COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Reports: Obama administration prepares preliminary withdrawal plan for Afghanistan; Bomb explosion kills four NATO troops in Eastern Afghanistan; NATO helicopter crashes in Eastern Afghanistan, killing two people

Pakistan

• Pakistan intelligence agency ISI refutes role in journalist’s killing; Pakistan to carry out joint intelligent operations with US; Pakistan-India to examine visa procedures

Bangladesh

• Bangladesh seeks support from Singapore for more import of Bangladeshi products; UN assistance to Bangladesh for achieving millennium development goals; ADB provides financial support to Bangladesh for solar system project

Sri Lanka

• International Intervention on Sri Lanka was opposed at the 17th UNHRC Session; Sri Lanka to buy plant and machinery equipment for road construction from China at a cost of US $ 115.8 million; Sri Lanka and the Czech Republic hold second Foreign Office Consultations at the level of Deputy Ministers; EAM G.L. Peiris attended Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore; Manipal University to open a branch campus in Sri Lanka

Maldives

• Maldives to waive import duties on environment friendly products; India provides major assistance for SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre; Maldives to remove taxes on the imports from Bangladesh and register unauthorised Bangladeshi workers

East Asia

Japan

• No-confidence motion against Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan fails; Japan expresses interest in cooperating with Vietnam over nuclear power plant safety

North Korean

• Pyongyang pledges to accept all conditions in case of large scale food assistance by the US

Central Asia & Russia

Central Asia
May 23-29, 2011

• Tajik, Kyrgyz border regions sign cooperation in the economic and commercial spheres; Astana to head OIC at the end of June; Uzbekistan, China vow to strengthen their countries’ law enforcement ties; New restrictions imposed on attending foreign religious schools in Tajikistan; US envoy for Afghanistan, Pakistan in Dushanbe; Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko confirms interest in import¬ing Kazakh oil; Astana plans to lease arable land to foreign investors

May 30-05, 2011

• Kazakhstan intends to extend export ban on hydrocarbons; Karzai cuts short his visit to Turkementistan; Pakistan eyes European markets via Tajikistan; Southern Corridor gas pipeline gets US support; UK satellite firm to link Turkmen gas field with Beijing; World Bank Managing Director visits Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan; Brazil holds talks with Turkmenistan; US bases in Afghanistan to use Uzbek transport route and import food

Russia

• Russia’s Security Council Secretary to visit India to discuss improved cooperation in various fields; India regrets cancellation of naval drill with Russia; Russia-Ukraine reach a breakthrough in their sea border talks; Russia is concerned about ‘disproportionate use of force in Libya; Russia’s ban of European vegetable imports threatens to derail the EU summit; Proposal of 5 year visas for Russian citizens travelling to EU member states; Russia warns NATO over Libya; In the light of the retirement of US space shuttle Endeavour, Russia has refurbished its own space vehicle Soyuz; Russia may buy An-70 transport planes by 2012-13; Massive explosion at an arms depot in Urals reported

West Asia

Iran

• Supreme Leader Khamenei: United States brought to its knees; Iran’s Supreme Leader; Iran’s Parliament put Ahmadinejad in trouble

Iraq

• Twenty Four people killed in a bomb attack in Central Iraq

Syria

• Russia reiterates its stand on Syrian internal affairs; Syria issues presidential decision for forming a committee to set up bases for national dialogue; UN special advisers express alarm at Syrian violence; Syria and Iraq discuss regional situation, ways of improving bilateral relations

Libya

• NATO extends mission in Libya by 90 Days; South Africa discusses peace deal with al Gaddafi; International Commission of Inquiry submits its findings, accuses Libyan Government forces of war crimes

Egypt

• Gallup poll finds majority of Egyptians oppose theocracy

Israel

• Israeli troops kill 20 in Syrian border protests

Palestine

• Palestine shuts Rafah border crossing with Egypt

Jordan

• Saudi Arabia grants Jordan JD283 million

DEFENCE REVIEW

National Defence

• Defense minister asks DRDO to prioritize the development of 5,000-km range ballistic missile; India beefs up security preparation on the China front

International Defence

• Pakistan increases defense expenditure despite financial crunch; Military relations between US and China improving

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu and Kashmir

• Three militants killed in a gun battle in Sopore; Complete shutdown in Sopore following the incident

Northeast India

• Cops killed in ambush in Meghalaya; ULFA asks oil company to quit state of Assam; UNLF ultras arrested; NSCN (IM) blames NSCN (K) for torching villages; ULFA militants injured from Digboi

UNITED NATIONS (UN) REVIEW

• UN Security Council condemns Sudan government’s control over Abyei; India weighs options on raising Syria issue in UNSC; Indian appointed as head to UN Chief’s Change Management Team (CMT); Divergent views on UNSC expansion between India and Germany