COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Afghanistan

• US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker to step down; Ten killed in a suicide blast in Khost province

Pakistan

• Pakistan President Zardari attends NATO Summit in Chicago, presses to help find a “permanent solution” to US drone strikes; PM Gilani welcomes Turkish investments; A US Senate panel expresses its outrage over Pakistan’s conviction of a doctor who helped the US in tracking down Osama bin Laden

Bangladesh

• The Central Bank of Bangladesh not interested in swap funds offered by India; Dipu Moni urges Kuwait to lift ban on manpower recruitment; Indian Law Minister Salman Khursheed visits Bangladesh; Bangladesh to purchase four Lockheed MC-130Es from the US; Bangladesh and Belarus signed two deals; An amendment to the Indian Constitution is being drafted to enable the exchange of Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and Bangladeshi enclaves in the Indian territory; US contributes in the Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund

Sri Lanka

• Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka toured the Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province covering all three districts to understand the ground situation in the Province; India is one of the countries in the troika appointed for the United Nations Human Rights Council's 14th session of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process on Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan sign MoU; Sri Lanka will renovate the pilgrims rest at Lumbini in Nepal; Sri Lanka to enter into the global space race

Maldives

• India has provided MVR 5 billion worth of aid to the Maldives during the past three years

East Asia

Southeast Asia

• Indian Prime Minister to visit Myanmar; Street protests over power shortage in Myanmar; Anwar Ibrahim accused of defying protest ban; US to host the Philippine President; Rival royalist parties to re-merge in Cambodia

Japan

• Japan insists China to improve transparency over its overseas aid; Japan and the US agree to take resolute action against North Korea if it conducts a nuclear test

South Korea

• South Korea plans to increase its number of missile to deal with North Korean threat; Seoul, along with Tokyo and Washington warn Pyongyang against further nuclear test; South Korea to get more legal jurisdiction over US troops

North Korea

• North Korea vows to conduct nuclear test if the US continues to insist on sanctions against it; The US and China reaffirm their commitment to prevent North Korea from taking further provocative action

CENTRAL ASIA & RUSSIA

Central Asia

• Kazakhstan and Turkey plan to set up a massive industrial zone; Kazakhstan gas output to be tripled by 2030; Kyrgyzstan to allow NATO transit of military cargo; China to import up to 25 bcm of Central Asian gas in 2012; New ‘narco-post’ opened on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border with the help of US assistance; Tajikistan removes visa requirements for citizens of developed states; Entrepreneurs seek to end Turkmen political monopoly; Kyrgyzstan President supports the development of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway; Kazakhstan and US discuss strengthening the NDN network by making use of the Caspian port of Aktau; CASA 1000 partners sign a US$ 1 billion electricity deal which aims to supply electricity to Pakistan and Afghanistan from Central Asia

Russia

• NATO to carry on dialogue with Russia on ABM; Ukraine to look for alternative to Russian gas; The lower house of the Russian Parliament approves the 1st reading of bill to increase fines for rally law violations; Russian President Putin promises to increase government spending on science to over 2% of GDP; Prime Minister Medvedev to become a member and Chairman of the United Russia Party; Important appointments made in the Putin administration; The State Duma approves a bill adjusting the key parameters of 2012 federal budget; Moscow to host next round of talks on the Iran nuclear issue; British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow towards the end of May; Russia to provide a loan of US$ 800 million to Serbia

West Asia

Iran

• Iran to launch biological, cyber defence base; China increases Iranian oil imports; South Korea likely to halt Iranian oil imports by end of May; India to host meeting with Iran despite US pressure to downgrade ties

Syria

• UN observers continue their visits in Syrian cities

Jordan

• Jordan keen to boost ties with China

Yemen

• High casualty in clashes between terrorists and security forces

DEFENCE REVIEW

National

• DRDO Chief Saraswat refutes General VK Singh's allegations; DRDO chief lauds Agni-V

International

• French President defends Afghan withdrawal strategy calling it a “sovereign decision” U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says no need for U.S. forces on the ground in Yemen

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu & Kashmir

• Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram visiting Srinagar on May 22, 2012; Militant killed near LoC; Interlocutors’ report released; Pulwama youth arrested by police; Hizbul Mujahideen militant killed in an encounter

North East India

• ULFA faction calls for shutdown opposing Sonia Gandhi’s visit to Assam; Maoists’ links with North-East ultras come under scanner; Assam-Meghalaya border meeting to be held; Maoist Assam State in-charge nabbed in Kolkata; Imphal-Mandalay bus link to be established; Three Manipur based militants arrested in Meghalaya; Hynnewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) cadre arrested in Meghalaya; Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) camp busted in Garo Hills; Naga reconciliation meet held at Chiang Mai

UNITED NATIONS (UN) REVIEW

• UN Security Council condemns massacre in Syria; Terrorist attack in Yemen condemned; India pushes for global internet governance; India under the scanner at UNHRC; UN criticized for failing in Syria; Three Indian security personnel to be honoured on UN peacekeeping day