What is Memorial Day all about? History and significance explained
Memorial Day is a special day in Canada's Newfoundland and Labrador. It is also called Commemoration Day, people observe it every year on 1 July.
The day remembers a big loss during World War I. On 1 July 1916, the Newfoundland Regiment fought at Beaumont-Hamel in France. Out of about 800 soldiers, less than 70 came back the next day. Many people across the province lost someone in that battle.
The first memorial service was held on 1 July 1917. It became a regular event by 1919. In 1920, a law called the Commemoration Day Act made it official. At first, the day was marked on the first Sunday in July to honour soldiers who fought in the war, as per timeanddate.
Also Read: Memorial Day 2025: Date, significance, history and traditions of the US federal holiday
After Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949, Memorial Day and Canada Day were both marked on 1 July. In 1990, the province changed the rule. Memorial Day moved to the Sunday closest to 1 July. But many people now prefer to observe it on 1 July, like before.
Every year, people hold public ceremonies, one of the main events takes place at the War Memorial in St. John's. Other towns also hold ceremonies.
To respect both days, the morning of 1 July is for Memorial Day, and the afternoon is for Canada Day celebrations.
Memorial Day is different from Remembrance Day, which is held every year on 11 November.
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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
The world is full of unexploded bombs
One of the three unexploded bombs from the Second World War is fenced off in Cologne (AP) Fifteen couples had been looking forward to the special moment when they would say "I do" for weeks. But their weddings at Cologne's historic town hall on June 4 were cancelled, since the building was right in the middle of an evacuation zone. But they were still able to get married, in a district town hall instead. Three bombs left over from World War II were responsible for the massive evacuation, the biggest since 1945. They were found during preparations for construction work on the city's Deutz Bridge. The US-made bombs — one 100-pound (45-kilogram) and two 200-pound bombs — both had impact fuses and could not be moved for safety reasons. They had to be defused on site, and thus it was necessary to evacuate several districts of the city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. Thousands evacuated Around 20,500 people had to leave their homes on Wednesday. Hospitals and retirement homes were evacuated, with people being moved to other facilities. Almost 60 hotels shut down, with guests being accommodated elsewhere. Bomb disposal is a mammoth logistical task, but Germany is very familiar with it. More than 1,600 bombs were defused last year in North Rhine-Westphalia alone. As construction work increases in the city, for example to put in new fiber optic cables, renovate bridges or improve the road network, excavations are bringing to light unexploded aerial ordnance that dates back to the 1930s and '40s. Major problem in Hamburg, Verdun, Poland Metropolitan regions such as Hamburg and Berlin were some of the main targets of Allied bombing during World War II. These places also saw civilian infrastructure targeted and so are particularly affected. In addition to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg is heavily contaminated. In 2024, explosive ordnance clearers found 90 mines, 48,000 grenades, 500 firebombs and 450 bombs weighing more than 11 pounds, as well as around 330,000 shells. The problem is also omnipresent in many neighboring countries. Unexploded ordnance from the two world wars is often found in France and Belgium, and particularly from World War I in the regions of Verdun and the Somme. Three years ago, the drought in Italy's Po Valley revealed unexploded bombs. In the UK in 2021, a German 2,200-pound aerial bomb was detonated in a controlled explosion in the southwestern city of Exeter and more than 250 buildings were damaged. The situation in Poland and the Czech Republic, where there are tons of unexploded ordnance from the two world wars in the ground, is also critical. In 2020, a 5-ton British-made Tallboy bomb was defused in the northwestern Polish town of Swinoujscie. Recently, there have even been fatal accidents in the Czech Republic. And in the Balkans, lives are in danger from unexploded ordnance that dates back to the wars of the 1990s and evacuations are a frequent occurrence. Deadly hazards in Vietnam, Laos, Gaza On the world's other continents, the situation is also critical. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, people continue to be killed by US-made cluster bombs that were used in the 1960s and '70s. According to the UN, 80 million unexploded ordnances remain in the ground in Laos, from 500,000 US attacks conducted covertly between 1964 and 1973. There are also tons of unexploded ordnance in Syria and Iraq, where masses of people are at risk of being killed or wounded. In neither country have ordnance disposal structures been developed sufficiently. The UN says that unexploded ordnance in the war-torn Palestinian territory of Gaza has already left behind deadly hazards, even as Israel continues to bomb the strip. A quarter of Ukraine contaminated The situation in Ukraine is dramatic. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of 2022, about a quarter of the country is thought to be contaminated with mines, cluster bombs and other explosive devices. Over half a million explosive devices have already been defused, but millions more remain. The humanitarian and economic consequences are enormous: hundreds of civilians have died, large areas of agricultural land are unusable, and crop failures are exacerbating the economic crisis. When the war ends, demining will be one of the tasks of the coming years. German federal states bear brunt of costs In Germany, where most of the bombs that are defused are from World War II and were made by the Allies, it is the federal states that bear the majority of the costs of their disposal. It is the German state that is responsible for German-made bombs going back to the era of the German Reich (1871 – 1945). Attempts to make it responsible for all the unexploded bombs in Germany have so far been unsuccessful. Last year, explosive ordnance disposal cost North Rhine-Westphalia €20 million ($23 million). While the costs rise, the technology used for bomb disposal has evolved. While in the 1990s, clearers still used their own hands, hammers, chisels and water pump pliers, today abrasive waterjet cutting is used to neutralize explosive devices. A waterjet cutter that is operated at a safe distance can cut through the explosive device and remove its fuse. Experts believe that there are tens of thousands of unexploded explosive devices, weighing up to 100,000 tons, in Germany alone. Even though modern probing and detection techniques and digitized aerial photographs can help to minimize the risk, every bomb disposal operation is a race against time. The older a bomb is, the greater the risk of corrosion and explosion. It is also more difficult to defuse an older bomb because of the chemical changes that occur over time inside the bomb itself, between the casing and the fuse. The defusing of the three bombs in Cologne is not just an operation that has disrupted weddings and people's daily routines but it bears witness once again to the destruction of war, whether in Germany or France, Vietnam or Laos, Syria, Ukraine or Gaza.
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Economic Times
National Donut Day 2025: Free deals from Dunkin', Krispy Kreme and others
National Donut Day will be celebrated on Friday, June 6, which was first started by Salvation Army in 1938 to give a tribute to the organisation's Donut Lassies and Donut Girls, who had travelled to France to serve donuts and other snacks to soldiers during the World War I, as per a report. While, the Salvation Army will celebrate the day by giving free donuts to veterans in several cities across the United States and have planned other events, like the National Donut Day World Donut Eating Championship, even donut distributors in the US will also be part of the celebration by giving away free donuts on June 6, as per USA Today. Here's a list of all the National Donut Day deals that you must not miss, as compiled by USA donut will be available for free with any beverage that is purchase at participating Dunkin' locations across the US on June 6, as per the report. Customers can get their hands on some limited-edition Dunkin' merchandise created with Stoney Clover Lane and in some Dunkin' outlets, the single donuts will be served in mini donut bags created in partnership with the luxury lifestyle brand, reported USA Today. ALSO READ: 90 deals in 90 days: Donald Trump mocked for begging countries for a trade deal All customers can get one free donut to all customers, without buying any other product, on June 6, as per the report. While, customers can also get a dozen Original Glazed Doughnuts for just $2 when they buy any other dozen at the regular price, reported USA celebration just doesn't end there, as Krispy Kreme has also planned more deals from the following day, Saturday, June 7, with the "14 Days of Original Glazed' promotion, which includes these deals: June 7- June 20: Members of the Krispy Kreme Rewards loyalty program can get a dozen Original Glazed doughnuts for $9.99, reported USA Today. June 13: All customers can get a dozen Original Glazed doughnuts for 13 cents if they buy any dozen at the regular price, as per the report. June 20: Consumers can get a dozen Original Glazed doughnuts for only $2 if they buy any dozen at the regular price, and multiple customers will be randomly selected at participating shops to win 12 months of free Original Glazed doughnuts, reported USA Today. Duck Donuts: In the stores of Duck Donuts, customers can get a free cinnamon sugar donut, without buying anything else, and can also get a half dozen cinnamon sugar donuts for just $6, which is available in-store and online, reported USA Today. Honey Dew : Customers can get a free donut, if they purchase any medium beverage on June 6, as per the report. : Customers can get a free donut, if they purchase any medium beverage on June 6, as per the report. The Original Donut Shop Coffee : The store is offering a 50% off on all coffee and K-Cup Pod products on using the code DONUT50 from June 6 to June 8, according to the report. : The store is offering a 50% off on all coffee and K-Cup Pod products on using the code DONUT50 from June 6 to June 8, according to the report. Shipley Do-Nuts: Customers can get a free glazed donut, if they buy any other product on June 6, which will be applicable for in-person or online orders with code DonutDay25, as per USA Today. When is National Donut Day this year?It's on Friday, June 6, 2025. Can I get free donuts on National Donut Day? Yes. Many places like Dunkin', Krispy Kreme, and Duck Donuts offer free donuts with or without purchase of other products.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- India Gazette
"Global consensus needed against terrorism," says BJP leader V Muraleedharan in Cairo
Cairo [Egypt], June 4 (ANI): As the all-party parliamentary delegation concluded its four-nation diplomatic tour in Egypt, BJP leader V Muraleedharan called the visit 'very productive' and highlighted the strong support India received on the global stage against terrorism. 'I found it very much productive, very meaningful, and I found a consensus among everyone in favour of India, especially on the issue of terrorism,' said Muraleedharan, speaking on the sidelines of the delegation's final stop in Cairo. He added, 'Everyone condemned the terrorist attacks that happened, and everyone was supportive of the efforts that India is making to counter terrorism. It just also felt that a global initiative has to be there and a consensus has to be created across the world against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.' The multi-party delegation, led by Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, had earlier visited South Africa, Ethiopia, and Qatar before arriving in Egypt. The visit aimed to strengthen diplomatic ties, reinforce India's commitment to peace, and update international partners on India's response to the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were killed on April 22. During their visit, Sule and the delegation held a constructive meeting with Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in the New Administrative Capital. Abdelatty condemned the Pahalgam attack and assured India of Egypt's continued support, stating such acts of terror would not be tolerated. 'We had a constructive meeting with the Foreign Minister. He reassured us that India and Egypt must work together in peace, trade, and culture, as the two nations are uniquely placed,' Sule said. She added that the Egyptian leadership was among the first to reach out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the April 22 attack, expressing solidarity and reaffirming their commitment to peace and the global fight against terrorism. 'Under the leadership of our Prime Minister, we had Operation Sindoor, and as a part of that, this is an activity which the Honourable Prime Minister wanted all of us to do. We have come here not just as Members of Parliament or ideologues. We have come as Indians to tell the world what has happened in India five weeks ago,' she said. Sule also addressed the spread of misinformation, stating, 'The world has changed, technology has changed our lives, and so has social media and the kind of information going around--some of it factual, some of it deep fake. The Honourable Prime Minister formed seven groups of five MPs each and sent them to four to five countries over the last 10 days.' As part of this global outreach, Sule's group interacted with local leaders, opinion makers, and think tanks in Cairo. The delegation also paid floral tributes at the Heliopolis War Memorial in honour of Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during World War I and World War II. The delegation included Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, Manish Tewari, Anurag Singh Thakur, Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Anand Sharma, V Muraleedharan, and Syed Akbaruddin. (ANI)
