The Indian Panorama

Tag: Indian-Origin

  • 2 Indian-origin men jailed for 34 years in UK for drug smuggling

    2 Indian-origin men jailed for 34 years in UK for drug smuggling

    LONDON (TIP): Two Indian-origin men have been sentenced to prison in the UK for smuggling cocaine, cannabis and cigarettes into the country hidden in shipments of perishable goods. Anand Tripathi (61) and Varun Bhardwaj (39) were both sentenced to 19 years and 15 years in jail, respectively, after they were convicted in November, following a 71-day trial at Isleworth Crown Court, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
    They were also sentenced for not paying 9,774,220 pounds in import duties and VAT on 18.6 million cigarettes they smuggled on three dates, separate from the drug imports.

    The court heard that in total the men imported 272.86 kg of cocaine and 2,503.36 kg of cannabis across four shipments between September 2021 and November 2022. One shipment contained just over two tons of cannabis hidden amongst yams from Ghana. Another containing 49 kg of cocaine was concealed with oranges from South Africa. The drugs had an estimated street value of 28.9 million pounds but were all seized before they could be sold on and later destroyed by police. “These two men played vital roles in trying to flood UK streets with huge quantities of illegal drugs. The cost and damage to lives that drugs cause in our society is incalculable,” Richard Partridge from the CPS said. “This conspiracy was only made possible by Anand Tripathi’s experience in importation and customs clearance, and Varun Bhardwaj’s willingness to assume day-to-day management of their operation.”

    Partridge added that there were others involved in the scheme who haven’t yet been identified.

    The scheme involved the pair using their freight company as a cover to clear shipping containers that held drugs and cigarettes and diverting them from their intended destination to a warehouse they controlled.

    There they would be offloaded by organized crime groups, according to the CPS. It was exposed when they failed to divert one container which instead went to a farm in Somerset in April 2022. The farmer found plastic covered blocks of cocaine with a street value of 15 million pounds hidden amongst animal feed from Colombia.
    (Source: IANS)

  • Indian-origin undercover reporter Balakrishnan Balagopal finds exploitation of care workers in UK

    Indian-origin undercover reporter Balakrishnan Balagopal finds exploitation of care workers in UK

    LONDON (TIP): A UK-based reporter from Kerala who went undercover as a care assistant in a care home for the elderly in north-east England discovered worrying levels of exploitation of staff, many of them recruited from overseas countries such as India.
    Balakrishnan Balagopal’s report for the ‘BBC Panorama’ investigation, which will be telecast here on Monday, December 18 evening, found care givers being charged thousands of pounds by an Indian recruitment agency and nurses locked into lengthy contracts with a care home with financial penalties if they tried to leave jobs.
    According to official statistics for the past year, 140,000 visas were issued to overseas workers to come to the UK to meet staff shortages in the health and care industry and 39,000 of these went to people from India.
    “As I delved deeper into the lives of overseas caregivers, I heard a narrative of exploitation, debt, separation from family, and the constant fear of making mistakes,” Balagopal said in a statement.
    “The pursuit of a permanent visa became a tightrope walk, impacting the quality of care provided. The very individuals tasked with ensuring the happiness and well-being of residents found them entangled in a web of instability. Nurses and care workers from overseas eligible for a skilled worker visa need to be sponsored by an employer. In theory, they can switch jobs but within a limited timeframe, which can give employers a certain exploitative hold over them.
    The ‘Care Workers Under Pressure’ investigation for the BBC comes soon after the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), the independent body advising the UK government on immigration, warned of exploitation in the country’s social care sector in its annual report released last week.
    “Underfunding and consequential low pay contributes to the exploitation of workers in the social care sector. Migrants in the sector on the H&CW (Health & Care Worker) visa are even more susceptible to exploitation as their right to reside in the UK is directly linked to their employer, creating a power imbalance,” the report notes.
    It issued a series of recommendations for the government to crack down on the exploitation of workers in the social care sector.
    “Government could consider greater support for migrants when they enter employment and when experiencing exploitation in the UK… such as creating a portal specifically for the care sector where vacancies that would allow migrants to switch employer are posted,” it said.
    MAC also called on the government to ensure higher wages for the sector on the whole in a bid to wean it off the over-reliance on lower-paid migrant workers.
    Earlier this month, the Home Office announced that such care workers on a visa will be banned from bringing any close family members as dependents from the New Year. The move has been categorized as “extremely unfair” by the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), the UK’s largest representative body for doctors and nurses of Indian origin. “For anyone to provide a satisfactory and good quality care service, they can’t be separated from their own family,” said BAPIO founder Dr Ramesh Mehta.

  • Eight-year-old British Indian schoolgirl chess prodigy named Europe’s best female player

    Eight-year-old British Indian schoolgirl chess prodigy named Europe’s best female player

    LONDON (TIP): An eight-year-old British Indian schoolgirl has made chess history after being named the “super talented” best female player at a European championship. Bodhana Sivanandan, from Harrow in north-west London, won the European Blitz Chess Championship in Zagreb, Croatia, over the weekend after a winning streak since she took up chess during the COVID pandemic lockdown.
    In the European championship, she went head-to-head with some of the best players in the world and defeated an international master to win her crown.
    “Eight-year-old super talented Bodhana Sivanandan made an astonishing result in the Blitz competition. She scored 8.5/13 points to win the first women prize and earn 211.2 blitz ELO points,” said the European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, which concluded in Croatia on Sunday.
    Praise for the chess prodigy has since been pouring in on social media, with leading professionals highlighting her “unbelievable” performance. “I always try my best to win, sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t,” Bodhana told the media after her win.
    Father, Siva Sivanandan said his daughter was “trying her best and it has worked in favor of her”.
    “She likes chess and she likes travelling. We keep trying and keep going,” he said.
    A few months ago, Sivanandan was among a group of young chess enthusiasts invited by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to 10 Downing Street to mark the government’s major new GBP 1 million investment package for the game.The package has since been put in place to support children attending schools in disadvantaged areas across England to learn and play chess, improve visibility and availability of the game and fund elite playing.
    “I was struggling to support my son with the required chess tournaments and coaching instrumental to his development at such a young and crucial age,” said Jitendra Singh, father of another British Indian chess prodigy nine-year-old Shreyas Royal.
    “With this grant from the government we will be able to help more kids flourish at the game through the hard-working organizations of the English Chess Federation and chess in schools and communities. I believe that it is also a very beneficial hobby and would love to see more people getting into the game from this monumental announcement,” he said.
    As part of the package, the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) says it will invest GBP 500,000 in the English Chess Federation (ECF) over two years in order to develop the next generation of world-class talent.
    Funds will support expert coaching, training camps and cutting-edge computer analysis for international events to assist current grandmasters and up-and-coming players.
    “We want to give more young people the opportunity to find the thing that they love and realize their potential. So, this package is focused on getting more young people playing chess and supporting them to develop their talent,” said UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.
    “We’re also equipping our elite chess players with expert coaching to help them dominate at the highest levels of the global game and restore England’s reputation among the best in the world,” she said. Alongside the support committed to elite players, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will provide GBP 250,000 to 85 local authorities across England to install 100 new chess tables in public parks and outdoor green spaces, to allow more people to play, connect, tackle loneliness, and develop problem solving skills.
    In addition, the Sunak-led government has set out plans to encourage more primary school children, particularly girls, to learn to play the game. The UK Department for Education said it will award grants of up to GBP 2,000 to at least 100 schools in disadvantaged areas across England, subject to interest.

  • London housing block named after British Indian spy Noor Inayat Khan

    London housing block named after British Indian spy Noor Inayat Khan

    ‘It is wonderful that the residents of Camden voted to name the housing block after Noor Inayat Khan”- Khan’s biographer Shrabani Basu.

    LONDON (TIP): A council housing block in north London has been named after British Indian spy and descendent of Tipu Sultan, Noor Inayat Khan, following a ballot of local residents to choose from a shortlist of the area’s historic inhabitants. Camden Council unveiled the “Noor Inayat Khan House” at a ceremony on Wednesday, December 20, attended by local Labour Party MP and Opposition leader Keir Starmer, Khan’s biographer Shrabani Basu and Camden Council leaders and residents.

    Camden was the borough where young Noor lived with her family before she left for Nazi-occupied France in 1943 after being recruited as an undercover radio operator for Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE), becoming the first woman to be dropped behind enemy lines during the Second World War.

    “It is wonderful that the residents of Camden voted to name the housing block after Noor Inayat Khan; the people of Camden have truly taken Noor to heart, and she is known and loved in the borough,” said Basu, the London-based author of ‘Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan’.

    In her speech at the unveiling, she noted: “Today we remember Noor Inayat Khan as a heroine of the war, a young woman of Indian origin, who unhesitatingly gave her life in the fight against Fascism. But it is not just her bravery and loyalty that we remember. At a time when conflict is rife in the world, and countries and communities are divided by gunfire and walls, it is important to remember the values that Noor stood for.

    “She was a Sufi, she believed in religious tolerance, she believed in non-violence and peace between nations. Today, let us take away her message for peace and harmony.”

    In 2020, the English Heritage charity unveiled a Blue Plaque at 4 Taviton Street in Bloomsbury to commemorate Khan’s home in Camden, following a memorial installed nearby at Gordon Square by the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust in 2012.

    The new housing block in the name of the war heroine shot dead aged just 30 at Dachau concentration camp in 1944 forms part of a social housing project to deliver more affordable homes in London.

    “This isn’t just about some bricks and some windows and a roof; this is about life chances, aspiration and equal opportunity for everyone. When I was growing up we didn’t have a lot of money, but we did have a house. And that gave me the security to go on and do some of the things that I’ve done in my life. I want every child to have that chance,” said Starmer, member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras in Camden.

    Each of the three new residential buildings at the Maitland Park redevelopment has been named after prominent local figures as part of Camden Council’s strategy for diversity in the public spaces.

    Besides Noor Inayat Khan, a second block commemorates Mary Prince – the first black woman to have an autobiography published in Britain and a third is named after Antony Grey – an LGBTQ+ activist whose work led to decriminalization of homosexuality for men.

    “Residents have shaped the legacy of where they live by helping to choose three remarkable figures from our local community to name their new buildings after,” said Councillor Danny Beales, Camden Council Cabinet Member for New Homes, Jobs, and Community Investment.

    The council said the redevelopment at the Maitland Park Estate in Haverstock is the latest social housing project to reach completion in Camden since the council announced the expansion of its house-building programme by committing an extra GBP 1.3 billion investment towards building new homes for residents.

  • December 15 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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  • India Association of Los Angeles (IALA)elects new executive members for 2023-2024

    India Association of Los Angeles (IALA)elects new executive members for 2023-2024

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): : India association of Los Angeles (IALA) has elected its executive committee for the year 2023-2024 with Sunil Agrawal as the new president and Pramesh Shah as the executive VP.
    A noted IT consultant, Agrawal brings more than two decades of community service experience to the role. He previously served as President in 2018-19 and Chairman in 2019-2020.
    Agrawal has made significant contributions to the community, including hosting premieres of movies such as “The Kashmir Files,” “The Vaccine War,” and “The Elevator” in Los Angeles, according to a press release.
    Additionally, he organized the widely acclaimed “Koun Banega Ramayan Expert” events in 2006 and 2008, engaging thousands of children across the USA. As a founding trustee of the Dharma Civilization Foundation since 2012, the press release said, he continues to play a pivotal role in shaping cultural initiatives.
    Other members of the 17-member Executive Committee are:
    Secretary, Kiran Kamboj; Joint Secretary, Dhara Patel; Treasurer, Rajni Thakkar; VP Finance, Robin Paik, VP Publicity, Navdeep Singh; VP Cultural Affairs, Hezal Shah; VP Public Relations: Shamsher Sidhu; VP Youth Affairs, Ramesh Bramharouthu; and VP Health, Bama Sridhar.
    Rajesh Khandelwal, Manisha Makwana, Mohinder Kaur, Promilla Sahni and Vasu Pawar were elected Executive Members
    Since 1999, IALA has been organizing the India Independence Day Mela, drawing over 10,000 attendees, predominantly from the Indian community. This celebration provides a platform for community talent to showcase their skills.
    As part of India’s Republic Day celebrations, IALA is organizing a cultural extravaganza and premier event on Feb 3, 2024 with fashion show, music melody and spectacular dance performances by professional artists.
    Dr K Srikar Reddy, Consul General of India, San Francisco, would be the chief guest for the event at Arbat Banquet Hall, 711 S San Fernando Blvd, Burbank, CA 91502.

  • Indian American Hari Choudhari wins UK’s prestigious 2024 Marshall Scholarship

    Indian American Hari Choudhari wins UK’s prestigious 2024 Marshall Scholarship

    LONDON (TIP): An Indian-origin student is among the 51 winners of the prestigious 2024 Marshall Scholarship, which selects American scholars to pursue their graduate education at any university in the UK.
    Bengaluru-born Hari Choudhari, a student of International Politics with minors in History and German at Georgetown University, will begin his graduate studies in September 2004 under the program that saw 1006 applications from across the US this year.
    As a Marshall Scholar, he will study Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast, followed by an MSc in Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King’s College London.
    “I am so proud that this year’s set of Marshall Scholars represent the diversity and richness of our region,” said Emma Wade Smith, Trade Commissioner for North America and British Consul General in New York, announcing the scholarships on Monday.
    “From science and mathematics to linguistics, artificial intelligence, energy and sustainability, migration studies, these young leaders have already impressed with their robust academic training; and they have demonstrated real promise in terms of their career trajectories,” Smith added.
    Currently, Hari has been involved in multiple internships over the course of his college career, including the Center for Cross-Border Studies in Northern Ireland and the Meridian International Center.
    He is currently a Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) intern with the Political Section at the US Consulate-General in Munich, Germany and will be interning in Congress with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs next semester.
    His research on German security policy was published by the American-German Institute.
    “It’s clear that throughout his undergraduate career, Hari has been shaping himself into a future expert of conflict and peacekeeping,” said Lauren Tuckley, Center for Research and Fellowships Director, Georgetown University.
    “At every turn, he has taken opportunities to further understand the complexities of conflict, both in the classroom and outside of it.”
    The Georgetown University said in a statement that through the Marshall Scholarship, Hari will be “learning from UK scholars invested in making grassroots peacebuilding a priority and preparing himself for a career in policymaking”.
    Among this year’s Marshall Scholarship class are aspiring diplomats, doctors, fighter pilots and scientists.
    Half of the 2024 class will pursue STEM-related degrees, including several who will study issues relating to ethics and advancement of Artificial Intelligence.
    The UK government said in a statement that the focus on attracting America’s top young scientific minds reflects its effort to transform Britain into a “Science & Technology Superpower” by 2030.
    The 2024 class will take up their studies at 18 different institutions across the UK starting next September, ranging from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to Loughborough University in Leicestershire.
    With over 2,200 scholarships awarded to date, the program began in 1953 as a gesture of gratitude to the people of the US for the assistance that the UK received after World War II under the Marshall Plan.

  • Indian-origin motel owner shot dead by homeless trespasser in North Carolina

    Indian-origin motel owner shot dead by homeless trespasser in North Carolina

    NEWPORT CITY, NC (TIP): A 46-year-old Indian-origin motel owner in Newport city in the US state of North Carolina was shot dead by a homeless trespasser, who barricaded himself inside a room at the property before taking his own life, police said. Satyen Naik was discovered with a gunshot wound outside the motel when police arrived on the scene on Wednesday. “Just after 10, the 911 center received a call about an individual trespassing at the Hostess House,” said Newport Police Chief Keith Lewis.
    “A disturbance was heard in the background, and just following that a second call was received that an individual had been shot. Within moments officers arrived on scene,” The media quoted Lewis as saying.
    Once Naik was safely away from the building, emergency personnel took him to Carteret Health Care to receive medical attention. He was later pronounced dead.
    “It’s a family-owned business and he operated this business daily with his family,” Lewis said.
    Troy Kellum, the suspect, was discovered barricaded inside one of the Hostess House’s rooms.
    “The suspect had barricaded himself in the room,” said Lewis, “which prompted us to alert the Special Response Team (SRT) and request their assistance in retrieving the barricaded person from the room.”
    Lewis said that Kellum, 59, was a squatter at the Hostess House and other locations in the area and was thought to be homeless. For several hours, officers and Kellum were at a standstill as the SRT team’s negotiators attempted to persuade him to give up.
    The SRT team is a tactical unit made up of individuals from various agencies in Carteret County.
    While Kellum was barricaded in the Hostess House, Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck said he and other officials opted to implement soft lockdowns in the area.
    “Our Special Response Team arrived on the scene, and we talked about locking down the nearby schools. We wanted to make sure that the suspect was indeed barricaded in that room.”
    “Our negotiators from our SRT team were on the telephone with him and talked to him for a fairly lengthy period to get him to come out of the room where he was barricaded and to give himself up peacefully,” media quoted Buck as saying.
    The officers determined that the SRT team would have to enter the room after Kellum refused to concede. Kellum died at the scene after shooting himself with a handgun as the SRT team entered the room, according to Lewis.

  • Sikh truck driver flees to India after he gets 15 years’ jail for smuggling 80kg cocaine in Canada

    Sikh truck driver flees to India after he gets 15 years’ jail for smuggling 80kg cocaine in Canada

    A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued against Raj Kumar Mehmi from Surrey after he was sentenced in November

    SURREY, B.C. (TIP): A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued against a 60-year-old Sikh truck driver in British Columbia province who fled to India after he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking.

    Raj Kumar Mehmi from Surrey was sentenced in November for smuggling 80 kg of cocaine into British Columbia, through the Canada-US Pacific Highway border crossing. An Interpol Red Notice is being sought as a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest Mehmi, pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said on Wednesday. Mehmi was initially arrested on November 6, 2017 by the British Columbia RCMP after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) discovered 80 sealed bricks of cocaine hidden inside a semi-trailer truck being driven and owned by Mehmi.

    At the time of this seizure, the bulk street value of the cocaine was estimated at $3.2 million.

    Under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), Mehmi was charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance, Section 6 (1) CDSA, and Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, Section 5 (2) CDSA.

    On September 6, 2022, a Supreme Court Judge found Mehmi guilty on both charges, and a sentencing hearing was scheduled for January 9, 2023. On October 11, 2022, Mehmi fled to India after boarding a flight from Vancouver, and arrived in New Delhi the following day, the RCMP said.

    Since Mehmi failed to appear for his sentencing hearing, an application to sentence him in absentia was filed, and subsequently granted on September 15, 2023.

    On November 16, 2023, the Surrey Provincial Court of British Columbia sentenced Mehmi (in absentia) for importing drugs and for their possession. Police said Mehmi’s Canadian passport was seized and turned over to Passport Canada at the time of his arrest. However, due to the length of time between his arrest and conviction, he was able to legally obtain another passport through Passport Canada, which he ultimately used to flee, the CTV News reported, citing an RCMP spokesperson. Describing Mehmi as approximately 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, police have urged people not to approach him and contact their local police agency.

  • December 8 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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  • China formally accords diplomatic recognition to Taliban govt in Afghanistan

    China formally accords diplomatic recognition to Taliban govt in Afghanistan

    BEIJING (TIP): China has become the first country to confer diplomatic status to a Taliban-nominated official as Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Beijing, thereby formally recognising the Taliban-run administration as a legitimate government in Kabul.
    “As a long-standing friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing on Tuesday when asked whether China recognised the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
    Earlier reports from Kabul said China has given Bilal Karimi, a Taliban nominee the status of Ambassador and he has submitted his credentials to the foreign ministry here.
    China along with Pakistan and Russia maintained its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of American troops from the war-ravaged country.
    While maintaining close contact with the Taliban interim administration, Beijing withheld recognition, especially over global criticism of the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls, excluding them from educational institutions.
    No other country has formally recognised the Taliban government, which has been criticised over human rights violations and crushing women’s rights.
    Defending China’s move, Wang said, “We hope Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, build an open and inclusive political structure, adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, firmly combat all forms of terrorist forces, develop friendly relations with other countries, especially with its neighbours, and integrate itself into the world community.”
    “We believe that diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally as the concerns of various parties are effectively addressed,” Wang said. China, which shares borders with Afghanistan, also has serious concerns over the regrouping of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a banned outfit comprising Uighur militants from the volatile Xinjiang province, and pressing the Taliban administration to crack down on the outfit.
    Significantly, China’s diplomatic recognition comes at a time when Pakistan, Beijing’s all-weather ally, is having serious problems with the Taliban which it once nurtured.
    Pakistan is now blaming the Taliban government for recurring terrorist attacks in the country and criticised it for not cracking down hard on Pakistan Islamic militant groups, especially the Pakistani Taliban, operating from Afghanistan. In retaliation, Islamabad has ordered forceful evacuation of thousands of Afghan refugees living in the country for decades. (pti)

  • Italy withdraws from China’s Belt and Road project

    Italy withdraws from China’s Belt and Road project

    ROME (TIP): Italy has formally withdrawn from China’s vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, more than four years after becoming the only G7 nation to sign up, a government source said December 6.
    The long-expected decision was communicated to Beijing three days ago, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, without any official statement from either side.
    An Italian government source confirmed to AFP that Rome had pulled out, without giving details beyond saying it was done in such a way as to “keep channels of political dialogue open”.
    Before coming to power last year, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the decision by a previous government to join in 2019 was a “serious mistake”.
    Critics have denounced the trillion-dollar investment scheme as a predatory “Trojan horse” aimed at buying political influence.
    Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in September that membership “has not produced the results we were hoping for”. The deal was due to automatically renew in March 2024 unless Italy opts out by the end of this year. But Rome has been wary of provoking Beijing and risking retaliation against Italian companies.
    Meloni told reporters at the G20 summit in Delhi in September that month that should Rome leave the project, it “would not compromise relations with China”. (AFP)

  • Israel battles Hamas in south Gaza City; armoured tanks bulldoze into Khan Yunis

    Israel battles Hamas in south Gaza City; armoured tanks bulldoze into Khan Yunis

    JERUSALEM (TIP): Israeli troops battled Hamas militants December 7 in the heart of southern Gaza’s main city where a suspected mastermind of the October 7 attacks is believed to be hiding while pressing their offensive across the besieged territory.
    Breaking through Hamas’s defences of Gaza’s second largest city, Israeli troops, tanks, armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers rolled into Khan Yunis, forcing already displaced civilians to flee again, witnesses said.
    Hamas said late December 6 on Telegram its fighters were engaged in fierce battles against Israeli troops “on all axes of the incursion into the Gaza Strip”, as it claimed they destroyed two dozen military vehicles in Khan Yunis and Beit Lahia in the north of the territory.
    Earlier, the Israeli army said it had pierced defensive lines and carried out “targeted raids in the heart of the city”, where they found and destroyed 30 tunnel shafts.
    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that Israeli forces were closing in on the home of Hamas’s chief in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar, with a spokesman saying it is “underground” in the Khan Yunis area.
    Sinwar stands accused of being one of the masterminds of the October 7 attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, and saw around 240 hostages taken.
    Israel declared war on Hamas after the deadliest attack in its history, vowing to eradicate the group and bring home all the hostages.
    Sinwar has not been seen in public during the war, and Israel has named him and the leader of Hamas’s armed wing, Mohammed Deif, as its top military targets.
    But humanitarian organisations have warned the spread of the war into the south of the Gaza Strip will leave civilians who fled the north, much of which is now destroyed, with nowhere to go.
    “We are devastated, mentally overwhelmed,” said Khan Yunis resident Amal Mahdi. “We need someone to find us a solution so we can get out of this situation.”
    The latest toll from the Hamas government said the war has killed more than 16,000 people in Gaza, most of them women and children.
    ‘Where to go?’
    Much of northern Gaza has already been reduced to rubble by fierce fighting and bombardment, displacing 1.9 million people according to UN figures.
    Many civilians fled to Khan Yunis when Israel ordered them to evacuate the north of the territory earlier in the war.
    They are now being pushed further south to Rafah on the border with Egypt.
    “There was bombardment, destruction, leaflets dropping, threats, and phone calls to evacuate and leave Khan Yunis,” said Khamis Al-Dalu, who told AFP he was first displaced from Gaza City, and then from Khan Yunis to Rafah.
    “Where to go? Where do you want us to go for God’s sake? We left Khan Yunis and now we are in tents in Rafah.”
    And Israeli bombardments have followed them there.
    A strike on a residential district in Rafah left 17 dead and dozens injured late Wednesday, the Hamas health ministry said, and an AFP journalist saw the wounded, including children, being taken to a local Kuwaiti hospital.
    Meanwhile, Al Jazeera television network said one of its journalists had lost 22 members of his family in a strike in the northern refugee camp of Jabalia.
    The Israeli army said Wednesday it had struck about 250 targets in Gaza over the past 24 hours and that troops had found a major arms depot “in the heart of a civilian population” near a clinic and school in the north of the territory.
    “The depot contained hundreds of RPG missiles and launchers of various types, dozens of anti-tank missiles,” explosives and drones, it said in a statement.
    AFP footage from Wednesday showed smoke trails after rocket fire from Rafah towards Israel.
    According to the Israeli military, three Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting in Gaza on Wednesday.
    ‘Minimal’ fuel increase
    Mass civilian casualties in the war have sparked global concern, heightened by dire shortages caused by an Israeli siege that has seen only limited supplies of food, water, fuel and medicines enter.
    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he expects “public order to completely break down soon due to the desperate conditions” in Gaza, with “potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole.” (AFP)

  • Four killed in bomb attack on Catholic mass in Philippines

    MARAWI (TIP): At least four people were killed and dozens wounded in a bomb attack on a Catholic mass in the insurgency-plagued southern Philippines on December 4, with President Ferdinand Marcos blaming “foreign terrorists”. The blast happened during a morning service at Mindanao State University’s gymnasium in Marawi, the country’s largest Muslim city, which was besieged by Islamist militant groups in 2017.
    Police Lieutenant General Emmanuel Peralta said four people were killed and around 50 wounded in the blast from an improvised explosive device.
    Other security officials said the bombing may have been a retaliatory attack for a series of military operations against Islamist militant groups in recent days.
    Photos posted on the Lanao del Sur provincial government’s Facebook page showed several overturned plastic chairs, shattered glass and debris around a black patch on the floor of the gymnasium.
    University student Chris Jurado, 21, told AFP from his hospital bed that the explosion happened during the first Bible reading of the morning mass at 7:00 am (2300 GMT Saturday).
    “It was really sudden and everyone ran,” Jurado said.
    “When I looked behind me people were lying on the floor. We didn’t know what happened because everything happened so fast.”
    Rowena Mae Fernandez, 19, said she did not know what the blast was at first — then others started running.
    “My companion and I also ran, even though we fell on the ground at one point. That was the only thing I remembered until I got out of the gym and I fell again,” she said from hospital.
    “My friends were crying because they saw my injury.”
    Marcos condemned the attack by “foreign terrorists”, describing it as “senseless” and “heinous”, while Pope Francis offered his prayers for the victims. “I am close to the families, to the people of Mindanao, who have already suffered so much,” the pontiff said from his residence in remarks broadcast in Saint Peter’s Square. (AFP)

  • UK cautioned against ‘unfair’ visa crackdown on Indian professionals, students

    LONDON (TIP): Groups representing skilled professionals and students from India on December 4 expressed concerns over a lack of clarity around the UK government’s latest visa crackdown, branding the ban on family dependents as “unfair.” UK Home Secretary James Cleverly tabled a five-point plan in Parliament on Monday that would see overseas care workers banned from bringing family members and skilled professionals having to meet a much higher minimum salary threshold of GBP 38,700.
    While the Health and Care visa will be exempt from this hiked salary requirement, it remains unclear how the category will operate for Indian medics in future.
    “We will be writing to the Home Secretary urgently to seek clarification; we hope that this does not include doctors and nurses because if it does, we can assure the Home Office that the number of doctors and nurses coming to the UK from India will be nil,” said Dr Ramesh Mehta, founder of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), the UK’s largest representative body for nearly 80,000 doctors and 55,000 nurses of Indian origin.
    “But even if the changes apply only to care workers, it is extremely unfair if they are not allowed to bring their family. For anyone to provide a satisfactory and good quality care service, they can’t be separated from their own family,” he said.
    BAPIO, which works proactively with the National Health Service (NHS) to help address the state-funded system’s “desperate need” for quality doctors and nurses from India, warned that it would be forced to withdraw the voluntary support if the new rules clamp down on family rights. There is also an element of doubt if the Home Office intends to revoke an exemption for professionals under the Health and Care visa from paying the compulsory Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which Cleverly confirmed would be increasing from the current GBP 624 to GBP 1,035. “We’ve just announced the biggest-ever cut in net migration. No Prime Minister has done this before in history. But the level of net migration is too high and it has to change. I am determined to do it,” said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, regarding the latest set of visa changes which the government claims could cut migrant numbers by 300,000. (PTI)

  • German tourist stabbed to death in Paris ‘terror’ attack

    PARIS, FRANCE (TIP): A person known to the French authorities as a radical Islamist with mental health troubles stabbed a German tourist to death and wounded two people in central Paris on December 7 before being arrested, officials said. The attack took place close to the Eiffel Tower during a busy weekend night and came with the country on its highest alert for attacks as tensions rise against the background of the war between Israel and Hamas. “We will not give in to terrorism,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after the attack. President Emmanuel Macron said he was sending his condolences to the family of a German killed in the “terrorist attack”.
    French anti-terror prosecutors said that they would now take on the investigation.
    The attacker was known to authorities as a radical Islamist and was being treated for mental illness, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said at the scene by the River Seine , adding that the man had shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) before being arrested.
    He fatally stabbed the German tourist, born in 1999, with a knife and then used a hammer to attack others as he sought to escape on the other side of the River Seine.
    The area by Bir Hakeim bridge, usually thronging with tourists and locals, was cordoned off by police and bright with the flashing lights of security forces and emergency services.
    ‘Violently threatened them’
    The Paris prosecutor’s office said the attacker, born in 1997, is French and has been arrested in an investigation into murder and attempted murder. Darmanin said the man had already been sentenced in 2016 to four years in prison for planning another attack which he failed to carry out. “A man attacked a couple who were foreign tourists. A German tourist who was born in the Philippines died from the stabbing,” he said.
    A taxi driver who witnessed the scene intervened, Darmanin said. The attacker then crossed the Seine attacking others and injuring one with a hammer.
    Police chased in pursuit and used a taser to neutralise the man, who was then arrested. “He had threatened them very violently… he will now have to answer for his actions before justice,” Darmanin said.
    The suspect, who lived with his parents in the Esonnne region south of Paris, told police he could not stand Muslims being killed in “Afghanistan and Palestine”, according to the minister.
    Macron, writing on X, thanked security forces for their quick arrest of the suspected attacker and said justice should be served “in the name of the French people”. “Paris is in mourning after this terrible attack,” Transport Minister Clement Beaune wrote on X.
    Joseph S., 37 years old, a supermarket manager who asked not to give his last name, witnessed the scene, as he sat in a bar. He heard screams and people shouting “help, help” as they ran. A man wielding an object attacked a man who had fallen down, and within 10 minutes the police arrived, he told AFP. The country has suffered several attacks by Islamist extremists, including the November 2015 suicide and gun attacks in Paris claimed by the Islamic State group in which 130 people were killed. (AFP)

  • Vivek Ramaswamy Called “Most Obnoxious Blowhard” For Mocking Nikki Haley

    Vivek Ramaswamy Called “Most Obnoxious Blowhard” For Mocking Nikki Haley

    WASHINGTON D.C. (TIP): Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie has slammed his Republican presidential rival Vivek Ramaswamy as the “most obnoxious blowhard in America” after the biotech entrepreneur mocked fellow Indian-American Nikki Haley’s intelligence. Christie, 61, made the stunning remarks during the fourth Republican presidential debate in Arizona. Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were the two other candidates on the debate stage. Christie’s remarks came after Ramaswamy criticized Haley and claimed that the former governor could not name three provinces in eastern Ukraine where she would send US troops.

    “She has no idea what the hell the names of those provinces are, but she wants to send our sons and daughters in our trimmings and our military equipment to go fight it,” said Ramaswamy, 38.

    “Look at the blank expression,” he added. “She doesn’t know the names of the provinces.” Before Haley, 51, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, could respond to Ramaswamy’s remarks, Christie took aim at him and said: “This is the fourth debate that you would’ve been voted in the first 20 minutes as the most obnoxious blowhard in America, so shut the hell up.” “We’re now 25 minutes into this debate and he has insulted Nikki Haley’s basic intelligence. Not her positions, her basic intelligence: She doesn’t know regions and she wouldn’t be able to find something on a map that his three-year-old could find,” he said. “If you want to disagree on issues, that’s fine, and Nikki and I disagree on some issues,” he said.

    “I’ve known her for 12 years, which is longer than he’s even started to vote in the Republican primary, and while we disagree about some issues and disagree about who should be president of the United States, what we don’t disagree on is this is a smart, accomplished woman and you should stop insulting her,” he said.

    Christie said that Ramaswamy lacked experience and claimed that while he was serving as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey, the Indian-American businessman was “learning about the provinces in Ukraine sitting with his smarta** mouth at Harvard.”

    “All he knows how to do is insult good people who have committed their lives to public service and not say anything that moves the ball down the field for the United States,” Christie said.

  • Ramaswamy calls Haley a “fascist”, “corrupt”; she says responding to him “not worth her time”

    Ramaswamy calls Haley a “fascist”, “corrupt”; she says responding to him “not worth her time”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Calling her “fascist” and “corrupt,” biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy launched a tirade against his Republican presidential rival and fellow Indian-American Nikki Haley, who refrained from a verbal duel, saying it is not worth her time to respond to him.

    Ramaswamy launched the volley of charges against the former South Carolina governor and US ambassador to the UN in Arizona during the Republican Party’s fourth presidential debate, which was attended by just four candidates, the other two being former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

    The front-runner for the Republican Party’s nomination, former President Donald Trump, skipped the debate once again and held a fundraiser in Florida instead.

    Participating in the debate, Ramaswamy, 38, accused Haley of having “a corruption problem” and held up a pad of paper with “NIKKI = CORRUPT” written on it. This resulted in a mix of boos and cheers from the audience. He called her “a puppet” and accused her of “using identity politics” as “a form of intellectual fraud.”

    “Nikki, you were bankrupt when you left the U.N. After you left the U.N., you became a military contractor,” he started and recounted her journey to end with further allegation: “That math doesn’t add up. It adds up to the fact that you are corrupt.”

    “It’s not worth my time to respond to him,” Haley, 51, said when asked by the moderator to respond to the allegations. However, Ramaswamy did not give up and continued to attack Haley.

    “The only person more fascist than the Biden (US President Joe Biden) regime now is Nikki Haley, who thinks the government should identify every one of those individuals with an ID,” he alleged. “That is not freedom, that is fascism, and she should come nowhere near the levers of power, let alone the White House,” he said.

    Ramaswamy was referring to a recent remark by Haley in which she said that social media users needed to be verified by name, “Every person on social media should be verified, by their name. That’s, first of all, it’s a national security threat. When you do that, all of a sudden, people have to stand by what they say,” she said.

    “And it gets rid of the Russian bots, the Iranian bots and the Chinese bots. And then you’re gonna get some civility, when people know their name is next to what they say,” she had said.

    Haley defended her remarks on the debate stage.

    “What I said was that social media companies need to show us their algorithms. I also said there are millions of bots on social media right now. They’re foreign. They’re Chinese. They’re Iranian. I will always fight for freedom of speech for Americans. We do not need freedom of speech for Russians and Iranians and Hamas. We need social media companies to go and fight back on all of these bots that are happening,” she said. “As a mom, do I think that social media would be more civil if we went and had people’s names next to that? Yes, I do think that because I think we’ve got too much cyber-bullying. I think we’ve got child pornography and all of those things. But having said that, I never said the government should go and require anyone’s names,” Haley said.

    Haley, whose popularity has been on the rise, was also attacked by DeSantis. “She caves anytime the Left comes after her, anytime the media comes after her,” he said.

  • Indian motel manager sentenced for trafficking, forced labor in US

    Indian motel manager sentenced for trafficking, forced labor in US

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): A 71-year-old Indian motel manager in the US state of Georgia has been sentenced to 57 months in prison for trafficking a woman for peonage and slavery, and ordered to pay over USD 40,000 in restitution to seven people, officials said.

    According to court documents, Shreesh Tiwari, an Indian national and legal US permanent resident, began managing the Budgetel Motel in Cartersville, Georgia, in 2020.

    Tiwari hired the woman to work as a maid at the motel and provided her with a room. He was aware that the victim had previously experienced homelessness, struggled with a heroin addiction and lost custody of her young child, the Department of Justice said in a statement. Tiwari promised the victim that he would help her regain custody of her child by providing her with pay, an apartment and an attorney, it said.

    However, instead of following through with his promises, Tiwari monitored the victim’s interactions with motel guests and employees and forbade her from speaking to them, federal prosecutors alleged.

    He also discouraged the victim from communicating with her family and friends, falsely claiming that they did not care about her, they added. Tiwari made sexual overtures to the victim and often threatened to evict her from the room he provided her at the motel, the prosecutors said.

    They said Tiwari also threatened to report the victim’s drug use to law enforcement or child welfare agencies.

    Tiwari began to regularly “evict” the victim from her motel room and even locked her out of her room at night without warning, according to the statement.

    Ultimately, he required the victim to perform sex acts with him to stay at the motel. If she did not, Tiwari removed her from the property, causing her to be homeless, it added.

    “Human trafficking can occur anywhere since traffickers are adept at identifying someone’s vulnerabilities and often fraudulently extend hope to someone looking for an opportunity to improve their dire circumstances,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said.

    “Tiwari used his position of power to ruthlessly abuse a victim he knew had already suffered immeasurably,” said US Attorney Ryan K Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “The level of this defendant’s callousness is shocking. But we are thankful that our community is now safer, and other potential victims spared… Our office also intends for Tiwari’s prosecution and sentence to provide a stark warning to other traffickers,” he said.

    Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta said Tiwari preyed upon the victim’s difficult past and fear of homelessness to control and extort her, subjecting her to unspeakable horrors.

  • 2023 the best year historically for US-India ties: says former top American trade official

    2023 the best year historically for US-India ties: says former top American trade official

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The relationship between the US and India has been very productive, in particular on the trade and technology front, and 2023 can be considered the best year historically for bilateral ties, according to a former top American trade official. Arun Kumar, an Indian-American, who served as the assistant secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and director general of the US and Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS) during the Obama administration, said this during an interview with PTI here. “Looking back on 2023, it was a very productive year for the US-India relationship, by many accounts the best year historically,” he said.

    Currently a managing partner of Celesta, Kumar most recently served as the chairman and CEO of KPMG in India.

    “The relationship is on a strong upward trajectory. This is backed by numbers as well. Trade doubled over the last eight years to a level of USD 190 billion in 2022. Major commitments were made by US companies in India – from Apple to Micron,” he said.

    Following the Covid-19 pandemic, when remote working across the globe became well-accepted, there was a significant increase in the activities of global capability centers based in India, he said.

    Both countries seemed to have found an unprecedented congruence of views in a move to make onshore, be it the Modi government’s “Make In India” or the Biden administration’s support of advanced manufacturing in America, to contend with tumult in global supply chains and China’s economic rise, Kumar added.

    “The optical high point in 2023 undoubtedly was the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in June. This was surrounded by a steady drumbeat of activities advancing the relationship,” he said.

    On areas of alignment between the two countries, Kumar said that from a geoeconomics point of view, India and the US are in generally good spots relative to the rest of the world.

    The US growth rate has bounced back to pre-Covid levels, unlike in Europe and China where this has not happened, Kumar said, adding that India’s growth rate has picked up, exceeding many estimates, and is among the fastest-growing large economies.

    Inflation pressures seem to be easing in both economies, he said.

    Kumar said both countries today share some important points of view that result in economic alignment. COVID-19 – and geopolitical tensions – brought into focus for both countries the need for resilience as opposed to only efficiency or cost optimization in supply chains.

    They both share a desire to boost manufacturing, for jobs, skills and strategic reasons, he further said.

    With over a quarter of the world’s manufacturing being based in China, the need for supply chain diversification brings opportunities for manufacturing to India. The quality of India’s manufacturing capabilities has been steadily advancing and with these kinds of operations, this trend will accelerate, Kumar said.

    “Beyond the bilateral relationships, increased alignment was promoted through important multilateral initiatives where both countries have prominent roles. “The Quad configuration began taking on more of an economic dimension. Knowledge sharing and capacity building initiatives were launched in infrastructure, connectivity, technology and financing,” he pointed out. Referring to the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) initiative in May, Kumar said it aims to advance resilience in supply chains, promote clean energy and sustainability, and advance capacity building in a range of areas.

    The lofty goal is to promote cooperation, stability, prosperity, development, and peace within the region, he added.

    “The I2U2 (India, Israel, the US and the UAE), a framework of four countries working together on economic issues, is worth noting as an example of US-India cooperation. This may temporarily take a back seat considering the current Middle East situation.

    “This unique grouping of countries identifies bankable projects with a particular focus on joint investments and new initiatives in water, energy, transportation, space, health, food security, and technology,” Kumar said.

    Kumar, who is active in the technology field, said a very important development to note is the rising conviction that technology will play a defining role in deepening the US-India partnership.

    The Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) launched in January 2023 is a major milestone in US-India relations. The plan is to mobilize governments, businesses, and academic institutions to collaborate to accomplish the strategic technology partnership, he told PTI.

    The stated goal is for the United States and India to foster an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, based on confidence and trust that reinforces our shared values and democratic institutions.

  • Hunter Biden Indicted on Tax Charges

    SACRAMENTO (TIP): The special counsel investigating Hunter Biden charged the president’s son late Thursday, December 7, on nine counts stemming from his failure to pay his federal taxes on time on millions in income from foreign businesses, the second indictment against him this year — and the latest development in a case Republicans have made the cornerstone of a possible impeachment of President Biden, The New York Times reported. A grand jury in the Central District of California charged Mr. Biden with three counts each of evasion of a tax assessment, failure to file and pay taxes, and filing a false or fraudulent tax return, according to the 56-page indictment. Mr. Biden “engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019” wrote the special counsel, David C. Weiss, who first began investigating the president’s son five years ago as the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for Delaware.

    The charges come after Mr. Biden had appeared this summer to be on the verge of a plea deal that would not have led to jail time and in the view of his lawyer at the time would have granted him immunity for potential crimes stemming from his business dealings. But the deal collapsed at the last minute, and in September he was indicted on separate charges stemming from his failure to acknowledge his drug use when he purchased a handgun in 2018. The new indictment also comes on the cusp of a vote by the Republican-led House to formalize its impeachment inquiry into President Biden, which is based almost entirely on unsubstantiated allegations that he benefited from his son’s lucrative consulting work for companies in Ukraine and China.

    The decision to file criminal charges against the president’s troubled son was an extraordinary step for Mr. Weiss, who was named a special counsel in August by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland after the dramatic last-minute collapse of the plea deal that would have resolved the long-running investigation without Mr. Biden serving any prison time.

    The Hunter Biden case sits at the crowded intersection of America’s colliding political and legal systems. There is now a very real prospect that President Biden’s son will be defending himself in two federal criminal trials during a presidential election year — as former President Donald J. Trump, his father’s likely opponent, confronts two possible trials in his federal documents and election interference cases.

    Republican leaders in the House released draft text of a procedural impeachment resolution against President Biden on Thursday, just hours before word of the new charges started to percolate through official Washington. It is not clear what effect the indictment will have their inquiry.

  • Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios issues a statement regarding the retirement of Keep Middlesex Moving Executive Director Bill Neary

    MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ (TIP): “On behalf of the entire Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners, we are proud to announce the retirement of long-time Middlesex County partner and the Executive Director of Keep Middlesex Moving (KMM), Bill Neary. Bill has served as a leader at Keep Middlesex Moving, a non-profit transportation management association that works with businesses, commuters, elected officials, community groups and other partners to implement programs that reduce congestion, increase safety, and improve air quality – for over 18 years.

    Under Mr. Neary’s leadership, KMM grew and evolved from focusing on primarily ridesharing and traffic mitigation to what it is today, an organization at the forefront of modern transportation inclusive of pedestrian safety, electric and autonomous vehicles, accessible mass transit, and micro transit. Mr. Neary always understood the commuting needs of Middlesex County residents whether it’s getting to the doctor’s office or to work – safety and accessibility was and is prioritized.

    Additionally, during Mr. Neary’s tenure, he invested heavily in increasing and expanding direct communication to residents through leveraging social media channels like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook as well as creating KMM’s own podcast to share new information and news about transit to leveraging local police communications tools to spread important notices broadly.

    In addition to his service at KMM, Mr. Neary has been an active participant in the community through organizations such as Salvation Army, where he serves as an Advisory Board member; Einstein’s Alley, promoting STEM education from Route 1 to Princeton; Healthier Middlesex, serving as board member; and as the Chairman of the Board of the Regional Chamber of Commerce from 2017 to 2022. Earlier in his career, Mr. Neary served as the mayor of his hometown, East Brunswick. His contributions have benefitted not only KMM but the entire Middlesex County community.

    As Mr. Neary retires, Middlesex County’s Department of Transportation will work closely with the team at KMM to welcome a new era of transportation management and to ensure our community of residents and businesses have access to modern and safe means of transit. DataCity, the nation’s first smart-mobility living lab in the heart of a dense, urban city, New Brunswick; and our award-winning Vision Zero Action Plan, a strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries among road users and to ensure safe and equitable mobility for all residents – are just a few marquee initiatives led by the County.

    My colleagues and I look forward to defining the future of transportation in Middlesex County with KMM.”

  • The Ultimate Travel & Visa Company Expands Operations with the Opening of a New Office in New York

    The Ultimate Travel & Visa Company Expands Operations with the Opening of a New Office in New York

    Ultimate Travel and Visa, a leading provider of Indian Consular Services and Visa services to other Countries mainly Schengen, UK., is pleased to announce the opening of its new office in the heart of New York. This strategic expansion is a testament to our commitment to providing exceptional travel experiences and meeting the growing demand for our services in the region. The new office, located at 3000 Hempstead TPKE #303, Levittown – Long Island, New York, will serve as a hub for our team of experienced travel professionals dedicated to giving services that not only meet but exceed the expectations of our discerning clients. With this expansion, Ultimate Travel & Visa aims to further enhance accessibility and convenience for travelers seeking unparalleled service and expert guidance in planning their trips.
    The CEO of the Company, Mr. Ranjeet Singh said that reliability has been at the core of our business, and we take pride in being a trusted name in the travel industry. Our team is known for its unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction, ensuring that every interaction is seamless and memorable. Whether it’s a service required for Visa, OCI, Passport, Attestation of Documents and all other Consular services Ultimate Travel and Visa is committed to providing personalized and stress-free experiences.
    As a testament to our reliability and commitment to customer satisfaction, in our over 5 years of operations we are proud to have garnered positive reviews and testimonials from our satisfied clients. These endorsements highlight our attention to detail, expertise in services that exceed expectations.
    Ultimate Travel and Visa Company has consistently raised the bar in the travel industry for the past 5 years and the new office at New York marks a significant milestone in our journey. We look forward to continuing to serve our clients with the same passion, dedication, and reliability that have been the hallmarks of our brand.
    For more information about Ultimate Travel and Visa Company and our services, please visit ultimatetravelandvisa.com or contact us at 516 390 0708 (New York)
    347 589 9208 (Central Helpline) or at info@ultimatetravelandvisa.com

    About US
    Ultimate Travel and Visa Company is a 5-year-old travel agency dedicated to providing exceptional services. The CEO Mr. Ranjeet Singh has worked with some
    of the major Global Visa Company and his deep understanding of visa processes, coupled with a commitment to excellence, has set the agency apart in the travel industry.
    Under his guidance the company is on an ambitious trajectory to expand its footprint throughout North America. The visionary strategy involves a unique partnership model aimed at establishing offices in key locations, ensuring that our services are easily accessible to a broader audience.

  • Bruhud New York Seniors Organize a spectacular Diwali Celebration

    Bruhud New York Seniors Organize a spectacular Diwali Celebration

    • Acting Consul General Dr. Varun Jeph as Chief Guest and Prem Bhandari as keynote speaker graced the occasion

    FLUSHING, NY (TIP): Bruhud New York Seniors , a nonprofit organization serving the greater NYC area since 2009, held a spectacular Diwali celebration at the Hindu community center in Flushing on December 2, 2023.

    Bruhud New York Seniors officials and honorees with Dr. Varun Jeph and Prem Bhandari

    The event drew over 700 guests from the tri state area and was graced by Chief Guest acting Consul General. Dr. Varun Jeph, along with keynote speaker, Prem Bhandari, Chairman of Jaipur Foot USA,. The two lauded the contribution of the Indian American community.

    Ajay S. Patel, President of Bruhud New York Seniors shared the vision of community unity, emphasizing Bruhud Seniors’ role in fulfilling this vision. He laid out Plans for 2024 which include a free artificial limb fitment mega camp in Ahmedabad and medical seminars in collaboration with Jaipur Foot USA.

    A view of the gathering

    The event honored a few community leaders and volunteers, which included, among others, Harish Thakkar, former President of AIA-NY, for their outstanding services.

  • Indian American Rishi Kumar takes lead in California congressional race as per Polls

    Indian American Rishi Kumar takes lead in California congressional race as per Polls

    • Parminder Aujla

    SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): In a recent poll conducted for the open California Congressional District 16 seat, Indian American Democrat Rishi Kumar has emerged as the frontrunner in a closely contested race, positioning himself as a formidable candidate in a field of 10 hopefuls.
    Kumar, a software tech executive, previously challenged incumbent Anna Eshoo in the November 2022 election, securing an impressive 42.3 percent of the votes. In the current race, he leads with 12 percent of the vote, surpassing competitors Joe Simitian at 1 percent, Sam Liccardo at 7 percent, and Low at 6 percent. However, a significant portion of likely voters, approximately 57 percent, remains undecided.
    The poll, conducted by Clarity Campaign Labs, surveyed 633 registered voters in CD-16. Clarity, a nationally recognized polling leader, is utilized by major Democratic organizations such as the DNC, DCCC, DGA, DSCC, and DAGA. As the race unfolds, Rishi Kumar’s lead showcases his growing support and positions him as a strong contender for the California Congressional District 16 seat.
    Results of the poll were shared with the American Bazaar by Kumar’s campaign.
    One of Kumar’s key campaign points is his status as the sole non-career politician in the race, emphasizing his refusal to accept PAC money, developer contributions, and special interest group funding. He highlights a track record of accomplishments, including a notable reduction in crime during his tenure on the Saratoga Council.
    Kumar has also served on former Gov. Jerry Brown’s University of California Regent committee and California’s Department of Education K-12 public school computer science implementation panel. His political journey includes multiple elected terms as a Saratoga Councilmember, where he secured reelection with the highest votes in 66 years, even surpassing the incumbent mayor. Kumar has also served as both a Delegate and Executive Board member of the California Democratic Party.
    Kumar’s platform addresses a range of critical issues, including crime reduction, tackling inflation, advocating for abortion rights, supporting Congressional term limits, overturning Citizens United to promote clean money in American politics, advocating for a ban on insider trading in Congress, addressing climate change, and boosting Silicon Valley’s innovation economy. He emphasizes a focus on the upcoming Artificial Intelligence automation economy.
    Born to Indra Prasad and Shanta Prasad, Rishi is married to Seema Kumar, with two sons, Rishub and Shivaum Kumar. He attributes his success to their role in his life.
    With a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut, Rishi Kumar has been living in Silicon Valley for nearly 20 years.