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BHOPAL: Bhopal remained paralysed for over 48 hours earlier this week, as thousands of farmers descended on the Capital. They blocked key road squares in the city by parking tractor trolleys. They surrounded the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s residence from three sides. The dharna was reminiscent of the call given by Mao ze Dong call of “Let the villages surround the cities”.

KOLKATA: More than any other state, West Bengal needs a Mahatma Gandhi today, to stop it plunging swiftly into an abyss of political negativism.

In a span of 45 days, India has committed to make special purchase of goods worth US$ 70 billion from three countries – the USA ($10 billion), France ($ 20 billion) and China ($40 billion). In addition, India also inked a fresh trade and technology protocol with Russia, involving defence imports worth another $ 25-30 billion, timed with President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit. The country had also committed additional imports of technology products from the UK during Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit earlier this year. All these are in addition to India’s normal annual imports which stood at nearly Rs. 1.32 million crore or US$293 billion during the last fiscal and growing at the rate of 15-20 per cent per annum.

New York: As the General Assembly wraps up the main part of its 65th session, its President today hailed the summit with which it opened for galvanizing momentum towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reverse a global legacy of poverty and attendant ills.

New York: Powered by China, the Asia-Pacific region posted a growth rate of some 20 per cent in both exports and imports in 2010 despite “murky” protectionist steps by developed countries, and is expected to grow at a robust, if slower, pace in 2011, according to a United Nations report issued today.

New York: Human rights officers in Côte d’Ivoire have substantiated allegations of more than 170 killings, hundreds of arrests and dozens of cases of torture, ill treatment and enforced disappearance of people over the past one week, a senior United Nations rights official said today.

New York: A senior United Nations official today condemned the demolition of two refugee homes in East Jerusalem, stressing in particular the trauma caused to Palestinian children forced to witness their homes being destroyed.

New York: While China has made great economic and social progress in recent years, land degradation and the widening income gap between rural and urban are posing challenges to ensuring the right to food for its population, says an independent United Nations human rights expert.

New York: A landmark treaty to deter enforced disappearances entered into force today with United Nations experts tasked with assisting families determine the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared urging States to ensure the eradication of the crime by bringing those responsible to justice.

New Delhi: The Report of the Third National Handloom Census 2009-10 was released here today by Smt. Panabaaka Lakshmi, the Minister of State for Textiles. Personal Digital Assistance (PDA) was used, for the first time, to interview 27.8 lakh handloom workers households in connection with this Census. The Minister also gave away the first series of Photo Identity Cards to handloom weavers, assembled from various States, viz., Tamil Nadu, Orissa, West Bengal, U.P., Haryana etc. during the function organized to release the Report.