Snippets
• Australian scientists digging in an Indonesian cave uncovered a jawbone that adds evidence to the existence of a tiny 18,000-year-old Hobbit-like species called Homo floresiensis, three feet tall, which existed at the end of the Ice Age.
• The US government proposed new regulations on October 14, which could allow power plants to throw more air pollutants each year. It is an attempt by the Environmental Protection Agency to make the Clean Air Act rules for coal fired power plants more industry-friendly.
• Northern Ireland announced a ban on smoking in workplace, pubs, nightclubs and restaurants, which comes into effect from April 2007. It's the first region in the uk to do so.
• Lagos in Nigeria witnessed high levels of smog forcing all schools to shut down. The fumes reduced visibility to less than 20 metres. Government said it could be due to emissions from factories and old cars.
• An ammonia spill in National Foods Company, Hobart, Australia, killed hundreds of fish at New Town Creek in the city. The company regretted the incident but was waiting for details before taking action.