Editor's Note 
The musings on emerging global trends have come from Davos, where the creame de la creame of business, diplomacy, and governments met at the World Economic Forum. The silver lining is that amidst fears of a slowing world economy, particularly the US economy, the summit saw the diplomats and head of states as a relaxed lot in contrast to the frayed nerves of the business class, indicating the relatively peaceful international scenario in contrast to the blowing winds of disquiet in the financial sector. The article, Davos Summit Calls for Collaborative Leadership captures the fine spirit of the summit.  Read the Note. 
   

Indian Ocean Rim Association: Formidable Grouping with Shared Interests
The Indian Ocean is the world’s third largest ocean. It carries half of the world’s container ships, one third of the bulk cargo traffic, and two-thirds of the world’s oil shipments. It is a lifeline of international trade and economy. The region is woven together by trade routes and commands major sea lanes.   Read the Article.  
 

Advantage Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has made major strides since the early 1980s in creating a favourable climate for the private sector. Sri Lanka’s trade liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation have improved conditions for employment and growth.   Read the Article. 
   

Davos Summit Calls for Collaborative Leadership  
Departing from its early market fundamentalism, the forum in 2008 was all about charting a new course for global capitalism. Read the Article.  
 

Interview with Switzerland’s Ambassador to India
India occupies a high place in the framework of Switzerland’s foreign economic strategy. The relations have been good. The economic exchanges and trade has reached US $ 2.6 billion.  Read an Interview.      
     

CHOGM: Sticks to Democracy, Slips on Climate
Formed by 53 independent countries under the common roof of peace and understanding, Commonwealth covers around 30 percent of the world’s population. The two billion citizens of the Commonwealth countries are drawn from a wide range of different religions, races, cultures and traditions.  Read the Article.  
 

India-EU Reaffirm Strategic Partnership  
The summit reviewed the Joint Action Plan, adopted at the 6th India-EU Summit in New Delhi in September 2005 and welcomed the progress in implementation and looked forward to further advances. Read the Article.
 

India and China Decide to Boost Ties
The broad message of the visit was that the rise of India and China and their bulging relations could contribute a lot to the changing world order. That the two rising Asian powers are cooperating rather than viewing each other as rivals is in itself a very important message to the world community.  Read the Article.
   

India Reiterates Historic Ties with Russia
Since the Soviet era, India and Russia have been linked closely in bilateral trade, economy, and other areas of cooperation. Over the last few years, the age-old relationships between the two countries have been tightened up through exchange of several high-level visits. In continuation of the tradition of holding annual summits between heads of government, which started seven years ago, Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh paid a two-day visit to Russia on 11-12 November 2007.  Read the Article.
  

Sparkling Kuwait  
The modern state of Kuwait is built on the foundation of Arab culture and traditions anchored by Islam. Kuwait maintains its tradition by preserving historical monuments and artefacts. The country’s National Museum is one of fifty locations where heritage objects are stored.  Read the Article.   
               

India-Kuwait: Expanding Ties and Broadening Trade  
Kuwait and India have developed their cooperation through international forums and high-level visits exchanged between leaders of the two sides. Read the Article. 
    

Liberal Investment Climate to Boost FDI
Reduced Income Tax for Foreign Companies to Stimulate Investment  
In the country’s non-oil sector, there is a recorded earning of KD12024.1 million (US$43.93 billion) in 2006, an increase of 14.5 percent from the figure KD10501.2 million (US$38.47 billion) in 2005.  Read the Article. 
    

ASEAN Charter Aims to Close Ranks
India-ASEAN trade has reached US$30 billion surpassing all expectations. Mooting further growth, Dr Manmohn Singh proposed a target of US$50 billion of trade by 2010. Read the Article.  
  

British PM Visits India
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrived in New Delhi on Sunday, 20 January, along with a business delegation. He spent a busy Monday meeting political and business leaders, launching the UK Sports Initiative, attending the ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, visiting the Rajghat and attending a state banquet.  Read the Article.  
  

French President Sarkozy Charms Indian Investors
The two countries wanted to broaden and boost their partnership in atomic field. To this end, France and India have finalised negotiations in regard to reaching a bilateral agreement for civil nuclear cooperation.  Read the Article.  
  

Hungarian PM Visits India  
On 16th January 2008, the first day of his state visit to India, the Honourable Mr. Ferenc Gyurcsány Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary addressed the CII Partnership Summit Conference. During the meet the Prime Minister said, “Our government is focusing on providing better and credible regulations with no political obstacles to enhance the investment from Indian companies and to facilitate the growth of industry. Read the Article.
   

Between the Lines - Book Review
This is an incredible story told by a young man who as a boy of 13 was separated from his family during a rebel raid on his village in central Sierra Leone and fled the conflict for hundred of miles with a few friends to what they thought to be the safety of a national Army camp, only to be given an option: join our ranks or face the consequences – the wrath of the rebels who were just over the next ridge.  Read the Review.  
 

Diplomatic News
An ‘Africa Nite’ to Remember
Cuba Shares its Pride of Parliamentary Polls
Canadian Foreign Minister Visits India
Cooperation with DR Congo in Industrial Diamond
Indian Railways Supplies DUM Coaches to Angola
South African Delegation for Rural Development
Omani Deputy PM Visits India
India-Zambia DTAA Agreement  
Read the News.  
 

Buddhist Express... All Aboard!
My wife Linda and I spent seven nights and eight days on the ‘Mahaparinirvan’ Special Train that was recently introduced by the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a Public Sector Undertaking, under the Ministry of Railways. The trip, which consists of a combination of train and bus travel, transports pilgrims on an odyssey to some of the world’s most significant Buddhist sites including Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Lumbini (in Nepal) and Sravasti, with the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort thrown in on the way back to Delhi. Was it a worthwhile endeavour? Read on and decide for yourself.  Read the Article.  
 

Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007)
Daughter of Destiny Dies, Fighting for Democracy....   Read the Article.  
 

Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008)
Indian President & Prime Minister Condole His Passing
Sir Edmund Hillary dedicated his life to the preservation of our Himalayan heritage and inspired several generations of mountaineers worldwide. In mourning his passing away we must all seek inspiration from his sense of adventure, enterprise and his love of nature.  Read the Article.  
 

Westin Sohna-Gurgaon Resort & Spa:
A Haven of Luxury & Tranquility Close to the Capital Read the Article.  
 

Pay Attention to the Golf Balls First
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand  Read the Article.