• In a major crackdown to thwart opposition to February elections, Nepal arrested scores of activists, cut cell phone services, and placed under house arrest senior leaders. The European Union, India, and Japan have expressed concern over these moves. King Gnanendra dismissed an elected Government accusing it of ineffective handling of a Maoist terrorist uprising. He has called for district level elections in February which some activists call a "sham." The Government requested activists not to protest in certain sensitive areas in Katmandu as that can provide a cover for terrorist infiltration. Activists have spurned the requests and defied the ban thus sparking these retaliatory moves by the Government.  The Government had claimed that it had broken the back of the Maoist movement but terrorism frequently appears in many places belying that claim.

• An all party meeting called by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse recommended the resumption of talk with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Rajapakse was trying to muster consensus to resume a stalled peace dialogue. A major issue is that requires consensus is the manner in which the pace talks will resume. The Norwegian Minister for International Develop Erik Solheim is expected in Sri Lanka to facilitate the resumption following the unilateral termination of the process by the LTTE in 2003. The most immediate issues to resolve are the location of the dialogue process and implementation mechanisms for the ceasefire. The LTTE has been engaging in low intensity attacks on the Sri Lankan security forces through suicide bombs, booby traps, and claymore mine attacks. In the most recent attacks by suspected LTTE operatives, three policemen and one civilian lost their lives and 40 people were injured. Earlier this week, the Norwegian-led Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission suspended operations in Trincomalee saying the security situation was unacceptable. The LTTE is under intense international diplomatic pressure with the European Union considering a refusal to meet LTTE delegations.

• India and Pakistan their third round of composite dialogue and called for continued conversation and confidence building measures (CBMs). However, they disagreed on how they saw these measures. India believes that the CBMs are steps towards the resolution of disputes but Pakistan believes that CBMs are necessary but bolder moves are necessary. India wanted Pakistan to more on terror and said that the dialogue cannot move forward unless cross-border terrorism does not end. Pakistan said that it will not allow terrorism on its soil targeting any country but defended jihadis saying that they have a history of 25 years when the whole world supported Islamic jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

World

• Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and United States Under-Secretary of State of State Nicholas Burns discussed the implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal of July 2005. As required by the nuclear deal, India had proposed a plan to separate the civilian and military nuclear facilities to the US. Burns said that the separation work was an enormously difficult task for India. India did not publicly disclose the content and scope of this exercise. The two countries are also exploring increased co-operation in agricultural research, energy needs, infrastructure development, space exploration, and education.

• Russian gas major Gazprom said that it was forced to cut its gas supply to Hungary and Italy due to cold weather. An intense cold wave touching -31 degrees Celsius has claimed 7 lives from hypothermia and 93 people from frost bites. The cold wave has so far killed 116 people this winter. Only recently Russia and Ukraine resolved a spat over gas pricing but not before affecting gas supply to Europe. European Officials had called the disagreement "political" and even questioned Russia's ability to be a reliable energy supplier.

• Severe drought in Kenya is encouraging herdsman to take their cattle closer to Ethiopia and Sudanese borders to access water sources. Herdsmen from those countries fearing a large scale invasion of Kenyan herders assaulted and killed a herdsman and took away his animals. The next day, raiders from Ethiopia and Sudan entered Kenya in search for more easy cattle but were repulsed local Turkana and security personnel. Borders between these countries are porous with almost no patrolling. It is common among pastoral communities along the border to steal cattle from rivals when they stray too close to the border. Eastern Kenya is suffering a major food crisis affecting 3.5 million people due to severe drought and the state's inefficient distribution is unable to procure and transfer surplus food from the West. The UN has asked for aid from donor nations.

• India and Ireland signed three agreements on cultural, scientific, and technological co-operation. Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Indian National Science Academy and the Science Foundation of Ireland. The visiting Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Abdul Kalam, and Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani. He also took a ride in the Delhi metro and received a briefing from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on cost-benefit analysis of different metro options. Ireland is planning to implement a metro in heavily populated Dublin. DMRC is also helping other Indian cities create project proposals.

• India and Saudi Arabia will sign an agreement that will increase co-operation to fight crime and terrorism, avoid double taxation, and prevent tax evasion. Terrorist and criminal elements in Saudi Arabia have increasingly recruited Indian expatriates in or visitors to Saudi Arabia for terrorist activities in India. This agreement will help the fight against organized and unorganized crime, drug trafficking, and historical artifact smuggling.

• Anglican Church reformers are asking the Church of England to apologize for its role in the slave trade and slavery.  The Church has already apologized for its role in the crusades that saw hundreds of thousands of Christians and Muslims dead. The Church's missionary wing, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, owned the Corrington plantation where slaves were bought, branded with the word "society," and transported to other parts of the world. With the abolition of slavery in Britain 200 years ago, the owners of slaves received monetary compensation. The Church also claimed and received compensation of hundreds of pounds. Proponents of this proposal, African or West Indian priests said that an apology by the Church will also change remnant racism in society. Non-white priests are refused by many whites in England because the priests are not white. The Church of England is also accused of not having enough ethnic minorities in higher echelons of the hierarchy.