• Jute Exports Increase
  The Textiles Ministry reported increased jute exports valued at USD 266 million even as exporters complained of sparse Government support while Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) said India’s export actually dropped from 34% to 26% from 2003 to 2004. <More>

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• Mega LNG Deal with Iran is dead
  Visiting Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister Hadi Nejad Hosseinian informed stunned Government officials that the much-publicized and anticipated USD 22 billion-mega deal to bring Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Iran is dead.<More> 

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• Anti-Reservation Protests Spread
  More students from medical, engineering, and non-professional colleges marched in many parts of the country protesting purported moves by the Federal Government to double reservation in all colleges—even backward classes students joined these protests.<More>

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• India’s Malnourished Children
  Dampening the euphoria on economic growth, stock market performance, and increased foreign direct investment, a United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) report on nutrition said India has the most number of malnourished under-five children in the world.<More>

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• Army Worried about Siachen Demilitarization
  With India and Pakistan almost on the verge of agreement to demilitarize the 75 km Siachen glacier, the Army has asked for clear delineation of the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) using satellite photos that would enable “iron clad” guarantees.<More> 

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• Pak Test Fires Long Range Missile
  A Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations note claimed that Pakistan has successfully test-fired “its long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Hatf VI (Shaheen II)” that is a two-staged solid fuel accurate nuclear capable missile with a range of 2000 kilometers.<More>

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• Lanka Teeters on the Brink of Civil War
  Sri Lanka appeared slowly drifting towards civil war even as last ditch attempts by Norway to negotiate a seaplane transport arrangement for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) negotiators to go to Geneva for the peace talks.<More>

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• Pak in Top 10 Failed State List
  A Foreign Policy report that annually rates 146 countries on their effectiveness in maintaining control of its territories, running a Government, and providing basic public services rated Pakistan 9th most likely to fail ahead of Afghanistan, Nepal, and Lanka.<More>

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