News, Views and Information about NRIs.

A NRI Sabha of Canada's trusted source of News & Views for NRIs around the World.



August 31, 2012

Remembering Princess Diana on the fifteenth anniversary of her death


remembering_diana_postnoon_news_1

It’s been fifteen years since the The People’s Princess was laid to rest. Yet, even today she continues to be loved and adored as the force that single-handedly changed the face of modern British nobility.

LONDON: Princess Diana’s death 15 years ago this week made the British monarchy more attuned to their own image and changed forever the way the young royals behave to their subjects, royal watchers say.
Diana died in a car crash in a Parisian road tunnel on August 31, 1997 alongside her companion Dodi Fayed, triggering an extraordinary chain of events.
Within hours, a carpet of flowers began spreading from her home at Kensington Palace in London as Britons threw off their reserved reputation and mourned openly.
In one of the defining moments of his time as prime minister, Tony Blair described her as the “people’s princess”, striking a chord with the grieving nation.
Yet Queen Elizabeth II appeared to have misjudged the public mood, initially choosing to remain at Balmoral in Scotland instead of returning to London.
Amid accusations she was out of touch and acting coldly towards her former daughter-in-law – Diana and Prince Charles had divorced in 1996 — the queen eventually made an unusual televised address.
Diana’s funeral was heavy with emotion, not least when her brother Earl Charles Spencer used his sermon to attack the press who had pursued her throughout her adult life and who might have contributed to the crash which killed her.
Perhaps nothing illustrates the passage of time since Diana’s death better than the bewildered little boy who walked behind her coffin — the grown-up Prince Harry, now 27, made a very different public impression in recent days after his wild ‘strip billiards’ holiday in Las Vegas.
Despite her younger son’s sometimes raucous behaviour, Diana’s legacy can be seen clearly in her two sons and in William’s wife Catherine, the former Kate Middleton, according to royal historian Kate Williams.
“In the last three or four years the young princes have really taken over a lot of the mantle of Diana, so we think less about Diana and more about William, Harry and Kate,” Williams told AFP.
“It seems as if the young royals are very much in Diana’s mould. They are giving to charity, they are very caring and they are out there meeting the people and seem much less stuffy.”
Even before her divorce from Charles, Diana had thrown herself into charity work, especially championing the plight of landmine victims. Shortly before she died she visited Bosnia to meet people maimed by landmines.
Williams believes that if Diana were alive today she would be heading up her own charity.
“Diana had a very good divorce settlement and she was a great humanitarian and it is my belief that she would have spent that divorce settlement on setting up her own charity in which she did work for the poor, the sick and landmines victims.”
She would have taken a role akin to a UN Goodwill Ambassador, such as Queen Rania of Jordan or Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, Williams believes.
Diana’s death continues to resonate. Tourists visiting the memorial fountain to her in Hyde Park this week vividly recalled the shock.
Stephanie Cooper, a tourist from Billericay in Essex, said: “It was one of those moments like the New York attacks, it is one of those things like the death of JFK, you will always remember where you were and what you were doing.”
Filming has started on a new movie starring British actress Naomi Watts as Diana. Based on the recollections of her long-time bodyguard Ken Wharfe, it shows her being hounded by the paparazzi.
Diana’s death was not the only factor in the royal family’s lack of popularity in the late 1990s — a succession of divorces and scandals had also eroded their image.
“It made people in Britain very confused about what people expected from their royal family — were they not expected to set an example?” Williams said.
“But things have changed — the royals’ popularity has really soared and the queen is at her most popular since she came to the throne in 1952.”
Landmark events such as the wedding of William and Catherine last year and the queen’s diamond jubilee this year have boosted the royals’ standing — the queen even appeared in a spoof film parachuting into the Olympics opening ceremony.
“The royal family have tried very hard to market their image since Diana,” Williams noted.
remembering_diana_postnoon_news_2
Conspiracies
A limousine carrying Diana, and Dodi Al Fayed, the son of an Egyptian billionaire, crashed into the Alma Tunnel in central Paris. The initial French investigation concluded the accident was caused by his driver’s drunken loss of control. But soon enough, the conspiracy theorists got to work. First, it was said that the papparazzi caused it. Then it was said Royal Family did it. Then there were rumours that Diana faked her own death. Then things took a U turn and it was now Dodi that was the target. Till date, the conspiracies haven’t been put to rest.
remembering_diana_postnoon_news_7
The Royal Wedding
Diana married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, almost a year after the two met at a Polo match. The marriage was touted as a fairytale wedding and more than 750 million people saw it on TV. She was then bequeathed the title ‘Princess of Wales’ and Diana became a darling of the masses within a short time. However, their marriage fell apart in early ‘90s and they got divorced in 1996.
remembering_diana_postnoon_news_6
Diana hugs an AIDS patient
Diana made headlines all over the world when she hugged an AIDS patient at the Harlem Hospital in London. It was 1987 and AIDS had become an issue of major concern across the world. Her gesture was instrumental in dispelling the myth that AIDS will spread by casual contact. No member from Royal Family had done anything like this before and the media was completely floored by what she had done. A bold move indeed.
remembering_diana_postnoon_news_5
Ban on landmines
Diana became a prominent supporter of International campaign to ban landmines. She visited minefields in Angola and Bosnia in 1997, which grabbed a lot of attention in political circles and the media. Eventually, the use of landmines was banned in December 1997 when 127 countries came forward to sign the treaty in Ottawa. This remains yet milestone in her life, a major part of which was spent on devoting to several causes of major concern.
remembering_diana_postnoon_news_4
This photo released in 2008 shows Dodi Al Fayed and driver Hami Paul with Princess Diana in the backseat of the Mercedes before the fatal accident

August 30, 2012

UK cancels varsity licence, Indian students in trouble


London, 30 August 2012 - Indians are among the foreign students facing an uncertain future, including possible deportation, following the British Government’s decision to strip the London Metropolitan University’s (LMU) right to sponsor visas.
Both current and future students are in a state of limbo after the UK Border Agency (UKBA) revoked the university’s ‘Highly Trusted Status’ (HTS), meaning it will no longer be allowed to authorise visas, leaving even enrolled foreign students uncertain about whether they will be able to complete their courses.
Even worse, as many as 2,000 foreign students face deportation unless they find some other approved university or college that is prepared to sponsor them.
“The implications of the revocation are hugely significant and far-reaching, and the university has already started to deal with these” says a statement issued by the university, one of the largest in London.
“It will be working very closely with the UK Border Agency, Higher Education Funding Council for England, National Voice of Students (NUS) and its own Students' Union. Our absolute priority is our students, both current and prospective, and the university will meet all its obligations to them,” the statement said.
The Border Agency is concerned that some students at this particular university have remained in the UK without valid visas and others have used their visas by way of getting into the country as illegal immigrants. London Metropolitan has also been criticised for failing to adequately test both the English language and general academic ability of its foreign students.
Indians currently represent about 10 per cent, or 350 students, of the foreign student body represented at the two central London campuses of the university.
LMU vice-chancellor Malcolm Gillies has denied his university was a threat to immigration control. Responding to the British Home Office claims that the university’s licence was being revoked “due to a failure to comply with their sponsor duties and the resulting threat to immigration control,” he said, “The university is extremely disappointed with this news. It comes after six weeks of suspension during which the university has done everything it could do to demonstrate that the current state of its operations warrants continuing HTS (highly trusted sponsor) status and that a new management has worked to remedy past weaknesses.”
Students confused, in panic
Amitabh Das, a first year student from Kolkata studying for a degree in public relations, told The Tribune, “Definitely, we Indian students will be affected. It’s very sad that the university may not be there for us to continue and we may have to go back if the university’s sponsorship licence is taken away. I am a 20-year-old and completely confused about what to do.”
Another Indian student said in a message sent to LMU, “I have read that the university’s student visa licence has been suspended by the UKBA. Can you please let me know the status of your college now? I almost applied for the September 2012 intake for MSc Aviation Management. Now, I am in two minds. Please, please, please clarify.”
Student Union official Adnan Pavel said, “Our licence has been suspended for the last six weeks and the university is suffering. Government ministers say no final decision has been made, but students are scared about what may happen. Long-term, there will be a negative impact, especially for students from India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh who will be reluctant to come. They will prefer to go to a university in countries such as USA, Canada and Australia.”
Pavel, who is from Bangladesh, told the local media: “If the university’s licence was revoked while I was out of the UK I might not be able to come back. I am the only son and my parents were waiting for me. But after I read the story and saw how critical the situation was I couldn’t fly. I paid £580 for a flight with Emirates, but I lost all the money because I cancelled at the 11th hour.”
He added: “Students are in panic, they do not know what to do. Some of my friends studying for PhDs just need to complete their dissertations. Which university will take them if they just need to complete one semester?”
Another Bangladeshi student and union official, 26-year-old Syed Rumman, 26, told London’s Evening Standard newspaper: “I am also on the university’s governing body. If I am forced to leave, the students would lose out on representation. The students are panicking. They have come all the way from their home countries and have left their families, and this news is causing a lot of stress for them. This would be a threat to higher education across the whole of the UK. People think a British education is the best in the world but they won’t come here if this happens.”
MESS AT LONDON MET
  • As many as 2,000 foreign students face deportation unless they find some other approved university or college that is prepared to sponsor them
  • There are currently around 350 Indian students at the two central London campuses of the university
  • Most Indian students pay fee of about £10,000 (`8.6 lakh), discounted by £1,000 for their first year.

Once a Sloane Ranger, now a Sikh woman ‘warrior’: Meet Alexandra aka Uttrang Kaur Khalsa

Alexandra Aitken with her husband Inderjot Singh
 An English girl has hit the headlines in the UK for embracing the lifestyle of a devout Nihang Sikh.
Alexandra Aitken, daughter of disgraced British Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken, used to be better known for her addiction to parties and nightclubs. But Alexandra exchanged her tight dresses and plunging necklines for the more sober white tunic and five ‘K’s’, including the kirpan and the karha.
More recently, she was spotted in Punjab wearing a Nihang-style purple and white turban. She was clutching a tall spear in one hand and a bag of bananas in the other. It was in January last year when 32-year-old Alexandra surprised her family by announcing that she was marrying a Nihang Sikh - Ludhiana-bred Inderjot Singh, also known as Janbazz. Alexandra currently stays at Bani ashram, close to Anandpur Sahib, with her husband.
Shortly before her marriage, Alexandra changed her name to Harvinder, but when her husband said the name was meaningless, she changed it once again to Uttrang Kaur Khalsa, meaning victorious return of the warrior after battle.
Describing the first meeting with Janbazz, she said: "I was sitting on the roof of the Golden Temple at about 3am, and the most beautiful man I'd ever seen in my whole life walked in. He seemed 100 per cent man, gentle and intuitive and poetic and sensitive, but also extraordinarily strong and manly. And you don't see many of these around. So I was like: "Oh wow!"'
Following their wedding, her friends received an email message which read: “Hi, heavenly friends. A very funny forgiving huge hearted saintly hero was adventurous enough to marry me! We'll have celebrations in London and LA soon. Hope you'll join us.”
By her own admission, Utrrang said her parents were upset as they could not attend the wedding, which had been arranged at such short notice. But they were soon reconciled. “'When I said, "Daddy, I might be wearing a turban the next time you see me" it was a bit of a shock. But my father loves my husband - its impossible not to. He's happy for us,” she said.
Former Cabinet Minister Aitken tried suing the Guardian newspaper over an article about his links with Saudi arms dealers. But Aitken himself ended up in jail after he was found to have repeatedly lied. Uttrang's journey to Sikhism started after she moved to California where she studied yoga, subsequently explaining that it was always her destiny to become a yogi. In a newspaper interview last year, she explained her conversion to Sikhism. "I don't really think of Sikhism as a religion. It’s more a path for anyone who is looking for something more spiritual.”
Past life: Alexandra in 2005 with her father Jonathan Aitken
"We live in a computer age where life is increasingly stressful . . .people are desperately trying to find a way to relax, to escape from everything. As I see it, you've got one of two options: you can either find a drug dealer, or you can find something that's going to give you a natural high. Everyone is looking for something. I've found Sikhism,” said Utrrang.
"But I didn't just jump on the first bus going. I did my homework; I've read just about everything," she said. "Frankly, if someone had told me 10 years ago, when I was living the party girl lifestyle in London, that a decade later I'd be a teetotal vegan (and living in an ashram) I wouldn't have believed them,” she quipped.


Alexandra Aitken’s new look — a spear clutched in one hand, a bag of bananas in the other, a dagger slung over her white tunic and iPod headphones tucked beneath a white and purple turban — is a far cry from the tight dresses she favoured in her days as an ‘It’ girl around London, the Mail Online reported.
The 32-year-old Alexandra took her family, including twin Victoria, by surprise when she announced in January last year that she was marrying a Sikh warrior. She also changed her name to Uttrang Kaur Khalsa.
She had first spotted Inderjot Singh in 2009 when she was practising yoga at the Golden Temple in Amritsar before meeting him on a second visit. Their wedding was arranged with such haste that her parents were unable to attend.
On her website, Alexandra says she lives with Nihang Sikhs — the sect to which her husband (Inderjot Singh) belongs — but is staying at an ashram run by a sect of yoga Sikhs in the village of Bani in Punjab. 

Interesting journey
  • Alexandra Aitken, daughter of former British Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken, used to be better known for her addiction to parties and nightclubs. But Alexandra exchanged her tight dresses and plunging necklines for the more sober white tunic and five ‘K’s’, including the kirpan and the karha
  • It was in January last year when 32-year-old Alexandra surprised her family by announcing that she was marrying a Nihang Sikh — Ludhiana-bred Inderjot Singh, also known as Janbazz
  • Alexandra currently stays at Bani ashram, close to Anandpur Sahib, with her husband and is often spotted wearing a Nihang-style purple and white turban. She was clutching a tall spear in one hand and a bag of bananas in the other.

Man almost dies when mailing himself to girlfriend


Hu Seng hoped to pop out of the box and surprise her, but when she opened it he was passed out

One man's romantic gesture almost killed him when he ended up trapped in an airtight box for much longer than he should have been.
Hu Seng, from China, wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a present, so he decided to mail her himself. The Daily Mail reports he hopped into a box, curled into the fetal position and made a friend tape the box closed and send it via courier to his girlfriend, Li Wang. He was hoping when the box arrived at her office he would jump out of it and surprise her. But that's not quite what happened.
The couriers mixed up the address and instead of the delivery taking 20 minutes it ended up taking about three hours. Seng had very little air and by the time it arrived at Wang's office, Seng was unable to jump out and surprise her because he had passed out. He had to be revived by paramedics. He had a friend waiting at her office with a camera to film the whole thing.
"I didn't realize it would take so long," said Seng in a Daily Mail article. "I tried to make a hole in the cardboard but it was too thick and I didn't want to spoil the surprise by shouting."
The Daily Star reports if Seng told the courier firm he was in there they wouldn't have accepted the package. When animals travel they have to be in special containers so they can breathe.

August 26, 2012

ਦੋਹਤਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਤੋਂ ਜਾਣ 'ਚ ਮਦਦ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਨਾਨਾ ਦੋਸ਼ੀ ਕਰਾਰ

ਟੋਰਾਂਟੋ, 25 ਅਗਸਤ, 2012 - ਕੈਨੇਡਾ 'ਚ ਧੀ ਅਤੇ ਜਵਾਈ ਦੇ ਤਲਾਕ ਅਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਪੁੱਤਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਸਪੁਰਦਗੀ ਦੇ ਕੇਸ ਵਿਚ ਇਕ ਨਾਨੇ ਨੂੰ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਦੀ ਸਖਤੀ ਦਾ ਸਾਹਮਣਾ ਕਰਨਾ ਪੈ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਟੋਰਾਂਟੋ ਲਾਗੇ ਨਿਊ ਮਾਰਕਿਟ ਦੀ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਵਿਚ ਚਲ ਰਹੇ ਇਕ ਕੇਸ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ 77 ਸਾਲਾ ਟੈਡ ਉਤਸਵਸਕੀ 'ਤੇ ਦੋਸ਼ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਮਾਰਚ 2009 ਵਿਚ ਆਪਣੀ ਬੇਟੀ ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਦੋ ਪੁੱਤਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਵਿਚ ਨਿਆਗਰਾ ਫਾਲਜ਼ ਰਸਤੇ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਆਇਆ ਸੀ ਜਦ ਕਿ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਪਤਾ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਬੇਟੀ ਆਪਣੇ ਬੇਟਿਆਂ ਸਮੇਤ ਉਥੋਂ ਜਰਮਨੀ ਰਸਤੇ ਪੋਲੈਂਡ ਚਲੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ (ਸਾਬਕਾ) ਪਤੀ ਨੂੰ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਲਾਗੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਸੀ ਲੱਗਣ ਦੇਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੀ। ਪੋਲੈਂਡ ਤੋਂ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ 'ਚ ਆ ਕੇ ਵਸੇ ਟੈਡ ਦੀ ਇਸ ਦਲੀਲ ਨੂੰ ਜੱਜ ਨੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਕਿ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੀ ਬੇਟੀ ਦੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਬੇਟਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਦਾ ਲਈ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ 'ਚੋਂ ਕੱਢਣ ਦੇ ਇਰਾਦੇ ਬਾਰੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਸੀ ਪਤਾ। ਜ਼ਮਾਨਤ ਦੀਆਂ ਸ਼ਰਤਾਂ ਤਹਿਤ ਟੈਡ ਦਾ ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਜ਼ਬਤ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਅਕਤੂਬਰ ਵਿਚ ਸੁਣਾਈ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ। 2004 ਤੋਂ ਤਲਾਕ ਲਈ ਚੱਲ ਰਹੀ ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਲੜਾਈ ਵਿਚ ਕਮਾਲ ਦੀ ਗੱਲ ਇਹ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਪੋਲੈਂਡ ਦੀ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਟੈਡ ਦੀ ਲੜਕੀ ਦੇ ਹੱਕ ਵਿਚ ਫ਼ੈਸਲਾ ਦੇ ਚੁੱਕੀ ਹੈ ਜਿਸ ਮੁਤਾਬਿਕ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਵਾਪਸ ਭੇਜਣ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਨਹੀਂ ਪਰ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਪਿਤਾ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੀ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਵਿਚ ਆਪਣੀ (ਸਾਬਕਾ) ਪਤਨੀ ਤੇ ਦੋਵਾਂ ਲੜਕਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਅਗਵਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਰੱਖਣ ਦਾ ਕੇਸ ਲੜ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਨੇ ਭਗੌੜੀ ਕਰਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈ।

ਐਡਮਿੰਟਨ 'ਚ 'ਰੰਗ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ' ਅੱਜ

ਐਡਮਿੰਟਨ, 25 ਅਗਸਤ, 2012 - ਰੂਰਲ ਹੈਰੀਟੇਜ ਐਂਡ ਸਪੋਰਟਸ ਕਲੱਬ ਆਫ ਅਲਬਰਟਾ ਵੱਲੋਂ 'ਰੰਗ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ' ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ 26 ਅਗਸਤ ਨੂੰ ਫੈਸਟੀਵਲ ਪਲੇਸ, ਸ਼ੇਰਵੁੱਡ ਪਾਰਕ ਵਿਖੇ ਕਰਵਾਇਆ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਦਿੰਦਿਆਂ ਮੁੱਖ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ ਕੁਲਦੀਪ ਕੌਰ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ ਤੇ ਰਘਵੀਰ ਬਿਲਾਸਪੁਰੀ ਨੇ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਇਹ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਦੋ ਭਾਗਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਵੰਡਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਪਹਿਲਾ ਭਾਗ ਸਿੱਖ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਵਿਚ ਮਹਾਨ ਸਿੱਖ ਬੀਬੀਆਂ, ਮਾਤਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਰਪਿਤ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ ਅਤੇ ਦੂਸਰਾ ਭਾਗ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸੱਭਿਆਚਾਰ ਦੀਆਂ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਵੰਨਗੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਸਜਿਆ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਇਹ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਬਾਲ ਸਾਹਿਤਕਾਰ ਕੰਵਲਜੀਤ ਨੀਲੋਂ ਦੀ ਸਰਪ੍ਰਸਤੀ ਹੇਠ ਕਰਵਾਇਆ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ।

First man on moon Neil Armstrong dead at 82


U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took a giant leap for mankind when he became the first person to walk on the moon, has died at the age of 82, his family said on Saturday.
Armstrong died following complications from heart-bypass surgery he underwent earlier this month, the family said in a statement, just two days after his birthday on August 5.

As commander of the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. As he stepped on the dusty surface, Armstrong said: "“That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind."
Those words endure as one of the best known quotes in the English language.

The Apollo 11 astronauts' euphoric moonwalk provided Americans with a sense of achievement in the space race with Cold War foe the Soviet Union and while Washington was engaged in a bloody war with the communists in Vietnam.
Neil Alden Armstrong was 38 years old at the time and even though he had fulfilled one of mankind's age-old quests that placed him at the pinnacle of human achievement, he did not revel in his accomplishment. He even seemed frustrated by the acclaim it brought.

"I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks but for the ledger of our daily work," Armstrong said in an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" program in 2005.
He once was asked how he felt knowing his footprints would likely stay on the moon's surface for thousands of years. "I kind of hope that somebody goes up there one of these days and cleans them up," he said.

A VERY PRIVATE MAN
James Hansen, author of "First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong," told CBS: "All of the attention that ... the public put on stepping down that ladder onto the surface itself, Neil never could really understand why there was so much focus on that."

The Apollo 11 moon mission turned out to be Armstrong's last space flight. The next year he was appointed to a desk job, being named NASA's deputy associate administrator for aeronautics in the office of advanced research and technology.
Armstrong's post-NASA life was a very private one. He took no major role in ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the moon landing. "He's a recluse's recluse," said Dave Garrett, a former NASA spokesman.

Hansen said stories of Armstrong dreaming of space exploration as a boy were apocryphal, although he was long dedicated to flight. "His life was about flying. His life was about piloting," Hansen said.

Born August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio, Armstrong was the first of three children of Stephen and Viola Armstrong. He married his college sweetheart, Janet Shearon, in 1956. They were divorced in 1994, when he married Carol Knight.

Armstrong had his first joyride in a plane at age 6. Growing up in Ohio, he began making model planes and by his early teens had amassed an extensive aviation library. With money earned from odd jobs, he took flying lessons and obtained his pilot's license even before he got a car license.

In high school he excelled in science and mathematics and won a U.S. Navy scholarship to Purdue University in Indiana, enrolling in 1947. He left after two years to become a Navy pilot, flying combat missions in the Korean War and winning three medals.
FLYING TEST PLANES

After the war he returned to Purdue and graduated in 1955 with an aeronautical engineering degree. He joined the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA), which became NASA in 1958.

Armstrong spent seven years at NACA's high-speed flight station at Edwards Air Force Base in California, becoming one of the world's best test pilots. He flew the X-15 rocket plane to the edge of space - 200,000 feet up at 4,000 mph.
In September 1962, Armstrong was selected by NASA to be an astronaut. He was command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission and backup command pilot for the Gemini 11 mission, both in 1966.

On the Gemini 8 mission, Armstrong and fellow astronaut David Scott performed the first successful docking of a manned spacecraft with another space vehicle.

Armstrong put his piloting skills to good use on the moon landing, overriding the automatic pilot so he and fellow astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin would not have to land their module in a big rocky crater.

Yet the landing was not without danger. The lander had only about 30 seconds of fuel left when Armstrong put it down in an area known as the Sea of Tranquility and calmly radioed back to Mission Control on Earth, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

Aldrin, who along with Armstrong and Michael Collins formed the Apollo 11 crew, told BBC radio that he would remember Armstrong as "a very capable commander and leader of an achievement that will be recognized until man sets foot on the planet Mars."

Armstrong left the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) a year after Apollo 11 to become a professor of engineering at the University of Cincinnati.
DECLINES OFFERS TO RUN FOR OFFICE

After his aeronautical career, Armstrong was approached by political groups, but unlike former astronauts John Glenn and Harrison Schmitt who became U.S. senators, he declined all offers.
In 1986, he served on a presidential commission that investigated the explosion that destroyed the space shuttle Challenger, killing its crew of seven shortly after launch from Cape Canaveral in January of that year.

Armstrong made a rare public appearance several years ago when he testified to a congressional hearing against President Barack Obama administration's plans to buy rides from other countries and corporations to ferry U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Armstrong also said that returning humans to the moon was not only desirable, but necessary for future exploration -- even though NASA says it is no longer a priority.

He lived in the Cincinnati area with his wife, Carol.

"We are heartbroken to share the news that Neil Armstrong has passed away," the family said in their statement. "Neil was our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend."
His family expressed hope that young people around the world would be inspired by Armstrong's feat to push boundaries and serve a cause greater than themselves.

"The next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink," the family said.

Obama said that Armstrong "was among the greatest of American heroes - not just of his time, but of all time. ...
"Today, Neil's spirit of discovery lives on in all the men and women who have devoted their lives to exploring the unknown - including those who are ensuring that we reach higher and go further in space. That legacy will endure - sparked by a man who taught us the enormous power of one small step."

Glenn, an original NASA astronaut with Armstrong, spoke of his colleague's humble nature. "He was willing to dare greatly for his country and he was proud to do that and yet remained the same humble person he'd always been," he told CNN on Saturday.

The space agency sent out a brief statement in the wake of the news, saying it "offers its condolences on today's passing of Neil Armstrong, former test pilot, astronaut and the first man on the moon."

Armstrong is survived by his two sons, a stepson and stepdaughter, 10 grandchildren, a brother and a sister, NASA said.

Famous lost word in Neil Armstrong's ‘mankind' quote
Neil Armstrong's first words from the moon were heard all over Earth, and Earth heard this:
“That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
But Mr. Armstrong said immediately after the 1969 landing that he had been misquoted. He said he actually said, “That's one small step for `a' man.” It's just that people just didn't hear it.
The astronaut acknowledged during a 30th anniversary gathering in 1999 that he didn't hear himself say it either when he listened to the transmission from the July 20, 1969, moon landing.
“The `a' was intended,” Mr. Armstrong said. “I thought I said it. I can't hear it when I listen on the radio reception here on Earth, so I'll be happy if you just put it in parentheses.”
Although no one in the world heard the “‘a,” some research backs Armstrong.
In 2006, a computer analysis found evidence that Armstrong said what he said he said.
Peter Shann Ford, an Australian computer programmer, ran a software analysis looking at sound waves and found a wave that would have been the missing “a.” It lasted 35 milliseconds, much too quick to be heard. The Smithsonian's space curator, Roger Launius, looked at the evidence and found it convincing.
NASA has also stood by its moon man.
“If Neil Armstrong says there was an `a,' then as far as we're concerned, there was `a,“’ NASA spokesman Michael Cabbage said shortly before the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.
Mr. Armstrong, who died Saturday at age 82, maintained until the end that there was a lost word in his famous words from the moon.
“I thought about it after landing,” he said in a 2011 NASA oral history. “And because we had a lot of other things to do, it was not something that I really concentrated on, but just something that was kind of passing around subliminally or in the background. But it, you know, was a pretty simple statement, talking about stepping off something. Why, it wasn't a very complex thing. It was what it was.”

AK Hangal passes away in Mumbai


His other notable films are Namak Haraam (1973), Shaukeen (1981), Sholay (1975), Aaina (1977), Avtaar (1983), Arjun (1985), Aandhi (1975), Tapasya (1976), Kora Kagaz (1974), Bawarchi (1972), Chhupa Rustam (1973), Chitchor (1976), Balika Badhu (1976), Guddi (1971), Naram Garam (1981). Life & times of AK Hangal 
Mumbai 26 August, 2012 - Veteran Bollywood actor AK Hangal passed away in Mumbai on Sunday morning after a prolonged illness aggravated by a recent hip fracture, a family member said. Hangal was 98.
"My father died around 9 am The cause of death is mainly age-related and his lungs had also become weak and collapsed," Hangal's son Vijay, 76, told IANS.

"My father was a spirited man....He kept fighting every time till his last breath," Vijay said, adding the funeral will be held at 1pm.
"He died following lung and kidney failure after he suffered a hip fracture," the actor's physician Koulsoum Hossein told IANS.

"It is a great shock and loss to his family, admirers and the entire film fraternity," said a family member at the actor's Santacruz residence.
The veteran will be cremated Sunday afternoon at Vile Parle crematorium.
According to a hospital official, Hangal was on life-support systems for the past few days but did not respond to treatment.
Hangal was admitted to the Asha Parekh Hospital Aug 16 following a hip fracture. He had been suffering from old age health problems for a long time. 
His wife passed away before and he is survived by his son, Vijay.
The actor was associated with the film industry since 1967 and worked in nearly 225 films. He is best known for his roles in "Parichay" and "Sholay".
The actor made headlines in 2011 when it was revealed that he was struggling for livelihood as his source of income had dried up and there was hardly any money for food or medicine.

Following that, many people from the film industry, including actors Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, offered him financial support.
Hangal was last seen in a TV show, "Madhubala", in May.
The Government of India awarded him the prestigious Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Hindi Cinema in 2006. Life & times of AK Hangal
The Government of India awarded him the prestigious Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Hindi Cinema in 2006. 

Kya aap ko yaad hai Sholay film ka yeh famous dialogue "Yeh Itna Sanaata Kyun Hai Bbhai?"



Filmography
2008     Humsey Hai Jahaan
2005     Sab Kuch Hai Kuch Bhi Nahin
2005     Paheli
2005     Mr. Prime Minister
2004     Hari Om
2004     Dil Maange More
2003     Kahan Ho Tum
2002     Shararat
2001     The Adopted
2001     Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India
1999     Thakshak
1998     Zor: Never Underestimate the Force
1998     Yeh Aashiqui Meri
1998     Main Solah Baras Ki
1996     Tere Mere Sapne
1996     Sautela Bhai
1995     Live Today
1995     Kismat
1994     Dilwale
1993     Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja
1993     Khalnayak
1993     Jaagruti
1992     Meera Ka Mohan
1992     Laat Saab
1992     Apradhi
1991     Farishtay
1991     Dushman Devta
1990     Police Public
1989     Ilaaka
1989     Abhimanyu
1988     Khoon Bhari Maang
1988     Aakhri Adaalat
1987     Satyamev Jayate
1987     Mera Yaar Mera Dushman
1987     Jalwa
1987     Jaago Hua Savera
1987     Jaan Hatheli Pe
1987     Dacait
1986     New Delhi Times
1986     Ek Chadar Maili Si
1985     Surkhiyaan
1985     Saaheb
1985     Saagar
1985     Ram Teri Ganga Maili
1985     Pighalta Aasman
1985     Meri Jung
1985     Bewafai
1985     Arjun
1984     Sharaabi
1984     Kamla
1984     Aaj Ka M.L.A. Ram Avtar
1983     Naukar Biwi Ka
1983     Avtaar
1982     Swami Dada
1982     Star
1982     Shriman Shrimati
1982     Shaukeen
1982     Saath Saath
1982     Khud-Daar
1982     Dil... Akhir Dil Hai
1982     Bemisal
1981     Naram Garam
1981     Kudrat
1981     Krodhi
1981     Kal Hamara Hai
1981     Kalyug
1981     Bhaaya
1981     Baseraa
1980     Thodisi Bewafaii
1980     Phir Wohi Raat
1980     Neeyat
1980     Kali Ghata
1980     Judaai
1980     Hum Paanch
1980     Humkadam
1979     Ratnadeep
1979     Prem Bandhan
1979     Meera
1979     Manzil
1979     Ladke Baap Se Badke
1979     Khandaan
1979     Jurmana
1979     Amar Deep
1978     Tumhare Liye
1978     Swarg Narak
1978     Satyam Shivam Sundaram: Love Sublime
1978     Naukri
1978     Des Pardes
1978     Besharam
1978     Badalte Rishtey
1977     Paheli
1977     Mukti
1977     Kalabaaz
1977     Immaan Dharam
1977     Alaap
1977     Aaina
1977     Aafat
1976     Zindagi
1976     Zid
1976     Tapasya
1976     Raees
1976     Jeevan Jyoti
1976     Chitchor
1976     Balika Badhu
1976     Aaj Ka Ye Ghar
1975     Sholay
1975     Salaakhen
1975     Deewaar
1975     Anokha
1975     Aandhi
1974     Us-Paar
1974     Trimurti
1974     Kora Kagaz
1974     Ishq Ishq Ishq
1974     Do Nambar Ke Amir
1974     Doosri Sita
1974     Bidaai
1974     Aap Ki Kasam
1973     Namak Haraam
1973     Joshila
1973     Heera Panna
1973     Garm Hava
1973     Daag: A Poem of Love
1973     Chhupa Rustam
1973     Anamika
1973     Abhimaan
1972     Parichay
1972     Jawani Diwani
1972     Bawarchi
1951     Nadaan
1971     Mere Apne
1971     Guddi
1971     Anubhav
1969     Sara Akash
1969     Saat Hindustani
1969     Dharti Kahe Pukarke
1967     Teesri Kasam
1969     Dharti Kahe Pukarke
1967     Shagird

August 25, 2012

Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, dead at 82 | World | News | Toronto Sun

Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, dead at 82 | World | News | Toronto Sun

Samsung to pay $1 bn for biting into Apple’s pie

Apple vs Samsung

San Jose, August 25
Apple Inc scored a sweeping legal victory over Samsung on Friday as a US jury found the Korean company had copied critical features of the hugely popular iPhone and iPad and awarded the US company $1.05 billion in damages.
The verdict, which came after less than three days of jury deliberations, could lead to an outright ban on sales of key Samsung products and will likely solidify Apple's dominance of the exploding mobile computing market.
Apple's victory is a big blow to Google, whose Android software powers the Samsung products that were found to infringe on Apple patents. Google and its hardware partners, including the company's own Motorola unit, could now face further legal hurdles in their effort to compete with the Apple juggernaut.
Samsung lawyers were grimfaced in the quiet but crowded San Jose courtroom as the verdict was read, and the company later put out a statement calling the outcome "a loss for the American consumer."
The jury deliberated for less than three days before delivering the verdict on seven Apple patent claims and five Samsung patent claims -- suggesting that the nine-person panel had little difficulty in concluding that Samsung had copied the iPhone and the iPad.
Because the panel found "willful" infringement, Apple could seek triple damages. Apple upended the mobile phone business when it introduced the iPhone in 2007, and shook the industry again in 2010 when it rolled out the iPad. It has been able to charge premium prices for the iPhone - with profit margins of as much as 58 per cent per phone - for a product consumers regarded as a huge advance in design and usability.
The company's late founder, Steve Jobs, vowed to "go to thermonuclear war" when Google launched Android, according to his biographer, and the company has filed lawsuits around the world in an effort to block what it considers brazen copying of its inventions.

THE JURY VERDICT
The jury said Samsung had copied critical features of the iPhone and iPad and awarded Apple $1.05 bn damages

THE FALLOUT
  • Verdict shakes smartphone industry
  • Threatens Google's Android software
  • Could lead to ban on sales of key Samsung products
  • Likely to solidify Apple's dominance of mobile computing market.

August 24, 2012

Two dead outside Empire State Building


NEW YORK - Two people were killed and at least eight were wounded in a shooting outside the landmark Empire State Building in New York City on Friday, a New York police source said.
One of the dead was the shooter, the source said, adding there was no apparent link to terrorism.
A white tarp covered what was believed to be a body in front of the entrance to the office building but police declined to confirm if it was the shooter.
"I heard the gunshots," said Dahlia Anister, 33, who works at an office near the 102-story Empire State Building. "It was like pop, pop, pop. It was definitely in a bunch."
The man identified as the shooter was Jeffrey Johnson, a disgruntled former worker of a nearby women's fashion accessories designer, New York officials said.
Johnson, 53, previously had lost his job at Hazan Import Corp, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at a news conference near the scene in New York's midtown Manhattan.
Johnson and another person were killed and eight people were wounded.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a press conference that all of the injured victims are expected to survive.
The shooting started shortly after 9 a.m. on the busy sidewalk on Fifth Avenue outside the Midtown Manhattan building.
It came at the height of the tourist season outside one of New York City's most popular attractions, startling tourists and commuters. Police cordoned off the area around the building, one of the most recognizable in the world.
The Empire State Building is two blocks from Pennsylvania Station and a few blocks from Grand Central Terminal, two of New York City's main transportation hubs.
"People started running, saying somebody has a gun, so I just ran the other way. I was scared," said Adrianne Lapar, 27, who works in the Empire State Building.
The United States has had two other mass shooting cases this summer. On July 20, James Holmes, 24, is accused of opening fire at a midnight screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and wounding 58.
On Aug. 5, a gunman killed six people and critically wounded three at a Sikh temple outside Milwaukee before police shot him dead in an attack authorities treated as an act of domestic terrorism.
The Empire State Building was the world's tallest building for 40 years from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, it was again the tallest building in the city, though was recently surpassed by a new tower under construction at the World Trade Center.gh was recently surpassed by a new tower under construction at the World Trade Center.

Amber Alert to be issued for two Ontario boys

Nine-year-old Louis Gallago-Hammadieh and eight-year-old Benny Gallago-Hammadieh were last seen in a silver Dodge Caravan with Randa Hammadieh, who is shown here in this undated photo.
Nine-year-old Louis Gallago-Hammadieh and eight-year-old Benny Gallago-Hammadieh were last seen in a silver Dodge Caravan with Randa Hammadieh, who is shown here in this undated photo.

Peel region police are set to issue an Amber Alert for two children who were allegedly abducted from a Brampton, Ont. home on Friday.
Investigators are seeking the public’s help in locating nine-year-old Louis Gallago-Hammadieh and eight-year-old Benny Gallago-Hammadieh, who were last seen in a silver Dodge Caravan at approximately 11:20 a.m.
Investigators say the boys were taken from a home in the Bramalea Road and Sandalwood Parkway East area.
Police say two adults were in the car at the time, one of whom was the children’s mother, 33-year-old Randa Hammadieh.
Hammadieh is described as 5’5" with a heavy build and a tanned complexion. Police say she was wearing a long white dress and was driving with an unknown male in the car.
Police say Louis is 4’10" and weighs 85 pounds. He has a tanned complexion, short black hair and wears round eye glasses. He was last seen wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
Benny is 4'0" and weighs 60 pounds. He has a tanned complexion, short, black curly hair and a cut above his right eye.
Police have extended their search beyond Ontario’s borders and may be focusing investigation efforts in Quebec.

August 23, 2012

Bill for separate status to Sikhism today



AMENDING ARTICLE 25
 Article 25 of the Constitution of India describes Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism as parts of the Hindu religion
 This has resulted in avoidable confusion across the world about the independent identity of these three religions, says the community
 This Bill proposes to amend Article 25 with a view to distinctively refer to Sikh, Jain and Buddhist religions along with Hinduism
New Delhi, August 23
After the amendment of the Anand Marriage Act for separate registration of Sikh marriages, the community is now setting its eyes on amendment of the Constitution to recognise Sikhism as a full-fledged religion.
At present, Article 25 of the Constitution of India describes Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism as parts of the Hindu religion. Sikhs have long been seeking amendment to this Article to grant Sikhism an independent identity under the law.
In a significant move, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today allowed Shiromani Akali Dal’s Khadoor Sahib member Rattan Singh Ajnala’s private member Bill to amend Article 25 of the Constitution to meet the community’s pressing demand.
The Bill titled ‘Constitution Amendment Bill 2012’ seeks to drop Explanation II in Article 25, which — while guaranteeing a right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion — defines Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism as components of the Hindu religion.
Clause 1 of Article 25 of the Constitution provides the freedom of religion to everyone in India. Sub clause (b) of Clause 2 of Article 25 says: “notwithstanding the freedom of religion, the Government can make any law pertaining to the social welfare and reform or the throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of the Hindus”.
The problem arises in Explanation II of sub clause (b) in Clause 2 of the said Article, which says: “the reference to Hindus will be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jaina and Buddhist religions and the reference to Hindu religious institutions shall be construed accordingly as well.”
The statement of object and reasons behind Ajnala’s private member Bill listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha tomorrow wants Explanation II dropped and says, “The drafting of sub clause (b) of Clause 2 of Article 25 tends to ignore the separate and distinct identities of Sikh, Jain and Buddhist religions. Rather, it shows that these religions are either part of the Hindu religion or associated with it. This has resulted in avoidable confusion across the world about the independent identity of these three religions. This Bill proposes to amend Article 25 with a view to distinctively refer to Sikh, Jain and Buddhist religions along with Hindu religion.”
The Bill also refers to the recommendation to amend Article 25 along similar lines made by the National Commission on Review of the Constitution headed by former Chief Justice of India Justice MN Venkatachaliah during the NDA regime.
The Bill at hand is a constitutional amendment Bill and the second major bill moved as a private bill by Sikh MPs. The Anand Karaj Amendment Act was earlier moved as a private member’s Bill in Rajya Sabha by former MP Tarlochan Singh.

ਕਮਲਜੀਤ ਨੀਲੋਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਚਾਰ ਬਾਲ ਪੁਸਤਕਾਂ ਰਿਲੀਜ਼



ਕਮਲਜੀਤ ਨੀਲੋਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਬਾਲ ਪੁਸਤਕਾਂ ਰਿਲੀਜ਼ ਕਰਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਸੁਹੇਲ ਕਾਦਰੀ ਤੇ ਕੌਂਸਲਰ ਅਮਰਜੀਤ ਸੋਹੀ ਤੇ ਹੋਰ।
ਐਡਮਿੰਟਨ, 23 ਅਗਸਤ (ਵਤਨਦੀਪ ਗਿੱਲ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ)-ਸ਼੍ਰ੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਬਾਲ ਸਾਹਿਤਕਾਰ ਕਮਲਜੀਤ ਨੀਲੋਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਚਾਰ ਬਾਲ ਪੁਸਤਕਾਂ ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਸੁਹੇਲ ਕਾਦਰੀ ਤੇ ਸਿਟੀ ਕੌਂਸਲਰ ਅਮਰਜੀਤ ਸੋਹੀ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਰਿਲੀਜ਼ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਸੁਹੇਲ ਕਾਦਰੀ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੱਭਿਆਚਾਰ ਤੇ ਮਾਂ ਬੋਲੀ ਨਾਲ ਜੋੜਨ ਲਈ ਨਰਸਰੀ ਗੀਤ ਅਹਿਮ ਭੂਮਿਕਾ ਨਿਭਾਉਂਦੇ ਹਨ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਕੌਂਸਲਰ ਅਮਰਜੀਤ ਸੋਹੀ ਨੇ ਲੇਖਕ ਨੀਲੋਂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਲਾਘਾ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਜੋ ਵੀ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਉਹ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਮਾਨਸਿਕ ਲੋੜਾਂ ਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਭਾਵਨਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਝ ਕੇ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਹੈ। ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਨੀਲੋਂ ਨੇ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਤਾਬਾਂ 'ਖੋਏ ਦੀਆਂ ਪਿੰਨੀਆਂ, 'ਬੁਲਬਲੇ', 'ਬਚ ਕੇ ਸੜਕ ਤੋਂ' ਤੇ 'ਮਿਆਊਂ ਮਿਆਊਂ' ਵਿਚ ਨਿੱਕੇ-ਨਿੱਕੇ ਹਾਸੇ, ਗਿੱਲੇ ਚਾਅ', ਤੇ ਉਮੰਗਾਂ ਦੀ ਗੱਲ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਬਚਪਨ ਨੂੰ ਹੋਰ ਵੀ ਰੰਗੀਨ ਬਣਾ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨਰਸਰੀ ਗੀਤਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਵਿਚ ਚੰਗਾ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਪੜ੍ਹਨ ਦੀ ਰੁਚੀ ਪੈਦਾ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ ਰਘਵੀਰ ਬਿਲਾਸਪੁਰੀ ਤੇ ਕੁਲਦੀਪ ਕੌਰ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ ਨੇ ਵੀ ਕਮਲਜੀਤ ਨੀਲੋਂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਲਾਘਾ ਕੀਤੀ। ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਬਾਬਾ ਫਰੀਦ ਕਲੱਬ ਦੇ ਸਰਪ੍ਰਸਤ ਜਲੰਧਰ ਵਿਚ ਸਿੱਧੂ, ਵਿੱਤ ਸਕੱਤਰ ਜਸਵਿੰਦਰ ਭਿੰਡਰ, ਹੈੱਡਵੇ ਸਕੂਲ ਦੇ ਡਾਇਰੈਕਟਰ ਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਥਿਆੜਾ, ਜੀ ਡਰਾਈਵਿੰਗ ਸਕੂਲ ਤੋਂ ਗੁਰਚਰਨ ਗਰਚਾ ਤੇ ਉੱਘੇ ਲੇਖਕ ਮਾਤਾ ਜਰਨੈਲ ਕੌਰ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਹੋਰ ਵੀ ਮੌਜੂਦ ਸਨ।

ਪੰਜਾਬ ਲਈ ਚਿੰਤਤ ਨੇ ਸਕਾਟਲੈਂਡ ਦੀਆਂ ਪੰਜਾਬਣ ਬੀਬੀਆਂ

ਸਕਾਟਲੈਂਡ - ਸਕਾਟਲੈਂਡ ਪੰਜਾਬਣਾਂ ਗਰੁੱਪ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਕਰਵਾਏ ਗਏ ਤੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਮੌਕੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਅੰਦਰ ਵਧ ਰਹੀ ਕੈਂਸਰ ਦੀ ਬਿਮਾਰੀ ਨਾਲ ਪੀੜਤ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਮਦਦ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਰੋਕੋ ਕੈਂਸਰ ਸੰਸਥਾ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਮੋਗਾ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹੇ ਵਿਚ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਕੈਂਸਰ ਹਸਪਤਾਲ ਲਈ 3150 ਪੌਂਡ ਦਾ ਚੈੱਕ ਗਲੋਬਲ ਅੰਬੈਸਡਰ ਕੁਲਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ ਨੂੰ ਭੇਟ ਕੀਤਾ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਬੀਬੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸਾਡਾ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਦਾ ਵੀ ਫਰਜ਼ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਅਸੀਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਲਈ ਕੁਝ ਕਰੀਏ ਅਤੇ ਅੱਜ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਲੋਕ ਕੈਂਸਰ ਵਰਗੀ ਨਾਮੁਰਾਦ ਬਿਮਾਰੀ ਤੋਂ ਡਾਢੇ ਦੁਖੀ ਹਨ, ਇਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਅਸੀਂ ਅੱਜ ਦਾ ਸਮਾਗਮ ਕੈਂਸਰ ਪੀੜਤਾਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਂਅ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਾਂ। ਸ:"ਕੁਲਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ ਨੇ ਬੀਬੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਰੋਕੋ ਕੈਂਸਰ ਨੂੰ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਅਤੇ ਯੂਰਪ ਭਰ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਭਰਵਾਂ ਹੁੰਗਾਰਾ ਮਿਲ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਮੋਗਾ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹੇ ਵਿਚ ਬਣਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਕੈਂਸਰ ਹਸਪਤਾਲ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਲਈ ਵੱਡਾ ਸਹਾਰਾ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ।

ਭਾਰਤ ਨਾਲ ਚੰਗੇ ਵਪਾਰਕ ਸੰਬੰਧ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ ਹਿੱਤ 'ਚ-ਮੰਤਰੀ ਉੱਪਲ

ਟੋਰਾਂਟੋ, 23 ਅਗਸਤ (ਸਤਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੌਹਲ)-ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ ਲੋਕਤੰਤਰਿਕ ਸੁਧਾਰਾਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਰਾਜ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਟਿਮ ਉੱਪਲ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਦੇਸ਼ ਨੂੰ ਆਰਥਿਕ ਮੰਦਵਾੜੇ ਤੋਂ ਬਚਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੀ ਪਹਿਲ ਭਾਰਤ ਅਤੇ ਚੀਨ ਨਾਲ ਵਪਾਰਿਕ ਸਬੰਧ ਗੂੜ੍ਹੇ ਕਰਨਾ ਹੈ ਜਿਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਸਟੀਫਨ ਹਾਰਪਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਇਸੇ ਸਾਲ ਭਾਰਤ ਦਾ ਦੌਰਾ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾ ਹੈ। ਟੋਰਾਂਟੋ ਵਿਖੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਲਹਿਰਾਂ ਰੇਡੀਓ ਦੇ ਸੰਚਾਲਕ ਸਤਿੰਦਰਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਿੱਧਵਾਂ ਅਤੇ 'ਅਜੀਤ' ਦੇ ਸਤਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੌਹਲ ਨਾਲ ਇਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਮੁਲਾਕਾਤ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਸ: ਉੱਪਲ ਨੇ ਇਹ ਵੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਭਾਰਤ ਨਾਲ ਚੰਗੇ ਵਪਾਰਿਕ ਸਬੰਧ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ ਹਿੱਤ 'ਚ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਉਪ-ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਸੁਖਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ ਦੀ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਫੇਰੀ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਹਾਰਪਰ ਨਾਲ ਮੁਲਾਕਾਤ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਬਣ ਰਿਹਾ ਸੀ ਪਰ ਹਾਲ ਦੀ ਘੜੀ ਇਸ ਬਾਰੇ ਕੋਈ ਤਰੀਕ ਤਹਿ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ ਸਕੀ।

ਗੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਕੱਸਿਆ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ ਸ਼ਿਕੰਜਾ

ਬਾਰਡਰ ਏਜੰਸੀ ਕੋਲ ਹਨ 2,76,000 ਗੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੇ ਕੇਸ
ਲੰਡਨ, 23 ਅਗਸਤ (ਮਨਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੱਧਨੀ ਕਲਾਂ)-ਬਰਤਾਨੀਆ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਦਿਨੋਂ ਦਿਨ ਗੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਸ਼ਿਕੰਜਾ ਕੱਸਿਆ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ, ਕੱਲ੍ਹ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ਿਤ ਕੀਤੇ ਤਾਜ਼ਾ ਅੰਕੜਿਆਂ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ 150,000 ਲੋਕ ਗੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਬਰਤਾਨੀਆ 'ਚ ਰਹਿ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਜਦ ਕਿ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਬਾਰਡਰ ਏਜੰਸੀ ਕੋਲ ਕੁੱਲ ਪੁਰਾਣੇ ਕੇਸਾਂ ਸਮੇਤ 276,000 ਕੇਸ ਹਨ। ਮਈ ਤੋਂ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕੀਤੀ ਫੜੋ-ਫੜ੍ਹੀ ਦੀ ਮੁਹਿਮ ਵਿਚ ਹਜ਼ਾਰਾਂ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵਾਪਸ ਭੇਜਿਆ ਜਾ ਚੁੱਕਾ ਹੈ ਜਦ ਕਿ ਇਕੱਲੇ ਲੰਡਨ ਵਿਚੋਂ 2000 ਗੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਡਿਪੋਰਟ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਬਹੁਤੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਵੀਜ਼ੇ 'ਤੇ ਆਏ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਸੀ, ਜੋ ਆਪਣੀ ਵੀਜ਼ਾ ਮਿਆਦ ਲੰਘਾ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਸਨ। ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਭਾਰਤੀ, ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨੀ, ਬੰਗਲਾਦੇਸ਼, ਸ੍ਰੀਲੰਕਾ, ਚੀਨ, ਬਰਾਜ਼ੀਲ ਆਦਿ ਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਦੇ ਲੋਕ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਸਨ। ਇੰਮੀਗ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਡੋਮਿਨ ਗਰੀਨ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਵੀਜ਼ੇ ਦੀ ਮਿਆਦ ਲੰਘਾ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੁਣ ਇਕ ਪੱਤਰ ਭੇਜ ਕੇ 30 ਦਿਨ ਦੇ ਵਿਚ ਵਿਚ ਖੁਦ ਦੇਸ਼ 'ਚੋਂ ਚਲੇ ਜਾਣ ਬਾਰੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ ਤਾਂ ਕਿ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਬਰਤਾਨੀਆ ਵਿਚ ਦੁਬਾਰਾ ਆਉਣ ਦਾ ਰਸਤਾ ਬੰਦ ਨਾ ਹੋਵੇ ਜਾਂ ਲੰਬੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਲਈ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਪਾਬੰਦੀ ਨਾ ਲੱਗੇ। ਬਰਤਾਨੀਆ ਦੀ ਵੱਡੇ ਸੁਪਰ ਸਟੋਰ ਟਿਸਕੋ ਦੇ ਕੋਰਾਇਡਨ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਕੱਲ੍ਹ 20 ਗੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਗ੍ਰਿਫਤਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ ਜਦਕਿ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਿਰਧਾਰਿਤ ਸਮੇਂ ਤੋਂ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਸਮਾਂ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਦੋਸ਼ੀ ਪਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਇਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਇਕ ਹੋਰ ਛਾਪੇ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਚਾਰ ਭਾਰਤੀਆਂ ਸਮੇਤ 11 ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਗ੍ਰਿਫਤਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਵੀ ਖ਼ਬਰ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਲੰਪਿਕ ਖੇਡਾਂ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਆਏ 7 ਅਫਰੀਕਨ ਖਿਡਾਰੀ ਵੀ ਰੂਪੋਸ਼ ਹੋ ਗਏ ਹਨ।

ਗੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਪਹੁੰਚਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕਰਦੀ ਏਸ਼ੀਅਨ ਕੁੜੀ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਵਿਚ ਡੁੱਬੀ

ਲੰਡਨ, 23 ਅਗਸਤ - ਫਰਾਂਸ ਤੋਂ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਵਿਚ ਦਾਖਿਲ ਹੋਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਵਿਚ 30 ਸਾਲਾ ਇਕ ਏਸ਼ੀਅਨ ਮੁਟਿਆਰ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਵਿਚ ਡੁੱਬ ਕੇ ਮਰ ਗਈ। ਇਸ ਕੁੜੀ ਨੇ ਸਵਿੰਮਿੰਗ ਸੂਟ ਪਾਇਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਲੰਮਾ ਸਮਾਂ ਪਾਣੀ ਵਿਚ ਰਹਿ ਸਕਣ ਲਈ ਪੈਟਰੋਲੀਅਮ ਦੀ ਜਿੱਲ ਵੀ ਲਾਈ ਹੋਈ ਸੀ। ਉਸ ਨੇ ਇਕ ਹੋਰ ਛੋਟੇ ਬੈਗ ਵਿਚ ਕਈ ਲੋੜੀਂਦੇ ਕੱਪੜੇ ਅਤੇ ਖਾਸ ਕਿਸਮ ਦੀਆ ਗੋਲੀਆਂ ਵੀ ਕੋਲ ਰੱਖੀਆਂ ਹੋਈਆਂ ਸਨ ਤਾਂ ਜੋ ਭੁੱਖ ਲੱਗਣ ਵੇਲੇ ਖਾ ਸਕੇ। ਫਰਾਂਸ ਦੀ ਕੈਲੇ ਬੰਦਰਗਾਹ ਤੋਂ ਡੋਵਰ ਬੰਦਰਗਾਹ ਤੱਕ ਆਉਣ ਦਾ 21 ਮੀਲ ਦਾ ਫਾਸਲਾ ਹੈ। ਪੁਲਿਸ ਦਾ ਕਹਿਣਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਕਿਸੇ ਇਸਤਰੀ ਦਾ ਇਸ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਨਾਲ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਪਹੁੰਚਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਘਟਨਾ ਹੈ।

ਗੈਰ-ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਪਹੁੰਚਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕਰਦੀ ਏਸ਼ੀਅਨ ਕੁੜੀ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਵਿਚ ਡੁੱਬੀ

ਲੰਡਨ, 23 ਅਗਸਤ - ਫਰਾਂਸ ਤੋਂ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਵਿਚ ਦਾਖਿਲ ਹੋਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਵਿਚ 30 ਸਾਲਾ ਇਕ ਏਸ਼ੀਅਨ ਮੁਟਿਆਰ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਵਿਚ ਡੁੱਬ ਕੇ ਮਰ ਗਈ। ਇਸ ਕੁੜੀ ਨੇ ਸਵਿੰਮਿੰਗ ਸੂਟ ਪਾਇਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਲੰਮਾ ਸਮਾਂ ਪਾਣੀ ਵਿਚ ਰਹਿ ਸਕਣ ਲਈ ਪੈਟਰੋਲੀਅਮ ਦੀ ਜਿੱਲ ਵੀ ਲਾਈ ਹੋਈ ਸੀ। ਉਸ ਨੇ ਇਕ ਹੋਰ ਛੋਟੇ ਬੈਗ ਵਿਚ ਕਈ ਲੋੜੀਂਦੇ ਕੱਪੜੇ ਅਤੇ ਖਾਸ ਕਿਸਮ ਦੀਆ ਗੋਲੀਆਂ ਵੀ ਕੋਲ ਰੱਖੀਆਂ ਹੋਈਆਂ ਸਨ ਤਾਂ ਜੋ ਭੁੱਖ ਲੱਗਣ ਵੇਲੇ ਖਾ ਸਕੇ। ਫਰਾਂਸ ਦੀ ਕੈਲੇ ਬੰਦਰਗਾਹ ਤੋਂ ਡੋਵਰ ਬੰਦਰਗਾਹ ਤੱਕ ਆਉਣ ਦਾ 21 ਮੀਲ ਦਾ ਫਾਸਲਾ ਹੈ। ਪੁਲਿਸ ਦਾ ਕਹਿਣਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਕਿਸੇ ਇਸਤਰੀ ਦਾ ਇਸ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਨਾਲ ਯੂ. ਕੇ. ਪਹੁੰਚਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਘਟਨਾ ਹੈ।

Gas prices expected to rise 1.8 cents at midnight



Toronto - According to En-Pro, gas prices are expected to rise 1.8 cents at 12:01 a.m. Aug. 24, to an average price of 132.1 cents/litre at most Greater Toronto Area (GTA) gas stations.

Please note: Gas prices have become very volatile because of a change in the way oil companies set their prices, thus making it more challenging to predict gasoline prices.