India

New Delhi, Oct 25 (PTI) German Chancellor Angela Merkel will pay a day-long visit to India on November 1 during which she will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a focus on strengthening ties in key sectors such as trade, energy and defence.

Prime Minister Modi and the German chancellor will co-chair the Fifth Biennial Inter Governmental Consultations (IGC) during the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Mumbai, Oct 26 (PTI) As many as 176 newly-elected MLAs in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly are facing criminal charges, as per data released by an advocacy group on Saturday.

On analysing self-sworn affidavits of 285 of the total 288 MLAs, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) found that 62 per cent (176 MLAs) have criminal cases pending against them while 40 per cent (113 MLAs) have serious criminal cases.

Banda (UP), Oct 26 (PTI) A girl was allegedly raped while returning from a Ram Lila performance in the neighbouring Fatehpur district, police said on Saturday.

The 16-year-old girl was returning after watching a Ram Lila performance along with her younger brother at Khaga township late on Thursday night, they said.

A youth, identified as Arun (21), assaulted the victim's brother and then took her to a secluded spot where he allegedly raped her, Circle Officer (CO) Anshuman Misra said.

Chandigarh, Oct 26 (PTI) The BJP staked claim to form the government in Haryana on Saturday with the support of the Dushyant Chautala-led JJP, party sources said here.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Manohar Lal Khattar and state party chief Subhash Barala, met Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya for staking claim to form the government.

Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Chautala also met the governor and gave his party's letter of support to him.

The JJP has extended support to the saffron party.

Mumbai, Oct 26 (PTI) The Maharashtra BJP has convened a meeting of its newly-elected MLAs on October 30 to elect the leader of the House, state unit chief Chandrakant Patil said on Saturday.

Patil said the meeting will be held in Vidhan Bhavan at 1pm.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is in touch with 15 MLAs, Independents as well as from smaller parties, for support.

The BJP returned a less-than-impressive performance in the state Assembly polls, with its seats dropping from 122 to 105 in the 288-member House.

Kanpur: Paucity of the anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) in the government hospitals the patients' sufferings are bound to increase during the festive occasion. Whether it is Kanshiram hospital or Kamlapati Memorial hospital or Ursula hospital in the city's different areas, the vaccines quantity are not available as per the needs.

Even Dr Ashok Shukla, CMO, said a letter to UP Medical Supply Corporation has been forwarded. There is a paucity of ARV in Ursula and KPM hospitals respectively. All the CHCs are also made available the vaccine so that the patients could not face trouble.

Lahore/Dera Baba Nanak, Oct 24; GANASHAKTI: India and Pakistan on Thursday signed a landmark agreement to operationalise the historic Kartarpur Corridor to allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the holy Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, notwithstanding a chill in bilateral ties.

The corridor will connect the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Punjab with Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur, just about four kilometres from the International Border, located at Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province.

New Delhi, Oct 25 (PTI) Five Independent MLAs, along with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and BJP's Haryana in-charge Anil Jain, met the party's working president, J P Nadda, at his residence here on Friday to finalise the modalities of government formation, sources said.

The five Independent legislators -- Dharampal Gondan, Nayanpal Rawat, Sombir Sangwan, Rakesh Daulatabad and Randheer Golan -- met Nadda and extended their support to the saffron party, BJP leader Jawahar Yadav said.

New Delhi/Mumbai, Oct 25 (PTI) Gold and jewellery sales were muted so far on the occasion of Dhanteras as people preferred silver coins and utentils for token buying amid sluggish consumer spending and high rates of the precious metal, according to industry players.

Dhanteras, celebrated in northern and western parts of India on Friday, is considered an auspicious day for buying gold, silver and other valuables.

Palghar, Oct 25 (PTI) The police have registered a case against the driver of a private jeep for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl at Mokhada town in Maharashtra's Palghar district, the district police said on Friday.

The incident took place on October 19, when the victim, a resident of Kurudpada, Jawhar, was travelling in a private jeep, commonly used by locals in the area, the official said.