TURKEY
Political Front:
Turkish naval forces have conducted air attacks against the Kurdish Workers Party in Northern Iraq. 
Geo-strategic Front:
Iran has signed a nuclear swap deal with Turkey and Brazil. Iranian Uranium therefore would be stored in Turkey. Major Powers however have expressed dissatisfaction with the trilateral agreement. The United States has been making efforts to get UNSC approval for another round of sanctions against Iran. Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Minister has asked world powers to give a chance to Iran.
Turkey and Armenia have agreed to work out on new idea proposed by the former to enhance cooperation. All the while the Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the holding of the so-called "parliamentary elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenians.
Turkey and Azerbaijan have decided to establish a high-level strategic cooperation council to further develop relations between the two countries.
The UK’s newly appointed Foreign Secretary has voiced support for Turkey’s bid to join the EU.
All the while Israel has rejected a call by Turkey and Russia to include Hamas in the Middle East peace process, maintaining that Hamas is a terrorist group.
Economic Front:
Turkey's southern province of Antalya has drawn nearly 2 million tourists since the beginning of the year.
GCC
Geo-strategic Front:
Saudi ambassador to Washington has asked the US to either settle the Palestinian issue or recognize Palestine as an independent state.
Meanwhile Chinese and Arab leaders agreed to develop China-Arab relations and discussed a number of regional issues of common interest at the China-Arab Cooperation Forum.
Kuwait has expressed keen interest in enhancing ties with the EU. Meanwhile EU has taken the decision to sign a free trade agreement with GCC.
Economic Front:
Despite economic growth unemployment and inflation persist as major challenges in Gulf countries.
EAST ASIA
Political Front:
Malaysia’s opposition party has won a seat in critical bi-elections where the government has failed to win ethnic Chinese voters.
In the Philippine Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, deputy mayor of the lakeside town of Buluan, was proclaimed Maguindanao governor by the elections commission, beating two rivals with links to Andal Ampatuan Sr, patriarch of a clan that ruled the province for nearly a decade. Emergency was posed in the province last year following the 23rd Nov Maguindanao massacre by the ruling clan.
Philippine Senator Benigno the President elect is expected to take over the reigns of the country.
Cambodia's ruling party has set up local committees nationwide to work out the political preferences of each citizen ahead of national elections in 2013.
Meanwhile continuous violence in Thailand has compelled the government to launch bloody operation against red-shirt protestors. Thai government has rejected protesters' unconditional offer to negotiate. Meanwhile the UN has urged the Thai government of to step back from the operation in order to avoid further loss of lives.
Geo-strategic Front:
The Cambodian government has urged all parties concerned in Thailand to resume peaceful talks in order to achieve a political settlement to the current stand- off.
Singapore’s Minister has declared presence of American troops in East Asia to be significant.
Economic Front:
Thai stock exchange has been adversely affected by protests in Bangkok. Meanwhile Thai seafood exports have received minimal impact from the riots in Bangkok with only a small volume of cargoes being delayed at the capital's ports.
Singapore's economy grew by a better-than-expected 15.5 % year on year in the first quarter.
Social Front:
Heavy fighting broke out between two separate factions of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mindanao Province of Philippines.
SOUTH ASIA
Political Front:
Main opposition leader of Bangladesh and BNP chief Khaleda Zia has announced to launch a protest in June, against ruling regimes’ inability and incompetence to cope with the issues like corruption.
Meanwhile political crisis still prevails in Nepal as the ruling regime and Maoists have not reached any conclusion as regards resolving the ongoing crisis.
An investigation into the last months of Sri Lankan civil war has declared the government forces to be responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands more civilians than previously estimated. The Government envoy however has denied such allegations.
Geo-strategic Front:
Bangladeshi PM has recently paid a visit to South Korea to enhance bilateral cooperation.
Maldives has secured a seat in the United Nations Human Rights Council with the highest number of votes.
Economic Front:
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged Malaysian entrepreneurs to invest more in Bangladesh, particularly in labor-intensive industries including readymade garment, textile, light engineering, electronics, agro-based products, ICT, power and infrastructure.
The World Bank has estimated Nepal's gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate for fiscal year 2009/10 at 3.5%.
Meanwhile according to reports agricultural trade still occupies an important place in the total exports of Nepal.
AFGHANISTAN
Political Front:
More than a thousand residents in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan have protested a coalition forces' raid, which resulted in the killing of 11 civilians. Meanwhile a NATO helicopter crashed in the Southern province of the country. Also eight NATO soldiers were killed in a blast in Kabul.
Geo-strategic Front:
EU is supporting peace jirga in Afghanistan.
Economic Front:
Japan has pledged $1 billion to construct a railway in Afghanistan.
Social Front:
Flood has caused damage to the lives and property in Badakhsha’n in Afghanistan. Meanwhile an Afghani Minister has promised to provide his people with telecommunication facilities and internet connectivity within five years.
KOREA
Geo-strategic Front:
China has recently rejected North Korea’s aid request and claimed that it could not support North Korea beyond the framework of sanctions set by the United Nations Security Council.
The sinking of South Korean ship has become a serious bone of contention between North and South. South Koreans have claimed possession of evidence regarding North Korean’s involvement in the issue and warned to take an action in response. North Koreans however have denied the allegation. The situation further deteriorated when multi-national investigation teams announced their report condemning North Korea for its involvement in the incident. The US Secretary of State also condemned North Korea. Meanwhile North Korea has demanded the investigation team provide evidence regarding the allegations levied against it.
Economic Front:
Posco The Pohang Iron and Steel Company in South Korea received a setback has plans to set up a $12 billion steel plant in India after police opened fire on local farmers protesting the government’s move to acquire agricultural land for the project.
JAPAN
Political Front:
About 17,000 Japanese linked hands and surrounded a U.S. military base to protest its presence on the southern island of Okinawa, the Associated Press reported.
CHINA
Geo-strategic Front:
Taiwan has denied any chances of arms race with China. All the while growth in Chinese-Taiwanese trade has been observed.
Also China and Russia have announced to cooperate at the economic and strategic front.
China’s close ties with Sweden and Canada also grabbed attention.
Economic Front:
Highly effective investment in infrastructure by the Chinese government and the urbanization process in China has helped ensure stable economic growth. However in recent reports a negative trend in the Chinese stock exchange has been observed. §
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