The New Indian Express Kollam - December 15, 2024

In this issue

December 15, 2024

Pinarayi urges PM to withdraw VGF repayment norm for Vizhinjam port

IN AN effort to get unconditional viability gap funding (VGF) support to the Vizhinjam seaport project, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his urgent intervention.

1 min

Question paper leak triggers row

QUESTION papers for the second term Christmas examinations in government schools have leaked, kicking up a controversy.

1 min

Min: KSRTC to launch innovative plans to attract family travellers

TRANSPORT Minister K B Ganesh Kumar on Saturday announced that KSRTC will introduce innovative plans to attract more family travellers, by prioritising safety, cleanliness, and quality food.

1 min

Shabana Azmi terms 'Ankur' her favourite film

VETERAN actor Shabana Azmi revealed that 'Ankur' holds a special place in her heart and remains her favourite film.

1 min

Wary of repercussions of geo-political strife, police beef up security in tourist spots

THE STATE police have stepped up vigil in places in Kerala which will be thronged by visitors from the United States, Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Bangladesh during Christmas New Year celebrations.

2 mins

Alappuzha's 'interior' roads more accident-prone than NHs and SHs

217 of total 364 accidents occurred in 'Other Roads' this Oct, shows Crime Records Bureau data

1 min

WOMEN MUSICIANS HAVE NOT GOT THE CREDIT THEY DESERVE: BEATRICE THIRIET

FRENCH composer Béatrice Thiriet's musical journey started as a five-year-old when she decided to surprise her mom with a Mother's Day gift.

3 mins

Theyyam community protests show in UAE

RENOWNED theyyam artist Padma Shri E P Narayanan Peruvannan has been barred from performing the sacred ritual following his refusal to apologise for a controversial performance in Ajman, UAE, last month.

2 mins

Country's largest solar-electric boat soon to host night tourism cruises

RING in the New Year, the visitors could hop on to the country's largest solar-electric boat and experience a thrilling ride under the night skies while tuning in to live music and dancing under the stars.

1 min

YC state vice-prez advocates for labour literacy

EMPHASISING the importance of labour literacy for ordinary workers, Youth Congress state vice-president Vishnu Sunil Pandalam said it is a necessity in today's world.

1 min

166 complaints resolved at 'Karuthalum Kaithangum'

A TOTAL of 166 complaints were resolved in the 'Karuthalum Kaithangum' adalat, an initiative of the state government aimed at addressing public grievances, held in Meenachil taluk on Friday.

1 min

Low prices: Rubber farmers in state intensify protests

WITH the price of natural rubber in the domestic market remaining consistently below ₹200 per kg, the rubber farmers have decided to go ahead with their protest of holding rubber with them.

1 min

Jose K Mani demands repeal of Kerala Forest Amendment Bill

KERALA Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani has raised concerns regarding the draft of the Kerala Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and its potential impact on farmers living on the forest fringes across Kerala.

1 min

Kollam corp to allocate land for proposed IT park under T'Puram-Kollam IT corridor project

THE KOLLAM Corporation has announced its readiness to allocate its 7 acres of land at Kureepuzha, along with additional land in the Andamukkam area, for the establishment of an IT park as part of the proposed Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam IT corridor project.

1 min

Water crisis affects corp, residents demand action

Underground water pipeline damaged during NH devpt project work

1 min

Cyclone effect: Mangoes to be delayed

WITH cyclone effect, there has been a delay in flowering of mango trees in certain parts, which will also impact harvesting.

1 min

Buoyed by bypoll wins, UDF to go for micro-level management

UDF meeting, to be held on December 17, will start preliminary discussion on formulating a strategy to maximise winning chances in the 2026 assembly elections

2 mins

After night in jail, Telugu actor Allu Arjun released

NATIONAL award winner and Pushpa fame actor Allu Arjun was released on Saturday early morning after the Telangana High Court granted bail on Friday.

2 mins

Yediyurappa, Sriramulu likely to face 'Covid-19 scam' heat

WITH the Medical Education Department filing an FIR against many officials and private companies for their involvement in the alleged irregularities in procuring PPE kits, N95 masks and other medical equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the then chief minister B S Yediyurappa and health minister B Sriramulu are likely to face trouble.

1 min

Former TN Cong prez no more

FORMER Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president and Erode (East) MLA E V K S Elangovan passed away at the age of 75 at a private hospital on Saturday.

1 min

TRUMP EFFECT: THE POWER OF NOUN AND VERB

Donald J. Trump has imbibed George Orwell's immortal observation and embodies the idea in letter and spirit.

3 mins

HOW EFFECTIVE IS PERVASIVE ADVERTISING?

I was recently on a boat ride on the Ganga at Varanasi, nostalgically looking at the ghats—the most beautiful riverfront one can see for miles.

3 mins

TDP RAISES CONCERNS OVER DELIMITATION

PARTICIPATING in the debate on Constitution, Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, an MP from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key ally of the NDA, flagged concerns on the impending delimitation exercise, saying that the southern states will lose out to the north Indian states.

1 min

Rahul invokes Manusmriti to target BJP

During debate on 75th year of Constitution, LOP in the Lok Sabha accuses the ruling party of spreading hatred

2 mins

THE KING OF HEARTS @ 18

PORTING world is emotional, and it is this emotion that connects the players and fans alike. Sometimes certain acts are immortalized in history and no matter how much we have read or absorbed, the heart craves for more. So, when D Gukesh turned the '18th@18' dream at the World Chess Championship in Singapore a reality, it is only natural to revisit the young man and his fascinating life with yet another article in this column.

3 mins

Decks cleared for rail link to connect J&K

SOON, the interior Kashmir is all set to be connected to the rest of India through a rail line, with the first track work of the Centre's ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project being completed.

1 min

Cabinet expansion today, oath ceremony at Nagpur

Fadnavis likely to allocate portfolios ahead of Assembly session

1 min

Sukhu cabinet divided over HP land holding act

CHIEF Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is encountering significant opposition from his cabinet regarding the amendment of the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act of 1972.

1 min

Kumaon mountains welcome migratory birds

A large congregation of migratory birds has been spotted in the marshy and clear water areas of the lush Terai region of Kumaon in Uttarakhand, much to the delight of avid bird watchers.

2 mins

Bengal stir after RG Kar ex-chief, cop granted bail

A day after a local court granted bail to two key suspects in the rape-murder of a doctor at RG Kar hospital, the junior doctors have decided to call for \"Reclaiming the Night\" again on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1.

1 min

Complaint lodged as school teacher abducted, forced to marry in Katihar

'In relationship for over four years'

1 min

3 students dead as school overhead water tank collapses in Arunachal

THREE students from a private school in Arunachal Pradesh died, and two others students were grievously injured when an overhead water tank collapsed on them while they were playing during school hours on Saturday.

1 min

Unemployment rate plummets after a rise in urban Gujarat, House told

THE unemployment rate (UR) for individuals aged 15 and above in urban Gujarat areas was 2.8% in 2021-22, which surged to 8.7% in 2022-23, before plummeting to 2.3% in 2023-24, according to recent information provided to the Rajya Sabha by the Centre.

1 min

Transgender welfare board in U'khand formed

THE Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government of Uttarakhand has approved the formation of a Transgender Personal Welfare Board.

1 min

US, Turkey, Arab diplomats discuss Syria transition

TOP diplomats from the United States, the Arab League and Turkey are meeting in Jordan to discuss how to assist Syria's transition after the fall of Bashar Assad's government a week ago.

1 min

US court denies TikTok request to stop ban

A federal appeals court has left in place a mid-January deadline in a federal law requiring TikTok to be sold or face a ban in the United States, rejecting a request made by the company to halt enforcement until the Supreme Court reviews its challenge of the statute.

1 min

S Korea president impeached over martial law bid

Ruling party lawmakers back motion to impeach Yoon as public protests intensify

1 min

Woman, 5-year-old daughter among 10 dead in Israel's central Gaza strike

PALESTINIAN medical officials say at least 10 people were killed Saturday in an Israeli airstrike that apparently targeted a municipal meeting in central Gaza.

1 min

Indian-origin OpenAI whistleblower found dead

A 26-year-old Indian-origin former employee of the artificial intelligence giant OpenAI has died by suicide in San Francisco, authorities said.

1 min

Trump hosts Apple CEO at his Florida resort

DONALD Trump hosted Apple CEO Tim Cook for a Friday evening dinner at the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago resort, according to a person familiar with the matter.

1 min

Kavelashvili becomes Georgia's prez in blow to its EU aspirations

FORMER soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili became president of Georgia on Saturday, as the ruling party tightened its grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country's EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.

1 min

CEO KILLER IS US, NEW ANTI-HERO

S thought leaders are struggling to deal with the fallout of the killing of Brian Thompson, CEO of the insurer United Healthcare.

3 mins

Credit card delinquencies increase by 110 bps to 7.6%

INDICATING the rising indebtedness of individuals and households, delinquency rates among credit card issuers or the portfolio at risk in the banking parlance, have risen by as much as 110 basis points to 7.6% as of June 2024 from 6.5% in June 2023.

1 min

ED hands over BPSL's assets worth ₹4k cr to JSW

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) handed over Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd (BPSL's) assets worth ₹4,025 crore to JSW, which successfully bid for BPSL under the insolvency resolution process.

1 min

Can't let big biz into banking yet

Reserve Bank needs to take extra care when it comes to digital lenders, says KV Kamath

3 mins

Late heartbreak for Kerala Blasters

MOHUN Bagan Super Giant posted their fifth consecutive home win by defeating Kerala Blasters FC by 3-2 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Saturday.

1 min

RENAISSANCE IN CRICKET

With the presence of ex-Oz players in the team, Italy Cricket Federation has shown ambitions to cultivate the sport; their immediate aim will be to qualify for the T20 World Cup in 2026

4 mins

Jota rescues 10-man Liverpool, Arsenal frustrated

DIOGO Jota rescued Liverpool as the Premier League leaders recovered from Andy Robertson's early red card to snatch a 2-2 draw with Fulham, while Arsenal's title challenge was dented by a goalless stalemate against Everton on Saturday.

2 mins

'I am Truth Wing, I am Bharat Wing'

Anand Neelakantan talks to Vikram Sampath about the dichotomy in the narrative regarding Tipu Sultan, and allegations that the author is part of the 'right-wing' historians group

6 mins

Between Consent and Control

During a scene in the play Urmila, the audience spontaneously leans forward and starts clapping spontaneously.

2 mins

The Partisan Burden of Legislative Umpires

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi called India the Mother of Democracy, he wasn't kidding.

2 mins

Brew a Cup of Beauty

This hot cup of flavoured tea promises clearer skin and a radiant glow

1 min

Coffee, Coorg and Avocado

A quaint hillstation in the Western Ghats is witnessing an avocado revolution

2 mins

The Time to Love is Now

Cherish and love those around you while they are still here, as regret often strikes when it's too late

2 mins

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