India

CHENNAI, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Foreign automakers have indicated an interest to the government of India's Tamil Nadu state in acquiring Ford Motor Co's (F.N) plant there, the state industries minister said on Thursday, after inconclusive talks with the Tata Group.

Ford India said in September it would wind down operations at a factory in Western Gujarat state by end-2021 and vehicle and engine manufacturing at the Tamil Nadu plant by 2022, as it did not see a path to profitability in the country. 

Banda (UP), Dec 29 (PTI) A debt-ridden farmer allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in Khaptiha Kalan village here, police said on Wednesday.

Ramswaroop Yadav (38), who farmed on five bighas of land, had taken a loan of Rs 46,000 from the Pailani branch of Aryavart Bank under the Kisan Credit Card and he had received a notice for recovery of the loan recently, police quoted his uncle, Ghasita Yadav as saying.

The crop sown on the agricultural land had dried up and that might be the reason he committed suicide, the uncle told police.

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday slammed the government over the purchase of a luxury car for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cavalcade at a time when the economy has taken a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recalling the prime minister's description of himself as fakir' (ascetic), Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said every person in the country desires to be a fakir like Modi who flies in an Rs 8,000 crore aircraft, rides in Rs 20 crore car and spends Rs 2,000 crore on building a home .

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested two people for allegedly raping a 34-year-old woman in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, officials said on Wednesday.

Around 3 am on Monday, the woman asked an unknown person to drop her at a relative's house. The man, who was accompanied by another person in the car, picked her from Sagarpur.

They allegedly raped her after stopping the car at a secluded place in Nihal Vihar area, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Prashant Gautam said.

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the first half of next month has been postponed, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday.

The prime minister was scheduled to visit the strategically important Gulf nation around January 6, they said.

Firozabad (UP), Dec 29 (PTI) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Wednesday attacked the government over "privatisation" of some institutions, saying it is a way to end reservation.

During an interactive session with women as part of her party's "ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon" campaign here, she said all political parties have started talking about women after the Congress raised their issues.

Mathura, Dec 29 (PTI) A 36-year-old Ukraine national allegedly committed suicide here in a temple where he was staying by hanging from a wooden hook in his room, police said on Wednesday.

The incident happened in Govind Kund area on Tuesday night, SP Rural Shrish Chandra said.

A suicide note with a request to perform his last rites in Brijbhumi was also found on him, he said.

His room was found open in the morning when he was found dead, he said.

Jalna, Dec 29 (PTI) Forty-five people have been booked for allegedly encroaching upon, transferring and selling Waqf land in Jalna in Maharashtra, police said on Wednesday.

A Partur police station official said these people had usurped a 30 acre plot belonging to Lal Masjid here and had carried out illegal transactions, besides making homes and shops there.

The case was taken on the complaint of Waqf official Mohammad Latifuddin, he added.

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has left for a brief visit abroad, a day after the party celebrated its 137th foundation day.

Gandhi is learnt to be on a short visit to Italy.

"Rahul Gandhi is on a brief personal visit. BJP and its friends in the media should not spread unnecessary rumours," AICC chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

Congress sources said Gandhi is scheduled to address an election rally in Moga in Punjab on January 3 and may return in time for the event.

Kanpur: Akhilesh Yadav- led Samajwadi Party Corporators endured a big jolt when its few members joined Congress party in the presence of State Congress Chief Ajay Kumar Lallu.

Those are Suhail Ahmad, leader of the Samajwadi Party corporators in Kanpur Municipal Corporation House, Shibbu Ansari, Shashi, Rakesh Sahu, Abid Ali and Mahendra Pratap Singh.

Congress MLA Suhail Ansari was present on the occasion when Suhail Ahmad and others took membership of the Congress Party in Lucknow.

All these corporators belong to the Sisamau Assembly seat.