Killer Amoeba claims 19 lives, What's Kerala doing about it? | Ep 173

Kerala has reported 71 cases and 19 deaths due to Amoebic Meningoencephalitis in 2025. Ever since its first clinical diagnosis in 1965 in Australia, the disease has caused huge concern across countries. In this episode of News Brake, Onmanorama talks to leading epidemiologist Dr Anish TS on causes …

From Nepal to Tunisia: Youth uprisings that shook regimes | Ep 172

From Kathmandu to Cairo, Hong Kong to Santiago — when young people take to the streets, regimes tremble. In this episode of News Brake, Onmanorama traces some of the most powerful youth uprisings of the 21st century, from Nepal’s Gen Z revolt in 2025 to the Arab Spring, the Aragalaya in Sri Lanka, …

Why Malayalis are leaving the seas & migrants stepping in | Ep 171

Kerala’s coasts have a rich fishing heritage, but today the sector runs largely on migrant labour. Nearly 58% of the workforce now comes from states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Odisha, while younger Malayalis are turning away from the seas. In this episode, Dr Shyam S Salim, Principal Scientis…

A death and a sex scandal: Will one-year rule prevent bypoll in Kerala? | Ep 170

The death of Peerumade MLA Vazhoor Jose and the sex scandal involving Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil have sparked talk of bypolls in Kerala. The law says none are needed if less than a year remains in the Assembly’s term, but past rulings show it isn’t that simple. Host Aswin J Kumar explores if K…

GST 2.0: Who pays the price, and what it means for Kerala | Ep 169

Eight years after GST, India is preparing its biggest tax reform yet — fewer slabs, cheaper goods for households, but a steep levy on luxury and sin items. What does this mean for Kerala, a state that depends heavily on GST revenues and has long complained of losing out on IGST settlements? Banking…

Rahul Gandhi, the Election Commission and the Voter Chori row | Ep 168

In this News Brake episode, Onmanorama unpacks Rahul Gandhi’s explosive allegations of voter list manipulation in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura and the Election Commission’s fierce rebuttal. From duplicate entries to fake addresses, and the political heat ahead of Bihar’s elections, we break down the fa…

From price boom to dip: Cracking Kerala's coconut conundrum | Ep 167

When thieves start targeting coconut oil, you know something’s cooking in Kerala’s kitchens and markets. Prices for this “liquid gold” had soared to record highs, squeezing households, caterers, and traders alike. But just before Onam, the bubble burst. In this episode of News Brake, we crack open …

From the ruins: Revisiting Wayanad one year on | Ep 166

A year ago, a massive landslide ripped through Wayanad’s Mundakkai and Chooralmala, killing over 300 people and destroying entire communities. In this episode of News Brake, Haritha Benjamin is joined by Lead Producer George Poikayil to revisit ground zero. What happened to the ₹200 crore rehabilit…

VS Achuthanandan: The story of people's comrade | Ep 165

From the coir mills of Alappuzha to the Chief Minister’s office at 82, V S Achuthanandan’s life was a saga of defiance, discipline, and relentless public service. In this special episode of News Brake, Haritha Benjamin traces the journey of Kerala’s most iconic Marxist—his firebrand politics, party…

Nimisha Priya’s execution postponed: The story so far & what’s next? | Ep 164

Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, sentenced to death in Yemen, was hours away from execution. Now, her hanging has been postponed, giving her a narrow but vital lifeline. In this episode of News Brake, Haritha Benjamin breaks down Nimisha’s story and speaks to Advocate Subhash Chandran K R, her counsel.