H S Rao In London

Stories by H S Rao In London

Hindraf urges Commonwealth to suspend Malaysia

Hindraf urges Commonwealth to suspend Malaysia

Rediff.com   10 Jun 2008

Hindraf, a Malaysian outfit spearheading a stir by ethnic-Indians, will press the Commonwealth to suspend Kuala Lumpur from the body for its discriminatory policies against the community."We will urge the 54-member Commonwealth to suspend Malaysia from its body," said Malaysia-born Waytha Moorthy, founder-chairman of the Hindu Rights Action Force. Moorthy, a lawyer by profession, is currently seeking asylum in United Kingdom after the Malaysian government revoked his passport

Dalai Lama discusses Tibet issue with UK PM

Dalai Lama discusses Tibet issue with UK PM

Rediff.com   23 May 2008

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Friday held talks with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama who raised the issue of human rights violation in Tibet and the recent unrest in his Himalayan homeland. Brown met Dalai despite protest from China and discussed many issues pertaining to Tibet. The closed door parleys between the two leaders was held at the Lambeth Palace, the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Anglican church.

India received $25 bn FDI in 2007-08

India received $25 bn FDI in 2007-08

Rediff.com   20 May 2008

Foreign direct investment into India has surged to over $25 billion in 2007-08 and the country's foreign exchange reserve crossed $341 billion as of Tuesday, Ashwani Kumar, minister of state for commerce and industry has said.

Finolex group chief honoured in UK

Finolex group chief honoured in UK

Rediff.com   9 May 2008

Prahlad Chhabria, chief of Finolex Group, has been honoured with a silver platter in recognition of his contribution to 'entrepreneurship' at the prestigious Institute of Directors in London. He also released his autobiography 'There's no such thing as self-made man' on the ocassion. About 220 dignitaries from the diplomatic, political and business community attended the function hosted by SriChand and Gopichand Hinduja, chairman & president respectively of the Hinduja Group.

Student from Andhra Pradesh murdered in UK

Student from Andhra Pradesh murdered in UK

Rediff.com   8 May 2008

An unidentified body of a 23-year-old woman, suspected to be an Indian student, was found in Handsworth, a suburb of Birmingham and the West Midlands police on Wednesday launched a murder inquiry into the incident. The police have not released the identity or the nationality of the woman, but reports say she was a postgraduate Indian student studying at the University of Wolverhampton.

Sabeel to be deported to India on May 7

Sabeel to be deported to India on May 7

Rediff.com   5 May 2008

Indian doctor Sabeel Ahmed, sentenced to 18 months in jail for withholding information about his brother's plot to blow up Glasgow airport, will be deported from Britain on Wednesday as he has already served the time while on trial. Sabeel, 28, who worked at the National Health Service and had admitted that he failed to inform the police about his brother Kafeel's plans to carry out the suicide bombing last year, will be escorted by two Police officers to Bangalore.

Ken Livingstone loses London mayoral poll

Ken Livingstone loses London mayoral poll

Rediff.com   3 May 2008

In a tight contest, Labour candidate Livingstone lost to Conservative Party challenger Boris Johnson, official sources said. The Conservatives grabbed 44 per cent of the vote, with the Liberal Democrats winning 25 per cent, pushing the Labour Party to the third position.

Posthumous peace award for Benazir

Posthumous peace award for Benazir

Rediff.com   28 Apr 2008

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was posthumously awarded the prestigious Tipperary International Peace Award for 2007 in recognition of her struggle for the restoration of democracy and peace in her country. Bhutto's long-time associate Bashir Riaz received the award on behalf of her family at an emotion-filled ceremony in Tipperary in Ireland on Friday. Riaz, heading a large delegation from Pakistan and the United Kingdom, received the award.

Britain was the real Jurassic Park

Britain was the real Jurassic Park

Rediff.com   13 Apr 2008

Researchers have identified 108 species found since the first discovery was named in 1824 and believe that the variety of creatures make Britain an important area for dinosaur remains."We're probably in the top five places in the world for concentrations of dinosaurs," said Darren Naish, a vertebrate paleontologist at Portsmouth University and one of the researchers who carried out the study.The review is published in the Journal of the Geological Society.

Princes William, Harry agree with Diana verdict

Princes William, Harry agree with Diana verdict

Rediff.com   8 Apr 2008

"We agree with their verdicts, and are both hugely grateful to each and every one of them for the forbearance they have shown in accepting such significant disruption to their lives over the past six months," the young royals said in a statement. Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed died when their speeding car slammed into a concrete pillar while being chased through Paris by photographers in cars and on motorbikes in a tunnel on August 31, 1997.

Indian workers win landmark judgement in UK

Indian workers win landmark judgement in UK

Rediff.com   8 Apr 2008

Upholding the revision petition filed by the highly skilled migrants programme forum against retrospective changes effected to HSMP in November 2006, the high court in its judgement said: "The old scheme constituted an integrated and entire programme." It said that it was 'not open to the government to alter the terms and conditions upon which the pre-arranged stages were to be implemented.'

Immigrants contributed to UK economy: Lord Paul

Immigrants contributed to UK economy: Lord Paul

Rediff.com   2 Apr 2008

Lord Paul, a member of the Lords Economic Affairs Committee, said he had strong reservations about the Committee's recommendation that immigration should be measured by the impact on income per head of resident population. He said other peers had doubts about the proposal but had not been in a majority. "The report does really concentrate on the benefits of immigration per capita, which I don't really agree with myself.

Paswan assures iron-ore blocks for Mittal

Paswan assures iron-ore blocks for Mittal

Rediff.com   1 Apr 2008

Steel Minister Ram Vilas said in a meeting that the prime minister could intervene, if need be, to provide iron ore blocks to Lakshmi Mittal, CEO of ArcelorMittal, for his two proposed 12 mn tonne steel plants in India. The world's biggest steelmaker has signed MoUs with Jharkhand and Orissa governments to set up greenfield steel plants wherein it will invest a total of Rs 80000 cr. ArcelorMittal has already been allotted two coal blocks, one each, in Orissa and Jharkhand.

'Indira gave India nationhood & democracy'

'Indira gave India nationhood & democracy'

Rediff.com   13 Mar 2008

"She was a great prime minister.. and a greater human being. She gave nationhood for India and she would stand up to the erstwhile USSR or the USA or anybody else," Lord Paul, who had written a book on Gandhi and was considered a close friend of her, said while paying tributes to her at the Nehru Centre in London on Wednesday night as part of the International Women's Festival, 'Sakhi'.

Lord Paul on Commonwealth trade deal

Lord Paul on Commonwealth trade deal

Rediff.com   11 Mar 2008

Paul, who will soon lead a British Parliamentary delegation to India, said: "The CPA wants Commonwealth governments to respond to the needs of people -- to build communities, to address the challenges arising from the growth of urbanisation, to agree a global trade deal and to tackle the greatest threat to us all -- climate change." "There remains more work to be done in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Fiji, but the pressure is on," Paul said on Monday night.

Prince Harry heads home from 'Delhi' base

Prince Harry heads home from 'Delhi' base

Rediff.com   1 Mar 2008

The 23-year-old prince, who is third in line to the British throne and has earned fullsome prise from many, including grandmother Queen Elizabeth II for his effort, was put on a troop transport plane with about 170 personnel. Prince Harry was posted on a front line base called 'Delhi'. Harry fought the Taliban alongside Gurkhas recruited into the British army from Nepal. Many of them had their education in Kathmandu or India.

UK hit by strongest earthquake in 25 years

UK hit by strongest earthquake in 25 years

Rediff.com   27 Feb 2008

The United States Geological Survey claimed that while the event was "light to moderate on a world scale, it was very significant", given the UK's relatively uneventful seismic history. The tremor, measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale, hit shortly before 1 am, with its epicentre in Lincolnshire, but people were woken as far away as Wales, Scotland and Yorkshire. The tremor is the biggest in Britain since 1984, when north Wales was hit by a quake, which was registered at 5.4.

India must help defeat Prabhakaran: Tamil leader

India must help defeat Prabhakaran: Tamil leader

Rediff.com   11 Feb 2008

"Prabhakaran will never agree for anything and not a single country in the world will support his demand for a separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka," V Anandasangaree, former lawmaker and president of Tamil United Liberation Front told media persons in London on Sunday night.

Caparo to build Tata Nano body

Caparo to build Tata Nano body

Rediff.com   8 Feb 2008

Selected inner structural panels will be pressed and assembled by Caparo at a new facility in Singur, adjacent to the Tata Nano manufacturing plant in West Bengal.

Colour photographs of Gandhi in new book

Colour photographs of Gandhi in new book

Rediff.com   31 Jan 2008

The 144-page book titled Mahatma Gandhi -- Images and Ideas for Non-Violence has been authored by broadcast journalist Vijay Rana. It was released at a function in Nehru Centre on Wednesday night.