Vyom Mathrani, an 11-year-old Indian American young star, acted in the film “Hercules, Houdini, Holmes,” which was released on March 24. He first acted in a Malayalam movie and now he plays a prominent role in “HHH.” Mathrani did his formal training at the Barbizon Acting School that opened him to so many opportunities. Thus far, the Indian American youngster has done three short films: “Peruchazhi,” “Water,” and “Neil.” He has also been featured in some commercials, including ‘Faces of LA’, ‘Walmart Digital’, ‘Disney Band-Aids, ‘Go-Go Squeeze Applesauce drinks’ and ‘X-Prize’.
Congressman Ro Khanna named finalist
Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna has been named a finalist for the Democracy Awards. The awards recognize non-legislative achievement in operations and constituent service by congressional offices and members of Congress, according to the foundation. Khanna is recognized for excellence in the Constituent Service category, which focuses on how an office interacts with and serves constituents, especially how it utilizes and leverages specific, methodical, and consistent processes for achieving measurable results in constituent service, the release said.
Indian American accused of helping in murder found dead
Jagsir Singh Dhillon, an Indian American, accused of helping his wife murder a baby born to their teenage daughter, was found dead in his home, in an apparent suicide. His wife, Beant Singh Dhillon, is being held in Kern County Jail without bail on three felony counts of first degree murder, assault of a child resulting in death, and willful cruelty of a child. According to police, Dhillons’ 15-year-old daughter gave birth to a baby in the bathroom of their Bakersfield home on Nov. 12, 2018. Beant Dhillon took the baby from her daughter and told her she was putting it up for adoption, according to reports. She then allegedly drowned the newborn and placed the prone body inside a bag in a bucket. Later, with the help of her husband and another relative the body of the infant was buried in their garden, according to the police.
US-India trade partnership to touch $500 bn: Nisha Biswal
US-India trade relationship, currently valued at $120 billion, will grow to $500 billion in the near future, predicted Nisha Biswal, Indian American president of the US-India Business Council. “The opportunities between US and India are greatly below their full potential,” said Biswal, who formerly served in the Obama administration’s State Department as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. “It’s going to take its own path,” she said, adding: “India has become the most important economic market in the world.” Biswal advised the Indian American investors and others to “get out of the capital” and into states and cities in India, where real opportunities can be found.
Former Pak cop charged for killing model
A former Pakistan police officer has been charged in last year's high-profile killing of a 27-year-old male model whose death triggered nationwide protests by members of his tribe. Prosecutor Jabran Nasir says the former officer, Rao Anwar, pleaded not guilty at the hearing. He says the trial will begin in April. The aspiring model, Naqeeb Ullah, was killed under suspicious circumstances in January 2018 in what authorities initially described as shootout during a raid on a militant hideout in Karachi. Following the shootout, Anwar and several other officers were arrested. At the time, Anwar claimed Ullah had links with militants. A subsequent government probe concluded that Ullah, who hailed from the South Waziristan region, once a Taliban stronghold, had no links with militants.
Pak to get $2.1bn loan from China
Cash-strapped Pakistan will receive $2.1 billion loan from China to provide a boost to its ailing economy, the finance ministry announced. Ministry’s adviser and spokesperson Khaqan Najeeb Khan said that “all procedural formalities” for the transfer of the $2.1 billion (15 billion yuan) loan being provided by the Chinese government have been completed, and “the funds will be deposited in the State Bank of Pakistan’s account”, the Dawn newspaper reported. Pakistan has received $1billion each from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as part of the bailout packages by the two Gulf nations to help shore up Islamabad’s dwindling foreign currency reserves.
Pak waiter finds fame as Tyrion’s doppelganger
Pakistani waiter Rozi Khan had never heard of the “Game of Thrones” - or its popular character Tyrion Lannister - until his striking resemblance to actor Peter Dinklage got heads turning at home. The 25-year-old so resembles the actor that he gets regularly stopped by strangers desperate for a picture. “I don't mind. A lot of my pictures have been taken, that's why I have become very famous everywhere,” he said. Not only are Khan and Dinklage’s faces strikingly similar, they are also the same height at around 4 ft 5in. Khan says he would love to meet Dinklage, describing him as a friend and brother. “I love him very much, he is my friend... he is my height so I like him a lot.”
5 unmarried couples whipped publicly in Indonesia
Five unmarried couples were flogged publicly in Indonesia - the country that practices Sharia or strict Islamic law. The accused were whipped between 10 to 20 times outside a mosque in provincial capital Banda Aceh. Four of the couples were accused of maintaining an effective relationship without marriage. The fifth couple was punished for meeting alone in a private space without being married. The flogging was attended by Banda Aceh Mayor Aminullah Usman. A crowd of men, women and children witnessed the punishment being meted out to the accused.
Jimmy Carter becomes oldest living ex-US prez
Nearly four decades after voters unceremoniously rejected then-President Jimmy Carter’s bid for a second term, the 39th president has reached a milestone that electoral math cannot dispute: He is now the longest-living chief executive in American history. Friday is the 172nd day beyond Carter’s 94th birthday, exceeding by one day the lifespan of former President George H W Bush, who died November 30 at the age of 94 years, 171 days. Both men were born in 1924: Bush on June 12, Carter on October 1. “There are no special celebrations planned,” said spokeswoman for the former president.
Kazakh prez resigns after 3 decades in power
Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev unexpectedly resigned after three decades in power, saying his oil-rich Central Asian nation now needed “a new generation of leaders.” Nazarbayev, 78, the last Soviet-era leader still in charge of his country, said he would retain key security council and party leader positions while handing over the presidency to a loyal ally for the rest of his term, which ends in April 2020. “I have taken a decision, which was not easy for me, to resign as president,” Nazarbayev said. “As the founder of the independent Kazakh state I see my task now in facilitating the rise of a new generation of leaders who will continue the reforms that are under way in the country.”
Teacher who gave away pay to poor wins $1m prize
A Kenyan teacher from a remote village who gave away most of his earnings to the poor won a $1 million prize for his work teaching in a government-run school that has just one computer and shoddy Internet access. The annual Global Teacher Prize was awarded to Peter Tabichi in the opulent Atlantis Hotel in Dubai in a ceremony hosted by actor Hugh Jackman. “I feel great. I can’t believe it. I feel so happy to be among the best teachers in the world, being the best in the world,” he said. He said the school has no library and no laboratory. He plans to use the prize money to improve the school and feed the poor.
Egg united people, helped raise money, says Oz teen
The Australian teenager known as “Egg Boy” has spoken publicly to the media for the first time since he cracked an egg on a far-right politician’s head, becoming an international symbol against bigotry in the process. “I understand what I did was not the right thing to do,” Will Connolly, 17, said in an interview. “However, this egg has united people,” he said, adding that the incident has been used to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the victims of the March 15 terrorist attack in Christchurch. That money is from a fundraising page that was set up for the teenager and meant originally to help cover Connolly’s legal fees and to buy “more eggs.” It had raised almost 80,000 Australian dollars ($56,000)
94 die as ferry sinks in Iraq
A ferry overloaded with people celebrating the Kurdish new year and Mother’s Day capsized in the Tigris River near the Iraqi city of Mosul, killing nearly 100 people, including families, officials said. Many of the dead were women and children who could be seen struggling to swim against a strong current, their heads bobbing in the water opposite restaurants and an amusement park where people had been celebrating minutes earlier. An Interior Ministry official said 94 people were killed in the accident, which residents said was the worst in recent memory.
China chemical blast toll mounts to 64
The death toll from an explosion in a chemical plant in China's Jiangsu province has risen to 64 on Saturday while 28 people still remain missing, authorities said. Of the 64 victims, 26 have been identified, Cao Lubao, the Mayor of Yancheng city, said. The blast has left 94 people with severe injuries, including 21 in critical conditions. The explosion took place following a fire that broke out in the plant, owned by Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Co. Ltd., in a chemical industrial park in Xiangshui county in Yancheng.
Italian citizenship sought for boy whose call saved lives
The leader of Italy’s 5-Star Movement called to award speedy citizenship to a 13-year-old Egyptian boy hailed as a hero for being the first to alert police that he and scores of his middle school classmates had been abducted by their bus driver. Ramy Shehata “put his life at risk to save that of his classmates”, Luigi Di Maio said on Facebook, adding that he would ask Italy’s premier to confer citizenship for special merit.
