-The United Nations   Top United Nations officials today stressed the need to realize the human right to water and sanitation, stating that it is critical not only to a life of dignity but also to achieving progress in the areas such as poverty reduction, boosting child health and combating diseases. In July 2010, the General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring that safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human...

-Outlook   The Arunachal RTI Activists Forum (ARTIAF) has called a 24-hour Itanagar bandh on July 29 demanding resignation of Health Minister Atum Welly and Chief Information Commissioner Y D Thongchi. The health minister recently landed in a controversy after his son and daughter allegedly submitted fake educational certificates for government jobs while his three Aides were arrested on the charge of plotting to murder an RTI activist who brought the matter...

-The Economic Times   The World Bank on Monday pledged more than $500 million (348 million euros) to Aid the drought-strickenHorn of Africa region, asUnited Nations Aid chiefs met in Rome to discuss ramping up relief efforts. The bulk of the money will go towards long-term projects to Aid farmers while $12 million will be for immediate assistance to those worst hit by the crisis and facing starvation. "The recurring nature of drought......

-The Times of India   CBI on Saturday concluded its arguments on framing of charges against the accused in the 2G scam saying that going purely by the note on revision of licence fee by Indian Revenue Service officer Manju Madhavan or the PM's letter, a loss of Rs 30,000 crore has been caused to the public exchequer due to the scam. Concluding his arguments, special public prosecutor U U Lalit sAid...

The Supreme Court on Friday appeared doubtful about pressing the government to give cash “incentives” under a centrally sponsored scheme to poor women pregnant from child marriages, saying this may be seen as “encouraging” the social crime. “If Government of India gives incentives, will it not mean that it is encouraging child marriages.... We cannot give approval to child marriages,” a Bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma observed. The...