Ivory Coast sued Trafigura for dumping toxic waste THE High Court of Justice in London ruled that some testimonies against Dutch oil trading company accused of dumping toxic waste in Ivory Coast will be heard in private. The ruling followed allegations that the company, Trafigura, was trying to influence witnesses. The people of Ivory Coast have sued Trafigura for US $160 million in

For its stand against Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh a non-profit in Chhattisgarh that has been vocal about human rights abuse by Salwa Judum became the target of the Dantewada district administration

On May 25, the Supreme Court freed Binayak Sen. The paediatrician and human rights activist was held prisoner by the Chhattisgarh government for two years for alleged Maoist links. Savvy Soumya Misra spoke to him on his future plans What is your priority now? In Chhattisgarh, violence is being answered with Maoist violence. The state and the Centre have said they will intensify

Decks cleared for Navi Mumbai

Opposers were outside the public hearing, supporters inside a public hearing held in Jaduguda in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand has cleared expansion and lease renewal of the government-owned uranium mines amid accusations of manipulation. On May 26, the majority of the tribals present at the meeting said they wanted the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (ucil) to continue.

Mangroves should not be used as sewage disposal sites. It is killing them mangroves grow in highly saline, coastal waters, representing a very unique ecosystem. According to an estimate, a mangrove forest supports 100 species of plants and about 500 species of animals, birds and fish. These forests also act as filters for nutrients from water; the fine soil sediments act as sinks for a

Mercury emissions are poisoning seafood amongst the chemicals that poison fish, methyl mercury is one. An environmental pollutant, it makes its way into the ocean where it enters the food chain and is consumed by fish which are eaten by humans. In the US, 40 per cent of all human exposure to mercury is from tuna harvested in the Pacific Ocean, the northern part of which was the study

Thanks to genetics, now the enzyme can be made in labs THERE is an ever-rising demand for papain, an enzyme secreted by the papaya plant. Widely used in the preservation of spices, digestive aids and as a contact lens cleaner, it also finds applications in meat tenderization, beer clarification and blood stain removal. However, the extraction of papain from its natural sources and its

No more thumb twiddling as you wait for the computer to start computers that could instantly switch on at the desktop mode without the time-consuming process of booting, may now be possible. Researchers have induced a property in silicon

Infrared rays can easily detect the contaminant in milk in september 2008, milk contaminated with a chemical called melamine led to renal complications in 300,000 children of China; six died. This chemical, used in producing plastics and glues, is also used in food adulteration. The high nitrogen content in the chemical can make food look more nutritious by increasing the measurable

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