COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Pakistan

• Taliban Commander Baradar captured in Karachi, Holbroke says it is a “significant development”; Biden: 12 top al Qaeda militants killed in drone attacks; PM Gilani ahead of Foreign Secretary-level talks: “Vibes emanating from the other side have not been encouraging”: Gilani meets Chief Justice Chaudhury; Musharraf expresses a desire to return to active politics

Bhutan

• Climate change to be the theme of Thimpu SAARC Summit; Japan providing funds for cyclone Aila relief and rehabilitation; Bangladeshi products to attract zero-tariff on entry into Bhutan; Ratan Tata meets PM Thinley, to expand their presence in Bhutan

East Asia

China

• PLA Deputy Chief meets with UK Chief of Defence Staff; CMC Vice Chief urges PLA to “improve the capability of accomplishing diversified military tasks …”; Guided-missile attack and defense exercise conducted: Chinese and Russian frontier defense troops hold joint exercises; Volume on Military Space Technology published

Japan

• Japanese officials briefed on ongoing US nuclear posture review; Historic Japanese maps not including Korea’s Dokdo islands presented potentially weakening Japanese claims; Japan and Australia set to sign a defence logistics agreement

Southeast Asia

• ONGC and GAIL to invest in China’s pipeline in Myanmar; Independent intelligence unit of Assam Rifles to be deployed along Myanmar border; UN envoy in Myanmar to probe human rights situation

West Asia

Iran

• IAEA accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons; Supreme Leader denies the charges; Iran launches first home-made naval destroyer

Iraq

• Suicide blast kills 11 in western Anbar province; Iraq-Turkey re-start railway service

DEFENCE REVIEW

National Defence

• Mos Pallam Raju: Defence offsets worth Rs.49,000 crores to be finalised in next couple of years
• Akash missiles to be deployed in North-East from 2011
• Army wants to ‘dump’ INSAS rifle