MELBOURNE: Three Indian-origin politicians, including a woman, have been elected to New Zealand’s parliament in the just-concluded general elections. Kanwaljeet Singh Bakshi, Dr Parmjeet Parmar and Mahesh Bindra have successfully made it to the 121-member parliament, the New Zealand Herald reported on Monday. Delhi-born Bakshi and Pune graduated Parmar fought the elections as the candidates of the ruling National party while Mumbai-born Bindra was elected as the New Zealand First […]

Do you know that in the Holy City of Mecca, only Muslims are allowed? Non-Muslims may not enter or travel through Mecca and attempting to enter Mecca as a non-Muslim can result in penalties such as a fine or deportation from Saudi Arabia. However, in Medina, both Muslims and Non-Muslims are allowed. The exception is non-Muslims entering the Nabawi Square, where the Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi is located. But why this disparity? […]

People in Scotland will vote later on whether the country should stay in the UK or become an independent nation. Voters will answer “Yes” or “No” to the referendum question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?“ With 4,285,323 people – 97% of the electorate – registered to vote, a historically high turnout is expected. Votes will be cast at 2,608 polling places across the country between 07:00 and 22:00 on […]

In this series of narratives, I shall recount random encounters with people : something in their lives struck a chord in me and by sharing it with you it might make you reflect on your own…….   The Cobblers come to Chango   We hurried through the narrow lanes between the stone houses, the warm August sunshine a very welcome ingredient in the invigorating air at 10,000 feet in the Kinnaur Himalaya […]

NEW DELHI: Consumption of fish in rural areas of Lakshwadeep is over 16 times the national average with Goa at second spot. Contrary to popular belief, Kerala and West Bengal come third and fourth respectively. In rural areas of Chandigarh, there are hardly any takers.According to the latest data, Indians on an average consume just 269 grams of fish per month in rural areas while in urban areas it’s 238 […]

Hyderabad(Telangana State): Charminar – the symbol of Hyderabad – is the most searched historical site in the city on Google, the world’s biggest search engine. Google search trends analysis for the past six months reveals Charminar as the most searched historical site in the city, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Charminar has been searched the most in Andhra Pradesh (combined state) followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. “Interestingly, […]

An ancient Indian university has reopened 800 years after it was destroyed in an invasion, it’s been reported. Nalanda University, in the eastern state of Bihar, was first established in the 5th Century during the Gupta dynasty. It was was said to have attracted thousands of scholars and thinkers from around the world but the site was destroyed in the 1193 AD by an invading Turkish army. The new campus […]

Used as a route between Ladakh and Kashmir, the Zojila mountain pass is located at a staggering 11,580ft above sea level and is enclosed by Kashmir valley on one side and Drass valley on the other. The narrow road is on the western section of the Himalayas mountain range and is part of the 275-mile long route from Srinagar to Leh It is said to be one of the most […]

The Principality of Monaco has the highest density of millionaires in the world, according to a research report. About one in three in the city-state of Monaco is a millionaire, according to a study done by Wealth Insight and wealth management magazine SPEAR’s. The study ranked ranks cities by percentage of millionaires in its total population. Wealth Insight is a London-based wealth consultancy. The study classified 29.21 per cent of […]

Beirut:  More than 180,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict broke out in March 2011, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a new toll published on Thursday. The Britain-based monitoring group, which relies on a network of sources on the ground, said it had documented the deaths of 180,215 people. Among them were 58,805 civilians, including 9,428 children and 6,036 women. The group said 49,699 […]