Prashant Bhushan, a senior Aam Aadmi Party leader, has reacted to the sting in which Kejriwal has allegedly hurled expletives at Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. Reacting to the sting, Bhushan said, "I'm deeply saddened not by the words but the tone used in that sting and mindset behind it. Didn't know Kejriwal had so much of hatred for us."

A suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden car at the gate of a hotel popular with government officials in Mogadishu. Gunfire could be heard inside the Maka-Mukarramah Hotel, but it was not clear if any gunmen had managed to penetrate the hotel's gate, said Somali police Captain Mohamed Hussein. He said there was no information yet on casualties and it was not clear who was being targeted.

Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer, winner of the Nobel prize for literature, has died, daily Svenska Dagbladet reported on Friday, citing a member of the Swedish Academy. Transtromer won the prestigious award in 2011, pleasing many in the prize's homeland which had not celebrated a winner since Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson took home the prize in 1974.

Between 400-600 pieces of human remains have been retrieved from the crash site in the French Alps said the French police, adding that there are no intact bodies. 

JUST IN: The Indian Space Research Organisation has been conferred the Gandhi peace prize 2014. The award, given out by the government of India, is meant for individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. 

Following reports that Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who intentionally downed the plane in the French Alps, had been issued a medical note for the day of the accident, the airline has come forward and specified that they were not aware of Lubitz' sick note.

Another sting has been released today on AAP which has voice of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with AAP leader Umesh singh.

The National Commission for Women Chief today condemned the incident in which a woman from Bengaluru was allegedly harassed by an immigration officer at the Delhi airport.

A local court has passed an interim injunction order restraining actress Shruti Hassan from accepting any assignment to act in a feature film before completion of shooting of an untitled movie, produced by Picture House Media Ltd, till April 8.

Two separate infiltration bids by militants on the international border in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir were foiled by the Border Security Force troops in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew who died this week will be accorded a 21-gun salute at his funeral on Sunday, the government said today even as thousands of people gathered outside parliament to pay their last respects to the nation's first prime minister.

Amul's beautiful take on India's debacle at the World Cup. 

A homemaker in Bengaluru has alleged that she was verbally sexually harassed by an immigration officer at the Delhi airport on March 18 when she was flying to Hong Kong via Delhi.

The woman claimed that the immigration officer harassed her by asking her several uncomfortable personal questions.

The incident took place when the woman was at the immigration counter before she boarded the flight for Hong Kong where she had to meet her husband.

According to the complaint, the officer not only harassed her during the immigration process at the desk, but also by following her along at the escalator, between the domestic and international transfer.

Read more

Investigators found both original and carbon copy of 'sick leave certificate' for Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, German prosecutors office says, which led to the conclusion he hid illness from employer.

The first picture of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee getting the Bharat Ratna from President Pranab Mukherjee at his residence today.

Veteran Parliamentarian and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, founder member of the Bharatiya Janata Party who is held in high esteem across the political spectrum, was today conferred with Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, by President Pranab Mukherjee.

In a departure from protocol, Mukherjee drove to Vajpayee's residence at Krishna Memon marg in Lutyens' Delhi and presented to the ailing BJP leader the prestigious award, the country's highest civilian honour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was a historic day as Bharat Ratna was conferred upon Vajpayee.

And a picture of Vajpayee's close aide and friend LK Advani at his residence today. 

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal and came out in support of full statehood for the national capital. "Delhi should get full statehood and we will support it," Kumar said after the meeting held at the Delhi secretariat.

The meet comes a day after Kumar had a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Bihar Chief Minister had come to congratulate Kejriwal and AAP MLAs for their victory in Delhi assembly polls. "Nitishji came to congratulate us for our victory in Delhi. We had invited him for lunch," Kejriwal said.

Former President APJ Abdul Kalam greets Vajpayee's foster daughter. Kalam along with a host of leaders across party lines was there as India's former PM was conferred the Bharat Ratna.  

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj greets Namita Bhattacharya (Vajpayee's foster daughter) at the former PM's residence today.

Welcoming the move, Vajpayee's 88-year-old sister had said, "I have congratulated him and I am very happy. The tears come to my eyes when I think about the honour."


Namaste-ji: PM Modi meets former PM Manmohan Singh at Atal Bihari Vajpayee's residence.

Moving on to the Germanwings air crash.

Prosecutors find torn-up sick note signing Andreas Lubitz off work on day of the Alps crash. This document, among others, were found in his home today. The torn-up doctors note allowed him time off from work because of an illness.

The German investigators said they had not found a suicide note or any indication of a political or religious nature among the documents secured in Lubitzs apartment. However, documents were secured containing medical information that indicates an illness and corresponding treatment by doctors, prosecutors said in a statement.

German prosecutors say there are indications Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz hid illness from employers, but no suicide note has been found, and no political or religious background to explain crash of flight 9525

Finance minister Arun Jaitley confirms that the Bharat Ratna has been presented to Vajpayee. Jaitley says the award was given at Vajpayee's residence since he has been unwell and doesn't leave home.

Vajpayee is now 90.

Jaitley pays eulogies to Vajpayee and says PM Modi, former PM Manmohan Singh, LK Advani, vice-president Hamid Ansari and several chief ministers were present at the event.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee conferred Bharat Ratna by President.

No pictures of a very private and very special event for Mr Vajpayee.

BJP workers celebrate Vajpayee's Bharat Ratna in Lucknow. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed happiness over former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee being conferred Bharat Ratna today and described him as a "truly great statesman" who richly  deserves this honour.

"Happy that Atalji is being conferred Bharat Ratna today. He is a truly great statesman who richly deserves this honour. I wish him well," the Trinamool Congress supremo, who served as a minister in the Vajpayee government, tweeted. 

President Mukherjee reaches Vajpayee's home. 

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among a host of VVIPs who are expected to be present at Vajpayee's Delhi residence where he will be honoured. The announcement of the award for Vajpayee, the first prime minister from outside the Congress to serve a full five-year term, came on December 24, a day before he turned 90. He was prime minister from 1998 to 2004, and has been seriously ill for the last few years.


Pic: President Mukherjee's convoy on its way to Vajpayee's home

President Pranab Mukherjee on his way to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's home. In a break from tradition, Vajpayee will receive India's highest civilian award at his residence, instead of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 

Salman Khan hit-and-run case: Court announces 30th March as the next date of hearing.

Police searching a home of the German co-pilot who officials say appears to have deliberately crashed a plane into the French Alps said today they had seized evidence but no "smoking gun".

Officers combing through a flat kept by Andreas Lubitz in the western city of Duesseldorf said they had seized "various items and papers", police spokesman Marcel Fiebig told AFP.

"We will see whether this will explain what happened -- everything is being examined," he said, adding that there was no "smoking gun" to shed light on a possible motive.

Duesseldorf prosecutors have opened a parallel inquiry to the main investigation underway in France as many among the 150 crash victims were from the German region.

Lubitz, who local authorities say was 27, spent most of his time at his parents' home in the small western town of Montabaur.

That upscale residence on a quiet leafy street was also cordoned off by police yesterday and searched as camera teams massed outside. Men wearing gloves came out carrying briefcases, bags and boxes, an AFP journalist reported.

The city's public prosecutor said in a written statement that searches in Duesseldorf and other places were aimed at "the discovery and securing of personal documents" to help clarify the situation.

Salman said he got out from the driver's side of the SUV as the door on his side was jammed. Some witnesses had said that they had seen the actor exiting the car from the driver's side.

Eyewitnesses also said that after the accident Salman seemed very drunk and was stumbling and falling all over the place. However, Salman told the court today that he was not drinking.  Salman has claimed that it was his driver Ashok Singh who was behind the wheel.

Analyses of his blood samples have showed high alcohol content, the prosecution has said.

The accident happened in the early hours of September 28, 2002.

Actor Salman Khan has recorded his statement in a court in Mumbai today in a 13-year-old hit-and-run case. Khan says a false case has been registered against him.

This is a gist of what he said at the police station today. "I was not driving," Salman tells the court. He said his driver Ashok was driving. He also said chemical analyser Bala Shankar was not an expert.

The actor also said he did not run away after the accident.

Details awaited. 

Khan, 49, 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. The actor faces charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison

The prosecution has alleged that the actor was under the influence of liquor and examined witnesses to prove that before the mishap he had gone along with his friends to a bar in a seven star hotel in the late hours on the day.

It's now time for AAP to react to Bhushan, Yadav's comments.

Sanjay Singh, a close aide of Arvind Kejriwal says the party has worked very hard to resolve differences. "We have no problem bringing AAP under RTI. We have no problems in engaging with volunteers and agreed to Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan's demands. We have tried our best to keep the party together and save the AAP family," says Sanjay Singh.

Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon, hit by Jeremy Clarkson, tells police he does not want to press charges.

Sacked Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson could face a police action into the unprovoked attack that left a colleague bleeding and cost him his job, bringing an end to his 37-year-long BBC career.

BBC Director General Tony Hall said that with a heavy heart and "great regret" he decided not to renew Clarkson's contract as the controversial star of the motoring show had "crossed a line" which left him with no alternative.

Centre says no to West Bengal Government's request for a CBI probe into the nun gang-rape case. The local bar association in Ranaghat on Thursday decided against defending the accused in the alleged robbery and rape of nun at Ranaghat in Nadia district.

"We have decided not to plead for the accused of convent robbery and rape case as it is a heinous crime," Secretary of Ranaghat Bar Association Milan Sarkar said. Salim Seikh whom CID had arrested in Mumbai on Thursday was produced before the local court.

Gopal Sarkar, the second suspect arrested in the gangrape of a 71-year-old nun at a convent in Ranaghat two weeks ago, was produced before a local court and remanded to 14-day CID custody today.

AAP to hold Press Conference at 4 pm today to give details as to why talks failed with Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav: AAP sources

Gopal Sarkar, the second suspect arrested in the gangrape of a 71-year-old nun at a convent in Ranaghat two weeks ago, was produced before a local court and remanded to 14-day CID custody today.

He was charged under IPC sections 212 and 216(a) (harbouring the offender before) apart from IPC sections 395 (dacoity), 397 (dacoity with attempt to cause grievous hurt or death) and 376 (rape).

Apart from being allegedly involved in the heinous crime, he had given shelter to the other culprits involved in it. Sarkar was arrested from his home at Habra in North 24 Parganas district yesterday and two mobiles were seized from him.

Batman fan? Try this

If you're planning to take the Mumbai-Pune Expressway today, heads up. 

A fire at a chemical factory in Khopoli just a few kilometres away from Khalapur toll naka may cause traffic disruptions. Avoid the expressway and take the old Mumbai-Pune highway.

The picture of the factory on fire was tweeted by @samirvirani

The government has decided to observe National Mourning on Sunday, March 29, as a mark of respect to Lee Kuan Yew, the former prime minister of Singapore.

The national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout the country and there will be no official entertainment on the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Singapore on March 29 to attend the funeral of Singapore's founding father. He had earlier condoled the passing away of Yew, saying his life was one that taught valuable lessons to everyone.

Yew, who transformed the tiny island outpost into one of the wealthiest and least corrupt countries in Asia, died on March 24. He was 91 years old.

Also read: 'It's ok lah, Lee Kuan Yew sleeping now!'

AAP leaders hold meeting after Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav's press conference; Kumar Vishwas, Ashish Khetan, Sanjay Singh to be present.

"Party workers have been sending letters to me and Prashant-ji, they want the party to be united," Yogendra Yadav says. 

"We are willing to talk to Arvindji, if he can find time. But if talks start with 'either you tender your resignation or we'll remove you', then it will be difficult," Yadav says.

Meanwhile, India will observe National Mourning on Sunday, March 29, as a mark of respect to the former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew.
The national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout India and there will be no official entertainment on the day. 

AAP leader Ashutosh on Friday said the possibility of a truce with dissident leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan was "remote".

"To be honest and frank, the possibility of truce or peace is remote because they (Bhushan and Yadav) are insisting on removal of Kejriwal (as national convener) which is not possible," Ashutosh told a news channel. "If you are part of a party, you have to accept its leader," he added Bhushan and Yadav, in an open letter, had accused Arvind Kejriwal of initiating the 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.

AAP will hold a press conference immediately after the Bhushan-Yadav presser.

And if you are tired of the squabble within AAP and take a break to read this: Swapna Mitter, who travelled from Singapore to watch the semi-final, says many hearts were still bleeding blue in Sydney after India's loss. Read

Prashant Bhushan: "AAP lied about us. It said we resigned, we did not resign. Kejriwal. We were being repeatedly pressurised to resign during reconciliation talk.

"We will resign from all posts of National Executive if they agree on all our conditions. If our demands are met, we will resign from all the executive posts. We have written to National Executive, meetings should be orderly, must be video-graphed. Entire NE did not want Kejriwal to take "

Bhushan, Yadav appeal to AAP MLAs to skip the National Executive meet tomorrow.

Anand Kumar, one of the interlocutors, says, "AAP behaving like Mughal dynasty after Delhi win. We are being forced to speak to Kejriwal through the media." 

There is no way AAP will take Bhushan and Yadav back into the fold after Bhushan's statement that Kejriwal is an autocrat.

Prashant Bhushan: We were being repeatedly pressurised to resign during reconciliation talks. Events in the last one month have dashed hopes of thousands of volunteers. Post of party convener not an issue. Will AAP will treat its volunteers like Congress and BJP does? Will they inculcate transparency? Fact is that aides wanted us out. Kejriwal's aides have said they wanted us out.

"Have not been able to meet Kejriwal despite a request. No reply to my SMS from Kejriwal. Arvind has never been on a body where his writ doesn't run. Kejriwal is a dictator."

So, there it is, out in the open... 

Just in: Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan begin their news conference.

Yogendra Yadav addresses the press meet first.

Quick takes:

Talking about the party, Yadav says, "AAP is a party unlike any other in the nation. People have high expectations from AAP. It is a result of a movement to cleanse politics."

Conceding that a "lot has happened in the past weeks", Yadav said, conditional resignation and an actual resignation were two different things.

"But we are glad that because of us a conversation has started, that issues are being raised.

"National Council is not a place where a decision on the National Convener can be taken, that is done in National Executive.

"The question is if AAP will become just like any other party in the nation, or become like the BSP or a regional party.

"Issues raised by us are not personal ones, but of the party. Ours is a struggle to save the soul of the AAP.  Trust and hope have broken in the events of the past one month.

"Kejriwal's post is a non issue, never sought his ouster. Arvind is being misguided."

National Executive will decide if it wants Prashant Bhushan and me. 

Dear Jeremy, Your big mistake was hitting your loyal, hard-working producer, not me again. Now here's 10 things you can do to put your life back together,
love
Piers Morgan.

Read the letter here.

Andreas Lubitz was the boy who grew up dreaming of flying and of one day becoming a pilot. He went on to fulfil his ambition, but it now appears that it was at the cost of 149 innocent lives. Read

Sonia Gandhi writes to Nitin Gadkari on the Land Bill. "Your proposed legislation makes a mockery of your claim that you stand for the interests of farmers. Your governments position on defense, irrigation and electrification issues is a blatant attempt to divert attention and cannot be at the cost of pushing farmers into a pitiable condition or destroying their livelihoods.

"I wish to reiterate that the 2013 law is not a legacy of just the Congress party... it is a legacy of all parties including the BJP.  We shall never endorse any law that will break the backbone of this nation. Urge you to rise above the realm of narrow partisan politics and bring back the 2013 law in totality. "

With the land acquisition ordinance set to lapse on April 5, the government appears to be heading towards its repromulgation amid indications that at least one of the Houses could be prorogued for the purpose.

Parliament is currently on a month-long recess during the ongoing Budget session. At least one of the Houses has to be prorogued if Parliament is in session to issue an ordinance.

Rashtrapati Bhavan will observe Earth Hour day tomorrow from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm. During this one hour period, all non-essential lights in the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the President's Estate shall be switched off.  The residents of the President's estate are also being advised to switch off lights and electrical gadgets in their houses for this hour. 

A legislator hits his head against a table. Another gets his arm nearly yanked off. A few are punched. Ten more jostle and push to leave the assembly.

That's the scene at the Jammu and Kashmir assembly this morning.

Lawmakers of the Congress and the National Conference were protesting against the state government when members started pushing each other violently.

Opposition parties were accusing the government of making false promises and said there was a conflict between ruling coalition partners the PDP and the BJP.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah of the National Conference said, "They (the government) has taken three months to come up with a Common Minimum Programme. What we are being told in the name of a CMP is false."

And so it ended, not with a bang or a whimper, but something in between -- India's reign as world champion. In the sort of life-comes-full-circle moment that cricket so often produces, M.S. Dhoni's men were ejected by the team they had dethroned in the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Cup -- Australia.  Read

We need to question the equation of reservation with the redressal of caste inequality not because reservation is no longer needed but because it is no longer enough. Read more

At least 10 Hindu pilgrims have been killed in a stampede during a bathing ritual at a holy site in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, say local media.

The incident happened during the Astami Snan, one of the largest annual Hindu ceremonies in Bangladesh, when pilgrims bathe in the Brahmaputra river, reports the BBC.

Thousands of people were attending the event in Langalband, 20km south of the capital, Dhaka.

Seven of the victims were women and all were older than 50.

Just in: Body of Lt Abhinav Nagori recovered from fuselage of the Indian Navy Dornier that crashed. The search operation has now been called off. 

Earlier this week, India voted alongside China, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in favour of a Russian resolution limiting benefits to same-sex couples. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, an outspoken defender of the rights of sexual minorities, had extended benefits available to spouses of UN employees to same-sex couples. Read more

A Delhi court today fixed April 22 for hearing CBI's closure report in a case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The hearing could not take place today as Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler was not holding court. The magistrate is in Lucknow from March 20-28 for training.

The court had earlier issued notice on the closure report to the complainant and victim, Lakhvinder Kaur, whose husband Badal Singh was killed during the riots, for today.

Nearly 48 hours after the Navy Dornier plane crashed into the sea off the Goa coast, the body of Lt Kiran Shekhawat, the observer officer on-board, was located by divers in the wreckage.

Her body was being taken to Goa, last night.

However, the second officer-sub-lieutenant Abhinav Nagori, is still missing.

Lt Kiran Shekhawat is married to Navy officer Vivek Chhoker and is the first woman officer of the Navy to have died in a service aircraft crash.

Shekhawat, an observer, had taken part in the first all-women marching contingent of the navy during the Republic Day parade.

INS Makar, a naval hydrographic vessel, had detected a large metallic object using its side-scan sonar at a depth of 50-60 metres. Later on inspection, it was confirmed that the object was the fuselage of the Dornier aircraft.

Narendra Modi on gas subsidy: Over 2.8 lakh consumers gave up LPG subsidy, resulting in a saving of Rs 100 crore to the exchequer. Leakages in LPG subsidy have stopped with direct transfer of subsidy into bank accounts. In coming years we want 1 crore households to get a supply of gas via pipelines. 

Shashi Tharoor tweets on the Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee: Sincere congratulations to former PM Vajpayee on his Bharat Ratna. Met him every year at the @UN when he was PM. Man of eloquent silences.

Tharoor used to be the UN under-secretary general for public information.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee's media advisor says, "Protocols are not broken, but this time the President himself is going to present the award to Atal-ji, this will be a historic moment.

Vajpayee will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna today.

Speed read:

-- No hearing today on closure report in 1984 anti-sikh riot case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler as the judge is not holding court. Closure report to be now considered on April 22.

-- Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches programme to motivate people who are well-off to give up subsidised LPG.

Now, senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas joins the tirade against party's rebel leaders Yogendra Yadav and Kumar Vishwas.

Hinting at their exit from the party ahead of AAP's national council meeting tomorrow, Vishwas said, "Yogendra Yadav said Ajay Maken (Congress) is better than Arvind Kejriwal. Bhushan and Yadav themselves sent resignation through mail, they lied that they never resigned."

These events are very unfortunate. I thought we are like a family."    

The battle within the Aam Aadmi Party takes an even uglier turn as the party today sent out mass text messages to its volunteers against party rebels Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan.

The SMS accuses Yadav and Bhushan for anti-party activities and claims that they demanded the removal of Arvind Kejriwal as the party convenor.

After yet another meeting last evening, AAP accused Yadav and Bhushan of still working to dislodge Kejriwal. The two leaders said the allegations were lies and claimed the talks were a mere cover for seeking their resignation.   

Bhushan said in a presser held late last night that he never asked for Kejriwal's resignation. "Total lies. Shocked and disappointed with seniors members of the PAC," he said.

Apple will release yet another series of devices in 2015.

The DigiTimes reports that Apple will release three new iPhones this year. The three new phones would be the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and a 4-inch display iPhone 6C. All three phones are expected to be released in the second half of 2015.

The DigiTimes' source said that all three devices will have Corning Gorilla Glass displays, NFC, biometric technology and use A9 chips-except for the iPhone 6C, which will use an A8 chip.

It had been reported that Apple would get rid of the iPhone C, which is a cheaper alternative to other iPhone models. However, Apple claimed in December that it's planning a return to selling a smaller alternative to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Therefore, the idea of a new phone release is possible.

Read the complete report here

Australian media were critical of lack of fight from Indian batsmen while praising their national team for a strong performance in their emphatic 95-run run victory to storm into the final of the cricket World Cup on Thursday.

Chasing a stiff target of 329, India were all out for 233 in 46.5 overs and the media here said that the likes of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 65, and Virat Kohli, 1, failed to inspire their team when it mattered the most.

"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.

The Sydney Morning Herald also described Dhoni's innings as "bizarre".

"Any questions over whether Australia's total of 7-328 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.

Singapore's former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, who personally knew many Indian leaders, wanted India to take a leadership role in South East Asia.

Lee, who died this week at the age of 91, personally knew many Indian leaders and most of its prime ministers, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh, The Straits Times reported, reflecting on his relations with India.

During one of his meeting with Lee, Dr Singh had sought his advice on how to handle the Chinese leadership, the report said.

As prime minister of independent Singapore, Lee visited India six times, during one of which he delivered Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture in New Delhi. He first visited India in 1959 for a conference of the International Commission of Jurists.

In later years, he had become somewhat of a mentor to various leaders and hosted Rahul Gandhi, the grandson of Nehru, for a week in Singapore several years ago.

"Lee Kuan Yew was candid about India in his own characteristic way, and hoped we could rise to our real potential," the daily quoted Tarun Vijay, ruling BJP's Member of Parliament, as saying.

Actor Salman Khan leaves for court in the hit-and-run case. 

All eyes are set on the case in which Bollywood superstar, charged with killing one person and injuring four by ramming his car into a shop in 2002, would appear in court today to put up his defence and explain the circumstances that led to the mishap.

It would be a crucial test for the 49-year-old actor as he gets an opportunity to give his version about the mishap that occurred in the wee hours of September 28, 2002 when his car ran over people sleeping on pavement outside a bakery in suburban Bandra in Mumbai.

Judge DW Deshpande has summoned Mr Khan to appear today to give his statement under section 313 of Code of Criminal Procedures (CrPc) which comes at the fag end of the trial after the prosecution closed its evidence by examining more than 25 witnesses in court.

CNN reports: The co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 purposely crashed the plane into the French Alps on Tuesday, killing all 150 people on board, officials said yesterday.

Transponder data shows that the autopilot on Germanwings Flight 9525 was reprogrammed by someone in the cockpit to change the plane's altitude from 38,000 feet to 100 feet, according to Flightradar24, a website that tracks aviation data.

Police searched Flight 9525 co-pilot Andreas Lubitz's apartment in Dusseldorf, Germany, the city's police spokesman said in televised comments.

A team of five investigators went "through the apartment looking for clues as to what the co-pilot's motivation might have been, if he did indeed bring the plane down," police spokesman Markus Niesczery said.

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and one of the most-respected politicians across parties will be conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, today.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among a host of VVIPs who are expected to be present at Mr Vajpayee's Delhi residence where he will be honoured.

The announcement of the award for Vajpayee, the first prime minister from outside the Congress party to serve a full five-year term, came on December 24, a day before he turned 90. He was prime minister from 1998 to 2004, and has been seriously ill for the last few years.

Don't miss: 15 things you should know about Vajpayee

Peace eludes warring camps within AAP

Yogendra Yadav releases 'conditional' resignation letter 

Body of female officer aboard crashed naval airplane recovered 

Germanwings crash: 'Co-pilot deliberately forced plane into descent'

Prem Panicker: At the end, you felt for Dhoni

Dhoni rules out retirement, says 'I'm still running and still fit'