The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will launch a major beautification drive, planting over 2.6 lakh tulip bulbs across Lutyens Delhi starting December 27. NDMC Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal announced the initiative on Thursday, saying it aims to enhance the city’s aesthetics and combat pollution. Giving the details, Chahal said 5.17 lakh imported Dutch bulbs have arrived this season, with the NDMC receiving 3.25 lakh and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) getting 1.92 lakh. “The NDMC will also plant 15,000 tulip bulbs preserved at the special conservation centre at the Tulip House in Lodhi Garden. Along with this, 20,700 tulip bulbs received from the CSIR-IHBT Research Centre, Palampur, will also be planted,” Chahal said. This year’s programme will prominently feature major religious sites in the NDMC area, Chahal said, adding that the council will decorate places like Birla Mandir, Hanuman Mandir and Bangla Sahib Gurudwara with vibrant tulip blooms, using both ground plantations and potted arrangements. Chahal shared details of the procurement of tulip bulbs in previous years, saying the NDMC purchased 62,800 in 2021-22, 1,40,210 in 2022-23, 2,00,000 in 2023-24 and 3,25,000 in 2024-25. He said the council will also create thematic displays in public gardens and roundabouts, conveying messages like “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”, “One Nation One Election”, and “Viksit Bharat”. The key locations for plantation include Shanti Path, Central Park at Connaught Place, Lodhi Garden and areas near the Vice President’s House. Sharing technical details, Chahal explained that tulip bulbs require a minimum temperature of around 5 degrees Celsius for nearly two months for proper germination. “Keeping Indian climatic conditions in mind, the NDMC has selected pre-treated and programmed tulip bulbs, which can develop well despite temperature fluctuations,” Chahal said. He said the council will make available approximately one lakh potted tulips for sale to citizens. The flowers, expected to bloom from February, will showcase various colours including white, yellow, red, pink, orange and purple. Chahal highlighted that the NDMC has pioneered public tulip plantation in India starting in 2017-18. He also cited broader green efforts, saying the NDMC planted over 3,400 trees and 29.9 lakh shrubs between April and October 2025, including drives at more than 20 foreign embassies under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign.

KOLKATA: When 17-year-old Vedang Sharma missed out on tickets for Lionel Messi’s Kolkata appearance, he did what any diehard fan would do: kept chasing his dream. The Class XII student at Sri Sri Academy flew to Hyderabad and what followed was pure magic.Happy to get a seat on the stands of Hyderabad’s Uppal stadium, Vedang ended up donning the colours of the Messi All Stars team and shaking hands and even exchanging passes with his icon.

The Hyderabad leg of Messi’s tour — hours after the Kolkata fiasco last Saturday — was designed as a spectacle: a compact 7v7 exhibition match featuring Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy. Messi, along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, did not play but remained central to the event, watching closely from the sidelines.Vedang’s entry into the stadium itself was a minor miracle. “We couldn’t get any tickets for the Kolkata event,” he said, still sounding incredulous. His father, Dilip Sharma, was travelling to Hyderabad for work on Saturday when a friend mentioned possible contacts at Uppal stadium. Vedang tagged along hoping against hope that at least one of those contacts would get him in.And in he did get. “I was so happy to get an opportunity to see Messi from a distance,” he said. “Then they took me closer. That was when it stopped feeling real.”Little did he know that it was just the beginning of a long surreal spell. As players warmed up, organisers called for volunteers to complete the Messi All Stars line-up. One player short, they turned to the wide-eyed teenager near the touchline.Vedang, who has played football since the age of five and represented his school in a national tournament, barely had time to process what was unfolding before him. “When they called me in, my legs were wobbling in excitement. I told myself — just get on the pitch, run, breathe,” the Ballygunge resident, a left winger-cum-striker, recounted to TOI.He was given a jersey, briefed and ushered into the pitch.On the field, Vedang lined up for the Messi All Stars against the team led by the Telangana CM. His team eventually lost the exhibition match but the result mattered little to him. The event gifted him some post-match moments he would cherish forever — Messi walking over after the whistle, shaking his hand, posing for photographs with him and other young players, and even joining a passing drill with the teenagers.Vedang said he and Messi exchanged at least 10 passes — brief, ordinary movements that to him felt like an entire conversation.“He and De Paul looked at me, smiled and patted my back saying ‘Vamos’ (Spanish for ‘Let’s go’). That handshake — I keep replaying it. It still feels like a dream; I am scared that I would wake up and all this would vanish,” said Vedang, whose Instagram profile is full of images and videos from the event.“My parents have always supported me — they said education comes first but also that some chances come only once,” he said.When asked if he is flexing the moment with his classmates and neighbours, the boy laughed. “They are jealous, of course. But I tell them that dreams still come true. All you need to do is not to give up.”

The Commission for Air Quality Management has directed civic bodies and state agencies across the National Capital Region to urgently strengthen municipal solid waste management, flagging persistent open burning of waste, delays in clearing legacy dumps and gaps in enforcement.The directions came after a detailed review of waste management systems in Delhi and NCR states, conducted through a series of meetings with state governments, municipal bodies and pollution control boards.The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said waste management remains a critical area requiring sustained attention because of its direct impact on air pollution.

In Delhi, the CAQM noted continued incidents of open municipal solid waste and biomass burning despite the availability of infrastructure.It directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to complete remediation of 143.09 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste by December 2027, at a processing rate of about 3.5 lakh metric tonnes per month, and to submit monthly progress reports.The commission also ordered immediate augmentation of waste-processing facilities without extending timelines and asked for stronger surveillance of garbage-vulnerable points, spill-free transportation of waste and intensified door-to-door segregation drives.Bulk waste generators in Delhi have been asked to ensure on-site wet waste processing within one month, while the rollout of the zero-waste colonies is to be accelerated.The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has been tasked with strict monitoring of waste-to-energy plants, fly ash disposal, verification of municipal data and monthly compliance reporting to the CAQM.In Haryana, the commission flagged significant delays in legacy waste remediation and processing infrastructure, particularly in Gurugram, Faridabad and Sonipat.Gurugram’s municipal corporation has been directed to complete tendering for the remediation of 14 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste by January 20, 2026, and to start biomining by March 31, 2026.Faridabad has been asked to identify land for decentralised processing facilities within two months and make them operational by April 2026.In Uttar Pradesh’s NCR areas, the CAQM observed delays in legacy waste remediation, uneven segregation and coordination gaps.Authorities in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad have been told to complete remediation within committed timelines and not to seek further extensions for commissioning processing facilities.In Rajasthan’s NCR districts, including Bharatpur, Alwar and Bhiwadi, progress on waste remediation and segregation was found inadequate.Urban local bodies have been directed to complete remediation within timelines and strengthen segregation, surveillance and complaint redressal.The commission said it will closely monitor compliance, carry out follow-up reviews and take action wherever required.

The India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will add to India’s growing network of preferential trade arrangements in the Gulf, but its significance lies more in consolidating market access and investment presence than in sharply expanding trade volumes, Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said.India and Oman signed the agreement on December 18, marking India’s sixth free trade pact in the past five years, following deals with Mauritius, the UAE, Australia, the EFTA bloc and the UK. The pact is expected to come into force in the coming months.

Under the CEPA, Oman has granted zero-duty access on about 98% of its tariff lines, covering nearly 99% of India’s exports by value. India’s exports to Oman were about $4.1 billion in FY25, led by refined petroleum products such as naphtha and petrol, along with machinery, metals, aircraft, rice and consumer goods.“While more than 80% of Indian goods already enter Oman at an average tariff of around 5%, duties on some items go up to 100%. Their removal improves competitiveness, but the scope for large trade expansion remains limited by Oman’s market size,” Srivastava said.India, in return, has offered tariff liberalisation on about 78% of its tariff lines, largely through tariff-rate quotas, to protect sensitive sectors. India’s imports from Oman stood at roughly $6.6 billion in FY25, dominated by crude oil, LNG and fertilisers, along with key chemical inputs.The agreement also includes commitments in services, with Oman opening sectors such as IT, professional services, education, healthcare and research. Provisions to ease temporary entry for Indian professionals and streamline pharmaceutical approvals could reduce regulatory costs for Indian firms operating in Oman, Srivastava noted.According to GTRI, the broader importance of the CEPA lies in India’s investment and strategic footprint in Oman. Indian companies have more than 6,000 joint ventures in the country, with cumulative investments exceeding $7.5 billion, largely in the Sohar and Salalah free zones.“The agreement is less a trade breakthrough and more a consolidation of India’s economic position in a critical Gulf corridor,” Srivastava said, adding that it supports India’s longer-term interests in energy security, logistics, services exports and regional connectivity.Given Oman’s location at the entrance to the Gulf and its role as a logistics and energy hub, the CEPA strengthens India’s engagement in the region even as trade volumes remain modest, he said.

The parent firm of US President Donald Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, Trump Media, a fusion energy firm called TAE, has merged, and the move has seen the share price of Trump Media jump by nearly 25% following the news, though it “slumped by about 70% in the past year.” The companies have agreed to an all-stock mergertactic that will see the “combined entity” develop “the world’s first utility-scale fusion power plant” beginning in 2026, and will give the “shareholders of both companies approximately 50% of the combined entity.”In a statement to news agency AFP on Monday, Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes described this move “a big step forward toward a revolutionary technology that will cement America’s global energy dominance for generations to come.” Nunes and CEO of TAE Michl Binderbauer will be “co-CEOs of the combined company” with Michael Schwab at its board helm and even including Donald Trump Jr.The deal is “expected to close by mid-2026,” though it still “requires shareholder and regulatory approval” before it can be finalised. When it is finalized, this new company will be able to pursue its aim of starting plant construction in 2026.

What is fusion power and why it can be important to meet AI energy demands

Fusion power plants would produce electricity using the same process that powers the Sun, an objective that researchers have pursued for years. However, no commercially viable facility has been built despite decades of development.This uncommon partnership emerges as the Trump administration promotes energy-intensive AI technology that will necessitate a substantial expansion of power generation capacity.AI data centres are putting growing pressure on US electrical grids, and the White House is advocating expedited approval of energy projects to meet demand.TAE Technologies, established in 1998, claims its fusion technology could provide abundant electricity to support AI infrastructure.The California-headquartered company has constructed five fusion reactors and has a workforce of more than 400 people, including 62 individuals with PhD degrees, according to a statement.The firm has managed to raise over $1.3 billion from investors such as Google, Chevron, and Goldman Sachs. It has also promised to provide a cash contribution of a maximum of $300 million to TAE. Trump Media has also launched various projects in the past few months, such as financial services based on cryptocurrency and online video streaming, though their revenue during the first half-year period of 2025 was merely $1.7 million.

IPL 2026 auction concluded recently, with teams like Gujarat Titans (GT) making calculated moves to bolster their line-ups ahead of the upcoming season. GT entered with a substantial purse of ₹125 crore, spending ₹123.05 crore on a balanced 25-player squad featuring seven overseas talents. This mini-auction phase highlighted GT’s focus on retaining proven performers while targeting value buys to address depth issues from prior campaigns.​

Gujarat Titans’ intelligent core retentions

Gujarat Titans showcased auction savvy by prioritizing retentions of their high-impact core, ensuring leadership and firepower remained intact. Captain Shubman Gill headlines the retained Indian contingent at ₹16.50 crore, backed by Rashid Khan (₹18.00 crore), the Afghan spinner renowned for match-winning economy rates under pressure. Explosive opener Jos Buttler commands ₹15.75 crore, bringing white-ball mastery with over 4,000 IPL runs, while pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj (₹12.25 crore) and South African express Kagiso Rabada (₹10.75 crore) form a lethal bowling attack capable of dismantling top orders on any surface.​

Sai Sudharsan (₹8.50 crore) provides elegant top-order stability, complementing Gill’s aggression, as GT builds on their 2022 title-winning blueprint. All-rounders like Rahul Tewatia (₹4.00 crore) and M Shahrukh Khan (₹4.00 crore) add finishing prowess, with Washington Sundar (₹3.20 crore) offering spin-batting utility. Domestic uncapped gems such as Sai Kishore (₹2.00 crore), Gurnoor Brar (₹1.30 crore), and Manav Suthar (₹0.30 crore) were locked in for spin depth and future potential, reflecting GT’s youth-investment philosophy. Overseas retentions like Glenn Phillips (₹2.00 crore) and Tom Banton (base ₹2.00 crore, sold at same) enhance middle-order flexibility, allowing GT to navigate overseas slot constraints effectively.​

These retentions left GT with ₹12.90 crore for auction day, enabling targeted splurges without overextending. Releases of players like Gerald Coetzee and Mahipal Lomror freed slots for fresh blood, signalling a refined strategy post a middling previous season where middle-order fragility cost them playoffs. GT’s management, led by franchise owner CVC Capital, emphasized balance—prioritizing express pace, spin variety, and power-hitting—positioning them as dark horses for IPL 2026.​

Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Full list of unsold players along with their base price

Salaries of GT Players in IPL 2026

Auction highlights included West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder‘s blockbuster acquisition for ₹7.00 crore (from ₹2.00 crore base), injecting raw pace, lower-order muscle, and death-over nous to GT’s arsenal. Prasidh Krishna bolstered the seam unit at ₹9.50 crore, his towering bounce suiting bouncy pitches. Lower down, value picks shone: Ashok Sharma (₹0.90 crore from ₹0.30 lakh base), Luke Wood (₹0.75 crore), Jayant Yadav (₹0.75 crore), and Ishant Sharma (₹0.75 crore) provide experienced backups.

Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Complete list of sold players with their price

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