COUNTRY REVIEW

South Asia

Afghanistan

• 11 Pakistani soldiers and 8 Taliban militants killed in a NATO raid inside Pakistan; Karzai vows to pursue Taliban inside Pakistan in ‘self-defence’; Over $20 billion promised at Paris aid conference; Taliban free over 1,000 prisoners in Kandahar

Pakistan

• 11 Paramilitary troops die in US air strikes; PML-N frames charges against Musharraf; The ‘Long March’ ends in Islamabad; Economic Survey shows decline in GDP

Bangladesh

• Hasina released, AL nominates 9-meber team for talks with government

Maldives

• World Bank loan to Maldives for environment project

East Asia

Myanmar

• Aid agencies express concern over guidelines on providing relief

West Asia

Iraq

• Maliki: Impasse over the status of forces agreement due to ‘unacceptable’ American demands; Bush regrets rhetoric in run-up to Iraq war; Secular opposition front to the Maliki govt. being formed

Iran

• Maliki tries to soothe Iranian apprehensions over SOFA; Rafsanjani wraps us his 10-day visit to Saudi Arabia

US ELECTION REVIEW

• Gadhafi criticizes Obama over ‘undivided Jerusalem’ remark; McCain and Obama trade barbs over the economy; Washington Times: Iraq war would be the defining issue of the campaign

PAKISTAN-OCUPIED KASHMIR REVIEW

• The Gilgit Baltistan United Movement adopts ‘Skardu Declaration’; Prisons in PoK to be better equipped; Pak government appropriates Rs. 697.254 million for development in the PoK region; Lawyers from PoK take part in the ‘long march’

NUCLEAR REVIEW

India

• Prime Minister appeals to Left parties to reconsider their decision; Sonia Gandhi: Nuclear energy important in view of increasing oil prices

Iran

• Iranian Defence Minister warns Israel of a “very painful” response if it launches a military strike; Solana presents fresh package of initiatives

North Korea

• Six-party talks decide to speed up delivery of energy aid to Pyongyang

ENERGY SECURITY REVIEW

Energy Prices

• Saudi Arabia to convene a summit of energy producers and consumers on June 22 in Jeddah; EIA predicts that energy prices to remain high

Fule Price Rise

• Fuel price rise sparks domestic protest in South Korea and Spain