-PTI/ India Today  As many as 22 people have died in flash floods and landslides in the state of Himachal Pradesh. At least 743 roads have been blocked due to unprecedented rainfall. * 22 people have died in landslides and flash floods in Himachal Pradesh * The maximum damage has been reported from Mandi, Kangra and Chamba districts * 2 people were killed as boulders hit their car in Shimla's Theog on Friday Twenty two...

-Livemint.com * Odisha have been reeling under flood, leading to crop damage and supply chain disruption * Vegetables prices have shot up in the markets of Bhubaneswar as several districts of Odisha Recurrent floods in several districts of Odisha have led to crop damage and supply chain disruptions which further hiked the prices of vegetables in the state. Tomatoes are sold at ₹25 per kg in downtown Bhubaneswar, a jump of around five rupees...

-PTI/ NDTV.com Supreme Court: "If such a meaning is applied, it would render all government facilities such as education, healthcare to be freebies, which is unconscionable," submissions filed by senior advocate P Wilson on behalf of DMK, said. New Delhi: Welfare schemes provide uplift of weaker sections and cannot be described as "freebies", the DMK has told the Supreme Court. Opposing the plea filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay seeking action against political parties...

-Down to Earth The United States Department of Agriculture has said rice production in India may decline by 0.9% in 2022-23 due to uneven rains Rice prices are spiking across India, even in areas where it is the staple. This development comes even as the country has experienced an abnormal Kharif season, with uneven distribution of rainfall. The cereal that forms the staple diet of over half of India’s population has become prohibitively...

-Down to Earth No regulation on marketing strategies by drug companies has created a medical autocracy, the Dolo-650 controversy shows If you had to take paracetamol 650 milligrams instead of paracetamol 500 mg three times a day during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be familiar with the drug called Dolo-650. The drug is prescribed for reducing fever and pain, but the medicine possibly reached you thanks to its manufacturer’s market strategy. A petition...