A life-size bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda was unveiled at Seattle’s Westlake Square, marking the first such installation hosted by a US city government. The monument, sculpted by Indian artist Naresh Kumar Kumawat, was jointly inaugurated by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and India’s Consul General Prakash Gupta, highlighting growing cultural ties between India and the United States. PICS/X, TEXT/PTI

US airlines began cancelling hundreds of flights on Thursday due to the Federal Aviation Administration's order to reduce traffic at the country's busiest airports starting Friday because of the ongoing government shutdown. (Pics/AFP)