COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Karzai sworn in for second term; Gates: US might withhold aid to Afghanistan if it fails to curb corruption; German Defence Minister: India should be part of discussions on Afghanistan’s future; UNICEF: Afghanistan has highest infant mortality rate in the world; NATO Chief and British PM Brown vow to continue war in Afghanistan; Mottaki: Iran favours a regional solution to resolve Afghan crisis

Pakistan

• NRO put on hold as ‘beneficiaries’ named; Pakistan’s defence expenditure goes up by 20 percent; Reports: Fazlullah in Afghanistan; Clinton: US aims to uproot Al Qaeda; Karzai and Zardari pledge to fight militancy jointly; Suicide attack kills 20 and injures at least 50 in Peshawar

Sri Lanka

• SLFP Annual National Convention held; Rajapakse: SLFP has fulfilled almost ninety-nine per cent of electoral promises; 15th Joint Meeting of Japan-Sri Lanka Business Cooperation Committee held; Basil Rajapaksa: All restrictions on movement of IDPs in camps in Wanni region to be removed

East Asia

China

• Obama visits Beijing; DPRK military delegation describes Beijing-Pyongyang ties as "common treasure"; Kazakhstan National Security Commission Vice Chairman meets PLA Deputy Chief; Defence Minister Xi meets visiting Brazilian counterpart; PLAAF displays third-generation J-10 aircraft

Japan

• Japan and US seek early resolution of Okinawa base relocation; Hatoyama pledges to follow a Asia-orientated foreign policy; US welcomes Japan's decision to give $5 billion for Afghanistan

Korean Peninsula

• Obama: American commitment to peace and stability in South Korea "will never waver”; Obama and Lee urge North Korea to immediately return to nuclear negotiations; Skirmishes between North and South Korean navies; Pyongyang says it has achieved "noticeable successes" in weaponizing plutonium; Japanese documents stating Dokdo as ‘foreign territory’ revealed; Seoul provides for free 10 decommissioned amphibious landing craft to Indonesia

West Asia

Iran

• Mottaki visits India; Obama: If Iran fails to take advantage of opportunities like uranium enrichment deal, it was "making itself less secure"; IAEA seeks "more clarification" about Qom uranium enrichment facility; Kuwaiti PM visits Tehran

Iraq

• 12 persons shot dead by gunmen near Baghdad; Kurds threaten to boycott January 2010 elections

DEFENCE AND NUCLEAR REVIEW

National Defence

• Reports: India may buy an advanced aircraft carrier from Britain
• ASSOCHAM urges increase in FDI limit to 49 per cent; US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia urges rise in FDI cap in defence and insurance sectors; IAF Vice Chief also voices similar views
• Indian defence offsets touches Rs. 8,000 crore; Private sector gets upper hand
• Thales wins IAF Radar Contract

International Defence

• Putin: Russia has provided $33.8 billion to its defence industry in 2009

Nuclear Review

• Canadian media expresses concerns on selling nuclear technology to India