Country Review

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Karzai terms conduct of presidential elections “honest”, maintains firm lead; Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) finds "clear and convincing" evidence of fraud and orders partial recount; Gates

EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA

China

• Chinese Defence Minister visits Serbia and Bulgaria: Huawei Technologies denies its staff involved in spying activities in Australia: PLA conducts emergency air transportation exercises: Chinese Special Forces to participate in October 1 parade

Japan

• DPJ official says that missile defence not the most effective method of thwarting attacks from North Korea; Pentagon says it expects Japan’s new government to continue to work with the US "on all the existing agreements"

Korean Peninsula

• US freezes the assets of 2 North Korean companies; North Korean patrol boat trespasses onto South Korean waters; World Nuclear Stockpile Report: North Korea might be in possession of 10 nuclear weapons

West Asia

Iran

• IAEA Chief rejects as “politically motivated and totally baseless” allegations that information on Iran’s atomic programme was hidden; Iran gives new set of proposals to P5+1; Lavrov rules out imposing new sanctions against Tehran

Iraq

• Nearly 20 people killed in suicide bomb attacks; Bids approved for a metro system in Baghdad estimated to cost over $3 billion

MISSILES AND SPACE REVIEW

• PSLV-C14 to place 7 satellites in orbit on September 23

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu and Kashmir

• Two security men, woman killed; 10 wounded in bomb blast

NorthEast Development

• UPDS agrees to lay down arms

Maoist Insurgency

• Five villagers killed in Jharkhand; Government approves surrender policy for Naxals

Other Develoment

• CRPF to get its own intelligence wing