Ahead of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly elections, former Congress leader AV Subramanian on Friday resigned from all Congress party positions.. File photo of Congress leader AV Subramanian (ANI). In a letter addressed to V Vaithilingam, President of the Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), Subramanian cited “private reasons and unavoidable circumstances” as reasons for the decision.. His decision comes after Puducherry Congress president V Vaithilingam released the party’s list of 16 candidates for the upcoming elections earlier in the day.. According to the list, DPR Selvam will contest from Mannadipattu, while P Karthikeyan has been fielded from Oosudu. Other prominent candidates include N Raja Kumar from Indiranagar, V Vaithilingam from Thattanchavady, PK Devadas from Kamarajnagar, and M Vaidyanathan from Lawspet. G Rajendran will contest from Muthialpet, J Vijayalakshmi from Ariyankuppam, and RKR Anandaraman from Manavely.. The party has also fielded M Kandasamy from Embalam, G Anparasan from Nettapakkam, Dinesh Kumar from Nedungadu, R Kamalakannan from Thirunallar, and AM Ranjith from Karaikal North. In Mahe, Ramesh Parampath has been named as the candidate, while Kollapalli Srinivas Ashok will contest from Yanam.. The announcement follows a seat-sharing agreement finalised earlier this week between the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), under which Congress will contest 16 of the 30 seats, while the DMK will contest the remaining 14 constituencies.. “We will share seats among the alliance parties in the 14 seats allotted to DMK,” the party’s Puducherry election in-charge Jagadrakshagan said.. Congress and DMK are also alliance partners in Tamil Nadu, where the Chief Minister MK Stalin-led party allotted the Congress 28 of 234 seats for the 2026 Assembly elections.. The Union Territory of Puducherry is all set to hold the 2026 Assembly Election on April 9 in a single phase, with counting of votes scheduled to take place on May 4, the ECI announced. 

 At least five people were killed and around 15 others critically injured after a tourist bus overturned on National Highway 57 in Odisha’s Nayagarh district late Friday night, police said.. The accident occurred around 1 am near Takera Ghat under Daspalla police limits, a stretch known for sharp curves. (Representative photo/shutterstock). The accident occurred around 1 am near Takera Ghat under Daspalla police limits, a stretch known for sharp curves.. Police identified the deceased as Hari Patra, Laxmi Patra, Suprabha Sahu, Sumati Sahu, and driver Praveen Sahu.. According to preliminary reports, the bus, carrying nearly 60 pilgrims from Berhampur, was headed for tourist spots in western Odisha when it lost control near Takera Ghat while negotiating a bend.. Police said the vehicle rammed into a roadside rock before turning turtle, leaving the front portion completely mangled. Locals, along with police and fire service personnel, launched a rescue operation soon after the incident.. The injured were first taken to nearby health facilities and later shifted to the Nayagarh District Headquarters Hospital. Medical officials said at least 15 of the injured are in critical condition, while others suffered minor to moderate injuries.. Eyewitnesses said the bus was traveling at a high speed and failed to slow down at the curve. “Several passengers were flung out of the vehicle on impact, while others remained trapped inside the wreckage,” one of them said.. Police said they are examining factors such as possible overspeeding, driver fatigue, road conditions, and any mechanical issues with the bus. 

 As Iran’s war with US-Israel disrupts global energy flows due to the impact of drones and missiles on the entire oil-rich Gulf region, many countries, including India, are facing one of a major fuel crisis in decades.. Domestic LPG cylinders at a gas agency, in Rajghat, in Delhi (Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times). In India, the government has been pushing people to opt for PNG (piped natural gas) over LPG (liquified petroleum gas) cylinders amid the chokehold on key waterway Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world’s gas and fuel requirements travel, due to the Middle East conflict sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.. The government of India recently issued an order under which it said LPG supply will be snapped for those not opting for PNG if a switch is available.. With the government promoting PNG, it is important to first understand the difference between pipeline gas (PNG) and LPG and where PNG comes from.. What is piped natural gas (PNG)?. Pipeline gas, or piped natural gas (PNG), is primarily natural gas (mostly methane) delivered directly to homes through underground pipelines. PNG is extracted naturally from gas fields and transported into India in liquified form as liquified natural gas (LNG).. LPG, on the other hand is refined (produced) in oil refineries from crude oil. Track latest in US-Iran war here. PNG flows continuously, not needing refilling and is supplied at low pressure via city gas networks.. Where does PNG come from?. Domestically, PNG in India comes from gas fields like the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin, Assam, and Tripura. The deepwater Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin off the eastern coast is reportedly the biggest contributor. Three fields in the KG basin, namely R Cluster, Satellites Cluster, and MJ, accounted for nearly 25 per cent of India’s total net production of 36 bcm in 2024, and are expected to produce a combined 85 bcm over their lifetime, according to an indiatoday.in report.. The Assam and Tripura basins have contributed nearly 47 per cent of India’s onshore production and 13 per cent of its total gas supply, per the report.. While imported natural gas (LNG) does come from the Middle East, primarily Qatar, other countries like the US and Australia also export LNG to India.. Why is PNG not hit as bad as LPG?. The government of India has been pushing households to shift from LPG cylinders to piped natural gas (PNG) largely because PNG is structurally more resilient in situations like the current Iran war-driven energy crisis. The key difference lies in how the two fuels are supplied.. LPG depends heavily on imports shipped from the Middle East, much of which passes through the strategically sensitive Strait of Hormuz, in which tankers have been targeted with drones and missiles recently. Any disruption there immediately affects tanker movement, leading to delays, shortages, and visible supply breakdowns-like empty cylinders and long waiting times.. An interactive on PNG and LPG amid Middle East conflict (Gem 

 Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday assured that the state has no shortage of petroleum products and that petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices will remain stable after recent measures taken by the Centre.. There is no shortage of fuel in Haryana, and petrol, diesel, LPG prices will stay steady amid recent Centre measures, says Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini. (ANI). Addressing a press meet on the petroleum situation, Saini thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reducing excise duty on petroleum products, adding that the Centre’s decision reflects its “nation-first” approach and commitment to public welfare.. He said that Haryana currently has 4,032 operational government petrol pumps, where an average of 4,804 kilolitres of petrol and 12,003 kilolitres of diesel are sold daily. He added that the supply chain remains robust, ensuring uninterrupted availability across the state.. On LPG availability, Saini said that around 2 lakh cylinders are received daily in the state, out of which nearly 1.9 lakh are distributed to consumers. He also confirmed that commercial LPG supply is being maintained without disruption, with a current stock of approximately 1.73 lakh commercial cylinders.. The state government has taken measures to ensure that essential institutions such as hospitals, schools, and other critical establishments do not face any shortage of gas supply. The Chief Minister added that strict action is being taken against black marketing and hoarding to maintain transparency and availability.. Highlighting policy reforms, Saini said the Centre has introduced a 70% allocation framework for commercial LPG, while domestic LPG production has been increased from 40% to reduce dependence on imports.. He also announced a major relief for infrastructure development, stating that the state government has reduced the lease rate for laying PNG pipelines from ₹3 lakh per kilometre per year for 10 years in advance to a one-time charge of ₹1,000 per kilometre. The move is expected to accelerate the expansion of piped natural gas (PNG) networks.. According to the Chief Minister, over 13.33 lakh PNG connections have been planned in Haryana, and the state is steadily strengthening its position in natural gas infrastructure. 

 Ahead of the inauguration of phase 1 of the Noida International Airport on Saturday, the Noida Traffic Police has issued an advisory noting entry routes, parking zones and diversions for vehicles. The advisory is enforced from 7 am to 11 pm, with arrangements for emergency vehicles.. The advisory will remain in force from 7 am to 11 pm, with arrangements for emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire services. (ANI/Representational Image). Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the first phase of the airport in Uttar Pradesh’s Jewar today at 12 noon.. Follow for live updates in Noida International Airport launch. According to the advisory, the movement of heavy goods vehicles, medium goods vehicles, and light goods vehicles will remain restricted on the Noida–Greater Noida Expressway, Yamuna Expressway, and nearby routes. However, emergency vehicles will be allowed through this route.. Traffic diversions. Further, vehicles from Meerut and Ghaziabad will be routed via the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, exiting at Sirsa Toll and proceeding through designated roundabouts before reaching the venue.. Traffic coming from Mathura and Aligarh via the Yamuna Expressway will exit at Jewar Cut and enter through Sabauta Underpass and Kishorpur Gate. Vehicles from Hapur, Bulandshahr and nearby areas will be diverted along the Jewar-Khurja road and enter through Parohi Gate.. Also read: Jewar airport inauguration: A sneak peek into Noida International Airport ahead of opening. Separate entries for attendees of event. VIP and media entry: Dignitaries and VIP’s attending the event have been advised to access the venue through the dedicated Yamuna Expressway interchange. Separate parking zones have been allocated to them. Media personnel will enter via Kishorpur Gate.. Administrative staff vehicles: Police, administrative staff and government employees on duty will also use the Kishorpur Gate, while official buses will be routed via Dayanantpur.. Visitors: People commuting from Noida and Greater Noida using the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway will be diverted through specified roundabouts and service roads before entering via a temporary gate near Ranehra Police Post.. Also read: Are schools open in Ghaziabad today? Check order ahead of Noida airport launch. Two-wheelers and light vehicles will enter via Kishorpur Gate, while vehicles coming from Jewar town will also use the same gate.. The advisory urged commuters to follow designated routes and avoid unnecessary travel near the venue to ensure the smooth conduct of the high-profile event.