-The Times of India The government on Friday said that it would not play big brother with regard to the media and hoped that any course correction required would come from the media itself. In a statement on the occasion of National Press Day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and I&B minister Manish Tewari came out support of self-regulation, which was in sharp contrast with Press Council chief Markandey Katju seeking greater regulatory...

-The Times of India Retail giant Walmart has disclosed that it is investigating alleged violations of the US anti-bribery law in India, China and Brazil. The development could trigger fresh opposition to the opening up of the domestic retail market to global companies. The disclosure is likely to provide ammunition to political parties that are planning to corner the government on its decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail when Parliament reconvenes...

-PTI Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said censorship was no answer to irresponsible journalism and favoured self regulation by media. "As a country, we believe in complete independence of the media from external control," Singh said in a message on National Press Day on Friday. "It is true that sometimes irresponsible journalism can have serious consequences for social harmony and public order, which the Public authorities have an obligation to maintain, but...

-Frontline There are no effective vaccines against Japanese encephalitis, but its spread can be controlled in India through vector management.  JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS, or JE, has become endemic in many parts of the country, occurring repeatedly in epidemic form in many of them—for instance, in parts of Gorakhpur in northern Uttar Pradesh. One can expect JE-type epidemics year after year in States where prolonged drought-like conditions are followed by heavy monsoons. This leads to...

-The Economic Times It's extreme weather season in Asia again. Deadly cyclones, blinding rain, floods and mudslides are becoming the norm from Nepal to Fiji. The world's policymakers must reflect on extreme weather patterns while budgeting their nations' finances. In Thailand last year's floods caused losses of $46.5 billion. Reconstruction costs will reach at least $50 billion, according to the government and UN's assessments. In Pakistan widespread flooding two years ago affected 20...