27 MARCH 2015: India lost @ Semifinals.. gr8 disappointment

Ø  India’s World Cup campaign juddered to a halt after a 95-run defeat to Australia in the semifinal here on Thursday. Steve Smith made a splendid century as Australia posted a massive 328 batting first. In response, India sank to 233 all out, done in by the pressure of a big chase and the home team’s excellent fast bowling. Australia will face New Zealand in the final in Melbourne on Sunday. Smith, who flourished against India in the Test series, made an unruffled, classy 105, stitching a partnership of 182 runs for the second wicket with Aaron Finch.

Ø  The External Affairs Ministry announced a “change of face” on Thursday with its spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin, being promoted as Additional Secretary and Vikas Swarup, famous for his book on which the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire was based, replacing him. Mr. Swarup is expected to assume charge on April 18, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from Europe and Canada. Mr. Akbaruddin will be the chief coordinator for the India-Africa summit here in October.

Ø  Looking beyond the controversy on the Colombo port project, China and Sri Lanka have decided to carve a new strategic framework for their relationship defined by the Maritime Silk Road, and avoid a clash with India through a Beijing-Colombo-New Delhi trilateral partnership. Hosting visiting Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sri Lanka was a strategic partner and Beijing wanted to “again promote and elevate the China-Sri Lanka relationship to fulfil an important purpose.”

Ø  The young co-pilot of the doomed Germanwings flight appears to have “deliberately” crashed the plane into the French Alps after locking his captain out of the cockpit, but is not believed to be part of a terrorist plot. In a chilling account of the last minutes of Germanwings Flight 4U 9525, lead prosecutor Brice Robin said 28-year-old German Andreas Lubitz “deliberately” initiated the plane’s descent while alone at the controls. Lubitz appeared to “show a desire to want to destroy” the plane, Mr. Robin told reporters, basing his initial findings on recordings made by the Airbus’ cockpit flight recorder in the final minutes before the crash that killed all 150 passengers and crew on board.