COUNTRY REVIEW

Iraq

• Gates endorses pause in troop withdrawals; US military: Attacks across Iraq have fallen by over 60 per cent since June 2007; Iraqi Parliament passes the 2008 budget as well as a key reconciliation measure

China

• Chinese Foreign Ministry expresses ‘concern’ over Dr. Singh’s visit to Arunachal; China rejects US spying charges; Infrastructure development continues in Xinjinag ahead of Olympics

Japan

• Hill expresses regret over the alleged rape of a Japanese girl in Okinawa by a US armed forces personnel

Myanmar

• Opposition groups in exile present a draft of the constitution; Ban ki-Moon calls for constitution-making process to be made more inclusive, participatory and transparent; Myanmar to visit Defexpo 2008

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Deadly suicide attack in Kandahar claims nearly 80 lives; Australia calls on ‘under-performing’ NATO countries to share more of the burden

Pakistan

• 40 dead in a PPP election rally; 81,000 troops deployed for polls; Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan abducted; Operations continue in Swat

Bangladesh

• Chief Adviser affirms the goal of establishing a ‘sustainable foundation’ for democracy; BSF and BDR exchange fire at Baliadangi border in Thakurgaon district; Increase in flights between Dhaka and Delhi

Nepal

• Government assures proportional representation to the minorities, invites the UMDF for talks

Sri Lanka

• UN charges LTTE with grave human rights violations; Clashes between LTTE and Sri Lankan Army continue

NUCLEAR REVIEW

India

• India continues to lobby Australia over nuclear deal; Russia to set up four additional nuclear power plants in Kudankulam; Burns: India and US don’t have “all the time in the world” to complete the nuclear agreement

Iran

• Iran begins testing of advanced centrifuges; Iran begins work on second nuclear power plant; Lavrov criticises Iranian missile test

Pakistan

• Personnel of Pakistan’s Atomic Energy Commission abducted from north-western region; Pakistan conducts Hatf III test

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu and Kashmir

• LeT using young women to act as militants

North East Insurgency

• As many as 31 militants surrender in Assam; Tea estates in Assam are Maoist breeding grounds, says media reports

Maoist Insurgency

• Maoists kill thirteen policemen and two civilians in Orissa

OtherDevelopment

• Six LeT terrorists arrested in Uttar Pradesh; NSA: LeT, JuM, HuJI part of Qaeda’s ‘elite terrorist network

ENERGY SECURITY REVIEW

Fule Price Hike

• Petrol costlier by Rs. 2/litre, Diesel by Rs. 1/litre

OVL PROPOSES INVESTMENTS IN SIBERIA

• OVL seeks to tie up with Rosneft for Sakhalin-III

GAIL SIGNS AN MOU WITH RUSSIAN OIL AND GAS COMPANY ITERA

• MoU for cooperation in CNG projects, and exploration and production opportunities

RUSSIA-UKRAINE NATURAL GAS STANDOFF

• Ukraine to settle outstanding bill of $1.5 b with Gazprom provided it can negotiate a direct gas import arrangement, bypassing intermediaries