NEW DELHI: Over the past two decades, Supreme Court has protected the Aravalis from activities that can harm ecologically sensitive zones, including in 2002 when it banned mining and pumping of groundwater within 5km of the Delhi border, and subsequently banned illegal mining in Haryana and Rajasthan.Even the PMO, on two occasions in April 2014 during the Manmohan Singh government and even last year, stepped in to stop the dilution of provision of 0.5% restriction on construction and other non-forest activities in Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) in NCR which largely includes Aravalis and water bodies.“From 2002, SC has consistently passed orders restricting non-ecological activities in Aravalis. The PMO has also stepped in from time time to time to stop dilution of environmental norms. Surprisingly, the report submitted by the environment and forest ministry in the current case before the court seems to facilitate mining rather than conservation,” said M D Sinha, former principal chief conservator of forests in Haryana government.The series of SC orders from 2002 to 2019 shows that the court did not allow mining activities and even put Haryana’s PLPA Act, which would have resulted in large tracts of the Aravalis and Shiwaliks losing the legal forest tag, in abeyance.Activists fighting for protection of Aravalis said there had been consistent efforts by government entities, particularly in Haryana, to allow non-forest and real estate activities in the guise of creating recreational facilities. In 2014, then Haryana government’s push to relax the construction limit in Aravali beyond 0.5% during mid-term review of the NCR Regional Plan 2021 was stopped after the PMO directed the NCR Planning Board to take the environment ministry’s concerns on board.Again in 2022, Haryana pushed for doing away with mention of Aravali and NCZ in the Draft Regional Plan 2041 with a less restrictive “Natural Zone”, the provision that would remove this mandatory conservation requirement. When the matter came before the PMO and a Group of Ministers, they directed the housing and urban affairs ministry not to dilute the provision of NCZ and Aravali.

Wade Barrett (Image Source: Getty)

Some wrestlers come from entirely different branches of global entertainment, but Wade Barrett and Haley Bennett are both in the same boat when it comes to being memorable for their initial breakouts, and not much else. While Barrett was certainly the bigger name at the time, rising star within WWE in the early 2010s, Bennett was carving out a niche for himself in Hollywood with a blend of mainstream movies and independent titles, where the critics generally liked what he was doing at least. They illustrate how careers and financial stability can evolve with persistence and flexibility.The surest means for determining their total net worth in 2025 will involve a range, not an amount. Private contracts, changing ticket sales, and the uncertain value of wrestling royalties result in public estimates that vary widely. However, when you look at the career milestones, these and the streams of income, their financial situation becomes clearer.

Wade Barrett, WWE legacy and post-wrestling income

Stuart Bennett, better known as Wade Barrett, made a fortune during his time with WWE. He burst onto television as the leader of The Nexus after winning NXT’s first season, becoming a staple and multiple-time Intercontinental Champion in the process. While Barrett was earning through guaranteed contracts, pay-per-view, and merchandise sales that continue to produce royalties for him nearly a decade later, WWE did not perceive him to be large enough to open a lucrative franchise in the UK.Due to a series of injuries that ultimately forced the former Intercontinental Champion to retire from wrestling, Barrett transitioned smoothly into commentary and subsequently became a staple voice on WWE television. In conjunction with this role, he transitioned to action films, starring in low-to-mid budget action films, including the I Am Vengeance series. These movies don’t pay blockbuster prices, but they offer consistent acting wages, residuals, and con appearances. The individual net worth estimates for Barrett are typically in the low to mid-single-digit millions.

Haley Bennett, Hollywood roles, and diversified earnings

Then there is Haley Bennett, who took a more gradual but steady path through Hollywood. Music and Lyrics gave her an early role, followed by appearances in high-profile studio films like The Equalizer and The Magnificent Seven. Playing serious roles in Hillbilly Elegy and the musical drama Cyrano added more depth to her resume and raised her profile in the industry.Bennett earns most of his salary from acting; however, smaller indie films can also include backend participation or even bonuses based on how well they perform upon distribution. Now and then, she has ventured into creative development, which would provide her additional money. Depending on how relevant projects are evaluated, public estimates of her net worth can range from barely one million dollars to a few million.Also Read: The Miz and Maryse Ouellet combined net worth in 2025: WWE careers, reality TV success, Hollywood projects, and more

US President Donald Trump on Sunday took a pointed jibe at the United Nations, saying the global organisation “must start getting active and involved in world peace,” implicitly criticizing it for being largely ineffective, including in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.Trump made the remarks while highlighting the United States’ role in facilitating a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, claiming that the US has effectively acted as the “REAL United Nations.” In a Truth Social post, he congratulated both nations’ leaders for reaching a “rapid and very fair conclusion,” describing the resolution as “FAST & DECISIVE, as all of these situations should be.”In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “I am pleased to announce that the breakout fighting between Thailand and Cambodia will stop momentarily, and they will go back to living in PEACE, as per our recently agreed to original Treaty. I want to congratulate both great leaders on their brilliance in coming to this rapid and very fair conclusion. It was FAST & DECISIVE, as all of these situations should be! The United States of America, as always, was proud to help! With all of the wars and conflicts I have settled and stopped over the last eleven months, EIGHT, perhaps the United States has become the REAL United Nations, which has been of very little assistance or help in any of them, including the disaster currently going on between Russia and Ukraine. The United Nations must start getting active and involved in WORLD PEACE!”Trump’s remarks come after top diplomats from Thailand and Cambodia began two days of talks in China on Sunday, following a ceasefire signed on Saturday to halt weeks of fighting along the contested border that killed more than 100 people and displaced nearly one million.According to the news agency AP, Thai foreign minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Cambodian foreign minister Prak Sokhonn met in China’s Yunnan province, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi mediating. The talks aim to ensure a sustained ceasefire and promote lasting peace. The agreement freezes front lines and allows displaced civilians to return home. A 72-hour observation period follows, after which Thailand will repatriate 18 Cambodian soldiers it has held since July—a key demand of Cambodia. An earlier July ceasefire brokered by Malaysia, under pressure from Trump, had temporarily eased tensions, but Thailand and Cambodia continued a bitter propaganda war, with minor cross-border clashes escalating into heavy fighting earlier this month.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Sunday stoked controversy as he compared the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with Islamic terror outfit al-Qaida, saying the BJP’s ideological mentor “breeds hatred and propagates hatred”.Reacting to Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s remark praising the organisational strength of the RSS, Tagore said, “there is nothing to learn from the RSS,” which is the ideological fountainhead of Hindutva.

“RSS is an organisation that spreads hatred. It breeds hatred and propagates hatred. That organisation is like al-Qaida. Al-Qaeda is also an organised group that spreads hatred and terror. There is nothing to learn from the RSS,” Manickam Tagore told news agency IANS.Building on Digvijay’s remark, RSS member Indresh Kumar blunted the attack from Congress leader Manickam Tagore by linking his remark to the “intellectual and mental bankruptcy of the Congress leadership and its members”.“Some leaders praised the RSS for its discipline, patriotism, and work in nation-building. This has caused turmoil within the Congress party, and it appears divided. In this context, a prominent MP has revealed his mindset by comparing the RSS to al-Qaeda… It reflects the intellectual and mental bankruptcy of the Congress leadership and its members,” Indresh Kumar told news agency ANI while highlighting the 100 years of work of the RSS.Reacting to Manickam Tagore’s criticism of the RSS, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC said: “Congress MP Manickam Tagore, when he says RSS spreads hatred, I want to say, little knowledge is dangerous thing, when he compares RSS to the likes of al-Qaida, it shows, you have no thought process sir… The Congress has only spread hatred, terror, and for you to suggest that the RSS, there is nothing to learn from, let me please say, the only thing to learn from RSS is nation-building, which is for Congress to learn.“On the day the Congress marked its 140th foundation anniversary, senior leader Digvijay Singh’s remarks praising the RSS’s organisational strength drew divided reactions from the party leaders, raising fresh questions about potential internal discord.Some Congress leaders dismissed the idea that the RSS could offer any lessons to their party, while others subtly took veiled jibe at Singh.Digvijay Singh sparked row after he shared a black-and-white photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sitting on the floor near senior BJP leader LK Advani in Gujarat. Singh commented on the ability of grassroots workers to ascend through the ranks to become chief minister and eventually Prime Minister, attributing this to the “power of organisation.”He tagged several senior Congress figures, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, PM Modi, and the official Congress handles.

China’s parliament has expelled three high-ranking military officials, confirming their removal after the trio had been absent from key events in recent months.The officers’ dismissals by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) were the latest moves in the ongoing “anti-corruption crackdown,” the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Sunday, a day after their expulsion.The officials removed are Wang Renhua, head of the Central Military Commission’s (CMC) political and legal affairs Committee; Zhang Hongbing, political commissar of the People’s Armed Police; and Wang Peng, director of the CMC’s training department.However, they will remain full members of the Central Committee, the ruling Communist Party of China’s (CPC) top decision-making body.The CMC, the overall high command of China’s military, is headed by President Xi Jinping.The NPC also revoked the memberships of two other senior generals, among nine expelled from both the CPC and the Chinese military in October for “seriously violating party discipline.” They are former CMC vice chairman He Weidong and He Hongjun of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) political work department.Also Read | Purge unlike any other: Nine top Chinese generals expelled — Why Xi Jinping is cleaning house againThe ‘unlucky’ threeWang Renhua, 63, was promoted to admiral by Xi last year and put in charge of the military’s courts, procuratorates, and prisons. He previously served as director of the political unit at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert and as deputy head of the PLA Ground Forces political work Department. In 2017, he became the chief anti-corruption official for the PLA Navy’s East Sea Fleet.Zhang Hongbing, 59, was promoted to full general in 2022. Prior to that, he served as political commissar of the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command from 2019.Wang Peng, 61, was promoted to lieutenant general in December 2021 and appointed head of the CMC’s Training and Administration Department.Dozens of senior PLA officers have been sacked or disciplined under an intensified anti-corruption campaign carried out by Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.(With PTI inputs)