Mr Pranab Mukherjee may have moved from the hurly-burly of active politics to becoming the country’s 13th President.

India and the US are close to inking a preliminary contract in connection with the proposed construction of six nuclear reactors by an American company in Mithi Virdi in Gujarat.

India and the US are close to inking a preliminary contract in connection with the proposed construction of six nuclear reactors by an American company in Mithi Virdi in Gujarat.

In a prescient sort of way, the world outside began warming to Narendra Modi just a little less than a year ago. And now that Narendra Modi has been anointed the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, it’s expected that more foreign governments will warm up to Mr Modi, seeking to end the pariah status many bestowed upon him post the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Africa’s first female President and a powerful and respected voice in the continent and in international fora, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, arrives in the capital on September 9 on a five-day state visit.

In a message clearly aimed at Pakistan, India has asserted that no terror attack can impact the development assistance it provides to Afghanistan. The message has been conveyed during foreign secretary Sujatha Singh’s just-concluded visit to Afghanistan.

When Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki arrives here on Thursday, he will become the first head of government from his country to set foot on Indian soil in 38 years.

With US-led Nato forces set to withdraw from Afghanistan next year, India is stepping in to provide military equipment to the Hamid Karzai-led government. President Karzai’s “wish list” for defence equipment is expected to be discussed with the Indian leadership during the on-going visit of Afghan second vice-president, Mohammad Karim Khalili.

As the government prepares to introduce legislation in Parliament that will enable implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh, the Sheikh Hasina government is hoping that its passage will help bridge the growing “trust deficit” between the two neighbours.

Attempting to ease bilateral tensions, Pak PM Nawaz Sharif also said he was looking forward to his proposed meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York in late September.