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New Delhi: Monsoon is expected to be normal in the coming weeks and there is no need to be 'alarmist', Union minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said.

"The deficiency of monsoon in the first six weeks was 43 per cent. It has now gone down to 32 per cent. So, monsoon has increased by 11 per cent.

"In coming weeks, especially in central as well as northeast India, the forecast is that monsoon will be normal. We want to send a message to our countrymen that this is a good news and there is no need to become alarmist," Singh, the Minister of State for Earth Science, told reporters here.

Hyderabad: Accusing Congress of indulging in unfair criticism on the Leader of Opposition (LoP) issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday asserted that the matter is in the purview of the Lok Sabha Speaker.

New Delhi: Cairn India has sought partner Oil and Natural Gas Corp's (ONGC) nod for extension of the licence of their prolific Rajasthan oil block beyond the contractual deadline of 2020.

Cairn's contractual term for exploring and producing oil and gas from the Rajasthan Block RJ-ON-90/2 expires in 2020 and the area is to return to the block licensee, ONGC.

The Anil Agarwal-group company, which wants the term of the block extended by a minimum 10 years, has formally written to ONGC on the issue, sources said.

Mumbai: Kareena Kapoor says her actor husband Saif Ali Khan is not comfortable doing a slapstick comedy like `Humshakals`. Kareena, 33, thinks Saif is a "brilliant actor" who has taken cinema forward.

"I haven`t seen the film (Humshakals) yet. Of course he made a mistake and he feels that, because people don`t like to see him in that space as he has given such wonderful performances in films like `Omkara`, `Parineeta` and others. He has done films that have been path breaking. Saif is one actor who has taken cinema ahead," Kareena said.

New Delhi: The Rs 870-crore merger deal of travel firm Thomas Cook (India) with resort owner Sterling Holiday Resorts India has got clearance from BSE and NSE.

The 'no-objection' from two stock exchanges would allow the two companies to file their scheme of amalgamation with the High Court for further clearance of the deal.

The deal would give Thomas Cook access to Sterling Holiday's 19 properties in 16 holiday destinations across India.

London, July 27 - Scientists have revealed that they are developing a revolutionary new laser device that would allow on-the-spot diagnosis of cancer in just seconds.

According to the researchers from Birmingham City University and the University of Central Lancashire, the probe will detect cancers early and distinguish between different forms of the disease, the Daily Express reported.