COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Afghanistan

• 36 killed in suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan; General Petraeus: Fight against the Taliban have proved effective in most parts of Afghanistan; President Karzai invites Pakistan Prime Minister Gilani to Kabul

Pakistan

• Defeating Taliban is the best way to persuade Pakistan to do more against terrorist groups; Pakistan stages strong protest against recent US drone strikes, demands apology from US; Reports: Growing discord mars US-Pakistan relationship

Bangladesh

• Foreign Minister Dipu Moni visited the Bangladeshis who fled the Libyan unrest and were stranded in temporary camps at the border point of Al Salloum in Egypt; Equipments for the proposed Palatana Power Plant in Tripura will be transshipped through Ashuganj-Akhaura road soon; Bangladesh has sent 15 project proposals worth $781 million under the $1 billion credit line to the Indian Government for final consent; Bangladesh signed agreements with Canada; Robert O Blake, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian affairs visits Bangladesh on a four-day visit

Sri Lanka

• The Sri Lankan Government grants permission for Tamil Nadu fishermen to visit the Katchathivu Island on St. Anthony’s festival; Sri Lanka suspends the import of S-11 Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) from India; UNHCR takes the responsibility of the Tamil asylum seekers; 310,588 mines have been cleared; Consortium: 2000 Indian trawlers encroach into Sri Lankan waters

Bhutan

• NDFB attacks BSF personnel along the Assam-Bhutan border; Bhutan Premier Thinley visits Pakistan, emphasizes on facilitating strong intra-regional trade ties

Maldives

• Maldives welcomes UNSC resolution on no fly zone over Libya; President Nasheed discusses the possibility of assistance and support from the World Bank for future programmes; Maldives mourns widespread loss of life and huge devastation in Japan caused by earthquake and subsequent tsunami; High Commissioner of Singapore accredited to the Maldives meets President Nasheed

East Asia

China

• Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie attends SCO Defense Ministers’ Meeting; Guanglie meets Uzbek Defence Minister; An important military-legal document released; “Peace 11” conducts actual-troop naval drills

Southeast Asia

• Thailand, Vietnam pledge to cooperate in ICT; Thai coalition government survives no-confidence vote; Myanmar Army set to launch newspaper; Jakarta on alert after bomb blast; Southeast Asia’s biggest IPO hit by Japan crisis

Japan

• Japan backs U.N.-mandated attacks on Libya; Pentagon sends hazardous-materials experts and surveillance drone to aid Japan; 116 nations and 28 international organizations offer help to quake-hit Japan; Japanese suggested to stay indoors following radiation leak

Central Asia & Russia

Central Asia

• Defense Ministers from SCO states adopt two-year security agreement; CSTO says NATO pull out will destabilizing Central Asia; Uzbekistan opposes CASA-1000 project; Pakistan Prime Minister visits Bishkek; President Nazarbayev meets Russian President; Kyrgyz Prime Minister visits Moscow

Russia

• Russia regrets western states’ military intervention in Libya; Russia seeks to improve economic ties with Turkey, discusses range of issues; US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates visits Russia in an attempt to consolidate the gains in US-Russia ties; US may share Missile Defence launch data; Russian navy plans to commission up-to 10 nuclear power submarines by 2020; Russian military will get 36 ICBM’s and 2 missile submarines in 2011; Reports: Disagreement between Rosneft and China National Petroleum Cooperation over the price of Russian oil; Ruling ‘United Russia’ wins regional polls

West Asia

Iran

• Iran calls Saudi Arabia and the UAE to quit Bahrain ‘immediately’; Hillary Clinton: Iran undermining peace and stability in the gulf region

Iraq

• Head of provincial council of Kirkuk quits office due to lack of solutions for the same

Libya, Yemen, Bahrain

• UN approves no-fly zone over Libya; Western forces launch air attack; 47 people killed in Saana, Yemen declares 'state of emergency'; Bahrain declares state of emergency

USA

• Reports: Pentagon officials want to see American intervention in Libya end as soon as possible; U.S.-led coalition forces had launched more than 100 Tomahawk missiles on key air defense sites across Libya till last report

DEFENCE REVIEW

National

• Reports: CAG rapped MoD for ''over-estimation'' of requirement of funds and ''poor planning'' for procurement and projects; Medium-Range Loitering Missile for Indian Army

International

• Iran steps up space and missile launch projects; Russian Navy to get 10 Graney Class nuke submarines by 2020

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu & Kashmir

• Defence Ministry annual report listed in Parliament; Lt. General Hasnain states that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) in Jammu and Kashmir should not be revoked; Interlocutors: Traditional routes should be opened; Chief Minister Omar told US to stop viewing JK through security prism

Northeast India

• Manipur Chief Minister: Repealing of AFSPA not the call of State Government; UNLF says Plebiscite stands the only option; ULFA claims responsibility for the grenade blast

UNITED NATIONS (UN) REVIEW

• India abstains from UNSC vote for imposition of no-fly zone over Libya; India wishes to fight piracy under the UN flag; Humanitarian agencies in Somalia exempt from UNSC financial sanctions