Author: Supriya Jena

  • UK’s 80th VE Day Celebration: Events, No New Holiday in 2025

    UK’s 80th VE Day Celebration: Events, No New Holiday in 2025

    In 2025, the United Kingdom will honor the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day with four days of celebrations from May 5 to May 8. These events will include a military parade, planes flying overhead, concerts, and a special service at Westminster Abbey.

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy mentioned that on this important day, people will get a chance to hear stories from veterans to remember and reflect on their contributions.

    Will There Be a New Bank Holiday?

    Despite the special nature of this anniversary, the government has confirmed that there will be no new bank holiday. According to reports from NiftyStat, this decision was made in November 2024. A spokesperson explained that the celebrations will take place along with the existing Early May Bank Holiday on May 5.

    The government plans to spend over £10 million on these celebrations. An official said, while this anniversary is important, an extra day off could disrupt businesses and public services. So, the holiday schedule will stay the same, and the Early May Bank Holiday will be the main day for VE Day events.

    The Four Days of VE Day Celebrations

    The celebrations will be as follows:

    May 5: A parade will march down Whitehall, featuring military formations and a special flypast by RAF planes, including the famous Red Arrows. The Cenotaph and HMS Belfast will be decorated with Union Jacks, and there will be a street party.

    May 6: A display of ceramic poppies will be at the Tower of London to honor those who died in the war, and famous buildings across the UK will light up at night.

    May 7: There will be a Victory in Europe Day Anniversary Concert at Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster.

    May 8: The final day includes a memorial service at Westminster Abbey, followed by a grand concert at Horse Guards Parade, expected to attract around 10,000 people.

    No Extra Bank Holiday for VE Day Why80?

    The government decided against having an extra bank holiday due to economic reasons. They believe an additional day off could hurt businesses and public services.

    The 2025 bank holiday dates will be:

    – Good Friday: April 18
    – Easter Monday: April 21
    – Early May Bank Holiday: May 5
    – Spring Bank Holiday: May 26
    – Summer Bank Holiday: August 25
    – Christmas Day: December 25
    – Boxing Day: December 26

    These upcoming celebrations are expected to be grand, especially since the last time the UK celebrated VE Day, in 2020, was limited due to COVID-19. This year, many living veterans and groups like the Royal British Legion will be involved in the events, while promoting community participation.

  • Trump Proposes Nuclear Talks with Iran: A Peaceful Path Forward

    Trump Proposes Nuclear Talks with Iran: A Peaceful Path Forward

    US President Donald Trump has announced that he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to discuss a possible nuclear deal. In an interview with Fox Business News, Trump said, “I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing.”

    The White House confirmed that Trump has invited Iranian officials to talks about their nuclear program. The detailed interview will be shown on Sunday. Trump expressed his desire to negotiate a deal instead of going to war, mentioning, “I would rather negotiate a deal… We can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily.”

    He added that the time to act is now, saying, “Something’s going to happen one way or the other.” Trump emphasized that negotiating would be better for Iran and suggested they should consider his letter. He reminded everyone that Iran shouldn’t have nuclear weapons.

    Iran claims its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, but as tensions with the US grow, Iranian officials are hinting at developing nuclear weapons. Iran’s state-run news agency reported Trump’s comments, but there has been no response from Khamenei’s office.

    The Trump administration has stressed preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons, especially after a new report suggested Iran is producing more uranium suitable for weapons.

  • SBI PO Prelims 2025: Exam Date, Admit Card & Important Guidelines

    SBI PO Prelims 2025: Exam Date, Admit Card & Important Guidelines

    The State Bank of India (SBI) is set to hold the SBI PO Prelims Exam on March 8, 2025. If you’ve signed up to take this exam, make sure to download your admit card, which will be available starting February 28, 2025. You can get your admit card by visiting the SBI website at sbi.co.in.

    Here are some important things you need to know before the exam:

    – Bring Extra Photos: You need to take two extra photographs that are the same as the one you put on your admit card. If you don’t have your photo stuck on the admit card or the two extra photos, you won’t be allowed to take the exam.

    – Photo Identity Proof: Bring an ID that proves who you are. This can be a passport, Aadhaar card, PAN card, driver’s license, voter ID, bank passbook with a photo, or school/college ID. You must also have a photocopy of this ID that you’ve signed.

    – Stay Honest and Respectful: If you’re caught cheating, pretending to be someone else, or causing trouble during the exam, you could face serious consequences. This means you might be banned from this exam and any future ones conducted by the bank.

    – Leave Electronics at Home: You can’t bring mobile phones, tablets, calculators, or any electronic devices into the exam area. Make sure to leave these things at home to avoid issues.

  • Madras University November 2024 Results Release Date and How to Check

    Madras University November 2024 Results Release Date and How to Check

    The University of Madras will announce the results for the November 2024 exams on March 7, 2025. If you took the UG, PG, Professional, or OT (Sanskrit) exams, you can find your results on the university’s official website at unom.ac.in.

    Here’s how you can check your results easily:

    1. Go to the official website of Madras University: unom.ac.in.
    2. Look for the link for UG or PG results on the homepage and click on it.
    3. A new page will open. Enter your login details.
    4. Click ‘Submit’, and your result will be shown.
    5. Check your result and download the page if you want.
    6. It’s good to keep a printed copy for future reference.

    According to the latest announcement, students who joined the UG courses in the academic year 2022-2023 and those in PG/Professional courses from 2023-2024 can apply for re-evaluation of their exam papers through their respective colleges. The re-evaluation link will be open from March 10 to March 14, 2025. If you want to apply for re-evaluation, you need to pay ₹1000 for each paper, either through a demand draft made out to “The Registrar, University of Madras” or online.

    UG students can only request re-totalling of their marks. This can also be done from March 10 to March 14, 2025. To apply for re-totalling, you need to pay ₹300 for each subject, using a demand draft or online payment.

  • Amit Shah Honors Tamil Culture and Urges Education in Tamil Language

    Amit Shah Honors Tamil Culture and Urges Education in Tamil Language

    On Friday, Amit Shah, India’s Union Home Minister, praised Tamil culture, language, and traditions, emphasizing they are a vital part of India’s identity. He spoke at the 56th raising day parade of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Thakkolam.

    Shah highlighted that the whole country recognizes the importance of Tamil language and culture, especially during discussions about federalism and language identity in Tamil Nadu. This state has a history of resisting the push for Hindi and has fought for the pride of the Tamil language since the 1900s, wanting more control over how their language is used in schools and government.

    During his speech, Shah announced the CISF training center will be renamed after the brave Chola warrior, Rajaditya Chola. He expressed his admiration for Rajaditya, saying he dedicated his life to protecting his culture and shared tales of bravery from the Chola kingdom.

    Shah also hopes Tamil Nadu will join other states in offering medical and engineering courses in their own language. He believes this will help the Tamil people connect more with their roots and provide equal opportunities. He encouraged the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to make this vision a reality, noting that no steps have been taken yet towards this goal.

  • India Urges UK to Address Security Breach During Jaishankar’s Visit

    India Urges UK to Address Security Breach During Jaishankar’s Visit

    The spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, said on Friday that the UK needs to take serious action regarding the security breach during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to London. Jaiswal’s comments came after the UK Foreign Office released a statement about the incident.

    India has expressed serious worries to the UK about the security disruption caused by some extremists in the UK during Jaishankar’s visit. “We have clearly told UK authorities that we are very concerned about what happened,” Jaiswal said at a press conference.

    He also pointed out that this issue is bigger than just the one incident. It shows a larger problem and how certain groups are allowed to act without facing consequences. Their actions can make it difficult for India to carry out its diplomatic work in the UK. Jaiswal noted that while they appreciate the UK’s statement about the incident, the true measure of its seriousness will be the actions they take against those responsible for this and similar events.

  • NYPD Detective Sparks Outrage with Risqué Music Video Appearance

    NYPD Detective Sparks Outrage with Risqué Music Video Appearance

    Detective Melissa Mercado, who has been with the NYPD for seven years, made headlines after appearing in a suggestive music video for the rapper S-Quire called “Doin That.” The video, published in February by World Hip Hop, features Mercado dancing, twerking, and showing off her body in a thong and a bra. Although her name is not mentioned in the video, police sources confirmed it is indeed her.

    The video has stirred up talk among officials. A police union source said, “What she does in her personal life is separate from her job as a detective. She doesn’t show any NYPD logos or mention her detective work in the video. If she is paid for this, she would need to inform the department about her outside job.”

    Mercado’s choice of outfits has caused some controversy online. While some of her fellow detectives believe she deserves respect because she has done good work, others are criticizing her for her choices. Retired NYPD Chief Michael Osgood commented that while some people think what officers do off duty is their own business, he feels her conduct is inappropriate. He said it doesn’t align with the values expected from a police officer, especially one investigating sensitive cases like special victims.

    Eric Sanders, a retired NYPD officer, added that the department should review Mercado’s actions to ensure public trust remains strong. Mercado has a yearly salary of $144,000 and works in the Bronx’s special victims unit. She joined the police force in 2018. The video was filmed in 2022 at Club Vanity in NYC, and S-Quire mentioned he didn’t realize she was a detective when they met. Now, it’s unclear if Mercado will face any consequences for her side job.

  • ECI to Resolve Duplicate EPIC Numbers in 3 Months

    ECI to Resolve Duplicate EPIC Numbers in 3 Months

    The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Friday that it will fix a big problem: many voters have the same Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers. This issue has been around for a long time, and the ECI wants to solve it in the next three months. After talking with their tech teams and Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from different states, the ECI promised to make sure that every voter gets a special EPIC number that nobody else has. They are working hard to give a unique EPIC number to all voters who currently have the same one and to future voters as well.

  • Fadnavis Defends Projects and Unveils Exciting Developments for Maharashtra

    Fadnavis Defends Projects and Unveils Exciting Developments for Maharashtra

    Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently criticized Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), saying that he doesn’t want to hold up any ongoing projects like Thackeray did. During a speech thanking Governor CP Radhakrishnan for his address to the legislature, Fadnavis emphasized that the decisions made while Eknath Shinde was Chief Minister were made together by him and Ajit Pawar, not just by Shinde alone.

    Fadnavis highlighted how the Mahayuti government, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, works together with all leaders contributing to decisions. He defended himself against accusations of stopping projects, explaining that sometimes officials might delay something because it doesn’t meet central guidelines, but people still blame him.

    He mentioned that the last assembly elections showed strong support for the Mahayuti, with people trusting their leadership. Fadnavis shared that his government has a new 100-day action plan aimed at improving how things work at all levels of government. The Quality Council of India will judge each department based on its performance during this time, and the top achievers will be recognized on May 1.

    Fadnavis also announced that Mumbai’s Metro 3, the longest underground metro line in India, will be fully open by June 2025, with all metro lines set to finish by 2027. He criticized the opposition for praising Gujarat’s investment, saying Maharashtra has attracted three times more investment than Gujarat.

    He introduced the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, a 802-kilometer road that will improve travel in Marathwada and connect different regions of Maharashtra to Goa. He mentioned that 200 farmers supported the project during a meeting.

  • Modi Honors Vantara: A Unique Wildlife Rescue Center in Gujarat

    Modi Honors Vantara: A Unique Wildlife Rescue Center in Gujarat

    On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised a special wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center called Vantara. This center was opened by Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and the Reliance Foundation in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Vantara is a huge facility, covering 3,000 acres, and it helps more than 150,000 rescued animals from over 2,000 different species.

    During his visit to Gujarat, Modi opened Vantara on Sunday and spent time getting to know the animals there. He thanked Anant Ambani and his team for their kind work in creating this center. “Vantara is a great example of how we should protect our planet’s animals,” Modi said in a post on X.

    While visiting, Modi saw many animals that had suffered from cruelty. For example, he met an elephant that had been hurt in an acid attack and other elephants that lost their eyesight due to their handlers. He emphasized how important it is to treat animals with kindness and not be careless.

    Modi also saw a lioness that had been hit by a car and was getting the care she needed. He mentioned a leopard cub that was abandoned by its family but is now being well taken care of at Vantara. He applauded the staff for their dedication to helping animals.

    When he toured the center, Modi interacted with many animals. He petted an okapi, played with chimps, and hugged an orangutan. He also fed a giraffe and a rhino calf and saw various other amazing animals, like snow tigers and giant otters.

    A special part of Vantara is the elephant hospital, which is the largest in the world. Modi also learned about hydrotherapy pools that help elephants recover from injuries, showing how Vantara cares for its animals.