MoneyGram expands money transfer services in Australia

Additional s elf-service kiosks to be made available through selected United Petroleum locations

Aust ralian-based customers looking t o transfer funds to fami l y and friends overseas now have access to more easyt o- use kios ks as part of a new agr eement between MoneyGram, a leadi ng global money transfer company, and Austra l ian fuel company United Petroleum, one of the country's fastest growi ng independent compan i es.

The self-service k i osks, which have mult i-lingual capabi l it i es, will allow customers to make transfers w i th the cl i ck of a button. Through MoneyGram's dedi cated ki osks, consumers can easily send money at retai l, petrol and convenience stores that were not previously equi pped t o offer such products.

Th i s move i s part of MoneyGram's strategy to revolutionise self -service money transfer through innovati ve channe l s like kiosks and mobile services

With consumers sending over $5 billion AUD annually across border s, Australia is an i mportant remittance market for MoneyGram t o expand its selfservice platform.

"MoneyGram is committed to provi ding cust omers with innovative ways to quickl y send and receive funds, and by work ing with Unit ed Pet roleum to provide user-friendly kiosks, we are placing customer accessibi lity first;' said Gran t Lines, MoneyGram's executive vice president of As i a Pacific, Sou t h Asia and t he Middle East.

Bringing Little India to Sandown

he piece de resistance at the recentl y held AIIl Diwali Fair in Sandown was without doubt the turban sporting chef Harpal Singh Sokhi. The popular Indian n r chef was in Me lbourne to launch Sahrini, a new brand of Indian food products, in association with Sabi Foods. A major draw card to tl1e event, T-Iarpal Singh did not disappoint his innumerable fans as he whipped up delicacies on stage, putting on a s ho,v witl1 lots of 11a111ak, shamak and ood les of fun Harpal- scyle.

This was the I 3'h year of celebrations organised under the banner of Alll. Ove r the years there have been many changes in the agend a, presentations and sponsors for the event, however che underlying objective fo r observing Diwali remains a constant. Alil aims to replicate the authen tic experience of the most anticipated of all Indian festivals in Melbourne and open it to the public so chey can enjoy and participate.

Putting an event of thjs scale together involves months of pla nning, effort and innovatio n ,

Indianlink

said Hari Yellina, Vice President of AIIT. "It's like bringing Little India to Sandown," Hari said

"Wi m over 80 stalls offering Indian fas.l~on, food and fun there is an enormous amount of coordination required and the AilI team does a commendable job learning from previous experience and improving wirh every year."

Besides the formal function that was held in the evening, a crowd pleaser was the \Xlestern Union Talent Show, thar saw participation from various individuals and groups - and boy, does Melbou rne have talent! One vibran t item succeeded another a nd it would have been a to ugh task to pick any winners

Premier Denis Napch ine graced the event wi th his presence along with man y dignitaries and AIIl commjttee members. A sizeable crowd from diverse multicul niral backgrounds milled around die vast grou nd s relishing tl1e streetstyle food and beverages inclurung freshl y squeezed suga rcane juice (ganne ka an all- time favourite amongst Indians.

There was never a dull moment from the time attendees entered the gates. People were invited to meet local politician s representing both Labor and the Liberals All major Indian media were present in strong numbers including an outdoor broadcast from SBS. MuJtiple businesses promoted their produces and there were showbags galore on offer. Am.idsc a riot of colours and promotional material, p len ty of efforts we re made co attract attention.

Ir was a mela in the true sen se of the word, a gathering li ke no othe r, \vith a kaleidoscope of activities co keep the senses engaged. The day-lo n g event culminated in spectacuJar firework - the carefully orchestrated p yrotechnics tran sporting many 'back home' where D iwali is traditionall y celebrated with fireworks in almost every Indian househ o ld.

"Ir may nor be as much fun as being able to light them ourselves, but it is delinfrely safer in t he bands of profes sionals," remarked someone in t he crowd

The new Sachin Tendulkar autobiography depicts events without providing much fresh analysis

It may have ruffled a few feathers in Australian media circles, but to any follower of Indian cricket over the past three decades, Sacl1in Tendulkar's recently released autobiography Plqying lt lv!J1111/'qy is, lamentab ly, more recount than reflection. While it is interesting co read about his somewhat brartish childhood adventures, and reveali ng tl1at he played a large maj ority of his career in significant, apparently unbearab le pain, in his book, Tendulkar manages co maintain the detached, almost mundane streak that characterised his off- field persona tlu-oughout his long and illustrious p laying career.

The book, co-wri tten by prominent cricket historian and scholar Boria Majumclar, takes us through 28 chapters, each dealing with various stages of Tendulkar's career. Although tl1e series- by- series recounts soon become tiresome , and he fail s co anal yse some important i ssues that must have resonated with him in a certain capacity, Tendulkar does provide a few fascinating in sights in to his world.

Childhood

Surprisingl y, Sachin Tendulkar the child "vas fa r removed from the mild-mannered and s_oftly -spoken man many came to admire.

For instance, Tendu lkar would regularl y p lay annoying pranks on others in his neighbourhood - locking neighbours in the ir apartments, pouring water on passers- by, and disguising deep ly-dug hol es in the sand on a construction s ite, wa iting fot unsuspecting v ictims.

It wasn't just the pranks By his own accounts, Tenclulkar's unreasonab le behav imucaused h is parents a lot of embar rass m ent. When m o s t of his frie nd s got their own bicycles, Tendulkar's stubborn artimde led to him getti ng his head smck in the g rille of the apartment 's balcon y - while s ul king and refusing to go outs ide co play in an effort to guilt- trip hjs parents into bu yi n g a new cycle for him

The Chappell brothers

Much of the hype surrounding Pla]ing It My [V'qy are Tendulkar's "explosive" allegations t ha t one- time Indian coach, former