Dense fog disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday, leading to the cancellation of at least 177 flights and delays to more than 500 services, PTI reported citing officials.An official said the cancellations included both departures and arrivals, covering some international flights as well. Data from flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that nearly 500 flights were delayed through the day due to poor visibility conditions.The civil aviation ministry said it was closely coordinating with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), with operational decisions being taken based on real-time weather forecasts. In a post on X, the ministry said airlines were cancelling some flights in advance and informing passengers to avoid unnecessary travel to airports. It added that full refunds and free rescheduling were being offered, and airport directors had been instructed to ensure adequate passenger support.Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates the IGIA, said in a post on X at 7.10 pm that airport operations were running normally without disruption, even as flights continued to operate under CAT III conditions due to dense fog. “Both arrivals and departures are taking place, though some flights may experience delays or disruptions,” DIAL said earlier in the day.Air India Express said it cancelled multiple flights from Delhi to destinations such as Pune, Ranchi, Bagdogra, Indore, Patna, Goa, Varanasi and Jodhpur, citing fog conditions. IndiGo also warned of slower operations, saying fluctuating visibility over Delhi NCR and parts of north India had led to changes in flight schedules, with ground teams prioritising safety and visibility norms.IGIA, the country’s busiest airport, typically handles around 1,300 flights daily.

Who is Nicole Lunders? NASCAR driver Greg Biffle’s ex wife and mother of Emma Elizabeth after deadly North Carolina plane crash (Image via Getty)

Nicole Lunders is known as the ex-wife of NASCAR driver Gregory Jack Biffle and the mother of their daughter, Emma Elizabeth Biffle. In recent days, Nicole has been in the public eye again after reports confirmed that Emma Elizabeth died in a tragic plane crash in North Carolina. Officials are still investigating what caused the crash, and many questions remain unanswered.The plane went down near Statesville Regional Airport in December 2025. Local authorities confirmed that everyone on board died after the aircraft caught fire while attempting to land. The names of the victims were not released right away. Later, family friends told Associated Press and ABC News that Emma Elizabeth was among those killed. Reports also said the flight was connected to Greg Biffle’s family. As the investigation continues, attention has turned to Nicole Lunders, not for her past marriage, but because she has lost her only child in a sudden and heartbreaking way.

Nicole Lunders and Gregory Jack Biffle were together for many years before getting married in 2007. During Greg’s rise in NASCAR, Nicole stayed mostly out of the spotlight. She was often seen supporting him at races but kept her personal life private.The couple welcomed Emma Elizabeth during their marriage. Even after Nicole and Greg separated in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2016, both remained closely involved in raising their daughter. Friends have often said Emma was the center of both parents’ lives.After the divorce, Nicole focused on being a full-time mother. She avoided public attention and did not stay active on social media. Emma, however, was sometimes seen with her father at racing events and special ceremonies. In September 2025, Emma attended an event where Greg Biffle was honored at the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame, showing they shared a strong bond.That is why the plane crash has shocked so many people. Authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, are still working to find out what went wrong. Officials have asked the public for patience as the investigation moves forward.For Nicole Lunders, the focus now is not public attention, but grief. She is being remembered as a devoted mother facing an unimaginable loss, as the racing world and fans continue to mourn young Emma Elizabeth.Also Read: Greg Biffle Net Worth In 2025: NASCAR Star, Career, Family, Income And Death In Plane Crash

Ahmedabad: India’s Sanju Samson plays (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade)

NEW DELHI: With just 50 days to go for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, Team India’s numbers no longer scream dominance, even if recent results offer some comfort.As defending champions, India began their post 2024 title run in ruthless fashion, winning 17 of their next 20 T20Is. Eight scores crossed the 200 mark, five of them were 220 plus and three breached 245 mark, underlining a batting unit operating well ahead of the curve. That curve has flattened since the 2025 Asia Cup. India’s overall strike rate has dropped to 141.64, a worrying decline for a side that had redefined intent at the top of the order.

Since the Asia Cup, Abhishek Sharma remains the only Indian batter striking above 145. Everyone else has slowed down, and the biggest talking point changed to the new opening combination. The Sanju Samson-Abhishek Sharma partnership set the tone for India’s surge after the 2024 World Cup. Across 16 innings, the pair averaged 33.43 and scored at a blistering strike rate of 193.84. That early momentum allowed India to sustain a strike rate of 154.56 through the middle overs and 169.39 at the death.The dynamic shifted when Shubman Gill returned to the playing XI as part of the management’s long-term leadership plan. Samson, who amassed 417 runs in 12 T20Is at a strike rate of 183.70 with three centuries at the top, was pushed down the order. His Asia Cup returns were mixed, though he still finished as India’s third highest run-getter with 132 runs, behind Abhishek Sharma’s 314 and Tilak Varma’s 213. A solitary outing in Australia at No. 3 ended without impact, after which Samson was dropped from the playing XI.Gill’s own returns since his comeback have been underwhelming. In 15 matches, he has scored 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137, without a single fifty. The numbers point to a batter searching for rhythm at a time when India’s top order needs clarity more than caution.Speaking at the JioStar Press Room ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, former India batter Robin Uthappa, who was part of the 2007 World Cup winning squad, was clear about the balance he wants to see. “I would not personally like to tinker with the opening combination,” Uthappa said. “What I would like is to see Sanju bat at No. 3, Tilak at No. 4 and Surya at No. 5. Suryakumar Yadav plays his best cricket outside the powerplay. Tilak Verma needs a pivotal role in this team and that is why No. 4 suits him.”Uthappa explained that placing Tilak Verma at No. 4 and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 5 would free up the top order. “This gives the openers and the No. 3 position the authority to go hard,” he said.

India’s Shubman Gill (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)

He then addressed Gill’s role directly. “You can have someone like Shubman Gill play that sheet anchor role that India desperately need right now, so everyone else can play aggressively around him. India can still use the hyper aggressive batting template that has worked for them, while Gill bats at a 140 to 150 strike rate, which is where he thrives. It is similar to the role Virat Kohli played in the last T20 World Cup.”The concerns, however, extend beyond Gill alone. India’s intent has also dipped due to Suryakumar’s prolonged lean patch. In 2025, the captain has scored just 213 runs from 20 matches at an average of 14.20 and a strike rate of 125.29. With both captain and vice-captain struggling for form, pressure has inevitably shifted on to the middle order.At the same interaction, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan stressed that the phase of experimentation must now come to an end. “There has been a lot of talk about chopping and changing,” Pathan said. “I think the team management was trying to understand who can play different roles, but this is not the time to experiment. When the World Cup starts, it has to be very clear who is batting at what position.”That experimentation has been evident. In the last two T20I series against Australia and South Africa, India tried multiple options at No. 3, including Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and even Axar Patel.Pathan also did not hide his concern over Suryakumar’s form. “As a captain, you need to bat well and be in form going into a big tournament like the World Cup,” he said. “The concern is not just that he is not scoring runs, but that his strike rate is also going down. His strike rate is generally around 166, but over the last year it has come down to around 119.”Referring to Abhishek Sharma’s high risk approach at the top, Pathan said that such a style will inevitably lead to occasional early dismissals and that is acceptable. “He does not need to change,” Pathan said. “That is why he has been successful. But then the pressure comes on the middle order. When you have an in-form Suryakumar Yadav, it becomes a completely different game. Hopefully, he finds a way to stay a bit longer at the crease and get those runs before the World Cup.”What Team India needs right now is certainty of roles. With the World Cup fast approaching, rediscovering tempo, fixing roles and getting their leaders back among the runs may matter far more than any tactical tweak.

Wall Street opened higher on Friday as gains in artificial intelligence-linked stocks helped lift investor sentiment, even as markets digested a widely expected interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan.In early trade, the S&P 500 rose 0.5%, extending gains from the previous session though the index remained lower for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 256 points, or 0.5%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7%, led by advances in technology shares. Nvidia and other AI-related stocks moved higher after recent volatility, AP reported.Winnebago Industries surged 14% after posting quarterly profit and revenue that comfortably exceeded analysts’ expectations. In contrast, Nike shares slid more than 10%, with investors focused on the impact of tariffs despite what was otherwise a strong earnings performance. Deckers Outdoors, the owner of Ugg and Hoka brands, fell over 3% amid similar concerns over trade pressures.Oracle gained 4% after announcing that it, along with Silver Lake and MGX, had signed agreements to form a new US joint venture for TikTok. Each investor will hold a 15% stake, enabling the platform to continue operating in the US.Markets in Asia advanced after the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 0.75%, its highest level since 1995. The move was widely anticipated. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1%, while the country’s 10-year government bond yield crossed 2% for the first time since 2006.“The Bank of Japan’s decision to raise interest rates at its meeting today was clearly signaled ahead of time and therefore came as no surprise,” Abhijit Surya of Capital Economics said.Asian stocks were further supported by optimism over potential US Federal Reserve rate cuts following softer-than-expected US inflation data. European markets were largely flat in midday trade.In commodities, US crude oil rose to $56.31 a barrel, while Brent crude edged up to $60.12. Bitcoin climbed nearly 4% to just under $88,000.

After becoming only the second man in American history to return to the White House after a hiatus, Donald Trump has been hellbent on leaving his mark on Washington. Not merely through policy or executive orders, but through brick, marble and nomenclature. He has pushed to break open the East Wing to make room for a sprawling White House ballroom, floated the idea of remodelling official spaces to better suit “modern presidential entertaining”, stacked cultural institutions with loyalists, and treated Washington less like a capital city than a property portfolio awaiting upgrades. The impulse is familiar: to brand power, to stamp ownership, to make the city remember who was here. It is this same instinct that has now spilled beyond the White House gates and into one of America’s most sacrosanct cultural monuments, with Trump backing the rechristening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the Trump–Kennedy Center.

Power, but make it concrete

New plaques of explanatory text have been placed underneath presidential portraits on the Colonnade at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Donald Trump has never been a president comfortable with abstraction. His idea of power is tactile. You can walk through it, host a dinner in it, point to it from across the street. This is why his second term has been accompanied not just by policy reversals but by an unusual fixation on physical space.

The proposed White House ballroom is emblematic. Trump has long complained that the White House is ill-equipped for large-scale entertaining, arguing that modern presidents should not have to rely on temporary tents on the South Lawn. In Trump’s mind, grandeur is not excess. It is evidence. Evidence of success, of authority, of permanence.This is the same instinct that once drove him to plaster his name in gold across Manhattan skylines. Washington, however, has traditionally resisted this kind of personalisation. Presidents come and go; the buildings remain largely unchanged. Trump has never accepted that arrangement. He does not see himself as a caretaker. He behaves like an owner.

The Kennedy Center was never meant to be flexible

Th eJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts occupies a unique place in American civic life. It is not just a venue. It was established by Congress as a living memorial to a president assassinated in office, explicitly linked to Kennedy’s belief that art was central to democratic life.That context matters. The centre’s name was not the result of philanthropy, branding or convention. It was a deliberate act of national remembrance. The idea was to freeze meaning, not renegotiate it with every new administration.Trump approaches it differently. When asked about the renaming, he framed the issue in transactional terms. “We saved the building,” Trump said, crediting his administration with securing funding and reviving the institution. In his worldview, rescue confers rights. If you fix something, you should be recognised for it.The problem is that memorials are not reward schemes. They are limits. They exist precisely to prevent present power from rewriting past meaning. Adding Trump’s name ahead of Kennedy’s is not a neutral update. It alters the hierarchy of memory. Trump first. Kennedy second. The living eclipsing the dead.

Why the Kennedys reacted with open anger

Maria Shriver, left, and her son Christopher Schwarzenegger pose together at the premiere of the film “Avatar: Fire and Ash” on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The Kennedy family’s response has been striking not for its defensiveness, but for its tone. Maria Shriver did not issue a carefully worded statement. She spoke with disbelief. “It’s beyond comprehension to me,” she said, calling the move “beyond wild” and “so bizarre”.At another point, Shriver remarked, “Just when you think someone can’t go any lower, they do”, before urging Americans to “wake up”. There was no nostalgia in her reaction. It was moral outrage at what felt like a violation of an obvious boundary.Joe Kennedy III framed the objection in institutional terms. He pointed out that the Kennedy Center was named by law and that renaming it would be akin to renaming the Lincoln Memorial. The comparison was deliberate. Some names are meant to be untouchable, not because families demand it, but because societies do.The Kennedys are not fighting for relevance. Their name is already etched into American political history. They are fighting because they understand what happens when memorials become malleable. Once you allow power to edit memory, nothing stays fixed.

Culture wars by capture, not cancellation

Trump’s approach to culture has often been misunderstood. He is not a traditional culture warrior intent on defunding the arts or banning expression outright. His method is more effective. He captures institutions instead.By reshaping boards, installing loyalists and asserting personal authority over cultural bodies, Trump turns them into extensions of political power without ever needing to shut them down. The Kennedy Center renaming is the purest expression of that strategy.This is not about programming choices or individual performances. It is about control over context. By altering the name, Trump redefines the building’s meaning without touching what happens on stage. It is culture war by absorption rather than confrontation.The message is subtle but unmistakable. Even institutions designed to stand above politics exist at the pleasure of political power. No symbol is too sacred to be revised.

Legacy as something you can see from the street

For most presidents, legacy is an uncomfortable abstraction. It is shaped by historians, refracted through time, and rarely settles into a single narrative. Trump has no patience for that uncertainty.He prefers legacy that is physical. Names on buildings. Altered skylines. Concrete proof that does not depend on interpretation. Laws can be repealed. Policies can be dismantled. But a name carved into stone creates the illusion of permanence.This is why Trump is drawn to monuments, memorials and architectural changes. They offer something politics rarely does: durability. The Kennedy Center, in this sense, is not a memorial to another president. It is a canvas.Whether the renaming ultimately survives legal challenge is almost secondary. The intent is already clear. Trump does not want to be remembered as a president who governed well or poorly. He wants to be remembered as a figure who altered the landscape.That is what makes this episode so revealing. It is not an outburst or a distraction. It is a distillation of Trump’s governing philosophy. Power must be visible. Legacy must be branded. History must carry your name.The Kennedy family’s resistance is not about protecting a surname. It is about defending the idea that some institutions exist beyond the reach of personal ambition. If memorials can be rewritten by whoever holds office, then memory itself becomes transactional.And in Trump’s Washington, transactions are the only language that matters.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) committed $4.258 billion in sovereign lending to India in 2025, supporting projects across workforce skilling, renewable energy, urban infrastructure, metro and rail networks, healthcare services and ecotourism, the multilateral lender said on Friday, reported PTI.Of the 16 new projects committed during the year, nearly 32% were in the human and social development sector, while about 26% focused on energy– primarily renewable energy–and over 18% were in urban development, according to an ADB statement.Skilling and clean energy at the coreA key component of the 2025 portfolio is an $846-million financing initiative for PM-SETU, India’s flagship skilling programme, which aims to modernise hundreds of Industrial Training Institutes across states to improve employability and workforce readiness.ADB is also providing $650 million to support the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the national rooftop solar programme designed to expand household-level solar adoption across the country.“We are proud that ADB’s 2025 portfolio supported India’s priority development agenda, focusing on workforce skilling for jobs, clean energy deployment, and driving transformative urban growth,” said ADB Country Director for India Mio Oka, adding that the initiatives reflect the bank’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable growth.Urban transport, healthcare and regional developmentReaffirming its support for India’s urban transformation, ADB committed $775 million for five urban projects in Assam, Kerala, Sikkim and West Bengal. These investments are aimed at upgrading and expanding core urban services, including water supply and sanitation.In transport, the lender committed $729 million to expand regional rapid rail connectivity on the Delhi-Meerut corridor and metro networks in Chennai and Indore, with the objective of improving mobility, easing congestion and managing the pressures of rapid urbanisation.Other major loans included $460 million to Maharashtra to modernise rural power infrastructure and strengthen solar electricity supply for irrigation, and $398.8 million to Assam to upgrade healthcare and medical education systems. ADB also committed more than $200 million in loans to Meghalaya and Uttarakhand to promote ecotourism development.Alongside financing, ADB said it continued to provide policy and knowledge support through technical and operational studies. In 2025, this included assistance to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in developing three knowledge frameworks—on creative redevelopment of cities, cities as growth hubs, and urban water supply and sanitation—which underpin the government’s new urban challenge fund.ADB, founded in 1966, is owned by 69 members, including 50 from the Asia-Pacific region, and supports inclusive, resilient and sustainable growth across the region.