-IANS   Talks between the government and Anna Hazare's team on a sweeping anti-corruption law ended in a deadlock Wednesday night, shattering hopes of an early resolution to spiralling political crisis triggered by the social activist's indefinite fast. At the latest round of talks between the two sides, the civil society activists insisted that their version of the Lokpal bill should be passed expeditiously, but the government refused to bypass parliamentary procedures. Hazare's representatives...

-The Telegraph   Team Anna Hazare today gave a call to the people to peacefully march towards the national capital from Saturday if the government fails to resolve the Lokpal issue. Arvind Kejriwal, core member of Hazare's team, also appealed to people here to hold a protest outside the 7, Race Course Road official residence of the Prime Minister demanding tabling of Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament. He asked the Prime Minister why he...

-The Hindu   The U.S. has said it is monitoring the events related with Anna Hazare, and is confident that India would be able to address the challenge within democratic means. State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, said the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi was monitoring the situation there. “Our Embassy has been monitoring the situation, and I think they have been saying the same thing in Delhi that we’ve been saying here with regard...

-The Telegraph   Mamata Banerjee today questioned the “hue and cry outside Parliament” over Anna Hazare’s demand for a strong Lokpal bill and warned against making it a “one-point” issue, breaking her silence on the countrywide anti-corruption protests. “Many persons have been giving their views and they have the right to do so. But I must also ask that when the issue is yet to be discussed in Parliament, why should there be...

-Reuters   India’s food price index rose 9.03% and the fuel price index climbed 13.13% for the week ended 6 August, government data on Thursday showed. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee termed the over 9% rate of food inflation as “not acceptable”, but expressed hope that government policies and a good monsoon will help ease prices. “Food inflation at the level of 9% is not acceptable. I do hope the measures taken to remove supply...