This daily briefing is prepared for your information from various public sources. The information and analysis contained in this summary report represent the views of the original source and do not necessarily reflect the views of (deleted by camote *dbc*). Furthermore, information provided in this report is not intended to represent or replace existing (*dbc*) security, safety or travel policies and guidelines.

East and Central Asia

AZERBAIJAN

201820H Jul. ?05
Quake Jolts Northern Region Of Azerbaijan

According to the Republican Center of Seismological Service of the
National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, earthquakes measuring 3 on
Richter scale hit Gusar province of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan-Daghestan
borders. Tremors of 2,5 were palpable in Gusar town and tremor of 2 in
Guba province. No casualties and damages reported.

CHINA

21 Jul. ?05
5.5 magnitude earthquake strikes China

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck China Thursday near eastern Mongolia,
Hong Kong seismologists said. The quake was centered about 275
kilometers
north-northwest of the Chinese town of Baotou in the northern province
of
Nei Mongol, which borders Mongolia, the Hong Kong Observatory said in a
statement. It was recorded in Hong Kong at 5:59 a.m. (21:59 GMT
Wednesday). It wasn't immediately clear if the tremor led to any
casualties or damage.

KAZAKHSTAN

21 Jul.?05
Religious minorities face increasing state pressure

Baptists, other Protestants, Ahmadiya Muslims, non-state controlled
Muslims and Hare Krishna devotees have all come under increasing
pressure
in the wake of Kazakhstan's breaking of international human rights
standards with its harsh new "national security" law. Amongst current
cases known to local reports, a Protestant church has had its rental
contact cancelled by a local authority; a Baptist pastor is on trial
for
refusing to register his church; the head of the minority Ahmadiya
Muslim
community has fled the country for fear of arrest; attempts are being
made
to close down the independent non-state controlled Union of Muslims of
Kazakhstan (UMK); and a local authority has refused to allow a Hare
Krishna festival to be celebrated.

KOREA

21 Jul.?05
6-nation talks to open Tuesday morning, duration undecided

The six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions will open at 9
a.m. Tuesday, and the duration of the talks will depend on the
proceedings
of the talks, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday. The parties
are
still discussing the precise schedule of the talks, and whether a
document
can be drawn up will become clear only when the talks start, Foreign
Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in a statement posted on the
ministry's
website.

20 Jul.?05
North and South Korean militaries agree on tension-easing measures

North and South Korea, at their working-level military talks on
Wednesday,
agreed on a set of tension-easing measures, but failed to set a date
for
the stalled talks at the level of generals, reports said. The two
Koreas
agreed to establish a liaison office and operate the office from Aug.
13,
aimed at preventing accidental clashes between their navies around the
maritime border in the Yellow Sea, said the reports carried by Yonhap
News
Agency.

Mekong

LAO PEOPLE?S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

20 Jul.?05
ASEAN summit to cause significant business, travel disruption on 20-30
July

The 38th Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial
Meeting (AMM) will be held in the capital Vientiane on 25-29 July. The
summit is likely to see thousands of delegates and journalists arrive
in
the city, and are a major publicity platform for the government.
Consequently, a number of measures will be implemented to ensure the
smooth running of the conference, which will impact on the activities
of
business travelers. Apparently to augment security, the foreign
ministry
has said that it will restrict the granting of visas to foreign
visitors
to Vientiane from 20-30 July, just as it did ahead of the annual ASEAN
summit held in Vientiane in November 2004.

Although the measure bans foreigners from visiting the capital, visas
for
elsewhere in Laos are being issued as normal. Business operations will
also be heavily disrupted; public employees have been instructed not to
work on 26-29 July.

South Asia

BANGLADESH

21 Jul. ?05
Bangladesh arrest 11 suspected Islamic militants

Police in northwestern Bangladesh on Wednesday questioned 11 men
suspected
of being members of a banned Islamic militant group. The men were
arrested
Tuesday after local residents led police to a house on the outskirts of
Rajshahi city, where police found books on bomb-making techniques and
diaries praising Jihad, or Islamic holy war, said the area?s police
chief,
Baharul Alam. The men, including four Islamic seminary students, are
suspected of being members of the banned Jagrata Muslim Janata group,
Alam
said. All have denied involvement with any Islamic militant group, said
another police official, Zahidul Islam, adding that the men told
investigators they had gathered in the house to discuss the Quran, the
Islamic holy book.

INDIA

21 Jul.?05
PM warns of jehadis taking over Pak nukes

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has warned of "serious" consequences if
Islamic militants grabbed power in Pakistan and took control of its
nuclear weapons arsenal. The Prime Minister said the Al-Qaida terror
network led by Osama bin Laden had a key base in Pakistan and that
there
was always the risk of Islamic militants seizing power in Pakistan. In
an
interview with CNN, Manmohan Singh said terrorism is a global threat
but
he added the absence of Al-Qaida from the country was a reflection of
the
success of democracy.

201356H Jul. ?05
India to Supply Arms to Tribespeople

An Indian state government said Wednesday it will begin supplying arms
to
tribes people in the central Indian state of Chattisgarh who have
formed
vigilante groups to protect themselves from attacks by Maoist rebels.
Angered by harassment and killings allegedly by the rebels of the
Communist Party of India Maoists, tribes people have set up vigilante
groups to prevent the rebels from raiding their homes and they now have
the support of the state police force, said local administrator.

Maoist rebels are active in six central, southern and eastern Indian
states. They attack police, landlords and politicians in what they
claim
is a fight for the rights of the poor.

NEPAL

211310H Jul. ?05
4 guerrillas killed in western Nepal

At least four anti-government guerrillas were killed Wednesday in a
clash
with security forces in Juwakot area of Arghakhanchi district, some 300
km
west of Kathmandu, an army official said Thursday. Some guerrillas were
injured in the incident and no security men were killed or injured in
the
incident.

210117H Jul. ?05
Nepali guerrillas ambush security convoy, killing 1

At least one army personnel was killed and 11 others injured Wednesday,
when the anti-government guerrillas ambushed security convoy in Todke
Asanpur area of the district along the east-west Mahendra Highway of
Nepal
at around 9 a.m. local time (0315 GMT), police said. Those injured
seriously have been rushed to a hospital in Dharan in eastern Nepal,
while
the others are undergoing treatment at local Lahan Hospital. The
security
convoy was on its way to Todke Asanpur area to investigate into a case
of
murder in the area when the guerrillas targeted it.

PAKISTAN

211908H Jul. ‘05
Two killed in grenade attack on Pakistan mosque near Afghanistan

Two Islamic preachers were killed and four others wounded in a hand grenade attack against a mosque in a Pakistani tribal district bordering Afghanistan. Unknown attackers threw the grenade into a mosque in the Khabianga village of the Kurram agency tribal district, some 260 kilometres (160 miles) west of Islamabad, local administration official Basir Khan Wazir told AFP on Thursday. Two members of the Tableeghi Jamaat (Preaching Party) died on the spot, while four people were seriously hurt and taken to hospital, he said.

211726H Jul.’05
Islamic parties call rallies against mass arrests in Pakistan

Pakistani fundamentalist Muslim parties called for a national day of protest against the police raids on suspected militants that they labeled part of a global conspiracy against Islam. The six-party Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) alliance urged followers to rally outside local mosques after the weekly congregations on the Muslim day of prayer, its senior leader Liaquat Baloch said Thursday. The MMA in a statement late Wednesday lashed out at President Pervez Musharraf for what it said were the arrests of hundreds of students, teachers and journalists.

Muslim leaders have stressed that most Islamic schools teach a moderate version of Islam and condemned the continuing crackdown against religious figures and media outlets said to be preaching hatred. Baloch also denied involvement of madrassas in terrorism and blamed Western countries that trained Islamic militants in Pakistan to fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

210859H Jul.’05
Three killed in northern Pakistan attacks

Police say three people have been killed in separate incidents in northern Pakistan bringing the death toll in the county's sectarian motivated attacks to 10 this week. Recent sectarian violence also claimed the life of a Sunni Muslim scholar in the southern city of Karachi and a Shiite activist was shot dead and his wife was wounded in the southwestern city of Quetta.

Violence involving militants from the majority Sunni and minority Shiite communities has claimed more than 4,000 lives across Pakistan since the late 1980s.

21 Jul.’05
Increased security prior to local elections

The government is expected to continue implementing increased security measures this week in cities and towns classified as “hot spots” in the 18 August local elections. Among these areas are Karachi, Hyderabad, Jhang Qila Abdullah, and parts of Balochistan province. The government will deploy military troops to these areas to prevent election-related violence.

SRI-LANKA

21 Jul.’05
Tension remains high in northern and eastern parts of the country

The controversial tsunami aid distribution deal is expected to be tabled for discussion by Sri Lanka’s national parliament when it reconvenes starting 19 July. The parliament is expected to discuss the 15 July Supreme Court restraining order on four vital provisions of the agreement, which has generated negative reaction from the rebel group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Tension in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka is likely to remain high in the coming week as the LTTE commences the use of its own armed escorts for officials traveling in government-controlled areas, a move that may be perceived as a violation of the 2002 ceasefire agreement with the government. The LTTE’s decision increases the risk of armed encounters between the rebels and government forces, which may result in an escalation in attacks.

Southeast Asia

INDONESIA

211651H Jul. ‘05
Indonesia pledges firm action after first deaths from bird flu

Indonesia has promised firm measures to wipe out bird flu after announcing its first human deaths from the virus, and admitted it should have culled more infected poultry to stem the disease. Other action would include close surveillance of people who may have been in infected areas, preparing hospitals nationwide to treat patients and an information campaign about the virus, she said.

211340H Jul. ‘05
Quake jolts Indonesia's Aceh

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter Scale rocked the western coast of tsunami-hit Aceh province on Thursday, but there were no reports of damage or casualties. The under-sea quake occurred at 08:42 a.m. and its epicenter was 33 kilometers under the floor of the sea, some 17 kilometers southeast of Meulaboh, the main town in the West Aceh district. The earthquake was strongly felt in Meulaboh, which was devastated by a powerful earthquake and tsunami on Dec. 26.

PHILIPPINES

211403H Jul. ‘05
Abu Sayyaf leader injured in Maguindanao firefight

A Top Abu Sayyaf leader was reported injured in ongoing clashes with pursuing government troops in Maguindanao province. Abu Solaiman, Abu Sayyaf spokesman, was among those hurt. Solaiman became spokesman in 2002 after Aldam Tilao alias Abu Sabaya was killed by US-trained soldiers.

211208H Jul. ‘05
Communist Rebels Suspend Peace Talks with Government

The National Democratic Front (NDF), the political arm of the Philippines' largest communist rebel group, has suspended peace talks with the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. An NDF spokesman announced that the group will wait for a new government to be installed before it agrees to resume peace negotiations.

211156H Jul. ‘05
Communist Party denies plan to infiltrate SONA rally

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) denied Thursday a police and military report that it is planning to infiltrate the ranks of ralliers during next week's State of the Nation Address of President Arroyo at the House of Representatives complex in Quezon City. CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal told DZMM that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are scaring the public against participating in the anti-Arroyo rallies on July 25. The CPP spokesman also accused the military of releasing a tampered tape of an alleged wiretapped conversation between him and another person about a plot to sow violence during the President's SONA. Rosal called on the public to join the anti-Arroyo rallies on Monday, saying that the CPP encourages all means of protest against the Arroyo administration.

210130H Jul.’05
Rebels See Arroyo Regime End

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF), a communist rebel group, announced July 20 that it would not resume peace talks with the administration of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo since the Arroyo administration is "not going to last very long." The chief negotiator for the NDF said, "the next administration will be in a better position to attend to the peace process."

WORLDWIDE

SAUDI ARABIA

211300H Jul.’05
US warns of Saudi attacks, bomb factory found

The United States warned its citizens in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that militants were planning fresh attacks in the world's biggest oil exporter. However, the embassy has no specific information concerning timing, target or method of any possible attacks. The US embassy statement also advised Americans in Saudi Arabia to keep a low profile. Meanwhile, hours after the embassy published its warning, Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry said security forces uncovered a hideout 60km southeast of Riyadh where militants had stored more than two tons of bomb-making equipment used by suspected al Qaida militants to make bombs deployed in attacks on Western housing compounds and security forces buildings.

Saudi Arabia has been battling a two-year wave of violence by supporters of Saudi-born al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden trying to expel Westerners from the country and destabilize the pro-Western royal family.

UNITED KINGDOM

212035H Jul. ‘05
London Underground Attacked Again

Early reports suggest that the London Underground rail network has been the subject of another terrorist attack. Stations have been evacuated at Shepherd’s Bush, Oval and Warren Street. Several lines have already been closed, it is highly likely that the entire network will be suspended. Emergency services are on the scene. There are no reports of any casualties at this stage although it it too early to confirm this. Early eyewitness reports suggest that explosives may have been carried in small rucksacks. An unconfirmed report suggests that at least one of the devices may have been a nailbomb. Very little other information is available at this time. The response of the emergency services is likely to be very similar to the last attacks.

CYBER ISSUES

211314H Jul.’05
Japan’s new steps to tighten Internet security

The National Police Agency on Thursday released a set of measures to ensure information security on the Internet. The package is in response to increasing cyber crimes such as online auction fraud, fraudulent online billing and so-call phishing to lure Net users to bogus websites to trick them into providing private information. The NPA will beef up coordination among police departments to efficiently investigate computer-related crimes, particularly Net publication of harmful information such as child pornography. The package also aims to establish a system to promptly deal with cyber attacks against computer systems run by government organizations.