COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Thirteen killed two attacks in Helmand Province

Pakistan

• Pakistan intelligence officials: The leader of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Hakimullah Mehsud believed to have been killed by a US drone strike; Pakistan Supreme Court accuses PM Gilani of contempt of court; Sui blast damages gas pipe; World Bank Report: Economic activity in Pakistan firmed in the second half of 2011 although it continues to markedly lag behind other nations in South Asia

Bangladesh

• Bangladesh army foils a “coup attempt to overthrow the present democratic government; Indian Minister for Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal stressed upon the efforts to deepen cooperation in the telecoms sector between Bangladesh and India; India relaxed a major condition on using its $1 billion credit to Bangladesh; The four-member Sri Lankan delegation led by Commander of Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen Jagath Jayasuriya paid a courtesy call on Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Z U Ahmed; Bangladesh plans to connect with the world's longest undersea cable through Myanmar

Srilanka

• India’s EAM Krishna visits Sri Lanka; Fourth meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries held; Sri Lanka decides to donate 7,500 metric tons of rice to Somalia; Former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam visits Sri Lanka

Maldives

• President Nasheed meets with Indian and Sri Lankan delegates participating in the trilateral discussion in maritime security in the IOR; SAARC Secretary General Dhiyana Saeed decides to tender her resignation; Maldives’ Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Aslam Shakir met with Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Department of State, South and Central Asia Affairs Dr Alyssa Ayres

CENTRAL ASIA & RUSSIA

Central Asia

• Kazakhstan’s new parliament reconvened after the election on January 20; Astana to open East-West transnational highway corridor by end of 2013; Britain seeks to step up wide-ranging cooperation with Bishkek; World Bank: Developing states like CARs may face new economic crisis; Turkmenistan begins offering citizenship to stateless people

Russia

• Russia hands over Nerpa nuclear submarine to India; PM Putin is ready for dialogue with ‘non-system’ opposition; NATO believes that there has been an improvement in its relationship with Russia; Russia’s new Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin appointed as chairman of government military industrial committee; Former Soviet President Gorbachev supports Yavlinsky’s nomination for presidential elections; Russia-NATO approve cooperation plan for 2012; Russia’s space agency revives plan of having a permanent moon base; At least 30 Mig-31 fighter planes are on round-the-clock high-alert duty to protect Russia’s airspace; Russia believes that Japan’s rigid stand on Kurile islands is an impediment in improving bilateral ties between the two; Russia’s strategic nuclear forces to get 8 Borey class submarines; Two Russian diplomats to leave Canada amidst spying allegations

West Asia

Iran

• Iran agrees to discuss nuclear issue with the IAEA; Iran condemns Saudi Arabia over Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi’s remarks ; Iranian officials release US President Obama’s letter to Iran

Iraq

• Iraqi government issues arrest warrants for 120 members of Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO)

DEFENCE REVIEW

National

• Cabinet Committee on Security to consider a major proposal for procurement of trainer aircraft from Switzerland; Indian Naval Academy may throw open its scholastic doors to international trainees ‘friendly foreign countries'

International

• Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW): Libyan regime of Moammar Gadhafi possessed Chemical Weapons; US Chairman of the Joints Chiefs in Israel amid heightened tensions with Iran

UNITED NATIONS (UN) REVIEW

• UNSC fixes date for filling vacancy in International Court of Justice; UN Secretary General condemns deadly attacks in Nigeria