KOCHI: Around 120 flights of Tata Group-owned Air India Express (AIX) were cancelled while 246 offered services on Friday, hours after the cabin crew called off their strike on Thursday evening. The operation has started to improve after several staff who went on sick leave rejoined duty. The cancellation is a continuation of previous days, and operations will return to normal gradually. Guests are requested to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport, said an AIX spokespe

KOCHI: Karinkali alle Kodungalloor vazhana pennalu Koduvaleduth chudu Darika chorayil neeradu Kali thulliya Kaali than kaalil thanka ponchilambu Thudi kottiya Paanante paattil Amme nee adangu Its unlikely any Malayali who uses social media has not come across these lines, all thanks to Fahadh Faasils Ranga reel scene from the film Aavesham. YouTube and Instagram are now flooded with videos of people swaying to the moving devotional track a la FaFaa. Quick research shows that this once used to be

KOCHI: Eami Saji Philip (31) Operation theatre nurse, Nairobi, Kenya I flew down to Nairobi in 2019, after marrying a male nurse who works at a private hospital here. Surprisingly, many Malayalis work in Kenyas healthcare system. Most private hospitals here are run by Indians or Pakistanis. Contrary to my initial concerns, working here has been much easier compared with India. In India, nurses often handle three patients at once, with constant pressure from doctors. In Kenya, nurses are usually

KOCHI: The popularity of vegan food items has been on the rise in Kerala. Many authentic Kerala dishes are vegan.And in Kochi, a chef is creating wonders with vegan cuisine. Executive chef Suresh Baabu of the Marriott Hotel in Edapally isamaster in the culinary arts,especiallyvegan food. The Lobby Lounge of the Marriot Hotel offers on-demand vegan food prepared by thechef,who hasover 18 years of experience in the culinary industry. My focus has always been on creating a memory with food. Every d

KOCHI: Juicy, tender, fatty, melt-in-the-mouth, beef is something like heaven of mouthfuls. Slow-cooked, smokey briskets are becoming the next big thing in Keralas ever-evolving culinary landscape. And preparing this truly gastronomic adventure is not an easy peasy affair, and hence, wont take over all the restaurants like wildfire. After all, it takes at least 14 hours to get that perfect brisket onto your plate. However, many in Kerala have been trying for a few years to transport this truly s

Rajesh Madhavan is a tad antsy these days Sureshinteyum Sumalathayudeyum Hridayahariyaya Pranayakadha (SSHP) , his first film as the protagonist, is about to release, and the shooting of Pennum Porattum , his maiden directorial, is in its final leg. This was a long journey for the young actor-director, fuelled by a childhood passion that never died down. The beginning of it all was a short, comedic role in the film Maheshinte Prathikaram , a character that no one who has watched the film will e

KOCHI: Every gesture, every step and every nuanced movement is a brushstroke on the canvas of the audiences imagination in the art of mime. For 25 years, Suresh Vishwanathan, who hails from Kalamassery, has been creating vivid scenes and evoking powerful feelings without uttering a word. Mime is not everyones cup of tea, but this does little to stop Suresh who, despite being bound to a wheelchair, remains steadfastly committed to perfecting his craft, which requires months of composition and tra

KOCHI: Close on the heels of his all-Kerala trip to spread awareness against drug abuse, Kannur native Saneed P P is already midway into his next mission an all-India trip to sow the same message even further. What distinguishes this journey is that the cycle he rides has no front wheel. A stunt rider, Saneed does a wheelie the entire stretch of the journey. The peculiarity of the trip turns eyes and in turn, to the message. Drug abuse is the greatest menace in our society today, he says. The j

KOCHI: Coming up with scientific solutions to burning problems in society is what three women researchers-turned-entrepreneurs are working at. Their transition from students, then into researchers and finally to entrepreneurs began in 2017 and got a firm base in 2021. This was the year when their startup Biovent Innovations Pvt Ltd was registered under Kerala Startup Mission. The startup is incubated under the Kerala University Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (KUBIIC) and functions out

KOCHI: In 1994, when Frederik Franken first visited Fort Kochi, he was undertaking a study which, as part of his graduation project, made an inventory of the monumental values of the region. The report eventually paved the way for a conservation plan for Bastion Bungalow. Today, 30 years later, Frederik, who hails from the Netherlands, is a renowned figure in the field of architectural conservation. As monument advisor for the city of Amsterdam, he advises and directs the maintenance of key monu

KOCHI: The latest volume of the book, India That Is Bharat: An Introduction to the Constitutional Debates by Minister P Rajeev is exceptional for one main reason: While books on constitutional laws are in plenty, very few have ventured into Constituent Assembly Debates (CAD) and come out with a publication. In the present volume, he dispels the myth about the Parliamentary address by the President or the governor, often thought of as an address prepared by themself. Thus, Rajeeve writes:In 1841,

KOCHI: Lulu Fashion Week (LFW), one of the signature events of LuLu, has started in Kochi. The five-day event will conclude on May 12. This year, LFW is featuring spring and summer fashion trends and styles from global brands. During a ceremony at Lulu Mall on Tuesday, the logo for this years edition was unveiled by actor Bhavana and Tovino Thomas in the presence of other dignitaries. With multiple fashion shows in the coming days, the organisers say, models are set to walk the ramp. The event w

KOCHI: Run the race in your prime years. Count the trophies in your twilight. Today we run multiple marathons while young, goaded by the aspirations thrown at us at regular intervals. Finally, as we near sixty and prepare to hang up our boots, retirement schemes start beckoning us from billboards and screens. We gradually conjure up a vision of easy chairs and long walks, perhaps with a grandchild in tow. We come to terms with the fact that its time to slow down and start focusing on the daily c

KOCHI: The complexities of relationships, the bond between nature and humanity, and the dynamics of power have all been captured with the masterful brush strokes by 35 artists from all over Kerala at the ongoing Art Kochi exhibition. The exhibition at David Hall Arts Gallery in Fort Kochi concludes on May 12. The collaboration between curator Reuben Thomas George and curatorial consultant O Sunder has managed to garner the interest of many. There is much more in these frames which can only be de

KOCHI: As a student, Aparna Unnikrishnan dreamed of becoming an architect. She was passionate about drawing, painting, and craft right from childhood, and hence chose a path with some creative aspect to it. I graduated in architecture so that I would have a solid profession and, at the same time, a canvas for creativity, she recalls. Destiny, however, had for this architect, who is now the global head of Fire tablets user experience (UX) design at Amazons Device Design and Services division in N

KOCHI: In todays fast-paced digital world, Generation Z is shaking things up like never before. They are the ones making memes go viral, starting online movements, and challenging traditional norms. And while they are at it, there are also reshaping how language is used, particularly by making cuss words appear cool and casual. One of the most interesting words in the English language today is the word f*&k. It is one magical word: just by its sound it can describe pain, pleasure, hate and love.

KOCHI: The Climathon organised in Kochi by Walkkaro, a prominent walking community in Kochi, was a big hit with participants of more than 400 people. Kochi Corporation councillor and KPCC general secretary Deepti Mary Varghese was the chief guest of the event held on Queens Walkway on Sunday. Members energetically walked a distance of about 3 kilometres to make nature conservation a part of their lifestyle, thereby helping ensure a better future. Saplings were also distributed to the participant

KOCHI: After the Supreme Court pulled up the Kochi corporation for having charged an additional fee, besides the regular cost, from the residents for the collection of sanitary waste including adult diapers and sanitary napkins, Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar said there is no provision to collect and treat sanitary waste for free. Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate Indu Varma on Monday, the apex court observed that the additional fees charged by the local body was shocking and

KOCHI: Asthma, a chronic lung disease affecting both children and adults, has the potential to disrupt daily life and lead to severe complications if left unchecked. It is crucial to address and understand this disease, especially as we approach another World Asthma Day. According to statistics, over 260 million people worldwide are affected by asthma. The disease is characterised by recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, tightness in the chest, and nighttime coughing. If left unmanaged

KOCHI: Asthma,is the second most prevalent chronic respiratory disease globally, affecting 3.6 people. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study has estimated that India is home to over 30 million asthmatics, accounting for 13.09 per cent of the global burden. When it comes to mortality, India accounts for over 42 per cent of all global asthma deaths. Several risk factors, such as smoking, inhaling cold air, air pollutants and allergens can trigger asthma symptoms and exacerbations. Also, the imp

KOCHI: Vintage love is one trend that has refused to fade away as yet another fad. It continues to flourish. Cutting across age-groups an increasing number of people are lapping anything retro in fashion, horology and, of course, automotives. Separation, at times, works magic on relations. And we have seen that with the likes of baggy denim, oversized shades, HMT watches, Royal Enfield, Yezdi-Jawa, Maruti Gypsy... even the good-old goli soda. The Ambassador is yet another classic example. Its b

KOCHI: As home to one of the only three elephant training centres in Kerala, Koovappady, nestled in the hinterlands of Ernakulam, is renowned today as aana kalari, where mahouts train their jumbos. However, the very visible Kodanad Training Centre, like the gentle giants it inhabits, likely dwarfs the plethora of theories that give Koovappady its name. One such, and perhaps the most enduring, is the tale of Kooveli Madom and its inhabitants. These brahmins of noble descent were the prominent m

KOCHI: Genrobotic Innovations, a pioneer in robotics innovation, is set to launch an industrial park at Ilahia College of Engineering and Technology (ICET) in Muvattupuzha. This will be the first such venture on a private campus in Kerala, conceived as part of the state government Industry on Campus initiative. The Rs 3-crore facility will be developed as a state-of-the-art centre to spur innovation in education, and integrate AI and robotics more efficiently through proper research. Tom Thomas,

KOCHI: A road built to facilitate a major project in the coastal area of Chellanam is fast becoming a beacon of hope for the residents there. The around seven-metre wide pathway created for vehicles bringing in tetrapods and other materials for the seawall construction has a lot of potential if developed properly, says V T Sebastian, general convener of the Chellanam Kochi Janakeeya Vedi. The local residents have contributed a lot during the construction of the seawall, which has been realised a

KOCHI: Days after a suspected victim of sexual assault murdered her newborn in Kochi, a 22-year-old was found to have given birth in the bathroom of a city hostel, according to police. The unwed woman from Kollam, who is employed with a private firm in Kochi, delivered a baby boy in the bathroom of the private hostel on Sunday morning. The matter came to light when hostel mates force opened the bathroom door which had remained locked for a long time. On being alerted by hostel authorities, Ernak

KOCHI: Work on the second phase of the Kochi Metro, from JLN Stadium to Kakkanad, is gathering pace. While the preparatory work for the metro expansion from Palarivattom Jn to Chembumukku has been completed, the construction of the entry-exit station at Infopark is under way, the authorities said. At Chittethukara, piling has been completed on one side while the work for the same has started on the other side and at Kinfra, according to a Kochi Metro official. Similar work is in progress at Cs

KOCHI: After burglars made off with gold worth Rs 45 lakh from a residence in Iruppachira, near Puthencruz, police officers feared that lack of evidence would push investigations to a dead end. Within four days, however, the probe team apprehended a two-man gang involved in a string of heists at unoccupied houses. Examination of footage from approximately 125 CCTV cameras along the 50km stretch from Puthencruz to Aluva-Paravur Road, and information gathered about recently released thieves, helpe

KOCHI: Everyday, a little past noon, hundreds of pigeons are seen descending on the roof of Dharmanath Jain Temple in Mattancherry to await the calls of Prafulbhai V Shah. As with other customs of this over-a-century-old temple, feeding pigeons is also a cherished ritual here. The tradition started about 19 years ago. Today, it attracts a lot of visitors to the temple. Anyone is welcome to feed the birds. You just need to call them with affection, says Prafulbhai, a member of the Jain community.

KOCHI: As I eyed the golden Alphonso in the market, I was taken back to my home where in the backyard mango trees would start blooming way before the summer holidays set in. Come the holidays, my house would have a daily feast with mango mojitos, curries, pickles, and desserts for every meal. It was only as I grew older did I realise the different names of the variants. The golden mangoes were Alphonso or Aapus as my grandmother would say, and the long raw mangoes, I used to have with salt and c

KOCHI: Jonathan Clarke had a farmhouse far away from where his niece Claire stayed with her parents somewhere happening in mainland Europe. The farmhouse was in an undulating landscape replete with curves and troughs, akin to the rugged lands to which the Famous Five went to solve nail-biting vacation mysteries. Here too, Claire faced such a mystery when her uncle went missing. His missing evoked such suspense that Kasturi Shas friends in school anxiously waited for the chapters of her book The

KOCHI: Sustainable transportation is the buzzword in the automobile industry. Indeed, the past few years have witnessed an earnest embracing of the electric. Though Tesla is deemed the poster boy in this domain, when it comes to sales performance, there is only one clear winner: BYD. On March 25, the Chinese automaker became the worlds first to roll out its seven millionth new energy vehicle. This would come as no surprise to keen industry followers as BYD had already registered record-breaking

KOCHI: Every film is a foreign film, foreign to some audience, somewhere around the world. It is through subtitles that an audience can experience different languages and cultures. And behind every foreign film that brings a culture to a viewer is a subtitler. These lines are from the short documentary The Invisible Subtitler.And yes, through subtitles we not only follow the plot but also the people and their lives beyond the screen. Whether its a French art film, a Mexican series, or a Hollywoo

For Anita Sharma, a native of Pune, who is in Kochi with her family on vacation, the highlight of her trip to God's Own Country was her journey on board the Kochi Water Metro to Fort Kochi. The views are picturesque and calming. The lush greenery of the mangroves provides a stark contrast to the city life we left behind, she says. Anita adds, Local life unfolds along the water's edges: fishermen in small rowboats cast their nets and villagers go about their daily routines, seemingly undisturbed

KOCHI: In Aadujeevitham, writer Benyamin narrates the harrowing journey of Najeeb, a man who endured a brutal and isolating ordeal in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. And after years, while director Blessy decided to immortalise Najeebs struggles on the screen, he approached actor Prithviraj for the task. And the task was a Herculean one as made evident in the film. Prithviraj went from the hot-shot actor with a healthy body to a starving mans barely put-together body of Najeeb. His dramatic physica

KOCHI: She did not get to enter the Paris Olympics. However, Alappuzha athlete Megha Pradeep ended Indias 11-year-old wait for an Asian Championship medal, by securing bronze in the C1 womens 500-metre event at the Canoe Sprint Olympic Qualifiers 2024 held in Tokyo. And though the feat marked the end of the Olympics journey of the 19-year-old from Kainakary for now, her tenacity has helped paddlers realise that a medal on the big stage is not unattainable. More than the Asian Championship medal,

KOCHI: Little Jayasree woke up to a nagging cry from the backyard of her house where she found her anxious family crowding around the cow in their pen that was due to give birth. The girl was a bit startled at first but her mother assured her all would be fine. There will soon be a Nandini for you to play with, she told her. From then on, Nandini was her playmate. She watched her being bathed and fed and even braved herself to caress and cuddle her. This childhood nostalgia led her to keep a sma

KOCHI: Residents of Randarkara in Muvattupuzha are still grappling with the tragic loss of 63-year-old Amina and her granddaughters, Farha Fathima, 14, and Hana, 10, who drowned in the Kothayar river in Muvattupuzha on April 5. The children, they recall, often swam across the very same waters with ease. Cases like these are on the rise in the district, where at least 27 drownings have been reported since April 1. Notably, of these 27, at least 16 were below the age of 30. Six were school-going c

KOCHI: Molly Joy is a born traveller. The bug bit her when she was 50. Her early years were in poverty, and she was one of the bread winners in the family even from age 10. Now, the 62-year-old is a veteran having visited 16 countries. Her last jaunt was to Russia in 2023, and wishes to launch herself on a sojourn again once she puts together enough money or some magnanimous sponsor chooses to help her. Her life now is in stark contrast to her childhood at Chitrapuzha near Ambalamukal in Trippun

KOCHI: Preetha G P, the mother of 20-year-old Siddharth, realised her son had severe autism when he was just three. When she saw her son exhibiting delayed communication and restlessness in pre-school, she took him for a check-up. This was years ago. Back then, such conditions were unheard of. My son did say some words in the beginning, but his prolonged difficulty in verbal and emotional expression was concerning. He was diagnosed with Level-3 ASD, formerly known as low-functioning autism, says

KOCHI: Screens have become an essential part of our lives, but excessive screen time use of mobile, tab, TV, and laptop, especially for recreational purposes, can be detrimental to the development of children of all age groups, from babies to teens. The period between 0 to 3 years is critical for a babys development for rapid brain growth and maturation. During this time, they require significant stimulation through interactions with parents and caregivers like talking, playing, and reading. T

KOCHI: If you are an active social media user, you would have come across the viral video of a boy consuming dry ice from an exhibition stall in Davangere, a city in Karnataka, and was allegedly reported dead. The clip shows the counter was named Smoke Biscuits and the vendor served the child a smoky liquid. The child screamed immediately after consuming it. Upon fact checking, it has been proven that the boy had consumed smoke biscuits which contain nitrogen and not dry ice which is nothing but

KOCHI: The worlds leading integrated avocado farming and trading company Westfalia Fruit launched its Kerala trade on Monday through a tie-up with Kochi-based Aeden Fruits International. The South Africa-based company started its operations in India around two years ago. In 2021, India imported 1,000 tonnes of avocado, which doubled to 2,000 tonnes in 2022 and 4,000 tonnes in 2023. The figures for the first three months of this year point to consumption doubling again to 8,000 tonnes. According

KOCHI: Summer brings longer days, warmer weather, and plenty of outdoor activities. However, along with the fun, it also brings some risks to eye health. The suns intense rays, increased outdoor time, and exposure to various elements can potentially harm your eyes if not properly cared for. As summer has set in, there is a need to protect the eyes from the seasons potential hazards. Longer days, increased outdoor activities, and the intense heat requires special attention to maintain eye health.

KOCHI: When the narrow, congested roads at Pettah Junction gave way to wide, resurfaced stretches, thanks to preparatory work for metro rail, it came as a relief to motorists and pedestrians alike. The intersection, however, has failed to cope with increased peak-hour traffic. The situation has been further exacerbated by the fact that National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been sitting on a proposal submitted repeatedly by Kochi traffic police for a signal system at the crossroads. We

KOCHI: The city on Sunday woke up to the shocking news of the murder of a 35-year-old in the early hours of the day. Accord to the police, a heated argument and a subsequent brawl over the parking of a motorcycle resulted in the murder. Manilkumar, also known as Maneesh, a resident of AKG Colony in Thammanam, was allegedly killed by his friend Jithesh, 34, who too is a Thammanam resident. Ajith Antony, 35, a resident of Gandhi Nagar and a friend of the deceased, sustained injuries in the inciden

KOCHI: On Sunday, Manickamangalam, a village near Kalady, was the venue of a unique event featuring nearly 150 pairs of twins from across the state. Among the participants were 38 pairs of identical twins. Three triplets attended the event too. Iratta Vismayam 24 captured the attention of local and nearby residents. Organised by All Kerala Twins Community (AKTC), founded through social media interactions, the event showcased cultural programmes by participants. The presence of twin sisters Bhag

KOCHI: Kochi, famed for its historic port and nestled amid backwaters and the Arabian Sea, marked the first anniversary of its water metro on April 25. Kochi Water Metro, the first of its kind in India, offers an eco-friendly transportation option through pristine backwaters, providing a serene escape from the citys noise, heat and traffic. In its first year, the water metro served 19,84,293 passengers, averaging over 6,000 daily users. Until the 20th century, 90% of the areas residents used sma

KOCHI: The paddy fields that line the banks of the Periyar and the Chalakudy rivers are laden with golden-hued fruits. A notably warm and extended summer with sporadic rains has brought forth a splendid blossoming season for cultivators of snap melon, a fruit that grows well in humid conditions. This year has been particularly rewarding for snap melons, says Sebastian K M alias Lalu, a 54-year-old farmer from Karumalloor near North Paravoor, whos been cultivating the fruit for over a decade. The

KOCHI: Inspired by their culinary travels in Southeast Asia, S Sujesh and Santhosh Baby decided to introduce the mesmerising flavours of Thailand to Kochi. The duo partnered up and started a franchise of the renowned restaurant Cafe De Bangkok, a multi-cuisine restaurant two years ago. Before we started the franchise, Thai cuisine wasnt prominent in the city. A few restaurants served the cuisine back then but the places lacked authenticity. Thats when we bumped into Thai chef Ratchadaporn Puthon

KOCHI: After the crescendo of campaigning that most had gotten accustomed to these past weeks, the silence that accompanied the morning of April 26, when Kerala went to polls, had an air of collectedness to it. From the early hours of polling day, thousands were seen making a beeline to the nearest booth.The groups were diverse, comprising the young and old, families, friends and colleagues. They moved together; some went solo. But all of them had a vote to cast, and, hence, a reason to celebrat