Category: USA News
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Mixed results for NRI’s in US polls
Indian-Americans had a mixed outing in the US mid-term elections with Republican Nikki Haley and Democrat Kamala Harris re-elected as South Carolina’s governor and California’s attorney general respectively. But Republican Neel Thushar Kashkari was routed by California’s Democratic Governor Jerry Brown in Tuesday’s poll to win a historic fourth term, while Ami Bera, only…
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Obama faces difficult final years
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President Barack faced the prospect of a tightening gridlock in his final two years in office as Republicans gained at least six seats to wrest back control of the Senate for the first time in eight years. Riding a wave of discontent with Obama and his policies, Republicans picked their sixth Senate seat in North…
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Obama’s agenda at stake at home
Americans started voting early in crucial mid-term elections, with Republicans expected to make gains in both chambers leaving President Barack facing tough choices in his last two years in office. The fate of the Senate where Obama’s Democratic Party has a 53-45 majority with two Independents in the mix, hung in the balance as voters…
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Sikh group seeks Obama support
An umbrella Sikh group and a couple of human right bodies have written a letter to US President Barack Obama seeking his support for justice for the 1984 anti-Sikh violence in India that claimed 3,000 lives. “We are writing to urge the Obama administration to call on India’s new government to bring justice to the…
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Obama’s Democrats face tough luck
As Americans headed for the polls, pundits predicted that Republicans would likely snatch the Senate to leave President Barack Obama facing an opposition controlled Congress in his last two years in office. The Republicans who currently have a 233-199 lead in the 435- member House are expected to widen the gap in what at an…
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Sexist slur against Nikki Haley
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By Arun Kumar Reflecting the falling standard of US politics, the Democratic opponent of South Carolina’s Indian-origin Governor Nikki Haley called her a “whore”, but more shockingly the mainstream US media largely ignored the story. Born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa, the daughter of Sikh immigrant parents, herself addressed her opponent’s sexist comments this week saying Vincent…
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Modi visit gives US a reality check
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Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, Secretary of State John Kerry says US diplomacy faces new challenges in a globalised world with countries “flexing their muscles and standing up for their own interests.” “A lot of countries have economic power today that they didn’t have in the last century… and they’re feeling their oats,”…
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PRATHAM: Helping India’s Under-privileged
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Pratham, an NGO organisation, is helping bridge India’s education gap…writes Arun Kumar A staggering 100 million children making up about half of India’s school-going children cannot read a grade-appropriate text or solve a grade appropriate math question. Trying to bridge that gap through “low-cost, scalable methods” is Pratham, an NGO dedicated to educating underprivileged children and youth…
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Obama defends new Ebola directives
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US President Barack Obama has defended the government’s new directives regarding monitoring of people who have been exposed to the Ebola virus, asking the public not to let themselves be influenced by “fear”, since progress is being made in halting the spread of the disease. If there was not a strong international respnse to the…
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Documentary on Snowden debuts
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“Citizenfour,” a documentary about former US intelligence operative Edward Snowden, garnered praise and criticism over the weekend in its debut at US theatres, while the US remains divided between those who consider him a hero and others who call him a traitor. The movie, directed by US journalist Laura Poitras, opens with a blurred image…
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Obama criticises three US states on Ebola
New anti-Ebola measures adopted in three US states have been criticised by President Barack Obama following condemnation for their lack of clarity and the negative consequences they may have on the outbreak in Africa. New York and New Jersey announced they would quarantine travelers passing through airports after having contact with Ebola-affected patients in West…
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Diwali celebrated in Washington
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The Indian community in Washington celebrated Diwali with the Indian ambassador S. Jaishankar noting how the festival has become part of Indian American community’s presence and profile in the US. The function at the ambassador’s residence Sunday was attended by more than 300 dignitaries, including the Indian-American Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central…
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Desi Girl Goes Opera Way
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The Rajah’s Son & Princess Labam, written and directed by Nishi Rajan,will open November 7th at the Medicine Show Theatre in New York City. The musical will run for 6-nights only Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm from November 7th through November 22nd The Off-Broadway Indian Musical ‘The Rajah’s Son & Princess Labam’ held a special preview…
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Strategy against ISIS working: Hagel
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The US-led strategy to defeat the Islamic State (IS) is working, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday, but emphasised that the fight against the terrorist group will be a “complicated, difficult contest”. Talking to reporters at the Pentagon after meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo, Hagel said the administration has repeatedly made…
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US State Department host Diwali celebrations
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As Diwali becomes an important marker in the American festival calendar, Secretary of State John Kerry hosted Diwali celebrations at the State Department for the first time, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US provided an “unforgettable chance to build on the already deep ties between America and India.” “The prime…
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Obama wishes all Happy Diwali
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President Barack Obama has in video message wished a Happy Diwali and “Saal Mubarak” to all those who celebrate the festival of lights saying it was a reminder that light will ultimately prevail. Obama, who in 2009 became the first US president to celebrate Diwali at the White House, recalled the “wonderful time” he…
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NRI appointed to key US security division
Indian-American Anita M. Singh has been appointed to a key post in the Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD) as part of a restructuring to counter state-sponsored economic espionage and proliferation, including through cyberspace. The strategic changes are designed to put additional focus on the protection of national assets from such threats and to empower…
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US airdrop arms in Kobane
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US military has airdropped weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to Kurdish fighters in the Syrian city of Kobane to heighten up defence against the Islamic State (IS) militants. “The aircraft delivered items that were provided by Kurdish authorities in Iraq and intended to enable continued resistance against IS’ attempts to overtake Kobane,” the Pentagon…
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NRI scientist to get rare honour in US
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Chennai born Indian-American engineer and scientist Subra Suresh is set to be inducted into the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on , making him the only university president to be elected to all three national academies. Suresh the current president of Carnegie Mellon University is one of only 16 living Americans to be elected to the…
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US focused on moving forward with India
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As an Indian diplomat at the centre of a major diplomatic row between India and the US rekindled her case, the US said its “focus has been on moving our relationship forward.” “I’m not aware of anything recently or anything through official channels,” State Department spokesperson told reporters Thursday when asked about the allegations made…
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NRI doctors to host health summit in Mumbai
A leading body of Indian-American physicians plans to hold its 9th annual Global Healthcare Summit aimed at bringing accessible, affordable and quality world-class healthcare to India in Mumbai from Jan 2-4. The Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), one of the largest ethnic professional bodies, is organizing the summit at Trident Oberoi Hotel…
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Obama seeks greater commitment to fight Ebola
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US President Barack Obama has urged European leaders to make a greater commitment in the global fight against Ebola during a video conference with the leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Britain. The impact of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa was tragic but it also constituted a threat to international security, said the president,…
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NRI named to lead US civil rights division
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Indian-American lawyer Vanita Gupta has been chosen to lead US justice department’s civil rights division charged with enforcing laws that prevent discrimination and inequitable practices in housing, education and employment. Named Acting Assistant Attorney General Wednesday, the first South Asian American lawyer to get the job, is expected to be nominated by President Barack Obama for…
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NRI closes gap in Silicon Valley race
As a new poll showed Indian-American Rohit ‘Ro’ Khanna closing the gap in the Congressional battle for Silicon Valley, he vowed to focus on the community’s key concerns – education and the economy. “With the polls tied at 38/38 percent, this is the best pick up opportunity for an Indian American in the country,” said…
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Chicago to host official Diwali celebrations
The City of Aurora, a suburb of Chicago organized an evening of music, dance and fireworks to celebrate the festival of Diwali. This makes it the first city in the US to officially sponsor the celebration of Diwali, according to the organizers of the event. Several thousand Indian Americans attended the festivities, which was organized…
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Zuckerberg donates $25 mn to fight Ebola
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Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced on that social networking site that he and his wife, Priscilla, have donated $25 million to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention for the fight against the Ebola virus disease. “We need to get Ebola under control in the near term so that it doesn’t spread further and…
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Obama talks long-term campaign against ISIS
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US President Barack Obama warned that there would be periodic setbacks in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) and said it is a long-term campaign. “This is going to be a long-term campaign; there are no quick fixes involved,” Obama said after a meeting with coalition military leaders at Joint Base Andrews in…
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Turkey to allow its military bases for US
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Turkey will allow the US-led international coalition the use of its military bases for carrying out airstrikes against the Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, US President Barack Obama’s chief security advisor has said. “It is a new commitment and we welcome it with great satisfaction,” Susan Rice, Obama’s national security advisor, told…
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US to fund strategic tech projects in India
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With the India-US Defence Trade and Technology Initiative regaining momentum after the Indian elections, the US has set aside $20 million for strategic cooperative science and technology projects with India, according to a top US official. During the Indian elections there was a time-out on the initiative, but now progress has resumed, US Undersecretary for…
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Boeing & SpaceX to begin work on space taxis
NASA has ordered the US multi-national Boeing Company and the California-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) to restart work to develop space taxis to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) using their CST-100 and Crew Dragon spacecraft respectively. Last month, NASA had asked Boeing and SpaceX to suspend work in response…
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“Modi’s false Teachings for India’s Students.” NYT
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An influential US newspaper has suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational reform could be used to promote an ideology that sees “India’s history through the prism of the Hindu right wing.” “has promised India’s youth a bright future,” the New York Times wrote in an editorial published Thursday, with his Bharatiya Janata Party’s 2014…
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Biden apologises to UAE
US Vice President Joe Biden has apologised to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for comments made at a conference wherein he suggested that the two nations had contributed to arming and financing terrorists in Syria. The White House Monday said Biden clarified his comments over the weekend via telephone calls he made to…
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Obama calls for efforts against Ebola
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Calling Ebola crisis an issue of global security, US President Barack Obama urged further efforts from international community to fight the deadly virus in West Africa. After meeting his national security aides, Obama said at a White House press conference that the US was “making progress” at containing the disease in West Africa, but other…
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Bobby Jindal contemplating presidential run
Louisiana’s Indian-American governor Bobby Jindal says he is still “thinking and praying” about a 2016 presidential run, and his decison would come after the Nov 4 Congressional election and “sometime after the holiday.” But with some potential competitors deferring until spring 2015, Jindal could be one of the first Republicans out of the gate, influential…
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NY Times apologises over cartoon
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The New York Times has apologised after publishing a cartoon on India’s Mars Mission following readers’ complaints that it mocked India. The cartoon showed a farmer with a cow knocking at the door of a room marked Elite Space Club where two men are reading a newspaper on India’s feat, BBC reported. The cartoon was…
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Modi’s dress colour a hit in US
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Narendra Modi was dressed for the occasion wherever he went, but the diverse colours that the Indian prime minister donned on his recent US visit had one unifying theme – to win America. And this is being talked about even a week after his visit. And win America he did even before he reached…
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Nikki Haley lead in governor’s race
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South Carolina’s Indian-American Republican governor Nikki Haley has a 10 point lead over her Democratic challenger and state Senator Vincent Sheheen in the governor’s race, according to a new poll. The poll of 1,082 likely voters by Winthrop University shows Haley, born Nimrata ‘Nikki’ Randhawa, daughter of Sikh immigrant parents from Punjab, with a 43.6…
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US mum on joint military ops inside Pakistan
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The US would not say whether India-US cooperation against Pakistan-based terrorist groups could involve coordination on drone strikes, but was open to talk with all its partners how they could help Washington’s own efforts. “Those are not conversations that I’m going to get into here,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha…
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When yoga and warm water clicked
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As a fasting Prime Minister Narendra Modi sipped warm water at a very “warm dinner” at the White House, US President Barack Obama wondered how his guest kept up a rigorous schedule on such a diet. “It was a very warm dinner,” said US point person for South Asia Nisha Desai Biswal, who was…
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Indians fuel housing market in US
Affluent Indians as also the not-so-super rich Indians are joining a wave of foreign property buyers, who see the recovering US housing market as a safe haven for their money, according to the New York Times. While for affluent Indians, American real estate is a security blanket in the face of a bubble in real…
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Obama very pleased with Modi
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President Barack Obama was “very pleased” with and “enjoyed” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit as it reflected the depth of the strong relationship between the US and India, according to the White House. The president was “very pleased with” and “certainly values the opportunity that he had to visit personally with Prime Minister Modi”, Obama’s…
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ISRO & NASA to collaborate on missions
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US and India have agreed to enhance cooperation in Mars exploration and establish a pathway for future joint missions to explore the red planet besides launching a NASA-ISRO satellite mission to observe Earth. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and K. Radhakrishnan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), signed two documents for this purpose in…
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Two NRI achievers to be honoured in US
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Indian-born Stanford University professor Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj and Indian techie Himanshu Asnani, pursuing research in mathematics at Stanford, will be honoured in Washington DC Thursday by the US-based Marconi Society. Paulraj, 69, is the winner of the Marconi Prize 2014 for his pioneering work on developing wireless technology to transmit and receive data at high…
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King Khan enthrals Google Staff
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HNY FIRST INDIAN FILM AT THE GOOGLE AND TWITTER HEADQUARTERS Adding more firsts to the many in the kitty, the team of Happy New Year is the first Indian film team to visit the Google Headquarter and Twitter Headquarter in San Jose, USA. Director Farah Khan, Actress Deepika Padukone, Actors Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan,…
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US secret service rebuked for Security breaches
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US secret service chief Julia Pierson vowed that the breach of White House security will not be allowed to happen again, amid mounting criticism over the agency’s failure to prevent the intrusion of a man Sep 19. Appearing before the House and Government Operations Committee, Pierson said the intrusion by US Army veteran Omar Gonzalez…
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India & US commit to hit terrorist havens
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In a significant development, India and the US have committed to make joint and concerted efforts to dismantle terrorist safe havens, including four Pakistan-based groups Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, the D-Company, and the Haqqani network, besides the Al Qaeda. A joint statement issued Tuesday after the first bilateral summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and…
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Modi finish his historic visit to US
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up what he himself called a “hugely successful journey” to the US, winning over everyone, from President Barack Obama down, hardselling India to big business and wowing Indian-Americans. If star-struck Indian-Americans, a community that numbers about three million and many of whom who played a big role in his…
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Obama hails security deal with Afghanistan
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US President Barack Obama hailed it as “a historic day” as the US and Afghanistan signed a bilateral security agreement that allows the residual American troops to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014. “Today we mark a historic day in the US-Afghan partnership that will help advance our shared interests and the long-term security of Afghanistan,”…
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Afghan-US Security Agreement signed
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Afghanistan and the US signed the long-awaited Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) to allow a limited number of troops to remain in Afghanistan after the drawdown later this year of the NATO-led troops in the country. Afghan Presidential Advisor on National Security Mohammad Hanif Atmar and US Ambassador to Afghanistan James B. Cunningham signed the…
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India, US special forces train together in India
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An India-US military exercise, underway in Uttarakhand, has seen combined training between detachments of both armies’ special forces as well as given a platform for both sides to share their experiences in UN-mandated counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism missions, a defence ministry release said Monday. “Yudh Abhyas 2014” brought together troops of a mountain brigade of Indian Army and…