By Hussain Sinan
In the archipelago nation known for its beach resorts, Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed was forced to resign after the military clashed with protesting police dissidents. ….
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Tag Archives: prices
Current Pakistan: A glimmer of hope?
Excerpt;
…. Though PPP got away with giving Zardari his wife’s inheritance, yet people groaning under the burden of crushing poverty, unavailability of daily necessities and ever rising prices are coming to realize that no matter who rules they will continue to suffer.
In time, it may be long, but Sindhis, Punjabis, Baluchis, Pathans and Mohajirs will stop listening to self-serving speeches of Waderas, Sirdars, Chaudhurys and stop fighting with each other.
To read complete article → ViewPoint
Behind ‘Rising India’
Behind ‘Rising India’ lies the surrender of national dignity
From India’s prime minister down, the rotten state of the world’s largest democracy has been exposed for all to see
Even the racketeers of Pakistani military and intelligence appear dignified when compared with the Indians stampeding to plant kisses on US behinds!
by Pankaj Mishra
Food prices become intolerable for the poor. Protests against corruption paralyse the national parliament for weeks on end. Then a series of American diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks exposes a brazenly mendacious and venal ruling class; the head of government adored by foreign business people and journalists loses his moral authority, turning into a lame duck.
This sounds like Tunisia or Egypt before their uprisings, countries long deprived of representative politics and pillaged by the local agents of neoliberal capitalism. But it is India, where in recent days WikiLeaks has highlighted how national democratic institutions are no defence against the rapacity and selfishness of globalised elites.
Most of the cables – being published by the Hindu, the country’s most respected newspaper in English – offer nothing new to those who haven’t drunk the “Rising India” Kool-Aid vended by business people, politicians and their journalist groupies. The evidence of economic liberalisation providing cover for a wholesale plunder of the country’s resources has been steadily mounting over recent months. The loss in particular of a staggering $39bn in the government’s sale of the telecom spectrum has alerted many Indians to the corrupt nexuses between corporate and political power. …
Read more : guardian.co.uk
Malnutrition levels in Sindh reached 21% to 23%, according to the WFP. That is above African standards. The emergency standard is 15%
Pakistan ‘crop shortage’ warning
By M Ilyas Khan, BBC News, Islamabad
Lowering wheat prices would create food shortages in Pakistan and encourage smuggling, officials say, responding to criticism from the UN.
On Wednesday the UN’s food relief agency said the government set prices too high and malnutrition was rising.
But an official at Pakistan’s food ministry told the BBC farmers would simply switch to more lucrative crops if wheat prices went down.
Devastating floods across Pakistan in 2010 damaged acres of arable land.
Although crop yields in 2011 are projected to be healthy, prices are too high for an impoverished population, the director of the UN’s World Food Programme told journalists on the sidelines of humanitarian meetings in Geneva on Wednesday.
“The crop outlook is not bad but the food security situation remains difficult because prices remain so high,” Wolfgang Herbinger said.
Smuggling risk
Malnutrition levels in the southern province of Sindh had reached 21% to 23%, according to the WFP.
“That is well above African standards. The emergency standard is 15%,” Mr Herbinger said. …
Read more : BBC
May God Save Pakistan from these political Judges and Their Judgments
View the current political situation in Pakistan and the judgments of Apex court in the light of the Sharif borther’s stance because the judges are influenced by Raiwind. The CJP should now just move next door, the PM House. Since he wants to decide everything, starting from commodity prices to appointments at important positions, the PM House is a more logical place for him. Judges are being paid by public exchequers, if such functions are being done by the judiciary then what is the need and use of Parliament and Executive.
Many observers, once again are foreseeing the “Judicial Murder” of PPP. All roads are leading to Raiwind and Takht-e-Lahore. Mr. Najam Sethi, a brilliant intellectual has revealed all faces and forces of darkness right from the murder of Liaquat Ali Khan upto the murder of Shaheed Bibi. Many believe that something big Bang is on its way. Keep it up conspirators the war of power, dirty games, and sinister schemes! History will judge all of them because history is the final judge.
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Courtesy: Rawal TV (Current Affairs with Arshad Bhatti, 11th March 2011, Guest: Latafat Siddiqui)
Tunisia Unrest Inspires Jordan Protesters
Written by: VOA
Demonstrators in Jordan say they are preparing for more protests. Massive demonstrations inspired by unrest in Tunisia have shaken what historically has been one of the most stable nations in the Middle East and raised questions about the future role of the country’s popular monarch. Some protesters in last Friday’s demonstration waved pieces of bread.
It is rising food prices, unemployment, and anger over corruption that prompted thousands to take to the streets of Amman last week. …
Read more : EurasiaReview
New corruption scandal deals blow to India’s image
By Paul de Bendern and Jui Chakravorty
NEW DELHI/ MUMBAI (Reuters) – India’s reputation as a place to do business took another hit after the scandal-tainted government charged top public sector bankers with accepting bribes initially estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.
The scandal is one of the biggest to taint India, potentially harming the image of Asia’s third-largest economy as destination for foreign investors, especially as it comes a few days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has had to defend his government in another graft scandal involving telecoms licences sold at rock-bottom prices. …
Read more : Reuters
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