Page 12 - Kerala

Kerala human sacrifice case: Prime accused labelled a 'psychopath, pervert'

The Kerala Police probing the suspected human sacrifice case in Pathanamthitta district have identified the prime accused Mohammed Shafi as a "psychopath" and a "pervert"

Imposing Hindi unacceptable: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan writes to PM Modi

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that efforts to impose the Hindi language are "unacceptable".

Kerala, West Bengal to clash in National Games men's football final

Kerala and West Bengal will clash in the finals of the mens football competition in the 36th National Games

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan greetings to citizens on Eid-Milad-un-Nabi

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday extended his greetings to citizens on the occasion of Eid-Milad-un-Nabi, which is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. Vijayan, who is presently on a European tour, said on Twitter and his Facebook page that on this occasion people should celebrate Prophet Muhammad's message of love, kindness and brotherhood. "Eid-Milad-un-Nabi is an occasion to celebrate the message of love, kindness and brotherhood that Prophet Muhammad shared with us. May this day fill us with more happiness. Hearty wishes to all," he said in his tweet and FB post.

Finland ties up with Kerala govt to implement 'Little KITEs' model

Finland has expressed interest in implementing the Kerala Education Department's Little KITEs programme in their country's schools. Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) will provide technical assistance for this and a Special Working Group will be constituted for this programme, an official statement said here on Thursday. This was decided in the meeting held at Helsinki, Finland's capital city, between Finland Education Department's team and a high-level delegation from Kerala comprising state chief secretary V P Joy, State Planning Board Vice-Chairman V K Ramachandran and General Education Department Principal Secretary A P M Mohammed Hanish, it said. The Little KITEs IT clubs initiative is one of India's largest information and communications technology (ICT) network of students across more than 2,000 schools, totalling 1.70 lakh student members. "I congratulate all who are part of Little KITEs programme, which has gained global attention to the digital ...

Kerala's agriculture startup launches end-to-end supply chain for bananas

A Kerala-based agribusiness startup has launched an end-to-end supply chain connecting banana cultivators, traders and exporters on a single platform. The start-up, Greenikk, has built enablement centres (EC) in the major banana producing agricultural-belts in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to provide farmers with production and marketing-related support, a release issued by it on Thursday said. "These ECs will provide the farmers with required supports such as finance, seeds, crop advisory, insurance coverage, agri inputs, including weather tips, and market connect, covering the entire gamut of production and marketing both inside the country and outside," it said. "Similar ECs are planned in other south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and further scaling across the whole of India," the start-up said. The platform would also help farmers to better utilise the organic waste that is left behind after the harvest, as manure and poultry feed, the release said. Such ..

9 killed, nearly 38 injured after two buses collide in Kerala's Palakkad

Nine people were killed and 38 others were injured after a tourist bus carrying students crashed into a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus at Mangalam near Vadakkenchery area of Palakkad

Forest officials deploy drones to track tiger which killed cattle in Munnar

Forest officials in Munnar area of this high-range district in Kerala on Tuesday stepped up their efforts to catch the tiger, which killed at least 10 cows last weekend in Nyamakkad estate here, by increasing manpower and using drones to look for the big cat. The officials intensified their efforts after their attempts to catch the tiger by setting up three cages in the area did not fructify, a senior forest officer of the district said. "We were hoping to catch it in the cages set up here yesterday. Unfortunately, it did not go as we had hoped for. We will examine if the tiger came anywhere near the cages and will also put up food in and around them," a forest officer told a TV channel. A tiger sighting around two kilometers away from Nyamakkad estate also added to the apprehensions of the locals, already in fear over the killing of their cattle, as some of them told a TV channel that they were afraid in view of the recent attacks. As most of the local residents are estate workers

Teary farewell to Communist leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan in Kerala

CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Marxist party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, along with other leaders carried the body of Balakrishnan to the pyre readied at Payyambalam beach

Calicut University: Results of the second semester announced at uoc.ac.in

The second semester results for undergraduate degree programmes have been released by Calicut University which can be accessed by the candidates through the link provided on the official website

People throng roads to pay tribute to CPI-M leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan

After CPI-M leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's body was brought to his home district, Kannur in Kerala, a huge crowd thronged both sides of the road to have a last glimpse of the departed leader

CPI(M) leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan dead, party loses its 'smiling face'

CPI (M) senior leader and former Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, known for his organisational calibre and Parliamentary expertise, died at Apollo Hospital in Chennai on Saturday, party leaders said. He was 70. He had been undergoing treatment for cancer for some time, they said. Considered as the second strongest leader in the Kerala CPI(M) after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan these days, Balakrishnan was a politburo member of the Left party, who had served as the CPI(M)'s State secretary from 2015 to 2022. A multiple-time MLA, he also served as the Minister of Home and Tourism Affairs in the V S Achuthanandan Ministry during 2006-2011. Due to failing health, he stepped down as the party State secretary in August after being elected for the third consecutive term to the top organisational post early this year. Known for his no-nonsense attitude, diplomatic skills and decision-making capabilities, Balakrishnan had been a crisis manager for the party during turbulent ..

Arrested PFI leaders in Kerala sent to judicial custody till Oct 20

A special court here on Friday sent 11 Popular Front of India (PFI) activists, who were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently, to judicial custody till October 20. The accused were produced before the court as their NIA custody period ended today. The court has asked the NIA to produce the accused on October 20. Meanwhile, the NIA has sought seven day custody of the third accused, Abdul Sathar, who was recently arrested. The court will consider the custody application on Monday. The NIA has raised serious allegations against the banned PFI and its arrested leaders and claimed that the seized documents during the raids contain highly incriminating materials targeting prominent leaders of a particular community. In a remand report submitted before the NIA special court seeking custody of 10 accused in a case registered here, the agency also alleged that the radical Islamist outfit encouraged youth to join terrorist groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Islamic Sta

PFI ban: BJP slams Kerala govt's 'delaying tactics' against outfit

The BJP in Kerala on Friday accused the LDF government of adopting a 'delaying tactics' in its follow-up actions against the Popular Front of India (PFI) two days after it was banned by the Centre, alleging that it was part of the political agenda to woo the cadres of the radical Islamic outfit to the ruling CPI(M). The decision to ban the PFI was not a political decision but a legal action based on the grave findings of the union government and the national investigation agencies in this regard, BJP state chief K Surendran told reporters in Kozhikode. He also alleged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had given directions in a recent meeting of the district collectors and the police officials not to show any hurry in the follow-up action in connection with the ban. Charging that the CM had given a wrong message to religious fundamentalists and terror forces through such a directive, he said it was part of a tactical move to woo over 50,000 PFI cadres in the state to the Marxist party

S&P affirms Kerala's 'BB-/B' rating, gives outlook stable to state

Deficits resulting from spending on socio-economic programmes constrain ratings for the state: Agency

Kerala HC asks PFI to deposit Rs 5.20 crore for damage caused during bandh

Kerala High Court has directed the Popular Front of India general secretary Abdul Sattar, to deposit an amount of Rs 5.20 crores to the state Home Department for the damages incurred during its hartal

Kerala govt initiates implementation of Centre's ban on PFI, affiliates

Close on the heels of the Central government declaring the Popular Front of India (PFI) as a banned organisation, the Kerala government has initiated steps to implement the order by empowering the district administration and police to take action against the outlawed outfit's activities. The Home Department of the state government on Wednesday issued an order stating that since PFI, its associates, affiliates and fronts have been declared as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the powers which the state government can exercise have been delegated to the respective District Magistrates (DMs) and Police Superintendents (SPs). The DMs and SPs, in their respective jurisdictions, would be exercising powers under Sections 7 (power to prohibit the use of funds of an unlawful association and 8 (power to notify places used for the purpose of an unlawful association) of UAPA, the state government order said. The Union government on Wednesday had banned the PF

Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra to enter Tamil Nadu after last phase in Kerala

Accompanied by a huge crowd of supporters, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday morning began the last phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kerala. The foot march -- which resumed from Marthoma College Junction at Chungathara here -- would take a break at CKHS Manimooly at Vazhikadavu after covering around 8.6 km. According to the itinerary of the yatra, from Vazhikadavu, Gandhi would travel to Government Arts and Science College at Gudalur in Tamil Nadu by car. The march would resume from Government Arts and Science College at Gudalur around 5 pm and halt for the day at Gudalur Bus Stand after covering around 5.5 km. The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Kerala on September 10 evening and traversed through the state for 18 days. The 3,570 km and 150-day-long foot march started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP demands Kerala CM remove ally INL, minister over links with banned PFI

The Kerala unit of the BJP on Wednesday demanded that CM Pinarayi Vijayan should ask for resignation of State Ports Minister as he belongs to INL which has close relations with the now banned RIF

Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra to enter Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad constituency

The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra began its 18th day of march in Kerala on Wednesday with hundreds of party workers and followers accompanying Rahul Gandhi set to enter his Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency during the day. The march started from Pandikkad School Padi here and is scheduled to halt for a break at Wandoor junction around 10.30 am. It will enter the Wayanad constituency during the day, AICC general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said. "I had the honour and privilege of hoisting the flag today at our container campsite at 6:10 am. Today is the 18th day of Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kerala and the padayatris will walk 11 km in the morning entering Wayanad Parliamentary constituency," he tweeted. The foot march would resume at 5 pm from Naduvath in Wandoor and halt for the day at Nilambur town bus station in Malappuram. The Congress' 3,570 km and 150-day long foot march started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir.