COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Bangladesh

• Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is on high alert near Teknaf of Cox's Bazar, fearing influx of Myanmar citizens into Bangladesh; Foreign Minister Dipu Moni: Bangladesh is not bound by any international law to open its border for the Rohingyas; Myanmar conveys its anxiety to the Bangladesh that Jamaat-e-Islami had been helping the Rohingya groups in Bangladesh to incite sectarian clashes in Myanmar

Sri Lanka

• Thirty three recommendations out of the 135 listed by the LLRC to be implemented at the national level; Sri Lanka welcomes the decision of the United States government to exempt it from the economic sanctions imposed on Iran; MR’ scuba Visit; MoU with UK company to build a new Cancer Hospital; Request for allocation of Indian funded houses in the North to the Muslims displaced from the Province; Naval delegation visits to Pakistan; Sri Lanka's GPI score experienced the largest year-on-year improvement; Sri Lanka is out from 'List of Shame'; Sri Lanka teams up with INTERPOL; IMF lowered the economic growth forecast for Sri Lanka; Japan extends a grant of Sri Lankan Rs. 468 million to boost the agriculture activities in eight provinces of SL; Former Deputy Leader of United National Party (UNP): the government needed to implement the recommendations of LLRC without further delay

Maldives

• Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom calls for assistance from Islamic Arab countries; Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) protests in Colombo

East Asia

China
(JUNE 4-17)

• Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo: Space a show of Chinese power; Hu attends G20 summit; Hu meets Danish PM; China blames UK for stained relations; China urges Myanmar for safety of Chinese projects; SCO accepts Afghanistan as Observer and Turkey as Dialogue Partner; China promises aid to Afghanistan; Beijing to enhance sea security; China Pakistan sign Space and trade agreements; China releases National Human Rights Action Plan

South Korea

• South Korea and the US agree to strengthen missile cooperation to deal with North Korea

North Korea

• The US conveys worries to China over its alleged shipment of missile vehicles to North Korea

CENTRAL ASIA & RUSSIA

Russia

• Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin: Russian weapons exported to Syria cannot be used against civilians; EU expresses its concern over the scale of opposition protests in Russia; Russia’s Foreign Minister to visit Iran to discuss Syria situation; Russia is ready to host an international conference on Syria; Thirteen new political parties registered in Russia after registration procedures were liberalized; Russia’s Foreign Minister to participate in the regional conference on Afghanistan in Kabul; Belarus and Russian agree on setting up holding companies; Kazakhstan permits Russia to make unplanned launches from Baikonur; Russia Air Force to get 600 planes, 1,000 helicopters by 2020; Magnitsky bill, ABM, Syria, Iran and Afghanistan are main issues that will be discussed during the Putin-Obama talks on June 18; Sextet-Iran meeting to be held in Moscow

West Asia

Iran

• US exempts seven countries from Iran oil sanctions

Syria

• Syria rejects UN claim of civil war; Reports: Recent wave of attacks on civilians could lead to Syrian military disintegration as well as massive migration

Yemen

• Eight militants and two soldiers killed in violent clashes in Aden province

DEFENCE REVIEW

National

• Vice Admiral DK Joshi will be the next Indian Navy chief; Chinese Navy calls for trust building and boosting exchanges with India

International

• Norway authorizes orders for the first two of 52 jet fighters from USA for a total of $10 billion; Taiwan concerned that U.N. Trade Talks could cripple U.S. arms sales to Taiwan

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu & Kashmir

• Army Chief General Bikram Singh to visit Jammu and Kashmir; Shutdown paralyses life in Kashmir valley; National Conference worker shot dead in Srinagar; CRPF men hurt in a grenade blast in Sopore

North East India

• Army ready to tackle militants from Myanmar; Two leaders of separatist outfit Hmar People’s Convention Democrats (HPC-D) arrested in Assam; Centre urged to expedite National Front of Bodoland (NDFB) talks; 48 hour bandh hits Itanagar; Garo ultras kill two; Naga body calls 48 hour bandh in Manipur; Specialised police force formed to tackle ultras

UNITED NATIONS (UN) REVIEW

• UN observer mission in Syria suspends its operations; UN Security Council asks Libya to release detained ICC members; UNSC asks Yemen to reject violence; Killings in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) condemned; IIM Shillong, only Indian institute at Rio +20 Summit