11 Railway Trade Unions is due to launch a 48 hour Island Wide Railway Strike from midnight tonight by demanding solutions for few of their demands including the increasing of the wages.

According to the Railways Department  night mail trains to Palali,Trincomalee,Badulla and Baticaloe as well as   passenger trains from Colombo to the  outstations and vice versa  have been  cancelled  from midnight tonight due to the strike.

All Railway Professionals including locomotive engineers,station masters ,station guards and controllers are due to participate this 48 hour strike action the Professional RailwayTrade Union Alliance has said.The major demand of the PRTUA is increasing the basic salary of their professionals from Rs.15,005 to Rs.16,350,

One Third Of The Total Number Of Dengue Patients Have Been Reported From Colombo District

One third  of the Total Number of Dengue Patients reported throughout the  Island during last nine months have been reported from Colombo District according to the Sri Lanka Epidemiology Unit.

Approximately 32,101 Dengue Patients have been reported from the island from January this year up to now the Epidemiologists have said. Out of this number 10,583 patients have been reported from Colombo District.The highest number of Dengue Patients which is 6736 patients have been reported in the month of June.During last month(September) 2490 patients have been reported and around 204 dengue patients have reported so far in this Month.

As the Dengue Epidemic is spreading in  most parts of the island these days due to the rainy weather prevails in the country at present  the Epidemiologists have warned the public to clean their houses and gardens  and maintain a dengue mosquito free  environment.

Sri Lankan Navy Rescued Four Indian Fishermen In Distress At Delft Island

The Navy Officers have rescued four Indian Fishermen with their trawler in distress at west off Delft Island this morning.The rescued fishermen and the trawler were handed over to the Delft Police for further action.

Meanwhile the Indian Media has reported the incident as Sri Lankan Navy Personal have arrested the four Indian Fishermen with their trawler in Northern Seas for illegally fishing in sri lankan waters.

Two Sportsmen Representing Sri Lanka In Asian Games Held In South Korea Are Missing

Two out of the Eighty Sri Lankan  sports personalities who are  attending the ongoing 17th Asian Games held in Incheon ,South Korea have been reported as missing from the Asian Games Village according to the sources.A Hockey Player and a Beach Ball Player have run away from the Asian Games Village today  looking for  jobs in South Korea the sources have stressed.

Although the officials have identified the missing Sri Lankan Hockey Player the missing Beach Ball Player was not identified yet according to  the South Korean Authorities.The eighty  member Sri Lankan Sports Team which arrived South Korea for the games have so far won a Gold and a Bronze Medal both in male and female Cricket .

The Sri Lankan Contingent  is schedule to depart from the Asian Games Village on this Saturday after concluding the games. 

Earlier in the year 2004 a 23 member Sri Lankan Men's Hand Ball Team which  visited Germany illegally has disappeared  during the tournament.Later found that the missing Hand Ball Team has no authority to represent Sri Lanka in an International Sports Event and the team has cheated the German Organizers since the beginning of the Tournament.

Government To Re Introduce The Dual Citizenship From January-President Rajapaksha

President Mahinda Rajapaksha has said yesterday(04) that the government has planned to re introduce the granting of Dual Citizenship  from next January .

Addressing  a group of Sri Lankans in Milano,Italy President Rajapaksha has said that the Cabinet has already given  the approval to amend the relevant laws regarding the granting of  dual citizenship and the government is on the process to reintroduce the scheme .

The government has received a large number of requests to re introduce the dual citizenship scheme he has revealed.The granting of Dual Citizenship has been suspended  by the government two years ago.

University Of Sabaragamuwa Has Indefinitely Closed Down Due To A Protest

The University Of Sabaragamuwa has indefinitely closed down today (05) due to a group of students attach to the university have opposed the opening of the newly built girl's hostel of the University  by citing that the hostel building was substandard.

Due to this situation when the Higher Education Minister S.B Disanayake arrived to open the hostel  building a group of students attach to the University Of Sabaragamuwa have blocked the road and protested against it.The Police Officers there have been used tear gas to disperse the protesting students it has been reported.

Despite the  students Protest Higher Education Minister has opened the newly built  girls hostel building .

The Controversial Doctor Who Is Alleged For The Cosmetic Death Of A Lady Doctor Allowed To Perform Cosmetic Surgeries

The Controversial Sri Lankan Doctor Nimal Gamage who was charged  and was on bail in  the death of a lady doctor who died at his  cosmetic surgery clinic in Colombo -04 after administering an expired injection ,has been  allowed to resume his practice at his Cosmetic Surgery Clinic  from today(04) by the Colombo Additional Magistrate A.M Shahabdeen.

The Colombo Additional Magistrate has instructed the Bamabalapitiya(Colombo-04) yesterday (03) Police to hand over the alleged Cosmetic Surgery Clinic which was sealed after the death of the lady doctor after the Defense Counsel of the accused Dr.Gamage has requested the Court yesterday  to withdraw the restrain order imposed on his client's clinic as he is qualified on performing cosmetic surgery in USA.

Although the  alleged doctor's Defense Counsel has informed the court that Dr.Gamage is  qualified in Cosmetic Surgery in USA ,the Acting Registrar of Sri Lanka Medical Council Dr.H.M.S.S.B Herath has stated in a letter issued on 16th of September that Dr.Gamage was registerd in Sri Lanka Medical Council as a qualified medical practitioner who can practice medicine and surgery but not licensed to practice cosmetic surgery and related practices in Sri Lanka.

However the acting registrar has said that Dr.Gamage can perform cosmetic surgeries if he had experience on the field .Highlighting this point made by the Acting Registrar of the Sri Lanka Medical Council the defense counsel of Dr,Gamage has requested the court to withdraw the restraining order imposed on his client to practice cosmetic surgery here.

The Private Medical Regulatory Commission functioned under the Ministry Of Health has also stated few weeks back that the Cosmetic Surgery Clinic run by the accused Dr.Gamge is not licensed to provide cosmetic surgery .the Commission has also said that the equipment and medicine used at the clinic too not according to the standard .

Sri Lankan Collage of Plastic Surgeons and the Sri Lankan College Of Dermatologists have continuously pointed out that the environment of the said cosmetic surgery clinic is not suitable for performing cosmetic surgeries as there are no facilities like a theater,Intensive Care Unit  an anesthetist and a emergency medical service which are must when performing cosmetic surgeries.

The case is due to hear on 21st of November.