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Federal prosecutors dropped the remaining tax evasion conspiracy charge against two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves and his sister on Friday, clearing the Brazilian driver of all the charges that once threatened to derail his career.

China Chain Store and Franchise Association say year-old ban has significantly reduced waste and helped change attitudesBanning flimsy plastic bags has been dismissed as a drop in the ocean when it comes to dealing with the world's environment problems, but multiplied on a China scale, it appears to have made a big difference.A new report suggests restrictions on bag usage in the world's most populous nation have saved the equivalent of 1.6 million tonnes of oil, in the year since it was introduced.Just ahead of the first anniversary of the ban, the China Chain Store and Franchise Association estimated it had saved the country 40 billion plastic bags.According to their survey, plastic bag use has fallen by two thirds as consumers grow accustomed to bringing their own reusable bags.The ban was introduced on 1 June 2008 to reduce 'white pollution' - the popular term for plastic bags and styrofoam packaging. Under the new rules, the state forbade production of ultra-thin bags under 0.025m

Sydney - Thousands of residents fled towns on Australia's east coast Friday after torrential rain engorged rivers that now threaten to break their banks and inundate homes and businesses. Some 9,000 residents of the New South Wales town of Grafton ha...