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MANILA, PHILIPPINES - A recent increase in Australian and New Zealand tourists to Pacific island countries has raised hopes the region's vital tourism industry is recovering after being buffeted by the global financial crisis, according to a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) publication.

The impressive performance by the Congress in the 15th Lok Sabha election had made many of us hastily conclude that the Grand Old Party is on a comeback trail towards its pristine glory. The BJP was routed. It is not in a position to pose any serious challenge to the Congress in the near future. The Left has been shown its place in its own strongholds. Barring perhaps the JD(U), provincial parties under Lalu, Paswan, Mayawati, Jayalalithaa and Naidu were badly mauled. Only those regional outfits that had stood by the Congress - like the DMK and Mamata - came out in flying colours.

The UPA Government has been emboldened to move boldly with a substantial programme of raising resources through limited privatisation of public undertakings, euphemistically called disinvestment, under its medium-term fiscal consolidation programme.

The top United Nations envoy to Nepal today lamented the fact that there has been limited progress in overcoming the political impasse that emerged in the country earlier this year, and little movement on the remaining tasks of the peace process.

New York: As the last negotiating session before next month's United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen concluded today, a senior official with the world body called on countries to push ahead to deliver on a strong international agreement to tackle global warming.

On the eve of its 15th “birthday”, the WTO earlier this month reached the milestone of having the 400th trade dispute brought to the body's dispute settlement mechanism. “This is surely a vote of confidence in a system which many consider to be a role model for the peaceful resolution of disputes in other areas of international political or economic relations,” said Director-General Pascal Lamy to mark the occasion.

The UPA government deserves full credit for its wonderful sense of timing to launch a huge public offensive against former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda in a corruption case.

KOLKATA: It's official. The CPI(M) in West Bengal has rarely looked so hopelessly inept, facing a challenge from a resurgent opposition led by the Trinamool Congress ! With by- elections coming up in 10 Assembly constituencies on November 7. Party veteran Jyoti Basu is begging the Congress and its supporters to vote Left, in its hour of crisis.

New York: Africa's efforts to meet the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their 2015 deadline are threatened by the impact of the global financial crisis on the continent's economies, said Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro.

New York: The prospects for political stability in Guinea-Bissau appear to be good but are threatened by drug trafficking and organized crime, United Nations officials warned the Security Council.