Bangladesh has become the partner of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon's initiative styled "Sustainable Energy for all".

UN chief's special envoy and senior adviser to the initiative Luis Gomes formally informed Bangladesh's inclusion to this initiative to the Environment and Forest Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud when he called on him at the latter's office here on Wednesday. In a written statement, Ban Ki Moon said, the main objective of the initiative is to protect the world from pollution, poverty and ensure economic development.

Nepal has been conferred with the 2012 Resolve Award in recognition of its achievements in health, in particular maternal and neonatal health.

Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations Office and the leader of the Nepali delegation to the 65 World Health Assembly, Shanker D. Bairagi, on Tuesday received the award on behalf of the Government of Nepal.

Timber worth millions of rupees was destroyed due to wildfires in more than 200 community and national forests in the Chure and Mahabharat areas in the district within the past two weeks.

The District Forest Office (DFO) said forest fires engulfed more than 100 community forests in Alitali, Sirsha and Jogbuda VDCs in the inner Madhes and Chure area while a dozen of forests at Salla in the Mahabharat area caught fires.

A measles outbreak has killed eight children and afflicting over a dozen in different areas of Bajaur Agency over the last few days.

Locals told Dawn on Thursday that children in far-flung villages of Utmankhel and Barang tehsils were the worst hit by measles. Hazrat Gul, a Uthmankhel resident, said five children died in his village.

A local health official Dr Khursheed Khan confirmed the measles outbreak in the agency. He said there were reports about deaths of children by measles in various localities, where health teams had been sent for verification.

Implementation of a recently approved water supply project of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board will cause water shortage in Thatta and render over 300,000 acres of fertile land barren, according to water experts, parliamentarians, growers and nationalist leaders.

The K-IV, which envisages supply of 1200 cusecs of water per day to Karachi, in addition to the three existing schemes for supply of water to the metropolis from Keenjhar Lake, was approved recently.

Erosion by the Teesta River has rendered around 70 families of three villages under Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila homeless in the last four days.

The affected villages are Kalmati, Tajpur and Gokunda.

The erosion-hit people have taken shelter at their relatives' houses at the adjoining villages.

The river devoured at least two fruit gardens, three bamboo clusters and about 32 acres of cultivable land, said locals.

Victim Nur Muhammad of Kalmati village told this correspondent that the erosion devoured several houses at the three villages.

Three people were killed and at least 250 others injured as storm lashed Netrakona, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and Rangpur districts on Wednesday night.

Our Netrakona correspondent reported storm swept 30 villages of Kalmakanda, Barhatta, Mohongonj and Khaliajuri upazilas of the district, killing a mother and her son killed and injuring at least 30 others.

The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined a dyeing factory in Gazipur Tk 14 lakh for not setting up Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) even 21 months after the factory owner promised to set up the ETP.

The DoE fined the owner of the factory, Ema Cintex Ltd, and also ordered to keep its production shut. It also rebuked its owner Modabber Hossain, said a DoE press release.

The factory has been dumping untreated chemical wastes into the river Turag and polluting the river severely, it added.

The owner has been promising to set up ETP since October 5, 2010.

Around 25 Sri Lankans have been displaced following the earthquake that struck parts of Italy on May 20 around 4am, the Sri Lankan embassy in Italy said yesterday.

The embassy said the displaced Sri Lankans have been provided with facilities.

The embassy is in constant touch with the Sri Lankan community in the affected areas and the Civil Protection Agency of Italy to assist the displaced.

People in eight remote villages in Eheliyagoda electorate received electricity supply at a cost of Rs. 2.1million under the Vidulamu Lanka project.

Funds were allocated on a request made by SLFP organizer for Eheliyagoda, Technology and Research Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi to Power and Energy Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara. Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Member Kanchana Jayarathna commissioned the projects recently with the participation of community leaders in the area.