COUNTRY REVIEW

Iraq

• Maliki and Rice urge Iraq’s Arab neighbours to do more to help Iraq; US military: 75 per cent of attacks in Baghdad on US soldiers by Iranian-backed groups; Tawafiq bloc to rejoin Maliki cabinet

Myanmar

• Congressional Gold Medal for Suu Kyi; Indian and Myanmarese armies delegations meet, to discus cross-border issues

US ELECTION REVIEW

• Clinton wins Pennsylvania primary, with strong support among older voters and women; Polls show Obama has an equal chance of winning against McCain if nominated; McCain raises more than $15m in March

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Islamabad close to a deal with TTP; Karzai criticizes coalition activities, says real terrorist threat comes from Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan; Solana visits Kabul and Islamabad

Pakistan

• Foreign Secretary removed; Reinstatement of judges delayed; Militants call cease fire in FATA and NWFP; UK supports peace talks with militants

Nepal

• Prachanda calls for formation of a ‘consensus’ government; NC calls for a ‘majoritarian’ model to be incorporated; Shiv Shanker Mukherjee to be replaced by Rakesh Sood; Prachanda calls for the scrapping of the 1950 Indo-Nepal treaty

Bhutan

• India, Bhutan deliberating opening rail links; Bhutanese resettlement drive could be jeopardized due to Maoists coming to power in Nepal

Bangladesh

• US Ambassador calls for lifting of emergency; Chinese Foreign Minister makes a two-day visit to Dhaka

Sri Lanka

• US expresses concerns about human rights situation; Rambukwella vows to wipe out the LTTE by the end of 2008; India to construct a 500MW coal plant in Sampur, Trincomalee; Ahmadinejad to visit Colombo on April 28

PAKISTAN-OCUPIED KASHMIR REVIEW

• Comprehensive package for the region; Political reforms to be introduced; Army Monitoring Agency to withdraw in 90 days

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu and Kashmir Development

• PM assures support for all round development of J&K; Militants vow to revive jihad in J&K

NorthEast Insurgency

• Union Home Ministry: More deaths in the North East than in J and K; Manipur CM warns ministers, officials against links with militants; Renewed clashes between NSCN(IM) and NSCN(U)

Maoist Insurgency

• Three policemen and two Maoists killed in Jharkhand

NUCLEAR REVIEW

India

• India rebuffs US over Iran remarks; EAM says matter should be left to the IAEA; UPA-Left committee to meet on May 6

Iran

• Iran-IAEA hold two day talks in Tehran; ElBaradei: Iran agrees to answer all unresolved questions stemming from new intelligence

North Korea

• White House says North Korea helped Syria build the destroyed nuclear reactor; Syria dismisses the allegations, says ready to cooperate with the IAEA on the issue

ENERGY SECURITY REVIEW

Oil Prices

• Spike in oil prices, rebel attack in Nigeria among reasons

Natural Gas

• Ahmadinejad to visit India, multi-billion dollar gas deals to be discussed; India-Pakistan reach ‘complete consensus’ on issue of transit fees; TAPI nations agree to start construction of the pipeline in 2010