Srinagar, Sep 10: What’s in a name?

A great deal, if you ask parents across the world.

A new international study by NameKun.com has revealed that despite cultural differences and borders, certain names carry a universal appeal, dominating baby naming charts in dozens of countries simultaneously.

According to the research, which examined the top 100 baby names in 139 countries, two timeless classics emerged as the world’s most popular names in 2025: Maria for girls and David for boys.

Maria is the undisputed queen of girl names, appearing in 114 countries and ranking in the top 10 in 36 of them.

“It’s a name that transcends language barriers and faith traditions,” said baby naming experts at NameKun.com.

From Europe to Latin America, and even parts of Asia, Maria has become a universal choice.

For boys, David takes the crown, appearing in 113 countries and holding a top-10 spot in 59.

With biblical roots and global recognition, David has proven both traditional and adaptable, finding fans from Mexico to Morocco.

The study also highlights a contrast in name lengths.

The shortest girl’s name in the top 100 is Ana, just three letters but steeped in elegance.

On the other end is Stephanie, a name of nine letters that still manages to make the global cut.

For boys, Ali takes the spot as the briefest international name, while Christian stretches out as the longest.

Beyond the champions, the study revealed a fascinating spread of names that have crossed oceans and languages:

Experts point to globalisation, pop culture, and even professional advantages as drivers behind this trend.

“International names benefit children socially and professionally,” said researchers at NameKun.com. “They are relevant across cultures, easy to pronounce in multiple languages, and even reduce bias in hiring processes.”

The study cites earlier research by the National Bureau of Economic Research (2003), which found that job applicants with widely recognised or international names received significantly more callbacks than those with unusual or culturally specific names.

With more than 8336 distinct names gathered from almost 27,600 entries, the research establishes that though parents tend to search for uniqueness, they also tend to choose those names which link children to the global community.

Perhaps William Shakespeare’s famous question from the play Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name?” now has an answer.

In 2025, everything is about identity, opportunity, and belonging to the world.

New Delhi, Sep 10: Air India and IndiGo will operate additional flights to Kathmandu to bring back people stranded in the Nepal capital, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Wednesday.

The minister also said that airlines have been advised to keep their fares within reasonable levels.

“Due to airport closure in Nepal, many home-bound passengers were unable to return from Kathmandu.

“With the opening of the airport operation in Kathmandu, @MoCA_GoI, in coordination with Air India & IndiGo, has arranged additional flights this evening & over the next few days, alongside scheduled services resuming tomorrow,” Naidu said in a post on X.

Air India said it is operating special flights today and tomorrow from Delhi to Kathmandu and back to help passengers who have been stranded due to recent developments in Nepal.

Following the unrest in Nepal, the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu was closed. The airport reopened on Wednesday.

Jammu, Sep 10: Drones manufactured by Garuda Aerospace played a key role in ferrying supplies to flood-hit people in cut-off, mountainous areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh during the recent rain fury that began from the end of August.

Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir were badly affected by heavy rainfall, floods and landslides, causing loss of lives and huge damage to public and private infrastructure in the region since August 26.

“Garuda Aerospace has given more than 10 drones to the Indian Army for the ongoing flood-relief operations in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh,” founder and CEO of the company Agnishwar Jayaprakash said.

He further said the drones have delivered 300 kg of supplies to ensure timely assistance for stranded communities. “The Garuda Aerospace drones are also being used for aerial surveys to assess the extent of damage, identify vulnerable areas and coordinate relief efforts more effectively,” he added.

In Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu, Garuda Aerospace, India’s leading drone manufacturer, has deployed two delivery drones to transport essential supplies, including medicines, food and water, to areas cut off due to floods.

“Despite a highly-challenging terrain, involving narrow valleys, steep slopes and disrupted roads, the drones continue to ensure timely delivery of critical relief materials, directly supporting affected communities and local authorities in their rescue efforts,” Jayaprakash was quoted as saying in a statement.

Garuda Aerospace has also deployed 10 Jawan drones to transport essential supplies to Chilla village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, which was cut off by floods and landslides.

“In collaboration with the Indian Army and the Kathua district administration, the drones successfully delivered supplies, including food, cooking oil, medicines and other provisions, to several stranded families,” Jayaprakash said.

“Garuda Aerospace has made a significant impact by deploying drones for various disaster operations and supported the government. As a proud citizen of India, I am honoured to contribute to these efforts by deploying drones during emergencies, ensuring timely and effective assistance. Garuda Aerospace remains committed to serving as a first responder whenever the need arises,” he added.

The company has consistently stepped up during crises with its innovative drone solutions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, in partnership with Swiggy, its emergency drones delivered medicines and vaccines to hospitals, the statement said.

“In 2021, White Knight drones supported ISRO by delivering essential medical supplies to hospitals. The company has also deployed drones for major relief operations, from the Chamoli glacier burst in Uttarakhand to locust control in Rajasthan, and flood relief in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh,” Jayaprakash said.

In 2024, Garuda drones delivered food, water and medicines to rain-hit, inaccessible areas in Chennai. “Most recently, in 2025, Garuda’s consumer drone Droni assisted the NDRF during the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapse in Telangana, providing real-time mapping and video feeds that helped locate trapped workers under hazardous, low-visibility conditions,” the statement said.

Jammu, Sep 10: AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday joined a protest here against the detention of the party’s Doda MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act and accused the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to “crush” the party wherever its footprints increase.

Singh strongly condemned the detention of Malik, terming it illegal and unconstitutional, and said that in the entire history of Jammu and Kashmir, no MLA has ever been slapped with PSA.

“The BJP and the prime minister do only one thing — wherever the Aam Aadmi Party progresses and its footprints increase, they try to suppress and crush it. The most important thing they do is file false cases against us and put our leaders in jail,” Singh alleged.

“A living proof of this is Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, including me, and now Mehraj Malik, all being sent to jail — all with the same purpose of silencing their voice,” he told reporters.

Flanked by senior party functionary Imran Hussain, Singh said, “The policy of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the prime minister is to crush AAP everywhere, but we will resist that.”

He alleged that the BJP is behind every conspiracy against AAP, “which is visible even here”, and added that anyone who speaks against the BJP is branded a drug peddler or worse.

Naming several BJP leaders, he claimed, “All thieves and mafia figures are in the BJP”.

He said, “When the BJP talks about corruption and criminalisation, I feel Osama Bin Laden is speaking about non-violence.”

He blamed the administration for the unrest in Doda. “Law and order is under the BJP’s control, and they are deliberately creating these problems,” the AAP Rajya Sabha MP alleged.

Singh maintained that the party and its leadership will fight this “unlawful act” from the streets to the Parliament and the courts.

“This is completely unconstitutional and illegal. The convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal, has announced that we will continue this fight until we get justice. We are not the kind of people who will remain silent,” he said.

He said, “Because Mehraj Malik was demanding a hospital for the people, the PSA was imposed on him. You are imposing PSA on an elected representative who is holding protests, which are normally imposed on terrorists.”

Taking a dig at the dossier prepared by the administration to detain Malik under PSA, he said, “They are saying that he is a threat to public safety. What kind of joke is this — a person is demanding better hospital facilities for the public, and you are calling him a threat to public safety?”

Criticising the dossier, he said that it is just a “bundle of cases, with claims that Mehraj Malik makes spontaneous statements, goes live on Facebook, has 2 lakh followers, and these somehow influence people — all baseless allegations”.

He said the party has started this movement and will continue it together with the people of Doda and of Jammu and Kashmir to seek justice for Malik.

Asked whether the Omar Abdullah government is facing the same issues that the AAP government faced in Delhi, he replied that he had already spoken about this before the elections.

The AAP leader said, “Omar Abdullah had emphasised the need to fight against all such draconian laws and stood for the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Today, it is time to deliver on those promises.”

He said, “The Omar Abdullah government should fight against it.”

To a query on the alleged use of abusive language by MLA Malik against officials, he retorted that officials “often use abusive language” toward the public.

“Visit police stations and government offices, and you will witness it yourself. Crores of people across the country face false charges, cases, and verbal abuse from officials, including police personnel. Expressing our opinions does not make us terrorists.”

On the issue of violence in Nepal, he said it reflects a public revolt. “We do not support violence, but democratically elected governments must address public grievances. If the solution is firing, it will only worsen the situation. Things are completely out of control there.”

Regarding the voting for the post of Vice President, he stated, “Which party indulged in cross-voting and who are the individuals involved — the party will conduct an investigation and take action accordingly.”

On flood relief packages, he said the Rs 1,600-crore package given to Punjab is a case of step-motherly treatment towards the state.

Replying to a question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday, he claimed, “The prime minister will resign on that day.”