New Delhi: The Bar Council of India (BCI) Thursday asked state bar councils not to enrol, for now, any student passing out of NALSAR Law University, Hyderabad, in 2026, till the time it completes an inquiry into the protest by a section of students against inviting CJI Surya Kant to the next convocation. In a letter addressed...

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo Thursday expressed displeasure over the performance of horticulture officers and told them to "perform or perish", warning that those failing to discharge their responsibilities would face action. Singh Deo, who also holds the Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment portfolio under which horticulture functions, voiced concern over the pace of implementation...

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling Thursday laid the foundation stone for upgrading a 100-bed government Ayurvedic hospital in Bhubaneswar and constructing a pharmacy warehouse in the state capital. Mahaling said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasis is being given to preservation, promotion and modernisation of traditional treatment techniques, including...

Bhubaneswar: The state government has decided to introduce Bus Priority Lanes on two major corridors of the Capital city on a pilot basis to improve public transport efficiency, reduce travel time and ease traffic congestion. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Housing and Urban Development Department Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee here Thursday....

Nandapur: A 14-year-old boy was killed after lightning struck while he was listening to music on earbuds and charging his mobile phone at Darengba village in Koraput district Wednesday night. The deceased was identified as Rati Sisa, son of Jagannath Sisa of Darengba village under Kasandi panchayat. Heavy rain and thunderstorms have been lashing parts of Nandapur...

New Delhi: Air India (AI) and Air India Express will begin mandatory psycho active substance testing of all their pilots Thursday, expanding checks beyond regulatory requirements, following the captain of a Phuket-Delhi flight that suddenly lost altitude testing positive for marijuana, according to sources. The two Tata Group-owned airlines together have more than 5,000 pilots. The comprehensive...

Kolkata: Former TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh was arrested from Baleshwar in Odisha Thursday over his alleged involvement in the “hurried cremation” of the doctor, who was raped and murdered at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in 2024, police said. Ghosh, the former MLA of Panihati, was arrested on charges of destruction of...

Dhaka: Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a longtime secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a close ally of former premier Khaleda Zia, was nominated by the ruling party Thursday as its presidential candidate. The presidential election scheduled for August 20 was necessitated after Mohammed Shahabuddin, a close aide of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, resigned...

Chennai: Two workers were killed after a powerful explosion triggered a major fire at a licensed fireworks factory near Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district Thursday, officials said. The accident occurred at the manufacturing unit in Namaskarithanpatti while employees were engaged in production work. The explosion sparked a fire that rapidly spread through parts of the premises,...

New Delhi: India have withdrawn from the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, opting to prioritise their high-profile international friendly against five-time world champions Brazil in October, All India Football Federation (AIFF) deputy secretary general M Satyanarayanan said Thursday. India's withdrawal from the upcoming tournament also means they will miss the opportunity to face some of Southeast Asia's leading...