Toronto: Eleven Indo-Canadians were honoured in the recent ICCC Annual Awards 2015 in Toronto, for strengthening bilateral ties, business achievements and their contribution to the economy. The winners included Nisha Agnihotri, Prashant Pathak, Avinash Merha, Neeru Gupta, Manjul Bhargava, Hargurdeep Singh, Avish Sood, Rajiv Manucha, Asim Ghosh, Jag Parmar and Venkatesh Mannar. They were congratulated by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Governor General David Johnston, Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne and India's High Commissioner to Canada, Vishnu Prakash. The awards were presented by Toronto Mayor John Tory and President of the Indo-Canada Chambers of Commerce, DP Jain.
UAE-based Indian clears US Ivy League
Dubai: A teenager of Indian origin has been accepted by five American Ivy League schools this year. A student of Dubai College, Anya Malik received acceptances from Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Penn and Dartmouth. She however, chose to go to Yale, Connecticut, US to pursue a joint major in Economics and Math. When asked why, she said, “In the US, I'll be able to study Economics and Maths, but also do French, and also take a class in Physics and also take a class in Psychology.” 16 other students of Dubai College have received offers from the Ivy League schools.
China lifts sunken ship from river, toll 396
Beijing: The death toll in the Chinese cruise ship that capsized in the mighty Yangtze river jumped to 396, as over 200 more bodies were pulled out, making it China's deadliest maritime disaster. The Eastern Star was on an 11 day trip along Yangtze when a tornado overturned the vessel upside down. Fourteen people have so far survived the disaster, including the captain and chief engineer The relatives of the passengers gathered together to pay homage to their dear ones. Officials are currently conducting DNA tests to hand over the bodies to their respective families.
Indian-American police man faces trial for sexual assault
Washington: Rajat Sharda, the first police officer of Indian descent on the Worchester, Massachusetts police force, was removed from service on September 2014, following allegations of sexual assault from a Connecticut woman. The 29- year -old woman has testified in courts that Officer Sharda approached her and her boyfriend and asked her to step outside her car, handcuffed her boyfriend and sexually assaulted and threatened her before he left the place. He is charged with sexual assault, open and gross lewdness, witness intimidation and larceny. A court in the US state of Massachusetts has started trial of the police officer.
Millennium-old Hindu temple discovered in Bangladesh
Dhaka: In a surprise discovery, archaeologists have found a millennium old Hindu temple in North-western Bangladesh. The temple is believed to be built between the 8th and the 9th century in the area which is now called the Meherpur village. The excavation team has now found terracotta plaques, idols and staircase of the temple. The national temple of Bangladesh, the Dhakeshwari Temple, considered the oldest in the country, was built in the 12th century during the Sen dynasty, a family line that came into rule after the Pala kings.
Myanmar's Suu Kyi to make first visit to China
Yangon: Myanmar's opposition leader and Nobel prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, is scheduled to visit China from June 10th to the 14th, following an invitation from the Chinese Communist Party. The visit, her first to China comes at a time of strained diplomatic relations between both the countries. She will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang during her four day tour. China has reassured that there was no political intentions and that the host country has no intentions to interfere in Myanmar's internal affairs.
Saudi upholds 1,000 lashes for blogger
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has maintained the sentence of a 1,000 lashes and 10 years of imprisonment issued on blogger Raif Badawi. Badawi's wife Ensaf Haider said she had held high hopes for her husband's release and now feared his punishment would start again. A video footage taken by a member of the Security Forces of the blogger receiving his first 50 lashes prompted international protests. Saudi authorities had sent his case to review after the first round in January. He has not endured the second round as a medical report found him unfit for punishment. Raif Badawi was arrested in 2012 for “insulting Islam through electronic channels.”
Shailesh Nayak is India's candidate for top WMO post
Geneva: Indian Scientist and bureaucrat, Shailesh Nayak is contesting the elections for the post of Secretary General at the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organisation. The four candidates up for election are Jerry Lengoasa, current WMO Deputy Secretary General from South Africa, Elena Manoenkona, Assistant Secretary General from the Russian Federation, Shailesh Nayak, Secretary of Earth Sciences in India and Petri Tallas, the Director General of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The WMO is a specialised UN agency that deals with the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources. Michel Jarraud, the current Director-General, stands down at the end of this year after three terms in office.
Women barred from voting in local elections in Pak
Islamabad: The Election Commission in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has ordered re-elections after elders of the region barred women from voting. The election was held on May 7 in Lower Dir region and won by a candidate of right-wing Islamic party, Jamat-i-Islami. Media and Civil Society groups informed the absence of the women in the polling stations. The Election Commission of Pakistan has now ordered a re-poll in the constituency. Aizaz-ul-Mulk, the winner, has however, criticised the decision and will challenge it in the Supreme Court.
Dubai-based Indian entrepreneur to donate half his wealth to charity
Dubai: A 58-year-old Dubai-based Indian education entrepreneur has pledged to give away more than half of his wealth for helping teachers around the world by signing a popular philanthropic campaign. Kerala-born Sunny Varkey joins the likes of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Indian Wipro chairman Azim Premji by signing Bill Gates' "The Giving Pledge" campaign.
"I am delighted to sign the Giving Pledge. I was fortunate that I grew up in a family where charity was ingrained in us from a very early age. Even when my father earned a small amount, a large portion was shared with the community we lived in, sometimes at the cost of our own comfort," Varkey said.
Indian-origin man shot dead in Toronto
Toronto: A 23-year-old Indian-origin man from Bharuch, Gujarat, was shot dead, allegedly by his friend, in a barber's shop in Toronto. Arif Yakub Intwala had a verbal spat with Syed Mohammed Ali Zaidi inside the shop. Zaidi, 19, fired at him after an altercation, sources and family said. Arif 's parents had shifted to Toronto from Manubar, 11 km from Bharuch, in 1996. Toronto police said Zaidi surrendered on June 3 and has been charged with nine counts, including second-degree murder and careless use of a firearm.
