West Asian, North African Countries Turning To Expensive Schemes For Maintaining Food Supply

Andrew Martin
Cairo: Global food shortages have placed the Middle East and North Africa in a quandary, as they are forced to choose between growing more crops to feed an expanding population or preserving their already scant supply of water.

New York: Bulky and obtrusive rack-mounted solar panels may be a thing of the past.

Spurred by recent advances in technology, solar panel makers are scrambling to come up with neater and cleaner products that will overcome the aesthetic objections of home owners to traditional solar panels.

They are building their technology directly into different kinds of roof tiles, hiding them in walls and lining the tops of patio awnings with them. "Bottom line, people don't want goofy looking roofs,' said Julie Blunden of solar panel manufacturer SunPower Corp.

WHY are member states of the WTO still negotiating the Doha Round, particularly in agriculture despite being aware that the current US administration does not have the authority or the power to ratify the promises it makes in the any issues, especially non-agricultural market access (Nama) and agriculture? As the US civil society Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch (PCGTW) writes: "The political and legal reality is that the US will only be in a position to engage honestly in Doha Round talks after the new president arrives.'

Vienna, July 18: Lobbying for the Indo-US nuclear deal, India on Friday briefed the IAEA Board of Governors and some NSG countries on the safeguards agreement amid reports that there was no sign of opposition to the accord.

After discussing the text of the India-specific safeguards accord with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told representatives of the 54 countries that the text was a good one. Among the 35 members of the IAEA Board of Governors, 26 are also part of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

SHRIMP exporters from India and Thailand to the United States have reasons to cheer. The World Trade Organization's (WTO) appellate body

Getting Aggressive Just days before Doha meet, minister says India will walk out if developed countries do not free up trade in services New Delhi, July 16: Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath told reporters today that unless India gets clear binding commitments from the US, the European Union and other developed countries to liberalise trade in services, there will be no deal in the WTO whatsoever. This comes just days before the commencement of the mini-ministerial meeting of the Doha round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on July 21.

High BP? Blame thy neighbourhood! RESEARCHERS found that people who lived in neighbourhoods with more opportunities for exercise, less crime, better grocery stores and a closer sense of community had a lower risk having high blood pressure

High Sugar Levels Impair One's Ability To Fight Infection: Study Diabetes has now been found to be fuelling India's deadly tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. In fact, according to researchers, it may be to blame for more than 10% of TB cases in India and China.

In a long-awaited testimony to the Senate Banking Committee, Fed chief admits subdued growth WASHINGTON: Warning of the dual risks of a further slowdown and higher inflation, US Federal Reserve chairman Ben S Bernanke offered a gloomy assessment on Tuesday of any immediate prospect for improvement in American economic difficulties, including energy prices and instability in financial markets.

Oil prices tumbled Tuesday as US stocks sold off amid worries about America's economic health. Prices dropped more than $10 a barrel from their highest point of the day. At midday, light, sweet crude fell $6.27 to $138.91 in an extremely volatile session.