Environment, Health and Education

• WHO Wants TB Program Sustainability
  Wanting a more effective management of the tuberculosis (TB) programs, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that “financial sustainability and manageability” was required in addition to mere funding.<More>

• NHAI Plan to Tackle Highway HIV
  Migrant population living along highways suffer higher rates of HIV infection because of poor family support, lack of healthcare, unsafe sex, easy access to brothels, and lack of awareness but a new plan is being created to specifically target this population.<More>

• ISI Subversion of Army
  A few days after two soldiers were arrested on charges of spying, Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee revealed that he is “deeply concerned that there were spies in the army” but the establishments has started initiatives “to unravel the spy rings.”<More>

• Army Plans Bunker & Fence Mending Along LoC
  After foiling a spurt of infiltration bids along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir in the last few days, the Army has set itself a winter deadline to fix bunkers and anti-infiltration fence damaged by the October 2005 earthquake.<More>

• Mizo Insurgent Group Surrenders
  After fighting a bush war for 9 years with the Assam Rifles, about 800 activists of the Bru Liberation Front of Mizoram (BLFM) surrendered to in Tripura along with their fire arms and grenades in exchange for a grant Rs. 40,000 to each surrendered insurgent.<More>

• Improved Climate Forecasting for Agri Productivity
  The Ministry of Earth Sciences is proposing a new 5-year plan which will provide easily available improved weather forecasting for farmers in the hope that this will improve agricultural productivity and therefore positively impact economic growth.<More>

• Navy plans joint exercises with U.S., Russia
  In continuation of its policy to practice naval skills and operate in the backyards of friendly nations, the Indian Navy revealed plans to hold exercises with the United States and Russia in quick succession next year in the Pacific Ocean.<More>

Neighbors

• Lankan Leaders Agree on MoU
  Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse and Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe seemed to have agreed on the 6-point cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on crucial issues facing the island nation.<More>

• Afghan Violence Continues
  The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said that its soldiers returned fire and killed 15 insurgents in the southern Zabul province of Afghanistan but conceded that 2 of their vehicles were damaged in the conflict but suffered no casualties.<More>

• Malaysia Grants ‘Visa on Arrival’
  Malaysia announce a “visa on arrival” for Indians visiting Malaysia for tourism purposes entering the nation from “six different points of entry” to “spur intra-regional travel and bolster tourism” in a “Hassle-free environment.” <More>

World