The announcement a few hours ago of the death of General Lansana Conté, President of the Republic of Guinea, has produced a highly complex political scenario which makes us fear for the maintenance of the democratic and constitutional order.

By Vineeta Pandey

New Delhi: NEW DELHI: Minister for women and child development (WCD) Renuka Chowdhury wants all products sold in India to declare it is child labour-free.

Advocating stringent punishment for employers of child labour, Chowdhury said the government may bring in an exclusive policy and Act to prevent exploitation of children. The ministry also plans to redefine children in various legislations by including everybody up to 18 years of age in the bracket. At present, child labour covers children below 14 years of age.

Q: I found a rug at a local chain that looks to be very poor quality, and I'm afraid it was made in a sweatshop. The only label I can see is a piece of tape that says "made in India."

I asked the store buyer about it, and he said it wasn't made in a sweatshop. Things like that are harder to find out than I would have thought. I don't know what I expected - a tag that said, "Made by bonded children," perhaps?

- Bonita Kale, Euclid

A: It is hard to find out the conditions under which imported goods are made.

ADJUNTAS, P.R. — At a squat green factory here in the mountains of central Puerto Rico, workers stitch together camouflage uniforms for American troops. They arrive around sunrise, and the first thing they see is a banner that reads, “Say no to the union!”

It is the most visible sign of an intensifying conflict over sick days that has set mostly rural Puerto Rican workers against one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of military clothing. And in a sign of what may be to come in other depressed areas, both sides seem determined to use the faltering economy to gain leverage.