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KOLKATA: Myanmar's biggest military backed party won the country's first elections in 20 years after total rigging and subverting all process of democratic functioning. Opposition parties which were totally cornered by the junta conceded defeat but accused the military establishment of total fraud. As the votes were being counted, the government soldiers cleared ethnic minority rebels from an eastern border town after repeated clashes that killed at least 10 people.

About 25% of the country’s geographical area is affected by desertification. The Space Application Centre in 2007 brought out the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas which shows 81.45 million hectare land in the country has turned into arid, semi-arid or dry sub humid region. Desertification results in decline in water table and availability of water, reduced agricultural productivity, loss of bio-diversity in the affected regions. All these affect the lives and livelihoods of the populations, often eventually precipitating forced migration and socio-economic conflicts.

New Delhi: The leaders of the major and economies are scheduled to meet at Seoul in South Korea for two days beginning November 11 to review the status of global economic recovery since the Great Recession of 2008 and decide on the future mandate and direction.

The attack by Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha activists on the residence of writer Arundhati Roy in Delhi, accompanied by abusive slogans and breaking of flower-pots, marks a new low in the destructive activities of the forces of bigotry and intolerance in India. It is a hair-raising reminder of the great distance this society has travelled from the concept of a liberal democracy which genuinely respects the freedom of expression and the right to dissent—a concept that's at the heart of the Constitution.

The unity of G-20, designated by President Obama as the “premier global economic-decision making forum” has taken a knock, with several of its leading members on a war path against the US Federal Reserve's decision to create substantial liquidity to revive the faltering American economy. In New Delhi, visiting US President Obama said he would not comment on Fed's actions as an independent institution in America.

President Obama began his India trip on the wrong foot by virtually ruling out India's chances of becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council. But the promptness with which he changed his view was surprising. It is unclear whether the change had anything to do with Republican leader John McCain's observation that the US should support India's case for permanent membership and that India should not be “demonised” on the outsourcing issue since the practice has become a feature of the new global economy.

Politics is said to be the art of the possible. But it is also the art of planning for meeting future challenges. Although there are still four years to go for Haryana Assembly elections, there are already signs of the state's two main rival parties Congress and Indian National Lok Dal unfolding their strategies for their 2014 electoral battle. Their main focus seems to be on three points: to consolidate their respective support bases and win back those sections of the electorate which had shifted away from them; to check their rivals from making inroads into their areas of influence; and, to expand their footprints among the non-committed sections of the electorate. Understandingly, the exercise is based on their experiences of 2005 and 2009 elections.

The International Monetary Fund has taken a transformative step to reflect realities of 21st century by providing for greater voice and representation for emerging economies and other developing countries in decision-making, and thus enhance its relevance and legitimacy. This is a historic change since the founding of the Bretton Woods twins (MF and World Bank) in 1944, and for six decades, IMF policies and actions were largely guided by the richer countries, especially USA.

New Delhi: India on Monday got a major boost from the most powerful nation for its candidature for the permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

The name ‘Nilgiris’ or ‘The Blue Mountains’ is as poetic as the place itself. The Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu is home for the Toda, Kota, Kurumba, Irula, Paniyan and Kattunaicken tribes. The Government of India has identified all these six tribes as Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs). The verdant forest of the blue mountains has been their home for ages. Living amid the beautiful surroundings has probably made them artisans of equally beautiful handicrafts.