Breaking his silence on Malegaon main accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Leader of Opposition L K Advani openly came out in support of the sadhvi, saying that he was shocked and outraged by the way the sadhvi was being treated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad.

Charged with working against the principles and policies of the BSP - the party they joined in August this year - former external affairs minister, K Natwar Singh, and his son Jagat Singh, have been expelled from the party. BSP general secretary, Satish Chandra Mishra, charged Natwar Singh with "indiscipline" and indulging in "anti-party activities" after being denied Rajya Sabha nomination.

With the future at stake, letting bygones be bygones, it was a forgiving day all around in the world's clubbiest legislative body - the American Senate, when Senate Republicans unanimously re-elected their leadership and the Democrats refrained from turning cannibal on Joe Lieberman.

Moscow - A Kremlin bill to extend the presidential term from four to six years was almost unanimously voted through its second reading Wednesday in Russia's lower house of parliament.

The proposed constitutional amendment now faces one final reading.

While President Dmitry Medvedev launched the draft law, constitutional experts say the law would not apply to him.

Many analysts say he is just a seat warmer setting the way for 12 more years of Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. Currently serving as prime minister, Putin has not ruled out another presidential term.

Putin backed the term extensions this week but said it was "premature" to say who they might benefit.

Charged with working against the principles and policies of the BSP - the party they joined in August this year - former external affairs minister, K Natwar Singh, and his son Jagat Singh, have been expelled from the party. BSP general secretary, Satish Chandra Mishra, charged Natwar Singh with "indiscipline" and indulging in "anti-party activities" after being denied Rajya Sabha nomination.

Bangkok - It's been hard times for Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the man who dominated the country's politics between 2001 to 2006 and continues to be the central character in the kingdom's on-going political drama.

Even with his brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, in place as prime minister and the current cabinet packed with his cronies and nominees, Thaksin has been unable to prevent a series of legal setbacks that have seen him reduced from Thailand's most powerful politician to a homeless, wifeless, fugitive from the law.

Predictably, Thaksin has not taken his new status lying down.