TNA MP Pathmini Sithamparanathan broke into tears in Parliament yesterday when she spoke about the issues confronting the internally displaced persons in Vavuniya.

Speaking during the emergency debate, she said that seven pregnant mothers had died in the IDP camps recently.

Statistically 764 Dengue positive cases were reported from the Matale district up to last morning. Director of Health Services , Matale District , Anura Dissanayake said five patients including three children died within the last few days. He said 270 patients were reported from Ukuwela area , 142 from the Matale Municipal area, 115 from Rattota area and 98 from Matale area.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide financial assistance of Rs. 10 billion (US$85million) for the implementation of the Dry Zone Urban Water and Sanitation project in Sri Lanka.

The Environment and Natural Resources Ministry yesterday stressed the importance of Wildlife Conservation in the now liberated North and East.

Environment Minister, Champika Ranawaka said yesterday that the war was over and the Environment Ministry and Wildlife Conservation Department must ensure that these areas were protected.

The Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage has put forward a proposal to revise the amount of the fines imposed on the illegal usage of water and the pollution of water.

General Manager of the Water Board Lal Premanath said that the board had decided to increase the fines as the current fines were very low.

Group of eight leaders will ask major emerging economies like India and China to adopt actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions "in an indicative range below business as usual," Japanese media reported on Sunday.

Cuba will airlift a stock of BTI (Bacillus Thuringenesis Israelensis) - a bacteria species, today to control the rapidly spreading dengue epidemic that has claimed 155 lives while the number of dengue cases reached a staggering 12,800 mark by yesterday, the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry said.

Two senior Ministers yesterday in Parliament called for the government to introduce the Cuban bio-control method to arrest the Dengue epidemic which had now become a global issue.

Construction and Engineering Services Minister Rajitha Senaratne and Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Tissa Vitharana made this remark at an adjournment debate on Dengue in the House.

More than 400 tsunami-affected families in Kalmunai, Ampara who lost their homes in the tsunami waves moved in to new houses in two apartment complexes in Periyaneelavani and at the Road Development Department and Irrigation Department housing complex.