Global News Post: Economy

US: China's Currency 'Significantly Undervalued'

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The United States Treasury criticized China for "significantly" undervaluing its currency, but again refrained from labeling Beijing a currency manipulator.

In its twice-yearly report, the Treasury acknowledged that China's currency has appreciated. But it said the increase is too slow and has not gone far enough.

Beijing announced last month it would allow the value of the yuan to fluctuate more against the dollar -- a move welcomed by Washington.

However, the Treasury expressed concern about recent reports of Beijing's "heavy intervention" to keep the value of the currency low to gain trade advantages.

A weaker yuan makes Chinese goods cheaper for Americans and makes U.S. goods more expensive for Chinese, giving an advantage to Chinese exporters.

While the U.S. has consistently raised currency complains with China for years, it has not labeled China a currency manipulator since 1994.

The label could lead to trade sanctions and would provoke an angry response from Beijing.---VOA News</div>

US: China's Currency 'Significantly Undervalued'

The United States Treasury criticized China for "significantly" undervaluing its currency, but again refrained from labeling Beij...

Airasia India's Flying Licence Stuck In Red Tape – Report

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">NEW
DELHI (NNN-Bernama) -- AirAsia India's plan to start operations is now stuck in
red tape as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is yet to hand
over the flying licence to the airline even after it has completed the final
route familiarisation tests in the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A
Mail Today report quoted an unnamed top DGCA official as admitting that
although AirAsia has got all the mandatory approvals, it has still not been
given a flying permit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">However,
he could not provide any specific reason as to why the flying permit was held
up, said the report. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
DGCA had last month allowed the yet-to-start carrier to bring in its ferry
flight (without passengers) to India to complete the mandatory route
familiarisation process to get the flying permit despite stiff opposition from
Indian carriers on AirAsia's entry into the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Now,
with the process completed, the DGCA is yet to take a call on granting flying
permit to the carrier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Domestic
carriers had lobbied to scuttle AirAsia's entry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A
political party leader, Subramanian Swamy, had also moved court to challenge
the clearance granted to the airline. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">By
now, AirAsia India was expected to get the flying permit, a top DGCA official
admitted, said the report. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Airasia India's Flying Licence Stuck In Red Tape – Report

NEW DELHI (NNN-Bernama) -- AirAsia India's plan to start operations is now stuck in red tape as the Directorate General of Civil Avia...

18 Saudi Firms Keen to Explore Malaysian Halal Market

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">KUALA
LUMPUR <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(NNN-Bernama) -- Some 18 Saudi
Arabian exhibitors participating in the Malaysian International Halal Showcase
2014 (Mihas 2014) are keen to enter the Malaysian market, said Saudi Export
Development Authority (Seda) Marketing and Public Relation Director, Feras Abal
Khail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Feras,
who is also Seda's spokesperson in Malaysia, said 18 out of the total of 20
food and beverage (F&B) firms taking part in Mihas 2014 see Malaysia as a
potential market due to the Muslim population in the country, as well as the
Indonesian halal market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Two
F&B companies are already exporting their products to Malaysia, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"Due
to huge Muslim population here and in neighbouring Indonesia, we see some
potential for us to offer our high quality products and strengthen our presence
in the market," Feras told reporters at Mihas 2014 Friday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
11th Mihas is held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here from April 9-12,
2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Feras
said by understanding the Malaysian market, it would allow the Saudi Arabian
companies to understand the market in the neighbouring countries as well as the
Asian market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He
also said Seda is looking forward to increase the participation of Saudi
Arabian companies in the exhibition next year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"We
are exploring the market this year, and our pavilion consists of 43 booths. For
next year, we might increase the number of booths," he added. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"Mihas
is a strong pillar in the F&B sector, and I can say that we will definitely
be here again," Feras said, adding that Seda might bring more halal
products such as cosmetics next year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Joining
Mihas for the first time this year, the Saudi Arabian companies perceived the
exhibition as a platform for them to outline strategy, understand the Malaysian
consumers' behaviour and to build a network of distributors before entering the
market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Mihas
2014 has partnered with Saudi Arabia, through Seda, to further strengthen their
relationship and to create more opportunities for both countries to collaborate
and tap into the huge halal market within the Gulf Cooperation Council. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
global halal market has been growing consistently over the last decade as an
increasing number of discerning customers seek halal products and services in
their everyday life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Saudi
Arabia's per capita food consumption is projected to expand by 31.24 per cent
this year, reflected by the emergence of a network of hypermarkets in the kingdom
where the number of imported goods is steadily rising. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
number of Saudi Arabian exporters of halal products and services has also been
growing and they are ready to gain market share in the estimated US$2.3
trillion market.--NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

18 Saudi Firms Keen to Explore Malaysian Halal Market

KUALA LUMPUR (NNN-Bernama) -- Some 18 Saudi Arabian exhibitors participating in the Malaysian International Halal Showcase 2014 (Mihas ...

INDIA: PM’s Post-Budget Interaction with Doordarshan News

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Q. Mr. Prime Minister, what are your first thoughts on the
budget?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">PM: Given the challenges facing our economy, the Finance
Minister has done a commendable job. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> needs to create jobs for our
growing labour force to the extent of about 10 million persons every year. To
do that, we need to accelerate the tempo of our growth. We need, as the 12th
Five Year Plan has mentioned eloquently, a growth rate of about 8 percent. This
is a growth rate which is consistent with our underlying potential. We have to
get there. Although this is a difficult journey - it cannot be accomplished in
a single year - but the Finance Minister, has taken important steps to reverse
the pessimistic view with regard to investment climate, with regard to the
growth potential and possibilities of our economy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Q. What reforms are you looking at in the six months ahead?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">PM: Well. The Finance Minister has laid out a roadmap. There is
plenty of food for every Ministry to chew upon. And each one of our Ministries
has to ask itself this question: If <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> needs an 8 percent growth
rate, growth which is at the same time inclusive and sustainable, what is it
that each Ministry should do? The Finance Minister has, I think, mentioned
these challenges. It is up to the collective wisdom of my Council of Ministers
to convert these challenges into opportunities to accelerate the tempo of
growth, to make it more inclusive, to make it more sustainable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Q. Will your Government get adequate support in Parliament?
There seems to be a perceptible change in the attitude of the Opposition. But
is the bureaucracy on board? Are projects being cleared?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">PM: There have been problems with regard to clearances, with
regard to environmental clearances, with regard to forest clearances, land
acquisition problems, many of these areas are the responsibility of the state
government. Whatever is within the realm of possibilities of the central
government’s action points, we have committed ourselves that we will use the
mechanism of the Cabinet Committee on Investment to grapple with these tensions
which exist in our system, and to ensure that roadblocks, whether they are
environmental clearance roadblocks, or forest clearances, or other roadblocks,
they are dealt with, so that they can be cleared and removed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Q. You are confident that a positive climate is there for
projects to be cleared?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">PM: Well. I think he is speaking on behalf of the Cabinet. And
I am pretty certain that the mood of the country is: this country must not lose
any time. It must get its act together to accelerate the tempo of economic
growth, sustainable growth, equitable growth, and I do believe that if the
general mood of the country is right, it will infect the bureaucracy, it will
infect the Opposition, and in this task, there are no winners or no losers. If <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> succeeds in sticking to a growth path of 8
percent or more, I think the winners will be the people of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>; winners
will be our young men and young women, who desperately need new productive job
opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Q. How worried are you about structural deficiencies that have
crept into the economy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">PM: There are today, three types of barriers, which can affect
the realization of the growth potential. One is the fiscal deficit. The Finance
Minister has charted a path to bring the fiscal deficit under control, and if
we succeed in that quest, I think we would have created a better climate for
investment; we would have created a better climate also for more moderate
levels of inflation than we have had in the last two years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The second problem is that inflation has gone out of hand.
Therefore, if the fiscal deficit is brought under control, it will also enable
us to moderate the pace of inflation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The third is, the Current Account Deficit. We cannot reduce the
current account deficit in one go. As the Finance Minister mentioned, we have a
Current Account Deficit of about 75 billion dollars. In the short run, it has
to be financed. In the medium run, it must be reduced. We must reduce our
dependence on imports of oil, of coal, of gold, of petroleum products. This is
a medium term objective, and it can be achieved, partly by reducing unwanted
imports, partly by boosting the country’s export effort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">So a multi-pronged strategy has to be in place to achieve
credible answers to all these three problems – tackling the fiscal deficit,
tackling the inflation problem, tackling the Current Account Deficit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Q. What is a safe Current Account Deficit for us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">PM: In my view – 2.5 to 3 percent of GDP is a safe level of
Current Account Deficit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Q. What do you see as the GDP growth in the coming fiscal?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">PM: The Finance Minister has mentioned, and yesterday’s
Economic Survey also hints, that it is realistic to assume a growth rate of
about 6.2 to 6.7%, and that in three years time, if we work hard, if the world
economy also improves, we should get back to the 8 percent growth path – in two
to three years time.--PIB<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">(Interviewer M.K.Venu)  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
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INDIA: PM’s Post-Budget Interaction with Doordarshan News

Q. Mr. Prime Minister, what are your first thoughts on the budget? PM: Given the challenges facing our economy, the Finance Minis...

India Growth Plan: Trim Fiscal Deficit, Woo Foreign Investors

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Anjana Pasricha<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">India’s finance minister is pledging to revive economic growth
by trimming the country’s fiscal deficit. He also says India is in critical
need of foreign investment to reverse the worst slowdown in a decade for Asia’s
third largest economy.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Speaking to parliament during the presentation of the country's
annual budget, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram vowed to cut India’s fiscal
deficit to 4.8 per cent in the next fiscal year.  He said the country needs to make tough
spending decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I have no choice but to rationalize expenditure. We took
a dose of bitter medicine. It seems to be working," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">India’s fiscal and current deficits have raised concern of a
downgrade by rating agencies.   <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">However, government spending will rise by about 16 per cent in
the next year. To meet those expenses, the Finance Minister announced a
temporary tax on the super rich - those with an annual income of about $200,000
- and on local companies with an income of over $2 million.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Minister Chidambaram acknowledged that the Indian economy,
which has slowed to a decade-low of about five percent, is in a trough. He says
restoring high growth is a challenge, but that he is optimistic about the
future.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"There is no reason for gloom or pessimism," he said.
"Even now, of the large countries of the world, only China and Indonesia
are growing faster than India in 2012-13. And in 2013-14, if we grow at the
rate projected by many forecasters, only China will grow faster than India.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The government estimates that India’s economy will grow by over
six percent in the next fiscal year, after slipping to five percent in the last
year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Chidambaram focused on winning back foreign investors assuring
them that India will be business friendly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He pointed out that India needs $75 billion to finance its
current account deficit, or trade imbalance, which has grown rapidly due to
massive imports of oil, gold and coal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I have been at pains to state over and over again that
India does not have the choice between welcoming and spurning foreign
investment. Foreign investment is an imperative," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Foreign investment fell last year as investors were alienated
by a series of unexpected tax proposals, by corruption scandals and India’s
tough regulatory regime. Opposition parties have also opposed the government’s
decision to open the retail sector to foreign supermarkets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed hope that the measures
announced will revive the economy and that India will return to growth levels
of about eight percent in two to three years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Forecasters say returning India to those levels of growth will
depend on the government’s willingness to reduce spending, initiate reforms and
control inflation. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mali Conflict Disrupts Schooling for 700,000 Children<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Kim Lewis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On-going fighting has disrupted education for hundreds of
thousands of school children in both the north and south of Mali. UNICEF as
well as educational authorities there report that some 700,000 children are
affected, with 200,000 of those left with no access to school at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">UNICEF says schools in the north have been closed and looted,
and many teachers have failed to return. 
In the south, schools have become so overcrowded teachers are not able
to handle the influx of displaced students from the north. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“At this point there have been more than 115 schools that have
been closed or destroyed or looted.  One
of the other problems that we are facing is that many teachers are still scared
to go back to the northern part of the country. 
And in the southern part, we have already overcrowded schools that have
to cope with the influx of displaced students from the north,” explained
Laurent Duvillier, UNICEF spokesperson for west and central Africa.  He added this is an extra burden on the
teachers and infrastructure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He explained that in the north only one out of three schools is
functioning, and in Kidal, all schools are closed.  “That means that a child in Kidal at this
stage has no opportunity to get access to education. So that’s extremely
concerning, “ said Duvillier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He said his organization is working to provide educational
materials to school children and teachers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“UNICEF is moving forward first with the distribution of school
kits and teaching materials to the teachers and the schools in the southern
part of the country, closer to the northern part of the country,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Duvillier also said they have access to Mopti in the central
part of the country.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“So the teachers and the school kids have arrived in Mopti, and
we’ll soon be distributing in the northern part of the country, together with
our partners and local NGO’s,” explained Duvillier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">For those schools that have been destroyed or looted, central
learning spaces are being set up under tents where children can learn and play
in a safe environment. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>

India Growth Plan: Trim Fiscal Deficit, Woo Foreign Investors

By Anjana Pasricha India’s finance minister is pledging to revive economic growth by trimming the country’s fiscal deficit. He also...

India Unveils Annual Budget

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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WJsfMm3O7RT4whSGbVUoPaTwUox_NbI0QOcZDHp-RNo9qe71yqj-xBs_AVEvGHoYtm2-z9tvAeGXS7BLu3_el8DCPkNJkxuHbczCaHXzn7qT2DH1l5CoOfdfwUvI2f9Suv_GrPE0SwE/s1600/l2013022845731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WJsfMm3O7RT4whSGbVUoPaTwUox_NbI0QOcZDHp-RNo9qe71yqj-xBs_AVEvGHoYtm2-z9tvAeGXS7BLu3_el8DCPkNJkxuHbczCaHXzn7qT2DH1l5CoOfdfwUvI2f9Suv_GrPE0SwE/s400/l2013022845731.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram arrives at<br /> Parliament House along with the Ministers of State for Finance, <br />Namo Narain Meena and S.S. Palanimanickam to present the <br />General Budget 2013-14, in <st1:place w:st="on">New Delhi</st1:place> on <br />February 28, 2013. Photo © PIB</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">NEW DELHI, India   (NNN-Xinhua) -- India's ruling Congress-led
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government Thursday unveiled its budget for
the fiscal 2013 to 2014, outlining the spending for one of the fastest growing
economies in the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented in Parliament
the annual budget, saying that the country has been facing a number of
challenges to return to its potential growth rate of 8 percent at a time when
"there is a slow growth rate worldwide".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Though the finance minister did not tinker with the income tax
slabs for the middle-class, he outlined plans to tax the "super-
rich" and the corporate sector in his budget amid rising pressure to
reduce the fiscal deficit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Chidambaram also focused on rural <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> while presenting his budget
by hiking outlays for health, water and sanitation, tribals and rural
development, keeping in view the general elections slated for next year. He
also announced a new bank only for women, the first of its kind in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The finance minister announced a 16 percent rise in public
spending, saying he has "retrieved some economic space" thanks to
recent austerity measures, including slashing subsidies. He also said that the
government intended to cut <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
public deficit to 4.6 percent of the GDP.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Restoring <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
potential growth remains a challenge but there is no room for gloom and
pessimism. Only <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Indonesia</st1:country-region> are growing faster than <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> and achieving high growth is not beyond <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
capacity. We have done it and we will do it again," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The minister added: "<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> at the present juncture does
not have the choice of welcoming and spurning foreign investment. We need to
welcome foreign investment."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Experts say that this is the UPA's last budget before the
general elections and the government tried to balance it by making it a
"populist" as well as a "pragmatic" one. --NNN-XINHUA</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

India Unveils Annual Budget

The Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram arrives at Parliament House along with the Ministers of State for Finance, Namo Narain Meen...

Ghana Introduces Drought-Tolerant Maize to Improve Food Security

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">An NNN-GNA Feature by Audrey Dekalu<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">ACCRA</span></st1:city></st1:place><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-GNA) -- To Aba Antobam, a
subsistence Farmer, maize is her life blood. The crop is her main source of
income to cater for every need of her family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">However, buying improved maize seeds such as
hybrid varieties is a huge gamble for <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Aba</st1:place></st1:city>
since the rainy season could be erratic, leading to unforeseen loss of income
and capital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In response to these challenges, in March
2010, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ghana</st1:place></st1:country-region>
introduced a drought-tolerant maize which is high yielding and affordable to
manage food security.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The varieties were collaboratively developed
by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ghana</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s Council
for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Crops Research Institute and the
Savanna Agricultural Research Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Manfred Ewool, the lead scientist and a
maize breeder at CSIR, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the
farmers have welcomed the new varieties and have given them local names to
denote their characteristics and importance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">They are CSIR-Omankwa (giver of life), CSIR
Aburohemaa, (Queen mother of maize), CSIR-Abontem (extra early maize) and
CSIR-Enii Pibi (father’s child).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ewool explained that it has taken an average
of more than 10 years, to reach millions of Ghanaians with improved
drought-tolerant maize varieties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He said events such as the severe floods and
drought of 2007, coupled with unpredicted rainfall patterns and harsh weather
conditions caused by climate change and a rise in global food and fuel prices
have cumulatively heightened the already existing vulnerabilities among people
and communities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Food security exists when all people, at all
times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and
nutritious food, which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an
active and healthy life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Household food security is the application
of the concept to the family level, with individuals within households as the
focus of concern.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Statistics show that a total of 1.2 million
Ghanaians have limited access to sufficient and nutritious food throughout the
year, while another two million are at risk or becoming food insecure during
the lean season or at the onset of a natural or man-made disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">These figures constitute between five to 10
per cent of the total population, but the majority of people at risk of food
insecurity are concentrated in Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions
(Provinces).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ghana</span></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> ranked 68th out of 105 countries
and third in sub-Saharan Africa after <st1:country-region w:st="on">South
 Africa</st1:country-region> (40th) and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Botswana</st1:place></st1:country-region> (47th) with an overall
score of 43.1 out of a possible score of 100. This called for something urgent
to be done to stem the tide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">With the development of new techniques, all
existing tools to improve agricultural productivity such as biotechnology
deserve careful consideration and should be made available for farmers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Professor Eric Danquah, Director of the West
Africa Centre for Crop Improvement at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Ghana</st1:placename></st1:place>,
said sub-Saharan African governments had paid only lip service to funding
scientific research.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He called on the government of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ghana</st1:place></st1:country-region> to invest
in the training of a critical mass of scientists in addition to providing the
necessary infrastructure for agricultural development in research institutions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Since maize will remain a crucial part of
the food security equation even while the agricultural economies of the region
diversify, continued investments in both maize research and market institutions
are essential.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">It is therefore important for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ghana</st1:place></st1:country-region> to adapt
local food production in order to manage food security and to address the
uncertainties and threats facing farming communities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The country must also explore ways of
combating food insecurity posed by climate change. -- NNN-GNA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Ghana Introduces Drought-Tolerant Maize to Improve Food Security

An NNN-GNA Feature by Audrey Dekalu ACCRA (NNN-GNA) -- To Aba Antobam, a subsistence Farmer, maize is her life blood. The crop is he...

India’s Economy Looks to Rebound in 2013

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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Anjana Pasricha<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">India</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">’s economy has experienced its
worst slowdown in nearly a decade this year. But there are signs that the
country, which is still among the world’s fastest growing economies, may soon
begin to recover from the slump.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Month after month in 2012, virtually every
sector of the Indian economy - agriculture, mining, manufacturing and services
- slowed. At the end of the year, economic growth stood at 5.3 percent.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">It was a huge disappointment for a country
whose economy had been racing ahead at eight percent plus for the last eight
years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">       
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Like many other countries, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> was
affected by the global slowdown as exports were hit. But several domestic
factors also pulled down the economy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Many economists blamed the government, which
faces allegations of graft in many spheres, for policy inaction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Chief economist at ratings agency, CRISIL in
Mumbai, D.K. Joshi, says the downturn was sharper than warranted by global
factors.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">   <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“It is widely recognized now, to clear
projects it is taking time because of governance issues. And when it takes time
to clear projects, the investment pipeline gets choked," says Joshi.
"As a result of that investment slowed down quite significantly. Then we
also had high inflation regime, and high inflation means the Central bank
cannot cut interest rates to perk up the economy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The government admits that investment is
critical to revive the economy. Faced with plummeting growth, it has taken some
steps to liberalize the economy and make it easier for foreign businesses to
pump money into sectors such as retail, aviation and insurance. The
long-awaited reforms were the biggest initiated in nearly ten years.
Authorities also promised to speed up clearances for large infrastructure
projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The government also announced spending cuts
as it grappled with high deficits. It slashed subsidies on fuel despite
political opposition. This is expected to ward off the threat of a credit
rating downgrade.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Economist N. Bhanumurthy with the National
Institute of Public Finance and Policy in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New
  Delhi</st1:place></st1:city> says these steps are meant to reassure investors
and could help the economy stage a gradual recovery.    <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Frankly right now the most important issue
is confidence among investors, both domestic and foreign. All these measures
are expected to provide some kind of confidence-booting measures for revival in
the economy." he said. "Our own projection for the next year,
2013-14, is 7.1 percent.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the
government’s first priority is to reverse the slowdown. But he says that a
return to eight percent growth is an ambitious goal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Despite the slowdown, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> remains high on the radar of
foreign investors.</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>

India’s Economy Looks to Rebound in 2013

By Anjana Pasricha India ’s economy has experienced its worst slowdown in nearly a decade this year. But there are signs that the c...

EGYPT: Poor Hit Hardest As Political Tensions Persist

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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6A3JcJHtcegGs3_oZEvX7IIv7QaLo57sKmZA5ui0Qa8yxtuSaHmGbRME_zqfovg57i1EVpAgGOcRBY5rcHk0rc3MyGw5EzdknCMqPZIn_qfBbhuUXRmKtUxA_Y54tlh-qIShqbH3Oq9c/s1600/201112071014390671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6A3JcJHtcegGs3_oZEvX7IIv7QaLo57sKmZA5ui0Qa8yxtuSaHmGbRME_zqfovg57i1EVpAgGOcRBY5rcHk0rc3MyGw5EzdknCMqPZIn_qfBbhuUXRmKtUxA_Y54tlh-qIShqbH3Oq9c/s1600/201112071014390671.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Photo: <a href="http://www.irinnews.org/photo/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Amr Emam/IRIN</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Prices are going up<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">GIZA</span></st1:city><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (IRIN) - For the first time in
months, Hussein Mohamed, a 50-year-old civil servant from the Giza Governorate
neighbourhood of Imbaba, northern <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city>,
has had to tell his wife that he can no longer put food on the table. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mohamed used to find ways to get by on the
small salary he receives, but with soaring food prices this is becoming
increasingly tough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I find it hard to say that I can’t feed my
family, but this is the reality,” Mohamed, an administrative worker from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cairo</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
told IRIN. “I am so tired and feel that I won’t be able to keep going.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Food prices in November were up 5.3 percent
on the same month last year, while market traders reported a doubling of many
prices since the summer for basics like onions, rice and pasta. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mohamed and millions of vulnerable Egyptians
are coming to learn a painful lesson: they are the first to pay the price of
continued political tensions which have brought with <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Egypt started a new phase of political and
security turmoil on 22 November when its first democratically elected
president, Mohamed Morsi, issued a decree to exempt his decisions from judicial
scrutiny, and tensions persisted as millions voted in a controversial
constitutional plebiscite this month. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Egyptians’ food security is in real peril,”
Rashad Abdo, an economics professor from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cairo</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
told IRIN. “Our country imports most of its food. The problem is that our
foreign currency reserves - necessary for buying this food from other countries
- are hitting rock bottom.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">’s foreign currency reserves
dropped to US$15 billion by the end of November, from US$36.1 billion on the
eve of the popular uprising that ousted former president Hosni Mubarak early
last year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Economists like Abdo say these reserves will
allow the government to buy food for the people for three months only. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“This means that our country is galloping on
the road to an economic crisis at best, bankruptcy and famine at worst,” he
said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Last week the government confirmed it would
be importing 180,000 tons of wheat from the USA - being one of the world’s
biggest wheat importers is a big strain on reserves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Gloom <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As debates around the constitution rage,
economic issues are increasingly prominent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Factories are closing down, poverty is
rising and a large number of people are losing their jobs,” Victor Fikry,
deputy chairman of Catholic charity Caritas <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> told IRIN. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The charity says that in the last few months
it has seen the number of people demanding small loans rise, but also a halving
of donations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Khaled Waked, a 49-year-old father of two,
used to think his job at a <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="right" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background: #AABBDC; border: solid #336699 1.0pt; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 6.0pt; margin-right: 6.0pt; margin-top: -.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid #336699 .75pt; mso-cellspacing: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-bspace: 6.0pt; mso-table-left: right; mso-table-lspace: 8.25pt; mso-table-rspace: 8.25pt; mso-table-top: middle; mso-table-tspace: 1.5pt; width: 220px;">
 <tbody>
<tr>
  <td style="border: none; padding: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt;">
  <div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: white; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9.0pt;"><img alt="''" height="18" src="file:///C:/Users/Zainab/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.jpg" v:shapes="_x0000_i1025" width="23" /></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: white; font-family: Tahoma;">I find it hard to say that I can’t
  feed my family, but this is the reality</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: white; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9.0pt;"><img alt="''" height="18" src="file:///C:/Users/Zainab/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image002.jpg" v:shapes="_x0000_i1026" width="23" /><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>–
  Mohamed, university worker<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">calibration company was safe, after two
decades at the company. A few months ago, however, he was made redundant
because the company had no money to pay him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I don’t know which way to turn,” Waked
said. “The economy suffers and this means that jobs are rare. But suppose there
are openings, who will hire an old man like me?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">There is no official estimate about the
number of Egyptians like Waked who lost their jobs in the months that followed
the revolution, but the African Development Bank says unemployment rose to 12.6
percent of the workforce (3.4 million people) in the second quarter of 2012.
(Arabic) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Another sector hit by the political turmoil
is tourism, which normally accounts for about 11 percent of gross domestic
product (GDP) and “is the most important source of foreign exchange earnings
for the national income at 20%.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Economists, however, say the worst may be
yet to come. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“An economic crisis means that jobs will
become scarcer and prices higher,” said Yumn Al Hamaky, an economics professor
from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Ain</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Shams</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
“At the end of the day you will have more people who cannot satisfy the most
basic of their needs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Around 25.2 percent of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s 83
million people were in poverty in 2010-2011, compared with 21.6 percent in
2008-2009, according to the Egyptian government. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A rapidly growing budget deficit, now at 170
billion pounds ($27.5 billion) and expected to rise to 200 billion pounds
($32.3 billion) soon, does not bode well for the future, Al Hamaky said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mismanagement <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Economists blame the economic downturn on
poor economic management and a lack of clear economic policies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The government seeks to reduce the budget
deficit to 8.5 percent from 11 percent of GDP by the end of fiscal year
2013-2014. To do this, it has taken several measures, including slashing the
subsidies on fuel for expensive cars and factories, but at the same time
raising the price of electricity and gas cylinders. (Arabic) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“All these measures will end up harming the
poor, rather than the rich,” said economist Alia Al Mahdy. “Factories that pay
more for fuel, for example, will raise the prices of their commodities and this
will harm the poor even more.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The government decided on 10 December to
raise taxes on dozens of commodities and services, including fuel, cigarettes,
mobile phone communication, and fertilizers, causing uproar and spreading fear
across this country. A few hours later, however, the president suspended the
decision. (Arabic) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In a comic, but also bitter, expression of
public outrage at the state of confusion that grips government policies, a pop
singer has recently ridiculed the president in a hit in which she says the
president takes decisions in the morning, only to cancel them in the evening.
(Arabic) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But this is no laughing matter for people
like Mohamed, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cairo</st1:placename>
 <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> administrative
worker. When he went to the vegetable market a few hours after the president
suspended the tax rise, he discovered that the prices of almost all vegetables
and fruit had doubled. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I bought one kilo of green pepper for 2.5
pounds (40 US cents) only one day before the government announced its decision
to raise the taxes,” Mohamed said. “The next time I went to the market, the
price reached five pounds. The same thing happened with all other vegetables
and fruit, even as the president suspended the decision.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mohamed, whose salary is 1,800 pounds
($291), says rising prices oblige him to stop buying certain food items and
stick only to the basics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I give up one more items every day,” he
said. “I am sure I will continue to do this until nothing more is left for me
and my family to eat.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>

EGYPT: Poor Hit Hardest As Political Tensions Persist

Photo: Amr Emam/IRIN Prices are going up GIZA (IRIN) - For the first time in months, Hussein Mohamed, a 50-year-old civil serva...

INDIA: PM for Shifting Farmers to Non-Agri Jobs

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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Indian
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday emphasised on the need to shift large
surplus farmers to non-agriculture sector, saying per capita income of farmers
would rise only when fewer people engage in farming. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He also said farmers' income and agri-land
yields need to be enhanced to meet the growing foodgrains demand in the coming
years, building on the success of the 11th Plan, Press Trust of India (PTI)
reported. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Addressing the 57th meeting of the National
Development Council (NDC), Manmohan Singh said: "Paradoxically, we should
not aim at increasing total employment in agriculture. In fact, we need to move
people out of agriculture by giving them gainful employment in the
non-agricultural sector. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"It is only when fewer people depend
upon agriculture that per capita incomes in agriculture will rise significantly
and sufficiently to make farming an attractive proposition." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Although the agriculture share in GDP has
fallen to 15 per cent, about half of the population still relies on farm
activities as its principal income source, he added. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Since large population is engaged in farm
activities, he said, "what happens in agriculture is therefore critical
for the success of inclusiveness." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Better agricultural performance during the
11th Plan is an important reason why poverty declined faster, he added. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Agriculture being a state subject, the Prime
Minister said that most of the policy initiatives needed are in the realm of
state governments. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">However, the 12th Plan strategy contains
many elements which will ensure growth is as inclusive as possible, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">During the 11th Plan (2007-12), the average
agriculture sector growth reached 3.3 per cent from 2.4 per cent in the
previous Plan period, while farm wages grew annually at 6.8 per cent in the
recent years, compared to only 1.1 per cent in the period before 2004-05, he
added. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

INDIA: PM for Shifting Farmers to Non-Agri Jobs

NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday emphasised on the need to shift large surplus farmer...

India Rules Out Introduction of Islamic Banking

India Rules Out Introduction of Islamic Banking

KOCHI (INDIA) (NNN-PTI) -- Reserve Bank of India Governor D Subbarao on Thursday ruled out introduction of Islamic banking in the coun...

India Seeks More Market Access to and Investment from China

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">PHNOM PENH</span></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Cambodia</st1:country-region></span></st1:place><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-UNI) – Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
today sought greater access for Indian players in the Chinese market in
services, information technology and pharmaceutical sectors to balance the
trade between the two countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">During
his meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, their 14th in the last eight
years, Dr Singh also wanted Chinese investment in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s infrastructure which
requires one trillion dollars in the next five years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">China
is India's largest trade partner but the trade deficit between the two
economies has ballooned to 23 billion dollars in China's favour in October this
year, as India continues to import more than what it exports to the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">India</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> have set a target of taking
their total trade to 100 billion dollars by 2015. The total bilateral trade
reached a high of 73.90 billion dollars last year but the figure dropped to
55.6 billion in the first 10 months of this year, a drop of eight per cent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Briefing
the Indian media accompanying the Prime Minister on his "fruitful and
detailed" meeting with his Chinese counterpart in the Cambodian capital,
Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said Mr Wen told Dr Singh that <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region> is looking for gradually balancing trade and
is cognisant of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
interest. --NNN-UNI<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>

India Seeks More Market Access to and Investment from China

PHNOM PENH , Cambodia (NNN-UNI) – Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today sought greater access for Indian players in the Chinese market i...

Analysis: How real are Myanmar’s reforms?

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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9uTLDCXncGdHQIvlZUtjxqxW-EJu70wzH7bKmjwS58pTWIURPtpXFPG-F4hMMuSOoZrbySS2g2MS9VkjEPOndIt3LKlRijDpBJt4lBER1m2vFuOC4aM8MvKG2vZctuZF_GSpdeaQrz0/s1600/201210311502060404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9uTLDCXncGdHQIvlZUtjxqxW-EJu70wzH7bKmjwS58pTWIURPtpXFPG-F4hMMuSOoZrbySS2g2MS9VkjEPOndIt3LKlRijDpBJt4lBER1m2vFuOC4aM8MvKG2vZctuZF_GSpdeaQrz0/s1600/201210311502060404.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Photo: <a href="http://www.irinnews.org/film" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">IRIN Film</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Fighting continues in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Kachin</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">LONDON</span></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (IRIN) - The visit of <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> President Barack Obama to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region> on 19
November has renewed international interest in the country’s democratic
reforms, but also skepticism about their impact on the lives of ordinary
Burmese.<br />
<br />
Since <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
reform-minded President Thein Sein came to office in March 2011, hundreds of political
prisoners have been released, freedom of assembly has been allowed, media
censorship has eased, and the country’s cabinet has been reshuffled.<br />
<br />
“Ministers regarded as conservative or underperforming were moved aside, and
many new deputy ministers appointed. There are now more technocrats in these positions
and the country has its first female minister,” Jim Della-Giacoma, <st1:place w:st="on">South East Asia</st1:place> project director for the International
Crisis Group (ICG), told IRIN.<br />
<br />
But analysts and observers argue that economic hardship, ongoing ethnic
conflicts and a history of media censorship will prove more serious challenges
to reform in this former pariah state.<br />
<br />
According to an ICG report entitled <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region>: Storm Clouds on the
Horizon, much of the government’s attention will need to be focused on
controlling the country’s multiple internal ethnic conflicts - a real threat to
national stability.<br />
<br />
“Containing and resolving the inter-communal conflict that has engulfed <st1:placename w:st="on">Rakhine</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype>,
and reaching a ceasefire in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Kachin</st1:placename>
 <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>, are the
government’s main immediate problems,” said the 12 November report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
<b>Economic hardship<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
While the headline-grabbing democratic reforms are welcome, resulting in
millions of dollars in international development and humanitarian assistance,
many believe they fail to address the economic hardships of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s 58
million people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
Maung Zarni, founder of the Free Burma Coalition and a fellow at the
London School of Economics, says Thein Sein’s reforms “are largely geared
towards creating a `late developmental state’ along the lines of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Vietnam</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>… Sadly, the West and the rest
alike are choosing to overlook the apparent pitfalls of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:country-region>'s reforms, ignoring the cries of the
wretched of a new <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region>.”<br />
<br />
Sein Win, managing editor of New Delhi-based Mizzima News, (founded by <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region>
exiles), agrees. “Change is happening in the upper levels of government... but
the lives of the people are largely the same as before,” he said.<br />
<br />
And while there are high hopes that the recent easing of international
sanctions will change things, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:country-region>
remains one of the poorest countries in <st1:place w:st="on">Southeast Asia</st1:place>.<br />
<br />
Ordinary people see little tangible improvement in their day-to-day lives, and
inflation is having an adverse effect on the lives of many Burmese.<br />
<br />
According to the UN’s most recent Integrated Household Living Conditions
Assessment, the average proportion of total household budget spent on food is
68 percent (74 percent for the poorest 30 percent of the population).<br />
<br />
Almost one third of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, according
to the World Bank, which recently approved a US$245 million development package
to the country.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“We
want the people of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:country-region>
and the poor in particular to see the reform can lead to real benefits,” said
Kanthan Shankar, the World Bank’s country manager for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
<b>Internal conflict<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
But the path to reform will be difficult given long-standing ethnic conflicts,
many of which date back to independence from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> in 1948, analysts say.<br />
<br />
While the government over the past year has forged a number of tentative
ceasefire agreements with many non-state armed groups which have been fighting
for greater autonomy in the east, fighting in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:country-region>’s northern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Kachin</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>
between government forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), continues
unabated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
Since the collapse of a 17-year-old ceasefire in June 2011, some 75,000 people
have been displaced and humanitarian needs are growing, reports the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).<br />
<br />
At the same time, more than 100,000 people, nearly all Rohingyas, have
been displaced in western <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Rakhine</st1:placename>
 <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>, after inter-communal
violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims erupted in June.<br />
<br />
The conflict is a major test for the Thein Sein government, say activists, who
are calling on Obama to make it clear that the attacks on the Rohingya need to
stop if the government wants to avoid renewed international sanctions.<br />
<br />
“This is crunch time because <st1:country-region w:st="on">Burma</st1:country-region>’s
failure to contain sectarian violence in Arakan [Rakhine] State and hold
accountable those responsible calls into question the Burmese government’s
stated goal of becoming a rights-respecting, multi-ethnic state,” said Brad
Adams, <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place> director at Human Rights Watch
(HRW).<br />
<br />
According to HRW, Burmese security forces have restricted the access of
international humanitarian agencies to the area, while aid workers say international
donors are failing to deliver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
<b>Upcoming elections<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
And then there is the future role of the National League for Democracy (NLD)
party and its iconic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who have been on the frontline of
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
fight for democratic reform for decades.<br />
<br />
Political leaders have conflicting views about how power should be shared under
the constitution as well as after the 2015 election; while many believe what is
needed now is moral leadership to calm tension and seek compromises if divisive
confrontation is to be avoided.<br />
<br />
An NLD landslide “may not be in the best interests of the party or the country,
as it would risk marginalizing three important constituencies: the old
political elite, the ethnic political parties and the non-NLD democratic
forces. If the post-2015 legislatures fail to represent the true political and
ethnic diversity of the country, tensions are likely to increase and fuel
instability. The main challenge the NLD faces is not to win the election, but
to promote inclusiveness and reconciliation,” the ICG report says.<br />
<br />
The NLD could support developing a system that would give a greater say in
politics to marginalized minority groups under the current “first past the
post” system, says ICG.<br />
<br />
Alternatively, the government could form an alliance with other parties,
particularly with ethnic parties, and agree not to compete against them in
certain electorates.<br />
<br />
“Finally, the government could support an interim `national unity’ candidate
for the post-2015 presidency. This would reassure the old guard, easing the
transition to an NLD-dominated political system. Critically, this option could
also build support for the constitutional change required to allow Aung San Suu
Kyi to become president,” says ICG.<br />
<br />
<b>“Window dressing”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
Although Thein Sein has spearheaded unprecedented change in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region>, some
critics remain cynical about his motives for allowing Aung San Suu Kyi to run
for election.<br />
<br />
“The government is using her image as a democracy icon to promote and protect
their way of reform. Their strategy is one of using your enemy's good name to
reach your own objective,” says Sein Win of Mizzima News.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
impetus behind the government’s democratic reforms, he adds, goes beyond just
promoting foreign trade.<br />
<br />
Some accuse the government of carrying out “window-dressing” reforms to please
Western governments and enable the lifting of sanctions.<br />
<br />
“The dictatorship hurt the nation's pride. But they also want to lead the
change. There will be less electoral fraud in 2015, but at the same time they
will be smarter and will effectively use their political framework to weaken
opposition. Of course, monitoring from the UN and international community is
essential,” Sein Win adds.<br />
<br />
He believes that Western countries can help <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region> by permanently lifting
sanctions, which proved to be extremely harsh on the majority of the
non-political classes.<br />
<br />
Derek Tonkin from the NGO Network <st1:country-region w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:country-region> says
that sanctions are potentially a valuable diplomatic weapon, noting,
however, that over the past two decades they damaged <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s economic development and
badly affected the lives of ordinary Burmese.<br />
<br />
<b>New press and social freedoms<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
Meanwhile, Mark Farmener, director of the London-based Burma Campaign <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> describes
the reforms to date as “top down and skin deep”.<br />
<br />
Censorship laws have not been repealed, though how they have been applied has
been changed, he said, adding that while there is currently more freedom for
certain subjects to be reported, others, such as ethnic issues, remain banned.
“Media are still not allowed to criticize the government,” he said.<br />
<br />
Sein Win agrees: “I haven't seen any reports by Burmese journalists exploring
the how and why about what happened in the conflict between Buddhist Rakhine
and Muslim Rohingya communities… Will the government and local authority
tolerate it if someone exposes the truth? Will the concerned communities
tolerate someone's independent reporting on the conflict? I don't think so.”<br />
<br />
According to a recent report entitled Virtuality, Perception and Reality
in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
Democratic Reform by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP),
self-censorship continues as many journalists are unsure what they can write
about without fear of government reprisal.<br />
<br />
The report says internal factions in the government are delaying reforms:
“There is an internal power struggle [in the government], at minimum between
the government and the military and potentially between the president and his
supporters and potentially with more hardline factions in the government.”<br />
<br />
“The long-term outlook is not positive,” Farmener warns. “There are more civil
liberties in the cities but these are not guaranteed in law, and human rights
abuses have actually increased in the past year. However, the changes so far
have been enough to persuade the international community to rush to relax
pressure and normalize relations.”<br />
<br />
He said 2016 would be a critical year for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Myanmar</st1:place></st1:country-region>. “That’s when a new
parliament dominated by the NLD will push for genuine constitutional change,
and the military will either agree or block it.”<br />
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Analysis: How real are Myanmar’s reforms?

Photo: IRIN Film Fighting continues in Kachin State LONDON (IRIN) - The visit of US President Barack Obama to Myanmar on 19...