Blooming curiosity: Aaradhya Alva documents tiny wild flowers while watching her brother Ahaan, turning a quiet moment into a shared lesson on observing tiny flowers.

Mangaluru: : Mangaluru: Swapping mobile screens for fieldwork, a Class 10 student from Puttur documented 21 tiny wild flowers in and around her home during her summer vacations, and compiled them into a booklet titled ‘The Beauty of Tiny Wild Flowers’.The booklet, its first volume, documents 21 small wild flowers observed at Panchapaddi near Savanur in Kadaba taluk of Dakshina Kannada district.Encouraged by the experience, Aaradhya now aims to continue this project during the monsoon and bring out a second volume featuring the flowers that bloom during the rainy season.Aaradhya is the daughter of Vivek Alva, a graphic designer, and Smita V Alva, a lecturer in Botany at Philomena Degree College, Puttur. The family is a resident of Savanur, Kadaba. The couple, who previously organized summer camps for children, have followed a practice at home since Aaradhya was in Class 5 – ensuring that every vacation included a meaningful project for skill building.Vivek explains, “This project was designed to help my children understand the process of research. We initially considered a number of topics before deciding to document small wild flowers. The idea was to encourage observation, investigation and learning with nature.” times of India.Aaradhya’s younger brother, Ahaan, a Class 5 student, also contributed to the project. After basic training in photography and artificial intelligence tools, Aaradhya photographed flowers using an iPhone. He completed his fieldwork with information from the Internet, while his mother guided him in identifying and understanding botanical aspects.This is not Aaradhya’s first research-based project. Before this she worked on documenting the creatures found in forests. Vivek said, “As parents, we believe that children should understand the value of learning through hard work and experience. Projects like this help them become independent learners.”Aaradhya said, “The beauty of these tiny flowers is incredible. Most people pass by without noticing them, but I really enjoyed researching and learning about them. Now I am eagerly waiting for the rains so that I can discover and document even more flowers.”Since both parents have written books, the possibility of publishing a booklet is being explored. booklet will be released world environment day On 5th June.

Five patients infected with a rare strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo have recovered, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Sunday during the inauguration of a new treatment center in the eastern city of Bunia.Speaking at the facility in Ituri province, the center of the current outbreak, Tedros said four patients would be discharged on Sunday, while another had left the hospital two days earlier.“Four people will be discharged today and one was discharged the day before yesterday,” the AP quoted Tedros as saying.“Of course, we are still working on vaccines and treatments but that doesn’t mean people can’t recover from Ebola,” he said.WHO said on Friday that a patient has recovered from the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment. The organization described this as the first documented recovery of a confirmed patient from Bundibugyo during the ongoing outbreak.According to the latest official figures cited by WHO, there have been 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths. Meanwhile, Congo’s neighbor Uganda has confirmed nine cases and one death, according to the country’s health ministry.The announcement came as aid agencies warned that the outbreak was spreading faster than response efforts. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Saturday called for expanded testing, rapid deployment of aid workers and unhindered access to medical supplies.Health workers have also faced increasing resistance from some communities, angry over strict burial protocols for Ebola victims that have led to at least three attacks on health facilities.During the inauguration ceremony, Tedros urged residents to seek medical care at the first sign of symptoms.“If you come to health facilities when you have symptoms, you can get help and recover, so the key is to come forward as soon as possible and get the necessary help,” he said.Tedros said, “We can stop this Ebola and everyone who has it can recover. But the rules… this is everyone’s business and every citizen should be involved.”“The final message we would like to share with the Ituri community is hope,” said Pierre Aklimali, events manager at Congo’s National Institute of Public Health, during the inauguration of the new treatment centre.

None of us is unaware of the fact that nicotine is bad. In India you cannot even go to a cinema without tobacco awareness advertisements playing. Your cigarette boxes and tobacco pouches have the most frightening graphics to discourage you from buying them. But you still do it.The cycle of addiction has never been something you should fear.Add to this how superficial these efforts are when you compare the buzzy commercial of a man coughing on his deathbed to the most stylish character in movies casually smoking a cigarette. You start the movie knowing that smoking causes deaths. You spend the next two hours seeing that it doesn’t kill – instead, seeing it makes someone look “hot” or “powerful.” The biggest names in our entertainment industry are quick to enhance their image by signing tobacco brand deals, almost equating it to a luxury lifestyle.A message plays before the film. This is the second film only.Asking people to quit tobacco in a country where more than 2 in 10 are dependent on it is an extreme virtue signaler. And another issue unique to the South Asian subcontinent is that of smokeless tobacco.About 20 crore Indians consume smokeless tobacco every day. Smokeless tobacco comes in small plastic pouches which are sold at every corner shop for a few rupees. Gutkha. Khaini. Jarda. It’s sitting quietly on the shelf next to the biscuits and candy. One of the most carcinogenic products ever available for retail sale can be purchased for Rs.2. “More than 28 types of carcinogens have been isolated from these products,” says Dr Madhurima Nandi, an academic research associate at the University of Edinburgh.“India is home to more than 80% of the world’s smokeless tobacco users. This is not a global problem. This is our problem. And yet, while cigarettes have graphic warnings on packets and face higher taxes, smokeless tobacco remains cheap, widely available, and less-regulated.While the rest of the world is struggling with vapes creating a new market for young tobacco users, something India has covered, at least legally. The biggest concern for our country is that countless people are “painting it red” every day.

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Enough to fill 211 Olympic-sized pools each year. Similarly, Indians spit after chewing gutkha and other smokeless tobacco. Indian Railways spends approximately ₹1,200 crore annually to clean these stains from trains and stations. Due to this, the pillars of Howrah Bridge have started rusting.But the problem did not start from yesterday.Tobacco cultivation began in India in 1605. The Portuguese introduced it in Kaira and Mehsana districts of Gujarat. What started as a colonial crop became a cultural fixture. Over the centuries, it has embedded itself in daily life, betel leaf after meals, tobacco distributed among laborers, a quiet addiction that demands little money and provides relief for a short period of time.Then came Gutka. A man named Mansukhbhai Kothari from Gujarat figured out how to make betel powder and sell it in small, cheap packets. Five rupees. Two rupees. Sometimes less. It was cheap in a way that cigarettes never were. And it became an instant hit. Gutka delivers nicotine into the bloodstream faster than cigarettes. It’s about three times more addictive. Even the process behind consumption is more instantaneous than smoking cessation.Which brings us to the sociological divide. Smoking and smokeless tobacco use are not the same problem in India. They do not affect the same people equally.Cigarette smoking in India is concentrated among the wealthier, urban population. A survey by the International Institute for Population Sciences found that daily smokers are wealthier and more educated than non-smokers. The poorest households have the lowest smoking rates. It’s no secret, cigarettes are expensive. Heavy taxes are imposed on them. The price of one packet is as much as a laborer can earn in a day.Smokeless tobacco is the opposite. It is cheap and easily available. According to Dr. Nandy, the main determinants of SLT use in India are clear: “gender (males more than females), educational level (illiterate more than literates), urban-rural residence (rural more than urban), socio-economic status (low than high), and low taxes on SLT products.” She adds that “peer pressure, parental use and limited knowledge about harmful effects” are also major factors.

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For a daily wage laborer tired after a hard day of physical labour, a ₹2 packet of gutkha is the most affordable option. When there is no money for food, it works to satisfy hunger. Nicotine releases dopamine and makes you feel full. This is the reason why even beggar children in India prefer to take small amounts of money instead of packets of biscuits. This small change allows them to eat Gutkha and keep themselves full and doped up for much longer than a single biscuit.said a poor child begging in the area next to Nehru Place metro station. “Biscuit doesn’t fill the stomach. Gutkha reduces hunger a bit. If you want to give money then give me this, don’t want the rest of the cheese.”The poorest households in rural India spend about 4% of their total expenditure on tobacco and drugs. They spend only 2.5% on education. Every year, an estimated 18.4 million Indians are pushed into extreme poverty due to tobacco-related disease and death. They not only lose their savings but also their main earner. The family remains poor.

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The tobacco industry is not the cause of poverty in India, but the profits it makes.In relation to the smokeless tobacco epidemic, the level of Indian culture of ‘Jugaad’ has gone beyond what is necessary. Commenting on the misuse of these drugs by young children, an auto driver near Hauz Khas said, “You can make as many laws as you want. But there is always a jugaad (loophole).” He blamed not only the system but also the parents for the misuse of SLT. He said that drugs make you so happy that you forget the difficulties and that is why many children born in poverty are introduced to these drugs by their parents very early.While calling for a complete ban at this stage is impractical, we have seen how functional it has been with vapes. When you ban something you immediately create a profitable black market for it. The best way forward is to make the product less accessible, less attractive and less affordable.The 2011 gutkha ban was a good intention that became a case study in failure. Manufacturers did not stop selling their products. They simply divide the contents into two separate pouches – tobacco in one, flavorings in the other – sold side by side. The customer buys both and mixes them at home. Technically, no laws are violated because none of the bags alone contain a prohibited combination. This is Jugaad on an industrial scale and has made a mockery of the ban.Close this loophole. If a product is consumed as Gutkha, it should be regulated as Gutkha. Different sachets that are sold together and intended to be mixed should be considered a single product under the law.Then fix the packaging. When plastic ban was imposed in 2011 Supreme Court Banned plastic pouches for gutkha, tobacco and pan masala. Walk into any corner store today and you’ll still find them in plastic. Enforce restrictions. Impose fine on manufacturers. Seize the products. Make compliance visible. A law that is not enforced is not a law at all. This is just a suggestion.Next, look at the price. Gutka packet worth Rs 2 is not a product. This is a trap. Kids can afford it. Daily wage laborers buy this instead of food. Set a minimum pack size and make the cheapest legal pack price at least Rs 20 or Rs 30. Poor people will not stop using tobacco overnight, but few will. And many children will never start.Then control who can sell it. Today anyone can sell tobacco in India. No licensing is required, no training is mandatory, and there are no consequences for violations. Retail license required. Cancel it if it sells to minors or violates packaging laws. Himachal Pradesh has already done this. Punjab and Patna are moving in that direction. The rest of the country can follow suit.Increase the legal age. The current minimum age for purchasing tobacco in India is eighteen years, but this is not enforced. Increase it to 21. Sri Lanka has done so, and seven other countries have followed suit. Research shows that delaying the age of first use dramatically reduces the likelihood of lifetime addiction.Increase taxes. WHO recommends that taxes account for at least 75% of the retail price of tobacco products. India is nowhere near smokeless tobacco. Cigarettes are heavily taxed, but not smokeless tobacco. This is not an accident. This is a policy option that prioritizes revenue over public health. Higher prices reduce consumption, and a 10% price increase leads to an 11% decline in demand among low-income households. These are the people who need security the most.Dr. Nandy argues that “there is an urgent need to address these determinants with strict government policies on taxation and tobacco control. Mass media campaigns more directed at predefined populations and clear risk labeling of products can significantly help reduce use.”The child near Nehru Place metro station does not need any other awareness advertisement. He’s seen the graphic on the pouch and knows it’s bad for him. He buys it anyway because it is cheaper than two rupees worth of food. As long as the government does not make smokeless tobacco unobtainable, unavailable or distasteful, he will continue to buy it. The industry will keep selling it. Railways will keep getting it cleaned. And 18.4 million Indians will continue to fall into poverty every year.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty ended their long wait for a title by defeating Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Fikri 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 to win the Singapore Open men’s doubles title. The Indian pair held their nerve in a high-quality three-game battle to secure their first title in two years and complete a much-awaited return to the top step of the podium.

Singapore Open Final: highlight

The win comes after consecutive defeats for the world number four Indians, who had reached several finals since their last title in 2024. But were still unable to cross the finish line.

After the match, both said, “We’ve lost before, but I think this will be a special tournament for me. Thank you, the crowd. Thank you all so much. You guys are so passionate, no matter what happens, no matter who is playing. It’s been a packed stadium since the first round. I think it’s one of the best stadiums to play in. Thank you all.”

The Asian Games and Commonwealth Games champions added the ninth World Tour title and third Super 750 title of their career with the victory in one hour and 13 minutes, which proved to be an important milestone as they became the first Indian men’s doubles pair to win the Singapore Open title.

A long-awaited breakthrough for Sat-Chi

Satwik and Chirag last won the trophy at the Thailand Open in 2024 and have finished runners-up four times since then and have had disappointing performances. His path in Singapore was equally challenging, including semi-final wins over defending world champion Kim Won Ho and South Korea’s Seo Seung Jae.

After losing the opening game, the Indians responded strongly to dominate long rallies and shift the momentum.

As soon as the winning point was scored, Satwik and Chirag fell on the court in celebration before giving any emotional reaction. Satwik then presented a playful baby-themed gesture dedicated to his brother and sister-in-law, who recently became parents, while Chirag heaved a sigh of relief. The two then danced on the court, celebrating their memorable and hard-earned victory.

The title marks a turning point for Satwik and Chirag after months of continuity without silverware, reaffirming their place among the world’s elite. Having regained confidence and clinched a major trophy, the Indian pair will now look to carry the momentum into the rest of the season.

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Photo Credit: Agencies

NAXXAR: Malta’s Labor Party won an unprecedented fourth term on Sunday in a victory over outgoing Prime Minister Robert Abela, who had called for snap elections amid geopolitical uncertainties.Fireworks were set off across the small Mediterranean island and excited Labor supporters dressed in the party’s red chanted “Four times!” Raised the slogan of. Officials at the counting house in Naxxar said preliminary results had given the election to the governing party.“I’ve voted Labor since I was a little girl, I’m thrilled they’ve made history,” Margaret Camilleri, 73, told AFP.Abela, 48, sent the country to the polls a year early, saying the government needed a new mandate to save the small, import-heavy island from the Middle East crisis.While Malta’s economy grew 4.0 percent last year, there are concerns that the conflict could have an impact on tourism due to rising aviation fuel costs and rising inflation.Abela campaigned on Labor’s economic record since 2013, promising stability in a period of uncertainty.“All indications show that the Malta Labor Party has made history by winning four consecutive elections,” he said.His main rival was Nationalist Party (PN) candidate Alex Borg, a 30-year-old lawyer and former “Mr. World Malta” beauty pageant winner, who has urged Maltese to vote for change.Borg acknowledged in an address posted on social media on Sunday that he had “personally called Robert Abela to congratulate him” on the victory.Abela has led Malta since 2020, when his predecessor stepped down in 2017 following a political crisis over the murder of reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia, who exposed corruption at the highest levels in the country.Malta lags far behind in the fight against corruption, according to a 2025 Council of Europe report – but the issue was not a hot topic during the campaign.population boomMalta’s economic performance outweighed other concerns.Located off the coast of Sicily, Malta is the European Union’s smallest and most densely populated country, with about 550,000 people living in 316 square kilometers (122 sq mi).The island’s economy is largely based on tourism, online gaming and financial services and has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the European Union.But despite the low birth rate, the population has increased by about 30 percent in a decade, mainly due to the contribution of foreigners.This has led to a surge in construction work, filling the skies with cranes, creating traffic snarls and putting pressure on key services.Heritage groups have condemned environmental degradation and threats to UNESCO World Heritage sites in the former British colony.The country has very few natural resources and imports most of its energy, making it vulnerable to external shocks.Labor heavily subsidizes energy bills and has pledged to continue doing so.Malta is also on the front lines of climate change and is at risk of desertification and drought, but none of the main parties has made the issue a priority.There is one Green party, the ADPD, but no third party has held even a seat in the Parliament of Malta since independence in 1964.

New Delhi: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee Thanked the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha on Sunday Rahul Gandhi To extend support after he was attacked by a mob in Sonarpur, West Bengal.Responding to Rahul’s post on Twitter, Abhishek described himself as a “victim of state-sponsored terrorism” and alleged BJP Using political violence and intimidation against one’s opponents.The TMC MP said, “Thank you for your concern and continued support, Rahul ji. We remain united and determined in our fight to protect the soul of India, protect its democratic institutions and uphold the values ​​enshrined in our Constitution. Last year, I traveled to five countries representing India as part of an all-party delegation for Operation Sindoor. I defended my country and stood united against terrorism.”He said, “Today, I am a victim of political violence and state-sponsored terrorism spread by those who claim to be guardians of nationalism. This is the reality of today’s BJP. If you support them, you are a patriot. If you question them, you become a target. If you stand with them, you are celebrated. If you stand against them, they try to silence you.”Furthermore, the Diamond Harbor MP said he would “prefer to face intimidation while protecting democracy rather than enjoy the comfort of surrendering our principles”.He said, “Power is temporary. The will of the people is permanent. I will bow only before the people, never before those in power.”The TMC leader said, “We will continue our fight against those who want to weaken democracy and divide our country. India is united and we will ensure that the politics of fear, hatred, violence and intimidation is defeated and the voice of the people prevails.”Earlier on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi condemned the attack on the TMC leader and said it was a “disgusting expression” of the BJP’s “politics of vengeance”.Rahul said, “The attack on MP Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur is completely condemnable. An attack on an MP is not just an attack on an individual – it is an attack on the people who elected him, and an attack on the democracy that is our shared heritage.”“This is the ugly face of BJP’s vendetta politics. Political differences can never justify violence. The Central Government and the West Bengal Government should take immediate action against the culprits and ensure that no public representative, irrespective of party affiliation, has to worry about his safety.” Abhishek ji, my condolences are with you and your family. Wishing you a speedy recovery.”Meanwhile, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that many opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, reached out to her after the attack.She said, “Rahul Gandhi called me and said that if anything is needed, I can tell him and he can take Abhishek Banerjee to Hyderabad or somewhere else for treatment.”TMC national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee was manhandled in South 24 Parganas district on Saturday as he went to meet the family of Sanju Karmakar, whom the party alleged was killed by “BJP-backed miscreants” in the post-poll violence.According to the police, unidentified people threw stones, shoes and eggs at them and allegedly tried to attack them while raising slogans.The Diamond Harbor MP was later seen being taken out of the area wearing a police helmet and his shirt torn.The incident sparked sharp political reactions, with opposition parties raising concerns over the law and order situation in the state and the continuing cycle of post-poll violence.Meanwhile, the BJP said the public welcome of the TMC MP reflected deep resentment among local residents against the governance policies of the ruling government, which it alleged had led to large-scale displacement and distress across the state.

TV antiques expert Ian Towning

Celebrity antique dealer Ian Towning has closed his prestigious Chelsea jewelery emporium and decided to leave London after a violent armed robbery left him traumatized.Towning, 78, known for his appearances on TV shows including Dickinson’s Real Deal and Posh Pawn, said he has never fully recovered from a brutal raid on his store in March 2024, during which he was hit over the head with a hammer.

Dealer shocked by violent raid

Towning and her security guard, Mark Simmons, were attacked when armed robbers carrying hammers including sledgehammers stormed her Chelsea jewelry store.CCTV footage of the incident shows the attackers entering the premises, before one of them allegedly attacked the antiquities expert on the head and knocked him to the ground.The gang made away with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of jewellery, while Towning and Simmons both suffered injuries during the raid.Speaking about the aftermath, Towning said the attack left her dealing with flashbacks, emotional distress and sleepless nights.He said, “I am almost 80 years old now and it is difficult to recover from such a shock.” He said that this incident has had a very bad impact on his health and well-being.

Conviction came months later

In November 2024, 42-year-old James Dixon and 41-year-old Thomas Loring were convicted of a series of violent robberies and burglaries that took place in and around London, including an attack on Towning’s store.The raid also resulted in additional security costs for the business, which Towning had operated from Chelsea since 1997.

End of an era for Chelsea’s antiques business

The closure marks the end of London’s decades-long association with the antiques trade. Towning was a familiar figure in Chelsea’s antiques scene from the 1970s and built a reputation as a respected jewelery and antiques expert through his television programmes.Reflecting on the decision, he said he had always hoped to continue working at the Emporium for the rest of his career, but ultimately felt unable to recover from the trauma of the attack.The 2024 robbery was the second major violent incident at the store. In 2008, Towning was left bloodied after confronting another gang who reportedly came armed with hammers and guns.

Criticism of London’s crime situation

According to the Daily Mail, Towning blamed London Mayor Sadiq Khan for failing to tackle rising crime in the capital, describing the situation as extremely worrying and claiming there was an increased fear of thefts and robberies among residents and customers.“I think Sadiq Khan has been a disaster for London,” Towning told the Daily Mail. He said, “He only cares about bike lanes and he wants to give money to more youth clubs when someone is stabbed to death. It’s despicable. He’s a joke.”The antiques dealer told the newspaper that security concerns and the impact of repeated criminal incidents contributed to his decision to close the business and leave London.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge

congress president Mallikarjun Kharge CBSE on Sunday hit out at the Center over the evaluation process controversy and its treatment of students who have raised concerns, claiming they are being branded as “Pakistani”. The issue gained widespread attention when a student alleged that the answer sheet uploaded by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) under his roll number was not his. The board later admitted that an incorrect Physics answer sheet was uploaded under Vedanta’s roll number and later provided him with the correct answer sheet.In a post on Twitter, Kharge said that both CBSE students and NEET aspirants have become victims of the government’s failures in the education sector.Kharge said, “They planned to create ‘Pariksha Yodha’ but instead branded them ‘deep state agents’ and ‘Pakistanis’. Be it 17-year-old CBSE aspirants or NEET aspirants, the Modi government has trapped the youth of the country in its web of corruption by conspiring to destroy the country’s education system.”The Congress chief also alleged that institutions which once played a vital role in nurturing talent are now in decline under the BJP-led government.Kharge said, “There was a time when IITs, IIMs, central universities and national institutes used to produce the talent of the country. Now, because of BJP’s loot, we are not able to conduct even a single board exam properly. They have brought us to such a situation.”He further accused the government of weakening educational institutions and suppressing the voice of students.Kharge said, “Look at any institution – they ruined the UGC; started vendetta politics in JNU and central universities; erased history from NCERT textbooks; suppressed the voice of students in universities and crushed their movements; ideologically hijacked the appointment of vice-chancellors; closed more than 90,000 government schools; and cut the education budget year after year.”The comments came on a day when Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met CBSE Class 12 students who were branded “anti-nationals”, “Pakistani” and “Soros agents” on social media after raising concerns over wrong answer sheets.Continuing his attack on the government, Kharge alleged that youth who raise their voices are regularly targeted and denied justice. They also renovated congress partyDemand for resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.“Whenever the youth take to the streets, whenever Gen Z raises their voices… every time, their voices have been suppressed, baseless allegations have been made against them, and they have been put behind bars! The BJP did not give jobs, they filled their pockets through recruitment exams, and completely ruined the education system!!”Kharge said, “I am repeating once again – demand the resignation of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan… Only then, Modi, the youth will get real justice.”