INDIA's defence minister Rajnath Singh is expected to represent the country at Russia's Victory Day parade on May 9 as prime minister Narendra Modi will not attend the Moscow event, reports said on Thursday (10).
India's foreign ministry said on Wednesday (9) said that Modi has been invited to attend the event which marks the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II.
"Our prime minister has received an invitation for participation in the Victory Day celebrations," foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi. "We will be announcing our participation in victory day celebrations at the appropriate time."
Later, Russian deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko confirmed the invitation to state-run news agency Tass.
This year's Victory Day celebrations hold particular significance as Russia has promised to stage its "biggest World War II commemorations in history" to mark eight decades since the Soviet Union and allied powers defeated Nazi Germany.
The annual May 9 event traditionally features an extensive military parade through Moscow's Red Square, culminating in an address by president Vladimir Putin.
Singh's expected participation comes after his previous visit to Russia in December last year, when he attended the commissioning of INS Tushil in Kaliningrad. During that trip, he also paid tribute at the 'Tomb of the Unknown Soldier' in Moscow, honouring Soviet soldiers who perished during World War II.
Modi last travelled to Moscow last July for the 22nd India-Russia summit—his first visit to Russia in nearly five years. He subsequently visited Kazan in October to attend the BRICS summit, during which he extended an invitation to Putin to visit India.
Despite Western pressure following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, India has maintained its historically close relationship with Moscow.
Russia remains a critical supplier of military hardware to India and has increasingly become an important energy provider as New Delhi seeks affordable imports to support its economic growth.
(Agencies)
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.