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MANILA, PHILIPPINES – More than 75% of the countries in Asia and the Pacific are experiencing a serious lack of water security, with many of them facing an imminent water crisis unless immediate steps are taken to improve management of water resources, says a new study prepared jointly by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF).

Resignation of Saugata Roy, former Union minister of state and a leading member of Lok Sabha group of Trinamool Congress (TMC), from the post of advisor of industry to the chief minister Mamata Banerjee, reflects the deepening momentum of a crisis syndrome in not only the TMC but within the management of the 22-month government. Apparently, the cleavage grew out of differences about question of land use in the perspective of industrialization.

Beyond the maze of numbers, four features of finance minister P Chidambaram’s budget stand out. First, thanks to its obsession with reducing the fiscal deficit, the budget fails to raise social sector expenditure—just when that’s badly needed, especially for the sake of the poor. Second, the budget doesn’t strongly stimulate growth. Third, it makes relative economic stagnation and high inflation (stagflation) highly likely. And finally, the government’s bias towards foreign capital has become more brazen.

Rahul Gandhi’s occasional ruminations on life (marriage, children) and politics (the quest for power and position) show him as someone who is not chary of sharing his private thoughts with even strangers. It is an uncommon characteristic for a person in public life, most of whom are extremely cagey and diplomatic.

New Delhi: India appears to have been taken aback by Italy's decision not to send back its two marines accused of killing Indian fishermen.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Companies operating in developing Asia lost out on nearly $425 billion in trade finance in 2011 alone, according to a new survey by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

New Delhi: India and Kuwait agreed to speed up the process for promoting joint venture projects in various areas of oil and gas sector including those in the upstream and downstream activities.

Proximity of elections triggers political stirrings. With 2014 Lok Sabha and Haryana Assembly elections barely 13 and 18 months away, Haryana politics has started showing signs of turmoil. A closer look at the state of the mainstream political parties indicates that they have been hit by the phenomenon.

Even people accusing Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee of over ambitious, aggressive tendencies, will admit that she is a fast learner.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Senior justices, Attorney Generals, prosecutors, wildlife and environment police, customs officers and government enforcement experts are gathering for a three-day symposium in Bangkok to identify actions to combat wildlife crime in Asia.