Bhubaneswar: Indian fuel prices could face upward pressure following reports that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes. The narrow maritime corridor connects the Persian Gulf to global markets and handles a significant share of international crude oil shipments. Any disruption in this passage typically constrains…
Bhubaneswar: The decision to tighten security arrangements was announced by the Director General of Police (DGP) following a high-level review meeting at the State Police Headquarters. All district Superintendents of Police have been placed on high alert to ensure law and order during the upcoming festive period. The Cyber Cell has been assigned round-the-clock monitoring…
Bhubaneswar: With an average of 16 people losing their lives daily in road accidents across Odisha, the state government has accelerated the rollout of the Prime Minister’s Road Accident Victims’ Hospitalisation & Assured Treatment Scheme (PM RAHAT). The scheme guarantees free and cashless treatment for road accident victims admitted to a hospital within 24 hours…
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced that Jharsuguda district recorded the highest conviction rate in the state in 2025 at 89.5 per cent. In contrast, Kendrapada district reported the lowest conviction rate at 3.1 per cent. According to official data shared by the Chief Minister, several other districts — including Angul, Berhampur,…
Bhubaneswar/ India: In a sharp escalation of cross-border hostilities, Pakistan launched multiple airstrikes on Taliban-ruled Afghanistan during the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, targeting areas including Kabul and Kandahar. Islamabad termed the offensive “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” claiming it struck key military facilities in response to what it described as “unprovoked firing” from across…
Bhubaneswar: Universities are meant to be sanctuaries of learning, debate, and intellectual freedom. Yet, they are also institutions that must ensure safety, discipline, and order. Utkal University’s newly announced stringent campus guidelines reflect this delicate balancing act—tilting firmly toward control in the name of security and academic focus. The mandatory carrying of identity cards and…
Bhubaneswar: A powerful explosion during the illegal assembly of a crude bomb in Sundarpada area of Bhubaneswar claimed the lives of Shahnawaz Malik (26) and his mother Lizatun Bibi (51), while three others sustained critical injuries, police said. Malik, described as a repeat offender with prior explosives-related charges, was allegedly assembling the device at his…
Bhubaneswar: The latest annual report of the Odisha State Commission for Women, revealing 2,064 cases of crimes and grievances against women in 2024–25, is both a statistical snapshot and a moral indictment. That Bhubaneswar alone accounts for 298 cases, followed by Cuttack and Khordha, should compel policymakers and society to confront an uncomfortable truth: urban…
Bhubaneswar: A bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been stolen from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, a suburb of Melbourne, triggering concern among the Indian diaspora and authorities. The statue, which held significant cultural and symbolic value, was gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, and was unveiled on…
Bhubaneswar: The Calcutta High Court on January 27 directed the West Bengal government to hand over land already acquired for Indo-Bangladesh border fencing to the Border Security Force (BSF) by March 31, 2026, asserting that national security cannot be subordinated to electoral or administrative delays. The order was passed by a division bench headed by…