-The Hindu If drought is making many in Osmanabad struggle for survival, it is also boosting a 24-hour trade that thrives on scarcity Bharat Raut spends around Rs.800 a month on petrol — just to fetch water that belongs to him. So do a lot of others in Takwiki village in Osmanabad district in Marathwada. Almost every household in Takwiki (and other villages) has one member locked into a single task each...

-Outlook Opposing the plea of December 16 gangrape accused to use as evidence a CD containing the interview of the victim's friend given to a news channel, the police today told the Delhi High Court that a "media interview of a witness is inadmissible evidence under the law." Special public prosecutor Dayan Krishnan, appearing for the Delhi police, told Justice G P Mittal that "media interview in any nature is completely barred...

-The Times of India BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha governmentresumed land acquisition for the proposed Poscosteel plant in Jagatsinghpur district on Sunday, a day after three people were killed in a bomb blast in the project area. Official sources said government representatives demolished three betel vines at Gobindapur village, restarting land takeover after about a month. The work was done amid the deployment of about a dozen platoons of security personnel. Jagatsinghpur collector...

-The Times of India PUNE: In view of the increasing need for skilled manpower in the mental heath sector, the state health department has decided to train health workers at the village level and incorporate them in the mental health services. "At present, about 6,000 people with different mental illnesses can take treatment at four regional mental Hospitals in the state. Even if the strength of health workers is increased, it would...

-The Times of India GHAZIABAD: The air in Ghaziabad, even in relatively greener areas such as Indirapuram, Vaishali and Kaushambi, is nothing short of a poisonous cocktail. Prolonged exposure to the air in the city, among the top five 'most critically polluted cities' in the country, can lead to a number of respiratory diseases, most of which directly affect the lungs. Centre of Science Environment's (CSE) analysis of government data and Global...