-The United Nations The United Nations today launched the Zero Hunger Challenge in Asia and the Pacific, calling on governments, farmers, scientists, business, civil society and consumers to work together to end hunger in the region where the majority of the world's undernourished people live. "Sustainable development and inclusive growth will not happen on empty stomachs," said Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the...

-The Indian Express CBI director Ranjit Sinha admitted to the Supreme Court on Friday that the agency's status report on the coal blocks allocation case had been shown to Law Minister Ashwani Kumar "as desired by him". The report was also shared with a senior official each from the Prime Minister's Office and the coal ministry, the CBI director said. The government has been in turmoil - facing demands for an explanation...

-The Telegraph Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held consultations with senior leaders of his government after the Central Bureau of Investigation admitted to the Supreme Court that it had shared its status report on the coal-block allocation scam with ministers and officials. CBI director Ranjit Sinha said in his affidavit that the agency had shared the report with Union law minister Ashwani Kumar "as desired by him" and that senior officials of the...

-The Hindu   Now it is mandatory for IAS and IPS officials posted in Chhattisgarh to learn at least one local tribal language The Communist Part of India (Maoist) had made local tribal language learning mandatory for its cadres in Chhattisgarh (erstwhile Madhya Pradesh) soon after they arrived from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in the early Eighties. Hence, in the next decade, all its Bengali, Telugu or Marathi speaking cadres picked up at least...

-The Hindu CAG sees weak political will, highlights failure of scheme Palakkad: A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has charged the State with a lack of political will in providing land to landless tribal people in the State. The Audit Report (General and Social Sector) of the CAG for the financial year 2011-12 accuses the government of tardy implementation of a Rs. 175-crore scheme for the resettlement of landless tribal people launched...