Brian Mulroney, Former Canadian Prime Minister, Passes Away
Brian Mulroney, the former Canadian Prime Minister who struck a free trade deal with the U.S. but whose legacy was marred by revelations of improper business dealings with an arms dealer, died at the age of 84.
His nine-year stewardship was marked by negotiations for the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement in 1988, which helped boost Canadian exports, and the introduction of a goods and services tax in 1991. The tax was enormously unpopular politically but helped fix the government's finances.
Eminent Archaeologist and Padma Shri Awardee Arun Kumar Sharma Dies
Renowned archaeologist and Padma Shri awardee, Arun Kumar Sharma, who had served as the archaeological advisor to the Chhattisgarh government and was one of the key witnesses in the Ram Janmabhoomi case, died at the age of 91.
Sharma had collected archaeological evidence in support of the existence of Lord Ram's temple at the disputed site of Ayodhya. The evidence collected by him was accepted by first the Allahabad High Court and then by the Supreme Court during hearings on the disputed site in Ayodhya.
A native of Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district, Sharma had joined service with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1959 and served in various capacities.