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New York: Top United Nations officials stressed today the importance of practising active tolerance at a time when the world is undergoing unprecedented economic and political changes, and called for countries to embrace diversity, combat discrimination and increase education efforts about human rights.

A mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), led by Mr. Joannes Mongardini, visited Swaziland during November 2-16, 2011. The mission conducted the 2011 Article IV Consultation discussions. The mission met with the Prime Minister, Dr. Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini; the Minister of Finance, Hon. Majozi Sithole; the Governor of the Central Bank of Swaziland, Mr. Martin Dlamini; and other senior officials. It also held fruitful discussions with members of parliament, donors, trade unions, and representatives of the private sector. The Article IV consultation will conclude with the preparation of a staff report expected to be taken up by the IMF Executive Board on January 20, 2012.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Mark Allen, visited Serbia during November 3-15, 2011, to conduct discussions on the first review of the precautionary Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the IMF.

New York: The right to adequate food must be at the top of the agenda of next month's global trade talks, an independent United Nations expert stressed today, calling for bold policies to ensure food security.

New York: The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is urging swift action to tackle a cassava virus that is affecting large parts of East Africa and threatening a staple food crop for much of the region.

New Delhi: India is slated enter into a new phase of cooperation in civil aviation with the US.

New Delhi: India is going to test fire its new generation long range nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-5 by February 2012 off the coast of Odisha.

KOLKATA: For the JNU-educated Prime Minister of Nepal, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, second-in-command in the politically-embittered United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), it’s far from ‘roses and roses all the way. Rather at every way, it’s thorns and thorns that bleed. The bitter factional feuds inside the party apart, another deterrent is the issue of amnesty towards UCPN(M) member of Constituent Assembly Balkrishna Dhungel, a murder convict who was involved in the killing of Ujjan Shrestha of Okhaldhunga in 2004. A single bench verdict by the Supreme Court of Nepal on January 3, 2010 – by Justice Tahir Ali – who sentenced Dhungel to life imprisonment along with confiscation of his property, has created political complications for Dr Bhattarai.

Paradoxically, on the twentieth anniversary of the launching of economic liberalization, India finds itself in 2011 in a state of drift, not just politically but even more, damagingly on the economic front. The rulers (UPA-II) seem to have lost the grip over governance in every sphere. Inflation and corruption have taken a heavy toll on UPA Government’s image and credibility, resulting in a huge loss of confidence. We are left with reassuring speeches and reaffirmation of decade-old commitments.

An International Monetary Fund mission led by Mrs. Veronica Bacalu, Deputy Division Chief in the IMF Middle East and Central Asia Department, visited Tashkent on November 2−15, 2011 to conduct discussions in the context of the Article IV consultation. David Owen, Deputy Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department, participated in the discussions at the beginning of the mission and made a presentation on the global and regional economic outlook for representatives of ministries and government agencies.