COUNTRY REVIEW

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Afghan Council of Ministers calls for a review of international force presence; US agrees to take part in investigation into incident in Herat; UN: Area under poppy cultivation reduced from previous year

Pakistan

• PML-N withdraws support to government; PPP: November 3 order cannot be reverted; Security operations in FATA to be withheld during Ramzan; 40 militants killed in Swat

Nepal

• Nepal’s Embassy in China: PM's visit strengthened Nepal-China ties; Gajurel: Nepal would maintain cordial and equidistant ties between India and China; Cabinet expands to include 17 more ministers; Factionalis in CPM(M), CPM(UML), NC; CoAS Katawal

Bangladesh

• EC asks all political parties to register before October 15; Chief Adviser calls on bureaucrats to concentrate on holding free, fair and credible upazila and general elections; US Ambassador

Sri Lanka

• LTTE carries out an air raid on naval base at Trincomalee; TNA MP: LTTE’s tactical withdrawal helped safeguard their weapons cache and life of well-trained senior cadres; TULF: LTTE weakened and in disarray

East and SouthEast Asia

Myanmar

• NLD criticizes Gambari

China

• China expresses ‘concern’ over developments in South Ossetia and Abkhazia; Mongolia and China hold the third Defense Security Consultation; SCO issues joint declaration on security, energy, says force will not solve all problems

Japan

• Japan voices grave concerns over South Ossetia and Abkhazia; Govt. announces an economic stimulus package worth more than $100 billion; MSDF and IN conduct exercises

West Asia

Iran

• Obama in favour of more pressure on Iran; Iran strongly supports Russia over Georgia; Ali Larijani condemns Ahmadinejad’s policies; NCP nominates its Presidential candidate

Iraq

• Iraqi Prime Minister insists on troop pullout; 25 people killed in suicide bomb attack; US hands over Anbar province to Iraqi security forces; US military: 11,000 detainees released

US ELECTION REVIEW

• McCain and Obama announce their respective running mates; Hillary Clinton urges her supporters to support Obama; Edward Kennedy attends the Democratic National Convention in Denver; Polls: US voters apprehensive over Obama’s entry in the White House

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu and Kashmir

• SAYSS agrees to peace formula; PDP threatens to join movement; 17 killed in LoC gun-battle

Maoist Insurgency

• Union Government approves creation of anti-Naxal force of CRPF; Maoists kill 11 policemen and six CRPF personnel

NorthEast Development

• Kangleipak Communist Party submits petition to UN

Other Internal Security Developments

• Supreme Court: Ban on SIMI to continue; BSF chief: 12,00,000 Bangladeshis went missing in India between 1972-2005

NUCLEAR REVIEW

India

• August 21-22 meeting of NSG fails to clear India specific exemption; NSG to meet again on September 4-5; Some NSG members clarify their position – support India

Iran

• Tehran begins designing its second nuclear power plant; Russia and Iran to finalise the launch date of its second nuclear power plant; Saeedi: Iran will respond to remaining questions raised by the IAEA

North Korea

• Pyongyang stops disabling its nuclear facilities; Reports indicate that it is piecing back its disabled facilities at Yongbyon

ENERGY SECURITY REVIEW

Exploration and Production

• Russia, Tajikistan to further hydropower, gas cooperation

• China bags $3 bn deal for Adhab oil field

GeoPolitics

• Putin reminds EU of Russia’s Pacific oil pipeline

• Bulgaria pushes for Nabucco pipeline

SPACE AND MISSILE REVIEW

India

• India to position Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole fighters at Tezpur Air Base

Missiles

• Minuteman III ICBM launched from Vandenberg

• • US Navy test launches Trident II D5 missiles

  Missile Defence

  • Ukraine prepared to cooperate in missile defence
  • Russia to deploy Iskander SAM’s in Syria

  Space

  • China set to launch first Venezuelan Satellite
  • Test Rocket destroyed by NASA after launch
  • Computer virus in orbit
  • Garbage in Space