-The Indian Express Death toll mounts to 25; government describes situation in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts as "critical" Gopalpur/Srikakulam/Bhubaneswar: The death toll in calamity-ravaged Odisha on Monday mounted to 25 with four more persons perishing in several areas of the State in the aftermath of cyclone Phailin that triggered heavy rains and floods in some districts. The government described the situation in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts as "critical". Relief and rescue operations have been...

-Down to Earth Serotype DENV 2 has returned after a gap of a few years, which could be a reason for higher number of cases this year More than 2,916 people have already been reported affected by dengue this year in Delhi. This has been the highest since 2010 when more than 3,782 cases were reported. Small puddles of water created by intermittent rains are the main reason behind this surge as...

-The Times of India ALLAHABAD: The Allahabad high court has banned with immediate effect the immersion of idols in the Ganga and Yamuna at Allahabad. While the order is applicable to Vijaya Dashmi on October 14 this year, the court has directed the state government to ensure its implementation across UP from next year. The court directed the Allahabad district administration to identify and develop other places for immersions. It also asked...

-The Economic Times HYDERABAD: Numerous pharmacies - especially those operating on rented space - are shutting down across the country, hurt by a sharp decline in margins after the introduction of a new pricing policy for medicines and intense competition from bigger players. The new Drug Price Control Order (DPCO), which was notified on May 15, has made the prices of some 150 drugs fall steeply. Under this, companies and retailers are...

-The Hindu     Governments have ritually abused the latitude granted by the Indian Penal Code and the Constitution to harass, intimidate and arrest scores of writers, journalists and artists It is common knowledge that Article 19 (1) (a) of the Indian Constitution lays down that "all citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression"; it is also common knowledge that this fundamental right is not absolute, as the immediately following...