BMW and VW denounce diesel test on monkeys
FRANKFURT • German carmakers Daimler BMW and Volkswagen have denounced a scientific experiment which exposed monkeys to toxic diesel fumes, the latest aftershock from an exhaust-rigging scandal rocking the auto industry.
The carmakers had financed the experiment - in which 10 monkeys squatted in an airtight chamber watching cartoons as they inhaled fumes from a diesel Volkswagen Beetle - in an attempt to prove that diesel vehicles with the latest technology were cleaner than the smoky models of old.
REUTERS, NYTIMES
Paris on alert as Seine's level continues to rise
PARIS • The swollen Seine rose even higher yesterday, keeping Paris on alert, though forecasters said the flooding should peak overnight, leaving a lengthy mop-up job.
The river had risen another 9cm in 24 hours by yesterday morning, more than 4m above its normal level, causing headaches for commuters and people living near its overflowing banks. Tourists suffered too, with the capital's famous Bateaux Mouches rivercraft out of service, and only emergency services authorised to navigate the waterway.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
