NEW DELHI: Amid demands to regulate airfare, civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu said in Lok Sabha on Friday that the govt retains the power to intervene in extraordinary circumstances – as seen during the recent spike in ticket prices due to mass-cancellation of IndiGo flights -to protect passengers against opportunistic pricing but emphasised the importance of deregulation and viability of airlines for the sector to grow.Rejecting criticism of soaring air prices, he said in real terms the growth in airfare is actually negative if consumer price index is factored in. In India, it has fallen by 43% compared to 23% in the US and 34% in China, he said, insisting that it is obvious that a certain pricing level has been maintained to keep it affordable for people.“We all feel these are companies which are charging a lot of money. But none of them are making good money. Most of them are in losses. We have to keep this in mind,” he said, replying to a debate on a private member’s resolution on “appropriate measures to regulate airfare in the country”.Hitting back at opposition members who targeted the govt over instances of exorbitant airfares and the alleged duopoly in the sector, he said no matter how much politics they resort to, the governing alliance is committed to people and ensuring that more and more places are brought on the aviation map. If this was not the case, PM Narendra Modi would not have been elected to office three times in a row, Naidu asserted. He emphasised that deregulation in the sector since 1994 had led to its growth as more airlines joined in and competition rose to the benefits of passengers. Competition Commission of India and courts have also advocated deregulation, he said.Congress MP Shafi Parambil, who had moved the resolution, cited the airfare of over Rs 60,000 in a Srinagar to Delhi flight following the Pahalgam terror attack to bat for regulation but withdrew his resolution as per the standard convention in cases of private members’ business.Naidu noted that the govt has a tariff monitoring unit, which is being made more powerful by its inclusion in aircraft rules to lend it statutory provisions. He said the govt had intervened to cap prices for air tickets to Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh this year, and it had taken similar measures after the Pahalgam terror attack.It is not that price surge occurs every day but mostly during festive seasons, he said, stressing that the govt has sat with airlines to augment capacities in specific routes during such occurrences. Aircraft availability is one of the constraints for the sector, and the govt is working at a programme so that aircraft are manufactured in India and the country grows as a leasing hub like Ireland and Singapore, he added.

Sports presenter Grace Hayden has weighed in on the ongoing Ashes contest, backing Australia to complete a dominant series win over arch-rivals England.

Grace Hayden makes a bold prediction for the Ashes

With Australia holding a commanding 2-0 lead, Grace did not shy away from expressing her excitement and confidence in the side’s prospects. During a chat with the broadcasters of ILT20, Matthew Hayden’s daughter admitted she is “so stoked for the Aussies,” reflecting the upbeat mood among Australian supporters watching their team dictate terms early in the series.

Grace framed her prediction as part of the team’s identity and culture, noting that this is “just how we roll” when it comes to big-ticket showdowns like the Ashes. The remark underlines the aura Australia traditionally carries in multi-Test battles, especially when they seize an early advantage. With the hosts already 2-0 up in the five-match series, her assessment taps into a long-standing narrative of Australian ruthlessness once they get on top.

Looking ahead to the remaining Tests, Hayden hinted at hopes of a near-perfect outcome for the home side. She expressed her wish that the rest of the series becomes “just a watch of the Aussies taking it all out,” effectively predicting Australia to shut England out and complete the job in emphatic fashion.

Also READ: Ashes 2025/26 – Here’s why Grace Hayden thanked Joe Root for his hundred in Gabba Test

Pat Cummins set to lead Australia’s Test squad again

Pat Cummins is poised to reclaim the captaincy of the Australian Test team for the upcoming third Ashes match against England in Adelaide. Cricket Australia has officially confirmed his inclusion in the 15-man squad for the encounter at the Adelaide Oval, scheduled to begin on December 17. This marks his return to leadership duties, relieving vice-captain Steve Smith, who successfully guided the team in Cummins’ absence.

The premier fast bowler had been sidelined for the first two Tests of the 2025-26 series due to a back injury. During this interim period, Smith marshalled the side to consecutive eight-wicket victories. However, following a rigorous rehabilitation process, team medical staff and head coach Andrew McDonald have cleared Cummins for play. They noted that his recovery exceeded expectations, revealing he was nearly available for the previous Brisbane Test but was rested as a precautionary measure.

Cummins’ return stands as the sole alteration to the squad that has dominated the series thus far.

Also READ: Ashes 2025/26 – Pat Cummins returns as Australia unveil 15-man squad for the Adelaide Test

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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has removed from their positions four flight operations inspectors (FOIs) who were the principal operations inspectors (POI) for oversight on IndiGo.Designated specifically for an airline, these FOIs (senior pilots) are supposed to keep a close watch on the airline’s requirements and also see if they have the required resources in terms of crew for their operations. Airline pilots go as FOIs to the short-staffed DGCA for some years. In this case, the four have been sent back to their airline before their term got over.In IndiGo’s case, officials said, despite new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) or crew rostering rules scheduled to come into effect from July 1, 2025, and then Nov 1, which would have increased pilot requirement, the airline did not hire for the same. The FOIs failed to flag the issue, they said.This led to a shortage, with IndiGo unable to operate as per new FDTL, which was then put on hold for Airbus A320 aircraft till Feb 10, 2026, to avoid the sort of mass cancellations seen earlier this month.“IndiGo was in discussion with DGCA on the new FDTL and was aware of the increased pilot requirement. Yet they did not hire pilots,” said an official in the know.Even after the fiasco, IndiGo maintains there is no pilot shortage. DGCA has directed the airline to step up its pilot hiring. Meanwhile, IndiGo’s operations are nearly back to normal, with over 2,050 flights Friday across 138 destinations.Management faced growing rift with IndiGo pilots: OfficialThere is a complete disconnect and mistrust between the pilots and the management. The operations control centre (OCC) of the airline is severely disliked by IndiGo pilots. An extra payment was made for night landings which was stopped for a while and so pilots started refusing night flights. New contract had capped flying. A number of things happened that only widened the gulf between pilots and management,” an official said.The discontent in IndiGo pilots has arisen not merely for deferring FDTL implementation, but also on other fronts like tweaking salary components, medically unfit and sick report policy. Things got worse recently when some Indian carriers wanted restriction on their pilots going abroad to work for foreign airlines, mainly in the Gulf. “It is okay for Indian carriers to hire expat top management people like CEOs and COOs but they have a problem with us going abroad to work. If you want to retain us, then have better relations with employees, better work environment and pay package. Instead, airlines only want to arm-twist us. Maybe things will change now after the IndiGo fiasco,” added a pilot.

Mumbai: Trump may have recently lowered duties on Indian spices but centuries before US tariffs, Roman-occupied England taxed Indian pepper heavily. The largest import from India to the Roman Empire, pepper was known as ‘Black Gold’ or ‘Yavana Priya’ (loved by the Romans), a precious commodity paid for with large quantities of precious metals. To see this history up close, visit the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) and look for the ornate silver-and-gold pepper pot shaped like a Roman aristocratic lady. Used to sprinkle pepper in 300–400 CE England, it is one of 300 artefacts in a new gallery tracing India’s economic and cultural connections with the ancient world.Inaugurated on Dec 12, ‘Networks of the Past: A Study Gallery of India and the Ancient World’ — a three-year exhibition — brings together objects from fifteen Indian and international museums, marking Mumbai’s first globally-curated gallery of its scale. Four years in the making and shaped by sustained collaboration between Indian and international scholars, the display — boasting a giant model of Dholavira, the ancient site of the Harappan Civilisation, at the entrance — begins with the Harappan civilisation developed approximately 5000 years ago and concludes with the Gupta empire in the 6th Century CE. Between these milestones, the gallery examines how the Indus Valley civilization connected with the ancient cultures of India, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Persia and China through trade, writing, religion, art and ideas. “The gallery will invite universities and schools from all over India to teach history with objects,” says Joyoti Roy, project curator, CSMVS, Ancient World Project.Created by CSMVS with support from Getty’s Sharing Collections Programme, the exhibition — inaugurated on Friday in the presence of Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court — features objects loaned by The British Museum, London; Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; Museum Rietberg, Zurich; and, for the first time, the Benaki Museum, Athens; the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens; and the Al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait. Endorsed by the ministry of culture, government of India, it also features antiquities from the Archaeological Survey of India, the National Museum, New Delhi; Allahabad Museum, Prayagraj; the department of archaeology and museums, government of Maharashtra; the Indian Museum; the Government Museum in Mathura; and various state museums in Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The Berlin museum has contributed 50 items while the British Museum has contributed 85.The idea for the project took shape in 2020 during a conversation between Dr Jim Cuno, former president of the Getty Trust, and CSMVS director general Sabyasachi Mukherjee. “I had raised a few fundamental questions: Why has the Indus Valley Civilisation not been highlighted more prominently in global history? How did people and societies connect across vast geographies?” recalls Mukherjee. He notes that European scholarship has rarely presented the Harappan Civilisation as dynamic or globally-connected, while colonial interpretations often cast India as a passive receiver rather than an active contributor. “One of the aims of this project was to challenge such colonial misinterpretations,” he adds.Ranging from Harappan artefacts and Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets to Egyptian sculptures, Greek and Roman portraits, Chinese ceramics and jade, jewellery, the objects show how motifs, materials and technologies travelled across cultures. Among the highlights are a cat mummy from Roman Egypt, wrapped in linen and displayed with X-rays that reveal its votive role; a copper-alloy sculpture of the Greek god Poseidon excavated in Kolhapur, its 2,000-year-old iconography hinting at Satavahana–Roman links; a limestone lotus fragment from the railing pillar of the Great Stupa of Amaravati; and Harappan signatures such as the miniature terracotta cart and the replica of the famous Mohenjo-daro ‘Priest-King’. “The aim is to rebuild historical narratives with India at the centre, placing Indian creativity, scientific innovations, urbanisation processes, trade networks, philosophical systems and artistic achievements as independent forces that shaped regional and global histories,” says Mukherjee. “While we have borrowed the objects, we have not borrowed the narrative.”Art historian Neil MacGregor, advisor to Getty, calls the project a perspective shift. “It re-balances our understanding of the past, showing us that Europe was always part of a much bigger history and that, in that story, India was a key player, a powerhouse of goods and ideas that spread across the world,” says MacGregor, whose personal favourite is the Roman pepper pot from the British Museum.For international museum expert Mahrukh Tarapor, the project offered a fresh lens. “India is a very old culture in a young country,” says Tarapor, who is also an advisor to CSMVS. “We have to understand our past in order to allow it to anchor our present, and shape our future.” Describing this as her first experience working on a project where the perspective is “demonstrably Indian,” she adds: “It has been a novel and wonderfully refreshing experience to (re)look at the ancient global world through Indian eyes…”Alongside the gallery, a long-term academic programme– developed with the Cambridge University Global Humanities Program and 20 Indian universities– will use the space as a teaching tool. CSMVS has also set up the dedicated learning centre, NALANDA, where students can engage with objects as primary sources. Micro-exhibitions will travel to rural audiences via Museum on Wheels buses and the Trunk Museum project. “The encounter with art and objects should not be reserved to elites or to those affluent enough to travel to them,” says Katherine Fleming, CEO and president of The J Paul Getty Trust, who recently saw students in Alibaug stamping their names in cuneiform aboard the Museum on Wheels bus. “We want to extend such opportunities to as many students as possible,” she says.Unlike typical exhibitions where objects are loaned for a few months, this three-year display marks a first. “We knew that we had to bring the art here for a much longer window. You want to give visitors not only the chance to see the exhibition, but maybe see it again… and again… and again,” says Fleming. For CSMVS, the gallery represents a new model for museums in India — as spaces of active learning and global cultural dialogue. “Civilisation is not a destination, it’s a journey,” says Mukherjee. “The gallery invites us to explore the ancient world not as something lost to history, but as the foundation upon which our present stands and our future is built.”

The Global Chess League’s third season is set to begin at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House, with American Gambits making their second tournament appearance.The team has announced World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura’s participation as their Icon player, arriving Sunday morning. The squad includes Bibisara Assaubayeva, Richard Rapport, Vladislav Artemiev, Teodora Injac, and World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin.

The American Gambits will face PBG Alaskan Knights in their opening match, featuring a clash between Nakamura and World Champion Gukesh D.“We can confirm Hikaru is coming, and the matchup between him and Gukesh is one everyone will be watching closely. They’ve had several exciting battles this year, usually very evenly fought. It will be one of the most anticipated duels of the season. I do feel we have a slight edge because Hikaru is more experienced in shorter time formats, but anything can happen on the day,” Head Coach GM Srinath Narayanan stated.“We are delighted to confirm Hikaru’s participation. He will be donning the American Gambits shirt and leading an incredibly exciting team. Our first match is against Gukesh’s team, and it is going to be a thrilling contest that sets the momentum for us. We’re looking forward to the season,” said Co-owner Prachura PP.The team’s schedule includes matches against Mumbai Masters, Continental Kings, SG Pipers, and Ganges Grandmasters in the opening round.“With the new season being hosted in India, we’re very excited. On paper, we are one of the strongest teams, with one of the highest average ratings. We have champions across the board, including the current World Rapid Champion Murzin. The squad looks solid and promising,” Srinath commented.“Our primary aim is to win the trophy. We have champion players across categories, one of the highest total ratings in the league, and we want everyone performing at their full potential. The mix of experience and young firepower gives us the balance needed to compete deep into the season. The team environment is strong, the preparation has been meticulous, and we believe this is the year we can make a real statement,” Prachura added.The American Gambits team consists of Hikaru Nakamura, Richard Rapport, Vladislav Artemiev, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Teodora Injac, and Volodar Murzin.ALSO READ: The rise of ‘Queen’: From ages 8 to 18, how an all-girl team is bringing free chess to rural India

NEW DELHI: Expressing solidarity with Madras high court judge Justice G R Swaminathan, 56 former judges Friday issued an open letter urging members of Parliament to withdraw the impeachment notice against him. They warned that the move undermines judicial independence and seeks to pressure judges who do not align with certain political or ideological expectations.Signatories include former SC judges Adarsh Goel and Hemant Gupta, Justice Anil Deo Singh (ex-CJ Rajasthan HC), Justice Narsimha Reddy (ex-CJ Patna HC), Justice P B Bajanthri (ex-CJ Patna HC) and Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee (ex-CJ Karnataka HC).The notice was filed after Justice Swaminathan, acting on a petition by a right-wing activist, directed state authorities to ensure that a sacred lamp be lit at a hilltop temple. Govt officials said this went against the longstanding practice of lighting the lamp at the nearby Deepa Mandapam, where the ritual had been observed for years.In their letter, the former judges sharply criticised the attempt to remove him. “We, the former Judges of SC and former CJs and Judges of HCs, take serious exception to the attempt being made by certain MPs and other senior advocates to impeach Justice G R Swaminathan of Madras HC. This is a brazen attempt to browbeat judges who do not fall in line with the ideological and political expectations of a particular section of society. If such an attempt is permitted to proceed, it would cut at the very roots of our democracy and independence of judiciary.”They stressed that the reasons cited by the MPs do not justify such a drastic step. “Even if the reasons mentioned by the signatory MPs are taken at face value, they are wholly inadequate to justify resorting to such a rare, exceptional & serious constitutional measure as impeachment,” the statement said.The former judges further warned that using impeachment to challenge judicial decisions poses a grave threat to the rule of law. “The very purpose of the impeachment mechanism is to uphold the integrity of the judiciary, not to convert it into a tool of arm-twisting, signalling and retaliation. To wield the threat of removal as a means of compelling judges to conform to political expectations is to turn a constitutional safeguard into an instrument of intimidation.Such an approach is “anti-democratic, anti-constitutional, and an anathema” to the rule of law. The present attempt to impeach a sitting high court judge for discharging his judicial duty is, therefore, not an isolated episode but part of a continuing assault on dignity and independence of the judicial institution itself. Today, the target may be one judge; tomorrow, it will be the institution as a whole,” they said.They also noted that this reflects a wider pattern of pressure on the judiciary. According to them, recent years have seen similar attempts to attack or discredit former chief justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi, S A Bobde and D Y Chandrachud, as well as current CJI Justice Surya Kant, whenever their decisions upset political groups. They said such efforts aim to use impeachment and public criticism as tools to control judges rather than engage in genuine legal critique.

NEW DELHI: Retail inflation inched up marginally in Nov from a record low in Oct, led by an some uptick in prices of vegetables, eggs, meat and fish, spices – prompting experts to say that it is expected to remain benign for now.Data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on Friday showed retail inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), rose an annual 0.7% in Nov, a tad higher than the 0.3% in Oct and below the 5.5% in Nov last year. There is an increase of 46 basis points in inflation in Nov compared to Oct.The food price index contracted 3.9% in Nov compared to a decline of 5% in Oct. The statistics office said there is an increase of 111 basis points in food inflation in Nov compared to the previous month. Urban inflation was higher at 1.4% while rural was at 0.1%.The data showed vegetable inflation fell 22.2% during Nov while pulses and products contracted 15.9%. Spices fell 2.9%. The food and beverages index fell 2.8% during the month. Personal care and effects inflation remained stubborn, rising 24%, largely led by gold prices.Experts said most food items have hardened in Dec compared to Nov and pointed to the surge in tomato prices in Dec, which they said could “temper the typical seasonal dip that is seen in the vegetables index in Dec every year.”Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the policy repo rate by 25 basis points against the backdrop of sharp easing in price pressures. “A continued base-normalisation and the hardening in prices of some vegetables could make the headline CPI inflation cross 1.5% in the next print, which will be the last before the next monetary policy committee (MPC),” said Aditi Nayar, chief economist at ratings agency Icra. “In our view, the evolving inflation-growth outlook, as well as the fiscal policy measures unveiled by the next Union Budget, will guide the MPC’s next decision. Our base case suggests a pause in the MPC’s Feb 2026 policy review,” said Nayar.