china storm: The death toll in China caused by the tropical storm Bilis rose to around 612 with 208 missing as on July 24, 2006, says the government news agency Xinhua. About 3 million people have been relocated because of the storm. On July 26, 2006, typhoon Kaemi too struck the southeast coast of China, specially the Fujian province, leading to the evacuation of more than 700,000 people from areas still reeling under Bilis.

economic zone: A special economic zone (SEZ) for the manufacture of renewable energy systems and devices is under way, says Union minister for non-conventional energy sources Vilas Muttemwar recently. The minister was in Chennai to inaugurate the