On its third anniversary in office, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) II government on Tuesday offered a demonstration of its strength, with the presidential poll around the corner, as regional leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Lalu Prasad Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Deve Gowda attended a celebratory dinner at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

But some of the big government supporters stayed home, including Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati, while some UPA allies like Trinamool Congress and DMK were represented by lower ranking leaders. DMK chief M. Karunanidhi cited health reasons, which is understandable as the 87 year-old is wheelchair-bound most of the time. What came as a surprise was that his son and union minister M.K. Alagiri declined the invitation on the grounds that he is “on a diet.”

Singh presented his government’s report card for the year, saying, “Let no one doubt we have done much.” He did, though, admit that his government could have done better. But by roping in the two Yadavs as well Deve Gowda, an important leader of Karnataka state where the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party is in power, the Singh government has sent a signal of consolidation in these difficult times.

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At first glance, Ruidad Weekly looks like a simple pamphlet, but it’s more than that. The first and second pages, which are in the local language, Dari, carry some news items with pictures. The third page, which is in English, carries a long analytical piece “Where are you Zeenat?” that addresses the wife of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The piece asks Zeenat Karzai to come out of the shadows and speak up for Afghan women. On the other three pages, which are again in Dari, issues related to women who have been marginalized by Afghan society are discussed. At the end, various vacancies are advertised for women looking for work.

The weekly has a circulation of around 1,000 copies, and has a target audience of university students and some social activists and workers. However, even a year since it was established, the paper is still struggling to officially register with the appropriate ministry.

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Peace efforts in Afghanistan suffered another setback Sunday when Mullah Arsala Rahmani, a former deputy minister of education under the Taliban government and an important mediator in the ongoing peace talks, was assassinated.

News reports said Rahmani was killed by a gunman while sitting at a traffic light just outside his house in western Kabul. Rahmani had been driving to a meeting of the High Peace Council, the Afghan body tasked with spearheading negotiations with the Taliban.

This is the second major casualty the High Peace Council has suffered, following the assassination of the council’s former head, Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was killed last year. Rabbani was killed by a suicide bomber who posed as a peace negotiator to get close to his target.

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The Maharaja, the mascot of India’s national carrier Air India, is in turmoil as a bitter battle rages between the airline and some of its pilots.

The media has been full of reports of holidaymakers opting to pay cancellation charges and rebooking with other airlines as what some are describing as a “sick out” continued past the weeklong mark yesterday, as about 200 pilots stopped coming to work over fears for their career prospects.

Air India, which last month was promised a bailout package worth about $6 billion over a nine year period, has so far lost about Rs 150 crore ($28 million) during the eight day action, prompting the sacking of more than 70 pilots who had called in sick.

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When Jalil Akbari saw me approaching his roadside stall at the Shar-e-Now market in Kabul, he thought I was coming to exchange currency. Without waiting for me to say anything, he started offering me a good rate for U.S. dollars. I told him in Urdu, of which most Afghans understand a little, that I actually just wanted to talk with him about his life and profession. He had quite a story to tell.

Displaying wads of currency from different countries on a small table, he offered to take my Indian rupees in return for “Afs” as the Afghani currency is popularly known. The 56-year-old has been a money exchanger for the last 30 years. At any given time, you can find bundles of currencies lying openly on his table, a foreign concept in most countries.

People in Afghanistan don't generally go to banks to exchange currency. They come to roadside money exchangers who offer them market rates. After all, the banking system isn’t all that strong or reliable in this war torn country.

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It’s always something of an experience coming to Afghanistan. The experience starts from the moment you decide to visit the country. Many thoughts start coming to mind – questions about whether the country is just too volatile to visit, and where you’ll stay. Then comes the silent disapproval of parents, relatives and friends. But to balance this there’s also the excitement of seeing a place that’s pivotal to geopolitics.

Despite this being my fifth trip to the country in the past three years, there’s the same excitement and apprehension as when I came here for the first time. And my curiosity has only grown over that time, as I try to understand the mood of the nation as international troops are preparing to leave.

When I came to Kabul for the first time in late 2008, the only flight available from New Delhi was with Indian Airlines. Now there are two more international carriers – Kam Air and Safi Airways – operating regular flights from India’s capital. This reflects the growing mobility between the two nations. Indeed, even just a couple of years ago, Kabul international airport was rather quiet. This time, especially at immigration and the luggage collection area, the airport felt a little too small to handle the number of passengers it’s expected to.

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Hillary Clinton’s visit to India this week may well be her last as secretary of state, with Clinton set to step down regardless of whether Barack Obama wins reelection in November. Such a trip therefore assumes a special significance, and Clinton generally did well in ensuring that the visit was free of any diplomatic glitches that could prove costly in the long run.

Still, there were some issues of contention. Clinton began her trip in Kolkata, where media reports suggested that she discussed the Teesta waters issues and foreign direct investment with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.  However, Banerjee told reporters after the talks that actually, she didn’t discuss the Teesta issue or FDI.

Moving on to  the New Delhi leg of her India trip, Clinton held separate talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,  her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi. There, Clinton discussed the question of terrorism emanating from Pakistan, and was candid in arguing that Pakistan wasn’t doing enough to eradicate terror sanctuaries.

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For the next few days, Indian diplomats will be walking a rare if not unprecedented diplomatic tightrope as the country plays host to both U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a 56-member Iranian trade delegation.

Clinton arrived in Kolkata on Sunday afternoon and was scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance Chair Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday evening. Interestingly, Clinton was meeting Singh and Gandhi ahead of her meeting with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, which is scheduled for Tuesday morning. (Generally, a visiting foreign minister meets first with his or her counterpart before calling on the prime minister).

Simultaneously, the Iranian delegation, led by president of the chamber of commerce Yahya Al Eshagh, arrived in the Indian capital for another round of talks over what New Delhi can sell to Tehran. The Iranian trade delegation’s objective is to find ways for India to circumvent tough U.S. sanctions that have been strangulating the Iranian economy. Along with petroleum manufacturers, the Iranian delegation includes members from the food, pharmaceuticals, machinery and steel industries.

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The Taliban’s latest demonstration of its strike anywhere anytime capability came earlier this week when it conducted multiple bombings, claiming at least seven lives, hours after U.S. President Barrack Obama paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan.

The Taliban’s latest attack demonstrated a growing sophistication and should be of concern for Indian policymakers with the U.S. intention to pull out in 2014. Indeed, earlier this week, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne warned that the Taliban was inching toward an attack on India.

To prevent this happening, India has sought to bolster the current Afghan government through various measures such as investing $3.2 billion in Afghanistan, including four hallmark construction projects: the Delaram-Zaranj road, transmission lines providing Uzbek electricity to Kabul, the hydroelectric Salma Dam and a new parliament building in Kabul.

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