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What does the crystal ball say about the year 2011? While the second half of the year may be quiet, the first half is full of action. There are no prizes for guessing that it will begin with violence and chaos in view of the Sri Krishna report on the separate Telengana. What ever may be his recommendations, the Telengana agitation has the potential to end up in imposition of President’s rule and Kiran Reddy‘s government may collapse even earlier if the Congress MLAs resign.

New York: Citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) expelled from neighbouring Angola continued to arrive in their country of origin this month, with many reporting that they were subjected to mistreatment, including sexual violence, the United Nations humanitarian office said today.

New York: Farmers in north-western Haiti are likely to lose a significant portion of their rice harvest due to reluctance to work in paddy fields they fear are contaminated by the cholera-causing bacteria, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today, adding that it is helping to carry out a hygiene awareness campaign among the farming communities.

New York: The Indonesian province of Aceh has made remarkable progress in rebuilding since the devastating tsunami six years ago but faces major challenges in cutting poverty and inequality and reducing the impact of future disasters, a United Nations-backed report warns.

New York: With unpredictable and extreme weather the “new normal,” both developed and developing countries must plan ahead by anticipating the consequences of development or face increasing economic losses, according to the United Nations disaster mitigation secretariat.

New York: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) spent nearly $6 million this year in Kyrgyzstan, where it is assisting 240,000 conflict-affected people in the south and 380,000 other vulnerable people in six out of seven of the country’s provinces.

New York: The United Nations today announced a new partnership with the Republic of Korea’s international development agency to facilitate the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to help Cambodia tackle pollution.

New Delhi: Metro Railway, Kolkata got the status of 17th Zone of Indian Railways. The Minister of Railways Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone for conferring on Metro Railway the status 17th Zone at a function at Metro Rail Bhawan, Kolkata today.

New Delhi: A 7-member Committee constituted under the Chairmanship of Shir Sujit Banerjee, Secretary (Retd.), M/o Tourism, to finalise the guidelines for forest and wildlife eco-tourism. It will firm up the guidelines for forest and wildlife eco-tourism in the context of advisories issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the Forest (Conservation) Act.

New Delhi: Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment and Forests (I/C) launched the shoreline study maps of Gujarat and Puducherry here today which are approved by the respective state governments.