🚧 Bridge collapses in Bhadradri Kothagudem; traffic rerouted

A section of a bridge at Rajupeta village collapsed on Wednesday night due to heavy rain and a swelling stream. This incident occurred in Mulakalapalli mandal within the Bhadradri Kothagudem district. No injuries were reported, and traffic was immediately diverted via alternate routes. MLA Jare Adinarayana inspected the damage on Thursday and ordered a new bridge to be built for ₹5 crore. Officials also lifted 13 spillway gates at the Taliperu medium irrigation project that evening.

🙏 Sabarimala Aravana stock secured, says TDB chief

The Travancore Devaswom Board confirms there will be no Aravana shortage during the Thulam month puja at Sabarimala. TDB president K. Jayakumar made this announcement during a press meet in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The board plans to keep eight lakh tins for the puja and 75 lakh tins by November 16, 2026. Plant expansion will boost daily production from 2.6 lakh to 3.6 lakh tins, operational by October 31, 2026. Weekly progress reports will also be submitted to the government to address concerns.

🧐 Kerala Sports Council facing major corruption probe

Vigilance officials conducted a surprise inspection at the Kerala State Sports Council office in Thiruvananthapuram to check corruption allegations. The inspection, codenamed ‘Operation Kalikkalam’, covered the State and district sports councils across Kerala. Findings included ₹1.30 crore diversion from Kozhikode and ₹14 lakh in Alappuzha irregularities as of September 24, 2026. The probe revealed issues like ineligible athlete selections and unauthorized UPI payments from contractors. Moving forward, the VACB will pursue action based on these serious administrative lapses. 🧐

🏡 Newsom's childhood home hits market for $4.5M

Gavin Newsom's San Francisco childhood home, built in 1951, is now listed for $4.5 million after a major renovation. The property, located in Cole Valley, was originally owned by his maternal grandfather and sold by the family in the 1970s. It is a 1,445-square-foot home on nearly a quarter of an acre, featuring views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Current owner Sandra McBride bought it in 2019 for $2.8 million and transformed the wooded refuge. The listing includes a buildable second lot and a finished artist's studio. 🏡

✈️ Trump's over-the-top welcome for Xi

US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping on a state visit at Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday. The welcome included a rare planeside red carpet and Trump’s lavish compliments for Xi. The two sides also agreed to extend their trade truce until January to ease tensions. Further events include a White House banquet and a private tea party for the first couples. Observers remain skeptical if the grand gestures will lead to concrete commitments on issues like tariffs and fentanyl. 🤝

⚡ Power setup for Maha Ganesh immersion in Hyderabad

TGSPDCL has organized extensive measures for the Maha Ganesh idol immersion happening in Hyderabad on Friday. The company established a camp office at NTR Marg, which was inaugurated by CMD Jitesh V. Patil on Thursday. They arranged 32 additional Distribution Transformers, including 23-500 kVA units, for the event. Furthermore, 19 dedicated 11 kV feeders were prepared from 6 substations as backup. A ring system is in place to guarantee immediate power restoration if any interruption occurs. ⚡

⚖️ High Court challenges 14 ECI orders by CEC

A writ petition has been filed before the Bombay High Court challenging 14 orders issued by CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The case was brought forward by Advocate Asim Sarode at the Kolhapur Bench, questioning the ECI's functioning. These actions, spanning the last ten months, allegedly disregarded objections from ECs Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The petitioners seek to quash these orders and restore deleted voter names, also requesting a halt to the Maharashtra SIR process. This challenges the systematic erosion of constitutional norms governing electoral rolls across the country. 🗳️

⚖️ Child sexual abuse cases can't be settled, says Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has ruled that criminal cases involving sexual offenses against children cannot be settled by the victim or their family. Justice Sachin Datta made this decision while reviewing a petition concerning the POCSO Act trial. The court dismissed the plea on September 22, noting the trial was at the evidence recording stage. Compromise in such cases undermines the statute's purpose and the goal of justice. Therefore, the court confirmed that victim and family cannot settle POCSO Act offenses. ⚖️

⚡ Metro Yellow Line hit by power outage

Train services on the Bengaluru Metro Yellow Line were momentarily delayed on Thursday evening. The issue occurred between Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Road and Bommasandra on the Yellow Line (Reach-5). A traction power supply failure happened at 5.19 p.m. and was fixed within two minutes at 5.21 p.m. This incident caused the Yellow Line services to face a delay of about three minutes.

⚖️ Kerala HC reserves order on asset case plea

The Kerala High Court has reserved its verdict on Tomin J. Thachankary's plea to suspend sentence in the disproportionate assets case. This appeal was filed against the Vigilance Court's sentence in Kottayam, where he was found guilty as IG from 2003 to 2007. The Vigilance Bureau alleged he amassed ₹64 lakh in assets beyond income, showing a 52.33% disproportion. The government pleader stated the initial order was sustainable, noting Thachankary bought 18 properties. The court will now decide on the suspension request's legal standing. ⚖️

⚡ KSEB speeds up hydro projects after power crisis

Facing criticism over a monsoon power crisis, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has decided to accelerate all ongoing hydroelectric projects. This decision was made during a review meeting chaired by Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph on Thursday. Specifically, four small hydro projects totaling 39.5 MW will be finished by April-May 2027. This includes the Chinnar, Poovaramthode, Olikkal, and Pazhassi Sagar projects. KSEB also plans to fast-track preliminary work on larger projects like the Idukki and Sabarigiri extensions. ⚡