New Delhi/Kolkata: The West Bengal government will have the "last word" on releasing three of its IPS officers for central deputation, the state's ruling TMC declared on Saturday, dubbing as "intimidatory" the Union Home Ministry's order for shifting them out following the mob attack on BJP chief J P Nadda's convoy.

New Delhi/Chandigarh: Agitating farmers picketed highway toll plazas in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Saturday and claimed thousands more will soon arrive on Delhi's borders as part of the intensification of their stir against the Centre's new agri laws, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi again asserted that these reforms will help increase the income of cultivators.

Ahmedabad: Peeved after the Congress ditched it and joined hands with the BJP in a district panchayat election in Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) on Saturday ended its alliance with the Congress in two district panchayats in Gujarat.

Kozhikode: Eminent writer U A Khader, who enriched Malayalam language and literature with his unique style, died at a private hospital here on Saturday evening.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Saturday alleged that a farmers' outfit was instigating striking employees of state transport corporations, whose stir over various demands entered the third day, and said it would rope in private operators from December 13 to offer services.

Bengaluru: Karnataka's COVID-19 tally breached the nine lakh mark on Saturday with 1,203 fresh COVID-19 infections while 11 fatalities took the death toll to 11,939, the Health department said.

Mangaluru: Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy has urged Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to introduce Konkani as a medium of education in the state.

Hyderabad: A 43-year-old engineer from Hyderabad has won the prestigious World Quizzing Championship 2020, an annual international competition, which saw the participation of 668 quizzers from across the world.