Page 4 - South India

69th SOBHA Filmfare Awards South 2024: Here's the complete list of nominees

The SOBHA Filmfare Awards honour the best movies in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema. The event will held on August 3, 2024

Investment holding companies rally after Sebi delisting framework

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Thursday announced that with the entire public shareholding being extinguished, the holdcos will be delisted

Nagarjuna apologises after bodyguard pushes away disabled fan, check video

Tollywood actor Nagarjuna's bodyguard pushed a disabled fan at the airport, inviting backlash on social media. The actor has apologised, reassuring fans that it won't happen again

Rural India will continue to outpace urban expansion in FMCG sales: Kantar

Rural India remains a "bright star" for the growth of fast-moving consumer goods sales and the region is expected to maintain better pace of expansion than urban areas in the second quarter of 2024, a report said on Friday. According to a report from data, insights and consulting firm Kantar, rural India will maintain "better growth levels" racing ahead of the urban markets for FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) companies in the second quarter (April-June) of 2024. Terming the rural market as a "bright star", the report said it had a "resurgence" in 2024. While urban is likely to remain under stress, the rural may consolidate its position in second quarter of the year, it said. This growth in the rural areas is helped by region-centric measures by the government in the interim budget earlier this year, which provided stability. Moreover, populist measures are expected by some states which are going to face elections this year, said Kantar FMCG pulse report for Q2. "We should also b

K'taka HC grants anticipatory bail to Bhavani Revanna in kidnapping case

Karnataka High Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to Bhavani Revanna, mother of former JD(S) MP and rape accused Prajwal Revanna, in a kidnapping case involving one of the victims of her son's sexual assaults. The Court emphasised that Bhavani had already answered 85 questions during the investigation, making it unfair to claim she was not cooperating with the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing sexual abuse cases against Prajwal. The SIT had sought her custody in connection with the kidnapping of a house-help in K R Nagar in Mysuru district, after she failed to attend questioning. Justice Krishna S Dixit, while allowing Bhavani's petition seeking anticipatory bail, urged that media trials be avoided and underlined the importance of not making unnecessary arrests of women, noting their central role in families. The judge also highlighted that the allegations of non-cooperation were unconvincing since Bhavani had already provided extensive responses during her

Like advanced democracies, paper ballots should be used: YSRCP Chief Jagan

YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday called for paper ballots to replace Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in elections. Following a humiliating electoral debacle in the recently held Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh, the former chief minister claimed that almost every advanced democracy uses paper ballots. "In electoral practices across the world in almost every advanced democracy, paper ballots are used, not EVMs," Reddy said in a post on 'X'. To uphold the true spirit of our (India) democracy, the Andhra Pradesh opposition leader opined that 'we too must move towards the same (postal ballots)'. "Just as justice should not only be served, but should also appear to have been served, so should democracy not only prevail but must appear to be prevalent undoubtedly," he added. YSRCP was relegated to just 11 Assembly and four Lok Sabha seats in the recently concluded simultaneous elections in Andhra Pradesh. The NDA comprising TDP, BJP and Janasena won a lands

Former CMs Kumaraswamy and Bommai quit as MLAs after winning LS polls

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai, who have been elected as MPs in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, on Saturday resigned as members of the state Legislative Assembly. Kumaraswamy and Bommai submitted their resignations to Assembly Speaker U T Khader at his office here, an official statement said. While Kumaraswamy represented Channapatna Assembly segment Bommai was an MLA from Shiggaon seat. Kumaraswamy, who was elected to Lok Sabha from Mandya constituency, is now Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries in Prime Minister Narendra Modi- led cabinet, while Bommai represents Haveri Lok Sabha seat. With both these Assembly seats now falling vacant, the Election Commission will have to announce by-polls to these segments.

Former PM Indira Gandhi 'mother of India': Union Minister Suresh Gopi

Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Wednesday described former PM Indira Gandhi as the "mother of India" and late Congress Chief Minister K Karunakaran as a "courageous administrator". The BJP leader also called Karnuakaran and Marxist veteran E K Nayanar as his "political gurus". Gopi was speaking to reporters after visiting the memorial of Karunakaran, "Murali Mandiram" located in Punkunnam here. Interestingly, Suresh Gopi had won Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency by dashing the hopes of Karunakaran's son and Congress leader K Muraleedharan who finished third in a triangular contest in the April 26 polls. Urging mediapersons not to add any political connotation to his visit to Karunakaran memorial, the BJP leader said he came here to pay his respects to his "guru". He said like Nayanar and his wife Sarada Teacher, he had close relations with Karunakaran and his wife Kalyanikutty Amma also. He had visited Nayanar's home in Kannur and renewed his relationship with his family members on .

Vijay Sethupathi's 50th movie, Maharaja, is set to hit theatres tomorrow

Vijay Sethupathi-starrer Maharaja movie is all set to release in theatres across the world on June 14, 2024. Here's all you need to know

Actor Darshan held for fan's murder who sent abusive texts to his partner

Police investigation revealed that the ardent fan of Darshan was sending a defamatory text to the actor's partner Pavithra. Police arrested both Darshan and Pavithra

South India office market on the fast lane driven by IT sector, GCCs

Real estate management firm JLL reports that the combined share of southern cities in India's annual net absorption has remained between 54-56 per cent during 2022 and 2023

Southern India tackles water scarcity as reservoir levels down at 15%: CWC

With the southern region most hit at just 15 per cent total live storage capacity in reservoirs, the storage capacity this year is below the average of last 10 years during the corresponding period, the Central Water Commission (CWC) data has revealed. The CWC's analysis also indicated a week-on-week decrease in storage levels, affecting not only the southern region but also the nation as a whole. As of last Thursday, the southern region's reservoir capacity stood at 16 per cent, dropping from 17 per cent the previous week. The bulletin from the CWC said the southern region has been severely impacted, with reservoirs operating at only 15 per cent of their total live storage capacity. The data from the CWC shows that storage levels this year are lower than both the corresponding period last year and the ten-year average for the same period. Nationally, out of 150 monitored reservoirs, the total live storage capacity is 178.784 billion cubic metres (BCM), approximately 69.35 per cen

Amid pushback, Sam Pitroda resigns as chairman of Indian Overseas Congress

This comes after Pitroda triggered controversy on Wednesday with his "people of the east look like the Chinese and those of the south look like Africa" remarks

Birla unit acquires ARMC IVF centre to foray into South Indian market

Birla Fertility & IVF, a part of C K Birla Group, on Wednesday said it has forayed into the South Indian market with the acquisition of ARMC IVF Fertility Centre for an undisclosed amount. Currently, Birla Fertility & IVF operates 30 centres and with the acquisition, it has expanded its presence across Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, by adding seven more centres and taking the total to 37 outlets across the country. "ARMC IVF and its Founder and Medical Director, Dr KU Kunjimoideen, have served the patients in the southern region with the highest level of fertility care, and through this partnership, we will continue to uphold this commitment," C K Avanti Birla, Founder (Birla Fertility & IVF, C K Birla Healthcare), said in a statement. The company plans to expand its footprint to 100 clinics with an investment of over Rs 500 crore over the next-3-4 years. The growth from 37-100 centres would encompass both organic and inorganic routes and in some cases partnerships as .

Andhra: Politics not '5-minute noodles', needs patience, says Pawan Kalyan

Politics is not a five-minute noodles and one can not expect quick results as leaders have to earn the trust of people by withstanding turbulence and setbacks, Janasena founder and actor Pawan Kalyan has said. Janasena, TDP and BJP are NDA partners in Andhra Pradesh for the May 13 polls. Comparing the vision of the National Democratic Alliance for Andhra Pradesh, and that of the ruling YSR Congress party in the state, he said the former has got more credible leadership, people with commitment and experience. He appealed to the people to vote for the alliance, alleging that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy completely damaged and messed up the state during the last five years. "You have to understand. We all think that politics is a fast food (and expect) fast food results. You want to make it immediately. You want results immediately. It is not a five-minute Maggi noodles. When I look at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash, when I look at Ramana Lohia, all the elders, even Mr Kanshi Ram, they

Reservoirs report water shortage, southern belt worst hit, says CWC

The Central Water Commission has underscored a notable deficit in reservoir storage nationwide, which has dipped to 28 per cent from 35 per cent of the capacity during the corresponding period last year. The CWC, which monitors live water storage in 150 water reservoirs and releases a weekly status bulletin, found the southern region to be the most hit. A total of 42 reservoirs are monitored by the commission in southern region, which includes Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. As per the CWC's latest Reservoir Storage bulletin, the total live storage available in these reservoirs is 8.353 BCM or 16 per cent of total capacity of 53.334 billion cubic metres (BCM). The storage during the corresponding period of 2023 in the southern region was 28 per cent of the total capacity of these reservoirs, while the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period was 22 per cent. The bulletin also revealed concerning data on reservoir storage acros

A first in LS polls: Corporate-backed political party enters the fray

The party is fielding two lawyers, Charlie Paul in Chalakudy and Antony Judy in Ernakulam

Jagan Mohan Reddy looting Andhra Pradesh, says TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu

TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu Friday accused Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy of looting Andhra Pradesh and asked people to choose between a government that develops the state or the one that destroys it. Addressing an election meeting at Vemuru in Guntur district, he asserted that 29,000 farmers came forward to give 35,000 acres land reposing faith in him for setting up Amaravati as the capital city. "Probably this is a world record. But Jagan played a high drama in the name of three capitals and the ultimate result is that the state does not have a capital now," said Naidu. Further, the TDP supremo promised to take measures to supply water for three crops in a year in the Krishna river delta region. Asking people to choose between a government that develops the state or the one that destroys it, he alleged that Reddy looted the state by selling spurious liquor at very high prices. Promising jobs for the youth of the state on returning to power, he vowed to be the best driv

Haldia Petchem planning $10 bn oil-to-chemical project in south India

The company wants to boost profits by locally producing specialty chemicals

Swearing-in of senior DMK MLA K Ponmudy as minister likely on Friday

The swearing-in of senior DMK MLA K Ponmudy as a minister was likely on Friday, a day after the Supreme Court pulled up Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi over the matter, sources indicated. While there was no immediate official word on the matter, sources said the swearing-in of Ponmudy was likely to be held this afternoon. On Thursday, the apex Court had voiced "serious concern" over the conduct of Ravi for his refusal to reinduct Ponmudy as a minister in the state cabinet even after it suspended his earlier conviction. The SC had directed the Governor to decide on the issue within 24 hours. The Governor had refused to reinduct Ponmudy, whose conviction and three-year sentence in a disproportionate assets case the apex court stayed recently, despite Chief Minister M K Stalin's recommendation.