THE government of Kuwait hosted the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference on Syria in the third week of January just before the warring sides in civil conflict resumed peace talks in Geneva. The conference, unlike the one in Geneva, saw the international community unite for a worthy cause. Iran was one of the 69 governments and 24 international organizations that participated in the successful conference. The conference was presided over by the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon. India was represented by the Minister of State for External Affairs, E Ahamed.

ON February 7, 2014, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) submitted a memorandum to Ms Mamta Sharma, chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), at New Delhi. The aim was to bring to the notice of the NCW a recent incident of gangrape at Amta in Howrah district in West Bengal. In this case, a 27 years old housewife and her mother-in-law, aged 43 years, were brutally gangraped on February 4, 2014. They were admitted in the Ulberia hospital with severe injuries.

The conference was held at Melaghar in Sonamura subdivision under Sepahijala district on February 9-11, 2014. The venue was named after renowned social worker and martyr Dabholkar of Maharashtra and the conference dais after legendary singer Manna Dey who recently expired.

Speaking to reporters after the bill was passed on 18th February, the CPI(M) leader pointed out that the creation of separate state of Telangana has raised immense hopes among the people of that region while at the same time creating many apprehensions among people of Seemandhra region. The very same ruling classes that have failed to comprehensively develop the united state are set to rule in both the states. They would be implementing the same neo-liberal, World Bank-dictated policies. These policies will create new inequalities in both the states. People’s problems will not be solved.

THE OPPOSITION in Venezuela is once again back to its old game – organising violent clashes, creating chaos and thus preparing the atmosphere to destabilise the government. They are desperately trying to create a situation akin to 2002, where they could stage a coup against the Chavez government, however short-lived it may have been. Now that Chavez is no more, they dream that such a coup has more chances to succeed.