1. North Korea threatened Friday to launch a "very strong military counteraction" if South Korea refuses to halt propaganda broadcasts, in a warning delivered at the United Nations.
2. International crude oil prices slid towards the $40 barrel mark, amid growing worries about the health of the Chinese economy, and raised the prospects of a fresh round of cuts in kitchen and auto fuel prices in India in the coming weeks.
3. Blood banks cannot issue blood and its components on prescriptions written by ayurveda, homeopathy and unani doctors, says a circular issued by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The August 18 circular will curb the indiscriminate use of blood in treatment that has led to a rise in transfusion-related infections and deaths, it added.
4. Traders and stockists seem to be making a killing as onion prices have soared across the country in the past 2-3 weeks. The staple kitchen item was selling at around Rs 80 per kg in the market in Delhi, as a substantial jump in prices was reported from Delhi's wholesale mandis. Prices of pulses have also gone up considerably in the past three weeks.
