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New York: The number of refugees in 10 countries in Eastern Africa has risen to nearly 1.4 million, an eight per cent increase since September, the United Nations humanitarian office said today in an update that shows that the majority of the new asylum-seekers travelled to Kenya and Ethiopia.

New York: People living in the world’s poorest countries are experiencing a surge in mobile telephone use, the United Nations telecommunications agency reported today, but cautioned that Internet usage in those nations still lags far behind.

An IMF mission visited Barbados from May 10-13 for a staff visit. Following the severe impact of the global economic crisis on Barbados, the economy is beginning to recover as growth started to pick up in early 2011. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to grow by about 2 percent this year mainly due to higher tourist arrivals, signaling the onset of a recovery from the slow growth in 2010 and the two earlier years of negative growth. Notwithstanding downside risks, including from the uncertain global environment and concerns about inflationary pressures due to higher world food and fuel prices, the team expects growth to continue on a steady path, supported by a recovery of tourism and financial services activity.

New York: Political divisions between Somalia’s transitional Government and interim Parliament have undermined the momentum of the country’s peace process, a United Nations envoy said today, calling for a concerted regional and international effort to help break the stalemate.

New York: The withdrawal of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad at the end of last year so far does not appear to have adversely affected security in eastern Chad, the UN’s top humanitarian official told the Security Council today.

Few can match the United States of America in the show of naivety when it comes to dealing with its allies vis-à-vis its own self-interest. US President Barack Obama is prepared to believe the Pakistan’s version that it did not know if Osama bin Laden was living in the garrison town of Abbottabad, near Islamabad.

Jayalalithaa's ride back to power — a landslide victory for her alliance, according to trends till midday — will be true to her assertions from mid-2010 that she would form the next Government at Fort St. George, the citadel of Tamil Nadu Government. The devastating blow she has apparently delivered in the electoral process to the Karunanidhi family rule can only be viewed as a massive vote against corruption in the wake of the 2G scam. Other issues like prices, law and order and rowdyism must have also contributed to the hateful climate against DMK.

It was a day of the ladies. The two heavyweight regional leaders, Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalithaa, proved their clout in unmistakable terms by scoring sweeping victories in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Yet, both the results were predictable. In West Bengal, the Left’s long governance of the state in accordance with communist principles which gave pride of place to the party exposed it to the charge of politicizing everything from administration, especially the police, to education.

Andhra Pradesh is in for trouble after the Assembly poll results. There is likely to be political instability, revival of Telengana issue and law and order problems facing the authorities in the coming days. Above all, the victory of Jagan Reddy and his mother Rajyalakshmi would encourage Jagan to become a political nuisance to the Congress.

KOLKATA; There can be no question, for West Bengal Assembly elections 2011, the buzz is “Change” (paribartan!).