COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Bangladesh

• Prime Minister Hasina cancels her Pakistan visit; Myanmar refused to export electricity to Bangladesh

Sri Lanka

• European Commission warns of sanctions on eight developing countries including Sri Lanka if illegal fishing is not stopped; UK Prime Minister is being urged to consider boycotting 2013 Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka denies to have intimidated UN humanitarian workers; Jayalalitha to construct 2500 houses for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu

Maldives
(OCTOBER 29-NOVEMBER 4)

• US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia met President Waheed; Protest against GMR; Foreign-exchange reserves of the Maldives Monetary Authority is under pressure: IMF

East Asia

China

• Xi Jinping elected as the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee; Wen Jiabao to attend the East Asian leaders meeting; Hu and Xi urge Chinese Army to follow party command and fulfill historical missions; Beijing and ASEAN agree to work for a code of conduct for South China Sea

Japan

• Japanese Prime Minister dissolves Diet’s lower house paving the way for general election; Japan-China-South Korea to declare the beginning of negotiations to conclude a trilateral FTA; Japan and North Korea agree to continue talks on the abduction issue

West Asia

Syria

• Syrian National Dialogue conference held in Tehran; EU recognises new Syrian opposition coalition; Islamist rebel factions reject Western-backed opposition coalition

Israel/Palestine

• Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continue, Tel Aviv targeted; Hamas leader: Israel must initiate ceasefire; US accused of preventing UN Security Council action on Gaza crisis

Turkey

• Turkish PM denounces Israel on Gaza conflict

Jordan

• Jordanians protest against lifting of fuel subsidies

Africa

• Al least 42 officers killed in attack on Kenyan police in Samburu; African Union endorses ECOWAS plan to deploy troops into Mali; Somali Parliament approves smaller cabinet for new prime minister; EU approves 5 billion euros financial support package for Egypt; Miners at Anglo-American Platinum mine resumed to work; Nigerian military kills top commander of Boko Haram; Puntland security forces arrests al Shabaab members in Galkayo

DEFENCE REVIEW

National

• Defence Minister A K Antony: Austerity measures would not affect defence preparedness; India & Maldives holding fourth joint military exercises at Belgaum

International

• United States to focus on arms exports; Canadian prime minister pushing for restructuring of the armed forces

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu & Kashmir

• Militant killed in Kulgam district, South Kashmir; Soldiers and militants killed on LoC; Model Code of Conduct comes into force in Jammu and Kashmir; Jammu and Kashmir to conduct Sixth Economic Survey

North East India

• Kuki body in Manipur reiterates separate State demand; Huge arms haul in Assam; Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) to be disbanded formally; Curfew imposed in Kokrajhar, Assam as violence escalates; Border Security Force (BSF) seeks Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to take action against North-east ultras