CATEGORIES

Syrian rebels 'encircling' Damascus

REBELS on a lightning advance through Syria said on Saturday they have begun to encircle Damascus as government forces denied they had withdrawn from areas near the capital.

Notre Dame re-opens five years after inferno

FRANCE on Saturday prepared to throw open the doors of the capital's Notre Dame cathedral after a half-decade closure, in a ceremony attended by dozens of world leaders celebrating the rebirth of the Paris landmark ravaged by a devastating fire.

Woman brings brother's body tied to taxi roof

UNABLE to afford the exorbitant fee charged by the ambulance service, a woman was forced to travel 195 kilometers from her village to Haldwani by tying the body of her brother, who died by suicide, to the roof of a taxi.

Four BJP MLAs inducted into Assam ministry

WITH around 15 months left for Assam to go to elections, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday expanded his ministry by appointing four BJP MLAs as ministers.

Lack of snowfall at Badrinath raises concerns, climate change blamed

EXPERTS and priests of the Badrinath shrine have expressed concern over the absence of snowfall in the region until December, attributing to climate change.

Modi made welfare state a reality, 25 cr lifted out of poverty, says Shah

HOME Minister Amit Shah on Saturday credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for transforming the vision of a welfare state into a reality, a feat he claimed previous governments before 2014 pursued only in bits and pieces.

BJP MLA wants ban on beef sale, JD(U) sees red

INSPIRED by his senior party colleague and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Bihar BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul on Saturday demanded a ban on sale of beef in hotels, restaurants and public places of the state.

MoS defence Seth says he got ₹50 lakh ransom threat, 2 held after probe

MINISTER of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Saturday said he has received an extortion call of ₹50 lakh via text message from Ranchi while attending the winter session Parliament in New Delhi.

Temple burnt in Bangla: ISKCON

Kolkata official says idols gutted, expresses concern over arrested Krishna Das's safety

THE HERO WHO ENCHANTS A NATION

When the trailer of Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule was launched in Patna, thousands thronged the event, eager to catch a glimpse of the star who embodies the almost-mythical protagonist of the franchise.

Season's first cold wave to hit by next week

WARMER winter has reduced the sweetness of jaggery and created a conducive weather for pest attacks on sugarcane plants in western Uttar Pradesh, one of the largest sugarcane producer belts in the country.

India issues Syria travel advisory, asks citizens to return at the earliest

INDIA on Saturday issued an advisory for its citizens in Syria to return at the earliest and also urged others to drop any travel plans to the insurgency-hit country.

Working on resolution of Ukraine conflict, says EAM

Jaishankar says needle moving towards negotiations than a longer war

Drop in India's TB burden doubled since 2015: Nadda

UNION Health Minister JP Nadda on Saturday said the rate of decline of tuberculosis incidence in India has doubled since 2015 and is ahead of the global average.

Indian youth brutalised in Myanmar cyber fraud cell hospitalised, say relatives

TWENTY-two-year-old Ajay, one of the Indian youths trapped in a cyber scam centre in Myanmar, has been hospitalised after being brutally beaten up, his relative revealed.

Canadian Parliament rejects motion to declare 1984 Sikh riots as 'genocide'

THE Canadian Parliament has rejected the motion to declare the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as genocide following stiff resistance from lawmakers like Chandra Arya, who claimed that he was threatened inside the parliament building for opposing the motion, which he described as being influenced by a \"politically powerful Khalistani lobby.\"

WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S ON THE PLATE

A recent report on Lindt dark chocolates stated that they contain lead and cadmium above the acceptable levels, which has not been denied by the company.

EVOLVING BEYOND THE MODI FACTOR

HE BJP-led Mahayuti alliance's victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections has been both celebrated and scrutinized, with the slogan \"Batenge to katenge\" often highlighted as the pivotal factor behind this success.

Achyuta Samanta awarded 62nd honorary doctorate

NOTED social worker, educationist, and founder of KIIT and KISS Achyuta Samanta received his 62nd honorary doctorate from Poornima University at Jaipur in Rajasthan on Saturday.

New LoPar to approach TN by December 11

A new low-pressure system has developed over the Bay of Bengal on Saturday and is heading towards Tamil Nadu.

100-DAY TB SURVEILLANCE LAUNCHED BY STATE GOVT

HEALTH and Family Welfare minister Mukesh Mahaling on Saturday launched the '100-Day intensified TB campaign' to combat TB incidence and mortality in the state.

Students fall sick after consuming mid-day meal

BERHAMPUR: Twenty-Five students of an upper primary school in Simanbadi, under Daringibadi block in Kandhamal district fell ill after consuming mid-day meal (MDM) on Saturday.

9 including juvenile held for youth's murder

TWO days after a 25-year-old youth was murdered in Saletikra village, police on Saturday arrested nine persons including a juvenile for their alleged involvement in the matter.

Snatching, burglary rock Talcher, cops clueless

THE recent spate of snatching and theft in Talcher industrial belt has left local residents anxious, prompting them to demand immediate and effective police intervention.

'Ghodalagi' besha of Trinity observed at Srimandir

WITH winter setting in, the servitors of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, dressed the Trinity in warm clothes in a ritual popularly known as 'Ghodalagi' besha.

Farmers want CM to resolve paddy purchase problems

A day ahead of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's visit to the district to announce disbursal of input subsidy of ₹800 for paddy, farmers on Saturday staged dharna at Gandhi Chowk in Bargarh town to draw attention of the state government towards the issues affecting the procurement process in the region.

Hardcore criminal held after police encounter

THE mastermind of the Charmal dacoity which had occurred on November 22 was nabbed after a police encounter on Saturday.

Brass fish art of Ganjam's Belaguntha finds new lifeline

BELAGUNTHA in Ganjam district, once celebrated for its unique brass fish art, is ready to reclaim its lost glory.

Three held over death of 35-year-old worker in gas pipeline leak at Paradip

POLICE on Saturday arrested a contractor and two employees of an agency over the death of a worker while trying to fix a leak in the pipeline of Bharat Gas Resources Limited (BGRL) at Taladanda within Kujang police limits on Friday.

AMNS project: Govt notifies land acquisition of 383 acre

THE state government is set to acquire 383 acre land at Badatubi village under Mahakalapada block in the first phase for establishment of a 24 million tonne per annum (MTPA) steel plant of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AMNS).