🙏 Sabarimala readying for season with AI tech

Sabarimala season preparations are set to wrap up by October 31, according to Travancore Devaswom Board president K Jayakumar. Major civil, electrical, and crowd management upgrades are happening at Nilakkal, Thiruvananthapuram. Police will spend nearly Rs 5 crore on crowd control, and the existing shed will be modified for 60,000 pilgrims. AI cameras will monitor movement at Nilakkal, Sannidhanam, and Pamba to ensure smooth pilgrim flow. Production capacity for Aravana will rise to 3.6 lakh tins daily by October 31.

🚨 Election Commission faces major backlash over voter issues

Serious allegations of widespread election rigging and democratic attacks were raised during a recent press conference. The speaker specifically targeted the Election Commission, pointing out issues in states like Haryana, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. Concerns were also raised about the deletion of 97 Goa voters, alongside demands for the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. These actions are claimed to systematically subvert the democratic architecture of the nation. Those responsible for compromising the electoral system's sanctity are promised legal scrutiny moving forward.

🚧 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.