Latest news with #MayaDevi
The Star
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
M'sian students rethink study plans in the US
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian students are reconsidering their plans to pursue higher education in the United States, following policy changes introduced by the Trump administration. Their uncertainty came amid reports that US state secretary Marco Rubio has told US embassies to stop scheduling interviews for student visas as the country prepares to expand social media vetting of these applicants. The suspension is reported to be temporary and does not apply to applicants whose visa interviews have been lined up. This news came following Trump's bid on May 22 to block Harvard University's ability to enrol international students. Although this move has since been temporarily blocked by a US judge, the latest state of affairs has caused concerns among prospective students like Karen Tay Swee Ping. Maya Devi, 18 Tay, 25, said the current situation had disrupted her postgraduate study plans, leaving her unsure of how to proceed with her application. She said she had initially wanted to pursue a master's degree in chemistry in the United States, but had since decided to look elsewhere. 'An extended pause like this doesn't just affect travel – it affects enrolment timelines, scholarship applications and accommodation plans. Everything gets pushed back. 'I've started exploring other options like Taiwan, Singapore and local universities,' she said. Maya Devi (pic), 18, who aspired to study international business law at Harvard, said the unpredictability of the situation had made her less confident about pursuing higher education in the United States. 'Malaysia itself offers a wide range of courses in many prestigious universities, so after some contemplation, I would much rather study here,' she said. Another prospective student, Mandy Lim Yie Zhen, 25, said she had planned to study in the United States to gain global exposure in the field of marine biology. 'But after the recent political shifts, everything feels unstable and unpredictable. It's risky to invest so much when the future is so uncertain. I'm considering Australia and Singapore instead,' she said.
Mint
13-05-2025
- Mint
UP shocker! Retired soldier murdered, body chopped into 6 pieces by wife, lover in Ballia
A 44-year-old woman, Maya Devi, has been arrested for allegedly getting her lover and his associates to allegedly kill her ex-Army soldier husband and chop him into six pieces in a village in Ballia of Uttar Pradesh. The accused then threw his body parts at six different locations to conceal his identity. The incident only came to light on Saturday when the police recovered severed hands, legs wrapped in a polythene near a field near Khareed village. He was identified as 62-year-old retired Army personnel Devendra Kumar. When grilled, the woman first tried to misled the police and filed a missing person's complaint. Things took a dramatic turn, when her own daughter, Ambli Gautam, testified against Maya Devi and accused her of killing her father. Based on the complaint, Maya Devi was booked under charges of murder and arrested. The other accused have been identified as her lover Anil Yadav, and his friends – Mithilesh Patel and Satish Yadav. Also Read | 'Can someone haunt me after death?': What UK man searched online after chopping wife's body into 200 pieces SP Omvir Singh said, 'On May 10, a woman filed a missing person report, claiming her husband had gone to Buxar to pick up their daughter but never returned. However, an investigation revealed that the husband's phone location never left the original area and was never traced to Buxar.' 'As the investigation progressed, it was found that the woman was allegedly involved in an extramarital affair, and the murder was carried out in collaboration with her partner and accomplices. A total of four individuals, including the wife, have been arrested.' 'The victim was brutally murdered, dismembered into six pieces, and the body parts were scattered across different locations. The head has not yet been recovered, and search efforts are still underway,' Omvir Singh said. According to police, the group killed Devendra Kumar inside his home in Bahadurpur locality and then cut the body into six parts, severing both arms, legs, and the head, before dumping the pieces in separate locations to prevent identification. At Maya Devi's instance, police recovered the torso from a well in Khareed Darauli village.
The Star
24-04-2025
- General
- The Star
Students share secrets to getting top scores
Proud smiles: Lhekha (second from left), posing for a photo alongside (from left to right) mother Meenaloshini, sister Tasha Raviendran and father Raviendran Sarasanantharajah, after collecting her SPM results. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star KAJANG: While the road to success may be different for everyone, the ingredients are often the same. Determination, faith and a belief in one's own potential are what will lead to good grades, said the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) top scorers from SMK Convent Kajang. Lhekha Raviendran, 18, said scoring 9A+ was the fulfilment of a long-standing dream. 'I honestly wanted this for so long, and I worked really hard for it. 'I tend to set really high expectations for myself. 'So when I feel like I might not meet them, I get anxious. And I was worrying that I wouldn't achieve the 9A+ I was aiming for,' she said yesterday, adding that despite this, she stayed motivated and wanted to make her parents, teachers and herself proud. Her mother, Meenaloshini Satgunam, 47, attributes Lhekha's academic success to her unwavering commitment. 'She's a very hardworking and consistent student,' she said. Lhekha advised students preparing for the SPM to stay consistent and never give up. 'And always pray. Have faith in God that you can do it.' For Maya Devi, 18, receiving 8As for SPM was no easy feat, as her daily schedule often stretched from 6am to 9pm, packed with school and tuition classes. 'I feel so happy and proud. I honestly didn't expect these results, especially for Bahasa Melayu and Maths – those were always my weaker subjects. 'It was a really tiring year, but I kept going because I wanted to make my parents and teachers proud,' Maya Devi said. Her secret to pushing through was seeing the exam as part of a larger journey. 'Treat it like a game, not a challenge. That way, you will enjoy every process of it,' Her father, Aravinthan Manogan, 42, shared how proud he was for his daughter, who will be pursuing business law, and said that her exam results were well deserved. Meanwhile, Nurqistina Muhammad Fattahillah, 18, who scored 9As shared that she always listened to her teachers and diligently did past year's papers. Teo Jia Ern, 18, who scored 8As and 1B+ said one of her biggest challenges came during midterms when she fractured her hand, but her determination to acquire a scholarship kept her going. 'I wanted a scholarship – that goal pushed me to try harder,' she said, adding that she is now considering applying for a scholarship with PETRONAS and advised future SPM takers not to procrastinate and start revising early. Another student, Darsha Ravichandar, said her main motivation after obtaining 7As and 1B+ came from wanting to make her parents proud and fulfilling her goal of entering college. 'Study hard and whatever results you get, just accept it. It is not the end, you still have more to go.' Overall, the school saw 23 students who obtained straight As in the 2024 SPM.
