www.thestatesman.com | FOLLOW US: India’s National Newspaper since 1818 @TheStatesmanLtd | Pages 20 @thestatesmanltd | ₹5.00 8th Day | People’s Parliament, Always in Session thestatesman1875 KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | BHUBANESWAR Evolve Scotland replaces B’desh in 2026 T20 World Cup TRIDIB BAPARNASH New Delhi, 24 January P utting an end to nearly three weeks of negotiations between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over the latter’s refusal to send its team to India for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup, the global cricketing body on Saturday finally cracked the whip and replaced Bangladesh with Scotland. EU chief arrives, to be Chief Guest at R-Day celebrations: New Delhi: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday arrived in India on a State Visit during which she, along with European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, will also be attending India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations as a Chief Guest, marking a significant milestone in India–EU relations. The EU chief was received by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada upon her arrival. “The BCB is not agreeable to playing the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 per the match schedule with their matches in India. We are, therefore, going ahead with the Board decision to replace Bangladesh in the tournament,” read an ICC mail to its board members. According to multiple reports, the decision was formally communicated to the BCB via email on Friday evening, after the board informed the ICC that the Bangladesh government had not granted permission Davos, 24 January US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a close aide of American President Donald Trump, has dropped hints that Washington may remove the additional 25 per cent tariff slapped on India, saying New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil have significantly gone down because of the increased tariff. Bessent, in an interview to Politico on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting, called the levying of the additional tariff on India a "huge success." Mr Bessent claimed the purchase of Russian oil by Indian refineries has “collapsed” as a result of the steep US tariff. “We put a 25 per cent tariff on India for buying Russian oil, and the Indian purchases by their refineries of Russian oil have collapsed. So that is a success. The tariffs are still on. I would imagine there is a path to take them off, so that's a check and a huge success,” he said. The US Treasury Secretary's remarks come in the midst of a debate in the US Congress on a proposed legislation imposing a huge 500 per cent duty on countries purchasing Russian oil. New Delhi has, however, reiterated its India First energy policy, saying its oil purchases were based on the requirement of "affordable energy" for its population. The US Treasury Secretary Four dead, all of Indian origin, in US domestic shooting UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Atlanta, 24 January An Indian-origin man has been arrested by police in the US state of Georgia after allegedly shooting dead his wife and three other people, all of Indian origin, in an incident that officials say is linked to an alleged family dispute. The shooting occurred early on Friday morning in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, local media reported. Three children were inside the home at the time of the incident but escaped unharmed by hiding and alerting authorities, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Police responded to a “shots fired” call around 2:30 a.m. at a home in the 1000 block of Brook Ivy Court. On arrival, officers found four adults inside the residence with fatal gunshot wounds, PCB chief Naqvi fans the fire: New Delhi: Hours after the ICC formally removed Bangladesh from the upcoming T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reacted by expressing support for Bangladesh and criticising the global body for what it believes is preferential treatment towards India. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi reiterated that Pakistan’s own participation in the tournament will ultimately depend on clearance from the government. Pakistan was among the two boards that voted in favour of Bangladesh during Wednesday’s ICC Board Directors’ meeting, which ended in a 14-2 decision backing Bangladesh’s replacement. US Treasury Secretary hints at rolling back 25 pc tariffs on India over Russian oil buys UNITED NEWS OF INDIA AUTHORITIES CONFIRMED THERE WERE THREE CHILDREN IN THE HOUSE AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING. THE CHILDREN HID IN A CLOSET, AND ONE OF THEM MANAGED TO CALL 911, ENABLING POLICE TO REACH THE SCENE QUICKLY. local media reported. The suspect was identified as Vijay Kumar (51), of Atlanta. He has been charged with four counts each of aggravated assault, felony murder and malice murder, one count of cruelty to children in the first degree, and two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree. The victims were identified as Kumar’s wife, Meemu Dogra (43), of Atlanta, and Gourav Cumar (33), Nidhi Chander (37), and Harish Chander (38), all of Lawrenceville. According to investigators, an argument allegedly began between Kumar and Dogra at their Atlanta home, after which they travelled with their 12-year-old child to the Brook Ivy Court residence, where the other three victims, relatives of the couple, lived along with two other children aged seven and ten. Authorities confirmed that three children were present inside the home at the time of the shooting. The children hid in a closet, and one of them managed to call 911, enabling police to reach the scene quickly. The children were unharmed and were later taken into the care of a family member. Police said officers arrived while the suspect’s vehicle was still parked in the driveway. K-9 units were deployed and tracked the suspect to a nearby woodline, where he was apprehended without incident. | SILIGURI | also came down on European nations for purchasing refined Russian oil from India. Accusing the European nations of indirectly financing Russia's war effort by buying refined Russian-crude made petroleum products from India, he dubbed it "the ultimate act of irony and stupidity". “...in the ultimate act of irony and stupidity, guess who was buying the refined products from the Indian refineries made from Russian oil? The Europeans. They are financing the war against themselves. They are financing the Russians,” he said. Mr Bessent further described the EU's avoidance of imposing US-like tariffs on India as "virtue signalling". “I will also point out that our virtue signalling European allies refused to do it because they wanted to sign this big trade deal with India,” he added. 25 January 2026 Djokovic secures 400th Grand Slam match win to extend record, ties Federer’s Australian Open mark Page 19 for the team to travel to India for the tournament, which begins on 7 February and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. A formal invitation has also been sent to Cricket Scotland to participate in the tournament. The matter had escalated earlier in the week when the ICC Board held an emergency video conference on Wednesday. During that meeting, a clear majority of directors (14-2) voted in favour of replacing Bangladesh should they continue to insist on shifting their matches out of India. The ICC subsequently gave the BCB a final 24-hour window to consult with the government and confirm participation under the existing schedule. On Thursday, however, both the Bangladesh government and the BCB reiterated their position that the team would not travel to India. LUCKNOW S P O RT S Goddess of Knowledge in Kolkata Goodbye, Calcutta Winters | MUMBAI |