Thirteen-year-old Faizan Zaki from Dallas, Texas, won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the challenging French word “éclaircissement” in the 21st round. His victory marked a significant milestone in the 100th anniversary edition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Faizan Zaki, a seventh-grader at C.M. Rice Middle School, received a $50,000 cash prize, a commemorative medal, and the prestigious Scripps Cup.
This achievement underscores his dedication and passion for spelling, which began at the age of seven. The competition, held at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland, featured 243 spellers aged 8 to 14 from across the globe. Faizan Zaki’s victory adds to the notable legacy of Indian-American champions in the Spelling Bee’s history.
Chhonzin Angmo scripted history by becoming the first visually-impaired woman from India and the fifth such person in the world to scale Mount Everest. Chhonzin Angmo, a tribal woman from a remote village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district, suffers from total blindness. She was only eight when she lost her eyesight. Chhonzin Angmo has always loved adventure.
Besides Mount Everest, she has climbed other big mountains, won medals in swimming and running, played football, and even cycled on some of the world’s highest and toughest roads. Chhonzin Angmo says her blindness is her strength, not her weakness. Her story shows that with courage and determination, you can achieve amazing things—no matter what challenges you face!
In October 2024, Chhonzin Angmo became the first visually-impaired Indian woman to complete a trek to the Everest base camp, located at an altitude of 5,364 metres.
Universal Studios is bringing its first-ever indoor theme park to India, set to open by mid-2027 in Aerocity, near Delhi Airport. This exciting new park will be part of a massive 3-million-square-foot mall, making it one of the largest entertainment destinations in the country. The indoor park will feature thrilling rides and attractions based on popular movies such as Jurassic World, Minions, Fast & Furious, and Harry Potter.
Designed for year-round enjoyment, it will offer a fun experience for visitors of all ages, regardless of the weather. Located in Aerocity, Delhi, the park will be easily accessible from the airport, metro stations, and major highways, making it convenient for both local and international visitors. This new addition is expected to boost tourism and provide a world-class entertainment experience in the heart of India.
On May 20, 2025, Mizoram made history by becoming the very first state in India where everyone can read and write! This remarkable achievement was announced by Mizoram’s Chief Minister, Lalduhoma, at a special ceremony in Aizawl. He also revealed that the state has achieved a literacy rate of 98.2%, surpassing the Ministry of Education’s 95% benchmark for full literacy. Mizoram worked hard through a program called ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (New India Literacy Programme). This initiative, which began in 2022, helps adults learn to read, write, and do basic math. Teachers, students, and volunteers—292 of them—collaborated to teach everyone who previously could not read or write.
Mizoram has shown the rest of India that it’s possible for everyone to become literate if people work together. In 2023, there were only about 3,000 adults in Mizoram who couldn’t read or write. Thanks to the program, now almost everyone can.
After 18 seasons, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (“RCB”) have finally won their first IPL trophy on June 3 by defeating Punjab Kings by 6 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. The Rajat Patidar led side, which also has cricketing icon Virat Kohli, ended its 18-year-long wait for the maiden IPL trophy. Punjab Kings is another team which has also never won the IPL title.
In the final, RCB batted first after winning the toss. They posted a competitive total of 190 runs for 9 wickets in 20 overs. Virat Kohli led the charge with a solid 43 runs off 35 balls.
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Punjab Kings managed to score 184 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs, falling just 6 runs short of the target.
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Krunal Pandya was named the “Player of the Match” for his outstanding bowling performance, taking 2 wickets for 17 runs.
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Notable Awards
The IPL 2025 Orange Cap winner was Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan (759 runs in 15 matches).
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The IPL 2025 Purple Cap winner was Gujarat Titans’ Prasidh Krishna (25 wickets in 15 matches).
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The IPL 2025 Super Striker was Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Suryavanshi (run rate of 206.6).
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Did You Know?
Virat Kohli is the only player to represent the same franchise in every edition of the Tournament.
RCB had reached the IPL final three times earlier – in 2009, 2011, and 2016 – but lost on each occasion.
The 2025 IPL final was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest cricket stadium in the world, with a seating capacity of 132,000!
After the RCB’s win, many fans in Bengaluru went near the M.Chinnaswamy stadium to celebrate. However, due to large crowds a stampede happened. Some people got hurt, and some sadly lost their lives.
If you find yourself in a crowd that is moving quickly or pushing, try to stay on your feet and move with the crowd. Protect your head and chest with your arms, and if you fall, curl up and cover your head until you can safely get up.
