Tow Mother's News of India

22-year-old overprotect of two was allegedly raped by her neighboring at College Street on Monday. The inhabit was later arrested.

The accused, Jumman, allegedly took the mate out in the afternoon on the prospect of serving her registry for a BPL record and secure cognate documents from the KMC duty. 

The negroid, a occupant of Narkeldanga's Provide Author Moving, knew Jumman who helped locals, including her folk, with such documents. So, she didn't guess him.

On Weekday, Jumman allegedly asked the lover to rest in beguiler of a house and said he would submit her to the KMC state for the ceremonial. They boarded a bus and Jumman allegedly took her to Bankshal hotel prototypal. When the lover questioned him, Jumman took her to the KMC part. There they were told to hoard the BPL forms from the localized conservationist power.

On the way rearward, Jumman allegedly told the partner that he had to correspond a person at College Street and asked her to play him. She agreed, but was allegedly appropriated to a asylum where Jumman strained himself on her. When the blackamoor protested, she was hit on the progress. She pass imbibe and became senseless. When she came around, she initiate her motile sound and called her mate who brought her bag. Afterward, the kin lodged a ill with Narkeldanga personnel.

Jumman was inactive from a hideout come Narkeldanga in the eventide. "The spouse has been dispatched for medical tests. Jumman was arrested and gift be produced in Sealdah retinue on Weekday," said Pijush Kundu, OC of Narkeldanga law post.

Publicize by The Time of India.

Suu Kyi Visits Burma Refugees in Thailand

Aung San Suu Kyi reversed her aid to Burma's long-standing refugee crisis Sat with a travel to a sprawly domicile on Siam's butt to get her early looking of the hardships featured by hundreds of thousands who somebody fled war in her homeland.
The six-day journey this hebdomad is the no. misadventure foreign in 24 years for Philanthropist Peacefulness Gift laureate Suu Kyi, who this period prefab the transition from previous semi political captive to oppositeness legislator. She has old her journeying of Thailand primarily to draw tending to the assurance of her compatriots foreign.

Hundreds of satisfactory supporters welcomed Suu Kyi at the airfield in the townspeople of Mae Sot, and she was then driven in a police-led convoy to the Mae La refugee domicile. The reside is location to active 45,000 refugees who springy in thatched huts at the stand of mist-shrouded mountains.
The move marks a dramatic ballot of friendship by Suu Kyi in Burma's new reform-minded authorities, whose restrain contrasts starkly with that of the previous noncombatant ingroup. Equal when she was not under sanctuary hitch or imprisoned under the onetime plan, Suu Kyi had e'er refused to leaving the region, fearing the ruling generals would never hit let her income.

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, right, speaks next to Bangladesh Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs' President Rokia Rahman during the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, June 1, 2012. Suu Kyi urged the international community Friday to exercise "healthy skepticism" about her country's reforms as it sheds a half-century of military rule.

Suu Kyi has repeatedly said she believes army-backed Chairperson Thein Sein is truly pledged to elected improve, but this week she warned the socialism community to take precaution and a "lusty disbelief," expression the country's all-powerful noncombatant was comfort a validity "to be reckoned with."The vast eld of those refugees unrecorded in Siam, Malaya, India and Bangladesh.
This share of the Asian border is internal to up to 140,000 social Karen refugees.
The Karen possess been waging a irregular war for greater autonomy since the region obtained independence from Britain in 1948 - one of the longest insurgencies in the experience.
She is due to denote to Burma on Dominicus, but close month, she flies to team countries in Assemblage, including Norway, where she module formally swallow her Altruist Pacification Treasure, 21 eld after success it.
On Weekday, she said her charge was to mature out how the group can help that slight percentage of the humankind that any of us song Burma and whatsoever of us telephone Burma.

Pakistan tests nuclear-capable Hatf-III ballistic missile

Pakistan on Thursday successfully test fired nuclear-capable Hatf-III ballistic missile with a range of 290 km that could hit targets in India.

As the test was conducted, a top Pakistani military official said the country had developed a “strong nuclear deterrence capability” and was fully capable of thwarting any aggression

A statement issued by the military described the “training launch” of the short-range Hatf III or Ghaznavi missile as successful.

“The launch was conducted at the conclusion of the annual field training exercise of the Army Strategic Force Command,” the statement said.

The military did not say where the exercise was conducted.

It said the missile could carry nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 290 km.

The training exercise was aimed at “testing the operational readiness of a Strategic Missile Group,” the statement said.

Addressing troops in the exercise area, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne said the country had “developed a strong nuclear deterrence capability.”

He said: “Pakistan’s Armed Forces are fully capable of safeguarding Pakistan’s security against aggression.”

Wynne said he expected the officers and men “entrusted with the task of deterring aggression would continue to train hard and maintain professional excellence.”

He commended the troops for a “high standard of proficiency in handling and operating the state of the art weapon system.”

Besides Wynne, the field training exercise was witnessed by Strategic Plans Division Director General Lt Gen (retd) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, Army Strategic Force Command chief Lt Gen Tariq Nadeem Gilani, Karachi Corps Commander Lt Gen Muhammad Ijaz Chaudhry, other senior military officials and scientists.

The successful test was appreciated by the President and Prime Minister, who congratulated the troops, scientists and engineers.

Bangladesh hopeful of river deal with India

Bangladesh said Sunday that a much-delayed deal over sharing water with India was making progress as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee visited from New Delhi to shore up damaged cross-border ties.

India announced that it will write off $200 million of the $1 billion line of credit offered to Bangladesh, and promised to implement all bilateral agreements, including those that have witnessed delays. 

The deal to share Teesta river water was meant to be a highlight of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka.

India had announced a $1 billion Line of Credit to Bangladesh, the largest it has offered to any country in 2010.

The deal to share Teesta river water was meant to be a highlight of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Dhaka last September, but it fell through after opposition from the chief minister of India’s West Bengal state. 

A genera Teesta River Projects view and bridge of India.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said today that New Delhi had decided to consider $200 million of that amount as a grant rather than credit, and Bangladesh can utilise the fund for its priority projects.

"India will treat the amount as grant, not credit," Mukherjee told a group of senior editors as he wound up a 20-hour trip to Dhaka.

Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni.

The failure soured relations between India and Bangladesh, where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has staked much political capital in resolving an issue crucial for farmers in the country’s drought-hit north.

"This $200 million will be utilised for projects that Bangladesh prioritises," he said.

“The Indian government is working on the Teesta deal. They are very sincere about it. So we are hopeful that it will be struck,” Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni told reporters after talks with Mukherjee.

 

Indian villagers catch fish with handmade fishing nets in the River Teesta in Jalpaiguri. Bangladesh says a much-delayed deal over sharing water with India is making progress as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee visits from New Delhi to shore up damaged cross-border ties.

Mukherjee also cited "ground realities" of coalition politics as the reason for India's failure to seal the Teesta water sharing deal during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh last year.

"In a democracy such as ours... this process often becomes time consuming," he said.

"There are certain issues that need to be resolved," he said while referring to the Teesta issue as a "sensitive" one.

Mukherjee on Sunday concluded a two-day visit to Bangladesh, where he met with Hasina to review agreements signed during Singh’s visit, including one to end complex border territory disputes.

Earlier, during his meeting with Premier Sheikh Hasina, Mukherjee vowed to implement all agreements signed with the country during Manmohan Singh's visit last year.

"Although it was late, (all) these agreements (signed with Bangladesh) will be materialised soon," he was quoted as telling Hasina by a Prime Minister's office spokesman.

Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, won independence in 1971 with Indian military help, but relations have been patchy ever since due to decades of mutual mistrust.

Hillary Clinton to visit China, Bangladesh, India

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to China, Bangladesh and India with modest agenda over bilateral relations with these Asian nations, the State Department said on Thursday.

While in Beijing on May 3-4, the top US envoy and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will join their Chinese co-chairs, Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo, for the fourth round of the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

Politics and other factors have reduced expectations for U.S. relations with India, where Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will spend three days after a rare stop in Bangladesh.

Hopes were high after Congress passed a U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement in 2008 that the two countries would forge a close military and strategic partnership.

But Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's three-day trip to India, starting Sunday after a weekend stop in Bangladesh, comes amid reduced expectations and political distraction on both sides and a relationship increasingly marked by incremental movement on a variety of issues.
 

The S&ED was created in 2009 to help both nations manage their bilateral relations and promote communication.

"As with earlier S&EDs, this year's event will be a 'whole of government' dialogue that brings together cabinet members and agency heads, as well as other officials and experts, from agencies across both of our governments," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.

 

In addition, Clinton will co-chair with Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong the third US-China High-Level Consultation on People- to-People Exchange (CPE), an event to be held in parallel with the S&ED.

"The CPE aims to enhance and strengthen ties between the citizens of the United States and China in the areas of culture, education, sports, science and technology, and women's issues," Nuland said.

During her stay in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, the secretary will meet with senior government officials and civil society representatives to review "robust" bilateral cooperation across a range of political, economic and security matters, the spokeswoman said.

In Calcutta, capital of India's West Bengal state, Clinton looks forward to meeting state officials and civil society organization representatives.

While in India's capital of New Delhi, she will discuss with Indian government officials about the upcoming US-India Strategic Dialogue to be held in Washington on June 13, Nuland said.

 At a private discussion among friends, the question that we all asked one another was why the US secretary of state was visiting Bangladesh. Like the story of the seven blind men looking at the elephant, each one of us had a view that differed from the other.

So far for such an important visit, the only one who is upbeat is the US ambassador who might be knowing something that neither the government nor the opposition seems to know. It is not that US secretary of state visits Bangladesh regularly. In fact, the last visit of a US Secretary of State to Dhaka was that of George P Schultz in the era of President Ershad.

The way the Bangladesh government spurned the request of Hillary Clinton and President Obama for an honorable exit to Dr Yunus made a lot of people speculate that the US government is very unhappy with the present government of Bangladesh. Many have speculated that she is so angry that she has used her influence to stop the World Bank from funding the Padma Bridge to get back at the prime minister and the Bangladesh government.

The surprise and un-preparedness of the Bangladesh government was amply reflected by its reaction or the lack of it to the visit. Normally for such an important visit, the government should have reacted very enthusiastically. The reasons are obvious. The US has the power to turn Bangladesh into a middle income country quicker than the ruling party expects. It is the biggest market for our RMG exports that have given Bangladesh a good measure of economic success already.

The upcoming visit of Hillary Clintonto Bangladesh More . . . . .

India welcomes Pakistan's call to demilitarise Siachen glacier

Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju on Thursday welcomed Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's call for both nations to demilitarise the world's highest battlefield at the Siachen glacier on their international border.

Pallam Raju said that maintaining the high-altitude battlefield was a massive economic strain on both countries, and a mutual decision to demilitarise would ensure that the funds hitherto spent on Siachen would be put to better use.

"I am glad that our neighbouring country Pakistan is also realising the challenges of, and the economic problems of maintaining troops on the Siachen glacier. They have their concerns, we have our concerns, but it does definitely take an economic toll. This money can be better spent on the development of both countries," he told the media in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, former Indian army official, Lieutenant-General (retd) PN Hoon, echoing similar sentiments said that Siachen notched more soldier casualties due to its environment than due to actual combat.

"Our troops that have been there have been through hell, much more than the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army (has suffered) because of the avalanche, so have we. The casualties out of 100, they will be 70 casualties, which are for bad weather, high altitude and avalanches, and only 30, which are for (combat). We are spending also. We are spending 6-7 crores a day. Have we become such rich nations today?" Lieutenant-General (retd) Hoon told the media in Chandigarh.

Pakistan's army chief had earlier on Wednesday made a call for the demilitarisation of the world's highest battlefield after touring the site of an avalanche that buried 129 Pakistani soldiers near the border with India.

Noting that withdrawal of troops from Siachen is necessary to improve 'atmosphere', he said 'the issue' needs to be resolved by Pakistan and India.

Indian and Pakistani troops have been engaged in a standoff on Siachen since 1984.

Pakistani troops-135 missing in avalanche

Pakistani soldiers are digging for a second day to find 135 people buried by a massive avalanche that engulfed a military complex near the Indian border.

Military officials said Sunday they have not recovered any bodies over 24 hours after the avalanche occurred. They are sending more heavy equipment to help with the effort.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The disaster occurred at the entrance to the Siachen Glacier, a mountain battleground where Pakistani and Indian troops have faced off for decades.

The army has said at least 124 soldiers and 11 civilian contractors were missing under some 21 meters (70 feet) of snow.

Pakistani soldiers dug into a massive avalanche in a mountain battleground close to the Indian border on Saturday, searching for at least 135 people buried when the wall of snow engulfed a military complex.

Pakistani soldiers carry supplies Feb. 19 in Pakistan's Dir district. An avalanche smashed into a Pakistani base on Saturday.

More than 12 hours after the disaster at the entrance to the Siachen Glacier, no survivors had been found.

"We are waiting for news and keeping our fingers crossed," said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas.

Hundreds of troops, sniffer dogs and mechanical equipment were at the scene, but were struggling to make much headway into the avalanche, which crashed down onto the rear headquarters building in the Gayari sector early in the morning, burying it under some 21 meters (70 feet) of snow, Abbas said.

"It's on a massive scale," he added. "Everything is completely covered."

The military said in a statement that at least 124 soldiers and 11 civilian contractors were missing.

Siachen is on the northern tip of the divided Kashmir region claimed by both India and Pakistan.

The accident highlighted the risks of deploying troops to one of the most inhospitable places on earth.

The thousands of troops from both nations stationed there brave viciously cold temperatures, altitude sickness, high winds and isolation for months at a time. Troops have been deployed at elevations of up to 6,700 meters (22,000 feet) and have skirmished intermittently since 1984, though the area has been quiet since a cease-fire in 2003. The glacier is known as the world's highest battlefield.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed his shock at the incident, which he said "would in no way would undermine the high morale of soldiers and officers."

The headquarters in Gayari, situated at around 4,572 meters (15,000 feet) is the main gateway through which troops and supplies pass on their to other more remote outposts in the sector. It is situated in a valley between two high mountains, close to a military hospital, according to an officer who was stationed there in 2003.

"I can't comprehend how an avalanche can reach that place," said the officer, who didn't give his name because he is not authorized to speak to the media. "It was supposed to be safe."

More soldiers have died from the weather than combat on the glacier, which was uninhabited before troops moved there.

Conflict there began in 1984 when India occupied the heights of the 78-kilometer (49-mile)-long glacier, fearing Pakistan wanted to claim the territory. Pakistan also deployed its troops. Both armies remain entrenched despite the cease-fire, costing the poverty-stricken countries many millions of dollars each year.

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since the partition of the subcontinent on independence from Britain in 1947. Two of the wars have been over Kashmir, which both claim in its entirety.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will sit down to lunch with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Sunday in the highest-level meeting on each other's soil in seven years as the nuclear-armed foes seek to normalize relations.

Relations have warmed since Pakistan promised its neighbor most favored nation trade status in 2011, although a $10 million bounty offered by Washington for a Pakistani Islamist blamed for the 2008 attacks on Mumbai stirred old grievances.

At the lunch meeting the two leaders are expected to focus on trade, where progress has been made, leaving more intractable problems, such as Kashmir, to lower officials.

"The Prime Minister will talk only about issues related to trade, education and culture this time," a government source with knowledge of the itinerary told Reuters.

On Saturday, an avalanche buried 124 Pakistani soldiers and 11 civilians near the 6,000-metre Siachen glacier in Kashmir, known as the world's highest battlefield. India and Pakistan fought two wars over Siachen and hundreds have died there, mostly from the inhospitable conditions.

Encephalitis virus kills 400 in India

Encephalitis virus kills 400 in India, mainly children

"It is unbelievable tragedy. There are five to 10 children dying every day."

Encephalitis is caused by a viral infection from eating or drinking water or contaminated food from mosquito or through breathing in respiratory from an infected person.

Around 347 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, while 54 children have died in the neighbouring state of Bihar. Over two thousand cases have been reported in the last three months.
Its 400 people, mainly children, have died in an outbreak of viral encephalitis in northern India, health officials say.
However, far 2,300 patients admitted to a hospital in the affected Gorakhpur area of Uttar Pradesh state.
It was a "tragedy beyond imagination" with children dying every day doctor told the BBC.
Most of the deaths this year have happened since July, doctors say.
Doctors say affected patients come from 10-12 districts in the region, and are mostly poor.
In the past six years, children dying of viral encephalitis, a water-borne disease caused by contaminated water. Viral encephalitis diseases cause head aches and vomiting and can lead to comas, brain dysfunctions, seizures and inflammations of the heart and kidney.
Six months age children to 15 years are worst affected and most of the victims are poor people from rural areas.
Pediatrician doctor say, it is an unbelievable or unbreakable tragedy, children are dying every day.

Mother of India

Mother India, most powerful person in India

Sonia Gandhi, Congress party and head of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, America to undergo an operation has highlighted the extraordinary powers she enjoys and brought to the fore the question of her successor.

Hardened members of parliament in Delhi wept when, after leading the Congress party to a surprise victory in the 2004 general election, Sonia Gandhi announced that she would not become prime minister.

Those tearful MPs need not have worried: Sonia was not about to go away, to leave them leaderless.

And now every member of the ruling party, from the top down, is worried about whether Sonia will recover to continue leading them, and if not, how she will manage the succession.

When Sonia gave up the chance to become prime minister, she made it clear that she would still be the boss by choosing Manmohan Singh to do the job.

He is renowned for his honesty and his knowledge of economics, but has spent most of his life as a bureaucrat and politically he is entirely dependent on Sonia.

Sonia Gandhi's power derives from being the head of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty which has dominated Indian politics since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister after India gained its independence.

Italian by birth, she became a member of the family by marrying the imperious Indira Gandhi's eldest son Rajiv.

Sonia always puts across the message she learnt from her mother-in-law - the message which says: "I am on the side of the poor".

Typically, there was no government announcement about Sonia's departure for America. The Congress party issued a bald statement bereft of any information about her illness or the hospital where she was being treated.

The Syrian people are calling for peaceful change

The Syrian people are calling for peaceful change

William Hague urged the "discredited" Syrian regime to end its violent as the United Nations Security Council adopted. A statement condemning attacks on civilians and widespread human rights abuses.

Intensification of the three-month-old bloody crackdown against anti-government protests, the international body agreed the wording – with only Syria's neighbour Lebanon dissociating itself from the text.

Hague said: "I welcome the UN security council presidential statement on Syria.

"The Security Council demonstrates the rising international concern at the unacceptable behaviour of the regime and shows that President Assad is increasingly isolated. It comes on top of a fourth round of EU sanctions put in place earlier this week.

The UN Security Council finally broke through a near-unanimous statement condemning President Bashar al-Assad for unleashing his forces on civilians and violating human rights.

Though the presidential statement has no teeth and was less than the full Security Council resolution that by the US, UK and France, it is an indication of growing impatience within the international community towards the Syrian crackdown.

Hague said: “The Syrian people are calling for peaceful change. I call on President Assad's regime to end its violence and to allow genuine political reform.

"Until it does, the regime will be discredited amongst its own people and facing increased pressure internationally."

Rapidly – increasing pressure on the 15 members of the Security Council to issue a condemnation of the regime's actions. Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa had been resisting the move.

Lebanon's deputy UN ambassador Caroline Ziade said that "while we express our deep regret for the loss of innocent victims," the presidential statement "does not help in addressing the current situation in Syria."

‘Fashion icon’ Hina

‘Fashion icon’ Hina 

Hina Rabbani Khar is a Pakistani politician and Minister of Foreign Affairs since 20th July 2011. She is youngest and first female Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.

She is married to Feroze Gulzar and has two daughters Annaya and Dina.

Hina Rabbani Khar was born on 19th January 1977 in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. She is daughter of the politician Muhammad Ibrahim Arqam and niece of Ghulam Mustafa Khar.

Pakistan's youngest Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar is not pleased with her depiction by  the Indian media  as a "fashion icon".

Hina unhappy over her depiction as ‘fashion icon’

Pakistan's first woman Foreign Minister, Khar, who returned to Pakistan Thursday evening after a visit to India for talks with her counterpart S M Krishna, reacted angrily to questions pertaining to coverage of her fashion style in leading Indian dailies.

"You see paparazzi are every where. Besides, you (referring to media) should not do such acts," Khar said, replying to aquestion at the Lahore airport on her arrivalfrom India.

So irked was she at the question that she refused to take any more questions and left for Islamabad.

During her visit to New Delhi, she was the talk of the town, with the mediaclosely following her fashion accessories. Such was the focus that even TheWall Street Journal too carried a story on the Indian media's reporting of Khar's fashion style.

"She is quite a breath of fresh air for someone who comes from Pakistan, "said Shantanu of Shantanu-Nikhil, the leading fashion house in India.

She said, "Dialogue process with India should continue uninterrupted as it loses credibility when it is interrupted."

World Tiger Day

World Tiger Day today

The theme of the day is "Save Sundarbans, Save Tigers."

Bangladesh will observe the day amid various programmers with a view to creating awareness among people to preserve the tigers.

A programme to enhance thenumber of tigers double across the globe by 2022 has been taken.

Ministry of Environment and Forests has taken elaborate programme to observe the day. As part of the programme, rally will be broughtout from in front of National Museum at Shahbagh thismorning.

State Minister for Environment andForests Dr Hassan Mahmud said the present government was implementing "Tiger Action Plan" (TAP) to protect the tigers. The project costing about Tk 276 crore will be completed by 2017, he said.

Bangladesh,India, Nepal and Bhutan are working together toimplement the TAP. 

According to a survey carried out in 2004, the number of tigers in the Sundarbans is 440.

Wilde Life Institute of India and World Nature Institute, 70 per cent tigers was declined in the lastdecade while the number of tigers were reduced from 100,000 to 3,200 in thelast century.

India ready for a Slut Walk?

Is India ready for a Slut Walk?

Indian daughters imbibe from their parents, even in a new India where years of economic boom have thrown up a trendy, affluent youth with a kind of freedom unknown to many of their parents. Dress appropriately, don’t make eye contact with strangers (especially men) and be at home before sunset.

India had its first Slut Walk in Bhopal city in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday to denounce the idea that women entice men and invite trouble with their attire, a belief seemingly held by many Indian judges as well.

The first Slut Walk was initiated by Canadians in April in response to a comment made by a Toronto police official.

“I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this — however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised,” said Michael Sanguinetti to a personal safety class at York University.

Clinton pushes India.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

pushes India on nuclear law, market access

Urged India to open markets faster and resolve questions on a civilian nuclear accord that US companies hope could mean billions of dollars in new business that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

US-Indian talks with a polite Clinton opened high-level firm push New Delhi to get moving on key economic issues promised and delivered.

Clinton said in her opening remarks at the meeting, the latest in a series of talks aimed at deepening political and economic ties between the United States and the world's second most populous country.

The global economic slowdown has driven US and European companies to look for sales in emerging markets like India.

Clinton's visit will cover a range of bilateral issues including counter-terrorism cooperation, an issue thrown into stark relief by last week's deadly triple bomb attack on India's financial capital Mumbai.

She will brief Indian leaders on US plans to draw down troops in Afghanistan -- which New Delhi fears may mean a hasty US exit. 

Clinton did not mention Pakistan in her opening statements, but did underscore that Washington and New Delhi have a common challenge in confronting the threat of militant violence.

On top of the list is civilian nuclear cooperation, which despite a landmark 2008 accord has yet to overcome Indian legal and regulatory obstacles which could open the doors to US nuclear energy companies such as General Electric and Westinghouse, the US-based arm of Japan's Toshiba.

The United States was disappointed when India rejected US bids for an $11 billion fighter aircraft contract in April, but still hopes US companies can benefit as New Delhi forges ahead with one of the world's biggest arms purchase programs.

"The United States expects to continue developing and selling the world's most competitive products," Clinton said.