Petrol price will come down by 92 paise while cost of diesel will go up by 37 paise from midnight tomorrow in the capital, with the Delhi government issuing a notification in this regard.

Petrol will cost Rs 70.24 per litre from current Rs 71.16 per litre and diesel will cost Rs 41.28 per litre as against the current rate of Rs 40.91.

"We have issued a notification slashing the VAT on the hiked component of petrol while the relief of 37 paise being provided since September last year will be withdrawn on diesel. The new rates will come into effect from midnight tomorrow," a senior Delhi government official said.

With the UPA announcing Pranab Mukherjee as its Presidential nominee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today reached out to Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu requesting him to support the veteran Congress leader.  

While Dr Singh sought support for Pranab, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik, who also got on phone with Chandrababu, urged him to endorse the candidature of former Lok Sabha SpeakerP A Sangma for the July 19 Presidential election, party sources said.   

The TDP remained indecisive on whom to support in the election.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Frankfurt today en route to attend the G-20 Summit in Mexico, which is taking place in the shadow of the economic crisis in the Eurozone.

Ahead of the visit, Dr Singh had voiced concern that continuing problems in the eurozone will further dampen global markets and adversely impact India's own economic growth. He also said that the need to revive global growth should be an issue of immediate concern which must be addressed by world leaders.

Dr Singh will visit Mexico and Brazil to attend the seventh summit of the Group of 20 developed and developing countries in the Mexican resort town of Los Cabos on June 18 and the Rio+20 Summit in Rio De Janeiro.

The Bharatiya Janata Party core group met at party president Nitin Gadkari's residence this evening to discuss the presidential polls.   

After the meet, BJP national general secretary H N Ananth Kumar said, "We will take a final decision at the NDA meet, which will be held tomorrow at 11 am."

Sources say the BJP might consider backing Pranab Mukherjee, particularly since APJ Abdul Kalam, seen as a rival candidate, is reportedly unwilling to run against the finance minister.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee debuted on Facebook today renewing her call for A P J Kalam as president, and saying that whatever else she had to say on the subject would be updated on the internet social network site.

"I have already put across my viewpoints in Facebook. Whatever I have to say, I will say on Facebook", Banerjee said before leaving the state secretariat unfazed by her isolation after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance on Friday named Pranab Mukherjee as its Presidential nominee.

Banerjee, who had told reporters last night that "the game is not over. It has just begun" and she would speak her mind on the presidential elections today, said "I wont say anything today. Tomorrow is Sunday. I don't know ... on Monday ... we will see then..."

The Trinamool Congress chief wrote in her first post on Facebook, "I gave voice to what millions of Indians want to see in a President".

Eminent lawyer and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Jethmalani has launched himself in the race to be the next president. Opposing Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's candidature, Jethmalani has said that he will fight and expose the truth.

"I might lose, but will still contest Presidential poll. Pranab is a friend, but I oppose his candidature... He hasn't revealed names of black money holders," said Jethmalani who is a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan on a BJP ticket.

Consensus seems to be fast developing around Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherje's candidature for President even from the Opposition.

The Janata Dal-United, a key constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, is inclined to favouring Mukherjee as the next incumbent at Rashtrapati Bhavan, reports the NDTV.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mukherjee have reached out to Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar for support. Kumar received telephonic calls from Dr Singh and Mukherjee but he told them that he will discuss the issue with party leaders, sources close to him said.

National Congress Party today said that P A Sangma will abide by the party. "I met Sangma yesterday and he told me he will toe the party line," NCP General Secretary DP Tripathi.

With Sangma insisting on contesting the presidential poll, the NCP on Saturday asked him to withdraw, saying the party's line was to support Pranab Mukherjee for the top constitutional post "unconditionally". NCP sources said that the party had threatened to expel him if he did not opt out of the presidential race.    

Earlier in the day Sangma said that he will not opt of the presidential race and has dared his party, the NCP to expel him if they so wish.

NCP Chief Sharad Pawar had said that he would hold a party meeting on June 21 to convince Sangma to withdraw from the contest.

Expressing disappointment over the rejection of special category status to Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to set up an expert committee to consider the state's long pending demand.

The Centre should set up an expert committee to consider in-depth a memorandum on the special category status to Bihar and various letters written by the state government for a decision on the long pending request, he said in a letter to the prime minister.

"The expert committee should take a fair and rational decision on demand for special category status to Bihar and respond positively to the aspirations of a poor, backward state, which notwithstanding recent process, remains at the bottom of development pyramid both in terms of poverty indicators and various indices of human development," Kumar said.             

China on Saturday fired its longest and heaviest rocket, successfully sending its first woman astronaut along with two male colleagues into space to conduct the maiden manned docking of its space lab being built to rival Russia's Mir International Space Station.

In a text-book launch, Shenzhou-9 (Divine Craft) spaceship carrying the three astronauts blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province.

About 10 minutes later it reached its intended orbit bringing cheers all around.This is the longest and heaviest rocket China used so far, state television which telecast the event live said. The launch also highlights China's long- range missile capability.

With UPA chairperson SoniaGandhi naming Pranab Mukherjee as the Presidential candidate,priests at Sri Jagannath Temple at Puri sought the Lord's blessings for him.

IBNlive says: PA Sangma has said that he will not opt of the presidential race and has dared his party, the Nationalist Congress Party, to expel him if they so wish. NCP Chief Sharad Pawar had said that he would hold a party meeting on June 21 to convince Sangma to withdraw from the contest.

A procession by non-political persons for A P J Abdul Kalam as the next President was taken out in Kolkata today.

Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy said on Saturday that he wanted APJ Abdul Kalam to stand for the Presidential race as he wanted to see Pranab Mukherjee "challenged".

Zeenews reports: At a time when the Congress-TMC alliance has run into rough weather over Mamata's blunder of taking on Sonia directly over Pranab's candidacy for presidential polls, the key UPA ally is looking for a way to save its face.

Zeenews reports: At a time when the Congress-TMC alliance has run into rough weather over Mamata's blunder of taking on Sonia directly over Pranab's candidacy for presidential polls, the key UPA ally is looking for a way to save its face.

IBNlive reports: Sources close to PA Sangma say it's a status quo on President poll. They say Sangma is very much in the fray. He is waiting and watching NDA's decision. 

Armed miscreants injured two persons and looted money, jewellery and mobile phones from the passengers of NewJalpaiguri-Sealdah Padatik Express near Malda Town station, police sources said on Saturday.

TOI reports: Taking up the campaign for APJ Abdul Kalam online, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said her choice of the Presidential candidate was the choice of millions of Indians.

CNN-IBN reports: Key BJP allies like the JD-U and the SAD are not keen on a contest, but the final decision will be taken at the NDA meeting on Sunday.

Zeenews reports: To say that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee must be feeling cornered at the moment is an understatement. 

Ibnlive reports: More than 30 people were killed and 15 others were injured when a bus fell into a gorge near Osmanabad district in Maharashtra. 

United Nations leader Ban Ki-moon appealed for a 'peaceful' presidential vote today in Egypt amid heightened tensions around the campaign.

Twenty-five people were killed and 61 others injured in three road mishaps in different parts of Rajasthan, police said on Friday.

Nineteen passengers of a private bus were killed and 37 injured when the bus collided with a truck and caught fire near Sanchore area in Jalore district on Friday evening.

Of the 19 passengers, four succumbed to their injuries in various hospitals of the district.

The bus, which was on its way to Barmer from Sanchore, met with the mishap on a highway in Siwana area.

"Those who could manage to jump out of the badly damaged bus survived, but those who were stuck inside the bus were killed," additional district collector C L Meena told PTI.

In an another incident in Bikaner, four persons were killed and 23 injured when a bus with wedding party overturned in the wee hours on Friday.

The bus was returning to the groom's village after the wedding at Hiran Camp when the mishap occurred under Doongargarh police station circle.
 
Two women were killed and a man injured when a truck hit their motorcycle near Bagru area on Thursday night in Jaipur, police said.

US President Barack Obama on Friday announced a new policy to help illegal immigrants gain American citizenship and stop deporting younger people who came to the US as children.
 
"Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security is taking steps to lift the shadow of deportation from these young people. Over the next few months, eligible individuals who do not present a risk to national security or public safety will be able to request temporary relief from deportation proceedings and apply for work authorisation," Obama said in his remarks to the White House press corps at the Rose Garden.

"Now, let's be clear. This is not amnesty. This is not immunity. This is not a path to citizenship. It's not a permanent fix. This is a temporary, stopgap measure that lets us focus our resources wisely while giving a degree of relief and hope to talented, driven, patriotic young people. It is the right thing to do," Obama said in his speech during which he was interrupted a few times by a member of the press.
 
"These are young people who study in our schools, they play in our neighborhoods, they're friends with our kids, they pledge allegiance to our flag. They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper.
 
They were brought to this country by their parents, sometimes even as infants, and often have no idea that they're undocumented until they apply for a job or a driver's license or a college scholarship," he said.

Rajat Gupta convicted on insider trading charges

Pranab likely to be next President

Question mark over Trinamool's continuance in UPA

Mamata says she is firm on Kalam for President

NDA indicates it will mobilise support for Kalam

Jagan DECIMATES Congress, TDP in Andhra by-polls

Yeddyurappa's sons, son-in-law to be questioned by CBI

Lt Gen Suhag finally gets to head Eastern Army Command

Seven go missing after boat capsize in Assam

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