The New Indian Express News

Histories of theatre often remember movements, institutions, and landmark productions. What they forget are the people in rehearsal rooms and backstage corners the women who acted, wrote, and sustained the stage, yet rarely entered official histories. For the Love of Art: The Lost History of Women in Kerala Theatre, Jayasree Kalathils English translation of Sajitha Madathils acclaimed Malayala Nataka Sthree Charithram, steps into this silence with urgency, restoring women to the centre of Malay

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Film maker and two-time MLA P T Kunju Muhammed's arrest was recorded by the Cantonment police on Tuesday in a sexual assault case registered on a complaint filed by a woman film director. He was later released as he had obtained pre-arrest bail from the principal sessions court. The court had ordered that in case the accused was arrested, he should be released on bail. The accused reportedly denied the allegation before the investigators. The police on December 7 registered a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP will hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss and finalise its candidates for the mayor and deputy mayor posts. The meeting will be attended by senior party leaders and NDA councillors, after which the party is likely to announce its candidates, sources said. Party insiders said the BJP has almost finalised councillor R Sreelekha for the mayors post and senior councillor Manju G S for the deputy mayors post. However, senior leaders maintained that a final decision would

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With new revelations coming up in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case, the special investigation team probing the case has been met with fresh claims that could further complicate the investigation. A businessman, named earlier by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, has reportedly told the SIT that the first accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, had close links with D Mani, an antique collector based in Chennai. It is learnt that in his statement, the businessman alleged th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Keralas first skin bank at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College has started processing donor skin, ushering in a new era in advanced burn care in the state. The facility, established alongside the Burns Unit, is expected to significantly improve survival and recovery outcomes for patients who lose skin due to severe burns and accidents. The harvested skin is preserved under specially controlled temperatures and undergoes a three-week chemical processing procedure. Once proc

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has agreed to increase the width of the vehicular underpass at Kumarichantha as part of the NH 66 development activities, informed Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor. Noting in an X post that the decision came after his discussion on the issue with the NHAI chairman Santhosh Kumar Yadav, he wrote that the community leaders of the locality too have agreed to the NHAI decision. Requesting the people to call off their agitation an

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a gesture of environmental stewardship and festive goodwill, ITREK Trekking & Outdoor Activities Group mobilised a dedicated 25-member team for a large-scale plastic clean-up drive at Ponmudi hill station on December 20. Led by founder Suresh Sam Chandy, the volunteers targeted two key locations, removing heaps of plastic waste to restore the areas natural splendour. ITREK, a vibrant community of nearly 700 members from diverse backgrounds across the state and beyond, oper

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the Bharat Mata portrait row, the inclusion of Hindutva icon V D Savarkars picture in the inaugural calendar brought out by the Kerala Lok Bhavan has raised eyebrows. The 2026 calendar, intended to be circulated among the Lok Bhavan staff, has a stamp sized picture of Savarkar in the February page, highlighting his death anniversary on the 26th of the month. The calendar also has dozens of pictures of national icons against the dates related to them as w

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to address substance abuse among young professionals, the Prevention of Drug Abuse (PODA), a joint initiative of the state police and the private sector, is being rolled out, said state police chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar. The initiative focuses on preventing drug abuse at work places through cooperation between police and private institutions. Under PODA, private sector employees will be required to sign a mandatory declaration at the time of joining, stating that t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala consistently featured among the top ten states sending students abroad between 2016 and 2020, according to a NITI Aayog report. The state improved its position from eighth to seventh in the country during the period, showed the report Internalisation of Higher Education in India Prospects, Potential and Policy Recommendations released on Monday. India is the largest source of international students with 13.35 lakh persons pursuing studies overseas in 2024. The top fiv

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vande Bharat Express travelling from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram hit an autorickshaw at Akathumuri railway station near Varkala on Tuesday night. The driver reportedly jumped out of the autorickshaw just in time and suffered minor injuries. The incident happened around 10.25pm when the autorickshaw reportedly entered the railway track from the platform area. Police suspect that the autorickshaw driver was under the influence of alcohol. The injured driver, Sudhi of Ka

KOCHI: In a performance that defied his age, K K Velayudhan has scripted history by winning gold at the Asian Masters Classic Powerlifting Championship held in Istanbul, Turkey. The 71-year-old, who hails from Muttikulangara in Palakkad, won the precious metal in the 59kg category at the championship, which took place from December 1 to 10. It is indeed very special to win. Its been a dream I harboured for a long time. Im thrilled to have finally achieved it, Velayudhan told TNIE. With the gold-

PALAKKAD: Details from the investigation into the mob lynching of Ramnarayan Baghel, 31, a migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh, reveal a pattern of sustained and deliberate violence preceding his death in Walayar, Palakkad. According to post-mortem findings and remand-report details from investigative sources, he suffered extensive, repeated assaults with sticks and kicks, particularly targeting his head, face, chest and back, suggesting prolonged torture rather than a single episode of violence.

PALAKKAD: Two more persons have been arrested in connection with the lynching of migrant worker Ramnarayan Baghel, 31 , at Attappallam in Walayar, taking the total number of accused in custody to seven. The newly arrested are Vinod Kumar, 54, and Jagadeesh Kumar, 49, both residents of Kizhakke Attappallam. They were taken into custody in a joint operation led by the Crime Branch and the Walayar police. Police said several suspects in the case are believed to have fled to Tamil Nadu, and efforts

KOCHI: Letting bygones be bygones, past fire-breathing accusations melted into broad smiles on Tuesday, as Opposition Leader V D Satheesan and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader P V Anvar publicly reaffirmed their political camaraderie, by draping each other in tricolour shawls. Underscoring the strength of new associate members joining the UDF fold, the event was attended by Janadhipathya Rashtriya Sabha (JRS) leader C K Janu. Satheesan ceremonially presented shawls to Janu also, and to

MALAPPURAM: Members of the Panakkad family and the leaders of the IUML attended the reception for the Sandesha Yathra organised by the Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama at Tirur on Tuesday. IUML Malappuram district president Panakkad Syed Abbas Ali Shihab Thangal inaugurated the meeting. It may be recalled that the members of the Panakkad family stayed away from the inauguration of the yathra at Nagercoil on December 18. The IUML leaders did not attend the reception meetings at various places i

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After bird flu (H5N1) cases were reported in parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts, Health Minister Veena George convened a State-level Rapid Response Team meeting to review the situation. The minister clarified that bird flu has not yet affected humans in the state but stressed that precautionary measures are essential. She urged strict vigilance at the field level and called on everyone to follow the guidelines. The health department has already issued special guideline

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Alarmed by the rise in unsafe riding practices linked to ultra-fast delivery targets, the motor vehicles department (MVD) has issued notices to leading quick-commerce firms, including Blinkit, Swiggy, Zepto and BigBasket, directing them to strictly adhere to road safety guidelines. Transport Commissioner C Nagaraju confirmed that notices have been served on dark stores as well as delivery platforms, and said the companies have been given 15 days to streamline delivery timelin

KOCHI: Creativity and faith are both a calling that can come together in the artistic process. Nuns who embody this union may be considered rather rare to come by. But, then, there are those in the habit of overturning popular perception. Sr Lismys journey as a cinematographer began in the silence of her Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) convent. It was a chance encounter with a simple camera that stirred to life an interest. My superiors at the CMC Nirmala Province in Thrissur support

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Researchers in Kerala have developed a technology that could significantly reshape the countrys rubber marketing sector by ensuring more accurate grading and fairer pricing for farmers. The innovation, the outcome of two years of meticulous research conducted at the College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET), has won the institution a patent from the Indian government. Natural rubber from Kerala is graded mainly into ribbed smoked sheet (RSS) 4 and 5, with vastly varying prices.

PATHANAMTHITTA: In a modest home in Anandapally, near Adoor, the story of Christmas unfolds not through sermons or stage plays, but across hundreds of postage stamps from around the world. At 77, veteran art teacher Ramachandrans stamps retell the tale of Christs birth using a rare Christmas-themed collection that spans more than a century of global postal history. A former president of the Pathanamthitta District Philatelic and Numismatic Society, Ramachandran owns more than 300 Christmas-them

THRISSUR: Lalitha sat on the verandah in the Welfare Partys office in Thrissur, frozen, her eyes blank. A numbness has enveloped the 35-year-old since Sunday night, when she saw the lifeless form of her husband Ramnarayan Baghel, a Chhattisgarh resident who was lynched by a mob at Attappallam in Palakkad on December 17 over suspicions of theft and being a Bangladeshi. It had not let go of her when TNIE spoke to her on Monday night. Nearby, her children, aged 10 and 9, watched videos on the mobil

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 2.54 crore voters have been included in Kerala's draft electoral roll published on Tuesday following the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The electoral roll finalised on October 27 featured 2.78 crore voters; 24.08 lakh voters have been excluded from the draft list following the SIR. The excluded persons mainly include those categorised as Absent, Shifted or Dead (ASD). According to Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rathan U Kelkar, those exc

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following the allegations of accepting bribes for facilitating parole and illegal activities for prisoners, the state Home Department has suspended Prisons Deputy Inspector General (DIG) MK Vinod Kumar. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has booked the officer in the issue, as part of which he will be out of service with immediate effect till the probe is completed. Based on the primary investigation of the Special Cell Unit, Vinod was found to have misused his powers b

KOZHIKODE:Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ouided Bouchamaoui visited the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls, Nadakkavu, on December 18as a distinguished guest of the Faizal and Shabana Foundation. The visit marked a significant and inspiring moment for the school community, students, and faculty alike, said a press release from the Foundation. During her visit, she held cordial interactions with the principal and headmaster of the institution, gaining insights into the schools ac

Sadakku sadakku The trend centres around Thakilu Pukilu, the popular song from the 2001 Malayalam film Ravanaprabhu, which re-released in October. Fans revelled in Suresh Peters high-energy beats and Mohanlals macho maximus presence. Videos from the theatre went viral. So much so that even a local politician became an overnight star after a video showed him grooving to the song. Riding this renewed interest, the web world was taken over by AI-generated Poochandi cat dance clips using the song as

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A special fast-track court here has sentenced a man to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 65,000 for abducting two minor girls by impersonating a police officer and sexually assaulting one of them. The accused, Vishnu, 35, a native of Madathuvila near the Medical College, was found guilty by Special Fast Track Court Judge Anju Meera Birla. The court also directed that the fine amount be paid to the survivor and that the Legal Services Authority prov

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The controversial Varkala Dakshin Kashi project, launched at the ancient Janardhana Swamy Temple under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme, has landed in legal trouble, with environmental activists filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court seeking its intervention. The PIL highlights the archaeological and immense heritage value of the nearly 2,000-year-old Janardhana Swamy Temple and alleges that the project is causing damage to the temple. It further claims tha

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Artist Subin Abrahams paintings are rooted in memories, emotions and self-reflection. And his latest solo exhibition, Sole on the Soil, on display at Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan, stands as a testament to that. The exhibition brings together paintings that represent the natural world and the essence of village life. Though Subin portrays the realities and hardships of rural life, they appear nostalgic and serene. Maybe he was trying to convey, the hardship behind the idyllic.

KOZHIKODE: Beypore is preparing for three days of colour, competition and coastal celebration as the fifth edition of the Beypore International Water Festival will begin on December 26. The festival is spread across six locations in and around the historic port town in Kozhikode. One of the key highlights this year will be the international kite festival, which is expected to see participation from flyers representing five countries. The countdown to the festival will begin on December 25 with a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major move aimed at promoting women workforce and gender equality across the state, the Kudumbashree Mission is all set to roll out a comprehensive state-wide gender campaign, Uyare from January 1, 2026. The campaign aims to raise womens participation in the labour force from the current 20 per cent to 50 per cent, while simultaneously working towards the creation of safe and inclusive workplaces. As part of the first phase, campaign-related information and awareness pro

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dousing the BJPs high hopes of expanding its base in the state , the partys vote share declined in the just concluded local body polls to 14.76%, according to data released by the State Election Commission on Monday. The saffron party-led NDA had secured 19.26% of total votes polled in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, while the fronts vote share hovered around 15% this time. The Congress emerged on top with 29.17% of the votes, while CPM finished second with 27.16%. However, desp

KOCHI/TPURAM : In a landmark moment for Indias public healthcare, the Ernakulam General Hospital (GH), performed a heart transplant on a Nepalese woman on Monday, marking the first time a district-level government hospital in the country has undertaken such complex procedures. Durga Kaami, a 22-year-old woman from Nepal, received the heart of Shibu, 46, a Kollam resident who was declared brain dead on December 21 following a road accident. After his family comprising mother Shakunthala and sibli

KOCHI: At a time when former presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) are facing a probe into the alleged disappearance of gold from the Sabarimala temple, Govardhan, a jeweller from Ballari arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), has claimed that the newly gold-plated door frame was donated by him in June 2019. He stated that he donated 184g of gold, valued approximately at Rs 9 lakh. UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya had sponsored the gold cladding of the temple, including the

SABARIMALA: The four-day procession carrying the Thanka Anki, the golden attire to be adorned on the idol of Lord Ayyappa during the Mandala Pooja ceremony on December 27, will be taken out from Aranmula Lord Parthasarathy temple at 6 am on Tuesday. Thanka Anki, the 24-carat golden attire weighing 456 sovereigns, donated by the former head of Travancore royal family Chithira Thirunal Marthanda Varma, will be taken in specially-decorated vehicle after performing special pooja at Lord Parthasarath

KOCHI: The forensic report in the narcotics case against actor Shine Tom Chacko, that came out on Sunday, has revealed that the forensic examination failed to establish the actors drug consumption. Following the report, the police are likely to drop further proceedings in the case registered at the Ernakulam Town North police station. The case related to the summoning, interrogation, subsequent arrest and bail of the actor, following allegations that Shine and a friend had consumed narcotics in

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress, that secured the highest vote share of 29.17% in the recently concluded local body election put up its best performance in its traditional strongholds such as Idukki, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta, going by the district-wise data released by the State Election Commission on Monday. The party clocked its highest vote share of 38.60% in Idukki followed by 37.34% in Ernakulam and 37.06% in Pathanamthitta. Malappuram, which is the bastion of its ally Muslim League sa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM state secretary M V Govindan is facing the internal heat for the first time, as criticism builds up over his leadership and decision making in view of the partys poor performance in the recent local body elections. On Monday, the Thiruvananthapuram district committee held to review the local body election results criticised Govindan and the state leadership for failing to address critical issues. Govindan had directly overseen the election preparations for the corporation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid the crackdown on supply chains that push drugs into the state, the state police have charted out a fresh initiative to tackle the rise in demand for contraband among youths. The Prevention of Drug Abuse (PODA) project will be implemented in coordination with private enterprises, where new hires will be made to sign an undertaking that they will not indulge in drug abuse. The explicit consent will also be obtained to facilitate random drug testing at the workplace. Those

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kudumbashree workers delivered an impressive performance in the recently concluded local body elections, with 7,210 candidates emerging victorious across the state. The results highlight the growing political presence of the states flagship womens empowerment mission at the grassroots level. According to official figures, 17,082 Kudumbashree members contested the elections to grama, block and district panchayats, municipalities, and corporations. The winners were spread acros

SABARIMALA: Age has done little to wane Parukkuttys faith. At 102, she climbed the sacred 18 steps at Sabarimala and offered prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine, completing her third pilgrimage to the hill temple, an inspiring journey that reads like a film script. This is the third consecutive year Parukkutty has reached the Sabarimala. She first visited the shrine in 2023 at the age of 100, when she undertook the pilgrimage as a first-time Malikappuram devotee. She returned last year and once a

KOZHIKODE: Life has come full circle for singer Mohammed Danish Malappuram, who after getting caught in the crossfire of controversy is now steadily reclaiming his space in Keralas devotional music landscape. A sound engineer and native of Padinjattumuri, Malappuram, Danish shot to fame and notoriety with the viral parody song Pottiye Kettiye Swarnam Chembayi Mattiye, inspired by the popular Swamiye Ayyappa chant. Written by Nadapuram-based expat G P Kunhabdulla Chalappuram, the take-off emerg

KOLLAM: Arare deep-sea octopus species, believed to have vanished from scientific records for nearly five decades, has been rediscovered off the Kerala coast. The octopus, Opisthoteuthis philipii, landed accidentally at Sakthikulangara harbour in Kollam during deep-sea trawling operations. It was first spotted in the waters off Alappuzha in 1976. The original reference specimen described nearly 50 years ago was lost, and in the absence of genetic data, the species disappeared from scientific rec

KOCHI: As the Yuletide spirit fills the air, posters, cutouts and dolls of Santa Claus crop up everywhere, heralding the season of love and sharing. However, not many may know that Santa, the most popular symbol of Christmas, is inspired from and modelled after St Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop from Myra in ancient Turkey known for his generosity and secret gift-giving. Some may find it hard to believe that the real-life Santa has a Kerala connection. For more than a century, Pampakuda, a sle

KOCHI: Buoyed by its decisive local body election victory, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has moved swiftly to widen its political base, inducting P V Anvars Trinamool Congress and C K Janus Janadhipathya Rashtriya Sabha as associate members . The decision was taken at a high-level UDF leadership meeting held in Kochi on Monday, signalling an early and aggressive build-up to the Assembly elections. Along with Anvar and Janu, Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan of Kamraj Congress was also

KOCHI: P Poulose, a member of the Kerala football team that lifted the Santosh Trophy for the first time in 1973, passed away on Monday. He was 76. A native of Aluva, Poulose was the youngest member of the title-winning 26-man squad. They beat Railways 3-2 in the final held at the Maharajas College grounds in Kochi on December 27, 1973. Pouloses football journey began at St Marys High School, Aluva, where his early promise earned him a place in the Kerala junior team. Later, he represented Calic

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Thiruvananthapuram First Class Judicial Magistrate Court has issued notices to outgoing Mayor Arya Rajendran and MLA Sachin Dev based on a complaint filed by KSRTC driver Yadu. The notices were issued on a petition challenging the police decision to exclude both of them from the charge sheet in connection with the incident in which a KSRTC bus was stopped in the middle of the road. The police had filed a charge sheet excluding Arya Rajendran and her husband, Sachin Dev. T

KOCHI: In a landmark moment for public healthcare in India, the Ernakulam General Hospital is set to perform a heart transplant for a Nepalese woman on Monday. This is the first time a district-level government hospital undertakes such complex procedure. The recipient is 21-year-old Durga Kaami, a native of Nepal, who has been battling a rare genetic heart condition since childhood. She will receive the heart of Shibu, a Kollam native who was declared brain-dead following a road accident. Durgas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government on Monday assured stringent action in the mob lynching of a Chhattisgarh native who was allegedly beaten to death after being mistaken for a thief, and promised justice to the victims family, even as the ruling CPI(M) accused the RSS of being behind the assault, an allegation strongly denied by the BJP. Ramnarayan (31) was allegedly beaten to death on Wednesday after being accused of involvement in a theft at Kizhakeattappallam near Walayar in Palakkad d

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The suspense over who will be the next mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram corporation continued on Sunday, even as councillors took oath amid keen public and political interest. While the ceremony drew several leaders and supporters, the question about the partys mayoral choice prevailed among those present. Several senior BJP leaders had expected the party to announce its mayor before the oath-taking ceremony. When asked, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar told TNIE that