Chennai: In the fishing hamlet of Nettukuppam in Ennore, around 150 houses have been battling life and health problems for the past several years – dust, wheeze and year-round damp roofs with black-brown deposits. The reason? Barely a kilometer away, near the North Chennai Thermal Power Station, heaps of fly ash mixed with river sand in the floodplain of Kosasthalaiyar river have not been cleared even as four years have passed. National Green Tribunal Orders were given to remove them.These fly ash particles – a powdery residue produced when coal is burned in thermal power plants – are the same residue from the leak in Tangedco’s fly ash slurry pipelines in 2017, when thousands of tonnes of toxic ash flowed into Ennore Creek and Kosasthalaiyar.“Problems arising from the proximity of fly ash have become a part of the lives of villagers living within a radius of 4-5 km. Children show symptoms of wheezing at night,” said Aravindan, a resident of Nettukuppam.While the NGT had ordered removal of fly ash deposited in creeks, river beds and flood plains and fixing leaks in pipelines carrying ash slurry, a visit times of India Ennore and surrounding settlements revealed that Tangedco was lagging behind.In a 1.5 km stretch of floodplains along the Ennore Pipeline Road – which houses Tangedco pipelines – ash-mixed river sand is spread across acres. Hot water seeped from at least two holes along the side of the pipeline, and many parts were rusted. Residents said the Kosasthalaiyar desilting work is incomplete in many parts, mainly near Athipattu Panchayat. “Flying ash along the Buckingham Canal will also need to be cleared. During low tide, fishermen can see ashes beneath the river bed,” said resident-activist Srinivasan.Tiruvallur Collector M Prathap, who last year had launched projects worth ₹28 crore to desilt the river, said, “About 80% of the first phase has been completed. Since it is an ongoing project, we will have to seek approval to start the second phase.”The thermal plant produces 2,000 tonnes of fly ash every day. While dry ash is stored in silos inside the plant complex, wet ash (mixed with water) is dumped into an ash dyke (pond) at Seppakkam through four pipelines. From there, the ash is picked up by the cement and construction industries, and the water is filtered and returned to the plant through two recovery pipelines.Tangedco officials said that since the court order, 12.39 lakh tonnes of ash has been removed in a phased manner by issuing tenders and in coordination with the water resources department. “All ash pipelines have been replaced although the deadline has been missed. Only the recovery pipelines (carrying water) are old, but their leaks have been plugged. As far as removal of fly ash is concerned, only selected parts are yet to be removed and tenders will be issued for this soon. Some tenders are on hold due to the recent elections,” said an official.Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board member-secretary E Saravanakumar said the Manali-Ennore Restoration and Rejuvenation Council, which was formed in 2024, keeps pollution levels under control. “Joint chief engineers conduct regular inspections. There has been no leakage of fly ash since the incident in 2017,” he said. However, a TNPCB engineer said that the water pipelines do leak from time to time, but all fly ash pipelines have been replaced and strengthened with cement holdings.Environmentalists say that there is a need for complete reform in this area. “At the ash dam, the lack of proper lining causes the ash to seep into the ground – and then into the canals as well,” said Durga Murthy, a volunteer with the Save Ennore Creek campaign.The state government conducted a study with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras to strengthen the ash pond and reduce pollution, but progress has been minimal. Govinda Rao, managing director of Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited, said, “The study has been completed. Efforts to strengthen it will begin soon.”This has become a livelihood issue for fishermen. Devan, a resident fisherman, said, “There was a time when crabs and prawns used to be in abundance here. Now, even the fish have been poisoned.”

China’s race to build a permanent base on the Moon is accelerating, putting additional pressure on the US and affecting the future direction of Moon exploration. with International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) The program, in collaboration with China and Russia, seeks to build an operational research facility on the south pole of the Moon, with existing missions being used to test technologies to achieve this. NASA’s Artemis program has also not been immune to difficulties such as delays and redesign. It can be seen that the current race is not just for flags but for sustainable bases on the Moon.

from china International Lunar Research Station moving forward rapidly

It is also important to acknowledge that the Chinese approach has recently become much more organized and systematic. Thus, the country’s International Lunar Research Station, built jointly with Russia, seeks to develop a manned scientific station close to the moon’s south pole region by 2035.As can be seen in the long-term plan made by the China National Space Administration, this process will take place in several stages. As a result, Chang’e-7 is expected to explore ice water resources around Shackleton Crater, while Chang’e-8 will use lunar soil to test different construction techniques. Ultimately, “in-situ resource utilization” will enable astronauts to build structures, produce oxygen, and even generate fuel directly from lunar resources.The ILRS program has also gained an increasing number of international partnerships. Orbit Codex reports in its article that more than 17 countries and several research organizations have already joined the project.Speaking about the presentations hosted by Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, Global Times heard experts discuss various topics related to the ILRS. One of them was a nuclear reactor intended to ensure permanent operation on the Moon.

NASA’s Artemis Moon program faces increasing pressure

While the roadmap for Chinese space exploration looks increasingly stable, NASA’s plans under the Artemis program are constantly changing. The US will continue its efforts to land astronauts on the lunar surface, but the deadline will now be 2028.An important part of the Lunar Gateway was supposed to be the center of NASA’s activities. Despite this, the organization decided to adjust the project and focus on building a moon base on the ground rather than on top of it.According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, the future Artemis Base Camp will at first look like a “junkyard of the future” by the time it becomes operational.The political climate in the United States is also increasingly supportive of the idea. According to a report prepared by senate committee Regarding the NASA Authorization Act of 2026, the bill explicitly calls for NASA to build a permanent moon because “space is not just symbolic; it is strategic. The NASA Authorization Act ensures that America, not China, will lead the next era of exploration,” said Senator Cruz.Now it is not only a competition for exploration, but also a competition over strategically important areas, including the south pole of the Moon with reserves of water ice.

Why is the Moon’s south pole so important?

The South Pole of the Moon has emerged as the focus of the present-day space race due to its potential resource availability. Scientists at Cornell University believe that permanently shadowed areas of the South Pole contain frozen water that could provide drinking water, oxygen production and the creation of rocket fuel.In addition to the scientific importance, studies regarding future settlement on the Moon have shown that the polar regions may actually be safe for astronauts to stay for a long time. According to a study on micrometeoroids and their impacts in the Artemis era, the Moon’s poles experience fewer micrometeoroids than other areas. From a purely economic point of view, the South Pole could prove quite beneficial.

The new space race is about sustainability, not prestige

Unlike the Cold War-era moon race of the 1960s, the current rivalry is about establishing something more permanent. China and the US don’t just want to take their astronauts to the lunar surface. Rather, they want to establish operational stations beyond Earth. Artemis Accords And the ILRS collaboration has managed to establish two competing visions for Moon exploration. The US-led coalition approach competes with an alternative revolving around China’s rapidly growing Moon mission program.There is much speculation as to whether China can truly remain “two steps ahead” of the United States. After all, NASA has a large amount of accumulated technical expertise and has many commercial partners, such as SpaceX. At the same time, it cannot be denied that China’s well-intentioned steps regarding the Moon have been successful in attracting global attention. For decades now, the Moon has represented past accomplishments. For the first time, it represents the future.

Pune: A large increase in fishing pressure, coupled with climate-related changes, could seriously impact sardine numbers off the country’s south-west coast.Researchers from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and the National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) have warned thousands of coastal families dependent on India’s sardine fishing after studying more than five decades of fishing data off India’s west coast. The team found that large-scale climate change has affected the winds and ocean conditions that determine food availability and breeding conditions for sardines.India is one of the largest marine fish producers in the world. Sardines constitute a large part of the country’s catch.The researchers said moderate changes could be absorbed, but warned that overfishing could lead to drastic declines in sardine numbers. The study led by IITM scientist Vinu Valsala has been published in the journal “Ecological Modeling”. This is the first model of its kind developed for the Indian coast. Other scientists involved in the study include Inaconda Veera Ganga Bhavani and Faseela Hamza.The researchers reached the conclusion after building a climate-driven population model for the Indian oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps), called BIOFIM. When run against real landings data from 1965 to 2017, the model reproduced real-world swings in sardine catches, including a well-known crash in sardine counts between 1980 and 2000 and subsequent recovery.Oil sardines are not just a food source. They are a vital link in the marine food chain – what scientists call “forage species” – feeding on the plankton at the bottom of the chain and, in turn, feeding larger fish, sea birds and marine mammals.One discovery that surprised researchers was what most affected the numbers of sardines. “We examined the role of sea surface temperature, air temperature and atmospheric pressure and found that atmospheric pressure emerged as the strongest factor associated with year-to-year variation in sardine numbers,” Valsala said.The researchers said this link probably works through winds and ocean conditions. “Changes in atmospheric pressure affect wind patterns and ocean currents off the southwest coast of India. These, in turn, affect coastal upwelling – a process that brings cool, nutrient-rich water to the surface and helps support marine food chains,” Valsala said.The study also found that sardines grow best within a relatively narrow temperature range of the upper 75 meters of the ocean, averaging 25.5–26.5°C. During hot periods, when temperatures rise beyond that limit, feeding conditions become less favorable. The researchers observed that periods of low sardine biomass, including 1980-84, 1996-98 and 2014-17, coincided with temperatures above 26.5 degrees Celsius, which they say could provide clues about how future ocean warming might impact the fishery.Valsala said, “We found that the fishery remained relatively stable with small changes, but a sharp decline in sardine numbers is projected if fishing pressure increased by 40-50%. We also found that when both fishing and natural mortality increased simultaneously, fish populations declined significantly, which shows how environmental stress and fishing can affect long-term sustainability.”Oil sardines have a lifespan of approximately two and a half years, making them vulnerable to disruptions in reproduction and survival.

Sue Jacquot, known online as Grammacrackers, reportedly tripped while doing a lengthy Minecraft livestream to help raise money for her grandson’s cancer treatment. The 81-year-old Twitch streamer has been live for over fifteen days and is trying to beat Minecraft without ending the stream. Her challenge immediately gained attention online as many viewers were impressed by her effort to help her 17-year-old grandson during his difficult health battle.Things turned scary in the early hours of May 19 when the police suddenly arrived at her house after someone allegedly made a fake emergency call. According to Grammacrackers, approximately five SWAT vehicles, twenty police cars, drones, and several armed officers showed up on his property. The officers entered the house and woke her up while she was sleeping. Although the situation could have been very dangerous, Grammacrackers later surprised the audience by saying that he actually thought the experience was “A little fun.”

Grammacrackers remain positive after Minecraft fundraiser disrupted due to surprising swatting

Grammacrackers talked about the incident in a video uploaded to their YouTube channel. She said that she was in deep sleep when the officers entered her house. Recalling that moment, he joked about meeting A “Beautiful Policewoman” And said that everyone treated him well during this situation.She also told that after everything happened, her family hugged her tightly, which made her emotional. According to Grammocrackers, all the attention from her children and grandchildren made her feel loved during the scary moment. He even said that he enjoyed riding in the police car afterward.The Twitch streamer first began creating online content in October 2025. While Minecraft became his most popular game, he also played Rocket League, Roblox, and Fortnite. Last month, he also celebrated receiving his first Fortnite Victory Royale. Nevertheless, Minecraft remains a favorite game among his loyal audience, which is why many people continue to watch his nonstop challenge streams.Online users immediately reacted with anger and concern to the swatting incident. Many people expressed how disturbing it was that someone targeted an elderly woman who was trying to raise money for her grandson’s treatment. Others hoped that the additional attention from the news would help bring more viewers and donations to her fundraiser.Even after the horrific experience, Grammacrackers didn’t stop their Minecraft challenge. Instead, the 81-year-old streamer kept moving forward, and showed viewers that she wasn’t ready to give up anytime soon.

New Delhi: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has come across several cases where individuals have claimed income tax exemption on agricultural income without land ownership. Over 300 cases have been identified by the authorities – through data analysis alone – where the claimed exempt income was between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 400 crore, but the declared size of land holding was zero. According to CBDT officials, in these 310 cases, the amount of exemption claimed – meaning tax foregone by the government – ​​is Rs 2,038 crore. The investigation revealed that various devices were used to make “non-genuine” claims, including including capital gains as agricultural income. Officials said there were instances where land was sold to developers and capital gains on it were sought to be shown as agricultural income. In some cases, officials used satellite maps to detect misuse of the tax provision. There were also instances where undisclosed income was shown as agricultural income in tax returns – a move aimed not only at avoiding paying tax but also at money laundering. Similarly, tax authorities came across cases where related activities were shown as agriculture to avoid paying tax on income earned. Apart from cases where there was no documentary evidence to show agricultural activity, authorities have also come across cases where there was a massive mismatch in income, which was often disproportionate to the size of land holdings. The tax department, which is deploying tools to better analyze data as part of Saksham, conducted the investigation by collecting tax returns and matching some of them with high levels of farm income. Based on data from over 300 cases, it is urging taxpayers to update or amend their returns to accurately reflect their income and pay tax accordingly. The data was based on tax returns filed from assessment year 2021-22 (FY2020-21) to assessment year 2023-24 (FY2022-23). Going forward, there are calls for using more tools to prevent such misuse of tax provisions. For example, satellite images are being used to keep track of the type of produce coming out of farms for which exemption is being claimed on the basis of agricultural income. While there is no move to tamper with the rebates available or go after smaller producers, the idea is to ensure that the big fish, claiming bigger rebates, do not get away with making false claims.

New Delhi: Will ms dhoni Play in IPL 2027? The future of Dhoni, who did not play a single match in IPL 2026, remains uncertain. After Chennai Super Kings suffered an embarrassing 89-run defeat at the hands of Gujarat Titans in their IPL 2026 clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was asked about his team’s disappointing campaign, with the main question being whether Dhoni will be a part of the team next season.When asked, “Will MS Dhoni play next year?” Gaikwad admitted that even the dressing room is unsure about the veteran’s return in IPL 2027.“Obviously you’ll find out next year. Even I’ll find out next year. Obviously, it’s definitely a tough, tough miss for us. He’s someone who can strike fear into the opposition, especially in those last overs. Being at the crease can really change the game, really change the momentum. So, he’s someone we’ve definitely missed a lot this season. But, I mean, we never know about next season, but obviously we’re very happy with the guys we have and the experience they’ve got this year,” Gaikwad said.Dhoni was initially ruled out for the first two weeks of the season due to a calf injury. However, the former India captain never returned as the tournament progressed. He also did not accompany the team to Ahmedabad for the final league match against Gujarat Titans.CSK’s defeat on Thursday officially ended their playoff hopes and their IPL 2026 campaign. He played 14 matches, winning 6 and losing 8, finishing with 12 points and a net run rate of -0.345.After being invited to bat by CSK, Gujarat Titans posted a massive score of 229/4 thanks to a 125-run opening partnership between Shubman Gill and Sai Sudarshan. In reply, CSK failed to mount a challenge and were bowled out for 140 runs.“Yes, also keeping that in mind, we wanted to chase the target as quickly as possible. And, obviously, when you are chasing 230 runs, in 20 overs anyway, it is not going to be easy with the kind of bowling attack they have. But, why not just give it a chance and just go out there and express. And obviously, credit to them. They outplayed us in all departments,” Gaikwad said.Asked if there were any regrets on winning the toss and choosing to field first in a crucial match, Gaikwad said: “Not really. I thought it was a little spongy in the beginning. Obviously, he got a good start. There were some mistakes in our bowling, we could not perform that well in the powerplay, especially in the case of those two. And once their opening batsmen get going, it is very difficult to stop them. So, obviously, even in between, there were phases where we could put capital in, we could limit them to 200. But we failed to do that today.”CSK lost the momentum after three consecutive wins against Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants and then suffered three consecutive defeats against LSG, SRH and GT, causing a serious loss to their campaign.“Well, tough season to start, especially the hat-trick of defeats. And then after that, once we got that momentum, obviously we found people playing in the right places, the right combinations, everything started working. And then obviously, some injuries again and again didn’t really help much, especially Jamie and, you know, the absence of another all-rounder in Ramakrishna Ghosh made our playing 12 unstable. Gave. In the last three matches we played, we were always playing one batsman less or one bowler less. So obviously, a lot of people don’t really appreciate the fact that we are a young team, we are in a transition period and there are not a lot of players who are experienced enough, especially in the toughest competition,” he said.

CSK IPL 2026 season summary

“But given the fact that there are more than eight to ten players who have played less than 20 games, it’s good for them to have that experience, especially this year. We found out what areas we lacked and of course we still have to get six wins and some great wins. Really proud of the unit. There were a few games, as I said, when we traveled to Hyderabad, we missed chasing 80 in 10 overs and then the last time we played in Chennai, We could have limited them to 180 also. “So, there were some games where we could have crossed the line but failed to do so, but still very proud,” Gaikwad said.

TOI correspondent from Washington: After months of secrecy, accusations, leaks and intra-party paranoia, the Democratic Party on Thursday released its long-awaited autopsy of the disastrous 2024 presidential campaign that resulted in Kamala Harris losing the election to Donald Trump, turning the post-mortem into yet another debacle. The 192-page review, written primarily by Democratic strategist Paul Rivera, aimed to explain how Kamala Harris lost the 2024 election to Trump despite massive fundraising, late enthusiasm after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and widespread Democratic warnings that the MAGA supremo represents an existential threat to American democracy. Instead, the report highlights a party that is still deeply divided over what exactly went wrong.The report paints a picture of a Democratic Party that is alienated from working-class voters, weak on economic messaging, culturally overextended and organizationally complacent. It argues that Democrats have lost credibility on immigration, public safety and inflation, while Republicans have successfully portrayed Harris as an ineffective manager of the Biden administration.Yet what may be most shocking is not what the autopsy says, but what it strangely avoids saying. The report notably sidesteps the continued scrutiny of Biden’s disastrous decision to run for re-election despite widespread voter concerns about his age and stamina — Democrats publicly dismissed those concerns until his disastrous debate performance forced them to withdraw. Nor does it seriously examine the chaotic process that led Harris to the nomination without a competitive primary after Biden leaves office in July 2024.That omission has angered many Democrats who believe the party establishment is still shielding senior figures like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer from accountability.The report barely touches on another politically explosive issue: divisions within the party over U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza, a conflict that has alienated many young and progressive voters. Critics were quick to note that the nearly 200-page document about Democratic collapse managed to avoid mentioning “Gaza” or “Palestine” in any meaningful way.The findings themselves often read less as a compilation of painful truths than a dramatic revelation Democrats have spent two years debating on podcasts, cable television and anguished group chats. The report concludes that Democrats failed to connect with Latino voters, men, rural Americans and young voters. The party remained heavily dependent on traditional media and remained far removed from the emerging digital ecosystem dominated by MAGA Republicans. It says Trump’s campaign learned more from organizing Barack Obama’s 2008 revolution than the Dems.The autopsy also criticized Democratic spending practices, suggesting that the Harris campaign spent astonishing amounts of money with questionable efficiency. Harris raised nearly $1 billion in a brief 107-day campaign but still failed to overcome voter dissatisfaction with the economy, immigration and perceptions of elite isolation.But the most extraordinary feature of the release is the Democratic National Committee’s own disclaimer attached to the document. DNC Chairman Ken Martin practically disowned the report when it was published, while acknowledging that the document was incomplete, unpolished, and lacking adequate sources. “I’m not proud of this product,” he admitted, while emphasizing that transparency required its release anyway.This defeat reflects the broader plight of the Democratic Party in 2028. On one side are established figures who argue that Dems need sharper messaging and better organization against the increasingly unpopular Trump administration. On the other side are progressive and young activists who believe the party suffers from something deeper: a leadership culture that is risk-averse, consultant-driven, overly managerial and fearful of real ideological conflict.Many Democrats privately acknowledged that Harris faced almost impossible odds after clinching the nomination late. The result was a campaign that often appeared torn between defending Biden’s record and promising generational change — an impossible political yoga pose.For now, Democrats are trying to focus on the 2026 midterms, where Trump’s polarizing presidency could once again help unify the anti-Republican vote. But the autopsy suggests the party still has no definitive answer to the big question that has been troubling it since 2024: whether Trump’s victory was an aberration — or evidence that Democrats have fundamentally lost touch with large sections of the American electorate.