dam height to be raised: A Supreme Court division bench has directed the Kerala government to increase the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam to 142 feet from its existing 136 feet. A petition by the Tamil Nadu (TN) government and Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy had appealed to raise the water level to 152 feet, and as an interim measure to 142 ft. Mullaperiyar is situated in Kerala, but TN uses its water for irrigation and for generating electricity under a pre-independence agreement. In the 1970s, the dam's water level was 152 feet, but after cracks appeared in it, Kerala decided to bring Mullaperiyar's water level down to 136 feet. But the bench dismissed Kerala's apprehensions.

lead poisoning: The US Rhode Island Superior Court jury recently ruled that paint manufacturers were responsible for causing lead poisoning among children in the state. The companies have been asked to pay for the cleanup but no punitive action has been taken. The companies found liable are Sherwin-Williams Co, nl Industries Inc and Millennium Holdings llc. Though lead paint was prohibited in 1978, it is still found in older homes. More than 30,000 children had been poisoned by lead paint in the state. The metal causes learning disabilities and brain damage in children.