vijayawada l wednesday l april 01, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION more heatwave days than usual this april-june, cautions imd predicts above normal rainfall in april The IMD said normal to above-normal rainfall is likely over most parts of the country except Northeast India in April. Currently, neutral El NinoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions are prevailing over equatorial Pacific. ENSO-neutral conditions are most likely to continue between April and June. Thereafter, El Nino conditions could develop gradually, it said Above-normal heatwave days are likely over east, central, northwest and the southeast between April and June, the IMD said Tuesday march rain due to western disturbances ■ ■ Reviewing weather conditions that prevailed during March, the IMD said that rainfall over India during the month was the 10th highest since 2001. Rain in March was due to western disturbances IMD said the long period average of rainfall over India during April based on data from 1971 to 2020 is about 39.2 mm 32 people died in march from lightning accidents, imd said CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Centre to table Amaravati bill in LS today P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi The Union Government is set to introduce the Andhra P r a d e s h Re o r g a n i s a t i o n (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, which will officially declare Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh and provide statutory backing to the ongoing greenfield capital city project. The bill aims to amend the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, adding the phrase, “Amaravati shall be the new capital.” After Telangana was formed as a separate State, the original Act of 2014 stated that Hyderabad shall be the common capital for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a period of not exceeding 10 years, after which Hyderabad shall be the capital of Telangana and there shall be a new capital for AP . The move follows a unanimous resolution passed by the AP Legislative Assembly on March 28, urging the Centre to grant legal recognition to Amaravati as the permanent capital. The resolution, moved by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, was forwarded to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Lok Sabha Speaker and Union P4 Home Minister.  Go get your own oil: Trump Won’t help you, a livid Trump tells allies who are not supporting the US in its war with Iran First oil cargo from Iran headed to Guj day 32 a g en c i e s @ Dubai EGGED by a massive wave of disapproval for US-Israel’s unilateral decision to invade Iran, President Donald Trump on Tuesday expressed frustration with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the US war effort, telling them to “go get your own oil” as the conflict with Iran and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz roiled global markets. The president’s social media tirade came after US strikes hit a city home to one of Iran’s main nuclear sites, sending a massive fireball into the sky. Iran rubbished this claim and soon attacked a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. Trump, who has vacillated between insisting there is progress in diplomatic talks with Iran and threatening to expand the war, directed blame at US allies like the UK and France that have refused to enter a war with no clear endgame that they were not consulted on. “You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the R a ke s h K u m a r @ New Delhi A screengrab from a video shared by US President Donald Trump which shows a US military strike in Isfahan, Iran, on Tuesday | X US IT firms on Iran’s radar  Iran said Tuesday it would target leading US technology firms like Apple, Google and Meta in the Gulf if more Iranian leaders were killed. It listed the names of 18 firms and asked their staff to leave the region Airfares hit roof on all routes  Airfares across key metro routes and popular tourist destinations are registering a sharp spike in the backdrop of West Asia conflict. On metro routes, airfares have risen by 15–20%, and over 35-40% for last minute bookings | P10  USA. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!” Trump wrote. He singled out France for not letting planes fly over French territory saying Paris has been , “VERY UNHELPFUL,” and that “The USA is going to REMEMBER THIS forever!!!” IndiGo taps IATA chief Walsh as CEO ARSHA D K HA N @ New Delhi InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of India’s largest airline IndiGo, on Tuesday appointed seasoned William Walsh as CEO. Walsh, popularly known as Willie, is currently the directorgeneral of International Air Transport Association (IATA) and was formerly CEO of British Airways and International Airlines Group, a holding company which owns Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Level and Vueling. His tenure at IATA comes to a close on July 31, 2026 and he is expected to join IndiGo not later than the August 3. IndiGo’s appointment of a new CEO comes weeks after the sudden departure of Pieter Elbers. The airline’s promoter and MD Rahul Bhatia has taken interim charge of the company’s management. The changes in top-level management came three months after operational disruptions at the airline that crippled India’s aviation sector. Last week, IndiGo had apWilliam Walsh pointed Air In- Vir Vikram Yadav is the new DGCA chief The Centre on Tuesday appointed Vir Vikram Yadav as the Director General of Civil Aviation, replacing Faiz Ahmed Kidwai who has moved to the Department of Personnel & Training as additional secretary. Yadav, an IAS officer of 1996 Odisha cadre, is currently an additional secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change dia Express MD and CEO Aloke Singh as chief strategy officer. In his new role, Walsh will be responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the airline with a focus on transformational initiatives to strengthen the operational performance, advance the company’s network and commercial strategy while enhancing customer experience. “The aviation landscape is evolving rapidly, and IndiGo is well-positioned to be at the forefront of this change,” Walsh said. AP set to launch 1st quantum computer E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform Amaravati into a global hub for quantum computing and position Andhra Pradesh at the forefront of next-generation technology . Addressing a round table on the Quantum Valley hardware ecosystem on Tuesday, he said the State is leveraging the National Quantum Mission to secure a first-mover advantage, much like it did in IT. Backed by partnerships with IBM, TCS and L&T, the initiative aims to develop indigenous quantum hardware and world-class infrastructure, turning Amaravati into a future-ready innovation hub. Amaravati Quantum Valley (AQV) will serve as a catalyst in positioning Andhra Pradesh among the top five global quantum hubs by 2030. “Amaravati is going to emerge as India’s first quantum computer hub with the launching of the first quantum computer on April 14. With this Andhra Pradesh will become a leader in next-generation technologies. Amaravati Quantum Valley will provide a new direction to the nation in the technology revolution,” Naidu said. He emphasised that AP is moving with a clear roadmap to build a comprehensive ecosystem that includes quantum hardware manufacturing, algorithm development and research capabilities.  P4 At least nine dead in Bihar temple stampede ‘Poor crowd management led to deaths’ RA M ASHA N K AR @ Patna At least nine devotees, eight of them women, were killed and 10 others injured in a stampede at a temple in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Tuesday . The incident took place around 8.30 am when a large number of devotees gathered at the Maa Sheetla Mandir located at Maghra village to offer morning prayers. Nalanda district magistrate Kundan Kumar said eight women died on the spot, while a man succumbed to his injuries later. The condition of four persons is critical. “When devotees were entering the temple, several women Scene at the Maa Sheetla Mandir after the stampede on Tuesday morning | pti collapsed due to dehydration and suffocation,” he said. The district administration has suspended four policemen, including the SHO of Deepnagar police station, under whose jurisdiction the temple comes. Sources said 2,500 police personnel were deployed for security of President Draupadi Murmu, who was attending an event at Nalanda University . Iran approves Hormuz toll  Iran’s Parliament approved the Strait of Hormuz Management Plan, which includes measures to impose a rial-based toll system on the waterway, security arrangements, ship safety and financial arrangements Official sources said 25,000 30,000 people assembled at the temple on the last Tuesday of the month, considered an auspicious day. Locals said there was not enough police force to manage the crowd and alleged the authorities were busy with the President’s visit INDIA is set to receive the first Iranian cargo since 2019 as the vessel Ping Shun carrying 600,000 barrels of Iranian crude is headed towards a port in Gujarat. According to commodity market analytics firm Kpler, the vessel is expected to reach Vadinar on April 4. “As per @Kpler tracking, the vessel Ping Shun carrying ~600 kb of Iranian crude is currently signalled for discharge at India. Given the past pattern of frequent destination changes, the final discharge location remains uncertain,” Sumit Ritolia, lead research analyst, refining & modeling at Kpler, posted on X. Iran was once a major oil supplier to India, but imports from Tehran were halted after US sanctions were imposed. At present, nearly 90% of Iranian oil exports are directed towards China. So far, six cargoes have reached India from the Strait of Hormuz. E x p r e s s Re a d CM sets July deadline for Sanjeevani rollout Vijayawada: Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to take steps for implementation of the Sanjeevani project across the State by July. Currently, the project is being implemented in Kuppam and Naravaripalle of Chittoor district. Reviewing the Sanjeevani project at his camp office on Tuesday, he called for a collective, movement-like effort to strengthen public health across Andhra Pradesh | P4 Oracle sacks 30,000 employees globally New Delhi: Following weeks of speculation, reports said that Oracle has begun a fresh round of layoffs targetting 30,000 employees globally, including in India. Oracle employees on several social media sites on Tuesday said many of their coworkers woke up to 6 am mails informing them that they had been fired with immediate effect. The layoffs are in Oracle’s computing cloud businesses.