COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Afghanistan

• NATO Chief Rasmussen urges the Afghan government to strive for free, fair and transparent elections in the 2014 presidential poll; Taliban rejects safe passage offer

Pakistan

• US Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman to visit Islamabad; Incensed by the attack on Malala Yousafzai, a local jirga declares war on Taliban

West Asia

Syria

• Syrian community in India expresses solidarity with Syrian leadership; UN Peace Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi calls for ceasefire for Eid Al Adha holiday

Lebanon

• Lebanese security official killed in Beirut attack; Prime Minister Mikati suspends decision to resign; Police, protesters clash following bombing

Yemen

• Several al Qaeda members and security forces killed in Yemen

Bahrain

• Bahrain summons Iran’s charge d’affaires

Saudi Arabia

• Saudi coastguard captures 15 Iranians while trying to infiltrate in to the Kingdom

Africa

• Boko Haram carries out multiple blasts in Nigeria; Abdi Farah Shirdon appointed as Somalia’s Prime Minister; Kenyan courts can try international pirates; France supports plan for African force in Mali; Large consignment of weapons belonging to Al-Shabaab seized in Puntland; South Africa to spend $100 billion on infrastructure; South Sudan and Kenya to boost economic activities; Sixty suspected Al-shabab members detained in Kismayu; Iran and Egypt to resume commercial ties; 22 people killed in clashes in Bani Walid, Libya

Central Asia

• Foreign investment in Kyrgyzstan to increase by 17 per cent; Kyrgyzstan facing tough economic times on the basis of latest economic growth data; China begins construction on the third China-Central Asia pipeline; The US and Uzbekistan sign an anti-narcotics agreement; Bangladesh renews its desire to join the TAPI pipeline project; TAPI construction to start in 2017

Russia

• Russia expects Syrian opposition to support Geneva communiqué; Russia to export more weapons in 2012 than it did in the previous year; President Putin will discuss the gas issue with his Ukrainian counterpart during the latter’s state visit to Moscow; Russia has written off debts to the tune of US20 billion to a few African countries; Russia studying the possibility of Rosneft privatization; The intercontinental Topol ballistic missile successfully test launched; British Petroleum’s board approves a deal with Rosneft to sell its stake in TNK-BP joint consortium; The U.S. has said that there was ‘serious military equipment' on Syria-Bound Jet from Russia

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu and Kashmir

• Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) challenged by Army; Cross LoC shelling kills civilians; Shootout in Srinagar leaves one killed and many injured; Gunfight rages in Sopore; Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants killed

North East India

• Illegal Bangladeshis arrested in Tripura; Assam State Cabinet clears White Paper on influx; Nagaland legislators insist on Union Home Minister for early settlement of the Naga issue; Centre-NSCN (IM) inching towards settlement; Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) determine on Statehood demand; Ex-United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) cadres granted rehabilitation package

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) News

• Home Secretary level talks between India and Bangladesh held

UNITED NATIONS (UN) REVIEW

• New non-permanent members elected to UN Security Council; UN condemns bomb explosion in Beirut; UNSC demands end to external support to armed groups in the DRC, Six Indian UN peacekeepers wounded in eastern DRC; Biodiversity-related funding to developing countries to be doubled; UN report predicts slower growth for India in 2012-13