Canada

Punjabi is set to become the fourth most spoken language in Canada since the latest census shows a 35 percent increase in its speakers since 2001.
The other major languages spoken in Canada are English, French, Chinese, Italian and German but Punjabi is projected to overtake Italian and German by 2011.
The president of the Punjabi Language Education Association, Balwant Sanghera, at a celebration of the sixth International Mother Language Day stated that the latest census figures show that over 365,000 people in Canada say Punjabi is their mother tongue.
Punjabis in over 150 countries speak the language, including the US, UK, Australia and Singapore.
In British Columbia Canada, Punjabi is taught at a number of universities and schools. Hospitals banks and airports carry signs in the language, official government notices are also published in Punjabi.
The Mayor of Vancouver Sam Sullivan, acknowledging the vast Punjabi population of British Columbia is also a Punjabi speaker.
Urdu is the 11th most widely spoken among the non-official languages, while Tamil is at the 17th and Gujarati at 19th position.

United States

Baljinder Badesha never imagined that his religious devotion would compel him to race a motorcycle around an Ontario speedway to test whether turbans unravel at high speeds.
The bizarre image of 39-year-old Badesha's experiment last year—conducted under the auspices of the Ontario Human Rights Commission —was evoked during a constitutional challenge to a law that forces motorcycle riders to wear a helmet.
Badesha's counsel Mel Sokosky told the judge that in order to disprove a Crown theory that turbans unravel at high speed and cause accidents, Badesha drove around Cayuga Speedway at 110 kmh.
Badesha and the human rights commission maintain the helmet law discriminates against Sikhs because their religion obliges them to cover their long hair with nothing else but a turban.
He is fighting a $110 ticket he received in September 2005 for wearing a turban instead of a helmet while riding his motorcycle.

United Kingdom

An Indian origin shopkeeper in the UK facing murder charges for killing his assailant in self-defence should be rewarded for bravery, many Britons feel.
In discussion boards and letters to editors, people have called Tony Singh a "local hero" and expressed support for him.
Singh, 34, who owns a shop in Lancashire, was closing his shop when he was attacked by a hooded man who tried to rob him. During the struggle to defend himself, Singh took possession of the robber's knife, and in the scuffle, the assailant, identified as Liam Kilroe, died after suffering a stab wound.

United States

The US has been conquered by a Sikh comedian—Iqbal Singh Bhan.
Perhaps the only Sikh stand-up comedian in the US, 68-year-old Bhan a.k.a. Bali Bhan has performed shows at New York’s Times Square, the Laugh Factory, Comedy and other prestigious venues.
"I am quite serious about this new-found career," said Bhan, who made forays into the entertainment industry after his recent retirement from the corporate world.
When he’s asked why he wears a turban, his responses vary from "because I’m bald", to "because I have something to hide", to finally saying "it’s a part of my religion", thus creating cultural awareness.

UAE

A 10-year-old Indian boy has won five million dirhams ($1.36 million) in a mega raffle organised by a local bank in the course of the Dubai Shopping Festival.
Mohit Himthani won the grand prize, the largest in the history of the UAE, after his father Laxman Himthani bought 15 tickets for the millionaire raffle organised by Mashreq Bank.
"It is such a shock. Mohit knows he has won but he is very small. We will save the money so my children can continue their studies," the father of the winner said.
Prior to getting the news about the raffle win, he and his family were planning to return to India because of the high cost of living in the UAE.

HARYANA DIASPORA

United Kingdom

Rajesh K. Soin based in Ohio has opened a hospital in Faridabad district in memory of his father Sukhdev Raj Soin. The 55-bed multispecialty non-profit hospital has facilities for 24-hour intensive care and emergency trauma services.
Present at the opening of the hospital were Ohio Senator George Voinovich and Congressmen Mike Turner, Phil Gingrey, Rob Bishop and Steve Pearce.
The hospital will serve almost 100 villages spread over 4600 sq km in Faridabad and Mewat, some of the most backward districts of the state, and villagers will now not have to travel long distances to cities for health facilities.

United States

Geeta gandbhir of New York has received the Emmy for Outstanding Picture Editing in Non-fiction Programming at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
The Brooklyn resident shared the award with Sam Pollard and Nancy Novak for Spike Lee's 2006 HBO documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.
The four-hour film looks at the devastation caused in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina destroyed its levee system in August 2005.
The film won two other Emmys for Non-fiction Filmmaking and Directing for Non-fiction Programming.
Gandbir has worked as an editor in the television and film industry for over 15 years. She graduated from the State University of New York, majoring in Visual Arts and Cross-Cultural Anthropology.
In the film, she has worked with distinguished directors and producers such as Robert Altman of Short Cuts fame besides Spike Lee of He Got Game, Clockers, and Summer of Sam.
In television, Gandbhir has worked for state-owned PBS, MTV, Discovery, Court TV and Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Media.

India

Shagun sarabhai, a 20-year-old Mumbai homeopathy student, was crowned Miss India Worldwide at a gala banquet in Johannesburg.
Sarabhai, who went through a hectic time packing and securing a visa in just two days after winning the Indian final of the Miss India Worldwide Pageant, beat contestants from 17 other countries in the diaspora as a panel of judges rated their talent, dress sense in Eastern and Western wear, and answers to questions.
Miss India Canada, Uppeka Jain, 24, was the first princess and Sabiha Hussain, 21, from the host country, was crowned second princess.
With several winners of the 17-year-old pageant started by Dharmatma Saran of New York having gone on to Bollywood, Sarabhai is also excited about that prospect.
"If offers come my way from Bollywood, I'm going to accept them, yes, but I'm also studying medicine and I'll definitely try to blend both," she said.
"It was a little harder for me because I arrived a bit later, but I've always said that hard work pays off and this has proved true," said Sarabhai.
Mum Bella, a psychologist, and dad Pratesh, a homeopath were overjoyed at their daughter's success.