Dozens of military trucks transporting heavily armed soldiers rumbled over Crimea's rutted roads today as Russia reinforced its armed presence on the disputed peninsula in the Black Sea. 

Libya today threatened to bomb a North Korean-flagged tanker at an oil terminal in the restive east if it does not leave port, saying it was loading illegally. 

A ship allegedly carrying advanced rockets from Iran to Gaza that was intercepted by the Israeli navy was escorted into the Red Sea port of Eilat today. 

The US today extended its deepest condolences to the family members of 239 people on board a Malaysia Airlines flight, which disappeared on its way to Beijing. 

Leader of the Opposition in Odisha Bhupinder Singh along with legislature party secretary Anup Sai resigned from the Congress today sending shockwaves in political circles in the state. 

A Dubai-bound Air India Express flight with 189 passengers onboard today made an emergency landing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport after it was diverted here due to technical issue. 

Foreign ministry officials in Rome and Vienna confirm that names of two nationals listed on the manifest of the missing Malaysian airlines flight match passports reported stolen in Thailand.

Commander Kuntal Wadhwa, the Indian Navy officer who died after inhaling carbon dioxide during tests onboard the under-construction warship INS Kolkata, was today cremated with full military honours. 

On Thursday evening, when Chandrika Sharma's colleagues said goodbye to her and wished her safe travel to Mongolia, little did they realise that luck would not keep her company.

Lok Sabha polls: The Congress has released its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. 

Infosys co-founder and Unique Identification Authority of India Chairman Nandan Nilekani, tipped to contest from Bangalore South on a Congress ticket, will be officially joining the ruling party tomorrow. 

Kashmiris should not give a chance to rogue elements in the Indian security agencies to justify false implication of scores of innocent Kashmiri youth in cases of terrorismIt has been a common sight in Kashmir Valley since the '90s: thousands of people accompanying the body of a terrorist killed in an encounter with security forces. 

Pro-Russian forces today refused to let a foreign military mission enter Crimea. After the officers had stopped, the armed men fired warning bursts of automatic weapons fire into the air to make other unidentified vehicles halt, said an Associated Press reporter. No injuries were reported. 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today arrested one accused of the serial blasts during Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Patna last October from a village in Arwal district of Bihar, police said. 

Police resort to lathicharge outside AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's rally in Ahmedabad.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad seconds Russia's position in the Ukraine crisis, reported Syria's state news agency SANA on Thursday.

Close to 30 new civil airports will soon come under the security umbrella of Central Industrial Security Force which has embarked on a major project to integrate security systems and gadgets at 59 of these air facilities in the country.

Militants blockading the eastern Libyan oil terminal of Al-Sidra tried today to export crude as a North Korean-flagged ship was anchored off the port, a lawmaker said. 

In order to popularise brand AAP and its leader Arvind Kejriwal, a private firm is planning to come up with AAP jhadu (broom) and mineral water, along with other merchandise.

Seeking to allay the concerns of their core constituencies following the move to ally with BJP, Dalit leaders Ram Vilas Paswan and Ramdas Athavale today asserted that they have "not merged" with the saffron outfit but joined the NDA camp as per a Common Minimum Programme.

Tileshwar Sahu, who had recently joined All Jharkhand Students' Union, was today shot dead at Barhi in the district, police said. 

Pakistani teenage rights activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt in 2012, will go silent for 24 hours on April 17 to show solidarity with children whose voices are silenced. 

US President Barack Obama spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday about the crisis in Ukraine.

Syed Akbaruddin from India's High Commission in Malaysia has tweeted the names on Indian passengers missing on board the crashed Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. 

Iran's moderate-leaning president has strongly criticised hard-line officials for ordering reformist newspapers shut down. Judicial authorities ordered two pro-reform newspapers Aseman and Bahar closed in recent months on allegations of questioning Islamic principles. 

Don't back off after one interview with one channel. This is the advice to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi from Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. 

The man, who smeared ink on AAP leader Yogendra Yadav, has been detained. He has been to a hospital for medical check-up.   

Talking to the media, AAP leader Yogendra Yadav, said: I was talking to the media when someone came from the back and blackened my face. The person shouted 'Bharat Ma Ki Jai' and did this. I am not ashamed by what has happened. The person behind the incident should be ashamed."

"The AAP has been targetted once again," he said. When you challenge big forces you have to be prepared to pay a price."   

Black ink was smeared on Aam Aadni Party leader Yogendra Yadav's face today as he attended a Women's Day celebration at Jantar Mantar today.

In yet another airline mishap today, an Indigo plane from Delhi catches fire after landing at Kathmandu airport.

All passengers have been evacuated, sources tell PTI.

The BJP today releases its list of 52 candidates for LS polls. Former Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa will contest from Shimoga.

A journalist-turned-politician will contest from Hoogly in West Bengal.

Mahatma Gandhi's great grandson Tushar Gandhi tweeted today: Since it's 'Happy Women's Day' men should be allowed to touch them to feel happiness.

After creating a flutter here's what he tweeted offering an explanation: When I tweeted about touching women to feel happiness, perverts assumed I wanted to 'touch' inappropriately. 

The BJP's Karnataka unit has recommended the re-induction of B Sriramalu into party. He is likely to be fielded from Bellary.  

Despite objections of senior leader Sushma Swaraj, keeping in mind his political utility and that he does not face serious charges in court, the BJP wants him in the party fold.  

Bharatiya Janata Party may field former Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa in the Lok Sabha polls. He is likely to contest from Shimoga, reports Times Now.

After differences with some leaders in the party, Yeddyurappa quit BJP and floated Karnataka Janata Party in December 2012. He joined the BJP in January after an invitation from president Rajnath Singh.
 

Reports have emerged that there are five Indian nationals on board the Malaysian Airlines flight that crashed into the sea. Of the 239 passengers most are Chinese nations.

Rescue operations are in full swing after the Vietnam Navy reported that the airliner crashed near the  Tho Chu Island.    

Bahujan Samaj Party Member of Parliament Kadir Rana, two party legislators and former Uttar Pradesh minister Saeed-uz-Zama of the Congress are among 10 persons chargesheeted by the Special Investigation Team probing the Muzaffarnagar riots for provoking communal tension with inflammatory speeches during a Muslim community panchayat.

The chargesheet was filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Narender Kumar by the SIT team in connection with the alleged hate speeches made in Khalapar locality of the city on August 30, 2013 by the accused in defiance of prohibitory orders clamped following tension in Kawal village in the district, sources said.

A day after Arvind Kejriwal was refused a meeting with Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar, he plans to take on the BJP's PM nominee on his home turf.

AAP will hold a rally in Ahmedabad and has also planned a roadshow to the rally venue, reports NDTV.

In the morning, Kejriwal visited Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram.

A Malaysian Airlines plane carrying 239 passengers has crashed into the sea, the Vietnam media has reported. Chinese ships are conducting search operations.     

Rashtriya Janata Dal's general secretary Ram Kripal Yadav has quit from all party posts. The party did not give him a Lok Sabha ticket.

Ram Kripal had wanted to contest from Patliputra, but the ticket was given to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Misa instead.

She ad gone to meet Ram Kripal at his residence, but he refused to meet her today.

Talking to the media, Ram Kripal said, "I am quitting from all party posts, but I'm still a member of the RJD."

"The people wanted me to contest. Misa Bharti is like my daughter. The RJD is straying away from its values. This is emotional atyachar my Lalu."       
 

The Navy has ordered an into the gas leak on an under-construction ship at the Mazagaon dock in Mumbai yesterday that killed one of its officers.

Commander Kuntal Wadhwa, 42, died after inhaling carbon dioxide that leaked from a malfunctioning unit during machinery trials. The yet-to-be-commissioned ship is one of three Kolkata class destroyers being built under the navy's Project 15 A, reports NDTV.

"A Board of Inquiry has been ordered by the Indian Navy to investigate the causes leading to the accident," a statement from the Navy said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to finalise its second list of candidates for the Lok Sabha election beginning April 7 after a meeting in New Delhi today.

The candidate for the Varanasi seat is likely to be decided as there were reports that the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi may contest from senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi's constituency, CNN-IBN reports.   

Preparing ground for his potential presidential run in 2016, Indian-American Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has slammed Barack Obama as the worst president in history and took a dig at his inability to stop Russia from invading Ukraine.

"To President Carter, I want to issue a sincere apology. It is no longer fair to say he was the worst president of this great country in my lifetime. President Obama has proven me wrong," 42-year-old Jindal told a conservative political action committee yesterday.

In his address, Jindal criticised Obama on his foreign policy front at a time when the Russia has taken military action in Ukraine."I spent a lot of 2012 going around the country saying that President Obama was the most liberal and most incompetent president in my lifetime, ever since Jimmy Carter," the Republican leader said.

A Beijing-bound plane of Malaysia Airlines carrying 239 people including two infants lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control in Malaysia today, a statement said.

Operating on the B777-200 aircraft, the MH 370 departed Kuala Lumpur today at 12:41am (10:10 pm IST) and lost touch with the ATC around 2:40 am (12:10 am IST).

The flight having 239 people including 12 crew members onboard was expected to land in Beijing at 6:30 am. Malaysia Airlines said it is currently working with the authorities who have activated their search and rescue team to locate the aircraft.

There were on Indians on board, majority of them are Chinese nationals. 

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