TOP Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma believes he has the game to be a multiple winner on the PGA Tour and it is just a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’, the 22-year-old said.
Nine years after Arjun Atwal became the first Indian winner on the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship, Sharma finds himself under a burden of similar expectations following a fairytale 2018.
The Chandigarh golfer won the Maybank Championship in January last year, a month after
his Joburg Open triumph, and turned heads in his very first PGA Tour event, holding the
second and third round leads at the WGC-Mexico Championship.
The title eventually eluded him after a final round 74, but Sharma cherishes the experience
and is convinced that his success in golf’s elite league is just a matter of time.
“PGA Tour is the best tour in the world and it’s a no-brainer,” said the winner of the 2018 Asian Tour order of merit title.
“It has been a fabulous experience with them till now. I will love tovplay there as and when I get there.
“As for winning, yes, I definitely have the game and will win there many times. I do not want to force the issue. Let it come. It’s just a matter of time. It can happen even next week. So let’s see.”
Sharma had a busy 2018 when he crisscrossed the world to tee up in 33 events, including all four World Golf Championships and the majors.
“Last year has been a whirlwind, a maddening world tour, so to say. I basically could not refuse any of the events I played,” Sharma said. “I was spread out on three tours and I had some goals to be achieved.
“This year things are much more settled. I am concentrating mainly on the European Tour with a few big events thrown in. I will place myself so that I can give my best on the field.”
He added: “All targets are achievable. One thing I want to play in 2019 is the Presidents
The Louvre Museum in Paris, the world’s most-visited art institution, was forced to shut its doors to the public for most of Monday, 17 June, as workers staged a spontaneous strike in protest over chronic overcrowding and deteriorating working conditions.
Thousands of ticket-holding visitors were left waiting in long queues beneath the museum’s iconic glass pyramid, with no clear explanation provided on-site. Many expressed frustration over the lack of communication and the disruption to their plans.
Staff protest against 'untenable' conditions
The walkout took place during a scheduled internal meeting, during which gallery attendants, security staff and ticket agents decided to withdraw their services. According to the CGT-Culture union, the protest was triggered by “unmanageable crowds”, insufficient staffing and unsafe working conditions.
Sarah Sefian of CGT-Culture said, “We can’t wait six years for help. Our teams are under pressure now. It’s not just about the art – it’s about the people protecting it.”
The strike highlights long-standing concerns among Louvre staff, including inadequate facilities for both visitors and employees. These include limited restrooms, a shortage of rest areas, and extreme temperature swings within the museum that also pose a risk to the artworks.
Louvre’s overtourism problem
Over 8.7 million people visited the Louvre in 2023 – more than double the capacity the building was designed to handle. Despite a daily visitor cap of 30,000, staff say that the volume, combined with inadequate infrastructure, turns the museum experience into a daily “physical ordeal”.
Central to the issue is the popularity of the Mona Lisa, which draws around 20,000 people a day to the Salle des États. The crowding in this room often prevents visitors from appreciating the surrounding Renaissance masterpieces. Some tourists describe the experience as overwhelming, with little chance to enjoy the art amid the noise, heat, and crowding.
Renovation plans and funding concerns
In January 2025, President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a €700–800 million “Louvre New Renaissance” plan to address the museum’s pressing issues. Under the plan, the Mona Lisa will be relocated to a purpose-built gallery with timed entry. A new entrance near the Seine River is also expected to be completed by 2031 to alleviate congestion at the existing pyramid entrance.
However, Louvre staff remain sceptical about the project’s impact. While the plan promises improved display conditions and a modernised visitor experience, unions have criticised the government for allowing annual state subsidies to fall by over 20 per cent in the past decade, despite increasing footfall.
“We take it very badly that Monsieur Le President makes his speeches here in our museum,” said Sefian. “But when you scratch the surface, the financial investment of the state is getting worse with each passing year.”
A leaked internal memo from Louvre President Laurence des Cars echoed many of these concerns. The document described failing infrastructure, including leaks and temperature fluctuations, as well as poor basic visitor services such as signage, food and restrooms.
Limited reopening possible, full closure expected Tuesday
Some striking staff indicated they might briefly reopen a limited “masterpiece route” on Monday evening to allow access to key artworks, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. However, the museum is officially closed on Tuesdays and is expected to resume normal operations on Wednesday.
Visitors affected by the strike may be allowed to reuse Monday’s tickets on another day, subject to availability.
Financial outlook and restoration timeline
The Louvre’s full renovation is expected to be financed through a mix of ticket revenue, government contributions, private donations, and proceeds from international partnerships, including licensing from the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Ticket prices for non-EU visitors are expected to increase later in 2025.
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Unlike other major Parisian sites, such as Notre Dame Cathedral and the Centre Pompidou – both of which are undergoing state-funded restorations – the Louvre remains underfunded and overstretched. Staff argue that without immediate action, both the museum’s collection and its workforce are at risk.
President Macron, who delivered his 2017 election victory speech at the Louvre and used it prominently during the 2024 Paris Olympics, has promised a revitalised museum by the end of the decade.
For now, however, the Louvre remains emblematic of the broader overtourism challenges facing cultural landmarks across Europe. With no short-term solutions in place, both staff and visitors remain caught between ambition and reality.
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These impressive numbers also reflect Nintendo’s strategic stock management ahead of launch
Nintendo’s highly anticipated Switch 2 console has broken global sales records, becoming the fastest-selling games console in history. The Japanese gaming giant confirmed that more than 3.5 million units were sold worldwide in the first four days following launch.
In a post on social media platform X, Nintendo announced that the Switch 2 had surpassed the launch performance of every previous Nintendo console. It has even outpaced competitors such as Sony’s PlayStation 5, which shipped 3.4 million units in its first four weeks, and the PlayStation 4, which sold 2.1 million units in its first month.
Record sales in the US and Japan
The United States has been the standout market, where the Switch 2 sold 1.1 million units in its first week. According to Nintendo, this marks the most successful launch week for any console in US history. Notably, the attach rate for Mario Kart World, the flagship launch title, reached 80% among US buyers.
Nintendo Switch 2 set a new all-time launch week unit sales record for video game hardware in the US, with over 1.1 million units sold during the week ending June 7, 2025 (excludes sales from the My Nintendo Store). The record was previously held by PlayStation 4.
In Japan, the Switch 2 sold 947,931 units in its first week, excluding sales from the My Nintendo Store. Given Japan’s significantly smaller population compared to the US, this figure highlights strong local demand. These impressive numbers also reflect Nintendo’s strategic stock management ahead of launch. The company had promised to keep scalping to a minimum by ensuring adequate supply, a move that appears to have paid off.
Performance in the UK
In the UK, traditionally one of Nintendo’s weaker markets, the Switch 2 still became the fastest-selling Nintendo console of all time. However, it ranks fourth overall in UK launch sales, behind the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 4.
Early success despite limited exclusives
The sales figures are particularly noteworthy given the limited first-party exclusive titles available at launch. Mario Kart World has led the line-up, with third-party titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition following closely in popularity.
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Third-party support at launch is strong but largely features existing titles. Only two exclusive third-party games — Konami’s Survival Kids and the budget release Fast Fusion — are currently available for the console.
Nintendo’s first-party offering is expected to expand significantly in the months ahead. Upcoming titles confirmed for release before Christmas include Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Kirby Air Riders, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The company has also teased Splatoon Raiders, a spin-off of its popular multiplayer franchise, though a release date has yet to be announced.
Long-term outlook
Nintendo has set a sales target of 15 million units for the Switch 2 by the end of March 2026. Given the momentum from its record-breaking launch and solid upcoming release schedule, industry analysts suggest the console is well on course to exceed that figure.
The Nintendo Switch 2’s rapid success marks a strong start to the console’s lifecycle and sets the stage for what could be another defining chapter for the company in the global gaming market.
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Raveena Tandon boards Air India flight days after AI171 crash
Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon flew with Air India just days after the airline’s London-bound AI171 flight crashed in Ahmedabad, claiming 270 lives. Her flight experience, shared through heartfelt Instagram posts, offered a glimpse into the quiet grief and emotional strength of passengers and crew still processing the tragedy.
‘A solemn journey’: Raveena shares moving message from flight
On Monday, Tandon boarded an Air India flight and shared images of herself on board, along with a message that reflected the sombre atmosphere. “The crew’s welcoming smiles were tinged with sadness,” she wrote. “Silent passengers and crew bonding with unspoken condolences and subtle confidence. Condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. A wound that will never heal.”
Her words came days after the 12 June crash of AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which plunged into the B.J. Medical College hostel just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. The devastating accident killed 241 people on board and 29 others on the ground. Only one person, Vishwaskumar Ramesh, seated in 11A, survived with minor injuries. Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
Tandon added, “New beginnings… to rise and fly again against all odds… a will to overcome and be strong again. Jai Hind.”
Support for crew grows as investigation continues
Tandon isn’t the only public figure to express support for Air India. Comedian Vir Das also took to social media days earlier, calling the airline’s crew “the best in the sky,” acknowledging the immense emotional toll on them. “I cannot imagine how hard it is for them to do their job right now, having lost their own,” he wrote on X.
Veteran actress Zeenat Aman, too, spoke about her emotional experience on an Air India flight following the crash. “I found myself overwhelmed with emotion as I buckled my seatbelt,” she shared, echoing the collective grief felt by many.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has recovered the flight’s black boxes and is investigating. Air India and the Tata Group have announced compensation packages of £95,000 (₹1 crore) for families of the deceased and £23,750 (₹25 lakh) as interim relief.
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People carry the coffin containing the body of Akash Patni, who died after an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane crashed during take-off from an airport, in Ahmedabad, June 17, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)
FIVE days after the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 270 people, officials on Tuesday said that 135 victims have been identified through DNA testing, and 101 bodies have been handed over to their families.
According to authorities, DNA tests are being conducted to confirm the identities of victims as several bodies were charred or severely damaged.
“Till Tuesday morning, 135 DNA samples have been matched, and 101 bodies have already been handed over to the respective families. Of these 101 deceased, five were not on board the flight,” Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi said.
He added that the 101 deceased belonged to different parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan and Diu. Joshi earlier said he hoped DNA profiling of all victims would be completed by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, PTI reported.
The crash occurred on June 12, shortly after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39 pm. The plane, which was bound for London, crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad.
There were 242 people on board the flight. Of them, 241 died and one person survived. The crash also killed 29 people on the ground, including five MBBS students.
Air India chairman addresses staff after crash
Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran on Monday addressed employees in a town hall at the airline’s headquarters near New Delhi. The meeting, attended by 700 staff, came days after what is being described as one of the deadliest air disasters in a decade.
“I’ve seen a reasonable number of crises in my career, but this is the most heartbreaking one,” he said, a Tata Group spokesperson told Reuters.
“We need to use this incident as an act of force to build a safer airline,” Chandrasekaran told the staff.
The Tata Group owns Air India, and Chandrasekaran is also the chairman of the conglomerate.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner lost altitude shortly after takeoff and crashed into buildings, resulting in a large fire. Only one passenger survived, and around 30 people on the ground also died. The flight was heading to Gatwick Airport near London.
The Indian government and Air India are reviewing the crash, focusing on several technical aspects, including engine thrust, the position of the flaps, and why the landing gear remained open.
“We need to wait for the investigation … It’s a complex machine, so a lot of redundancies, checks and balances, certifications, which have been perfected over years and years. Yet this happens, so we will figure out why it happens after the investigation,” Chandrasekaran, 62, said.
Both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder have been recovered, and authorities said these will be critical for the ongoing probe.
Impact on airline and Boeing
The crash has come at a time when Air India is trying to modernise its fleet after years of losses and operational issues during government ownership. Since acquiring the airline in 2022, the Tata Group has announced plans to develop it into a "world-class airline".
The crash also adds pressure on Boeing, which has been facing safety and production concerns in recent years.
On Monday, a separate Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft heading from Hong Kong to New Delhi returned to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue.
Chandrasekaran said, “It’s not easy to face criticisms. We are going to get through this. We need to show resilience.”
Ongoing efforts in Ahmedabad
Meanwhile, in Ahmedabad, many families continue to wait to collect the bodies of their relatives. Medical teams are working on identifying victims using dental samples and other methods. Only 99 DNA matches had been confirmed by Sunday evening, and 64 bodies had been handed over at that point, Dr Joshi said.
Authorities are continuing the identification process as part of the larger effort to assist grieving families and determine the cause of the crash.
A NEW study revealed that India has become the top source of foreign-born founders behind America’s most valuable start-ups, highlighting the country's growing influence in the global technology sector.
Research by Stanford University’s Venture Capital Initiative showed that Indian entrepreneurs have founded 90 "unicorn" companies - start-ups valued at over $1 billion - in the US.
According to the report, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) dominate the rankings, with IIT Delhi leading the pack by producing 16 unicorn founders, including Jyoti Bansal who created AppDynamics. IIT Bombay follows closely with 14 founders, while IIT Kanpur has contributed 12, including the team behind cloud computing giant Nutanix.
Among the 165 US unicorn founders who studied at Indian universities, 81 per cent pursued either computer science or engineering degrees, the report noted.
“Indian entrepreneurs have become essential to the US’s innovation economy. India has contributed 141 unicorn founders who received their undergraduate education from Indian universities, again leading all countries outside the US. Most impressively, startups founded by Indian entrepreneurs who relocate to the US are 6.5 times more likely to achieve unicorn status than the average,” author of the report, Ilya A. Strebulaev, told Eastern Eye.
This pattern of immigrant entrepreneurship isn't unique to the US. In Britain, foreign-born founders play an equally vital role in the start-up ecosystem, according to data from Financial Times-backed tracker Sifted.
Despite foreign-born residents making up less than 15 per cent of the UK's population, they account for 39 per cent of the country's 100 fastest-growing companies. The USwas the most common country of birth for foreign-born founders in the UK, followed by Italy, France, Canada, India and Germany.
Asian entrepreneurs have been particularly successful, founding major unicorns including Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Hopin. Data shows that 24 per cent of Britain's unicorn companies now have foreign-born founders, with entrepreneurs coming from 28 different countries across five continents.
According to the Stanford report, California's unicorn companies employ approximately six per cent of their workforce in India on average, making the country the largest international talent pool for these billion-dollar firms. This creates valuable professional networks that often serve as launching pads for future entrepreneurs, as employees gain industry experience before starting their own ventures.
“India's technical education system has created a "national asset" in the global knowledge economy. The success of Indian entrepreneurs in the US also strengthens India's own start-up ecosystem through knowledge transfer, investment flows, and mentorship connections. As technology continues to drive worldwide economic growth, India's position as a primary source of high-impact entrepreneurs looks set to become even more significant in the years ahead,”
Strebulaev, who is the David S. Lobel professor of private equity at Stanford Graduate School of Business, pointed out.
Immigrant entrepreneurs are not just contributing to the US’s innovation boom - they are driving it, the report said. It analysed 1,078 founders behind 500 US unicorns and found that 474 founders came from abroad, representing 65 different countries across six continents.
Beyond individual founders relocating, entire companies are moving to the US to access its unique scaling advantages. The research showed that eight per cent of US unicorns - 88 out of 1,108 companies - were initially founded elsewhere before relocating to US soil. The benefits of this move are dramatic: Israeli start-ups that relocated to the US were nine times more likely to achieve unicorn status than those that remained at home, while Indian companies saw a 6.5-fold improvement in their chances.
“Successful examples of this trend include messaging platform Slack from Canada, gaming engine Unity from Denmark, and meditation app Headspace from Britain. These companies discovered that whilst great ideas can emerge anywhere, the American ecosystem offers unparalleled resources for growth,” the report said.
“Location choices within America also matter significantly. While California remains the top destination, international founders are increasingly strategic about where they establish operations. Israeli entrepreneurs often favour New York over California, and 15 per cent of all US unicorns have moved their headquarters at least once between founding and reaching billion-dollar valuations.”
Analysis of 191 California-based unicorns revealed that only 38 per cent of their 375,000 employees actually work in California. Nearly a third are employed elsewhere in the US, while another third work overseas, creating a truly international workforce.
When measuring entrepreneurial productivity per capita, Israel leads dramatically with 43.4 unicorn founders per 100,000 first-generation immigrants, followed by New Zealand at 37.3 and Belgium at 24.4. By comparison, India produces 2.5 unicorn founders per 100,000 immigrants, though it still contributes the highest absolute number.
The innovation ecosystem in the US thrives precisely because of this global talent mix, the research noted. With nearly equal numbers of US-born and immigrant founders, researchers describe this as "powerful complementarity".