Exhibition on Manik Bagh palace
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NDTV
5 hours ago
- NDTV
UK Couple Find "Nazi bunker" Underneath Their Home With German Writings On Walls
A couple in the United Kingdom was stunned when they found a World War II-era "Nazi bunker" underneath their home, the BBC reported. There were also German writings on the walls. "It's not something you find every day!" Shaun Tullier said while recalling the "completely wild" discovery. The man, along with his wife Caroline, 32, moved into their new home in Guernsey in October 2021 and found the bunker. However, the finding went viral after the BBC's recent report. The couple said they already knew that it had been the site of a World War II German gun emplacement, and when they learned about the possibility of a bunker underneath their house, they started digging and found a stunning piece of history. "A lot of people still have bunkers here, but they are down the road and in gardens, not underneath the house." The bunker had two large rooms and a hallway. The couple wanted to make a games room and gym in the bunker; however, they didn't want to disturb the historic elements. On walls, they found phrases such as "achtung feind hort mit", which translates to "beware, the enemy is listening". The bunker was built when the island of Guernsey was occupied by German forces from 1940 until 1945. This remarkable find highlights the island's complex history and the extensive network of underground structures built during the occupation. While speaking to BBC Channel Islands, "From the outside, you could tell it was sitting on top of something. We've been doing up the house anyway, so I hired a digger and, with the help of a mate, we started digging up the driveway to see what was there." "We kept digging down for a while, and then finally, the ground just gave way, and this doorway appeared." The bunker is a remnant of World War II, when the island of Guernsey was occupied by German forces. This remarkable find highlights the island's complex history and the extensive network of underground structures built during the occupation.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Pune ZP to train 100 teachers in German and French
PUNE: In what is being billed as a game-changer for rural education, the Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) has partnered with Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) to train teachers from ZP schools across Pune district in German and French so that they can then equip students with basic knowledge of these foreign languages. The move comes in response to increasing competition from private schools, even in remote areas of the district. Pune, India - Sept. 10, 2020: Main buliding of Savitribai Phule Pune University's (SPPU) in Pune, India, on Thursday, September 10, 2020. (Photo by Pratham Gokhale/Hindustan Times) (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo) In the first phase of the programme, 100 teachers from 100 ZP schools across the district will be trained in German and French, with the training conducted by the university's department of foreign languages through a blend of online and offline sessions. The programme is open to all interested ZP school teachers, with priority given to those from model schools and institutions with more than 20 students in classes 6 and 7. Out of 100 teachers selected, 80 will be trained in German and 20 in French. To make the learning process easier, the teachers will be given pen drives with video content that includes Marathi-to-German and Marathi-to-French translations. These videos will also carry the required syllabus for instructing students. The course will cover foundational topics such as vocabulary, pronunciation, tense and other basic grammar concepts. The 180-hour course is expected to start on Independence Day on August 15. Sanjay Naikade, education officer (primary), ZP, said, 'Initially, one teacher from each selected school will undergo training. The idea is to eventually enable these teachers to introduce foreign languages to their students in a simplified and effective manner.' The programme is being offered in collaboration with the university, and teachers will receive formal certification from the university upon completion of the course. The total course fee is ₹10,000, 75% of which will be covered by the ZP making it greatly accessible for rural teachers. The remaining 25% will be paid by the participating teachers. The ZP has already allocated ₹7.5 lakh from its budget to support the programme. A teacher from Velhe taluka - one of the remotest areas of Pune district - Pallavi Shirodkar, told Hindustan Times, 'Till now, many of our rural students did not even know what a foreign language was. Learning German or French can open global doors for them. For us, this is the first step towards enabling our students to even dream about studying abroad. All of us teachers are so happy to get this chance to learn a new language. Across the entire state, the Pune ZP is the only one that has taken this initiative and I am very excited to learn. I am waiting for the day I can speak in French and teach the same to my students. I sincerely thank the Pune ZP for making this possible.' The initiative is not just about language acquisition but also about the teachers planning to celebrate 'French Day' and 'German Day' at their schools, embracing inclusivity and cultural diversity in the process. Meanwhile, the ZP is also considering post-school online sessions for students once the teachers have been trained. Overall, the initiative is being seen as a step towards integrating skill-based learning and providing students with broader career opportunities, including prospects in the global job market.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
The forgotten heroes of history: How 16,000 pigeons became secret agents during World War II
Some of history's darkest moments are witness to unlikely heroes, who emerged like a blessing disguise. One such story involves humble birds, like the homing pigeons that served as silent but vital secret agents, during World War II. Even though they are overlooked in mainstream history, these feathered messengers became crucial to the Resistance movements used across Nazi-occupied Europe. Their handlers were ordinary villagers and not spies, who risked everything to provide invaluable information to British intelligence. These pigeons flew messages into the hands of the little-known branch of British military intelligence specializing in German-occupied territories. The forgotten spy heroes of history Operation Columba, which was a secret WWII pigeon spy mission run by MI14's Special Pigeon Service, saw British intelligence drop around 16,000 homing pigeons into Nazi-occupied countries between 1941 and 1944. Each crate was placed with rice paper, a small pencil, instructions, and often a recent newspaper to establish credibility of the information. Villagers across France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark found these birds and used them to send intel about troop strength, radar and rocket site from the front lines. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Duong Dai Lo Hung Vuong: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo Roughly 10 % of the pigeons returned, but that small percentage yielded over a thousand vital messages, which was enough to influence Allied strategic decisions. According to Smithsonian magazine, some messages came from the Belgian resistance cell code-named Leopold Vindictive, led by Father Joseph Raskin. His intelligence reached as high as Winston Churchill and prompted MI6 to parachute agents behind enemy lines to support the network. Sadly, Raskin and several members were eventually betrayed, arrested, and executed near the war's end. Pigeons also faced dreadful deaths Among these pigeons, many were shot down, captured by German hawk handlers, or simply eaten by starving civilians before they could carry their messages home. Yet the missions that succeeded had huge impact, some messages helped identify German radar sites shooting down RAF bombers, others warned of rocket launch areas targeting London. Out of this daring experiment, several pigeons earned the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, for bravery and service. Famously, pigeons like Commando and William of Orange carried life-saving intelligence on dozens of missions, including messages that helped save over 2,000 soldiers. From their secret service roles in military intelligence, the image of pigeons completely changed. Once seen merely as common birds, they came to be acknowledged as wartime heroes. Their legacy reminds us that even in the age of developed warfare, spirit and simplicity can perform extraordinary tasks beyond expectations.
