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The Congress High Command faces the difficult task of managing the ongoing power tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Wednesday that the dispute over the Chief Ministers post would be settled soon, adding that the final decision would be taken by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and himself after consultations. Reports suggest that the central leadership plans to make a decision on any change in leadership in Ka

CHANDIGARH: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Soyab of Dhauj near Al Falah University in Faridabad for allegedly providing shelter and logistic support to Dr Umar-un Nabi, the main accused in the Red Forst blast case. The blast took place on November 10. He is the seventh accused arrested by the apex investigating agency in the case, as a part of a 'white-collar' terror module. Sources claimed that Soyab allegedly gave refuge to Umar shortly before the attack and helped him fa

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

KOLLAM: The Vigilance Court here on Wednesday sent former Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar to the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged misappropriation of gold-plated artefacts meant for Sabarimala. He will remain in SIT custody till 5 pm on Thursday. The prosecution sought his custody, stating that crucial information still needed to be extracted from him. The SIT also informed the court that the investigation report would soon be submitted to the

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday reserved its order on a plea by jailed Jammu and Kashmir parliamentarian Engineer Rashid seeking custody parole or interim bail to attend the upcoming Parliament session. Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma was hearing the plea filed through advocate Vikhyat Oberoi on behalf of Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid. He has sought either interim bail or custody parole on the grounds that Rashid was a parliamentarian and needed to atten

KOLKATA: Expressing serious concern over the safety and security of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), other officers and staff, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought an action taken report (ATR) from Manoj Verma, Commissioner of Police (CP), Kolkata, within 48 hours. Surjeet Kumar Mishra, ECI secretary, on Wednesday, has written a letter to Verma, stating, an action taken report may be sent to the commission within 48 hours of receipt of this letter. The national poll bo

KOCHI: In a major relief to the residents of Munambam, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted temporary restoration of their revenue rights, ending more than 410 days of uncertainty and agitation. A single bench of Justice C Jayachandran directed the state government to accept land tax from the 610 affected families until the court delivers its final verdict in the long-running dispute over the lands status. The order was issued while hearing a batch of petitions, including one by the Munamb

SRINAGAR: The ruling National Conference has hit back at groups opposing the admission of Muslim students to the Vaishno Devi Medical College, asserting that the J&K government provides crores of rupees as grant-in-aid to the Vaishno Devi University. According to J&K National Conference chief spokesman and MLA Tanvir Sadiq, who is close to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has given grant-in-aid to Vaishno Devi University, with which the medical college is affiliated

BALLIA: Sixteen people, including the organiser of a 'Jal Pari' show at Ballia's Dadri Mela, have been booked for allegedly killing an advocate over a dispute at the ticket counter, police said on Wednesday. The 50-year-old man collapsed after the alleged assault on Sunday and later succumbed to his injuries, they said. An FIR was filed late Tuesday night at Ballia City Kotwali against show organiser Himanshu Dixit and 15 unidentified people under Section 103(2) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya S

NEW DELHI: The CBI has arrested Abul Hossen Molla alias Duronto, who was wanted in connection with the alleged attack on an Enforcement Directorate team at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal on January 5 last year, officials said on Wednesday. A mob attacked the ED team when it went to Sandeshkhali to raid the residence of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh in an alleged ration distribution scam, they said. The agency arrested Molla, who did not join the probe in spite of repeated not

KANGRA: BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Wednesday strongly criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks that if the Bharatiya Janata Party tries to touch the state, the Trinamool Congress would shake the entire country. Speaking to the media in Kangra, Thakur said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured the mandate in Bihar and now it is the turn of West Bengal. The public is ready to shake them up and oust them from power. This statement can be seen as a frustration ahead

BIJAPUR: Forty one Naxalites, 32 of them collectively carrying a reward of Rs 1.19 crore on their heads, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Wednesday, officials said. The cadres, including 12 women, turned themselves in before senior police officials here, citing they were impressed by the government's new surrender and rehabilitation policy and Poona Margham (rehabilitation for social reintegration drive of Bastar range police), Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yad

NEW DELHI: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Wednesday urged everyone to work together towards achieving the goal of 'Viksit Bharat', and asserted that the soul of our Constitution has proved that Bharat is one and shall remain so forever. Addressing a Constitution Day event at the Central Hall of the Old Parliament building, now called 'Samvidhan Sadan', Radhakrishnan urged public representatives to adopt dialogue, debate and discussion to serve the people's rightful aspirations. No country c

DEHRADUN: The sacred portals of Badrinath Dham, a cornerstone of the revered Char Dham Yatra, were formally closed for the winter season on Tuesday at 2:56 PM. The closure marks the end of a highly successful pilgrimage period, which saw a significant rise in devotees compared to the previous year. The solemn closing ceremony was conducted by the Rawal (chief priest), Amarnath Nambudiri, in the presence of a large gathering of devotees, adhering strictly to ancient traditions. The season witness

As Kochi evolves, so does its appetite for newer expressions. True to that, now the city is set to host a unique artistic movement with the debut of the Movement Festival of Kerala (MOFK), an exciting celebration of contemporary and experimental dance. Curated by dancer-choreographers Paris Laxmi, Sreejith P and Abhi V S under their collective Boho, MFOK will mark the first major event presenting contemporary movement alongside reimagined classical forms. Co-curator Laxmi says the festival hopes

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said the Constitution is the guiding document to shun colonial mindset and adopt nationalistic thinking. Addressing the Constitution Day event at the Central Hall of the Old Parliament building, now called 'Samvidhan Sadan', Murmu said India is presenting a new model of development for the world. Our Constitution-makers wanted our personal, democratic rights to be always protected. Constitution is guiding document to shun colonial mindset and adop

Community, for Ananthapadmanabhan V, was a concept he became familiar with very early in life by watching his mother. When they were in Dubai, she was involved in different community activities, helping women in difficult situations return home, supporting small charities for animals, and organising simple fundraising events like school bake sales. He often assisted her in these efforts, and over time, this exposure influenced how he viewed people, support systems, and collective responsibility.

A former United States Congressman and economist, Dr. Dave Brat, has alleged large-scale fraud in the H-1B visa programme, claiming that one Indian consular district- Chennai accounted for more than double the annual statutory cap for the visa category. His remarks, made on Steve Bannons War Room podcast, come at a time when the Donald Trump administration is escalating its scrutiny of skilled-worker visas. Dr. Brat argued that the programme had been captured by industrial-scale fraud, pointing

SRINAGAR: The controversy over MBBS admissions at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in Jammu and Kashmirs Reasi district intensified on Wednesday, with the Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti (VDSS) threatening large-scale protests if the newly released admission list is not withdrawn. VDSS convenor Colonel (Retd) Sukhbir Singh Mankotia told TNIE that the group, which comprises around 60 organisations, is demanding immediate cancellation of the 202526 MBBS selection l

THANE: Police have arrested the live-in partner of a woman for murdering her after her body was found stuffed in a suitcase on the banks of a creek in Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said on Wednesday. The accused allegedly killed the woman on November 21 following a fight and dumped the body near the creek the next day, they said. The body of Priyanka Vishwakarma (22) was spotted under the creek bridge near Desai village on Monday. The words 'P V S' were found tattooed near the wrist of

NEW DELHI: I ndia's pharmaceutical sector is currently transitioning from a focus on generic drugs to the development of next-generation innovative biologics, as highlighted by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. This transition is driven by an innovation-focused ecosystem that emphasizes biosimilars, peptides, complex generics, and next-generation biologics. Dr. R. Chandrashekar, Joint Drugs Controller at CDS

BHOPAL: Inability of the police to arrest a 23-year-old youth who abducted a six-year-old girl and raped her before abandoning her in a serious condition in the jungles on November 21, led to the removal of Raisen district police superintendent Pankaj Pandey on Tuesday night. The Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Dr Mohan Yadav, chaired a high-level emergency law and order review meeting at the state Police Headquarters (PHQ) in Bhopal on Tuesday night, where he expressed displeasure with the polic

LUCKNOW: Adityanath said the completion of the Ayodhya Ram Temple construction was not the end of a yajna but the addition of another chapter in the spiritual history of the country. While welcoming the dignitaries, including PM Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and others, the UP CM emphasised that the grand temple of Lord Shri Ram reflected the faith, honour, and self-respect of 1.4 billion Indians. PM Modi, prior to raising the flag on top of the flagpole constructed in the traditional N

CHENNAI: A suspected suicide turned into a murder after the postmortem performed on a 35-year-old man revealed that he was strangled to death. The police have arrested the deceaseds wife, Saranya, 29, for allegedly killing him and staging the death as suicide. The deceased, Manikandan, a driver from Venkateswara Nagar, had married Saranya in 2014. Initially, Saranya told the police that she and her Manikandan had a heated argument on November 23, and that she had slept in the hall along with the

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court that pet owners are not required to muzzle their dogs in public places, clarifying that its recent communication on muzzling was only an advisory and not a mandatory rule. The clarification came during the hearing of a petition filed by NGO People for Cattle in India, which argued that certain breeds cannot be fitted with muzzles due to their facial structure. Appearing before Justice V Lakshminarayanan, GCC

NEW DELHI: Taking a swipe at the RSS-BJP on Constitution Day, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday alleged that the Sangh's role was to attack and undermine it, and that role had been taken forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah who have been subverting constitutional principles in a calculated manner. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the RSS had no role whatsoever in the making of the Constitution On Saturday, November 26

CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alerted the state chief electoral officer (CEO) that a Sri Lankan national currently in judicial custody in an NIA case linked to alleged LTTE revival efforts still holds an active Indian voter ID registered in Chennai. The agency has sought an immediate verification and cancellation of the card, calling it a national-security lapse. In a letter dated November 21, 2025, the ED said the accused, Letchumanan Mary Franciska, had fraudulently secured mul

CHENNAI: While the nesting season still weeks away, the early death of seven Olive Ridley turtles along the Chennai shoreline has raised alarm among wildlife authorities, who fear a repeat of last seasons mass mortality. Preliminary examinations suggest drowning due to entanglement in fishing nets, with forest officials noting most of the carcasses found were males, an indicator that the turtles may have been trapped while migrating or mating offshore. Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra to

Calling the Constitution the protective shield of the poor, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged citizens to pledge that they will not allow any attack on it, asserting that he would be the first to stand up against any such assault. In a Constitution Day message on X, Gandhi said the document is a sacred promise guaranteeing equality, respect and justice to every Indian, regardless of religion, caste, region, language or economic status. As long as the Constitution is protected, the ri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on citizens to place their Constitutional duties at the forefront, describing them as the bedrock of a strong and vibrant democracy. In a letter marking Constitution Day, Modi stressed the importance of strengthening democracy by responsibly exercising the right to vote. He suggested that schools and colleges celebrate the day by honouring first-time voters turning 18, thereby fostering a sense of participation in nation-building. Invoking Mahatma

KOLKATA : Nearly 14 lakh SIR enumeration forms have so far been identified as uncollectable in West Bengal, the Election Commission said. These forms are uncollectable since the voters were either absentee, duplicate, dead or permanently shifted, an official said. As of Tuesday noon, the number stood at 13.92 lakh. We expect this figure to continue rising daily as more updates roll in, he said. The figure was 10.33 lakh on Monday evening, he added. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been actively

JANJGIR: Five persons were killed and three others injured when a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) they were travelling in collided with a truck in Chhattisgarh's Janjgir-Champa district, police said on Wednesday. The accident occurred near Sukli village under Janjgir police station area on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday when the victims, all residents of a locality in Nawagarh, were returning after attending a wedding, they said. The impact of the collision was so severe that the SU

BENGALURU: Revealing alarming figures involving children in cyber crimes, Shivarathna S, inspector of Cyber Crime, Karnataka State Police Training School, Channapatna, said, In a month, when we register 3,000 cases of cybercrime, it involves at least three children either as victimsor accused. At a panel discussion -- The Circle of Safety -- organised by Parihar of Bengaluru City Police on on Tuesday, she said, While these children unknowingly become victims or accused in cyber crime, we have no

BENGALURU: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will construct a 1.4 km flyover connecting Esteem Mall Junction, Ballari Road and Manyata Tech Park to decongest traffic on Hebbal road, and the project will be taken up by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). To facilitate smooth traffic movement from the Outer Ring RoadKR Puram side (Manyata Tech Park Road) directly to Ballari Road near Esteem Mall without entering the Hebbal Junction, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has proposed

BENGALURU: Save Bengaluru Committee, a civil society group, lashed out at the State government for pushing the controversial twin tunnel project that costs Rs 42,000 crore. The members claim the overall estimation for the North-South and East-West project is likely to reach over Rs 70,000 crore. The members urged the government to invest the same amount on a mass transit system like Metro Rail or Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation (BMTC). They also criticized the BJP for not coming on to the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Police are still searching for the knife used to stab Alan to death during a clash that followed a dispute at a football match in Thycaud. The investigation has slowed down because the accused have repeatedly changed their statements about where they dumped the weapon. Recovering the murder weapon remains a major challenge for the team.ed initially told the police that they had thrown the knife into the sea near Azhimala in Vizhinjam. Based on this, police carried out a searc

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pointing out that nearly 3,000 officers of the forest department have been deployed in remote forest areas as part of the nationwide tiger census, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam on Tuesday said the voting rights of these employees should be ensured for the upcoming local body elections. Adding that it is both democratic and reasonable to reschedule the census dates, he stated that he has written to the State Election Commissioner and the Forest Department head regarding the

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday felicitated the Indian team for winning the maiden Blind Womens T20 World Cup. At an event held at Cauvery Residence, he also announced Rs 10 lakh and government jobs for each player from Karnataka, as well as Rs 2 lakh each for 13 players from other states. The CM made the announcement after personally congratulating each member of the team. He praised the leadership and playing style of the teams captain Deepika TC, who hails from Sira in Tumak

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Youth Congress state general secretary Sajana B Sajan has demanded the ouster of discredited MLA Rahul Mamkootathil from the primary membership of Congress party. Responding to CPM allegations, she said that this is not the time for ordinary Congress workers to defend Rahul. Rahul Mamkootathil is not the problem, his mindset is the real issue, Sajana, who is also a KPCC member, said. Who wants to protect him now? Though the accused has the protection of any top leader, if the

BENGALURU: The prime accused in the Rs 7.11 crore robbery, R Ravi, who headed the operations team, was allegedly absconding in a murder case reported in the Varthur police station limits in 2018, the police said, adding it was revealed during questioning in the heist case. Ravi (33), a resident of Banasawadi, earlier ran a travel agency. His brother Rakesh has also been arrested in the robbery case, and their father is a retired serviceman. According to senior cops it is suspected that Ravi was

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior BJP leader S Suresh said in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday that the NDA front has registered its strongest-ever presence in the upcoming local body elections, fielding 21,065 candidates across Kerala, including independents backed by BJP-NDA. According to him, the NDA front is contesting 89.5% of all seats in the state. Suresh said that 19,871 candidates are contesting on the BJPs lotus symbol, making it the symbol with the highest number of candidates in the 2025 polls

DAVANGERE: Two sub-inspectors were among seven persons arrested in Davangere on charges of gold robbery. Four were arrested on Monday and the rest on Tuesday. The accused had allegedly threatened a jeweller and robbed him of gold and jewellery past midnight on Monday. The PSIs, who had been transferred from Haveri district to the Davanagere Eastern Zone IGPs office, were on duty when they were arrested. It is alleged that the PSIs, Malappa Chippalakatti and Praveen Kumar, had robbed gold bars an

BENGALURU: The Anti-Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) busted a synthetic-drug peddling network by raiding the premises of a Nigerian national in Bagaluru. The CCB sleuths seized 11 kg 640 gram of MDMA crystals, 1,040 ecstasy pills, 2 kg 235 gram of raw materials, valued at approximately Rs 23.74 crore from the house where the accused, N Ejike Nzegwu, 42, was staying. The seized drugs were stored to sell during the New Year celebrations. A report has been submitted with the Bagalur

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The NIA Special Court, Ernakulam, has warned that the malfunctioning CCTV cameras at the High Security Prison, Viyyur, are a matter of concern, and may pose serious problems. The court sharply criticised Keralas prison administration after it emerged that only one out of 165 CCTV cameras have recording facilities. A report by the assistant engineer, PWD Electronics wing, Thrissur, claimed that only nine CCTV cameras are currently functional. However, the superintendents repor

KANNUR: Two CPM workers, including the LDF candidate at Mattammal division in Payyannur in the LSG election, have been sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined Rs 2.5 lakh each after being found guilty in a decade-old bomb attack case. Nandakumar T C V, and V K Nishad, both 35 years old, were convicted for hurling a bomb at a police team near Madathumpadi Junction road in Payyanur in August 2012. The Taliparamba Additional Sessions Court pronounced the sentence following their conviction on Mon

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Kerala government to establish state-run lower and upper primary schools in all areas where none are functioning. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act mandates access to neighbourhood schooling for every child, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed. The bench was hearing the appeal of the state government against the High Court order on a petition that sought setting up of a school in

PATHANAMTHITTA: The CPM is unlikely to initiate any immediate disciplinary action against former TDB president and party district committee member A Padmakumar, who was recently arrested in the Sabarimala gold theft case. According to party sources, CPM state secretary M V Govindan made it clear during the Pathanamthitta district committee meeting on Tuesday that any strong action would only follow the submission of the chargesheet. Those who were entrusted with responsibilities failed to uphold

KOZHIKODE: Yet another Muslim organisation has come forward to oppose the UDFs adjustments with the Welfare Party of India, the political front of the Jamaat-e-Islami, in the ensuing elections to the local bodies in Kerala. In an article published in Siraj daily, Sunni Yuvajana Sangam (SYS), the youth wing of the Kanthapuram faction of Sunnis, Rahmatullah Saqafi questioned the UDFs claim that the Jamaat has discarded its ideology of the Islamic state. Saqafi said that till now the Jamaat leaders

ALAPPUZHA: The new generation is largely unaware of how voting and counting once took place in the country. For decades, elections were conducted using long ballot papers printed with the names and symbols of candidates. Voters would mark their choice, fold the paper, and drop it into a sealed box. After voting concluded, polling officers sealed the box using sealing wax, and the boxes were stored securely, The counting, often stretching one or two days, began several days later. On counting day

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP has pushed the performance of its statewide help desks to the forefront of its election messaging, making it one of the main topics in the current campaign. Senior leaders, including state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, have recently begun highlighting that the party resolved nearly 38,000 petitions through its Vikasitha Bharat help desks launched in June. According to party leaders, the help desk initiative has now become a central narrative in campaign speeches, es