Ashish Kumar Sen

Former members of Pakistan's military and the Inter-Services Intelligence agency trained the gunmen who attacked Mumbai in November, a senior member of the militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba has told a US newspaper.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari told the United Nations General Assembly on Friday that his country desires “friendly relations” with India and looks forward to resuming the composite dialogue, which was disrupted in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks last year. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, meanwhile, was hopeful that a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan on Sunday would put this dialogue back on track.

Legislation that triples US aid to Pakistan authorises military assistance to help the country in its fight against Al-Qaida and other terrorists, but it also includes new and painstakingly negotiated accountability measures to ensure that this aid is not misused. India had expressed concern that Pakistan would divert US military aid toward bolstering its defences against a perceived threat from India.

Even as a State Department spokesman applauded Pakistan's determination to eliminate militants, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said India "cannot be lulled into some kind of satisfaction" that Pakistan is proceeding against them.

US President Barack Obama, in his maiden address to the United Nations, declared his commitment to moving forward with the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty that will prohibit nuclear testing. He also set a January goal for starting negotiations on a treaty to end production of fissile material weapons.

The grim prospects for loans coupled with an economy in recession have put the brakes on the avalanche of Indian students applying to US universities. At the same time, India continues to retain its position as the leading country of origin insofar as students coming to colleges in America. For those seeking global exposure at world-class institutions, the US remains a top destination—recession or not. Given the times, it’s also ironical that business and management courses remain the most popular field of study for these students.

President Barack Obama, in a major policy shift, has scrapped a controversial missile-defence shield favoured by his predecessor, removing a thorn in U.S.-Russia relations but earning criticism from some who accuse him of abandoning U.S. allies in Europe.