US firm to launch budget hotel in Kerala capital

October 12th, 2009 Lockheed Martin launches test flight in New MexicoUPHAM, N.M. — Officials say Lockheed Martin successfully launched a test flight vehicle over the weekend at New Mexico's spaceport.

October 10th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Electricity Minister A.K. Balan Saturday urged Congress president Sonia Gandhi to control the 'extravagance' of her son Rahul, alleging his recent visit to the state cost Rs.1.5 crore.

August 21st, 2009 BANGALORE - Sale of printers, copiers and multifunctional office automation products witnessed a 13 percent decline in India in the first half of 2009 over the like period the previous year, said global IT research and advisory firm Gartner. The impact of global recession was visible in the Indian market as only 1.1 million units of office automation products, including printers and copiers could be shipped in the first six months," Gartner principal research analyst Vishal Tripathi said in a statement.

July 3rd, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala got a fair share of the budgetary proposals of Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee tabled in parliament Friday. The small southern state which had long complained of being "neglected" by successive railways ministers got eight new trains, two new railway lines and a railway medical college.

June 29th, 2009 Starwood announces plans for luxury Bermuda hotelHAMILTON, Bermuda — A U.S. hotel and leisure company announced plans Monday to build a luxury hotel in Bermuda, where the vital tourism sector has been hit hard by the global economic crisis.

June 12th, 2009 TORONTO - SNC-Lavalin, the Canadian engineering company that is at the centre of the alleged Rs.300 crore ($60 million) bribery scandal in Kerala, has denied any wrong-doing in its business operations in India. In a chargesheet filed Thursday, India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named the Montreal-based company along with the Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) Kerala secretary Pinarai Vijayan and others in the alleged bribery scandal.

May 22nd, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The Kochi-based Muthoot Pappachan group, that has interests in financial services, hospitality, infrastructure and wind power, is investing Rs.750 crore (Rs.7.5 billion/$159 million) in seven hotel properties in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as well as more than 100 service apartments here. 'In Kerala, we will undertake four premium hotel projects near Kovalam, Alapuzha, Bekal in Kasargode district and Kochi,' Group managing director John Muthoot told IANS.

May 12th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Tourism has tied up with private carrier Jet Airways to offer 'Jet2Kerala', a special scheme that offers low-cost air tickets to domestic tourists flying to the state. The Jet2Kerala scheme, which was launched in Mumbai Tuesday, will offer travellers tickets - from premium to business classes - and accommodation - in luxury properties as well as budget hotels - at discounted rates, a government statement released here said.

February 24th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala's annual budget presented to the assembly Friday is devoid of any clear-cut proposals on how to take development projects forward, Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy said here Monday. 'The budget is devoid of any clear-cut proposals.

February 21st, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - No fresh tax has been proposed in the fourth budget that was presented by Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac in the assembly Friday. In what appears to be a populist budget ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Isaac also announced several sops including providing rice at Rs.2 per kilogram to people living below the poverty line (BPL), a hike in the pension for the weaker sections from Rs.200 to Rs.250, and an additional Rs.100 for those above 65 years in the BPL category.

February 17th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac Wednesday hinted that his budget, to be presented Friday, would have some special offers for the large number of NRIs, who are returning home after losing their jobs due to the economic slowdown. 'The situation in the Middle East is such that by June this year more than 200,000 people will return.

February 15th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The first reactions from Kerala to the interim budget presented in Parliament Monday by Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee have been those of disappointment. Mukherjee, presenting the interim budget on behalf of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is recovering from heart bypass surgery, said additional steps would have to be considered in the regular budget to be presented by the next government, after the ensuing general elections in a month or two.

February 12th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan Friday said he is disappointed with the interim rail budget for 2009-10 presented by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad in parliament.

February 3rd, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The Kerala government Wednesday gave its nod to set up a 2,400 MW thermal power plant in the state facing shortages of electricity supply. Chief Minister V.S.

January 16th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac Saturday said the state is soon going to feel the heat of the economic slowdown as remittances from abroad are certain to fall in the coming months. 'It is going to be a tough time on account of the fall in remittances which incidentally have been keeping the state afloat for several years,' Isaac told reporters after the meeting of the Kerala State Planning Board here.