President Mahinda Rajapaksa has stressed that in the prevailing competition between food and fuel, Sri Lanka was firm in the decision that no land that can be used for food will be used for bio-fuel whatever the commercial attraction may be. Addressing the FAO Conference on food security in Rome yesterday President Rajapaksa said it was the belief of Sri Lanka that food for the people should have the highest priority, and not the running of gas-guzzling vehicles.

The Supreme Court yesterday (2) imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 each on two hoteliers for making noise using amplifiers violating the sound pollution guidelines. The Bench comprising Chief Justice, Sarath N. Silva, Justices, Andrew Somawansa and Jagath Balapatabendi imposed the fines on the owners of Randiya Hotel, Moratuwa, Michael Mendis and Sheran Nonis and discharged them. Court had already granted a cash bail of Rs. 100,000 each for two hoteliers who had violated the sound pollution guidelines by using loudspeakers and for the band in their hotel.

A drug manufacturer and distributor has filed an application by way of a public interest litigation seeking a direction from the Supreme Court the Bribery Commission to initiate an investigation against Director General of Health Services for promoting substandard drugs and allegedly accumulating wealth.

The SAARC Food Bank is likely to be operational soon with the completion of ratification by the member states, reliable sources said. According to a highly placed source, among the member states of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), so far four -- Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka -- have ratified the declaration for establishment of the proposed SAARC Food Bank. The declaration is now awaiting the ratification by the other SAARC nations.

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) yesterday launched a campaign to eradicate dengue which has reached dangerous proportions in the City. The campaign is mainly aimed at creating awareness about the disease and prosecuting action on those who have failed to comply with the CMC's request to keep their premises clean.

Despite the current low prevalence of AIDS here, Sri Lanka is vulnerable to an impending epidemic due to a large number of risk factors, such as its large sex worker population, migrant workers, military personnel, internally displaced persons, refugees, drug users and a high incidence of unsafe sexual practices, including low condom use and an escalating rate of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, (STDs), a study says.

In Sri Lanka over one million patients suffer from acute Asthma conditions and over 25% of children and 10% of adults of the total population are Asthma patients, a seminar was told. Addressing a seminar titled

A team of medical experts from the WHO is on a visit here to carry out a medical study on renal failure in Sri Lanka with special reference to the sharp rise in the incidence of the disease in three provinces, health ministry spokesman W.M.D.Wanninayaka said.

The health ministry is to provide therapeutic milk to children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in hospitals in the Wanni through the UNICEF on the recommendation made by the Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Assistance (CCHA), subcommittee on health. "For all moderately malnourished children, the Regional Director of Health Services would provide children with Thriposha in clinics, under the supplementary feeding programme,' the Disaster Management and Human Rights Ministry said quoting Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Kahandaliyanage.

There have been 1296 cases of common fever detected in the country according to a survey conducted by the Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) in eight villages in three districts. The blood samples obtained from fever patients have been sent to the MRI in Borella for testing to ascertain the exact illness as the symptoms were very similar to symptoms of Chikungunya, Deputy Director, Health Services Dr. Athula Dangalle told the Daily Mirror.

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