Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Tuesday highlighted significant progress following the implementation of the new criminal laws, stating that Odisha’s conviction rate in cases where the accused were found guilty rose by 87.6 per cent by the end of 2025. He attributed the improvement to better coordination in investigation, prosecution, and judicial processes. The Chief Minister...

Paralakhemundi: Encroachment on a minor irrigation canal connecting Ramsagar and Sitasagar in Gajapati district has disrupted water supply to thousands of acres of farmland, leaving farmers struggling and forcing them to migrate for work. Farmers allege that the canal, built during the rule of the Gajapati royal family, is now under the control of encroachers, preventing water...

Purushottampur: The annual Chaitra Mangalabar Jatra of Maa Tara Tarini, the presiding deity of Ganjam district, began Tuesday with religious fervour at the hilltop shrine. The temple premises witnessed a huge gathering of devotees from midnight, with the air resonating with chants, women’s ululation and Vedic hymns recited by priests. The entire Ratnagiri hill reverberated with spiritual...

Cuttack: Orissa High Court has stayed the state government’s notification banning the manufacture, sale, and preparation of tobacco, gutkha, pan masala, zarda, or any nicotine-containing food products. Hearing a petition challenging the move, Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi issued notice to the state government and directed that no financial or punitive action be taken against the petitioner until...

Lakhanpur/Sambalpur: Members of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal Tuesday inspected the Kelo dam and Kalma barrage in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district as part of field visits ahead of the final decision in the long-running water-sharing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Tribunal chairperson Justice Bela M Trivedi, along with members Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Indermeet Kaur Kochhar, visited...

Bargarh: Police in Bargarh have launched a crackdown on illegal drug trade following a spate of violent crimes in the town. Acting on repeated complaints that the rampant narcotics trade was fuelling incidents of stabbing, robbery and murder, the police administration Tuesday identified several suspected drug dens and began demolishing them with bulldozers. As part of the...

Bhubaneswar: In a significant milestone for Odisha’s higher education sector, a group of students from the state recently showcased an innovative fintech project at the Global Financial Forum in Tokyo, Japan. The project was developed under Certification Programme in Fintech and Insurtech (CFI), launched by Odisha government, in collaboration with National University of Singapore – Asian Institute...

Sonepur: Police in Subarnapur district have arrested nine persons and issued notices to 26 others for allegedly operating money mule accounts used in cyber fraud. Subarnapur Superintendent of Police Narayan Nayak said the action was taken under a special drive, Operation Cyber Kavach. The accused allegedly allowed their bank accounts to be used by cyber criminals to...

Stephen Holmes A senior US State Department official recently summarised the Trump administration’s approach to regime change in three words: “decapitate and delegate.” Remove an intransigent leader, weaken the regime through airstrikes, sanctions, and proxies, then compel a successor to strike a transactional bargain – eliminating a geopolitical irritant while opening the door to diplomatic normalisation, oil...

Melvin Durai After the United States and Israel launched their military offensive against Iran, dropping hundreds of bombs and killing the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, I watched intently as political commentators on American TV shared their opinions on whether the attack was necessary. Republicans insisted that regime change in Iran was critical, not just for...