Washington: US President Donald Trump unveiled a newly refurbished Air Force One jet, previously owned by Qatar, which is set to start commissioning flights before it begins ferrying the president early next month. The red, white and navy blue livery of the Boeing 747-8i luxury jet replaces the robin's egg blue exterior of the old aircraft that...

New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) began a nationwide mock drill Saturday as part of extensive preparations for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination Sunday, aimed at ensuring a secure and seamless conduct of the test. The exercise that began at 9 A.M. will continue through the day until late evening. More than 2.5 lakh security personnel will...

Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will jointly unveil development projects worth more than Rs 47,600 crore in Odisha Saturday, officials said. Murmu, who arrived in the state Friday evening, will join the prime minister at Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district for the event, marking a rare occasion when both leaders will participate in a...

Udala: A crucial breakthrough has emerged in a two-and-a-half-year-old murder investigation after a man identified a pair of slippers belonging to his missing father, helping police and Crime Branch investigators establish a possible link to an unidentified body recovered in 2023. The development came Wednesday night at Udala police station when Bishwanath Singh, a resident of Sukhuasahi...

Keonjhar: An elderly follower of the Alekh faith was bludgeoned to death in Amuni village under Upara Raigoda panchayat within Keonjhar Sadar police limits Friday. The deceased was identified as Srikanta Mahakud, 65, a resident of Bharali Sahi in the village. Police recovered his bloodied body from near a pond in the village and launched an investigation...

Berhampur: Nearly 3,000 households in Ganjam district paid no electricity bills in May, highlighting the growing impact of rooftop solar adoption under the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and utility-led initiatives. According to officials, 2,943 consumers in the district recorded zero electricity bills during the month after installing rooftop solar systems, making Ganjam one of...

Bhubaneswar: Three days after a young woman from Delhi and her Gujarat-based male colleague were allegedly attacked by a mob in Rayagada district, with villagers mistaking them for child kidnappers, police have arrested 16 people in this connection. According to the police, the victims were travelling from Daringbadi to Thuamul Rampur block in Kalahandi, a neighbouring district...

Bhubaneswar: The state government has drawn up an ambitious plan to invest Rs 274 crore over the next five years to promote the development of all four varieties of silk produced in the state, Textiles and Handlooms Director Somesh Kumar Upadhyay announced Friday. As part of efforts to strengthen the sericulture sector, the government will organise 11...

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) is set to prepare three new town planning (TP) schemes 5, 6 and 7 covering more than 863 acres under the state government’s Samrudha Sahar initiative, a senior official said Friday. “The proposed TP schemes under the Samrudha Sahar initiative will cover a total area of 863.29 acres. While 05/2026 will...

By Sahasranshu Dash & Dillip Kumar Muduli The rupee’s recent depreciation from around 83-84 per dollar in late 2024 to nearly 96 in June 2026 has reignited concerns about India's external vulnerability. Despite RBI intervention and reserve sales exceeding $30bn since February, the currency remains under pressure. Much of the debate has focused on RBI intervention and...