COUNTRY REVIEW

South Asia

Pakistan

• Zardari condemns Mumbai terror attacks as “detestable”; Attacks overshadow Foreign Minister Qureshi’s visit to India; Both countries sign accord to fight terror and liberalize visa regime

Nepal

• EAM Mukherjee visits Nepal, discusses political issues, Kosi barrage, border issues, among others; Maoists to work for a ‘people’s federal democratic national republic'; Chinese Ambassador to Nepal shifted

Bangladesh

• Parliamentary elections to be held on December 29; AL demands scrapping of Upazila polls; State of emergency to be lifted on December 12; UN polls assessment team: Preparations for elections on right track

East and SouthEast Asia

Myanmar

• India and Myanmar hold another round of bilateral talks

West Asia

Iran

• Iran successfully launches Kavosh-2 rocket; Iran takes steps to close border with Afghanistan to stem the flow of drugs; British envoy called to register protest over Miliband’s remarks

Iraq

• BBC: Iraqi jails overcrowded; Government officials seek vote to pass Iraq’s security pact

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Terror Strikes Mumbai

• ATS chief among 180 others killed; Prime Minister calls for the establishment of a federal agency to combat terror

Jammu and Kashmir

• Mehbooba Mufti escapes attack; Syed Ali Shah Geelani dismisses elections as “fauji drama”; India rejects US intervention on Kashmir

Maoist Insurgency

• Seven policemen killed in Chhattisgarh

NorthEast Development

• Assam Special Investigation Team seeks Interpol help

Other Development

• Dr. Manmohan Singh: Check virus of communal violence

ENERGY SECURITY REVIEW

• Beijing to provide loan amounting to $25 billion, while Russia will supply 300 million metric tones of crude

China To Invest In Myanmar

• CNPC to team up with Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise in a pipeline project valued at $2.5 billion

• PM Erdogan in Bangalore: Proposal will allow India easier access to Central Asian energy resources