Carbon trading is going to be the key for better economic prospects especially among the developing countries blessed with forests and certainly Sri Lanka despite being a tiny island is rich in biodiversity has a key role to play.

It is well established fact that the main reason for climate change especially global warming as the greenhouse effects which warms the earth atmosphere system.

Non Government Organizations had funded so called environmentalists to the tune of Rs. 3.7 million to block the proposed compost plant and final disposal facility in Dompe, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said at a media conference yesterday.

High US Government officials believe that it is highly unreasonable by the developing nations to request the industrialized nations or the Annexure One countries to cut down greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent in 2020.

Nearly five hundred farmer families, who depend on the Hakwatunaoya reservoir for water to cultivate their lands, are experiencing severe hardships as the water level of the reservoir has dropped to near zero.

The farmers say the reservoir had run dry as a result of the wanton felling of trees in the forests in the catchment area of the reservoir.

The Health Ministry, in collaboration with the police, the Civil Defence Committee (CDC) and Colombo Municipal Council employees with public volunteers, carried out a dengue awareness programme in the the Pettah area, a spokesman for the Health Ministry said on Tuesday (22).

Illicit gem mining by outsiders continues relentlessly in the Sri Lanka Gem Corporation owned lands of Welgahawadiya in Minipe sector.

Unscrupulous elements are taking advantage of the Gem Corporation's failure to auction the land nearly 1.5 acres in extent despite an announcement made by the Corporation some time ago.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake has killed at least seven people in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, officials have said.

Ugyen Tenzing, the country's director of disaster management, said rescuers were searching for survivors under the debris of collapsed buildings in the eastern districts of Munggar and Trashigang.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Netherland Government have provided Rs. 2480 million to rehabilitate tsunami affected costal areas of the Southern Province.

Under this project 176 roads in Galle, 125 roads in Matara and 178 roads in Hanbantota districts have been completed, the Nation Building Ministry said.

The Wild Life Department has come to the rescue of drought stricken wild animals in the Sanctuaries, especially Yala and Kumana by pumping water from the Menik Ganga and using bowsers to fill man made water ponds in the Park, Director of Wild Life H. D. Ratnayake said yesterday.

Mahaweli River banks in the Hasalaka region have become a haven for illicit gem and sand miners.

Complaints of illicit gem mining in Mahaweli at Hasalaka are made repeatedly at the Kandy District Coordinating Committee (DCC) meetings. But there seem to be not fruitful preventive action taken, by officials.