COUNTRY REVIEW

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) completes probe into allegations of voting fraud; Karzai’s vote share said to drop to 47 per cent; Rahm Emmanuel: Need for a legitimate Afghan government to be formed before US can take a decision on troop strength; Obama approves 13,000 more support troops; Britain to send 500 more troops to Afghanistan; US Treasury official: Taliban militants are financially stronger than the al-Qaeda

Pakistan

• Pak Army launches offensive in South Waziristan even as spate of suicide attacks lead to massive loss of live across Pakistan; 19 killed in Lahore, 15 in Peshawar, 41 in Mingora; Kerry meets Qureshi, says misinterpretations will be clarified

Bhutan

• Maoists blamed for IED blast in Sarpang district, 2 RBA soldiers injured; UN to cut food aid to refugee camps in eastern Nepal; India to establish three rail links with Bhutan

East Asia

China

• PLA Chief calls for long-term strategic perspective in Sino-Australian ties: 3rd round of the China-Indonesia defense and security consultation held: Deputy Chief of Vietnamese Army visits China: New batch of Chinese peacekeepers go to Lebanon; PLA tests new mine-sweeping equipment

Japan

• Foreign Minister Okada wants Australia as part of East Asia community; Japan to review deployment of US troops; New government enjoying approval ratings of over 70 per cent; Hatoyama meets with Wen Jiabao and Lee Myung Bak in Beijing; Okada makes a surprise visit to Afghanistan; Japan says Russian-held Northern Territories are an integral part of Japan

West Asia

Iran

• Prosecutors say Karroubi faces legal action as charges of rape against protestors dismissed; Clinton in Russia, Moscow opposes economic sanctions against Iran; US Senate approves legislation that seeks to punish foreign oil companies from exporting gasoline to Iran; 35 people including senior Guards commanders killed in suicide attack in southeastern Iran

Iraq

• 15 killed in Tal Afar mosque during Friday prayers

DEFENCE, NUCLEAR AND SPACE REVIEW

Defence National

• India-Russia IRIGC-MTC term extended by another 10 years to 2020

• DRDO on the verge of developing multiple-warhead missiles

Defence International

• China’s New MALE UAVs

Space

• ISRO’s Antirx bagged contracts worth Rs. 1000 crore during 2008-09; Nair: ISRO’s heavy satellite to be launched by Arianespace; ISRO to launch a European-built Algerian satellite