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FERTILITY DECLINE DEEPENS TN’S DELIMITATION WORRIES
CHENNAI: Contained within the National Family Health Survey, one of the most important statistical exercise that deals with health and healthcare in the country, is a detail that is about health and society, and increasingly political: the falling...
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Now, get building plan approvals within 27 days
CHENNAI: Tightening the building plan approval process to end the widespread complaint of delays, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner GS Sameeran directed officials to issue final approvals within 27 days of the application. The circular has...
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India set for weakest monsoon in years
NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) revised its long-range forecast for the southwest monsoon, indicating that 2026 could witness one of the weakest monsoon seasons in recent years. According to the seasonal outlook for June to...
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Tongues wag after no Vijay-Gandhis show
CHENNAI: In the national capital for the first time after taking charge as the Chief Minister, TVK president C Joseph Vijay confined his itinerary to official engagements and returned to Tamil Nadu without meeting leaders of alliance partners, notably...
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AIADMK feud ends as rebels back with EPS; CVS isolated
CHENNAI: After being on the brink of a split for several days, the crisis within the AIADMK fizzled out on Wednesday, with the rebel MLAs, barring their leader C Ve Shanmugam, returning to the ‘official’ faction headed by party general secretary...
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AIADMK scrambles for unity as another rebel MLA defects to TVK
CHENNAI: Yet another day, yet another AIADMK MLA from the rebel camp switching over to the TVK, and yet another round of allegations of horse-trading by the ruling party. Senior AIADMK leader and Ambasamudram MLA Esakki Subaya, who had joined the...
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Horse-trading cry rises as 3 bolt from CVS camp
CHENNAI: In a series of developments that strengthened the ruling party and weakened the AIADMK, and the C Ve Shanmugam faction within it, three MLAs from the rebel camp resigned from the Assembly and joined the TVK on Monday. In another blow to the...
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Rubio: Visa policy not aimed at India, there could be bumps
NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday flagged India’s concerns with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the Trump administration’s changes to visa and immigration policies, saying legal mobility should not be adversely impacted...
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Kovai girl’s rape-murder sparks outrage; CM vows strict action
Such inhuman and unforgivable crimes are unacceptable in our society. The government is firmly committed to securing severe punishment for those involved in such crimes. All immediate and necessary actions will be taken – C Joseph Vijay, Chief...
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Raja ‘hurts’ VCK on govt entry; Stalin steps in to douse the fire
CHENNAI: The unusual coalition equation that the DMK has been maintaining with its Secular Progressive Alliance partners, who helped TVK president C Joseph Vijay to form the government after the recent Assembly election delivered a fractured mandate,...
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COALITION SCRIPTS HISTORY IN RAINBOW GOVERNMENT
CHENNAI: Seven Dalits, two Brahmins, five from minority communities, ten from DMK’s once stronghold Chennai and its surroundings, nine from AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami’s backyard in the Kongu belt, but none from 19 districts, including Theni,...
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Cong ends 59-yr exile, to enter Cabinet; VCK, IUML call today
CHENNAI: After remaining on the margins of Tamil Nadu political landscape for 59 long years, during which it played largely insignificant roles, the Congress will return to the Tamil Nadu Cabinet, with the induction of Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan...
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Rural Development dept tender nixed after row over 6-hour bidding window
CHENNAI: Tender release at 9 am, deadline at 3 pm, bidding window 6 hours. A tender floated by the Rural Development Department for the construction of a 30,000-litre overhead water tank at Karappettai village in Kancheepuram district on Tuesday...
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City woman crushed to death as elephants fight at camp in K’taka
BENGALURU: A woman tourist from Tamil Nadu, who was watching elephants at the Dubare camp in Karnataka’s Kodagu district being bathed in the river, was crushed to death during a fight between two trained elephants after one of them lost balance and...
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West Asia war stalls 500 city road works
CHENNAI: After fuel and commodity prices, the war in West Asia has now hit the streets of Chennai, literally, as the repair of more than 500 interior roads across the city has come to a standstill due to a sharp rise in bitumen price. This has left...
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Done waiting for allies, CM allocates portfolios
CHENNAI: After waiting for six days since swearing in as the Chief Minister along with nine other TVK MLAs, reportedly for alliance partners to finalise their Cabinet picks, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday allocated portfolios to his...
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12-YEAR-OLD BODIES ROT IN RGGGH MORTUARY
CHENNAI: A severe crisis has gripped the mortuary at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), where unclaimed bodies have piled up for years, and hundreds of viscera samples remain unprocessed, with some families’ wait for reports continuing...
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VIOLENT SUMMER STORM, LIGHTNING KILL 111 IN UP
LUCKNOW: At least 111 people were killed and 72 injured after storm, lightning and heavy rain pounded several districts of Uttar Pradesh, uprooting trees and damaging houses, an official statement said on Thursday. Several of the deaths were caused by...
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EPS LOSES TRUST
CHENNAI: The battle for the control of AIADMK has reached the point of no return on Wednesday, with party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami removing the 25 MLAs, including senior leaders, from organisational posts, and the rebels accusing him of...
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Vijay assured of pass mark, real test today for Edappadi, AIADMK
CHENNAI: On paper, the floor test on Wednesday is for TVK leader Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to prove that he has the majority to form the government. However, the real test is between the two factions of the AIADMK, the internal turmoil within which...
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Harmony in House; dissonance in AIADMK Rift wide open: 23 MLAs with EPS, 24 in rival camp
CHENNAI: The rebellion against AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami came out in the open on Monday, with rival factions submitting separate letters staking claim for their respective leader to be recognised as the Legislature Party...
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FIRST LINE: THE 9 FACES SHAPING TN’S NEW POWER STRUCTURE
From an old AIADMK warhorse and a former IRS officer to fan-club loyalists, strategists, and first-time legislators, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s core team reflects the disparate band of soldiers who powered Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s dramatic rise...
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SWEARING OVER, SWEARING-IN TODAY
CHENNAI: The long-drawn post-poll thriller in Tamil Nadu finally reached the climax on Saturday after the TVK secured the support of the VCK, and then the IUML, to back its bid to form the next government, and Governor RV Arlekar invited its leader C...
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LEFT IN, VCK YET TO RIGHT-SWIPE VIJAY
On a day of high drama, TVK’s desperate attempts to convince the Left parties to support its claim to form the next government finally succeeded on Friday, but its leader C Joseph Vijay is still struggling to cobble together the requisite number, as...
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Not CHEMISTRY, it’s all about ARITHMETIC
CHENNAI: In a day of animated suspense, Governor Rajendra Arlekar stated that TVK president Vijay has not established that he had the requisite numbers to stake claim to form the next government, while bitter rivals, DMK and AIADMK, intensified their...
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THE MAN I KNEW AS ‘THAMBI’ BEFORE HE BECAME ‘THALAIVAR’ JOSEPH VIJAY
MORE than two decades ago, there I was, a film journalist, very reluctantly attending an event where he was celebrating Pongal with fans. It was held at an open ground, with a number of women preparing pongal. It was very much like a film set. But the...
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‘CM’ Vijay’s swearing-in tomorrow
CHENNAI: After disregarding and ignoring him for nearly two years since he launched Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), party founder C Joseph Vijay, who is set to be sworn in as the Chief Minister on Thursday, seems to be getting support from all...
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HIS STORY HISTORY
CHENNAI: He was derided as a work-from-home politician who hardly reached out to the masses. When he did hit the streets, tragedy followed, resulting in the deaths of 41 people in a stampede in Karur, prompting many to write his political obituary. His...
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THREE FRONTS, ONE DATE WITH HISTORY
CHENNAI: From new entrants and sulking patriarchs and matriarchs to culling of names after the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, there are too many variables for any sane person to place a bet on who will win the Tamil Nadu Assembly...
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TN’s final poll picture: Men outvoted women in 12 seats
CHENNAI: Twelve constituencies — Harbour and Edappadi. Veppanahalli, Hosur, Thalli, Palacode, Pennagaram, Dharmapuri, Omalur, Mettur, Sankari and Veerapandi — saw higher participation from men than women in voting. Notably, Thalli constituency has...
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Crude post-poll shock: LPG up; petrol, diesel next?
NEW DELHI: An increase in petrol and diesel prices in the near future is not ruled out, government sources said on Friday, as losses mount from a four-year-old freeze on retail rates despite the sharp rise in global crude oil prices. International...
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Hurt by Hormuz, crude oil breaches Rs 10.5K a barrel
NEW DELHI: Crude oil prices jumped by Rs 445 to hit a record Rs 10,571 per barrel in futures trade on Thursday, with Brent breaching $126 a barrel in global markets amid reports that US President Donald Trump is weighing military options against...
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DMK RETAINS, UDF RETURNS, BJP SWEEPS ASSAM, POCKETS BENGAL
NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: Several exit polls on Wednesday predicted a return of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, a comeback by the Congress-led UDF in Kerala after 10 years, a thumping victory for the BJP in Assam and a clear edge for the party over the...
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LPG shortfall, IPL fuel power demand spike
CHENNAI: The LPG shortage due to the West Asia war has added to the sharp rise in power demand in several states, including Tamil Nadu. While neighbouring Kerala has announced load shedding to deal with the situation, officials here said the utility...
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FTA inked with NZ; to be in force by yr-end
NEW DELHI: India and New Zealand on Monday inked a ‘once-in-a-generation’ trade pact, giving duty-free access to 100 per cent of domestic exports, including textiles, leather footwear, and gems and jewellery, in the island nation. The pact is expected...
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Armed California man storms Trump event, fires shot; arrested
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and other top officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents Association after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the Washington Hilton ballroom. The...
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Suspense intensifies on TN’s final vote tally
CHENNAI: Two days have gone by since Tamil Nadu went to polls, but the Election Commission of India is yet to release the final, detailed voter turnout data for the Assembly election held on Thursday, with the officials merely maintaining that the...
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Dravidian majors eye clear majority amid Whistle buzz
The State’s two Dravidian majors, the DMK and the AIADMK, have expressed confidence in securing a comfortable majority as the May 4 counting day approaches. This comes even as discussions gain traction regarding a perceived ‘whistle wave’ in favour of...
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POLLING VAULTS
CHENNAI: The manic campaign leading to the Tamil Nadu Assembly election ended in a frenzied climax on polling day on Thursday, with the State recording around 85 per cent, the highest ever polling percentage since 1952. That this election would see a...
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Interest piques again for core engineering courses
CHENNAI: Core engineering disciplines such as Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) and Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) are witnessing renewed interest among students after a period of decline. At the same time, enthusiasm for AI...
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MOST DV CASES NOT BOOKED AS CRIME, SETTLED VIA MEDIATION: IIT-M STUDY
Increasing women’s representation in India’s police forces leads to higher reporting of gender-based crimes and improved victim engagement, but a parallel rise in informal mechanisms in dispute resolution risks weakening formal justice processes, a...
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IN A FIRST, 3-YR JAIL AWARDED IN BONDED LABOUR CASE
CHENNAI: In what can be counted as one of the landmark judgments, the Villupuram Special Court (exclusive trial of cases registered under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act) recently pronounced a maximum imprisonment of three years under the Bonded...
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They fooled us in 2021. Once is enough.
Five years ago, they made us a promise for every problem. NEET. Gas prices. Women's safety. Jobs. Loan waivers. Each one carefully crafted-not to fix our lives, but to win our votes. Not one was kept. Not one was ever meant to be. And now they're back....
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AIADMK SUPPORT FOR DELIMITATION BILL AGAINST TN ETHOS: KANIMOZHI
CHENNAI: DMK parliamentary party leader and MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Saturday criticised AIADMK for supporting the delimitation Bill brought by BJP, alleging that the party had acted against the interests of Tamil Nadu and southern States. Speaking...
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BILL DEMONETISED
NEW DELHI: In the first ever legislative setback for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government since it came to power in 2014, a Constitution Amendment Bill to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 and implement 33 per cent...
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BILL IN HOUSE, FIRE OUTSIDE
NEW DELHI/ CHENNAI: On a day of fireworks, the Lok Sabha on Thursday took up the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, for debate and passage. According to the...
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Delimitation will make us second-class citizens: CM
Stepping up the attack on the Centre-ruling BJP over the proposed delimitation exercise, Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin warned on Wednesday that it would significantly weaken Tamil Nadu’s voice at the national level and appealed people to...
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850 LS seats for ’29 polls; 281 for women
Lok Sabha seats will be increased to up to 850 from the current 543 to “operationalise” the women’s reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls following a delimitation exercise to be carried out on the basis of last published...
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FIX BASIC INFRA ISSUES, RWAS URGE STATE GOVT
CHENNAI: As the assembly election approaches, resident welfare associations (RWAs) across Chennai, are converging, and flagging a familiar set of civic failures including flooding, congestion, encroachments and weak enforcement – cutting across...
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Talks fail; Trump says will block ships paying Strait toll
ISLAMABAD: The US and Iran failed to reach a peace deal at their historic 21-hour talks in Pakistan, leaving the fate of a tenuous two-week ceasefire in doubt, with both sides attempting to hold each other responsible for the collapse of the...
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US, Iran across table for Strait solution
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Direct negotiations between the United States and Iran have officially commenced in Islamabad to find a lasting solution to the West Asia conflict, Pakistan’s state media and a government official said. “After Pakistan Prime Minister...
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Beirut burning, Strait shut, all eyes on peace talks
DUBAI/WASHINGTON: A tentative ceasefire in the Iran war staggered Thursday under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut, Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and uncertainty over whether talks expected on Saturday can find common...
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EC shunts out Chief Secretary, DVAC chief
CHENNAI: In a high level shake up, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday moved out Chief Secretary N Muruganandam and appointed M Sai Kumar as the new Chief Secretary. It also directed the appointment of senior IPS officer Sandeep Mittal...
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Centre backs ban on women in Sabarimala
NEW DELHI: Backing the restriction on the entry of women of menstruating age into Kerala’s Sabarimala temple, the Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the issue falls squarely within the domain of religious faith and denominational autonomy,...
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Noose for 9 ‘Sathan’ cops Life imprisonment not enough for the policemen, says Madurai court
MADURAI: Holding that life imprisonment was not enough for the nine policemen who brutally assaulted, tortured, and murdered the father-son duo who lived honourable and dignified lives, a court in Madurai awarded death penalty to the officials found...
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Oil marketing firms to pay discounted rates to refiners
NEW DELHI: In a first since fuel price deregulation, Indian state-run oil marketing companies will pay refineries a discounted price for petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and kerosene to limit mounting losses from a self-imposed freeze on...
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CM slams CBSE’s ‘covert’ Hindi push, dares BJP to fight it out
CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday launched a sharp offensive against the CBSE’s new curriculum framework, describing it as a “well-planned attempt” to impose Hindi under the guise of the National Education Policy 2020. In a strongly worded...
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Candidate lists out, fail to douse fires in BJP, Cong
CHENNAI: Bringing an end to the days long wrangling at various levels, the BJP on Friday announced candidates for all 27 Assembly constituencies it will contest in Tamil Nadu, but set off another row by leaving out former State president K Annamalai...
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Govt exempts import duty on key petrochem products amid West Asia shipping disruption
NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday exempted the import of critical petrochemical products from customs duty for three months till June 30, giving relief to sectors like pharmaceuticals, chemicals and textiles and ensuring supply stability amid the...
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Tagore quits poll panel post as seat row deepens in Cong
CHENNAI: In an ironic political twist, Congress leader Manickam Tagore, who led from the front to needle alliance leader DMK ahead of the seat-sharing talks, resigned as chairman of the party’s election management and coordination committee on...
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BJP plotting to import 30k voters: Didi to CEC
Banerjee termed the move “another coordinated attempt by the BJP, in conjunction with the Election Commission of India, to interfere with the democratic rights of the people” after the “flawed and seemingly targeted SIR caused severe hardship to...
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Ramnad man killed as Iran targets Kuwait desal plant
RAMANATHAPURAM/DUBAI: A 36-year-old worker from Ramanathapuram was killed in Kuwait after missile debris fell on him amid the ongoing war between Israel and the United States, and Iran. Since the war broke out on February 28, eight people from India...
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Rs 8k coupon scheme for women in DMK’s 525-promise manifesto
CHENNAI: Aiming to retain power for another term, DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday released the party’s election manifesto with 525 promises, with a major focus on welfare expansion, including the ‘Illatharasi’ scheme that offers Rs...
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DMK list out; all but 3 of 33 mins to seek re-election
CHENNAI: The ruling DMK on Saturday released its list of 164 candidates for the April 23 Assembly polls, renominating Chief Minister MK Stalin, his son and deputy Udhayanidhi -- both from their existing city seats -- and around 30 ministers including...
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AIADMK steals a march with constituency allotment for allies
CHENNAI: The AIADMK has stolen a march on its rival, the DMK, by releasing the full constituency-wise allocation for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners for the Assembly polls on April 23. Alongside the allocation, it announced a 297-point...
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EPS inks pact with allies; BJP gains 7, PMK loses 5
CHENNAI: After hectic parleys between the AIADMK and the Centre-ruling BJP that took place in Chennai and Delhi for several days, the NDA on Monday finalised and signed seat-sharing agreement with key alliance partners ahead of the April 23 Assembly...
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Energy markets on edge, PM reviews oil, gas status
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation in the petroleum, crude oil, gas, power, and fertiliser sectors, with a focus on ensuring uninterrupted supply and stable distribution amid the...
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Modi asks Iran to ease chokehold
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to the President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian and condemned the attacks on critical infrastructure in West Asia, while stressing the importance of safeguarding the freedom of navigation and...
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LPG CRUNCH CONTINUES, SUPPLIES RATIONALISED FOR COMMERCIAL USE
NEW DELHI: LPG supply crunch continued for the third straight week on Friday, but there was some easing in bookings for refills, in signs of things slowly crawling towards normalcy. However, concerns persist as supply restrictions on commercial...
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Oil price swells as bombs blast Gulf wells
BANGKOK: Global oil and natural gas prices soared Thursday after Iran attacked a key natural gas facility in Qatar that could supply one-fifth of the world’s gas as well as two oil refineries in Kuwait. The attacks added to fears that the energy...
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CPI yields to fifer offer, CPM adamant on 6 plus
CHENNAI: Amid a demand for more constituencies within the ruling alliance, the DMK on Wednesday signed a seat-sharing agreement with the CPI for five Assembly seats, one less than what the party was allotted in the 2021 elections, while the CPM...
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TALKS ON; TALKS OFF
DMK offers 8, Left seeks 12 CHENNAI: Even after three rounds of discussions, the latest on Tuesday, the ruling DMK and its ally CPM are yet to come to an understanding over the number of seats the Left party would contest, with it insisting on more...
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Neutral polls: ECI replaces SPs of 4 dists
CHENNAI: With the Model Code of Conduct coming into effect in Tamil Nadu, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the appointment of new Superintendent of Police (Sps) in four districts of the state as part of election preparedness and...
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