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"We are in a terrible situation. I am seeing my children dying in front of me but can do nothing for them but wait and pray," said Nawal Ismail, an Iraqi whose husband got kidnapped.

The two-day international conference on Jammu & Kashmir: Alternative Futures on May 18-19, 2006, at the Heritage Village Resort, Manesar, organised by the Institute for Conflict Management, concluded in consensus here on 19th May 2006.

Delegates from Pakistan administered Kashmir, Indian administered Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan and Kashmiri Diaspora remained engaged in an open, free and frank discussion and argument during the Conference and on the side lines of the Conference on basic issue of "how to break through the logjam of currently entrenched and conflicting positions on Jammu & Kashmir".

The institutional and management wisdom of ICM was headed by Dr. Ajai Sahni Executive Director, Institute for Conflict Management and an effective supplement of ICM team. IKA and APNA incremented and enhanced the constituency of a freely expressed debate on Kashmir.

Romans in 700 BC were wiser than our Kashmiri leaders in 2006. Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome circa 700 BC, added the two months Januarius "January" and Februarius "February" to original 10 month Roman year, consisting of Martius "March", Aprilis "April", Maius "May", Junius "June", Quintilis "July", Sextilis "August", September "September", October "October", November "November", December "December".

He also moved the beginning of the year from Marius to Januarius and changed the number of days in several months to be odd, a 'lucky number'. After Februarius there was occasionally an additional month of Intercalaris "intercalendar". This is the origin of the leap-year day being in February. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar (hence the Julian calendar) changing the number of days in many months and removing Intercalaris.

India has entered into a bilateral agreement with the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to protect 'life' in Kashmir. The other two stipulations are to protect 'property' and 'honour' of the people of the state. The arrangement is provisional and had to be referred to a people's free choice, once law and order were restored.

India failed to protect 'property' which in broader terms meant the geographical entity of the state. Two administrations of Jammu and Kashmir passed into Pakistani control. Pakistan continues to claim that she has assumed control of these two administrations under UNCIP resolutions. As a consequence Pakistan has accrued 'Trust Obligations', until the people of Jammu and Kashmir are able to exercise their free and fair choice. This wisdom is supported by article 257 of the constitution of Pakistan.

The special United Nations General Assembly meeting to assess the progress made in combating AIDS since it issued its Declaration of Commitment to a comprehensive battle against the pandemic five years ago ended today on 3 June 2006 with a pledge to set "ambitious national targets" this year, including interim targets for 2008.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan immediately hailed the results. "The Secretary-General applauds the adoption of the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS by the High Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly," his spokesman said.

"He is particularly heartened that with this Declaration, Governments have committed themselves to actions to promote gender equality, the empowerment of women and the protection of girls; respect for the full rights of people living with HIV/AIDS; strengthened protection for all vulnerable groups -- whether young people, sex workers, injecting drug users, or men who have sex with men; provision of the full range of HIV prevention measures, including male and female condoms and sterile injection equipment; and the full engagement in the response of the private sector and civil society, including people living with HIV."

On 8th day of bright fortnight of Chet Kashmiri Pandits returned to Reshi Bhumi to celebrate Durga Ashtami at Kheer Bhiwani in Tula Mullah. They recall that water of the spring turned black in 1990 signalling bad luck. Violence engulfed the State and they were forced out of their homes.

As usual Kashmiri Pandits kept a fast on Sunday 4th June 2006. Muslims came out to greet the Hindu pilgrims, their neighbours displaced in 1990, took them to their homes and offered them 'nun chai', 'kehwa' and the traditional 'kulcha' and 'bakarkhani'.

The legend goes that Lord Rama worshipped Mother Ragyna during his exile & desired Hanuman ji to shift the seat of Mother after the expiry of exile period, who bought it to Shadipora and was later shifted to present site as per the wish of divine Mother Ragnya conveyed in dream to one Pandit Rugnath Gadroo.

JKLF has fielded candidates for July 2006 Assembly elections in Azad Kashmir. The party is secular and believes in a plural and democratic civil society. Its slogan ignites national fervour among youth and rolls up the tribal spread, covering the body politics of Azad Kashmir. JKLF continues its struggle for an independent state of Jammu and Kashmir, with an expression of equal and friendly relations with India and Pakistan.

In a speech at Oxford, an event organised by Centre for Islamic Studies on Wednesday 7 June, FCO Minister, Lord Triesman recognised that Muslims have been an integral part of Britain for centuries. Over the past five years, he said, Britain has spent £5 billion on development aid in the Muslim World. The Minister went on to express an urgent need to address the alienation of Britain's Muslim community. Speaking about a programme which sends British Muslims overseas to speak about their identity, he said: 'Many of them have very strong feelings against some of our current foreign policies. The fact that they can disagree with government policy and still be involved in a government-backed initiative highlights the fundamental right of freedom of expression enjoyed by all British citizens.'

Around 300 scientists and legal and political advisors from 45 countries met in Edinburgh on 12 June 2006 for the start of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. The event, which will run from 12 to 23 June, will provide the opportunity to discuss the continued protection of Antarctica - the world's last great wilderness.