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The Consulate General of India in Jeddah has set up a camp office in Madina to assist the families of Indians who died in a bus accident involving Haj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, the mission said on Tuesday. Forty-four Indian Umrah pilgrims, including 42 from Telangana, were killed in a collision involving their bus and a fuel tanker near Madina in the wee hours of Monday. The local authorities had confirmed that there is one Indian survivor, and he is undergoing medical treatment. In a social media post, the Consulate said it has set up the camp office in the Indian Haj Pilgrims Office in Madina to assist the families of Indians who died in the accident. In a separate post, the mission said Consul General Fahad Ahmed Khan Suri met Abdul Shoeb Mohammed, the lone survivor of the accident, who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Madina. "Concerned hospital authorities have informed that the best possible medical care is being provided to him. Consulate wishes him a spee
An Indian-origin couple currently serving jail terms in Australia for enslaving a woman for eight years has been slapped with a fresh penalty and ordered to forfeit the proceeds from the sale of their home, police said. Kandasamy Kannan, 61, and his wife, Kumuthini, 58, have had the "proceeds of the sale of their home forfeited and ordered to pay AUD 140,000 (approx USD 90,874) in combined penalties to the state", the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a press release on Friday. An Australian court in 2021 convicted Kannan and Kumuthini for enslaving a woman from India who had entered Australia on a tourist visa and sentenced them to six and eight years of imprisonment, respectively. AFP's Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) restrained the couple's house in Mount Waverley in 2016 after they were charged with slavery offences, the release said. The house was sold for AUD 1.4 million in 2016. After paying the mortgage and sale expenses, Kannan and Kumuthi's equity in t
The Australian government has disapproved of the campaigns taking place across various cities against increasing migration of Indians, saying this "brand of far-right activism grounded in racism and ethnocentrism" has no place in the country. March for Australia rallies against immigration were held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, among others, according to the group's website. The Anthony Albanese government stands against the events planned for the weekend, the Australian government said in a release on Thursday. All Australians, no matter their heritage, have the right to feel safe and welcome in our community, the statement said. Tony Burke, Minister for Home Affairs, was quoted as saying, There is no place in our country for people who seek to divide and undermine our social cohesion. Nothing could be less Australian. Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly said, Multiculturalism is an integral and valued part of our national identity.
The US government has deported 1,703 Indian nationals, including 141 women, so far in 2025, the government informed Parliament on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written response to another query, also told Lok Sabha that the number of Indian nationals deported from the US in the last five years (2020-2024) stood at 5,541. The number of Indian nationals deported from the UK in the last five years (2020-2024) is 311. In 2025 (till date), the number of Indians deported from the UK is 131, he said. "The actual numbers may vary for two reasons -- those illegal Indian immigrants in possession of valid travel documents are deported directly by the government of the UK. Further, the Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) issued to illegal Indian immigrants may not be fully utilised as the individuals may appeal against their deportation," the MoS said. DMK MP Kanimozhi, in a query to the Ministry of External Affairs, asked whether the government maintai
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said a strong message has gone out to the world that no one should mess with India's citizens, its borders or its defence forces, and those who do so will have to face consequences. Referring to Operation Sindoor carried out to destroy terrorist camps in Pakistan after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done the biggest job of securing the country. During Congress rule, the country had to face terror attacks almost every day. "When the Uri attack occurred, Modi took decisive action and a surgical strike was carried out. Following the Pulwama attack, an airstrike was done. And when an attack took place in Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor was launched, targeting terrorists within Pakistan and eliminating them," he said. Shah, who is also minister for cooperation, was here to attend an event on the occasion of International Cooperatives Year-2025. "Modi's actions sent a strong message globally. Through them, M
At least five Indian nationals residing in Qatar, who were visiting Kenya, have died after their bus met with an accident. The Indian Embassy in Qatar said a group of 28 Indians was visiting Kenya where their bus met with an accident on Monday. As per available information, 5 Indian nationals have lost their lives in the accident. Officials from HCI Nairobi are on the ground and extending all help, the embassy posted on X. The Gulf Times newspaper reported that the bus they were travelling in got out of control and fell into a gorge in the north eastern county of Nyandarua. The identity of the deceased is yet to be verified, the newspaper said. The Indian mission in another post said it is also in touch with the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) and other community groups in Doha. We extend sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have unfortunately passed away, it added. The mission also provided a helpline number for any