- Thursday, April 25, 2024
Campaigning concluded on Wednesday evening for the second phase of India's elections in 89 seats across 13 states set for 26 April. The initial phase, held last Friday for 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories, witnessed over 64 per cent voter turnout. The upcoming phase covers constituencies in…
The Indian Premier League, or IPL as it is commonly known, is sporting extravaganza that is at par with the likes of club football tournaments in Europe and Super Bowl in the United States, due to its immense popularity. According to the data released by India’s top broadcasting body, Broadcast…
INDIA said on Monday it is likely to receive above-average monsoon rainfall in 2024, in a potential boost for the country which depends heavily on the summer rains for its farm output. The lifeblood of India's economy delivers nearly 70 per cent of the rain needed to water crops and…
It is just one week before India goes for general elections, the world's largest polls, and the campaigning is at its peak now. The tussle between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and the opposition has intensified with promises, accusations, and controversial statements being made from both sides. Nearly a…
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is expected to retain power in the multi-phase general elections starting this month, but the question is how far he will succeed in wooing the wealthier and better-educated south. After a decade in power, Modi hopes to significantly increase his Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 55…
WITNESSING "infinite demand" in the strong Indian aviation market, British carrier Virgin Atlantic said it will start an additional daily flight connecting Mumbai and London from October. The airline added that it will look to expand its codeshare partnership with IndiGo. Currently, Virgin Atlantic operates two daily flights to London…
Sporadic protests have erupted in India against a citizenship law that has been criticised for discriminating against Muslims, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government implemented the legislation just days before a general election is announced. Protests broke out in the eastern state of Assam and the southern state of Tamil…
SEVERAL states in India nowadays take the initiative to hold investors’ meets in a bid to lure investment in a competitive federal system. Irrespective of the ruling party, the states have made it a policy to hold such summits, particularly keeping in mind the areas where they can capitalise on. …
In a groundbreaking move, a school in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has introduced Iris, the first humanoid robot teacher in India, marking a revolutionary step in education. Developed in collaboration with Makerlabs Edutech, Iris is a product of the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) project, initiated by NITI Aayog in 2021 to enhance…
THE First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, was at the Indian High Commission in London last Thursday (29) to announce that 2024 would be a year of close collaboration between his country and India. “Wales in India”, his government said in a formal statement, “is a 12-month series of events…
Kerala is poised to make waves in the digital entertainment realm with the launch of CSpace, India's inaugural government-backed streaming platform. Set to debut this Thursday, the platform aims to deliver a unique blend of informative and entertaining content tailored for the masses, an official statement said on Tuesday. The…
INDIAN agencies Wednesday (28) made their highest-ever narcotics bust from the sea as they seized 3,300 kg drugs, which sailed from an Iranian port, off the Gujarat coast and arrested five foreigners from a dhow. The cache could be worth anything between £124 to £191 million in the international market,…
INDIA on Tuesday (27) introduced four crew members for its maiden 'Gaganyaan' space voyage, as it aims to become the world's fourth country to send a crewed mission into space just months after a historic landing on the south pole of the moon. Gaganyaan, or "sky craft" in Hindi, is…
A physician responsible for managing several coronavirus admissions has been suspended for secretly attending to private patients during NHS hours at the peak of the pandemic. Dr Enson Thomas, 58, a consultant for nearly 21 years, from Bromham, near Bedford, was appointed as the Covid-19 Lead by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS…
Authorities in the US suspect Anand Henry, an Indian-origin former Meta software engineer, of murdering his wife and twin sons, then committing suicide with a gun, in a murder-suicide incident in California. Henry, 37, and his wife, Alice Benziger, 36, were found dead in the bathroom of their home in…
AN Indian American family from Kerala was found dead at their home in California, the US, in an apparent case of murder-suicide. The family have been identified as Anand Sujith Henry, 42, his wife Alice Priyanka, 40, and their 4-year-old twin children Noah and Neithan. Police found the bodies after…
IN the heart of Abu Dhabi, amid the modern skyline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), stands the BAPS Hindu Mandir, a remarkable testament to the harmonious coexistence of diverse cultures in a globalised world. Beyond its architectural grandeur and spiritual significance, this temple holds a unique place in history,…
Adah Sharma starrer The Kerala Story is set to begin its streaming journey on ZEE5 Global. Taking to Instagram, the actress shared the exciting news with her fans and captioned the post, which read, "FINALLY! SURPRISE! The most anticipated film is dropping soon on ZEE5! The Kerala Story premieres on…
Makers of the upcoming drama film Bastar- The Naxal Story, starring Adah Sharma, unveiled the film's official teaser on Tuesday. Taking to Instagram, Adah shared the teaser which she captioned, "A story coloured red with the blood of innocent people! Capture the untold story... Bastar - The Naxal Story. Teaser…
It is a worrying trend that films in India today go through many forms of censorship, said Jeo Baby, whose recent film Kaathal – The Core shows Malayalam superstar Mammootty as a homosexual man, resetting the narrative of the gay community in popular cinema. The sensitive portrayal devoid of gay…
The Indian Navy said on Tuesday (30) that it had successfully freed an Iranian fishing vessel that had been hijacked by Somali pirates. This intervention marks the second such instance within two days, following a recent surge in pirate attacks on shipping in the Indian Ocean. The warship INS Sumitra…
Varada Sethu is set to be a part of Doctor Who, a popular British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. She will star in season 15, which is scheduled to hit the airwaves in 2024, alongside Ncuti Gatwa (the Fifteenth Doctor), taking over from Millie Gibson.…
KIN is an unusual piece of theatre about the plight of refugees over the generations, created by an Ipswich-based troupe called Gecko. The story is told only through dance. There is no dialogue. The director, Amit Lahav, leads an international ensemble of eight, including an Indian. I missed this, but…
Emmy-award-winning director Richie Mehta, who was behind the hit series Delhi Crime, is returning to the streaming universe with new crime drama Poacher, which is set to premiere on Prime Video on February 23. The show, produced by QC Entertainment, the Oscar-winning production and finance company responsible for feature film…
Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, known for helming The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files, never misses a chance to appreciate good cinema of other filmmakers and storytellers. He has time and again extended his support to such films and filmmakers. Recently, he heaped praises on the epic fantasy drama film Hanu…
A GREAT documentary film will narrate an astonishing story in such detail that it makes you think it can’t possibly be true even though you know it is. This film, now streaming on Netflix, belongs to that category. This true crime story is set in a sleepy village in Kerala,…
WHETHER it was in cinemas, streaming sites or at festivals around the world, audiences were offered an interesting variety of films from diverse genres and languages. From artistic gems and groundbreaking narratives to huge blockbusters, they entertained film fans from different backgrounds. Eastern Eye revisited 2023 to reveal 21 entertaining…
The year that marked the triumphant return of the alpha male to the big screen and ageing star Shah Rukh Khan fronting Bollywood’s march back to the box office after Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki with Sunny Deol and Karan Johar walking alongside, reviving their careers and the fortunes of the…
A pleasant turn of events has led two famous Indian restaurants, Paragon in Kozhikode and Tunday Kababi in Lucknow, to fly to international recognition that they secured their position in the world's best restaurants by the esteemed TasteAtlas. This accomplishment emphasises the flavours of India's vast and varied culinary heritage…
Malayalam film 2018: Everyone is a Hero, India's official entry in the international feature film category at the 2024 Academy Awards, is out of the Oscars race. The Jude Anthany Joseph-directed film failed to make it to the shortlist of 15 films for the category, which was announced by the…
An undercover investigation at a care home conducted by a UK-based reporter from Kerala has revealed concerning levels of staff exploitation at Prestwick Care, in north-east England. The investigation highlighted the exploitation of numerous employees, a significant portion recruited from overseas nations like India. Balakrishnan Balagopal's report for the ‘BBC…
Actor and film director Prakash Raj attended the closing ceremony of the 28th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) where he spoke on the different narratives in the country that influence the thinking of people and asked them to be careful about them. Prakash Raj, who was…
Megastar Mammootty needs no introduction. With several blockbuster films to his credit, he is considered one of the most successful actors working in the Malayalam-language film industry in India. The 72-year-old megastar is currently in the news for making what could be called his boldest choice as an actor. In…
Katy Morgan-Davies, the daughter of a Maoist cult leader who held her captive and kept her as a slave for 30 years, revealed on Thursday (7), that she has forgiven her father despite enduring psychological and physical mistreatment. Morgan-Davies spent years effectively imprisoned in the peculiar cult's residence in Herne…
After a grand India premiere at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Stolen starring Abhishek Banerjee is now gearing up for a special premiere at the upcoming 28th International Film Festival of Kerala. Stolen narrates the tale of a five-month-old baby who has been abducted from her mother. The incident…
A court has asked the Indian government whether it was willing to grant permission to the mother of Kerala nurse, Nimisha Priya, who is on death row in Yemen, along with three others to travel to that country. They wanted to travel to Yemen to negotiate with the victim’s family…
A STRONG literary year was filled with stunning stories written by skilled south Asian authors from around the world. They explored diverse themes, ideas, emotions, time periods, characters, and journeys in a marvellous melting pot of books that opened windows into new worlds. Eastern Eye decided to celebrate some of…
FOUR students were killed, and over 60 were injured in a stampede during Cochin University’s annual festival in Kochi on Saturday (25) night, police said. Officials said the stampede occurred before renowned singer Nikita Gandhi was to perform at a musical festival in the open-air auditorium of the university. Four…
THE first woman judge of the Supreme Court and former governor of Tamil Nadu state, Justice Fathima Beevi, died at a private hospital in Kerala on Thursday (23), official sources said. She was 96. Justice Beevi was admitted to the private hospital a few days ago due to age-related ailments…
Diwali in southern India is a one-day celebration called Naraka Chaturdashi, occurring a day ahead of Diwali. Unlike the five-day festivities in the north, it signifies Krishna's victory over Narakasura. The day starts with an early morning oil bath, followed by elders applying oil to the heads of younger family…
AS A SPECIAL treat in time for Diwali, the Royal Horticultural Society has given Kalpesh and Shailesh Solanki, Eastern Eye’s group managing editor and executive editor respectively, an exclusive guided tour of its famed garden at Wisley in Surrey. The idea is to encourage more British Asians to discover the…
POLICE in Kerala opened an investigation against India's deputy minister of Information Technology on Tuesday (31) for allegedly stirring religious hatred on social media after bomb blasts at a Jehovah's Witnesses convention in the southern state. Homemade bombs exploded, killing three people and wounding 50 in the attack last Sunday…
THE death toll from a homemade bomb blast during a Christian prayer meeting in India has risen to three, police said Monday (30), as authorities questioned a man claiming responsibility. More than 2,000 people were attending a three-day Jehovah's Witnesses meeting at a convention centre in the southern state of…
A suspected bomb blast during a Christian prayer meeting in India's southern state of Kerala killed one person and wounded 36 others, police said Sunday (29). "At about 9.40 am (0410 GMT) approximately there was an explosion in Zamra International Convention Centre in which one person died and 36 are…
AN Indian firm said it will terminate a longstanding contract to make uniforms for the Israeli police, as it made a "moral decision" in light of the war in Gaza. Maryan Apparel in Kerala state said it had supplied around 100,000 uniforms to Israel's police force for every year since…
India's Oscar entry 2018-Everyone Is A Hero, The Kerala Story, and The Vaccine War are part of the Indian Panorama 2023's official selection of 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films to be screened at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). According to a press release, the aim…
AT LEAST two Israeli women security officers of Indian origin were killed in the unprecedented attack carried out by the Palestinian militant group Hamas earlier this month, official sources and people from the community confirmed last Sunday (15). Lieutenant Or Moses, 22, a commander in the Home Front Command, from…
At least two Israeli women security officers of Indian origin were killed in the unprecedented attack orchestrated by the Palestinian militant group Hamas earlier this month, official sources and members of the community confirmed on Sunday (15). Lieutenant Or Moses, 22, a commander in the Home Front Command, from Ashdod,…
The first charter flight assisting stranded Indian citizens in Israel will take off Thursday (12) evening from Ben Gurion airport, sources said, amid the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Sources have disclosed that approximately 230 Indians residing in Israel are set to leave for India…
Veteran Bollywood actress Asha Parekh slammed the makers of the blockbuster film The Kashmir Files (2022), directed by Vivek Agnihotri. She questioned how much money the makers donated from their profit to help Hindus living 'without water and electricity' in Jammu and Kashmir. During an interview with News18, Asha was…
Malayalam film 2018: Everyone is a Hero starring actor Tovino Thomas has been selected as India’s official entry for the 2024 Academy Awards, the Film Federation of India announced on Wednesday The devastating 2018 Kerala floods left a trail of destruction and loss across the state. Yet, from the depths…
AN inquest opened on Monday (25) into the deaths of two teenagers who got into difficulty while swimming in Northern Ireland. Reuven Simon and Joseph Sebastian, both 16 and belonging to the local Kerala community in County Derry, drowned while swimming in the Enagh Lough, or Enagh Lake, in August…
National award-winning filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj says he didn’t watch movies like The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story as he wanted to stay out of such sensitive subjects. Both The Kashmir Files (2022) and The Kerala Story (2023) were huge commercial hits but kicked up a political storm with many…
"Devout and divine" is how Australian chef Gary Mehigan describes his latest trip to India which took him to different parts of the country and introduced him to the inseparable connection between food and festivals. The culinary expert says he has been travelling to India regularly since 2010, but the…
EXPERTS have fanned out in India's southern state of Kerala to collect samples of fluid from bats and fruit trees in a region where the deadly Nipah virus has killed two people and three more have tested positive. The state is battling its fourth outbreak since 2018 of a virus…
THE G20 Summit in New Delhi has positioned India as a key player in the global arena, edging closer to becoming the 'leader of the Global South,' according to analysts. The two-day summit, which concluded on Sunday (10), showcased India's leadership as it championed initiatives aimed at countering the ascendancy…
India's southern state of Kerala shut some schools, offices, and public transport on Wednesday (13) in a race to stop the spread of the rare and deadly Nipah virus, which has killed two people. An adult and a child were still infected in hospital, and more than 130 people have…
Leaders from various countries, including heads of state, who participated in the G20 Summit held in Delhi, were presented with a carefully curated assortment of handcrafted artifacts and products that reflect India's vibrant cultural heritage, officials announced on Tuesday (12). They said a number of these gifts were painstakingly created…
Singaporean citizens participated in the nation's first contested presidential election on Friday (1), in over a decade. This three-way race features former minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who aspires to become the next Singaporean-born Indian-origin head of the state. Eligible voters started casting their ballots at 8 a.m. when polling stations opened.…
The influential Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala on Thursday (31) said that the state has not yet achieved "equal social justice" and highlighted the continued prevalence of Brahminical dominance in matters concerning the priesthood within major temples. It said, only those who belonged to the Brahmin community could apply for the…
LUCY FULFORD, a 34-year-old freelance journalist and filmmaker, has written a personal book, The Exiled: Empire, Immigration and the Ugandan Asian Exodus, about the Asian expulsions from Uganda. What is different about her account is how she has woven her own story and that of her family into the larger…
VARIETY is the spice of life, as the saying goes, and the restaurant sector is embracing this with new fusion cuisines and combinations. Palmito, an Ecuadorean-Indian restaurant in Brighton, Sussex, is among the businesses earning rave reviews with dishes such as grilled squid in a Keralan roast style sauce, and…
Star Indian shuttler HS Prannoy said he was a tad disappointed to miss out on a World championships gold medal, but said the bronze meant a lot to him, calling it as the "first starting step" on way to the coveted title. Prannoy's dream run at the World Championships ended…
HS Prannoy of India demonstrated remarkable composure, securing his place in the quarterfinals at the World Championships for the third consecutive time. He achieved this feat through a hard-fought three-game victory over former champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore on Thursday (24). World number 9 Prannoy, who won the Malaysia…
LABOUR’S shadow business minister, Seema Malhotra, has backed calls for greater trade links between Britain and India on a visit to Tamil Nadu and Kerala this month. Malhotra, who represents Feltham and Heston in London, visited both states ahead of India hosting the G20 summit in September. In June, party…
INDIA is heading for its driest August in more than a century, with scant rainfall likely to persist across large areas, partly because of the El Niño weather pattern, two weather department officials said. August rainfall, expected to be the lowest since records began in 1901, could dent yields of…
WHEN Dil Se was released in cinemas on August 21 1998, it surprisingly didn’t do well at the box office in India and received negative reviews. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the romantic thriller became a big hit internationally and the first Bollywood film to officially crack…
Actor-producer Fahadh Faasil, who primarily works in Malayalam cinema, has established himself as an actor who is known for his great command over his craft and intense performances. Born on August 8, 1982, in Kerala, India, Fahadh is celebrating his 40th birthday today. As the actor turns a year older,…
A school dropout who supported his family as a newspaper boy and construction worker has won a prestigious literary prize in India. Akhil Kavintarikath, 28, from Kannur in the southern state of Kerala, had to leave his studies and start working full-time to provide for his family, including his parents,…
A group of 11 women sanitation workers from the southern Indian state, Kerala decided to pool their money to buy a lottery ticket in June, and to their delight, last week they discovered that they had won the jackpot worth 100 million rupees ($1.2 million; £946,685). These women are part…
Like other institutes, banks also have certain working hours for various services. From visiting the bank to making online transactions to calling customer care services, it is important to know the timings to avoid unnecessary long hours of wait. Almost all the banks in India have the same working hours…
WOMEN will bear the brunt of extreme heat as more frequent heatwaves on a warming planet pose a growing threat to their work, earnings and lives, researchers have warned. The impacts of rising heat are disproportionately dangerous and costly to women - be it at home or on the job…
An Indian man named Abraham A, a former paramilitary soldier from Kerala made a remarkable discovery in 2020. While taking a bath, he noticed a peculiar “red thread in the bucket.” To his surprise, the thread was moving, prompting him to investigate further. He placed the mysterious creature, later identified…
A GROWING number of endangered animals from India – including elephants, lions and tigers – are being saved by zoos in Britain. London Zoo now houses dozens of species from south Asia, such as the gaur, blackbuck, red panda, greater flamingo, greater one-horned rhino and Kerala frog. The site in…
A UK-based women's organisation is planning a unique celebration of Indian weaves in honour of National Handloom Day next month through a 'Saree Walkathon'. The walkathon is scheduled to take place in central London, commencing at Trafalgar Square and culminating at Parliament Square on August 6, a day ahead of…
Among the 3,851 applications received from 122 countries, five students studying in India have been recognized on the top 50 shortlist for the prestigious Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2023. The annual award aims to honour one exceptional student who has demonstrated a remarkable impact on learning, the lives of their…
Director Jude Anthany Joseph says it took him three floods to write 2018, his superhit Malayalam survival drama. 2018 narrated the story of the devastating Kerala floods that occurred in 2018 when people from all walks of life came together to survive the calamity. The Tovino Thomas-starrer, which released in…
A KETTERING man who “squeezed the life out” of his wife and two children has been jailed for life with a minimum of 40 years in custody. Saju Chelavalel, originally from the south Indian state of Kerala, strangled Anju Asok, 35 to death with a dressing gown cord before killing…
INDIA'S annual monsoon covered the entire country on Sunday (2), six days earlier than usual, the state-run weather office said, but rain totals are 10 per cent below average so far this season. The monsoon, the lifeblood of India's $3 trillion economy, delivers much needed water to farms and restocks…
INDIA’S monsoon season rains were set to cover the whole country by the weekend, according to meteorological department officials, allowing farmers in northern states to begin planting of summer-sown crops a week earlier than normal. The monsoon, the lifeblood of India’s $3 trillion (£2.35trillion) economy, delivers nearly 70 per cent…
Director Sudipto Sen and producer Vipul Shah, the duo behind The Kerala Story, on Monday announced their next project Bastar. According to the makers, Bastar, based on a "true incident", will hit the screens on April 5, 2024. Shah's Sunshine Pictures, the banner behind the upcoming movie, shared the announcement…
BENGALURU-BASED Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has emerged as the highest-ranked Indian institution in the ‘Times High Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2023' released in London on Thursday (22). While IISc is ranked 48th, the second highest ranked university in India is also is Karnataka – JSS Academy of Higher…
The much-talked-about Indian film Adipurush, a retelling of the Ramayana, opened on Friday to heightened emotions in many theatres with large crowds, a seat being reserved for Lord Hanuman and a man purportedly being beaten up in Hyderabad for criticising the film. Directed by Om Raut and starring Prabhas as…
Indian/Canadian elephant conservationist Sangita Iyer, in collaboration with Tory MP Henry Smith, is set to address the UK Parliament on Monday (19) regarding the pressing crisis faced by Asian elephants in India. With a focus on their last remaining stronghold, Iyer and Smith aim to engage other Members of Parliament…
Pakistani vlogger Abrar Hassan recently completed a 30-day motorbike tour of India, covering a distance of 7,000 kilometres. Despite the strained relationship between the two countries, he received a warm welcome throughout his journey. Hassan started his journey on April 3 and taking to social media he wrote, "Welcome to…
The Bradford Literature Festival will present a special gathering on Sunday (June 25) of the Tharoor siblings, who will reunite from India, California, and London to engage in a profound conversation about their mother's extraordinary life. This exclusive event, called “Good Innings” will take place at Bradford College between 14:00…
A STORM off India's west coast has strengthened to become a powerful cyclone and could hit Gujarat state and southern parts of Pakistan this week, the weather department said. The cyclone, named Biparjoy, is expected to make landfall on Thursday (15) afternoon between Mandvi in Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan…
The makers of the upcoming Malayalam-language suspense thriller Dhoomam unveiled the much-awaited trailer for the film on Tuesday. The film stars Fahadh Faasil and Aparna Balamurali in lead roles. Taking to Instagram, actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran shared the trailer and wrote in the caption, "Few souls leave behind a trail (er)…
MONSOON rains reached India's southernmost Kerala coast on Thursday (8), offering relief to farmers after a delay of more than a week, marking their latest arrival in seven years. The monsoon, the lifeblood of the country's $3 trillion economy, delivers nearly 70 per cent of the rain India needs to…
This year’s Chelsea Flower Show has celebrated eight ‘Heroines of Horticulture’, among them the Indian scientist Dr Janaki Ammal, who struggled against the odds and especially male prejudice to make their mark. Ammal, who was born in Kerala in south India in 1897, did cutting-edge research at RHS Wisley in…
There was always going to be a lot of pressure on Abraham Verghese to follow up his best-selling novel Cutting for Stone, which became a sleeper super-hit and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years. The talented American author has risen to the challenge with an epic…
Veteran actor Kamal Haasan on Saturday called The Kerala Story a propaganda, saying a film does not become a "true story" just by carrying a tagline. Directed by Sudipto Sen, The Kerala Story has polarised the political discourse in the country as it depicts how women from Kerala were forced to…
India is likely to receive a normal amount of monsoon rains in 2023 despite the likely emergence of the El Nino weather phenomenon, the state-run weather office said on Friday (26), the fifth year of normal or above-normal summer rains. The monsoon is the lifeblood of the country's $3 trillion…
Toplined by Adah Sharma, filmmaker Sudipto Sen’s The Kerala Story has been hitting headlines ever since entering cinemas on May 5, 2023. Despite facing opposition from several states and political leaders, the film has been performing exceptionally well in India and some key international territories. Resultantly, it has managed to…
Actress Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday said the ban imposed on The Kerala Story by some states was "unconstitutional" after it was cleared by the CBFC. "Banning a film which has been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) amounts to insulting the constitution. The ban on The Kerala…
Director Sudipto Sen’s controversial film The Kerala Story has raised £20 million at the domestic box office in India. Fronted by Adah Sharma, the film released theatrically in India on May 5 and received a polarised response from the audience, with states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu banning it.…
Indian flavours have gained immense popularity, to the extent that foreign food bloggers now share these enticing tastes on Instagram. Among them, a British food blogger has taken it upon himself to explore the diverse regional cuisines of India. Going by the name @plantfuture on Instagram, Jake Dryan has devoted…
The makers of The Kerala Story have announced that a special screening of the movie will be held for the students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Directed by Sudipto Sen, The Kerala Story depicts how women from Kerala were forced to convert and recruited by the…
Positive word of mouth from enthralled readers will carry a book to great heights and is perhaps more valuable to authors than any critical acclaim or literary awards. That was perfectly illustrated by Abraham Verghese’s popular novel Cutting for Stone, which sold over 1.5 million copies in the USA and…
The Kerala Story producer Vipul Shah on Wednesday announced an initiative to help rehabilitate 300 alleged victims of religious conversion. The Kerala Story, a film on conversion that has polarised the political discourse in the country leading to bans in some states and a tax-free status in others, hit the…
The Sudipto Sen directorial The Kerala Story has been performing exceptionally well at the domestic box office in India. The film, which hit cinemas on May 5, 2023, entered the much sought-after £10 million mark on Saturday, May 13. On Sunday, May 14, the film saw its first single-day highest…
The controversial Indian film The Kerala Story (2023) has taken the domestic box office by storm by pocketing a whopping £8 million within a week of its theatrical release. The film is likely to enter the much coveted £10 million club by Saturday. Starring Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani,…
Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday met the team of the recently released film The Kerala Story in Lucknow. He greeted actor Adah Sharma, director Sudipto Sen, and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah. During the meeting, the team discussed the film with CM Yogi…
The Indian government has changed the rules for obtaining the Indian visa. The aim is to support the tourism industry in the country. Tourists will be able to spend more time in India and discover new attractions, like for instance the filming locations of some of the most famous Bollywood…
South star Mammootty on Wednesday started shooting for his upcoming film Bazooka in Ernakulam, Kerala, the makers announced on Wednesday. The Malayalam-language crime drama is directed by debutant filmmaker Deeno Dennis, son of veteran scriptwriter Kaloor Dennis. Mammootty said he was instantly drawn to Bazooka, which has a taut script…
Those who want to ban The Kerala Story are as "wrong" as those who didn't want Aamir Khan-starrer Laal Singh Chaddha to be released, said veteran actor Shabana Azmi on Monday amid the row around the Sudipto Sen-directorial that hit the screens last week. Her comments come a day after…
At least 22 people died when a double-decker tourist boat capsized in India's southern state of Kerala, officials said Monday (8). The incident happened late Sunday (7) in Tanur, a coastal town in Kerala's Malappuram district. Rescue operations were ongoing. Dozens of people searched for survivors in and around the…
A NEW film has sparked a row in India, with students, opposition parties and youth organisations, among others, calling for a stay on it being released. The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen, is scheduled to hit the screens on Friday (5) across the country. Produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah,…
According to Indian National Congress advocate BM Mangukia, Indian politician Rahul Gandhi has submitted an application to the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday (25), challenging the Surat sessions court's order that refused to suspend his conviction in a criminal defamation case last week, related to his "Modi surname" comment. The…
India is projected to become the world's most populous country by the end of June, surpassing China, according to the UN Population Fund's State of World Population report released on Wednesday (19). This significant change will result in India having a population of 1.4286 billion, which is about three million…
According to a media report on Sunday (16), a residential building fire in Dubai has resulted in the death of at least 16 people, including four individuals of Indian origin, and among them, a couple from Kerala, identified by an Indian social worker Naseer Vatanappally at the Dubai Police mortuary.…
Veteran Bollywood actress Hema Malini has found herself at the receiving end of social media trolls with her latest tweet on the 'Bihu' festival. Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu, one of the biggest festivals of Assam, marks the beginning of the harvest period. The first day of the Hindu solar…
India is likely to receive normal monsoon rainfall in 2023, the state-run weather office said on Tuesday (11), the fifth straight year of normal or above normal summer rains that spur farm and overall economic growth in Asia's third-biggest economy. A spell of good rains could lift farm and wider…
A SUSPECT charged with the triple murder of an Indian nurse and her two children has pleaded guilty at a court hearing in eastern England. Saju Chelavalel, 52, on Wednesday (5) appeared at Northampton Crown Court, where he admitted to killing wife Anju Asok, 35, and children Jeeva Saju, 6,…
Concentrating on quality ahead of quantity has enabled Telugu superstar Allu Arjun to get one of the highest hit rates in Indian cinema. This has led to the actor delivering stunning successes like smash hit film Pushpa: The Rise and gaining a huge global fan base. He has also influenced…
Nearly 900 nurses could be recruited from overseas in just four years by Swansea Bay University Health Board to plug workforce shortages and staff new operating theatres. A report said the health board was on track to employ 350 overseas nurses in 2022-23, having hit a target of 130 the…
The Kochi Muziris Biennale 2022-2023, a renowned biennial international contemporary art exhibition, spans four months on Fort Kochi Island in Kerala, India. This is the country's largest contemporary art exhibition, occurring biennially in Fort Kochi. The fifth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale which started from December 12, 2022 will run…
The death toll after a floor collapsed at a Hindu temple in India had risen to 36 on Friday (31), with rescue operations underway to find one person still missing, a local official said. Dozens of worshippers celebrating a major religious holiday plunged into the stepwell –- a stair-lined communal…
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified as an MP after being convicted in a defamation case and sentenced to two years in jail. The law The Representation of the People Act, 1951, the law that governs elections in India, mandates disqualification of any lawmaker who is "convicted of…
India’s Surat court which on Thursday (23) sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to a two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case noted that the seriousness of his crime increased because a speech delivered by a member of parliament has a "very wide impact on the public." Convicting Gandhi under…
The Government of India and the World Bank signed an agreement today (05) to provide complementary loans worth $500 million each, totalling $1 billion, to bolster the development of India's health sector. The funding will be utilised to support the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), India's flagship programme…
THE York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has made offers to 107 medical staff following a recruitment trip to Kerala. A report presented to the board stated that following the recruitment trip to Kerala, India, the trust has made offers to 97 registered nurses (RN) and 10 allied…
A temple in southern India introduced a life-size robotic elephant last week to conduct rituals in a first-of-its-kind move in the country, according to reports. The initiative by Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple in Thrissur, Kerala, was part of their pledge to stop using live animals for any festivities. According to…
AN Indian student was killed in a fatal road traffic collision in Leeds last week. Athira Anilkumar Laly Kumari, 28, from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, was pronounced dead at the scene at the junction of Stanningley road and Cockshott Lane in Leeds on Wednesday (22). According to reports, Athira, who was waiting…
Harri, whose real name is Harikrishnan Keezhathil Surendran Pillai, is the designer whose striking oufit Sam Smith wore to the 2023 Brit Awards. The renowned British singer donned a bespoke, all-black latex ensemble featuring billowing shoulders and trousers, along with a pair of matching high-heeled boots. Taking to his Instagram…
INDIAN-AMERICAN tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has launched his 2024 presidential bid, becoming the second community member to enter the Republican Party's presidential primary after Nikki Haley. Ramaswamy, 37, whose parents migrated to the US from Kerala and worked at a General Electric plant in Ohio, announced his presidential bid on…
And the journey to get an Oscar home has begun. After Guneet Monga and Shaunak Sen, RRR star Ram Charan has now headed to the US for the 95th Academy Awards, which is scheduled to take place on March 12. On Tuesday, Ram Charan was spotted in an all-black look…
Neal Mohan, a longtime Indian American YouTube executive, will be the new CEO of the Google-owned video sharing platform. Mohan, a Stanford graduate and a senior advertising and product executive who joined Google in 2008, will join the elite club of global tech chiefs of Indian origin such as Google…
Former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was acquitted by a local court in Kerala last year over rape charges by a nun, met Pope Francis in Vatican last week, a church source said. Mulakkal met the Pope on February 8 and it was his first meeting with the pontiff after…
Celebrity Cricket League (CCL), the largest Sportainment event in the nation, is back and better than ever. The two main sources of entertainment in our nation are sports and movies, and CCL is a special fusion of both. Teams from 8 different regions of India will compete in this season's…
Representatives from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and regional partners said on Monday that they are planning a visit to India this month to explore "sustainable routes” for workforce recruitments from Kerala, the biggest supplier of nursing graduates to the UK. Health Education England (HEE), part of the NHS…
The Indian High Commission here on Friday appealed for students to contact the mission for help and counselling amid fears that over 50 of them may have become victims of modern slavery while working at care homes in North Wales. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), a UK government…
Shah Rukh Khan’s latest outing Pathaan (2023) has been enjoying a great run at the box office ever since its release on January 25. Helmed by Siddharth Anand, the film has already clocked approximately £80 million at the global box office and is now eyeing to enter the much coveted…
A Keralite transgender couple, who recently announced pregnancy, was blessed with a baby at a state-run hospital here on Wednesday, considered to be the first such case in the country. “The baby was born by around 9.30 am through a Cesarean Section at the Government Medical College Hospital,” Ziya Paval,…
An Indian national, who was earlier denied a visa by a Pakistani court, entered the country on Tuesday to complete his marathon journey on foot to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. Shihab Bhai, 29, arrived in Pakistan via the Wagah border and was welcomed by Sarwar Taj, who had filed…
Ajay Piramal, chairman of the Piramal Group and Pratham Education Foundation, on January 18 released the 17th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022 in New Delhi, India. ASER is an annual survey which aims to give reliable estimates of children’s enrolment and basic learning levels for each district and…
India's Gautam Adani, the school drop-out turned billionaire who rose to become Asia's richest man, faces possibly the biggest challenge of his career after a U.S. short-seller cast doubts on his business practices, hammering shares in his companies and his reputation. Adani, whose home state is Gujarat in western India,…
Congress leader Anil K Antony, the son of former Defence Minister A K Anthony on Wednesday (25) announced his resignation from the party, a day after he criticised the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "This is my personal decision and I do think this is the best course…
A top Indian university has warned its students' union of strict disciplinary action if it goes ahead with a planned screening of a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, saying it might disturb the peace and harmony of the campus. Modi's government has dismissed the documentary, which…
Our intellectual and social development depends on our vision. In fact, 80 per cent of our gained knowledge is through our eyes. Therefore, keeping our eyes healthy is also vital for keeping our brains healthy. This is because our optic nerves connect our brain with our eyes, the Kerala Ayurveda…
Indian actress Amala Paul, who is known for her work in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu cinema, recently visited the Thiruvairanikulam Mahadeva temple in the Ernakulam district of Kerala. However, she was denied entry inside the temple premises by the officials. The temple is reportedly open only to Hindu devotes and…
TWISTS on classic dishes and a renewed effort to tackle waste are set to be among the trends in 2023 to give fans of south Asian cuisine food for thought. Leading chefs have predicted what they believe will be popular this year – with experimentation leading the way and a…
Ronald E. Asher, a British linguist and educator specialised in Dravidian languages, has died of old age in London, his family sources said on Wednesday. He was 96. A fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, London, Asher won a gold medal from Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Trichur, in 1983 and was…
Indian-origin Cabinet minister Ranj Pillai will on January 14 take oath as the tenth premier of Canada’s territory of Yukon, becoming the second politician of Indian heritage to head a region in the country, according to a media report on Tuesday (10). Pillai, whose roots can be traced from Kerala,…
It has been an incredible journey for an attorney from working as a labourer in India to becoming a judge in the US.Surendran Pattel has recently been sworn in as the judge of the 240th Judicial District Court in Fort Bend County, Texas.Having practised in India’s Supreme Court before moving…
Three Indian-American Democrats have taken oath as Fort Bend County Judges in the United States. In a ceremony on Sunday, Juli A. Mathew, K.P. George, and Surendran K. Pattel were sworn in as Fort Bend County judges, along with other newly elected and re-elected officials. Juli A. Mathew, the first…
Saju Chelavalel, accused of murdering his wife, a National Health Service (NHS) nurse and her two children under seven, reportedly choked them to death, The Sun reported. The accused has appeared in court. Chelavalel has been charged with the killings of Anju Ashok, 35, and the two kids -- Jeeva Saju,…
Constipation usually occurs as a result of lack of water consumption, heavy meat intake, lack of exercise and fibre intake within the diet and various other factors. Lifestyle changes need to introduce, if the condition persists for a long time. Frequent travelling, irregular eating, and changes in sleeping patterns may…
The male suspect being questioned by UK police in connection with the murder of an Indian nurse and her two children has been charged with three counts of murder and will appear in court on Monday (19). Saju Chelavalel, 52, known locally as the husband of the deceased nurse Anju…
A 52-year-old man arrested on suspicion of the triple murders of an Indian nurse and her two young children discovered with serious injuries at their home in Kettering is continued to be questioned, the police said on Saturday (17). Northamptonshire Police named the victims on Friday as 35-year-old Anju Asok…
A 52-year-old Indian-American doctor, dancer, blogger and mother of five children died on the spot after her car was hit by a motorcycle in the US city of Houston, a media report has said. Mini Vettical, a native of Ramamangalam in Kerala's Ernakulam district was based in Houston with her…
Severe heat waves, responsible for thousands of deaths across India over the last few decades, are increasing with alarming frequency and soon the country could become one of the first places in the world to experience heat waves that break the human survivability limit, according to a new report. The…
Protests were temporarily called off at Adani's Vizhinjam seaport in the southern Indian state of Kerala after more than four months of agitation, a protest leader said on Tuesday, but demands to halt port construction were not met. Work by the Adani Group had been paused at the port because…
A Hindu group close to India's ruling party will on Wednesday march in support of a $900 million port project by the Adani Group which has been stalled by Christian protesters, as tensions rise after clashes in which 80 people were injured. Construction work at the project in Vizhinjam, in…
World-renowned speaker and author Dr Deepak Chopra has joined Vikas Khanna's award-winning short documentary 'Barefoot Empress' as the executive producer. Directed by Khanna, a Michelin-starred chef and social impact filmmaker, and produced by Academy Award-nominated Doug Roland, the film talks about 96-year-old Karthyayani Amma as she realises her life-long dream…
Following the invitation to controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik by Qatar to FIFA World Cup, India ruling party, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Savio Rodrigues on Tuesday appealed to the government, Indian Football Associations and Indians travelling to the host nation to boycott the sporting event. Zakir Naik, who is an…
Indian fugitive preacher Zakir Naik, who faces charges of money laundering and hate speech in India, is set to give religious lectures at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, according to social media posts. "Preacher Sheikh Zakir Naik is present in Qatar during the World Cup and will give…
A state in northern India will revoke its previous order banning five products made by billionaire yoga guru Baba Ramdev's company after the firm alleged an 'anti-Ayurveda drug mafia' behind the decision. Earlier, the Uttarakhand Ayurveda and Unani Services authority banned the production of five drugs-Divya Madhugrit, Divya Eyegrit Gold,…
In his debut novel The People We Know, London-based author Farrokh Suntook has told a compelling story of a Sikh woman who finds her life transformed after a shocking discovery about her Parsi husband and a chance encounter with an English couple. Building on the author’s love for literature, the…
Noted Bollywood singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan, who is a member of the celebrated Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy songwriting trio, has been chosen to receive honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University (BCU) for his outstanding contribution to music and the arts. West Midlands Mayor Andy Street made the announcement on behalf of the…
A delegation of Odisha Tourism led by Ashwini Kumar Patra, the eastern Indian state's tourism minister; and Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, its chief secretary, on Tuesday (8) took part in the World Travel Market (WTM) which is currently underway in London. The three-day global travel show which kicked off on Monday…
A human tragedy that will shake you to your core, Vipul Amrutlal Shah is all set to bring audiences The Kerala Story that unearths the happenings behind 32,000 ladies who went missing in the state of Kerala. Promising to be a very real, unbiased, and true narrative of events that…
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said the UK is eager to secure a trade deal with India to boost both economies and that Brexit has meant that Britain no longer has a Eurocentric mindset towards trade or visas. Addressing a Diwali event organised by UK-based India Global Forum (IGF) in…
The Labour Convention of Indian Organisations (LCIO) is aiming to close the gap between British Indians and the Labour Party by boosting the Indian diaspora connection. The party announced that it will bridge the gap between the Labour Party and British Indians and India by fostering inclusive sustainable growth for…
The family of Bolton doctor Jyothis Manalayil, who died in a collision in Larbreck on June 10, has said that it suspects involvement of a third party in the fatal accident. Malalayil, 28, was travelling alone in his car from Lancaster Royal Infirmary Hospital to Royal Victoria Hospital, after a…
This year’s London Film Festival runs from October 5-16 and once again has a strong south Asian line-up, which touch upon diverse genres and have interesting storylines. There will be cinema screenings, and some films will be available online. Eastern Eye looked ahead to the annual event, with a preview…
A joint funeral was held for two Indian-origin boys who drowned in a Northern Ireland lake as their college mates mourned the “exemplary young men”. Reuven Simon and Joseph Sebastian, both aged 16, were out cycling on Monday but they got into difficulty while swimming at Lough Enagh in Londonderry.…
Since menstruation is still a taboo topic in many parts of India, as part of an experiment to normalise menstrual discussion within the country, the organizers of the #feelthepain movement took menstruation simulators to malls and colleges in Ernakulam district (in Kerala) to let men experience period cramps. The campaign's…
An outbreak of a contagious disease called tomato flu in India, has experts concerned, as the disease is reported to cause several symptoms similar to the COVID-19 disease, including fever, fatigue, and body aches. Tomato flu is reported to mainly affect children aged between one and five years old. But…
Tributes have been paid to two teenagers who drowned in a lake while celebrating end of summer holidays in Northern Ireland. They were identified as Reuven Simon and Joseph Sebastian, both 16, from Kerala, India. They died after getting into difficulty at Lough Enagh in Co Londonderry on Monday (29),…
The Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship, which was named after superstar Shah Rukh Khan in 2019, has made a comeback. The registration for the scholarship started recently on August 18 and will go all the way till September 23. In partnership with the Indian Film Festival of…
The Made-in-India naval ship INS Tarangini, docked at Thames Quay in east London on its UK voyage to coincide with the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, has been the focal point of celebrations for the Indian diaspora this week. Following a grand welcome to the docks for Commanding Officer Praveen…
AN eight-year-old British Indian girl in Cardiff has created the world record as she became the youngest person to recite the capitals of 195 countries along with their currencies in 7 minutes and 15 seconds, according to reports. Anne Winston from Kerala in southern India achieved the feat during a live-streamed…
Aravind Jayan discusses his new book and love for writing Terrific new Asian authors tackling taboo topics and, subsequently, expanding the literary horizon is illustrated perfectly by newly published novel Teen Couple Have Fun Outdoors. The fearless debut from 27-year-old Indian writer Aravind Jayan revolves around a scandal that breaks…
INDIA's aviation regulator has asked the country's first trans pilot to undergo fresh medical examination to obtain his commercial pilot's licence, reports said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday (13) asked Kerala native Adam Harry, 23, to get his “medical procedures” done. "I received an email from…
The gruesome murder of a Hindu shopkeeper, Kanhaiya Lal, by two men in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district on Tuesday sent a shockwave across India. If reports are to be believed, the shopkeeper was beheaded over a social media post that he had shared in support of BJP leader Nupur Sharma, who…
A day after the brutal murder of a tailor in Rajasthan triggered shock waves across the country, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Wednesday (29) came out against Madrassas and wondered whether young children were taught there that punishment for blasphemy is beheading. He also called for broad-based education for…
BOLLYWOOD going through a terrible time in recent years has seen the quality of films plummet, but among the darkness is a bright light in the shape of forthcoming film Laal Singh Chaddha, which is set to shine when it is eventually released on August 11 after several delays and…
A NUMBER of distinguished guests came together at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh in the northern Indian state if Uttarakhand on Tuesday (7) – the fifth day of the week-long celebrations that are underway in the honour of the 70th birth anniversary of His Holiness (HH) Pujya Swami Chidanand…
"Divided internally, India becomes weak externally. BJP's shameful bigotry has not only isolated us, but also damaged India's standing globally," Gandhi wrote on Twitter. His remarks came in the wake of international outrage over controversial remarks made by two BJP functionaries against Prophet Mohammad, after which they were suspended and…
In June 2022, Kerala reported two confirmed cases of Norovirus among school-going children in Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram, said official sources.The SSO, Kerala, has been asked to submit a detailed report which will be submitted shortly, added the sources. An estimated 685 million cases of Norovirus are seen annually, including 200 million…
Though a lot still needs to be done, it is no longer a rare sight to see South Asians creating their own space in showbiz. Talking about South Asian actors, in particular, they are getting meatier roles to play in movies as well as TV series and are no longer…
AS RAHUL GANDHI’S remarks on the current situation in India are creating ripples on social media, a civil servant confronted the Congress lawmaker in the UK, suggesting his idea of India could be “flawed and destructive”.Siddhartha Verma, an Indian Railway Traffic Service officer and Commonwealth scholar in public policy at…
The inaugural edition of the Ideas for India conference ended on Friday after three days of rich discussion on public policy. The three-day event on 18-20 May was held to celebrate India’s 75th anniversary of Independence, with speakers providing their vision for where they see India in the coming 25…
AT LEAST 10 people including a four-year-old child have died in floods and landslides this week after unusually heavy rains pummelled several parts of India.Experts say extreme weather around the world is being driven by climate change, made worse in South Asia by damming, deforestation and over-the-top development projects.The Indian…
AN 18-year-old Indian high school student drowned in a pond in the US state of New Jersey after he went into the frigid water to retrieve a soccer ball for children playing nearby. Clinten G Ajit, who hailed from Niranam in Kerala, went into Hardcastle Pond in New Milford on…
INDIA is likely to receive normal monsoon rains this year, the state-run weather office said on Thursday (14), raising prospects of higher farm and general growth in Asia's third-biggest economy. The rains, which usually lash the southern tip of Kerala state around June 1 and retreat by September, are expected…
AN Indian man from Hyderabad has been charged with attempted murder after a female student from Kerala was stabbed inside a restaurant in east London. Sriram Ambarla, 23, was arrested from Hyderabad Wala biryani restaurant in East Ham(London) for stabbing Sona Biju, who worked part-time as a waitress at the…
THE Ministry of Education (MoE) appealed to the Indian students stranded in Ukraine on Saturday (26) to follow all the guidelines issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian embassy. It also assured the students that all possible efforts are being made by the government to bring…
INDIA's official Covid-19 death toll crossed 500,000 on Friday (4), a level some data analysts said was breached last year but was obscured by inaccurate surveys and unaccounted dead in the hinterlands, where millions remain vulnerable to the disease. The country, which has the fourth-highest tally of deaths globally, recorded…
A Rome judge on Monday (31) dismissed a murder investigation into two Italian marines who killed two fishermen in Kerala in 2012, months after the case was dropped by India's top court. In a statement, Italian defence minister Lorenzo Guerini welcomed the "positive outcome" for Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre.…
AN India-born vicar, who grew up in a leprosy hospital in Bangalore where his mother was a nurse, has been consecrated as Bishop in the Church of England with a staff, or crozier, made of Indian rosewood. The Right Reverend Malayil Lukose Varghese Muthalaly, known as Saju, aged 42 became…
INDIA reported new coronavirus infections at an eight-month high on Wednesday (19) and a government scientist warned it will take weeks before data on hospitalisations and deaths will show how severe the latest wave driven by the Omicron variant will be. The federal authorities have said Omicron was causing fewer…
INDIA’s Omicron-driven third wave has become a huge blow to the country's traditional wedding season, which runs from November to March, reported the Guardian. Recently, the New Delhi government, along with other restrictions, limited wedding guests to 20. According to the report, thousands of families are in the same agony of…
INDIA'S capital Delhi and financial hub Mumbai have reported a big fall in Covid-19 infections in the past two days and most of those who contracted the virus have recovered at home, authorities said on Monday (17). Mumbai's daily new infections fell below 10,000 on Sunday (16) for the first…
A Roman Catholic bishop in India was acquitted Friday of raping a nun multiple times over two years. While the Catholic church has been embroiled in a series of sexual abuse scandals around the world, Franco Mulakkal was its first Indian priest to go on trial. A court in the…
NEW Covid-19 infections in Indian cities such as capital New Delhi and Mumbai could peak next week after rising rapidly, experts said on Thursday (13), as the country reported the highest number of daily cases since late May. The 247,417 new infections were more than 30 times higher daily cases…
INDIA'S first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant started another set of sea trials on Sunday (9) to carry out complex manoeuvres in high seas ahead of its induction scheduled in August. The 40,000-tonne aircraft carrier, the largest and most complex warship to be manufactured in India, successfully completed a five-day…
TWELVE people were crushed to death in a stampede at an Indian religious shrine in the early hours of Saturday (1) as tens of thousands of pilgrims massed to offer prayers, officials said. The disaster unfolded in darkness at around 3:00 am (2130 GMT) on the packed route to the…
INDIA reported more than 27,000 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday (2), with infections sharply rising for a fifth consecutive day. The country's largest cities, including Delhi and the financial capital Mumbai, have seen a recent spike in Covid-19 cases, including those of the Omicron variant, which has triggered a fresh…
THE total count of the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant reached 781 in India on Wednesday (29), the health ministry said. Of the 781 cases, 241 people have been either discharged, recovered or migrated. Delhi has the highest Omicron count with 238 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 167 cases. The…
THE world’s first airport fully powered by solar energy has boosted its capacity to produce solar power in the past three years and has now also ventured into hydropower, its managing director said. The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) in Kerala won the Champion of Earth Prize by the UN…
AN Indian man went to court to complain about prime minister Narendra Modi promoting himself as the face of the nation's Covid vaccination drive - but walked away on Tuesday (21) with a fine for wasting the judge's time. Modi has been the focus of a massive advertising blitz touting…
Toward the end of 2020, Indian-American singer-songwriter-filmmaker Amanda Sodhi found herself feeling increasingly isolated, having outgrown cities she had previously lived in, as well as most of her friendships. Alone in Srinagar, as she sat in a shikara at Dal on a rainy Diwali evening, it dawned upon her -…
There are 66 known Indian-origin fighters affiliated with Daesh (Islamic State), says a US report. IN a report that would leave the Indian security establishment worried, the United States state department has said that there are 66 known Indian-origin fighters affiliated with global terror outfit Daesh as of November. The…
GITA GOPINATH will take on a larger role in shaping the policies of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from January 21 as its first deputy managing director. Her elevation as the second-ranking official of the global lender is a recognition of her “exceptional intellectual leadership” as its first woman chief…
A MUSLIM woman from Kerala in southern India, who paints pictures of Sri Krishna, has said she wants to be a symbol of communal harmony at a time when tensions among religions are rising. Jasna Salim, 28, from Koyilandy near Calicut, has made more than 500 paintings of little Krishna,…
A MUSLIM woman cremator at a Hindu crematorium in Kerala, south India, said that her job is a symbol of female empowerment and that it gave her a sense of pride. Subeena Rahman, 28, from Thrissur, is said to be the first woman from the Muslim community to take up…
INDIA’S Supreme Court on Wednesday (27) ordered an independent investigation into the alleged government use of Pegasus spyware on journalists, opposition politicians and activists, with the chief justice calling the implications "Orwellian". India was one of 45 countries where tens of thousands of phone numbers were targeted by the spyware…
NEARLY 200 people have died in floods and landslides in India and Nepal, officials said Thursday (21), with whole families buried in their homes and two young girls swept away as forecasters warned of yet more heavy rain. Experts say that they were victims of the ever-more unpredictable and extreme…
THE India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday (19) sounded an orange alert for Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and other districts for Wednesday (20) in rain-battered Kerala. Other districts that have been issued with an orange alert include Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur districts. A yellow alert has…
AUTHOR Michael Mann has stressed the importance of representation in literature, as he revealed his own motivations to include a mixed-race protagonist in his new children’s fantasy book. Mann’s Ghostcloud follows Luke, a 12-year-old who is kidnapped and forced to shovel coal underneath a half-bombed, blackened power station. Luke soon…
An Indian man who used a cobra and a viper to murder his wife was sentenced to life in jail on Wednesday (13) in what prosecutors called the "rarest of rare" cases. Sooraj Kumar set loose a highly venomous Russell's viper snake on his wife Uthra that left her in…
INDIA has asked power producers to import up to 10 per cent of their coal needs amid fuel shortages and warned states that federal companies will curb their power supplies if they are found selling electricity on power exchanges to cash in on surging prices. India is the world's second…
INDIA has allowed power producers to expedite imports of coal to use for up to 10 per cent of blends with the domestic grade to meet increased power demand in a move that could push up already high global prices. Asia's third-largest economy is facing large-scale outages as several power…
On her feet at work for 10 hours each day, Indian shop assistant S. Lakshmi lumbers home at the end of her shift to nurse her aching legs and swollen ankles. But relief may be in sight. Tamil Nadu became last month the second Indian state to enshrine the "right…
Deftly parrying her son with a bamboo cane, Meenakshi Amma belies her 78 years with her prowess at kalari, thought to be India's oldest martial art. The great-grandmother in Kerala, southern India, has been a driving force in the revival of kalaripayattu, as the ancient practice is also known, and…
Indian football talisman Sunil Chhetri says he shared the best rapport with former captain Bhaichung Bhutia and striker Jeje Lalpekhlua on the field, thanks to their playing "combination" and "understanding". The 37-year-old Chhetri is set to appear in his fifth SAFF Championship and before its kick off, he took a…
A FAMILY of British Indian quadruplets have described why they think the UK is the best place to achieve their dreams. The Framlingham, Suffolk-based quadruplets – Aneetta, Anjel, Aleena and Aneesha – told Eastern Eye they are proud of working in the NHS, where they are following their mother’s footsteps.…
Population of big cats in forests and reserves has doubled in 12 years CONSERVATION experts in India have praised the country’s efforts in protecting tigers as figures show a rise in the population of big cats across reserves and forests. The number of tigers in the wild has more than…
AN Indian jewellery ad that featured a transgender model has been praised as 'pathbreaking' in the country. The one-minute-40-second video charts the story of the transition of a trans woman - an awkward teenager with facial hair and self-doubt who transforms into a beautiful confident bride. Titled Pure as Love,…
INDIAN authorities are restricting major religious festivals that start this week and attract huge crowds, warning that a new Covid-19 wave had already begun in the financial capital Mumbai. State governments across the country of 1.3 billion people, which saw a devastating coronavirus surge in April-May, are clamping down on…
An Air India flight headed to London from New Delhi on Monday (6) had to abort take-off after a swarm of ants was found in the business-class section, Asian News International reported. The flight, AI-111, had among its passengers Jigme Namgyel Wangchuk, the son and heir apparent of Bhutanese King…
AN Indian court has ordered the government to offer a choice of a shorter four-week gap between doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to those paying for the shots, down from 12 to 16 weeks now. India doubled the gap between doses of the locally-produced Covishield vaccine in May, to help…
MALAYALAM mega-star Mammootty has had a 50-year cinema career filled with more than 400 movies in multiple languages. Born in 1951, he has entertained fans across decades, and they will celebrate him turning a year older on September 7. To mark his milestone 70th birthday, Eastern Eye put together his…
INDIA's economy expanded by a record 20.1 per cent between April and June, official data showed Tuesday (31), boosted by the manufacturing and construction sectors as growth rebounded from last year's strict months-long pandemic lockdown. It was the biggest growth on record since New Delhi started publishing quarterly statistics in…
Vilified by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's party for its high COVID-19 cases, Kerala's apparent poor record may actually hold crucial lessons for the country in containing the outbreak as authorities brace for a possible third wave of infections. The opposition-ruled, densely populated southern state is currently reporting the most…
Yash starrer KGF: Chapter 2 is one of the most awaited pan-India films of the year. The movie is shot in Kannada, but it will be dubbed and released in various languages like Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam. The Prashanth Neel’s directorial was slated to release in July this year…
Prithviraj Sukumaran already has many films lined up and recently, the actor announced his new film titled Kaapa which also stars Manju Warrier, Asif Ali, and Anna Ben. On Wednesday (18), Prithviraj took to Twitter to make an announcement about it. The actor tweeted, “Privileged to be part of #KAAPA…
AN A TO Z ABOUT THE LIFE AND EXTRAORDINARY CAREER OF TELUGU FILM INDUSTRY’S DYNAMIC MEGASTAR MASSIVELY popular actor Chiranjeevi is one of India’s greatest ever movie stars and that is why there will be huge celebrations for his 66th birthday on August 22. The big screen icon turned politician…
As the health worker swabbed the skin on his arm with an alcohol wipe and prepared the syringe, Kartik Biswas felt an overwhelming sense of relief. He was finally about to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as part of a drive by the southern Indian state of…
DURING the Covid-19 pandemic in India, there were some doctors and healthcare staff who went beyond their line of duty to mitigate the pain of fellow citizens. Eastern Eye looks at some of them who made a difference to the communities they serve: 1. Dr Rajendra Bharud Doctor-turned IAS officer…
A history-making Olympic gold in his pocket and having won the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games titles, star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is now targeting a top podium finish in the World Athletics Championships to be held in USA next year. The World Championships was to be held this…
Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, who last helmed Bruce Springsteen-powered comedy-drama Blinded By The Light (2019), is set to make an animated musical about a young Indian elephant from the jungles of Kerala who dreams of becoming a Bollywood dancer. The Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Bride and Prejudice (2004),…
Sunny Leone, who has been missing from the scene for quite some time now, has wrapped up her next film Shero. The multilingual film has been directed by Sreejith Vijayan, who told the media that Leone was so much in love with her character that she did not only perform…
Bollywood filmmakers love to remake South Indian movies, and joining the list might be the Malayalam film Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 (2019). According to a report in the entertainment portal, Peeping Moon, a Hindi remake of Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 is on the cards and Anil Kapoor will be seen…
Filmmaker Martin Prakkat, who directed the successful Malayalam film Nayattu (2021), has revealed that Bollywood star John Abraham has acquired the rights to remake the film in Hindi. He also divulged that Tollywood actor Allu Arjun has bought the Telugu remake rights of the film. Nayattu will be Abraham’s second…
PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi, Indian home minister Amit Shah, minority minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan were among those who condoled the demise of former head of Sivagiri Mutt, Swami Prakashananda. One of the oldest spiritual leaders of the southern state of…
India's first coronavirus patient, a student who was in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has tested positive for a second time, a medical official told AFP on Wednesday (14). The 21-year-old woman from the southern state of Kerala has no symptoms but is in isolation at her home, Thrissur district…
INDIA’S most populous state, Uttar Pradesh announced a draft law for population control on Saturday (10), as per which those having more than two children will be devoid of any special concessions or benefits. It proposes denying government jobs, promotions, subsidies and the right to contest local elections to anyone…
With football fever in the air, you might have missed on to some other interesting developments and news from UK and around the world. Eastern Eye brings to you seven major highlights of this week to keep you updated: 1. Second Indian-born woman to go to space: [caption id="attachment_148753"…
AUTHORITIES in the southern Indian state of Kerala have raised an alarm in all districts of the state following the identification of 15 cases of Zika virus. Veena George, the state’s health minister, confirmed the infections that spread in Thiruvananthapuram district where the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram is located. In…
IN a first, women teachers in Indian schools have outnumbered their male counterparts, a report by the Unified District Information on School Election 2019-20 revealed. The country now has 49.2 lakh (4.92 million) female teachers as against 47.7 lakh (4.77 million) male teachers, compared to 35.8 lakh (3.58 million) female…
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy: It’s impossible for me to choose my top 10 books, because my favourites make up a never-ending list. But Arundhati Roy’s debut novel will always be at the top of any list for me. Set in Kerala, it is the story of…
Tanu Balak’s Cold Case starring Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead role is all set to release on Amazon Prime Video on 30th June 2021. Recently, while to PTI, Balak opened up about shooting the film during the pandemic, and its OTT release. Cold Case was shot across Trivandrum, Kerala, in…
INDIA's health ministry on Wednesday (23) said that around 40 cases of the Delta plus variant, classified as a variant of concern (VOC), were detected in Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh states. Delta variant as well as all Delta sub-lineages including Delta plus are classified as VOC, it added. "As…
The coronavirus pandemic has been harsh on all sections of society, but it has been harsher on various tribal communities. Ever since the pandemic began, a number of individuals and organisations have come forward to lend their helping hand to these communities. While some took the responsibility of supplying ration…
A Muslim man in southern India hid his Hindu girlfriend in his bedroom for ten years without his parents or sister knowing because he feared he would never get their approval to marry her, reported The Times. Rahman, 34, in Kerala state fell in love with his neighbour, Sajitha, 28, a…
THE Supreme Court of India on Tuesday (15) ordered the closure of domestic criminal proceedings against two Italian marines who have been accused of killing two fishermen off the coast of South Indian state of Kerala in February 2012. It also asked the state’s high court to oversee the apportionment…
INDIA on Wednesday (2) reported a daily rise in new coronavirus infections of 132,788 cases over the past 24 hours, while deaths rose by 3,207. The South Asian nation's tally of infections now stands at 28.3 million, while the death toll has reached 335,102, health ministry data showed. The daily…
LAKSHADWEEP, a normally tranquil group of islands off the southwest coast of India, has been simmering with tension over a slew of rules proposed by its administrator Praful Patel. Critics said the proposals are "anti-people" and threaten the livelihoods of the islanders. The opposition to the rule that started as…
INDIA reported on Tuesday (1) its lowest daily rise in new coronavirus infections since April 8 at 127,510 cases over the past 24 hours, while deaths rose by 2,795. The new Covid-19 cases is the lowest in 54 days, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 6.62 per cent. The…
MONSOON rains are likely to hit India's southern coast around June 3, largely in line with typical patterns, the state-run India Meteorological Department said in its latest revised forecast. Earlier, the weather office had said the start of the monsoon would be on May 31. The latest weather forecast showed…
INDIA reported on Monday (31) its lowest daily rise in new coronavirus infections since April 11 at 152,734 cases over the past 24 hours, while deaths rose by 3,128. The South Asian nation's tally of infections now stands at 28 million, while the death toll has reached 329,100, health ministry…
THE single day rise in coronavirus infections in India fell below the two-lakh mark for the second time this month. The total tally of Covid-19 cases in the country has climbed to 2,75,55,457 out of which 2,48,93,410 patients have recuperated, according to the union health ministry data on Friday (28).…
INDIA'S recovery rate went up to 90 per cent while daily Covid-19 infections of 2,11,298 took the total tally to 2,73,69,093, according to the union health ministry data on Thursday (27). The death toll due to Covid rose to 3,15,235 with 3,847 new fatalities being reported in a span of…
THE daily rise in coronavirus cases in India remained below the three lakh-mark for the sixth consecutive day, with 2.57 lakh new cases recorded in a single day, the union health ministry said on Saturday (22). With the fresh cases, India's tally of Covid-19 cases climbed to 2,62,89,290. The death…
INDIA reported on Friday (21) 259,551 new coronavirus infections over the last 24 hours, while deaths rose by 4,209. The South Asian nation's infection tally stands at 26.03 million, with a death toll of 291,331, health ministry data showed. New Covid-19 cases remained below 300,000-mark for the fifth consecutive day…
MORE than 20.55 lakh Covid-19 tests were conducted in a span of 24 hours, the highest-ever conducted in a single day in India, while the daily positivity rate stands at 13.44 per cent, the union health ministry said on Thursday (20). Cumulatively, 20,55,010 tests were conducted on Wednesday (19) in…
More than 90 people are reported missing on Tuesday (18) after a vessel adrift off Mumbai's coast sank during cyclone Tauktae, the Indian navy said. About 177 people were rescued from the vessel as per the latest report. The rescue operations are still on. Two ships and helicopters are deployed…
CYCLONE Tauktae, likely to be the strongest to hit the region since 1998, is expected to make landfall tonight in the covid-battered state of Gujarat. The cyclone would subsequently move northwestwards and is likely to affect the Pakistani port city of Karachi as well, a statement by the India Meteorological…
THE National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked 53 teams to tackle possible after-effects of Cyclone Tauktae that is developing in the Arabian Sea, a senior officer said on Friday NDRF director general SN Pradhan said in a tweet that these teams are being deployed in the coastal regions of…
AN Indian woman (30) in Israel has been killed in a rocket attack by Palestinian militants from Gaza. Since Monday evening Gaza-based militants fired hundreds of rockets on Israel. At least 31 people were killed in spiraling violence till 9 PM (local time) on Tuesday. Ashkelon, which borders the Gaza…
By Amit Roy INDIA has just held assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and the union territory of Pondicherry. But the key battleground was West Bengal, where the prime minister Narendra Modi and his home minister, Amit Shah, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were determined to topple…
INDIA reported a record 412,262 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday (6) and a record 3,980 daily death toll, as a second wave of infections swamps the health system and spreads from cities into the vast countryside. Covid-19 infections in the world's second most populous nation have surged past 21 million,…
India prime minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party suffered a setback on Sunday (2) when it lost a fiercely contested state poll. Over the past month India held its biggest democratic exercise in two years, with 175 million people eligible to vote in five regional elections. But the marathon polls…
Amid India's COVID-19 crisis, migrant workers are abandoning cities and heading for their villages in droves in a repeat of last year's exodus when the lockdown shut industries and left them jobless - but this time they are worried about safety. India's toll from the coronavirus surged past 200,000 on…
By: Mohnish Singh While shooting activities have been put on hold in several parts of India due to the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Bollywood actress Sunny Leone recently landed in Kerala to start shooting for her forthcoming Malayalam film Shero. And if her latest Instagram post is anything…
VITAL medical supplies poured into India on Tuesday (27) as hospitals starved of life-saving oxygen and beds turned away coronavirus patients, while a surge in infections pushed the death toll towards 200,000. A shipment from Britain, including 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators, arrived in Delhi, said Reuters partner ANI,…
By: Mohnish Singh Malayalam superstar Dulquer Salmaan, who was last seen in Tamil-language heist comic-caper Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal (2020), has started shooting for his next Telugu film. Hanu Raghavapudi is directing the yet-to-be-titled project. Today, the team revealed the name of the character that Salmaan essays in the forthcoming film.…
By Lord Meghnad Desai LIKE a 1950s Bollywood romance, the scheduled meeting between the prime ministers of the UK and India keeps on getting disrupted. Each time they have planned to meet, some obstacle has intervened. The UK prime minister was scheduled to attend the Republic Day (January 26 parade)…
By Pramod Thomas & Sarwar Alam SANJU SAMSON recalls the favourite day in his burgeoning career. It was 2013, he was 18-years-old and had traveled from his home in Kerala to Jaipur for a trial with the Rajashtan Royals. The IPL is the ultimate dream for young cricketers. For Samson…
INDIA reported 81,466 new Covid-19 cases on Friday (2), the highest daily number in six months, as several states are hit by a second wave of the pandemic. The total number of cases have now surged to 12.3 million, making India the third-most hit country from the virus after the…
Two people died as the second phase of voting in a violence-marred Indian state election kicked off on Thursday, officials said, with crowds of opponents clashing on the streets despite a ban on large gatherings. Prime minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party and the firebrand leader of West…
INDIA is now holding multi-phase elections in four states and considering that Facebook Inc has taken steps to combat hate speech and misinformation. "We recognize that there are certain types of content, such as hate speech, that could lead to imminent, offline harm," the social networking giant said in a…
India's richest state, Maharashtra, is considering imposing a strict lockdown this week after recording the highest one-day jump in coronavirus infections of any Indian state since last March, officials said on Sunday. Maharashtra tightened travel restrictions and imposed night curfews as it reported 40,414 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, almost…
Former Indian high commission employee and social worker T Haridas died at St George's Hospital in Tooting, London. He was 70. He was hospitalised on Monday (22) due to stomach related illness, reports said. Born in Guruvayur in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Haridas served within the Indian High…
INDIA and Pakistan reported a big jump in new coronavirus infections on Thursday (18), driven by a resurgence in cases in their richest states. While authorities in India have mainly blamed crowding and an overall reluctance to wear masks for its spike, Pakistan says the UK variant of the virus…
INDIA's daily coronavirus infections jumped by 28,903 on Wednesday (17), data from the health ministry showed, for the highest increase since December 13 and taking the nationwide tally to 11.44 million. Deaths swelled by 188, the highest figure in two months, to stand at 159,044. India has the world's highest…
By Murtuza Iqbal Mammootty starrer The Priest is one of the most awaited Malayalam films of the year. The movie was slated to release on 4th March 2021 but was postponed as the state government of Kerala had canceled the night shows in theatres. However, recently, once again it was…
A crowd of up to 800,000 turned out for a state election rally by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (8), as he sought to unseat one of his fiercest critics in a campaign hit by violence. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been seeking to expand its power…
INDIA is struggling to convince its health and front-line workers to take a homegrown Covid-19 vaccine controversially approved without late-stage efficacy data, government data showed on Thursday (25), days ahead of a wider roll-out. India has the world's second-highest number of Covid-19 infections after the US, with cases recently surging…
Nineteen states and union territories in India have not reported any death due to COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours, while India's active cases stood at 146,907 accounting for 1.33 per cent of the total number of infections, the union health ministry said on Wednesday. A total of 13,742…
INDIA announced an expansion of its vaccination programme on Wednesday(24) but warned that breaches of coronavirus protocols could worsen an infection surge in many states. Nearly a month after the health minister declared that Covid-19 had been contained, states such as Maharashtra in the west and Kerala in the south…
INDIAN pharmaceutical companies Bharat Biotech and Biological E Ltd has said that they could quickly rework their Covid-19 vaccine products to fight new variants once their genetic sequence is known. In recent months, India has confirmed the presence of the variants first identified in Brazil, Britain and South Africa, which…
INDIA reported on Friday(19) its biggest jump in new coronavirus infections in three weeks, with 13,193 cases, while thousands of marshals fanned out to enforce mask wearing across the financial capital of Mumbai, which is battling a recent spurt. The tally of confirmed infections is 10.96 million, the second highest…
INDIA will make Covid-19 molecular tests mandatory for people arriving directly or indirectly from the UK, South Africa and Brazil in a bid to contain the spread of more infectious virus variants found in those countries. India, which has reported the highest number of overall Covid-19 cases after the US,…
THE co-founder and a senior director of Bristol Laboratories, one of the country’s leading generic medicine manufacturers, died last Sunday (14) after contracting coronavirus. PM Raju was admitted to the Royal Brompton Hospital in London last month after his condition deteriorated following the Covid infection. He succumbed to complications from…
By Murtuza Iqbal Diana Penty made her Bollywood debut with the 2012 release Cocktail and later starred in movies like Happy Bhag Jayegi, Lucknow Central, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, and Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi. She currently has Maddock Films’ Shiddat in her kitty, and now, the actress is all…
By Murtuza Iqbal The theatres in Kerala have reopened and now, it is expected that soon many Malayalam films will hit the big screens. A few days ago, actor Jayasurya had revealed that his movie Vellam will hit the big screens on 22nd January 2021. And now, the superstar of…
By: Mohnish Singh After the thunderous success of KGF: Chapter 1 in 2018, all eyes are set on its sequel KGF: Chapter 2 which arrives in cinemas on 2nd October, 2021. Though the film is almost 10 months away from its theatrical release, it has already started creating a great…
An Indian court on Tuesday (22) convicted a priest and a nun for the axe murder of another convent sister 30 years ago because they feared their illicit relationship would be made public. Highlighting the latest in a series of sex scandals to hit the Roman Catholic church in the…
INDIA exceeded 10 million infections of the new coronavirus on Saturday(19), much later than predicted only a month ago as the pace of infections slows, despite many in the country giving up on masks and social distancing. After hitting a peak of nearly 98,000 daily cases in mid-September, daily infections…
By Michael Kenwood, Local Democracy Reporting Service BANGOR in North Down has been chosen as the Northern Ireland base for an international project looking at plastic pollution in the sea. The project is a joint enterprise between the UK and Indian governments, with each chosen location in the four parts…
THE number of robots used in various sectors in India has increased drastically during the pandemic, reports say. The 5ft tall Mitra robot, developed by the Bengaluru startup Invento Robotics, has been widely used in the country in the healthcare sector during Covid-19. The robot, which costs around £10,000, navigates…
THE Burevi tropical cyclone is headed towards southern India, authorities said on Thursday(3), after it slammed Sri Lanka's east coast earlier this week but caused little damage. Burevi, the second cyclone in the southern Bay of Bengal in a week, slammed into north-eastern Sri Lanka just before midnight (1830 GMT).…
Even in the land of cricket, Diego Maradona's death came as such a shock that one Indian state declared two days of official mourning and fans flocked to a hotel room where the football deity once slept. The Argentine footballer, who died on Wednesday (25) at the age of 60,…
By: Mohnish Singh Though theatres in India remained shuttered for the most part of 2020 due to the outburst of the Coronavirus pandemic, Nawazuddin Siddiqui continued rocking on various streaming media platforms with the release of his various films at regular intervals. Continuing the trend, the award-winning actor is now…
Staying inside a bio-bubble “isn’t easy” but Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri, nevertheless, is bracing up for the upcoming Indian Super League in earnest, doing all it takes for a successful campaign with his franchise Bengaluru FC. From doing double training sessions and reading books, to watching renowned broadcaster and…
INDIA's Covid-19 cases passed eight million on Thursday(29) just ahead of the busy festival season in the country. India reported its first coronavirus infection on January 30, 2020, and now it is world's second-worst-hit country after the US. Textiles minister Smriti Irani has become the latest of several cabinet members…
The beach might not be the first thing you associate with India (unless we’re talking about Goa, of course). However, you might be surprised. India boasts more than 7,500km of coastline - so you’d be safe in assuming there are quite a few spectacular beaches in there. Whether you want…
India on Tuesday(20) reported its lowest daily coronavirus caseload in nearly three months, data from the health ministry showed. According to the ministry, new cases maintained decreasing trend from a peak in September. The country reported 46,790 new infections in the last 24 hours, taking its tally to nearly 7.6 million…
By Pramod Thomas A DOCTOR who helped set up Kerala’s first plasma bank has described how the move helped save the lives of 55 critical Covid-19 patients in the south Indian state. Dr Shinas Babu is a nodal officer of the special Covid treatment centre at the Government Medical College…
EVERYONE may be in a lockdown and not able to go on a holiday, but that doesn’t stop people from dreaming about a getaway to somewhere nice. With that in mind, popular TV stars recalled their favourite holiday destinations in India and in the process, gave some ideas for when…
INDIA is bracing for a surge of Covid-19 cases in coming weeks as it heads into its main holiday season. The Covid-19 infections in Kerala in southern India have jumped by five times since it celebrated the 10-day harvest festival of Onam in late August. Experts warn that such a…
By Amit Roy A BRITISH historian, Edward Anderson, triggered a culture war last week by tweeting: “Idlis are the most boring things in the world.” He was responding to a question posed by the Indian food delivery portal Zomato: “What’s that one dish you could never understand why people like…
By Pramod Thomas A subsidiary of India's Tata Group pulled a jewellery advertisement of a Hindu-Muslim family celebrating a baby shower after social media criticism, with some posting "Love Jihad". Love Jihad or Romeo Jihad is an conspiracy theory alleging that Muslim men target women belonging to non-Muslim communities for…
In 35 years of selling the village catch, Jennet Cleetus said business has never been so bad for her and other women who make ends meet by hawking seafood along the palm-fringed coast of Kerala in southern India. India - one of the countries worst-hit by COVID-19 - has eased…
Travellers from Dubai and the UK were primary sources of COVID-19 importations into India, according to an analytical study done by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi. According to the research, which has been published in the Journal of Travel Medicine, COVID-19 got induced into Indian states mainly due to…
By S Neeraj Krishna INDIA's National Investigation Agency has arrested nine terror suspects allegedly belonging to a "Pakistan-sponsored" al Qaeda module planning attacks on "vital installations" across the country. The premier anti-terrorism wing's raid in the wee hours of Saturday (19) led to the arrests of six suspects in the…
INDIA pacer S Sreesanth's ban for alleged spot-fixing came to an end on Sunday(13), concluding a seven-year punishment that was originally meant to be for life and was aggressively contested by the flamboyant bowler. The 37-year-old has already made it clear that he intends to resume at least his domestic…
INDIA reported a record daily jump of 77,266 coronavirus infections on Friday (28), taking its total to 3.39 million, as cases surged across the country, data from the health ministry showed. India has reported the highest single-day caseload in the world every day since Aug. 7. Currently, it is the…
INDIA reported on Thursday (27) a record daily jump of 75,760 coronavirus infections, taking its total caseload to 3.31 million as cases surged across the country, data from the federal health ministry showed. This is for the first time that the country reports over 75,000 Covid-19 cases in a day.…
A luxury resort in southern India has turned its swimming pool into a fish farm to stop the business sinking amid the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Normally the 150-metre (500-feet) pool at the Aveda Resort in Kerala state is packed with European tourists. Now thousands of pearl…
EFFORTLESSLY being able to fuse global musical influences has enabled iLLEST to produce big beats and perform in front of huge crowds. The dynamic DJ, drummer and beatboxer is also the host of a popular radio show, which is broadcast globally and has done many high-profile collaborations. Despite being constantly…
Heavy monsoon rains lashed New Delhi Wednesday (19), inundating roads and piling on misery for commuters in the chaotic Indian capital, as the death toll from the annual deluge across South Asia rose to nearly 1,300. The monsoon is vital to the densely populated region, revitalising land and waterways amid…
Aamir Khan is currently in Turkey to shoot for his movie Laal Singh Chaddha. The shooting of the film was stalled due to the pandemic and now, the makers have decided to wrap up the shoot in Turkey. Recently, Aamir met the First Lady of Turkey, Emine Erdogan. According to…
Indian food delivery company Zomato said it would give female employees up to 10 days of "period leave" per year, as part of an effort to combat what it said was stigma around the issue. Zomato is the most high profile organisation to institute the policy in India, a country…
Seated on the last row of the plane, Muhammed Junaid sensed something was amiss when Air India Express flight IX 1344 from Dubai was jerked around by strong winds as it approached the southern Indian city of Kozhikode late on Friday. After an aborted attempt, the aircraft swung around and…
At least 43 bodies have been recovered after a massive landslide triggered by monsoon rains swept away dozens of tea estate workers in southwestern India, police said Sunday. The landslide in Idukki district, around 250 kilometres (155 miles) from Kerala state's capital Thiruvananthapuram, occurred Friday but the ongoing search and…
THE death toll from an Indian passenger aircraft accident has risen to 18, while 16 people have been severely injured, a senior government official said on Saturday (8). The Air India Express plane, which was repatriating Indians stranded in Dubai due to the coronavirus pandemic, overshot the runway of the…
FATALITIES were feared after a passenger jet carrying nearly 200 people from Dubai crash-landed at an airport in southern India on Friday (7) and broke in two, officials and reports said. The Air India Express jet crashed at Kozhikode airport in Kerala. The aircraft skidded off the runway at the airport…
A landslide caused by torrential rains killed at least 15 tea garden workers in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Friday (7), and rescue workers were searching for more than 50 people thought to be trapped under soil and debris, officials said. The landslide hit in the early hours…
An Indian nurse has been killed outside a hospital in the US after she was stabbed multiple times and struck by a vehicle, in what police in South Florida are calling an incident of domestic dispute. Merin Joy, 26, who is from Kerala, was stabbed “multiple times” while leaving Coral…
Almost a quarter of people in New Delhi have had the coronavirus, according to a study that cast serious doubt on the official numbers both in the megacity and across India. India last week became the third country after the United States and Brazil to hit one million cases but…
New Delhi recorded fewer than 1,000 coronavirus cases for the first time in seven weeks on Tuesday (21), even as more Indian states imposed restrictions to halt the spread of the pandemic. India last week became the third country after the United States and Brazil to hit one million cases…
With community transmission occurring in two coastal hamlets, the district administration clamped a complete lockdown for 10 days in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram from Saturday midnight to contain the spread of COVID-19. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Friday said that community spread had occurred in Poonthura and Pulluvila…
A court has ordered India's cricket board to pay more than $640 million to former Indian Premier League champions Deccan Chargers for illegal termination of the franchise. The Chargers, which were owned by the Deccan Chronicle newspaper group, were kicked out of the IPL in 2012 by the Board of…
INDIA's Supreme Court has uphold the right of a former royal dynasty to run the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, one of the world's richest places of worship, after the state government tried to take it over when the family patriarch died. When one of the vaults of the towering centuries-old Hindu…
INDIA's IT hub Bangalore will go back into lockdown Tuesday (14) as the number of coronavirus cases in the country surged towards a million with about 500 people dying daily. After imposing one of the world's strictest lockdowns in late March, India has been steadily easing rules to lessen the…
FORMER Liverpool and England goalkeeper David James says lockdown has given him plenty of time to indulge in his passion for art and also plot a move into management. The 49-year-old, capped 53 times, cut his managerial teeth with Kerala Blasters in south India, but now believes it is time…
INDIA announced Monday (6) that it has nearly 700,000 coronavirus cases, taking it past Russia to become the third-hardest-hit nation in the global pandemic. The health ministry said 697,358 cases had now been recorded, a rise of 24,000 in 24 hours, while Russia has just over 681,000. The US and…
Dr Anton Sebastianpillai, Kingston Hospital Dr Anton Sebastianpillai was a “hugely respected” NHS geriatrician and author in his 70s, who died on April 4 at Kingston Hospital, where he served as a consultant. President of the British Geriatrics Society, Professor Tash Masud, said Sebastianpillai’s death was “heartbreaking”, adding that he…
INDIA reported the highest single-day Covid-19 deaths at 507 on Wednesday (1) and fresh cases stand at 18,653. The total number of cases in the country jumped to 585,493 with 17,400 deaths. Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu accounting for over 70 per cent of the fatalities, according to the health ministry. For…
Days after television actor Kunal Pandit announced his decision to bid adieu to Mumbai, his Siddhivinayak co-star Karan Khandelwal has also decided to go back to his home in Kerala. You may find it surprising to know that the duo has left the city of dreams owing to the financial…
INDIA reported 17,296 Covid-19 cases on Friday (26), the country's highest single-day tally so far. With this India's tally jumped to 490,401, and the death toll climbed to 15,301 with 407 new fatalities. India registered over 14,000 cases for the seventh day in a row and witnessed a surge of 299,866…
INDIA reported nearly 16,000 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. With this the total tally surged to 456,183 on Wednesday (24). A total of 10,495 Covid-19 patients have recovered in a day, the health ministry said. The country reported 15,968 positive cases and 465 deaths in the last…
INDIA's Covid-19 cases reached 425,282 on Monday (22) with 14,821 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll rose to 13,699 with 445 new fatalities, according to the health ministry. The country crossed the 400,000-mark on Sunday (21) eight days after recording 300,000 Covid-19 cases and has…
INDIA on Saturday (20) saw another record spike of 14,516 new Covid-19 cases in a single-day, pushing the tally to 3,95,048, while the death toll rose to 12,948 with 375 new fatalities, according to the health ministry. The number of recoveries continued to surge with 213,830 patients cured so far,…
INDIA saw another record spike of 13,586 new Covid-19 cases in a single-day on Friday (19), pushing the tally to 380,532, while the death toll rose to 12,573 with 336 new fatalities, according to the health ministry. The number of recoveries crossed the 200,000-mark and stands at 204,710, while there…
By Asjad Nazir THE tragic suicide of talented actor Sushant Singh Rajput sent shockwaves around the world and stunned everyone into silence. Everyone from fans and the film fraternity to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the 34-year-old star, found hanging at his residence in Mumbai. The tragedy…
Indian newspapers, which just a few months ago had defied the global trend by gaining circulation, are now buckling under the weight of coronavirus losses that have killed some off and critically wounded other big names. Newspapers have remained a mainstay in the country of 1.3 billion people in recent…
BIRTHDAY SPECIAL ON THE LIFE AND CAREER OF A TAMIL CINEMA GIANT KNOWN AS THALAPATHY by ASJAD NAZIR ONE of the most successful cinema stars in India is Tamil movie icon Vijay, and this month the massively popular actor turns a year older on June 22. The South Indian superstar…
INDIA reported its biggest single-day jump in Covid-19 cases on Saturday (13), adding 11,458 confirmed infections and taking total count to 308,993,, according to data from the health ministry. The death toll rose to 8,884 with 386 new fatalities, it said. The country has 145,779 active cases while 154,329 people…
The main mosque in the Indian capital New Delhi, which briefly reopened to worshippers, will again close over fears that the coronavirus could spread, its management said Thursday. The 17th century Jama Masjid had reopened Monday after the government relaxed its ban on religious gatherings -- a measure that was…
THE death toll due to Covid-19 rose to 8,102 and the number of cases climbed to 286,579 in India after the country registered the highest single-day spike of 357 fatalities and 9,996 cases on Thursday (11). According to the health ministry, the number of recoveries remained more than the active…
INDIA's Covid-19 cases climbed to 276,583 on Wednesday (10) with 9,985 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The country registered 279 fatalities in a day. The death toll now stands at 7,745, the health ministry said. India is the fifth worst-hit nation by the Covid-19 pandemic after the…
THE death toll due to the Covid-19 pandemic in India rose to 7,135 and the number of cases climbed to 256,611, after it registered 206 fatalities and a record single-day spike of 9,983 cases till Monday (8), the health ministry said. Now, India is the fifth worst-hit nation by the…
INDIA went past Italy to become the sixth worst-hit nation by the Covid-19 pandemic with the country registering a record single-day spike of 9,887 cases which pushed the nationwide tally to 236,657. India's death toll due to Covid-19 rose to 6,642 with a record increase of 294 deaths in the…
INDIA saw a record single-day jump of 9,851 Covid-19 cases and 273 deaths on Friday (5), pushing the nationwide infection tally to 2,26,770 and the death toll to 6,348, according to the health ministry. India stood seventh among the nations worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic after the US, Brazil,…
India pledged to investigate Thursday the death of a pregnant elephant that ate explosives-filled fruit, as cricket and Bollywood stars joined a chorus of outrage over the incident. The elephant died in agony last week in the southern state of Kerala, the latest casualty in a growing conflict in South…
THE Covid-19 cases in India saw a record single-day jump of 9,304 cases on Thursday (4) pushing the total tally to 2,16,919, while the death toll climbed to 6,075 with 260 new fatalities, according to the health ministry. India stood seventh among the nations worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic…
A pregnant elephant died in India apparently after eating some fruit containing a firecracker that exploded in her mouth, prompting a criminal investigation into suspected cruelty toward animals, forestry officials said on Wednesday (3). The incident drew outrage on social media after a forestry officer, Mohan Krishnan, posted an emotional…
Recently, we came across news that in Kerala a pregnant elephant was given a pineapple to eat which had crackers stuffed in it. The crackers busted in her stomach and the elephant passed away. Well, this animal cruelty has not gone down well with Bollywood celebs and many took to…
INDIA registered a record jump of 8,909 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 207,615 on Wednesday (3), while the toll rose to 5,815 with 217 more deaths, the health ministry said. The number of active cases mounted to 101,497 and 100,302 people have recovered, while…
Students protested in southern India on Tuesday (2) after the suicide of a teenage girl who was unable to attend online classes because she did not have a television or smartphone. Schools have been shut across India since the country locked down its 1.3 billion people on March 25 to…
THE death toll due to Covid-19 rose to 5,394 and the number of cases climbed to 1,90,535 in India on Monday (1). The country reported record 230 deaths and 8,392 cases in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said. India is now seventh among the nations worst hit by…
THE number of Covid-19 cases in India surged to 173,763 on Saturday (30). For the second straight day, the number of daily coronavirus cases in the country hit a new high at 7,964. The deadly virus has claimed 4,971 lives so far in the country. At least 265 new deaths…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 4,531 and the number of cases climbed to 1,58,333 in India on Thursday (28). The country reported 6,566 cases and 194 deaths in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said. The number of active COVID-19 cases stand at 86,110 while 67,691 people…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 4,337 and the total number of cases climbed to 1,51,767 in India on Wednesday (27). The country has reported 170 deaths and 6,387 new cases in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at…
After first failing with a viper, an Indian man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife by letting loose a cobra in her room, police said Monday (26). Police in the southern state of Kerala said phone records showed the man -- named as Sooraj -- had been in…
INIDA, the second largest populous country after China, reported 6,535 new COVID-19 cases and 146 fresh deaths in the last 24 hours. With this, the number of cases climbed to 1,45,380 and the death toll reached 4,167 on Tuesday (26). India now stands 10th in terms of number of infections…
INDIA registered biggest single day spike of COVID-19 cases for the fourth consecutive day on Monday (25) with 6,977 new infections, reported in the last 24 hours, taking the country's tally to 1,38,845. The deadly virus has claimed 4,021 lives in the country, the health ministry said. A total 154 deaths…
THE COVID-19 cases in India saw the biggest spike for the second consecutive day on Saturday (23) with 6,654 new infections in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 125,101. With 137 fresh deaths, the toll rose to 3,720, the health ministry said. The active cases rose to 69,597,…
THE COVID-19 cases in India reached 118,447 on Friday (22). The country reported the highest single day tally at 6,088. The death toll from the virus touched 3,583. As many as 150 coronavirus patients succumbed to death in last 24 hours. Maharashtra confirmed 64 deaths on Thursday (21) — one of…
By Amit Roy THERE was something very special about Poornima Nair, reportedly the first female doctor in the UK to die from Covid-19. Her death is a personal tragedy for her husband and son, who have shown great dignity, character and courage in telling me about their loss. But her…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 3,435 and the number of cases to 1,12,359 in India on Thursday (21), registering an increase of 132 deaths and 5,609 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 63,624, while…
Former Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has praised K K Shailaja, health minister in the Southern Indian state of Kerala, for her proactive and bold leadership in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 in the state. Kerala reported India's first coronavirus case in January. But the state has recorded…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 3,303 and the number of cases climbed to 1,06,750 in India on Wednesday (20), registering an increase of 140 deaths and a record spike of 5,611 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry. The number of active COVID-19…
INDIA's COVID-19 cases touched 100,000 mark on Tuesday (19). It took 64 days for the country to reach this level from 100 cases. India reported its first infection on January 30 in the Southern state of Kerala. The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 3,163 and the number of…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 3,029 and the number of cases to 96,169 in the country on Monday (18), registering an increase of 157 deaths and a record jump of 5,242 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry. The number of active COVID-19…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,752 in India and the number of cases climbed to 85,940 on Saturday (16). The country reported 103 deaths and 3,970 cases in the last 24 hours, said the health ministry. The country now crossed China's tally in total number of infections.…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,649 in India and the number of cases climbed to 81,970 on Friday (15), the health ministry said. The country has reported 100 new deaths and 3,967 new cases due to coronavirus in the last 24 hours. India, second largest populous country…
A BRITISH INDIAN doctor, whose "heart was with the NHS", has died in the north-east of England after a long battle with the deadly coronavirus. Dr Poornima Nair, 55, who worked at the Station View Medical Centre in Bishop Auckland in County Durham of England, had been admitted at the…
AS India is all set to enter into the fourth phase of its lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19, the number of infections has jumped to 74,281 on Wednesday (13), the health ministry said. The deadly virus has claimed 2,415 lives so far in the country. India has…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,293 and the number of cases climbed to 70,756 in the country on Tuesday (12). The country reported 3,604 new cases and 87 fresh deaths in the past 24 hours, said the health ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases in the…
INDIA on Monday (11) registered a record 4,213 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours in the country. With this the number of cases jumped to 67,152. As many as 2,206 people have died of the disease, with 97 fresh fatalities in a day, the health ministry said. The number of…
THE first Air India flight from the UK, scheduled as part of the "Vande Bharat Mission" to repatriate Indians stranded overseas due to the coronavirus lockdown, took off from London's Heathrow Airport on Saturday (9). About 250 Indian students and tourists were seen queuing with their luggage at the airport…
AS India enters the last week of its official lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the COVID-19, the country reported nearly 60,000 cases as on Saturday (9). India reported its first case of infection in the Southern state of Kerala on January 30. The death toll due to the…
The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1,886 and the number of cases climbed to 56,342 in India on Friday (8). The country reported 3,390 new cases and 103 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 37,916. While…
INIDA registers drastic increase in COVID-19 cases in the country in the past few days. The death toll due to COVID-19 in the country rose to 1,783 while the number of cases climbed to 52,952 on Thursday (7), registering an increase of 89 deaths and 3,561 cases in a day,…
UK universities have urged distressed Indian students -- whether still in Britain or in India -- to get in touch with their varsity support services if they need help or guidance during the pandemic lockdown. On Monday, the Indian government announced plans to begin phased repatriation of its citizens stranded…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1,694 and the number of cases climbed to 49,391 in India on Wednesday (6), registering an increase of 126 deaths and 2,958 cases in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said. This is the second continuous day that the country reports…
THE Indian government has finalised plans to operate 64 flights from May 7 to 13 to bring home nearly 15,000 nationals stranded abroad due to the pandemic. These special flights would be operated by Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express to repatriate Indians from 12 countries -- the…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1,568 and the number of cases climbed to 46,433 in India on Tuesday (5), the health ministry said. The number of active cases stood at 32,138, while 12,726 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said. The total number of…
THE death toll due to the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to 1,147 with 72 more fatalities and the number of cases climbed to 35,043 in India on Friday (1), the health ministry said. The ongoing lockdown in the country is set to end on Sunday (3). The active COVID-19 cases…
By Amit Roy THE focus during the coronavirus crisis has been on the shortage of gowns, masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health workers, but the boss of one pharmaceutical company said it is becoming harder getting all the raw materials he needs for making generic…
INDIA is likely to extend the lockdown in hotspots as death toll due to novel coronavirus pandemic rose to 1,074 on Thursday (30). Only three days left to end the 40-day lockdown announced by the country to contain the spread of the deadly virus. The country reported 66 more fatalities in…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1,007 and the number of cases climbed to 31,332 in India on Wednesday (29), according to the health ministry. The states have recorded over 1,897 cases in last 24 hours, highest number of fresh cases reported in a single day since the…
INDIA is likely to continue lockdown in hotspots as COVID-19 cases are increasing fast. The novel coronavirus has claimed 872 lives and there are 20,835 active COVID-19 cases in the country, according to the health ministry data released on Monday (27) Morning. The total number of cases in India is…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 775 and the number of cases climbed to 24,506 in the country on Saturday (25), according to the health ministry. The number of active cases stood at 18,668 while 5,062 people were cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the ministry…
INDIA's death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 718 and the number of cases to 23,077 on Friday (24), said the health ministry. A total of 32 deaths were reported since Thursday evening, of which 14 fatalities were from Maharashtra, nine from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh and two each from…
INDIA's health ministry on Thursday (23) said that the country's total COVID-19 cases have jumped to 21,393 with 681 deaths. A total of 29 deaths were reported since Wednesday evening, of which 18 fatalities were reported from Maharashtra, eight from Gujarat, two from Rajasthan and one from Delhi, the ministry…
Absent staff and broken supply chains scuppered efforts by some Indian industries to restart Monday, weeks after the government ordered a nationwide shutdown to stop the spread of coronavirus. Although the national lockdown has been extended until May 3, officials said certain key sectors could resume operations under strict conditions…
About 500 people entered self-isolation at the Presidential House in the Indian capital on Tuesday (21) after a worker's relative tested positive for coronavirus, officials said, as the number of cases nationwide neared 18,000 despite a strict lockdown. India's 1.3 billion people have been ordered to remain indoors for 40…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 590 in India and the number of cases climbed to 18,601 on Tuesday (21), according to the health ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 14,759 while 3,251 people have been cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 543 and the number of cases climbed to 17,265 in the country on Monday (20), according to the health ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 14, 175 while 2,546 people have been cured and discharged, and one patient has…
Gujarat in western India became the sixth state to cross the 1,000 mark in COVID-19 cases in the country. The number of coronavirus positive cases in Gujarat rose to 1,272 after 176 new cases were reported on Saturday (18), a health department official said. Ahmedabad reported 142 new COVID-19…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 437 and the number of cases to 13,387 in India on Friday (17), according to the health ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 11,201, as many as 1,748 people have been cured and discharged, and one had migrated,…
A month after Jamshedpur FC ended their disappointing Indian Super League (ISL) season, winger CK Vineeth joined another team - working in a call centre providing relief to people in his district during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since India announced a lockdown last month to curb the coronavirus spread, Vineeth has…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 414 in India on Thursday (16) and the number of cases stands at 12,380 , said health ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 10,477, as many as 1,488 people have been cured and discharged and one had migrated, it…
EXPERTS have warned the government to “act now” as new statistics showed a disproportionate number of British Asians have been affected by Covid-19. New data revealed a third of patients in intensive care were of BAME heritage, while the health secretary, Matt Hancock, confirmed last week that 19 NHS workers…
By Sabu S Padmadas Professor of Demography and Global Health University of Southampton [caption id="attachment_100122" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sabu S Padmadas[/caption] WE LIVE in anxious and uncertain times. Every day we get updates on the numbers of people who have contracted and succumbed to Covid-19, this 21st century killer disease. Yet…
India's meteorological department on Wednesday (15) said that the country will receive normal monsoon in this season. The Southwest monsoon, that covers 75 per cent of the country, is expected to hit during June-September period. IMD Director General M Mohapatra said that the rainfall is likely to be 100 per…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 in India rose to 377 while the number of cases climbed to 11,439 on Wednesday (15), according to the health ministry. As many as 24 deaths have been reported since Tuesday evening, of which 18 were reported from Maharashtra, two each from Delhi and…
OVER a hundred Indian diaspora organisations here issued a letter of solidarity with India, and urged their compatriots caught up in the current lockdown to show patience to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic in the country. The 107 organisations, including charities, temple associations and state-wise representative bodies, lauded the…
THE UK government has arranged a second round of charter flights from India to bring home British nationals who are stuck in the country following the lockdown. These flights will be operating from April 14 to 20 from various destinations across India. This is in addition to the seven flights…
The death toll due to COVID-19 pandemic rose to 308 on Monday (13) in India after 35 new fatalities were reported, while the number of cases climbed to 9,152, according to the health ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 7,987, as many as 856 people have been…
More than 40 Indian-Americans and citizens of India have reportedly lost their lives due to the deadly coronavirus and the number of those having tested positive for the dreaded disease is likely over 1,500, according to community leaders in the US, now the global COVID-19 hotspot. The US has become…
The Labour Party on Saturday (11) joined calls alongside doctors doctors for a probe into the disproportionate number of black and minority ethnic (BAME) medics dying from the novel coronavirus in the country. The move comes as UK health secretary Matt Hancock confirmed that 19 NHS workers have died with…
MORE than 40 Indian-Americans and Indian nationals have reportedly died due to COVID-19 and the number of those having tested positive for the dreaded disease is likely over 1,500, according to community leaders in the US. The US has become the world's first country to have registered more than 2,000…
THE death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 239 and the number of cases to 7,447 in India on Saturday (11), according to the health ministry. The 7,447 figure includes 71 foreign nationals. The death toll on Friday evening was 206. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 6,565,…
The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 199 in India and the number of cases stands at 6,412 on Friday (10), according to the health ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 5,709, as many as 503 people were cured and discharged and one had migrated, it…
Indian-origin doctors in the UK have initiated an in-depth research into the role of ethnicity in greater susceptibility of BAME communities to develop more critical symptoms of Covid-19. A report by the UK's Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) this week had revealed that the country’s ethnic minority…
THE death toll due to the novel coronavirus rose to 166 in India and the number of cases stands at 5,734 on Thursday (9), according to the health ministry. As many as 17 new deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours across the country, the ministry said. The…
THE death toll due to the novel coronavirus rose to 149 and the number of cases to 5,194 in India on Wednesday (8), according to the health ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 4,643, as many as 401 people were cured and discharged and one had migrated,…
Scores of Indian-Americans have tested positive with the novel coronavirus and several of them have died, according to multiple news reports from community organisations and diaspora leaders from across the US, currently the global epicentre of the deadly disease. While there is no official or unofficial count of Indian-Americans infected…
INDIA’s health ministry on Monday (6) said that 109 people in the country have died of COVID-19 so far and there are 4,067 confirmed cases. The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 3,666, as many as 291 people were cured and discharged, and one has migrated, it said. The…
THE number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 1,965 in the country on Thursday (2) while the death toll rose to 50, according to the Union health ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 1,764, of which 150 people were either cured or discharged and one migrated to another…
PIONEERING British arts legend Jay Visvadeva has many impressive achievements, including curating more than 1,600 events with over 3,200 artists at hundreds of venues, across a 50-year career. During this time, he also co-produced 450 multi-genre music albums from the South Asian arts world. He is still going strong, curating…
British national Brian Neil,57, who was admitted with severe COVID-19 pneumonia symptoms at the Government Medical College Hospital in Ernakulam, Kerala, was discharged on Wednesday (1). He was admitted on March 15 after being disembarked from his onward flight to UK at Kochi airport. He was admitted along with his…
THE number of novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 1,637 on Wednesday (1), including 1,466 active cases and 38 deaths, according to health ministry. Two doctors of Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital test positive for Covid-19 As many as 132 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated to…
The number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 1,071 in India on Monday (30), while the death toll rose to 29, according to the union health ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 942, while 99 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated, the ministry stated.…
The Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Ruchi Ghanashyam, on Sunday (29) appealed to Indian citizens stranded in the country due to the coronavirus pandemic to beware of fake news doing the rounds about Air India evacuation flights planned next week. Ghanashyam posted a copy of the fake news being…
Akshay Kumar, one of the most influential Bollywood stars in India, has come forward to lend his helping hand in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fight against Coronavirus. The superstar has pledged to contribute a whopping amount of ₹ 25 crore to the Coronavirus relief fund. Announcing the same on…
THE number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 873 in India on Saturday (28) with the death toll rising to 19, according to the Health Ministry. The two fresh deaths occurred in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Thus, deaths have so far been reported from Maharashtra (5), Gujarat (3), Karnataka (2), Madhya…
PRAISE FOR KERALA POLICE’S HAND-WASHING VIDEO AS ‘MODERN MARKETING TOOL’ by NEERAJ KRISHNA AS THE World Health Organization and health specialists emphasised the importance of thorough hand-washing to protect against the coronavirus, a police media team in a south Indian state brainstormed on how to take the message to the…
India reported two COVID-19 deaths on Monday, taking the death toll to nine, and the number of cases climbed to 468 after 95 people tested positive for coronavirus, the highest jump in one day, as Maharashtra and Punjab were put under statewide curfews, the rest of the country in lockdown…
In an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus, India has decided to suspend all inter-state buses, passenger trains and metro services across the country till March 31. However, goods trains are exempted. Besides, 80 districts where COVID-19 cases were reported have been completely locked down. These are in Uttar…
THE number of COVID-19 cases in India has increased to 415 on Monday (23) from 360 cases on Sunday evening, , the health ministry said. The figure includes 41 foreign nationals and seven deaths. In the wake of the alarming situation, Indian government on Monday asked state governments to strictly…
India reported one more coronavirus death on Sunday (22), taking the death toll to five even as the railways announced suspension of all its passenger services from March 22 midnight to March 31 midnight to help check the spread of the virus. Bihar also reported its first death due to…
The Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Friday (29) took the rare step of closing its borders with several neighbouring states because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Tamil Nadu government shut the borders with Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh states, which have reported a growing number of coronavirus cases. While…
THE South Indian state of Kerala’s moves to contain the cornonavirus outbreak have caught wide attention with two robots joining the ‘battle’. Parliamentarian Shahsi Tharoor was among the first to tweet about the new recruits. Robots dispensing sanitiser & #COVID2019 advice. In Kerala!! pic.twitter.com/TlBETlxXel — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 17,…
THE total number of positive COVID-19 cases in India jumped to 114 as on Monday (16), a health ministry official said. New cases were reported from Odisha, Jammu&Kashmir, Ladakh and Kerala. 4 new cases #COVID19 – 1 each from #Odisha, #Jammu&Kashmir, #Ladakh and #Kerala have been confirmed since the last…
Irrfan Khan starrer Angrezi Medium released on 13th March 2020. The film took a decent opening at the box office on day one and went on to collect Rs 4.03 crore. But due to coronavirus, the film saw a downfall on Saturday and Sunday. In three days, the film has…
Coronavirus has surely created a ruckus around the world. Every day we get to hear about the virus being spread everywhere. It has also affected Bollywood a lot. Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif starrer Sooryavanshi has been postponed. Angrezi Medium will face a downfall in the collection as theatres in…
INDIA has recorded its first death due to coronavirus in the Southern Indian state of Karnataka. The victim, a 76-year-old man who passed away on Tuesday, was tested positive for the coronavirus, the Karnataka health department confirmed the same on Thursday (12). "The 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi who passed away and was…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (12). Both countries are facing the virus outbreak, while the UK has reported deaths due to the disease. They discussed the coronavirus outbreak and emphasised the importance of coordinated international efforts to tackle the spread of…
When amputee Shreya Siddanagowder was offered new hands, the Indian student didn't hesitate - even though they were big, dark and hairy, and once belonged to a man. Now though, not only have her new hands become more slender, they have also changed colour to match her skin tone, mystifying…
THE Southern Indian state of Kerala on Tuesday (10) scaled up the protocol to deal with the COVID-19 threat to nearly a state-wide lock-down, with the government declaring a public health emergency. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state has jumped to 14. In India, a total of…
THE number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 43 on Monday (9) with four people, including a three-year-old child in Kerala who had returned from Italy, testing positive for the disease, Health Ministry officials said. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu reported one case each, officials said. The new data suggests the spread…
INDIA has just initiated the country's biggest ever privatisation drive. The government on Saturday (7) invited bids for sale of its entire 52.98 per cent stake in the country’s second biggest oil refiner Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). Expressions of interest for the strategic sale of BPCL have been invited by May 2,…
Northern Indian state of Punjab has reported first two positive cases of coronavirus on Saturday (7). The patients have a travel history to virus-hit Italy. With this, the total number of confirmed cases in India has reached 33. The COVID-19 cases in India have been reported from Kerala (all three patients recovered),…
A man from Delhi with a travel history to Thailand and Malaysia tested positive for coronavirus on Friday (6), health ministry said. With this, the total number of confirmed cases in the country has jumped to 31 in a week. "One more suspect has tested positive for COVID-19. The COVID-19…
INDIAN health minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday (5) said that India is in touch with Iran on possible evacuation of pilgrims and students stuck in the coronavirus-hit nation. The minister said the government is following up with Iran to tie-up evacuation of Indian pilgrims and students stranded in Tehran and Qom…
INDIAN health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday (4) said that 28 positive cases of coronavirus have been detected so far in India. Out of the total 28 COVID-19 cases in India, one person was from Delhi, six of his relatives in Agra, 16 Italians and their Indian driver, one in…
AN Italian national tested positive for coronavirus in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, a major tourist destination, a hospital official said on Monday (2), taking the number of people who have tested positive in the country to six. The patient had initially tested negative for the virus but a…
INDIA has reported three more cases of coronavirus on Monday (2), including an Italian national, taking the number of people who have tested positive in the country to six. The cases are reported in the capital New Delhi, Telangana and Rajasthan. The Italian national tested positive for coronavirus in Rajasthan.…
Adhering to a policy of “zero tolerance” towards clergy who sexually exploit minors, Pope Francis has expelled a Kerala priest convicted of rape from all priestly duties and rights, according to church officials. Syro-Malabar Church priest Robin Vadakkumchery is currently serving a jail term for impregnating a 16-year-old girl in…
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan believes it's with constant education that a country, a family can move forward as there is never an end to learning. In December last year, when the actor visited the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, the La Trobe University announced the 'Shah Rukh Khan La…
INDIAN External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday (7) that 80 Indian students are still living in the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan. He added that 70 of them chose to stay behind at the time of the evacuation operation. The minister said that the Indian Embassy in China…
BOOZE flowing like water could be a tippler’s dream come true. But residents of an apartment complex in the South Indian state of Kerala recently woke up to a nightmare as they found an obnoxious mix of spirits flowing from their household taps. The incident happened at Solomon Avenue Apartments…
THE Southern Indian state of Kerala becomes India’s battleground for the novel coronavirus as the third positive coronavirus case confirmed in the state. Currently, all the three positive cases reported from the country are from Kerala. The latest confirmed patient is a male-student from Wuhan who is admitted to an…
Sixty-four people who returned to Gujarat recently from China are under observation at their homes, but no suspected case of coronavirus infection has been found among them so far, a senior health department official said on Saturday (1). Most of these people are from Mehsana district (24), followed by Panchmahal…
India has started its mission to rescue citizens from the Coronavirus-hit Wuhan in China. The first flight, AI 1348 of Air India took off from Mumbai with a small halt in New Delhi. The flight is expected to ‘airlift’ about 315 Indians from Wuhan and neighbouring areas. A second aircraft…
Last year saw a lot of dust being brushed off antique copies of the Indian Constitution. Orders for fresh prints were galore. And even the layman started referring with ease to the 117,369-word framework on which the Indian democracy thrives. The word ‘Constitution’ and its Hindi counterpart ‘Samvidhaan’ echoed across the…
A 21-year-old female student's body has been recovered from a lake on the campus of a premier university in the US state of Indiana. Annrose Jerry, an accomplished musician, was a student at the University of Notre Dame. She was missing since January 21, CBS Minnesota reported. Jerry, who has…
In a world that is seeking to break free from mindless hate, violence, conflict and terrorism, the Indian way of life offers a ray of hope, prime minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. He also said India's civilisation prospered because of peace and harmony, and the Indian way of conflict…
KICKING UP a debate, an influential Catholic Church in India’s Kerala has said "Love Jihad is a reality" and alleged that scores of women from Christian community from the southern state were being lured into the trap of Islamic State (IS) and used in terror activities. The synod of Syro-Malabar…
After dropping out of school aged 12, transgender woman Guddi Kinnar resorted to dancing at weddings and other religious ceremonies to earn money, acutely aware that her lack of education was a major obstacle to obtaining a regular job. To ensure other youngsters don't end up in the same predicament,…
SANGEETA PILLAI’S SOUL SUTRAS TACKLES CULTURAL TABOOS by MITA MISTRY THERE are negative aspects of social media, but it has also been a force for good by providing a space for women from diverse backgrounds to come together and connect with a common interest, including private forums. One group that…
Thousands protested in rival demonstrations in India on Friday (27) as tensions deepen over a citizenship law seen as anti-Muslim, with authorities deploying huge numbers of riot police in the country. Twenty-seven people have died in two weeks of at times violent demonstrations after Hindu nationalist prime minister Narendra Modi's…
RESUL POOKUTTY ON HIS OSCAR TRIUMPH AND JOURNEY AHEAD by ASJAD NAZIR INDIA may have the most prolific film industry in the world, but the country has only ever had four individuals who have won a competitive Academy Award and one of them is Resul Pookutty. The ace sound designer,…
Washington and London issued travel warnings for northeast India as opponents of a new citizenship law geared up for more protests Saturday, following days of clashes that saw two people killed and dozens injured. Many in the far-flung, resource-rich region fear the new legislation will grant citizenship to large numbers…
Indian-American Peter Mathews, also a political analyst on CNN television, will be running for Congress. Mathews, who was born in India and immigrated to the US along with his parents at the age of 10, announced to enter the race for US House of Representatives from 47th Congressional District of…
OVER half of Indians (51 per cent) paid bribe to government officials, including the police, in the country last year, latest data showed. The report has come when the government vows to create a system without corruption. Those who responded to the survey questionnaire said bribes were most commonly asked…
By Nadeem Badshah PLANS to ban British travel firms from offering elephant riding holidays abroad have been welcomed by campaigners, who have warned the animals are often kept in barbaric conditions. Holiday companies in the UK advertise experiences abroad in countries including India and Sri Lanka, where customers can…
A 10-YEAR-OLD girl died after being bit by a snake inside her classroom at Sultan Bathery in the southern Indian state of Kerala, police said on Thursday (21). The fifth standard student, Shehala, was taken to the hospital only an hour after the incident, students of the government vocational higher…
INDIA'S Supreme Court on Thursday (14) referred a decision to lift a centuries-old ban on women of menstruating age entering a Hindu temple to a larger bench of judges, delaying a final verdict in the case that has divided opinion. Some women had defied the traditional ban on entering the…
by KEERTHI MOHAN DESTINATION weddings are becoming increasingly popular with couples who are inspired by the lavish nuptials of popular film stars and business personalities, India’s top wedding planners have said. Bollywood actresses Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma all had intimate destination weddings that offered them the privacy…
AN INDIA-UK joint research collaboration has yielded a robot that encourages kids to wash their hands at a remote primary school in southern India. The hand-shaped robot, dubbed ‘Pepe’, is the product of a collaboration between researchers from the University of Glasgow and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University in India. Pepe…
Indian nun Mariam Thresia and four others were declared Saints by Pope Francis at a grand ceremony at the Vatican City on Sunday (13). Mariam Thresia, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Thrissur in May 1914, was raised to the highest position within the…
by Keerthi Mohan AN ASIAN schoolgirl has revealed that she was excited when it was revealed she has been offered to join the Mensa club, a community of more than 20,000 people with a high IQ. Nandhana Prakash Simi, a Year 10 student at Plashet School in east London, said…
INDIA'S goods and services tax (GST) panel is unlikely to approve lowering the tax for the auto and allied components sector this week, as a study has warned of major revenue losses, two government officials said. A government study, attached to the agenda of a September 20 GST panel meeting,…
Wesley Mathews, the Indian-American foster father of three-year-old Sherin Mathews, will continue to serve his life sentence after a Texas court denied a new trial in the tragic death of the Indian toddler in 2017, in a case that attracted much international attention. Mathews, 39, who was sentenced to life…
Talented actor Prabhas was already a star before the two Baahubali films released, but became a global phenomenon after they smashed records around the world. He is continuing that momentum with one of the year’s biggest budget films Saaho being released this week and has a huge fan base supporting him all the way.…
By Nadeem Badshah JACKFRUIT biryani, coconut and beetroot-filled samosas and masala grilled avocado are some of the dishes being created by Indian restaurants to cater to Britain’s growing vegan community. Chefs are conjuring up a wider range of dishes for the estimated 600,000-plus Britons who have a plant-based diet with…
THE Indian government on Friday (17) allotted Geographical Indication (GI) tags to four new products from the states of Tamil Nadu, Mizoram, and Kerala. ‘Palani Panchamirtham’ of Palani town in Tamil Nadu state, Tawlhlohpuan and Mizo Puancheifrom from the state of Mizoram and Tirur Betel leaf from Kerala state are…
INDIA issued a fresh flood alert Wednesday (14) for parts of the southern state of Kerala, as the nationwide death toll from the annual monsoon deluge rose to at least 244. Authorities warned Kerala locals of heavy rainfall over the next 24-48 hours in some of the worst affected regions…
THE death toll from India’s monsoon floods climbed to 202 on Tuesday (13) as heavy rainfall kept pounding coastal regions in the west and south. Authorities have already moved more than 1.2 million people to relief camps. The southern tourist hotspot of Kerala, which was hit by its worst floods…
INDIAN authorities have moved around a million people into emergency camps in recent days as the death toll from monsoon floods jumped Monday (12) to at least 184. The southern state of Kerala, a tourist haven known for its beaches, hill resorts, and backwaters, has been the worst-hit region for…
THE death toll from floods in India's states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra rose to 95, official figures showed on Saturday (10), as heavy rain and landslides forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes. Seasonal monsoon rains from June to September are a crucial lifeline for agrarian Indian society,…
AT least 22 people have died in the southern Indian state of Kerala after torrential monsoon rains caused landslides and flooding that cut off some areas, authorities said on Friday (9). Seasonal monsoon rains from June to September cause deaths and mass displacement across South Asia every year but they…
A YOUTH from the Southern Indian state of Kerala, suspected to have fled to Afghanistan in 2017 to join the Islamic State (IS), was killed in a US drone strike in that country, according to information received by his relatives here. A WhatsApp message received by the family of Muhammed…
By Amit Roy The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, is expected to offer the kind of apology Theresa May felt unable to give as prime minister for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre when he undertakes a 10-day trip to India. The visit will begin in Kottayam in Kerala…
The Indian-American foster father of three-year-old Sherin Mathews, sentenced to life in connection with the death of the toddler whose body was found in a culvert in 2017, has started serving the jail term in a state prison, days after he filed an appeal for a fresh trial. In a…
One of the most popular movie stars in India, Suriya has starred in a series of blockbusters that have delighted fans all over the world. The talented actor has also produced movies and won hearts with his philanthropic activities. The megastar has won many admirers globally, including dedicated super fan…
THE Swedish company that owns the UK-flagged oil tanker seized by Iran said today it had finally been able to contact its crew, among them Indians, being held on board and they declared themselves "safe". Stena Bulk said in a statement that the ship's captain "advised that everyone was…
SEVERE floods and lightning have claimed the lives of more than 650 people across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, officials said Monday (22) as the annual monsoon took its toll on the rainfed region. More than 10 million people in the South Asian countries have been affected by the deluge,…
SHEILA Dikshit was one of the tallest leaders of the Congress who had the distinction of being Delhi's longest serving chief minister and giving the national capital Delhi its modern look. A warm and affable politician, she was a loyalist of the Gandhi family. She was handpicked by Rajiv Gandhi…
With summer holidays beginning in Britain this week, officials are redoubling efforts at the border to stop young people being dragged into forced marriages. At a Heathrow Airport arrivals gate, an AFP reporter watched as officials from a special task force comprising police, immigration agents and charity workers intercepted a…
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is set to present National Award-winning filmmaker Rima Das’ upcoming directorial venture Bulbul Can Sing as the opening night film of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. The Assamese film revolves around three teenagers trying to come to terms with their sexual identities. For the uninitiated,…
INDIA'S monsoon rains in the week ending on Wednesday (10) were above average for the first time since the start of the season on June 1, helping farmers to accelerate the planting of summer-sown crops and easing concerns of drought. Monsoon rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth,…
Wesley Mathews, the Indian-American foster father of three-year-old Sherin Mathews, was sentenced to life by a judge in Dallas on Wednesday (26) for the tragic death of the Indian toddler in 2017, in a case that attracted international attention. Mathews, 39, pleaded guilty Monday (24) to a lesser charge of…
Beloved by Toni Morrison: While working on my doctorate in comparative literature, I became fascinated by the literary figure of the infanticidal mother. In Beloved, an American runaway slave kills her infant rather than condemn her to slavery. So, Greece’s Medea, Mexico’s La Llorona, and India’s Putana, who fed Lord Krishna poisoned…
HUNDREDS of thousands of doctors across India went on strike on Monday (17) demanding better working conditions, the country's top medical body said, as the outrage over lax security conditions at hospitals escalated. The nationwide protests, affecting hundreds of hospitals, started after an attack at a medical college in West…
INDIAN police raided seven locations in the southern city of Coimbatore on Wednesday (12) in pursuit of a suspected Daesh (Islamic State) cell with links to the suicide bombers who killed over 250 people in Sri Lanka in April, officials said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said it was questioning…
A CYCLONE that had been heading for western India has veered away, forecasters said Thursday, although costal areas were still expected to be hit by winds gusting up to 160 kilometres (110 miles) per hour. Vayu, classified as a very severe cyclonic storm, moved north-northwestwards in the night over the Arabian Sea, and…
ALMOST 300,000 people are set to be evacuated in the western Indian state of Gujarat out of the path of a severe cyclonic storm due in two days, authorities said Tuesday (11). "The weather department's latest bulletin forecasts that cyclone Vayu will make landfall... early in the morning on June…
A gun battle between supporters of India's ruling right-wing party and a regional rival has killed four people in West Bengal, police said on Sunday (9), as violence raged in the tinderbox state. At least 18 others were injured in the clashes that broke out Saturday in the eastern state…