Malaysian PM okays Tamil content for 1Malaysia website

Kuala Lumpur, Sep. 16 (ANI): The 1Malaysia website will include content in the Tamil language, as it celebrates its first anniversary today.

According to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak what made the anniversary even more special was that it coincides with Malaysia Day, which commemorates the day Sabah and Sarawak became part of the nation 46 years ago.

“In the past year, I have posted more than 70 blog entries, and more than 6,000 comments and e-mails have been received through the website,” The Star quoted him, as saying in his latest entry at www.1Malaysia.com.my yesterday.

In recognition of both anniversaries, Najib said the website would undergo a transformation to make it more engaging to the public.

“I would also welcome your comments here on what you would like to see more (or less) of on 1Malaysia.com.my as I continue to find ways to improve our interaction via this website,” he added.

The prime minister said he was convinced that the Internet was a key area in bringing the government and its citizens closer together. (ANI)

How people lose muscles as they get older

Washington, Sep 12 (ANI): Even the most well-built people tend to loose their muscles and develop thinner arms and legs as they get older, and researchers in Nottingham have now explained why this happens.

As age catches up, it becomes harder to keep our muscles healthy-they get smaller, which decreases strength and increases the likelihood of falls and fractures.

The researchers have already shown that when older people eat, they cannot make muscle as fast as the young, and now they have found that the suppression of muscle breakdown, which also happens during feeding, is blunted with age.

Led by Michael Rennie, the scientists and doctors at The University of Nottingham Schools of Graduate Entry Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, believe that a ‘double whammy’ affects people aged over 65.

But the team think that weight training may “rejuvenate” muscle blood flow, and help retain muscle for older people.

The study’s results may explain the ongoing loss of muscle in older people- when they eat they do not build enough muscle with the protein in food and also, the insulin (a hormone released during a meal) fails to shut down the muscle breakdown that rises between meals and overnight.

Normally, in young people, insulin acts to slow muscle breakdown.

These problems could be a result of a failure to deliver nutrients and hormones to muscle because of a poorer blood supply.

In the study, the researchers compared one group of people in their late 60s to a group of 25-year-olds, with equal numbers of men and women.

Professor Rennie said: “The results were clear. The younger people’s muscles were able to use insulin we gave to stop the muscle breakdown, which had increased during the night. The muscles in the older people could not.”

“In the course of our tests, we also noticed that the blood flow in the leg was greater in the younger people than the older ones. This set us thinking: maybe the rate of supply of nutrients and hormones is lower in the older people? This could explain the wasting we see,” he added.

Later, Beth Phillips, a PhD student working with Rennie, confirmed the blunting effect of age on leg blood flow after feeding, with and without exercise.

The team predicted that weight training would reduce this blunting.

“Indeed, she found that three sessions a week over 20 weeks ‘rejuvenated’ the leg blood flow responses of the older people. They became identical to those in the young,” said Rennie.

The study has been published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (ANI)

Pak-based terrorists exploiting Britain’s shoddy visa system

London, Sep 10 (ANI): Pakistan-based terrorists are exploiting Britain’s shoddy visa system to come to the country.

Pakistan is considered by Britain as the No.1 base for Islamic extremists brainwashing potential terrorists.

More than 60,000 Pakistanis were given UK visas in the past nine months, but only 29 underwent face-to-face security interviews, The Sun reports.

The Home Office admitted the shocking record in Commons answers.

The new figures mean UK risk assessment officials in Pakistan could easily be dishing out visas to terror suspects.

Ministers have also admitted not a single visa applicant had a phone interview before getting entry clearance. And each application was dealt with in just 11 minutes; nothing like the time security experts say is needed.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: “There are very real concerns that the system is being abused, and clear security issues too.” (ANI)

Cuddle parties, latest relaxation mantra for stressed out folks!

Washington, September 1 (ANI): People are turning to a new way of untangling those worked up nerves – cuddle parties.

The concept, that came into being five years ago, lets partakers to experience clean, safe and welcomed affection.

Masterminds Reid Mihalko and Marcia Baczynski’s cuddle party events boasts of bringing people together where all physical contact is sanctioned by the other guests, reports CBS News.

The gatherings, entry to which is priced at 30 dollars, were said to be for “strictly non-sexual hugging, stroking, spooning and massaging”. (ANI)

No leadership role likely for ‘lateral entrants’ in BJP

New Delhi, Aug.31 (ANI): ‘Lateral entrants’, a term coined for non-RSS workers, are in for tough days ahead in the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In the wake of recent wrangling in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) followed by the exit of senior leader Jaswant Singh and L.K. Advani’s aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, the party has decided to clip the feathers of ‘lateral’ entrants. It literally implies that the members, who are non-swayamsewaks, will no more be able to enjoy the power and clout they used to till recent past.

A senior leader, seeking anonymity, said, ” BJP has decided that the next BJP President will be a swayamsewak and will not be a ‘ lateral entry’. This will further strengthen the chances of hardcore RSS workers-Arun Jaitley, Bal Apte and Narendra Modi-being appointed as the new bosses of the organisation and put to rest speculations about Sushma Swaraj becoming the new President of the party after Rajnath Singh’s three-year term comes to its end by the end of this year.

According to a top BJP source, the cadres of the party are deeply pained by the recent statements made by Jaswant Singh and Advani’s aide Sudheendra Kulkarni who left the party citing that he has fundamental differences with BJP’s ideology.

Party believes that cadres across the country are deeply anguished by the conduct of ‘lateral’ entrants who enjoyed enormous power and were aspirants of holding top jobs if party had won. But they defected after the party lost in the elections.

According to sources, although party will downsize the clout of non-swayamsewaks in party affairs, it will not bar their entry into the party.

Source told ANI that BJP would welcome lateral entrants into the party in future on the basis of their professional ability and capacity.

It is learnt that RSS chief in his recent meetings with the BJP leadership had suggested that they should trim the role of lateral entrants in the BJP and promote swayamsewaks in the party.

Taking a dig at the so called intellectuals, who form the major chunk of ‘lateral entrants’ in the party, top source also said: “We have competent cadres who can speak good English and also write a book.”

Admitting that the generational change in the party is imminent, party sources also indicated that Advani will continue to guide the party with his experience and moral authority even after he steps down as the leader of Opposition. By Naveen Kapoor(ANI)

US footballer claims being Farrah Fawcett’s first and last love

Melbourne, Aug 31 (ANI): A former US footballer claims that he was the first and last love of late actress Farrah Fawcett.

Greg Lott, who says he first met Fawcett in the 60s, also claims that actor Ryan O’Neal’s heart-wrenching return to her side and his support during her dying days was nothing more than an act for the camera.

According to The Mail, Lott dismissed the image of Fawcett and O’Neal’s tragic rapprochement as nothing but Hollywood fantasy, and says that for the last 11 years of her life, she was involved in a very private romance with him.

“We were blind, crazy, in love,” the Daily Telegraph quoted him as saying.

“Farrah was my best friend and my inspiration.

“We fell in love with each other all those years ago and we never really stopped loving each other. Our lives took us in very different directions but, in the end, her heart always came home to me and Texas,” he said.

Lott also claimed that O’Neal froze him out of Fawcett’s life against her will, and that she referred to O’Neal as the “Fat F*** from the beach”.

O’Neal’s spokesman has dismissed Lott’s claims as “categorically false”, but the actor’s son Griffin has stated otherwise.

“I have to thank Greg Lott for one thing: For loving Farrah the way she deserved to be loved. Ryan was just there for the acclaim,” he said.

Lott revealed the last time he spoke to Fawcett was a couple of months before she passed away.

“I last spoke to Farrah late on the night of April 9 – two-and-a-half months before she died. She was preparing to come home from a bout of treatment at St John’s Hospital in Santa Monica,” he said.

“She told me: ‘I’m coming home tomorrow. I love you and I will call you’,” he revealed.

When he did not hear from her, Lott flew to California in desperation, to her home in LA, but he claims O’Neal refused him entry.

“I never got to say goodbye to Farrah. Ryan shut me out of her life,” he said.

Lott, who dated Fawcett from when they were students at Texas University until 1970, got his second chance when her romance with O’Neal came unstuck in 1996 thanks to his volatile temper and infidelity.

“She called and we arranged to meet in Texas,” Lott said.

“She was doing a fundraiser for battered women and invited me to the event at a hotel. She walked into the room and the electricity was there between us,” he recalled.

Fawcett then invited him to visit her at her home in Bel Air, Los Angeles.

“She flew me out to Los Angeles and we fell into each other’s arms,” he said.

“Farrah was always a very sensual woman. She never wore make-up at home and would shop at cheap stores like Walmart for her sweatpants. She had no airs and graces. That’s what I loved about her. She looked a million dollars without doing anything.

“I would look at her sleeping in the early morning and she looked like an angel. I thought I was the luckiest man in the world. She told me, ‘I’ve had the Hollywood men but you’re a real man. You get me.

“She loved to cook and would make me Texan dishes like fried chicken. We didn’t go out much. We’d stay home and watch movies and make love,” he added. (ANI)

15pc preschoolers suffer from anxiety, depression: Canadian study

Washington, Aug 29 (ANI): Almost 15 pct of the preschoolers suffer from high levels of depression and anxiety, according to a Canadian study.

The five-year investigation showed that children with atypically high depression and anxiety levels are more likely to have mothers with a history of depression.

“As early as the first year of life, there are indications that some children have more risks than others to develop high levels of depression and anxiety,” said first author Sylvana M. Cote, a professor at the Universite de Montreal’s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine.

“Difficult temperament at five months was the most important predictor of depression and anxiety in the children,” Cote added.

During the study, the researchers examined 1,758 children born in Quebec.

“We found that lifetime maternal depression was the second most important predictor of atypically high depressive and anxiety problems during preschool years,” said Cote.

“Our study is the first to show that infant temperament and lifetime maternal depression can lead to a high trajectory of depressive and anxiety problems before school entry.

“It is critical that preventive interventions be experimented with infants who risk developing depressive and anxiety disorders.

“Health professionals should target such high risk children at infancy, as well as their parents, to have a long-term impact on their well-being,” Cote added.

The study is published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. (ANI)

HIV+ kid, his siblings denied admission to a school

Allahabad (UP), Aug 28 (ANI): An eight-year-old child and his siblings carrying HIV positive virus were denied admission to a school in Belamundi, roughly 50 km from here.

Along with him, two of his siblings were also refused admission.

According to the school’s principal, he was forced by parents of other children studying in same school to dismiss them.

“Villagers were very much afraid of the HIV positive child and his siblings studying in the school. They were worried that their children too will get affected. So they built up pressure on us and asked us to dismiss them from school,” said Raghvendra Nath Tripathi, principal.

The plight of the three children does not end here. Their parents died of AIDS a few years ago and now they are staying with their uncle, who has little means to raise them.

“School authorities send away all three children from school and disallowed their entry inside the school. Children are now staying at home only. We are afraid if we try to send them again they might get furious and fight,” said Dharam Narayan Panda, child’s uncle.

This incident exposes the tall claims of the state and the Central Government that they are helping AIDS patients. By Virendra Pathak (ANI)

MiG 29 intercepts Air France plane over Amritsar

Amritsar, Aug 27(ANI): An Air France plane was intercepted by an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG 29 aircraft over Amritsar on Thursday morning as it crossed into Indian airspace.

IAF radars picked up the aircraft, flying at a flight level of 37,000 feet, as it entered Indian airspace on an established border entry point on the ATS route.

The aircraft was not in communication and also the secondary radar response code or the Squawk code of the aircraft, was not correct. The aircraft was then identified as ‘Unknown’.

Immediately, an IAF MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to intercept and investigate the identity of the ‘unknown’ aircraft.

It was only later that the aircraft started transmitting correct secondary radar response code and was picked up and identified by AD radar as civil airliner (A-343) of Air France (AFR-164), which was on its from Paris to Bangkok.

The MiG-29 fighter aircraft was given instructions to break off and return to base. A formal report of the incident has been forwarded to Airports Authority Of India (AAI). (ANI)

Image of different regions of Trifid Nebula captured by European Southern Observatory

Munich, August 27 (ANI): A new image by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has captured the different regions of the Trifid Nebula, which is a rare combination of three nebula types, as seen in visible light.

This massive star factory is so named for the dark dust bands that trisect its glowing heart, revealing the fury of freshly formed stars and presaging more star birth.

Smoldering several thousand light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer), the Trifid Nebula presents a compelling portrait of the early stages of a star’s life, from gestation to first light.

The heat and “winds” of newly ignited, volatile stars stir the Trifid’s gas and dust-filled cauldron.

In time, the dark tendrils of matter strewn throughout the area will themselves collapse and form new stars.

The French astronomer Charles Messier first observed the Trifid Nebula in June 1764, recording the hazy, glowing object as entry number 20 in his renowned catalogue.

Observations made about 60 years later by John Herschel of the dust lanes that appear to divide the cosmic cloud into three lobes inspired the English astronomer to coin the name “Trifid”.

Made with the Wide-Field Imager camera attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in northern Chile, the new image prominently displays the different regions of the Trifid Nebula as seen in visible light.

In the bluish patch to the upper left of the image, called a reflection nebula, gas scatters the light from nearby, Trifid-born stars.

The largest of these stars shines most brightly in the hot, blue portion of the visible spectrum.

This, along with the fact that dust grains and molecules scatter blue light more efficiently than red light, imbues this portion of the Trifid Nebula with an azure hue.

Below, in the round, pink-reddish area typical of an emission nebula, the gas at the Trifid’s core is heated by hundreds of scorching young stars until it emits the red signature light of hydrogen, the major component of the gas, just as hot neon gas glows red-orange in illuminated signs all over the world.

The gases and dust that crisscross the Trifid Nebula make up the third kind of nebula in this cosmic cloud, known as dark nebulae, courtesy of their light-obscuring effects.

Within these dark lanes, the remnants of previous star birth episodes continue to coalesce under gravity’s inexorable attraction.

The rising density, pressure and temperature inside these gaseous blobs will eventually trigger nuclear fusion, and yet more stars will form. (ANI)

Saina to miss China Masters

Hyderabad, Aug 21(ANI): Badminton star Saina Nehwal will not participate in the China Masters Open due to negligence on part of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), who forgot to send her entry for the tournament on time.

The World Number seven expressed disappointment over her missing the tournament.

“We actually sent it one day later, and it was not accepted. It is really a sad thing because I played semis there last year and ya I’ll be losing some of my ranking points. Nothing can be done now, I just have to train and get my points back by playing tournaments after that,” said Nehwal.

The China Masters Super Series Badminton Tournament will be played from September 15-20. (ANI)

Bruce Willis slammed over private airport plans in Idaho

London, July 13 (ANI): Bruce Willis has incurred the wrath of local critics over his plans to build his own airport near his ski lodge, the Soldier Mountain resort, in Idaho.

The ‘Die Hard’ star reportedly wants to have the private airport close to the small town of Hailey, where he moved almost 20 years ago.

But local residents have criticised the actor for eyeing entry into the aviation business, leaving managers to worry about Hailey’s own airport, Fried-man Memorial.oth airports want 8,000ft runways, long enough for big passenger jets, but they may be too close together, said an aviation expert.

“The authorities will have to rule which is the safest. Friedman has a solid record but it is boxed into canyons. Willis carries a big stick and offers fresh employment opportunities,” the Daily Express quoted the expert as having told Britain’s The Sunday Times. (ANI)

EAMCET 2009 Notification ~ EAMCET Education Notification ~ EAMCET Counselling Notification ~ EAMCET 2009 Counselling Dates ~ EAMCET 2009 Counselling Schedule ~ www.apeamcet.org ~ Andhra Pradesh EAMCET 2009 Notification

EAMCET 2009 Notification ~ EAMCET Education Notification ~ EAMCET Counselling Notification ~ EAMCET 2009 Counselling Dates ~ EAMCET 2009 Counselling Schedule ~ www.apeamcet.org ~ Andhra Pradesh EAMCET 2009 Notification

Engineering Agriculture and Medicine Common Entrance Test is conducted by JNT University on behalf of APSCHE. This examination is the gateway for entry into various professional courses offered in Government/Private Colleges in Andhra Pradesh.

EAMCET Results are available on http://www.apeamcet.org/results.html

EAMCET 2009 Notification

Latest Notification about EAMCET 2009 is available on http://www.apeamcet.org/

Tamil death toll at Lankan refugee camp ‘is 1,400 a week’

Mumbai, July 10 (ANI): About 1,400 Tamil refugees are dying every week at the giant Manik Farm internment camp in Sri Lanka, senior international aid sources have told The Times.

The death toll will add to concerns that the Sri Lankan Government has failed to halt a humanitarian catastrophe after announcing victory over the Tamil Tiger terrorist organisation in May.

Mangala Samaraweera, the former Foreign Minister and now an opposition MP, was quoted by the paper, as saying: “There are allegations that the Government is attempting to change the ethnic balance of the area. Influential people close to the Government have argued for such a solution.”

News of the death rate came as the International Committee of the Red Cross revealed that it had been asked to scale down its operations by the Sri Lankan authorities, which insist that they have the situation under control.

Mahinda Samarasinghe, the Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, was quoted, as saying: “The challenges now are different. Manning entry and exit points and handling dead bodies, transport of patients, in the post-conflict era are no longer needed.”

Last night, the Red Cross was closing two offices. One of these is in Trincomalee, which had helped to provide medical care to about 30,000 injured civilians evacuated by sea from the conflict zone in the north east.

The other is in Batticaloa, where the Red Cross had been providing “protection services”.

The Manik Farm camp was set up to house the largest number of the 300,000 mainly Tamil civilians forced to flee the northeast as army forces mounted a brutal offensive against the Tigers, who had been fighting for an ethnic Tamil homeland for 26 years.

Aid workers and the British Government have warned that conditions at the site are inadequate. (ANI)

Volkswagen appoints its third dealership in Delhi, NCR

New Delhi, July 8 (ANI/Business Wire India): Volkswagen India today announced the appointment of Volkswagen Delhi West as its third authorized dealer in New Delhi and NCR region.

The announcement came at a time when the company is witnessing an upsurge in demand from across the country and its plant at Chakan, Pune is ready for manufacturing the Polo December onwards.

Volkswagen Delhi West showroom is spread over an area of 6000 sq. ft. and is located at Main Najafgarh Road, Near Moti Nagar. The showroom would offer premium buying experience to its customers, at par with the Volkswagen’s global standards of sales and services. The facility has become operational from July 2009.

Commenting on Volkswagen’s dealer network strategy Neeraj Garg, Member of the Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said, “The partnership with Volkswagen Delhi West reiterates our strong focus on widening our presence across key markets and supporting customers with prompt and efficient services.

This is in addition to both our partners M/s Kashyap Motors and DD Auto World who have supported Volkswagen since its entry to India. We are confident that these partnerships will be major milestones for our expansion plans in India.”

Volkswagen currently operates 17 franchises in the cities of Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Cochin, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Goa, Kolkata, Lucknow, Pune, Coimbatore, Surat and now adds its third facility in Delhi NCR. In the year 2009, Volkswagen aims to take up its total number of dealer outlets in India to 40.

According to Kirti Singhania, Dealer Principal, Volkswagen Delhi West, “We are pleased to partner with Volkswagen and look forward to building strong relationships with our premium customers in New Delhi. We are confident of providing Volkswagen’s global standards of experience to our customers as any other Volkswagen international dealership”.

As with every other Volkswagen dealership, Volkswagen Delhi West has been provided intense training in management of sales, service, spare parts and business systems to assure customers of the best-in-class pre and post sales ownership experience. (ANI)

Ryan O’Neal’s son slams dad over Farrah Fawcett funeral ban

Washington, July 4 (ANI): Ryan O’Neal’s son has slammed his estranged father after being denied permission to attend Farrah Fawcett’s funeral on June 30.

Ryan and his reformed drug-addict son Griffin had strained their relationship following a row that saw Ryan firing a shotgun into the stairwell of the family home.

Ryan denied entry to Griffin at his partner’s memorial service, insisting: “He’s a bad guy.”

And that left Griffin seeing red.

“I think he’s afraid of me because I know the truth about what happened in the later days. He’s a dark man and he needs to be put in his place. The reason why I’m not there is because I represent the truth and God forbid the truth coming out,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

Speaking outside the service, Griffin apparently added: “She’s mad I’m not in there.”

Charlie’s Angels star Fawcett died last month, after losing her three-year battle to cancer. (ANI)

Beethoven’s ‘elusive’ Fur Elise identified by music expert

London, Jul 1 (ANI): The identity of the lady that German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven had composed his music after has been revealed by a music expert.

Für Elise, meaning ‘For Elise’, is one of Beethoven’s best-known melodies, a mainstay of piano lessons for generations and a ringtone on millions of mobile phones.

Scholars were puzzled for years over the identity of the lady, and they were further hampered by the loss of the original manuscript.

But now Klaus Martin Kopitz, a German musicologist and Beethoven expert, believes he has identified the woman of the title as Elisabeth Rockel.

Rockel was a German soprano and sister of Joseph August Rockel, a tenor who was conducted by the composer in Fidelio in 1806.

She was part of Beethoven’s inner circle, according to Kopitz, and later married his friend and rival, the composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel.

In an article to be published by the Beethoven-Haus museum in Bonn next year, Kopitz asserts that she was also known by the name Elise, an entry in the records of St Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna, refers to her as “Maria Eva Elise”.

“It is known that, when Beethoven wrote the piece in 1810, the two enjoyed a close friendship,” the Telegraph quoted Kopitz as saying.

“Röckel related how, during a dinner party, Beethoven ‘would pinch my arm out of sheer affection’,” he said.

It was also known that, shortly before his death in 1827, she obtained a lock of his hair and was presented with one of his last quills.

If Kopitz’s theory turns out right, he will have put to rest a number of previous theories, including that the title of the lost manuscript had been misread and originally referred to Theresa Malfatti, a woman Ludwig van Beethoven had pursued. (ANI)

Fans grab 2M Jacko songs and 300K albums in 3 days post his death

New York, July 1 (ANI): Late King of Pop Michael Jackson’s fans have bought almost 300,000 to 400,000 copies of his albums and 1.8 million individual digital tracks in the three days after his death, according to Billboard Magazine.

However, figures have revealed that Jackson’s albums sold just 10,000 copies in the week before his death, while digital sales capped at 40,000.

Based on weekly tracking that ended Sunday (June 28), the figures might just put three of the star’s albums -’Number Ones’, ‘The Essential Michael Jackson’ and ‘Thriller’- in the top three spots on the latest Billboard Top Pop Catalogue chart.

However, Billboard’s regular Top 200 Albums chart will not feature Jackson’s albums, as it bans any disc that’s older than 18 months.

Still, this will mark the first time in Billboard’s history that a Top Catalogue entry has outsold the No. 1 disc on its regular album list.

The Black Eyed Peas’ ‘The E.N.D.’ moved just under 100,000 copies as Jackson peaked the chart.

Besides the three Jackson albums crowding the Catalogue chart peak, other titles by the star will also occupy the Top Ten, including ‘Off The Wall’, ‘Bad’, ‘Dangerous’, and ‘The Ultimate Collection’.

Two of Jackson 5 compilations, ‘The Ultimate Collection’ and ’20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection’, are also selling like hot cakes.

Jackson’s top selling digital tunes include ‘Man in the Mirror’, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’, ‘Billie Jean’, and ‘Smooth Criminal’. (ANI)

Sultan of Perak applauds Malay-Sikh community’s spirit

Kuala Lumpur, June 29 (ANI): The Sultan of the Malaysian state of Perak, Azlan Shah, has saluted the Malay-Sikh community for its contributions to the country’s economic, cultural and political fields.

“They form an invaluable and integral part of our colourful social fabric and deserve due recognition for their contribution, as much as any other citizen, to Malaysia’s economic, cultural and political life,” The Star quoted Sultan Azlan Shah, as saying.

Speaking at the launch of a book titled ‘Sikh Community in Malaysia’, Sultan Azlan Shah applauded the way the Sikhs have managed to retain their distinct cultural identity, despite being a minority.

He said their strong religious beliefs, cultural practices and strong sense of community had undeniably afforded them resilience and distinction.

Sikhs made their entry into Malaysia in the 19th century and quickly became known for their gallantry in the security forces, he noted.

“Today, the community’s role and influence extends to other fields, with prominence in professions such as medicine and law,” Sultan Azlan said.

Later, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim told reporters that the ministry would work to highlight the cultural heritage of other minority communities.

“We may start a series of shows on RTM highlighting the cultural and musical background of the Sikh community next week,” he added. (ANI)

Wal-Mart launches store in Amritsar

Amritsar, May 30 (ANI): Wal-Mart Stores Incorporation opened its first cash-and-carry store in Amritsar on Saturday.

Bharti Wal-Mart, the joint venture between the American retailer and India’s Bharti Enterprises, was scheduled to launch the store on Tuesday. But the programme was deferred following recent riots in Punjab to Sikh Guru attack incident in Vienna.

The store-Best Price Modern Wholesale-will be the first of between 10 to 15 planned wholesale facilities in India, measuring about 50,000-100,000 square feet each and employing about 5,000 people over the next seven years.

The entry of multinational retailers into India’s fragmented and tightly controlled retail industry is mired in controversy and Wal-Mart’s entry is seen as a sign of foreign investors’ confidence in the country after ruling coalition was re-elected two weeks ago.

“The world is changing, in India the youth is coming in, they want better stores if you go and look at our store here today, which we have made a model ‘Mera Kirana’ you look at the store, it tells you a story. You will see with this cash and carry coming in, with the best price coming in, you will see once the people come in and start linking with us, they will see the change,” said Rajan Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises.

A big number of customers thronged the store on the first day itself.

Used to moving from one shop to another for their groceries and other requirements, the customers at the store were happy at finding all their needful things under one roof.

“Earlier we had to search through various shops for the things we wanted, but now here we are getting everything under one roof and the cost is also same, maybe less,” said an unidentified customer.

India’s retail industry, currently estimated at $500 billion, is seen rising to more than 800 billion dollars by 2013 but less than 5 percent of the market is in the hands of modern retailers. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)