THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Harbour Engineering Department failing to keep its promise to cut open the breakwater for the smooth sailing of fishing vessels at Muthalapozhi harbour, the fishermen are gearing up to relaunch their protest from Tuesday. Owing to accumulation of sand, the harbour mouth is on the verge of yet another closure. According to fishermen, if they fail to launch dredging activities immediately, the harbour mouth will be closed within the next two days. Chairman of Muthalapo

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When the Vizhinjam International Seaport was commissioned on Friday, all three political fronts in Kerala vied for credit for the project. However, it was actually a Communist leader, the late T A Majeed, who set the wheels in motion to set up a harbour in the state capital nearly 70 years ago. It was while serving as public works minister in the first Kerala government headed by EMS Namboodiripad way back in 1957 that Majeed initiated the steps to set up a harbour in Vizhinj

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 57-year-old man was arrested by the Neyyardam police for murdering his son allegedly under the influence of alcohol on Saturday night. Vijayan, a native of Kunnathumala, allegedly murdered his son Manoj, 29, after stabbing him with a knife at their residence at Karikuzhy near Amboori. The murder, the police said, was a fallout over a property dispute between the two. On Saturday night also, a clash erupted between the duo by around 8.15 pm. When the incident took place, Vij

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tour bus operators are planning to file a contempt of court petition against the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) for allegedly obstructing services to blacklisted vehicles, despite a court order prohibiting such actions. The court had earlier ruled that the MVD cannot deny tax payments or permit renewals to vehicles on the blacklist. However, several tourist vehicle owners reportedly missed the April 15 tax payment deadline after the MVD allegedly restricted access, in violat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The vigilance department on Saturday launched a statewide inspection, Operation Adhigrahan to investigate allegations of corruption and irregularities in land acquisition and disbursement of rehabilitation funds linked to highway development projects. The raids began at 10m and were carried out at 32 offices across 12 districts, including the deputy collector and special tahsildar offices involved in land acquisition. The operation follows confidential inputs received by vigi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Back home in Nellimoodu, Balaramapuram, the neighbourhood is reeling from a tragedy too sudden to process. Mothers sit in stunned silence, unaware for most of the day that their sons who had left for a pilgrimage to Velankanni would never return. Though whispers spread early, as friends and neighbours gathered outside homes just a few kilometres apart, no one could bring themselves to speak the truth. The weight of the news was too heavy. They grew up together and worked hard

One person died and four others sustained injuries after a fire broke out following a road accident involving a car, bike and an autorickshaw in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four people from Thiruvananthapuram lost their lives in a road accident in Tamil Nadu while on a pilgrimage to Velankanni. The accident occurred on Sunday morning near Karuveppanchery in Thiruvarur district when the van they were travelling in collided with a TNSRTC bus. The deceased have been identified as Rajinath, Rajesh, Sajith, and Rahul -all residents of Thiruvananthapuram. They died on the spot. Three others, Rajinas from Kanjiramkulam, Sabu and Sunil from Nellimoodu s

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A blue-and-yellow macaw escaped from the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo on Friday afternoon, putting zoo authorities and bird keepers on high alert. The parrot reportedly flew out of its enclosure when the cage was opened for feeding. The macaw, one of the three hatched at the zoo on June 27, 2022, is not accustomed to feeding outside. However, zoo officials remain optimistic about its return. The incident occurred during feeding time when the keeper opened the cage. Our bird keepers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With concerns over plastic pollution continuing unabated in the capital, the corporation has been grappling with the challenge of curbing plastic waste from choking the citys rivers, canals and drains. In an accomplishment of sorts, the civic body, in collaboration with Plastic Fischer, a Germany-based social enterprise, removed over 600 tonnes of plastic waste from local waterbodies over the past two years -- though it also served to underscore the severity of the crisis. Th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Nedumangad SC/ST Special Court on Wednesday sentenced all 11 convicts in the Pothencode Sudheesh murder case to life imprisonment. Judge A Shajahan delivered the verdict a day after finding all the accused guilty. According to the case, an 11-member gang hacked to death Mangalapuram native Sudheesh, 32, on December 11, 2021. Police said the victim, who had a criminal background, was killed during a scuffle between rival gangs. CCTV footage showed the convicts celebrating

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Schools in the capital put up a good show in the ICSE (Class X) and ISC (Class XII) examinations, the results of which were announced by the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations on Wednesday. St Thomas Residential School, Mukkolakkal Of the 205 students presented by the school in the ICSE exam, 184 students secured distinction and 19 secured the first class. Devisha Agarwal bagged the first position with 99% marks. The second position was secured by Renitta Elza

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With just two days to go for its commissioning, all eyes are on the Vizhinjam International Seaport as it prepares to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will dedicate this landmark infrastructure project to the nation. As Indias first semi-automated port, Vizhinjam has already placed Kerala on the global maritime map. Its commissioning, on Friday will mark a rare event in Indian port history, reminiscent of the inauguration of the Cochin Port nearly a century ago. Offic

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The second Sainik School for the capital district will be set up at Mannam Memorial Residential Higher Secondary School (MMRHS) at Neeramankara in Karamana. The Ministry of Defence has approved the application submitted by the Nair Service Society (NSS) for setting up a Sainik School. The new school is expected to fulfill the aspirations of hundreds of students and their parents who wish to be part of the prestigious Sainik School system. The school was awarded after the auth

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Friends, colleagues and well-wishers came together at the Government Womens College, Vazhuthacaud, on Monday evening to honour chief secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, who is retiring from service on Wednesday. The event, Sarada - SnehaSayahnam, was filled with memories and tributes celebrating her career. Staff members and retirees from departments that Sarada served during her tenure were present. Reflecting on her journey, Sarada shared her dreams for the states future. From

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Renowned filmmaker Shaji N Karun, who passed away in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, left an indelible mark on the Malayalam film industry. The founding chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, Shaji initiated the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) as a competitive and highly acclaimed global event. The event gained recognition from the International Federation of Film Producers Association (FIAPF) because of his relentless effort. The current chairman of Ker

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following protests by traders and the subsequent intervention by the High Court, the corporation has finally initiated steps to remove legacy waste dumped near Palayam Connemara Market. Traders have been on the warpath over being relocated to a building near the dumpsite to facilitate redevelopment of the century-old market. The plan is to employ biomining to manage around 2000 cubic metres of legacy waste near to the recently constructed rehabilitation block. The long-pendin

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fresh bomb threats were reported on Monday at five major locations in the state, including the chief ministers office at the Secretariat, cliff house, Raj Bhavan, the transport commissioners office in Thiruvananthapuram and the Nedumbassery airport in Kochi. The threats were received via email. Inspections led by the police and bomb squads are underway at all locations. In Thiruvananthapuram, the threat messages warned of explosions at four major centres by 2 pm, while at Ned

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has directed Thrissur-based Manaloor Service Cooperative Bank to compensate 15 gold loan customers who lost their pledged gold in a burglary at the bank. The order came on an appeal petition filed by the cooperative bank against the state commissions order. The burglary happened at the bank in May 2006. The customers had secured favourable verdicts from the Thrissur district commission and the state commission. The s

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Giving fresh hopes to fishermen, the harbour engineering department has brought in a dredger from Azheekal to Muthalapozhi. The Muthalapozhi harbour was shut down because of the accumulation of sand, hampering fishing activities. Plan is to expand harbour mouth to a width of 13m and a depth of 3m to ensure movement of large fishing vessels during the monsoon. The state government has decided to rope in Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd (KMML) to cart away the dredged out sand fr

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An MTech student of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) drowned in the Vamanapuram river at Vithura on Saturday morning. The deceased has been identified as Mohan Raj Subramanian, a native of Chennai. According to sources, the incident occurred around 8 am when Mohan Raj entered the river near the Thavakkal waterfalls for a bath. He reportedly slipped off a rock and was swept away by the strong current. An extensive search operation was launched by the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major step to provide more thrust to strengthening Indias human spaceflight programme the Gaganyaan Mission the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in the emerging field of space medicine. The MoU was signed by Dr Sanjay Behari, director of SCTIMST, and Ganesh Pillai, scientific secretary at Isro, in the presence of Isro c

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A musical event organised by the state cooperative department on Thursday night at the Nishagandhi Auditorium spiralled out of control as spectators turned out in large numbers, raising serious safety concerns. The event, featuring a performance by popular rapper Vedan, drew audiences beyond the capacity of the venue, making it unmanageable for police officers and prompting organisers to wind up the event early. The tin-sheet fencing put up by organisers as barricade was dest

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUGP) introduced in universities and colleges is set to enter its second year, arrangements have been made to allow students to switch between colleges and universities and also to avail of the option of changing their major subject of study. The FYUGP structure permits student transfers and course changes at the start of the third semester (second year). Accordingly, Higher Education Minister R Bindu chaired a meeting of major state

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Neyyattinkara Additional Sessions Court will pronounce the quantum of punishment of a 33-year-old man, who was found guilty of electrocuting his wife for her wealth, on Friday. The court had on Wednesday found Arun of Athiyanoor guilty of murdering his wife Shakha Kumari at her residence near Vellarada in December 2020. Arun had married Shakha, 52, without his familys knowledge. As per the prosecution, he was enchanted by her wealth he had an eye on the 10 acres of land

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Peeved at the transport departments inaction over long-distance permits, private bus operators are planning to go on strike. The Kerala State Bus Operators Federation (KSBOF) will take a call on the protest on Saturday. The federation has accused the transport department of stalling approvals despite the Kerala High Court overturning an earlier order that reserved the permits exclusively for KSRTC services. Its been quite some time since the HC ruled in our favour. Still, the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As yet another monsoon season approaches, the silt-choked Akkulam lake continues to pose flood threat to the capital city. Despite repeated incidents, the long-pending rejuvenation of the lake a vital component of the citys stormwater drainage network remains indefinitely stalled. The lake, which has been rapidly shrinking due to silt accumulation, has lost much of its capacity to retain stormwater during heavy rain, leading to flooding across the city. Experts have cited t

There was a time when brass utensils were common in Kerala homes. From the lamps lit at dusk to the big uruli, these items were part of regular life. And right in the heart of the city, there was a shop everyone knew, a trusted name in households when it came to their favourite nilavilakku, nirapara, or sturdy brass cookware. Established in 1944 by the visionary P Madhavan Thamby, the shop began with a clear purpose to make high-quality metal utensils accessible and affordable to every household

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Additional Sessions Court here on Thursday awarded capital punishment for the Tamil Nadu native, who was found guilty in the Ambalamukku Vineetha murder case. The court ruled that the case fell in the rarest of the rare category and hence Rajendran, a native of Thovala in Kanyakumari district, was not entitled to any leniency. As the judge pronounced its verdict, Vineetha's parents and two minor children were present in the court.The court also imposed a fine of Rs 8 lakh

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city corporation is all set to roll out a first-of-its-kind emergency palliative care response in the state capital. In an effort to ensure inclusive healthcare for everyone , the civic body has decided to scale up its much-acclaimed palliative care programme by adding seven more palliative care units. At present, the civic body has around 13 palliative care units offering medical care for bedridden and terminally ill patients. The initiative is covering around 6,000 bene

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The finance department has directed various government departments and local self-government institutions (LSGIs) to prioritise bills kept in treasury queue before resubmission. The bills submitted in the fag end of the just-concluded financial year were kept in the queue system due to fund shortage. Bills of LSGIs, various government departments and institutions which could not be passed in 2024-25 can be passed without revised administrative sanction. The drawing and disbur

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The harbour engineering department on Tuesday began dredging activities to remove the accumulated sand at the harbour mouth in Muthalapozhi, Thiruvananthapuram, after several days of protest by the fisherfolk and trade unions. An indefinite protest was launched following the shutdown of the harbour due to the sand accumulation last week. Although a consensus has been reached, the fishermen have restricted dredging activities within 20m of the sandbar from the sea. As many as

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over 45 young volunteers hit the Pulluvila beach on Monday evening, running all the way to Adimalathura beach, as part of the Earth Day Marathon, an initiative to promote environmental awareness and marine conservation. Organised by Ocean Students Community (OSC) in collaboration with the Change Can Change Climate Change Foundation (C5), the run was flagged off at 4.15pm by SI Anaf of Poovar Coastal police station. The event, themed Youth Run for the Planet, was a call to pro

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An abandoned building at Kattadimukku in Azhoor, functioning as a material collection facility (MCF), was completely gutted in a massive fire that broke out around 11.50am on Tuesday. The building, previously used by the Chirayinkeezhu Anchuthengu Coir Mats and Mattings Cooperative Society Ltd, was leased by the Azhoor panchayat to be used as an MCF by the Haritha Karma Sena. Fire engines from Attingal, Kazhakootam and Varkala rushed to the scene and managed to bring the fire

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The indefinite protest launched by fishermen at Muthalapozhi was called off on Monday after negotiations talks with the Harbour Engineering Department. Muthalapozhi has been witnessing multiple protests by fishermen, trade unions and other allied workers for the past many days after the harbour mouth was closed following accumulation of sand bringing all fishing activities to a grinding halt. The negotiation talk held at the protest venue by the Harbour department authorities

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Additional Sessions Court will pronounce the quantum of punishment for the Tamil Nadu native, who was found guilty in the Ambalamukku Vineetha murder case, on Thursday. The court on Monday heard both the defence and prosecution and received various official reports on the mental condition, conduct and behaviour of the accused from government agencies. The court had sought these reports after the prosecution argued that Vineethas murder fell in the rarest of the rare categ