The dramatic recent fire on a container ship off Sri Lanka highlighted the risks involved in the island nation's ambitions to become one of the world's busiest maritime transport hubs.

The MV X-Press Pearl burned for 13 days, releasing tonnes of chemicals and plastics. The sinking ship's nearly 300 tonnes of fuel oil may now leak into the Indian Ocean.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/with-cargo-ship-sinking-sri-lanka-faces-one-of-its-worst-environmental-disasters-in-decades-389108">With cargo ship sinking, Sri Lanka faces one of its worst environmental disasters in decades</a>

How important is Sri Lanka?&nbsp;

Thanks to its geographical location, around 200 container ships and oil tankers sail past every day on the busy routes between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

But Sri Lanka is also the biggest so-called transhipment hub in South Asia, meaning that&nbsp;some of the world's biggest ships dock in Sri Lanka to load and unload containers.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ships-of-woes-when-ship-disasters-hit-global-headlines-389497">Ships of woes: When ship disasters hit global headlines</a>

Colombo, four days by ship from Singapore and four and a half to Dubai, is the only port between those two places deep enough to handle ships with more than 18,000 containers.

What are its plans?&nbsp;

Colombo Port now hopes to double its annual handling capacity of 7.2 million containers in four years.

"We are strategically located and we are strategically important," Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) chairman Daya Ratnayake told AFP.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/floods-and-mudslides-kill-4-another-7-missing-in-sri-lanka-389637">Floods and mudslides kill 4, another 7 missing in Sri Lanka</a>

"But, we have a serious problem here, the problem is (lack of) capacity."

India is developing a deep-water port at Vizhinjam on its southwest tip and is planning another in the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, both of which may steal some of Colombo's trade.

What do other countries think?&nbsp;

Two-thirds of the transhipment cargo going through Sri Lanka is goods going from or to India, and New Delhi has traditionally seen Colombo as an ally.

However, since a big chunk of what passes through the Indian Ocean is Chinese-made, Beijing has also shown a keen interest in developing Sri Lanka as a key link on its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-braces-for-oil-spill-from-sunken-ship-here-is-what-we-know-389485">Sri Lanka braces for oil spill from sunken ship: Here is what we know</a>

Since 2014, Colombo Port has been home to a $500-million Chinese-run deep sea terminal. To pacify New Delhi, Sri Lanka this year allowed India to build another new terminal right next door.

"This is how we are balancing," Ratnayake said. "We as a country must take all this competition to our advantage."

What else is China doing?&nbsp;

Sri Lanka has also built a second deep-sea port at Hambantota on its southern tip, even closer to the ships steaming between the Malacca Strait and the Suez Canal.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/with-colombo-port-city-china-sees-a-potential-overseas-colony-in-sri-lanka-386108">With Colombo port city, China sees a potential overseas colony in Sri Lanka</a>

After Sri Lanka failed to service its debts to build the port, Hambantota has since 2017 been leased to China, alarming Western countries as well as India.

China wants Hambantota one day to resemble Shanghai and aims to develop it as a container port able to service and refuel monster container ships 400 metres (1,300 feet) long.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-sinks-deeper-into-chinas-grasp-seeks-22-billion-from-beijing-as-reserves-shrink-366221">Sri Lanka sinks deeper into China's grasp, seeks $2.2 billion from Beijing as reserves shrink</a>

Currently the port does a lucrative business as a transhipment centre for hundreds of thousands of cars every year made in India and South Korea on their way elsewhere.

What about the environment?

Plastic pellets that escaped the MV X-Press Pearl have blanketed beaches in Sri Lanka. Fishing in the area has been suspended, hitting the local economy hard.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-faces-marine-disaster-as-waves-of-plastic-from-burning-ship-wash-ashore-388259">Sri Lanka faces marine disaster as waves of plastic from burning ship wash ashore</a>

Hemantha Withanage from the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has petitioned the Supreme Court to force the government to get ready for more disasters as the ports get busier.

"We don't have the equipment and the skills to deal with another catastrophe like this," Withanage told AFP.&nbsp;

The dramatic recent fire on a container ship off Sri Lanka highlighted the risks involved in the island nation's ambitions to become one of the world's busiest maritime transport hubs.

The dramatic recent fire on a container ship off Sri Lanka highlighted the risks involved in the island nation's ambitions to become one of the world's busiest maritime transport hubs. The MV X-Press Pearl burned for 13 days, releasing tonnes of chemicals and plastics. The sinking ship's nearly 300 tonnes of fuel oil may now leak into the Indian Ocean. Also Read | With cargo ship sinking, Sri Lanka faces one of its worst environmental disasters in decades How important is Sri Lanka? Thanks to its geographical location, around 200 container ships and oil tankers sail past every day on the busy routes between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. But Sri Lanka is also the biggest so-called transhipment hub in South Asia, meaning that some of the world's biggest ships dock in Sri Lanka to load and unload containers. Also Read | Ships of woes: When ship disasters hit global headlines Colombo, four days by ship from Singapore and four and a half to Dubai, is the only port between those two places deep enough to handle ships with more than 18,000 containers. What are its plans? Colombo Port now hopes to double its annual handling capacity of 7.2 million containers in four years. "We are strategically located and we are strategically important," Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) chairman Daya Ratnayake told AFP. Also Read | Floods and mudslides kill 4, another 7 missing in Sri Lanka "But, we have a serious problem here, the problem is (lack of) capacity." India is developing a deep-water port at Vizhinjam on its southwest tip and is planning another in the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, both of which may steal some of Colombo's trade. What do other countries think? Two-thirds of the transhipment cargo going through Sri Lanka is goods going from or to India, and New Delhi has traditionally seen Colombo as an ally. However, since a big chunk of what passes through the Indian Ocean is Chinese-made, Beijing has also shown a keen interest in developing Sri Lanka as a key link on its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Also Read | Sri Lanka braces for oil spill from sunken ship: Here is what we know Since 2014, Colombo Port has been home to a $500-million Chinese-run deep sea terminal. To pacify New Delhi, Sri Lanka this year allowed India to build another new terminal right next door. "This is how we are balancing," Ratnayake said. "We as a country must take all this competition to our advantage." What else is China doing? Sri Lanka has also built a second deep-sea port at Hambantota on its southern tip, even closer to the ships steaming between the Malacca Strait and the Suez Canal. Also Read | With Colombo port city, China sees a potential overseas colony in Sri Lanka After Sri Lanka failed to service its debts to build the port, Hambantota has since 2017 been leased to China, alarming Western countries as well as India. China wants Hambantota one day to resemble Shanghai and aims to develop it as a container port able to service and refuel monster container ships 400 metres (1,300 feet) long. Also Read | Sri Lanka sinks deeper into China's grasp, seeks $2.2 billion from Beijing as reserves shrink Currently the port does a lucrative business as a transhipment centre for hundreds of thousands of cars every year made in India and South Korea on their way elsewhere. What about the environment? Plastic pellets that escaped the MV X-Press Pearl have blanketed beaches in Sri Lanka. Fishing in the area has been suspended, hitting the local economy hard. Also Read | Sri Lanka faces marine disaster as waves of plastic from burning ship wash ashore Hemantha Withanage from the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has petitioned the Supreme Court to force the government to get ready for more disasters as the ports get busier. "We don't have the equipment and the skills to deal with another catastrophe like this," Withanage told AFP.

Small Sri Lanka harbours big maritime ambitions

Taking a step towards tackling climate change the French national assembly approves the creation of an ecocide offense as part of a battery of measures aimed at protecting the environment. The ecocide measure was passed by 44 votes to 10 in the lower house of the Parliament and if it becomes law it will apply to the most serious cases of environmental damage at national level.

French national assembly approve the creation of ecocide bill as part of measures to protect environment

The French National Assembly on Saturday approved the creation of an "ecocide" offence as part of a battery of measures aimed at protecting the environment and tackling climate change.

The ecocide measure was passed by 44 votes to 10 in the lower house of parliament and will, if it becomes law, apply to "the most serious cases of environmental damage at national level", said Environment Minister Barbara Pompili.

Transgressors will be liable to up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 4.5 million euros ($5.4 million).

Pompili stressed that the draft bill is aimed at national events, such as the pollution of a French river.

"When we think of the attacks on the Amazon rainforest, that is not something we can tackle within our own laws," she said.

The aim is to strengthen the sanctions available to deal with "serious and durable" cases of intentional pollution of water, air or soil.

Some right-wing MPs complained about moves towards "punitive ecology. Julien Aubert of the Republicans voiced the "serious concerns" of companies facing "legal insecurity" created by such environmental justice measures.

MPs on the left judged the offence being debated insufficient to tackle the problem, highlihting that it will only apply in cases of intentional pollution and not to problems caused by negligence or recklessness.

Some opposition members complained that the very term "ecocide" was an "abuse of language", preferring a more straightforward offence of "attacking the environment".

The Assembly also gave the green light to an offence of endangering the environment, on the model of endangering life, punishable by three years in prison and a 300,000 euro &nbsp;fine. The amount of a whole series of fines provided for by articles of the Environmental Code may also go up to 100,000 euros.

The entire draft bill will go to the Assembly for a vote next month before heading to the upper house Senate.

The French National Assembly on Saturday approved the creation of an "ecocide" offence as part of a battery of measures aimed at protecting the environment and tackling climate change.

The French National Assembly on Saturday approved the creation of an "ecocide" offence as part of a battery of measures aimed at protecting the environment and tackling climate change. The ecocide measure was passed by 44 votes to 10 in the lower house of parliament and will, if it becomes law, apply to "the most serious cases of environmental damage at national level", said Environment Minister Barbara Pompili. Transgressors will be liable to up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 4.5 million euros ($5.4 million). Pompili stressed that the draft bill is aimed at national events, such as the pollution of a French river. "When we think of the attacks on the Amazon rainforest, that is not something we can tackle within our own laws," she said. The aim is to strengthen the sanctions available to deal with "serious and durable" cases of intentional pollution of water, air or soil. Some right-wing MPs complained about moves towards "punitive ecology. Julien Aubert of the Republicans voiced the "serious concerns" of companies facing "legal insecurity" created by such environmental justice measures. MPs on the left judged the offence being debated insufficient to tackle the problem, highlihting that it will only apply in cases of intentional pollution and not to problems caused by negligence or recklessness. Some opposition members complained that the very term "ecocide" was an "abuse of language", preferring a more straightforward offence of "attacking the environment". The Assembly also gave the green light to an offence of endangering the environment, on the model of endangering life, punishable by three years in prison and a 300,000 euro fine. The amount of a whole series of fines provided for by articles of the Environmental Code may also go up to 100,000 euros. The entire draft bill will go to the Assembly for a vote next month before heading to the upper house Senate.

France approves 'ecocide' offence to punish environmental damage

Amazon rainforest has been in the headlines lately owing to the record rate of deforestation in the region, which threatens local human and animal habitats, while increasing the risk of natural disasters.

Given the current scenario, it also makes tribal forest populations vulnerable to COVID-19. And these areas are hard to reach, with minimal healthcare in these regions.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/amazon-tribe-releases-hostages-after-body-of-leader-returned-310912" hreflang="en">Amazon tribe releases hostages after body of leader returned</a>

In the backdrop of global outcry over Bolsonaro government’s stance and policies on the Amazon forest, the administration recently fired a national space agency official. The agency, Inpe is responsible for monitoring the rainforest via satellites, which has divulged data of mass deforestation and exploitation, even as global scientists call for preservation as an immediate call of the hour.

Increased deforestation

The data from June shows how deforestation hasn’t slowed down during the pandemic, but rather increased.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/study-fires-surge-in-brazils-amazon-forest-in-the-month-of-june-to-highest-rate-in-13-years-310606/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The official, Lubia Vinhas was the general-coordinator of Brazilian space agency Inpe’s Earth Observation Institute, which is one of the many sub-agencies responsible for tracking activity in the Amazon rainforest. They put out data to corroborate evidence of global warming induced by such actions.

Vinhas, who was supposed to hold her position for four years was fired by Marcos Pontes, Brazil’s science and technology minister just two years into her job. No explanation was offered for the same.

Bolsonaro complicit?

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been a staunch critic of environmentalists, and has, on multiple occasions called for economic development in the region, which roughly implies increased deforestation. Additionally, this makes way for illegal mining and logging in the region. In fact, a recent report highlighted how illegal mining had caused the transmission of COVID-19 among tribal populations from the workers, causing major distress in the region.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/brazil-deforested-10000-square-km-of-amazon-rainforest-in-2019-up-34-on-year-304867" hreflang="en">Brazil deforested 10,000 square km of Amazon rainforest in 2019, up 34% on year</a>

A firing was undertaken along similar lines last year, and activists believe this is due to the appalling data coming in from the country.

In August 2019, when the world sought answers from Bolsonaro over the wildfires in Amazon, Bolsonaro hit out at the former head of country’s space research institute, accusing him of doctoring data in order to paint his administration in a bad light. When Galvao countered the claims publicly, he was fired and replaced.

The figures released by Inpe on Friday showed over 1,034 square kilometres worth of deforestation in June alone. This is the highest area to be cleared in June ever since data collection had been initiated in 2015.

In the January-June period, the Amazon witnessed a 25 per cent spike in deforestation, when compared to the same time last year. Over 3,069 square kilometres of land has been cleared so far.

Amazon rainforest has been in the headlines lately owing to the record rate of deforestation in the region, which threatens local human and animal habitats, while increasing the risk of natural disasters.

Amazon rainforest has been in the headlines lately owing to the record rate of deforestation in the region, which threatens local human and animal habitats, while increasing the risk of natural disasters. Given the current scenario, it also makes tribal forest populations vulnerable to COVID-19. And these areas are hard to reach, with minimal healthcare in these regions. Also read: Amazon tribe releases hostages after body of leader returned In the backdrop of global outcry over Bolsonaro government’s stance and policies on the Amazon forest, the administration recently fired a national space agency official. The agency, Inpe is responsible for monitoring the rainforest via satellites, which has divulged data of mass deforestation and exploitation, even as global scientists call for preservation as an immediate call of the hour. Increased deforestation The data from June shows how deforestation hasn’t slowed down during the pandemic, but rather increased. The official, Lubia Vinhas was the general-coordinator of Brazilian space agency Inpe’s Earth Observation Institute, which is one of the many sub-agencies responsible for tracking activity in the Amazon rainforest. They put out data to corroborate evidence of global warming induced by such actions. Vinhas, who was supposed to hold her position for four years was fired by Marcos Pontes, Brazil’s science and technology minister just two years into her job. No explanation was offered for the same. Bolsonaro complicit? Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been a staunch critic of environmentalists, and has, on multiple occasions called for economic development in the region, which roughly implies increased deforestation. Additionally, this makes way for illegal mining and logging in the region. In fact, a recent report highlighted how illegal mining had caused the transmission of COVID-19 among tribal populations from the workers, causing major distress in the region. Also read: Brazil deforested 10,000 square km of Amazon rainforest in 2019, up 34% on year A firing was undertaken along similar lines last year, and activists believe this is due to the appalling data coming in from the country. In August 2019, when the world sought answers from Bolsonaro over the wildfires in Amazon, Bolsonaro hit out at the former head of country’s space research institute, accusing him of doctoring data in order to paint his administration in a bad light. When Galvao countered the claims publicly, he was fired and replaced. The figures released by Inpe on Friday showed over 1,034 square kilometres worth of deforestation in June alone. This is the highest area to be cleared in June ever since data collection had been initiated in 2015. In the January-June period, the Amazon witnessed a 25 per cent spike in deforestation, when compared to the same time last year. Over 3,069 square kilometres of land has been cleared so far.

Brazil fires official who divulged details of record-deforestation in the Amazon

Once upon a time in India, there was a girl who was promised a job and a better future but was sold instead as a bride to a family thousands of miles away from where she lived.

With a dearth of young women in the village, she entered a world where abductions, forced marriages and enslavement were acceptable methods of propagating family trees.

Her story is fact, not fiction. It is part&nbsp;of a new anthology of graphic non-fiction that has brought together over two dozen Indian writers,&nbsp;artists and illustrators to tell such stories of life in India through comics.

&quot;The medium of comics is fantastic for this. It allows readers to engage with characters, locations and circumstances, as if they were doing it first hand,&quot; said Vidyun Sabhaney, one of the editors of the anthology, First Hand.

Citing the example of Maus (Art&nbsp;Spiegelman), Palestine (Joe Sacco), Barefoot Gen (Keiji Nakazawa) and Persepolis (Marjane Satrapi), Sabhaney wrote in the preface, &quot;These books have been startlingly radical for readers not just because of the medium that they use but the stories that they chose to tell.&quot;

The project that began two years ago focuses on stories about migration and trafficking, poverty, caste and LGBT discrimination and the impact of environmental damage that often go unreported.

One powerful narrative in the book is about the young girl trafficked and sold as a bride.

&quot;In a trafficking situation graphic illustrations are all the more useful to give the reader a sense of the remote places people are trafficked from - with a different language, culture and practices - to the final destination which is completely unfamiliar and traumatising,&quot; Neha Dixit, author of the story &#39;Girl Not from Madras&#39;, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

In another story,&nbsp;artist Ita Mehrotra explores the life of a woman she has known for a decade. Chetan is an overworked and underpaid construction worker in India&#39;s capital New Delhi

&quot;I felt through talking with her that she held a history of the city&#39;s past that was more real than others I have read - it was about how she and others actually built it from scratch,&quot; Mehrotra said.

Field research by environmental group Chintan is the basis for E-Waste Sutra, a story about &quot;urban gold diggers&quot; recycling electronic waste.

With data punctuating the narrative, the story is about young boys who use their bare hands to take apart&nbsp;machines and women who sit with magnets to pull out iron components.

&quot;A wise poet once said that the universe is made up of stories not atoms,&quot; editor Orijit Sen wrote in the preface of the book, the first of a planned series. &quot;That line has always stayed with me as one that beautifully captures the essential paradox of truth-telling in narration.&quot;

The anthology called First Hand also talks of caste discrimination, migration, and environmental damage which often go unreported

Once upon a time in India, there was a girl who was promised a job and a better future but was sold instead as a bride to a family thousands of miles away from where she lived. With a dearth of young women in the village, she entered a world where abductions, forced marriages and enslavement were acceptable methods of propagating family trees. Her story is fact, not fiction. It is part of a new anthology of graphic non-fiction that has brought together over two dozen Indian writers, artists and illustrators to tell such stories of life in India through comics. "The medium of comics is fantastic for this. It allows readers to engage with characters, locations and circumstances, as if they were doing it first hand," said Vidyun Sabhaney, one of the editors of the anthology, First Hand. Citing the example of Maus (Art Spiegelman), Palestine (Joe Sacco), Barefoot Gen (Keiji Nakazawa) and Persepolis (Marjane Satrapi), Sabhaney wrote in the preface, "These books have been startlingly radical for readers not just because of the medium that they use but the stories that they chose to tell." The project that began two years ago focuses on stories about migration and trafficking, poverty, caste and LGBT discrimination and the impact of environmental damage that often go unreported. One powerful narrative in the book is about the young girl trafficked and sold as a bride. "In a trafficking situation graphic illustrations are all the more useful to give the reader a sense of the remote places people are trafficked from - with a different language, culture and practices - to the final destination which is completely unfamiliar and traumatising," Neha Dixit, author of the story 'Girl Not from Madras', told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. In another story, artist Ita Mehrotra explores the life of a woman she has known for a decade. Chetan is an overworked and underpaid construction worker in India's capital New Delhi "I felt through talking with her that she held a history of the city's past that was more real than others I have read - it was about how she and others actually built it from scratch," Mehrotra said. Field research by environmental group Chintan is the basis for E-Waste Sutra, a story about "urban gold diggers" recycling electronic waste. With data punctuating the narrative, the story is about young boys who use their bare hands to take apart machines and women who sit with magnets to pull out iron components. "A wise poet once said that the universe is made up of stories not atoms," editor Orijit Sen wrote in the preface of the book, the first of a planned series. "That line has always stayed with me as one that beautifully captures the essential paradox of truth-telling in narration."

A comic book tells true stories about India's poverty, prejudice, and its trafficked girls

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