The New Indian Express News

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The second phase of expansion at the Vizhinjam International Port will begin in the second week of January, Ports Minister V N Vasavan announced after a review meeting on Tuesday. He said the exact date would be finalised after consultations with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Adani Group. Preparations for the upcoming phases of construction have already been completed. The Rs 10,000-crore investment by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ) will signific

KOLLAM: The judicial remand of A Padmakumar, former Travancore Devaswom Board president, in the case related to the theft of gold plating from the Dwarapalaka sculptures at the Sabarimala temple has been extended by two weeks. The remand period in the related case regarding theft of gold from the door panel of the sanctum sanctorum ends on Thursday. Padmakumars bail plea in the Dwarapalaka case will be considered on December 22. The court has directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to subm

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four days after the verdict in the actor assault case, the survivor met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at his official residence at Cliff House on Tuesday. At the meeting, the CM is learnt to have assured her of the governments support, stating that the people of Kerala stand with her. He also said the government would file an appeal at the earliest against the trial courts verdict. He also made it clear that the government would take appropriate action in connection with th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid speculations of Kerala Congress (M) considering options to quit the LDF in the wake of the fronts poor performance in the local body polls, party chairman Jose K Mani made it categorically clear that the party will continue with the LDF. Speaking to the media here, he also rejected reports of his partys poor performance in the polls. The KC(M) has just one stance. We shall remain with the Left front, he said. He also rejected reports about KC(M)s performance. Last time w

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after the local body election results, a flex appeared at Thirumala junction We dedicate this victory to our Ani chettan. The person mentioned was Thirumala Anil, a BJP councillor who died by suicide due to financial issues in the cooperative bank he led, two months before the local body polls. However, despite ambiguity over who the voters would choose, the public decided to side with the BJP. Even in neighbouring Thrikkannapuram ward, where BJP member Anand K Thampi

KOCHI: After decades in the shadows, the Malayalam translation of Bram Stokers Dracula first published in 1975 will return to print in January 2026. For publisher Rayan Pushpanath, the rediscovery of the long-lost book felt less like routine archival work and more like cracking a cold case. Written by his grandfather, legendary Malayalam crime and horror writer Kottayam Pushpanath, the translation had virtually vanished from circulation. No major library had a copy. Collectors drew blanks. Eve

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After months-long standoff, Governor Rajendra Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have finally reached a consensus on the appointment of vice chancellors (VC) to two universities. The governors secretariat on Tuesday issued orders appointing Ciza Thomas as VC of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) and Saji Gopinath as VC of Digital University Kerala (DUK). Ciza Thomas and Saji Gopinath were the candidates preferred by the governor and the state government,

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The LDF, at its first meeting after the local body elections, on Tuesday, decided to take up a detailed discussion on the poll outcome in the first week of January. At the meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM state secretary M V Govindan did not comment on the election results, leaving the matter to LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan. He told the leaders that the issue would be taken up after the constituent parties complete their organisational reviews. CPM has decide

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sensing a chance to come back to power in Kerala, the Congress high command is set to play a more decisive role in the partys state unit in the run-up to the 2026 assembly election. Following its unprecedented, direct intervention in the recently concluded local body elections, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is expected to exercise a strong say in key aspects of the assembly polls. Sources said the high command would play an active role in framing strict criteria for

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar is likely to hold crucial discussions with the partys central leadership in New Delhi on Wednesday or Thursday to finalise the BJPs mayoral candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Sources said the state leadership has almost settled on R Sreelekha for the post, with the final call to be taken after consultations with the central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Party insiders said projecting Sreelekha as th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A UDF candidate who was reportedly distressed over his defeat in the local body elections died by suicide in Aruvikkara grama panchayat. Vijayakumar, 59, the UDF candidate from Manambooru ward, passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital here on Tuesday. Vijayakumar had ended up in the third place in Manambooru ward, securing 149 votes. The BJP won the ward. On Saturday, Vijayakumar allegedly attempted to take his own life by hanging on a tree near his house.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Assembly will host the fourth edition of the Kerala Legislature International Book Festival (KLIBF 4) at the Assembly premises from January 7 to 13. The week-long event will be open to the public with free entry. More than 200 publishers are expected to participate, setting up over 250 stalls across the complex. Visitors will also be given the rare opportunity to tour the Assembly Hall and the Legislative Museum during the festival. The event will bring together re

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Voters of Parassala, the states best panchayat, decided not to choose the front under which the local body attained this title in the Mission Antyodaya rankings. Ending 10 years of Left rule, the UDF has emerged as the single largest majority in the 24-member panchayat with 11 wins: 10 official and one independent candidate. With this, questions have risen about which Left council 2015 or 2020 had contributed more towards Parassalas development. Though no front has a clear

KOLLAM: CPM district acting secretary S Jayamohan on Monday said that attempts to extrapolate local body election results to assembly constituencies were misleading and politically motivated. He alleged that such calculations were being deliberately circulated to demoralise party workers who continue to stand firmly with the LDF in the district. Jayamohan said the LDF currently holds a clear lead in 8 of the 11 assembly constituencies in the district and has secured overall 66,652 more votes tha

The Left government in Kerala on Tuesday directed the organisers of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) to go ahead with the screening of all selected films, openly challenging the BJP-led Centre over its refusal to grant clearance to more than a dozen titles . Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Kerala Chalachitra Academy said the festival would screen all films regardless of whether central clearance had been granted. In a Facebook post, Vijayan described the Centres denial of

KOZHIKODE (Kerala): The CPI(M)'s youth wing DYFI on Tuesday carried out a march to the Changaroth panchayat office here in protest against the alleged purification ritual carried out by IUML activists at the local body a day ago as its former president hailed from the Dalit community, police said. Police said that the protest was peaceful and there was no tense atmosphere prevailing in the area. It also said that the LDF will be holding a protest march to the panchayat office in the evening. Pol

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the screening of 19 international films at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) ran into an unprecedented crisis following the Centres failure to issue censor exemption certificates , acclaimed filmmaker Dr Biju has criticised the festival organisers for what he described as serious procedural lapses. In a Facebook post, Dr Biju said that while there was no doubt that the central government had been increasingly intervening in cinema and the arts, sch

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader Mullappally Ramachandran has alleged that an open understanding between the CPM and the SDPI in Azhiyoor panchayat of Vadakara reflects the degeneration of the ruling party and demanded that the chief minister respond to the issue. Mullappally said that despite being one of the largest parties in the panchayat, the CPM managed to secure only 10 votes in Azhiyoor first ward and just seven votes in the 20th ward. He claimed this was indicative of a nexus

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A man accused of trespassing into a neighbours house and assaulting a woman has been arrested by the Thampanoor police. Ananthu aka Achu, a native of Kannettumukku in Thampanoor had been absconding since October. Police said he had forcibly entered a neighbours house and assaulted the homemaker before fleeing. Police tracked him down and attempted to apprehend him. On spotting the police team, the accused tried to escape and later attempted to attack the officers with a knife

IDUKKI: Munnar woke up to an unmistakable nip in the air on Monday, with the mercury sliding to a low of 3C at Chundavurrai, while Letchmi Estate recorded 4C and Sevenmallay 5C, according to the latest weather bulletin. The early morning mist was thick and persistent, and tea gardens across the hill station wore a frosted look as winter tightened its grip on this beloved Western Ghats retreat. For residents and workers in the high ranges, the sudden chill is familiar yet striking. Estate laboure

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 30th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is facing a bizarre crisis with the Centre refusing to issue censor-exemption certificates to 19 films, including four from Palestine, scheduled to be screened at the event. The withholding of clearances has invited rebuke from various corners, with a slew of socio-political and cultural leaders, including CPM general secretary M A Baby, and veteran filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishnan and T V Chandran criticisin

KOCHI: The Kerala Judicial Officers Association has approached the High Court seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against persons allegedly defaming Judge Honey M Varghese, who pronounced the verdict in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case. In its memorandum, the association stated that certain media houses and individuals with vested interests began disseminating baseless allegations after the judgment was delivered. It alleged that defamatory content was deliberatel

KOLLAM: The first and second accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, Unnikrishnan Potti and Murari Babu, respectively, have been remanded in the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for two days by the Kollam Vigilance Court. They will be taken to Thiruvananthapuram for detailed questioning. Murari Babu was remanded in the dwarapalaka case, while Unnikrishnan Potty was remanded in the case registered in connection with the missing gold from the door frame of the sanctum sanctorum.

KOZHIKODE: IUML state president Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal has said the situation is favourable for a broadening of the UDF base ahead of next years assembly elections. Addressing reporters in Kozhikode on Monday, he said the LDF has some disgruntled parties which are expected to come to the UDF fold, adding that these like-minded parties should be accommodated after discussing with UDFs other constituents. He did not give a direct answer to the question whether the Welfare Party wil

KOTTAYAM: Asserting that the UDFs base would be expanded ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said more parties will join the coalition soon. Speaking to reporters in Kottayam on Monday, he said, Currently, the UDF is not holding any discussions with anyone. However, the UDFs base will be expanded ahead of the assembly elections in many ways. It may include parties from both LDF and NDA, as well as those not affiliated with either. Lets maintain some suspense

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Imagine a situation where all that one can do is watch helplessly as tragedy unfolds. Afghanistan, where beauty and brutality co-exist, has turned into a world where helplessness and hopelessness live under a reign of terror. A reign where a mother, to find her lost seven-year-old son, must disguise herself as a man because being a woman means not even next to nothing but nothing itself. Laylas struggle begins this way in Cinema Jazireh , a reality check from Turkish filmmake

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as intense speculation continues over who will be the next mayor of the city corporation, the BJP, has turned its attention to the corporation headquarters, anticipating attempts by the LDF now out of power to move crucial files. Senior BJP leader and possible mayoral candidate V V Rajesh recently alleged that such an attempt was made on Saturday. BJP leaders claim they are maintaining constant vigil at the corporation office to prevent any last-minute decisions or fil

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rejecting anti-incumbency factor, the CPM and the CPI the two leading partners in the LDF have blamed minority consolidation in favour of the Opposition UDF and cross voting by the Congress and the BJP in select areas for the drubbing suffered by the ruling front in the local body polls. Based on preliminary reports from the district leaderships, the CPM state secretariat assessed that the Christian community deserted the LDF in the four central Kerala districts of Ernakula

MALAPPURAM: The thunderous beat of the chenda melam, Keralas centuries-old percussion ensemble, reverberated far beyond its native temple courtyards on Sunday, marking a historic debut in Malaysia. In a remarkable cultural milestone, 49 Malaysian citizens aged between nine and 30 joined 10 artistes from Kerala to present the traditional art form in public for the first time in Johor Bahru city. The performance, held at Jaya Hall, unfolded as a day-long spectacle, drawing applause for both its mu

KOCHI: Kerala trounced Saurashtra by 95 runs to register their second group-stage victory in the under-19 womens national 50-over cricket championship. Batting first at the Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana in Mumbai, Kerala put on 186 runs in 46.3 overs. In reply, Saurashtra were bowled out for 91 in 34.5 overs. Sradha Sumesh (55 off 47 balls) was instrumental in Kerala posting a competitive total. Her innings was studded with four boundaries and three maximums. Earlier, opener Sreya P Siju (44 off 59)

KOCHI: Amid the controversy triggered by the trial courts observations in the actor abduction and sexual assault case, particularly with regard to the prosecutions failure to establish a conspiracy and clarify the role of Sreelakshmi, who was in frequent contact with prime accused Pulsar Suni, the probe team members maintain that her involvement was thoroughly investigated and all relevant findings were placed before court. Investigating officer Babukumar filed the report after the initial exami

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of efforts to unify early childhood education and care in the state, the departments of general education and women and child development will soon jointly roll out a framework for all institutions providing pre-schooling. With this, every institution providing pre-school education to children -- kindergartens, nurseries, etc -- will come under one umbrella with a common title, proper certifications, teacher qualifications, and inspections. Acting on a recent High Cou

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Thiruvananthapuram corporation results have thrown up clear signals of an evolving political churn across key assembly constituencies in the capital, offering an early glimpse of the ground realities ahead of the forthcoming assembly elections. The BJPs sharp rise - from 34 to 50 seats -has altered the political balance in assembly constituencies such as Nemom, Kazhakoottam and Vattiyoorkavu. In Nemom - a BJP stronghold - the party consolidated its position by winning 17

KOTTAYAM: Close on the heels of a significant setback to the LDF in the local body elections, discussions are gathering momentum again on bringing the Kerala Congress (M) back into the UDF fold to further strengthen the coalitions base ahead of the assembly elections. The talks initiated by Congress state president Sunny Joseph, however, have encountered obstacles due to differing opinions within the UDF. The UDF initiative aims to convey to the KC (M) that their position in the LDF is precariou

Sayed Ali Majeed, a member of Kerala's ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), who won in the Thennela Panchayat in Malappuram, has sparked controversy with sexist remarks in his victory speech. Majeed, who won the election with a margin of 47 votes, targeted the Muslim League for fielding women candidates. He said that women brought through marriage are not for displaying before strangers for votes, to capture a ward or to defeat him. He added that married women are for sleeping with their h

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Putting to rest speculation that the Congress may join hands with the CPM to prevent the BJP from coming to power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday said that no such discussions had taken place within the party. There will be no move from the side of the Congress to sabotage the peoples verdict, and the rest of the matters will only be decided after party discussions, Chennithala said while speaking to the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bhagyalakshmi, the renowed dubbing artist, on Monday criticised actor Mohanlal for sharing the poster of the film Bha Bha Ba shortly after the verdict in the actress assault case , calling it insensitive and thoughtless. Speaking to reporters at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) venue, Bhagyalakshmi questioned whether Mohanlal had reflected even for a moment before sharing the poster of the film, which stars Dileep - the eighth accused in the case -in the lead,

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: NDAs thumping performance in the elections to the corporation council has placed it firmly on the threshold of power, with independent councillors and the postponed Vizhinjam ward election emerging as decisive factors in shaping the final balance. The BJP-led NDA won 50 of the 101 wards, falling just one short of an absolute majority, while the LDF was reduced to 27 wards and the UDF secured 19 wards. With independents winning two seats, the fronts have started efforts to ens

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Last years IFFK had focused on women in cinema, and this year too, the female presence seems strong. Auteurs in the fairer of the sex seem to be in considerable number in most categories. Two films from the Indian stock, which were shown on the second and third days of the festival, have turned heads for the evocative narratives centred around women. Nidhi Saxenas Secret of the Mountain Serpent and Anuparna Roys Song of Forgotten Trees take seemingly similar paths of women w

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The local body election results in Nedumangad have once again shown the municipalitys reputation as a Left bastion. By winning 29 of the 42 wards, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) not only retained power but also improved its tally from the previous polls. CPM leader and outgoing chairperson C S Sreeja attributed the LDFs improved seat count to what she described as grit and dedication in municipal governance. The victory assumes significance given how anti-incumbency

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The LDF is set to return to power at the Neyyattinkara municipal council. It won 25 seats in the just-concluded local body polls, seven more than in the previous term. Meanwhile, the UDF and the NDA suffered setbacks, losing five and two sitting seats, respectively, and gaining none. Two independent candidates too registered victories V P Shinoj in Thozhukkal ward and Biju T S from Amaravila. What perhaps aided the LDF this time around was its bold decision to give the ticke

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The anti-incumbency undercurrent that shaped the 2025 local body elections also dimmed the electoral ambitions of most out-of-state parties, thwarting their efforts to consolidate a foothold in the state. This time, only parties embedded in Keralas established political alliances managed to post any gains. Prominent out-of-state parties such as the RJD and the JD(S), which contested under the LDF banner, performed relatively better, largely in rural areas. While the RJD won a

MALAPPURAM: The IUML has voiced deep dissatisfaction over what it describes as inadequate representation in southern Kerala within the UDF, warning that the issue could have wider implications for future seat-sharing arrangements. IUML state general secretary P M A Salam told TNIE that despite being denied seats in five district panchayats in the southern region, the party delivered a stronger electoral performance than several UDF constituents an apparent reference to the Revolutionary Sociali

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Left reeling after the local body poll debacle, a battered LDF has set in motion a thorough review of its electoral performance. Calls have already begun from within the front for deep introspection and course correction, similar to the exercise it undertook after the 2019 electoral defeat. Both the CPM and the CPI state secretariat meetings on Monday and the LDF meeting scheduled on Wednesday are set to explore measures to win back the ruling fronts lost mass base. A quick a

KOCHI: It began as a bold political move, but ended up a costly mistake. In trying to redraw its voter map, the CPM appears to have scribbled all over it. By sharpening its stand against Islamic extremism, the party hoped to draw on Hindu and Christian voters. Instead, the strategy backfired Muslim voters felt alienated, Christian support remained weak, and even sections of the Hindu base slipped away. What made the setback sharper was that the party chose this risky path after sidelining its o

KOLLAM: The BJP has achieved a steady rise in its electoral presence across municipal bodies in district in the just concluded local body elections, improving its ward tally compared to the 2020 polls and emerging as a significant third force in key urban centres. In the Kollam corporation, the NDA doubled its tally from six wards in 2020 to 12 this time. A similar trend was seen in Karunagappally municipality, where the BJP increased its representation from two wards in the previous election to

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The NDA wresting control of Thiruvananthapuram corporation on December 13 from over two decades of LDF rule has drawn national attention, marking a rare breakthrough for the BJP in a state traditionally dominated by the CPM-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF. Eight months earlier, in April, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar responded to critics branding him an outsider unfamiliar with Keralas culture and language. I know how to wear a mundu (dhoti) and tuck it. I know

KOZHIKODE: For decades, some panchayats were spoken of in political shorthand as safe, solid, and sealed. The 2025 local body results tore up that vocabulary. Voters, it appears, had other plans. One by one, long-held Left bastions slipped, and the UDF walked in through doors once thought firmly shut. At the district panchayat level, the contest was finely balanced, with the UDF securing 14 seats, narrowly edging past the LDFs 13, while others claimed one seat. Though the numerical difference is

KOZHIKODE: Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has alleged that the IUML is mounting attacks on its cadre at various parts of north Kerala after the declaration of the results of the local body elections. The party said that its leader Salim Punathil was attacked by IUML workers when he was returning home after the victory celebrations on Saturday. In a statement, SDPI said the attack was a result of conspiracy hatched by IUML leadership to create tension. The party had won the ward number t

KALPETTA : The 37-year-old Soumya S, the courageous woman whose dramatic real-life confrontation with chain snatchers became the inspiration for the Navya Nair-starrer Oruthee, has successfully transitioned from a celebrated local heroine to an elected political representative. Running on a CPI ticket, Soumya secured a remarkable victory in the 12th ward (Emily Thadam) of the Kalpetta municipality. Her win is not just a personal achievement but a significant political coup, as Emily Thadam has b