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Srinivasan, husband of IOA chief PT Usha, passes away

V Srinivasan, husband of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President and Rajya Sabha MP PT Usha, died in the early hours of Friday, according to family sources. He was 67.

Srinivasan collapsed at his residence early this morning. Although he was rushed immediately to a nearby hospital, he could not be revived, the sources said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to a bereaved Usha and expressed his condolences on the passing away of her husband, officials said.

A former central government employee, Srinivasan was a constant presence by Usha's side throughout her illustrious sporting and political career. He was widely regarded as her pillar of support and the driving force behind her many professional milestones.

US to return three ancient bronze sculptures to India

The US will return three ancient bronze sculptures to India that were illegally removed from the country’s temples.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington DC said Wednesday that three sculptures will be returned to the Government of India, following "rigorous provenance research” that documented the sculptures had been removed illegally from temple settings. A statement issued by the museum said that the Indian government has agreed to place one of the sculptures on long-term loan, an arrangement that will allow the museum to publicly share the full story of the object’s origins, removal and return, and to underscore the museum’s commitment to provenance research.

The sculptures are ‘Shiva Nataraja’ belonging to the Chola period, circa 990; ‘Somaskanda’ of the Chola period, 12th century; and ‘Saint Sundarar with Paravai' of the Vijayanagar period, 16th century.

The sculptures “exemplify the rich artistry of South Indian bronze casting” and were originally sacred objects traditionally carried in temple processions. The ‘Shiva Nataraja’, which is to be placed on long-term loan, will be on view as part of the exhibition ‘The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas’, the statement said.

Uttarakhand HC dismisses plea against 'Sainik Dham' project

The Uttarakhand High Court has dismissed a plea seeking to halt the construction of the proposed "Sainik Dham" in Dehradun's Guniyal village.

The court has made it clear that the land on which the war memorial is being built is not forest land and therefore, there is no basis to stop the construction. Petitioner Vikas Singh Negi had filed the public interest litigation (PIL) matter, stating that the state government is proceeding with the construction of the "Sainik Dham", without determining the true nature of the land.

The plea had also claimed that the site fell under a forest area. On this basis, it had sought wide-ranging reliefs, including an immediate stay on the construction, the handing over of the land to the forest department, an inquiry by a special investigation team (SIT) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged illegal change of land use, removal of encroachments and action against erring officials.

On behalf of the state government, a reference was made to a joint land-survey report prepared by the revenue and forest departments. The report clearly stated that the land was not part of any forest area. It also noted that the forest department had no objection to the allocation of the land for the "Sainik Dham".

Flight from Bangladesh lands in Pak’s Karachi for first time in 14 years

A flight from Bangladesh capital Dhaka landed at the Jinnah International Airport in Pakistan’s Karachi on Thursday, restoring non-stop air connectivity between the two countries after 14 years.

According to the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA), the Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight (BG-341) from Dhaka to Karachi reached on Thursday evening. "This is the first flight from Dhaka which landed at Jinnah International Airport after 14 years," it said in a statement.

After landing at Karachi airport, the Biman Airlines flight was welcomed with a traditional water salute. "A new chapter in Pakistan-Bangladesh friendship -- air connectivity restored after 14 years, marked by a high-level reception ceremony at Karachi Airport," the PAA added.

The development comes amid growing bonhomie between Bangladesh and Pakistan after prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted following massive student-led protests in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024.

The airlines will operate flights between Dhaka and Karachi twice a week and has been given license until March 30 to test the waters before a long-term permission is given to the airlines, sources said.

Venezuelan lawmakers approve easing state control of oil industry

Venezuela's legislature on Thursday approved opening the nation's oil sector to privatisation, reversing a tenet of the self-proclaimed socialist movement that has ruled the country for more than two decades.

The National Assembly approved the overhaul of the energy industry law less than a month after the brazen seizure of then-President Nicolas Maduro in a US military attack in Venezuela's capital.

The bill now awaits the signature of acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who proposed the changes in the days after US President Donald Trump said his administration would take control of the Venezuela's oil exports and revitalise the ailing industry by luring foreign investment.

Trump threatens tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that puts pressure on Mexico.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said this week that her government had at least temporarily stopped oil shipments to Cuba, but said it was a “sovereign decision” not made under pressure from the United States.

Trump has been squeezing Mexico to distance itself from the Cuban government. 

Democrats, White House strike spending deal that would avert govt shutdown

Democrats and White House have struck a deal to avert a partial government shutdown and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security as they negotiate new restrictions for President Donald Trump's surge of immigration enforcement.

As the country reels from the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, the two sides have agreed to separate homeland security funding from the rest of the legislation and fund DHS for two weeks while they debate Democratic demands for curbs on the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The potential deal comes after Democrats voted to block legislation to fund DHS on Thursday.

Trump said in a social media post that “Republicans and Democrats have come together to get the vast majority of the government funded until September,” while extending current funding for Homeland Security. He encouraged members of both parties to cast a “much needed Bipartisan YES' vote.” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told The Associated Press on Thursday that he had been “vehemently opposed” to breaking up the funding package, but “if it is broken up, we will have to move it as quickly as possible. We can't have the government shut down.” Democrats have requested a short extension—two weeks or less—and say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill if their demands aren't met, denying Republicans the votes they need to pass it and potentially triggering a shutdown.

Republicans were pushing for a longer extension of the Homeland Security funding, but the two sides were “getting closer,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Trump threatens Canada with 50 pc tariff on aircraft sold in US

President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened Canada with a 50 per cent tariff on any aircraft sold in the US, the latest salvo in his trade war with America's northern neighbour as his feud with Prime Minister Mark Carney expands.

Trump's threat posted on social media came after he threatened over the weekend to impose a 100 per cent tariff on goods imported from Canada if it went forward with a planned trade deal with China. But Trump's threat did not come with any details about when he would impose the import taxes, as Canada had already struck a deal.

In Trump's latest threat, the Republican president said he was retaliating against Canada for refusing to certify jets from Savannah, Georgia-based Gulfstream Aerospace.

Trump said the US, in return, would decertify all Canadian aircraft, including its Bombardier. “If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50 per cent Tariff on any and all Aircraft sold into the United States of America,” Trump said in his post.