Brahmapur: The Odisha Forest Department has arrested two persons in connection with the killing of a leopard in Ganjam district, an official said Friday. The leopard's carcass was recovered from a tree at Jakara village under Khallikote forest range Tuesday, after the villagers spotted the dead animal. The accused were arrested Thursday night, Divisional Forest Officer (Brahmapur)...

New Delhi: Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, facing a death sentence back home where her party is banned, told Reuters she and senior party colleagues plan to return from exile in India around December and surrender. The South Asian nation’s longest-serving leader said she and members of her Awami League aim to return voluntarily to the...

Bhubaneswar: The BJD Friday lodged a complaint at a police station here alleging that a man posted misleading videos of Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik and former bureaucrat VK Pandian on social media. The FIR was lodged at the Capital police station here by the BJD's students wing - the Biju Chhatra Janata...

Bhubaneswar: Nearly three decades after he escaped from police custody in handcuffs, a murder accused was arrested by Odisha Police in Jharsuguda district, officials said Friday. The accused, identified as Nilamani Mahanand, was wanted in connection with a murder case registered under various sections of the IPC, including Section 302 (murder), the state police headquarters said in...

Bhubaneswar/Puri: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday stressed cooperation, coordination and constant communication among all officers in order to make the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and sibling deities in Puri July 16 hassle-free and flawless. Majhi said this while chairing a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhavan ahead of the mega event which is...

Bhubaneswar: AIIMS Bhubaneswar Friday said it has achieved a milestone by completing 100 advanced robotic-assisted surgeries within four-and-a-half months of launching the programme. Union Health Minister J P Nadda had virtually inaugurated the robotic surgery system at the institute February 23. To mark the achievement, a special ceremony was organised at the institute Friday. The milestone has...

New Delhi: India's electric vehicle (EV) components market is expected to expand eightfold to around Rs 3.55 lakh crore over the next seven years, from Rs 41,000 crore in 2025, according to an industry report. This forecast comes from the newly released 'India Electric Vehicle & Components Market Overview Report' by India Energy Storage Alliance and Customized...

New Delhi: After WhatsApp, messaging platform Telegram has also submitted its reply to the IT Ministry's notice on the 'username' feature, according to sources. Submissions of both WhatsApp and Telegram are currently being examined by the government, sources told PTI. The username feature essentially allows people on the messaging platforms to communicate without sharing their phone numbers....

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) Friday said that panchayat and civic body polls due early next year are likely to be delayed by a month or two due to the ongoing census work. The State Election Commission has convened a meeting July 21 to discuss the preparations for the panchayat and civic polls due next...

New Delhi: Centre has withdrawn the licensing exemption for medicinal formulations containing more than 12 per cent of ethyl alcohol and brought them under stricter regulatory oversight, including mandatory licensing and prescription-only sale, to curb misuse and prevent diversion for intoxication, officials said. Certain medicinal products, including tinctures of cardamom, ginger and other aromatic preparations, have been...