Nuseirat: Hamas freed the first five of six Israeli hostages due to be released Saturday even as heightened tension between the adversaries clouded the future of the fragile ceasefire deal. The five were handed over to the Red Cross in two separate ceremonies in Gaza, brought out on stages by masked, armed Hamas fighters in []

Bhopal/Mumbai: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Saturday slammed Tata Group-owned Air India for allotting him a broken and sunk seat, prompting his ministerial colleague K Rammohan Naidu to instruct the airline to take necessary action. Separately, Air India apologised for the incident and ordered a thorough probe while the DGCA sought a report from the []

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Saturday said all those responsible for the death of a Nepalese student of a private engineering institute KIIT and the alleged assault on the pupils from the Himalayan country would not be spared. Congress activists also held a demonstration, demanding the immediate arrest of KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta. A large number []

Hyderabad: At least seven workers are feared trapped after a portion of an under-construction tunnel as part of Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) collapsed in Telanganas Nagarkurnool district Saturday. At least 50 workers were on the site when a portion of the tunnel collapsed behind the Srisailam dam near Domalapenta. According to officials: The roof []

Dubai: Indian superstar Virat Kohli meant business a day before the marquee clash against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy as he arrived at the ICC Academy two hours before scheduled practice time to iron out his issues against spin. Kohli, who was troubled by the ball outside off-stump from the pacers on the Test tour []

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Saturday said all those responsible for the death of a Nepalese student of a private engineering institute KIIT and the alleged assault on the pupils from the Himalayan country would not be spared. Congress activists also held a demonstration, demanding the immediate arrest of KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta. A large number []

Lahore: In a major blunder ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy match between Australia and England at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday, the Indian national anthem Jana Gana Mana was played instead of Advance Australia Fair (Australias national anthem). As has been the case in ICC events, national anthems of both teams are played []

Mumbai: Star Yash has started shooting for Nitesh Tiwaris Ramayana, where he will be seen playing the role of Ravana. Tiwaris directorial is being shot in India. Actor Ranbir Kapoor will be seen playing the role of Lord Rama and actress Sai Pallavi will essay the role of Goddess Sita. Ranbir and Pallavi have shot []

Lahore: Australia skipper Steve Smith won the toss and elected to bowl against England in their opening ICC Champions Trophy match here Saturday. Australia has drafted in in-form wicketkeeper batter Alex Carey in the middle-order, despite having another stumper in Josh Inglis. Teams: England: Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, []

New Delhi: Renowned Odissi dancer Mayadhar Raut (92) died Saturday at his Delhi home, his son Manoj Raut said. He had breakfast this morning, surrounded by his grandchildren and the rest of the family. He wasnt experiencing any illnesses and passed away due to old age, Raut told PTI. The last rites will be conducted []

New Delhi: Delhis new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was Saturday approached by her predecessor and AAP leader Atishi for a meeting to discuss the early launch of a scheme of Rs 2,500 monthly financial assistance to women a promise made by the BJP during the Assembly election campaign. Atishi wrote Saturday in the letter, []

New Delhi: Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria opined that the Mohammad Rizwan-led side has no chance of winning against India in their Champions Trophy spectacle at Dubai International Stadium Sunday. Kaneria backed his statement by highlighting Pakistans dismal run in the recent series including the loss in the Tri-Nation Series and 1-1 draw against West []

New Delhi: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyens visit to India next week will pave the way for further strengthening growing convergence in key areas, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Saturday. Leyen, accompanied by the high-powered European Union College of Commissioners, will pay a visit to India February 27 and 28 at []

Mumbai: Indias pension assets under management (AUM) is expected to reach a massive Rs 118 lakh crore by 2030, with the National Pension System (NPS) likely to constitute approximately 25 per cent of this total, according to a new report. The NPS private sector AUM has experienced substantial annual growth, increasing by 26.8 per cent []

Washington: In a historic move, Kash Patel was sworn in as the ninth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) by placing his hand on the Bhagavad Gita, a gesture that sparked widespread appreciation from Hindus around the world Saturday. Attorney General Pam Bondi administered the oath to Patel, instructing, Place your hand on []

Los Angeles: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck officially became divorced and single. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved their divorce settlement on January 6, and declared that it would take effect February 21, after Californias required six months passed since Lopez filed to dissolve their two-year-old marriage. The document said they settled through mediation []

A routine day in Noida turned into a nightmare when Jyotsana received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller, posing as a mobile network executive, offered to activate an embedded SIM (eSIM) to secure her number if her phone was lost. The caller also assured that a physical SIM would arrive in two []

New Delhi: Railway Ministry has asked social media platform X to remove a few pictures of the February 15 stampede incidents at the New Delhi Railway Station which outrage womens modesty as well as those that contain gory photos or videos, railway sources said. Eighteen passengers lost their lives and several others were injured when []

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday held detailed discussions with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on the various issues related to the development of the railway infrastructure in Odisha. CM Majhi, who is on a visit to the national capital, called on Railway Minister Vaishnaw Friday. The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned several significant []

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said Friday said that efforts are on to bring back the Nepali students and also assured them to bear the travel expenses of all the students returning back to their campuses at KIIT University in Bhubaneswar. Speaking during the discussion on the adjournment motion moved by the legislators []

New Delhi: Nearly a week after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke on the issue of Kashmir during his visit to Pakistan, New Delhi Friday said such unwarranted statements on Indias territorial integrity and sovereignty were unacceptable, adding that it has lodged a strong protest on the matter with the Turkish ambassador here. We reject []

Bhubaneswar: Odisha is taking steps to get international recognition for the annual Bali Yatra held in Cuttack city, Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said Friday. Speaking in the Assembly, he said the state government has formed a team of experts, which is working to get the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage recognition. During Question Hour, Congress MLA []

Bhubaneswar: The Indian mens hockey team came back from a goal down to beat Ireland 3-1 in FIH Pro League in Bhubaneswar Friday. The Indians were stunned by the Irish in the eighth minute when Jeremy Duncan scored from a field effort. But the Indians bounced back strongly, scoring a field goal through Mandeep Singh []

New Delhi: A political row erupted Friday after a media report claimed USD 21 million aid by USAID was meant for Bangladesh and not India, with the Congress demanding an apology from the BJP and the ruling party accusing Rahul Gandhi of colluding with foreign forces to weaken India. The Congress alleged that the BJPs []

Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge Friday for what he described as a cruel and malicious violation of the ceasefire agreement after a body that Hamas released as part of the deal was found to not be that of an Israeli mother of two young boys, as the militants had promised. The incident []

New Delhi: Facing netizens outrage over its newspaper advertisement, travel tech unicorn OYO on Friday clarified that the ad was meant to promote religious tourism in India and not hurt any religious sentiments. Several users took to social media platform X to raise objections to the phrase God is Everywhere. And so is OYO in []

New Delhi: Stronger policy frameworks and robust macro fundamentals remain the key to resilience and fostering overall macroeconomic stability, according to RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra. In the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held earlier this month, the minutes of which were released by the central bank Friday, Malhotra said that domestically too, there is a []

New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate has levied a penalty of more than Rs 3.44 crore on BBC World Service India for alleged contravention of foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations, agency officials said Friday. The federal probe agency also fined three of its directors with more than Rs 1.14 crore each as it issued an adjudication order []

Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, Friday mocked the ruling BJPs double engine government, asserting that it turned out to be double misery for the state. The BJD president also claimed that the Central government did not increase the grant-in-aid funds for Odisha. Patnaik, a five-time former Chief Minister, was participating []

Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday expressed sorrow and anger over the brutal killing of kidnapped children by Hamas as their bodies were returned to Israel amid national mourning. In a statement, Netanyahu said: Today is a tragic day. Its a day of boundless sorrow, of indescribable pain. Four-year-old Ariel Bibas, his baby []

Beijing: Indias Consul General in Shanghai Pratik Mathur visited the prominent Jingan Temple in China Friday and offered prayers to its 15-tonne silver Buddha idol. Mathur was warmly received by the Abbot Master Ya Yun of the temple, who hails from the Shingon sect, which traces its lineage to the great Buddhist masters of India, []

Bhubaneswar: Senior officials of Odisha-based Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), including its founder Achyuta Samanta, Friday appeared before the state governments high-level committee investigating the alleged suicide of a Nepalese engineering student and subsequent attack on students from the neighbouring country. Former BJD MP Samanta arrived at the state guest house ahead of his []

A shocking video that has gone viral on social media captures a man attempting to evade the police by jumping from the third floor of a building. At the beginning of the clip, the man can be seen standing on the terrace of the three-story building, trying to escape the police. He first waves a []

Rae Bareli: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks during his US visit on the controversy involving the Adani Group, saying it was not a personal matter but one about the country. Gandhi made the remarks while addressing youths at an event in []

Bhubaneswar: Cutting across party lines, members of the Odisha Assembly Friday condemned the mistreatment of Nepalese students following the death of a girl on KIIT campus, while the Opposition BJD and Congress staged a walkout from the House, demanding a judicial probe into the incident. The issue related to the alleged suicide of a 20-year-old []

Balasore: A class 10 student, who fell ill three days ago after consuming food at a community feast in Odishas Balasore district, died hours before his board examination Friday, police said. The deceased has been identified as Chandra Sekhar Majhi (15) from Baripada village under Bahanaga block. According to police sources, Chandra Sekhar fell ill []

New Delhi: Supreme Court Friday sought responses from the Maharashtra and Assam governments on YouTuber Ashish Chanchlanis plea seeking to quash or transfer to Mumbai an FIR filed over the alleged obscene utterances made during an episode of Indias Got Latent show aired recently. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued []

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi discussed developments in Sino-India ties, management of peace and tranquillity along border areas, and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra resumption, during their meeting in South Africa, the MEA said Friday. The two ministers met on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in []

Mumbai: Falling for the fourth straight day, benchmark Sensex declined by nearly 425 points Friday due to selling in auto, pharma and banking shares and relentless foreign fund outflows. The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex dropped 424.90 points or 0.56 per cent to settle at 75,311.06. During the day, it tanked 623.55 points or 0.82 per []

Bhubaneswar: The Congress Friday slammed the NDA government at the Centre and the BJP dispensation in Odisha over reports of missing more than 36,000 women and 8,400 children in the state. Addressing media persons here, newly appointed AICC in-charge of Odisha Ajay Kumar Lallu asked why human trafficking is rampant in the state. As per []

Kendrapara: The Coast GuardThursday said it has launched the annual operation to ensure the safe mid-sea sojourn of breeding Olive Ridley sea turtles and mass nesting of these delicate marine species in Odisha. The Olive Ridley turtles turn up in millions for mass nesting along the Odisha coast every year between February and March. Quoting []

New Delhi: India Friday said the revelations about USAID funding for certain activities in the country are deeply troubling and have led to concerns about foreign interference in its internal affairs. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said relevant departments and authorities are looking into the information put out by the United States []

In the era of AI-generated videos, social media users are pushing creative boundaries, producing content that garners massive engagement. A recent viral video imagines business moguls like Mukesh Ambani, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Sundar Pichai opening stalls at the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela 2025 in Uttar Pradesh, leaving the internet amused. A user on X []

Mumbai: Hindi film actress Preity Zinta recently responded to trolls questioning her marriage to Gene Goodenough by quoting Shah Rukh Khans iconic dialogue from their film Veer Zara. While addressing the trolls questioning her opinions and decision to marry Gene Goodenough, the Soldieractress shared an iconic SRK dialogue: Kabhi bhi ek dost ki zarurat pade []

Mumbai: Hindi film industry actress Sonakshi Sinha recently shared glimpses from the album launch event of Salman Khans nephew, Ayaan Agnihotri. The launch event, held in Dubai to celebrate Ayaans musical debut, saw several notable faces from the industry in attendance, including Sonakshi herself, who took to social media to share her excitement. On her []

As excitement peaks for the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan showdown in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, an unexpected prediction has taken the internet by storm. Abhey Singh, popularly known as IIT Baba, has declared that India will not win the high-stakes match, sending social media into a frenzy. During the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, IIT Baba []

New York: US President Donald Trump has claimed that the USD 21 million funding to India for voter turnout was a kickback scheme, as he continued to attack the previous Biden administration over the now cancelled financial aid. Trump made these remarks while speaking at the Republican Governors Association meeting in Washington DC Thursday. USD []

As many desire to take a holy dip at Sangam during Mahakumbh, a local man has started his business in this domain, providing his services in the form of digital snan. According to his business pitch, he collects photographs of devotees sent via WhatsApp and immerses them at the Sangam. He charges Rs 1100 for []

Patna: A day after a class 10 student was gunned down and another injured in Bihars Rohtas district, hundreds of villagers Friday blocked the Delhi-Kolkata National Highway (NH) at Dehri, demanding swift justice. The murder of 14-year-old Amit Kumar, who was returning home after his board exams, has led to outrage among locals, who are []

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Vasantrao Sapkal Friday demanded the immediate resignation of state Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, who was convicted of committing fraud using fake documents to acquire two government quota flats. If the state government does not dismiss him it will amount to a serious lapse. This will prove that it is not []