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The dim-lit stage, with its hand-stitched curtain of bold geometric designs barely concealing the artist, set the mood. The warm hues from the flickering kalivilakku (traditional lamp) added an aura that evoked centuries of aesthetics and a way of life where art was inseparably woven into human existence. It was in such a setting at the Margi theatre in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday that Giulia Tonello debuted her Kathakali performance. It marked the culmination of three months of rigorous train

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Five flights bound for Sri Lankathree from the Middle East and one each from Malaysia and India were diverted to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Ltd (TIAL) due to prevailing cyclone Ditwah warning in Colombo on Friday. The diverted flights include two Srilankan Airlines flights, one each from Dubai and Doha, one Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi and one AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur, and an Indigo flight from Mumbai to Colombo the TIAL said. The Indigo flight r

The play, Lewis and Tolkien, was staged in the Museum of the Bible, Washington DC earlier this month. This unusual play, directed by Andrew Borba, was presented by World Stage Theatre. It evokes the friendship of two brilliant thinkers, C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien, who influenced each others work and profoundly impacted literature and faith in the 20th century and up to the present day. The stage was set in Oxford, in the backroom of the now famous pub, The Eagle and Child. This pub, fondly refe

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP Thiruvananthapuram Corporation election candidate and retired DGP R Sreelekha has courted a fresh controversy by making a social media post questioning the rationale behind the victim filing of sexual abuse complaint against Rahul Mamkootathil MLA before CM Pinarayi Vijayan. Sreelekha wrote that she was with the victim, but questioned the alleged delay made by the woman in filing the complaint. She also asked whether filing of complaint before the CM was to facilitate the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dragging the Congress party that's bracing for the upcoming local body election into a quandary, the police have registered a case under non-bailable section against Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil for sexually abusing a woman under the pretext of marriage and forcing her to terminate pregnancy. The case was registered at the Valiyamala police station and then transferred to the Nemom station.The development that could hurt the party's aspiration and dent the political image

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Five flights, three from the Middle East region and one each from Malaysia and India, bound for Sri Lanka were diverted to the international airport here on Friday due to bad weather over Colombo, TIAL said. TIAL said that more flights are likely to be diverted to Thiruvananthapuram in view of a cyclone warning over Colombo. Two were Srilankan Airline flights, one each from Dubai and Doha, one was an Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi and one an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Station House Officer (SHO) of Aryancode opened fire at a habitual offender when the latter tried to attack him using a machete. The shot was fired by SHO Thanzeem Abdul Samad after Kiran, who was included in the Kerala Anti Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA) list and banished from the district, attempted to assault him. As per law, Kiran has been barred from entering the district. Despite this, he returned to his house within the Aryancode police station limits on

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Indywoods AI-generated film Being has won the prestigious Best AI Visualised Film Award at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) - CinemaAI Hackathon 2025. It was selected from over 500 entries received globally. The hackathon featured a 48-hour competition where the top 10 teams created a 2-minute film on a mystery theme revealed at the event. Set in the mist-laden groves of North Kerala, Being traces the echo of a childhood moment that forever reshaped a life

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major crackdown on traffic violations, the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has announced that driving licences of motorists who endanger pedestrian safety at zebra crossings will be cancelled. Transport Commissioner C Nagaraju said the department has observed widespread disregard for pedestrian rights. Many two-wheeler and four-wheeler drivers fail to show courtesy to pedestrians, especially at zebra crossings. Several motorists even stop or park their vehicles directly

Over the past few days, young men and women sporting bright yellow T-shirts have been spotted running with pole-nets behind stray dogs across the city. Many have been wondering what they were up to, considering the national attention strays have drawn in recent times. Well, these youths are members of several NGOs that have joined forces for a vaccination campaign. The Worldwide Veterinary Services Mission Rabies, in partnership with the Animal Rescue Kochi collective, has deployed about 200 vo

KOCHI: Taking up 24% of the states population, the Ezhavas constitute the most significant demographic. But as better-organised groups haggle their way to political gains, the states biggest community has remained a mute spectator. Once treated as untouchables, Ezhavas have transformed into a progressive, well-educated community, making significant contributions to Keralas social and economic development. But in politics, they have failed to secure their due share. With 27 MLAs from LDF, the com

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Labour Minister V Sivankutty on Thursday announced that the state will urge the Union government to withdraw the newly implemented Labour Code. Addressing the press here after an online meeting with trade union leaders, the minister said that the states stand on the unilaterally passed labour code will be conveyed to the Union Minister of Labour and Employment. He said that the state will soon send an e-mail regarding this to the Centre, following which the disagreement will

KOZHIKODE: The fitness certificate of a private bus operating on the Kozhikode-Bengaluru route has been cancelled following the circulation of a viral video of drunk bus crew on duty. The bus, belonging to private bus operating firm Bharathi Travels, was brought to the Chevayur test ground on Thursday, after the video sparked widespread protest. The video showed both the driver and cleaner of the bus in a drunken state while on duty, raising concerns about passenger safety on long-route private

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday held that a Muslim woman cannot be deprived of benefits under right to maintenance in the name of remarriage. Dismissing a revision petition filed by the former husband of the petitioner, Justice Kauser Edappagath ordered payment of maintenance and fair provision to the divorced woman and her minor daughter, though she has remarried. The petitioner had divorced the woman by pronouncing talaq in 2011 and she remarried in 2014. After the divorce, the woman

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a move to facilitate effective Centre-state interactions, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the MPs from the state to intervene to get Presidents nod for the Wildlife Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill. The permission is crucial as the bill passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly simplifies major obstructions in the 11th section of the Wildlife Protection Law 1972. In an online meeting convened on Thursday, the CM asked MPs to raise the demand for the disbursal of ce

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In spite of a formal sexual harassment complaint filed against him by the victim, the Congress leadership has ruled out any further disciplinary action against Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA. KPCC president Sunny Joseph told TNIE that the party has already taken all necessary steps and would continue the status quo. There is no situation that requires further action. We have already suspended Rahul from the primary membership, removed him from the Congress parliamentary party, allot

PALAKKAD: As in the past one week, on Thursday evening, Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was all set to hit his unofficial election campaign trail once again this time for his party candidates contesting in Kannadi grama panchayat. His loyal entourage had prepared the route, UDF local leaders and supporters had gathered, and the door-to-door march was minutes away from starting. But at 4.30pm, everything collapsed in an instant. News broke that a woman had directly submitted a sexual harassment

MALAPPURAM: Veeranatyam, the play that had drawn strong protests from Hindu organisations for insulting Hindu mythology during the Malappuram Revenue District School Youth Festival, will not be staged at the state school youth festival. According to the Hindu Aikya Vedi, the management of Kottoor AKM HSS has assured that disciplinary action will be taken against Shaukat, the teacher who directed the play. The organisation also claimed that the school has agreed to issue a public apology to the H

MALAPPURAM: Married off at 14, confined within domestic boundaries for decades, and once ashamed to admit she had studied only up to Class 9, a woman from Malappuram has now rewritten her destiny through education. After 29 years of marriage, Makkaraparambha native Binziya has emerged with a postgraduate degree in psychology, proving that dreams delayed are never dreams denied. Binziya was forced to abandon her studies when her family arranged her marriage in 1997. One year later, she became a m

KOCHI: The KSRTC has achieved its third-highest operational revenue in history with the collection touching Rs 9.29 crore on November 24. The significant achievement, coupled with the record-breaking success of its Royal View Double Decker sightseeing service in Munnar, signals a new era of growth and self-sufficiency for the corporation. The upward trajectory is the result of several strategic reforms implemented across the organisation, especially the introduction of attractive buses equipped

KOCHI: The inter-state private bus sector continues to reel from a major crisis, with a significant number of services, especially those connecting Kerala, remaining off the road, making the lives of hundreds of commuters difficult. Operators are now demanding that the governments of Kerala and Karnataka follow the example of Tamil Nadu by offering a tax exemption to make operations financially viable. Tamil Nadu has provided a glimmer of hope by verbally instructing border officials to exempt t

PATHANAMTHITTA: As postal codes go, 689713 extends beyond the mundane to the divine. In India, only two individuals have dedicated pin codes the President and Lord Ayyappa. This distinction alone places the Sannidhanam post office in a league of its own. But its significance doesnt end there. Established in 1963, the post office at Sabarimala opens only for three months a year, exclusively during the annual pilgrimage season. Its postmark is treasured by devotees and philatelists alike. The sea

KOZHIKODE: Five years ago, Mukkam municipality stood balanced, 15 seats on one side, 15 on the other, and a single rebel tipping the scales of power. This time, the picture is far more chaotic. The UDF-Welfare Party alliance has snapped, the LDF is on a stronger footing, and rebels old and new are back in the spotlight. With 34 divisions and no clear favourite, Mukkam is heading into an election where every ward has its own drama and each vote can rewrite the councils future. For years, the UDF-

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Unlike the Lok Sabha and assembly polls, there will be no vote from home facility in this local body elections for voters aged 85 or above and those in the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category. Instead, the State Election Commission (SEC) will ensure that such voters receive priority access and necessary support at all 33,711 polling stations. The Kerala Panchayati Raj Act and Kerala Municipalities Act that govern the conduct of local body elections do not have any provis

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the state heads for the local body elections, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala exudes confidence about the partys prospects. In a candid conversation with TNIE, he discusses the prevailing anti-incumbency mood, Congresss emphasis on youth empowerment, the handling of the Rahul Mamkoottathil controversy, and the UDFs stand on the Welfare Party. Congress has fielded over 1,000 young candidates. What message does the party want to convey? We have consciously decided

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what could prove costly for opposition UDF in the locla body poll, awoman filed a sexual harassment complaint before Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against Congress MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil. The complaint, which alleges sexuaL harassment by the Palakkad MLA, was submittedd along with digital evidences. The complainant met Pinarayi Vijayan in person and handed over the complaint at the Secretariate on Thursday. Voice clips of Rahul forcing a woman to perform abortion had ea

Sitting in that cozy Naga kitchen in Munirka one winter evening in Delhi, I promised the girl across the table the one who had been slipping unfamiliar flavours into my life that I would accompany her on her next trip home. To Nagaland. Until I met her, everything I knew of the place came from second-hand anecdotes, and none of it matched what she spoke of: a sweep of emerald hills stitched with terraces and mist. To the then-aspiring writer in me, this was the stuff of alchemy. A view from Ka

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a move to facilitate effective centre-state interactions, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the MPs from the state to intervene for the President's nod in the Wildlife Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill. This permission is instrumental as the bill passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly simplifies the major obstructions in the 11th section of the Wildlife Protection Law 1972. In an online meeting convened on Thursday, the CM also asked the parliamentarians to stress

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When the state Congress leadership is divided on the issue 'accomodating' the discredited party leader Rahul Mamkootathil , Youth Congress state general secretary Sajana B Sajan has approached the Congress high command demanding organisational inquiry against the Palakkad MLA. Sanjana had submitted the complaint to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi. She has reportedly asked the national lea

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a rare happening, the Station House Officer of Aryancode opened fire at a habitual offender, when the latter tried to attack him using a sharp-edged weapon. SHO Thanzeem Abdul Samad fired at Kiran, who was included in the Kerala Anti Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA) list and banished from the district. As per law, Kiran has been barred from entering the district. Despite this he returned to his house in the Aryancode police station limits on Wednesday night.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kowdiar ward in Thiruvananthapuram corporation has emerged as one of the most unpredictable battlegrounds of this election, with the Congress, BJP and LDF fielding some of their strongest candidates. The spotlight intensified after the Congress fielded former MLA and mayoral candidate K S Sabarinadhan in this ward, raising the stakes for the party. We have a strong base, and the mood is favourable. We expect a high-margin victory, said Sabarinadhan. Congress workers also

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what could become the next big tussle between the state and Union governments, Labour Minister V Sivankutty said that a meeting will be held with all major trade unions on Thursday, in light of the Labour Code, which has come into effect from Friday. Though a draft policy of the Labour Code was earlier prepared by the officers due to pressure from the Union government Sivankutty in a press conference here on Wednesday said that none of this will be implemented in the state

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dr Ramesh Rajan, head of the Surgical Gastroenterology Department at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, has raised concerns over a shortage of doctors in his unit. In a letter to the college principal Dr P K Jabbar, Dr Rajan stated that due to staff crunch his department is unable to spare doctors to assist with surgeries in the General Surgery Department. Surgeons typically seek support from Gastro Surgery specialists for procedures involving critical conditions such as pan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Class VIII student was found dead at his home at Narani, Neyyattinkara, on Tuesday night. The boy, identified as Ananthu, 13, was found hanging in his room. He was rushed to Karakonam Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The police have registered a case of unnatural death and begun an investigation. Ananthu, a student of PPM High School, Karakonam, had reportedly been irregular at school in recent weeks and his parents had been urging him t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Special Investigation Team probing the Sabarimala gold theft case has recorded the statements of Sabarimala thantris Kandararu Mohanararu and Kandararu Rajeevararu. The SIT had summoned them to record their statements after former Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar and other co-accused, who were arrested, testified before the interrogators that the gold-plated sheets were stripped off the artefacts and moved out of the temple precincts after obtaining the co

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: C N Vijayakumari, Dean of Oriental Studies and Head of the Department of Sanskrit in Kerala University, who is facing charges of showing caste bias towards a researcher from the Scheduled Caste category, has been nominated by President Droupadi Murmu as a member of the Court of Pondicherry University. The court is the apex body of the central university. Vijayakumari is the first academic from the University of Kerala to be nominated by the President to the post. Meanwhile, f

KOCHI: Hospitals should not deny initial life-saving care to a patient on the grounds of non-payment of advance fee or lack of documents, ordered a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Wednesday. Considering an appeal filed by private hospital managements and Indian Medical Association challenging the order issued by a single judge on implementation of certain provisions of the Kerala Clinical Establishments Act, 2018, the bench of Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice V M Syamk

PATHANAMTHITTA: On the 11th day of the Mandala-Makaravilakku season, devotees experienced a peaceful darshan at Sabarimala as spot-booking regulations continued to keep the crowd flow under control. By 7 pm on Wednesday, 72,385 pilgrims had climbed the Holy Steps, taking the seasons total footfall to 9,40,486 - inching close to the 10-lakh mark. Tuesday recorded a footfall of over 95,000 devotees, while effective crowd management and decisive measures of the Travancore Devaswom Board ensured has

PATHANAMTHITTA: Two children died after an autorickshaw carrying schoolchildren overturned and plunged into a ravine at Thumpakkulam, near Thannithode, in Pathanamthitta district on Wednesday evening. The deceased were identified as Adhyalakshmi (8) and Yadu Krishnan (4), both students of Sree Narayana School, Karimanthode. According to police, the driver stated that the vehicle--which was taking the children back from school--slid off the road when he tried to avoid a snake that suddenly appear

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For decades, the joke has been that Neil Armstrong was beaten to the moon by a Malayali tea vendor. But when humanity sets foot on Mars, landforms named after places in the state will be waiting for them. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has, in a first, approved names of Kerala localities Valiamala, Thumba, Bekal, Varkala and Periyar as well as of noted geologist M S Krishnan, to identify various craters on the red planet. Kerala-based researchers Prof Rajesh V J

KOCHI: The BJPs campaign for the local-body elections is focused on development issues, state general secretary Anoop Antony says in a conversation with TNIE, adding that political equations in the state has changed. Excerpts: The BJP has not been able to corner power in Kerala, where politics has been largely bipolar. What is your strategy for this election? The equations have changed. We have focused our campaign on development issues. There are concerns that have been neglected by both fronts

KOZHIKODE: The Welfare Party of India, the political front of the Jamaat-e-Islami, is not a force to reckon with in Kerala politics. Yet, the party has become the focal point of discussion in the local body election campaign. The CPM is marshalling all its resources to put the UDF on the defensive for aligning with the propagators of Islamic State ideology. On its part, the UDF has been reluctant to openly admit the alliance and claims that the front has only local-level understanding with the W

KOCHI: Keralas appetite for electric vehicles (EVs) is growing faster than ever. With 95,899 vehicles registered in 2025, the state has so far added 12,631 more EVs than in the wthole of last year - with still over a month to go. This is up over 15% annually, a big leap from 2024s 9.83%. The trend is led overwhelmingly by electric two-wheelers, which have become the new favourite of Keralas young commuters, gig workers and even families looking to cut fuel costs. Dealers say the shift in public

KOZHIKODE: A late-night journey on a private bus from Kozhikode to Bengaluru has ignited a major public safety concern after a video showing a drunk bus driver and cleaner went viral. What began with an alert raised by a vigilant passenger has now opened the floodgates, with travellers across states sharing alarming accounts of similar experiences, revealing a deeply troubling pattern in long-distance private bus travel. The incident occurred on November 24, when passengers on a bus operated by

KOTTAYAM: At the peak of a crucial local body election campaign, the discord among senior Congress leaders over suspended Youth Congress leader Rahul Mamkootathil has placed the UDF in a challenging situation. As electioneering heats up, concerns are mounting among second-tier and grassroot-level party leaders that conflicting statements from senior leaders could backfire in the elections. They argue that while the door-to-door campaign is progressing across the state, the perceived disunity amo

KOCHI: For the people of Munambam, the past four years were nothing short of a waking nightmare. Life turned upside down in 2019 when, without warning, the Kerala Waqf Board formally registered their land as waqf property. The move went unnoticed for months. COVID lockdowns muted all government transactions. People continued living in their homes, unaware that the ground beneath them had quietly been marked as someone elses. Then came 2021 the year the earth slipped from under their feet. When

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following a complaint by the Aam Aadmi Party candidate, the BJP has started removing the IPS tag from the campaign posters of its star candidate, former DGP R Sreelekha, in Thiruvananthapuram corporation. Contesting from the same ward Sasthamangalam as Sreelekha, AAPs Reshmi T S raised the issue of the IPS tag with the returning officer on Tuesday morning. While clarifying that she did not receive any intimation from the authorities, Sreelekha said she was unaware of any le

KASARGOD: In the local body elections of 2020, the LDF wrested power in 19 of the 39 panchayats in Kasaragod district, while the UDF assumed office in 15 and the BJP in three. Curiously, Manjeshwar panchayat landed in the hands of independent candidates, even as the BJP and the IUML were expected to fight tooth and nail to win the local body. The incumbent panchayat president Gean Lavina Monteiro won as an independent from Guddekeri with the support of the UDF while the vice-president, Mohammad

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an innovative move, the BJP on Wednesday began distributing voter slips featuring two QR codes -- each designed to offer voters a more interactive and technology-driven election experience -- in many wards in Thiruvananthapuram corporation. Scanning the first QR code directs voters to a video message from BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, stating that the party will unveil a comprehensive development plan for Thiruvananthapuram city within 45 days of assuming offic

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case has recorded the statements of Sabarimala priests Kandararu Mohanararu and Kandararu Rajeevararu. The two were questioned about their role in moving the gold-coated copper sheets from the temple premises to outside. They told the SIT that they had no role in deciding to send the gold sheets to Chennai for repair. That decision, they said, was made by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), and they were