The Hindu (Kozhikode)
U.S., Iran hold direct negotiations in Pakistan as fragile truce holds
The United States and Iran began facetoface negotiations in Pakistan on Saturday, days after a fragile, twoweek ceasefire was announced, as the war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets entered its seventh week. The White...
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Record turnout in Puducherry, Assam; Kerala near all-time high
Incumbents express confidence after increased voter turnout There was record poll participation in the Assembly elections on Thursday, with the highestever voter turnout of 85.74% in Assam and 89.87% in Puducherry as of 10 p.m., crossing the previous...
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Bengal electorate shrinks 12% as 27 lakh out after judicial reviews
Over 27 lakh West Bengal voters who were put under adjudication were excluded from the electoral rolls following the completion of the judicial reviews on Tuesday, with over a quarter of such deletions occurring in two Muslimdominated districts. In...
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SC declines Bengal’s plea to delay voter roll freeze
The Supreme Court on Monday disagreed with the West Bengal government which pleaded with the top court to wait for a few more days before freezing the electoral roll so that many of the over 20 lakh voters, who could not pass the verification by...
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Trump hails airman rescue; Iran says U.S. assets blasted
AU.S. Air Force officer whose F15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down in Iran on Friday was rescued by U.S. Special Operations forces in “one of the most daring search and rescue operations in U.S. history” on Saturday night, President Donald...
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All States will benefit from proposed delimitation: PM
States that have stabilised their populations will not lose their Lok Sabha seats, and all States will benefit from a proposed increase in the size of the House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told an election rally in in Kerala on Saturday. The Centre...
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Gherao of judicial officers in Bengal a challenge to SC: CJI
The Supreme Court on Thursday said a mob gherao of seven judicial officers, confining them without food or water for more than nine hours at a government office in Malda district of West Bengal, reportedly after several voters were struck off the...
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Commercial LPG, jet fuel rates up amid Iran crisis
taterun oil marketing firms hiked the price of commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders by more than 10% in major metro cities on Wednesday, while the price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) was more than doubled for international air travel...
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Trump blasts allies, tells them ‘go get your own oil’
U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at allies on Tuesday telling them to fend for themselves regarding oil supplies, adding to the pressure within the Western military alliance, NATO, whose members have not joined the U.S. and Israel in their war on...
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At central Travancore rally, Rahul pledges to raise rubber price to ₹250
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday took out a whirlwind tour of Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, addressing election rallies organised by the United Democratic Front (UDF). The campaign trail, which began from Adoor in the morning, also saw...
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BJP is the ‘A team’ of Kerala, says Modi at election campaign meeting
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday intensified the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s campaign for the April 9 Kerala Assembly election with a sharp attack on both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Opposition United Democratic Front...
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March economic data shows slowing growth
Economic indicators are beginning to show signs of slowing growth in response to the constraints created by the war in West Asia, the Ministry of Finance has said in a new report. The Monthly Economic Review for March, released on Saturday by the...
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Petrol, diesel excise duty cut; prices won’t change
The Union government on Thursday reduced the Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) on petrol and diesel by ₹10 per litre each, effectively bringing the duty on diesel to zero and on petrol to ₹3/litre. The move will not, however, translate into lower...
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Iran grants Hormuz passage to India and 4 other nations
India and four other “friendly nations” were allowed to move their ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, adding that Tehran has established its “sovereignty” over the waterway connecting the Persian Gulf...
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Iran dismisses U.S. bid to end conflict, sets its own terms
Iran on Wednesday dismissed a U.S. proposal to end the war and set out its own terms for peace, even as it continued trading fire with Israel. The U.S. proposal offered a ceasefire and sanctions relief in return for the Islamic Republic abandoning its...
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SC status only for Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs: top court
The Supreme Court on Tuesday held in a judgment that a person professing any religion other than Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism should not be considered a member of a Schedule Caste community. The court concluded that conversion to any other religion...
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Trump pauses strikes on Iran, says deal is possible
U.S. President Donald Trump, who issued a 48hour ultimatum to Iran on Saturday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on its power infrastructure, said on Monday that he would postpone the attacks for five days after “very good and productive”...
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Will completely close Hormuz Strait: Iran after Trump’s threat
The Iranian military on Sunday threatened to completely shut down the strategic Strait of Hormuz and attack U.S. infrastructure, including energy facilities in the Gulf, if U.S. President Donald Trump acts on threats to target the country’s power...
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Trump mulls ending war, eases curbs on Iranian oil
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he is considering “winding down” the war on Iran, adding that securing the Strait of Hormuz — now under Iran’s control — is the responsibility of other nations, even as Washington temporarily eased...
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Iran steps up attacks on Israel, Gulf energy sites
Iran defiantly insisted on Friday that it would deny its enemies their security and that it was still building missiles nearly three weeks into U.S.Israeli strikes that have killed a slew of Tehran’s top leaders and hammered its weapons and energy...
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K. Sudhakaran puts an end to his rebellion, to abide by Cong. decisions
After 48 hours of uncertainty that left the Congress party in Kerala on the edge ahead of a crucial Assembly election, senior Congress leader K. Sudhakaran, MP, on Thursday night put an end to a rebellion that he initiated after the All India Congress...
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22 India-bound ships on Hormuz evacuation list
Twentytwo Indiabound vessels in the Persian Gulf region have been identified for evacuation for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz by the Indian government. Of these, 20 vessels have been assessed as critical to India’s energy security,...
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Afghanistan says Pakistani attack in Kabul killed 400
Rescuers recovered more bodies from the rubble of a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul on Tuesday after officials said an overnight airstrike killed more than 400 people, in a dramatic escalation of a conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan that...
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India to sign U.S. deal only after clarity on tariff rates
India will sign a trade deal with the U.S. only after the country settles its “tariff architecture” and clarifies country-wise tariff rate, sources in the government have said. “Any deal that we finalise and sign has to be seen against the tariff...
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Assembly polls begin on April 9; West Bengal to vote in two phases
Polling will be held in Assam, Puducherry, and Kerala on April 9 and in Tamil Nadu on April 23, while West Bengal will vote on April 23 and 29; poll panel announces byelections to eight Assembly seats in various States; counting of votes on May 4 The...
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U.S. bombs Kharg Island; Iran hits back
Amissile struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad and debris from an intercepted Iranian drone hit an oil facility in the UAE, while U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the U.S. destroyed military sites on an island vital to...
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LS clears grant demand with ‘stabilisation’ fund
Amid the $100perbarrel oil shock and fears of energy shortage and supply chain disruptions arising out the West Asia conflict, the Centre has allocated ₹57,381 crore for an Economic Stabilisation Fund that would provide it fiscal space to address...
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No fuel shortage, supply secure, Minister tells LS
There is no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, and aviation turbine fuel in the country, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday, adding that India’s crude supply has been secured amid the conflict in West...
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Iran targets commercial ships; global energy concerns mount
Iran attacked commercial ships across the Persian Gulf and targeted Dubai International Airport in the UAE on Wednesday, escalating a campaign of squeezing the oilrich region as global energy concerns mounted and American and Israeli airstrikes pounded...
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Gas from new sources to end shortage, say officials
The current crunch in India’s natural gas supply is likely to be short-lived as the prevailing higher prices make imports from distant sources economically viable, according to government sources. However, such shipments typically take longer to...
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Conversations with Iran to continue: Jaishankar
The Indian government tried reaching out to the Iranian leadership after the U.S.Israel combine attack on February 28 killed its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but could not establish contact because of the ongoing conflict, External Affairs...
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Centre seeks report from Bengal on President’s visit
Aday after President Droupadi Murmu expressed disappointment over the Mamata Banerjee government’s arrangements for the International Santal Conference in Darjeeling, the Union Home Ministry on Sunday sought a report from the West Bengal Chief...
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Iran vows not to attack neighbours
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that Tehran would no longer target these countries unless attacks originated from their territory. However, he vowed that Iran would not surrender in its war against the United States and Israel,...
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First rock blast for Kozhikode-Wayanad tunnel road project safely completed
The first controlled rock blast at the site of the proposed AnakkampoyilKalladiMeppadi tunnel road project connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts was carried out on Friday, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan formally inaugurating the process at...
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Iran launches a new wave of attacks against Israel, U.S.
Iran launched a new wave of attacks against Israel, American bases and countries around the region on Thursday, even as Israel and the U.S. hammered the Islamic Republic for a sixth day. The war keeps escalating each day, affecting additional 14...
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U.S. sinks Iranian vessel near Sri Lanka
AU.S. submarine attacked an Iranian warship on Wednesday, which sank in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, bringing the West Asian conflict closer to the Indian subcontinent. At least 83 people were killed in the torpedo attack. U.S. Defense...
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Battered Iran attacks oil infra targets in West Asia
Iran stepped up its attacks on economic targets and U.S. missions across West Asia on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump warned it was “too late” for the Islamic republic to seek talks to escape the war. As drones and missiles crashed into oil...
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War widens in West Asia as Iran, allies strike back
Iran and allied armed groups fired missiles at Israel, Arab states, and U.S. military targets around the region on Monday, while Israel and the U.S. pounded the West Asian country as the war expanded to several fronts and death toll grew on all sides....
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CM inaugurates Wayanad township Phase I; 178 families get houses
Hailing the reconstruction efforts in landslideshit Wayanad as the latest instance of the ‘Kerala model,’ where people beyond all religious differences come together to support each other in distress, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday...
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U.S., Israel launch strikes on Iran
The U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday, and President Donald Trump called upon the Iranian public to “seize control of your destiny” by rising up against the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979. Iran...
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Kejriwal, 22 others walk free in excise policy case
In a major victory for the Aam Aadmi Party, a special court on Friday discharged party chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, and 21 others in the politically charged liquor policy case. Mr. Kejriwal hailed...
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AkkulamChettuva waterway a milestone in inland navigation: CM
The 280km AkkulamChettuva waterway, a milestone in inland navigation in Kerala, will contribute significantly to the making of a new Kerala and redefine the tourism prospects of the State, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. After inaugurating...
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India ‘stands firmly’ with Israel, Modi tells Knesset
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the Knesset on Wednesday, extended a firm hand of friendship to Israel and condemned the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 as a “barbaric terrorist attack”. Speaking at the Israeli parliament, the Prime...
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SC expands judicial team to aid Bengal SIR process
The Supreme Court on Tuesday moved in quickly to swell the ranks of judicial officers deployed to aid the Election Commission (EC) in the completion of the special intensive revision (SIR) in West Bengal, even alerting neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand...
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Centre unveils policy to tackle terrorism threats
The Union Home Ministry on Monday released the country’s firstever antiterror policy, emphasising that other than terror sponsored from across the border, “criminal hackers and nation states continue to target India through cyberattacks”. The...
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Time for nations facing tariffs to unionise: Lula
Instead of negotiating with the U.S. on tariffs separately, countries should form “negotiating blocs”, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said here on Sunday, advocating for “unionisation” of those suffering from the tariffs. Mr. Lula,...
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YC workers trespass on Veena’s residence, lay funeral wreath
A group of Youth Congress (YC) workers stormed the official residence of Health Minister Veena George on Saturday morning, catching the Thiruvananthapuram City police unawares and eliciting strong protest from the Communist Party of India...
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U.S. Supreme Court halts Trump’s sweeping tariffs
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s farreaching global tariffs on Friday, handing him a significant loss on an issue crucial to his economic agenda. The 63 decision centres on tariffs imposed under an emergency powers law,...
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LDF and UDF close ranks against The Kerala Story 2
The ruling CPI(M)led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Opposition Congressled United Democratic Front (UDF) have closed ranks against the upcoming film The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond. The fronts have unanimously condemned the movie as one that...
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DGCA proposes swift ban on disruptive passengers
Airline operators may soon be empowered to directly impose a flying ban of up to 30 days on unruly or disruptive passengers without referring the matter to the competent authority. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has proposed...
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Political leaders, officials must foster fraternity: SC
Political leaders must foster fraternity and high public officeholders should live up to the ideals of the Constitution, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday. The court was hearing a petition highlighting instances of Chief Ministers, senior bureaucrats,...
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NGT clears ₹92,000cr. Great Nicobar project
ABench of the National Green Tribunal(NGT) on Monday cleared the way for the ₹92,000crore Great Nicobar Island megainfrastructure project, noting that “considering the strategic importance” of it and “other relevant considerations”, “we do not find...
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Om Birla to attend the swearing-in of Tarique Rahman as Bangladesh premier
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearingin of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Sunday. Mr. Rahman’s BNP swept 209 of 297...
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New Urban Challenge Fund to tap market for infra push
The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the launch of the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), a new Centrally sponsored scheme of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry with ₹1 lakh crore Central assistance. In a statement, the government said the scheme...
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Zero tariff textiles exports to U.S. possible for India: Goyal
India will receive the same benefits on textiles exports under its interim trade agreement with the U.S. as Bangladesh gained through its own deal, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. “Just as Bangladesh has a facility that if raw...
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Centre plans guidelines for books by defence personnel
Amid the controversy surrounding the unpublished memoir Destiny, Four Stars of of former Army chief General M.M. Naravane ((retd), the Defence Ministry is working on detailed guidelines for serving and retired armed forces personnel who wish to...
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Label all photorealistic AI content online, says Centre
The Union government has notified amendments to the Information Technology Act, 2021, requiring photorealistic AIgenerated content to be prominently labelled. The changes, which will come into force on February 20, also significantly shorten timelines...
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‘Restrictive’ software tools being used for SIR, says SC
he Supreme Court on Monday said the Election Commission (EC) was using “very restrictive” software tools, at least in the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, with scant tolerance for “natural” differences and inconsistencies...
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India, Malaysia ink pacts to expand strategic ties
India and Malaysia on Sunday vowed to expand their ties in the highpriority sectors of trade and investment, defence, energy, advanced manufacturing and semiconductors with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that both sides are committed to peace...
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India, U.S. unveil framework for deal
India will remove or reduce tariffs on all industrial goods and a “wide range” of agricultural goods imported from the United States, according to the joint statement issued by the two countries on Saturday morning. In return, the U.S. will reduce its...
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India’s oil imports from Russia hit 38-month low
The value of India’s crude oil imports from Russia fell to a 38month low of $2.7 billion in December 2025, with Russian oil making up less than a quarter of India’s imports, down from 34% just a month before, an analysis of the latest official data...
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18 killed in blast at illegal coal mine in Meghalaya
An explosion in an illegally operated rathole coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district killed 18 miners on Thursday, officials said. This is one of the biggest mishaps since July 2012, when 15 miners died in a flooded mine in the State’s...
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Manipur President’s Rule ends; Khemchand new CM
The installation of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)led National Democratic Alliance government, with a Meitei leader at the helm, brought an end to nearly a year of President’s Rule in Manipur on Wednesday. Around 6 p.m., Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar...
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U.S. deal will not include sensitive sectors: Goyal
The trade deal with the United States, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media late on Monday night, will exclude sensitive agricultural items and dairy, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday,...
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Bulk requests for deleting names of voters in Barmer
ubhan Khan, a Bharatiya Janata Party worker at the sleepy village of Janpaliya in Barmer district in Rajasthan, was stunned when his boothlevel officer informed him that an application had been filed seeking the deletion of his name from the State’s...
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Simpler process Budget 2026:
While acknowledging the strains created by the external global environment, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament, with the aim at increasing productivity across sectors and ensuring...
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Sunetra Pawar sworn in as Deputy CM of Maharashtra
Aday after the conclusion of the threeday State mourning for late Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, who died in an air crash in Baramati on January 28, his wife Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra...
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Menstrual health in schools is integral to right to life: SC
The Supreme Court on Friday declared that the right to menstrual health and access to menstrual hygiene management (MHM) measures in educational institutions is part of the fundamental right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the...
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Balagopal serves a populist treat in poll-bound Kerala
Presenting the final Budget of electionbound Kerala’s incumbent CPI(M)led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government on Thursday, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal unfurled a populist mix of bigticket announcements and welfare sops, notably a proposal to...
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Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, 4 others dead in plane crash; govt. denies foul play
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party supremo Ajit Pawar was killed in a plane crash in Baramati on Wednesday morning, along with four others on board. The Learjet 45 aircraft, belonging to Delhibased charter company VSR...
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‘Mother of all deals’: India and EU finalise FTA
After almost two decades of negotiation, India and the European Union (EU) finalised a free trade agreement (FTA) on Tuesday billed as the “mother of all deals”, that will see the EU drop tariffs on 99.5% of Indian exports to the 27nation bloc. India...
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Parties allege plot to exclude Assam voters
Leaders of the Congress and five other Opposition parties in Assam on Sunday submitted a memorandum to the State’s Chief Electoral Officer, alleging that fake objections were being filed to remove voters from the draft rolls during the special revision...
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Vizhinjam a new chapter in infra development, says CM
The commencement of the second phase of development of the Vizhinjam International Seaport has created a new chapter in the history of infrastructure development in the State, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. Speaking after inaugurating the...
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Only double-engine govt. will benefit Kerala: PM
Appealing to the people of Kerala to provide a “decisive mandate” to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the State needs a “double-engine government” for it to draw the entire...
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