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KOLKATA: Ignore the usual hype about west Bengal's enhanced political consciousness and look at the facts : bad manners and poor taste have dominated this year's political campaign for elections to 81 civic bodies, including the prestigious Kolkata Municipal Corporation scheduled on May 30. And much of the blame can be laid at Ms Mamata Banerjee's door.

The world economy is at a critical juncture in mid-2010 as while economic recovery is picking up in the hitherto recession-hit advanced economies, spread of volatile sovereign debt markets from Europe and overheating in emerging markets, leading to a boom-bust scenario, cannot be ruled out, according to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The mineral rich Jharkhand appears to be heading towards President's rule once again just five months after the Assembly polls. The blame, apart from the regional outfits, should also go to the two national parties - the Congress and the BJP - which have been indulging in opportunistic politics.

Brazil “has a key role to play in global economic governance. It is the largest economy in Latin America and is deeply integrated into the global trade and financial network. Brazil's future is inextricably linked to global economic prospects,” said International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, as he was ending a two-day visit in Brazil.

Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have commended the authorities for their decisive policy response, which helped cushion the impact of the global crisis on the New Zealand economy and is supporting a gradual economic recovery. Directors noted that the fiscal and monetary policy frameworks, including the flexible exchange rate regime, have served New Zealand well during the crisis. Key policy challenges are to lift sustainable economic growth and reduce the vulnerabilities associated with a deteriorated fiscal position and high private external debt.

The Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have noted that despite the Italian economy's elements of strength such as high private savings, low private indebtedness, and a comparatively resilient financial system, the global crisis had a severe impact on it. Directors commended the authorities for their supportive response to the crisis. Fiscal policy was appropriately tight and timely measures were taken to support the financial sector. The economy is set for a gradual recovery but key weaknesses, including high public debt and low income growth, remain. The overarching policy goals now should be to maintain fiscal discipline, reduce the burden of public debt, and raise the economy's long-term growth rate.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Norbert Toé visited Windhoek during May 12-26 for the annual Article IV Consultation with Namibia. The mission's work focused on reviewing recent economic and financial developments and policies needed to restore fiscal sustainability in the aftermath of the global economic downturn. Policies to preserve macroeconomic and financial stability and to broaden economic growth were also discussed.

Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has welcomed the broadly satisfactory implementation of the Senegalese authorities' economic program supported under the PSI and the Exogenous Shocks Facility. However, a difficult external environment and domestic shocks, including in the energy sector, had slowed down the growth momentum. Directors noted that signs of a recovery have become visible and emphasized that prudent domestic macroeconomic policies and an accelerated implementation of structural reforms would help to strengthen growth further and reduce poverty.

New Delhi: The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has released Report No.534 titled 'Some Characteristics of Urban Slums, 2008-09' based on the survey of urban slums conducted in its 65th round. The field work of the nationwide survey was carried out during July 2008 to June 2009. This report is based on the data collected from 365 notified and 365 non-notified slums found in 4738 surveyed urban blocks.

New Delhi: The DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat has said that self-reliance in critical defence technologies cannot be achieved by the premier defence R&D organization alone. In a terse statement at an award ceremony here today, he called upon the three Services to overcome their temptation to induct the latest weaponry from abroad.