COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Afghanistan
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• At least 14 people killed in clashes in Eastern Afghanistan; Insurgents target Bamiyan province

(JUNE 4-10)

• At least 20 people killed and 50 wounded in a suicide attack outside Kandahar airport; French President Hollande: French troops pullout from Afghanistan to begin from next month and to be completed at the end of 2012

Pakistan
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Pakistan successfully test-fired a short-range surface-to-surface multi-tube missile; India-Pakistan hold oil talks; Pakistan successfully test-fired Hatf-VIII cruise missile; Pakistan Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on presented the budget to the Parliament for the upcoming fiscal year 2012-13

(JUNE 4-10)

• Pakistan tests nuclear capable missile; Pakistan and China sign MoU’s at SCO Summit

Bangladesh
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• UK's foreign office minister for South Asia visited Dhaka; PM Sheikh Hasina left for Doha; Qatar proposes to invest its currency worth of $1.8 billion in the Bangladesh Bank; Third Indo-Bangla Trade Fair 2012 begins; Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister invites Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to invest in northeast India; Foreign Minister Dipu Moni visits Singapore to attend the 11th Shangri-La Dialogue

(JUNE 4-10)

• Bangladesh-Russia sign deals; PM sought more investment from Singapore and assistance from Germany; A ten-member Bangladesh media team visits India; Bangladesh's per capita income went up; Inward remittances rebounded in May; GDP growth for the next fiscal year has been set at 7.2 percent

Sri Lanka
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• India extends ban on LTTE by another two years; Negotiation with the IMF for another US$500 million Security Arrangement

(JUNE 4-10)

• President Rajapaksa visits London and Rome; UNP delegation visits China; Sri Lankan Army Commander visits China; Sri Lanka- China discuss business; Chinese Company is offered to construct the largest project under the Mahaweli River development Program; Government of Pakistan offers educational scholarship to Sri Lankan students

Maldives
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Rio+20 countdown begins in Maldives; President Waheed invited to the 16th NAM summit to be held in Tehran; Former President Nasheed attends meeting of the International Democrat Union (IDU) in Wellington

(JUNE 4-10)

• President Waheed returns from his UK visit; President meets his Sri Lankan counterpart; Maldives pledges to attract 10,000 Malaysian visitors annually

East Asia

Southeast Asia
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Anti government protestors disrupted normal life in Thailand; Aung San Suu Kyi visits Thailand; Defence Ministers of Cambodia ad China meet; U.S.- Indonesia conduct naval exercise; minister; Myanmar has abandoned nuclear research; The U.S. defence secretary visits Vietnam

China
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Beijing says that increased US forces in Asia-Pacific inappropriate; Increasing military capabilities is in tune with Chinese needs; Yuan-yen direct trading is a win-win situation; Cambodia-China sign military cooperation deal; Beijing objects Dalai Lama meeting with Austrian Chancellor; China launched telecommunication satellite; China-Spain agree to enhance cooperation

Japan
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Japanese Defense Ministry calls for deployment of destroyers closer to North Korea; Two Japanese military vessels visit Philippines on goodwill visit; The second batch of Japanese GSDF leaves for South Sudan to participate in UNPKO; Japan plans to open its embassy in Bhutan by 2014

South Korea
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• South Korea, Japan and the US to promote cooperation to deter further North Korean provocations

(JUNE 4-10)

• The United States allows South Korea to extend its missile range up to 550 km; South Korea, Japan and the US reiterates the necessity to strengthen their defence cooperation

North Korea
(JUNE 4-10)

• Cambodian Foreign Minister arrives at Pyongyang for an official visit; North Korea threatens a ‘merciless sacred war’ against South Korean media groups; Two North Koreans arrested while allegedly trying to steal Ukraine rocket technology

CENTRAL ASIA & RUSSIA

Central Asia
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Tajikistan President arrives Beijing for a five day state visit; Iran and Tajikistan ink five pacts ranging from transportation to health; Kazakhstan and Russian Presidents hold top level meeting in Astana; Kyrgyzstan pays a part of its gas debt to Kazakhstan; Kazakhstan to open an international nuclear fuel bank in 2013

(JUNE 4-10)

• China signs a new gas deal with Turkmenistan; SCO anti-terror drills begin in Tajikistan; NATO concludes a reverse transport deal with Central Asian states; China pledges a US$10 billion aid to Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states; SCO summit lays emphasis on pots -2014 Afghanistan scenario; Russia is open to the idea of Uzbekistan joining the Customs Union; Bangladesh expresses its interest to join the TAPI pipeline project; Tajikistan requests Iran for crude oil; SCO leaders reject the use of force in Iran and Syria

Russia
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Russia, France agree to exert political diplomatic efforts to resolve Syrian issue; Putin has said that Russia will insist on legal guarantees that the proposed missile defence system will not be used against it; Rosatom ready to help Iran to build another reactor at Bushehr; Russia expects the US to take a more objective approach to human rights; Russia’s unemployment rate close to 6% in April 2012; Russia-EU summit meeting will take place during 3-4th June 2012 in St. Petersburg; Russia, New Zealand to ink agreement on free trade in agrarian sector; Russia signs contracts for five upgraded Borei class submarines; U.S.-Russian 3-Year multi-entry Visa Bill to go to Duma

(JUNE 4-10)

• Russia-China sign several documents following Putin-Hu Jintao talks in Beijing; South Stream construction to begin by the end of 2012; Gazprom ready to pay in advance for gas transit through Ukraine; Russia has registered three new political parties; Russia and Uzbekistan sign a declaration of strategic partnership; Prime Ministers of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan discuss ties after Russia joins the WTO; Russia urges the international community to organize an international meeting on Syria; Russia’s Central Bank loweres both the US dollar and Euro’s official exchange rates against the Russian rouble; The 5th Russia-Japan investment forum will open at Kazan; Duma to ratify protocol on Russia’s entry to WTO on July 4; Hamid Karzai expects Russia to actively participate in Afghan affairs; Russian and Israeli diplomats discuss the Middle East settlement; Russia and US to hold discussions on Syria in Moscow; Putin signs law tightening punishment for rally violations

West Asia

Iran
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• India, Iran discuss bilateral, regional, international issues; Iran creates software to remove “Flame” virus

(JUNE 4-10)

• Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei: Western sanctions ineffective; Top Iranian official: SCO can provide global security

Syria
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Syrian Foreign Ministry denies government role in Houla killings; Free Syrian Army blames government; UNSC resolution condemns Houla attacks; Russia sees Syrian diplomats’ expulsion as “counterproductive”; Russia to limited to political support to Syria and will not provide economic support

(JUNE 4-10)

• Turkey signals further sanctions on Syria amid continuing violence; President Assad addresses Syrian parliament; Italy warns of threat of genocide; Free Syrian Army accuses government of using chemical weapons

Lebanon
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Annan warns Lebanon of Syria fallout

(JUNE 4-10)

• Violence intensifies in Lebanese city of Tripoli

Israel/Palestine
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Israeli Deputy Prime Minister: Use of “Flame” virus justified

(JUNE 4-10)

• Palestinian premier hails boycott of Israeli products by South Africa

Yemen
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Clashes between al Qaeda and security forces continue

(JUNE 4-10)

• Several al Qaeda militants and security forces killed in continuing battles

DEFENCE REVIEW

National
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Indigenously-developed surface-to-air 'Akash' missiles of Air Force successfully test fired; Indian Navy creates new post to harness space-based military capabilities

(JUNE 4-10)

• India for "unhindered" freedom of navigation in international waters; Navy Chief assures Indian Navy is in good fighting shape

International

(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• U.S. Defense Department hopes to gain greater access for Navy ships in Vietnam; Pak Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar seeks US apology to open Pakistan supply routes in Afghanistan

(JUNE 4-10)

• France to begin pullout from Afghanistan next month; Hike in Pakistan’s 2012-2013 defense budget despite poor economic shape

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu & Kashmir
(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• Shutdown in Shopian; Union Home Minister seeks debate on interlocutors’ report; CRPF Patrol attacked by gunmen in Srinagar

(JUNE 4-10)

• Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh to visit Jammu and Kashmir; Village heads give in to militant threats; Police detain separatist leaders in Shopian

North East India
May 28-June 3

• Tripura farmers released by National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT); North-East Students’ Organization to stage united stir on June 7; Bodo militant faction warns against stage shootout; New Youth policy to stem North-East militancy; Maoist trying to expand bases in North-East

June 4-10

• North-East ultras still active in Bangladesh; North-East Finance Ministers’ meet convened in Delhi; NSCN (IM) men held with arms in Dibrugarh, Assam; All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU) organizes NH-31 blockade; President approves three High Courts in North-East; Clash in Garo Hills leaves one dead

UNITED NATIONS (UN) REVIEW

(MAY 28-JUNE 3)

• India votes for UNHRC resolution condemning Syrian killings; India calls for increase in financial support to UN Women dealing with women’s empowerment

June 4-10

• UN Secretary-General to look for other options to address Syrian crisis; India against military approach to resolve the crisis; ICC urges UNSC to ensure arrest of Sudanese leaders indicted for war crimes; Indian scientist re-elected to CLCS; UN: India’s growth rate for 2012 at 6.7%; India and China to account for 57% of total world wide emissions by 2030; India asked to join air ticket levy initiative to pay for AIDS drugs