A day after signing a strategic partnership with India, Afghan President Hamid Karzai sought to put Islamabad at ease by stating that the pact is not directed against any country or any other entity.

India and Afghanistan signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership here on Tuesday, a move that is unlikely to go down well with Islamabad at a time when its ties with Kabul have soured. The agreement envisions bilateral ties on an altogether different and broader plane, encompassing areas such as security and economic cooperation.

External affairs minister S.M. Krishna met Afghan President Hamid Karzai early Tuesday evening while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hosted a dinner for the visiting dignitary.

The Centre is hoping that the proposed Teesta Waters Treaty with Bangladesh may still happen once the “small technical misunderstanding” between it and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is sorted out. The proposed treaty, which had been billed as one of the high-points of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent Dhaka visit, could not be signed leading to considerable disappointment on both sides.

The much-awaited Teesta water sharing agreement between India and Bangladesh, due to be signed between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina Wajed during Dr Singh’s landmark Dhaka visit beginning on Tuesday, is virtually off.

“What is India doing in Afghanistan?” That is the subject of one of the cables from the US embassy here, obtained by WikiLeaks, regarding India’s engagement with yet another neighbour.

The cable, da

“What is India doing in Afghanistan?” That is the subject of one of the cables from the US embassy here, obtained by WikiLeaks, regarding India’s engagement with yet another neighbour.

The JD(U) leader, Sharad Yadav’s speech on the Lokpal Bill in the Lok Sabha on Saturday held the House in thrall with members, including those from the Treasury benches, egging him on.

No remark perh

It wasn’t merely a speech laced with wit, sarcasm and humour but also one that appeared to reflect the collective anguish and anger of MPs for being shown in extremely poor light by some prominent members of Team Anna and their supporters.

The Tibetan government-in-exile stands on the cusp of change, with its first democratically-elected Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister), Lobsang Sangay, being sworn in as the political head on Monday in Dharamsala. On the relatively young shoulders of the Darjeeling-born, Harvard academic rest the hopes of