India

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) Appealing to protesting farmers to end their agitation, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday said the government is ready to discuss all issues with them.

After braving water cannons and clashing with security personnel, thousands of farmers started entering the national capital on Friday as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march against the Centre's new farm laws.

Earlier in the day, Tomar said the new farm laws will bring a tremendous improvement in farmers' lives.

Mathura (UP), Nov 27 (PTI) An eight-year-old girl was raped and killed on the outskirts of Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district, police said on Friday.

The girl had gone missing a day before and her body was found near a multi-level parking in Chhatikara on Friday morning, they said.

She had gone along with a woman to collect firewood from a forested area on Thursday and had been missing since then, police said.

New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI) Thousands of farmers gathered at the Singhu border held a meeting on Saturday morning amid heavy security presence and decided to continue demonstrating there even after being offered a site in north Delhi to hold their protest.

Those gathered at the Tikri border continued to hold ground as well. A decision on whether they would head to the designated protest site is expected soon.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Thousands of angry Indian farmers protesting new agricultural laws were allowed to enter the capital late Friday after they clashed with police who had blocked them at the outskirts of New Delhi.

The farmers, who fear new legislation will reduce their earnings and give more power to corporations, will be escorted to a protest site in New Delhi, police said in a statement. It was not immediately clear where the protests would be held.

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) A MiG-29K trainer of the Indian Navy ditched on Thursday evening while operating at the high seas and one pilot has been rescued while another is still missing, Navy officials said on Friday.

The incident took place at around 5 pm in the Arabian Sea, they said.

The Navy has deployed surveillance aircraft and ships to locate the missing pilot. A high-level inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident, the officials said.

Hyderabad, Nov 26 (PTI) The BJP on Thursday promised financial assistance of Rs 25,000 for each family affected by the recent rains in the city, free electricity to families which consume less than 100 units and free travel for women in city buses and metro trains among others, in its manifesto for the civic polls in Hyderabad.

The manifesto, released by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, said COVID-19 vaccine would be provided to all as per the suggestions of the Centre.

Kolkata, Nov 26 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday claimed that the BJP is a party of outsiders which has no place in the state.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also said she will never allow Bengal to be turned into a "riot-torn Gujarat".

Wondering why Union Home Minister Amit Shah is so busy with elections even when the situation on the country's border is not good, Banerjee said she has never seen such a "home minister in her career".

Ahmedabad, Nov 26 (PTI) A medical college professor has been arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on the charges of sexual harassment and demanding bribe from junior teachers for favourable appraisal.

The accused, Dr S K Nagar, is a Class-1 state government employee and currently serves as a professor with the state-run MP Shah Medical College in Jamnagar, the ACB said in a release on Thursday.

He had earlier served as the head of the anatomy department with Vadodara Medical College, it added.

Kolkata, Nov 26 (PTI) Months ahead of the 2021 state polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expanded the state-run "Swasthya Sathi' health scheme to cover the entire population of the state.

The decision will be applicable from December 1, 2020, Banerjee announced.

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) The Delhi Police on Friday used tear gas shells to disperse a group of farmers who had reached the Singhu border as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march to protest against the Centre's new farm laws, a senior police officer said.

The shells were fired at the border point which connects Delhi with Haryana.