Rising corn prices in the United States brought about by biofuel mandates have cost developing countries 6.6 billion dollars over the past six years, says a study by Global Development And Environment Institute at Tufts University (GDAE).  Net Food Importing Developing Countries, among the most vulnerable to food price increases, incurred ethanol-related costs of $2.1 billion, the study concludes. (See highlights and the links below). The recent spike in world food prices...

-The Indian Express It’s a sting operation and the TV channel seems to be at the receiving end. Along with its FIR against Zee TV, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) has provided the police with audio and video recordings of telephone conversations and three meetings held on September 13, 17 and 19 between Zee and JSPL officials at Delhi’s Hyatt Regency. The recordings have been sent for forensic analysis by police,...

-The Hindu India Against Corruption has broken the unwritten code that politicians will not target each other’s kin, and in doing so has taken over the role the traditional Opposition and media should be playing The civil society formation, India Against Corruption, is a beast most find stunning and enthralling, yet few are able to define its precise nature. The confusion over IAC’s personality arises from the many simultaneous roles its activists...

-The Hindu If a creditable scheme to promote menstrual health hygiene is not to become an environmental hazard, distributing biodegradable products is a must In June 2010, the Centre approved an unprecedented scheme to promote menstrual health by distributing subsidised sanitary pads among adolescent girls. Priced at Rs.1 each, the pads were targeted at 15 million girls between the years of 10 and 19, and across 152 districts in 20 States. It...

-Outlook Nagpur: Gajanan Ghadge, former deputy Sarpanch of Khursapur village in the district who was named by Arvind Kejriwal yesterday as someone whose land was given away to BJP president Nitin Gadkari's firms, was missing since last evening, his family said. Durga Ghadge, his wife, said her husband was missing. "If he does not come back by tomorrow morning, we will lodge a police complaint," she told reporters. However, earlier in the day,...