Why Can’t India Feed Its People?

It was 1958, my father was still a child, and India was running out of food. That year’s wheat crop had slumped by 15 percent, the rice harvest by 12 percent, and prices in the markets were soaring. Far from his village in eastern India, ships loaded with wheat were steaming toward the country, part of Dwight Eisenhower’s plan to sell surplus...

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Greek PM presses for deal on loan

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece has reacted with dismay to the European Union‘s failure to agree to release vital rescue loan funds for the debt-ridden country, with the prime minister warning it was not just Greece’s future that hangs in the balance.The delay prolongs uncertainty over the future of Greece, which faces a messy default that would threaten...

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One Direction’s 2nd CD hits No. 1, sells 540,000

NEW YORK (AP) — One Direction‘s “Take Me Home” is the taking the boys to the top of the charts — and to new heights.The group’s sophomore album has sold 540,000 in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s the year’s third-highest debut behind Taylor Swift‘s “Red,” which sold 1.2 million units its first week earlier this month, and Mumford &...

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U.S. releases new health insurance reform rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. administration on Tuesday proposed new health insurance rules aimed at ending discrimination against the sick and guaranteeing minimum benefits for millions of Americans who are expected to obtain coverage under President Barack Obama‘s healthcare reform law.The rules, unveiled by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen...

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Asian shares, euro fall on uncertainty over Greek bailout

TOKYO (Reuters) – The euro skidded on Wednesday and Asian shares fell after European officials failed to reach a deal on another bailout for Greece, a day after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke highlighted the dangers of a U.S. fiscal crisis.U.S. stock futures eased 0.4 percent, pointing to a weak Wall Street open. Financial...

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U.S. fiscal impact of great concern to Canada: Canada’s Harper

TORONTO (Reuters) – Any fiscal problems that would significantly slow the U.S. economy would be of great concern to Canada, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Monday.The United States needed a credible medium-term fiscal plan, Harper said at a business forum in Ottawa, adding that he was following the U.S. fiscal debate with “great interest.” (Reporting...

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People turn to Twitter for CPR information: study

(Reuters) – Amid snarky comments and links to cat videos, some Twitter users turn to the social network to find and post information on health issues like cardiac arrest and CPR, according to a U.S. study.Over a month, researchers found 15,234 messages on Twitter that included specific information about resuscitation and cardiac arrest, said the study...

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Jackie Chan: upcoming film will be last big action movie

BEIJING (Reuters) – Kung Fu superstar Jackie Chan said that while the upcoming film “Chinese Zodiac 2012″ will be his last major action movie, citing his increasing age, he will still be packing punches in the world of philanthropy.Chan wrote, directed and produced his latest film, set to premiere in cinemas in China next month. He also plays the lead...

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Thanksgiving Day shopping: retailer sales trump tradition

(Reuters) – Whether U.S. shoppers and workers like or loathe the encroachment of the holiday shopping season into Thanksgiving Day, one thing is for certain – the trend is not going away.Even as stores fight charges of spreading holiday creep instead of cheer, retailers are making money out of moving the start of the holiday shopping season from “Black...

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Maybe Diamonds Aren’t Forever

Ian Harebottle is looking for the next Marilyn Monroe. The chief executive officer of London-based Gemfields (GEM), the world’s largest producer of emeralds, says he’s seeking “an A-lister” who can do for the green gems what Monroe did for diamonds when she sang Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Monroe’s performance in the...

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