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MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Philippines economy is set to post solid economic growth over the next two years as the Government presses ahead with promised policy and governance reforms and with public-private partnership projects, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says in a major new report.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The economic outlook for the Pacific region is more positive for 2011 on the back of continued global recovery, buoyed by the strength of Australia's economy and higher commodity prices. Most Pacific countries will experience slightly lower growth rates in 2012, says the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in a new report.

HONG KONG, CHINA - Strengthening economic links between countries in the South can create new global growth that can take up the slack left by cooling demand from industrialized countries in the North, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says in a major new report released today.

HONG KONG, CHINA - Developing Asia will continue to expand solidly over the next two years, even as inflation, geopolitical uncertainties and the need to develop new sources of growth present looming challenges to policy makers, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a new major report.

New York: The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d’Ivoire reported today that it has received telephone calls from the heads of forces loyal to former leader Laurent Gbagbo stating that their soldiers have been instructed to stop fighting and hand in their weapons to the UN.

New York: The United Nations agency dealing with weather and climate today reported that ozone loss over the Arctic has reached an unprecedented level this spring owing to the continuing presence of ozone-depleting substances and extremely cold temperatures.

New York: The United Nations independent expert on the right to freedom of opinion and expression today voiced concern over Hungary’s recent controversial media law, saying it could be used to curb the freedom of the press.

New York: The United Nations rural development arm has lent Bolivia about $8 million to fund projects to alleviate poverty in two departments, the agency reported today following the signing of a financing agreement with the Government of the South American country.

As the Assembly election process begins in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam, Indian politics seems set to enter a new phase which will unfold fully in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. May 13, when the results of the state elections will be declared, could well prove a turning point for many parties, in particular the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK), the All India Anna DMK (DMK), the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and above all, the Left. The Bharatiya Janata Party has no major support base or stakes in the four states, but the future of its alliances will be influenced significantly by the results.

At the risk of being a spoilsport in a euphoric moment, it may be still pertinent to point out that the Indian cricket team’s victory in the 1983 world cup final was far more praiseworthy than the present one. For a start, the West Indian bowling attack was incomparably superior to Sri Lanka’s. Even today, if one thinks of the West Indian pace quartet of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner, it is difficult to believe how the Windies could have lost. In contrast, the Sri Lankan attack was virtually made up of one-and-a-half bowlers – Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan – of whom the famous off-spinner was playing in his last international.