Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.David Cameron has said he "can't see a problem" with Dow Chemical's sponsorship of the wrap that will surround the Olympic Stadium.
The deal has seen the Indian Olympic team threaten to boycott the Games, and has provoked the ire of human rights campaigners. Dow Chemical now own Union Carbide, the company which had a majority shareholding in a subsidiary responsible for the 1984 gas leak in Bhopal, India, which cost around 25,000 lives.
"Dow was not the owner of Union Carbide at the time, so this is a different company and a different business," the Prime Minister told the Indian broadcaster CNN-IBN.
He added: "The sponsorship of Dow for the Olympics is arranged by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It is their decision-making process and I don't criticise their process. What I'm saying, as the British Prime Minister who wants to see the Olympics be successful and not used for industrial or political or other purposes – I can't see a problem with the IOC being sponsored by Dow."
Dow, like McDonalds, Visa and Coca-Cola, is one of the IOC's seven "top-tier" sponsors, but the decision to award the wrap sponsorship to Dow was, in fact, taken by the London 2012 Organising Committee.
The Indian Olympic Association and the Indian sports ministry have asked the IOC to drop Dow as a sponsor, and may yet boycott the opening and closing ceremonies in protest.
The IOC has said that Dow bought Union Carbide 16 years after the disaster, by which point a compensation settlement had been reached.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments