International news of the week

Saturday

Kathmandu: India and Nepal sign the key Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) during the day-long visit of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. The move is likely to create better investment climate for Indian businesses in this country.

Dhaka: Bangladesh expects India not to proceed with the cross-border hydro-electric Tipaimukh dam project in Manipur without consulting it, warning that it may approach international courts if it is "ignored" by New Delhi.

Sunday

Islamabad/Washington: An outraged Pakistan slams "senseless" NATO air strike on its borders with Afghanistan that left 24 soldiers dead and asked the US to vacate its Shamsi air base within 15 days, saying the incident forces it to revisit the terms of engagement with Washington.

Islamabad: Pakistan has decided to boycott the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan next month in protest against the cross-border NATO air strike that killed at least 24 of its soldiers, a move being seen as a "major setback" to US-led efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

Monday

Durban: The UN climate change conference opens here amid serious differences between developed and developing countries over a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that has dampened hopes for reaching binding agreements during arduous 12-day parleys.

Islamabad/Beijing: Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar speaks to her Chinese counterpart to brief him on the NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, an incident that has "deeply shocked" Beijing, Islamabad's all weather ally.

Tuesday

Cairo: Millions of enthusiastic Egyptians voted to elect their first post-Mubarak parliament, shrugging off the recent confrontation with the ruling military and logistic problems, in what was described as a surprisingly massive turnout by election authorities.

Moscow: In its bid to counter Western plans for a US missile shield in Europe, Russia launches a state-of-the art antimissile radar with a detection range of 6,000 kilometres, close to the borders of NATO alliance members Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic coast.

Wednesday

London: Furious over storming of its embassy in Tehran, Britain orders immediate closure of the Iranian embassy here, expelling its staff, and shut down its mission in Tehran, bringing the bilateral ties to a new low.

Dhaka: India says it is ready for "further consultations" with Bangladesh on the proposed cross-border hydroelectric power project in Manipur, amid renewed concerns over it in this country.

Thursday

United Nations: Offering its support in achieving peace in West Asia, India asks Israel to stop settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories and release the tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority.

Cairo: Results are delayed for a second time in Egypt's historic elections that are expected to witness the emergence of moderate Islamists linked to Muslim Brotherhood as the dominant political force despite a tough fight given by radical Salafists in several regions.

Friday

Durban: Brushing aside accusations that India was acting as a bully and "spoiler" during climate talks, its negotiators here are firm that New Delhi will not accept any new legally binding carbon emission cuts, saying its policy is "clear, consistent and compassionate" on the issue.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani calls for a comprehensive review of Pakistan's cooperation with the US following the NATO strike saying troops had been instructed to respond "with full force" to any further act of aggression.