TAMIL DIASPORA

ARJUN NARAYANA Murti who is popularly known as 'Spike' at his company, Goldman Sachs has become a cause celebre for his ingenious forecasts about oil prices, based on what he terms his super spike theory, predicting the rising demand for crude oil, limitations in refining capacities and hence the escalating price of crude oil.
Murti 38, now a managing director at his firm, caused his peers to shrug off earlier predictions as in 2003-2004 when he said oil prices would breach $80 a barrel then again in 2005 when he foresaw the doubling of prices to $100 before the end of the decade. Last month he forecast the price at possibly touching $200 a barrel, which made his peers sit up and take notice.
Murti basically tells US lawmakers the country is up the creek without a paddle unless it weans itself from gas guzzling SUVs, no new refineries and few incentives to energy companies to get on their bikes and do something about the situation.
He suggests the disincentivisation of SUVs, encouragement of the market adoption of hybrid vehicles, incentives to use mass transportation in major cities and so on.

INDRA NOOYI, chief executive officer of PepsiCo, has been named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Infuential Builders and Titans. Time says: Her sharp strategic mind, tremendous market insight and humanitarian contributions all combine to make her a rare executive among the global corporate giants. PepsiCo's international business grew 22% last year, and she is showing the way for American companies trying to do well overseas. Indra, 52, was also way ahead of her competitors in moving the company toward healthier products.

Canada

WITH 53 Guinness world records already under his belt, Toronto-based Suresh Joachim has now set his sights on Bollywood. Next month he will land in India to create yet another record —making a full-length film in just 12 days.
"Yes, a two-hour film in 12 days because the current Guinness record is held by 'The Fastest Forward', which was made in just 13 days in 1990," Joachim, the second highest Guinness record holder, said.
"Mine is a Tamil film which would be shot in Chennai. Everything, from scriptwriting to shooting to editing to the censors' approval to the launch, will be completed in 12 days," said the 39-year-old.
The man, whose records include the longest karaoke marathon (25 hours, 49 minutes), the longest radio broadcast (120 hours), the longest time standing on one foot (76 hours, 40 minutes), the longest watching of TV (69 hours) and the longest ironing (55 hours, five minutes), said: "I will be the hero of this yet-to-be-named film which will have six top Tamil stars.''
The film will try to set at least three records: shortest time to make a film, from scriptwriting to screening; highest number of costume changes by one character; most roles executed by one person.

Malaysia

TRONOH V. Sivakumar created history last month when he became the first Indian to assume the chair of Speaker of Malaysia Assembly. He is the 12th Speaker of the Malaysian Assembly. 
Sivakumar received 31 votes against his opponent's 28, while Hee received 30 votes against the 28 obtained by her opponent. 
The Pakatan Rakyat grouping of DAP, PKR and Pas won 31 seats against Barisan National's 28 in the March 8 general election. 
Barisan National nominated former speaker Datuk Seri Junus Wahid to retain the position and nominated Chenderiang state assemblyman Mah Hang Soon for the deputy speaker's post, but both lost.

JHUMPA LAHIRI, 40, stopped at Manhattan's famous Strand Bookstore, as fans queued for hours to get a signed copy of her new book that is high on the bestseller lists, 'The Unaccustomed Earth'.
The author is known to be reclusive and recalled that as a grad student she and a friend browsed the Strand with little money but spent long hours pouring over the treasured books. 
The Unaccustomed Earth is the much anticipated follow up to her novel The Namesake and Interpreter of Maladies, which won her the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2000.

HIMACHALI

THE HIMACHAL Pradesh government has decided to honour World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler Daleep Singh Rana alias Khali. 
"The state will honour Khali, a native of Sirmaur district," Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal's office said. Since Dhumal has been busy campaigning for the Hamirpur Lok Sabha bypoll, "we are making efforts to find a suitable date for the function," they added. 
The decision to honour Khali was taken as he has acted as a kind of international brand ambassador for the state, sources said.

United Kingdom

MANJULA SOOD is to become Britain's first Asian woman mayor in Leicester City. She has been involved in projects associated with Asians and Afro Caribbean communities. Her term in office in the Leicester City Council will be for a period of a year.
As Leicester's lord mayor she will maintain and promote the city’s interests and its people. Sood, who left India for the UK in 1970, said she is honoured and privileged and will serve her city that has given her so much support through the years.
Sood is the first woman of Indian origin to hold the post of mayor in the UK and is the mother of two sons. She has also been Britain's first Asian female high bailiff.