Houston

Diwali has officially gone big in Harris County in the US state of Texas, as for the first time, residents can legally buy fireworks ahead of the festival on October 31. The Harris County Commissioners Court approved this change in September, following a 2023 state law recognising Diwali as a fireworks-eligible holiday. Though it is still not a public holiday here, communities across the United States are embracing and celebrating Diwali with enthusiasm, and Houston stands out for its vibrant celebrations. Last weekend, the Shri Sita Ram Foundation hosted the 13th International Diwali-Dussehra Festival at the Fort Bend Epicentre in Rosenberg, Texas, attracting an estimated 12,000 attendees. This lively event showcased Indian culture through captivating dance performances, live music, and an array of traditional foods, along with booths selling handicrafts and festive items that created a true Diwali Mela atmosphere. The festival culminated in a dazzling fireworks display, symbolis

The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) has honoured outstanding individuals and organisations to recognise their significant contributions to the Indo-American business community. Marking its 25th anniversary with a grand Silver Jubilee Gala, the IACCGH here on Saturday celebrated a quarter-century of fostering business growth and US-India trade relations, recognising individuals and organisations with the prestigious 2024 IACCGH Awards. Rajender Singh of Star Promotions was honoured with the Pioneer Award in Entertainment for his exceptional 30-year career in promoting world-class entertainment in Houston and across the US. Singh has collaborated with Bollywood icons such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, and Deepika Padukone while staying deeply connected to his roots and supporting pandemic relief efforts in India. Col. Raj Bhalla received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy and Community Service. A 94-year-old veteran Col. Bhalla, whose

The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, marking a significant milestone in promoting bilateral trade between India and the United States, supporting small businesses, and driving economic growth. With profound honour, we celebrate a quarter-century of service, said Jagdip Ahluwalia, founding secretary and executive director, welcoming attendees at the Hilton Americas on Saturday. Reflecting on IACCGH's key milestones, he noted partnerships with corporate giants like Shell, BMC Software, and Wallis Bank, as well as impactful collaborations such as MD Anderson's work with Tata Cancer Centre and Mahindra Tractors' arrival in Harris County. The fund-raising gala, an annual event, held on Saturday, was attended by over 1,000 guests, the organisers said. The event brought together leaders from various sectors, including members, partners, elected officials, representatives from the Indian Consulate, the University of ...

An investigation found no evidence of intent to influence 2022 election outcomes in Texas' largest county, prosecutors have said, but they will pursue criminal charges against a county employee who was allegedly working a second job while polls ran out of paper ballots. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg's review is one of several to scrutinise Houston's last midterm elections, when problems at polling places prompted Republican candidates to contest defeats in local races and Republican Gov Greg Abbott to sign a law removing the elections administrator in the county of more than 5 million residents. Ogg, an elected Democrat, on Tuesday said during a news conference that her office and investigators with the Texas Rangers found no evidence that elections employees intentionally tried to sway the results. But she said the investigation found that the failures of one elections employee -- whose job was to make sure polling locations had enough paper ballots -- resulted in some ...

Beryl, now downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone after striking Texas as a Category 1 hurricane, brought heavy rain Tuesday to Missouri, Illinois and Indiana

Judge David R Jones of Houston's bankruptcy court faced allegations of bias due to his romantic relationship with attorney Elizabeth Freeman, leading to his resignation

Floodwaters closed some Texas schools on Monday after days of heavy rains pummelled the Houston area and led to hundreds of rescues including people who were stranded on rooftops. A 5-year-old boy died after riding in a car that was swept away in fast waters, authorities said. Although forecasters expected storms to begin tapering off in southeastern Texas, high waters continued to close some roads and left residents facing lengthy cleanups in neighbourhoods where rising river levels led to weekend evacuation orders. Houston is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country. Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dumped historic rainfall that flooded thousands of homes and resulted in more than 60,000 rescues. In one soggy area of Houston, school officials in Channelview cancelled classes and said a survey of their employees found many of them had experienced circumstances that would prevent them from coming to work. These folks have suffered much, people," Trinity County Sheriff Woody

High waters flooded neighbourhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing more than 400 people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water. Others prepared to evacuate their property. Floodwaters inundated a wide region Saturday, from Houston to rural East Texas, where game wardens rode airboats through waist-high waters rescuing both people and pets who did not evacuate in time. One crew brought a family and three dogs aboard as rising waters surrounded their cars and home. A flood watch remained in effect through Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted additional rainfall Saturday night to the soaked region and the likelihood of major flooding. Aron Brown, 45, and his wife Jamie Brown, 41, were two of the many residents who drove or walked to watch the rising waters near a flooded intersection close to the San Jacinto River in the northeast Houston neighborhood of Kingwood. The floodwaters had risen several feet a

Amid ongoing celebrations across the globe ahead of the Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya, a majestic billboard conveying the essence of Shri Ram has been put up in Houston and is alluring thousands of motorists daily on the busiest highway since Monday. Three hundred feet tall billboard, depicting information about the inauguration of the temple, provides warmth and rare surprise for Houstonians, amidst current freezing temperatures. Designed and conceived passionately by Dr Kusum Vyas of Living Planet Foundation, founder of the Green Kumbh Yatra and Save Ram Setu Campaign, the billboard project was executed along with Houston's longtime volunteer, Umang Mehta. Hindus of Greater Houston, (HGH), an umbrella organisation that aims to inspire and encourage the community by sharing positive vibes and the energy of Sanatan Vedic Dharma, came forward and funded the billboard, which is placed at a premium location in Houston. HGH-funded billboard also acts as an open invitation to all .

Barely hours away from the grand inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, enthusiastic devotees here have arranged an awe-inspiring and innovative Tesla car light show dedicated to Lord Ram. Over 100 Tesla car owners, calling themselves Ramji ki Gilahariyan of Greater Houston, gathered at Shri Guruvayurappan Krishna Temple for the light show on Friday evening, attracting hundreds of Ram Bhakts and passersby in the neighbourhood. The cars had a giant-sized Ram Rath in the backdrop, with a life-size temple oil painting, and loud music of Jai Sri Ram giving the place a divine look and feel of being at the temple. Tesla Car drivers use a key feature wherein the headlights can be programmed to off and on at the same time. Soon after the beautiful light show, they assembled at the temple for aarti, joined by other bhakts who sang resounding bhajans dedicated to Lord Rama and Krishna and distributed Prasad amongst the devotees. According to the organisers of the Tesla Light Show, ...

NASA will analyse the sample once it returns to earth, to help us understand the origins of the solar system. Bennu orbits the Sun at an average distance of about 105 million miles

At least four people were killed and two people were injured on Sunday morning (local time) after a man set fire to a building and then shot at people fleeing in Houston

The move is scheduled to be completed by mid-2023, the company said in a statement, becoming the largest Fortune 500 company in the metro area of Houston

The World Petroleum Congress, the largest triennial gathering for the industry, kicked off Sunday in Houston, the largest city of south-central US state Texas

A portion of a tollway in Houston was renamed after slain Indian-American police officer Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal who was shot dead on duty during a traffic stop

They've also dimmed each other's ability to observe and to spy on critical regions of their countries

Trump administration ramps up its confrontation with China ordering Beijing's consulate in Houston to close over concerns about economic espionage

US media had reported that police and fire officials in Houston responded to reports that documents were being burned in courtyard of Consulate General of China in Houston

Plasma from someone who has recovered from Covid-19 contains antibodies made by the immune system to attack the virus

Personally involved in the planning of the mega event at the historic NRG Stadium in Houston on September 22, Shringla said this would be "historic"