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South Asia

Cure from Cuba: Two Cuban epidemiologists arrived in Sri Lanka to help the government combat a dengue epidemic. Cuba has been controlling dengue with Bacillus Thuringensis Israelensis bacteria that kills the larvae of the mosquitoes that spread dengue. The epidemiologists will help set up a framework to control mosquito breeding before the government imports the bacteria from Cuba. Over 180 deaths and 18,000 cases of infection have been reported in the country this year. It is a sharp increase from 2008 when 85 people died of dengue fever.

Rains kill 61: Karachi received a record 245 mm rain on the night of July 18, breaking the previous record of 205 mm in 1977. The monsoon rains claimed 61 lives and injured many over the next two days. The city was plunged into darkness. Power cuts lasting almost 72 hours led to street clashes between people and law enforcers. The overall monsoon rains, however, would be 30 per cent lower than normal, a senior met official said.

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