U.S. Coaxes India, Pakistan on Nukes

If only they could settle this on the cricket field... U.S. envoy Strobe Talbott left India for Pakistan Monday, continuing his quest to persuade both nations to sign the nuclear test ban treaty. Despite both countries' reported willingness to make concessions in order to have U.S. sanctions lifted, getting their signatures on the treaty may yet prove difficult. "The problem in both countries is that no government will survive if it signs unilaterally, because that will be seen as compromising national security," says TIME New Delhi correspondent Maseeh Rahman. "So the U.S. has to maneuver them into a position where they can sign at the same time and claim to have won concessions." And that's not easy with two countries that have been at each other's throats for 50 years.

Talbott could take hope from Saturday's events in Madras, however. Pakistan's cricketers did a victory lap after their dramatic victory in the first cricket match in 13 years between the traditional enemies (such matches are played over the course of several days) -- and tens of thousands of Indian fans gave them a rousing cheer. Small miracles wrought with ball and bat.