Thiruvananthapuram: Change in rain warning in the state due to heavy rains, severe rain warning has been issued in Kannur and Kasaragod districts.  Earlier, rain warning was issued only in 5 districts of northern districts.

 Apart from North Kerala, rain warning has been issued for Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki districts.  Heavy rain is predicted at isolated places in Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Idukki, Ernakulam and Kottayam districts.  Then yellow alert was announced in these districts.

 At the same time, the Central Meteorological Center has warned that rain will continue in the state for another 24 hours.  After that, the weather department predicts that the intensity of the rain will decrease.  Heavy rains are expected in North Keralam tomorrow and yellow alert has also been announced in Kottayam, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts on Saturday.

Kottakkal: Artist Namboothiri, a unique talent in Kerala’s painting and sculpture arts, passed away.  He was 97 years old.  He died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kottakal, Malappuram.  He was admitted to the hospital due to a respiratory infection.  He was being treated for several days due to age-related diseases.  He was admitted to the hospital on July 1. It will end on Friday morning.

  Public visit will be held from morning to 12 noon at Edapal Naduvattam house.  There will be a public darshan at the Thrissur Lalitha Kala Academy hall till 3 pm.  The cremation will take place at the Edapal house premises around 5.30 pm.

  Artist KM Vasudevan Namboothiri was born on September 13, 1925 to Ponnani Karuvattillath Parameswaran Namboothiri and Sridevi Antarjanam.

  He excelled in all the fields he undertook, including drawing, painting, sculpture and art direction.  He was famous for his cartoons.  VKN artist Namboothiri was described as the Lord of Lines.  He painted for the works of Takazi, MT, Basheer, Potakad and others.  At the request of actor Mohanlal, the painting based on Shankaracharya’s Soundaryalahari is very famous.

  Namboothiri has received many awards and recognitions which have given a new dimension to Kerala painting.  Aravindan’s Uttarayanam was talented and Kanchanaseetha also worked as an art director for films.  In 1974, he received the State Award for Best Film Art Director and the Raja Ravi Varma Award in 2003.

 A holiday has been announced for educational institutions in eight districts in view of the continued heavy rains in the state.  A holiday has been declared in Kannur, Kozhikode, Kottayam, Kasaragod, Palakkad, Idukki, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts.

 In Pathanamthitta district, the collector has declared holiday for all educational institutions from Anganwadis to professional colleges belonging to Thiruvalla and Mallapally taluks.  In Alappuzha District, the District Collector has declared holiday for all educational institutions including Anganwadis and Professional Colleges in Kuttanad Taluk.  Alappuzha Collector also ordered to stop the services of Shikara boats, motor boats, motor Shikaras, speed boats and kayak boats.  In Malappuram district, all educational institutions, including professional colleges in Ponnani taluk, will be a holiday on Thursday.  University exams and PSC exams will be held as scheduled.  The holiday applies to Anganwadis, Tuition Centers and Madrasahs.

The District Collectors informed that there will be no change in the PSC and predetermined  university examinations.  Kottayam Mahatma Gandhi University has postponed all the examinations scheduled for tomorrow, Vice Chancellor announced.

Kochi: High Court notice to actor Vinayakan in connection with misbehavior during flight.  The court notice was issued on a petition filed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and IndiGo Air Lines as the opposite party stating that no action was taken on the complaint that the actor misbehaved during the flight from Goa to Kochi on May 27.

 The petitioner had complained that Vinayakan misbehaved by alleging that he had taken his photograph without permission.  Indigo Airlines’ stand was that they cannot accept the complaint made after getting off the plane.

Thrissur: The High Court quashed the drug case against Sheela Sunny, the owner of a beauty parlor in Chalakudy.  The action was taken on the plea filed by Sheela Sunny pointing out the result of the chemical test that the seized drug was not intoxicating.  It was already clear that Sheela was being falsely implicated in the case.

 Sheela was arrested by the excise for possessing LSD stamp and had to spend 72 days in jail.  Last day, the lab test result which stated that what was seized from Sheela’s possession was not an intoxicant.  The report containing this result is the case investigated by excise department. 

 The mobile phone of the suspended excise officer was taken into custody by the crime branch for implicating Sheela Sunny in the fake intoxication case.