COUNTRY REVIEW

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Reports: New US military strategy looks beyond Afghan war; 16 killed in a bomb blast in Kandahar; Reports: Afghan Taliban would be open to talks

Pakistan

• United States postpones bilateral contacts with Pakistan until its diplomat is freed; Gas supply to Baluchistan suspended after blasts in pipelines; 14 security officials killed in bomb blast in Mardan; Pakistan successfully test fires Hatf-VII missile

Bangladesh

• Foreign Minister of Bangladesh visits Canada; India permits exports of three lakh tonnes of the non-Basmati rice to Bangladesh at a concessional rate

Sri Lanka

• Formal diplomatic relations established between Sri Lanka and the Dominican Republic; Dr. Palitha Kohona has been reappointed as Co-Chair of the UN Ad-hoc Working Group; CIS countries tops the list of main importers of Sri Lankan Tea; First Islamic Commercial Bank in Sri Lanka to be opened

Maldives

• First female Secretary General of the SAARC from the Maldives; Governor of Tripura paid courtesy call on Maldivian Vice President; Honorary Consul of the Maldives in Dusseldorf, Germany met President Nasheed; Maldives welcomes Hosni Mubarak’s decision to resign from office

Bhutan

• India to give Rs 15 crore grant to Bhutan’s education sector; Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary calls Prime Minister Thinley, expresses desire to enhance bilateral ties; Chinese Railway Ministry map shows China’s rail network stretching across the Chumbi Valley

East Asia

China

• The Chinese naval taskforce rescued a Korean ship; China and Kazakh frontier forces conduct joint petrol; A wireless automatic target-marking system developed by the General Staff Headquarters (GSH) passes test; The Second Artillery Force conducts its first ever actual-combat drill

Central Asia and Russia

Central Asia

• Kazakh President seeks re-election in April; Kazakh President calls for privatization in Kazakhstan; Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan to review safety of Kirov Dam; Kyrgyz-Tajik DMs discuss border security; Kyrgyz air fleet to be upgraded by Russia; Turkey helps Kyrgyzstan to evacuate its citizens from Egypt; Kyrgyzstan, United States sign Manas fuel deal; Iran to increase hydropower investments in Tajikistan; Turkmen President makes first state visit to Bahrain; Turkmenistan offers surplus gas, electricity to Pakistan; Pakistan wants equal pricing on TAPI gas; Uzbekistan’s President Karimov visits Tokyo

Russia

• British Journalist expelled from Russia; Russia to boost defence of Kuril to ward off any eventuality; Russia supports a democratic Egypt; Russia to build $3 billion Nickel Smelter in Indonesia; Russia’s privatization drive

West Asia

Iran

• Iran discloses new satellites and rockets; Iran’s opposition leaders call for a rally despite government warning

Iraq

• Iraqi parliament approved new ministers for Maliki’s cabinet

Egypt & Yemen

• Hosni Mubarak resigns as President of Egypt; Anti-government protesters clash with police and pro-government protesters in Yemen

USA

• Obama compares Egyptian peaceful protests to Gandhi’s resistance against British