www.asianexpress.co.uk
October 2013 - 3rd Edition
National
Britain Booming
MultipleSclerosis Awards Inspirational
The number of unemployed in the UK fell by 18,000 in the June-August period to 2.49 million, official figures show. The unemployment rate remains unchanged at 7.7 per cent from the previous three months. The figures, from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), also show the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance last month fell by 41,700 to 1.35 million. The ONS also reports that average earnings rose by 0.7 per cent in the year to August, 0.5 per cent down on July. The number of people in work, both full and part-time, reached a record high of 29.87 million in the quarter, up 155,000
INSPIRING: Trishna Bharadia is nominated for the ‘MS Volunteer of the Year’ award
Fatal deer crash
Two teenagers died when their car hit a deer, collided with another car and caught fire on the A10 in Hertfordshire. Driver Daniela Ruggiero, 18 from Hoddesdon, and her passenger, 17, were in a Citroen travelling northbound on the A10 between Ware and Puckeridge. Their car hit the deer and collided with a Volvo V40 leaving the driver, a man in his 50s, with leg injuries. Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash which happened at 07:45 BST. The road was closed and remained shut into the early afternoon. AA president Edmund King said: "This latest deer-related collision is an absolute tragedy. Our thoughts go out to the families and friends of the two teenagers.
pair nominated for prestigious accolades
By Ashley Grint
ashley@asianexpress.co.uk
A young man from Upper Belvedere, and an inspiring woman from Buckinghamshire, have reached the finals of the prestigious MS Society Awards 2013. 21 year old Priyal Raja is one of three finalists in the category of ‘MS Young Person of the Year’ after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) when he was just 14. Whilst at Trinity School, he raised awareness of MS by organising events and speaking engagements to raise funds and educate his peers and local community. His positivity and bravery in managing his often disabling symptoms, gained him the admiration and support of his fellow pupils and teachers, and he was made head boy during his time there. He hasn’t let his MS deter him and managed to complete his GCSEs and A levels and is currently studying for a degree in Film Production. He has also worked as a journalist for various online magazines and assisted on a Bollywood film set in India. He also produced a documentary about MS called “Coping with
MS”, which highlighted the condition within the Asian MS community and MS community on a national scale. Sanjay Chadha, founder of ‘Asian MS’, the MS Society support group, nominated Priyal after being impressed by how much he has achieved at such a young age. He said: “There can be a stigma attached to having a chronic illness within the Asian community; however Priyal dispels any prejudices by always being open about his MS. His can-do attitude is a shining example to all who meet him from any community.” Trishna Bharadia, from Marlow, will also be in attendance at the awards ceremony as one of three finalists in the category of ‘MS Volunteer of the Year’. Through her volunteer work for the MS Society as an ‘Asian MS’ committee member in her local area, Trishna has worked tirelessly to increase awareness, information and support for young Asian people living with MS, by speaking at general information days and events for the Asian community. She has been the editor for the Asian MS quarterly newsletter since 2011 and has almost single-handedly developed it into the current publication, which is uploaded on to
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the Barts and The London MS Research blog read by hundreds of people from all over the world. One of her nominators, a member of Asian MS, Kanti Khalidas, explained why Trishna was more than worthy of such an award. She said: “Trishna was diagnosed with MS in 2008 at the age of 28, but since then has become a positive role model for people within the Asian community, where illness can often be swept under the carpet. She is loud and proud about her MS, preferring to let other people living with MS know that it’s not about what they can’t do; it’s about what they can do. “She works hard to raise awareness, always with a smile on her face, and as editor of the Asian MS newsletter she has played an invaluable role in increasing communication between the Asian MS Committee and its members, as well as with the Asian community and wider MS community as a whole.” The MS Society Awards, this year sponsored by Next, will take place on Thursday 17th October and were created to reward individuals and groups for their hard work in improving the lives of people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS).
JOURNALIST: Priyal Raja is nominated in the ‘MS Young Person of the Year’ category
Canada to honour courageous Malala Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban after campaigning for girls' education, will be granted honorary Canadian citizenship. The Canadian government announced the decision on Wednesday 16th October as the 16year-old joins an elite group of foreign honorees who include South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Myanmar's
Aung San Suu Kyi. In a statement released by the Canadian government, Malala was praised for her courage to speak up. It read: “Canada recognizes the courageous and inspiring example set by Malala Yousafzai in risking her life promoting education for young women. “She faced down evil and oppression and now speaks boldly for those who are silenced.”
After receiving death threats from the Taliban for defying the Islamist militant group with her outspoken views on the right to education, Malala was shot in the head a year ago while on a school bus near her village in Swat in northwestern Pakistan. She is now an avid spokesperson on educational rights and travels the world to speak on the matter.