New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for South Africa's Johannesburg Friday at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit. Taking to social media platform X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “PM Narendra Modi has departed for Johannesburg, South Africa to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit....

Mumbai: A young boy from Cuttack, Odisha, has captured the internet's attention with his flawless dance moves, performing to the sensational track Janaab-e-Aali from Hrithik Roshan’s War 2. The video, which was filmed at an Upper Primary school in Badambadi, has garnered widespread praise and admiration, including from none other than Hrithik himself.   View this post...

Rourkela/New Delhi: Researchers from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, have secured a patent for BHU-MANACHITRA, an autonomous real-time land mapping drone system, officials said. The developed system uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology to automatically generate land maps without requiring internet connectivity, external computers or manual interventions, they added. Used to identify...

Baripada: The famous black tigers of Odisha have once again captured public attention after former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sushant Nanda recently shared a striking photograph of a male black tiger roaming the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district. In his post, Nanda referred to the tiger as a “black beauty” and highlighted its crucial...

Bhadrak: At least 12 cattle died late Wednesday night after a pickup van smuggling them overturned near Gelatua under Bhadrak Rural police limits, authorities said. The vehicle, carrying 17 cattle, overturned while reportedly being driven at high speed. Five surviving cattle were rescued and taken to a shelter. The driver and helper fled the scene after the...

Berhampur: A three-member CBI team Thursday appeared before the court of District and Sessions Judge here as part of its ongoing probe into the police sub-inspector (SI) recruitment scam. Meanwhile, the court of Special Judge, Vigilance Gyanendra Kumar Barik rejected the bail petitions of three accused, including the alleged mastermind Shankar Prusty. The two others whose bail...

Puri: Srimandir has been illuminated with thousands of diyas for the three-day Dev Dipavali festival. The observance began Wednesday night, during which Lord Jagannath pays homage to his ancestors — a ritual also known as ‘Shradha’. For the sacred occasion, the Lord is adorned in simple attire suitable for the ceremonies. Dev Dipavali is a deeply revered...

Bhubaneswar: In a major welfare push for forest-based workers, the state government has announced a welfare package of Rs 41.17 crore for kendu leaf pluckers, binders and seasonal staff. The funds, released from the Chief Minister’s Kendu Leaf Welfare Fund, cover the 2024 crop year and the 2025–26 financial year. According to official data, benefits have already...

By Rajdeep Sardesai We live in the Instagram-reel age, where a short, sharp sound bite on video resonates far more than an erudite debate. That partly explains why, on counting day in Bihar, a clip of mine—blowing a whistle and remarking that Prashant Kishor had been brought down from “hero to zero”—instantly went viral. While the BJP-backed...

By Sonia Guajajara This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, has been eagerly awaited worldwide. A COP in the Amazon raises expectations for all those who recognize the urgency of climate change and its impact on our lives and environment. That is why Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silvais calling this the...