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The fiasco over the nuclear liability bill is the latest incident of the Manmohan Singh government appearing unsteady on its feet as it approaches the first anniversary of its present stint. In addition, any satisfaction it felt over the passage of the women's reservation bill in the Rajya Sabha must have been dissipated by the subsequent developments, which showed that the objections of the Mandal group to the proposed law can no longer be ignored. Hence, Pranab Mukherjee's acceptance of the earlier plea of the Yadav troika - Lalu Prasad, Mulayam Singh and Sharad - for an all-party meeting on the subject.

NEW DELHI: The two-day visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the second week of this month to New Delhi has helped in sorting out some of the major irritants in the traditional defence collaboration between the two countries. However, talks by the official delegations have not led to any real breakthrough in pushing India-Russia trade and investment relations to a new high.

The Antiguan authorities and an IMF staff mission have reached agreement on a program that the mission will recommend the IMF support through a Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for SDR 81 million (about US $124 million) over 36 months. Following review by staff in Washington and management approval, the IMF's Executive Board would consider Antigua and Barbuda's request for an SBA, which is envisaged for May.

Macroeconomic policies including monetary and fiscal easing, supported by the Tanzanian government's economic recovery plan, have helped mitigate the impact of the global crisis. The recovery, however, remains nascent and growth has been concentrated in lightly-taxed sectors, causing government revenue collection to fall below targets in the budget.

The economy is starting to recover, following the deep output contraction in the first half of 2009. However, the uncertain global outlook could pose downside risks, underscoring the need to increase room for policy maneuver and strengthen efforts to address medium-term fiscal and growth challenges.

The Malawian economy has proven resilient during the global economic crisis by sustaining high growth and moderate inflation. The financial sector remains well-capitalized and sound; Malawi's food security was enhanced through increased agricultural output; and progress was made towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Recent intellectual property consultations “have not created convergence, but have certainly shed light on divergences,” Director General Pascal Lamy told WTO members on 12 March 2010. He was briefing them on talks he had chaired with about 20 delegations on geographical indications and proposals related to biodiversity.

While the economic outlook of Angola is improving, further steps are needed to create a sustainable fiscal position, limit inflation, and rebuild foreign reserves.

Wrapping up almost two weeks of agriculture negotiations from 3 to 12 March 2010, New Zealand Ambassador David Walker, who chairs the talks, said he expects to prepare a progress report for “stock taking” meetings at the end of the month.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Indonesia's geothermal power capacity is set to nearly double following the endorsement of a new climate investment fund plan. The $400 million plan, endorsed by the Trust Fund Committee of the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), will help transform Indonesia's use of renewable energy and ultimately support the government to meet its long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26% in 2020.