Indian court bans entry to French warship

The aircraft carrier Clemenceau left France in December for the massive Alang ship-breaking yard amid protests from the environmental group Greenpeace.

The group says the 27,000-tonne ship contains hundreds of tonnes of hazardous material, including 500 tonnes of toxic asbestos which could pose a risk to the health of scrap workers.

A two-judge bench said it would decide on Feb. 13 -- after examining the final report by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Wastes -- if the Clemenceau could enter Alang.

The monitoring panel, which reports to the apex court, had previously recommended the vessel not be allowed to enter India because of the toxic waste it carried.