KOCHI: A dead body of a newborn baby wrapped in a plastic cover was found abandoned in the middle of the road at Vidya Nagar in Kochi's posh Panampilly Nagar on Friday morning. The investigation based on the CCTV footage found that someone staying at an apartment near the road threw the dead body from the flat at around 8.15 am. People travelling in a contract carriage vehicle first found the plastic cover abandoned in the middle of the road at Vidya Nagar. When people inside the bus checked the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kovalam MLA and Transport Democratic Federation president M Vincent has come down heavily on the police for not filing a case against Mayor Arya Rajendran as per KSRTC driver H L Yadhus complaint. Kerala: KSRTC driver to take legal route as police refuse to act on his complaint Talking to reporters on Thursday, Vincent said that the police are yet to file an FIR against Arya in the incident. He also warned that if the state government shies away from taking action against tho

KOZHIKODE: Muslim Womens League national general secretary Noorbina Rashid has expressed some reservations over the re-induction of the former leaders of Haritha, who had raised a banner of revolt against their parent organisation. In a Facebook post on Thursday, she also expressed the hope that the girls will not be the propagators of Islamic feminism, which is against the basic ideology of the party. It may be recalled that the IUML leadership had withdrawn disciplinary action against the girl

KOCHI: In a first, private trains will be available for tourists from Kerala to destinations such as Goa, Mumbai and Ayodhya. To begin with, the private train journey from the state to Goa will begin next month. The facility is being launched by SRMPR Global Railways, a Chennai-based tour operator, in partnership with the Kochi-based Princy World Travel Limited. An individual or a group of 600 passengers can book a private train journey to the three prominent destinations from Kerala, said offic

KOLLAM: The KSRTC on Thursday took disciplinary action against 14 employees of the Pathanapuram depot citing absence from duty on April 29 and 30. While 10 permanent drivers were transferred, four temporary drivers were kept away from duty. The order was issued by the office of the Chairman and Managing Director of the KSRTC. Disciplinary action was taken due to the employees sudden absence from duty. This resulted in the cancellation of numerous services at the Pathanapuram KSRTC depot, causing

KOCHI: As owners of driving schools across the state launched an indefinite strike on Thursday against the new set of regulations introduced by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) for driving tests, the protestors in Ernakulam said they wont cooperate with activities of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) until the controversial order is withdrawn. While a few candidates and MVD officials turned up at the driving test ground in Kakkanad on Thursday morning, they had to return as the test was sus

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A medical team at KIMSHEALTH here has successfully performed an advanced full endoscopic spine surgery with fusion technique on a 52-year-old woman to treat lumbar canal stenosis, a condition causing narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back. This minimally invasive procedure involves replacing the narrowed disc with an artificial one. It also marks the first of its kind in Kerala. The patient had been experiencing pain in the lower back which led to weakness in the leg

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI is optimistic of winning three out of the four seats it has contested in the Lok Sabha elections, according to the preliminary parliament election review of the partys state executive. The meeting held on Thursday evaluated that the party candidates would win in Thiruvananthapuram, Mavelikkara and Thrissur. In Wayanad, CPI calculates that it could lower the majority by half compared to the 2019 election when Rahul Gandhi won by a huge margin. In the capital, the party exp

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: IAS officer Sreedhanya Suresh has set a model for those who wish to have a marriage registered at home under the Special Marriage Act. The Registration Department IG tied the nuptial knot with her long-time friend Gayak R Chand at a simple function held at her residence in Kumarapuram. Sreedhanya, who is from Wayanad, is the states first IAS officer from the tribal community. The ceremony was confined to the registration of marriage and the cutting of a cake. Registration Min

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: M Venukumars Thampuran Kunnile Cinema Visheshangal has been chosen for Pala K M Mathew Bala Sahitya Award. The best childrens novel for the year 2022 was published by Kerala State Institute of Childrens Literature. The award will be presented by Lok Ayukta Justice Cyriac Joseph on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Pala K M Mathew at the Kottayam Public Library mini auditorium at 4pm on January 11. Certificate of appreciation along with a cash award will be presented. T

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A 52-year-old Neyyattinkara resident died by suicide on Thursday after the Congress-helmed Perumpazhuthoor Service Co-operative Bank allegedly delayed release of deposits he had saved for his daughters marriage. Somasagaram Y consumed pesticide on April 19, and was undergoing treatment at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. The Marayamuttom police have registered a case of unnatural death. An officer said Somasagaram had deposited his earnings from plantain cult

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/KOZHIKODE: On a day two suspected heatstroke deaths were reported in Malappuram and Kozhikode, the state government swung into action on Thursday rolling out a series of measures to cope with the prevailing heatwave conditions. A high-level meeting of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to declare holiday for educational institutions, including professional colleges, till May 6. Meanwhile, a high level meeting atten

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Giving yet another twist to the road rage controversy, the Thiruvanannthapuram city police on Thursday refused to initiate action on the complaint lodged by the KSRTC driver against Mayor Arya Rajendran and her husband K M Sachin Dev, MLA, for allegedly obstructing his duty, resulting in the cancellation of the trip. However, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has registered a case based on the complaint by driver B L Yadhu. Kerala: KSRTC driver to take legal ro

KOCHI: A truck carrying fish from Andhra Pradeshs Nellore to Kochi rammed a metro rail pillar at Muttom near Aluva in the wee hours of Thursday, killing the driver and his co-driver. The deceased have been identified as Sheik Habeeb Basha, 49, of Ahamad Nagar, Nellore, and Yallanthi Malikarjuna, 42, Bhagath Singh Colony, Nellore. According to police, the accident took place around 2am. The truck crashed into metro rail pillar no. 187 at Muttom. The entire front cabin of the truck was damaged in

KOCHI: Dr V Sivanandan Achari, professor in Chemistry, and former Syndicate member and director of the School of Environmental Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) has assumed office as the registrar-in-charge of the university. Dr Achari succeeds Dr Meera V, whose tenure as the registrar ended on April 29. Dr Achari, an academician with 23 years of teaching and research experience in Cusat, has held the positions of Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, coordinat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The cabinet has decided to allow more batches in government and aided schools in different districts to address the shortage of Plus-I seats. As per the decision, seats will be increased by 30% at government schools in seven districts -- Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod. The cabinet has also decided to bring in a 20% increase in Plus-I seats in aided schools in these districts. In addition, a 10% increase in seats will be allo

KOCHI: Researchers from the Department of Marine Biology, Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), have discovered a new species of marine tardigrade, colloquially known as water bears -- a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals. This microscopic creature has been named as Batillipes Chandrayaani, a homage to the Chandrayaan-3, the first-ever successful lunar south pole landing mission hosted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2023. This newly described speci

KOZHIKODE: As midnight falls, amidst the rumble of the chenda, a mesmerising ritual steeped in centuries of tradition and cultural richness unfolds in Kasaragod. A theyyam artist donning a white vest, checkered lungi, and skull cap offers a resounding call of the azan, and then performs namaz. This sacred moment marks the beginning of a Mappila Theyyam, a unique tradition upheld by artists from the Mavilan, Koppalan, and Vannan communities. It is viewed as a reaffirmation of the pluralistic na

KOCHI: As part of its strategy to get more involved in the field of the arts and culture, the Congress has revived its drama troupe Sahithi Theatres. To kick off, the drama troupe staged Vaikom Muhammed Basheers satirical short story 'Mucheetukalikkarante Makal' (The Card Sharpers Daughter) at Pastoral Orientation Centre in Kochi on Wednesday, with AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and KPCC interim president M M Hassan among the audience. Karunagappally MLA C R Mahesh, who is in charge of the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Valerian Isaac, a traditional fisherman from Anchuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram, is deeply concerned about the impact of climate change on his livelihood and the overall quality of life. He used to enjoy his summer with the sea cooling down when folks in the town sweltered in the heat. The situation however has changed dramatically. The sea has warmed up significantly. Consequently, the fish have migrated to cooler waters away from the coast. Previously, we relied on good wind

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Barely two months after the Varkala floating bridge accident, the glass bridge ready to be opened at Akkulam Tourist Village has developed cracks, raising serious concern over the quality and safety standards of the adventure tourism infrastructure in the state. The inauguration of the glass bridge slated for March was postponed following the floating bridge accident on March 9. Fifteen people fell into the sea after the 100-metre-long floating bridge collapsed due to rough

KOCHI: May 1, 2024, proved to be an emotional day for scores of passengers who had been travelling to Ernakulam Junction railway station onboard 16302 Thiruvananthapuram - Shornur Venad Express. That was the first day in a long time when Venad Express didnt come chugging into the station. Nor did the platforms see a flurry of hasty steps of office-goers rushing towards the exit to catch the autorickshaw in a last-minute dash to reach their places of employment before the punching deadline. Even

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Aiming to foster environmental consciousness and to promote sustainable and responsible waste management practices, the state government is launching a first-of-its-kind digital course on waste management. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) titled 'Solid Waste Management Systems in Kerala' will provide valuable insights into sustainable waste management practices, law enforcement, green protocol, and waste management technologies for households and communities. The course

THRISSUR: 'Poacher', the miniseries streaming on Amazon Prime Video, has been receiving widespread applause since its release in February this year. The series based on elephant poaching, grabbed movie buffs attention for its storyline, visuals and cast. As the story is set in Kerala, Malayali actors also starred in the series, making it an instant hit in the southern state. Thiruvananthapuram native Ankith Madhav, who played the role of Vijay Babu, the lazy forest officer who later becomes an i

IDUKKI: Despite Korangatti being a tribal settlement where wild animal menace has forced many to abandon farming, the green pepper plants at 66-year-old P G Johns farmland look effortlessly upright with robust peppercorns. The secret to his bountiful yield untouched by wild animals is an innovative method he himself had identified. Instead of relying on the traditional method of using the Indian coral tree -- murikku -- as the growing vehicle for pepper, John has used Dracaena Fragrance, or corn

The Kerala state government has decided not to go for load shedding. The proposal by the KSEB to execute load shedding was rejected by the government which asked the board to come up with alternative steps to address the power crisis. The decision was taken at the high level meeting called by power minister K Krishnankutty with the board officials. With record power consumption in the state in view of soaring temperatures, the KSEB was forced to recommend load shedding before the government. Spe

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In view of the ongoing heat wave situation in Kerala, a high-level meeting of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has decided to grant holidays for professional colleges and other educational institutions until May 6. The meeting, attended by district collectors, assessed the situation in each district. It was also decided in the meeting to reschedule parades and training sessions for police, fire brigade, NCC, SPC, and

KOCHI: Researchers from the Department of Marine Biology, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) have discovered a new species of marine tardigrade, colloquially known as water bears -- a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals. This microscopic creature has been named as Batillipes chandrayaani, a homage to the Chandrayaan-3, the first-ever successful lunar south pole landing mission hosted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2023. This newly described specie

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recent decision by KSRTC to crack the whip on staffers consuming alcohol during duty hours has started affecting the schedules. Officials said the shortage of crew, particularly drivers, was disrupting services. For instance, on Monday, 15 services had to be cancelled at the Pathanapuram depot due to mass absence of employees. As many as 12 staffers did not turn up for duty as they learned that the KSRTCs internal vigilance wing initiated action against three employees wh

MALAPPURAM: Signalling the intention to broker peace with all dissidents within the party and to concentrate on the issues with the Samastha Kerala Jam-Iyyathul Ulema, the IUML has withdrawn the disciplinary actions against former leaders of Haritha and Muslim Students Federation and appointed them to top positions of Muslim Youth League (MYL). Former MSF national vice-president K Fathima Thahiliya, who was expelled from the party for publicly criticising the party and its leadership for taking

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid reluctance of the police to act on the complaint against Mayor Arya Rajendran and her husband K M Sachin Dev, MLA, for blocking the road, KSRTC driver L H Yedu said he would take legal route against the police lethargy. The driver had alleged that the mayor and her husband blocked the bus, which resulted in truncation of the bus service and caused hardship to the passengers. Yedu said the police have been indifferent to his complaint against the mayor and her husband fro

KANNUR: Five people, including a nine-year-old boy, lost their lives in a devastating collision involving a car and a lorry at Punnachery in Kannapuram, Kannur, on Monday night. The victims have been identified as K N Padmakumar, 59, hailing from Kalichanadukam, Choorikkatt Sudhakaran, 52, and his wife Ajitha, 35, from Bheemanady in Kasaragod district, Ajithas father Kozhummal Krishnan, 65, and Ajithas nephew Akash, 9. Padmakumar was driving the vehicle when the accident occurred around 10.15 pm

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With Palakkad and Thrissur districts having experienced heatwaves over the past few days, Alappuzha is now facing a looming threat of similar conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert along with a warm night warning for Alappuzha, marking the first instance of such an advisory in the district. The alert indicates that both daytime and night temperatures are expected to remain uncomfortably high. Alappuzha has been experiencing a notic

KOCHI: Work on phase-2 of the Vyttila Mobility Hub, estimated to cost around Rs 590-crore, is on the verge of being shelved as a portion of the land originally identified for the hubs expansion will be handed over to the KSRTC for the proposed bus terminal. Preliminary DPR (detailed project report) has been submitted. The final DPR will be taken up at the next board meeting. In all, 2.9 acres originally part of the land identified for the hubs second phase expansion will be handed over to the KS

KOCHI: The Ernakulam Additional District Court-VI on Tuesday sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment an Udayamperoor resident convicted for an acid attack that left the victim blind in one eye. The accused, Sunil, was also fined Rs 1 lakh. The incident relating to the case occurred at 11.30 pm on April 28, 2019. Sunil, residing in the village of Manakunnam, Udayamperoor, threw acid at his neighbour Arun as he harboured a grudge towards Arun who had refused to lend him money to buy liquor.

KOCHI: In a scathing attack on Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil, BJP leader Padmaja Venugopal accused him of being anti-women. Padmaja criticised Rahul for his comments against former health minister and LDF Vadakara candidate K K Shailaja on Facebook. This is Rahul Mamkootathil. He seems to harbour deep hostility towards women. What does this cyber baby say about women who are of his mothers age? I ignored what he said about me. He spoke against my father and made disrespectful

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A fast-track court here has sentenced a 40-year-old man to life imprisonment for the sexual abuse of his six-year-old daughter. Passing the verdict, Judge R Rekha said the offence committed by the accused was heinous and the child had lost her childhood because of the vile act. The accused was found guilty of various charges, including multiple sexual abuse and abusing a child below the age of 12. The court announced triple life imprisonments and a rigorous imprisonment of 2

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The State Information Commission has recommended a vigilance investigation to trace the documents related to the money spent on the construction of the road to Kannur Ezhimala Naval Academy which are yet to be submitted to the commission by the State Public Works Department. The files from various offices related to the works to the tune of Rs 1,71,29,902 carried out in 1998 to increase the capacity of section O/000 to 6/420 of Ezhimala Naval Academy Top Road. In this regard

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city corporation council meeting held here on Tuesday turned stormy when the councillors of all three fronts - LDF, BJP and UDF - locked horns over the controversial spat between Mayor Arya Rajendran and a KSRTC driver that took place a few days ago. Soon after the council meeting began, the BJP councillors stormed into the well of the council hall demanding a discussion on the tussle between the Mayor and the KSRTC driver. Responding to the ruckus made by the opposition

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State Excise Enforcement Squad (SEES) head T Anikumar hung his boots on Tuesday, ending a 25-year-long stint with the organisation that he had helped evolve into a potent force combating the drug menace. What made the former excise assistant commissioner stand out was his dedication and perseverance, which helped the SEES crack numerous cases and shore up the offensive against organised drug racket that found Kerala a lucrative market to peddle their products. To put his achi

KOCHI: This is the book to be seen with, Ram c/o Anandhi. Akhil P Dharmarajans third work has become a must-have, with people creating social media reels and shorts featuring the book. Coming after two barely noticed self-published works, the new release by the 30-year-old mechanical engineering diploma holder has achieved record sales of 2.5 lakh copies across 38 editions. In a sector previously considered sluggish amid the dominance of web content and declining readership, the books sudden pop

KOTTAYAM: Alarm bells are ringing in Lakshadweep as the coral reefs there are showing worrying signs of mass bleaching (coral mortality). The phenomenon, a clear indication of severe heat stress on coral communities, poses a significant threat to the delicate underwater ecosystem, especially in shallow reefs and lagoons. The phenomenon is being reported at a time when National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the US has confirmed a global bleaching event occurring across the trop

KOZHIKODE: In the vibrant city of Boston, an extraordinary cultural festival has been capturing the hearts of many, transcending boundaries and bringing diverse communities together. The Dhrisya Youth Festival, inspired by the Kerala School Kalolsavam, is a unique event that showcases traditional Indian arts through a month-long celebration, attracting the Malayali diaspora and US nationals. Organised by the New England Malayali Association (NEMA), the festival has grown in scope and popularity

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The E P Jayarajan row and the subsequent political developments could well turn out to be counterproductive for BJP and its state vice-president Sobha Surendran. Embarrassed by her revelations that attempts were made to woo seven senior leaders from different parties including LDF convener E P Jayarajan to the BJP camp, the party national leadership is mulling action against her. Even as CPM appears keen to play down the EP episode, its ripples in the BJP camp refuse to die d

PALAKKAD: On International Workers Day, the aggravated Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs), who are deprived of proper resting facilities at major railway stations by the authorities, will take out a unique protest programme - scores of TTEs will boycott the restrooms at Palakkad Junction, Shoranur Junction, Kannur and Mangalore Junction and lie down on the platforms to ease off instead. Speaking to TNIE , members of the Joint Action Council said, TTEs are not even provided neat restrooms, adequa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The vote from home facility has evoked a good response from elderly electors above the age of 85 years in the state as nearly half of them exercised the option to cast their votes in the Lok Sabha election. However, only 17% of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) chose the vote from home option, a detailed analysis of the final voting figures has revealed. As per the states final electoral roll, there are 2.46 lakh voters in the 85 years and above category. According to figures

KOCHI: With high temperatures making nights uncomfortably hot and power consumption growing alarmingly, the KSEB on Tuesday said it will be forced to impose load shedding unless the public cooperates to reduce consumption. The board said the power distribution network is breaking down unable to meet the growing demand. On Monday, the daily power consumption set a new record touching 113.15 million units, which is 10.16 million units above the maximum power consumption of 102.99 million units rec

KOCHI: The KSRTC is looking to give its logistics division a fresh set of wheels! Soon, one will be able to avail the services of the state road transporter to move two-wheelers to any location in the state. Following a pilot, the corporation is all set to implement the proposal called Bike Express on a wider scale. The corporation is modifying two buses and rolling out a dedicated van for implementing the scheme. The companys managing director has cleared the proposal and work is progressing.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The results of the SSLC (Class 10) exam and the Higher Secondary Education (HSE) and Vocational Higher Secondary Education (VHSE) Plus Two exams will be accounced on May 8 and 9 respectively. Last year, the SSLC exam results were announced on May 19 and Plus Two exam results on May 25. According to General Education Minister V Sivankutty, the declaration of the results of SSLC and Plus Two exams before May 10 was owing to the accurate planning and execution by the department.

KANNUR (Kerala): Five persons including a child were killed after their car collided head-on with a lorry here on Monday night, police said. While the four adults, including a woman, died on the spot, the nine-year-old child succumbed to his injuries at the Government Medical College Hospital at Pariyaram here, police said on Tuesday. The deceased were identified as K N Padmakumar (59), who was driving the car, Sudhakaran (52), Sudhakaran's wife Ajitha (35), father-in-law Kozhummal Krishnan (65)