Berhampur: Two teenagers drowned while bathing in the reservoir of a dam in Odisha's Ganjam district, police said Monday. The incident occurred Sunday when six friends from Lalsingi village went to the reservoir at Bhanjanagar for bathing, and two of them drowned, a senior officer said. The deceased were identified as Kanha Pradhan and Ashutosh Bhuyan, both...

Balasore: Tension prevailed Monday on the Dubulagadi-Rangamatia road under Kasafal Marine police limits in Balasore Sadar block following the alleged dumping of beef. In protest, residents, along with Bajrang Dal members, staged a road blockade by burning tyres. The agitators demanded strict action against those responsible. Basta SDPO Manas Deo and Marine police station IIC Rashmirekha Mahalik...

New Delhi: Legal verification of the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has been completed, with both countries agreeing to its signing in New Delhi April 27 in the presence of a large contingent of representatives of businesses from the two countries, Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay said Monday. In a statement, McClay said, “This once-in-a-generation...

Dubai: The US Navy's forcible seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship threw doubt on an announcement from President Donald Trump that US negotiators will head to Pakistan Monday for another round of talks with Iran. Trump's announcement Sunday had raised hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire set to expire by Wednesday. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei...

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate Monday sought time to file its reply on a plea by actor Jacqueline Fernandez seeking to turn approver in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar. Special Judge Prashant Sharma posted the matter for further proceedings May 8. The court had earlier April 17 issued notice to...

Colombo: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan Monday met with Indian-origin Tamil beneficiaries of the houses built with assistance from India during his visit to the central tea plantation district of Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka. Radhakrishnan, who is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka, met the Indian-origin Tamil community and said that the government and people...

Tokyo: A powerful earthquake struck off the northern Japanese coast, and the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami alert in the region. The quake, registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.4, occurred off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan at around 453 pm (0753 GMT), at a depth of about 10 kilometres (6 miles) below the sea...

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a three-day visit to Germany beginning Tuesday to finalise a bilateral defence industrial roadmap. The roadmap will provide for a framework for the two countries to initiate co-development and co-production of various military hardware, officials said. In Berlin, Singh will hold wide-ranging talks with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius...

Bhubaneswar: Odisha is reeling under intense heatwave conditions, with scorching temperatures disrupting normal life across the state. On Sunday, temperatures in more than half of the state remained above 40 degrees Celsius. According to Regional Meteorological Centre, prevailing conditions are expected to continue through the week, offering little relief from the heat. Western Odisha districts Jharsuguda, Titilagarh,...

Bhubaneswar: A nationwide debate has intensified over the proposed increase in Lok Sabha seats and implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill. The legislation, passed by Parliament in 2023, aims to enhance women’s representation in legislatures. However, data from the 2024 general elections suggests a disappointing trend, with most political parties fielding a limited number of women candidates....