The New Indian Express Kochi - December 18, 2024

In this issue

December 18, 2024

'One poll' bill introduced in LS

Draws fierce protest from Oppn; govt ready to send it to a joint parliamentary committee

2 mins

'One poll' bill introduced in LS

Draws fierce protest from Oppn; govt ready to send it to a joint parliamentary committee

2 mins

Drive responsibly or face music, MVD tells private bus operators

APPARENTLY identifying reckless driving by private bus drivers as a major cause of the alarming rise in the number of road accidents in the state, the motor vehicles department (MVD) has come out with a slew of deterrent measures like geotagging the carriers using GPS and suspending the permit of vehicles that cause serious accidents.

1 min

NTA to manage higher edu entrance tests alone

In a significant shift from its role, the National Testing Agency (NTA) will now focus solely on conducting entrance exams for admissions to higher education institutions.

1 min

Two arrested for dragging tribal man along road

POLICE have arrested two youngsters in connection with the incident in which a tribal man, Mathan, was dragged alongside a car for around 400m near Mananthavady in Wayanad.

1 min

Congress treated Constitution as pvt fiefdom: Shah

UNION home minister and the BJP's principal strategist Amit Shah on Tuesday tore into the Congress, terming it an anti-reservation party that recklessly amended the Constitution of India to pander to its appeasement politics during its long stint in government.

1 min

SC seeks data on population of Orthodox, Jacobite groups

HEARING the dispute between the Malankara Orthodox Church and the Jacobite Church, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that status quo be maintained regarding the management and administration of the churches till the next date of hearing, which is on January 29 and 30, 2025.

2 mins

Soon, over a dozen women to steer Kochi Metro e-feeder autorickshaws

Training for 1st batch of 17 women nearing completion, 2nd batch of 20 women being trained

2 mins

Ganja flow to Ernakulam rises as harvest season begins in Odisha

WITH the ganja harvest season on in Odisha, there has been a rise in the flow of narcotic substances to Ernakulam district over the past one month.

1 min

Tyre debris on runway: AI Express flight makes emergency landing

A KOCHI-BAHRAIN Air India Express flight had to make an emergency landing at the Kochi airport on Tuesday afternoon after the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) ordered it to turn back as tyre debris were detected on the runway after takeoff.

1 min

St Martin church Vicar prohibited from celebrating Holy Mass

THE Apostolic Administrator of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archeparchy, Bishop Bosco Puthur, has issued a directive prohibiting Fr Thomas Valookaran, vicar of the St Martin De Porres Church at Palarivattom, from celebrating Holy Mass or officiating any sacraments or ecclesiastical functions in the parish and all its institutions or chapels with immediate effect.

1 min

Corp fines dist collector ₹25k for illegal hoardings

THE placement of illegal hoardings as part of Karuthalum Kaithangum—a taluk-level complaint redressal adalat organised by the government in Thiruvananthapuram recently—has landed the district collector in trouble.

1 min

For Eldhose, it was last journey back home for Christmas

LEELAMMA, sister of Eldhose, was inconsolable as the neighbours handed over a carry bag recovered from the spot where his body was found.

2 mins

With an eye on elections, UDF to focus on ways to address people's issues

UDF to take out marches

2 mins

Guard of honour at religious rituals to stay

Practice to continue for time being, says Vasavan. Home dept had decided to do away with it at September meet

2 mins

Ferry fares in state may go up, govt to take call

TAKING the state water transport department (SWTD) boats would cost you more if the government approves a study by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) recommending to hike the minimum fare of passenger boats from the current ₹6 to ₹10.

1 min

Bitten by rats 15 times, vaccination overdose paralyses TS student

A CLASS X student, Samudra Laxmi Bhavani Keerthi, from BC Residential School in Danavaigudem, Khammam, is now paralysed due to what doctors suspect is an overdose of anti-rabies vaccine.

1 min

Sabari rail project better proposal than Chengannur-Pampa route, says Pinarayi

The state government will seek the Union government's sanction for the Sabari rail project implementation in two phases.

1 min

NIA court convicts 3 IM operatives from Bhatkal

THE Special Court for NIA Cases convicted three Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives for conspiring to carry out bomb blasts ahead of US President Barack Obama's 2015 visit to India.

1 min

Mullaperiyar dam water level will be raised to 152ft, says TN minister

Roshy questions it, says he didn't understand on what grounds minister made the statement

1 min

Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad arrives in Kerala

CARDINAL George Jacob Koovakad landed in Kerala on Tuesday on his maiden visit to the state after being ordained cardinal.

1 min

GROWING ENTERPRISES IN A TIME-TESTED INDIAN WAY

OME accomplished chief financial officers of established companies like Tata Consultancy, Tata Chemicals and KPMG set up a think tank as a body that would engage with relevant audiences—India Inc, regulators, administrators—to create and nurture better-governed enterprises.

3 mins

ONE ELECTION CAN BE FIRST OF MANY REFORMS

We should use the move for simultaneous elections to call for other political reforms, such as greater transparency in parties' internal affairs and mandatory reports on manifesto pledges

2 mins

Govt lacks 2/3rd majority to push bill, says Tharoor

As the government tabled two Bills on 'One Nation One Election' on Tuesday, the Congress party has raised questions about whether the NDA government has the requisite numbers to pass them in Lok Sabha.

1 min

OTTs glorifying drug use under govt lens

THE OTT (over-the-top) platforms are on the radar of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for streaming content that reportedly glamorises and glorifies the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

1 min

Nadda accuses Cong of attempting to introduce religion-based quota

QUOTING BR Ambedkar, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha JP Nadda on Tuesday accused the Congress of attempting to introduce religion-based reservations.

1 min

Govt lacks 2/3rd majority to push bill, says Tharoor

AS the government tabled two Bills on 'One Nation One Election' on Tuesday, the Congress party has raised questions about whether the NDA government has the requisite numbers to pass them in Lok Sabha.

1 min

ED conducts raids at 21 locations in case on betting app owned by Pak nationals

Owners and handlers

1 min

HC judge appears before SC collegium over remarks on UCC at VHP function

ALLAHABAD High Court judge Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, who stirred controversy with his statement at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) event, appeared before the Supreme Court collegium on Tuesday to present his side of the issue.

1 min

Erratic rains, warm winter hit sugar production

Crunching numbers

2 mins

Hike NREGS wages, don't make Aadhaar payment must, says House panel

FLAGGING concern over the low wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a Parliamentary Panel has recommended raising the wages of the workers.

1 min

Bhujbal ups ante, fires 'toy' salvo at Ajit Pawar for no cabinet position

SENIOR NCP leader and former deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday upped the ante against his party leader Ajit Pawar for denying him a place in the Maha Yuti cabinet.

1 min

Restoration of statehood: Omar to meet Shah today

NEARLY two months after the passage of a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir cabinet on restoration of statehood, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is likely to meet Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital for the second time on Wednesday.

1 min

Over 8L ration cards cancelled, Cong says tribals worst affected

BETWEEN 2013 and 2024, a total of 815,734 ration cards were cancelled in Gujarat, the Centre on Tuesday told the Rajya Sabha.

1 min

UP presents its 2nd supplementary budget worth ₹17.8K cr in Assembly

THE Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday presented its second supplementary budget of ₹17,865.72 crore, which includes new proposals worth ₹790.49 crore for 2024-25.

1 min

PM promises tap water to all homes

Modi lays foundation stone for much-awaited Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project in Jaipur

2 mins

A Punjab sad story written in Georgian ski resort

OF the 12 people found dead at a restaurant in the ski resort of Gudauri, Georgia, possibly due to carbon monoxide poisoning, 11 were Indian nationals with most of them from Punjab.

2 mins

Rescue efforts on as 7.3 quake flattens buildings in Vanuatu

A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific nation of Vanuatu on Tuesday, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila, including one used by foreign embassies, with a witness saying of bodies lying in the city.

1 min

Was target of suicide attack during 2021 Iraq visit: Pope

POPE Francis turned 88 on Tuesday and marked the occasion with revelations that he almost didn't make it.

1 min

Russian Gen heading N-arms vertical assassinated

Ukraine claims responsibility, accuses Igor Kirillov of using banned chemical weapons in ongoing war; Moscow treating it as terror attack

1 min

Chinese leader convicted in mega graft case executed

CHINA on Tuesday executed Li Jianping, a former official in the north Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, who was convicted in the largest-ever corruption case in the country totaling to over $421 million.

1 min

Adani group firm Ambuja merges Penna Cements, Sanghi Ind with itself

AMBUJA Cements, the cement and building material company of Adani Group, announced the merger of Sanghi Industries (SIL) and Penna Cement Industries with itself.

1 min

ED hands over ₹22,000 cr worth properties attached under PMLA to owners

THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) has handed over properties worth ₹22,280 crore attached under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to victims or their legitimate claimants, finance ministry has informed parliament.

1 min

Domestic market declines on trade deficit, weakening rupee

DOMESTIC equity market declined sharply on Tuesday with the benchmarks - BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty50 - cracking nearly 1.5% each.

1 min

Sebi may tighten SME listing norms, bring in transparency

THE Securities and Exchange Board's (Sebi) board meeting slated for Wednesday is likely to come up with a slew of measures to clean the SME IPOs space that has, of late, received regulatory attention.

1 min

ITC Hotel demerger from January 1, 2025

FMCG giant ITC Ltd has fixed January 1, 2025 as the effective date for the demerger of its hotel business after receiving an order from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

1 min

Slower Q2 GDP growth temporary blip, will see healthy growth in coming qtrs: FM

FINANCE Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has termed the second quarter GDP growth slowdown a temporary blip and expressed her confidence that the economy will see healthy growth in the coming quarters.

1 min

Gold import up on tariff cut, UAE pact

331% rise in import of yellow metal to $15 bn in Nov resulted in trade deficit, pressure on rupee

2 mins

Bid in satellite spectrum not feasible: Scindia

A day after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised concerns over the government's decision to administratively allocate satellite spectrum in the country, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday defended the move, saying that satellite spectrum is neither suitable nor practical for auction.

1 min

RAHUL AND JADEJA BRING ORDER AS INDIA TAIL WAGS

Poor form and captaincy issues could be two unrelated things as Rohit falls for another low score on day four in Brisbane on Tuesday

7 mins

Chelsea's Mudryk fails drugs test: Club

CHELSEA forward Mykhailo Mudryk has failed a doping test, the Premier League club said on Tuesday, as reports stated the Ukraine international has been provisionally suspended.

1 min

RAHUL AND JADEJA BRING ORDER AS INDIA TAIL WAGS

SOMEWHERE in the middle of the first innings, Virat Kohli rushed out of the Gabba dressing room, called up Abhimanyu Easwaran, told him something in earnestness and sent him off to the ground.

3 mins

Two World Champions, 31 GMs, Tamil Nadu is the best: Anand

OPEN rooftop car. Scores of people. Cavalcade of cars. It was another maddening but memorable day in the newly-crowned world champ, D Gukesh's, life.

2 mins

Rana wouldn't have got into our playing XI: Gujarat coach Klinger

GUJARAT GIANTS, after finishing last in the back-to-back Women's Premier League points table, went into the mini-auction looking to make a few important changes.

2 mins

Where sea debris turn art

PLAN At Art, an exhibition of artworks made of plastic waste that washed up on the Fort Kochi beach, is currently underway at the Jail of Freedom Struggle building in Fort Kochi.

1 min

A quiet suburban corner that was home to a revered judge

ONCE a quiet suburban neighbourhood in Kakkanad, Judgemukku is now a bustling corner littered with shops and businesses and a flurry of traffic. No passage through this locality is without thoughts meandering as to why the place got such a peculiar name.

2 mins

Bullish Market

Though far from realising its full potential, the new Ernakulam Market has mushroomed like a beacon of hope, a touchstone for vendors pitching their businesses against giant corporates

1 min

Where sea debris turn art

PLAN At Art, an exhibition of artworks made of plastic waste that washed up on the Fort Kochi beach, is currently underway at the Jail of Freedom Struggle building in Fort Kochi.

1 min

YOUNGEST-AT-IFFK TAG SERVES AS A COOL ICEBREAKER

In a conversation with TNIE, filmmaker Cyril Abraham Dennis speaks about his maiden feature film, Watusi Zombie, and his aspirations

3 mins

Beat the SADness

LAST week, during an online video consultation with my patient 'S' from the UK who has been undergoing treatment for depressive disorder with mood swings, I recognised that she was in a helpless state.

2 mins

'BANGLADESH WILL MOVE TOWARDS LIGHT'

Bangladeshi filmmaker Ahsan Kabir Liton opens up on the turmoil his country's cultural space is going through

3 mins

New posters of Empuraan and Dheeram out on Indrajith's b'day

As Indrajith Sukumaran celebrated his 45th birthday on Tuesday, the makers of his upcoming films L2: Empuraan and Dheeram released new posters featuring him.

1 min

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO USHER IN CHANGE

AMPONG Bras Basah in the Malay language movie La Luna might be several thousand miles away from Soorajmukhi in the interiors of North India in the Hindi film Laapataa Ladies, but the two quaint fictional villages share quite a lot in common even as both the films have themselves been among the 85 vying in the Best International Feature category at the Oscars.

2 mins

Wicked Part 2 gets title & release date

THE second part of the Wicked film, helmed by Jon M Chu, has now been titled Wicked: For Good.

1 min

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Express Publications (Madurai) Private Limited is the flagship company of The New Indian Express Group and is publishing Newspapers and Periodicals in the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa and Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Yanam and Lakshdweep. It brings out its publication of newspapers and periodicals from 33 Centres. It also has Marketing Offices in Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. The Company's publications include English Dailies viz. The New Indian Express and The Morning Standard and Sunday editions The Sunday Express and The Sunday Standard . The Morning Standard and The Sunday Standard are published from New Delhi. The company also brings out Tamil daily Dinamani and Samakalika Malayalam Varika, a weekly magazine in Malayalam. The Company's publications are popular and command large readership.