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Controversies continue to rock Punjab. The latest is over the Punjab Vigilance Bureau’s report indicting the Punjab Public Service Commission’s members for their allegedly fraudulent selection of 312 doctors. The other which has not gained the desired public focus concerns the personal attacks by political leaders against family members of their opponents.

CHENNAI: For all Central actions against DMK outfits as a follow-up to the arrest and judicial custody of former Telecommunications Minister Mr A Raja under the 2G scam, the party supremo Mr M Karunanidhi is not only not unnerved but goes about confidently playing a counter-strategy of limiting Congress ambitions in Tamil Nadu, where it lost power 44 years ago. It is unknown at what level was it conveyed to Mr Karunanidhi that he would have to share power with Congress if the alliance is successful in the May Assembly elections. The Congress President Ms. Sonia Gandhi would have left the job to her lieutenants who are now negotiating with DMK on seat sharing for the 234-member House.

BHOPAL: Never in the history of Madhya Pradesh—and arguably in the country—did a Chief Minister become such a laughing stock, as the MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan managed to do recently. He first announced that he would undertake an indefinite fast and then broke it abruptly—that too within less than 40 minutes of commencing the fast.

KOLKATA: Even as West Bengal left leaders putting up a brave front, insist that “things are improving” as assembly elections approach, they suffered a fresh setback thanks to their homegrown bugbear : their own very poor governance record!

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The return of Mr K. Muralidharan, son of late Congress veteran, Mr K. Karunakaran, is the best thing that has happened to the beleaguered Congress and the party-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which have been badly shaken by a series of political setbacks in recent times.

A Fund (IMF) mission visited Jamaica during February 14–18, 2011 to review macroeconomic data for end-2010 and discuss with the government recent economic developments, the economic policy initiatives planned for this year, and the parameters for the FY 2011/12 budget. The team met with the Minister of Finance Hon. Audley Shaw, Bank of Jamaica Governor Brian Wynter, Financial Secretary Wesley Hughes, and senior officials. The mission expresses its appreciation to the authorities and technical staff for their excellent cooperation.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Brian Aitken visited Colombo February 9-18 to conduct discussions for the Sixth Review of the $2.5 billion Stand-By Arrangement, approved on July 24, 2009. The mission met with government and Central Bank officials, as well as representatives of civil society and the private sector.

The International Monetary Fund’s broader investment mandate took effect today as a key part of the new income model designed in 2008 to put the Fund’s finances on a sustainable footing. The Amendment of the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to Expand the Investment Authority entered into force following ratification by 113 member countries, representing 85.64 percent of the Fund’s total voting power

In almost two weeks of meetings and consultations in the WTO agriculture talks, he has heard little that is “audibly” new, although delegations sent a few signals of movement in some areas, chairperson David Walker reported on 17 February 2011.

Tuticorin Port, which is an icon and an engine for the economic growth of South Tamil Nadu is to be renamed as Thiru. V.O. Chidambaranar Port.