COUNTRY REVIEW

South Asia

Pakistan

• President Zardari visits China; Pakistan and china sign 11 pacts; Economic crisis prevails; Around 100 militants killed across the country

Bangladesh

• AL sticks to associates, ignores RPO changes; Election under emergency can't be fair, says Delwar; Party Registration: BNP, Jamaat seek one week more, No registration before deal with govt, says BNP; Polls under emergency won't be credible; says US envoy

Bhutan

• Survey ranked education ministry the poorest service provider; Maoists plans for waging people’s war

Maldives

• Gayoom: Mid-term election would be ‘crime’; Independent Anti-Corruption Commission established

East and Southeast Asia

Myanmar

• Junta signals new hydropower deals for neighbours

China

• China lays framework for Q4 national economic development; CPC issues a landmark policy document for rural reform and development; Chinese premier vows to strengthen ties with Pakistan

West Asia

IRAN

• Russia: Sanctions against Iran counterproductive; Ali Larijani: UN resolution as the outdated tactics of carrot and stick

IRAQ

• Key al-Qaeda leader killed; Iraq inches closer to security pact with US; Ayatollah Ali Sistani sets conditions for concluding SOFA

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu and Kashmir

• EC announces 7-phase Assembly poll in J&K

• Hurriyat, JKLF announce poll boycott

North East Insurgency

• HuJI militants killed in Assam

Maoist Insurgency

• High-level meeting on security scheme for Naxal-hit states

Other Developments

• National Integration Council: Fight terrorism and communal violence firmly

• M.K. Narayanan: SIMI and Bajrang Dal are dangerous

ENERGY SECURITY REVIEW

• Exploration by Vietnamese firm in Myanmar

• China’s CNPC invests in oil refineries in Chad

• Proposed gas pipeline to China to be delayed by Russia

• China discovers oil, gas well in Bohai Bay

• IAEA states that over 50 countries are considering nuclear power

• China to invest in Pakistan’s hydro project

US ELECTION REVIEW

• The final Presidential debate concludes; Senator Obama maintains lead; Both candidates offer economic proposals to deal with crisis