A CHARITY drive set up by a Lions Club in Cork to aid the victims of the Pakistani earthquake is to go national.

India has offered $25m (€20.5m) in aid to Pakistan, an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, in the latest goodwill gesture between the two countries since a powerful earthquake devastated the disputed Kashmir region.

PAKISTANI and US military helicopters delivered aid at a brisk pace to the earthquake-stricken region of Kashmir yesterday.

The leaders of India and Pakistan met today and promised measures to gradually ease tensions between their nations and explore a peaceful settlement for the disputed Kashmir region.

Pakistan’s premier restored transport links with neighbour India today, announced full diplomatic ties and called for confidence-building measures concerning their nuclear arsenals.

Seven people were killed in a gun battle between separatist militants and Indian soldiers in Kashmir today, police said.

The Indian army today said it had killed five Pakistani members of an Islamic militant group.

Pakistan’s President Gen Pervez Musharraf met his top politicians today, assuring them that the armed forces are capable of countering any Indian aggression.

Fearing widespread starvation in Afghanistan if America attacks, the United Nations has sent its first food shipments there since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

India and Pakistan were ready to sign a landmark accord twice at this week's three-day peace summit, but it fell apart both times, according to Pakistan's Interior Minister.

Pakistan today responded ‘‘in a positive spirit’’ to India’s offer for peace talks, but at the same time denounced its neighbour for ending a ceasefire in the disputed Kashmir region.