Los Angeles, May 20 (IANS) More than 750 firefighters are battling a fast-moving, wind-driven “Sandy Fire” in Southern California’s Ventura County, which has put over 17,000 residents under evacuation orders.The Sandy Fire ignited Monday morning near Sandy Avenue and Rudolph Drive in Simi Valley, roughly 48 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles. According to the Simi Valley Police Department, the blaze was sparked accidentally just after 10 a.m. local time when an individual operating a tractor st…
Latest Southern California News & Updates
Washington, April 3 (IANS) A Chinese national has pleaded guilty in a sweeping $27 million fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted around 2,000 elderly victims across the United States, with investigators linking the operation to India-based scam call centres.Jiandong Chen, also known as “Little Tiger”, admitted in federal court that he played a role in the multinational conspiracy that operated between 2021 and 2023, according to the US Attorney’s Office in San Diego.Prosecutors s…
Washington, March 24 (IANS) A Southern California-based Indian dance academy has been selected to perform at the Diwali Dance Fest at Walt Disney World, marking a major milestone for the Santa Clarita group.Ghungroo Dance School was selected from 25 teams among more than 400 applicants. The selection highlights its growing recognition and strong performance record, a media release said Monday.Founded by dance instructor Jini Valiaveettil, the school offers weekly classes in Bollywood and semi-cl…
Washington, Feb 27 (IANS) Two senior Republican senators have urged the US Department of Justice to investigate what they described as foreign-operated surrogacy centres exploiting American citizenship laws, raising concerns that the practice poses a “serious national security risk”.In a letter dated February 26 to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Senators Tom Cotton and Rick Scott requested that the Department of Justice “investigate surrogacy centers operated by foreign nationals”.“We wri…
New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has been granted a wild card entry into this year’s Indian Wells tournament, organisers confirmed. The 45-year-old American will compete in both singles and doubles at the prestigious event in the Southern California desert, which runs from March 1–15.Williams expressed her excitement about returning to one of her favourite stops on the tour.“It’s great to be heading back to Indian Wells and returning home to California…