'Safety First' in Cuttack
Reiterating the Odisha government’s stance on unsafe buildings, Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra told the Assembly that all unsafe structures in Cuttack will be demolished after identification. He said a special committee under CMC is surveying every ward, after which notices will be issued, and demolitions will be carried out as per rules.

'Pipe Scam' Rocks House
The Odisha Assembly witnessed heated scenes during Question Hour as corruption allegations in the ‘Har Ghar, Nal Se Jal’ scheme dominated discussions. BJP MLA Pratap Chandra Nayak sought a vigilance probe against former Panchayati Raj Minister Pradip Amat, alleging that duplicate pipes replaced Tata pipes. Minister Rabi Narayan Naik accused the previous BJD government of buying pipes and looting funds.

Constable Murder Case
Commissionerate Police have filed a detailed 680-page chargesheet in the murder of woman constable Shubhamitra Sahoo. Inspector Bipin Bihari Hota submitted evidence against three accused, including the prime accused and husband Deepak Rout. The chargesheet states Deepak conspired with relatives over financial disputes after Shubhamitra demanded repayment of money lent for their marriage ceremony.

Massive Housing Push
The Odisha government has approved large numbers of rural houses for 2024–25 and 2025–26 while recognising connectivity gaps in revenue and hamlet villages. Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik said 1,58,509 houses have been sanctioned under Antyodaya Housing and 1,02,704 under PMAY-G for 2024–25, as per his Assembly reply.

App Use 'Optional'
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that activating the Sanchar Saathi app is optional and users may delete it if they wish, amid privacy concerns. The telecom minister said the state-developed cybersecurity app neither monitors calls nor collects surveillance data, and only functions after user activation, addressing backlash over a recent directive.

SC Questions Claims
The Supreme Court asked how illegal entrants could demand due process for expulsion while hearing a PIL alleging the disappearance of the Rohingya people. CJI Surya Kant questioned whether those crossing fenced borders or tunnels could insist on showcause notices, food and shelter, after claims that five were deported without procedure.

Pak 'Expires' in Lanka
Pakistan faced embarrassment after its Colombo-bound flood relief packages appeared to display expired dates, sparking online criticism. Photos posted by the Pakistan High Commission on X showed labels reading “EXP: 10/2024,” prompting allegations that Islamabad sent expired items to Sri Lanka, which is battling one of its worst flooding crises.

Apple Gets Amar
Apple has appointed Amar Subramanya as its new vice president of AI, succeeding John Giannandrea, who will remain an adviser until retiring next spring. Subramanya, a Bangalore University graduate, previously worked at IBM, Microsoft and Google—where he led engineering for the Gemini Assistant—before briefly joining Microsoft as CVP of AI in July.

Suryavanshi Rises
Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi stunned the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy by scoring 108 off 61 balls for Bihar against Maharashtra, hitting seven fours and seven sixes at Eden Gardens. It was his third century in just 16 T20 games, making him the youngest-ever player to score a century in the tournament’s history.

Ranveer Apologises
Actor Ranveer Singh apologised after receiving criticism for mimicking the Daiva ritual from Kantara Chapter 1 at IFFI 2025. His recreation of Rishab Shetty’s possessed Chamundi Daiva act drew complaints, including from HJS. Ranveer said he never intended disrespect and only meant to honour Shetty’s exceptional performance.