Prem Panicker In Washington, DC

Stories by Prem Panicker In Washington, DC

Bush's Indian pal under SEC scanner

Bush's Indian pal under SEC scanner

Rediff.com   25 May 2008

Dr Zachariah P Zachariah, arguably the most influential Indian- American Republican and a major fund-raiser for the party for more than two decades and a close friend of the Bush family, has been charged with insider trading by the United States's Securities and Exchange Commission.

Indian-American boy wins National Geographic bee

Indian-American boy wins National Geographic bee

Rediff.com   22 May 2008

Akshay Rajagopal, an 11-year-old sixth-grader from Lincoln, Nebraska, took top honours at the 2008 National Geographic Bee held in Washington, DC, winning a $25,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society.

Indian-American appointed to top US Commission

Indian-American appointed to top US Commission

Rediff.com   22 May 2008

Rahul 'Richard'Verma, a partner with the top-notch international law firm in Washington, DC -- Steptoe & Johnson LLP -- who, until recently was the highest-ranking Indian American Congressional aide on Capitol Hill, has been appointed to the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism.

Bobby Bedi takes piracy issue to Congress

Bobby Bedi takes piracy issue to Congress

Rediff.com   16 May 2008

Bobby Bedi who is currently producing a three-film series on the epic Mahabharat, at an estimated $70 billion budget, has complained to the United States Congress that enforcement authorities have been lax in dealing with peddlers of counterfeit Indian movies.

Non-proliferation lobby critical of 'gag order'

Non-proliferation lobby critical of 'gag order'

Rediff.com   16 May 2008

However, members of this powerful lobby that has sought to torpedo this deal as much as the Indian-American community and the pro-India lobby -- comprising groups like the US-India Business Council -- have worked assiduously to consummate the accord, were confident that when this 'cover-up' by the State Department ultimately becomes public, it would kill the agreement.

N-deal fate will not affect Indo-US ties: Expert

N-deal fate will not affect Indo-US ties: Expert

Rediff.com   16 May 2008

Retired Commodore Uday Bhaskar, leading strategic analyst, has predicted that the Indo-US relationship 10 years into the future will still remain on track even if the bilateral civilian nuclear deal is not consummated because it is now driven largely by non-government actors.

NRI in limelight over immigration debate

NRI in limelight over immigration debate

Rediff.com   16 May 2008

Immediately following his election, DeBenedittis closed down the day-labour centre that had been sustained by public funds and was located in a residential neighbourhood. In this, he had the backing of most members of the Town Council.

Vigorous foreign policy a necessity for India: Sen

Vigorous foreign policy a necessity for India: Sen

Rediff.com   16 May 2008

Delivering the keynote at a conference on The Future of India's Foreign Policy, organized by the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia's Centre for the Advanced Study of India, Sen said this was particularly imperative in the context of today's world that is 'shaped by globalization, inter-dependence, inter-connectedness and rapid changes.

'S Asia poses greatest risk to US'

'S Asia poses greatest risk to US'

Rediff.com   15 May 2008

An influential US lawmaker, who heads the Congressional Committee that has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the subcontinent, has warned that South Asia poses the greatest terrorist threat to the United States. Congressman Gary L Ackerman, New York Democrat, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, declared, "South Asia is arguably the place from which America faces the greatest terrorist threat."

Navin Nanda to head US cardiologists' body

Navin Nanda to head US cardiologists' body

Rediff.com   14 May 2008

Dr Navin C Nanda has been elected president of the American Society of Geriatric Cardiology. He is the first Asian American to head the 22-year-old organisation.

Nelson Mandela no longer a 'terrorist' in US

Nelson Mandela no longer a 'terrorist' in US

Rediff.com   8 May 2008

The United States House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed a legislation to erase the government-imposed stigma against membership in the African National Congress of South Africa, the party of Nobel Laureate and former South African President Nelson Mandela. The bill, authored by Congressman and California Democrat Howard Berman would remove any notation that would characterise the ANC and its leaders, as terrorists.

'Al Qaeda likely to launch terror strike from Pak'

'Al Qaeda likely to launch terror strike from Pak'

Rediff.com   7 May 2008

Congressman Howard Berman, the chairman of the United States' House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, has predicted that Pakistan is "perhaps the most likely launching point of a future Al Qaeda terrorist strike." Berman said, "The tribal regions of Pakistan provide safe haven for thousands of militants and terrorists, who seek not only to destabilise Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan, but who also plan attacks around the globe."

Exclusive: Hillary will make Indo-US ties stronger

Exclusive: Hillary will make Indo-US ties stronger

Rediff.com   7 May 2008

Terry McAuliffe, chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, speaks exclusively to Aziz Haniffa.

'Myanmar can accept aid from India if not from US'

'Myanmar can accept aid from India if not from US'

Rediff.com   6 May 2008

On whether the sheer lack of trust between Washington and Yangon would impede the flow of any significant US aid to the victims of the cyclone, she reiterated that the US was looking towards India and other countries in the region to step up to the plate to alleviate the suffering of Myanmar's people.

Exclusive: S P Hinduja on Indo-Iran ties

Exclusive: S P Hinduja on Indo-Iran ties

Rediff.com   2 May 2008

"India has immense credibility in the whole world because it is the largest and is a true democracy and I believe India can play a very important diplomatic role in bringing both sides together to resolve the misunderstandings they have," S P Hinduja, chairman of The Hinduja Group, said. "No one should suspect India because it is the best democracy in the world," he added.

Domestic politics, factionalism holding back India

Domestic politics, factionalism holding back India

Rediff.com   2 May 2008

Richard N Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and an erstwhile senior administration official, has predicted that domestic politics and factionalism will hold back India from becoming a major player in the global arena. Haass, who was in India recently and was witness to the political bickering over the India-United States civilian nuclear deal, also argued that the challenge to India would be "the tension between the central level and the periphery."

Appointment of Pak envoy to US slap for Musharraf

Appointment of Pak envoy to US slap for Musharraf

Rediff.com   30 Apr 2008

The nomination of Husain Haqqani as the new Pakistani ambassador to the United States, by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, is being seen as a resounding slap on the face of President Pervez Musharraf. Haqqani -- a former journalist, diplomat and currently associate professor at Boston University is one of Musharraf's fiercest critics. In fact, Haqqani has not visited Pakistan for years, fearing possible imprisonment. Haqqani has been scathing in his attacks of Bush govt

Obama refuses Hillary's debate call

Obama refuses Hillary's debate call

Rediff.com   28 Apr 2008

Obama has refused to debate Hillary Clinton,with no moderator, before the Indiana and North Carolina primaries.

US supportive of Pak peace deal with militants

US supportive of Pak peace deal with militants

Rediff.com   26 Apr 2008

The Bush administration apparently has no problem with the new Pakistani government's peace deal with militant groups in that country's North West Frontier Province, including Waziristan that have been sympathetic and allied with the Taliban and Al Qaeda. It has even given the tentative agreement its cautious blessings.

T20 or Tests: Why choose?

T20 or Tests: Why choose?

Rediff.com   24 Apr 2008

So again -- must argument remain confined to the diametrically opposite viewpoints: either you like Test cricket, in which case you hope T20 dies an unnatural death, preferably under the wheels of Lalit Modi's speeding car, or you like T20, in which case Test cricket can go do the other thing?