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The secret cables put out by the WikiLeaks have been reasonably accurate. They have shown that the US embassy staffers are not far off the mark when it comes to analyzing the Indian scene. Except for their assessment of CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, of which more later, they have been nearly always right. As a result, it is the BJP which is likely to be more embarrassed in the long run by the revelations than the Congress.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Emerging East Asia's local currency bond markets expanded by 13.6% to $5.2 trillion in 2010, driven by strong growth in corporate bonds that helped to offset a decline in issuance by central banks and some governments in the last quarter of 2010.

New Delhi: The bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan is gradually moving towards a more defined institutional format for deeper engagement as both the countries agreed to set up a Hotline between Home Secretary of India and Interior Secretary of Pakistan for facilitating real time information sharing relating to terrorist threats.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the Netherlands' growth to decelerate slightly in 2011-12. The outlook hinges critically on global developments and is unusually uncertain, but risks appear tilted downward. Bank capital buffers seem robust, but proactive measures to increase them further are advisable in light of Basel III standards.

New York: The world is facing an important shift in global history which is “no less transformative” than the “epochal” year of 1989, when numerous governments fell across Eastern Europe, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

New York: Fresh fighting erupted today in a strategic town in western Côte d’Ivoire, the United Nations peacekeeping operation reported, amid mounting international concerns about the humanitarian situation in the West African country.

New York: The vital role of new information technology in responding rapidly to sudden onset emergencies is highlighted in a new United Nations study released today, identifying best practice and lessons learned from last year’s devastating Haitian earthquake.

New York: Africa is well poised to take advantage of a host of opportunities on the continent for building a ‘green economy,’ one that generates decent jobs in an environmentally sustainable way, a senior United Nations official said today.

Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have commended the authorities for their strong policy response to the crisis, which succeeded in stabilizing the economy and restoring confidence. The economy is recovering at a solid pace, the fiscal position has improved substantially, and core inflation remains subdued. Directors noted that fiscal consolidation, exchange rate flexibility, and effective monetary policy would help tackle the challenges ahead and lay the foundations for sustained growth.

New York: The number of asylum-seekers seeking to live in the industrialized world continues to fall and is now almost half the level it was a decade ago, the United Nations refugee agency reported today as it released its annual snapshot of asylum trends.