Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Thursday held discussions with representatives from Japan to finalise a proposed friendship agreement between the state and Tottori prefecture, aimed at boosting cooperation in industrial development, skill development, tourism and culture, an official said. The meeting came a day after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi met Japanese Consul General in Kolkata, Ishikawa Yoshihisa,...

Kolkata: A division bench of the Calcutta High Court Thursday directed a fresh probe into the R.G. Kar rape and murder case by a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to be headed by an officer in the rank of Joint Director of the central probe agency. The division bench of...

Young men dressed as cockroaches were seen cleaning the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi. Some wore cockroach-like antennae on their heads, while others carried posters around their necks reading, “I am a cockroach.” Initially, people thought it was a prank, but after the video went viral on social media, the real reason behind the act...

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Thursday lauded PM Narendra Modi for bringing artworks originating in the state to the global stage by gifting those to the Norwegian royal couple. Majhi, in social media posts, said that the prime minister gifted a Palm Leaf Pattachitra, a masterpiece rooted in Odisha's temple traditions bearing witness to centuries...

Kolkata: The repolling in West Bengal's Falta Assembly constituency Thursday saw more than 74 per cent of the 2.36 lakh electors exercising their franchise till 3 pm, with no untoward incident reported from anywhere, a poll panel official said. The total electorate in the constituency comprises 1,21,300 men, 1,15,135 women and nine third-gender individuals. Voting started at...

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) Thursday released the schedule for the third phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to be conducted in a phased manner across 16 states and three union territories ahead of the publication of the final voters’ list between October 1 and December 23. The cut-off date for...

Bhubaneswar: Odisha continued to sizzle under severe heatwave conditions with Jharsuguda recording 46 degrees Celsius for the second consecutive day as the hottest place in the state. Regional Meteorological Centre said temperatures are likely to rise further and the prevailing heatwave conditions may continue for the next five days. High humidity levels are expected to worsen conditions...

New Delhi: The X account of Cockroach Janata Party, the satirical digital outfit that came up last week and took social media by storm, was withheld in India Thursday. Soon after, came up with another handle - 'Cockroach is Back'. "This was expected since there were attempts to hack the account yesterday. But this is a self-goal...

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Thursday said over 23,000 civil services aspirants have opted for three newly introduced examination centres as part of efforts to decongest venues for examination. With the addition of centres at Bhubaneshwar, Kanpur, and Meerut, the total number of examination centres for the civil services (preliminary) examination has increased from...

Chennai: In a major political and administrative exercise aimed at strengthening governance and broadening representation, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay Thursday carried out the first major expansion of the Tamil Nadu Cabinet, inducting 23 new ministers and simultaneously restructuring key portfolios. The move significantly expands the administrative structure of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government that assumed...