KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday restrained the CBI from taking any coercive steps, including arrest against the parents of the two minor girls who died at Walayar. The parents are accused of abetting the rape of their children. Justice C Jayachandran also dispensed with the personal appearance of the parents before the CBI Special Court, Ernakulam, till the final hearing of the petitions. The court will hear the matter after the summer holidays. The court issuedtheorder on the parents'

ALAPPUZHA: Two individuals were arrested on Tuesday night for possession and supply of hybrid ganja in Alappuzha. Following the arrest, several Malayalam film actors have come under the scanner, as excise officials seek to uncover linkages between drug networks and film personalities. The Excise Departments Special Investigation Team apprehended Thasleema Sulthana alias Christina of Chennai and Feroze, a native of Mannancherry, Alappuzha, with three kilograms of hybrid ganja worth Rs 1.5 crore.

THRISSUR: A 'kazhakam' employee of the famed Koodalmanikyam temple here has resigned citing personal reasons, following allegations of caste discrimination. Balu, who was recruited for 'kazhakam' duties by the state-run Devaswom Recruitment Board, submitted his resignation to the Devaswom administrator on Tuesday evening, sources said on Wednesday. 'Kazhakam' refers to a designated group within the temple hierarchy tasked with preparing garlands and performing other ceremonial chores. The resign

MADURAI: Being highly self-critical of its lost mass base and its failure to enforce decisions made at previous conferences, the CPM review report, which is set to be presented at the party Congress, has outlined a detailed plan to reclaim its past glory. In a significant departure from the past, the report proposes to evaluate the functioning of the Politburo members on an annual basis. The party review further calls for a rectification campaign against the growing parliamentarianism within the

MADURAI: Having realized that it won't be possible to make an immediate comeback in its erstwhile strongholds of West Bengal and Tripura, the primary focus of the CPM will be to protect its sole remaining turf in the country - Kerala. This gains significance, especially in view of the party assessment that the CPM has been losing its base to BJP-RSS, including in Kerala. As the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is set to begin its 24th Congress in Madurai on Wednesday, the Kerala CPM will have

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The investigation into the BSNL Engineers Cooperative Society scam has concluded, recommending the recovery of Rs 362 crore from 19 governing body members and one employee. Conducted by the cooperative department, the inquiry identified liabilities stemming from three governing bodies operating since 2007. The misappropriated total comprises Rs 257.34 crore in principal and Rs 104.67 crore in interest, calculated at an 18% rate up to December 31, 2024. The largest recoveries

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to ensure safer workplace in the Malayalam film industry, the women and child development department will be rolling out a specialised training programme to enforce the provisions of the POSH Act. Health and Women and Child Development Minister Veena George will inaugurate the state-level launch of the initiative at KTDC Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan will preside over. Prominent figures from the Malayalam film in

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a crackdown on drug use in student hostels, an excise team seized 20 g of cannabis during a raid at the Government College Hostel for Men near LMS Church, Palayam, on Tuesday. The contraband was found in room number 455, which, according to hostel residents, was occupied by Pandiyaraj, a native of Chokkanad Estate in Munnar. However, students informed officials that Pandiyaraj had vacated the room early Monday morning. The excise department has since intensified search for

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KSRTC has started disbursing salaries in full on the first of the month, starting April 1, fulfilling the promise made by the Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar. On Tuesday, a sum of Rs 80 crore was distributed as salaries to employees. This is the first time since December 2020 that KSRTC employees are receiving salaries in full on the first of the month. April is also the eighth consecutive month that KSRTC employees are receiving their salaries in a single instalment. The

SABARIMALA: The Sabarimala temple was opened on Tuesday for 18 days to celebrate annual and Vishu festivals.Melsanthi Arunkumar Nampoothiri opened the sreekovil at 5pm in the presence of thantri Kandararu Brahmadathan and Kandararu Rajivaru. No rituals were performed at the sreekovil in the evening. Darshan for devotees are restricted to those who possess virtual queue passes and should undergo verification at the counters at Pampa Anjaneya auditorium before the gate at Pampa. However, devotees

KOCHI: How can an accused in a case demand a CBI probe? A division bench of the Kerala High Court posed the question to actor Dileep, the eighth accused in the 2017 actor assault case, while hearing his plea challenging a single judges dismissal of his request for a CBI probe. Dileep submitted that a CBI probe was essential to ensure fair and impartial investigation into all the aspects of the case, particularly the real nature of the incident and the conspiracy that led to the registration of t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The family of an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer at Thiruvananthapuram Airport who had died by suicide, has raised allegations regarding her death. Her father told the media that his daughter was a victim of sexual assault by a colleague and that they had submitted related evidence to the Pettah police. The family arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday morning and handed over hospital records as proof. The father said that the police are examining these records and coordin

KOCHI/KOTTAYAM : The Congress MPs from Kerala, especially the Christian members, are in a tight spot after the party took an official stand to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill, which will be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. BJP has taken a stand in Kerala that the dispute over Munambam land between the Kerala State Waqf Board and 600-odd families, mostly Christians and Hindus, who are living in the 400 acres of land for generations, can be resolved in favour of the residents once the Bill is pas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala University (KU) has decided to conduct the re-examination of the 71 MBA students of the 2022-24 batch whose answer-scripts went missing from an evaluators custody, on two dates. Candidates unable to appear for the re-examination on April 7 can do so on April 22, KU Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal announced after a high-level meeting of university officials on Tuesday. The Controller of Examinations had earlier announced that the re-examination would be held on Apr

KOZHIKODE: Four years ago, when their father Riyas gifted them Simba, Riffa, Risha and Risal were ecstatic. Within no time, the cat, a Russian breed, became an inseparable part of their lives. When the family from Karikamkulam in Kozhikode lost Riyas last year, Simba became their source of comfort, joy and solace. Now, the family is facing another tragedy. Simba has been missing from their home since Friday, and the family has been looking everywhere for it. A video of them pleading for their pe

KOCHI: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) plans to take its courier service to the next level by initiating measures to appoint a professional agency to run its popular logistics initiative, a development expected to give other courier companies a run for their money. Despite the success, authorities have courted sharp criticism for mismanaging the service in the face of growing demand. Critics cite poor infrastructure facilities including tiny counters, lack of personnel, and u

KOTTAYAM: The Vadakkupurathupattu, a sacred ritual performed only once every 12 years at the Vaikom Sree Mahadeva Temple, is set to commence on Wednesday. According to authorities, arrangements are in place to perform the ritual. The Kodiarchana, a ritual being held as part of the Vadakkupurathupattu, has been ongoing since March 17. The rituals will come to a close with Valiya Guruthi ceremony on April 13. Legend has it that during the rule of the Vadakkunkur Rajas, a devastating epidemic struc

KOCHI: Kerala is becoming a boat manufacturing hub, especially in the small vessel category, as evidenced by the number of boatyards operating in the state. As per the statistics from the Kerala Maritime Board (KMB), the authority has issued accreditations to around 80 to 85 boatyards in Kerala, most of them concentrated in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam. And many of these boatyards boast of orders not only from other states but also countries like Canada and Israel. Joy Jacob, the CEO of Mat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Grappling with increasing heat stress, Kerala is all set to come up with a cool roof policy. With this, Kerala will be the second state in the country after Telangana to introduce the cool roof policy, which promotes indoor cooling strategies and empowers local self-government institutions (LSGIs) and other agencies in implementing effective heat mitigation solutions. Energy Management Centre (EMC) director R Harikumar told TNIE that the draft cool roof policy is nearing comp

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A meeting between the state and Union health ministers, Veena George and J P Nadda, has paved the way for renewed talks with the protesting ASHA workers. While previous discussions had failed to reach a resolution, Veena now backed by an assurance from Nadda to look into key issues including the Rs 637-crore central due that has restricted the states actions hopes to reassure the ASHA workers protesting in Thiruvananthapuram. She has already expressed her intention to meet

The scene at Vaikom Mahadeva temple on March 31 was euphoric almost like a rock band in action with fans singing along. However, the music wasnt headbanging stuff but a fluid melody, soul-stirring, with emphatic troughs and crests, and above all, a sense of blissful peace. It was the Nandagovindam team who are on a spiritual music journey across Kerala in action, staging a selection of songs drawn partly from the traditional sampradaya bhajan culture and partly from lilting tunes adapted from

Keralas highly acclaimed public health sector has often made headlines for its achievements. However, a closer look reveals several areas that need improvement, one of the most important being the shortage of staff. This issue was highlighted by the recent CAG report, which noted a shortage of 1,160 doctors, 978 nurses, 716 paramedics, and 4,430 other staff across government hospitals in Kerala. In the case of doctor-to-population ratio on the basis of availability, only two districts Pathanamt

City residents will soon have more modern and convenient options to purchase liquor as the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) is all set to launch premium outlets at the Vyttila and Vadakkekotta metro stations. According to a top official, Bevco has received the Excise licence for the Vyttila station outlet, while its application for the one at Vadakkekotta is being processed. The licencing procedures are expected to conclude by next week. Once approved, we will enter into a lease agreem

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Keltron, the state-owned electronics enterprise under the Kerala Industries Department, has recorded a revenue of Rs 1,056.94 crore for the financial year 2024-25. This marks the highest revenue in the companys history. When the second Pinarayi Vijayan government assumed office in the 2021-22 fiscal year, Keltrons revenue stood at Rs 521.71 crore. The latest figures show that the company has now surpassed the Rs 1,000 crore milestone, significantly improving upon the previous

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday refused to pass an interim order banning the screening of the Mohanlal starer film ' L2: Empuraan ' in theatres. The court issued a notice to the central and state governments and directed them to file statements, if any. Justice CS Dias said that notice to the other respondents, including actor Mohanlal and director of the film Prithviraj Sukumaran are dispensed with. The court issued the order on the petition filed by VV Vijeesh, District Committee membe

KOCHI: The BJP Thrissur District Committee member on Tuesday approached the Kerala High Court seeking a directive to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in New Delhi to immediately ban the screening of the Malayalam film ' L2: Empuraan ' in theatres to prevent further controversy and avert potential communal unrest. Soon after the release of the film,it faced a backlash from a section of people over some scenes, including ones seen as referring to the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in the Gujar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Having touched rock bottom nationally, both electorally and politically, the CPM is on a last-ditch attempt to win back its mass base. Literally shrunk to the bare minimum, the party is keen to expand its independent strength, as it gears up for its 24th Congress in Madurai from Wednesday. Keen to emerge from the rut the largest Communist party in the country finds itself in, the CPM wants to convert the support it garners from mass and class agitations into electoral victori

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The commissioning of a modern abattoir in Thiruvananthapuram, a long-held dream of the city corporation, continues to face indefinite delays because of financial hurdles. The Rs 9.58-crore slaughterhouse project at Kunnukuzhy has remained in the finishing stages for the past several years as the corporation keeps delaying the release of funds for the purpose. The Kerala State Pollution Control Board had sealed the slaughterhouse almost 13 years ago citing pollution issues. Si

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The annual Painguni festival at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram will be celebrated from April 2 to 11 with special rituals and cultural programmes. The festival will begin on April 2 with the flag hoisting between 8.45 am and 9.30 am, followed by the Mannuneerukoral ritual at 10.15 am and the Mulapooja at 6.45 pm. The Valiya Kanikka ritual will take place on April 9, while the Pallivetta ceremony is scheduled for April 10. The festival will conclude with the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) awarded Rs 4 lakh compensation and litigation costs to a man who sustained 45 pc burn injuries in an LPG cylinder leak. The commission found fault with two insurance companies which did not provide relief to the victim. The Kollam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission had earlier directed Indane and its agency in Kottarakkara to pay Rs 4 lakh compensation to the injured. The SCDRC order came on an appeal petit

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan inaugurated the global campaign against drug abuse, organised by the World Malayali Federation, in Vienna. The WMF plans to run the campaign across 166 countries and Kerala. Enforcement doesnt mean rise in the increasing number of cases. Instead the source of drugs should be eliminated. The government machinery should break the supply chain of drugs and narcotic substances, pointed out Satheesan. Unlike in the past, now non-residents are wor

KOCHI: The statements by Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) and Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) urging political parties to back the proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which regulates waqf property in the country, has found resonance with members of the Narendra Modi cabinet, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Both CBCI and KCBC said the Waqf Amendment Bill will help the people of Munambam to fully restore the rightful owne

KOTTAYAM: With political parties setting their sights on local-body elections at the end of the year and assembly elections in 2026, the Kerala Catholic Bishops Councils stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has placed Kerala Congress factions in a tight spot. With KCBC publicly urging Kerala MPs to vote in favour of the bill in Parliament, both Kerala Congress (M) and Kerala Congress, led by P J Joseph, are faced with the difficult choice of either going against their respective coalitions positi

KANNUR: A celebration by CPM workers with flags featuring photographs of those convicted in the 2005 murder of BJP member Elambilayi Sooraj, during a temple festival recently has sparked a controversy. The BJP Kannur leadership has condemned the act. The flags displaying the pictures of all the convicts were used at the Kuttichathan Madom festival in Parambayi during the kalasha procession on Sunday night. The event, which included DJ performances and other programmes as part of the kalasham var

MALAPPURAM: Say no to drugs was a refrain at functions organised by Muslim religious organisations to mark Eid-ul-Fitr across the state on Monday. The Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF), under the EK faction of Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (Samastha), and the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM) organised statewide initiatives against drug abuse. The Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS) Malappuram East District Committee, under the Samastha AP faction, launched a campaign targeting the

KOCHI: Paul Johnson (name changed), a Keralite working for the United Nations in Vienna, recently built a 3,000 sqft home in Koratty, his hometown in Thrissur district. Though he and his wife are settled in the Austrian capital, they see their new home in Kerala as a place to spend nearly half the year after retirement. Our children see it as a way to reconnect with their roots. Additionally, healthcare in Kerala is more accessible, with shorter wait times compared to Europe. Many overseas insur

KOCHI: Five days into its theatrical release, L2: Empuraan continued to spur heated debates, accusations and trolls. While industry insiders and political parties voiced support for the Mohanlal-starrer, the Sangh parivar, including RSS mouthpiece Organiser, continued its attack on the flick. On Monday, ministers Saji Cherian and P Rajeeve, filmmaker Ashiq Abu and others expressed solidarity with Prithviraj Sukumaran, director of the movie. The film should be watched by everyone. It gives a mess

KOCHI: A district-level hospital that performs open heart surgeries, kidney transplants and more than 1,300 keyhole surgeries may seem a myth. However, with infrastructure development, team building and resources, the Ernakulam General Hospital (GH) has been achieving milestones one after the other, bringing hope to people in Ernakulam and nearby districts. The GH is set to create history by becoming the first district-level hospital to perform a heart transplant. It will be executed under the h

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: IMD has predicted widespread rainfall across the state on Thursday and Friday. Heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm or lightning are likely at isolated places during the period. The agency has issued yellow alerts in Palakkad, Malappuram and Wayanad on Thursday, and in Ernakulam and Thrissur on Friday. IMDs prediction is based on the impact of a north-south trough that runs from a cyclonic circulation over Marathwada to north Tamil Nadu and an upper air cyclonic circula

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has observed that a husbands disinterest and indifference toward family life and his lack of intimacy with his wife indicate his failure to fulfill his marital duties. While granting divorce to a woman who claimed that her husband showed no interest in sexual relations or family life but was compulsively pursuing spiritual activities such as temple visits, the court said, A marriage does not grant one partner the authority to dictate the spouses personal beliefs, whe

Once, in Japan, there lived a dreamer named Hayao Miyazaki. With a sketchbook in hand and many stories in his mind, he longed to create something that felt alive, something that could capture the magic hidden in everyday moments, tender emotions, and visually rich landscapes. Together with his friend Isao Takahata, Miyazaki founded Studio Ghibli. Instead of the loud, flashy visuals that were popular in animation at that time, they created scenes with hand-drawn frames painted with soothing colou

Sandeep Pradeep is a dreamer one who breathed cinema with every heartbeat from a young age. At just 15, he was already making short films, driven by his passion for acting. Yet, like many dreamers, he feared the uncertainty of the path ahead and briefly considered other career options. But fate, as if hearing his wish, nudged him back to where he belonged in front of the camera. His debut in Pathinettam Padi was just the beginning, but it was his role as Basils brother in Falimy that truly put

KOCHI: The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) letter to all Kerala Members of Parliament (MP) urging them to back the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill found resonance among the Narendra Modi cabinet members. The bill, which seeks to do away with unjust and unfair clauses detrimental to the Munambam people, has been hailed as necessary by the KCBC and supported by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ASHA workers marked the 50th day of their day-night protest by cutting their hair in a powerful act of defiance against the ongoing delay in addressing their demands. Padmajam and Beena, two ASHA workers, shaved their heads, while state representatives of the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association cut their locks in front of the Secretariat, at the main protest site. Similar acts of solidarity were carried out across the state. Before cutting their hair, the workers loosened

The RSS mouthpiece Organiser continued to target actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran over L2:Empuraan, even as the movie shattered records with its massive worldwide opening. Actor-filmmaker Prithviraj is the director of the movie Empuraan . The Organiser on Sunday acknowledged that the actor-director has shared Mohanlal's Facebook post expressing regret for the distress caused by the movie. The RSS mouthpiece also added that the production team of Empuraan has announced that the film will und

THRISSUR: A YouTuber has been arrested here for allegedly blocking the convoy of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, police said on Monday. The Mannuthy police took Aneesh Abraham, a resident of Elanadu, into custody in connection with the incident and released him later on station bail, a police officer said. His car was also seized. The incident occurred around 9.30 pm on Saturday at Mannuthy Bypass Junction while Vadra was travelling from Vandoor, Malappuram, to Kochi Airport, a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A coastal cyclothon organised by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will reach the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thumba on Monday. Around 75 cyclists, who began their journey from Lakhpat Fort in Gujarat, are expected to arrive at the venue before noon. They have already covered nearly 3,700 kilometres along the Western coast, passing through coastal states including Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka. Following the event in the capital, they will head to Kany

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Condemning the hate campaign unleashed by the Sangh parivar against the cast and crew of the recently released film L2:Empuraan , Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that the atmosphere of fear instigated by right-wing groups was concerning. In a Facebook post, he said he watched Empuraan, which is poised to take the Malayalam film industry to greater heights, at a time when the makers of the movie are under attack from the Sangh parivar. He said the right-wing groups were

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Constituted by the state government in December 2023, the Urban Policy Commission (UPC) has submitted its final report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wherein it has recommended a slew of measures, including setting up of city-specific hubs to exploit local potential and preparation of a road map for urbanisation by addressing all concerns. The report calls for developing Thrissur-Kochi as the financial technology (fintech) hub of the state. It also proposes growing Palakk

KOCHI: As Kerala grapples with a growing drug menace, the rise in involvement of minors in drug trafficking and drug abuse cases has baffled enforcement agencies. The trend, they say, indicates peddlers are deliberately targeting school students. According to the excise department, 170 minors have been caught for the smuggling and trading of drugs since 2022. The officials report a surge in cases registered against minors under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act since 2022