2 min readJun 1, 2026 06:55 AM IST First published on: Jun 1, 2026 at 06:40 AM ISTA plot to blow up an Air India plane, scheduled to leave New York for Delhi, has been foiled with the arrest of five Sikhs in a co-ordinated operation by Canadian and American intelligence services. All the five Sikhs are understood to be members of the hardline Babbar Khalsa group of Talwinder Singh Parmar. They were arrested near Montreal. Informed sources said that all five had “smoking guns”, and the intelligence agencies have irrefutable proof against them.Venkataramiah panel stays onThe Union government has extended the term of the Venkataramiah Commission till June 10 at the request of the Haryana government. However, this will not come in the way of the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab on the stipulated date, June 21. The decision to extend the term of the commission was taken at a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee of the Cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The decision was taken after hectic lobbying and consultations, on the question of transfer of territories.Lanka willing to resume talksAdvertisementSri Lanka President J R Jayewardene expressed his willingness to send representatives to India to resume the dialogue for the resolution of the island nation’s ethnic problem. Jayewardene conveyed this to the Indian High Commissioner, J N Dixit, when he called on him prior to his departure for New Delhi to attend the conference of Indian envoys in South and West Asia.T R Mahalingam deadThe incomparable flautist, T R Mahalingam, known as Mali to music lovers, died in Ambattur at his brother’s residence following a heart attack. He was 59. He is survived by his American wife. He had no children. Mali returned from New Delhi after attending a function held to bring out the Festival of India commemorative album of music the evening before.