A large conference on ‘Countering Violent Extremism’ convened in Washington, bringing together political and diplomatic representatives from over 60 countries, law enforcement officials, religious leaders and experts. The meeting constituted a reaffirmation of the need for an effective multilateral strategy to counter and prevent violent extremism in today’s increasingly challenging environments. At the same time, it hinted at a very …

Just when the US thought it would mop its brow, having tried hard to tame the West Asian rodeo, the Israeli horse has kicked up dirt. Americans, like everyone else, were waiting for Benjamin Netanyahu to lose the March 17 elections, before proceeding with their script of a nuclear deal with Iran towards some conclusion in the coming weeks. Does …

The story is about the light of her parents’ life.  They named her Jyoti. But five rapists and murderers blew that light out at a very young age of 23 years, just when she was getting ready to dispel the financial darkness out of their lives. In the majority of murder cases, public generally gets a cursory account of a …

Weekday mornings in a house with school-going kids are usually a time of orderly (and sometimes disorderly) chaos. From the moment the first wake-up alarm rings until the last of the kids is deposited at school, it’s a constant whirl of activity as everybody gets dressed, fed and prepared to start the school and work day. But in the Terry …

When we go to a pharmacy to fill a doctor’s prescription, the men and women – usually wearing white lab coats – behind the counter will duly take your prescription, ask you to come back a bit later, and hand over your medication in exchange for payment. Traditionally, not much more has generally been expected of them by most people. …

They were “kings” during widely-separated eras of Bollywood history, but popular stars Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan are both among the most recent recipients of India’s second-highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan. The two actors, generally regarded as the No. 1 stars in Bombay during their respective stints as leading men of Hindi cinema, were among the nine recipients of …

In North American sports terminology, you could call it a home and “home” game. The two North American countries – Canada and the U.S. – are now represented in India by envoys who are themselves of Indian heritage. New Canadian High Commissioner to New Delhi, Nadir Patel, and new U.S. Ambassador to that country, Richard Rahul Verma, presented their credentials …

When yoga enthusiasts go for classes at “Bliss Yoga with Annu” at various locations in Mississauga, Ontario, they get more than the spiritual and physical renewal the ancient Indian art provides. They also get the opportunity for up-close and personal interaction with a reigning beauty queen. Their instructor is Annu Gaidhu, the current Miss India Canada. Gaidhu was crowned on …

Thirteen-year-old Indian-American Shubham Banerjee from Santa Clara, California, who developed a low cost Braille printer called Braigo using the Lego robotics kit last year, has opened a full-fledged company to develop the machines for the masses. Banerjee’s start-up, Braigo Labs, has got funding from Intel Corporation, among others, said his website. The invention was featured at the first ever White …