-PTI   High volatility and price swings in food commodities are likely to prevail for the rest of this year and could continue into 2012, UN body Food and Agriculture Organisation today said. “High and volatile agricultural commodity prices are likely to prevail for the rest of this year and into 2012,” Food and Agriculture Organisation said in a statement. The next few months will be critical in determining how the major crops...

-IBN   Anna Hazare and his supporters on Wednesday challenged the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government to conduct a referendum to find out what form of the Lokpal Bill the citizens of the country were in favour of. "Let there be a referendum in the country on the Lokpal Bill prepared by the Government and the Jan Lokpal Bill prepared by the civil society. Let the one that has maximum support of people...

The food ministry has prepared a new food security bill, reworking an earlier version and reconciling what had been “promised to the people” by the ruling Congress and the government’s fiscal constraints, MoS for agriculture KV Thomas has told HT. In August last year, the UPA government had pulled the plug on a previous draft, after it was found wanting by the Congress leadership. The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council, which oversees...

Beginning his day-long hunger strike at Rajghat to protest against corruption and the recent police brutality, the 73-year-old-Gandhi devotee Anna Hazare said that if the Lokpal Bill was not passed, he would fast unto death at Jantar Mantar from August 16. Anna described his movement as the second battle of independence but underlined Gandhi's non-violent path. He said his Wednesday fast was to condemn the police action on Ramdev's supporters at...

-The Economic Times   Taking on the government, civil rights activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday went on a day-long fast at Rajghat, declaring that his agitation against corruption was the "second freedom struggle" and threatened another hunger strike from August 16 if Lokpal Bill is not passed by then. He accused the government of putting "hurdles" in the drafting of Lokpal Bill and trying to defame the civil society members of the...