THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is on high alert as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki districts till Tuesday. These districts are expected to receive extremely heavy rainfall of above 204.4 mm. Meanwhile, an orange alert has been issued for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Ernakulam till Wednesday. These districts are likely to receive rainfall between 115.6 to 204.4 mm till Wednesday. The IMD has also predicted that the sta

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress state leadership has taken a wait-and-watch policy on the controversy on who took the initiative to end the LDFs secretariat siege in protest against the solar scam. So far only KPCC media committee chairman Cherian Philip, who was then in the LDF camp, has come forward with a claim that former home minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan had reached out to the CPM leadership on the previous day of the secretariat siege. The silence on the part of Congress state pre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Serious doubts have been raised about the way a fact-finding inquiry has been conducted on the suicide of Aneeshya S, assistant public prosecutor, Munsiff Magistrate Court Paravur, Kollam, and the allegations of ill-treatment she raised against her colleagues in her suicidal note. The director general of prosecution on January 23 ordered a fact-finding inquiry and deputed Sheeba K, deputy director of prosecution, as the inquiry officer. However, the family of Aneeshya and th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : At Manaveeyam Veedhi, the cultural hub of the city, stands the commemorative statue of G Devarajan, fondly known as Devarajan Master. However, this tribute to the celebrated composer is now barely visible behind huge rolls of construction pipes and other materials, thanks to the ongoing Smart City project. Once the construction works on Manaveeyam Road were completed, we thought that the materials would be removed. But its still here, covering Masters face. Such negligence t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : MSF state secretary Noufal Kulappada, who staged a surprise protest at the meeting chaired by Education Minister V Sivankutty, was arrested by the police on Saturday. The minister had convened a meeting of youth organisations to discuss the arrangements for school reopening. Noufal waved a t-shirt at the minister, alleging a shortage of Plus-I seats in northern districts. The t-shirt bore the writings 45,530 seats are Malabars right and Malabar is in Kerala. Noufal stood up

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Minister for Ports, Museums, Archaeology and Archives Kadannappalli Ramachandran said that museums were the empirical evidence of a period and history. He was speaking at the state-level inauguration of the International Museum Day celebrations at Thiruvananthapuram Museum Band Stand. The minister said that the attempt to rewrite and tamper history must be recognised. The right knowledge of the land and time should be imparted to the new generation. The theme for this years

KOCHI: It seems the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has to tackle the theft of not only power but its equipment too. Recently, a Feeder Remote Terminal Unit (FRTU) -- used to control power flow remotely -- was stolen from Alinchuvadu near Vennala. The Palarivattom police have launched a probe into the incident based on a KSEB complaint. The theft came to the notice of KSEB officials on May 15 following maintenance work at the Ring Main Unit (RMU) installed near a tyre shop at Alinchuvadu.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A day after a slugfest on solar protest relating to the Secretariat siege in 2013 being called off abruptly hogged headlines, RSP leader N K Premachandran, who was then in the LDF camp, claimed that he had not held any intermediary role. Talking to reporters at RSP state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, Premachandran rubbished senior journalist John Mundakkayams revelations. Defending the efforts of the CPM leadership to stop the Secretariat siege, Premachandran maintaine

KANNUR: The CPM came under heavy fire from the Congress on Saturday over its move to build a memorial for Shaiju and Subish, two party workers who were killed in a bomb-making incident in 2015. While state Congress president K Sudhakaran drew parallels between CPM and terrorist organisations, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said CPM state secretary M V Govindan should be arrested if he takes part in the memorials inauguration. The CPM, however, said there was nothing wrong in building memoria

KOZHIKODE: Meppady police in Wayanad registered a case against businessman Boby Chemmanur for selling lucky draw tickets with tea powder packets. Meppadi police registered the case on a complaint filed by Wayanad District Assistant Lottery Officer. The government lottery department alleged that under the guise of a private company called Boche Bhumi Putra Private Ltd, Boby Chemmanur is selling lottery tickets along with tea powder packets under the guise of sales promotion. The case has been reg

KASARAGOD: For nearly a decade, Khalid Abdul Rahman has been a saving grace for fellow residents of Kottappuram, near Nileshwar. During the summer months, he collects water from a borewell on Kottappuram Shihab Thangal Charitable Trust land. And between 5am and 1pm every day, the 64-year-old supplies the precious liquid in a tanker to around 500 families in the locality. I started supplying water to make up for the shortage in the area. We faced the same issue at my ancestral home. That is when

KOZHIKODE: In the bustling business of drinking water supply in Kerala, one man stands out with his extraordinary selflessness. V T Pavithran, a resident of Pathiyarakkara, in Kozhikode, has been tirelessly providing free drinking water to his village for the past three years. The 59-year-old, who owns a modest light-and-sound shop, has taken it upon himself to ensure that no one in his community goes without clean water during the scorching summer months. Pavithrans mission is driven by a simpl

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, accompanied by his family, has returned to the state after an 11-day private foreign trip. They landed at Thiruvananthapuram airport at 3 am on Saturday. Pinarayi was accompanied by his wife Kamalam and grandson, while his son-in-law and Minister P A Mohamed Riyas and wife Veena T are expected to return later. The CM and his family embarked on a private tour to Indonesia, UAE, and Singapore on May 6. The details of his foreign trip were kept

KOCHI: The High Court will pronounce the judgment on an appeal filed by Muhammed Ameer-Ul-Islam, who was sentenced to death for raping and murdering LLB student Jisha in Perumbavoor, challenging the conviction on Monday. The court will also decide whether to confirm the death sentence or impose another lawful sentence on him. In addition to challenging the death sentence, Ameerul had sought a re-probe in the case by a central agency. According to him, the sessions court arrived at a conviction a

KOCHI: Even as the KSRTC has partnered with Hilly Aqua to provide bottled drinking water to passengers, the lack of a proper facility to dispose of the used bottles has drawn criticism. The KSRTC entered into a collaboration with Hilly Aqua, a public-sector enterprise under Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (KIIDC), to provide drinking water to passengers for Rs 15. The facility is being provided in KSRTC buses of superfast tier and above. The primary objective of the

KOCHI: In what could turn out to be a controversial move, the state government has decided to install CCTV cameras at select points with common access in colleges and hostels, like the entrance and exit gates. This is stated in the standard operating protocol and procedures to be followed by educational institutions for the smooth functioning of campuses and hostels. The government guidelines also say that the security of the campus and hostels is to be entrusted with ex-servicemen as far as pos

KOZHIKODE: Attacks on travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) have become a daily occurrence in Kerala. Last Wednesday, two separate incidents of attacks on TTEs were reported. In Kozhikode, a man from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was arrested for attacking a female TTE on the Mangalore-Chennai Mail train. On the same day, Manoj Varma from Uttar Pradesh and Shammi Raja from Thiruvananthapuram were attacked in Wadakkanchery on the Bengaluru-Kanyakumari Express. These repeated incidents are not only

You come from a space with not much film or literary background How did the journey begin? My father died when I was three. So, I dont even have the concept of father. Mother was very protective. She died when I was 16. I was very lonely my only refuge was a theatre that was just across my home. It became an integral part of my growing up; the film bug must have bit me there. From a young age, I wanted to be a film director. My native place, Tiruvalla, was never known for any cultural or literar

KOCHI: With ecological concerns brought on by human activity contributing to the worsening scourge of communicable diseases, the question needs to be asked: are we digging our own graves? With incidence of Hepatitis A on the rise, Kerala is battling another epidemic. Just till May 16 of this year, there have been 2,048 confirmed cases and 15 deaths reported, with Malappuram and Ernakulam districts the worst affected. This compares adversely with the whole of last year, when 1,073 cases and seven

KOCHI: Pressing on with its revival measures in tune with the changing times, the Kerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD) is all set to introduce an online reservation system, aimed at facilitating advance booking of seats for tourists in its popular cruise services from anywhere in the world. Well roll out a dedicated mobile app that can be used in Android and IOS mobile phones. Initial discussions are over. It has been decided to install GPS (Global Positioning System) in all the boats

ALAPPUZHA: Kerala Peoples Arts Club (KPAC), the oldest theatre organisation in the state, is all set to celebrate its 75th anniversary. KPAC secretary A Shajahan said that the club has decided to arrange year-long celebrations as part of its platinum jubilee and also to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of playwright Thoppil Bhasi. On the occasion, KPAC will re-launch the drama Olivile Oormakal which was penned and directed by Bhasi. Director Adoor Gopalakrishnan will inaugurate the progr

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the lockdown was lifted, there was a noticeable shift in fitness trends, especiallyamong women. People flocked to gyms, tired of being stuck at home during the slump period. And no, it wasnt just a fad. Even now, according to trainers, gym memberships are on the rise. Among this diverse group, homemakers stand out, with brimming enthusiasm. They are trying everything, from boxing to Kalari, and yoga, and thus breaking stereotypes. They make a statement by all this, maki

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forests and their allure form epic storytelling. They remain as spaces of freedom, of naked beauty of nature, and of soul searching. Probably why meditation retreats and shrines sought the silence of the wilderness. From the early 20th century, Thiruvananthapuram had a space that matched all the above descriptions. It was cut away from the crowd of the city of the early 1900s, stationed in a jungle tract high up a hill in Nettayam. It is here that the majestic stone-built Sri

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Against the backdrop of the increasing number of accidents and deaths at Muthalapozhi harbour , the Kerala State Minority Commission held a special sitting on Friday to take stock of the situation. The commission expressed dissatisfaction with the reports submitted by the deputy director of the fisheries department, the executive engineer of the harbour engineering department, the Anchuthengu coastal station officer on behalf of director of the fisheries department, the secre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Highlighting the potential risks of communicable diseases due to the heatwave and subsequent summer rains, Health Minister Veena George has laid emphasise on effective collaboration between all the departments. She stressed on conducting thorough cleaning operations with the assistance of local bodies, ensuring sanitation in public areas and hostels as mandated by the Kerala Public Health Act, cleaning wells and drinking water sources. There will be strengthened focus on foo

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In May 2014, Sreejeev was arrested by Parassala police for theft. The suspect died in hospital a few days later. Although his family claimed that he died of custodial torture, police officers held that Sreejeev had consumed poison. Cash-for-query case: Jai Anant Dehadrai asked to appear before CBI on Jan 25 A Police Complaint Authority inquiry in 2016 concluded that the official account was false and that it was a case of custodial death. Despite initially refusing to take up

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A success rate of 96.15% was recorded in Malayalam Missions Neelakurinji senior higher diploma course certificate exam for Class X equivalency, conducted by Pareeksha Bhavan, for children of Malayali expatriates. Of the 156 candidates who registered for the exam from the first batch of the course, 150 passed the exam and earned Class X equivalency. This included 48 boys and 102 girls. While 26 candidates secured an A+ grade, 42 candidates passed with an A grade and 38 were pl

KOCHI: With the central Sarathi portal down for maintenance for a second straight day, driving tests scheduled for Friday were also called off, adding to the number of candidates affected. While the facility is expected to be fully functional only on Monday, the motor vehicles department (MVD) has asked candidates who missed their appointments of the last two days to carry printouts of allotment when they next appear for tests. Candidates who received slots can approach us with printouts. They c

KOCHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast extreme heavy rainfall in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts on May 20 and 21. In its five-day forecast for Kerala, the IMD has issued orange alert for Palakkad and Malappuram districts on Saturday. These districts are expected to receive isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall ranging from 11.5 cm to 20.4 cm. The weather monitor has also issued an orange alert for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki on Sunday. Rain set to i

KOZHIKODE: The special investigation team on Friday arrested Pantheerankavu domestic violence case accuseds friend P Rajesh who helped him flee from the country. Rajesh, a native of Mankavu, helped the accused Rahul P Gopal leave the country by taking him to Bengaluru from Kozhikode. Kerala: Pantheerankavu domestic violence case accused in Germany, say police The probe team under the leadership of Feroke ACP Saju K Abraham produced Rajesh, who is the fourth accused in the case, at Kozhikode Judi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for General Education and Labour V Sivankutty has written to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia seeking his intervention in ensuring monetary compensation to redress the loss suffered by Amrita, who could not meet her husband owing to the Air India Express strike, and her family. Kerala woman couldn't see her husband before death due to Air India strike In the letter, Sivankutty said Amrita, a nursing student residing at Karamana in Thiruvananthapuram

MALAPPURAM: The IUML and its youth and students wings are being panned for purportedly settling a case registered by a woman leader of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) against a Muslim Youth League (MYL) leader in Kannur. According to an FIR registered at Vengara police station on May 6, MYL Payyanur constituency president Jiyas Velloor threatened the woman leader, saying he would attack her with acid and circulate her morphed pictures. After she turned down Jiyas marriage proposal, he stalk

KOZHIKODE: RMP leader K S Hariharan was released on bail after being arrested for making derogatory comments against CPM leader K K Shailaja and actor Manju Warrier during a political event in Vadakara. The arrest followed a complaint filed by the DYFI with the state police chief, citing misogynistic comments. Hariharans comments had sparked widespread controversy. Upon his release, Hariharan addressed the media, clarifying his position on the incident. He stated that the police recorded his sta

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress leader and then home minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan had reached out to the CPM to end the LDFs 2013 secretariat siege over the solar scandal, said Congress leader Cherian Philip, who was part of the Left camp at the time. Even as the state witnesses a fresh political debate over who took the initiative to settle the solar agitation, Cherians revelation has added a new twist to the entire saga. The new revelations over LDFs secretariat siege seeking the resignat

KOTTAYAM: Over a decade-long power struggle in the Malankara Syrian Knanaya Diocese (Knanaya Jacobites) took a sharp turn on Friday after Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Aphrem II suspended Kuriakose Mor Severios as Metropolitan and Samudaya Metropolitan of the Knanaya archdiocese. The move, coming amid long-standing disagreements between the chief metropolitan and regional bishops of the Church, is expected to have far-reaching consequences. Soon after news broke of Mor Severios suspension, his s

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Southern Air Command headquarters has opened an inquiry into the incident where four Air Force officials were arrested by the police for engaging in an affray with employees of a city-based hotel. The Air Command in a statement said they have taken serious cognizance of the incident and an inquiry is on to ascertain facts by the Air Forces policy of zero-tolerance to cases of misdemeanour in public places. The Pettah police had registered a case against four Air Force off

KOTTAYAM: An ambitious environmental-protection initiative of the Church of South Indias Central Kerala diocese is setting a commendable example for others to follow. The diocese is taking proactive steps to ensure carbon neutrality within its community. According to Dr Malayil Sabu Koshy Cherian, bishop of the Central Kerala diocese, the goal is to achieve carbon neutrality in all 405 parishes of the church and its affiliated institutions within the next three years. We have come up with a 15-p

ALAPPUZHA: Amid rising divorce cases, dowry deaths and atrocities against women in the state, an estranged couple from Alappuzha has decided to unite after 14 years of divorce. Subrahmanian and Krishnakumari of Sanathanapuram in Alappuzha decided to re-register their marriage after getting the divorce order issued by the Alappuzha Family Court annulled. They took the decision to reunite for the wellbeing of their only daughter Ahalya. Subrahmanian S, of Aswathi Nivas, Sanathanapuram, Alappuzha,

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as Kerala sweltered under a hostile summer, the state significantly under-reported heat-related illnesses, National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) health and climate resilience lead Abhiyant Tiwari has said. In an exclusive interaction with TNIE , Tiwari said only 25% of public healthcare institutions in the state reported such incidents to central authorities. Gujarat, at 95%, leads in reporting of such cases while Telangana comes second with 83%, he said. A le

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Escalating its fight against the state Congress chief, the A group, with the tacit support of a section in the I group, has decided to approach the party high command against K Sudhakarans autocratic style of functioning. Kerala: Sudhakaran cancels lifting of Latheefs suspension The move comes in the wake of Sudhakaran revoking interim Congress state president M M Hassans decision to reinstate A group leader and then KPCC secretary M A Latheef, who was suspended from the prim

KOCHI: The migration of Keralas youth to foreign countries has significant implications for society. While experts are examining the economic and social impacts of the exodus, it has also profoundly affected the states political parties. Their youth and student wings are suffering from a shortage of capable second-generation leaders. This trend has particularly impacted the Kerala Congress factions as young people from Central Kerala, where these parties hold influence, are migrating in large nu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Unearthing a startling new pattern in cyber crime, the police have found that scamsters have started using honey-trapping methods to get hold of their victims bank accounts and transfer the swindled amount through them. The new modus operandi came to the fore during a probe into the case in which Rs 3.65 lakh was swindled from a Thrissur native. Police had earlier detected that Cambodia-based financial scamsters were behind the operation, which was reported by TNIE. The polic

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has detected serious irregularities in the functioning of the state food safety department during the statewide raids on its offices on Thursday. Some offices were found giving free training, which is meant for staff of small-scale hotels, to employees of upscale hotels. Irregularities detected in vigilanceraid in offices of food safety department in Kerala Irregularities were also detected in the levying of penalties on firms selling

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BTech curriculum revision process of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) has run into rough weather with a section of the faculty protesting against the reduction in credits awarded to Mathematics in the first four semesters of the course. KTU is the affiliating university of around 142 engineering colleges across the state. Earlier, the overall credit for Mathematics across four semesters was 16 in the current BTech curriculum of KTU, which was adopted in 2019

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If Article 21 of the Constitution states that no person can be deprived of their life or personal liberty unless in accordance with the law, the saga of custodial torture in the state speaks of a deep-seated infringement of basic human rights and dignity. From being spread-eagled in dark rooms and thwacked relentlessly using batons or sticks, to rolling heavy pipes over bodies and beatings with cloth-wrapped iron objects ... the horrors dont stop there. The torture and mental

The Solar scam, that rocked Kerala politics about a decade ago, is back in the headlines after a senior journalist's revelation that CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) pulled out of its Secretariat siege in 2013 demanding the resignation of then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for his alleged involvement in the scam, after reaching a deal with the ruling Congress party. It was John Brittas, Rajya Sabha MP, managing director of a pro-CPI (M) news channel and a close confidant of Pinarayi Vijaya

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is where the sultry heat that gripped the capital some days ago melted away into a misty chill. As dawn breaks on the Vellayani lake every day, walkers can be seen matching pace with the shrill chirp of morning birds. The verdant paddy fields around with the lilting flow of Karamana together create an ambience for a perfect morning. This is heaven for regular morning outers who drive down from the city to fill their lungs and minds with the freshness of the green stretch,

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The sun has fascinated people for ages. For K S Jayadevan, the fascination has led him to spend the last eight years crafting nearly 3,000 poems only about the sun. Known as Surya Kavi, his poems capture its magnificence, power, and impact on our lives through simple words. The poet says this unique hobby came into being quite unexpectedly. Before 2008, the Chengannur natives priorities were more about landing a job. My life took an unexpected turn, much like the character C

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The heavy rainfall that lashed the capital on Thursday afternoon marooned many residential areas and triggered waterlogging on all major roads. The SS Kovil Road near Thampanoor was the worst hit as the extreme showers that lasted for more than two hours caused waterlogging, disrupting vehicle movement. The overflowing waters flooded many houses in the stretch leaving the residents at the receiving end. The stretch continues to face flooding despite the city corporation spend

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The government will set up skill development centres in all colleges in Kerala in the run-up to the transition of all arts and science undergraduate programmes into the four-year mode this year. Higher Education Minister R Bindu announced this on Thursday during the state-level inauguration of an orientation programme on the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) for Plus Two students. The event, organised by the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC), was held at