Ordnance Board Collaborates with Israeli Company
Government-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is entering into a joint venture with an Israeli company to manufacture “cargo ammunition” (known to maim but does not kill) but raising hackles of human rights organization seeking to stop these products. <More>

Naxals Attack WB IRB Camp
In an area in {West Bengal} adjacent to {Jharkhand}, suspected Naxal terrorists attacked an Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) camp and a heavy exchange of fire lasted for over an hour as retribution for arresting a senior local terrorist leader. <More>

India Watches Bangla Elections with Interest
Speaking at a meeting hosted by India-Bangladesh friendship organizations, Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed India promised to work with any Government elected by the scheduled January 2007 elections and hoped it will be “truly free and fair.”  <More>

SLMM Collapses, Ceasefire Dead as Civil War Looms
Sri Lanka moved ground troops following air force raids on a “humanitarian operation” to take control of a water reservoir in an ill-defined area but controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sparking the Tamils to declare the ceasefire dead. <More>

Norway Initiative Fails in Lankan Water War
The Sri Lankan Government (SLG) rejected a compromise formula worked out by Norwegian peace brokers to open a canal that has killed 425 and caused a mass exodus saying that it did not want “terrorists” to open the waterway.  <More>

Consultant to Fix IPI Gas Rate
Disagreeing over the price of gas over the USD 7 billion 2100 kilometer Iran-Pakistan-India Pipeline, India, Pakistan and Iran agreed to try one last time to break the impasse by appointing an international consultant to recommend a pricing plan.  <More>

UNSC to Demand Iran Suspend Nuclear Enrichment
The UN Security Council (UNSC) looked set to adopt a EU-sponsored and US-backed resolution demanding Iran “suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development” by the end of August.  <More>

LTTE to Stay Banned, No Lanka Intervention
The National Security Advisor M K Narayanan said that India has no plans to lift the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and for “direct intervention” in peace initiatives in Sri Lanka where hostilities has escalated rapidly to civil war proportions.  <More>

After 48 hour Ceasefire, Air Strike Resumes
After a 48 hour pause to allow civilians to evacuate, Israeli warplanes struck deeper in Northern-eastern Lebanon seen as a symbol of Hezbollah power while guerrillas fought pitched battles with Israeli ground forces near the border. <More>

US Sanctions on Two Indian Companies
The US government imposed sanctions on 2 Indian and 5 other companies from Russia, North Korea, and Cuba for allegedly supplying banned equipment and technology to Iran held illegal by US laws but did not say what these items were. <More>

Japan Keen to Expand Ties
The Japanese Ambassador to India Yasukuni Enoki said that his country wants to expand co-operation in manufacturing technology, civil aviation, and people to people exchange and conclude the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. <More>

Hezbollah Asks Arabs to Vacate Haifa
In a clear sign of major terrorist activities to come, Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah warned Israeli Arabs to leave the port city of Haifa so the guerrilla organization could attack the city unimpeded so as not to “shed” their blood. <More>