Indian-origin minister quits British government, takes G20 job

October 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi Tuesday interacted with a delegation of people of Indian origin who have come to India to learn more about their ancestral homeland. Expressing their desire to know more about their roots, members of the delegation, mainly in the age group 18 to 26, said: We want to know more about the country, its freedom movement, life in urban and rural areas and its centuries-old civilizaton.

September 29th, 2009 TORONTO - Deepak Obhrai, an Indian origin junior minister in the Canadian government, has earned kudos for helping out a woman diabetic while on a flight from Ottawa to Calgary. Obhrai, a five-time MP from Calgary and parliamentary secretary (minister of state) to Canada's minister for foreign affairs, was flying from Ottawa to his hometown last Monday when a woman passenger suddenly fell ill.

September 25th, 2009 NEW YORK - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has confirmed that Indian-origin business minister Shriti Vadera is leaving the Government to take up her new role as Britain's representative with the G20 group of leading nations. Baroness Vadera, who had been central to Brown's economic plans during the economic downturn, has been asked to work closely with South Korea who takes over the leadership of the G20 after Britain.

September 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) is organising the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-Europe (PBD-E), a regional diaspora event, at the Hague in the Netherlands Sep 19. The event, to be held at the World Forum, is to "celebrate the success of Indian diaspora and unite them for a better India".

August 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has lauded the role of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) for promoting the interests of the overseas Indian community. "GOPIO has emerged as a leading organisation providing a unique platform to the vast Indian overseas community for promoting their interests and realising their aspirations," Manmohan Singh said in a message on the 20th anniversary celebrations of GOPIO being held in New York Aug 20-23.

August 12th, 2009 NEW YORK - An organisation of Indians settled abroad will be celebrating its 20th anniversary here through a convention Aug 20-23, on the theme "People of Indian Origin: Strengthening Global Connections". The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International) will hold the event that will provide an opportunity to deliberate on the global Indian diaspora, evaluate the body's progress in 20 years, to network, exchange ideas and connect with Persons of Indian Origin and Non Resident Indians.

June 26th, 2009 LONDON - A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled Friday in the southeast British city of Leicester known as Little India for its Indian-origin population. Though locals were opposing the installation of the statue, no protest was made during the unveiling of the seven-foot icon, sitting on a five-foot plinth, of India's independence hero.

June 11th, 2009 LONDON - Indian-origin MP and former minister Parmjit Dhanda has joined the race to become the next speaker of the House of Commons, warning that the British parliament "is in crisis." Dhanda, a 37-year-old clean shaven Sikh, threw his hat in the ring to succeed Michael Martin, who will step down June 21 after a controversial intervention last month in favour of disgraced MPs found to be claiming dubious parliamentary expenses. If successful, he would be the first British Speaker - a centuries-old office - from an ethnic minority brackground.

June 3rd, 2009 Reports: Fourth UK minister quitsLONDON — British media say a fourth member of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government has quit amid the lawmakers' expenses scandal. The BBC and Sky News reported Wednesday that Communities Secretary Hazel Blears planned to resign her post.

June 1st, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Monday said students from the state studying in Australia are free to contact him if they faced any danger. "The chief minister is worried about the safety of the students from Gujarat studying in Australia after the racial attacks on some students of Indian origin last week.

May 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Kansas-based, Indian-origin girl Kavya Shivashankar, 13, has become America's spelling champion by winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The budding neurosurgeon from Olathe took home more than 40,000 dollars in cash and prizes and the huge champion's trophy.

May 27th, 2009 VANCOUVER - Wally Oppal, a top Indian Canadian politician and British Columbia provincial attorney general, was defeated in the assembly election Tuesday after a recount of votes. In the May 12 assembly elections in British Columbia province, Oppal was declared winner by just two votes in his home constituency of Delta South on the outskirts of Vancouver.

May 21st, 2009 LONDON - In a felicitation from the world's oldest democracy to its largest, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has congratulated Manmohan Singh on behalf of the British parliament. 'I have sent a message of congratulation - I believe it will be on behalf of the whole House - to Prime Minister Singh, who is very respected not only in the region but throughout the world,' the British leader told the House of Commons, Britain's lower house of parliament, Wednesday.

May 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Expressing 'deep concern' over reports of Taliban targeting Sikhs in Pakistan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday demanded that the Indian government take proactive steps to save the lives of people of Indian origin. The BJP demanded that the government should take proactive steps to save people of Indian origin living in Pakistan, a party statement said.

April 24th, 2009 LONDON - A respected Perth academic of Indian origin, who was threatened with deportation, was celebrating after being given a reprieve by the British Home Office. A judge had originally rejected Swarthick Salins application for leave to stay in Britain after his bank balance fell below the minimum level set by the UK Border Agency.