The AAP on Wednesday termed the BJP's victory in the Delhi municipal polls as a result of alleged tampering of EVMs.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Rai, speaking to the media after the counting trends showed the BJP making a clean sweep in the civic polls, said: "This is not a Modi wave, this is an EVM wave. This is the same wave that they (BJP) used in the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab polls."

The AAP has alleged tampering of the Electronic Voting Machines and had demanded a paper trail proof of the voting, which was turned down by the courts.
 

As the BJP was poised to sweep the civic polls, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Wednesday said Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal must resign and promised that the BJP, which has been heading the civic bodies for the past 10 years, will "clean the city in four months".

"We will make Delhi a clean city in the next four months. It will be a hygienic, dirt and disease free city," Tiwari promised.

Counting trends in the Municipal elections showed the Bharatiya Janata Party leading in all three corporations (North, South and East), with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party at a distant second.

He said that Kejriwal must "resign as the Aam Aadmi Party had failed to fulfill its promises".

"The AAP has failed the people of Delhi. People are facing a lot of difficulties. Kejriwal must resign. People want him to resign," Tiwari told CNN News18 news channel.

The NITI Aayog on April 25 said it has proposed to reduce the fiscal deficit be brought down to three per cent of the GDP by 2018-19.

It has also set the target for the revenue deficit to be reduced to 0.9 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2019-20.

The target has been set under the draft three-year action agenda which was discussed during the third Governing Council meeting of the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog on Sunday.

Sharing the details of the plan with the media on April 25, NITI Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya said the roadmap to achieve this target would include shifting additional revenue towards high priority sectors like health, education, agriculture, rural development, defence, railways, roads and other categories of capital expenditure.

The central government pegged the fiscal deficit for 2017-18 at 3.2 per cent of GDP and revenue deficit at 1.9 per cent for the same fiscal.

Panagariya said the three-year action agenda would be based on a 15-year long-term vision and a seven-year strategy to achieve that vision.

"With an increasingly open and liberalised economy and given the new realities of the global economy, we needed to rethink the tools and approaches to conceptualizing the development process. 

"The vision, strategy and action agenda framework would allow us to better align the development strategy with the changed reality of India," he added.

While formulation of the vision document and the seven-year strategy is in progress, Panagariya said the three-year agenda would be finalised after views of the states, Chief Ministers and other stakeholders are incorporated.

Among its various priorities is doubling the income of the farmers by 2022 for which many action points are included in the agenda including shift to high value commodities like horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries, said NITI member Ramesh Chand.

He added productivity would be increased through enhanced irrigation, faster seed replacement and precision agriculture.

The three-year road-map also includes closing select loss-making Public Sector Enterprises and strategic disinvestment of 20 identified Central Public Sector Enterprises, Panagariya said.

"There would be focus on expanding the government's role in public health and quality education."

On taxation front, the agenda document envisages tackling tax evasion, expanding the tax base and simplifying the tax system through reforms. 

"For example, there would be efforts to consolidate existing custom duty rates to a unified rate."

The document also stresses adopting of sustainable practices, adopting measures to tackle air pollution and promoting sustainable use of water resources. 

NITI member Bibek Debroy said the new planning framework breaks away from the five-year planning cycle and looks forward 15 years down the line.

"To get to where we want to be, there is a need for decentralized planning moving upward from below," he said.

Chand added the draft plan draws from the need to be inclusive while talking about growth and development.

It tries to accelerate growth while also ensuring that the benefits of that growth reach everyone, he said.

Chand said another aspect of this plan was to "represent continuity with change" by encorporating good programmes of the Five Year Plans while also bringing in new reforms.

In May 2016, the Prime Minister's Office advised the NITI Aayog, its independent think tank, to prepare a 15-year vision, seven-year strategy and three-year action agenda to replace the Five Year Plans.

The 12th Five Year Plan ended on March 31.

The municipal elections in Delhi were "foundational elections" for the Swaraj India Party and leaders have "zero expectations" of winning any seat, party chief Yogendra Yadav said on Wednesday.

"We have zero expectations. But anything we get above that is a plus for us," Yadav said on Wednesday as counting of votes for Delhi's civic polls began. 

He said his party focussed on "real issues" that the people of Delhi were facing, like cleanliness, hygiene and health.

"We focussed on the issues on ground rather than talking about Kashmir or other things," Yadav said.

He said Swaraj India was the only party to put up the details of donations on its website. 

Yadav also reiterated that Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal should step down and the government should seek a referendum to ask people if the AAP still enjoys their mandate.

Yadav was among the co-founders of the AAP, but fell apart following differences with Kejriwal.

He founded the Swaraj India Party along with Prashant Bhushan in October 2016.

 Model Bella Hadid freak outs in the middle of the night if she doesn't take off her make-up.

The 20-year-old says she sometimes sleeps with her face full of cosmetic products on, but she always wakes up feeling completely guilty that she has failed to take off the beauty products. 

She then forces herself to get up and cleanse her face before going back to bed, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"I do sleep in my make-up sometimes but I always wake up at 2 a.m., freaking out and feeling completely guilty about it. My body knows! So I'll get up, wash my face, moisturise and go back to sleep because I hate waking up in the morning with make-up on – it's the most horrible feeling," Hadid told Vogue magazine.

Hadid says she is prone to getting dry skin and relies on a jelly mask to help plump her skin and moisturise it.

"My face is always so dry, so it sucks up all the moisture. Then if I'm doing proper hair and make-up I'll use the Glow Better Fresh Jelly Mask first. It just kind of plumps your skin up and makes it super moist and sort of tightens it … I don't know what it does or how, but it's something incredible.

"I love doing masks and my favourite thing ever is giving my friends masks," she added.

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, who was present at the Green Heroes Film Festival happening here expressed his concern over our environment and said that having more Green Heroes will ensure a bright future.

"The greatest joy after watching these wonderful films is, that if we have more such people making these films, if we have more Green Heroes like we saw today, the future is going to be bright," said Abhishek at the Green Heroes film Festival on Tuesday evening.

TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) and the US Consulate General Mumbai came together to gather stories of unsung Green Heroes from India's western region. The festival gathered young filmmakers, photographers, video editors, writers and activists who can tell powerful stories of individuals or communities and have done commendable work in protecting the environment in their neighbourhoods or beyond. 

Regarding his contribution to the organisation Abhishek said, "Me and my family have worked with TERI for several years. They do great work by not just spreading the word but also encouraging the youth."

Expressing his concern for the environment and appreciation for the filmmakers, the "Guru" actor said: "A big problem towards the environment is everybody looks at themselves as an individuals and as an individual in this vast sea of humanity we few were insignificant. But after seeing these 10 films you realize how significant that 1 per cent is."

"I congratulate each and every person who have put their dedication behind this wonderful cause. Today you have proved to many people like me and those who watch this film that every drop makes an ocean." 

"I offer whatever assistance and support I can give in a limited capacity. But after seeing these inspirational movies that you all have made today, I feel our future is very bright if we just carry on," he added.

"It's my pleasure as an actor, as a producer and as a citizen of this wonderful earth that we inhabit, to know that I share and breathe the same air as some of you great people. I want media and people like you to encourage more people to make a difference. Because as we have seen today that even a small 3-minute film can change your life. I think we should spread that word and we should do whatever we can because the future does matter and the earth does matter," the "Yuva" actor said.

Some other great faces witnessed at the event were veteran director Shyam Benegal, writer, journalist and news presenter Ravish Kumar, Pankaj Saxena and Co-Founder and Executive Director of Wizcraft International Sabbas Joseph.

US President Donald Trump has the reaffirmed his commitment to build a wall along the Mexico border amid reports that his plan may be halted in order to avoid a government shutdown.

“The wall is going to get built, by the way, Trump told reporters at the White House yesterday.

The comments came after reports that the Republican Party is having second thoughts about the wall as part of its strategy to avoid a government shutdown.

Trump's insistence on funding to start construction had jeopardised the spending bill.

“Just in case anybody has any question,the wall is going to get built, and the wall is going to stop drugs, and it's going to stop a lot of people from coming in that shouldn't be here, and it's going to have a huge effect on human trafficking, which is a tremendous problem in this world, a problem that nobody talks about, but it's a problem that's probably worse than any time in the history of this world,” he said.

He said the wall is going to get built, and his administration is setting record numbers in terms of stopping people and drugs from coming in the US which has gone down by 73-74 per cent.

Trump said that US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has told him the country definitely needs a wall.

“I was just with him a little while ago, and he said we definitely, desperately need the wall.

And we're going to have the wall built. I don't know why people are talking. I watch these shows, and the pundits in the morning. They don't know what they're talking about. The wall gets built, 100 per cent,” the president said.

The White House also insisted that there has been no change in the position when it comes to building the wall.

“The president made it very clear his priorities have not changed. There will be a wall built. It's important to prevent human trafficking, gangs like MS-13 from coming into the country, the flow of illegal drugs, illegal immigration, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said.

“There is a national economic and safety issue by having a wall that ensures our country's safety, and there's plenty of planning that can be done in FY17. We're going to continue, our priorities are clear going into FY17, the remainder of budgeting for that. And we'll continue to ask for more in FY18, he said.

China launched on Wednesday its second aircraft carrier in a Dalian shipyard in Liaoning province, an official said.

The new carrier, the first developed and built by China, was transferred from a dry dock into water at a launch ceremony in Dalian shipyard of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, Xinhua news agency reported.

It is China's second aircraft carrier, coming after the Liaoning, a refitted Soviet Union-made carrier that was put into commission in the Chinese Navy in 2012.

China began building its second carrier in November 2013. Dock construction started in March 2015.

The main body of the carrier has been completed, with equipment of major systems including propulsion and electricity installed.

Putting the carrier into water marks progress in China's efforts to design and build a domestic aircraft carrier.

After the launch, the new carrier will undergo equipment debugging, outfitting and comprehensive mooring trials.

With the World Trade Organisation ruling in Mexico's favour, allowing it to impose trade sanctions worth $163 million a year against the US, the Trump administration lost its first trade battle with the neighbouring nation.

The WTO on Tuesday said that's how much money Mexico has lost from the US unfairly penalising Mexican tuna, CNN reported.

Mexico and the US have fought for years over tuna. 

The US insists that any Mexican tuna sold in the US must be "dolphin safe", meaning dolphins were not killed by tuna fisherman, which was once common. 

Mexico says its fisherman play by the rules. The US government disagrees.

Now the trade body has slammed the US, ruling in Mexico's favour.

The timing, however coincidental, is sensitive. President Donald Trump wants to renegotiate Nafta, the free trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada.

Trump's administration took its first steps to crack down on trade with Canada on Monday night when the Commerce Department announced a 20 per cent tariff against Canadian softwood lumber. 

A war of words between Canadian and American leaders has followed.

Trump's decision to go after Canada first with tariffs was particularly surprising given his harsh criticism of Mexico on the campaign trail. Now Trump has upset Canada and suffered a trade defeat from Mexico, CNN said.
 

Banners featuring AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala were removed from the party headquarters here, a day after the rival Panneerselvam camp made such a demand to "uphold the sanctity" of the party office.

The Panneerselvam camp welcomed the move, saying it was a "positive step." 

The banners were removed this morning.

Yesterday, the 'Presidium Chairman' of the Panneerselvam led faction, E Madusudanan, had demanded that the portraits of Sasikala be removed from the party office to "uphold the sanctity" of the AIADMK headquarters.

"This is definitely a positive step," 'Aspire' K Swaminathan, Media coordinator of the Panneerselvam led AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) said.

He also said the move came in "continuance" to Madusudanan's appeal and said, "We are happy the cadres have decided to remove the banners." 

Panneerselvam had yesterday said that a "conducive" atmosphere was evolving in both camps for talks.

Celebrated singer Padma Shri Kailash Kher celebrated the music journey of his band "Kailasha" in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis among many iconic personalities from the world of music and films.

Talking on the occasion on Tuesday night, Kailash said, "When I came to Mumbai, I had to face a huge struggle and series of rejections before managing to get my recognition. But I think those days made me stronger and I am thankful that almighty blessed me with the love of so many people across the nation that wherever I go, people love my music."

The evening started with a small audio visual presentation that captured the journey of band Kailasha and its members Paresh and Nuresh followed by a comedy performance by Raju Srivastava. Presented by PS Chhatwal the occasion was graced by singers like Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Papon, Mithoon, Armaan Malik, Prasoon Joshi, among others.

Calling himself a "fan of Kailash Kher" Favdavis said, "Today I am here not as a Chief Minister but as a music lover and fan of this brilliant singer. It is great to see that at the age of 43, he received the Padma Shri." 

"It is great to know that Prime Minister Modi has set the new rule where the selection of Padma Award is not only limited by state recommendation but also by the celebration of genuine talents," he added.

The evening ended with a soulful performance by iconic Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan. 
 

Early elimination in the Champions League quarter-final at the hands of Real Madrid has changed the atmosphere for Bayern Munich and their chief coach Carlo Ancelotti. Winning the German football league and Cup double has become a must for the 57-year-old Italian, and this Wednesday's crunch Cup semi-final against Borussia Dortmund is more of a final.

Winning the double or not will decide how the club and its fans judge the 2016/17 season — one that again ended without them achieving their big dream of securing Europe's biggest crown. Ancelotti made no secret of his expectations saying the season could only be called good if they clinch the double, reports Xinhua news agency.

Captain Philipp Lahm tried to ease the tension by saying that winning the domestic double would make it a "very good season" and bagging only the league title would mean a good one. Considering Bayern have a top-class squad and the expectations before Ancelotti's arrival, it is clear that the double will be seen as a minimum goal.

If he misses out, Ancelotti will be confronted with criticism about his tactical approach and his future plans. Rumours say there is a hefty debate within the club as to whether Ancelotti is the best man to take Bayern forward especially as they intend to concentrate more on developing youngsters. Up until now, Ancelotti has mainly relied on experienced players and has neglected younger talent.

According to several German media reports, Bayern's management is considering to lure Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann in the near future as the 29-year-old is regarded as one of the biggest coaching talents in Germany for the last decade.

Facing Dortmund in a Cup game will be a major test as the mood at Bayern's opponent is improving after the recent bomb attack — especially as the perpetrator appears to have been caught by the police. The entire club has expressed great relief after what Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel called "good news" to help the team find its way back to normal life.

While Bayern's mood dipped after a disappointing 2-2 home draw against FSV Mainz 05 in their last league game, Borussia Dortmund feel a warm wind under their wings as the team can work "on a clear mind knowing about the intentions of the attacker" as coach Tuchel put it.

Dortmund also won their last important Bundesliga game 3-2 at Borussia Moenchengladbach and they seem to be well on their way to securing a Champions League qualifying third place.

Tuchel expressed the team's growing confidence ahead of the Bayern Cup semi-final. Dortmund feels ready to spoil Bayern's season, said the head coach. "We'll be doing everything to mess it up for them," Tuchel said.

In contrast to Bayern Munich, Dortmund do not need to win a title to be satisfactory. Qualifying for the Champions League directly via the Bundesliga is enough.

Should Ancelotti manage to win the double, he will most likely get a second attempt to win the Champions League as the club officials like president Uli Hoeness and CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge are already planning for the next season.

Looking for an additional attacker and a right back, Bayern are thinking about two players from the English Premier League, namely Arsenal's 28-year-old forward Alexis Sanchez and Tottenham's 26-year-old Kyle Walker.

So far, Bayern have given contracts to TSG Hoffenheim's 21-year-old central defender Niklas Suele and teammate and midfielder Sebastian Rudy. Suele is a €20 million ($21.8 million) investment.

Ancelotti is aware of his club's current turbulence and is looking to get over the recent Champions League exit. The Italian said it was a shock for his team to be knocked out and it is hard to concentrate on new goals such as the double in Germany.

Failure to achieve its goals would open the doors for a substantial crisis for Bayern and Ancelotti.

The game against Dortmund is Ancelotti's chance to reach the finish line without major damage. Looking at Bayern's German Cup statistics, things seem give reason for optimism. Bayern have only lost two of their last 33 Cup games. But there again they were both defeats against Borussia Dortmund.

The Rupee appreciated by 19 paise to trade at nearly 21-month high of 64.07 against the Dollar in early trade on at the Interbank Foreign Exchange amid sustained selling of the American currency by exporters and banks.

Forex dealers said that apart from weakness in the Dollar against other currencies overseas, foreign fund inflows and a higher opening in the domestic equity market supported the Rupee.

On August 11, 2015, the Rupee had touched an intra-day high of 64.33.

Yesterday, the rupee had gained 18 paise against the US Dollar to end at a near 21-month high of 64.26 on sustained dollar unwinding from exporters and corporates amid positive global cues.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex rose by 128.37 points, or 0.42 per cent, to trade at an all-time high of 30,071.61 in early trade on Wednesday.

Around 12,000 Bangladeshis are set to return from Saudi Arabia before June 30, after Riyadh set a deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the kingdom, a media report said.

The Bangladeshi nationals have received clearance from the Saudi government to leave the kingdom before Jun 30, bdnews24 said.

Those meeting the June 30 deadline will be spared under 'General Pardon' and can travel to Saudi Arabia legally again in the future.

But those failing to honour the deadline will face jail terms and fine, the daily said.

The Saudi government made the announcement on March 20.

Until Tuesday, 7,309 Bangladeshis collected the Out Pass (clearance letter) in Riyadh and 4,855 others in Jeddah, according to the Bangladesh embassy.

The Saudi authorities have formed a task force to filter out immigrants staying in the Gulf kingdom with an expired visa. Some new jails have also been set up.

The Saudi government expects at least one million illegal immigrants to leave the country during the 90-day drive.

Sensex and Nifty touched record highs in the early morning trade on Wednesday amid positive global equity markets. At 9.45 am, the Sensex was trading 138 points or 0.46 per cent higher at 30,081 while the Nifty50 was trading 39 points or 0.42 per cent up at 9,346.

In the broader markets, BSE Midcap and BSE Smallcap indices jumped 0.3 per cent and 0.7 per cent respectively.

Among the BSE sectoral indices, Metal index registered the biggest gain with a jump of 1.1 per cent. Bankex (up 0.8 per cent), FMCG (up 0.7 per cent) and Power (up 0.4 per cent) indices were other notable gainers. Energy index slipped 0.2 per cent.

On Tuesday, the BSE Sensex ended 287 points or 0.97 per cent up at 29,943 while the NSE Nifty closed 89 points or 0.96 per cent higher at 9,307.

Top gainers in the Sensex-30 pack: Wipro (up 2.1 per cent), Gail (up 1.5 per cent), ITC (up 1.4 per cent), HDFC (up 1.3 per cent) and M&M (up 1.3 per cent).

Top losers in the Sensex-30 pack: Cipla (down 1.2 per cent), Hero Motocorp (down 0.7 per cent), Bajaj Auto (down 0.5 per cent), Reliance Industries (down 0.4 per cent) and Infosys (down 0.4 per cent).

Meanwhile, the Rupee was trading at 21-months high against the US Dollar, up 28 paise higher at 63.99.

Superstar athlete Serena Williams promised she would be back on the court after becoming a mom, with her baby hopefully cheering her on.

Williams spoke playfully and candidly about family, competition, and her accidentally unveiled pregnancy during an on-stage chat with journalist Gayle King at the TED Conference here last night.

Williams said she had made a practice of taking a photo of herself each week, to document the progress of her pregnancy, when she accidentally posted a picture of herself in a swimsuit on social media.

She had shared the news with only a few people until the now widely seen image.

"You know how social media is; you press the wrong button and there it is," Williams said with a laugh. "I had been so good about it and this one time I slipped."

Williams said she learned she was pregnant just two days before the Australian Open, which she went on to win.

She told of being nervous about playing, uncertain whether it would be too dangerous for her or the baby.

Williams said she played differently, shutting out fatigue and stress. Everyone expected her to win the tournament, and few knew she was a mom-to-be.

"I had to take any negative emotions, bottle them up and figure out what the next step was," Williams said.

She won her record-setting 23rd Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January — where she beat her elder sister Venus in the final.

"Playing Venus is like playing myself; she is my toughest opponent," Williams said.

"On the court, we are mortal enemies, but the moment we shake hands we are best friends again. It might be a day later for me if I lose."

In champion form, she admitted to loathing losing and loving victory.

But, if you do lose, learn from it and improve don't make the same mistakes in the future, she advised.

Kelly Bush Novak, Williams' publicist, had said this week that the US star "looks forward to returning in 2018" and that was echoed by her coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Williams is due to give birth in September, the month she turns 36 years old.

"I definitely plan on coming back," Williams said of her tennis future.

"My baby is going to be in the stands, hopefully cheering for me and not crying too much."

In December, Williams announced her engagement to tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian and will not play again this year.

She said that the next chapter in her life will include her baby, staying fit, playing tennis and working on her fashion line.

German football club Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday extended midfielder Nuri Sahin's contract, keeping the Turkey international until June 30, 2019.

"We're all delighted Nuri's staying with us. He grew up in the region, he's a really good guy and Borussia Dortmund is deeply ingrained in him," Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said in a statement.

The 28-year-old, who has had dual German and Turkish nationality since 2011, joined the Borussia Dortmund youth academy in the summer of 2001.

Aged 16 years and 355 days he became the youngest player to ever play in the Bundesliga, and is the top-flight's youngest-ever goalscorer too. Since making his debut in 2005, he has played for the club 203 times, scoring 19 goals.

"Everyone knows how comfortable I feel in Dortmund – both in the city and in this stadium with our extraordinary fans. Borussia Dortmund is the club that belongs to my heart," said the midfielder, who is now in his 12th season as a professional.

Sporting Director Michael Zorc said: "Even though Nuri has had some bad luck with injuries in the past couple of years, he has still repeatedly shown that he can come back and fulfil a very important role in our young team." He also wished Sahin a speedy recovery after the player sustained a partial tear of the lateral collateral ligament in his ankle in the match with Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Hans-Joachim Watzke and Michael Zorc both said: "We hope that Nuri can still make a comeback in the final weeks of the season. The high quality he offers in sporting and personal terms will undoubtedly help us to achieve our season objectives!"