Fire destroys 35 acres of forest land
Around 35 acres of forest was destroyed on Saturday in a fire that erupted in the protected areas of the Castlereagh reservoir and Devon Falls. Police suspect that the fire has been deliberately caused
Daily News (Sri Lanka)
-
BIMSTEC ministerial meeting on poverty alleviation
BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation will be holding a ministerial meeting on poverty alleviation in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 9. Burma, as a member of BIMSTEC, will attend the meeting, but there is no information yet on which Burmese Minister will be present. According to an official report, senior officials from the member countries will meet in Dhaka a day before the ministerial meeting to prepare the groundwork for the event.
-
Health authorities to combat mosquito breeding in Ratnapura
With a view to controlling the prevailing dengue fever and chikungunya in certain areas of Sabaragamuwa, specially in Ratnapura district the health authorities have paid specific attention to combat the breeding of the mosquito. In Ratnapura district it has properly been found out the abandoned gem-pits have become the number one source of the resulting of chikungunya and dengue in most areas of Ratnapura district.
-
Awareness programme on pesticides
Poisoning deaths related to pesticides have increased in recent years. The National Hospital's Poison and Drugs Information Centre reported that the males were involved in most intentional poisoning deaths or poison related suicides in the country. They fall to the age category of 20 years to 29 the sources noted.
-
Unemployment figures decrease
The rate of unemployment has decreased by six per cent last year in comparison to that of previous year. The constant development recorded in the agriculture, Industrial and Service sectors had been a major contributory factor for this downturn the Government Information Department said in a release citing the Budget situation report released by the Finance Ministry in terms of the Financial Management (Responsibilities) Act No. 3 of 2003.
-
Rs. 189.4 m for Peradeniya and Gannoruwa Road renovation
The Highways and Road Development Ministry will spend around Rs. 189.4 million funded by the Kuwait Government to expedite the reconstruction and renovation of the stretch of road between Peradeniya and Gannoruwa. Acting Highways and Road Development Minister T.B. Ekanayake directed to accelerate renovation immediately to solve the traffic congestion at Peradeniya junction. The Highways and Road Development Ministry spokesman told the Daily News that this road was constructed during British rule and has not been reconstructed for a long time.
-
CNAPT'S success in TB eradication
The Ceylon National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis (CNAPT) marks it 60th anniversary today. The Ceylon National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis was the brainchild of Dr. J.H. Jayasuriya. He realised the need for a voluntary organisation to augment the efforts of the Government to control the diseases. He initially conceived the idea, implemented it and eventually built and nurtured the CNAPT into a very effective organisation.
-
Sri Lanka reaches out to Chinese people: Provides 1,000 tents to earthquake victims
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the People's Republic of China Karunatilaka Amunugama, handed over 1000 tents worth Sri Lanka Rs. 23 million (US $ 210,000) to the earthquake victims in Western China at an official ceremony held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China on Friday. He YaFei accepted the consignment on behalf of the Government of the People's Republic of China. The tents would be transported to Tianshui city in the Gansu Province, one of the worst hit areas in the recent earthquake.
-
Disease prevention steps in flood affected areas
The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has made arrangements to prevent possible outbreaks of epidemics after floods subside in the affected areas under the direction of Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, a Ministry spokesman said. He said the Ministry will launch a joint programme in co-ordination with all Provincial Health Officers in the flood affected areas. Usually after floods, there is an outbreak of various diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, viral flu, fever, diarrhoea in the affected areas.
-
Focus on global food security
The FAO World Food Summit, which was addressed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday, is aimed at forging a common international response to the food crisis. The immediate goal of the June 3-5 Summit - which is being attended by more than 40 Heads of State - will be to secure a massive flow of assistance to the world's hungriest people and to ensure that subsistence farmers across the globe will have the seeds and fertilisers they need to plant their crops this season.
-
Two hotel personnel fined for violating noise laws
The Supreme Court yesterday imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 each on a hotelier and manager of a hotel for using loudspeakers in breach of the Supreme Court order with regard to noise pollution. Two persons M. Mendis and C.S. Nonis, manager and proprietor of Hotel Randiya, Koralawella, Moratuwa who were enlarged on bail on the last hearing were fined Rs.50,000 each for using loudspeakers in their hotel in breach of the Supreme Court interim order on the noise pollution. The Bench comprised Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC and Justice Andrew Somawansa and Justice Jagath Balapatabendi.