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Heart attack deaths among people under 30 have risen by 40% between 2018 and 2022, increasing from 2,371 to 3,329. For those over 30, the numbers climbed from 23,392 to 29,081 in the same period. Figures like these naturally compel us to fear heart attacks. But do we really need to live in fear? Is it possible to live without constantly worrying about one? Yes, says Dr George Thayil, founding head of the cardiology department at Lourdes Hospital in Kochi. He explains how in his book 'Heart Attac

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major setback for Rahul Mamkootathil MLA, the principal district and sessions court has rejected his anticipatory bail plea assessing that there was evidence against him for forcing the victim to abort her pregnancy. The court proclaimed its verdict in the afternoon after concluding Thursdays hearing that spanned about 25 minutes in a closed court. The court on Wednesday posted the case for the next day for further hearing noting that several documents related to the cas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Left with no other option, the Congress in Kerala expelled Rahul Mamkootathil, MLAwho is facing sexual harassment chargesfrom the party. The action came minutes after the Thiruvananthapuram Principal Sessions Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea, leaving the leadership with little room to defend or protect him. The court also refused to issue a directive preventing his arrest. KPCC president Sunny Joseph said Rahul has been expelled from the partys primary membership. Th

KOCHI: Filmmaker Jeethu Joseph still remembers the moment Antony Perumbavoor pulled him aside with startling news. Ive got an excellent offer -- and Im closing it, he told the filmmaker. The Rs 115-crore blockbuster of a deal from Mumbai-based Panorama Studios was finalised even before Drishyam 3 was wrapped up. For Mollywood, where rights sales typically happen after a film proves itself at the box office, this was nothing short of a revolution. Panoramas acquisition of the Malayalam rights is

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Ocean region is a highly strategic and critical maritime space, and being positioned at its centre, India bears a special responsibility towards it, said President Droupadi Murmu. Addressing the operational demonstration conducted by the Indian Navy at Shankhumukham beach as part of the Navy Day celebration, she said the country is committed to the idea of the oceans remaining open, stable and rule-based. Stressing the need for ensuring maritime security in the Ind

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Trivandrum Physiatrists Club will host a special sports meet for children with disabilities on Thursday, to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025. The event is scheduled at the Sports Authority of India - Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE), Kariavattom. Nearly 200 children facing diverse challenges, guided by Samagra Shiksha Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram district, will take part in a range of athletic and team events designed to

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) will bring together landmark works of three celebrated filmmakers Saeed Akhtar Mirza, Garin Nugroho, and Youssef Chahine through Retrospective and Special Focus sections, from December 12 to 19. Three films by Saeed, one of the leading voices of Indian Parallel Cinema, will be screened in the Retrospective section. They include Naseem (1996), which won two National Film Awards and portrays the growing communal tensions b

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Wednesday defended the proposal in BJPs manifesto for Thiruvanthapuram corporation to bring an Olympic event to the capital city, dismissing the criticism raised by General Education Minister V Sivankutty. When the Olympics is coming to India, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Alappuzha, in fact all 14 districts must have their share of participation. When someone presents such a great dream of bringing an Olympic event venue to the state capital, it

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As a MiG-29K fighter jet thundered off from INS Vikrant, there was pin-drop silence among the spectators who had gathered in their thousands along Shankhumukham and other beaches nearby. The might of Vikrant the countrys first indigenous aircraft carrier and the magnificent sight of the jet punching through the skies painted orange by the descending sun was awe-inspiring. The state capital was on Wednesday evening treated to an exhilarating demonstration of operational capa

KANNUR: The UDF continues to be beset by rebel trouble in Kannur corporation, despite having settled the latest round of political upheaval. Although the civic body is largely considered a front stronghold, history tells a different story about its shifting power dynamics. Following its formation in 2015, the LDF took hold of the reins of power, thanks to the unexpected support of a group of Congress rebels. And this set the tone, as rebels have played a decisive and often unpredictable role in

KOZHIKODE: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a major constituent of the Congress-led UDF and a party that has long championed its secular credentials, is facing intense backlash in the lead-up to the local body elections. The controversy erupted after a video of IUML leader Ashraf Edneer surfaced on social media, prompting allegations that the party is soliciting votes on communal grounds. The LDF election committee for Kasaragod municipality has filed a formal complaint with the State Elec

KOCHI: Man is defined as a human being and a woman as a female whenever she behaves as a human being she is said to imitate the male. - Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex When Kerala reserved 50% of local-body seats for women in 2010, it marked a watershed in governance. Today, the question is not about womens participation but about how their growing presence is changing local-body governance and influencing the everyday lives of common people. Their perspectives are reshaping how local projec

KOCHI: As part of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities observation, 17 autistic children from the Jeevaniyam Autism Hospital and Research Centre visited District Collector Priyanka G and Assistant Collector Parvathy Gopakumar on Wednesday. In line with the theme of the day, Inclusivity and Social Progress, a group of five, all above 18, from Jeevaniyam had also worked with booth level officers in the Special Intensive Revision process. Children should not be denied opportunities ju

KOCHI: The pro-Uniform Holy Mass parishioners on Wednesday filed a contempt petition before the High Court over Mondays public mass held at the Ernakulam St Marys Cathedral Basilica. The Holy Mass was celebrated after a long hiatus of 1,000 days. The move by the administrator of the basilica, Fr Thomas Mangattu, and the anti-Uniform Holy Mass faction took the parishioners by surprise. Adv Joy Vettickal, trustee of the Basilica, said none of the parishioners vouching for the implementation of the

KOCHI: The Congress-led UDF on Wednesday released the election manifesto for the Ernakulam district panchayat, pinning its hopes on the tourism sector, public transport system, waste management, and elderly-and disabled-friendly projects. A mobility hub will be built in Kakkanad to enhance public transportation in rural areas. Feeder bus services will be launched to connect metro stations and the water metro terminal. Gramavandi will be launched in rural areas, the UDF manifesto said. The UDF pr

KOZHIKODE: Lending a new dimension to the Rahul Mamkootathil issue, Youth Congress leader M A Shahanas on Wednesday said she had informed Shafi Parambil about an embarrassing incident involving Rahul when the Vadakara MP was Youth Congress president. Shahanas told reporters that during the farmers agitation a few years ago, Rahul had messaged her when he came to know about her journey to Delhi to participate in the stir and said they could have travelled together. I gave my reply there itself, s

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress in Kerala has begun deliberations on expelling Rahul Mamkootathil from the party following calls from senior leaders for his removal. However, the leaders remain divided over the timing of any action against the rape-accused Palakkad MLA. While senior leaders including V M Sudheeran and K Muraleedharan have called for Rahuls immediate expulsion from the party, veterans including Ramesh Chennithala say the leadership would take a call after the courts verdict in t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The governors residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday unveiled the name board reading Lok Bhavan Kerala in English and Malayalam, marking the official shift from Raj Bhavan in line with the Union governments directive to rename governors residences across the country. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar personally inspected the newly installed board, calling the move a step towards bringing public institutions closer to the people. We are trying to dispel ourselves from

KOCHI: The Ernakulam Special Court has granted a five-day custody of Shahul Hameed, an active member of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) and the 50th accused in the 2022 murder of RSS leader Sreenivasan in Palakkad,to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Shahul, a Koottanadu resident who had been absconding for the past three years, was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on November 27 based on a lookout circular. The court issued the order on a pe

PATHANAMTHITTA: The All India Democratic Womens Association (AIDWA) has alleged that the sexual assault accusations against Rahul Mamkootathil are of an extremely grave nature and said that the Congress should not have fielded former CPI local leader Sreena Devi Kunjamma, who has publicly supported him. Addressing a press conference at the Pathanamthitta Press Club, AIDWA district secretary Lasitha Nair said Rahul has become a nightmare for ordinary women in Kerala and accused him of displaying

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala, long considered a low-prevalence state for AIDS, is witnessing a worrying rise in HIV infections among young people aged 1524. Their share of new cases has climbed from 9% in 2022 to 15.4% in 2025, with an average of 100 new HIV-positive cases reported monthly. Data shows that 62.6% of infections are linked to unprotected sex with multiple partners, while 24.6% are associated with same-sex relations. Another 8.1% stems from infected needles. Migration for education an

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the Central Pollution Control Board, Kerala State Pollution Control Board and others in a matter related to pollution caused by a waste treatment plant in Kozhikode. The green body had taken suo motu cognisance of a news report that claimed that Fresh Cut Organic Products Pvt Ltd in Ambayathode village in Kerala's Kozhikode district was causing air and water pollution. In a December 2 order, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prak

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thiruvananthapuram District Sessions Court on Wednesday postponed the anticipatory bail of Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil , who faces charges of raping a woman and forcing her to undergo an abortion, to Thursday. The hearing was held in a closed room at the request of both sides. Saying that several documents still need to be examined, the court posted the matter for further arguments on Thursday, when the verdict will also be announced. The court directed the prosecution to

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Demanding stringent action against suspended party MLA Rahul Mamkootathil , who is facing fresh sexual assault allegations from another woman, Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan on Wednesday said it is time to use the Brahmastra. Muraleedharan said that he expects quick and strong action from Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Sunny Joseph after discussions with all party leaders. Speaking to reporters here, the Congress leader said that the decision to resign

A tourist bus carrying school students and teachers overturned at Nellappara near Thodupuzha in the wee hours of Wednesday while returning from a trip to Kodaikanal, leaving 53 people injured. The group, consisting of students and staff members from GHSS, Thonnakal, was on its way back after a two-day excursion when the accident occurred at a sharp curve near a petrol pump at Nellappara. According to preliminary information, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle around 12.45 pm, caus

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The controversial Varkala Dakshin Kashi project launched at the ancient Janardhana Swamy Temple under the Swadeshi Darshan 2.0 scheme has run into fresh trouble with the Varkala municipality slapping yet another stop memo on Tuesday demanding immediate halt of the initiative. The municipal authorities had on September 25 served the first stop memo to the tourism department over the project, which aims to improve basic facilities and enhance the overall pilgrim experience, cit

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The KSRTC Budget Tourism Cell (BTC) has successfully tapped into public enthusiasm for the Navy Day celebrations scheduled to be held in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. The BTC has received bookings for 110 chartered trips, a chunk of it from southern districts, that will bring nearly 5,000 passengers from across the state. We are overwhelmed by the demand. Bookings had to be halted due to entry and parking restrictions, said an officer with the BTC, adding that school group

KOCHI: Kerala has been witnessing a significant increase in the frequency of convective storms in the month of May prior to the onset of southwest monsoon and the border areas of Idukki and Kottayam have become hotspots of lightning impacts, says a study by the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat). The research work titled Identifying the hotspot regions of emerging triple risk due to pre-monsoon convective storms over Kerala published in

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Police have filed a chargesheet in the case related to the obstruction of a KSRTC bus, excluding Mayor Arya Rajendran and her husband, Balussery MLA Sachin Dev. The only accused named in the chargesheet is the Mayors brother, Aravind, who was driving the car involved in the incident. The development comes as Yadu, a Nemom native and former KSRTC driver, filed a fresh petition demanding that all persons named in the FIR be included as accused and that the current chargesheet b

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All eyes are now on the principal district and sessions court that will take up the anticipatory bail plea of Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who has been booked for rape and coerced termination of pregnancy of his female acquaintance, on Wednesday as the verdict will have a profound bearing on the Congress party and the political career of the young legislator. The plea will be considered at a time the state police are scrambling to locate MLA, who has been evading them sin

PATHANAMTHITTA: Youth Congress worker and close associate of Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, Fenni Ninan, on Tuesday dismissed the allegations raised against him in the sexual assault complaint as baseless and politically motivated. The complainant had alleged that Rahul sexually assaulted her after promising marriage and that Fenni was the person who brought her to meet him. Rejecting the claim, Fenni said he has never met the complainant and the petitioners statements were fabricated with mal

THRISSUR: BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday said that he would contest the 2026 assembly elections from Nemom constituency. He was speaking at the Meet the Press programme titled Vote Vibe of Thrissur Press Club. Nemom constituency in Thiruvananthapuram is an important one for BJP as its senior leader O Rajagopal had won the seat earlier. Currently, Minister V Sivankutty is the MLA from Nemom. Though there were reports that Rajeev was likely to contest in the assembly election, it

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Supreme Court has approved the Kerala governments request to allocate a portion of land from the Nettukaltheri Open Prison to key central institutions. The order was issued by a bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath on Tuesday. As per the verdict, 257 acres will be handed over to BrahMos Aerospace, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU). Of the 257 acres approved for allocation, BrahMos Aerospace will receive about 180 acres, whi

KOZHIKODE: The Thahiyya fund collected by the Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama for the various projects to be implemented as part of its centenary celebrations crossed Rs 46 crore when the collection officially ended on Monday night. The fund was collected through an app developed by a group of young men associated with the feeder organisations of Samastha. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Samastha president Syed Muhammad Jiffiri Muthukoya Thangal said Thahiyya received overwhelm

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state governments actual fund allotment to local self-government institutions (LSGI) has seen a significant drop in recent years. The total amount sanctioned to the three-tier LSGIs steadily declined from Rs 11,400 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 9,050 crore in 2023-24. In the latest year for which actual accounts are available, 2023-24, the transfer was Rs 5,100 crore less than the Budget allocation. The core of Keralas decentralisation is a formula-based equitable devolution of

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking their politics to the grassroots, five former MLAs are contesting the upcoming local-body elections. And, it looks to be back to the basics for Anil Akkara, K S Sabarinadhan, E M Augusthy, R Latha Devi, and K C Rajagopalan. Taking his campaign to the Sanskrit College ward of Adat grama panchayat, in Thrissur district, Anil is no stranger to local governance. He led the panchayat as president for two successive terms from 2000 and represented the same ward in 2005. His

MALAPPURAM: In Keralas political convention, Ponmundam grama panchayat in Malappuram is an anomaly. Here, state-level allies Congress and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) are bitter rivals. And to counter the League, Congress is once again joining hands with CPM, its political adversary in the state. Following the tie up, the Congress district leadership dissolved the Ponmundam constituency committee on Monday. Yes, this local body elections mark the return of the Sambar Munnani as its opponen

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Election Commission to consider extending the December 11 deadline for submitting enumeration forms in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala by one more week, in view of the ongoing process for local body elections. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made the recommendation after taking note of submissions that the local body elections in the state will take place on December 9 and 11, and

KOCHI: Despite fears of funding winter and tougher valuations, Keralas startups have made a big comeback this year. They raised $14.7 million in the first nine months of 2025 a 147 per cent surge from $6 million during the same period last year, according to Tracxns Kerala Tech Ecosystem Wrap Report . The sharp rise comes despite a drop in deal volumes, indicating deeper investor bets on select high-potential ventures, according to the report by the data intelligence platform. Keralas tech ecos

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has been actively encouraging cadaveric organ donation to help save lives. However, when it comes to identifying brain-dead patients and persuading bereaved families to donate the organs of their loved ones, the states own hospitals are trailing private transplant centres by miles. In the past five years, where private hospitals identified around 20 deceased donors a year, government hospitals across Kerala could together manage just two. Lack of coordina

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The capital city, on Wednesday, will witness the precision, power and operational preparedness of the Indian Navy as it plays host to the operational demonstration being held as part of the Navy Day celebrations. The event will be held at Shankhumukham beach in the evening. President Droupadi Murmu will be the chief guest. Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union and state ministers and senior bureaucrats will attend the function. The Navy Day is bein

KASARAGOD: It looked like a usual cultural event. Children performed skit and dance on stage amid applause. However, for the performers and spectators, it was an emotional moment a final farewell to something that had been a part of their lives for nearly half a century. News that the stage in their locality would be demolished for the construction of the building of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School had come as a huge shock to the residents of Kadakam in Kasaragods Karadukka villag

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Presence of Chinese naval assets in the Indian Ocean is not a threat but their lack of transparency is a matter of concern, said Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of the Southern Naval Command. Addressing the media on the eve of the Navy Day operational demo, he said the Navy has noted Chinese search vessels and surveillance platforms conducting under-sea domain activities, and occasional presence of sub-marines in the Indian Ocean Region. The V

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Health Department has designated the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (K-SOTTO) as the sole authority for both deceased and living donor programmes in the state. By bringing all public transplant centre units underK-SOTTO, the department aims to enhance efficiency, strengthen coordination, and build greater public trust in organ donation and transplantation. A direct representative ofK-SOTTOwill now be involved in every stage of the process. A unified

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A fresh complaint of alleged sexual assault has surfaced against suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil , a day before the principal district and sessions court is set to consider his anticipatory bail plea. The complaint has been filed by a 23-year-old woman from Bengaluru, who has written to the KPCC and senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, alleging that the Palakkad MLA assaulted her despite her repeated resistance. According to sources

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The excise team in Neyyattinkara seized 30 litres of illicit liquor that had been kept hidden among idols and photographs inside a family temple. The stash was found during inspections carried out as part of election-related enforcement. Officials said the accused, Arjunan, locally known as Potti, a resident of Punnakkad, Neyyattinkara, had been storing large quantities of liquor and supplying it to customers. The excise squad, acting on inputs, raided the premises and found

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Activist Rahul Easwar, who is currently under judicial remand, is continuing his hunger strike, his wife Deepa Rahul Easwar said on Tuesday. Deepa, who plans to visit him in jail today, said further decisions regarding the case would be taken after meeting him. According to her, Rahul refused the food and juice offered to him when he was taken to jail. He is moving forward with his fast, just like during the Sabarimala issue, she told reporters. Deepa alleged that the police

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bringing an anxious overnight search to an end, the three forest officers who went missing during a tiger census in the ParuthipallyPeppara block were found safe on Tuesday morning, officials said. They were traced near Erattumukku around 8:30 am after a search that continued through the night. Section Forest Officer Vineetha, Beat Forest Officer Rajesh and Beat Forest Assistant Rajesh R had set out on Monday morning for fieldwork as part of the tiger census. They were schedu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP has intensified its attack on the Left government by placing the Masala Bond controversy alongside the Sabarimala gold scam as key themes in its election campaign. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday publicly challenged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan through posts on Facebook and X, raising pointed questions over the financial decisions linked to the Masala Bond issued by KIIFB. Chandrasekhar questioned why the state had borrowed Rs 2,100 crore from f

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Issuing a directive to the KSRTC managing director, State Human Rights Commission chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas said that it is illegal to delay the return of employees provident fund deposits remitted during their service period. The action follows a complaint that a retired employee of the Vikas Bhavan depot, who retired in May 2024, had not yet received his dues. The order states that the amount must be returned within two months. KSRTC had reportedly refused to rel