People living next to Firestone Natural Rubber Company's plantation in Harbel, 45km outside of Liberia's capital Monrovia, say pollution from the concession is destroying their health, ruining their livelihoods and even killing residents.

On 4 June parliamentarians called on the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to declare why the agency has not yet published the results of a 22 May EPA investigation into the allegations.

Firestone's Liberia rubber concession is the second largest rubber producer in Africa and employs some 14,000 Liberians.

By Samwar S. Fallah

Residents of about six towns few miles from Harbel, the headquarters of the largest rubber plantations company in Africa, Firestone are struggling with the situation of water pollution as the company discharges the huge wastes produced from the processing of raw rubber for export into nearby creeks used by local residents for drinking.

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By James Melik and Duncan Bartlett

As one of the world's leading suppliers of ready made garments , Bangladesh frequently encounters hostile criticism over the use of child labour in its textile industry.

Western retailers have rushed to assure conscience-stricken consumers that steps are taken to eradicate the practice, and in 2006 the Bangladeshi government passed a new labour law.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Relatives of dozens of slain Colombians sued an Alabama-based coal company in federal court Thursday, accusing it of making millions of dollars in payments to a paramilitary group that sowed terror in the South American country.