The Colombo based Epidemic Diseases Studies Division says that the Dengue menace took off in an unprecedented manner last year.

According to a senior official of the Division starting January 1 and ending on December 25, last year a total of 32,713 patients had contracted the disease while 295 had subsequently succumbed to the disease.

The land which gave the word serendipity to the world should know it better. One of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world and Asia

Kandeketiya, a village in Badulla, is constantly fighting the elephant menace that had prevailed for the last 30 years.

Residents here say that the fear of being killed by an elephant has overwhelmed them for many years and that they cannot carry on with their livelihood as a result of this.

A herd of wild

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society launched a public awareness project on influenza A HI NI throughout the island to educate the people about the measures that they should focus on to protect themselves in the backdrop of the spread of A H1 N1

Farmer Organisations in Habarana area accused the ruling party politicians and officials of allowing their favourites to encroach the Kadahatha tank reservation and sell land to build hotels. A tense atmosphere emerged when Deputy Minister of Land Development Chandrasiri Sooriarachchi arrived to attend their meeting.

The Ministry of Tourism announced a 60 day accelerated development programme on Tuesday, to expedite the growth and development of the industry.

Ratnapura has been hit by floods with several areas already under water as a result of heavy rains, the Disaster Management Centre said yesterday

DMC Ratnapura District Coordinator S.M. Abeyratna said about 35 families had been affected in Della in the Ratnapura District.

Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday instructed the Government Epidemiology Unit to airlift a stock of the

With heavy rains prevailing these days in areas in the north, the Governor of the Northern Province GA Chandrasiri has advised the officials of the Department of Health of the Northern Province to take steps to commence a special health programme for the prevention of malaria and dengue in the resettled areas.

The first death in Kurunegala from the A H1N1 influenza was reported today with the demise of a 58-year-old school principal.