New Delhi: Centre Saturday rejected claims of excessive ethanol blending in petrol at certain retail outlets in Karnataka, while questioning the sampling and testing methodology adopted by the state and saying all 56 samples tested in the state under a nationwide quality monitoring exercise complied with prescribed E20 specifications. The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG)...

Wellington: India defeated New Zealand by four runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method following a rain stoppage Saturday. India were 113/7 in 26 overs, and needed 22 runs from 66 balls when play was called off. Batting first, New Zealand were bowled out for 134 following a disastrous outing in rainy Wellington, with Gurnoor Brar picking four wickets...

New Delhi: An Indian Air Force transport aircraft of Russian origin successfully landed at the Nyoma air base in Ladakh, achieving what the force described as the highest altitude touchdown achieved by the plane anywhere in the world. The airbase is located at a height of around 13,000 ft and is at a distance of around 25...

New Delhi: The BCCI Saturday paid a glowing tribute Mohammad Shami, saying the wily India pacer defined an era of pace bowling in Test cricket. Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket Friday night. He ended his Test journey with 229 wickets from 64 matches, making him the sixth most successful pacer in Tests for the country...

New Delhi: The BJP Saturday lashed out at Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi for her remarks against it and the Modi government, asking her to remove Italian lenses to see India's all-round progress in the past 12 years. The party also decried Gandhi for justifying the imposition of Emergency June 25, 1975, saying her PR exercise...

Bhubaneswar/Ganjam: Odisha Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik Saturday expressed concern over the plight of farmers affected by Cyclone Arnab and subsequent floods in Ganjam district, urging the state government to provide immediate compensation. Patnaik visited flood-hit Shergarh and Hinjili, his home constituency, where he became emotional after interacting with residents who shared their hardships....

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik has decided not to celebrate Diwali this year as a mark of solidarity with people affected by devastating floods and landslides in Odisha's Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts. Patnaik said Cyclone Arnab-induced floods had caused extensive damage in Ganjam and Gajapati, leaving thousands of people...

Erode: In a remarkable display of ecological harmony, residents of over a dozen villages surrounding the Vellode Bird Sanctuary in Erode district are celebrating a cracker-less Deepavali for the 20th consecutive year to ensure a peaceful breeding season for thousands of winged visitors. Spread across 240 acres, the sanctuary features a 50-acre pond capable of holding water...

Bhubaneswar: A young man was shot dead in the early hours of Saturday in Bomikhal, Bhubaneswar. The deceased was identified as Sonu Nayak, a resident of Haldipadia. According to sources, the incident took place around 3 am when Sonu was travelling with four friends towards a petrol pump in Rasulgarh. The attackers, who were waiting near a...

Riyadh: Union Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju visited the iconic Al Rahmah Mosque in Jeddah, widely known as the Floating Mosque, a historic landmark reflecting Saudi Arabia’s rich Islamic heritage and architectural grandeur. Sharing a glimpse of his visit Saturday, in a post on X, Rijiju said, “Visited the historic Al Rahmah Mosque in...