News Broadcasting
ABC 20/20, Sweden’s TV4 receive intl Watchdog awards
MUMBAI: An ABC News 20/20 report in the US, documenting systematic sexual exploitation of girls and boys by UN peacekeepers and civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been awarded the Outstanding Investigative Reporting prize for 2005 by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the international arm of the American organisation Center for Public Integrity.
The ICIJ Award judges said the ABC 20/20 report represented “investigative journalism at its finest” and was “a riveting expose, a story superbly told.”For the first time, the atrocities and rights violations on the part of the UN and its representatives are exposed and documented. ABC did its homework, took its cameras to the crime scenes in the Congo, convinced victims to tell their awful stories on the record and then nailed UN officials, also on camera, for their inadequate responses to UN ‘peacekeepers’ having sex with young girls and boys,” the judges wrote in their letter of commendation.
In ABC 20/20’s Peace at What Price: Investigating UN Misconduct in the Congo, Brian Ross, David Wilson Scott and Rhonda Schwartz travelled to the Congo where they interviewed victims and revealed, among other things, the case of a senior UN official who ran an Internet paedophile ring.
In addition, Sweden’s TV4 won a special citation award of $2,000 for its hour-long documentary The Broken Promise which exposed US government involvement in the “extraordinary rendition,” of two Egyptian citizens from Sweden to Egypt. Fredrik Laurin, Joachim Dyfvermark, and Sven Bergman revealed how the men were interrogated and tortured for more than 60 days as part of the US global war on terrorism.
The ICIJ Awards were created in 1997 to honour transnational investigative reporting. The $20,000 first-place prize and $1,000 finalist awards are made possible by a grant from The John and Florence Newman Foundation to recognise, reward and foster international investigative reporting. Award winners and finalists include journalists from Bulgaria, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the US.
Four entries received the $1,000 finalist award:
— Miroluba Emilova Benatova of Bulgaria’s bTV for her television
investigation Kidney Traffic.
— Alfredo Corchado, Tracey Eaton, Laurence Iliff, and David McLemore of the Dallas Morning News, for their series documenting drug related violence along the US-Mexico border.
— Ola Flyum, David Hebditch of NRK/SVT/and DR Television in Norway for
their documentary The Manuscript Collector/Stealing History.
— Daniel Foggo and Charlotte Edwardes of The Sunday Telegraph in the U.K.
for their series of stories on illegal abortions.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
