PM Narendra Modi appeals to well off people to give up subsidised LPG - Financial Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today appealed to the well off people to give up subsidised cooking gas, and expressed his government's resolve to reduce dependence on energy imports by 10 per cent by 2022.

Sharing oil companies' plans to increase piped cooking gas connection to one crore households from 27 lakh currently in the next four years, Modi said the decision to surrender LPG subsidy by 2.8 lakh consumers would result in a savings of Rs 100 crore.

"I had made a small mention about giving up LPG subsidy. As many as 2.80 lakh people has responded positively…and this will lead to a saving of at least Rs 100 crore. This Rs 100 crore can be utilised for the welfare of poor", Modi said while speaking at the 'Urja Sangam' here.

Since the government started the new scheme of direct benefit transfer (DBT) for cooking gas, several persons opted out of the subsidy scheme.

Modi said that 12 crore bank accounts opened under the Jan Dhan scheme are being used for transferring subsidies directly to the consumers which has helped in plugging the leakages and effectively fighting corruption.

"To fight corruption, if institutional mechanism, transparent mechanism, policy driven system can be put in place then we can prevent leakages. And this has been proved by cash transfer," the Prime Minister said.

Referring to India's 77 per cent dependence on energy imports, Modi said the effort should be to reduce it by 10 per cent by 2022, when India will celebrate 75 years of Independence.

"We can reduce this import by at least 10 per cent in 2022. This 10 per cent we will produce ourselves and this should be our dream.

"If we become successful in reducing import by 10 per cent in 2022, by achieving 10 per cent growth in domestic production, then I can assure you that by 2030 we can reduce this import to 50 per cent," he added.

Modi said the country needs to increase domestic output of energy to reduce dependence on imports.

"Our target has to be higher, only then we can reduce the import…for that we have to make effort," he said, adding that the domestic energy companies should aim to become multinationals.

Most of the public and private companies are operating within the country and they need to look out and tap the energy market which is global, the Prime Minister said.

"These days energy diplomacy is a new area. In global relations energy diplomacy has become a requirement. The more our companies become multinational, the more we can increase our reach and space in this sector," he added.

He also underlined the need to strengthen institutional mechanism to deal with the future problems of the energy sector.

Modi said he hoped that the country's young population and the government's focus on skill development would help in dealing with the challenges in the energy sector.

Observing that 12 crore bank accounts under the Jan Dhan scheme were opened in 100 days, he said that this "Jan Dhan has become Jan Shakti" with the government transferring subsidy directly into these accounts.

Recalling initiatives taken by the government in the energy sector, he said diesel prices have been deregulated and 5-kg cylinder was launched for the benefit of poor as well as the students.

The government, Modi said, was also encouraging blending of ethanol with petrol as it would some relief to the sugar sector which is facing glut.

The farmers, he added, would be encouraged to use barren land to grow jethropha which is used in manufacturing biodiesel.

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New York buildings collapse in possible gas blast, 19 hurt - The Globe and Mail

Four apartment buildings in New York's East Village neighborhood caught fire from an apparent gas explosion on Thursday and three collapsed, causing 19 injuries, authorities said.

The blast shortly after 3 p.m. sent flames leaping into the sky and rocked the residential area in Manhattan. Bloodied victims ran from the buildings, collapsing on the street, witnesses said.

More Related to this Story

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference that preliminary evidence indicated it was a gas-related explosion.

A Fire Department spokesman said late on Thursday that three of the four buildings had collapsed or partially collapsed.

The fourth building "is still involved with some pockets of fire, it's still an active scene. Investigation is still ongoing," he said.

Nineteen people were hurt. Four, all civilians, were in critical condition, the spokesman said.

The Con Edison utility said in a statement that its inspectors had been at the site on Thursday to evaluate work a building plumber was doing in a building for a gas service upgrade. The work failed to pass inspection, it said.

The seven-alarm blaze in the neighborhood of small businesses, restaurants and apartments involved more than 250 Fire Department personnel.

Moishe Perl, 64, who owns Moishe's Bake Shop nearby, said he heard an explosion, ran outside and saw the lower floors of a building start to crumble.

"Most of the people were running out of the building and climbing down the fire escape," he said, while others were helped out of windows by passersby.

Ben Mackinnon, 28, said he was drinking coffee in a cafe when he heard an explosion from across the street.

"The explosion was big enough that the door of the cafe blew open," Mackinnon said.

He said he saw several bloodied men emerge from a sushi restaurant where the explosion appeared to originate. One of them fell to the pavement.

Shameem Noor, a cashier at the Veselka restaurant about a block away, said he heard the blast and saw three or four people fall to the street.

The four buildings contain 49 apartments, according to a spokesman for the American Red Cross at the scene. The ground floors were occupied by small eateries.

A relocation center for displaced residents was set up in a nearby elementary school, the Red Cross spokesman said.

Early on Friday morning, firefighters were battling a separate apartment blaze burning on the top floor of a six-story building some 3 miles north, the New York Fire Department said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

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Salman Khan's Request to Ban Media in Hit-And-Run Case Hearing Rejected ... - NDTV

Actor Salman Khan testified in court on the Mumbai hit-and-run case today.

Mumbai:  Salman Khan is recording his statement in a court in Mumbai today in a 13-year-old hit-and-run case. The 49-year-old actor is accused of running over pavement dwellers with his SUV in the early hours of September 28, 2002. One person was killed and four were injured.

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Andreas Lubitz: Everything we know about Germanwings plane crash co-pilot - Telegraph.co.uk

"The co-pilot is alone at the controls," prosecutor Brice Robin said, drawing on information gathered from the black box recorder. "He voluntarily refused to open the door of the cockpit to the pilot and voluntarily began the descent of the plane."

Mr Robin said Lubitz had a "deliberate desire to destroy this plane. He ... refused to open the door of the cockpit to the pilot and deliberately began the descent of the plane".

^{Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot of the doomed Germanwings airliner, competing in a Lufthansa marathon in 2013. Credit: Wolfgang Nass/BILD}

The young Lubitz was brought up in the small town of Montabaur, 20 minutes' drive from the German city of Koblentz.

With his father a successful business executive and his mother a piano teacher his family could well afford the cost of flying lessons at his local club, Luftorts Club Westerwald.

Here he first started in the cockpit of a light aircraft at the age of 14 and after a couple of years of instruction under dual controls was able to fly on his own.

Klaus Radker, the club's chairman, said: "It was his dream to fly from an early age and it was a dream he began to fulfil here, so when he went on to gain his commercial licence and fly planes like the Airbus he was very happy and proud."

^{Andreas Lubitz competing in a Lufthansa marathon in 2013 (Wolfgang Nass/BILD)}

Mr Radker last saw Lubitz in the autumn of last year, when the Germanwings pilot returned to the club to renew his light aircraft flying licence and take part in the club's barbecue, which he attended with a girlfriend.

Nobody at the club noticed anything strange in his demeanour.

"He seemed normal. Proud of his job after so much training. He seemed happy," said Mr Radker. "I always found him a friendly, if very reserve, person. Open and polite."

• The pilots who immolated themselves and their passengers
• 'We only hear screams in the last seconds. Death was instant.'

Lubitz left Montabaur at the age of 20 in 2007 to begin his commercial pilot's training in the northern German city of Bremen.

It was a year into his training that he appears to have suffered the breakdown and took a break, before returning to qualify.

^{An investigator carries bags with items that have been collected in the house of the family of Andreas Lubitz (AP)}

A mother of a schoolmate told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he had told her daughter he had taken a break from his pilot training because he was suffering from depression.

"Apparently he had a burnout, he was in depression," the woman, whom the paper did not name.

She said her daughter had seen him again just before Christmas and that he had appeared normal. She added he was a "lovely boy". "He had a good family background," she told the paper.

By the time of the accident he was still relatively inexperienced, having notched up only 630 hours of flying time, compared to the flight's captain, who had flown for more than 6,000 hours and had worked for Lufthansa for 10 years.

The captain was Patrick Sonderheimer, a father to two children, had joined Germanwings in May 2014. Previously he was a pilot with Lufthansa and Condor, a Lufthansa partner airline. He had been a pilot for 10 years.

Like many Mr Radker has also been left stunned by what happened above the French Alps on Tuesday, and he was anxious that a full and comprehensive investigation takes place before final judgment is passed on his fellow club member.

"Both the people who died and their friends and family survived deserved that, at the very least," he said. "I find it hard to believe that Andreas, who dreamt of flying and of being a pilot, would deliberately fly his plane into a mountain and kill all those people.

"If that is true it also means that the results of all the psychological tests he would have had to take to be a pilot were wrong."

The 27-year-old's parents' neighbours in the affluent suburb on the edge of Montabaur all spoke of a polite, if not particularly gregarious, man.

Johannes Rossbach, 23, who lives two doors away from Lubitz, said he would regularly see the pilot jogging through the neighbourhood's quiet streets.

Mr Rossbach said: "He was very polite. He would always say hello and goodbye. There certainly seemed nothing out of the ordinary about him."

He added: "I didn't realise he was a pilot until I heard it yesterday. And today's news is absolutely shocking. I can't believe someone like that would kill 149 other people. It's something that absolutely needs investigating and proving before we can believe it."

^{A police officer leaves a house believed to belong to Andreas Lubitz in Montabaur (Reuters)}

It was Carsten Spohr, CEO of Germanwings parent company, in a press conference on Thursday who first said that Lubitz "took a break in his training six years ago. Then he did the tests (technical and psychological) again. And he was deemed 100 percent fit to fly".

"I am not able to state the reasons why he took the break for several months."

• Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed deliberately: latest news
• 'We only hear screams in the last seconds. Death was instant'
• Links with MH370 and other crashes to be investigated

Lubitz was identified as a German citizen and Mr Robin said he was not known to terrorism links or extremist links, but the prosecutor said he was expecting more information from the German authorities. Mr Robin added his religion was "unknown".

Lubitz also had a flat in Dusseldorf and he was an avid runner who often took part in local races, according to public records.

In 2007, Lubitz came 72nd out of 780 participants in a 10-kilometre New Year's week run in Montabaur, racing alongside his then 54-year-old father, Günter Lubitz, according to results posted by the organisers on its website that year.

He also ran the Lufthansa Frankfurt half-marathon in 2013, 2012 and 2011 alongside his father, finishing in times varying from just under 1 hour 49 to 1 hour 37 minutes, according to results published online.

On his Facebook profile, he said he was especially interested in the A320 and followed pilots chatroom in which they discussed technical aspects and different scenarios. His Facebook page has now been removed.

Late on Wednesday, it became clear that one of the pilots was locked out of the cockpit before the Germanwings plane descended and tried to get back in - to no avail, according to a senior source within the investigation team.

The pilot knocked on the door but there was no answer, according to the New York Times source after Flight 4U 9525 crashed on Tuesday near Digne-les-Bains in the French Alps. It was one of France's worst aviation disasters.

The source said: "The guy outside is knocking lightly on the door, and there is no answer. And then he hits the door stronger, and no answer. There is never an answer."

The information came to light after the cockpit voice recorder - 'black box' - was found after the Airbus A320 operated by the budget subsidiary of Lufthansa crashed during its route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf.

^{The voice data recorder of the Germanwings jetliner that crashed in the French Alps}

According to Brice Robin, the French prosecutor, who revealed that the co-pilot crashed the place intentionally.

We heard the captain ask the co-pilot to take control, then we hear the noise of a seat that goes back and a door open, we can assume he went to relieve himself.

The co-pilot was alone. It is it this moment that the copilot manipulates the buttons of flight monitoring system to action the descent of the plane.

The action of this selectioner of altitude can only be deliberate. We hear the captain then speaks via an interphone to speak to the co-pilot, no response of copilot, he taps on door, no response of copilot, all we can hear is the sound of breathing, until impact suggesting the co-pilot was alive until impact."

^{Andreas Lubitz crashed the plane 'intentionally'}

Local authorities in Dusseldorf said the Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was 27, and not 28 as reported earlier.

Lufthansa said both pilots were trained at the Lufthansa Flight Training School in Bremen.

The chief executive of Lufthansa has said there were no indications of abnormal behaviour in Lubitz and that there is "no system in the world" that could have predicted and prevented his actions.

"He was 100 percent fit to fly. There was no particular thing to note or to watch out for (in him)."

"We choose our staff very stricty. the choice of staff is very strict - we not only take into account their technical knowledge but also the pyschological aspect of our staff."

He said the psychological tests carried out on their pilots by a specialised German training centre were regarded as among the best in the world.

"The co-pilot qualified as a pilot in 2008. He first worked as a steward and then became a first officer (pilot) in 2013."

"He took a break in his training six years ago. Then he did the tests (technical and psychological) again. And he was deemed fit to fly."

"He took a several months break for reasons i do not know. Then he had to do the test again."

Mr Spohr said that in the US there is a rule that a steward remains in the cockpit when a pilot leaves, but that this is not the case in Europe and that he does not think it is necessary to change the procedures, despite the tragedy.

^{A model of a Germanwings plane is placed among flowers and lit candles in Cologne Bonn airport (REUTERS)}

Peter Ruecker, a friend of Lutbitz from his home air club, LSC Westerwald, said he did not believe he was capable of such a thing" as flying was his "dream".

"He did his flight training in the club from an early age. He was a very calm and very precise young man. He took his baccalaureate here in Montabaur," Mr Ruecker told RTL radio.

"He was a perfectly normal young man. He was very happy with this job. He was satisfied and happy. He had achieved his dream: from an amateur pilot, he become a professional. He had no problems. I don't believe him capable of such a thing."

The German newspaper Bild reported the first officer was from Montabaur in Rheinland-Pfalz and cited the city mayor Gabriele Wieland speaking to the DPA press agency.

Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa, said the two pilots trained in Phoenix, Arizona and that the co-pilot started in 2008 after waiting for eight months. He first worked as a flight attendant.

"Since 2013 he was a first officer. After the training there was a long interruption (until he begun flying) but the person was fit to continue. He went through all medical checks and examinations. He was fit for flying without any interruptions," Mr Spohr added.

"His performance was without criticism - nothing at all was striking."

The Lubitzs' half a million euro detached home - a large, grey roof tiled building from where their son would set out for the short journey to the flying club, set on a plateau on one of the hills surrounding hills - is now a being treated as a potential crime scene.

On Thursday afternoon groups of plain clothes police officers began carrying out a forensic search of the house. They are also thought to be searching a flat Lubitz rented in Dusseldorf, 84 miles to the north.

"We are conducting a search of the parents' home," Ralf Herrenbrück, Dusseldorf chief prosecutor, told The Wall Street Journal. "All investigative measures are now under way."

Armin Pleiss, head teacher of the Mons-Tabor-Gymnasium high school where Lubitz graduated in 2007, said: "I am just as shocked and surprised as you are."

Laura, a neighbour whose brother was in the same year as Lubitz at the high school, added:

"I didn't know him well, but to me he seemed very private, perhaps a little bit withdrawn. But who would have guessed at something so shocking happening?"

The flying club which the first officer was a member of released a statement in tribute to him:

Andreas became a member of the association as a teenager, he wanted to realise his dream of flying. He began as a gliding student and made it to become a pilots on an Airbus 320.

He was able to fulfil his dream, the dream he has now so dearly paid for with his life. The members of the LSC Westerwald mourn Andreas and the other 149 victims of the disaster on March 24, 2015.

Our deepest sympathy goes out to the families. We will not forget Andrew. The members of the Luftsportclub Westerwald."

Additional reporting by Harriet Alexander, Rory Mulholland and Justin Huggler

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LIVE: Arvind Kejriwal is an autocrat, doesn't like people who oppose him, says ... - Zee News

New Delhi: The reconciliation talks between warring Aam Aadmi Party​ (AAP) factions have failed and it appears to be a matter of time before senior leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan are sacked from the party. Here are the latest developments:

• People in the party are spreading lies about us. I had never expected this - Bhushan
• But if talks start like 'either you tender your resignation or we'll remove you', then it (talks) will be difficult - Yadav
• If Kejriwal finds time to meet us, we will surely talk to him. There is nothing irreconcilable - Yadav
• Party workers have been sending letters to me and Prashant ji, they want the party to be united - Yadav​
• If the party agrees to our five demands, we will tender our resignation in 30 minutes - Yadav​
• I had even supported the idea that Kejriwal should continue as national convenor after taking over as Delhi chief minister - Bhushan
• Yadav asks his supporters not to raise slogans during the press conference.
• Why is Arvind Kejriwal silent amid all this? We have been forced to talk to him via a press conference - Prof Kumar
• AAP leader Professor Anand Kumar says Yadav and Bhushan never asked for Kejriwal to be removed as party's national convenor.
• The calls are being made from mobile number 9990009830 which is in the name of Pawan Sharma, who is the administrator of WhatsApp group of Delhi AAP MLAs - Yogendra Yadav
• A lie is being spread since the last few days regarding me that I have been running a campaign asking people over phone to promote me for the post of national convenor.
• We have written a letter regarding tomorrow's National Council meeting. We have demanded that it be held in a civilised manner and that it should be video-graphed. We have been informed that those attending tomorrow's National Council meeting have been asked not to bring in their mobile phones.
• We were always told that we should take Haryana. We always told them that it was never an issue.
• We reiterate today that if our five demands are met, tomorrow morning we will resign from all party executive posts - Bhushan
• Lies are being spread about us, that we have resigned. We had offered to resign only after our five demands were met, but the same never happened.
• Second, having a good intention is not enough, your means also need to be just and fair - Bhushan
• I always told Kejriwal that he had two shortcomings – first, you want to take decisions in an autocratic manner, you don't want people in you team who can oppose your decisions. He then told me that I have never been in an organisation where are my decisions are not accepted – Bhushan
• While we continued to oppose such a move, we were also kept in dark about the negotiations that were happening.
• When Congress stated that it will not support any AAP government, it reflected badly on the party
• In between, a letter was sent to the Delhi LG and the same got leaked in the media.
• We told him in this manner party will get split. The matter was then referred to the National Executive.
• Kejriwal then said Ï am the national convenor and I can take this decision (to take support from Congress)
• A PAC meeting was called and five members opposed such an idea.
• The idea was floated that we should form govt in Delhi by taking support from Congress. Many leaders opposed this.
• All this saga started after the Lok Sabha polls - Bhushan
• Kejriwal had said that either we should split or he will form a separate regional party with his 66 MLAs.
• We were told Arvind Kejriwal cannot work with us anymore - Bhushan
• We were asked not to raised any matter regarding the party chief - Bhushan
• The only thing we were told is that "you first resign from the National Executive; rest will sorted out later" - Bhushan
• I had sent an SMS to Arvind Kejriwal when he was returning from Bengaluru asking him to meet and sort out the issues. Unfortunately, he has not find time to meet us - Bhushan
• Prashant Bhushan is now speaking.
• Will AAP become a regional party or will continue to have national ambitions?
• The big question is – will AAP become a party like any other?
• As per party's constitution, National Council is not the forum where decision on national convenor can be taken. Only National Executive can decide on it - Yadav
• Who will be party's national convenor is not an issue, we have never raised it - Yadav
• We are happy that at tomorrow's National Council meet, important issues will be discussed instead of non-issues
• Trust in AAP has been broken by events of past few weeks - Yadav
• Fifth, if any voting takes place during tomorrow's National Council meeting it should be through secret ballot
• Fourth, we demanded that we should be transparent like we have been demanding of other parties and should accept RTI
• Thirdly, we demanded that volunteers who are soul of the party should be heard
• Second issue we raised was of internal probe by AAP Lokpal of incidents like recovery of liquor from AAP's Uttam Nagar candidate's home, donations to party through Rs 2 crore cheques
• We raised the first issue of independence of state units, that they be allowed to decide on local body polls
• We have raised several issues - Yadav
• A lot has happened in the past weeks - Yadav  
• The issues that have been raised are not of one or two individuals - Yadav
• It is a struggle to protect the soul of the movement - Yadav
• People have high expectations from party - Yadav
• APP has been born out of struggle - Yadav
• Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan are holding a press conference.
• The Arvind Kejriwal faction of AAP will hold a counter-press conference at around 1:30 pm, say reports.
• Dissident AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan are expected to hold a press conference shortly. It is widely expected that the duo may release a sting operation against a senior AAP leader.
• Party belongs to workers and they understand what the truth is - Ashutosh
• Even during polls Prashant Bhushan said that Arvind Kejriwal is worse than Congress' Ajay Maken. We never made the inside talks public - Ashutosh
• Party's image is getting marred, this is not good – AAP leader Ashutosh
• There is some deep conspiracy against Arvind Kejriwal. There were many "sting operations" to defame Arvind – AAP leader Dilip Pandey
• Greed for power is what is causing problems within AAP. This party is probably worse than other parties, says Congress leader PC Chacko.
• If nothing is working then you (Bhushan and Yadav) should depart gracefully, Vishwas tells ANI. He adds, "Personal jealousy and frustration is there. But there are also some forces behind the rift within the AAP."
• Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav themselves sent resignation through mail. They lied that they never resigned, says AAP leader Kumar Vishwas.
• It's unfortunate that excuses are made and impression is given that Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were against the party, says BJP leader Shazia Ilmi.  
• AAP Volunteers Aawaz Manch (AVAM) is also likely to hold a press conference today.
• Meanwhile, BJP has hit out at AAP amid its ongoing internal crisis. "AAP has degenerated into the worst kind of a party where one man is at the helm. It is turning to be another Congress where one man and one family rules," said BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao.
• AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan are expected to hold a press conference today.
• The AAP is heading for a showdown with reports stating that senior leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan would be sacked from the party at Saturday's National Council meet.

The latest round of negotiations to end infighting within the party ended in failure on Thursday night with both sides making allegations and counter-allegations against each other.

The AAP yesterday accused both Yadav and Bhushan of continuing to work against party chief Arvind Kejriwal. The duo, however, denied the allegations and said they had been told clearly during the negotiations that nothing less than their resignations from the National Executive would do.

AAP leader Ashish Khetan even claimed that the two had tendered their resignations but the duo denied this.

Khetan, a Kejriwal loyalist, said after a meeting of the AAP's Political Affairs Committee that there will be no further talks with Bhushan and Yadav and that all the issues will be taken up at the National Council meeting on Saturday.

Bhushan, meanwhile, told a press conference last night that they had never sought Kejriwal's resignation as the national convenor.

Shortly after, AAP leader Sanjay Singh told a counter-press conference that the two leaders' (Yadav and Bhushan's) ego led to the failure of reconciliation talks.

Last evening, senior party leaders Manish Sisodia also tweeted, "Talks with PB and YY failed. They insisting on removing AK from National Conv post. NC to decide on 28 July weather to remove AK or not! (sic)"

"Despite accepting all their demands they are insisting to remove AK. In public they say AK is the leader, in pvt they insist on his removal. (sic)"

Bhushan and Yadav, in an open letter, accused Kejriwal of initiating the reconciliation talks only to secure their resignation from the the National Executive and alleged that he was not showing seriousness on any of the major issues raised by them.

In the letter, Bhushan and Yadav said they had offered to resign, provided the party accepts a number of their demands to ensure greater transparency in the party.

"Slowly it dawned upon us that the principle intent of these talks is to secure our resignation. The bottomline for interlocutors from your side was that the two of us must resign from the National Executive. We were told that this is your personal insistence."

"We were told that you are not willing to be the national convenor as long as the two of us are members of National Executive," Bhushan and Yadav said in the letter.

Yadav and Bhushan, who have already been removed from party's Political Affairs Committee, further said they were told that Kejriwal was not willing to be the national convenor if they are part of the National Executive.

"This is exactly what you had said when demanding our removal from PAC."

In the letter, Yadav and Bhushan also claimed that they had never made any attempt to dislodge Kejriwal from national convenor's position in the party and that they always extended whatever support they could give to him.

"We have been compelled to communicate to you through this open letter. It is ten days since the two of us asked you for an appointment on your return from Bangalore. But you have not yet managed to find the time slot for us," they said.

At a press conference, Yadav said he and Bhushan were ready to resign if five of their demands, including ordering probe into all the recent allegations of irregularities by party's Lokpal and allowing the party to public scrutiny under provisions of RTI, were met.

Last night, Yadav also made public a "note", jointly written with Bhushan, which he had sent to the party on March 17 claiming that they had proposed their resignation from all party posts conditional to acceptance of their demands.

Countering the claim made by Kejriwal loyalists that the Yadav-Bhushan duo had voluntarily offered to step down, Yadav said that towards the end of the note, in which the duo laid down certain demands, they said upon acceptance of these they would resign from the National Executive and also give up other positions.

"If these are accepted, both of us will happily step down from the National Executive and will also give up all other party positions and responsibilities," Yadav stated.

(With Agency inputs)

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World Cup 2015: Australian media go on overdrive; skipper Michael Clarke ... - Daily News & Analysis

Clarke, who had just led the co-hosts to a crushing 95-run win against the defending champions, was facing the media at the post-match press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground, when he was asked to comment on 'tremendous sex' he had enjoyed since taking over as captain.

Restrained in their criticism of the Indian cricket team, the usually aggressive Australian media was in celebratory mode as it focussed on lavishing praise on Michael Clarke's men for ousting the defending champions with a comprehensive semifinal triumph.

Chasing a stiff target of 329, India were all out for 233 in 46.5 overs and the media restricted its criticism to the the opportunities that the tourists failed to grab in the clash on Thursday. "If India were going to have any chance of chasing down Australia's target, it was going to come down to one of Dhoni or Kohli to go the distance but neither managed to," a report in the 'Daily Telegraph' said.

"There was hope for India for as long as MS Dhoni was still at the crease, but in the semi-final of the World Cup the Indian skipper simply gave up. Dhoni, possibly playing in his last ODI after his shock retirement from Test cricket recently, top-scored for India with 65 before being run out by Glenn Maxwell.

World Cup 2015 Final Australia v/s New Zealand : Kiwi fans hit back at Matthew Hayden's MCG jibe

"It was a superb throw, but Dhoni seemed to retire halfway down the pitch. There was no dive, no last-ditch attempt to make his ground, he simply ran straight down the tunnel. And with him vanished India's last sliver of hope," the report said. The report quoted former England captain Kevin Pietersen as having expressed surprise to Dhoni not even sliding his bat to reach to his crease.

"I don't know what Dhoni was doing here - he could have made it. Absolutely he could have made it," Pietersen said. Another newspaper 'Sydney Morning Herald' also described Dhoni's innings as "bizarre".

"Any questions over whether Australia's total of 328 for 7 would be enough were answered, although the nerves did not subside until Dhoni's bizarre 65 was brought to an end. Dhoni mysteriously held back a final assault on the distant victory target and it was only then that he began to put the foot down, belting Shane Watson for two sixes in a row," a report in the newspaper said.

"However, the India captain was run out brilliantly by Glenn Maxwell soon after and in keeping with the tone of his odd innings, Dhoni did not appear to put much effort into making his ground," it added.

World Cup 2015 Semifinal India v/s Australia: All over for Men in Blue

Sex life?

The Australian media also mentioned India's below-par performance here in the Test series and tri-series and said they must be happy to finally leave for home. Australia captain Michael Clarke was momentarily stumped by a bungled question which appeared to be about his 'sex life' as he celebrated World Cup semi-final win over India.

Clarke, who had just led the co-hosts to a crushing 95-run win against the defending champions, was facing the media at the post-match press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground, when he was asked to comment on 'the tremendous sex' he had enjoyed since taking over as captain.

The embarrassed reporter quickly corrected himself, telling Clarke he had meant to say 'the tremendous success'. "How well do you know me?" Clarke asked the journalist as man-of-the-match Steve Smith, who was sitting next to him, laughed. "It's a question for my wife," said the skipper.

Australia will face trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in Sunday's final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 

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Sensex, Nifty hit 10-week low - Business Standard

Key benchmark indices extended losses in early afternoon trade. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, and the 50-unit CNX Nifty, both, hit 10-week low. The Sensex was currently trading below the psychological 28,000 mark after falling below that level in opening trade. The Sensex was currently off 321.63 points or 1.14% at 27,790.20. The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was quite weak, with almost two losers against every gainer on BSE. Weakness in Asian stocks and increase in Brent crude prices weighed on sentiment.

Key benchmark indices extended losses in early afternoon trade. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, and the 50-unit CNX Nifty, both, hit 10-week low. The Sensex was currently trading below the psychological 28,000 mark after falling below that level in opening trade. The Sensex was currently off 321.63 points or 1.14% at 27,790.20. The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was quite weak, with almost two losers against every gainer on BSE. Weakness in Asian stocks and increase in Brent crude prices weighed on sentiment.

Metal and mining stocks declined. Airline stocks declined as crude oil prices edged higher.

Brent crude oil futures rose amid concern over the worsening geopolitical situation in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia said it and its allies had launched airstrikes on rebel forces in Yemen dampened sentiment on domestic bourses.

Higher crude oil prices could increase fiscal deficit and current account deficit and stoke fuel price inflation. India imports 80% of its crude oil requirement.

Indian stocks may remain volatile during the remaining part of the trading session today, 26 March 2015, as traders roll over positions in the futures & options (F&O) segment from the near month March 2015 series to April 2015 series. The near month March 2015 derivatives contracts expire today, 26 March 2015.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 813.19 crore yesterday, 25 March 2015, as per provisional data. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 96.52 crore yesterday, 25 March 2015, as per provisional data.

In overseas markets, Asian stocks edged lower as tensions in the Middle East and overnight losses on Wall Street soured sentiment. US markets dropped sharply yesterday, 25 March 2015, as downbeat economic data and continued concerns over the strong US dollar hit investor sentiment.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar as global oil prices rose amid tensions in Middle East.

At 12:15 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 321.63 points or 1.14% at 27,790.20. The index lost 365.63 points at the day\'s low of 27,746.20 in early afternoon trade, its lowest level since 15 January 2015. The index fell 114.69 points at the day\'s high of 27,997.14 in early trade.

The CNX Nifty was down 79.90 points or 0.94% at 8,450.90. The index hit a low of 8,437.25 in intraday trade, its lowest level since 15 January 2015. The index hit a high of 8,499.45 in intraday trade.

The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was quite weak, with almost two losers against every gainer on BSE. 1,590 shares declined and 820 shares gained. A total of 84 shares were unchanged.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was off 40.29 points or 0.39% at 10,402.90. The BSE Small-Cap index was off 64.06 points or 0.61% at 10,515.90. The fall in both these indices was lower than the Sensex\'s decline in percentage terms.

The total turnover on BSE amounted to Rs 1260 crore by 12:15 IST compared with turnover of Rs 987 crore by 11:15 IST.

Metal and mining stocks declined. Sesa Sterlite (down 2.04%), JSW Steel (down 2.05%), Steel Authority of India (Sail) (down 0.14%), Hindustan Copper (down 2.02%), National Aluminium Company (down 0.69%), Jindal Steel & Power (down 0.62%) and Hindalco Industries (down 1.54%) edged lower.

Tata Steel (up 0.12%) and Hindustan Zinc (up 0.28%) rose.

NMDC fell 0.32%. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NMDC and Ministry of Steel on the commitments of the company pertaining to its performance for the year 2015-16. The announcement was made during market hours today, 26 March 2015. The significant parameters of the MoU are production and sale of iron ore including related financials, project implementation, research & development efforts, environment monitoring, energy conservation, quality compliance, manpower productivity, human resource management and customer satisfaction, NMDC said. However, NMDC did not disclose the actual targets of iron ore production and sale for the year 2015-16.

Airline stocks declined as crude oil prices edged higher. Jet Airways (India) (down 0.98%) and SpiceJet (down 1.86%) edged lower. Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF) typically makes up almost half of an airline\'s operating cost. Prices of jet fuel are directly linked to crude oil prices.

PSU OMCs review jet fuel prices on the last day of the month based on the average imported oil price for the month.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar as global oil prices rose amid tensions in the Middle East. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 62.685, compared with its close of 62.335 during the previous trading session.

Brent crude oil futures rose amid concern over the worsening geopolitical situation in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia said it and its allies had launched airstrikes on rebel forces in Yemen dampened sentiment on domestic bourses. Brent for May settlement was up $1.75 a barrel at $58.23 a barrel. The contract had gained $1.37 a barrel or 2.48% to settle at $56.48 a barrel during the previous trading session.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly said yesterday, 25 March 2015, that the government hopes to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill for the introduction of a nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the country during the second half of the Budget session of the parliament. The second half of the Budget session of the parliaments begins on 20 April 2015. The government tabled the Constitution Amendment Bill for GST in the Lok Sabha during the winter session of parliament. GST, touted as the single biggest indirect taxation reforms since independence, will simplify and harmonise the indirect tax regime in the country. Central taxes like Central Excise Duty, Additional Excise Duties, Service Tax, Additional Customs Duty (CVD) and Special Additional Duty of Customs (SAD), etc. will be subsumed in GST. At the state level, taxes like VAT/Sales Tax, Central Sales Tax, Entertainment Tax, Octroi and Entry Tax, Purchase Tax and Luxury Tax, etc. would be subsumed in GST.

Asian stocks edged lower today, 26 March 2015, as tensions in the Middle East and overnight losses on Wall Street soured sentiment. Key benchmark indices in Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea fell by 0.07% to 1.39%. Key benchmark indices in China and Singapore rose by 0.49% to 0.51%.

Trading in US index futures indicated that the Dow could fall 21 points at the opening bell today, 26 March 2015. US markets dropped sharply yesterday, 25 March 2015 as downbeat economic data and continued concerns over the strong US dollar hit investor sentiment.

In economic data, US business investment spending plans fell for a sixth straight month in February weighed down by a strengthening dollar, weak global demand and restrained activity due to poor weather. The Commerce Department said yesterday, 25 March 2015, that non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, dropped 1.4% in February after a revised 0.1% dip in January.

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Arvind Kejriwal adamant on removal of Yadav, Bhushan from AAP's National ... - Zee News

New Delhi: The internal rift within Aam Aadmi Party has widened with party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal insisting on Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan's removal from the National Executive, ahead of the crucial National Council meeting on March 28.

According to news agency ANI, AAP sources have confirmed that Kejriwal is adamant on removal of Bhushan and Yadav from National Executive.

The AAP sources further said that as long as Yadav and Bhushan are in the party, Kejriwal has refused to take calls related to party work and its responsibilities.

Resolution will be moved in National Council to remove Yadav and Bhushan. The final decision will be taken by voting on the resolution, the sources added.

Reports suggest that Kejriwal conveyed his stand during AAP's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) held on Wednesday evening.

The PAC is scheduled to meet at 6 pm again today at Kejriwal's residence and deliberate on the contentious issue.

Sources said Yadav and Bhushan made it clear that there was no valid ground for them to step down from the 21-member National Executive and Kejriwal loyalists should instead address the issues raised by them.

Last ditch efforts by party Lokpal Admiral Ramdas to push for reconciliation failed to make any headway with both camps sticking to their stands.

However, Ilyas Azmi, member of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), said patch-up efforts were still underway. "We will keep trying till the last minute," he said after the PAC meeting here.

Ahead of the meeting, Ramdas, a former Navy chief, held deliberations with Kejriwal for more than an hour, during which he is understood to have conveyed to the party leader to take steps to restore unity and peace in the party.

"He (Kejriwal) is not willing to concede and has been demanding resignation of Bhushan and Yadav. Even Ramdas tried to intervene, but it is heading nowhere," said a leader close to Yadav.

Those backing Bhushan and Yadav said that the two leaders will not concede to the demands of Kejriwal.

The internal rift figured in the PAC, the highest decision-making body, where majority of the members reasserted their strong support to Kejriwal.

The party's NC is expected to deliberate on the issues in the party. Both Kejriwal and Yadav are trying to consolidate volunteers support ahead of the meeting.

The talks that began last week with the aim of bridging the trust deficit between the two groups after Yadav and Bhushan were ousted from the PAC showed no signs of rapprochement.

Yadav and Bhushan have been pressing for resolution of key issues like implementation of critical matters such as volunteer participation in AAP's decision making, autonomy to its state units, bringing the party under the ambit of RTI and appointment of Lokayukta at the state level.

Late in the night, Yogendra Yadav tweeted:  

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Delhi Daredevils name JP Duminy as skipper for IPL 8 - Zee News

New Delhi: South African all-rounder JP Duminy will lead Delhi Daredevils in the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League cricket tournaent, starting next month.

Duminy was roped in by the Daredevils last season and was the star performer for the franchise. He was recently named as South Africa's T20 captain.

"I'm grateful for the support and belief from the franchisee. It's an absolute privilege to lead such a talented mix of players. I am excited about the season ahead and sincerely hope, we will be able to turn around the fortunes of Delhi Daredevils in the upcoming IPL season," Duminy said in a statement.

Daredevils head coach Gary Kirsten added: "JP (Duminy) is the right choice to lead the team for the upcoming season. He has the necessary experience and demeanour to take the team forward. I have seen him progress and mature as a player and leader through the years with the South African national team."

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First arrest made in Bengal nun gangrape case - The Indian Express

More than 10 days after an elderly nun was allegedly brutalized at a convent school in Ranaghat, the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in a joint operation with the Mumbai police has made the first arrest in the case from Mumbai.

The accused identified as Sikandar Shaikh alias Salim was arrested from his friend's residence in Nagpada in South Mumbai.

Confirming the development , Mumbai Police Commissioner , Rakesh Maria told The Indian Express, "The West Bengal team had the lead, they shared the information with us and sought our assistance. The assistance was provided and the accused was arrested from the Nagpada area and has been taken away by the Bengal team," he said.

The team sought his transit remand and will reach Bengal by Thursday afternoon.

A bunch of dacoits had robbed the convent in Ranaghat in Nadia district of Bengal in the wee hours of March 14 and in the process had allegedly gangraped a 71-year-old nun. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and forced Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to request a CBI probe into the incident.

The suspected gang is believed to have carried out the operation from a house on the Bengal-Bangladesh border. After the crime,  some members are believed to have escaped to Bangladesh. Salim closely resembles one of the photos captured on the CCTV of the Ranaghat convent school, police said.

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