India: Tear gas dropped from drones as protesting farmers march towards New Delhi
More than 200 farmers’ unions have called on their supporters to march to the Indian capital to protest against unfulfilled demands on a wide range of issues including prices and pensions.
Tear gas was used on farmers who tried breaching the barriers at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana, about 145 miles from the capital, New Delhi.
Drones were also used to drop tear gas canisters on the thousands gathered, while several farmers were detained at the border.
Police guard a highway near Delhi to stop farmers entering the capital. Pic: AP
The farmers – who have a 12-point agenda and are prepared to camp out for six months in protest – want a minimum guarantee price for all farm products, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, and criminal cases against those protesting farm laws dropped.
They are also seeking full debt waivers, a withdrawal from the World Trade Organization (WTO), and a freeze on all free trade agreements.
The administration of the state of Haryana – through which most of the protesters will march – has bolstered security by laying containers, concrete blocks, razor wire, iron rods and embedding nails into roads.
Thousands of police and paramilitary in riot gear are stationed all along the highways and at strategic junctions to stop tractor convoys trying to make their way to the capital.
Internet services have been suspended in some places.
A camera man joins farmers running for cover after police fired tear gas. Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Talks between the government and farmers’ groups have remained inconclusive.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, a farmer leader, said: “We do not think the government is serious about any of our demands. We do not think they want to fulfil our demands.”
Arjun Munda, India’s agricultural minister, said “a consensus was reached on most issues”, and that the government “always wants that we can resolve every issue through dialogue”.
In New Delhi, the police are taking no chances and have deployed multi-layer barricades on all arterial roads leading into the capital, while the border roads have been sealed.
The farmers say they have enough rations to camp for six months or more. Pic: AP
The restrictions have led to traffic building up across the city.
Ankit Singh, deputy commissioner of Delhi Police, said: “Section 144 had been clamped to restrict the assembly of people and the entry of tractor trolleys into Delhi.
“Over 2,000 personnel from various units have been deployed to maintain law and order.”
Though not all farm unions have joined in the march, overwhelming numbers of protesters are from the states of Punjab and Haryana.
Their leaders have said they have enough rations and resources to camp for six months or more.
Farmers marching to the capital near the Punjab-Haryana border at Shambhu. Pic: AP
The experience of a year-long protest by farmers in 2020 against three federal laws that descended into violence several times is still fresh.
Thousands of farmers had hunkered down, encircling the capital and blocking key highways.
Dozens had died and, under intense pressure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had to repeal these laws.
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The government will be keen to contain the protest and not repeat past mistakes, as a majority of Indians are directly or indirectly associated with farming.
The farmers are an influential voting block and the government will be mindful of its effect in the general election that is due in the next few months.
Donald Trump has threatened Russia with more sanctions after a series of deadly strikes across Ukraine, as he said of Vladimir Putin: “What the hell happened to him?”
The US president appeared aghast at the conduct of his counterpart in the Kremlin after drone and missile attacks in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities left 12 people dead and dozens more injured.
Trump criticises Putin – latest updates
Speaking to reporters at an airport in New Jersey ahead of a flight back to Washington, Mr Trump said: “I’m not happy with Putin. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
“He’s killing a lot of people,” he added. “I’m not happy about that.”
Mr Trump – who said he’s “always gotten along with” Mr Putin – told reporters he would consider more sanctions against Moscow.
“He’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all,” he said.
Ukraine said the barrage of strikes overnight into Sunday was the biggest aerial attack of the war so far, with 367 drones and missiles fired by Russian forces.
It came despite Mr Trump repeatedly talking up the chances of a peace agreement. He even spoke to Mr Putin on the phone for two hours last week.
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Hundreds of drones fired at Ukraine
‘Shameful’ attacks
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready to sign a ceasefire deal, and suggested Russia isn’t serious about signing one.
In a statement after the latest attacks on his country, he urged the US and other national leaders to increase the pressure on Mr Putin, saying silence “only encourages” him.
Mr Trump’s envoy for the country, Keith Kellogg, later demanded a ceasefire, describing the Russian attacks as “shameful”.
Three children were among those killed in the attacks, explosions shaking the cities of Kyiv, Odesa, and Mykolaiv.
Ukrainian siblings Tamara, 12, Stanislav, eight, and Roman, 17, were killed in Russian airstrikes. Pic: X/@Mariana_Betsa
Before the onslaught, Russia said it had faced a Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday. It said around 100 were intercepted and destroyed near Moscow and in central and southern regions.
The violence has escalated despite Russia and Ukraine completing the exchange of 1,000 prisoners each over the past three days.
Donald Trump says he will delay the imposition of 50% tariffs on goods entering the United States from the European Union until July, as the two sides attempt to negotiate a trade deal.
It comes after the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a post on social media site X that she had spoken to Mr Trump and expressed that they needed until 9 July to “reach a good deal”.
The US president had last Friday threatened to bring in the 50% tariffs from 1 June, as European leaders said they were ready to respond with their own measures.
But Mr Trump has now said that date has been put back to 9 July to allow more time for negotiations with the 27-member bloc, with the phone call appearing to smooth over tensions for now at least.
Speaking on Sunday before boarding Air Force One for Washington DC, Mr Trump told reporters that he had spoken to Ms Von der Leyen and she “wants to get down to serious negotiations” and she vowed to “rapidly get together and see if we can work something out”.
The US president, in comments on his Truth Social platform, had reignited fears last Friday of a trade war between the two powers when he said talks were “going nowhere” and the bloc was “very difficult to deal with”.
Mr Trump told the media in Morristown, New Jersey, on Sunday that Ms Von der Leyen “just called me… and she asked for an extension in the June 1st date. And she said she wants to get down to serious negotiation”.
“We had a very nice call and I agreed to move it. I believe July 9th would be the date. That was the date she requested. She said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out,” the US president added.
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Shortly after, he wrote on Truth Social: “I agreed to the extension – July 9, 2025 – It was my privilege to do so.”
On his so-called “liberation day” last month, Mr Trump unleashed tariffs on many of America’s trade partners. But since then he’s backed down in a spiralling tit-for-tat tariff face-off with China, and struck a deal with the UK.
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Much of his most incendiary rhetoric on trade has been directed at Brussels, though, even going as far as to claim the EU was created to rip the US off.
Responding to his 50% tariff threat, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said: “EU-US trade is unmatched and must be guided by mutual respect, not threats.
“We stand ready to defend our interests.”
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