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KOLKATA: How difficult, complex and thorny is the path to the settlement of the Naga problem was brought out in sharp relief earlier this month when the two police forces of Manipur and Nagaland stood almost eyeball to eyeball on the inter-State border on the issue of NSCN(I-M) general secretary T. Muivah's intended visit to Manipur.

Back for a second term in May 2009 with a bang, UPA-II has now completed its first year in office with few accomplishments for a drum-beat while its failures are writ large notably in critical areas like prices and internal security. The Congress-led motley coalition, in which two smaller regional allies call the shots, and a lack of cohesion with Ministers speaking out of tune, here and abroad, are doing damage to the collective image of the Manmohan Singh Government. It had already to face a trial of strength over a rare cut motion on the budget which was finally approved.

New York: The world's 16 remaining territories that still do not govern themselves must have complete freedom in deciding their future status, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a forum on decolonization.

New York: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the initiative by Brazil and Turkey regarding nuclear fuel for an Iranian reactor could be a positive step, and underscored the need for bolstered transparency to help resolve concerns over Tehran's nuclear programme.

New York: The new head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has appealed for greater efforts to ease the plight of nearly 60 million “forgotten children” who are out of school, with only five years remaining to achieve the globally agreed target of ensuring universal primary education.

An IMF team visited Kingston during May 4-18 to conduct the first review of the economic program under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) approved by the Fund's Executive Board on February 4, 2010. The team met with the Minister of Finance Hon. Audley Shaw, Bank of Jamaica Governor Brian Wynter, and senior officials including Dr. Wesley Hughes, Financial Secretary, Mr. Rohan Barnett, Executive Director of the Financial Services Commission, and Mrs. Audrey Anderson, Senior Deputy Governor of the Bank of Jamaica.

New York: High unemployment rates continue to hinder poverty reduction efforts in Africa, the United Nations says in a new report, stressing that African countries must give priority to diversifying their economies to create decent jobs to boost social development.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Costas Christou, visited Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) during May 4-17, 2010 to initiate discussions with the authorities on the second review of the country's Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the IMF.

New York: As new indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians get under way, a senior United Nations official warned that rapid progress is vital in light of multiple challenges, including efforts by militants on both sides to derail the process.

Several recent developments, including the release of intercepts of a telephone conversation between corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP, a Parliament uproar over the underselling of telecommunications spectrum, and media stories on the growing power of the lobbyist-politician-policymaker nexus, have highlighted a major affliction of the Indian polity which should concern all conscientious citizens. Lobbyists have come to acquire enormous clout, to the point of influencing the choice of Cabinet minister, nominating key bureaucrats, and formulating economic and industrial policies at the nuts-and-bolts level.