-The Hindu The Bali ministerial conference in December presents a crucial opportunity to bring about changes in WTO rules Ending hunger and poverty requires major national policy initiatives in developing countries. The United Nations Secretary-General has articulated a broad zero hunger vision, endorsed and embraced as a priority by national leaders in many developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Production of food by small cultivators in developing countries has a...

-PTI Soaring inflation, high fuel cost, rising cost of education and health insurance premiums have eroded the real incomes of middle-class Indian families, with household savings rates dropping by a staggering 40 per cent in the last three years, says an Assocham survey. "Poor households are unable to maintain the consumption levels at current prices while middle income families find their purchasing power erode fast, thus having far less surplus money," Assocham...

-The Hindustan Times Prices of almost all everyday products and services - from food to footwear and movie tickets to medicines - saw a sharp rise in October, pushing retail inflation to 10.09%, the highest in seven months. Costlier onions and tomatoes saw retail inflation - a measure of prices that are asked of you at a shop - cross the double-digit mark for the first time in seven months, indicating Indians...

-The Economic Times A decline in paddy production in eastern states and Andhra Pradesh has triggered speculation of a lower rice output this year, stoking a 10-30% spike in prices at a time when high vegetable prices have pushed inflation to a seven-month high. Floods and incessant rains in major rice producing states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh during the harvesting period have affected the paddy crop. Talking to...

-PTI Inflation during the current festive season is impacting the rich more than poor as the goods used by them have seen a higher price rise a report by a industry body said. "The impact of price rise as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) is found higher on rich class at around 9.3 per cent as compared with the poor class at around 8.4 per cent," PHD Chamber of Commerce...