Is Pakistan ready for democracy in ‘07? In a visit as short as it was secretive, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice swept through Islamabad with a firm reminder for President Musharraf: Ensure free and fair elections in 2007. Pakistan’s foreign ministry delivered a blunt response:... 02 Jul, 2006
Minister Pandey flays idea of federal structure Lalitpur, June 30:Minister for Local Development, Rajendra Pandey, today criticised the proposal of restructuring the state to a federal system.“Some people are talking about federal system. It is not possible. It would be mere regionalisation and... Travel 01 Jul, 2006
House was not meant to function for long, says Maoist leader Kathmandu, June 3 :Central committee member of the CPN-Maoist and commander of the Western Command of the People’s Army, Janardan Sharma “Prabhakar”, today said that the Maoists and the seven-party alliance, while striking the 12-point agreement,... Travel 03 Jun, 2006
Economic crisis - Stability vital for prosperity The present global economic synthesis is tilted towards pro-liberalisation for the development of a dynamic global integration. Therefore, no country in such a context could prosper without accepting the global norms of politico-economic freedom in a... 25 Apr, 2006
China now big on small cars Honolulu, March 29:Concerned about rising oil consumption and deteriorating environment, China has decided to promote use of energy-efficient small cars. The government will introduce a new consumption tax from April 1 that could mean a bumpy ride for... 29 Mar, 2006
Indian urban revamp to start with five cities New Delhi, March 17: Five cities - Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Bhopal - will soon undergo a facelift with world-class infrastructure and civic amenities as part of the government’s flagship urban renewal programme.“These will be the... 17 Mar, 2006
China’s new focus: Back to the land The Chinese Communist Party is preparing to unveil a new five-year development blueprint which will mark a shift away from urban to rural spending priorities for the first time in 15 years. Much of the focus of the new blueprint is on raising living... 12 Mar, 2006
IN OTHER WORDS: Diabetes The recent four-part series in The Times offered grim insights into the incurable disease called diabetes. Ignore it, and it can lead to heart disease, strokes, amputations and shortened lives. It is the leading cause of blindness. Most of those who... 06 Feb, 2006
Conflict resolution : Need for truth and reconciliation Peace has been, is, and will always be a paramount necessity for people’s sovereignty. No state that is devoid of territorial integrity can assure democratic rights to its citizens where the integrity and security of the state is itself under threat... 29 Jan, 2006
TOPICS : US fights to remain ultimate webmaster Haider Rizvi International efforts to break down the digital barriers facing the world’s poor will backfire if governments fail to work out their differences on the issue of internet governance, diplomatic observers say. Many heads of state and... 14 Nov, 2005
Matter of priority The absence of the elected local bodies has made it difficult for several important European donors to continue aid for local development. Indeed, on the grounds of the lack of local partners, some have suspended aid, while some others have cut it. Dr... 18 Oct, 2005
Henan’s move to downsize local govts Beijing, September 24:China’s most populous province Henan has ordered more than 470 township governments to merge with each other to reduce the number of local governments to 200, state media said today. Local government officials have a habit of... Women 24 Sep, 2005
