A high-ranking Pentagon official on apologised to the Afghan leadership for the burning of the Quran by United States military personnel and also discussed the reconciliation process in the war-torn country.
There are times in each nation's life when the gods shower their blessings on it. The right leaders are in place and they make the right decisions. Everything seems to click and good luck favours its people. Such times came to this country 50 years ago, recalls Admiral J G Nadkarni (retd).
Bolstering his hunch, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, who headed the Central Intelligence Agency at the time when US Navy SEALs killed bin Laden in Pakistan's Abbottabad town, said there were intelligence reports of Pakistani military helicopters passing over the compound where the Al Qaeda chief was hiding.
Mere shuffling of resources or cosmetic changes to prove a point would be counterproductive in the long run, observes Commodore Venugoptal Menon (retd).
The MoD did not reveal the number of missiles procured through the latest contract.
However, this information was inadvertently revealed through an official MoD photograph that accompanied the announcement.
'From a modest beginning of 33 antiquated vessels in 1947, the Indian Navy has grown into a modern and forward looking fleet.'
Official sources said talks were underway to wrap up negotiations on procurement of a missile defence system by India from the US for $1.86 billion.
Besides clearing the proposal to buy assault rifles, the other significant acquisitions approved by the DAC include procurement of smart anti-airfield weapon (SAAW) systems for the navy and the Indian Air Force at an approximate cost of Rs 970, the officials said.
The United States was initially planning a massive air strike using B-2 Spirit bombers to level the Abbottabad hideout of Osama bin Laden but chose an assault by its elite commandos who killed the world's most wanted terrorist a year ago.
The United States and Afghanistan have completed their joint fact-finding investigation into the incident of desecration of the Quran by US soldiers last month, the Pentagon has said.
The United States is looking forward to work with the new head of Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan, Pentagon said, noting the US-Pak relationship is critical for the region and Afghanistan.
The rescued boys have been taken to a hospital by ambulances for medical treatment.
Regretting the killing of an Indian fisherman allegedly by US Navy personnel off the Dubai coast earlier this month, the United States said two parallel investigations have been ordered into the incident and reasons for it will be known only when these are complete.
Queen Elizabeth II will be buried with her late husband Prince Philip at the conclusion of a solemn state funeral service made up of an hour-long ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.
"It was just too much of a coincidence that that house, that unusual-looking house would be built in that community near the military academy, surrounded by retired military professionals, even though, we couldn't prove it," she said.
Asserting that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers was a "military engagement", the United States has said it is carrying out a crucial investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the tragic incident but Islamabad has refused to participate in the probe.
The most nail biting moment in the Abbottabad raid that killed former Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden came when the helicopters carrying the Navy Seals left Afghan airspace to enter Pakistan's territory, United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said.
United States' relationship with Pakistan is very tense but the two countries are working to resolve the issues, the Pentagon said on Monday, days after the "failed" talks held by the Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman in Islamabad.
China on Wednesday expressed its "heartfelt gratitude" to the navies of India, the United States and Turkey for their efforts in saving 24 Chinese sailors from falling into the hands of Somali pirates and said international community should work more closely in fighting sea menace.
The agreement provides for creation of an enabling framework for closer cooperation and interoperability, besides allowing militaries of the two countries to use each other's bases and facilities for repair and replenishment of supplies, the official said.
The United States Army continues to investigate the tragic killing of 16 Afghan civilians in Kandahar, the Pentagon has said but remained unclear as to when the suspected American soldier would be charged.
In a new twist to Osama bin Laden saga, emails leaked from an intelligence analysis firm say the body of the Al Qaeda leader was actually sent to the United States for cremation than buried at sea.
US rushing to rescue Russian crew in sunken submarine
Access to Sabang Port will allow the Indian Navy to dominate Malacca Strait more effectively, reports Ajai Shukla.
Chinese military engineers were "probably" given access by Pakistan to the wreckage of the United States stealth helicopter that had crashed in Osama bin Laden's compound during the Abbottabad raid and Chinese engineers might even have walked away with samples. The US Navy SEALs, who conducted the May 2 operation that killed the Al Qaeda leader, had tried to destroy the chopper after it malfunctioned but its tail section had remained largely intact.
Dismissing the remarks by the Pakistani military on the November 26 deadly NATO cross border strike, the United States on Monday said it stands by its own investigation that it was not an unprovoked firing by the US-led forces.
'Pak gets first of eight Orion aircraft'
There is an air of nervousness all over the world where there is a strong United States presence regarding the dangers of Al Qaeda-inspired attacks on US nationals and interests coinciding with the first anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden by US Navy Seals during a clandestine raid into his hide-out in Abbottabad in Pakistan on May 2 of last year, says security expert B Raman
US supplied surveillance jets were the "prime targets" of Taliban militants who possibly received "inside support and help" for their Rambo-style attack on Mehran naval airbase in the Pakistani port city of Karachi
United States Congressman Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has said that if there's evidence of official Pakistani complicity in the harbouring of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, there's no way this can be kept a secret from the American public
Mumbai has turned into a fortress of sorts to receive United States President Barack Obama on November 6. Extraordinary security measures have been taken to ensure that the American President has a safe trip.
The Indian Navy said it was in a high state of readiness to "deter, prevent and defeat" any "misadventure" by Pakistan in the maritime domain.
On the parade ground are sons of jawans, farmers, LIC agents, daily wage farm labourers, shopkeepers... all living their moment of triumph; their faces bright with the possibilities that lie ahead.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the need for the recruitment of new talent to support the rapid modernisation of the armed forces and win future wars amid reports that the military has committed more resources to enrol 3 lakh personnel for frontline positions.
Amid growing tension between the civilian and military leadership in Pakistan, United States has said it had not sought or received any assurances from the Pakistani army that it would not stage a coup.
Many countries including the United States and France have offered help to India in its ongoing operations to bring out bodies in the sunken submarine INS Sindhurakshak.
The United States will replace two P-3C Orion maritime surveillance planes of the Pakistan Navy that were destroyed in a terrorist attack on a naval airbase in Karachi last month, according to a media report on Saturday.
Here's a recap of the events from the past 24 hours.
