economy, business and finance

Minister wishes for ‘Turkish blue’ in his garden, but gets ‘flame red’

Thrissur: When Minister for Agriculture V. S. Sunil Kumar visited the Regional Agriculture ..

1100 litre adulterated coconut oil seized from Kozhikode

Kozhikode: The Food Safety Wing seized 1100 litre adulterated coconut oil in a raid conducted at Moorikkara Sai Distributors here. ..

Marigold flowers in 3-acre land blooms in Thillankeri ahead of Onam

Maloor (Kannur): Marigold flowers (Chendumalli) has bloomed in a three cent land near the Thillankeri Panakkatt temple in the valley ..

Agricultural loans: Kerala requests Centre to extend moratorium for one year

New Delhi: The Kerala government has requested the central government to extend the moratorium for agricultural loans for one more ..

Subsidised rice not to be available in Onam markets

Thiruvananthapuram: Subsidised rice under Public Distribution System (PDS) will not be available in the Onam markets in the state this ..

Tirur betel leaf, Edayur chilli get GI tag; Farmers, merchants rejoice

Malappuram: The farmers and merchants of Tirur and Edayur here are rejoicing as the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has approved ..

Gold may surge to Rs 40,000 per 10 gram by Diwali

Mumbai: Amid global growth concerns and heightened trade tensions between the US and China, gold prices might cross the Rs 40,000 mark ..

Dinosaur skeleton in Dubai Mall to be auctioned; Starting price Rs 28 cr

Dubai: The Dubai based Emirates Auction is planning to put for auction the Dinosaur skeleton which is a crowd puller at Dubai Mall ..

Farmers in Kerala struggle to overcome losses after flood havoc

Mankulam (Idukki): The first day of the Malayalam month of ‘Chingam’ is observed as the farmers’ day in Kerala. But ..

Flood relief: CMDRF receives Rs 39 crore as contribution in one week

Thiruvananthapuram: A total of Rs 39 crore has been contributed to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) from the ..

Gold prices skyrocket, touch Rs 28,000

Kochi: Gold prices touched the all-time high mark of Rs 28,000 per sovereign (equivalent to 10 grams) and Rs 3500 per gram on Friday ..

Plant this tree to prevent soil piping and mudslide

The tribal people of Cebu island in Philippines used to grow a type of fruit trees to prevent soil erosion. The roots of the tree were ..

Failed transactions will not be included as valid ATM transaction: RBI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday clarified that those transactions which fail on account of technical and other specified ..

Govt gets Rs 221 crore from unclaimed prize money from lottery last year

Kozhikode: The state government could earn a total of Rs 220.99 crore from unclaimed prize money of winning lottery tickets in the ..

CBI not up to standards of judicial scrutiny: CJI

New Delhi: Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Tuesday said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) enjoys tremendous trust among ..

India's passenger vehicles sales slump 31% in July

New Delhi: India's domestic passenger vehicle sales fell 30.9% in July, an auto industry body said on Tuesday, marking a ninth ..

Transfer funds under NEFT 24x7 from December onwards

Mumbai: The RBI has decided to allow round-the-clock fund transfers through NEFT from December this year in order to promote digital ..

RBI cuts interest rate by 35 bps, 4th in row

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank on Wednesday cut key interest rate for the fourth consecutive time, as it reduces repo rate by 35 basis points ..

Gold price at record high; Rs 27,200 for sovereign

Mumbai: Price of gold on Wednesday surged to an all-time high of Rs 27,200 for a sovereign. On Wednesday alone, there was an increase ..

Free visa for children: Tourists, families flock to UAE

Dubai: It has been noted that the visa fee exemption for children aged below 18 years has attracted more families to United Arab Emirates ..

Airfares to Kerala skyrocket ahead of festive season, expats to have a tough time

Dubai: When Onam and Bakrid are round the corner, Keralites in UAE are eagerly waiting to celebrate the holidays with their family ..

Rupee plummets amid Kashmir tension, Yuan fall

Mumbai: The rupee was trading down by 77 paise at 70.37 against the American currency on Monday, amid uncertainty over Kashmir Issue ..

Village offices to turn ‘smart’ in state

Edappal: The state revenue department is all set to make a reformation of village offices with ‘Smart Revenue Office’ project ..

Trains to undertake service with diesel engine through non-electrified route

Thrissur: The railway has decided to operate train with diesel engine on the routes which are not electrified so far. It is learned ..

Here’s a priest who treasures fresh produce for all at his ‘Bethlehem’

Preserving the goodness of nature for the future generation, a church priest has proved what we can do for tomorrow. Bishop Mar Yohannan ..

No more agri gold loans to non-farmers from October 1, Centre to issue order soon

Thiruvananthapuram: The central government is planning to limit distribution of agricultural loans by pledging gold among farmers only ..

More flights to Gulf countries from Kerala during festive season, assures union minister

New Delhi: With an aim to ease transportation of NRIs during festive season, more air services will be operated from Kerala to Gulf ..

Railway projects worth Rs 2000 cr come to a halt in Kerala

Palakkad: Union railway minister Piyush Goyal revealed that railway projects worth Rs 2000 crore have been interrupted in Kerala due ..

60,000 houses to get Rooftop solar plants in first phase

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Board has approved the rooftop solar power plant project. In the first phase, solar ..

FASTag to be mandatory at toll plazas: Vehicles without tag to be fined

What is FASTag? FASTag sticker is pasted on the windscreen of the vehicle. The toll is collected using radio frequency identification ..

Percussionist turns inventor; develops ‘low cost areca nut peeler’

A new easy areca nut peeler developed by Kozhikode Panthalayani native Ramakrishnan has become popular for its simplicity and affordability ..

Zomato shuts up bigotry, says food has no religion after customer seeks non-Muslim rider

New Delhi: Food delivery company Zomato is winning the internet after it refused on Wednesday to resolve a customer's complaint ..

Chief minister with Netherlands Ambassador

CM offers service of 40,000 Kerala nurses to resolve shortage in Netherlands

New Delhi: Kerala Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured the service of Keralites to resolve shortage of nurses in the Netherlands ..

Fisherfolk hope for bumper catch as trawling ban ends

Kollam: Fisherfolk in coastal village are in excitement as the 52-day long trawling ban will end on Wednesday midnight. Fishing boats ..

Govt approves Semi-High-Speed rail project alignment

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has sanctioned the alignment of Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod semi-high-speed railway project ..

SBI reduces interest rate on all term deposits

Mumbai: Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) on Monday said it will reduce interest paid on all term deposits from ..

GST Council slashes tax on electric vehicles

New Delhi: Close on the heels of Union Budget providing tax relief for buying electric vehicles, the GST Council in its 36th meeting ..

Plant Coleus in garden; The colourful foliage that outshines flowers

Coleus is a beautiful garden plant that is loved for its colourful foliage. The leaves change the colours as the new shoots emerge ..

Mercedes-Benz cars to get dearer from August

Luxury carmaker, Mercedes-Benz, has announced a price hike of upto 3 per cent which will be effective from the first week of August ..

Centre to privatise Calicut airport

Mumbai: The Central Government has taken action to privatise 10 more airports including Kozhikode in the next phase of privatisation ..

Temple staff hits jackpot twice; Rs 40 lakh then, Rs 5 cr now

Parassinikkadavu: A staff of Parassini Sree Muthappan Temple ‘Madappura’ has hit a jackpot for the second time. A member ..

Kerala to contribute Rs 5374 cr for NH development

Thiruvananthapuram: State finance department has decided to provide Rs 5374 crore for acquiring land for national highway development ..

‘Dam 999’ director Sohan Roy bags GMF Pravasi Award in Germany

Dubai: UAE-based NRI industrialist Sohan Roy, Chairman and CEO of Aries Group, has been bestowed with this year’s German Global ..

Rs 2300 cr remain unclaimed in Kuwait banks for years

Kuwait City: More than KWD 10 crore remains unclaimed in various banks in Kuwait, it is reported. About Rs 2300 crore remains unclaimed ..

Google chases Amazon, debuts shopping platform

San Francisco: In a bid to take on Amazon in the burgeoning e-commerce space, Google has debuted its new shopping platform for the ..

Govt to give Rs 6 cr to Kerala Automobile Ltd for electric vehicles

Kottayam: State government has sanctioned Rs 6 crores to Kerala Automobile Limited (KAL), a public sector automobile manufacturing ..

Inform us of stand on plea to revise reservation list of BCs: HC to govt

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the government to inform it of its stand on a plea seeking to revise the list of reservation ..

CMFRI aims to develop online platform to benefit fish producers

Kochi: In a major initiative to benefit fish producers, consumers, traders and processors in the country, the Central Marine Fisheries ..

Kuwait-based businessman Suresh Pillai receives Vayalar Samskarika Vedi award

Thiruvananthapuram: Suresh Pillai, noted businessman in Kuwait, received the award constituted by Vayalar Ramavarma Samskarika Vedi ..

Govt tells Air India to freeze all appointments, promotions

New Delhi: In the wake of its proposed privatization, the government has asked Air India to put a freeze on large-scale promotion and ..

Minister comes all the way to see ‘mootty’ fruit; returns after tasting it

Curious about the rare medicinal herb ‘mootty’ fruit, Minister for Agriculture V. S. Sunil Kumar came all the way to the ..

Oman Air cancels services to major cities including Kozhikode

Muscat: Oman Air has announced that they are cancelling services to major cities in India including Kozhikode and other sectors till ..

Beneficiaries who violate norms in Life Mission Project may face axe

Thiruvananthapuram: Beneficiaries of Life Mission project will face a setback if they violated the norms of the project while constructing ..

Major reforms that shaped Indian banking system

The banking system has drastically changed leaving no trace of the old ways. Fourteen major commercial banks accounting for 70 percent ..

Half green, half red; 2 in 1 Robusta and Chenkadali banana bunch pulls a crowd

Being one of the most loved fruits in Kerala, a bunch of bananas is unlikely to attract much attention as it is very common here. But ..

No central fund for Sabarimala-Pamba development: Union Minister

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Babul Supriyo said in the Lok sabha that the Centre has not allowed ..

Mobile app to act as guide for mushroom farming and industry

The Directorate of Mushroom Research at Solan of Himachal Pradesh has introduced a mobile app ‘’ including detailed information ..

50 years since nationalization of banks

Nationalization is the process of transforming private assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national ..

NRI businessman’s suicide: Govt gives clean chit to Anthoor municipality

Kochi: In the suicide of NRI businessman Saji Parayil at Anthoor in Kannur, the LDF government informed the High Court that there were ..

Engineering students develop ‘robot’ for easy harvesting of coconuts

Thrissur: The students of Christ Engineering College in Irinjalakuda have developed a unique machine that helps coconut farmers in ..

Auto driver wins lottery worth Rs 60 lakh

Mallappalli (Pathanamthitta): An autorickshaw driver won the first prize of Kerala Sthree Sakthi lottery worth Rs 60 lakh. Kottangal ..

Medical insurance scheme for state govt employees to start from Aug 1

Thiruvananthapuram: The Medical Insurance Scheme for State Employees and Pensioners (MEDISEP) will come into force from August 1. Annual ..

Former expat all set to reap gold from fish farming in 2-cent plot

Former expat Raveendran residing in Pallikkal Bazar is all set to reap a good harvest from his aquaculture. He had been working in ..

KSEB among 4 companies shortlisted for Udupi-Kerala 400 KV electric line tender

Kannur: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is among the four companies which submitted tender for the construction of Udupi-Kerala ..

School kids turn discarded milk packets into grow bags for sowing seeds

Cherai (Ernakulam): A group of school students set a model for the society by planting seeds in grow bags made of discarded milk packets ..

India's marine fish production down by 9 percent as sardine catch drops

Kochi: Consequent to a drop in the catch of oil sardine from Indian coasts by 54 per cent, India's marine fish production in 2018 ..

Special water train reaches Chennai from Vellore

Chennai: In an effort to meet the water requirements of a parched Chennai, a special 50 wagon train carrying water from Tamil Nadu's ..

Dubai to offer free 30-day alcohol licence for tourists

Dubai: Dubai will now offer a free 30-day alcohol licence for tourists, a move that ensures visitors will not be penalised for breaking ..

'Biryani combo lunch' from Viyyur Prison becomes huge hit online

Thrissur: The online sale of biryani combo lunch in Viyyur Central Prison seems to be a successful venture as it got huge demand in ..

Villages outgrowing cities in Kerala; Huge rise in number of buildings

Pathanamthitta: There is a huge increase in the building construction in villages in Kerala. A total of 51,539 buildings for industrial-commercial ..

Post-AI Express incident, DGCA finds safety lapses at Karripur airport

New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA on Thursday issued show cause notice to the director of the Calicut international airport after ..

State to form NRK investment company

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala cabinet has decided to form an investment company with the partnership of expat Keralites under the ..

Rural road network: Kerala faces neglect from Centre again

New Delhi: Kerala has been again neglected by the Centre in rural connectivity scheme. When the union cabinet approved the third phase ..

Decision on water tariff hike soon: K. Krishnankutty

Thiruvananthapuram: State Minister for Water Resources, K. Krishnankutty on Wednesday said that a decision regarding increasing the ..

Muslim village in Kerala that grows lotus for temples, supplied them for PM's function

Guruvayur: During early mornings and late evenings, Edakkulam village of Thirunavaya Grama panchayat in Malappuram district of Kerala ..

Kinaloor Estate land scam: POA issued on stamp paper worth Rs 300; Govt loses Rs 50 crore

Kozhikode: In order to fragment and sell the 2438-acre land in the Kinaloor Estate, the power of attorney (POA) was issued in a stamp ..

Teacher loses Rs 9 lakh after responding to call from ‘bank manager’ in Kannur

Kannur: A woman who responded to a caller claiming to be a ‘bank manager’ revealed her account number, username and password ..

Defensive strokes, dropped catches, no balls in Budget: Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi: The Union Budget has "unnecessarily defensive strokes, dropped catches and quite a few no balls", Congress leader ..

Sharp increase in electricity charges in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Electricity charges in Kerala have been increased sharply. The power tariff has been increased by 6.8 percent. ..

Interstate buses evade tax by shifting passengers to Kerala registration buses on border

Parassala: It has been found that interstate luxury buses conclude their service on the Kerala border for evading tax. The passengers ..

Sensex tanks over 400 pts on global selloff

Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmark BSE Sensex cracked over 400 points in early trade Monday dragged by losses in HDFC twins, L&T ..

Now take GoAir flights to Dubai, Kuwait from Kannur

New Delhi: Budget airline GoAir on Sunday announced a happy news for Kannur natives. The airline will operate two directs flights to ..

Revised electricity charges to be announced within 2 days

Thiruvananthapuram: Revised electricity charges will be announced on Monday or Tuesday. The Regulatory Commission has decided to increase ..

Haritha Finance scam: 2nd accused Shalini claims she was unaware of fraud

Nedumkandam: In connection with the financial fraud case in which Rajkumar was named first accused, the second accused Shalini stated ..

Gold from Gulf to be in high demand in coming days

Dubai: As the customs duty on gold was increased by 2.5 percent in the union budget, there will be huge difference in the market price ..

Union Budget ignored Kerala; CPM to observe July 9 as protest day

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM will observe July 9 as a protest day against the Union Budget and anti-public policies of the union government ..

Kerala witnesses all-time record in paddy production after floods

Kerala witnessed a record breaking increase in the harvest of Puncha paddy farming this year. A total of 6.94 lakh metric ton paddy ..

Kollam woman wins Rs 22 crore in Abu Dhabi raffle

Abu Dhabi: A Keralite has won a jackpot of Rs 22 crore ($3.2 million) at the Big Ticket raffle in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital ..

UAE to give free mobile phone SIM cards to tourists

Dubai: Tourists visiting the United Arab Emirates will be given free mobile phone SIM cards with 20 MB data as a gift without providing ..

Scrap dealer wins Rs 60 lakh jackpot in Pathanamthitta

Pathanamthitta: Tamil Nadu native Subramaniam and wife Lakshmi never thought that they will get such a surprise from Kerala. Subramaniam ..

Union govt policy to reduce fuel consumption; Price hike won’t affect public: M.T. Ramesh

KochI: BJP state secretary M.T. Ramesh said the additional tax and cess imposed on petrol and diesel in the Union Budget will not affect ..

Union Budget completely disappointing for Kerala: Thomas Isaac

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said the Union Budget was completely disappointing for the state. “The ..

Petrol price to rise by Rs 2.5, diesel by Rs 2.3 after FM raises tax

New Delhi: Petrol price will be hiked by over Rs 2.5 per litre and diesel by more than Rs 2.3 after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ..

Pinarayi Vijayan flays Union Budget

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Friday slammed the Union budget, saying the Centre did not heed the State's ..

Congress slams budget as 'old wine in a new bottle'

New Delhi: Describing the Union Budget as "insipid" and "old wine in a new bottle", the Congress on Friday alleged ..

Subsidised rice to be available in Onam market after CM’s intervention

KIIFB projects delayed; Rs 45000 cr approved, projects of only Rs 7031 cr started