The Geological and Mines Bureau has requested the External Resources Department and donor agencies like JICA and the Russian government to install four short period network systems to monitor local earth tremors like Wednesday's since the monitor at Pallekele was a Broad Band station to monitor the whole region, Director Dr. Kithsiri Dissanayaka said yesterday.

: Sri Lanka has decided to amend the Disaster Management Act soon, the Disaster Management Centre said.

A spokesman for the Centre said that it has decided to amend the Act due to the practical difficulties in the Act. The Act was enacted in 2005 following the tsunami disaster that ravaged the island in 2004.

A magnitude-6.6 quake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island, the US Geological Survey reported on Wednesday.

The quake, quite shallow at a depth of 26.6 miles (42 km), struck 130 miles (209 km) northwest of the Sumatra town of Bengkulu at 3:01 a.m. on Thursday (2001 GMT on Wednesday).

It followed a magnitude-5.5 earthquake in the same area two and a half hours earlier.

Environmental experts have expressed concern over the reduction of mangrove forests along the Sindh coast, warning that if the mangroves are not protected, the city fears a greater risk of being hit by a tsunami in the future.

The 22nd Session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlement Program (UN Habitat) was held from March 30 to April 3, 2009 at the UN Habitat Headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya under the theme

A strong earthquake struck north of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, although there was no tsunami warning issued or immediate reports of damage or casualties, the country's meteorological agency said on Saturday.

According to the year 2000 statistics there have been only 21 widows hit this amount has now increased more than ten folds, said Suneeka Perera addressing the journalists in Hambantota district at Chandrika Hotel Tissamaharama.

It was organised by the Hambantota branch of CARE International.

She said that the ten year period from 1975-1985 has been declared the World Women's decade.

Five towers to give prior warning of a tsunami will be installed along the seacoast in the Kalutara district by the Distress Management Unit.

These towers will be located at Wadduwa, Katukurunda, Beruwala Abinaramaya Temple, and Maggona St. Mary