Bhubaneswar: The opposition Congress in Odisha Saturday alleged that irregularities had taken place in the state during the simultaneous elections to the assembly and Lok Sabha last year. Addressing a press conference, state Congress president Bhakta Charan Das claimed that about 42 lakh votes were cast in the state between 5 pm and 9 pm on the...

 Mettle Meet 2025 prelims round comes to an end on a high note at Hotel Swosti Premium in Bhubaneswar       Girls tie rakhis to boys during Raksha Bandhan at Tulasipur Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir in Cuttack

ARINDAM GANGULY, OP Bhubaneswar: The seventh edition of Odisha’s premier quizzing event, Orissa POST Mettle Meet-2025, commenced with great enthusiasm Saturday at Hotel Swosti Premium, drawing participation from over 80 leading educational institutions from the state and beyond. Following a challenging preliminary round, 16 top teams—eight each from junior and senior categories—secured their spots in the Grand...

Dhaka: Bangladesh's poll body chief Saturday said general elections would be held in the first week of February 2026 but ensuring it in a free, fair and impartial manner remained a major challenge. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, however, said the exact date would be disclosed two months before the schedule was announced. “People have...

Washington: Four astronauts returned to Earth Saturday after hustling to the International Space Station five months ago to relieve the stuck test pilots of Boeing's Starliner. Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Pacific off the Southern California coast a day after departing the orbiting lab. “Welcome home,” SpaceX Mission Control radioed. Splashing down were NASA's Anne McClain...

New Delhi: India Saturday welcomed the forthcoming summit between United States President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that is scheduled to take place in Alaska  August 15. "India welcomes the understanding reached between the United States and the Russian Federation for a meeting in Alaska 15th August 2025. This meeting holds the promise of...

Bhubaneswar: Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) criticised the Mohan Charan Majhi government in Odisha for not observing the World Tribal Day, officially known as International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The BJD celebrated the day at its party office here. Holding a press conference, senior BJD leader Sudam Marndi said the entire world is celebrating the...

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police arrested 129 people, wanted in different criminal cases, over the last nine days during a special drive, a senior officer said Saturday. 'Operation Garuda' was launched August 1 for curbing crime, smuggling, and anti-social activities, ADG (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar said, addressing a press conference. He said it will continue till August...

New Delhi: As Congress leaders amplified the vote theft allegation of Rahul Gandhi, the Election Commission Saturday once again pressed the Leader of the Opposition to either sign a declaration to support his claims or apologise to the country for making "fake" charges. A day after Gandhi and the EC exchanged barbs over alleged vote theft in...

New Delhi: India Saturday welcomed next week's summit talks between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska to find ways to end the Ukraine conflict. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), endorsing the move, said India stands ready to support the efforts as it recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's consistent position that...