Snippets
• The Seychelles government has banned foreign ships licensed to fish in its territorial waters from cutting off of fins of captured sharks, in a move to conserve marine life. Finning is a cruel practice since the maimed fishes are thrown back into the sea, where they usually bleed to death or are attacked by predators. The fins are considered a delicacy and fetch a high price. Shark fishing, however, is not covered by the ban.
• McDonald's faces at least three lawsuits in the US after it disclosed that its French fries contained wheat and dairy products, which can cause allergic reactions. Earlier, tests had revealed that its fries contained more trans fats than believed.
• Spain's infrastructure ministry has imposed fines ranging from us $3,500 to us $7,000 on 74 fishing crafts for blocking Castellon Port in Valencia city over a recent dispute on a rise in fuel prices. The fines were imposed to discourage such protests.
• More than 100 incidents of fumes contaminating the air inside British aircraft have occurred over the past three years, according to UK's Civil Aviation Authority. A report suggests that up to 197,000 passengers are affected every year.
• The US Food and Drug Administration has allowed use of carbon monoxide in meat packaging to retain the red colour of meat, despite complaints against it by consumer groups.