Young Om Prakash sells stolen pups for a living. His father, Jarnail Singh is a skilled puppeteer from Naugaur, who had performed in the USA in 1985 as a member of the delegation for the Festival of

The latest CSE study found high levels of phthalates, a chemical used to soften plastic, in all samples of children

Phthalates are chemicals used in toys to soften plastic. Exposure to them can lead to a wide range of health disorders. They are especially dangerous for children under three years, who tend to put these toys in their mouth. CSE lab tests found phthalates in all samples of toys tested -- over 45 per cent exceeded the internationally accepted safe limit.

Phthalates are chemicals used in toys to soften plastic. Exposure to them can lead to a wide range of health disorders. They are especially dangerous for children under three years, who tend to put these toys in their mouth. India has no regulations to control use of phthalates in toys. It only has voluntary standards covering safety aspects of toys.

Phthalates are chemicals used in toys to soften plastic. Exposure to them can lead to a wide range of health disorders. They are especially dangerous for children under three years, who tend to put these toys in their mouth.

Delhi NGO Centre for Science and Environment tested 24 toy samples of major brands for the presence of phthalates. In October 2008, it randomly purchased toy samples from markets in Delhi. Fifteen were soft toys and nine hard toys made in four countries.

>> Authorities confirmed an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu strain in Suffolk county, the UK, on November 13. An exclusion zone was imposed at the site and about 6,000 poultry were ordered to be

Of late, Chinese products have come under severe criticism worldwide. The us toy company Mattel Inc recently recalled 19 million Chinese-made toys, because the toys contained lead paint. The

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