Monsoon onset over Kerala still a week away New Delhi: As temperatures zoom northwards, the wait for south-west monsoon could be a bit longer with the weatherman saying the annual rains would arrive in Kerala only next week.



"There is no further progress as yet," India Meteorological Department's (IMD) chief forecaster D Sivananda Pai told reporters when asked about the progress of monsoon. Weather scientists said conditions were becoming favourable for further advance of monsoon over some parts of the Bay of Bengal during the next three days.

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10:14 AM, May 26, 2013

BJP demands halting of Nitaqat law in Saudi Arabia
by IANS
New Delhi: Demanding a halt in the implementation of the Nitaqat law in Saudi Arabia, the BJP on Saturday said in Delhi that it would work against Indian interests. "The Nitaqat scheme shall primarily work against the Indian interests. A minimum of two to three years moratorium to implement it is demanded," said BJP's Convenor of Overseas Affairs Vijay Jolly. Under Nitaqat, it is mandatory for local companies to hire...  
05:24 AM, May 26, 2013

Kerala Police brings Bitti Mohanty to Jaipur Jaipur: A Kerala Police team on Saturday arrived in Rajasthan's capital Jaipur with former Odisha police chief's son Bitti Mohanty, who jumped parole in 2006 while serving a sentence in a jail here for raping a German tourist. Mohanty, son of former Indian Police Service officer BB Mohanty, was brought to Jaipur in the morning and taken to the Central Jail, a Rajasthan Police officer said. "He will be presented...  
09:14 PM, May 25, 2013

No exodus of Indians from Saudi Arabia: officials Jeddah: Terming the 'Nitaqat' law as an "opportunity" for those who are stuck in Saudi Arabia for years, India on Saturday said that contrary to perceptions, the number of Indians coming to the Gulf Kingdom has increased "significantly" in the last few months. "There is no exodus of people. The number of Indians who have come to Saudi Arabia in the past three months have risen significantly according to Saudi...  
02:21 PM, May 25, 2013

Malayalam actor Mani surrenders, released on bail
by IANS
Thrissur: Ace Malayalam comedian and character artiste Kalabhavan Mani surrendered to police Friday and was presented in a court which released him on bail. Mani was on the run since May 14 after three forest officials filed a complaint that they were roughed up by the actor after they stopped his vehicle as part of a routine night checking. According to the forest officials, Mani, after refusing to cooperate with...  
11:50 AM, May 25, 2013

Saudi's Nitaqat law: 75,000 Indians set to return, the number could go up On Board Special Aircraft: With thousands of Indians set to return from Saudi Arabia due to the 'Nitaqat' law, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday said state governments have been "forewarned" so that the situation does not become "unmanageable". Khurshid said the government was in touch with Saudi authorities to fasten the formalities so that the deadline of July 3 given by them could be adhered to. The 'Nitaqat'...  
11:06 AM, May 25, 2013

Kerala party leaders capable of resolving issues: Antony
by IANS
Kannur: Defence Minister AK Antony on Friday expressed confidence that leaders of the Congress' Kerala unit would themselves resolve any issue facing them. "You (the media) think that there are issues that cannot be resolved in the state unit of the party. I know my colleagues here for several decades and at the appropriate time all will cooperate. My feeling is that the issues can be resolved here itself," Antony...  
04:53 AM, May 25, 2013

Kerala: Antony asks Cong leaders to settle Chandy-Chenithala feud Thiruvananthapuram: In a bid to resolve the rift between Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and KPCC Chief Ramesh Chennithala in the Kerala unit of Congress, CWC member and Defence Minister AK Antony held talks with supporters of Chandy and Chennithala at Kannur on Friday. The rift between Chandy and Chennithala following the confusion over non-induction of the latter into the cabinet snowballed into a crisis in Congress in the last few...  
08:30 PM, May 24, 2013

Downfall of brand Sreesanth

Once the poster-boy of cricket in Kerala, Sreesanth is probably hated and condemned like no one else. How has Brand Sreesanth taken a hit? Naveen Nair gets us this story. ...
03:02 PM, May 24, 2013

Kerala: Chandy-Chennithala rift a cause of worry for Cong Thiruvananthapuram: As the Congress led-UDF government completes three years in Kerala, there are more reasons to worry than cheer. The simmering rivalry between Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and state Congress President Ramesh Chennithala has now become an open conflict. An interview given to the New Indian Express has now openly pitted Chennithala against Chandy. A key bone of contention has been Chandy's failure to induct Chennithala into the Cabinet. After...  
10:10 AM, May 24, 2013

Kerala: Poor healthcare leading to infant deaths Attapadi: 22 infant deaths in four months due to poor nutrition and inadequate healthcare has left the tribal belt of Attapadi in Kerala devastated. The tribal belt of Attapadi in Kerala has never had it so bad. "I was only eight months pregnant. The delivery was unexpected and at night we did not have a vehicle to go to the hospital too," said Selvi, who just her twin children at...  
08:04 AM, May 24, 2013

KCA decides to extend Sujith Somasunder's contract Kozhikode: Kerala Cricket Association on Wednesday decided to extend the contract with Kerala Ranji Trophy cricket coach Sujith Somasunder for another one year. Somasunder's contract had been extended considering his coaching performances last year in which the Kerala Ranji Trophy cricket team had done well, T C Mathew, Secretary KCA, said here. He said that as part of KCA's 'Mission 2020' project, Association was taking all steps for improving infrastructure...  
11:17 PM, May 22, 2013

Premature to say whether Sreesanth guilty or not: KCA Kozhikode: Kerala Cricket Association Wednesday said it was premature to say whether pacer Sreesanth, one of the accused in the IPL spot-fixing scandal, was guilty or not as a probe is currently going on into the whole issue. "It is too premature to tell anything about the probe on whether Sreesanth is innocent or guilty. Delhi police and BCCI's anti-corruption wing are probing the issue. Let the inquiry be over....  
05:56 PM, May 22, 2013

Kerala CM gets UN award for 'Mass Contact Programme' Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has won the United Nation's Public Service Award for his Mass Contact Programme, which saw him directly engaging with people in the state to address their grievances. Chandy bagged the first prize from the Asia Pacific region with awardees chosen every year from five zones around the world, a release from the CM's office said. Since 2003, UN has been giving the award as...  
03:50 PM, May 22, 2013

Plea to withdraw case against Tharoor rejected Kochi: A Court in Kerala on Tuesday dismissed a plea to withdraw the complaint in the National Anthem case against Union Minister Shashi Tharoor. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate M Manoj rejected the plea of petitioner Joy Kaitharath that he did not want to continue with the case and seeking the court's permission to withdraw the same. The court held that there was no provision to withdraw the complaint. Meanwhile, a...  
08:24 AM, May 21, 2013

Sreesanth was indeed very close to Jiju: KCA secretary Mathew New Delhi: Kerala Cricket Association secretary TC Mathew on Sunday revealed that Indian pacer Sreesanth was indeed very close to Jiju Janardhanan, and called him the "satellite" of the tainted speedster. "He [Jiju] is always around Sreesanth as a satellite. We used to see him around Sreesanth not only in Kerala but in abroad also. When Sreesanth moves in the city he is always seen in his car. May be...  
06:47 PM, May 19, 2013

Kerala, Himachal to cooperate in rural development
by IANS
Kozhikode: Kerala and Himachal Pradesh on Saturday announced they will strengthen implementation of their rural development projects by sharing information about feasible models and best practices. Ministers and senior government officials from the two Congress-ruled states met here to discuss ongoing projects and ways to enhance cooperation. Kerala's Panchayats and Social Welfare Minister MK Muneer gave details about local self governance in the state, community farming and the Kudumbashree programme...  
05:04 AM, May 19, 2013

Kerala court orders DNA test on Bitti Mohanty Kannur: A Sessions Court in Kannur on Friday ordered DNA test on Bitti Mohanty to obtain scientific proof for establishing his identity following his arrest in March this year after being on the run for several years. Bitti remained absconding by jumping bail following his conviction for raping of a German woman at Alwar in Jaipur. Additional Sessions Judge KV Jayakumar issued the order on Friday on Kerala Police's plea...  
11:41 PM, May 17, 2013

Sreesanth dropped from State Lottery advertisement Thiruvananthapuram: Tainted pacer S Sreesanth, arrested in spot-fixing allegation case, was on Friday dropped from the advertisement for the state run Kerala Lottery. Sreesanth, who appeared in the advertisement for 'Karunya Lottery', was removed from the celebrities advertisement panel, State Lottery Directorate officials said in Thiruvananthapuram. The Rajasthan Royal IPL team player along with two of his teammates were arrested by Delhi police on Thursday for alleged spot fixing in...  
05:29 PM, May 17, 2013

Rahul to address rally in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday Thiruvananthapuram: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will address a rally in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday in connection with the culmination of the Kerala Yatra, led by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala. Senior Congress leaders including Defence Minister AK Antony and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy would also address the concluding session of the Yatra, which began from Hosangadi near Manjeswaram in Kasaragod on April 18, Chennithala told reporters. The yatra,...  
04:21 PM, May 17, 2013