Kashmir Avalanche Kills 6 Soldiers, Traps 60

Grants longtime rival 'Most Favored Nation' status

(AP) - Pakistan's government announced today it would normalize trade with its giant rival and neighbor India, a sign of better ties between two nuclear-armed nations whose tense relations have long poisoned South Asia. The decision to grant India "Most Favored Nation" status would enable Pakistanis to export more goods to booming India at a time when Pakistan's own economy is in the doldrums. Most Pakistani business quarters welcomed the decision, but some expressed concerns about cheaper Indian goods flooding the market. More»

Border troops clash after death of Indian soldier

(NEWSER) - Following yesterday’s killing of an Indian soldier by Pakistani border troops, the two sides exchanged fire across the border today. The small arms fire went on for 30 minutes near India’s disputed Kashmir region, reports Reuters in the New York Times . India claims Pakistan opened fire unprovoked; Pakistan denies starting it and says three of its paramilitary soldiers were wounded in the clash. More»

Explosion hits bakery popular with foreigners

(AP) - An apparent bomb tore through a crowded bakery popular with foreigners today in western India, killing eight people and wounding 42 near a famed meditation center. If confirmed, it would be the country's first terror attack since the Mumbai rampage in 2008. The blast in the city of Pune, 125 miles southeast of Mumbai, threatened to damage new efforts to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan. More»

Perceived slights complicate PM Singh's DC visit next week

(NEWSER) - President Obama might find Indian PM Manmohan Singh a bit prickly when he arrives in Washington this weekend, after Obama gave India short shrift during his recent Asia trip. Obama didn’t mention India at all in his speech on US relations with Asia, and caused further offense in a joint statement issued with Beijing that implied China could help mediate between India and Pakistan. More»

(NEWSER) - Revamped leadership in India and Pakistan and some behind-the-scenes encouragement from the US could lead to negotiations over the disputed Kashmir region, the New York Times reports. But while there are shimmers of hope, the relationship is still strained. “I am happy to meet you,” India’s PM told Pakistan’s president today, “but my mandate is to tell you that the territory of Pakistan must not be used for terrorism.” More»