blind eye: An environment court of New Zealand has rejected the first part of the Greenpeace appeal, which opposed re-firing of the Marsden B coal power station, near Whangarei district, due to its impact on global warming. The court said that effects on climate change is a national issue and not one to be considered by regional councils when considering resource consents. Greenpeace had appealed against decisions by the Northland Regional and Whangarei District Councils, which had allowed the state-owned power generator Mighty River Power to run the station using coal.

Vox populi: Communities from Rapu-rapu, located in the Philippines' Albay province, have filed a petition at the regional court seeking an end to the polymetallic operations of an Australian mining firm, Lafayette Philippines Inc, amid allegations of toxic spills.The petition also seeks to make Lafayette pay damages to the residents of Rapu-Rapu and nearby provinces who were affected by the spills. Earlier, regulatory agencies of the Philippines had ordered Lafayette to stop its operations. But, in early July, municipal council of the province gave a permission to Lafayette to re-start its operation.