Nightingales Forest is a rare piece of dense forest in an agricultural area

Plandiste (Serbia): The melodious chirping of birds was echoing among the tall trees in a small forest in northeastern Serbia. On the ground below, animal tracks could be seen imprinted in the moist grass and moss.The 2-hectare patch of land, called the Nightingale’s Forest, is a rare patch of dense greenery in Serbia’s flat, agricultural region. The Balkan country’s Bird Protection and Study Society purchased the land through crowdfunding last year to preserve the forest and set an example in environmental protection.Society representative Uros Stojiljkovic said, “This woodland was privately owned, and we saw that it was put up for sale.” He said that if someone else had purchased the land, the trees might have been cut.“The value of the wood was greater than the value of the land,” Stojiljkovic said. “We kept it safe that way.”The success of the crowdfunding initiative is seen as a sign of growing interest in nature conservation among people in Serbia as the country faces environmental problems ranging from air and river pollution and waste management to profit-driven construction that threatens green areas, especially in big cities.Authorities have promised to boost environmental care as part of the country’s EU membership bid, but conservation groups warn that little has been done in reality.Stojilkovic explained that the Nightingale Forest is home to a variety of bird and animal species that thrive in its moist habitat. The new owners now plan to preserve the woodland as it is and catalog the plants and animals there.The purchase price of 8,000 euros ($9,500) was collected in less than a month and hundreds of people have continued to donate money that will be used for field work or additional land purchases, said Natasa Jancic, who is involved in the campaign.“Individually, we can’t do much, but as an active and stable community, we can accomplish a lot,” Jancic said.Launched about 30 years ago as a small, expert-only group, the Bird Protection and Study Society has grown into a community of nature lovers, a testament to the growing interest in the environment, Jancic said.“We have a lot of family members, a lot of nature lovers who maybe aren’t as active in this area but they want to contribute in some way,” Jancic said.Only 2 hectares under protection won’t change much on a larger scale, but it’s a good first step, Stojiljkovic said.“Every village or town should have its own nightingale forest for cumulative effect,” he said. “It’s important to start somewhere,” he adds.

Mamata Banerjee vs Suvendu Adhikari 2.0 in West Bengal.

New Delhi: All eyes are on the high-stakes contest between Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee And as Suvendu Adhikari, opposition leader of the assembly, the counting of votes will take place on Monday.all india Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Banerjee contested re-election from Bhabanipur seat, where polling was held in the second phase on April 29. Meanwhile, Adhikari campaigned as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for both Nandigram and Bhabanipur.In 2021, Banerjee contested against Adhikari in her home constituency Nandigram. She lost to the BJP leader by 1,956 votes. Now, Adhikari is taking on Banerjee in Bhabanipur, the CM’s home constituency. Bhawanipur has been Banerjee’s stronghold for a long time. She has been representing this seat as MLA since 2011 and has not lost any election there. After becoming CM in 2011, he won a decisive by-election from Bhawanipur by 54,213 votes.In 2016, his margin narrowed as he defeated Congress candidate Dipa Dasmunshi, supported by Left parties, by 25,301 votes, while the BJP got 26,299 votes.In 2021, TMC retained Bhabanipur, with Sovandeb Chattopadhyay defeating BJP’s Rudranil Ghosh by 28,719 votes. BJP’s vote share increased to 35.2%, indicating growing presence.Banerjee later returned to contest the Bhabanipur by-election, winning by 58,835 votes and securing her third term as CM.There has also been a change in voters in Bhabanipur, with 41,068 names removed from the list, reducing the voter base by nearly 20% to around 1.6 lakh. An analysis by Suptik Halder with Ashin Chakraborty and Sabir Ahmed found that 56.7% of the voters marked under the ‘under jurisdiction’ category are Muslims, while their share in the constituency’s population was 20% as per the 2011 census.Earlier findings had shown that Muslims constituted 22.7% of voters marked as ‘absent, transferred, or dead/duplicate’ (ASDD), while the ‘unmapped’ share was about 26%, roughly in line with their population share. However, this rose sharply to 52% in the ‘logical inconsistency’ list.According to Chakraborty, despite Bhabanipur being a mixed community constituency, there is a disproportionate representation of Muslims under scrutiny. Halder said booth-wise analysis of 2021 and 2024 data shows that if voters are unable to vote under the decision, TMC’s victory margin could reduce significantly, and may even disappear at some booths.

लिपुलेख दर्रे के जरिए भारत और चीन के बीच लंबे समय से व्यापार होता रहा है, लेकिन कोरोना काल और भारत-चीन के बीच तनावपूर्ण रिश्तों के बीच इसे बंद कर दिया गया था. करीब छह साल बाद एक बार फिर कारोबार शुरू होने जा रहा है। रक्षा विशेषज्ञों का मानना ​​है कि मौजूदा भूराजनीतिक परिस्थितियों के बीच भारत और चीन दोनों आपसी रिश्ते मजबूत करना चाहते हैं।

लिपुलेख कारोबार इसमें अहम भूमिका निभा सकता है. यह व्यापार मौद्रिक मूल्यों में बहुत बड़ा नहीं है। दोनों देशों के बीच 2 से 5 करोड़ रुपए का ही व्यापार होता है। सीमा के आसपास रहने वाले चीन और भारत के स्थानीय निवासी इस दर्रे से होकर आपस में व्यापार करते रहे हैं, लेकिन रणनीतिक तौर पर यह बेहद महत्वपूर्ण है। पूरी क्षमता के उपयोग से 100 करोड़ रुपये तक के कारोबार की संभावना है.

ये भी पढ़ें…उत्तराखंड: सेल ब्रॉडकास्टिंग सिस्टम का टेस्टिंग अलर्ट जारी, तेज आवाज और कंपन के साथ फोन पर पहुंचा मैसेज

सीमा के पास रहने वाले लोगों को फायदा

उत्तराखंड और आसपास के क्षेत्रों के किसान इस दर्रे के माध्यम से कपड़ा, तेल-घी, मसाले और अनाज जैसी वस्तुओं का निर्यात करते हैं, जबकि चीनी इन क्षेत्रों, विशेषकर तिब्बत से ऊन, कच्चा रेशम, चिरबी और चीनी जैसी वस्तुओं का आयात करते हैं। इस व्यापार के शुरू होने से दोनों देशों के बीच सीमा पार लोगों का लेनदेन बढ़ेगा, जिससे आपसी संबंध मजबूत होंगे।

There is something about the message of Guru Nanak Dev Ji that really makes a difference when you sit for a moment. Not because it’s new or flashy, but because it cuts through all the noise we create around spirituality and gets down to some truth. Born in Punjab in 1469, he spent his life wandering, teaching, and fundamentally reshaping the way people understood their relationship with God and each other. And honestly, her core message, that kindness and inner strength are not different things, but two sides of the same coin, feels perhaps more urgent now than ever.Most people who have encountered Sikhism know about the community kitchen, langar, where everyone eats together regardless of caste, creed or social status. This is not a trivial detail in Nanak’s philosophy. It’s basically their entire point summed up in one exercise. He lived at a time when India’s rigid caste system dictated who could sit with whom, who was pure and who was not. This was truly revolutionary. Despicable, even. But Nanak saw all that. He understood that real strength comes from seeing the same spark of humanity in everyone, and kindness is what happens when you really take it seriously.Interestingly, Nanak did not separate spirituality from everyday life. He was saying, look, God is everywhere. In nature, in people, in work, in kindness. You don’t need an intermediary. You don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not. Just be honest, be kind, and stand out to other people. That was the way.The inner strength part is where things get really subtle. Nanak taught something called “Haumai”, which basically means egoism or self-centeredness. And he was not ashamed of it, he saw it as the root of almost all suffering. We get so caught up in “me vs. them”, in protecting our image, in proving ourselves to others, that we forget what is actually happening around us. According to Nanak, real strength comes from giving up the constant need to protect oneself. This is counterintuitive because we have been taught that strength means being firm, maintaining control. And this is where it connects back to kindness. When you’re not obsessed with your own image or constantly defending your ego, you have space to really notice what someone else needs. You can be generous not because you expect anything back or because it makes you look good, but because someone else is struggling and you have the ability to help. He is a radical. It is also incredibly difficult, perhaps that is why Nanak kept coming back to it again and again.The concept of “Naam Simran” – remembrance of God – is another sutra of this. But it is not about endless repetition of words or withdrawal from the world. It’s about being in constant awareness of something bigger than yourself, which actually makes you gentler and more humble. When you are not the center of your universe, you stop taking things personally. You become less reactive, more responsive. You can be kind even when it’s inconvenient because you’re not keeping score.Sometimes what gets lost in the way we talk about spirituality is the joy of it. There is this warmth in the teachings of Guru Nanak, this understanding that the meaning of life is to live it to the fullest. Music was central to his teaching method. He wrote poetry. He celebrated being alive. This is inherited from the Sikh tradition. Kindness without happiness can become oppressive, as if you must always sacrifice. But Nanak says something different. It is generous because it knows that generosity does not destroy you. It fills you up.However, the bigger part is this: Guru Nanak was emphasizing something that our modern world desperately needs to be reminded of. Kindness and strength are not soft concepts for people who can’t handle reality. They are the most practical, powerful tools we have. They’re how we build communities that actually work. They are how we get through tough times without becoming hardened. They are how we change, not only ourselves, but the world around us.His message was not about being nice all the time or pretending everything is fine. It was really about waking up to what is true and then acting from that place. It’s harder than it seems, which is probably why we’re still talking about it 550 years later.

Anshul Kamboj (Image Credit: BCCI/IPL)

Chennai: Chennai Super Kings It’s mid-season, but medium pace bowler Anshul Kamboj appears to be their breakout star. With 17 wickets at an economy rate of 7.54 in nine matches, including 3-32 against Mumbai Indians on Saturday, Kamboj has been the leader of the CSK attack in both the powerplay and slog overs. With the wickets of Robin Minz and Hardik Pandya in the 18th and 20th overs at Chepauk on Saturday, Kamboj became the first bowler to take 10 wickets in the death overs this season.The right-arm fast bowler is treating the death overs like a finishing task, which he has practiced to perfection. He is known to get around the stumps extensively, especially for right-handed batsmen, changing his length according to the stage of the game and regularly bowls yorkers.CSK head coach Stephen Fleming doesn’t think Kamboj’s heroics come as a surprise. “Last year, he was really good. He has worked hard with Eric Simmons (bowling coach) on the concept of deathballing and he has worked throughout the year to master it,” Fleming said.In the last IPL season, Kamboj took eight wickets in eight matches at an economy of 8.00. Shortly after, he stepped onto the biggest stage, making his Test debut for India, but his return against England was not strong enough to keep him safe for long.However, this season, he has returned with more vigor and has taken up a central role in CSK’s pace attack after Khalil Ahmed’s injury.Fleming said Kamboja worked on angles and execution in pre-season. “During the pre-season, he bowled with open wickets and we got an understanding of the angles – what he can and can’t do from certain sides of the wicket and it has worked out well,” he said.Cricket in India is on the rise across all formats after the IPL and Kamboj’s stellar performances may soon push him back into the national fast bowling setup. But for Kamboj, team performance is more important than individual achievements. Before the match against MI, he had said, “My entire focus is on how to contribute to the team’s victory.”CSK will be in a winning position from Tuesday and the team will hope that Kamboj will stick to his guns.

BEIRUT: Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon on Sunday killed at least one person and wounded four rescue workers, Lebanon’s health ministry said, as Israel continued its attacks on the country despite a fragile ceasefire in the war with Hezbollah.In separate statements, the ministry said at least one person was killed and three were injured, including a child, in an attack on Arbasalim, and another attack on Sriffa wounded five people, including four rescue workers from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee.“The ministry reiterates its condemnation of these repeated attacks and recalls that Article 19 of the Geneva Conventions includes the requirement to verify that medical facilities are protected from any danger caused by attacks in conflict areas, while what is happening is exactly the opposite,” it said.Israel’s military issued a new evacuation warning on Sunday for villages beyond its occupied territory in southern Lebanon. The warning covers more than 10 villages and towns, including several in the Nabatieh district, north of the Litani River, south of which Israel has deployed troops.Arabsalim and Shrifa were also included in the warning.Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported a series of Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, including attacks on towns not mentioned in the evacuation warning.Since April 17, a fragile ceasefire has been in effect between Israel and Lebanon, aimed at stopping violence between the Hezbollah terrorist group and Israel’s military.On Wednesday, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir threatened to attack Hezbollah “beyond the yellow line”, which marks the zone of Israeli control. “Any threats against our communities or our forces, anywhere, including beyond the yellow line and north of Litani, will be eliminated,” he said during a visit to Israeli troops.The armistice text gives Israel the right to take action against “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks”.

अयोध्या जिले के मिल्कीपुर इलाके से शिक्षा व्यवस्था से जुड़ा एक गंभीर मामला सामने आया है, जिसने सभी को हैरान कर दिया है. एक छात्रा ने अपने ही स्कूल के प्रिंसिपल पर जानबूझकर प्रैक्टिकल परीक्षा में फेल करने का आरोप लगाया है. छात्रा का कहना है कि उसने लिखित परीक्षा तो पास कर ली, लेकिन प्रैक्टिकल में बहुत कम अंक देकर उसका रिजल्ट खराब कर दिया गया. यह मामला आजाद इंटर कॉलेज, पलिया जगमोहन सिंह (कुचेरा) का है। शिकायत के बाद जिला प्रशासन ने जांच के आदेश दे दिए हैं, जिससे पूरे इलाके में हड़कंप मच गया है.

लिखित परीक्षा में पास, प्रैक्टिकल में कम अंक
छात्रा के मुताबिक यूपी बोर्ड की लिखित परीक्षा में उसने सभी विषयों में सफलता हासिल की थी. लेकिन 23 अप्रैल 2026 को घोषित रिजल्ट में उन्हें प्रैक्टिकल में बहुत कम अंक दिए गए. विज्ञान में 2, सामाजिक विज्ञान में 4, हिंदी में 3, अंग्रेजी में 2, गृह विज्ञान में 3 और संस्कृत में 4 अंक दिए गए। इन कम अंकों के कारण उनका पूरा रिजल्ट प्रभावित हुआ और वह फेल हो गईं.

प्रिंसिपल पर लगाए गंभीर आरोप
छात्रा ने बताया कि 10 जनवरी 2026 को वह अपने पिता के साथ स्कूल गई थी और कहा था कि वह आगे नहीं पढ़ेगी. इस पर प्रधानाध्यापक देव कुमार यादव उर्फ ​​बिल्लू नाराज हो गये. आरोप है कि उन्होंने अभद्र भाषा का प्रयोग किया और प्रैक्टिकल में फेल करने की धमकी दी। इसके बाद 10 फरवरी को एडमिट कार्ड लेने गए छात्र के साथ भी कथित तौर पर अभद्र व्यवहार किया गया.

शादी के बाद भी कमेंट का आरोप
छात्रा का यह भी आरोप है कि उसकी शादी तय होने के बाद प्रिंसिपल उस पर आपत्तिजनक टिप्पणियां करता था. जब उन्होंने इसका विरोध किया तो उन्हें टारगेट किया गया और कम नंबर देकर प्रैक्टिकल में फेल कर दिया गया.

जांच के आदेश, प्रशासन हरकत में
पीड़ित ने इसकी शिकायत जिलाधिकारी शशांक त्रिपाठी से की। डीएम ने मामले को गंभीरता से लेते हुए जांच के आदेश दिए और प्रैक्टिकल अंकों में सुधार का आश्वासन दिया. उधर, जिला विद्यालय निरीक्षक (प्रभारी) ओंकार नाथ ने बताया कि पूरे मामले की जांच के लिए टीम गठित कर दी गई है।

परिवार के सदस्यों का आरोप और चेतावनी
परिवार का कहना है कि शिकायत के बावजूद अभी तक कोई ठोस कार्रवाई नहीं की गई है. उन्होंने यह भी आरोप लगाया कि कुछ स्थानीय नेता समझौते के लिए दबाव बना रहे थे. परिजनों ने चेतावनी दी है कि अगर जल्द न्याय नहीं मिला तो वे मुख्यमंत्री से मिलकर विरोध प्रदर्शन करेंगे.

सवालों के घेरे में शिक्षा व्यवस्था
इस घटना के बाद सवाल उठ रहा है कि क्या प्रैक्टिकल के अंक छात्रों के भविष्य के साथ खिलवाड़ का जरिया बन रहे हैं. अब सबकी निगाहें जांच रिपोर्ट और प्रशासन की अगली कार्रवाई पर टिकी हैं.

(रिपोर्ट:अनूप कुमार अयोध्या)