Malay-Indian Congress Youth want funds for maintaining Indian cemeteries

May 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, May 3 (ANI): The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) Youth has asked the Malaysian government to release financial grants for maintenance and upkeep of Indian cemeteries.

This follows a slew of initiatives by the MIC to address Malay-Indian issues.

Malaysia Nanban quoted Youth chief T. Mohan as saying that temple committees and non-governmental organisations were facing a shortage of funds for the upkeep of the cemeteries.

Mohan, who took part in a clean-up campaign at the Puchong Indian cemetery on Labour Day, said all the state Youth sub-committees had also organised a similar exercise in 24 Indian cemeteries reports The Star.

The MIC Youth would undertake the cleaning up of the cemeteries in all states on every Labour Day, he added.

MIC Youth has asked the Government for financial grants to help maintain Indian cemeteries.

The Government, he claimed, had previously announced that it would allocate 300,000 ringgits for the maintenance of the cemeteries but no funds had been disbursed to date. (ANI)

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Trademark Totti takes Roma top

May 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

AS Roma clambered back to the top of Serie A, at least for a day, after Francesco Totti added to his collection of classic goals with a marvellous lob in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Parma.

Inter Milan can re-establish their two-point lead with victory at Roma’s city rivals Lazio on Sunday (1845 GMT) but Claudio Ranieri’s side made sure the pressure will be fully on the champions with just two games left after this weekend.

“A top performance on a difficult ground against a team with no pressure. It’s a great victory,” Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi told Sky TV.

Valeri Bojinov fired just wide for the mid-table hosts on five minutes before Roma, workmanlike on Labour Day, went straight up the other end and scored.

De Rossi pinged a pass forward and captain Totti timed his run to perfection, chested the ball down and lobbed goalkeeper Antonio Mirante from 18 metres.

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The striker, who also hit the post, later sent in a delightful cross which Rodrigo Taddei nodded in for the second goal on 75 minutes.

Davide Lanzafame’s superb header set up a nervous finish during which Parma’s Luis Jimenez was sent off.

Totti’s display and his 12th league goal of an injury-hit season offered food for thought for Italy coach Marcello Lippi as he considers whether the 33-year-old should come out of international retirement and play at the World Cup in June.

The Roma player though will be missing from Lippi’s World Cup training camp this week along with team mate Luca Toni, who came on at halftime, because the club are playing Inter in the Italian Cup final on Wednesday.

Roma surrendered the title initiative when they lost 2-1 at home to Sampdoria last weekend, their first defeat in 25 Serie A games.

AC Milan, a distant third and with coach Leonardo hinting he will soon leave, host Fiorentina later (1845) hoping to recover from two straight defeats and keep a tight grip on the final automatic Champions League place.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez.

To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Record 4.2 million to cross Hong Kong border for May Day holiday

May 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Hong Kong – A record 4.24 million people are expected to travel in and out of Hong Kong for the May Day holiday, immigration officials in the city of 7 million said Monday.

The figure, which will see an average of 276,000 people a day criss-crossing the Lo Wu land border with China, would be 16 per cent higher than for the same time in 2008.

The busiest days are expected to be May 1 when 173,000 people are expected to cross from China into Hong Kong and May 3 when some 170,000 will cross in the opposite direction, a Hong Kong immigration department spokesman said.

May Day, or Labour Day, is a major holiday in the Chinese calendar and a popular time for people in mainland China to spend time with relatives or friends in Hong Kong.

Travel between China and Hong Kong has been made easier by the relaxing of cross-border travel restrictions, allowing millions more mainland Chinese visitors into the former British colony. (dpa)

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New Pension Scheme launched in India for all citizens

May 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 1 (ANI): The New Pension Scheme (NPS) has been launched on ‘Labour Day’ on Friday for all the citizens.

This followed the confirmation by the National Interim Pension Regulator of the scheduled launch of the Mega Pension Plan from Friday.

According to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), the necessary infrastructure for the roll out of the NPS is now ready and it will be available to all the citizens.

Under this scheme, the Central Government employees who joined on or after January 1, 2004 are also covered under this.

Besides the government employees, bank branches and post offices will be used to collect contributions for all the citizens.

Six pension fund managers will plan schemes and manage funds.

A central record-keeping agency has also been appointed.

All these institutions will be regulated by an independent regulator, the PFRDA. (ANI)

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Kolkata sex workers take out torch rally on May Day

May 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Kolkata, May 1 (ANI): Sex workers in Sonagachi, Kolkata’s biggest red light area, took out a torch rally on Friday seeking legalization of their profession.

The torch rally was organised under the aegis of a self-help group, dedicated to the cause of sex workers.

“‘May Day’ means ‘Labour Day’. Sex workers are labours. It should be looked like profession and not in any other way. So, we took out a rally on ‘Labour Day’,” said Bharati De, programme coordinator, the Durbar Mahila Samanway Committee, a self-help group.

Around 500 sex workers paraded down the streets of Kolkata at midnight to press for their demands. They said their profession is just like any other profession and hence they should not be looked down upon.

The sex workers also want the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (ITPA) to be discarded as they feel that the Act has certain provisions which restrict them from earning there livelihood.

“I am a sex worker and the right of sex worker should be there in the Parliament and in the State Assembly. We want to get registered as well. I also want the ITPA discarded,” said Swapna Roy, a sex worker.

The sex workers of Kolkata had gone on an indefinite hunger strike last year in the month of July, protesting against the ITPA.

Sonagachi, a bustling red light district is home to around 15,000 sex workers. It is estimated that in West Bengal alone there are 70,000 sex workers.

Although prostitution is illegal in India, it is a thriving underground industry.

Voluntary groups estimate that there are about two million women sex workers. (ANI)

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