PAKISTAN: Despite being involved in peace negotiations with neighbouring India, Pakistan test-fired a nuclear-type missile yesterday morning.
It was Pakistan's third time to test the Ghazanvi missile, which is said to have a range of 290 km. India has alleged that technology for the missile was given to Islamabad by China or North Korea in the 1990s.
Six weeks ago, Pakistan also tested its Ghauri V missile, which has a range of 1,500 km, making it capable of reaching many Indian cities. Last Friday, India test-fired a surface-to-air short-range missile on the coast of eastern Orissa state.
Two years ago, tensions between the two nuclear-armed Asian states brought them to the brink of war.
Now a peace process is underway and on November 24th, Pakistan's Prime Minister, Mr Shaukat Aziz, and his Indian counterpart, Dr Manmohan Singh, met for the first time in New Delhi.
Foreign ministers of both countries will meet in Islamabad on December 23rd-24th to discuss a wide range of issues, including the disputed region of Kashmir, a constant source of tension between them.
The territory of Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India but is claimed in its entirety by both countries.
The issue has sparked off two of the three wars that have taken place between Pakistan and India since the two countries gained independence from Britain in 1947.
Kashmir is potentially one of the most dangerous disputes in the world.
Six years ago, India and Pakistan both declared themselves to be nuclear powers with a series of nuclear tests. In 2002 there was a massive deployment of troops on both sides of the border as India responded to an armed attack on its national parliament in Delhi the previous December.
India claimed the attack was carried out by Pakistani-based militants assisted by the Pakistan government - a charge consistently rejected by Pakistan.
Yesterday's test was the fifth of its kind carried out by Pakistan this year.