-Agence France-Presse Nekpur: With both hands holding the basket of human excrement on her head, widowed grandmother Kela walks through a stream of sewage, up a mound of waste and then dumps the filth while cursing. "Nobody even pays us a decent wage!" she spits as she rakes mud and rubbish over her newly deposited pile, one of several she drops in the course of her working day cleaning toilets as a...

-The Hindustan Times A farmer's wife's suicide, another farmer's attempt to end his life, police lathicharge and farmers continuing agitation against land acquisition for a thermal power plant has made Katni a political hotbed.   The BJP and the Congress have locked horns over the development and JD (U) is trying to consolidate its position over the issue. The impact of the farmers' agitation against land acquisition for Welspun Energy Madhya Pradesh...

-Agence France-Presse Washington: The World Bank warned on Sunday that global temperatures could rise by four degrees this century without immediate action, with potentially devastating consequences for coastal cities and the poor. Issuing a call for action, the World Bank tied the future wealth of the planet -- and especially developing regions -- to immediate efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions from sources such as energy production. "The time is very, very short....

-The Times of India The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has asked the oil ministry not to approve any more investments in Reliance Industries's KG-D6 oil and gas block till the company submits all records of its spending in the Andhra offshore field till 2011-12 for scrutiny. In a November 9 letter to the ministry, a top CAG functionary also suggested a similar action for the Panna-Mukta and Tapti (PMT) group...

-PTI Yet another textbook in a CBSE school has sparked a controversy by allegedly insinuating that non-vegetarians lie, cheat and commit crimes, with the government terming it as "unfortunate" and asking state bodies to remain alert about such content and monitor them. "Sensitivities of communities have to be kept in mind. I think its unfortunate, an occasional aberration happens. But what I would request is that the state body should always be...