-The Associated Press   She waited 1 1/2 hours at the hospital, only to see a nurse who yelled that she was "lying about being in labor." Three hours later, her baby was born dead. Another woman gave birth on the street, steps away from a clinic that twice turned her away, saying her time had not come. Several other women interviewed by Human Rights Watch said their legs were pinched and faces slapped...

Jairam Ramesh's removal as Environment Minister creates uncertainties for domestic environment policy and the deadlocked global climate talks. WHATEVER one may think of its overall impact, the recent Cabinet reshuffle was not exactly a damp squib. Its single most important component was Jairam Ramesh's replacement as the Minister of State with independent charge in the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) by Jayanthi Natarajan, a relative political lightweight with very little...

Mining firms have criticised the Indian government's decision to make them pay more tax to help develop tribal areas affected by the Maoist uprising. Various trade associations have denounced the bill, under which firms will pay upto 26% extra tax on profits. The new legislation is to be introduced during the new parliamentary session which started on Monday. Maoist rebels say they are fighting for the rights of indigenous tribal people and the...

India’s domestic wheat prices higher than international rates by around $100 per tonne; traders seek subsidy India’s food ministry will oppose a proposal to export wheat as it prefers to distribute the excess to the poor within the country, K.V. Thomas, Union minister of state (independent charge) for consumer affairs, food and public distribution, said on Thursday. “We want the wheat produced by our farmers to be distributed here first,” Thomas said,...

-The Economic Times   The World Bank on Monday pledged more than $500 million (348 million euros) to aid the drought-strickenHorn of Africa region, asUnited Nations aid chiefs met in Rome to discuss ramping up relief efforts. The bulk of the money will go towards long-term projects to aid farmers while $12 million will be for immediate assistance to those worst hit by the crisis and facing starvation. "The recurring nature of drought......