COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Afghanistan

• US Vice President Joe Biden: United States will continue helping Afghanistan even after pullout; Suicide blast kills two in Kabul; US Official: Efforts to improve governance in Afghanistan are bearing fruit

Pakistan

• Sardar Latif Khosa appointed Punjab Governor; US Vice President arrives in Pakistan for talks; US Admiral Mike Mullen terms Pakistan as ‘epicenter’ of global terrorism; Zardari visits the United States for talks; Zardari-Obama talks to focus on Pakistan’s economic reforms

Sri Lanka

• More than one million people affected by worst flood of the century in Sri Lanka; India provides assistance to the flood victims of Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka provides relief assistance to the flood victims of Australia; India’s External Affairs Ministry and RITES Limited for Consultancy Services sign an agreement for rehabilitation of the Kankesanthurai Harbour in Sri Lanka; One Indian fisherman killed as Sri Lankan Navy opens fire; Shooting on Indian fishermen; The Indian Air Force Chief visits Sri Lanka; Sri Lankan Parliamentary delegation visits Pakistan; MoU between Sri Lanka and Libya; Sri Lanka ranks 19th out of 41 countries in the Asia–Pacific region in the '2011 Index of Economic Freedom'

Maldives

• India’s NTPC conducts feasibility study to set up solar power projects in the Maldives; Reports: Existence of eight Tamil Tiger (LTTE) ships outside Sri Lanka could contribute to piracy and drug trafficking in Maldives; Maldives ranked as one of the world’s most economically repressed countries; Top Chinese and Maldivian legislators hold meeting

Bhutan

• Bhutanese Prime Minister Thinley visits Bangladesh, discusses a number of issues relating to transit and trade; PM Thinley: Bhutan is currently over capacitated in producing hydro-power for Bangladesh; Prime Minister Thinley assures Bangladesh of all cooperation in the power sector; PM Thinley expresses hope for enhancement of bilateral trade between Bhutan and Bangladesh up to US $ 100 million; Bhutanese refugees in Nepal withdraw hunger strike after four days; Wikileaks reveals Nepal’s frustration towards Bhutanese on the lack of progress in repatriating refugees; Violent clashes between pro-Gorkhaland supporters and opponents causes security concern to Bhutan

East Asia

China

• US Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s visit to China restores military exchanges; The General Staff Headquarters issues directives regarding military training in 2011; The General Armaments Department promulgates the table of Military Standard Systems; The general political department presents its report on the fight against corruption in the army; The Chinese naval taskforce carries out a late-night military exercise in the Gulf of Aden; A NATO delegation visits the Chinese naval taskforce in the Gulf of Aden

Japan

• Japan and South Korea agree on inter-Korean dialogue first to be followed by direct talks between Japan and North Korea; Top diplomats of South Korea and Japan insist that North Korea must prove its seriousness about giving up its atomic ambitions before new round of disarmament talks; Reports: Japan and South Korea are moving toward closer defense cooperation; Russia rules out resolving dispute with Japan over the sovereignty of islands off Hokkaido in the near term; Reports: Japan considers buying a fleet of F-35 stealth jet fighters from United States

Southeast Asia

• Foreign Ministers of ASEAN-China to meet on January 25; ASEAN+3 to intensify tourism cooperation; Indonesia to donate US$ 1 million to Australia; Indonesia supports East Timor’s membership bid; Ethnic parties of Myanmar call for end to sanctions; Myanmar’s Than Shwe,s draws up a draft outlining his lineup of the future ruling hierarchy

Central Asia & Russia

Central Asia

• Kazak President Nazarbayev signs laws; Kazakhs and Turkmens agree to work on border issues; Kazakh makes strides in communications and information sector; Kyrgyzstan Prime Minister Atambayev’s government hangs on a balance; Tajikistan’s Muslim clerics condemn the holding of a Sudan split referendum; Turkmenistan President outlines ten priorities for 2011

Russia

• Russia-US Civilian Nuclear Deal comes into force; Rosneft and British Petroleum sign a strategic deal for exploration of oil and gas in the Arctic Sea

West Asia

Iran

• 77 people killed and 33 injured as plane crashes in Iran

Iraq

• Kuwait Prime Minister visits Iraq for the first time since 1990; Iraqi soldiers kill two US troops

USA

• Wikileaks revealed deepening American ambivalence toward the rule of Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali