THOOTHUKUDI: The Kulathur police busted an illegal godown at Thalavaipuram near Kurukusalai on Tuesday and seized 14,400 kg of urea and 2,400 kg of beedi leaves. Nine persons have been arrested in connection with the seizure and search is on for five more. Sources said the police personnel were conducting a road check when a vehicle with a gunny bag stitching machine came their way. Upon questioning, the men in the vehicle gave contradictory answers. Growing suspicious over their response, the p

CHENNAI: The state government has disbursed Rs 252 crore to beneficiaries under the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam scheme for the construction of houses. A press release issued here said in 2024-25, the government approved the construction of 1 lakh concrete houses, each costing Rs 3.5 lakh, with a total budget allocation of Rs 3,500 crore. Funds under the scheme are directly transferred to beneficiaries through a single nodal account. In the first phase, Rs 300 crore was allocated, of which Rs 252 cror

CHENNAI: The seizure of 21 exotic species by Andhra Pradesh forest officials in Srikakulam on November 12 has exposed a well-oiled pan-Indian crime syndicate as, one of the arrested persons, Syed Liyaqath Ulla from Bengaluru, is a close business associate of S Ravikumar, the dismissed Tamil Nadu cop identified as a lynchpin of the international trade in Chennai, said official sources. This has got the Indian intelligence agencies to investigate the syndicates role in the seizure of 50 exotic spe

NEW DELHI: A UNICEF report has made a grave projection about Indias population, forecasting that the country will have 350 million children by 2050. It highlights critical challenges India must address, such as extreme climate and environmental hazards, to ensure the well-being and rights of its younger generation. The report, titled The future of children in a changing world -- the state of the worlds children 2024 was launched in Delhi on Wednesday. It highlights three global concerning trends

KOLLAM: Indias first 24-hour online court has officially started operations in Kollam district, aimed at reducing the backlog of cases and expediting legal solutions. Judicial First Class Magistrate Surya Sukumaran, who is in charge of the court, presided over the inaugural sitting. The court operates on a hybrid mode, offering the option for in-person attendance if preferred. The court will primarily handle cases related to check dishonour under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 18

LUCKNOW/CHANDIGARH/DEHRADUN: A 23-year-old Dalit woman, who had been missing since Tuesday, was found dead on in UPs Karhal assembly seat that went to bypolls on Wednesday, with her family alleging that she was killed as she refused to vote for the Samajwadi Party. A voter turnout ranging from 50 to 70% was recorded in the bypolls to 15 assembly seats spread across UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Kerala amid stray incidents of violence and complaints of irregularities and misuse of government machin

CHENNAI: It was the 2013 French Open semi-final. A year after Rafael Nadal had to withdraw from the 2012 London Olympics due to a recurring knee injury. He had not played any competitions since going down against Lukas Rosol, world No. 100, in the second round. There was a little hope that he would make a comeback in the Australian Open but he had to miss the event with a stomach virus. So when he entered the season at the Chile Open in early February, it felt like he was way off the standards h

NEW DELHI: Showcasing India's disaster response readiness the Indian Army on Tuesday successfully completed the Multilateral Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise, 'Sanyukt Vimochan 2024' which was attended by international participants also. The exercise, attended by General (Gen) Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), was conducted by the Konark Corps of Southern Command of Indian Army, was conducted over two days from November 18 to 19 November at

KOLKATA: The West Bengal police froze around 797 bank accounts from various parts of the state in the school tablet purchase scam, arresting 22 people from various districts in this connection. According to state police it is a huge racket and investigations are on to nab others associated with the scam. They also claimed to have received inputs that many other bank accounts are involved in the scam. The cyber scam targeting West Bengal's 'Taruner Swapno' scheme, has affected 1,911 students out

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Renowned artist Nikhil Chopra and his team HH Art Spaces will be the curators of the upcoming Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) 2025, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced here on Wednesday. The event will be from 12 December 2025 to 31 March 2026.The mega show will feature 60 artists and artistic practices from India and across the world. The curator was selected by a committee comprising internationally acclaimed artists. They were Shanay Jhaveri, Dayanita Singh, Raje

BENGALURU: IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, along with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Director S. Somanath, released the Draft Space Tech Policy 2024-2029 on Wednesday. The policy outlines ambitious targets, including capturing a 50% market share and positioning Karnataka as a global hub for space technology. The draft policy aims to identify key strategic areas such as skill development, investments, foreign investments, and support for startups, MSMEs, and IT ventures. The announcemen

DINDIGUL: Food safety officials fined over 20 hotels and eateries in the past one month due to unhygienic conditions in Dindigul district. A fine of Rs 60,000 was levied on the food business operators. Speaking to TNIE, FSSAI Designated Officer Dr T Kalaivani said, We received over 20 complaints online about unsafe and unhygienic food from customers from various parts of the district. We directly inspected these facilities, and based on unhygienic conditions, fines ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,

MADURAI: The State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) floated a tender for developing an industrial estate in Melur near Madurai at a cost of Rs 12.83 crore. Industrial experts opined that increasing subsidies for private industrial estates would improve industrial growth in Madurai. One of the long pending projects that was intended to bring industrial growth in Madurai, the SIPCOT floated tenders for Rs 12.83 crore for primary development of the area spread over 270 acres.

CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday stated that they have arrested two Chinese nationals Xiao Ya Mao and Wu Yuanlun on November 13 from Tiruchy, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), in a case booked against digital loan apps operated by Chinese nationals that indulge in disbursing short-term, high-interest instant loans through various mobile applications. The Sessions Court in Chennai remanded them to judicial custody till November 29, the cent

TIRUCHY: To ally with the AIADMK, political parties are demanding 20 seats and Rs 50 crore to even Rs 100 crore, making it seem like a business deal, said AIADMK Treasurer Dindigul Srinivasan on Tuesday. While addressing party cadre at Somarasampettai on Tuesday, Srinivasan advised them to strengthen the booth committee and conveyed that the partys general secretary (Edappadi K Palaniswami) will take care of any alliance with other parties. Those coming to form alliances dont come for free. They

NEW DELHI: The Centre has called an all-party meeting on November 24, a day before the winter session of Parliament commences, to seek cooperation of opposition parties for the smooth functioning of the session that will last till December 20. The government wants to foster a collaborative environment and address any concern raised by political parties, both ruling and opposition. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday announced the all-party meeting which is anticipated

PANAJI: More than 6,500 delegates have registered themselves for this years International Film Festival of India (IFFI) marking an increase of 25 per cent over the last year, National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) managing director Prithul Kumar said on Tuesday, a day ahead of the inauguration of the festival in Goa. Six more screens have been made available for this edition of IFFI to make the festival more accessible to the film enthusiasts, Kumar said. NFDC, the host of the event, is ma

MUMBAI: Stakes are high for many regional heavyweights in Maharashtra as the state goes to the polls on Wednesday in what promises to be a make-or-break election for satraps like Sharad Pawar, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray and deputy CM Ajit Pawar. The BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP has fielded candidates in 59 constituencies. In the opposition alliance, Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and the NCP (SP) 8

RANCHI: Voting in the second phase in Jharkhands 38 constituencies in a dozen districts on Wednesday will test the campaign pitches of the BJP-led alliance over the Bangla infiltration and the JMMs Mahila Samman scheme under which Rs 1,000 are given each month to women in the 18-50 years age group. Out of 38 seats, 18 each are in Santhal Pargana and North Chhotanagpur and two in Ranchi. According to the Election Commission, 528 candidates are in the fray of which 55 are women. Chief Minister Hem

CHENNAI: A 38-year-old man from Assam was arrested by the cyber crime wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) Chennai on charges of swindling Rs 92 lakh from a central government employee in a digital arrest scam. The accused was identified as Partha Pratim Bora. In September, the victim received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number claiming to be a Maharashtra Police officer. The caller claimed that the victims Aadhaar-linked mobile number was involved in money laundering and an arrest warrant

BENGALURU:A 20-year-old woman was charred to death, and another person was injured when a fire broke out at an EV electric bike showroom near the Navarang Bar Junction on Dr. Rajkumar Road in Bengaluru. The victim has been identified as Priya, an accountant at the EV showroom, and a resident of Ramachandrapura. She was to celebrate her 21st birthday on November 20. The police said the incident occurred at around 5.30 pm at MY EV store near Navrang Junction, within the Rajrajeshwari Nagar police

RAJGIR: Defending champions India continued their unbeaten run and defeated Japan 2-0 to enter the final of the women's Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament here on Tuesday. Vice-captain Navneet Kaur converted a penalty stroke in the 48th minute while Lalaremsiami struck from field play in the 56th minute for India, who had plenty of scoring chances including 13 penalty corners. India will face China, whom they defeated in the league stages, in the final on Wednesday. Earlier, China beat Mal

BENGALURU: The operator of Kempegowda International Airport, theBangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), has been assigned the prestigious AAA rating (Stable Outlook) by professional credit rating agencies, ICRA Ltd, India Ratings and Research Pvt Ltd and Crisil Ratings Ltd; Projections for the financial year ending March 31, 2025, indicate that BIALs operating income is set to increase by 20%. AAA is the top-most credit rating, indicating the highest degree of safety regarding the timely

HYDERABAD: Ahead of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddys visit to Vemulawada, the state government on Monday sanctioned Rs 127.65 crore for various developmental works. Municipal Administration department Principal Secretary M Dana Kishore issued three separate orders. While Rs 76 crore has been sanctioned for expansion of temple complex and to provide modern amenities to pilgrims at Sri Raja Rajeshwari Temple in Vemulawada, another Rs 3.5 crore was sanctioned for construction of major pipe drain for

BENGALURU: The country's latest communication satellite, GSAT-N2 was successfully launched by billionaire Elon Musk-founded SpaceX from Cape Canaveral in the US, ISRO's commercial arm NSIL has said. The 4,700kg GSAT-N2 High-throughput (HTS) satellite onboard a Falcon 9 rocket has been injected into the desired orbit, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) said. NSIL's GSAT-N2 High-throughput (HTS) Communication satellite successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, USA on 19th November 2024. GSAT-N2 weighi

ST. LOUIS: Mauricio Pochettino had a message for American players after a 5-2 aggregate win over Jamaica gave the three-time defending champion United States a berth in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals. My advice is look after yourself. We need to be stronger in March, Pochettino said. We need to be desperate to arrive to March and to be all together. That is a sign that we improve a lot and then we start to feel that we are a real group of people, that we are going to fight for something

HYDERABAD: A 22-year-old man allegedly killed his wife on the day of their wedding on November 8. Police said the accused, Pollola Vignesh, had met the woman around five months ago in a temple and became friends with her on Instagram. The woman accepted Vigneshs proposal a month ago and the couple started living together in a rented house. He soon discovered his partner speaking to another person on the phone and asked her to stop it. Meanwhile, their relationship soured as she would ask him to

HYDERABAD: Panjagutta police on Monday arrested a notorious interstate cyber fraudster in Errumanzil for duping over 200 people of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 60 lakh. The accused, Marisarla Balaji Naidu, is an engineering graduate from Sri Venkateswara University. ACP S Mohan Kumar said the accused would target the sellers of pre-used luxury phones on the OLX platform. Naidu would agree to the sellers price without negotiation and after the deal, he requested them to remove the devices details from the we

NEW DELHI: The government has convened a customary all-party meeting on Sunday ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a post on X on Tuesday that the meet has been convened on November 24 morning in view of the coming Winter session of Parliament. The session begins on November 25 and concludes on December 20. To mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, an event will be held in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan or th

BENGALURU: To expand its global presence, Texas-based Rice University will offer up to $2 million annually in scholarships as part of its Rice Global India initiative. This will fully fund PhD programmes and subsidise masters degree programmes. The initiative aims to deepen collaborations with premier Indian institutions like the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and IIT Kanpur. These partnerships will focus on cutting-edge research in areas such as artificial intelligence, sustain

COIMBATORE: The district administration gave away financial assistance worth Rs 3.32 lakh to 29 students who joined higher education institutions this year, through the Uyarvukku Padi scheme. Official sources said the Uyarvukku Padi camp, which aims to ensure students take up higher education, was held in five phases at various places in the district. About 1,035 students took part in the camp and 385 students joined courses such as arts and sciences, polytechnic, ITI, nursing, skill-based train

KRISHNAGIRI: The Minister for Food and Civil Supplies R Sakkarapani took part in the 71st All India Cooperative Week programme at Orappam near Krishnagiri on Monday and distributed Rs 5.24 crore worth of welfare schemes to 544 people. Addressing the gathering, Sakkarapani said, Since 2023, about 2.64 lakh people have received Rs 1,845 crore worth crop loans, jewellery loans, and loans for self-help group members through cooperative societies and cooperative banks in Krishnagiri district. Similar

The Maharashtra state assembly election could turn out to be one of the most expensive polls in history, with prominent political party candidates ensuring a steady supply of food and beverages. Freebies are a regular feature not only for party workers but also for voters, who have access to generous servings of mutton curry and liquor. According to a candidate from the ruling party, over the last 20 days, a staggering 25,000 kg of cooked mutton has been served to the public. With the price of m

KOCHI: Pet lovers can now rejoice as the first pet to be imported via Kochi airport will fly in from Brussels, Belgium, on November 28, opening the doors for those who do not want to leave their pets behind while travelling back home or permanently relocating to Kerala. A senior citizen named Devika is taking along her pet dog, fulfilling a long-standing wish. She has continuously written to us, seeking a nod to import her pet dog. However, we didnt have the facility till recently. She will fina

CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorates searches at 22 premises linked to lottery baron Santiago Martin across six states, including TN, last week led to recovery and seizure of Rs 12.41 crore unexplained cash and freezing of bank deposits of Rs 6.42 crore, the agency said on Monday. Various digital devices, incriminating documents, records of huge investment in immovable properties in Coimbatore Chennai, Mumbai, Dubai and London and huge investments in share markets were found, the agency said in

JAJPUR: The Steel and Mines department has directed lessees of at least 26 black stone quarries in Dharmasala tehsil to stop mining operations and other allied activities. In a letter to the lessees, the deputy director of mines (DDM), Jajpur Circle, Jay Prakash Nayak asked them to suspend mining operations and other related activities in the quarries. The 26 black stone quarries are located in Bajabati, Rahadpur, Dankari, Baramana and Bichhakhandi hills. The directive from the deputy director o

SAMBALPUR: Police on Sunday seized over 2,000 bottles of illicit cough syrup from a pick-up truck and arrested as many as 20 persons in this connection. All the accused were found to belong to different police limits under the Sambalpur district. Briefing mediapersons, ASP Haresh Chandra Pandey informed that during patrolling in the afternoon, Sadar police got information about smuggling of codeine-laced cough syrup near an ice factory in the area. Subsequently, the spot was raided and the accus

CHENNAI: Upset over the Tamil Nadu governments failure to fulfill their long-pending demands, the Tamil Nadu Revenue Officials Association has announced plans to boycott work and stage a sit-in protest from November 26. The association said they had already staged a protest in May 2023, urging the government to address their grievances. Following this, discussions were held with three ministers and senior officials, who promised that their demands would be met. One of these demands was to notify

MUMBAI: The voter count in Mumbai has crossed the one crore mark, up from 98.95 lakh voters during the recent Lok Sabha polls, a civic official said on Monday. At the time of Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, Mumbai city had 98,95,602 eligible voters, including 25,16,667 in island city and 74,64,974 in the suburban district, as per EC data. Maharashtra assembly polls will be held on November 20, while votes will be counted on November 23. Addressing a press conference, Brihanmumbai Municipal Co

NEW DELHI: Over 800 million people in India are given free food grains saidPrimeMinister, NarendraModi, while sharing India's success stories duringtheG20 session on `Social Inclusion and the Fight Against Hunger and Poverty, in Rio on Monday. Over the last 10 years we have lifted 250 million people out of poverty, 550 million people are benefiting from the worlds biggest health insurance scheme and 60 million senior citizens, over the age of 70, will also be able to benefit from free health ins

India, which became the most populous country in the world in 2023, surpassing China, is projected to have a total population of 1.53 billion by 2100, according to estimates from the United Nations. With this population, India will remain the most populous country in the world, while Chinas population, which has been on a declining trend since 2022, will shrink to just half of Indias, reaching 771 million by the end of this century. The UN's population growth estimate projects the total world po

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Monday withdrew the Organised Crime Control Bill, 2023, after certain discrepancies were pointed out by the Centre. Resolutions were moved in the House by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to withdraw this and another bill. In March last year, the Haryana Control of Organised Crime Bill, 2023, which sought to prevent and control criminal activity by organised syndicates or gangs, was passed by the state Assembly. The bill had been reintroduced after the gover

TIRUNELVELI: TN government is in the process of recruiting 2,553 doctors through the Medical Recruitment Board (MRB), which will result in surplus doctors at government health institutions by early 2025, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Sunday. Subramanian was in the city to inaugurate a pay ward at Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) constructed at a cost of Rs 1.1 crore and a private hospital. Government hospitals currently have a shortage of only 1,353 doctors, and there will b

GUNTUR: Art and creativity remain vital even in the age of artificial intelligence, said Vasireddy Vikrant, Executive Director of Nagarjuna Cements Group, at the closing ceremony of VVIT Balotsav 2024. The three-day Childrens Festival, hosted by Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology (VVIT), concluded on a high note, drawing thousands of students from across the nation and a crowd of over 25,000. The festival celebrated Telugu culture through competitions spanning 61 categories, including

VISAKHAPATNAM: Sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested Saurabh Prasad, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of East Coast Railways Waltair Division in Visakhapatnam, and two others in connection with a bribery case. The other two accused were identified as proprietors of private firms. A 1991-batch Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME) officer, Prasad was caught red-handed in Mumbai while accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakh from a proprietor of a Mumbai-b

CHITTOOR: Chowdepalle police arrested seven individuals involved in chain snatching and motorcycle thefts across Chittoor and Annamayya districts. The gang was found to have stolen gold jewellery worth Rs 25.74 lakh and three motorcycles. Elaborating on the case, Chittoor SP Manikanta Chandolu said the gang targeted lone women in areas such as Chowdepalle, Gangavaram, Mudivedu, Ramasamudram, Palamaner, Rallabudugur, and Baireddipalle mandals. They executed multiple chain-snatching crimes over th

KOCHI: Is Kerala falling victim to overtourism? Has the surge in tourism activities aggravated natural disasters, particularly in eco-sensitive areas in the state? If Fodors travel guide is anything to go by, it would seem so. Fodors Travel, a California-based online tourism information provider, has come out with a No List 2025 which mentions 15 destinations from across the world, including Kerala, where tourism is placing unsustainable pressures on the land and the local communities. As per Fo

BENGALURU: The average annual maximum temperature will increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2047, under the Middle of the Road emission scenario (where society is assumed to take moderate steps to cut emissions). The more extreme Fossil Fuel Development (society relying heavily on fossil fuels for energy) emission scenario predicts that the temperature will rise a decade earlier, by 2057, reveals the Climate Change Projections for India (2021-2040) report of Azim Premji University, released on Sun

BENGALURU: Monday will mark a red-letter day for Kudlu, with the opening of the first post office in the area, a residential locality in Bommanahalli constituency. A resident of Silver Country Road,V Janakiraman, a 92-year-old nonagenarian was the sole driving force behind the initiative. In 2022, he met LK Dash, Postmaster General of Bengaluru HQ Region, and pressed on the need for such an amenity in. Janakiraman, a retired Chief Electrical Engineer from the Southern Railway Zone, told TNIE , T

DEHRADUN: In a landmark event for the state, the two-day Uttarakhand Bird Census 2024 has successfully concluded, with bird watchers and nature enthusiasts reporting a total of 729 bird species across 13 districts. According to an official of the state forest department, the impressive tally of 729 includes several rare and endangered species, showcasing the rich avian diversity of the state. The two-day bird census, organised by the e-Bird organization in collaboration with the forest departmen