The Dalai Lama has accused China's rulers of creating a climate of fear, lies and censorship. 'In reality, for the communist totalitarian system and for many totalitarian systems, hypocrisy and telling lies has unfortunately become part of their lives,' he said in a conversation with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu via video link-up to Cape Town. The Dalai Lama was meant to travel to Cape Town from India for Tutu's 80th birthday celebrations at the weekend but cancelled his trip after South Africa failed to give him a visa in time.

Food prices are likely to become more volatile in coming years, increasing the risk that more poor people in import-dependent countries will go hungry, the United Nations said in an annual report on food insecurity published on Monday. Global food price indices hit record highs in February and were a factor in the Arab Spring of unrest in north Africa and the Middle East. Prices have since eased but the UN report said economic uncertainty, low cereal reserves, closer links between energy and agriculture markets and rising risks of weather shocks were likely to cause more dramatic price swings in the future.