New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday received a phone call from the US Vice-President JD Vance; both discussed ways to further deepen India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership across key areas. PM Modi also congratulated JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, on the birth of their son and conveyed best wishes to the family. "Received a...

Lahunipada/Banai: Two masked men allegedly poured petrol on a 35-year-old man and set him ablaze over a land dispute in Ganighasa village under Lahunipada police limits in Sundaragada district in the early hours of Saturday, police said. The victim was identified as Kahnu Charan Mohanta of the village. Police said Mohanta was on his way to a...

Riamal: Skeletal remains believed to be those of a female elephant were recovered from the Gogua reserve forest near Khilei village in Riamal forest range of Debagada district Friday, forest department officials said Saturday. The remains were spotted by Nuadihi Forester Golakh Patta and his team during a routine patrol. The forester informed the Debagada divisional forest...

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Saturday concluded his two-day investment outreach in Delhi-NCR, securing investment proposals worth Rs 66,392 crore with the potential to generate 54,135 employment opportunities in Odisha. Of the total investment proposals, 38 MoUs worth Rs 64,703 crore were signed, with the potential to generate 46,071 jobs. Investment Intention Forms (IIFs) involving...

Kujang: An underground pipeline laid by JSW Steel has burst near Patana in Erasama block of Jagatsinghpur district, residents alleged. A chemical substance has been released on farmlands, damaging paddy seedlings and killing fish, residents alleged in a written complaint to the Ersama tehsildar Friday. The incident has sparked growing resentment against the company in Dhinkia panchayat....

Nabarangpur: An additional district and sessions judge and special POCSO court judge sentenced a man to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment for abducting and repeatedly raping a minor girl in 2013. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict, Dushmant Bag, alias Durlav Baba, of Majursahi under Kokasara police station in Kalahandi district. According...

Bhubaneswar: Ensuring appropriate and speedy justice to the people remains a top priority of the Odisha government, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said Saturday, stressing the need for effective management of civil cases and greater efficiency in the justice delivery system. Addressing a one-day workshop on effective management of civil cases pending in district courts, organised for government...

By Dhurjati Mukherjee The agricultural sector is expected to be affected in most districts due to deficient rainfall at the right time and other factors. According to government data, about 45 per cent of the net sown area is rain-fed, and with the monsoon being weak in around 380-400 districts, production is likely to decline. It is...

By Aakar Patel There was a remarkable exchange in the Delhi High Court this week. The government was asked why it was not considering shutting down the Jantar Mantar area as a venue for protests. “Why don’t you shut it down? According to me, these things should not happen in the city, but it’s the government’s call....

Bhubaneswar: One of Eastern India’s premier quizzing extravaganzas, Orissa POST Mettle Meet 2026, got off to an enthusiastic start at Hotel Swosti Premium in Bhubaneswar Saturday, with more than 80 leading educational institutions from Odisha and beyond taking part in the contest. After a challenging preliminary round, 16 teams -- eight each in the junior and senior...