COUNTRY REVIEW

South Asia

Afghanistan

• More than 70 killed in wave of clashes; NATO pledges to support Afghanistan’s electoral process; Obama: US needs an exit strategy in Afghanistan; US to attend SCO conference on Afghanistan in Moscow

Pakistan

• Iftikar Chaudhury and sacked judges restored: Gilani and Nawaz Sharif initiate reconciliation process; Gates expresses concerns on activities of Quetta Shura in Balochistan

Nepal

• Controversy over non-extension of terms of Army officers; NRB: Nepal’s domestic economy facing the impact of the global economic downturn; China to help connect Lhasa with Lumbini, through Kathmandu

Bhutan

• Bhutan and India form group to monitor hydropower projects; SSB lifts trade restrictions on people from Samtse; Danish government commits Nu 2,925 million to Bhutan for the 10th five year plan

Sri Lanka

• Minister: No. of refugees in government-controlled areas 46,271; Colombo not to agree to any conditions set by the IMF in return for aid; UNP MP’s rebel against Wickremasinghe

Maldives

• Maldives to become the world’s first carbon neutral country; 17-member committee in collaboration with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs formed to tackle conflicting religious issues

East and SouthEast Asia

Japan

• Japan, South Korea to take joint steps against DPRK if it went ahead with rocket launch; Japan commissions its largest helicopter carrier; Chinese Defence Minister urges Japan and other parties to ‘keep cool heads’ regarding DPRK’s proposed rocket launch

SouthEast Asia

• Malaysia to negotiate FTA with GCC; PM Badawi visits Jakarta and Kuwait; Indonesia and Bangladesh sign agreement to fight money laundering; Thai PM faces no-confidence motion; Thai PM calls on US and Europe to fight protectionism

West Asia

Iran

• Obama extends an olive branch to Tehran in a video message; Supreme Leader dismisses Obama’s overtures; Khatami withdraws from presidential elections

Iraq

• Thousands of Iraqis held by the US being freed for lack of sufficient evidence; PM al-Maliki: Longer jail sentence should have been given to Muntazer al-Zaidi

Other Development

• Kuwait: Emir dissolves National Assembly "to safeguard the security and stability of the nation

• Lebanon opens its first ever embassy in Damascus

NUCLEAR, MISSILES AND SPACE REVIEW

• Former US Secretaries of State and Defence in Moscow for meetings with Russian officials

• Prime Ministers of China and North Korea discuss nuclear situation; DPRK insists it intends to launch a satellite and not a missile, notifies UN agencies of the launch; US considering shooting down the projectile

• Ahmadinejad: Western powers unable to stop Iran's technological and scientific progress with their "spiteful actions”

ENERGY SECURITY REVIEW

• ASEAN to sign energy security agreement

• China and Iran sign multi-billion LNG deal in South Pars field

• Oil falls towards $46 mark

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu and Kashmir

• Ten people, including four army personnel, killed; Former Governor Sinha: Mufti acted as militants' spokesman

NorthEast Development

• Governor Gurbachan Jagat: Insurgency a matter of concern in Manipur

Other Development

• Two killed in West Bengal blast

• ISI backed espionage ring busted in Punjab