BBC News with Gaenor Howells
Police in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro have
deploy
ed armoured vehicles in a poor area of the city to
stem
a wave of violence that's killed at least 30 people in recent days. The minister for public security said six vehicles carrying heavily armed police had been sent to Vila Cruzeiro in the north of the city. Clashes erupted there five days ago between the security forces and suspected drug traffickers. Officials say the violence involved gang members who'd been expelled from other areas of Rio de Janeiro. A police captain taking part in the operation said they
were determined to
stop the violence.
"This
resistance
will end sometime, but we don't know how long it will take. Yet while criminals
insist on
not accepting our presence, we will continue, and we have enough resources to stay for a long time."
The European Commission has announced a ban on the use of the chemical Bisphenol-A in plastic baby bottles. There has been international concern over its use for
some time
, with Canada declaring Bisphenol-A toxic in September. Here is Elettra Neysmith.
The commission is acting on fears that Bisphenol-A (BPA) harms children. Scientists say the chemical can
interact
with our hormone systems in such a way that it affects healthy growth and body function and immune response. BPA is one of the most widely produced chemicals worldwide, among its uses,