COUNTRY REVIEW

South Asia

Pakistan

• President Musharraf to seek vote of confidence; Ruling coalition meets to discuss charges against Musharraf; Violence continues in Swat; Floods affects 100,000 people in Rajanpura

Nepal

• Maoists fail to form the government within stipulated time; Differences crop up over plum portfolios; President orders CA to elect Prime Minister; Civil society groups criticize the failure to form government

Bhutan

• Nepal and Bhutan agree to talk on the Bhutanese refugees issue; India commits Rs. 400 million for currency stabilization efforts

Bangladesh

• AL wins 8 mayoral posts; BNP terms the elections ‘unconstitutional’; Govt.: Emergency not to be lifted before parliamentary elections in December; US appreciates conduct of mayoral and municipality elections

Sri Lanka

• Reports: LTTE controlling about 6 per cent of Lankan territory; Sri Lankan military: 43 guerillas killed in fierce fighting; PM Singh: India would like to see democratic forces prevail in Sri Lanka’s northeast; LTTE sympathizers in Tamil Nadu arrested

Maldives

• Gayoom ratifies new constitution, confident of victory in forthcoming presidential elections; India and Maldives discuss climate change as potential area for cooperation

South East and East Asia

Myanmar

• Supporters of NLD remember ‘8.8.88’ protests; UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights meets senior members of NLD and NUP

China

• Hu for dialogue and exchanges to forge constructive bilateral relations with US; 18 ETIM terrorists arrested in the year

West Asia
Iraq

• Moqtada al-Sadr to disarm if US starts withdrawing troops; Iraqi FM: Iraq and US very close to security pact; 13 people killed in blasts in Tarmiya and Khanaqin

Iran

• IRGC tests naval weapon; Reports: Israel builds up its strike capabilities; Larijani condemns government’s policies

US ELECTION REVIEW

• Polls indicate Obama ahead of McCain; Sen. Evan Bayh in the running to be Obama’s running mate; Western states gain significance in the presidential race; McCain stresses on the need to ensure energy security

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu and Kashmir

• Crisis in J&K deepens; Alert in Kashmir Valley ahead of anti-blockade march to PoK

North East Insurgency

• Insurgents call boycott of Independence Day celebration

Other Internal Security Development

• Tribunal lifts ban on SIMI, SC stays order

NUCLEAR REVIEW

India

• US circulates draft granting exemption to India to all NSG members; Foreign Secretary and Special Envoy to visit Vienna to answer concerns of individual NSG members; Bush administration would try to get Congressional approval for 123 agreement in early

Iran

• Iran describes talks with Heinonen as ‘constructive’; Jalili writes to Solana, asks for more details about Western proposal; Iran-EU to engage in talks to resolve nuclear crisis

North Korea

• North Korea misses initial August 11 deadline to formalise verification regime; US says that talks would continue

SPACE AND MISSILE REVIEW

India

• India postpones first lunar mission

• ISRO and IIT Kanpur to develop micro-satellites

• India to acquire global navigation satellite system

>Russia

• Launch of satellite on converted 'Satan' ICBM postponed

• Russia may deploy bombers and missiles in Belarus

• Obama not to cut NASA budget

• NASA extends Phoenix Lander Mission

• NASA confirms the presence of a liquid lake on Saturn’s moon