-The Hindu   India ranks very high among the nations struck by the rising wave of “premature deaths” caused by non-communicable diseases, mainly heart and blood ailments, the WHO said in its latest report on Wednesday. The report said that cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory problems, blood pressure and diabetes are an offshoot of growing affluence of the middle classes as well as worsening health conditions among people below poverty line. “Exposure to the...

-The Telegraph   Chief minister Nitish Kumar today conducted an aerial survey and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams rushed to the central Bihar districts for rescue operations after over 8.39 lakh cusecs of water was suddenly released from the Vansagar dam in Madhya Pradesh. The water released from the MP-based dam has put enormous pressure on the Indrapuri barrage in Rohtas and several places on the embankment along the river Sone. The...

*Rs 19,000 to Atria Hotel for ‘Nithin Gadkari sir friends’ on August 31, 2010. *Rs 44,000 for a money counting machine on September 9, 2010. *Rs 10,000 for the wedding of a journalist’s son. *Footwear for G Janardhan Reddy’s son. As the CBI pursues former Karnataka minister G Janardhan Reddy and his illegal mining activities, details emerging from the computers and diaries of close associates of the mining baron are providing investigating agencies a...

-IANS   Floods triggered by heavy rains over the past week and huge discharge of water from Hirakud dam have killed at least 16 people in Orissa and displaced thousands, an official said Sunday. There were reports of six people being swept away in Nayagarh and Bargarh districts but their dead bodies were yet to be found. The situation continued to be grim in several places of the affected 19 of the state's 30...

The ministry of rural development is mulling over changes in the implementation guidelines of the country’s largest rural employment guarantee programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The ministry has constituted a committee to be chaired by member Planning Commission Mihir Shah that will look into issues such as ensuring legal compensation for not providing work on demand, reducing distress migration from rural areas, cutting down on delays...