The New Indian Express News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday said the NDAs strong performance in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections reflected public acceptance of the partys development agenda and a clear rejection of the LDFs governance in the state capital. This result clearly shows that people have accepted the BJPs development vision. The BJP will fulfil every promise made in its manifesto and develop the state capital into one of the countrys leading cities, Chandrasek

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the CPM-led LDF suffered a rout in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, it fared well in all the four municipalities in the district. Interestingly, it retained them with a performance bettering even the 2020 tally. The LDF cruised to simple majority in Nedumangad and Neyyattinkara municipalities, while in Attingal and Varkala, it became the biggest coalition but ended tantalisingly close to breaching the threshold. Requiring 22 seats for a majority, LDF coasted to 29

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The minimal headway made by opposition parties in Attingal municipality has helped save LDFs face here in securing the most number of votes in the local body polls. However, the front cannot hail this their complete victory, as it falls one seat short of a clear majority, with only 16 seats in the 32-member council. While UDF and BJP managed to win seven seats each here, the victory of two independent candidates remains critical in the municipality. Though Attingal has been a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Varkala municipality has delivered a clear mandate this time, with the LDF retaining power. Out of the 34 wards, the front secured 16 seats, pushing the NDA to a distant second with 10. The UDF slipped in to the third place with only six seats. The support of two independent councillors will now be crucial, as the LDF requires 18 seats to secure a ruling majority. In the 2020 elections, the LDF had won 12 seats, the NDA 11, the UDF 7, and independents 3. The LDF had formed th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) decision to field R Sreelekha, a former State Police Chief-rank officer, for a ward councillors post for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation election was one that raised eyebrows. However, the bold yet peculiar move has paid rich dividends. With the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) sweeping half of the 100 seats in the corporation, Sreelekha, who won with a sweeping majority at Sasthamangalam ward, is among the frontrunners for the M

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Festival favourites may be a separate package at the IFFK, but delegates rush at the 15 venues for Day 2 hinted that the segregation could be a misnomer, as most of the films shown went full house. Portraits in a Sea of Lies, the 2010 Suvarna Chakoram winner; and A Sad and a Beautiful World, a love story set in Lebanon amidst all the upheavals it faces were the clear favourites of many. A clutch of Indian films also caught eyes: Joe Babys Ebb, Moham by Fazil Razak, and Neeraj

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the LDFs humiliating defeat in the city corporation, in-fighting began within the district CPM. Taking a cue from the rough exchanges between senior leaders within the partys district committee, a young leader too came out against the outgoing council led by Mayor Arya Rajendran. City councils outgoing standing committee chairperson Gayathri Babu took a dig at Arya through a Facebook post. Stating that the corporation used to hold the Left front close du

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Startup festival Huddle Global 2025, organised by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), began at Kovalam here on Friday. The three-day event offers vast opportunities for startups, including funding and mentor support. An expo of innovative products and an all-India hackathon are among the highlights. Addressing the opening session, Finance Minister K N Balagopal said the global landscape is transforming with rapid digitalisation through domains like AI, automation and shipping supp

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With stray dog management remaining a persistent challenge in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram corporation is planning to adopt the Greater Chennai Corporations model of an exclusive animal birth control (ABC) centre-cum-multispeciality veterinary hospital. The proposal comes amid rising concerns over public safety and growing rabies cases, with 21 confirmed infections being reported within the corporation limits between January and December this year. The civic body is

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A total of 16 counting centres have been set up across Thiruvananthapuram district for the upcoming local body elections, covering the corporation, municipalities and block panchayats. The counting for the Thiruvananthapuram corporation will take place at Mar Ivanios College. Votes from wards 1 to 26 and 27 to 51 will be counted in two sections on the ground floor hall located between the St. George Building and the Little Flower Block of Sarvodaya Vidyalaya. Counting for war

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: UK policies during the British Mandate directly paved the way for the displacement of Palestinians and the entrenchment of Zionist settler presence, Palestine Ambassador to India Abdulla M Abu Shawesh said at the opening of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) on Friday. Speaking ahead of the screening of Palestine 36, he described the film as a window into a history that Palestinians were long denied the platform to narrate. Shawesh said the Balfour Declaration o

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The massive Rs 495-crore redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station, the principal hub of the capital city, is advancing at a rapid pace. Comprehensive development activities are in progress to transform the station with a modern architectural design and upgraded passenger-friendly facilities. The major works have been divided into two distinct segments, the construction of the north block at the Thampanoor side and the south block at the Power House Road sid

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command Marshal Manish Khanna on Thursday visited the Technopark and interacted with industry leaders and startups with a focused interest in the defence and aerospace sectors. Technopark CEO Col Sanjeev Nair (Retd) received Air Marshal Manish Khanna and presented an overview of the states IT sector and about the Kerala Defence Innovation Zone (K-DIZ). Kerala stands as Indias most digitally empowered state where a thriving startup

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The trial court verdict in the actor assault case has sparked widespread debate across the state amid calls for solidarity with the survivor. On Wednesday, people from various walks of life gathered at Manaveeyam Veedhi in Thiruvananthapuram to express support to the survivors long fight for justice. A solidarity meeting, under the banner #Avalkoppam (With Her), held there in the evening had cultural figures, social activists and students in attendance. CPI state secretary Bi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A major fire broke out at a resort on the North Cliff in Varkala on Wednesday, partially destroying the structure and triggering panic among tourists and local residents. The blaze was reported around 1.56pm at Calaila Boutique Stay. No casualties were reported, and all guests staying at the resort managed to escape unhurt. Fire and Rescue Services personnel rushed to the spot, but the fire tender could not be brought to the site due to the narrow access route. A fire personn

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: How far will you go for a vote-- a few kilometres, a ten-minute drive? Meet Arya Sasidharan, who travelled for over 32 hours, all the way from Australia to Thiruvananthapuram to cast her vote in the local body election. Arya, who made the trip with the sole aim of exercising her franchise on Tuesday early morning, will return to Australia next Monday to continue her Geology PhD studies at James Cook University in Queensland. Initially, I was a bit sad that I couldnt be here f

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the ABC programme coming to a grinding halt following the Supreme Courts recent directions, the state government has issued fresh instructions amid rising stray dog attack incidents, clarifying that the lack of animal shelters cannot be cited as a reason to stop sterilisation and vaccination drives. After the Supreme Court order of November 7, the local bodies across the state had suspended vaccination and sterilisation drives, as the direction was to move the dogs to sh

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The coastal belt of Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation saw chaotic and uneven voting on Tuesday as thousands of residents turned out for the local body polls. Many voters struggled to find their assigned polling booths, while others discovered their names were missing from the voters list, forcing them to return home without casting their votes. Local activists estimated that 60 to 100 voters were absent from each polling booth in the coastal wards. Vishnu M, 31, who arrived

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Election fervour gripped the city on polling day, and Technopark, home to nearly 80,000 employees across more than 450 companies, was no exception. The usually bustling IT campus ran with minimal staff as many professionals left their desks to cast their votes. Most companies followed employee-friendly policies in line with Election Commission directives, offering leave, work-from-home options, or flexible hours. Client support teams were allowed to adjust schedules without w

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tribespeople of Thodumala ward in Thiruvananthapuram's Amboori grama panchayat are grateful to the government for the Kumbichal bridge. The newly-opened, but yet-to-be-inaugurated bridge has significantly cut down the travel time of the residents of the ward's 11 tribal settlements and also reduced their dependency on boats their lone mode of transport until now. However, as the capital's tribal belts cast their votes in the local body elections on Tuesday, one question ling

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For a city long shadowed by its reputation for lacklustre polling, Thiruvananthapuram seemed to slip deeper into that pattern on election day. In the citys upscale neighbourhoods, where voter apathy has become almost ritual, the silence was unmistakable. By noon, turnout still hovered stubbornly below 30%, a telling sign of the indifference that had marked the morning. At the Kowdiar LP School, nestled in one of the citys quietest upscale pockets, the polling station wore a u

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The first phase of local body elections began on Monday amidst crises and uncertainties across the capital district. In a critical incident, election ink applied to voters forefingers at the Sasthamangalam ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation faded within minutes. Sources from Booth 2 of the Raja Kesavadas NSS Higher Secondary School polling station reported that the ink was diluted, causing it to disappear quickly. In the same ward, a female voter was not permitted to

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Election to local self-government institutions in the district was largely peaceful. An exception was a clash between CPM and BJP workers at Vanchiyoor. Police intervention helped in preventing untoward incidents at Vanchiyoor where BJP accused CPM of bringing bogus voters. In the morning, polling booths in rural areas were busier than those in urban areas. The districts polling percentage was 67.42 as per the data released by the State Election Commission around 7.50pm. 19.6

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM and Congress are allying with Jamaat-e-Islami, which works towards establishing an Islamic state, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Monday. He said the outfit had extended political support to both the fronts as revealed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during a meet the press. He accused the LDF and UDF of locking on to political goals without considering the cons of its maneuvers and urged the public to vote for NDA to put an end to this. He also al

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Highlighting the enduring role of the State Bank of India in Keralas socioeconomic development, SBI chairman C S Shetty commented that the bank remains committed to a future roadmap focusing on the superior customer-centric banking experience. He was inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of the banks Thiruvananthapuram Circle in Ernakulam on Monday. The chairman also launched the upcoming CSR initiatives of the bank, which will have multiple institutions as its key ben

Doctors in the state have strongly opposed the entry of non-medical graduates as faculty members in pre-clinical subjects such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, and Microbiology. They criticised the Public Service Commission for abruptly postponing its scheduled examination to recruit assistant professors in Biochemistry and Microbiology, alleging that the move was aimed at unlawfully accommodating non-medical candidates. The Indian Medical Associations (IMA) Kerala branch, the Kerala Govern

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following the tussle between Varkala municipality and the tourism department over the implementation of the controversial Varkala Dakshin Kashi project launched at the ancient Janardhana Swamy Temple under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme the local self-government principal director on Monday convened a meeting with all stakeholders to resolve the issue. Principal director Geromic George directed the municipality secretary to grant the required approvals after legally vetting

THIRUVANTHAPURAM: The first phase of local body elections began on Monday amidst crises and uncertainties across the capital district. In a critical incident, election ink applied to voters forefingers at the Sasthamangalam ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation faded within minutes. Sources from Booth 2 of the Raja Kesavadas NSS Higher Secondary School polling station reported that the ink was diluted, causing it to disappear quickly. In the same ward, a female voter was not permitted to vo

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: First-time voters will be accorded a warm reception on Tuesday as they arrive at the two model polling stations in the district to caste their vote in the local body elections. Besides, the model booths, set up on the southern and northern sides of Government LPS at Chemmaruthi, will have special facilities for persons with disabilities (PwDs), senior citizens, pregnant women and sick persons. They include wheelchairs, seats, first-aid, drinking water and clean toilets. Sick

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the curtains fell on public campaigning for the local body elections, political parties brought their 20-day campaigns to a vibrant close with high-decibel celebrations across major junctions of the capital city during the traditional kottikalasham on Sunday. From 3 pm onwards, party workers thronged junctions including Peroorkada, Vazhottukonam, Pettah, Kodunganoor, Kazhakoottam, Jagathy, PMG, Muttada, and Sasthamangalam. Supporters, particularly women, turned the streets

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On the premise of an ancestral home now rests a man who was born a Hindu, lived as a Muslim, and was loved by all! Yet, having chosen to convert to Islam in his middle age, the man from Mudapuram, in Chirayinkeezhu, never forced anyone in his family to follow in his path. On Sunday, the family of Abdul Rahman, 76, previously known as Suvarnan, bid farewell to him following Islamic practices. Heartwarming scenes unfolded at their home near the family temple, adding another cha

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday said the party has sent letters to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, demanding a detailed inquiry into what it alleges is large-scale corruption and financial irregularities in the CPM-led Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Chandrasekhar said the CPM, which has governed the corporation for the past 10 years, spent nearly `20,000 crore in the name of development, yet the city continues

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a move to address the alarming situation of CCTV footage from cinemas being leaked and sold online, the Kerala cyber police are now targeting the buyers of these visuals. Visuals from the state government-owned Kairali, Nila, and Sree cinema complex of the capital city were leaked into porn channels on Telegram and X, raising widespread privacy concerns. Speaking about the issue, Cyber operations SP Ankit Asokan said that a proactive search was ongoing in the incident. The

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: General Education Minister V Sivankutty has said that he will request Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to depute a special team to probe the suicide of two BJP leaders in Thiruvananthapuram. The families of councillor Thirumala Anil and Anand K Thampi are in despair and disagreement with the BJP leadership. Being their MLA, I will seek a special team to probe the deaths, the minister said in a press conference here on Saturday. Alleging that Anils family members had handed ove

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vietnamese films will take the centre stage at the Country Focus section in the 30th edition of the International Film Festival Of Kerala (IFFK) scheduled to commence in the state capital from December 12. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, the festival will screen five critically acclaimed Vietnamese movies Glorious Ashes directed by Bui Thac Chuyn, The Tree House by Truong Minh Qu, Cu Li Never Cries by Pham Ngoc Lan, Dont Cry Butterfly by Duong Dieu Lin

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Local body polls are taking a heavy toll on the capital, with illegal flex boards and campaign materials defacing public spaces across Thiruvananthapuram. Medians, footpaths and even electric posts have been taken over by unauthorised campaign displays, despite the green protocol being in force. There are four enforcement squads at the district level and 25 under the city corporation. However, officials say enforcement is proving extremely difficult this time. According to Su

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Signalling a fresh showdown with the state government, Governor Rajendra Arlekar has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court rejecting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans recommendation to appoint two academics of his choice as Vice Chancellors of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) and Digital University, Kerala (DUK). As directed by the Supreme Court, two separate search-cum-selection committees headed by Justice (Retd) Sudhanshu Dhulia had shortlisted VC probables