UN accord on pollution registers to enter into force in October

July 3rd, 2009 Dispute deepens on who controlled Flight 447RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil's air force released a recording Friday it said proves it handed over control of Air France Flight 447 to Senegalese authorities before it crashed — but African officials denied that. The audio clip was posted on the air force's Web site after a French official investigating the June 1 crash said air traffic controllers in Dakar, Senegal, were never officially given control of the flight by Brazilian authorities.

May 11th, 2009 JETPUR - Nearly 100 farmers living around this Gujarat town - a hub for dyeing and printing of saris - Monday forced closure of all the markets to protest rising pollution levels in their lands. The farmers have been repeatedly complaining to the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) about the effluents from nearly 50 small and big sari dyeing and printing firms in the town contaminating underground water and causing irreparable damage to their crops during the past three years.

April 27th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari is to brief the US leadership next month on Pakistan's views on militancy and extremism, and on what Islamabad needs for this. The president was speaking at a meeting of parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, APP reported.

April 14th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - As the autorickshaw strike called by various unions in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula continued for the second day Tuesday, putting thousands of commuters to hardships, the union territory administration proposed to create a uniform corridor policy in the tricity to reduce traffic hazards and pollution. 'Under the policy, it was proposed that 500 LPG run autorickshaws each from Punjab and Haryana would be permitted to enter Chandigarh and an equal number would be allowed to ply from Chandigarh to Mohali and Panchkula,' official spokesperson said.

March 30th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Environmentalist and godman Balbir Singh Seechewal will go on a 50-km march along the banks of river Sutlej to create awareness about water pollution. 'People from every section of society like doctors, lawyers, teachers, students and social workers will participate in this 50 km march.

March 25th, 2009 PANAJI - The Goa government Tuesday sealed three offshore casinos, which were under the scanner for violating pollution norms. The casinos - Rio, Caravela and Maharaja - had failed to obtain the necessary licence from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).

February 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Commercial ships account for almost half as much particulate pollution as the total amount released by cars, according to a new study. The study estimate that worldwide, ships emit about a million kilos of particulate pollution each year.

February 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony Friday expressed worry at the accord between the Pakistan government and the Taliban on the Swat Valley.

February 12th, 2009 SYDNEY - Pollution from aerosols is likely to have a greater impact on rainfall patterns and future climate change than previously thought, according to a leading atmospheric scientist. 'We have identified that the extensive pollution haze emanating from Asia may be re-shaping rainfall patterns in northern Australia but we wonder what impact natural and human-generated aerosols are having across the rest of the country,' said Leon Rotstayn of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

February 12th, 2009 RAIPUR - The Chhattisgarh government has served notices to as many as 37 industrial units in the past two years, including the Vedanta-controlled Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd.(Balco), for violating industrial pollution norms, the state assembly was informed Friday. 'The government has either moved court or issued notices to 37 industrial units for ignoring pollution norms in Raigarh and Korba districts, including Balco (based in Korba town),' Revenue Minister Amar Agrawal told the house in a written reply to a question by Leader of the Opposition Ravindra Choubey.

February 10th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Wednesday registered a case against Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested during the Mumbai terror attacks, Geo TV reported. The case was registered on the basis of a probe conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the channel said.

January 29th, 2009 DHAKA - The Bangladesh government plans to amend the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Land Commission to ensure a better deal for the Buddhist tribals and implement the peace accord signed in 1997, a minister said. 'The government is going to implement the peace accord soon,' junior minister for CHT affairs Dipangkar Talukdar said, but gave no specific date, The Daily Star newspaper reported Friday.

January 12th, 2009 RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's economic prospects in 2009 remain positive despite the ongoing global financial crisis, says a study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). According to the OECD study released Monday, Brazil is among the few nations in the world that will not register a economic slump in the next six months.

January 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi's new Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely Wednesday asked his department to launch a special drive to check vehicular pollution, overspeeding and overloading by commercial vehicles, especially those coming into the city from the suburbs. Lovely's directions came after he reviewed vehicular pollution with Transport Commissioner R.K.

December 26th, 2008 BHUBANESWAR - At least 26 industrial units in Orissa were closed and eight others served show-cause notices this month for causing pollution, a state government official said Saturday. The Orissa State Pollution Control Board ordered the closure of 26 units and issued show-cause notices against the others in the first week of December, B.K.