Greening of the Thar: A blessing or a curse for India's great desert?

Grandfatherly spirit: Kerala’s Education Minister V. Sivankutty has, over the past year and a half, consciously rebranded himself as a grandfatherly figure—‘Manthri Appooppan’ (literally, ‘minister-grandfather’). In Malayalam, Santa Claus is known as ‘Christmas Appooppan’, and Sivankutty appeared to channel that grandfatherly spirit with an impromptu act of generosity this season. Spotting a reporter curiously examining the sculpture of a cow on his desk, the minister promptly gifted it to her and posted the moment on social media, adding that the reporter would now have to build a cattle shed | Illustrations by Job P.K.

Win-lose situation: Former Union minister and senior BJP MP Narayan Rane is both happy and frustrated. His happiness comes from the fact that his elder son, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) legislator Nilesh Rane, pocketed the Malvan and Kankavli municipal councils in the recent civic elections. The reason for his frustration is his younger son, Nitesh Rane—BJP leader and guardian minister of Sindhudurg district—who led the BJP campaign to capture the same councils. The brothers clashed frequently during the campaign, and the results have left Nilesh victorious and Nitesh defeated.

Calm in the court: The proceedings had barely started in the Supreme Court when a lawyer, breathless and flustered, launched into submissions. Justice Vikram Nath intervened, not with a rebuke, but a wellness prescription. “Pranayama. Deep breathing. Eleven times,” he advised. The lawyer, eager as ever, resumed too soon. “I said eleven,” Justice Nath reminded him gently. “We aren’t in a rush. Why are you?”

Just married: Theirs is a love story that would beat any popular K-drama hands down. South Korean actors Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-ah got hitched after 10 years of courtship. The couple first met while shooting for a commercial in 2015. While they were dating, Kim was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer, and Shin stood by him through his treatment and recovery. Over the years, the couple has kept their relationship private, and so the news of their wedding created quite a buzz. At the wedding ceremony at Dynasty Hall of The Shilla Hotel in Seoul, with many A-list celebs in attendance, Shin stunned in an Elie Saab gown and Kim looked dapper in a Ralph Lauren Purple Label suit. A wedding to remember, indeed! | Getty Images

Oonafinds her own fire: Oona Chaplin is on fire. She nailed it as the villain Varang in the recently released Avatar: Fire and Ash. But fame comes with baggage, and she is aware, being Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter. She even considered changing her name before starting her acting career. “It has been a journey to feel deserving, because I know that doors have opened for me that potentially wouldn’t have opened if I wasn’t associated with this brilliant man,” she said. “It’s definitely tricky to feel undeserving of the place you are in.” | Getty Images

Pink wrap: Badshah and Barbie—one would have never thought of taking the two names in the same breath. But here we are. The rapper recently flaunted an ultra-exclusive Rolex Daytona ‘Barbie’, becoming the first Indian to own one of only 10 such timepieces in the world. The ‘Barbie’ nickname comes from the 40 pink-cut sapphires on the bezel and 12 more on the dial. The 18-carat yellow gold watch is estimated to be around $1 million. Time is money, they say! | Getty Images

Mother of comebacks: Post her maternity break, Kiara Advani is taking baby steps back into the limelight. Her first look from her upcoming film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups was unveiled recently. Her goth look in the poster sure grabbed eyeballs. Headlined by Yash, the film is directed by Geetu Mohandas and is due for a March release. Advani plays Nadia in the movie. “A role that demanded more from me—physically, mentally, emotionally and felt nothing short of transformative. My toughest one yet. Months of hard work. One fearless leap,” she wrote on her Instagram story | AFP