Discerning citizens and civil society organisations that have remained in the forefront defending the interests of the Bhopal gas victims on Wednesday reacted sharply to the Supreme Court decision dismissing the CBI’s curative petition against an earlier judgment of the apex court that diluted the charges against the accused in the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster case.

The outcome of the Assembly polls for the four states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry would be known by Friday noon when counting would be taken up in all the 839 counting halls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) S.Y. Quraishi stated this here on Wednesday.

In a view contrary to that of his party, BJP leader L.K. Advani on Thursday appeared to appreciate Rahul Gandhi's role in the on-going farmer agitation in Greater Noida, saying anyone supports the cause of peasants is doing good for them.

Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik on Wednesday disfavoured the creation of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) “in the present format” and said it will only obstruct the system.
“I would like to emphasise and reiterate that IAF is all for the formation of CDS, but we are against appointment of CDS in the present format...The appointment in this format will only create another obstruction to the system,” Mr Naik said here.

UP chief minister Mayawati 0n Thursday accused the Congress and other Opposition parties of attempting to disturb law and order by spreading rumours on land acquisition and dubbed Rahul Gandhi's dharna in Greater Noida as "mean theatrics".

Aggreived by being referred as "tainted" and being listed in the category of "men who shamed India" by the media, former Central vigilance commissioner P.J. Thomas has approached the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe into alleged distortion in the reporting of his case.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will travel to Kabul Thursday in what will be his first visit to Afghanistan since August 2005. His visit can be expected to deliver “a lot of tangibles”, a government source said, without elaborating. He will likely tell Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai that India’s assistance to Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development was not contingent on presence and absence of foreign troops, and that India was in it for the long haul.

Six years after he made his first trip to Afghanistan as Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh on Thursday embarked on a two-day visit to Kabul during which he will discuss terrorism, regional development and ways to step up India's assistance to the war-torn country.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will travel to Kabul Thursday in what will be his first visit to Afghanistan since August 2005. His visit can be expected to deliver “a lot of tangibles”, a government source said, without elaborating. He will likely tell Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai that India’s assistance to Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development was not contingent on presence and absence of foreign troops, and that India was in it for the long haul.

The six week-wait for who will rule Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal will end on Friday when counting of votes for Assembly elections will be taken up.