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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is divided on the idea of ousting the ‘thoroughly discredited’ Oommen Chandy-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Government, and forming an alternative government.

There has occurred a perceptible shift in Chinese investment patterns in South Asia: China’s focus is now more on Bangladesh, following recent signs of a certain distancing between Myanmar and its dominating northern neighbour.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India today rejected the Maharashtra Government’s decision to forbid dancing in beer bars, calling the ban unconstitutional.

The recent election in Bhutan has shown democracy taking firm roots and the experiment of constitutional monarchy in the country has been a success. This was the second poll in the country. The people voted for an alternate choice and brought the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to power, which bagged 32 seats in the National Assembly. The ruling Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) has been reduced to a minority with 15 seats.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a chargesheet after investigating the 2004 “encounter” killing of teenager-student Ishrat Jahan and three others, who were falsely accused of plotting to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. It has charged eight policemen, including senior Indian Police Service officers DG Vanzara and PP Pandey, with cold-blooded, premeditated murder.

Considering that there are people in the BJP – LK Advani is among them – who do not belong to the Narendra Modi fan club, the Gujarat strongman’s propensity for indiscreet comments will be as much a matter of satisfaction for them as for his opponents outside the party.

Situations never remain static. In the case of Punjab, the two latest developments also indicate this. The first is reflected in the signs of the state’s changing political scenario. The second is the possible implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling about the right of convicted or jailed MPs and MLAs continuance as members of legislatures and contest elections.

The high—level Indo-US economic talks in Washington, where two senior Ministers of Government of India, Finance Minister Mr P Chidambaram and Commerce and Industry Minister Mr Anand Sharma engaged US Congressmen, policy-makers and business leaders (July 10-12), may not have been altogether an exercise in futility.

The Chidambaram magic is no longer working. When P Chidambaram took over as the finance minister last year, with Pranab Mukherjee heading for Rashtrapati Bhavan, it was thought his replacement would work wonders. He withdrew the controversial tax measures like retrospective taxation of corporate income and the general rules for tax avoidance by multinational corporations operating in India. It has given some temporary boost to the markets. But then nemesis appears to have taken over.

It seems Congress thrives on controversies while it makes its opposition succumb to those surrounding them. Having mastered the art of weathering scams - one after another in the last four years and seemed potentially devastating when they first unfolded - the poll-bound party seems to be hell bent to court another round of political slugfest by dishing out permits, licences, subsidies and approvals worth almost Rs. 30 lakh crore ($ 500 billion) in their total business impact.