AV 01st June 2024

Hina Bokhari

Research highlights wide range in university housing prices

However, some institutions are charging signif icantly higher rates, with two leading universities advertising rooms starting from

research reveals

the 2024/25 academic year, as per the Complete University Guide

A

n

d universities, eight offer halls of residence rooms starting from under £100 per week for the upcoming academic year

substan-

lowest weekly rates across these universities' halls of residence

Ty

f irst-year students, universi-

often more affordable than private accommodations

The University of Surrey

l

nomical choice for f irst-year s

rooms on campus starting from £79 per week (£3,002 across a 38-week term) for the 2024/25 academic year

Si

, War wick, Birmingham, and York, also provide rooms in h

week However, seven of the UK's top 25 universities are charging rates starting from more than £150 per week, h

contrast in pricing

British-Indian businessman charged with bribing foreign official

In a L ond on court,

bribery allegations inv

ing the bribery of a foreign public off icial Pe

Magistrates Court alongside the company he directs He has been granted bail and is scheduled to appear before Southwark Crown Court on June 20 T

"Between Januar y 2015 and July 2017, it is alleged that

Investment and Energy for A n

benef it PV Energy Ltd, the company of which Virdee is a director " Additionally, PV Energy Ltd faces charges of failing to prevent briber y in relation to the same offences

C o u r t p a p e

s i n d i c a t e that Virdee faces charges of bribing a foreign public off icial under Section 6 of the Briber y Act, 2010, while PV Energy is charged with failing to prevent briber y under Sections 7 and 11(3) of the same act

Kingston dad dies after 4 3 days in ICU due to prescription error

A "ch eerful, affectionate family man" died in ho sp ital after a p rescription erro r led to hi m receivi ng 10 times the intended do se o f p ain medication, an inquest heard

K i ng st o n d ad

C h a nd ra ka nt Pa te l s family i s now demandi ng accountability

C h a n d r a k a n t Pa t e l ,

a d m i t t e d fo r a p l a n n e d check-up for chronic kidney disease on October 27, 2022, received a fatal overdose of p a i n m e d i c a t i o n He w a s referred to the Same Day Emergency Care Unit after

b e c o m i n g u n s t e a d y a n d f a t i g u e d D o c t o r s pl a n n e d to monitor him overnight and discharge him if his kidney function was stable

However, Chandrakant's health rapidly deteriorated after receiving 500 mg of P r e g a b a l i n i n s t e a d o f t h e prescribed 50mg on October 27, 2022 This mistake, based on an incorrect letter from July 13, 2022, caused him to lose consciousness and suffer severe respirator y failure the next day Rushed to the ICU, Chandrakant spent 43 d ay s t h e r e b e fo r e p a s s i n g away on December 8, 2022,

the tragic error

The prescription, approved by a doctor at the Renal Medicine

London students secure life-changing US scholarships

Three students from a school i n on e o f Lo

secure d spots at Ivy League un

mill ion in schola rships colle ctive ly

Form (NCS), which offers an Ivy League program designed

achieving high scores on the US college admissions test

The school provides

organises university

The three teenagers will

from multiple organ failure, s

lung infection, and acidosis

Fo

hospital has updated its prescription system and imple-

training

Hossain, aged 18, hail from low-income families Their

Farage criticised for 'racist' response to national conscription

Re fo r m U K l ead er Ni g e l Farage, who h as announced h

upcom ing General Election, criticised Conservativ e plans fo

teenagers Farag e stated , " It's

A d d i ti o nal ly, w e h av e

growing number of young people in this country who do not subscribe to British v alues and , in fact, loathe much of w hat we stand for " He added, "We see them on the streets of London ever y Saturday " When asked by presenter Trevor Philips i f h e w a s

fe r r i n g t o Muslims, Farage conf irmed, "We are " He further claimed

that "46% of British Muslims support Hamas, a terrorist organisation banned in this countr y, " though the sur vey he cited was not specif ied

Critics have denounced Fa

with Zara Mohammed, secretar y general of the Muslim Council of Britain, accusing h i m o

Asylum seeker runs human trafficking ring

A fo rm e r a s yl um s e e ke r, who esc aped the Sri Lankan ci vil war and was granted indef i nite leave to remain in Britain, has been revealed as the leader of a signif icant hu ma n tr af f i c k in g op er ation Sathasivam Sivagankan, 58, orchestrated the smugg l i n g o f Sr i L a n k a n

m i g r a n t s i n t o v a r i o u s

Eu r o p e a n n a t i o n s o v e r a span of two years, all while holding a part-time job at a c h i c ke n s h o p i n B r i x t o n , south London

C o u r t d o c u m e n t s

r e v e a l t h a t Si v a g a n k a n arrived in the UK with his wife and sons in 2003, seeki n g a s y l u m f r o m t h e Sr i

L a n k a n c o n f l i c t W h i l e

r e c e i v i n g s t a t e b e n e f i t s , including universal credit,

h e w o r ke d a t Mo r l e y 's

c h i c ke n s h o p t o s u p p l ement his income However, behind the façade of a normal life, Sivagankan led a

s o p h i s t i c a t e d c r i m i n a l o p e r a t i o n t r a f f i c k i n g Sr i

L a n k a n m i g r a n t s i n t o

Britain from France The gang's activities were halted in June 2021 when authori-

attempted Channel crossi n

migrants

Sivagankan was arrested

appeals,

was

in absentia in Januar y 2023 Following a prolonged legal battle, a High Court judge has rejected his latest appeal

Family blames Home Office for deported man’s death

T h e f a mi l y o f Su dh a rs a n

Ithayac h andran, wh o di ed after being deported by th e UK Ho m

, bl ames th e dep artment fo r delays th a t p re ve nt ed h im

o m reuniting with his ch ildren Ithayachandran, 41, was deported to Sri Lanka on D

admitting to working illeg

He

Sudharsan, 41, who is profoundly deaf, and their child

Priyanka, eight His motherin-law, Yasadora Nagendra, 60, described him as “the

pillar of the family ” In November 2023, an immigration tribunal ruled in his favour, granting him the right to family life in the U K

cessing his visa, leaving him stranded in Sri Lanka Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors initiated judicial review proceedings, leading to the Home Off ice

delay O n M a y 19 , Ithayachandran was found collapsed at his Sri Lankan

died in the hospital, likely

health to depression stemming from his separation from his children Nagendra h

, believing he would still be alive if not for his deportation

inally processing his return earlier this month They issued an apology letter, citing back-

Sathasivam Sivagankan

Farage

Peter Virdee

Sudharsan Ithayachandran (left) with his family

Chandrakant Patel

Acceptance will shape Britain’s future

Rishi Sunak's candidacy for the July 2024 general elections marks a significant milestone for the Conservative Party and ethnic minorities in the UK Despite the resignations of 78 MPs, Sunak's leadership remains unchallenged, exemplifying a turning point for representation in British politics

The rise of Sunak, the son of immigrants Yashvir and Usha Sunak, to prominence illustrates the progress that can be made when ethnic minorities are included in the political landscape His contributions to UK politics have fostered acceptance of ethnic minorities Sunak’s policy pledges, such as cutting income tax for eight million pensioners and increasing the tax-free personal allowance, aim to show solidarity with all citizens, including the elderly His "triple lock plus" policy ensures the state pension remains untaxed, countering Labour's approach and demonstrating a commitment to economic fairness

Considering Sunak's consistent dedication and work for the country, Lord Goldsmith's recent comment suggesting that Sunak would likely "disappear off to California" if he lost is ill-judged The Prime Minister assumed office amid a cost-of-living and energy crisis and ongoing industrial disputes He has supported Ukraine with aid and weapons Sunak's flagship bill aims to ban smoking In April, U K inflation fell to a near three-year low, nearing the Bank of England's 2% target, potentially prompting rate cuts from 5 25%

While everyone is free to speak and make their assumptions, Sunak’s work proves his worth Additionally, he himself has reaffirmed his commitment to the UK, emphasising that it is his "home," which further demonstrates his loyalty

Representation extends beyond Sunak Ameet Jogia,

Sunak’s political advisor and the Parliamentary Candidate for Hendon, has also made significant strides Jogia’s personal story of overcoming homelessness and his dedication to his community exemplify the impact of diverse representation

The presence of Asians in UK political parties further reflects this progress There are around 160 Asian candidates in this election This diversity enriches the political discourse and ensures that different perspectives are considered in policy-making

Virendra Sharma MP’s decision not to seek re-election in Ealing Southall, after nearly 50 years of service, also serves as a testament of longstanding contributions His commitment to Labour and his community has left a lasting legacy

The importance of representation was aptly highlighted by Labour MP Seema Malhotra at Asian Voice’s Be The Change panel discussion in association with RAF Malhotra emphasised that representation in all sectors, including politics and public life, leads to better decision-making and stronger growth Representation and acceptance continue to progress, as evidenced by Indian-born British restaurateur and Asian Voice’s Women In Conversation panellist 2023, Asma Khan's plans to open a new restaurant in Jeddah to support businesswomen Such initiatives showcase the positive influence of embracing diversity and the contributions of ethnic minorities

Sunak’s candidacy and the increasing representation of ethnic minorities in British politics illustrate the nation's progress toward inclusivity By valuing and celebrating diverse voices, Britain can continue to thrive and address socio-economic challenges more effectively

Why do people lack basic safety consciousness?

In the last week of May, three fire tragedies resulted in over 35 fatalities, including children A massive fire broke out at a gaming zone in Gujarat’s Rajkot Hours later, another incident was reported at a childcare unit at a Delhi hospital And a third one at a residential complex in the capital The mishaps happened within hours of one another, in two different cities But what tied them together? Inadequate safety measures and carelessness of key personnel

A fire at Rajkot’s TRP gaming zone claimed 28 lives, including nine children The centre was crowded due to weekend discounts CCTV footage shows the fire started during welding work The gaming zone had only one emergency exit, though more are typically required, and was operating without a fire clearance NoC from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation

Similarly the incident at the Delhi hospital was equally tragic, with seven infants dying in a massive fire The hospital lacked adequate safety measures and was operating on an expired licence, according to Delhi Police

A third incident occurred five kilometres from the hospital in Delhi’s Krishna Nagar, where a fire at a residential complex left three dead and over 10 injured The blaze started at an illegal scooter godown and spread to the upper floors These three incidents highlight concerns about fire safety rules in the country

Despite numerous guidelines, many residential and commercial buildings do not comply with fire safety rules Eight out

of ten Indians reported that their homes and workplaces are not fire safety compliant A survey by LocalCircles revealed only 18% of respondents said fire safety equipment in their residential area is inspected annually At workplaces, only 27% of 11,000 respondents reported annual checks of firefighting equipment, and 11% had access to fire extinguishers without full compliance, according to the media

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there were 3,375 fire incidents in the past two years: 1,808 in 2021 and 1,567 in 2022, mostly due to electrical short circuits In 2019, 330 deaths were reported in commercial building fires, and 6,339 deaths occurred in residential building fires across India

In 2019, a fire at a commercial complex in Surat, Gujarat, killed 22 students at a coaching centre on the building's terrace The government temporarily shut down all private coaching centres in the state until fire safety inspections were conducted, but they reopened once the case was closed While guidelines exist, local authorities often fail to enforce them effectively

Of course prevention is better than cure, but it remains a mystery why such audits are so rarely conducted, and public consciousness remains so poor about their own safety State authorities have been criticised by the courts for not implementing better safety rules, yet the apathy continues A country that is aiming for developed status and its people certainly deserve better

New forces shaping the global economy

Change is the only constant and this holds true for every aspect of the society, even the economy While it was once tested on the scale of trade, industrial production, labour market and resources, etc , factors like technology, workforce dynamics, clim a t e c h a n g e

l Intelligence(AI) and automation have now been added to the contributing factors and the world has transitioned from the old economy to a new economy

For instance, the Indian economy has gone through several phases where it has crashed, been rebuilt and liberalised The green revolution, rise of the private sector and demonetisation are some of the phases that have affected the country’s economy Similarly, the American economy has seen industrial revolution and technical advancements among other contributing factors Now, the world looks at the advent of technology, automation and AI

We are living in the age of technological revolution that has significantly increased productivity, stimulated global growth, and raised incomes worldwide However, it has and carries further risk of job displacement and exacerbating inequality Especially, the swift progress of AI has captured global attention, evoking both enthusiasm and concern, and prompting critical questions about its impact on the global economy In a recent analysis, IMF explored the potential impact of AI on the global labour market While many studies predict that AI will replace jobs, it is also evident that AI will often complement human work While the overall effect remains uncertain, it is evident that developing policies to safely harness AI's vast potential for humanity's benefit is essential

While not as new as AI, the relatively recent trend of outsourcing continues to benefit economies It reduces costs for

firms and increases productivity, leading to long-term benefits for both individual businesses and the broader economy

Additionally, outsourcing creates job opportunities and income streams in the economies to which the work is outsourced

An overlooked factor affecting global economies is climate change and research has shown significant effects on income through various channels and economies These include agricultural yields, the physical and cognitive performance of workers, energy demand, and the incidence of crime, unrest, and conflict Subsequent research has shown that the relationship between temperature changes and income is nonlinear While global warming could enhance economic productivity in countries with lower average annual temperatures, it predicts severe declines in productivity for countries with already warm climates As nations strive for economic growth, it is crucial to pursue development that does not harm the environment, ensuring that current advancements do not compromise the needs of future generations

The Indian economy is an amazing example working towards all the above mentioned points effectively One of the fastest-growing economies in the world, the country has undergone significant evolution since independence and the journey from economic struggles to becoming a powerhouse has not been easy

What distinguishes the Indian economy is its mixed structure, where the private and public sectors coexist, and its leverage of international trade The country’s large and youthful population, along with an open and democratic political system, also supports its emergence as a global economic force

Political Sketchbook

Alpesh Patel

Election Time –How To Be a Good Voter

A s the U nited Kingd om braces fo r its upcom ing General Election, citizens are presented with a critical opportunity to shape the nation's future T he power o f the vo te canno t be understated; it is the cornerstone of d em ocracy and th e m eans th ro ug h wh ich citizens exercise th eir po li ti cal rights However, th e effectiv eness of this power hing es on the ability to m ake an info rm ed choice Here is a com prehensiv e guid e on how a good citizen can nav igate the complexities of the electoral landscape to cast a well-informed v ote

Understanding th e Po litical Landscape

The first step in making an informed choice is to understand the political landscape This involves familiarizing oneself with the major political parties and their platforms The Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party (SNP), Green Party, and others each present unique visions for the country By examining their manifestos, citizens can gain insights into their proposed policies on critical issues such as the economy, healthcare, education, and the environment

Key Reso urces: Party Websites: Official party websites provide comprehensive details of their policies and promises

News Outlets: Trusted news organizations often provide summaries and analyses of party manifestos

Commission’s website offers impartial information about elections and voting

Ev aluating Cand idates

Beyond party lines, evaluating individual candidates is crucial Each constituency has its own set of candidates, and their personal qualifications, past performance, and stance on local issues can significantly impact their effectiveness as representatives

Key Reso urces:

Candidate Profiles: Local news websites and electoral commission resources often provide profiles and interviews with candidates

Debates and Public Forums: Attending or watching debates and public forums can offer firsthand insights into a candidate s priorities and competencies

Social Media and Websites: Candidates' social media accounts and personal websites can give a sense of their engagement with constituents and their positions on various issues

Fact-C hecking Information

In the age of information, misinformation can easily skew perceptions and influence decisions Fact-checking is an essential practice for any voter seeking to make an informed choice Your WhatsApp group with the messages from the uncle and auntie is not a good fact check method They will believe anything

Key Reso urces:

Fact-Checking Organizations: Websites such as Full Fact and BBC Reality Check provide verified information and debunk false claims

Official Statistics: Government websites and reputable institutions like the Office for National Statistics offer reliable data on various topics

Critical Thinking: Applying critical thinking to news stories and social media posts can help discern between fact and opinion

Engaging in discussions with family, friends, and community members can provide diverse perspectives and a deeper understanding of the issues at stake Such dia-

com

Rohn

Wrongful conviction overturned for sub-postmistress

Af t er t wo dec ade s o f l eg al

b at tl es , Su s h m a Bl agg an, a f o rm e r s u b - p o s t m is tr e s s f rom Mers eyside, f inally saw jus tice served w hen h er c onviction rel ated to th e Horizon I T scandal was o vertu rned

Blaggan, 62, managed the

D a l e A c r e P o s t O f f i c e i n Litherland and had been con-

v i c t e d i n 2 0 0 4 d u e t o a n u n e x p

£8,000

After being ordered to carry out 240 hours of comm u n i t y s e r v i c e , S u s h m a B l a g g a n e

and for an inquiry only to

UK deports 10,000 migrants, including 1,700 criminals

In a significant develop ment o

European

in brief

UK SEES RISE IN MELANOMA CASES

among six overturned Narrinder Blaggan, Mrs B

stating, "For Sushma to have

n t y years we waited for that Now they know they were wrong, not us " H e r c o n v i c t i o n w

Vennells as to what went wrong on the very same day, just shows how badly the system failed us subp

down "

"Sushma was destroyed by what happened to her "When she was first suspended she tried to commit suicide, and then she did so again after she had been convicted "

80 detectives assigned to post office scandal probe

e ndure a len gthy wait to le arn if charge s w ill e nsue

The investigation will

o f f e n c e s o f p e r j u r y a n d p e r v e r t i n g t h e c o u r s e o f justice allegedly committed by Post Office senior lead-

e r s a n d t e c h c o m p a n y Fujitsu

Discussions with prose-

Sunak anno unced that th e UK has returned 10 ,00 0 mig rants to th eir cou ntries o f origin this year

This total includes 1,700 foreign national

2,000 returns compared to the previous year Sunak made the announcement during his visit to Austria, highlighting a growing trend among European Union countries to adopt stricter measures on illegal migration, with fifteen EU nations reportedly considering similar policies

A cancer charity is urging people to take better precautions against the sun as melanoma skin-cancer cases in the UK continue to increase According to Cancer Research UK a record 20 800 cases are predicted to be diagnosed this year, up from an average of 19,300 cases annually between 2020 and 2022 Analysis reveals a nearly onethird rise in rates from 2009 to 2019, from 21 to 28 cases per 100,000 people The increase is attributed partly to an ageing population and heightened awareness of skin cancer signs The report suggests around 17,000 melanoma cases every year are preventablewith almost nine in 10 caused by too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation

MAN CLAIMS ROYAL LINEAGE, SEEKS LEGAL PROOF

T h e p o l i c e o p e r a t i o n will span nationally and be divided into four regional h u b s , w i t

major murder or terrorism investigations Police have requested a special grant of at least £6 75m from the g o v e r n m e n

operation

However, victims may f

who allegedly wrongly pur-

c u t o r s h a v e c o m m e n c e d regarding potential criminal charges These charges revolve around allegations that post office operators were wrongly prosecuted for theft while senior mana g e m e n t a l l e g e d l y k n e w about flaws in their computer accounting system

sued them will face criminal trials Police will refrain f r o m s e e k i n g c h a r g i n g decisions, such as sending evidence files to the Crown Prosecution Service, until after the conclusion of the public inquiry into the Post Office scandal, expected in autumn 2025

It is expected the CPS w i l l n o t r e a c h c h a r g i n g decisions until 2026, and the wait for any criminal trials could be even longer Detectives and civilian analysts are yet to be recruited, with the start of the full national police investigation months away

300 million children face online sexual abuse annually

New research suggests that o ver 300 milli o n c hi ldren w o rl dw i de f al l v i ct i m to o nl i ne s e xu a l ab u s e an d exploitati on annually, shedding ligh t on the staggering sc ale of the crisi s University of Edinburgh researchers discovered that i n t h e p a s t y e a r , o n e

e n c e d n o n

c o n s e n s u a l interactions involving sexual content, such as talking,

s h a r i n g , a n d e x p o s u r e t o images and videos

This amounts to about 302 million young people

globally, equivalent to 300 m

s unwanted sexual talk and requests for sexual acts

A d d i t i o n a l l y , o f f e n c e s l i k e

from victims to keep images private, are prevalent

According to the university's Childlight initiative's

new global index, Into The Light, surveys revealed that 7% of British men, totaling

children at some point This i

Wembley Stadium 20 times

over "This is on a staggering scale that in the UK alone equates to forming a line of male offenders that could

Paul Stanfield said

Tory voters seek halt on non-NHS immigration

T h re e -q u a rt er s o f

Conservative voters are calli ng for a p ause on all immi

NHS Additionally, over eight in ten of these voters are advocating for a reduction in the overall net migration rate to the tens of thousands, as per the findings of

a C e n t r e f o r M i g r a t i o n

Control survey The report, set to be published, sheds light on these sentiments

I t ' s n o t e d t h a t n e t migration saw a ten percent

d e c l i n e f r o m 7 6 4 , 0 0 0 t o 685,000 in the year up to December 2023

decrease in net migration last year

H e e m p h a s i s e d , " O n l y R i s h i S u n a k a n d t h e Conservatives have a clear plan to take bold action to bring down migration levels

b y 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 a n d e n s u r e managed migration flows "

The survey, conducted by B r i t i s h P o l l i n g C o u n c i l member PeoplePolling and comprising 2,191 Brits, highl i g h t e d p u b l i c

Additionally, earlier in the month, the Tories revealed that migration accounts for almost 90 percent of hous-

ing shortfalls

MPs Robert Jenrick and N e i l O ' B r i e n h i g h l i g h t e d the strain on public services, particularly housing, due to the influx of migrants

T h e i r r e p o r t i n d i c a t e s that in the last decade, over 3 44 million homes should have been constructed to m

needs and 1 19 million for n

y

n h o m e s were built, resulting in a deficit of 1 34 million The report emphasises that 89 percent of this deficit is nece

migrants alone

Sunak's announcement is part of the UK government's broader strategy to curb illegal immigration The Prime Minister emphasised the effectiveness of the UK s approach, which includes returning individuals to safe third countries This policy aims to deter illegal entries and dismantle human trafficking networks

The increased number of returns this year, particularly of foreign national offenders, underscores the UK's commitment to strict immigration controls Sunak highlighted the importance of these efforts in tackling the pressing issue of illegal migration By setting this precedent, the UK aims to influence other countries to adopt similar policies, fostering a more unified and effective response across Europe

Royal Mail owner cautions against Czech billionaire bid

T he o wner o f Royal M ail has c autio ned against a £3 5bn bid from Czech billio naire Daniel Křetínský, citing p otential financial risks

M e a n w h i l e , O f c o m h a s i n i t i a t e d a n i n v e s t i g a t i o n i n

l

Distributions Services (IDS), Royal Mail's parent group, for missing annual delivery targets for the second consecutive year IDS faced a £5 6m fine from Ofcom last year for failing to meet first-class and second-class delivery targets in 2022-23

The caution regarding Křetínský's EP Group's revised offer, which IDS is considering, was included in the delayed annual results released The company attributed the delay to auditor issues after apologising for the delayed release initially scheduled for 7 am on Thursday

The IDS board stated that Royal Mail had sufficient resources to sustain operations for a t l e a s

o n t h s H o w

, i t s f u t u r e prospects depend on whether new owners can uphold existing loans and secure additional funding

“The extent of the uncertainty related to whether existing finance will be recalled following a change in control, together with a lack of visibility or control over the availability of funding following a change in control,” IDS said

T h e r e p o r t h i g h l i g h t e d a " m a t e r i a l uncertainty" regarding IDS's ability to continue as a going concern and fulfil its obligations Despite this, IDS revealed a positive t u r n a r o u n d , w i t h a n o p e r a t i n g p r o f i t o f £26m for the year ending in March, compared to a £742m loss the previous year The improvement was attributed to Royal Mail's division, which narrowed its losses to £254m, aided by price adjustments and a rise in parcel deliveries

Simon Dorante-Day, a British-born Australian based in Queensland has long sought to establish his royal heritage Raised by a couple who served the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Simon believes that he was the secret love child of King Charles III and Queen Camilla The alleged prince s theory revolves around a 1965 trip to Australia, during which he claims his supposed father, then just 17 years old, impregnated Camilla out of wedlock As many headlines would have it known today, Charles and Camilla met much earlier in the year 1970, to be precise, but Simon does not have any doubt about it Buckingham Palace has never publicly addressed Dorante-Day’s claims, but he continues to seek confirmation of his identity Now, as the King and Queen plan a royal visit to Australia in October, Simon sees an opportunity to launch a legal bid He intends to take them to court, urging them to submit to a paternity test

SLOUGH GREEN GROCER FINED FOR WASTE OFFENCES

Season Fruit and Veg Ltd trading as Slough Green Grocer at 101 High Street has been fined a total of £1 500 for waste disposal offences The case heard at Slough Magistrates Court found the company guilty of two offences under Section 34(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990: failure to produce waste documents under Section 34(5) and failure in their duty of care to transfer waste under Section 34(1) In October of last year, Slough Green Grocer deposited commercial waste into the rear yard of The Curve citing issues with their usual waste contractor that left them without bins This waste pile obstructed access to residential bins, resulting in missed household waste collections and exacerbating pest infestations in the vicinity Despite warnings and a grace period to address the bin problem, the waste remained uncleared, attracting additional fly-tipping to the area

LEICESTER SCHOOL DEPUTY HEAD CAUGHT AIDING TEST CHEATING

Belgrave St Peter's deputy head resigns for helping students during SAT test observation Peter Hill stepped down after being caught assisting students during an assessment in May 2022 As per a media report, Mr Hill guided students on incorrect answers leading to his resignation According to a recent report by the Teaching Regulation Agency, students revealed that teachers would point out incorrect answers during assessments The report cited instances where students claimed teachers including Mr Hill would signal wrong answers Another student mentioned Mr Hill advising against erasing incorrect answers

Sushma and Narrinder Blaggan

Rajeeb Dey: Modern Entrepreneurship

Sunetra Senior

Rajeeb is the founder of upskilling m arketp lace, L earnerbly, and reci pi ent of an MBE He is also the fo r ce b eh i n d s e v era l renowned v entures such as Enternsh ip s and S tart- up

Br it ai n an d h a s be en named “ amo ng the m o st

h i g h p ro f i le y o u ng

en tre p ren eu rs b y th e Financial Tim es His earlier business, Start-up Britain, w as la un c h ed by P ri m e Minister at the tim e, David Cameron, and was inspired by S tart-Up A merica which w as e nd o r se d b y Bar ac k Obama However, d espite

h is re p ut e, Ra je eb as an i nd i v i d u a l is d is a rm i ng l y dow n-to-earth ***

Indeed, Rajeeb himself is well-versed in the disruptiveness of AI particularly, “experimenting with such n

n

w expertise over time to better his role as a CEO such as Coaching skills which enables him to better support his team members:

“Coaching is a skill that h a s a l l o w e d m e t o h e l p guide employees as well as my own journey, which is important for any leader or manager One must be able to ask the probing quest i o n s t o b e t t e r t h e o u tcome The employee can e f f e c t

v e l y c h a l l e n g e a n d understand themselves in the process ” Here, Rajeeb

Hundreds of infected blood victims sue government

with HIV and hepatitis C in the 1970s and 80s

S i t t i n g d o w n t o t a l k amid a jet-set schedule, he shared with us: “the common thread throughout my career has been giving people the deserving opportunity Empowerment is at

t h e h e a r t o f w h a t I d o where workers are put in the driving seat One of my first ventures, Enternships, helped students land their d e s i r e d w o r k p l a c e m e n t s with companies across the world My latest platform, Learnerbly, is a global network that allows users to learn in the way that is the b e s t f o r t h e m , a l l o w i n g them to be their optimal at w o r k t o o ” R a j e e b ’ s Learnerbly is further contemporary, responding to the vocational gap in the m a r k e t b e t w e e n t h e employee’s desire to grow and the necessity of businesses to adapt, especially in the advent of AI The prolific CEO commented:

“ T h e b i g g e s t p e r k o f u p s k i l l i n g i s p e r s o n a l development and a sense of fulfilment This mutually d r i v e s t h e b e s t p e r f o rmance and innovation of a business because workers are motivated as well as b e i n g m a x i m a l l y s k i l l e d , learning outside of current work & skillsets You can pick what you wish to additionally explore to emerge as an altogether more wellrounded person The impet u s t o c r e a t e L e a r n e r b l y came of the consensus with colleagues that there was a c e r t a i n l y p r o b l e m i n t h e market in terms of keeping up with the advancement o

start was being at school and wanting to facilitate the power of underrepresented voices in education Rather than moan or feel defeated, I wanted to create

helped thousands of com-

not otherwise have had the

Following the publication o f the Infected Blo od Inquiry repo rt, victims of the conta m i na ted bl o od s ca nd a l hav e resum ed legal actio n against the gov ernm ent T

office," prompting around 500 victims to join the civil

paused since 2018 It concerns US-imported blood-clotting products which caused haemophiliacs and others to be infected

A 2,527-page report by Sir Brian Langstaff found the scandal could "largely

cover-up to hide the truth T

"knowingly" infected with either HIV or hepatitis C due to a failure to prioritise patient safety by those in authority

This resulted in around 3,000 deaths Des Collins,

Khan's appeal fails, faces second jail term

also emphasised the importance of collaborating with workers and sense of community to sustain a strong business: “I view my place

"If you treat your employees well and they feel good,

you can organically create a healthy and thriving company that will make waves Generationally, people are not going to accept a one-sided, dictatorial type of dynamic"

as primarily being able to serve other people: if you treat your employees well and they feel good, you can organically create a healthy and thriving company that w i l l m a k e w a v e s Generationally, people are not going to accept a ones i d e d , d

t

i a

y p

o

dynamic ” Indeed, Rajeeb’s foray into learning development coalesced at the grassroots where he wanted to passionately remedy an instit u t i o n a l d i

Enternships The goal was always to make a positive s

paradoxically, the secret to commercial success is not to solely focus on strengthening profit but more so the moral fibre: “the values o

paramount ”

How exactly does Learnerbly work?

Each client signed up will have their own budget to spend on personalised learning in the workplace

This is unique to the platform You will have multimodal access to a variety of courses, books and online

specifically, working with employers to better your-

You also have the option to see what your colleagues are learning so there is a whole social element to it Can you share some highlight moments?

satisfied users and CEOs who can vouch for that! Being well-equipped as a worker gives the employee more bargaining power and opportunity for ascension within the company and with employability at large: correct?

Yes, you are absolutely

reinvent who you are W: https://www learnerbly co m/

court ruling bro ught by

utho rity (S RA ), resulting in her facing jail for a second time

Lord Justice Nugee dism i s s e d h e r p r i m a r y a r g ument, contending that Mr Justice Leech had not made errors in his approach when determining Ms Khan's fit-

2023, Leech J sentenced her to a year in prison, citing her

court " The ordeal commenced in August 2021, when the regulator intervened in her L

a s e d p r a c t i c e , Sophie Khan & Co, citing "reason to suspect dishonesty" on her part

Despite SRA demands to provide the firm’s papers, Ms Khan, also known as Soophia, failed to comply

C o n s e q u e n t l y , i n J a n u a r y 2022, she was sentenced to six months in jail for contempt, having breached two c o u r t o r d e r s S h e s e r v e d three months before being released

The SRA applied for a further order for documents while she was still in prison, which was granted by Mr Justice Miles The failure to comply with this led to the second committal Ms Khan was struck off later in 2022

Jeremy Clarkson reclaims UK's

sexiest man title, Prince William takes third

Jerem y Clarkson h as been nam ed the UK's sexiest man for th e second year in a row, ac c o rd i n g to a su r v ey b y I lli ci tE nc o un ters T h e 6 4year-old presenter beat out other co ntenders like Prince W

El ba , a nd C illian M urp hy in th e annual poll conducted by the d ating site know n fo r catering to married indiv iduals With a stellar score of n i n e o u t o f 1 0 , J e r e m y Clarkson maintained his title as the UK's sexiest man in t h e a n n u a l s u r v e y b y IllicitEncounters Following c

place, while Prince William

among 2,000 female memb

Clarkson's heartthrob status

Women are invited to e v a l u

e t h e U K ' s s e x i e s t man from a list of 50 influential figures, rating each on a scale of

to 10 Gareth

h spot, with Sam Thompson, winner of I’m A Celebrity, securing eighth place, and R

Hardest Geezer," claiming ninth I r i s h a c

C

l i a n Murphy, aged 47, earned the fifth spot, joining regulars I

One million drivers in England refuse to pay £180 fine

due

England, with sev en in 10 fines issued by Transport for Lo nd on (TfL) left u nsettled

A l m o s t on e m i ll io n o u tstanding fines are record ed i n th e U L E Z sc h e m e

i g ni f ic an t im p ro v em e nts H e m en ti o ne d an upcom ing repo rt in the next m o n th to e v al u ate th e ex p an si o n 's im p ac ts a nd

the

They noted an increase in compliant vehicles, suggesting better air quality and r e d u c e d c o n g e s t i o n T f L emphasised that the ULEZ i s n o t a i m e d a t m a k i n g money but rather at achieving cleaner air They highlighted that previous expansions led to a shift to greener vehicles, resulting in smaller net revenues

The statement continu e d , u r g i n g r e c i p i e n t s o f p e n a l t y c h a r

with TfL, especially if they

financial hardship Unpaid

PCNs are escalated to debt recovery services, potentiall y r e s u l t i n g i n f u r t h e r actions

TfL emphasises that to

have 28 days from the PCN's service date to submit their representation This can be done online or in writing and is part of a legal process A d d i t i o n a l l y , p a y m e n t f o r t h e U l t r a L o w E m i s s i o n Zone (ULEZ) charge can be made by midnight on the third day following the journ e y o

RAJEEB DEY

Sophie Khan

Insightful conversation on UK immigration at 'Soneri Sangat'

t

Badal Lakhlani

A

Sa ngat’ on 16 May The chief guest of the ev ent was Mr Kan ti Nagda MBE, CEO of

e d perceptive information on

t he cha nges in immigration policy, issues affecting immig

the UK

T

A B P L Group, Pooja Rawal, commenced with a serene devo-

d

y singer Maya Deepak, setting the tone for the proceedings Tanisha Gujarati, Sales and M a r k e t i n g E x e c u t i v e o f

A B P L G r o u p , p r o v i d e d a n introduction to Kanti Nagda and facilitated a discussion on immigration laws, eVisas, student visas, and more Ne w visa stat ist ics indicat e a drop by 80% due to re cent re striction s, say s Ka nt i Na gda

K a n t i N a g d a d i s c u s s e d the current state of immigration laws, noting a 24% drop in visa applications due to Home Secretary measures

I m m i g r a t i o n E n f o r c e m e n t operations target removals

t o R w a n d a F o o d d e l i v e r y c o m p a n i

statistics show declines, with

ping by nearly 80% The gov-

300,000 arrivals under new

parents/partners, citing diff i c u l t y i n b r i n g i n g d e p e ndent parents to the UK and the Home Office's recom-

m e n d a t i o n o f s u p p o r t i n their country of origin

H e a l s o s p o k e a b o u t changes for UK student visa h o l d e r s

work visas Previously, students could switch to certain work visas before completing their degree Now, they m

focused purpose of student visas in response to foreign students staying in unskilled

policies on educational institution sponsors were intro-

migration, but net migration figures didn't decrease sig-

Graduate route was introduced, allowing international students to work for 2 years post-studies K

challenges faced by UK work

When she was ju of three, Didi Krishn life e ’ s c lling Since would visit the Sad M i s s i o n w i t h h e During one visit sh

a f

permit holders Health and Care workers now require a lower salary of £29,000/year

Many are jobless and strug-

National Council of Gujarati O

Home Office, citing thousands of care workers at risk of deportation due to bogus care agencies acting as visa sponsors

“Most care agencies were not properly vetted by the Home Office and were given

Office is now taking action against these bogus employers Work permit holders can only switch to similar jobs, making it nearly impossible to find a new sponsor within

and now face deportation

The NCGO has requested

Secretary and Shadow Home S

future of over 5,000 affected people,” he added Kanti Nagda emphasised

permits will be replaced by "eVisas" by December 2024

People will need to register online to share their immi-

The Tier-4 student visa isn't

staying in the UK after stud-

ies Kanti outlined alternative options including the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa for starting a business, Tier 2 General Visa for job offers, and marriage to a British cit-

through your Gov UK/e-visa account

Visa cha nges a nd a lte rnative s: Discussion with Kan ti Nagda Ashwin Soni raised concerns about Tier 5 visa hurdles for religious workers in M

instances where obtaining work permits wasn't diffi-

Sanatan Hindu Mandir and Jalaram Jyot He emphasised the importance of temples

accommodation, and certification to facilitate work permit approvals C h a i r m a n a n d E d i t o ri n - C h i e f

unskilled workers, with the media blaming government p o l i c i e s M a j o r c o m p a n i e s h i g h l i g h t e d t h e p o s i t i v e impact of international students and workforce diversit y B o t h L a b o u r a n d Conservative parties politicise immigration, but reducing it to 100,000 is unrealistic Kanti Nagda criticised m i s l e a d i n g p e r c e p t i o n s o f immigration, urging realistic policies to address workforce needs He highlighted s u b t l e d i s c r i m i n a t i o n i n b l a m i n g i m m i g r a n t s f o r societal issues, regardless of the prime minister's ethnicity Carer Cynthia Macwan a

and

approach specialists in the field you want to work in

Consulting Editor of Gujarat S

holders returning to India Kanti Nagda clarified that possessing a British passport doesn't exempt individuals f

every two years to maintain indefinite leave on an Indian p

rejections without valid rea-

S R E P E V OV L T E E

I F I N O

sons, Kanti explained that while visitor visa rejections lack appeal rights, spouse or family visa rejections do He

remedy for rejected visitor visa applicants and suggest-

destinations like the

Members of Parliament to

Secretary for resolution Tanisha Gujarati asked

grants to emigrants in the UK Kanti Nagda noted a trend of more people leaving the UK, citing examples like

deteriorating infrastructure and conditions, suggesting the UK may change significantly in the next 20 years

program, CB Patel remembered Pankajbhai Vora for his invaluable contribution to Gujarat Samachar's 52year journey He then invited Pankajbhai's wife, Bharti Vora, to share her thoughts Bharti Vora expressed her

noting his leadership quali-

Kantibhai's early leadership

poetry conventions at just 16

D E

f st a toddler a foound her birth, Didi hu Vaaswani

ever y breath to his Master, and spearheaded the Sadhu Vaaswani Mission, a non-sectarian, social l w

Pune, India

A M KU NA SH I R K DI I u T Loovve at first sight. To o som concept is highly romanticized and nreali

D I R e, this stic To V V a f , come by a sudden r ing, and refuused to r Since that dayy, she reside in the Missio

c a r e a n d m e n t o r s great Master, Revere Vaaswani and Belov Vaaswani Throughout he Didi Krishna was t cated, and guided b d u r a r w w y f r o ra others, it reflects the innocence of love – seeing someone and feeling draawwn to them Both interpretations, howwever, , are derived frrom association with the body. But hat truly pulls you towaards a person? It is the vibraations of their soul Some people havve an ethereal energgy that simply enchants you One such individ al is Didi Krishna a f a w a f I m a g i n e m e e t i n g s o m e o n e who has no agenda of their own, someone who lives solely foor the sakke of bringing hope and light into the lives of others; someone who lives in the world but is untouched by the ego that runs the world; someone hose mere presence f ills your heart with love. This is Didi Krishna.

r p a r e n t s e was overush of longeturn home continued to n, under the h i p o f t w o d Sadhu T L ed Dada J P

a V f a V V

r childhood, rained, eduby Dada J P d

Va s w a n i A o n w between the two –most precious bond shishya Didi accomp on alll his journeys, overseas, whether a gious United Nation ings with prominen and interfaaith leader Dada was a blen paradoxes: A man of spirituallity, of prag wisdom. He was tru h e a d a n d h e a r t T seamlessly blended made him unique guished He was high in the f ield of phys deep interest in the t drew him closer and Divine Light This Li d l e d b y h i s M a s Va s w a

s

re

t e the purest, of Guru and anied Dada in India and t the prestis or in meett statesmen s d of many science and matism and

these traits and distinly educated ics, and his opic of light closer to the ght was kin-

The Sadhu Vaaswani Mission, now headed by Didi Krishna, stands on the pillars of ser vice, satsang (cultivation of the soul) a n d e d u c a t i o n T h e S a d h u Vaswani Mission operates 18 distinguished educational l institutions across India and several l multi-speciallty medical l institutions Didi allso oversees a network of over 60 spiritual l centres

a

“In the new destiny, wo i m p o r t a n t soul will l Didi Krish ment to Sa O c atteendance your reeggiissteer o to s codes R QR thhe t Q e t regi t

t h r o u g h o u t I n

majjor countries o

wor , alongside numerous social and h

institutions are ser vice-oriented, progressive, and proactive, leavv-

respective communities Despite her stature and leadership, hat reallly defiines Didi

inclusiveness Individualls of ll ages are drawwn to her especiallly

God and di within She t a ke c h a r b e c o m i n g thoughts a Sadhu

scovering the divinity empowers people to g e o f t h e i r l i fe e b y a w a r e o f t h e i r nd habits

ization

with distinguished person lities a l

Dada’s message

Vaswani himself said, unfoolding of India’s men havve to play y an p a r t T h e w o m a nead us upward, on!”

na is a living testadhu Vaaswani’s visuall-

V a a f f

Didi Krishna Kuumari will be gracing London frrom June 17th to June 24th, 2024 We cordiallly invite you, your frriends and faamily to takke this golden opportunity to see her at the scheduled programmes, detailed below:

Juune 20th y Thuursday Taalk h Enngglissh , Desstiny, your e Crreeaate Cre t e y En is T h a

only does she relate to them, but she offfeers ver y simple, practical l tips that we can alll adopt in our ever yday y life e Didi covers a range of topics, frrom mindfuulness to emotional l wellbeing to relationships to estab

s , the youth. She is a remarkabble speakker, who, through her discourses, expresses deep unders t a n d

a link

NW Park Regents Marriott London start Programme Ju 23rd y Sunday Sinndhi in He , Rihaan, Ruh n H i a J reeggiisstraatiio (PPaaid (P regi r t

Kanti Nagda MBE

e

Firsthand experience of NHS and beyond

Subhash V Thakkar

I was the guest of the NHS last week fighting a painful kidney stone The c o n s u l t a n t s a i d t h a t t h i s pain is worse than childbirth or heart attack I got exposure to the ambulance service, the A&E and medical care and administration at Watford General Hospital This prompted me to write this note

tell you where you are in the line and how long to wait The A&E team should look

a

tomers and recognise that these people have only come out of real necessity I n

the ward staff, one can be released with a release letter t o f o l l o w b y e m a i l a n d medicines collected later or a list sent to my nominated local pharmacist

I salute the paramedics who checked on me when they came home and then decided to take me to the hospital in the ambulancemy first ride The care and attention given is absolutely u n m i s t a k a b

T h e A & E

r hand, is quite challenging and somewhat chaotic You sit in the waiting area for hours with no updates from a n y o n e T h e s e a t i n g i s uncomfortable and one has no idea what is happening

O n c e y o u n e g o t i a t e A&E, the medical treatment and attention is fantastic

One cannot fault any of this

T h e t e s t s , c o n s u l t a t i o n , ward service and all nursing care provided is full of care and close attention I was really impressed with all the nursing care in the Langley ward and also the consultants and doctors We can only be proud that the NHS

can provide this service I am also used to private medical service in the past but the NHS is no compromise I salute the hard work that our NHS medical people are doing for us I cannot claim to know all the intricacies of how the NHS is managed but as a chartered a c c o u n

London Chamber, I do feel qualified to comment on my own observations of where things are going wrong with our NHS These are all leadi n

increased costs as well as long queues It seems the real changes need to be made at administration and systems within our NHS The A&E administration and processing can really be improved There should be regular updates given to those waiting so that their waiting is eased, just like our long waits on

, I believe I could have saved 2 NHS bed days, simply by better processing These are valuable days that a waiting patient could have used The c

n d exchanges between the consultants and doctors and the w a r d s t a f f c

n b e m u c h improved My ward sister, w

speak to me, was very experienced and competent to make decisions up to certain levels I recall that she was not getting quick responses

said, this is typical and regular

h i s l a c k o f

e c t i v e communication meant that I could not get my discharge despite the sister and I both agreeing that I was ready to

t release me until the doctor gave his clearance and the p

should not be the reasons for me occupying a bed for nothing With modern technology and competence of

In my ward, there was one patient with advanced dementia He proved very disruptive, noisy and violent especially at night time He a b u s e d a n d p h y s i c a l l y harmed the ward staff and the specialist staff and none could sleep Of course the d e m e n t i a p a t i e n t h a s n o idea what he is doing I had my toes pulled and attacked for 'stealing' his wife! Whilst awake I kept observing the i

were giving This was simply superb and made me proud that such lovely people exist in our lives and work for our NHS I must say the food choice and quality was also fine and very acceptable

The NHS is a fantastic asset and we must preserve it However, there needs to

administrators of the NHS

reduce the waiting lists and

Changes to authority levels

them to make decisions up to certain levels will enable early release of the treated

Councillor Nidhi Mehta elected as Deputy Mayor of Aylesbury

Jyotsna Shah

Aylesbury C ouncillor Nidhi

Mehta h as been elected as Deputy M ayor in the recent local elections She became

of

Aylesbury

Party, has resided in the UK for two decades since her marriage, hailing originally

mitment to social service and

Cou ncillor Prerna Bhardwaj was unanimou sly elected as the Mayor of Gerrards Cro

Mayor of Gerrards Cross H

Councillor Bhardwaj brings a rich tapestry of experience to the Council, drawn from her tenure in finance and media both in the City of London and abroad Settled in Gerrards Cross with her

dedication to the local community and her unwavering

thropy

stating,

Mayor, Nidhi ventured into local politics driven by her

community engagement

Nidhi was elected

Deputy Mayor at the Town

Councillor Alan Sherwell has been appointed as Mayor for the same term

As a founder member of the Aylesbury Hindu Temple

Trust, Nidhi has been instrum

growing needs of the Hindu c

Additionally, she serves as

Outstanding Primary School and is actively involved in the Amnus Trust, providing support to widows and single women Nidhi also sits on the Board of Directors of the Queens Park Arts Centre, a v

Buckinghamshire

sised

Rohit Vadhwana

Everyone wants to be a leader in so me way or another Inherent hum an nature p rom pts individ uals to pu rsue reco gnition, follow ership, and importance in society A position of pow er and influence is certainly appealing However, this desire to be a lead er is not as easy to achiev e as it seems Not ev ery boss is a leader, nor d oes every manag er effectively lead th eir team A com mand er migh t d irect his unit, and a captain h is team, but not all o f them d em onstrate true leadership without show casing the qu alities of leadership Th is m ight sound parado xical, bu t being at th e top of an organization d oes not necessarily mean being a leader Leadership is not a positio n but an action

A leader is not simply someone who occupies a position of influence or authority Rather, a leader is someone who leads who shows the way, guides, encourages, and collaborates As a leader, one may not necessarily give orders but might share the burden or take responsibility for the work of others If a manager instructs his team to deliver a difficult target, but the team seeks guidance and inspiration from a colleague who relieves pressure and works through difficult issues, the real leader is that coworker, not the manager If a boss expects his subordinates to share the responsibility for failure but takes credit alone for any success, he is certainly not a leader

To become a leader, one must actively lead their group, organization, or team In doing so, the leader may sometimes walk behind the team rather than ahead of them They may not sit in an ivory tower but participate with the workers in their place of work, regardless of how hot or dusty it may be Without being part of the team, one cannot lead Leadership is not about being in charge It is about taking care of those in your charge," writes Simon Sinek Therefore, sending instructions through email or WhatsApp messages without seeking the views of those who will implement them is certainly a failure of leadership Instructing is different from leading

The essential principle of successful leadership is that followers should be able to relate to the leader They should see the leader as one of them, not a distant figure "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way," aptly remarks John C Maxwell Even the military commanders who have been part of campaigns have a better chance of being victorious, such as Alexander or Shivaji Leaders like

against the mighty British Empire because of their equal participation and practice before preaching In

of action, not position, to achieve optimal success

Subhash V Thakkar

Nidhi Mehta

Prerna Bhardwaj

Exploring queer identity and artistic expression with Ash Mukherjee

Subhasini Naicker

Born in Kolkata, India, Ash Mukherjee trained in the Tanjore vaani of Bharatanatyam at Kalamandalam Kolkata and later studied classical ballet with Doreen Wells He graduated with a BA (Hons) in Jazz Theatre Dance from London Studio Centre

Acclaimed by Dance Europe

Magazine as one of the UK's finest Indian classical dancers, Ash was chosen to perform a duet with Michael Jackson at London’s O2 Arena for This Is It!

Identified as queer, Ash faced bullying due to his gender fluidity, yet in those harsh times music and dance offered him a sanctuary from the harsh realities I

experiences as a queer indiv

found this claustrophobic and felt pressured to reject parts of myself to fit in Unwilling to do that, I emigrated to E n g l a n d i n 1 9 9 8 I n early 2000s London, as a club kid, I could fully e m b r a c e m y f l u i d i t y , f i n d i n g a c o m m u n i t y w h e r e I f e l t i

s myself without boundaries These years were pivotal in shaping the behavior and attitudes I would tolerate in the patriarchal Brahminical classical dance world

Whatis your perspective on the representation of queer individuals within the South Asian community, both in the arts and in broader society?

I feel that we are on the cusp of a cultural renaissance in the representation of queer South Asians in the media Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and T i k T o k e m p o w e r q

Ash Mukherjee

remains dangerous Even in progressive areas, trans-

y individuals face obstacles

recognition, while conservative groups push regressive agendas To advance, we need strong laws, public education, and greater representation S

e e r desi individuals to control their own narratives The days of being portrayed as j o k e s

t h e S o u t h A s i a n

enced his work He shared the challenges he faced as a queer dancer, the representation of queer individuals w

c o m m u n i t y , a n d m u c h more

Asa queer individual, how has your identity influenced your work and artistic expression in dance?

I think the term ‘ queer ’ s i t s w i t h i n c o n s i d e r a b l e intertextuality In contemporary western context it is reclaimed in most spaces I would identify as queer in this context because I have also reclaimed that word back for myself which was u s e d d e r o g a t o r i l y t o describe ‘otherness’

However, as a person of Indian descent, identifying as queer inherently places me within a Western postc o l o n i a l l e n s I m i g h t instead describe myself as i n d i g e n o u s t o t h e S h a k t i

p e e t h s o f B e n g a l , w h e r e feminine energy is a profound spiritual expression of the Goddess

T h i s m a n i f e s t s i n m y

d a n c e a n d n e u r o d i v e r -

g e n c e , c h a l l e n g i n g s t a t u s q u o s s i m p l y b y b e i n g myself My job as an artist is to keep that channel open and never suppress it

What were some of the significant obstacles you faced as a queer dancer, and how did you overcome them?

I felt that there was a cognitive dissonance in the t r a d i t i o n a l d a n c e w o r l d

We could portray various characters from lasya filled

n a y i k a s a n d p l a y f u l Gandharvas, while describi n g t h e v i r i l i t y o f m a l e

H i n d u d i v i n e a r c h e t y p e s like Shiva and Vishnu

As dancers, fluidity was essential, but in real life,

g e n d e r f l u i d i t y w a s f r o w n e

with rigid gender roles I

y are hopefully coming to an end

The rich history of gend e r f

d i t y i n

n t Indian texts is being revit a l i z e d i n c o n t e m p o r a r y society Media, literature, and arts are increasingly featuring queer narratives,

and fostering acceptance However, significant stig-

rights

C o n t e m p o r a r y I n d i a ’ s power structures are less progressive than those of a n c i e n t I n d i a r e g a r d i n g m i n o r i t y r i g h t s , a s

p

y e n t r e

c h e d T h i s m u s t change; we cannot cherrypick what we want to be progressive about What progress has been made globally in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, what challenges remain, and what actions do you believe are most effective in promoting equality and acceptance?

We've made significant strides in LGBTQ+ rights, with many countries legali

Increased media and polit-

often live in a social media bubble that reinforces our views

East, Africa, and parts of

Pride and women ’ s rights groups, like Margate Pride

Thanet, along with fostering empathy through open dialogue, are essential to achieving true acceptance and equality

Looking ahead, what are your future plans and goals in dance? Are there any upcoming projects or performances that you’re particularly excited about?

R

colonial queer trauma is

Therapy has been a privi-

LGBT+ Asylum Seekers to

laughter, movement therapy, emotional regulation,

reported improved moods and mental health, aiding their daily lives as LGBT+ asylum seekers

I n m y S h

w o r kshops, open to all genders, w

views that demonise the s a c r e d f e m i n i n e B y reclaiming our inner goddess and recontextualising shame, we tap into divine

healing and autonomy "Vishnu’s Got My Back" i

currently in its next development phase after being commissioned by Sampad Arts This 'TED Talk musi-

coming-of-age story about

immigrant from Kolkata

Out About & Upcoming show

In this weekend’s episode of Out & About, join the Pushti Parivar UK for their grand Patotsav Mahotsav celebration at the Sudbury Haveli

The event begun with a Katha by Vaishnavacharya Goswami Shri Yadhunathji Mahodayshri (Je Je Shree) followed by other cultural programmes

Don’t miss to watch the show, only on Zee tv, Sunday 02 June 2024 @ 6 pm

Sky 707 Virgin 809

Soneri Sangat

Last Thursday on Soneri Sangat, we had an engaging discussion with Nitin Mehta, a passionate advocate for animal rights and vegetarian/vegan living He shared valuable insights on the importance of animal rights and how simple dietary changes can significantly impact a person ’ s life The audience interaction was fantastic, and Nitin addressed many crucial topics related to this subject

He very well explained that by embracing veganism, individuals can contribute to a healthier lifestyle, a more sustainable environment, and the ethical treatment of animals, creating a positive impact on both a personal and g

Gujarat Samachar this week on pg 22

For tho se who missed it, catch u p o n this event and previo us episo des by visiting o ur You Tube ch annel @abplgrou p87 72

Stay tu ned for mo re exci ting content coming you r way!

Rare Indian banknotes from shipwreck up for auction at Noonans

T w o 10 - ru pe e b a n k no te s

s a l va g ed f r om t he S S Shirala, sunk by a German U- boat on July 2, 1918, will b e up f or a uc ti on a t

N o on a n s Ma y f a i r E a c h n ote is expected to f etc h b etween £2,000 and £2, 600 i n th e s a le o f W or l d B anknotes

T h o m a s i n a S m i t h , W o r l d w i d e H e a d o f

Numismatics at Noonans, elaborated: "Large quantities of these notes, along with various supplies such as marmalade and ammunition, were en route from London to Bombay aboard the SS Shirala when it was torpedoed by a German UBoat Many notes, includi n g u n s i g n e d 5 a n d 1 0

Year 2024, election year

It seems the year 2024 will go down in history as the election year that may change the political map of the world Russian election, as expected, re-elected Vladimir Putin, although no one believes it was a free and fair election Then it is Russia and they have their own standard when it comes to election about what is fair and free It is the trend which may never change!

On the other hand, India, the world’s biggest democracy with some one billion voters, has just completed the most complicated free and fair election with the result being declared on 4th June, 2024

Even American presidential election will be a close run contest with sitting president enjoying a paper-thin majority against the dynamic but some-what controversial candidate in Donald Trump!

When our PM Rishi Sunak announced 4th July, 2024 as our election date, many political pundits were taken by surprise, as Conservative party is some 20% behind Labour according to most opinion polls So why PM chose such a date when he could have chosen late in 2024 or even early 2025!

PM knows that his Rwanda policy will face stern opposition and the involvement of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) may scupper his plans The better than expected inflation figure may also have played its part

The only way out could be to leave the ECHR but our politicians have no courage to take such a drastic step that will put us on the different path to rest of Europe

So why we hesitate, even put our well-being at risk! Perhaps the answer lies in our international standing, as one of the most liberal, law abiding nation in the world

Bhupendra M G andh i

India’s electoral landscape

“Factors affecting India’s electoral landscape” in Asian Voice dated 11 – 17 May 2024 is interesting Though Modi and his team will win for the third term, the margin on each seat and overall majority in the parliament is more important this time Hence voting turnaround has a significant impact on it

Some people might have enjoyed a long weekend instead of going to vote but that is not the right approach Talking and praising Modi for his hard work and the facilities provided in the country is one thing but when it comes to voting, people feel no need to go for voting because they think one vote will not make any difference This approach needs to change Every vote in the election is important

There are problems with jobs and unemployment etc but there is nobody in the country who has a quick solution Youngsters have confidence in Modi and his party Today’s younger generation has the capability to make an informed decision People are not going to get carried by false propaganda against Narendra Modi but they look at the achievements, hard work done by him as an individual as well as his work on the growth trajectory and bold decisions taken which have longterm implications for the safety and security of the country Hitesh Hing u London

Election Time –

How To Be a Good Voter

Continuation form page 3

logues can challenge preconceived notions and highlight different aspects of political debates

Key Re sources: C om mun

groups often host meetings where political issues are discussed

On line For ums: Platforms like Reddit and specialized political forums can be valuable spaces for discussion and debate

Educational Institutions: Many universities and colleges host public lectures and panels on political topics

Considering Long-Ter m Impl icat ions

Rupees, as well as signed 1 Rupees (one of which is also featured in this auction), washed ashore While most were recovered and subseq u e n t l y d e s t r o y e d b y authorities, a few examples remained in private possess i o n " S h e a d d e d , " T h e s e notes are truly unique, and their discovery was prompted by the Bank of England's mention of the shipwreck o n s o c i a l m e d i a T h e i r remarkable condition suggests they were likely part of a tightly bound bundle, sparing them from direct c o n t a c t w i t h t h e s e a Additionally, the fact that they bear consecutive serial numbers adds to their rarity and appeal "

Voting is not just about the immediate future but also about the long-term direction of the country Good citizens should consider the sustainability and long-term effects of the policies proposed by candidates and parties

Key Re sources:

Policy Think Tanks: Organizations such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) provide in-depth analyses of policy impacts

Environmental and Social Organizations: Groups like Friends of the Earth and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation offer perspectives on the long-term social and environmental implications of political decisions

Exer cisin g t he R ight to Vot e

Finally, ensuring that one is registered to vote and understands the voting process is crucial The deadline for voter registration, the location of polling stations, and the options for postal or proxy voting are essential logistics that must be handled well in advance of election day

Key Re sources: UK G ove rnment Web site: The gov uk website provides all necessary information on voter registration and voting procedures

El e ctor a l C ommi ssion : The Electoral Commission's website offers detailed guides and support for voters Good luck!

Forty Days to Save the Nation

PM Sunak has fired the gun and the race to save t he nat ion is on On 4th July, a day steeped in history, t he gr eat B ritish public will have t he right t o vote for t heir next government The fat e of t he nat ion now rests with the peopl e We have less t han 40 days t o save this nat ion You may well ask, save t he nat ion fr om what?

Let’s be honest, there are only two political parties that have any chance of forming the next government

The Conservatives or Labour All other parties are basically white noise in the political arena At best they might just have enough seats to make a difference in who ends up in government should the election be very close Other than that, every vote for these minor parties is a vote wasted The headline for every voter is very simple, make a choice Do you want a Labour or a Conservative government? And then vote for one of them Don’t be deluded and naïve and waste your vote on other parties

Talking about voting, consider it as a contract between you and the nation As a citizen it’s your civic duty and responsibility to vote Surely on one day every five years you can find the time to go and cast that all important vote At the national level voter turnouthas

8% and GE2019

Therefore, whilst at the national level voter turnout hovers around 66%, voting by minority communities has remained poor

However, most commentators believe that the turnout in Indic (Hindu, Sikh and Jain) communities is even lower In 2019 for Hindus most estimates place it at around 25% Think about it, Hindus are the most productive members of British society, yet when it comes to voting, we are the worst

Did you know that some 50% of ALL ethnic minorities live in just 75 seats (out of 650 seats) And did you know that the Labour Party won 70 of these 75 seats?And guess what, in 50 of these seats the ethnic voters were in the majority

In 2019 Labour won ALL seats where the Black African/Caribbean population was over 14% It also won 40 out of 46 seats with an ‘Asian’ population over 15% and incredibly, it won 18 of the 20 constituencies that had the most Indian voters

All the polls suggest that Labour will win with a massive majority, and Keir Starmer is destined to be the new Prime Minister IF true, then you the voters have less than 40 days to save this nation from a Labour government that will destroy the very fabric of this nation Over the coming weeks we’ll explore the policies, but for now keepthe followingin mind

1 L a b o u r M P ’ s d e m a n d f o r a s p e c i a l v i s a f o r Palestinians to enter the UK

2 Labour MP’s promote a fake narrative on PM Modi and the BJP

3 Labour MP’s appeasement of Khalistanis

4 Labour MP’s appeasement of Islamists

5 Labour MP’s bigotry towards the Jewish community

6 Labour MP’s support for Pakistan occupied Jammu &Kashmir

7 Labour MP’s anti-Hindu sentiments

Number 1, if implemented will open the floodgates to the very destruction of this nation Couple this with Starmer’s declaration that he will revoke the Rwanda Bill immediately, it will be open season for every terrorist and extremist out there to head for British shores

Let me be clear, elect a Labour government and get ready for total anarchy on our streets A week will not go by without out of control protest marches on our streets that will often turn violent Hate marchers and knee benders will thrive knowing that Labour MP’s will be supportive of their madness

A l r e a d y o n u n i v e r s i t y c a m p u s e s t h e s e h a t e protesters have made them into no go zones for Jews Make a note, Hindus and Sikhs will be next You have to wonder what will happen to vulnerable white girls and women who were systematically abused, mainly by men of Pakistani heritage Remember, most of this happened in Labour controlled Councils, with Labour Mayors and Labour appointed police commissioners Was it all just coincidence? You decide

And this is just the tip of the Labour iceberg heading our way At your peril you ignore the danger of the madness that will be unleased by the left Don’t cry or complain when the nation sinks like the titanic 40 days folks, 40 days to save the future of this nation Make your vote count

Kapil Dudakia

Hina Bokhari leads Liberal Democrats in historic appointment

Singh

Hina Bokhari is th e new

le ad e r o f th e L i ber al Dem ocrats i n th e Lond on

A ss embly S he i s th e first eth nic mino rity woman to lead a g rou p at City Hall

s inc e i ts e stabli sh m ent in 20 00, and also the first ethnic m ino rity wom an to lead

a g ro up in any of the UK’ s

d ev o l v ed i ns ti tu ti o n s, accord ing to a statement

B o k h a r i s u c c e e d s

Caroline Pidgeon, who led the Liberal Democrats in the Assembly from 2010 until her resignation earlier this month

I n a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h

A s i a n V o i c e , B o k h a r i d i scusses her historic appointment, the representation of diversity, and the workings of the London Assembly How do you feel about this historic achievement, and how do you think this will inspire and empower others?

I was actually surprised to learn that I was the first ethnic minority woman in my position It wasn't my

i n t e n t i o n t o p u r p o s e f u l l y break barriers or glass ceilings in politics However, s i m p l y b y b e i n g i n v o l v e d and standing up for what I believe in, I've realised that

I ' v e t a k e n o n m a n y r o l e s t h a t h i g h l i g h t m y r o l e i n breaking these barriers In some ways, it's empowering to see this progress, but it's

a l s o d i s h e a r t e n i n g t h a t i t has taken so long for someone like me to be recognised Each time I've stood for election, it seems I've been breaking new ground

o r b e c o m i n g t h e f i r s t i n some capacity This pattern raises questions about why there aren't more women, p a r t i c u l a r l y f r o m d i v e r s e backgrounds, stepping for-

w

A s s e m b l y i t s e l f d e m o nstrates diversity well, thanks to its unique electoral system Through proportional representation, every vote in L o n d o n i s a c c o u n t e d f o r , leading to increased diversit y a m o n g r e p r e s e

This system has brought in m

and range of opinions present in a city like London

As an ethnic minority woman, you're essentially a minority within a minority How does this factor into your plans for addressing the needs of the diverse communities of London?

I believe it's crucial to represent all communities

with other minority groups

For instance, addressing the rise in hate crimes, particularly Islamophobia and antiS

priority given the current situation in the Middle East It's essential to foster unity

the equal importance of all

Additionally, I'm committed

like the London Fire Brigade and Metropolitan Police As C

instrumental in highlighting c

, racism, and misogyny within the London Fire Brigade, as revealed by the Culture R e v i e w D e s p i t e b e i n g a minority within a minority, this perspective enables me to understand and amplify the voices of those facing discrimination and advocating for meaningful change based on lived experiences

Given the rising instances of theft, shoplifting, knife-related crimes, and increasing concerns for women's safety with reports of stalking and harassment, what strategies do you propose to address these challenges, and how do you plan to leverage your position to contribute to solutions?

One of the main focuses of LibDem’s manifesto duri n g t h e L o n d o n m a y o r a l c a m p a i g n w a s a d d r e s s i n g t h e i s s u e s w i t h i n

Metropolitan Police, which a

T

e Casey Review shed light on the lack of prosecutions and unresolved cases involving women who have been victims of sexual violence and o

This lack of accountability h

police force, making victims hesitant to come forward We continue to advocate for improvements in this area, recognising the importance of both increased funding

scores the urgency of implementing community policing initiatives, particularly in areas affected by youth-

thefts

How do you plan to work with other parties and leaders within the London Assembly to achieve your goals for the city?

Actually, in the London A

across parties The role of the London Assembly is to

f London, regardless of party

Liberal Democrat, or Green

together, and every report we produce is a collective effort Each committee has representatives from all parties, and everyone must sign off on the final report Our recommendations are thus endorsed by all parties, making us a prime example of

Mayor of London accountable and to represent every

London, truly reflects our mission

There is often a misunderstanding about our role People tend to think that p o l i t i c a l b

e s a r e j u s t about arguing, but that’s not the case with the London A s s e m b l y , o u r j o b i s t o ensure every voice is heard Each political party within

A

amplify the voices of their constituents While we do engage in debates, these are

efforts to represent diverse perspectives

T h e L o n d o n A s s e m b l y has various powers to push f o r c h a n g e D u r i n g t h e Mayor’s Question Time, I can bring attention to camp a i g n s

gaps, or raise issues brought to me by individuals, groups, o

cerns, and often he does For

could gain work experience

similar to Erasmus, which

our proposal, but later the

political lines

Understanding the coll

London Assembly is crucial There’s a perception of fric-

Asma Khan launches Jeddah Restaurant to support businesswomen

Ex-restaurant director

spends Covid loans on jewellery

the Covid pan demic

Despite scheme regula-

loan per business, Yasmin obtained two loans totaling £100,000 for Manny Steak House Ltd Her first appli-

made through the Bounce Back Loan Scheme in May 2020

Manny Steak House Ltd,

e r a

n g a s T o r o ' s Steakhouse on Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, south Manchester, just a month later

Despite being a qualified nurse, she spent over £12,000 from the loans on jewellery in Birmingham's J

d i n g s a t M

c h e s t e r Crown Court Y a s m i n , r e s i d i n g o n Grasmere Road in Cheadle,

, received a 10-month suspended prison sentence for 12 months last week

In addition to repaying the loans in full, she was instructed to settle costs a n d c o m p e n s a t i o n amounting to £5,000 within 28 days during her sentencing hearing on May 16 L a u n c h e d d u r i n g t h e coronavirus pandemic, the G o v e r n m e n t ' s B o u n c e Back Loan Scheme aimed t o e x p e d i t e a c c e s s t o finance for smaller businesses

cesses Our current political system needs an overhaul to

activities, there's

pervasive s

among residents who feel that reporting crimes yields little

action and it is this sentiment that under-

tion This is something not widely known, and I believe it s important for people to understand how effectively we work together for the benefit of all Londoners

Anusha

Hina Bokhari AM

Navigating the beauty industry: Insights from South Asian entrepreneur Sabina Ranger

Subhasini Naicker

Sabina Ranger, a dynamic South Asian entrepreneur who has revolutionised the beauty industry with her innovative and inclusive brand, "BELLA" Growing up with a round face and chubby cheeks, Sabina relied on false lashes for confidence but found them painful

Discovering that 97% of false lash wearers faced the same issue, she was determined to create a better solution With seven years in her family's consumer goods business, she developed Wanderlash mascara a clean, vegan formula delivering stunning, pain-free results It became an instant viral hit, praised by celebrities and industry experts

Now, BELLA offers a range of highperforming, 100% vegan products with unique ingredients, solving everyday beauty challenges

In an interview with Asian Voice, Sabina discusses infusing South Asian elements into her brand, the challenges she faces as a South Asian entrepreneur, and more

Howdo you infuse elements of your South Asian heritage into your brand's identity and products?

At BELLA, it was crucial to design products suitable for everyone, eliminating the need for separate products for lighter or darker skin tones This approach gives every customer the freedom to choose their preferred shades, rather than being confined to specific options Our core values are inclusivity and innovation, creating a legacy that transcends borders

How do you ensure that your luxury beauty brand caters to the needs and preferences of South Asian consumers, while living in a foreign country?

Our customer engagement is more than just a practice it's a passion We recognize that every individual is on their own unique beauty journey Utilising social media platforms, particularly Instagram, we cultivate genuine connections with our audience By providing an inclusive space for

conversation, sharing insights, and staying updated on industry trends, we foster an environment where customers feel valued and heard Our active presence encourages open dialogue and collaboration, not only with our customers but also with influencers and industry experts At BELLA, building meaningful relationships with our customers isn't just a goal it's our top priority

Whatchallenges did you face as a South Asian entrepreneur in the beauty industry, and how did you overcome them?

There are constant challenges throughout each stage of the journey, from how to gain the best partnerships to maintaining the right mindset, however it has been the most incredible journey I have learnt countless lessons and each day a new one, but the key is to expect the unexpected and stay adaptable There will always be a new learning curve, but it is with challenges that we grow

Can you provide insights into the Bella Butterfly Fund's mission and how it aims to create a positive impact, especially considering your South Asian background and the UK market?

Through our BELLA Butterfly Fund, we pledge 1% of every sale to meaningful causes such as mental health & education When you choose to purchase our products, you're not just getting the best in beauty, you are also supporting us in our mission to empower individuals from backgrounds and from every corner of the world Every individual is important, so we are committed to supporting causes that are making a positive difference in this world beyond beauty ”

Unveiling the secrets of women's health

Lavina M eh ta M BE, a pers o na l tra i ner , w ell ne ss coach, TED speaker, and the founder of “ Feel Good With L av ina, ” h as extend ed h er i nf lu e nc e by w ri ti n g a n

A m az on Be st se ll er b o o

titled "The Feel Good Fix " The book is crafted to i

providing free, swift, pleasurable, and impactful exercise, mind, and lifestyle tips to elevate both physical and mental well-being

B a l a n c i

Asa female entrepreneur, what advice would you give to aspiring South Asian women looking to enter the beauty industry?

To believe in your vision wholeheartedly For aspiring entrepreneurs venturing into the beauty industry or looking to expand internationally, the journey is filled with challenges and uncertainties I feel that mindset is key and to persevere even in the toughest of circumstances It’s also incredibly important to surround yourself with positive energy and supportive people as much as you can

Howdo you see the future of the beauty industry evolving, and what role do you envision your brand playing in that landscape, both in the UK and globally?

The beauty industry is one that is ever changing A beauty brand needs to be able to constantly adapt and embrace change Innovation will always be at the core of who we are and how we adapt our focus in areas like product development We see ourselves as more than just a brand we're a family With over a century of combined experience in different industries like FMCG, we've learned the importance of listening and evolving with our community

We as a brand move quickly by researching upcoming trends, using cutting edge technologies in our products, ensuring we are listening to our amazing customers from all over the globe through our social media channels What really drives us is our connection with our community, whom we affectionately call our "Butterflies " Through social media,we're able to hear their thoughts and desires, which shape everything we do

phase of life

M o r e o v e r , s h e u n d e rscores the prolonged transit i o n p e r i o d o f p e r imenopause, which can span u p t o a d e c a d e b e f o r e

m e n o p a u s e o n s e t “ W i t h

s y m p t o m s p o t e n t i a l l y emerging in one's late 30s, i t ' s c r u c i a l f o r w o m e n t o remain attuned to their bod-

ing overall wellness

Addressing some comm

conceptions about strength

maintenance

crucial, as is incorporating weightlifting or strength training into fit-

o r k , h o m e life, and family pressures, along with the symptoms of m e n o p a u s e , c a n b e o v e rwhelming Lavina’s advice in t h i s b o o k i s r e f r e s h i n g l y straightforward According to Lavina, conditions like m e n o p a u s e , a n d p o s t p a rtum challenges pose signific a n t h e a l t h c o n c e r n s f o r women, especially chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and dementia

S h e h i g h l i g h t s t h a t

South Asian women face an earlier onset of menopause, occurring five to six years

e a r l i e r t h a n t h e i r w h i t e counterparts, underscoring t h e n e e d f o r h e i g h t e n e d

a w a r e n e s s a n d a d v o c a c y

T h i s i s w h e r e l i f e s t y l e changes, especially exercise can be a fabulous tool in h e l p i n g t o m a n a g e s y m p -

t o m s a n d n a v i g a t e t h i s

Teen

ies, document any changes and seek help”, she said

U t i l i s i n g t h e l a t e s t r e s e a r c h , h e r F e e l G o o d t o o l k i t c a n s i g n i f i c a n t l y i m p r o v e e n e r g y l e v e l s , mood, and fitness in just eleven minutes a day These "exercise snacks" (short periods of activity) can seamlessly fit into busy schedules, yet still make a meaningful impact on health by encouraging more movement, promoting calm, and support-

muscle mass from our 30s Contrary to belief, it won't cause bulkiness in women A

never too late to enhance your lifestyle and fitness ”

For those embarking on a wellness journey, she suggested, “Try to begin with small, manageable changes that will help you gain confi-

Apart from that, embrace

snacking, wherein even brief bouts

Beyond” was published on May 30 and is available to order now

E-rickshaw driver from UP wins prestigious Royal Award in UK

A n 1 8- ye a r - o ld r i c k s ha w d r i v er f r om a v i l l ag e i n Ba hrai ch distric t of U ttar P r ad e s h , n a m e d A r t i , i s t hr i l l e d t o m e et Ki n g Charles III at Buc kingham Palace She was honoured with the prestigious Amal C l oo n e y W om e n ' s E m po w e r m e n t A w a r d at the Prin ce's Trus t Awards i n L on d o n e ar l i e r t h i s week

S h e r e c e i v e d r e c o g n ition for her inspiring work with the government's Pink e-rickshaw initiative, which aims to provide safe transportation for women and drive positive change

" I ' m p r o u d t o i n s p i r e o t h e r g i r l s f a c i n g s i m i l a r challenges This newfound independence has changed m y p e r s p e c t i v e o n t h e

world Now, I can pursue not just my dreams but also t h o s e o f m y d a u g h t e r , " shared Arti, who has a fiveyear-old daughter During her first visit to London, s h e b o u g h t h e r d a u g h t e r cake and a pair of shoes

"It's been an incredible e x p e r i e n c e m e e t i n g t h e King, who was so kind and even sent his greetings to my family back home He

spoke about my love for

, which runs on clean energy that I charge at home every night," she added in Hindi E

Charles during his tenure as the Prince of Wales, the Prince's Trust International i

e King s Trust International Its mission remains steadfast: to aid youth across 20 nations through initiatives in employment, education, and entrepreneurship The P

Empowerment Award cele-

have triumphed over adversity and positively impacted their communities

Decline in women among top UK finance earners after pandemic

Research from the Lo nd on S ch o o l o f Ec o no m ic s and Political Science (LSE) has rev ealed that wom en now constitute a smaller po rtion of top earners in th e financ i al and p ro f

, highlighted that the lack of w

senior positions in financial a n d p r

significantly contributes to

emphasised the need for

diversity positively impacts business outcomes Recent

g e b e t w e e n t h e f i r s t quarter of 2020 and the second quarter of 2023, down from 19 7 per cent in the three years up to the first q u a r t e r o f 2 0 2 0 , t h e research published Grace Lordan, an associa

8 p e

cent less than men in these companies The LSE research, utilising data from the governm e n t ’ s q u

e r l y L a b o u r Force Survey, revealed that women accounted for 28 3 percent of the top 10 percent of earners between the first quarter of 2020 and the second quarter of 2023 This marks a 2 5 per cent increase from the preceding threeyear period up to the first quarter of 2020

Sabina Ranger

On the other hand, for Labour and its leader Keir Starmer, this campaign is about reminding voters of the past while presenting Labour as the solution for the future and convincing them that Labour can deliver the change they seek

When it comes to other parties like the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Greens, these parties

w

Conservatives as was witnessed in

Democrats aim to disrupt the 2024 general election, by making further

strongholds

While it is clear that the main push and pull is between the conservatives and the Labours, parties

l

Democrats,

Group feels that the votes being

divided by the smaller parties is the

b i g g e s t a d v a n t a g e f o r t h e Conservatives, “because Starmer’s party is not seen as Left enough after his courting of Blue Wall Tory voters That will not result in the Lib Dems and Greens winning more seats, but it could narrow

L a b o u r ’ s c h a n g e s i n s e v e r a l marginal seats

“Reform’s target is squarely the Conservative party’s seats In many parts of the country, Tory seats may be a two-horse race between

L a b o u r a n d R e f o r m , w h i c h t h e Tories pushed to third ” Decoding Sunak's early election call

D e s p i t e h a v i n g u p u n t i l January 2025 to hold the elections, Sunak’s announcement although anticipated, came as a surprise as most polls show the Tories trailing the opposition Labour Party by

d o u b l e - d i g i t p e r c e n t a g e

W

n behind this to be an internal conflict within the Conservative Party, with rumours of no confidence motion being rife, others believe that the drop in inflation, a return to economic growth and lowering net migration prompted the decision

A c c o r d i n g t o P r a t i k , “Conventional wisdom would say that Rishi announced the election n o w b e c a u s e h e s a w e c o n o m i c statistics getting worse in the com-

i n g q u a r t e r , w h i c h w o u l d h a v e dampened his chances even more But in reality, I think he just had enough of the job He’s been snappy and irritable at PMQs recently, so maybe he just decided it was time ” Sunak made history as the first Indian-origin Prime Minister of the UK but Pratik believes that his s k i n c o l o u r s h o u l

deciding factor for his return to No 10 “We need to stop assessing a

SNAP ELECTION SURPRISE

candidate on the colour of their skin and instead assess them on the merits of their performance ” Critiquing Sunak’s leadership, he said, “Rishi fell into the rabbit hole of trying to appease the Right of the party and failed, with expens i v e p o l i c y f l o p s s u c h a s t h e R w a n d a i m m i g r a t i o n p

y

Labour’s poll lead over the Tories has remained persistent because Rishi has not been able to articulate what he stands for, whether he is a Right-winger as he seems desperate to appear, or he is CentreRight as he appeared during his leadership campaign ”

Bikash Nepal came to the UK from Nepal in 2009 as a student

and now runs a successful business in the country Contrary to Pratik, he feels that while Sunak is worthy of a chance, the country is not ready to give a chance to a person of colour “Personally, I believe he

understands economics and knows how to make crucial decisions for the better future of the country

He is the right man for Prime Minister However, when there is a g e n

i c votes, there is no way a brown man can become Prime Minister No matter how much good he has done for the country, in the end, colour will matter”, he said The Ind ian diaspora

The Indian diaspora in the UK, now the largest immigrant group in the country with an estimated 1 9 million people, making up 3 1% of the population, is young, fastgrowing, and relatively well-educated In 2024, the diaspora is more aware of its power and will once again play a major part Historically, Labour made significant contributions to the independence of India; after the party took control in 1945, Atlee made Indian Independence one of his primary mandates In turn, the diaspora remained loyal to Labour f

, t h

s t r e n d h a s s h i f t e d s i n c e 2 0 1 2 Reports indicate that Asian voters are increasingly aligning with the broader public, with Hindu voters drifting towards the Conservative Party, especially since 2015 The diaspora played an important role in the democratic process in both the 2015 and 2019 elections and the c o n t i n u o u s v i c t o

e s o f Conservatives, one of them a landslide

According to Dr Subir Sinha, Director of the SOAS So uth A sia Institu te, “The South Asian voting bloc comprises 3-4 million people of South Asian origin, primarily f r o m

n Pakistan, Gujarat in India, Eastern Bangladesh, and Tamil areas of Sri

L

across the UK, their concentration in certain boroughs and suburbs of

metro areas, Bradford in Yorkshire, and Leicester and the Midlands, makes them pivotal in influencing constituency-level swings and the overall national voting trend ”

Where do community stakeholders stand?

Within the South Asian communities and various other stakeholders affecting the power play,

h with the government As a minority within the minority groups, the Nepalese community seeks participation in all sectors as they primarily remain limited to the security and hospitality industries for work and business

R

the Nepalese community at No 10 to celebrate the 100 years of UK-

thinks that it was a great initiative on the Prime Minister’s part He said, “The Nepalese community has grown massively in the last 1012 years This small gesture was greatly appreciated by the wider Nepalese community, as it was the

specifically for them

“There have been a few notable d

they have been in power for 14 years We have yet to see a Labour g o v e r n m e n t m a k e i t s c o n t r i b utions ”

With all the positives, there yet remains the issue of Gurkha pension Bikash shares that despite various discussions taking place during this government's tenure, n o s a t i s f a c t o r y o u t c o m e s h a v e been reached “The UK is known for its principles of fairness, equal o p p o

u n i t y , a n d e q u a l p a y However, when it comes to the Gurkhas, their pensions are not the same as their British counterparts Both groups perform the same job and fight to protect the UK, so why the disparity? This is a very unfair practice that needs to be addressed by the government”, he said

A c c o r d i n g t o B i k a s h , t h e majority of the Nepalese diaspora supports the Labour Party, as they are perceived to be more immigrant-friendly “However, in recent years, many Nepalese individuals have joined the Conservative Party and have succeeded in local elections Some have even been elected as local mayors ” , he said

Major bets on NHS but how practical is the approach?

A m a j o r S t a k e h o l d e r i n t h e upcoming elections is the NHS and a l l t h e c o n t e s t i n g p a r t i e s h a v e major pledges, ranging from easier GP access to ending waiting lists However, D r J oyd eep Gro v er, a co ns u ltan

and

A sso ciatio n of P hysicians of Indian O ri g i n ( B A P I O) , b e l i e v e s t h a t despite whoever wins, the NHS needs to be left alone

H e s

churning and changing of policies and direction that causes a significant loss of momentum The NHS i

n t h e United Kingdom, and each new leader brings new thoughts, ideas, and ways of doing things By the time the NHS adapts to one leade r ' s v i

causing further disruption Left to manage itself, the NHS would likely operate much more efficiently

“When reviewing party pledges f o r t h e N H S , w e s e e c o m m o n themes: promises of more doctor appointments, easier access to GPs, more operations, and better dental care However, it's crucial that any reforms are grounded in practical input from those who work within the system If changes are necessary, they should be made in consultation with frontline workers r

directives, which often create more

problems than they solve ” E lection turbulence puts key reform s on h old

, Parliament will dissolve on May 30, subjecting public bodies to purdah rules that prevent actions influencing election matters The governm

Pisces private market, face uncertainty following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to hold an early election in July

the shelving of the retail sale of NatWest shares, previously aimed

ment Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's plans for a British ISA will also be delayed until after the election

The launch of the Pisces market, developed with the London Stock Exchange to enhance private companies' access to UK capital markets, is also in question Important school policies, such as the teacher pay deal and 'inadequate' Ofsted reports, are also likely to be delayed If Labour wins, several proposed policies, including minimum service levels, will be s

schools close to be used as polling stations The workload reduction taskforce's recommendations and the Department for Education’s update of its 2019 recruitment and

poned

tered provision protections, and sex education lessons will also be affected, with Labour already planning to scrap the minimum service levels consultation if they win

The importance of Scotland

Scotland is cu rrently being seen as one of the important factors th at will affect elections Both Sir Keir Starm er and Co nserv ative lead er Rishi Su nak aim to end th e era of S co ttish National P arty dom inance in Scottish po litics w ith this election

While everyone can make an effort, the current political scenario will have an effect According to British p olitical scientist John Curtice, the Labour Party's chances of winning a significant number of seats north of the border haven't looked this promising since the 2014 independence referendum He said, “The installation of John Sweeney as the SNP leader hasn t, on its own, made a significant impact on turning around the party's fortunes Polls conducted since the fall of Humza Yousaf show Labour consistently five to six points ahead Given the geography of party support, this could translate into Labour picking up about 30 seats from the SNP, potentially more than 18

“The SNP has a lot to do to turn things around Many of Labour's potential gains are quite marginal, meaning that if the SNP manages to catch up, the scales could tip in their favour It's all very much on a knife-edge, with the balance currently tilted towards Labour ”

Discussing the importance of Scotland in the upcoming elections, he finds that things are currently difficult to determine “The outcome of the election largely depends on what happens in England and Wales If UK-wide polls are accurate and Labour maintains a 21-point lead, the results in Scotland may become irrelevant as Labour would secure a substantial overall majority However, if Labour's lead narrows significantly, Scotland's role could become crucial Currently, Labour's potential gains in Scotland seem marginal, but if the SNP catches up, the balance could shift”, he said

Pratik Dattani

Bikash Nepal

John Curtice

Dr Subir Sinha

Dr Joydeep Grover

R I T I S H A S I A N F A C E S I N U K E L E C T I O N

As the UK prepares for its upcoming general election, a diverse group of South Asian candidates is emerging as key contenders across various constituencies These individuals, representing different political parties, bring unique perspectives and experiences, reflecting the rich multicultural fabric of the nation. Here are the lists of South Asian candidates to watch in the upcoming UK general election.

LABOUR PARTY CANDIDATES

Tauqeer Malik Aberdeen South Najmul Hussain Brigg & Immingham Hersh Thaker Carshalton & Wallington Faiza Shaheen Chingford & Woodford Green

Ravi Venkatesh Chippenham

Mocky Khan Didcot and Wantage

Naushabah Khan Gillingham & Rainham

Dr Zubir Ahmed Glasgow South West Nurul Hoque Ali Gordon and Buchan Primesh Patel Harrow East

Sunny Brar Hornchurch & Upminster Harpreet Uppal Huddersfield Jas Athwal Ilford South Rajesh Agrawal Leicester East

Jeevun Sandher Loughborough

Maahwish Mirza Mid Bedfordshire Uday Nagaraju North Bedfordshire Rufia Ashraf South Northamptonshire

Satvir Kaur Southampton Test

Kanishka Narayan Vale of Glamorgan

Dr Gurpreet Padda Waveney Valley Pavitar Kaur Mann Windsor Rumi Chowdhury Witham Monica Hamidi Wokingham Warinder Juss Wolverhampton West Mohammad Yasin Bedford Javeria Hussian North East Cambridgeshire Baggy Shanker Derby South Saj Ahmad Newark Nadia Whittome Nottingham East

Zafran Khan Melton and Syston

Vipul Bechar Grantham & Bourne Rushanara Ali Bethnal Green & Bow Rupa Haq Ealing Central & Acton

Seema Malhotra Feltham and Heston

Tulip Siddiq Hampstead, Highgate & Kilburn

Praful Nargund Islington North

Tony Gill Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner Rosena Allin-Khan Tooting Yasmin Qureshi Bolton South & Walkden

Mohammed Afzal Khan Manchester Gorton & Rusholme

Navendu Mishra Stockport Tammanjeet Singh Dhesi Slough Thangam Debbonaire Bristol Central & West Preet Gill Birmingham Edgbaston

Neena Gill Bromsgrove

Zarah Sultana Coventry South Sureena Brackenridge Wolverhampton North East

Shah Bradford West

Pinder Chauhan Bedford Gagan Mohindra South West Hertfordshire Shailesh Vara North West Cambridgeshire

Rapatwar Brent West

Aarti Joshi Vauxhall & Camberwell Green Reva Gudi Feltham and Heston

Merali Harrow West Ameet Jogia Hendon

Kiran Fothergill Middlesbrough & Thornaby East

Mohammed Afzal Bolton South & Walkden

Suella Braverman Fareham & Waterlooville Vinay Rangia Oxford West & Abingdon Nus Ghani Sussex Weald

Sangha Birmingham Edgbaston

Bhatti Meriden & Solihull East

Sunak Richmond & Northallerton

Gulhane East Renfrewshire

Kabeer Kher

Conservatives propose pensioner tax cuts in UK election pledge

P r i me M i n i s t e r R i s h i S unak ha s pro pos ed ta x cuts for millions of p en-

s ioners as part o f his lat-

e s t ca m p a i g n p l e d g e , u nders co ring the s ignificance of older v oters in th e u pcomi ng Ju ly electio n T h e C o n s e r v a t i v e

Party, led by Sunak, plans to introduce a new agerelated allowance, resulting in a tax reduction of a p p r o x i m a t e l y £ 1 0 0 ($128) per year for each of the 8 million pensioners in 2025 This tax cut is expected to increase to nearly £300 annually by the end of the next parliamentary term

" T h i s b o l d a c t i o n demonstrates we are on

t h e s i d e o f p e n s i o n e r s

The alternative is Labour

d r a g g i n g e v e r y o n e i n receipt of the full state

pension into income tax for the first time in history," Sunak, who last week called a general election f

4

n t h e statement

In the year leading up t o F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 3 , t h e number of pensioners in B r

140,000, reaching a total of 12 6 million With close to 50 million eligible voters, the upcoming election is poised to poten-

polls

T h e C o n s e r v a t i v e Party's proposal coincides with its pledge to uphold the "triple lock" policy, e n s u r i n g t h a t p

funded pensions increase by the highest of

Sunak and Starmer to debate on ITV

at The Tele gr aph B

and Labour leaders have tentatively agreed to participate in the event, with final details being ironed out before an

made This development fol-

Keir to engage in a series of six debates one per week

paign

first broadcaster to host a debate between Mr Sunak and Sir Keir

Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn

debate represents a signifi-

I T V , which is expected to be the

However, Labour headquarters has signalled that Sir Keir will only participate in two debates, mirroring the

Etchingham, who previously moderated leaders’ debates in the 2015 and 2019 election c

The event is anticipated

2022 Tory leadership contest It will be conducted in front of a live audience, with efforts made to ensure polit-

n

dees, often with the assistance of pollsters

such as the BBC, Sky News, LBC, Channel Four, and GB News vying for opportunities

audience question sessions with party leaders It

Reeten

Shaukat Patel Leicester South Amir Ali Oxford East Tahir Mirza East Ham Raja Miah Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton

Akhmed Yakoob Birmingham Ladywood

Shakeel Afsar Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley

Anum Qaisar Airdrie and Shotts

Simita Kumar Edinburgh South

Rishi Sunak Keir Starmer

WORKERS PARTY OF BRITAIN CANDIDATE LIST

Tory turmoil: Sunak faces exodus ahead of election

*This list is not exhaustive

released statements detailing their reasons for step-

The letters were also shared on their social media platforms

H

G o v e ’ s l e t t e r , s h a r e d o n s o c i a l m e d i a , a c k n o w l -

e d g e d t h e p r e s s u r e s o f political life and the need for new leadership

“We are v o l u n t e e r s w h o w i l l i n g l y choose our fate And the chance to serve is wonder-

f u l B u t t h e r e c o m e s a moment when you know that it is time to leave That a new generation should lead,” he wrote Leadsom, in her letter t o S u n a k , s t a t e d , “

decided not to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming election ” This sentiment is echoed by former

P

May and former Defence

Minister Ben Wallace, who had previously announced t h e i r d e p a r t u r e s f r o m frontline politics

The wave of departures seems to stem from various f a c t o r s ,

pressure and internal party discord

and Greg Clark, representing constituencies in the home counties vulnerable to the Liberal Democrats, also joined the exodus earlier

The party's challenges were underscored by the symbolic reinstatement of the whip to Hancock and Bob Stewart, who had prev

plans to retire C

Conservative Party's woes, Sunak's campaign encountered several setbacks His Belfast visit drew unfortunate Titanic comparisons, and he faced tough questions about leading a troubled campaign

T h e s e m i s s t e p s f o llowed a series of blunders, including being overshadowed by Labour's anthem during a Downing Street

a n n o u

n d a w k

ward interactions at campaign stops

MPs signals a shifting politi c a l l a n d s c a p e , w i t h

Conservative Party lagging in polls The departure of seasoned MPs, along with

Nicola Richards, suggests a party grappling with internal strife

T h e n u m b

M P s stepping down this cycle d

, compared to just 31 in 2017 and 90 in 2015 While the

Veteran Labour MP Virendra Sharma says he won’t seek re-election

M e m be r o f P a r li a m e n t i n Brita in, k nown for his adv ocacy for stron ger India-UK t ie s, has d ecla red his re tireme nt fr om fr ont line polit ics

The 77-year-old Labour P a r t y M P , r e p r e s e n t i n g

E a l i n g S o u t h a l l , c i t e d t h e desire for a new chapter in life as a grandparent

The politician born in Mandhali village in Punjab moved to the UK in 1968 and started out as a bus conductor before going on to study

a t t h e L o n d o n S c h o o l o f Economics (LSE) on a Trade

U n i o n S c h o l a r s h i p a n d becoming a prominent trade unionist of his time

“As a British Indian and a s a H i n d u , a s a L a b o u r Member, Councillor and MP

I have never struggled to reconcile those different, but complementary, identities,” s a i d S h a r m a i n a l e t t e r addressed to his party ”

For over nearly 50 years, I have served the party in one form or another Now I believe the time has come f o r a n o t h e r c h

b e g i n I

affected by the policy, o

voters, 71% back the national service proposals, compared to only 26% of 2019 Labour voters This divergence underscores the cor-

Rishi Sunak

Muhammed Pervez Khan South West Hertfordshire

Syed Maqsood Broxtowe Imran Hamid Derby North Khalid Razzaq Northampton North Hamid Shah Barking

Mohammed Akunjee Bethnal Green & Stepney

Iqbal Sheikh Dagenham & Rainham

Sameh Habeeb Ealing North

Amrit Mann Feltham and Heston

Rizwana Karim Hayes & Harlington

Muhammed Ghori Newcastle upon Tyne East &Wallsend

Aroma Hassan Ashton-under-Lyne Jack Khan Bolton South & Walkden Shafat Ali Bury North

Tanya Manzoor Cheadle

Shanaz Siddique Oldham East and Saddleworth

Ayesha Khan Stockport Kalima Choudhury Stretford & Urmston Khalil Ahmed Wycombe Nidal Shah Yeovil

Hamza Ibrahim Aldridge-Brownhills

Mohammed Miah Birmingham Hodge Hill & Solihull North Zahid Mahmood Burton and Uttoxeter

Mohammed Syed Coventry South Aftab Hussein Dudley Khalil Ahmed Nuneaton

Mohammed Amin Redditch Rohim Mohammed West Bromwich

Abdul Husen Tipton & Wednesbury

Vasim Shabir Keighley and Ilkley

Amjad Bashir Leeds West & Pudsey Arshad Ali Dewsbury and Batley

Terrance Sankersingh Spen Valley Waqas Ali Khan Shipley

Ghazi Khan Arbroath & Broughty Ferry

Mohd Najmul Alam Shabuj Torfaen

Halima Khan Stratford and Bow

Sir Keir Starmer and Virendra Sharma MP

K E Y P R O P O S A L S F R O M T H E M A J O R P A R T I E S I N 2024

With the el ect ion dat es

a nnounced , a ll part ies have comme nce d campaigning, touting t heir a ccompl ishments and pr omise s whil e cr it iq uing their

National Health Service (NHS)

opponent s' pr oposals and rhetoric Instances of this are visible as Rishi Sunak credits the Conservatives for uplifting an economically down and low

- Further reductions in NHS waiting lists.

- Uphold the Tory policy of excluding the NHS from any public funding cuts and securing more funds for the health service.

- recruit 300,000 doctors and 170,000 nurses by 2036-37

Tax and spending - Tax reduction for working families.

- Abolish National Insurance eventually.

- Further cuts on levies and reform business rates.

- Elimination of inheritance tax.

Economy growth, and lowering the national debt.

- Maintaining national interest payments below 6 percent of GDP.

- Belt-tightening measures like cuts to welfare and foreign aid.

Environment, ‘Net Zero’ and energy

- Cleaning up of Britain’s waterways.

- Scrapping EU-era rules that are blocking 100,000 new homes.

- Bolster public access to nature, including national parks.

- Retaining the energy price cap throughout every year of the next parliament.

- Expanding Britain’s supply of nuclear power.

Education and childcare British Standard merging academic A-levels and technical T-levels

- Ensure all students study English and maths until age 18

- Expand free childcare

Defence - Reintroduce National Service for school leavers

- Increase the military budget to 2.5% of GDP by the end of the decade

- Provide at least £3 billion in support annually for Ukraine until 2030

Migration - Implement stricter rules on dependents

- Decrease net migration by 300,000

- Build upon the Rwanda plan to address migration issues

country while Keir Starmer argues that the people are yet to actually benefit, blaming the conservatives for the cost-of-living crisis

A similar back and forth is seen

- Two million more operations, scans, and appointments in the

- Training for thousands more doctors, nurses, and midwives.

- Specialist mental health support in every school.

- An extra 700,000 dentist appointments will be offered.

- Establishment of “neighbourhood health centres” with integrated services.

- Economic stability through stringent spending regulations.

- Crack down on tax evasion.

- No increase in income tax or national insurance.

- Elimination of inheritance tax.

- Revamping of business rates.

- Highest sustained growth in the G7. rules.

- Establishment of £8 billion national wealth fund.

- Fast-tracking “priority growth” projects like battery factories, labs, and 5G infrastructure is on the agenda.

- Transformation of the UK into a “clean energy superpower” with a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030 through Great British Energy.

- End of the de-facto ban on onshore wind and expanding of the windfall tax on oil and gas producers.

- Investment of an extra £23.7 billion in green projects.

- Overhaul the childcare system and reform education

- Recruit 6,500 more teachers

- Review school curriculum and assessment

- Establish a new register for children in home education

- Reform student loan repayments

- Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP

- Maintain an “unshakeable commitment” to NATO

- Uphold the “triple lock” commitment

- Conduct a review of “strategic defence and security”

- Introduction of legislation to establish an independent Armed Forces commissioner.

- Establishment of a new Border Security Command

- Creation of a new cross-border police unit

- Allocation of extra 1,000 caseworkers to reduce the asylum backlog

- Potentially negotiate a returns deal with the EU

- Repeal of the Rwanda Bill

in case of the Rwanda Scheme The parties still have time to release their detailed manifestos, but leaders are already highlighting key pledges focused on crucial

issues like the NHS, immigration, the economy, security, and education policies, among others These pledges have been detailed below:

- Right to see GPs within seven days, or within 24 hours if urgent.

- Increase in the number of full-time equivalent GPs by 8,000.

- Introduction of a Carer’s Minimum Wage and increase Carer’s Allowance.

- Statutory guarantee of regular respite breaks for unpaid carers.

- Elimination of capital gains taxfree allowance.

- Implementation of “proper, one-off windfall tax” to address the costof-living crisis.

- Crack down on tax avoidance and evasion.

- Reduce trade barriers with the help of close allies, like the European Union.

- Fixing the “botched deal with Europe” through a four-stage roadmap.

- Flexibility in work policies and clean energy policies.

- Transform water companies corporations” and ban bonuses for water bosses until sewage leaks are eliminated

- Net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045

- 80 percent renewable electricity generation in the UK.

- Plant at least 60 million trees a year

income homes

- Reduce VAT on electric vehicles to

- Provide mental health professionals in every school

- Increase school funding above

- Extend free school meals

- Offer £10,000 for adult education

- Potentially rejoin the Erasmus Plus programme

- Increase troop numbers

- Uphold UK support for NATO organisation annually

- Maintain the nation’s nuclear deterrent with continuous at-sea deterrence

- Pursue multilateral global disarmament

- Eradicate NHS waiting lists within two years by utilising private healthcare providers.

- Exemption of two million frontline healthcare and social care workers from income tax for three years.

- Vouchers for fully-funded private treatment to NHS patients facing delays.

- 20% tax relief on private healthcare and insurance.

- Public inquiry into excess deaths and Covid vaccine harms.

- Review of all NHS private contracts.

- Increase in minimum income tax threshold.

- Elimination of inheritance tax for all estates valued under £2 million.

- VAT on energy bills will be scrapped.

- Reduction in fuel duty.

- Main corporation tax rate reduction from 25% to 20%.

- Abolishment of IR35 rules.

- Introduction of a 3% online delivery tax with scrappage of business rates for Small and

- The VAT threshold would be raised to £120,000.

- Nationalise 50 percent of key utility companies

- Increase the farming budget to £3 billion

- Abandon all existing carbon emissions targets

- Accelerate oil and gas licenses in the North Sea cycle gas turbines

- Restart coal mines

- Scrap annual £10 billion of green energy subsidies

- Introduce two-year courses at universities to reduce student debt and facilitate earlier entry into the workforce

- Scrap interest on student loans

- Ban mobile phones, social media, contested gender ideology, and critical race theory in schools

- Provide tax relief of 20% for private schools

- Implementing military procurement reforms

- Invest in Armed Forces personnel

- Establish a Department for Veterans’ Affairs with a £1 billion annual budget

- Increase basic pay for Armed Forces personnel

- Introduce an Armed Forces Justice Bill to protect military personnel from legal issues

(Pending)- Withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

- Implementation of “one in, one out” migration quota system

- Freezing of “non-essential” migration

- Stricter regulations on student visas and their dependents

UK election countdown

Key information on voting, registration, and parliamentary closure

T he United Kingdom stands o n the cu sp of another significant ch apter

i n its democratic tradition as the general election is o fficially annou nced With the election date set o n J uly 4, p olitical parti es are gearing up for intense campaigns, ho ping to s way the electorate with th eir visio ns and policies

The right to vote is a cornerstone of democratic governance, and its exercise is a powerful testament to the enduring values of participation and representation As the UK prepares for this democratic exercise atmosphere is charg with anticipation an collective sense of civic duty The dissolution of parliament and issuance of writs are scheduled for 30 May The polling will take place between 7 am to 10 pm and the counting of votes will start as soon as practicable after 10pm

There are 650 parliamentary constituencies in the UK

the UK can register as overseas electors Service voters stationed abroad are also eligible to register and vote The deadline to register to vote is Wednesday, 18 June Ap ply for postal o r p ro xy vo te

If you're unable to visit the polling station on election day, you have two options: voting by proxy or by post To vote by post, you need to apply for a postal vote This is suitable if you're away from home or residing abroad and wish to vote in England,

proxy must be a registered voter, eligible to vote in the election, and able to vote at the specified polling station stated on your poll card In some elections, they may need to present their own photo ID to vote

The deadline to apply for postal voting, postal proxy voting, and to make changes to existing postal or proxy votes is Wednesday, 19 June, at 5 pm Ph oto ID you ’ll need

If you plan to vote in person, you'll require one of the following types of dentification: K or Northern nd photocard iving licence (full or provisional)

Each constituency is represented by one Member of Parliament in the House of Commons

The clearest way of winning an election is by getting something called a majority If a political party secures at least 326 MPs in the upcoming election more than half of all MPs in parliament they will have a majority and can form a government

In terms of dates, the new Parliament will be summoned to meet on Tuesday, 9 July, when the first business will be the election of the speaker and the swearing-in of members The state opening of Parliament is scheduled for Wednesday, 17 July

Register to vo te

It is crucial for eligible citizens to ensure they are registered to vote

Registration is a simple process that can be completed online or by completing a paper registration form They can contact their electoral registration office for forms or download them from the UK

Government’s website

To vote in a general election, a person must be 18 or older on polling day and meet one of the following criteria: be a British citizen residing in the UK, an Irish citizen residing in the UK, or a qualifying Commonwealth citizen residing in the UK British citizens living overseas who were previously registered to vote or were residents in

Scotland, or Wales You typically don't need to provide a reason for applying, unless you're voting in Northern Ireland Postal voting can be applied for a single election on a specific date, for a specific period if you're voting in England, Scotland, or Wales, and for up to 3 years Applications for postal voting can be made online or by post When voting by post, ensure to mark your vote on the ballot paper in secret, complete the postal voting statement, seal the ballot and statement in the provided envelope, and seal the envelope yourself If you're unable to post your ballot paper in time, you can deliver it to your local polling station by 10 pm on election day, or to the Electoral Registration Office before their closing time In Northern Ireland, ballots should be taken to the Electoral Office before their closing time

If you can't vote in person, you have the option to appoint someone to vote on your behalf, known as a proxy vote Proxy voting is allowed under specific circumstances, such as being away on polling day, being registered as an overseas voter, having a medical issue or disability preventing you from voting in person, or being unable to vote due to work or military service commitments It's crucial to choose a proxy you trust, as they will cast your vote according to your instructions Your chosen

South Asian community's impact on UK elections

Subhasini Naicker

Th e S outh Asian p opulation has historically contributed significantly to th e U K’s cultural, econom ic, and so cial landscape Th ey are active in v a ri o u s s ec to r s, i n cl u d i ng healthcare, ed ucation, business, and pu blic serv ices A s a g ro w

c com munity, their participation in the d em ocratic process is increasing ly influential

e general election, the South Asian electorate holds considerable sway, particularly i

with large South Asian popu

t i e s recognise the importance of engaging with and addressi n g t h e c o n c e r n s o f t h i s

- a driving licence issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands

- a UK passport a passport issued y an EU country, way, Iceland, htenstein or a mmonwealth country

- a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)

- a Blue Badge

- a biometric residence permit (BRP)

- a Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90)

- a national identity card issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

- a Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card

- a Voter Authority Certificate - an Anonymous Elector’s Document

You can also use one of the following travel passes as photo ID when you vote:

- an older person ’ s bus pass

- a disabled person ’ s bus pass

- an Oyster 60+ card

- a Freedom Pass

- a Scottish National Entitlement Card (NEC)

- a 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card

- a Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card

- a Northern Ireland concessionary travel pass

If you lack any of the alternative forms of photo identification mentioned above, you can opt for The Voter Authority Certificate, a valid form of voter identification available to eligible United Kingdom voters The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is Wednesday, 26 June, at 5 pm

c o m m u n i t y T h e p o l i t i c a l e n g a g e m e n t o f t h e S o u t h Asian community is not just a b o u t n u m b e r s b u t a l s o about the mobilisation and a d v o c a c y a r o u n d s p e c i f i c i s s u e s t h a t r e s o n a t e w i t h their experiences and aspir a t i o n s T h e o u t c o m e o f elections in key constituencies could be significantly i n f l u e n c e d b y t h e v o t i n g patterns and preferences of S o u t h A s i a n v o t e r s

T h e r e f o r e , u n d e r s t a n d i n g

a n d a d d r e s s i n g t h e n e e d s and priorities of the South Asian population is crucial for any political party aiming for success in the general election

Highlighting this significance, the Director of the SOAS South Asia Institute, D r S u b i r S i n h a , s p o k e t o Asian Voice about the role of the South Asian community in the UK general elect i o n H e d i s c u s s e d t r e n d s a n d c h a n g e s i n v o t i n g

b e h a v i o u r a m o n g S o u t h

A s i a n p e o p l e a n d m u c h more, emphasising the community's growing impact on the political landscape

1)Th

e South Asian commu nity is a sig nificant demo graphic in the U K Can you giv e us an overview of the historical context of v oting patterns in U K general elections?

Historically, the South Asian community in the UK has predominantly supported Labour, but this trend h a s s h i f t e d s i n c e 2 0 1 2 Reports indicate that Asian

v o t e r s i n c r e a s i n g l y a l i g n w i t h t h e b r o a d e r p u b l i c , with Hindu voters drifting

t o w a r d s t h e C o n s e r v a t i v e Party, especially since 2015 Muslim Asians have shown s u p p o r t f o r i n d e p e n d e n t c a n d i d a t e s l i k e G e o r g e

G a l l o w a y a n d p a r t i e s l i k e

R e f o r m , s t a r t i n g f r o m

Bradford in 2012 This shift is influenced by the popularity of Modi and Hindutva

a m o n g s o m e B r i t i s h Hindus, and dissatisfaction w i t h L a b o u r ' s s t a n c e o n Kashmir and human rights

i n I n d i a A f f l u e n t S o u t h

Asians have turned to the Tories, feeling limited polit-

efforts from top Tories like C a m e r o n , J o h n s o n , Goldsmith, and Blackman

B r i t i s h M u s l i m s h a v e i n c r e a s i n g l y m o v e d f r o m Labour to independents and the Reform Party, due to d i s s a t i s f a c

o n w i t h responses to Islamophobia and vilification in the press P a l e s t

n

i c a l p r o s p e c t s w i t h i n

L a b o u r A d d i t i o n a l l y , groups like the Bangladeshi restaurant association and f a r - l e f t I n d i a n w o r k e r s o r g a n i s a t i o n s s u p p o r t e d

Brexit Sunak's rise to PM is a source of pride for some Indian Hindu groups These trends align with the 2019 Carnegie study, highlighting r e l i g i o u s p o l a r i s a t i o n among South Asian voters

s a s i g n i f i c a n t issue for British Muslims, and immigration concerns affect all South Asians Modi p e r s o n a

propaganda in the UK, have

breaking Labour's electoral hold over British Hindus, who now vote for the Tories in larger numbers than previous

issues that are particul arl

to S o u

2)Wh y D o es th e S o uth

A si an Vo te M atter in U K General Elections?

T h e S o u t h A s i a n v o t e holds significant sway in UK g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n s , p a r t i c ul a r l y i n u r b a n a r e a s l i k e Leicester, Birmingham, and Bradford These communities have sufficient numbers to impact the gap between the two main parties For instance, the Conservative Party hopes to see a reversal o f t h e n a t i o n a l t r e n d i n Leicester by gaining seats through increased support from Hindu voters

The South Asian voting bloc comprises 3-4 million people of South Asian origin, primarily from Punjab a n d K a s h m i r i n P a k i s t a n , G u j a r a t i n I n d i a , E a s t e r n Bangladesh, and Tamil areas of Sri Lanka While they are spread across the UK, their c o n c e n t r a t i o n i n c e r t a i n b o r o u g h s a n d s u b u r b s o f L o n d o n , a s w e l l a s t h e g r e a t e r B i r m i n g h a m a n d M a n c h e s t e r m e t r o a r e a s , Bradford in Yorkshire, and Leicester and the Midlands, makes them pivotal in influe n c i n g c o n s t i t u e n c y - l e v e l s w i n g s a n d t h e o v e r a l l national voting trend

3)Ha

v e t h ere be en a ny rec en t tre nd s o r c h an g es i n th e v o ti ng be hav i o ur of S ou th A si an British vo ters, and can yo u hig hlight key co nstituencies w here th eir vo te has been p a rti c u lar ly in fl u ent i al i n d eciding election o utcom es? There has been a shift t o w a r d s t h e C o n s e r v a t i v e

Party among British Hindus, driven by direct cultivation

h A sian v oters? How do these issues influence their voting behav iour?

South Asian voters may have common interests in issues of immigration and v i s a s m

a l l y , b u t beyond that, they are fragmented A section of voters across all communities are facing the same issues as o

h e r B r i t i s

o t e r s B u t beyond that, there is fragm e n t a t i o n : P a l e s t i n e a n d I s l a m o p h o b i a f o r S o u t h A s i a n

Hindu voters that Modi and Hindutva should not be criticised; for some (again, not by any means a majority) Sikhs, the issue of Khalistan and human rights (which is not so much of an issue in

asylum and support for the

ability to bring skilled staff

ooking ahead to g eneral electio ns, w hat fac-

S

A sian British comm unity?

In recent local elections and by-elections, the issue of Palestine has impacted Labour's lead Additionally, c

d endorsements by prominent South Asians will be crucial The Tories are expected to leverage Hindutva to gain votes from some Hindu voters Any party promising a better visa regime for students and skilled workers, a l o n

n d

y immigration reform, is likely to do well among British South Asians

Subir Sinha

Dear Financial Voice Reader,

Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Vo ice Reader

Workplace pensions have been a critical component of retirement planning for many individuals However, their performance often leaves much to be desired, with returns frequently falling short of expectations Several factors contribute to the underwhelming performance of workplace pensions, including high fees, conservative investment strategies, regulatory constraints, and lack of active management

High Fees

One of the primary reasons workplace pensions deliver poor returns is the high fee structure associated with these plans Fees can come in various forms, including administrative fees, investment management fees, and fund operating expenses Over time, these fees can significantly erode the overall returns According to a study by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), high fees are a substantial drag on pension performance, often consuming a significant portion of the gains that could have been accrued

Conservativ e Investment Strategies

W

investment strategies aimed at minimizing risk rather than maximizing returns While this approach can protect the capital in volatile markets, it also limits the growth potential during bullish periods Many workplace pensions are heavily weighted towards bonds and other low-yield investments, which can be particularly detrimental in low-interest-rate environments This conservative approach is partly due to the fiduciary responsibility of pension fund managers to preserve capital, but it comes at the expense of higher returns

Reg ulato ry Constraints

Regulatory constraints also play a significant role in limiting the performance of workplace pensions Pension funds are subject to stringent regulations designed to protect the beneficiaries' interests and ensure the long-term solvency of the plans These regulations often mandate a certain level of diversification and liquidity, which can prevent fund managers from pursuing more aggressive and potentially higher-yielding investment opportunities For instance, pension funds might be restricted from investing heavily in high-growth sectors like technology or emerging markets, which have historically provided superior returns

Lack o f A ctive Management

Many workplace pensions are managed passively, following a set allocation strategy without significant adjustments based on market conditions Passive management can lead to suboptimal asset allocation, especially in dynamic markets In contrast, actively managed funds can adapt to changing market conditions and potentially capitalize on emerging trends and opportunities However, the higher costs associated with active management often deter employers from offering these options in workplace pensions

Sh ort-term Focus

Another issue is the short-term focus of many pension schemes Employers and employees often look at the immediate cost implications of pension contributions rather than the long-term benefits This short-termism can lead to lower contributions and less aggressive investment strategies, further dampening returns Additionally, many employees do not engage with their pension plans actively, missing out on opportunities to optimize their portfolios for better performance

M arket Tim ing and Economic Cycles

Workplace pensions are also affected by broader economic cycles and market timing If contributions are made during market peaks, the returns will naturally be lower compared to investments made during market troughs Unfortunately, most employees do not have the flexibility to time their contributions effectively, leading to suboptimal returns that reflect the average market performance rather than the peaks

Conclusion

The poor returns of workplace pensions are a result of a combination of high fees, conservative investment strategies, regulatory constraints, lack of active management, short-term focus, and market timing issues To improve returns, stakeholders need to address these underlying issues Reducing fees, adopting more dynamic investment strategies, easing certain regulatory constraints, and encouraging more active management could a

increasing employee engagement and education regarding pension plans could help individuals make more informed decisions, potentially leading to improved outcomes

Ofwat set to reject price hike requests

Ofwat is r eady to reje ct the ma jority of wate r companies' pr

in

requested amounts

The water regulator for England and Wales, Ofwat, has officially postponed its decision until July 11 due to

amidst an escalating crisis in the water industry

UK

Citigroup

c a p i t a l T h e c o m p a n y h a s

asked for bill increases of 59% - adjusted for inflationfrom the regulator

O f w a t h a s d i s m i s s e d t h e s e f i g u r e s , c i t i n g s h o r t c o m i n g s i n T h a m e s ' s

dealmakers move to Jefferies, Investec

Two s enior deal makers from Citigroup in the UK have left the b ank to join rival firms in pr

de partures f rom Citigr oup A l e x d

o previously led Citigroup's UK industrials dealmaking team, is reportedly transitioning to

investment banking for the

situation

He will join forces with former HSBC banker Philip Noblet, who has been leading Jefferies’ UK team since 2018, to co-lead the growing unit De Souza will focus on UK

services

In addition, Luke Spells,

overseeing its coverage of UK mid-cap companies, is also departing from the bank Spells, who boasts over a

assume the role of head of

UK advisory at Investec, as per sources familiar with the situation Prior to rejoining Citigroup in 2014, he spent four years at the corporate f i n a n c e b o u t i

Hawkpoint

On the other hand, De S

Barclays, where he served as a managing director in the UK corporate finance team He brings with him extensive e x p e r i e n c e , h a v i n g h e l d senior positions at Deutsche Bank as well Citigroup has completed a m a j o r o v e r h a u l o f i t s

b u s i n e s s , c o d e - n a m e d

Project Bora Bora, which saw thousands of jobs cut as it

s t r i p p e d o u t m a n a g e m e n t layers at the end of the first quarter

b u s i n e s s a n d t u r n a r o u n d plans Sources reviewing the documents described them

a s h a s t i l y p r e p a r e d , w i t h u n r e l i a b l e e s t i m a t e s , suggesting a lack of urgency from the board

W h i t e h a l l o f f i c i a l s a r e growing increasingly worried about the politicisation of

p o t e n t i a l n a t i o n a l i s a t

challenges for

government already grappling with tight public finances

To navigate this delicate situation, Ofwat is seeking

NatWest share sale scrapped before July election, sources say

Britai n i s s et to c ancel a significant sale of shares in NatWest G rou p (NWG L ) , which was intended to be m ad e a v ai la bl e to t h e general public, according to three sources familiar with the matter

T h i s d e c i s i o n c o m e s after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a general election scheduled for July

T h e l e n d e r ' s s h a r e s , which have seen an increase o f o v e r 4 0 % t h i s y e a r , experienced a 1 4% decline in trading Investors were a w a i t i n g o f f i c i a l confirmation regarding the p o s t p o n e m e n t o f t h e proposed offer until after the July 4 poll

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt

a n d U K G o v e r n m e n t I n v e s t m e n t s , t h e a g e n c y overseeing Britain s stake in N a t W e s t , h a d b e e n o r c h e s t r a t i n g t h e s a l e t o a d v a n c e a m b i t i o n s o f f o s t e r i n g b r o a d e r

than expected, the decision o n h o w t o d i v e s

taxpayer's remaining shares in NatWest will be left to

according to the sources A

H

n t noted that the sale couldn't proceed before an election

anticipated to form the next government, would pursue the initiative "

investor only in NatWest, the presence of the State on t h

view is not helpful for the rating of NatWest's shares," they said in a note

New mortgage assists foreign nationals in UK home purchase

nat ionals who work in the UK and want to own a home

The mortgage, accessible through brokers, is designed

from abroad in overcoming hurdles encountered during the home loan application process

For instance, it doesn't m

residency period in the UK prior to applying, a feature unmatched by any other UK m

Nottingham

Foreign nationals often

face challenges due to the

, making it difficult for them to secure a UK mortgage, particularly if they have been residing in the UK for less than a year

Society has partnered with cross-border credit bureau

Nova Credit to introduce the

mortgage brokers to access historical credit files from an i

Bank could slash rates three times in current year, says IMF

e

towards a "soft landing"

This development also allows the Bank of England

rate cuts this year In its yearly evaluation of the UK, the Washington-

i c g

w t h t o accelerate by 0 7 percent this year, an increase from last month's estimate of 0 5 p e r c e n t T h i s u p g r a d e f o l l o w s a s t r o n g e r - t h a nanticipated performance in t h e f i r s t q u a r t e r , d u r i n g w h i c h t h e e c o n o m y expanded at its fastest rate since 2022

A f t e r s l i p p i n g i n t o a technical recession at the

end of last year, the UK was n o w h e a d i n g f o r a “ s o f t l a n d i n g ” , w h e r e i n f l a t i o n w a s o n c o u r s e t o f a l l w i t h o u t a b i g r i s e i n u n e m p l o y m e n t , t h e I M F said H i g h l i g h t i n g d a t a i n d i c a t i n g t h a t B r i t a i n ' s e c o n o m y , a l o n g s i d e C a n a d a , w a s t h e f a s t e s tgrowing in the G7 during the first quarter of this year, Rishi Sunak stated, "We've already seen evidence that t h e U K e c o n o m y i s returning to pre-pandemic l e v e l s I n f l a t i o n h a s d e c r e a s e d t o j u s t o v e r 3 percent from the 11 percent rate when I assumed this r o l e T h i s d e m o n s t r a t e s t h a t o u r s t r a t e g y i s e f f e c t i v e , a n d t h e challenges of the past are behind us I urge everyone to stay committed to the plan "

RBI declares highest-ever £21 bn dividend to govt

T he Reserve Bank of India ( R BI ) d ec lar ed a rec o rd

d ivid end of £ 21 1 bn to gov t, m ore than d ouble what was

e xp e ct ed by th e m o n ey

m ark ets

T h e d i v i d en d i s

m ore than the £10 2 bn th at

g o v t h ad b u d g e ted a s d ivid ends from all financial institutio ns and w ill reduce its need to borrow from the m arket

This is the second year in a row that the central bank has paid a dividend which is sharply higher than the amount that govt had budgeted The likelihood of a l o w e r g o v t b o r r o w i n g pushed down yields on the 10-year govt bonds to below 7% Experts said the surplus transfer to govt will help it reduce the fiscal deficit and

m a k e f u n d s a v a i l a b l e f o r capital spending

The announcement by the central bank will make

available a bonanza for the

national elections

after its board meeting, RBI

computed after maintaining a contingent risk buffer at 6 5% of its balance sheet The buffer is at the higher end of t h

6

% b a n d recommended by the Bimal

h indicates that RBI’s payout follows record earnings RBI’s total income and

sources of income are

annual report which is published later in the year Considering that

budgeted numbers

This year

dividend is

highest dividend declared by RBI so far was £17 bn in

special dividend following a reassessment of the reserves

recommendations SBI chief

Ghosh estimates that RBI would have earned £37 5 to 40 bn in FY 24 against £23 5 bn in FY23

Alphabet looking to make drones, Pixel phones in India

Tatas to make Range Rover luxury SUVs in India

R over luxur y SUVs in Ind ia

For the first time , t hese topof-the-line ve hicles will be a s se m ble d o ut si d e JL R ’ s Solihull factor y in t he UK

The move to assemble

(

knocked down kits) the cars

Motors will see the company pay less import duty to govt, leading to savings of 18-22% S

Range Rover Autobiography model will be Rs 60,00,000 and it will now come for

Range Rover Sport will be priced at £140,000 after a cut of Rs 40,00,000

Tata group chairman N

have Range Rover flagships being manufactured in India

very, very special moment for us, and I am very proud I w

gratitude to the vision

Adani Ports to enter Sensex from June 24

R

s m a r t p h o n e s a n d d r o n e s

d rones are being consid ered

f or p ro du ctio n i n Ind ia f or t h e f i r s t t i me A l p h a be to w ne d W i ng i s ey ei ng t h e p roducti on o f bigger drones

t o c a rr y l a rg er p ac k et s f o r

d el i v er y I n ve s tm en t a nd e xpec ted vol um es h ave no t been di sclosed

T h e m a n u f a c t u r i n g o f the latest Pixel smartphones as well as drones is expected

i n S r i p e r u m b u d u r - t h e e l e c t r o n i c s m a n u f a c t u r i n g

h u b n e a r C h e n n a i - a f t e r discussions with state govt

“ I t i s n o t j u s t P i x e l

G o o g l e h a s s e v e r a l m o r e products to manufacture and i t c h o o s i n g T a m i l N a d u indicates the value support

t h i s s t a t e c a n o f f e r o n a global scale,” a source said In Oct last year, Google

a n n o u n c e d i t s d e c i s i o n t o manufacture its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones in India and said it is in talks with domestic and international

p l a y e r s T w o c o n t r a c t m a n u f a c t u r e r s - F o x c o n n and Pegatron - are already assembling more than 80% of

t h e c o u n t r y ’ s $ 1 4 b i l l i o n w o r t h o f A p p l e ’ s i P h o n e s

Aditya Birla

the world UltraTech shares have been on the upswing a f t e r i t r e p o r t e d a 3 5 % increase in net profit for the March quarter

Grasim Industries, which a

group

s value in the stock market, has seen its market capitalisation double in the last three years Grasim has a sizable share in the global

company has also announced

also the holding company for UltraTech and Aditya Birla C

w h i c h h a s a market capitalisation of £29

businesses

In percentage terms, the biggest gainer in the group h

from Tamil Nadu, according to industry estimates Along

operations and component ecosystem, Tamil Nadu leads

the country

The Google development

including industries minister

Foxconn executives, visited t

G

Mountain View, California T

h e plant near Chennai and a group of Google executives and representatives is likely to meet chief minister M K

S t a l i n a n d f i n a l i s e t h e manufacturing arrangement, sources said

S i xt een m o nth s af te r th e re le as e o f Hi nd enb u rg Research Report, which led to a sharp fall in the stock p rices of all Ad ani Group c o m p an i es , o ne th e k ey firm s of the group - Adani Ports and S pecial Eco nom ic Z o ne ( A P S E Z) h as no w made into the cov eted list of 3 0 comp anies that form the BSE Sensex

The company is the first A d a n i G r o u p f i r m t o b e included in the Sensex ever

H o w e v e r , t h e g r o u p ’ s f l a g s h i p f i r m A d a n i Enterprises and Adani Ports have been part of the NSE’s Nifty 50 for the past many months

A s p e r t h e reconstitution of S&P BSE indices, announced by Asia

Index Pvt Ltd (AIPL), APSEZ will replace Wipro in the 30s h a r e S e n s e x w i t h e f f e c t from June 24

In January 2023, the USbased Hindenburg Research accused the Gautam Adani l e d p o r t s - t o - e n e r g y c o n g l o m e r a t e o f s t o c k manipulation and accounting f r a u d , w h i c h t h e c o m p a n y h a s d e n i e d T h e r e p o r t resulted in a massive fall in the market capitalization of l i s t e d c o m p a n i e s o f t h e group Their share prices also tanked in the 20-80 per cent r a n g e a m o n t h a f t e r t h e r e l e a s e o f t h e H i n d e n b u r g report

H o w e v e r , t h e s t o c k prices of all the Adani Group companies have now erased l o s s e s c a u s e d b y t h e

H i n d e n b u r g r e p o r t F o r

Ports traded nearly 84 per cent above the January 23, 2023 level, a day prior to the r e l e a s

w

certain norms for inclusion of companies into S&P BSE S E N S E X T h e y a r e b e i n g included among the top 75 companies based on their average three-month float o r t o

Sensex constituents should have a minimum free-float market cap of 0 50 per cent a

biannual reconstitution in J

Idea,which has nearly tripled its market capitalisation

buy 30 wide-body aircraft

C u r r e n t l y , t h e a i r l i n e only has economy class It has a fleet of more than 360 a i r c r a f t a n d o p e r a t e s around 2,000 flights daily

Emphasising that it is time to take the next step in its evolution, IndiGo said that considering India's soaring economy and the evolving a s p i r a

in

ANDHRA NATIVE APPOINTED US COURT JUDGE

Vijayawada native Jaya Badiga has been appointed judge of Sacramento county superior court in California, the first woman from Andhra to become a judge in the US Jaya is the daughter of industrialist and former Machilipatnam MP Badiga Ramakrishna Earlier, she was commissioner in the Sacramento court She graduated from Osmania University before relocating to US There she secured a Juris Doctor - a professional degree required to practise lawfrom Santa Clara University In 2009 Jaya triumphed in the California state bar exam to embark on a legal career that spanned over a decade in private practice Jaya was among 18 new judges appointed in California

YOUNG SCIENTIST AWARD FOR INDIAN AMERICAN

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and the Society for Science announced that Krish Pai 17 of Del Mar California received the second Regeneron Young Scientist Award at the 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) This is the world s largest pre-college science and engineering competition He will be awarded a $50,000 prize for his innovative machine-learning research aimed at identifying microbial genetic sequences that can be modified to biodegrade plastic Other Indian American winners included Tanishka Balaji Aglave, 15, of Valrico, Florida, and Ria Kamat, 17 of Hackensack, New Jersey

INDIAN STUDENT DIES IN BIKE MISHAP

In a tragic incident, an Indian student in New York died after he met with a bike accident Shri Belem Atchyuth from Andhra Pradesh was a student at The State University of New York (SUNY) and passed away in a bike accident “Saddened to learn about the untimely demise of Shri Belem Atchyuth a student at SUNY who met with a bike accident and passed away yesterday evening,” the Consulate General of India said in a post on X Expressing “deepest condolences” to his family the Consulate said they are in touch with the bereaved family & local agencies to extend all assistance including sending the mortal remains back to India

INDIAN WOMAN CHARGED WITH STABBING

An Indian woman in Singapore was charged with stabbing a six-year-old boy repeatedly with a pen at a childcare centre here in 2022 leaving marks on his face and scalp The 43-year-old woman was handed one count of ill-treating a child under her care under the Children and Young Persons Act The court issued a gag order that forbids publication of the victim s identity, the accused s identity as well as the location of the incident According to the charge sheet, the woman is an Indian national and a Singapore permanent resident, the report said The boy was in her care on November 16, 2022, at the childcare centre when she allegedly stabbed his head several times with a pen

INDIAN DIES AFTER INHALING POISONOUS GAS

A 40-year-old Indian national died after inhaling a poisonous gas while carrying out routine tank cleaning at a water work site in Singapore The Indian national, who has not been named, was one of three men aged between 24 and 40 who had collapsed and were found unconscious at the waterworks agency s Choa Chu Kang Waterworks All three were taken to the hospital unconscious, where the worker died The two surviving workers are in the intensive care unit at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital said the Public Utilities Board (PUB) in a statement The Indian was employed as a cleaning operations manager by Supersonic Maintenance Services according to a report

Rev Daaji's enlightening visit to Dubai, honoured by Emirati dignitaries

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur hosted an enlightening interview with Rev. Daaji in Dubai

D U B A I : S

au thor, and Global Guid

of Heartfulness, Kamlesh D

known as Daaji, is

(US A) During h is recent visit to Dubai

12th May 2024, Daaji was received

ch

erence and

Dubai Heartfulness C entre

Dignitaries of UAE and special guests

Winner; Ahmad Ibrahim Busherin

Head

Council; Mahir Julfar - Executive Vice President, Dubai World Trade Centre; Dr Eesa Mohammed Al Bastaki - President of

,noted Indian actress, journalist, television

wright were invited to meet with Daaji A live demonstration of Brighter Minds left the guests completely amazed He spoke

about the benefits of the Brighter Minds

requested the Emirati Dignitaries to take it further Daaji conveyed the importance of beginning the training at a very young age

Rev Daaji led a group meditation with around 500 Chartered Accountants for thought on the use of meditation and practical applications in day-to-day life; investing in ‘spiritual wealth’ and benefiting from it

Daaji engaged in an insightful dialogue with Shekhar Kapur Their conversation delved into profound philosophical

nature of consciousness and its source,

mother of consciousness, and so on

Rev. Daaji awarded Freedom of the City of London

Freedom of the City of London at a ceremony at Guildhall during his London visit

C

his teachings on meditation and spirituality, he was nominated by

Chairman, Chris Hayward, and the former Chair of its Freedom Applications Sub-Committee, Rehana Ameer

Expressing his gratitude, Daaji said: “I am delighted to reconnect with the United Kingdom and accept the Freedom of the City Award This recognition is an honour to all the volunteers and practitioners of Heartfulness not just in London, but around the world Now more than ever, unity and harmony are important Meditation serves as an important means to bring the world together ”

25 arrested, over 450 booked for attack on Christians in Pakistan

L A H O R E : Pol ice i n Pa ki sta n ’ s

Pun ja b province book ed over 45 0 peopl e a nd ar rested 25 of them

un d e r t e r r or i sm a n d o t he r char ges for atta cking members of the minority Christ ia n community and police per sonne l on t he issue of the al lege d dese cra tion of a rel igious book

An enraged mob led by radical Islamist Tehreek-e-Labbaik

P a k i s t a n ( T L P ) a c t i v i s t s o n

Saturday attacked the Christian community members in Mujahid

Christians and 10 policemen The mob burned and ransacked the h o m e s a n d p r o p e r t i e s o f

Christians

According to the FIR, over 450 people, 50 of them are nominated, surrounded the residence and shoe factory of Nazir Masih (an elderly Christian) accusing him of desecration of the religious book

The mob set fire to the shoe factory, some shops and a couple o f h o u s e s “ I t a l s o b r u t a l l y torched Masih but timely arrival

o l o n y , S a r g o d h a d i s t r i c t o f P u n j a b , s o m e 2 0 0 k m f r o m L a h o r e , a n d i n j u r e d t w o

Dhankhar attends Iran president Raisi's funeral, pays tribute

T E H R A N : V i c e Pr e s i de n t

Jagdeep Dha nkhar m et Iran's actin g P r e s id e nt M o ha m m a d

Mokhb er and c onveyed c ondolenc es over the tragic demise of Pr

i a nd Foreign Minister Hos sein Am irAbdoll ahian in a helicopter c rash Dhankhar, who was leading the Indian delegation at the official funeral ceremony, paid tributes to Raisi, Amir-Abdollahian, and other Iranian officials who died in the crash A one-day state mourning was observed across India last week as a mark of respect for Raisi "VP Jagdeep Dhankhar met A c t i n

lences on the tragic demise of President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister H AmirA

Affairs Ministry said in a separate post on X Dhankhar, who arrived in T

attend the official funeral

Narendra Modi have conveyed

their condolences on the demise of Raisi

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the embassy of Iran in New Delhi to convey India s condolences on the loss

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei presided over a funeral for the country's late president, foreign minister, and others killed in the c

attended the funeral procession of the late president and his companions

attended the official funeral ceremony in Tehran The Iranian president, the country's foreign minister, and s e v

e found dead, hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, m

northwestern part of the country, Iran state media reported

of a heavy contingent of police saved the life of Masih and 10 other members of the Christian community,” the FIR says

Although the family of Masih denied desecration of the religious book but the mob wanted to lynch him

“ T h e e n r a g e d m o b p e l t e d stones at police personnel when they resorted to baton charge to disperse it At least 10 policemen i n c l u d i n g o f f i c e r s h a v e b e e n injured,” it says

A p o l i c e s t a t e m e n t s a i d :

“There was no loss of life in the

mob attack

More than 10 police officers and personnel have been injured due to stone pelting by t h e a n g r y p e o p l e T h e p o l i c e risked their lives to rescue the families and pulled them out of the crowd Thanks to the timely action of the police, Sargodha is spared a great tragedy The situation in the city is completely peaceful and under control,” it said The Punjab police said currently over 2,000 policemen have b e e n d e p l o y e d i n S a r g o d h a Mujahid Colony to maintain law and order

Imran Khan hints at launching agitation, asks party workers to wait for his call

il e d f or m e

prim e m inis ter Im ran K han hinted at launching a s treet agit ation to protest what he call ed “politic a l p e rs e c ut io n ” o f h is pa r t y wor k e r s a nd in s t r uc te d hi s par ty’s leaders hip and s upporter s to wait for his c all I n a m e s

h i s p a r t y workers, the 71-year-old former c r i c k e t e r - t u r n e d - p o l i t i c i a n claimed that during the “past two darkest years in Pakistan’s history, PTI’s political persecution was c a r r i e d o n w i t h c o m p l e t e impunity”

“My message for my nation: we must now be ready to practically struggle against this fascist mafia I instruct all of you - my central party leadership, central, provincial and local party organisation, members, workers, supporters and the common man to wait for my street agitation call,” Khan said in his message posted on his account on X I m r a n i s c u r r e n t l y i m p r i soned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail as he serves several sentences in the Toshakana, un-Islamic marriage, and the cipher cases Khan said his party workers

“ were subjected to the prohibited war tool of collective punishment – our houses trespassed, our people killed and tortured, our businesses destroyed, even the elderly and children were not spared”

“For the sake of Pakistan, we have been very patient so far But enough is enough now!!” he said H e s a

t t h e “ h e i n o u s attack” on Rauf Hassan is “ very instigating and further demons t r a t e s

e unwilling to accept dissent, preferring to resort to cowardly tactics rather than addressing the underlying problems”

H

allegedly attacked by a group of around four transgender persons in the parking lot of a private news channel’s office in the capital It drew strong condemnation f r o m

remains unclear why the politician was attacked

Imran Khan

Daaji in Dubai

Daaji in London

Voters trust Kamala Harris to handle presidency if necessary

WASHINGTON:

s t o

c v i s i t t o a M

n n e s o t a abortion clinic, addressing the rollback of federal reproductive

r i g h t s t h a t h a s m o b i l i z e d women voters, and a powerful speech at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, a Civil R

emphasized her personal story and public service record R

for a second term by portraying

welcome news to the campaign

T h e B

highlights Harris as the leading choice among Democratic rising stars if Biden were unable to

continue his campaign Harris

Secretary Pete Buttigieg follow with 36%, California Governor

,

Maryland Governor Wes Moore with 23%, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker with 21%

On the Republican side, if Trump exits the race, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is the

Ambassador Nikki Haley at 38% Harris’s growing appeal was

, where comedian D L Hughley publicly apologized to her “I

Hughley said “I had let a media

narrative co-opt my perspective, and I think that tends to happen

reported he said

White House has strategically

speaks to audiences of color and y

Democratic base Recently, she

pursue their careers assertively and dropping the f-bomb

Harris has also increased her visits to competitiv e Western and Southern states, surpassing Biden in trips to North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada states with significant Latino or Black populations, according to Bloomberg News

3 Indian students killed, two others injured in US car crash

11 MILITANTS ARRESTED FOR PAK SUICIDE BOMBING

Pakistani authorities have arrested 11 Islamist militants who were involved in the suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers in March in the north of the country which borders Afghanistan, officials said The arrested men belong to local Taliban, also known as Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is an umbrella group of dozens of Sunni Islamists and sectarian militant groups The TTP aims to overthrow the government and replace it with a harsh brand of Islamic law Police said a cellphone which the suicide bomber had been using to communicate with his local handlers led to the arrest of the suspects The investigation and evidence show the militants had been taking instructions from TTP leaders in Afghanistan, police said

DOCS TREAT SCORES OF HEATSTROKE VICTIMS IN PAK

G E O R G I A : T h r e e I n di a n st u d e n t s' l os t t he i r l iv e s in a g ha s t l y ca r a cci d e n t in Alphare tta, Georgia

Two other s

we r e cr i t i ca l l y in j u r e d Th e a cc id e n t o ccu r r e d l a st w e e k whil e t hey were dr iving al ong Westside Par kway, located north of Maxwel l Road

The victims, all 18 years old, were identified as Aryan Joshi, Sriya Avasarala and Anvi Sharma

Joshi has just completed his senior year at Alpharetta High School, whereas Sriya and Anvi are first-year university students at the University of Georgia The injured students were Rithwak S o m e p a l l i , a G e o r g i a S t a t e University goer and the driver of t h e H o n d a A c c o r d , a n d Mohammed Liyakath, a senior at Alpharetta High School

A c c o r d i n g t o A l p h a r e t t a

Papua New Guinea says landslide buried more than 2,000, seeks help

M E L BOU RN E: A P ap ua New Guinea go vernment official has to ld the U nited Natio ns th at m o re t h an 2 , 0 0 0 p eo p l e ar e b eliev ed to h av e been buri ed alive in last Frid ay ’ s landslid e a nd h a s f o rm al ly a sk ed f o r international help

The government figure has roughly triple the UN estimate of 670 killed by the landslide in the South Pacific island nation’s

m o u n t a i n o u s i n t e r i o r T h e remains of only five people had been recovered, local authorities r e p o r t e d I t w a s n o t immediately clear why the tally of six reported on Sunday had been revised down

I n a l e t t e r t o t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s r e s i d e n t c o o r d i n a t o r , t h e a c t i n g d i r e c t o r o f t h e c o u n t r y ’ s N a t i o n a l D i s a s t e r Center, Luseta Laso Mana, said the landslide “buried more than 2,000 people alive” and caused

WASH ING TON: In the midst of t he debat e over the outrageous s um s b e in g e a r ne d b y t o p m anageme nt s ac ros s c orporates

b e c o m e s m or e a n d m or e t ransparent and is drawing the ire of many, Nikes h Arora, the India b orn CEO of Palo Alto Ne tworks,

h a s be e n r a n k ed as A m e r ic a ’ s s e c on d -hi gh e s t -p ai d C E O in 2 023 A total of 17 Indian descent CEOs are in the top 500 rankings, a c c

“major destruction” in Yambali village in Enga province

Estimates of the casualties h a v e v a r i e d w i d e l y s i n c e t h e disaster occurred, and it was not immediately clear how officials arrived at the number of people

a f f e c t e d T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l

O r g a n i z a t i o n f o r M i g r a t i o n , which is working closely with the government and taking a leading role in the international response, has not changed its e s t i m a t e d d e a t h t o l l o f 6 7 0 r e l e a s e d o n S u n d a y , p e n d i n g new evidence

“We are not able to dispute what the government suggests but we are not able to comment on it,” said Serhan Aktoprak, c h i e f o f t h e U N m i g r a n t agency ’ s mission in Papua New Guinea “As time goes in such a m a s s i v e u n d e r

k i n g , t h e n u m b e r w i l l r e m a i n f l u i d , ”

Aktoprak added

Journal on May 21 Shantanu Narayen of Adobe i s t h e s e c

Indian-descent CEO, ranked 11 o

earned $151 43 million and $44 93 million, respectively, more than Tesla’s Elon Musk, who did not

2023, according to the report

million during the period under

Police, speed was likely a primary factor in the accident They are c o n d u c t i n g a t h o r o u g h investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash

The accident occurred when t h e d r i v e r l o s t c o n

Hospital, where she passed away from her injuries

T h e w o u n d e d a r e b e i n g treated in the same facility

S r i y a w a s i n t h e S h i k a a r i p e t i t e d a n c e t e a m o f t h e

University of Georgia, and Anvi was in the Kalakaar a cappella g r o u p o f t h e s a m e u n i v e r s i t y Joshi was in the Alpharetta High School's cricket team

r o l o f t h e vehicle, causing it to flip over and land upside down in a tree line Joshi and Avasarala died on the spot Anvi, who was seated in the r e a r o f t h e v e h i c l e , w a s t r a n s p o r t e d t o N o r t h F u l t o n

Sunita Williams set to fly into space for a third time

HOU STON: Boeing’s Sta rliner f irs t c rewed spacec raft to be piloted by Indian-origin as tronaut Sunita William s is expe cted to be launc he d be tween June 1 and 5 aft er t he fl ight was postponed earlier this month due to a t echnic al s nag Wil liams , 5 8, will fly int o s pace f or the thir d tim e aboard the tes t flight

A statement from NASA said: “Mission managers from NASA, Boeing and ULA (United Launch Alliance) continue to evaluate a path forward toward launching the agency ’ s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station The teams are now working toward a launch opportunity at 12 25 pm on Saturday, June 1, with additional opportunities on Sunday, June 2, Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6 ”

Work continues to assess Starliner performance and redundancy following the discovery of a small helium leak in the spacecraft’s service module, the statement said It said teams were in the process of completing a follow-on propulsion system assessment to understand potential helium system impacts on some Starliner return scenarios

International Space Station, marking what could be a momentous and long-awaited victory for the beleaguered Boeing programme

International Space Station from Cape Canaveral in Florida was postponed on May 6 after a technical snag was discovered moments before the take-off NASA will also conduct a Delta-Agency Flight Test

Readiness Review to discuss the work that was performed since the last CFT launch attempt on May 6 and to evaluate issue closure and flight rationale ahead of the next attempt as part of NASA’s process for assessing readiness, the statement said

review A product of Delhi’s Air Force Public School, Arora first drew

chief business officer at Google, which he left in 2014 to head S

compensation that was said to be a record for Japan Arora has been heading Palo Alto Networks, a cyber security c

compensation consists mostly of equity awards that include shares granted over three years

Narayen, who was born and raised in Hyderabad, has been the CEO of Adobe since 2007 after joining the company in 1998 H

topped the list with

fourth, and fifth among Indian Americans were Sanjay Malhotra

Ansys (66th, $24 63 million), and Reshma Kewalramani of Vertex

million)

Doctors treated hundreds of victims of heatstroke at hospitals across Pakistan after an intense heatwave sent temperatures above normal levels due to climate change, officials said Temperatures soared as high as 49°Celsius the previous day in Mohenjo Daro The city, known for its archaeological sites, is in southern Sindh province, which was badly hit by climate-induced monsoon rains and devastating floods in 2022 The heatwave is forecast to continue for at least a week

MAN KILLS 8 IN CHINA KNIFE ATTACK

A man killed eight people and wounded one more with a knife in central China, state media reported The stabbing took place in the city of Xiaogan in Hubei province, state broadcaster CCTV said The 53-year-old attacker surnamed Lu had previously been treated for mental illness, it added He is being held by police, who are investigating the attack The wounded person's injuries were not life-threatening, according to state news agency Xinhua Mass violent crime is relatively rare in China, which strictly prohibits citizens from owning firearms but there has been a spate of stabbings in recent years Earlier a woman wielding a fruit knife killed two people and injured four more at a primary school in central Jiangxi province

TRUMP CAMPAIGN CONDEMNS FILM 'THE APPRENTICE'

Donald Trump s re-election campaign condemned the film The Apprentice depicting his 1980s rise as pure fiction” and threatened legal action following its Cannes Film Festival premiere Campaign spokesperson called the film “garbage” that sensationalises debunked lies and announced plans to sue Director Ali Abbasi responded by offering to screen the film for Trump “The Apprentice”, starring Sebastian Stan as Trump, portrays his rise as a real estate mogul A controversial scene depicts the alleged rape of Ivana Trump, based on her 1990 divorce deposition, which she later said was not literal The film got an eight-minute standing ovation at Cannes

9 DIE AS GUSTY WIND BRINGS DOWN ELECTION STAGE

An election rally in northern Mexico descended into tragedy after a gust of wind sent the stage careening into the crowd, killing at least nine people, authorities said At least 78 other people were injured in the accident some seriously said Nuevo Leon governor Samuel Garcia Footage showed a chaotic scramble as people screamed and tried to leap away from the collapsing structure with lights and a giant screen toppling onto the area where presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez and members of his Citizens’ Movement party were standing The met service had

of

to

and possible tornadoes in Nuevo Leon and other northern states

Kamala Harris

7 newborns killed in Delhi hospital fire; govt orders magisterial probe

Police arreste d the owner of t he eas t Delhi chil dre n's hospital where a f ire kill ed s even ne wborns, off icials said One of the doctors who was on duty, Dr Akas h, has als o b een

a r r e s t e d Dr Na v e e n K i c hi had been on the run s inc e the f ir e out b r e a k

o n S a t ur da y , t he y s ai d M ea nwhil e, t he D el hi gove rnment has ordered a magis terial inquiry into the f ire t ragedy

The order directed that the inquiry report to be submitted "as expeditiously as possible"

Delhi Fire Services officials said a blaze erupted at

B

C

N

w B o r n Hospital in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar area around 11:30 pm on Saturday and spread into t w o a d j a c e n t b u i l d i n g s

Twelve newborns were rescued from the facility but

s e v e n o f t h e m d i e d F i v e babies are undergoing treat-

m e n t a t a n o t h e r h o s p i t a l , they said

H o u

incident at the East Delhi hospital, another fire broke out at a multi-storeyed resi-

leaving three people dead

D e l h i F

Director Atul Garg said that they received a call regarding the fire at a baby care hospi-

which nine fire tenders were

service

reached the spot, the buildi

flames Yet the firemen and the police personnel rescued

12 infants from the building and took them to a nearby

According to the fire officials, it took them around 70 minutes to control the inferno D

Arvind Kejriwal said the fire

16 killed as Cyclone Remal hits India,

C y cl o ne R em a l, th e f i rs t major cyclonic storm of the year, h as ki lled 1 6 peo p le across Bang ladesh and Ind ia after it made land fall near th e c o as t o f th e B ay o f Bengal, repo rts said Dozens w e re i nj u re d d u e to t h e do wnpour in coastal areas o f B ang lad es h an d W es t Bengal, and intense d am ag e was reported in power lines W e a t h e r o f f i c i a l s s a i d the storm, packing speeds of up to 135 kph, crossed the a r e a a r o u n d B a n g l a d e s

a

Islands in West Bengal late S u n d a y , m a k i n g l a n d f a l l around 9 pm

At least 10 people were killed in Bangladesh, while t h e

ment stood with those who lost their children in the fire

administration was ensuring p

injured

Bengal Authorities said that some victims died on their way to relief shelters, and others died due to drowning or their homes collapsing due to heavy waterlogging

Bangladesh MP 'honey-trapped' before being killed in Kolkata

A woman who m ight have

b een used to "honey trap"

B a n gl a d e s h M P A n w ar u l

A zim Anwar before he was m ur de re d i n K olk a ta h as

b e e n d e ta i n e d i n D ha k a

The woman , iden tified as

S h i l an t i R a h m a n , i s a

B a n gl ad e sh i na ti on a l a n d

the gi rlf ri end of the prim e

a c c us e d A k ht a r uz z a m an Shahin, B angladesh polic e

s ource s sai d

A k h t a r u z z a m a n , a U S

citizen, was a friend of the Awami League MP The MP was allegedly murdered in

A k h t a r u z z a m a n ' s r e n t e d

a c c o m m o d a t i o n i n

Kolkata's New Town area

S h i l a n t i w a s p r e s e n t i n Kolkata when Anwarul was killed, and she returned to Dhaka along with the main suspected killer, Amanullah Aman, on May 15

P o l i c e s o u r c e s s a i d

S h i l a n t i w a s u s e d a s a h o n e y t r a p b y A k h t a r u z z a m a n t o b r i n g

Anwarul from Bangladesh to Kolkata While police are yet to formally announce the motive of the crime, s o u r c e s s a i d Akhtaruzzaman killed the Bangladesh MP due to a d i s p u t e o v e r s o m e p a y -

Kejriwal seeks bail till June 9 for medical tests

With the deadline for him to retur n t o Tihar Ja il a week away , D elhi CM Arvind K ejriwal on Monday m oved Suprem e Court s eeking extens ion of time to s urre nder till June 9 on the ground that he needed to undergo a comprehensive medical e xamination to ide nt if y whether his “ unus ua lly high bl ood s ugar level , rapid weight l os s and bouts of diz ziness , c oupl ed with palpita tion”, were life-thr eatening

Kejriwal was arrested by ED on March 21 in a money laundering case related to excise policy scam and was released on interim bail by SC on May 10 for campaigning He said a senior physician from Max Hospital clinically examined him on May 25 and suggested whole body PETCT to rule out malignancies and Holter monitor test, both of which would take five to seven days

He said since elections in Punjab were scheduled for June 1, he would be busy campaigning till May 30, and would not be able to undergo these tests in a day

Assuring that he had and would scrupulously abide by the interim bail conditions, Kejriwal requested SC to extend it till June 9 He claimed that “negligent behaviour of jail authorities” were partly responsible for his complications, adding that during the period of custody, he suffered weight loss of around 6-7 kg, which he was not able to regain even after renewing his earlier lifestyle since his release from prison

Kejriwal said if Delhi HC had not upheld his illegal and mala fide arrest, he would have had 60 days of campaigning time Because of SC’s interim bail, he got 21 days to campaign, during which he campaigned in Delhi and across India, as a result, he had only time for health check-ups at home

m e n t s A k h t a r u z z a m a n paid around £500,000 to those involved in the crime

The West Bengal Crime

I n v e s t i g a t i o n D e p a r t m e n t

(CID) made a major breakthrough in the case after it

a r r e s t e d a s u s p e c t f r o m

Mumbai

T h e s u s p e c t , J i h a d

Hawladar, has confessed to murdering the Bangaldeshi MP along with four others a t t h e N e w T o w n f l a t

D u r i n g i n t e r r o g a t i o n , Hawladar claimed that the murder was carried out on t h e o r d e r s o f Akhtaruzzaman

A f t e r k i l l i n g t h e M P , t h e y s k i n n e d t h e e n t i r e body and minced the flesh to destroy the identity of Anwarul, CID sources said The bones were then broken into pieces and put in several plastic packets The killers then disposed of the packets in different parts of Kolkata

Hawladar, a professional butcher, is a resident of B a r a k p u r i n B a n g l a d e s h ' s K h u l n a d i s t r i c t a n d w a s staying in Mumbai illegally for some time He arrived in Kolkata around two months ago, CID sources claimed

Gopichand Thotakura displays tricolour as first Indian tourist in space

History was made on May 19

Gopichand Thotakura soared

event, part of A mazon founder Jeff Bezos' ambitious space trav

p rog ram, marks a significant m ilestone for Ind ia and space tou rism

In a heartwarming video shared on Blue Origin's official Instagram account, Thotakura can be seen proudly displaying a tiny Indian flag while floating weightlessly in space Alongside his fellow crew members, he relished the once-ina-lifetime experience of zero gravity, all smiles and awe as they floated freely within the spacecraft

Thotakura took a moment to face the camera, holding a placard that read, "I am an Eco hero of my sustainable planet," before unveiling the Indian tricolour, which floated alongside him

The NS-25 mission, Blue Origin's seventh human spaceflight and the 25th flight for the New Shepard program, featured a diverse and accomplished crew Alongside Thotakura were Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L Hess, Carol Schaller, and former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight Notably, Dwight was selected by President John F Kennedy in 1961 as the nation's first black astronaut candidate, though he never had the opportunity to fly

Bangladesh

and storms

I

authorities said, taking the death toll in the state to six The storms also hit power lines, with electricity cut off for several coastal areas

N

people in Bangladesh and thousands in West Bengal were left without electricity d u e t

Bengal authorities said that at least 1,200 power poles were uprooted, while 300 mud huts had been razed Bangladesh shut down

some areas in advance to avoid accidents, while fallen trees and snapped electricity lines further disrupted supply in many coastal towns,

said

Bangladesh ended up moving at least 10,00,000 people to relief shelters amid heavy rains and rising water levels in

were also restored

BAPS starts building traditional Hindu temple in Paris

The forthcom ing BAPS Swaminarayan mandir in Paris will be th e first trad itio nal p urp os e- bui lt Hind u temp le in France, making it a historic and iconic addition to o ne of th e most beau tiful cities in the world

After construction began on site in Paris a few days earlier, a special assembly to formally launch the new mandir project was held at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, on May 4, 2024 – exactly 36 years to the day when Pramukh Swami Maharaj showered flower petals from the skies over Paris to symbolise his blessings for a mandir to be consecrated in France

The programme began with prayers sung by devotees from Paris who had travelled to London for the programme, followed by a montage of video presentations chronicling the visionary journey of Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj, which began more than 50 years ago at Le Bourget Airport in Paris in 1970

A panel of devotees and volunteers from Paris elaborated on the tireless efforts in establishing satsang activities across France These discussions drew upon the remarkable hardships and dedication of the congregation in Paris, and how they have overcome various formidable hurdles over the decades to practise satsang

Trustees then explained the opportunity for everyone to become a part of the historic project, drawing upon their experiences of leading and managing construction projects of other BAPS mandirs across the UK and in Europe

A replica model of the mandir in Paris was also unveiled by lead volunteers and swamis, providing an enlightening visual representation for the attendees

Sadguru Pujya Ishwarcharan Swami had sent a video m e

Mandir Project This was followed by specially recorded video blessings from Mahant Swami Maharaj in which he recalled his personal memories of visiting Paris with Yogiji Maharaj, a visit that became the inception of the profound vision culminating in the construction of the Mandir Swamishri also called upon everyone to be a part of this historic project

After Yogvivekdas Swami shared some inspiring words of encouragement, Swamishri concluded the assembly, charging the atmosphere with devotional vigour by formally declaring, “Paris Mandir Mahotsavni Jay!”

Gopichand Thotakura

Prajwal Revanna apologises to parents, says will appear before probe team

dr ama" by opposition l eader s, i ncl udi ng C ong re ss MP R ahul G an dhi, "d rove me to depre ssion and I wa s pushe d int o isol ation"

"I apologise to my parents I was in depression I will come (back to India) and a p p e a

b e f o

h

S I T ( a s p e c i a l investigative team set up by the state government) on May 31," Revanna said

"I will cooperate to the best of my abilities and provide all answers I have full faith in the legal system (and) I will come out of these false cases against me I have the blessings of God and my family "

On May 1, four days after he fled the country, Revanna posted a message on X He said, "I am not in Bengaluru I have communicated (to the police) through my lawyer The truth will prevail soon "

R e v a n n a i s a J a n a t a D a l ( S e c u l a r ) leader and the grandson of party patriarch and ex-Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, and nephew of senior leader and ex-Chief

Minister HD Kumaraswamy

He is also the sitting MP from Karnataka's Hassan Lok Sabha seat, which he has been nominated to defend in the 2024 general election The JDS is allied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP Revanna's message - his

warning from Deve Gowda, who told his grandson to return home and surrender "or face your family's anger" D

Revanna to "not test my patience" and that it took him time to recover from the "

Minister - targeted by the ruling Congress, former allies turned political rivals, over claims it was he who sent Revanna abroad - stressed he had called for "the harshest

grandson "if (he is) found guilty "

The ex-Chief Minister last week also appealed to his nephew "I have openly appealed to him told him, 'if you have respect for the party and Deve Gowda, come back ' Cooperate with the probe If you have not done anything prove it If

Revanna was told

NIA raids two docs in TN for Bengaluru blast, arrests techie in AP

HYD ER A BAD : N IA a rre sted a t echie from And hra Pra desh’s An an tapur distr ict an d a former convict who was in t ran sit in Telan gan a in conn ection with the R ame shwa ra m ca fe bla st in Be nga luru on Mar ch 1 The pr obe age ncy also se ar che d houses of two doctors in Coimbat or e NIA sleuths searched the residence of a retired principal in Rayadurgam for several hours and detained his younger son, Sohail, who works as a software engineer in Bengaluru Sources said large sums of money had been transferred to Sohail’s b

security to Rayadurgam police station where he was questioned over his alleged links with terror outfits

The two doctors, Zafar Iqbal and Nayueem Siddique, hailed from Karnataka and have been

Coimbatore for the past two years NIA sleuths seized mobile phones and SIM cards from their houses

locations across the country in this case Searches are being carried out based on specific information

g

Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha, who are s

footage of the blast at the famous Rameswaram café showed a man leaving a bag near the cash counter, which later went off injuring several people The suspect was later identified as Shazib

AAP for resumption of cross-border trade with Pakistan through Attari

r esume import and

with

At tari, which is cur rent ly onl y i mp o r t in g me r ch a n di se fr o m Afghanista n, after winnin g t he Lok Sabha el ection s

H e s t a t e d t h i

d

i n g a n address to the Amritsar-based entrepreneurs here on Monday The event was held in a resort on the city outskirts where media was not allowed He did not take any question from entrepreneurs assembled at the venue

Before the suspension of bilateral

f trade between India and Pakistan through the Integrated Check Post Attari used to be about £500 mn per year

centre He added that all old sewerage pipelines would also be replaced

51 KILLED IN KARNATAKA ROAD MISHAPS IN 24 HOURS

Early on Sunday morning six members of a family were killed on the spot as the car they were travelling in collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction in Hassan The family was returning to Chikkaballapur from Karwar where they had gone to visit a hospitalised relative The six were among 51 people killed in different road accidents in a 24hour window between Saturday morning and Sunday morning in Karnataka according to state police records ADGP and commissioner for road safety Alok Kumar said rash and reckless driving/riding led to most of these accidents According to Kumar, this is the highest single-day road accident toll reported in the recent past Another senior police officer said the state usually sees anywhere between 30 and 35 road fatalities a day Tumakuru topped the chart of fatal accidents with seven deaths, followed by Hassan (6) Bengaluru city and Bengaluru Rural (4 each), and Karwar (3)

BRS LEADER HACKED TO DEATH IN TELANGANA

A BRS leader was found murdered in Wanaparthy district of Telangana with his family calling it politically motivated' The incident occurred in Laxmipally village of the district when some unknown persons attacked Sridhar Reddy (55), who was sleeping outside his house, with axe resulting in his death, police said The father of the deceased alerted the police after finding his son lying dead The victim s father in a complaint, alleged that some local leaders of the Congress party were responsible for his son's death However the police said they did not find any evidence in this regard so far A senior police official said they were looking into different angles including property dispute between his (the deceased man) rivals

Maharashtra Then what is the glitch in resuming it from Attari? I t i s a p

become a key poll issue here

The Delhi CM claimed the trade with Pakistan did not stall

announced the setting up of a cargo terminal at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport He assured to increase domestic and international flights, too For the overall development of the tourism sector in the city,

Calcutta HC cancels OBC certificates issued in Bengal since 2010, Mamata rejects order

K O L K A T A : T h e C a lc u tta H i g h

C ourt cancelled all Other Backward C lass (OBC ) certificates issu ed by th e West Beng al g overnment since 2010 Hou rs later, Ch ief Minister M am ata Banerjee said she w ill not accept th e o r d er , a nd OB C res er v at io n w i l l continue in the state

The court was hearing a public i n t e r e s t l i t i g a t i o n c h a l l e n g i n g p r o v i s i o n s

C

Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012 Setting aside the classification of 37 communities as OBC, the Bench said, “We strike down section 16 of the Act of 2012 since it empowers the S t a t e E x e

Consequently, the 37 classes included u n d e r e x e r c i s e o f s e c t i o n 1 6 a r e struck out of schedule 1 of the Act of 2012 ” The number of persons enlisted under OBC in the state after 2010 is likely to be above 500,000, a lawyer r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e p e

Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice

service, or have availed the benefit of

selection process of the state, will not be affected by the order The Bench said the opinion and a d

Commission is ordinarily binding on

National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993

The bench directed the Backward Classes Welfare Department of the s

Commission, to place a report before

h recommendations on inclusion of n e w c l a

o f remaining classes in the state list of OBCs The division bench clarified that the executive orders of the state government classifying 66 classes of OBC before 2010 were not interfered with, since these were not challenged in the petitions

Kejriwal stated that the food processing industry of the city would be supported to bolster its presence at the national level Rajan Bedi, an importer and exporter, said the cross-border trade with Pakistan will benefit all sections of society, including t r a n s p o r t e r s , p o r t e r s , t r a d e r s , hoteliers and others He recalled that the BJP leaders were quick in their interactions to say that they never discontinued the trade

SC declines to entertain BJP plea against Calcutta HC order on anti-TMC ads

NEW DE L HI : Th e S upreme C ourt on Monday refused to entertain a challeng e by the BJP against a Calcutta High C ourt ord er restraining it fro m publishing derog atory ad s against the Trinamool Co ng ress

A vacation bench of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice K V V i s w a n

“disparaging”, and “ we are not inclined to interfere [with the HC’s order]”

“ You can say you are the best but we don’t want to lend our hands to promote further acrimony This is not in the interests of the voter This will degenerate Don’t precipitate the issue , ” the Bench told counsel for BJP, according to LiveLaw The counsel then withdrew the petition, and was allowed by the court to file a reply before the single-judge bench of the High Court

On May 22, a bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya dismissed a petition challenging an order passed by a single-judge Bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya on May 20 restraining the BJP from “publishing advertisements in any form of media which is violative of the MCC” (Model Code of Conduct) until June 4 (date of counting) or until further orders, whichever is earlier

“A perusal of the impugned advertisements clearly evince that those are in violation of the letter and spirit of the MCC In the garb of advertisements, the allegations and publications made against the petitioner are outright derogatory and definitely intended at insulting the rivals and levelling personal attacks against its functionaries,” the single-judge Bench had said

DERA CHIEF, 4 OTHERS ACQUITTED IN MURDER CASE

The Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and four others in the murder case of Dera manager Ranjit Singh In 2021, a special CBI court found Ram Rahim and other accused in the case guilty of Singh s murder, sentencing them to life imprisonment The Sirsa-head quartered sect chief, who is also serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples is currently lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana Former Dera manager Ranjit Singh was shot dead 19 years ago, on July 10, 2002 at Khanpur Kolian village in Haryana's Kurukshetra It was suspected that he was murdered because of his alleged role in circulating a letter which narrated how women were being sexually exploited by the sect head at the Dera headquarters Apart from the Dera chief, the other accused in the case were Avtar Singh Jasbir Singh Sabdil Singh and Krishan Lal

HC STAYS PROBE AGAINST BENGAL RAJ BHAVAN STAFFERS

The Calcutta HC ordered an interim stay on police probe against officer on special duty (OSD) and two other Raj Bhavan employees in connection with the molestation allegation levelled against West Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose by a woman Meanwhile, Bose said he has urged Centre to act against three IAS/IPS officers for acting in haste and carrying out an unlawful investigation into cooked up charges against the three staffers Bose accused these officers of “ingratiating” towards Trinamool Congress Although the FIR does not name the governor Bose said the officers had stepped beyond their role by starting an illegal case against him and vilifying him in public, which called for severe punishment

Prajwal Revanna

At 58.5%, J&K records highest overall turnout in 35 years

for Udha mpur

A s r e g a r d s K a s h m i r V a l l e y , three parliamentary constituencies - Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri - recorded the h i g h e s t c o

shared by the EC put the 2019 combined turnout figure for the three Valley seats at a mere 19 2%, which is 30 percentage points lower than 2024 The comparison may, however, not be perfect a s t h e g

civil engagement of its people “ T h e v o t e r t u r n o u t o f 5 0 8 6 % from the three seats in Kashmir Valley echoes the faith of the people in the democratic process, ” it said in a statement Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar, while thanking the v

& K ,

Anantnag had undergone some significant changes during delimitation in 2020-21, with parts of Jammu division’s Rajouri district added to it

EC on Monday termed the high turnout in J&K a testament to robust democratic spirit and

EC gives absolute polling numbers day after SC refuses to step in

A d a y a f t e r S u p r e m e C ou r t d e cl in e d t o d i r e c t E le c t io n

Commission to publish boot h-wise ele ctor da ta as re cor ded in For m 17C, th e po ll pa ne l re le a se d the absolute n umbe r of e ligible vote rs and v otes cast across parliame nta ry co n s t it ue n ci e s i n t h e fi r s t fi v e phases, t o set at re st “false na rratives” about a “delay ” in r elea se of vote r turn out dat a

Of over 763 mn eligible voters in the first five phases of the Lok Sabha polls, as many as 507 mn people have cast their vote, according to data shared by EC

T h e r e v i s i o n i n f o r m a t o f release of turnout data came even as Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar questioned the trend of repeatedly raising of “unfounded doubts” on the electoral processes during LS elections

“ F i r s t , q u e s t i o n s a r e r a i s e d about purity of the electoral roll, then attempts are made to discredit EVMs Amid polling, doubts are cast over turnout data,” he underlined after completion of 6th phase

of polling

Stating that the electoral processes, design and systems are wellsettled and earnestly followed election after election, the CEC said polls conducted in around 22-23 states since the 2019 general election have followed the very same processes “Pattern in raising suspicion without concrete examples, only when a general election to the Lok Sabha is under way, must be studied,” he said D e s c r i b i n g t h e g r i e v a n c e redressal system of EC as “ very r o b u s t ” , K u m a r s a i d : “ I f t

’ s indeed a mistake or failure, it must be pointed out Planting unfounded doubts in minds of voters as regards the electoral processes may adversely impact turnouts ” E C r e i t e r a t e d t h a t c o m p l e t e elector data is available with the authorised agents of all candidates as part of Form 17C, a copy of which is shared with them after p o l l i n g “ W

10,50,000 polling stations across

agents and around 8,000 candidates get all turnout data by way of F o r m 1 7 C , ” s a i d a n E

Thus, the total number of votes polled in a constituency, as recorde d i n F o r m 1 7 C c a n n e v e r b e changed even by anyone ’ s hypothetical mischief, it asserted

Asked why the absolute elector data was released only after five phases, Kumar said EC was awaiting the Supreme Court verdict in the relevant case “But the fact is that the polling data was always

g updated, via the EC Voter Turnout a p p A

, around 110 mn of the total 166 mn electors voted in Phase 1 (66 1%), 106 mn of a total 159 mn electors (66 7%) in Phase 2, 113 mn of 172 mn (65 7%) in Phase 3, 122 mn of 177 mn (69 2%) in Phase 4 and 56 mn of 89 mn electors (62 2%) in Phase 5 The commission reiterated that there was no delay in the release of voter t u r n o u t d a t a , w h i c h , i t s a i d , i s updated on a two-hourly basis till 5 30 pm on polling day

Pakistanis kidnap Indians for ransom in Turkey and Cambodia

T h r ee P a k is t an i a s yl u m

se e ke rs in T u rk e y ki dnapp ed an Indian natio nal and s o ug h t R s 20 , 00, 000 fr o m h i s f a mi l y b a ck i n India for hi s s afe release

Th i s inc ide nt wh i ch to o k place in May isn't the lone ca s e I n Ca mb o d ia , a P ak i s ta ni du o h e l d two Indians ho stages fo r th ree weeks, demanding ransom from their families

The Pakistanis involved in both the cases of kidnapping for ransom in Turkey

a n d C a m b o d i a h a v e b e e n arrested Police in Turkey said they had arrested three

P a k i s t a n i s o n c h a r g e s o f kidnapping an Indian citizen in the city of Edirne

The Pakistanis had kidnapped Radhakrishnan who was employed at a restau-

r a n t i n I s t a n b u l T h e P a k i s t a n i s l u r e d

R a d h a k r i s h n a n t o E d r i n e with a job offer and kidnapped him They tied his hands and feet and threatened his family by sending them a video, according to

r e p o r t s T h e k i d n a p p e r s demanded a ransom of Rs 2 0 , 0 0 , 0 0 0 f r o m R a d h a k r i s h n a

based in India

In Cambodia, the police in the capital city of Phnom

detention for three weeks

T h e P a k i s t a n i s k i d n

p p e d Mohammad Saad and Sudit Kumar on April 25, and they were freed by the police on May 16

B o t h t h e v i c t i m s h a d b e e n h a n d c u f f e d , b e a t e n and blindfolded during their weeks-long confinement

The Pakistani nationals, Sabtain Bin Nasir and Sayed Ali Hussain, had lured the Indian men for a meeting on May 23, saying they would help them in finding a place to open an Indian restaurant The victims told police that the Pakistani suspects locked them in their room and prevented them from leaving The kidnappers also

took away the passports of Saad and Sudit

After the abduction, the Pakistanis demanded a ransom of $10,000 each from their families, in exchange for their release While the Pakistani kidnappers were away, the Indians shouted for help, which was heard by a staff member of the con-

f found them and called the police, they were freed by the police

The recent incidents of k

crimes by Pakistanis abroad are alarming, and such cases have seen an uptick in the recent past In April, four

P

arrested in Nepal for kidnapping four Sri Lankan citizens, after luring them with job offers in Europe The Pakistanis had charged mil-

arrested by the Kathmandu police for the crime

T h

achievement sits on a credible wave of 25% increase in the num-

involvement and Suvidha portal showing 2,455 requests for rallies etc, reflecting the steady retaking

space away from hesitation and to fuller particpation” EC sought to attribute the high turnout by the younger voters in the age

group 18-39 years This particular age category accounted for 56% of the electorate in Baramulla, 4

Anantnag-Rajouri and 47 7% in Jammu

boost voter participation in J&K,

sports, symposiums, awareness rallies, nukkad natak and numerous other events were organised to propagate the message of voting Other activities included creating Igloos as a dummy polling station in Baramulla, para scooter event in Kathua, mega awareness rallies in Teetwal near LOC, n

o Chougan in Kishtwar and playing instrumental version of ECI song on the highest railway bridge

World’s highest polling station in Himachal has 52 voters

World ’ s hi ghes t po llin g s tat ion Tash igan g, located at a hei ght of 15 , 25 6 f e e t a b o v e s e a le v e l , i n Himacha l Prad esh’s Lahaul- Spiti d i s t r i c t, w h i ch i s p a r t o f th e Ma ndi parli ame ntary con sti tue ncy, has 5 2 regis tered voter s, s aid Ass is tant Ele cti on Offi ce r Harsh Ne gi T h e r e w e r e 4 5 v o t e r s i n Tashigang in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections Of these, 27 were men and 18 women voters In the 2021 Mandi parliamentary by- elections, there were 48 voters, which included 29 men and 22 women And in the 2022 assembly elections, there were 52 voters comprising 30 men and 22 women Tashigang in the Spiti Valley remains covered with snow for six months in a year There is a shortage of oxygen there Before 2019, the highest polling station was Hikkim (14,400 feet) located close to Tashigang But in 2019, Tashigang was made a polling station

polling booth with a selfie point with the Himalayas in the background Officials said that majority of polling stations in LahaulS

pitable terrain where poll officials have to trek hours to reach their booths

areas of Kinnaur

Chamba district,

of the

that covers almost two-thirds of

Buddhist farmers who grow barley, potatoes, wheat, and black peas

The election for the Mandi parliamentary seat will take place on June 1 along with the state’s three other seats

Shah Rukh sports face mask after

health scare; joins Gauri to cheer for KKR

Shah Rukh Khan arrived in Chennai to attend

between Kolkata

f i r s t a pp e ar a nc e d a ys after he was hospitali sed for heat stroke and dehydrati on in Ahmedab ad D u r

attending the match in the stands For the big day, the superstar was accompanied by daughter Suhana

Khan His manager Pooja Dadlani,

b e s t f r i e n d s – A n a n y a

P a n d a y a n d S h a n a y a

K a p o o r w e r e

cheering for KKR S R K ' s a p p e a r a n c e h a s relieved his fans Soon, his clip from the match went v

Several fan clubs posted the video and expressed their delight to see him back A fan wrote, "I love you very much I pray to God to protect you from any harm I w i s h f r o m m y h

K D Hospital in Ahmedabad

heat stroke According to t h e A

) Superintendent, the actor was admitted to the hospital after he suffered dehydration and heat stroke On the work front, Shah Rukh K

'Dunki' which also starred T

Kaushal, and others in key r

l next be seen in Siddharth Anand's 'King' with daughter Suhana

a r t a speedy recovery You are a role model for all of us " Another fan wrote, "Seeing him happy makes my heart melt " A day after SRK was hospitalised, his co-star, close friend and KKR's co-owner Juhi Chawla, said that the actor will be attending the IPL 2024 final She said, "Shah Rukh was not feeling too well last night but he is being a t t e n d e d t o a n d w a s feeling much better this evening God willing, he will soon be up, and in the stands on the weekend, cheering the team, as we play the finals " On May 22 SRK was

63.4% voter turnout in 6th phase of Lok Sabha poll

Continuation From page 1

the highest polling at 62 8% and New Delhi clocked the lowest at 55 4%

Polling data officially shared by t

6

turnout at 61 2% It has since been constantly updated via the EC’s voter turnout app as more polling p

their reports, resulting in a 2 2 percentage points jump over the polling day figure Also, the Phase 6 turnout is now 1 2 percentage points higher than Phase 5 polling,

g h temperatures recorded in many of the constituencies that went to polls on Saturday The turnout data for Phase 6, as available on the EC app on Sunday, is almost final as no repolls were scheduled after scrutiny held on Sunday in the presence of candidates or their agents, sources said However, the current turnout figures for all the phases are based on EVM votes

and do not factor in postal ballots since the latter are counted only on results day

The overall turnout in NCT of Delhi stood revised to 58 7% on Sunday evening from 57 7% at 11 45 pm on Saturday This is, however, still lower than the 60 6% turnout recorded in 2019 All the seven p a r l i

turnouts as compared to the last Lok Sabha election

As per data available on the

evening, show the biggest rise of 4 9 percentage points in Odisha, u

possibly due to

time to return from the

M on day slamme d the R ajkot

M u n i ci p a l C o r p or a t i on ( RMC) for le ttin g th e a rcade

o p e r a t e i lle g a lly un d e r i t s n ose and said tha t the court

h a s n o f a it h i n t he s t a t e

m a ch i n e r y f o r co r r e ct i v e

m easure s T h e b e n c h o f J u s t i c e

Biren Vaishnav and Justice

D e v a n D e s a i a s k e d R M C how it could be ignorant to the structure existing in its jurisdiction for three years without any permission by “turning a blind eye ” The court castigated the civic body for its inaction until the fire, ignoring all orders issued by the HC on fire safety This came after the RMC’s counsel told the court that go karting began on the plot in June 2021 and t h e s t r u c t u r e c a m e u p 1 8

m o n t h s a g o , b u t t h e a p p l i c a t i o n f o r r e g u l a r i z a t i o n o f construction under GRUDA was made only on May 4

After being reprimanded by the HC, the state govt transferred the Rajkot city

p o l i c e a n d m u n i c i p a l commissioners on Monday An additional commissioner

o f p o l i c e a n d a d e p u t y commissioner of police have also been transferred The axe also fell on five officers of the municipal corporation

departments and two cops as t

e n c e i n c o n n e c t i o n with the fire The municipal

c o m m i s s i o n e r s u s p e n d e d G a u t a m J o s h i , R M C ’ s a s s i s t a n t t o w n p l a n n e r , J a y d e e p C h a u d h a r y , a s s i s t a n t e n g i n e e r o f t h e town planning branch, and Rohit Vigora, station officer with the fire and emergency

witnessed the highest polling in the state at 62 8% Like 2019, New Delhi clocked the lowest turnout at 55 4%, followed by South Delhi at 56 4% The polling percentage on Sunday evening was 57 8% in

Chandni Chowk, 58 8% in West Delhi and 59 5% in East Delhi State wise turnouts, as updated in the voter turnout app by Sunday

service department

M e a n w h i l e , a R a j k o t c o u r t r e m a n d e d t h r e e persons arrested for the TRP

G a m e Z o n e f i r e i n p o l i c e custody for 14 days with the judge directing the cops to ensure that ‘heavyweights’ in this case don’t manage to escape the clutches of the l a w Y u v r a j s i n h S o l a n k i , proprietor of the game zone, h i s p a r t n e r R a h u l R a t h o d and manager Nitin Lodha were presented in the court of third additional civil judge BP Thakkar

C i t i n g m e d i a r e p o r t s , J u s t i c e V a i s h n a v t o l d t h e RMC lawyer that the RMC c h i e f h a d a t t e n d e d t h e inauguration of the gaming zone “Can’t we take judicial notice of this fact? What did R M C d o f o r e i g h t e e n months? Sat over it?”

Justice Desai asked, “For t h r e e y e a r s y o u d i d n o t inquire into the legality of the structures Forget about its legality What are your duties? Who was the officer in charge during this period?

W h a t a c t i o n w a s t a k e n a g a i n s t o f

? ” J u s t i c e V a i s h n a v s a i d t h e activity was “merrily going o n w i t h o u t p e r m i s s i o n i n front of the corporation”

T h e a d v o c a t e o f t h e petitioner in a PIL related to f i r e s a f e t y

t Panchal, called the deaths in the fire “ gruesome murders”

authorities

When the president of

that state govt should ensure it will take firm measures to hold people accountable, the judges said, “Who will take d

a s t i c

H

n e s t l y speaking, we don’t have faith in the state machinery now After four years of orders

their assurances, this is the

happened They only want

trigger the machinery

2021 till the fire took place, should be held accountable for the tragedy The court

Vaishnav inquired if officials of the municipal corporation go out to inspect at all, as such illegalities are found o

y happens

When the court was told that the police department granted permission to the arcade for ticketing under Section 33(x) of the Gujarat Police Act, the court sought an affidavit from the Rajkot police commissioner as well

74 5% on Sunday evening Also, there was a climb of 4 4 percentage points in Haryana, up from 60 4% at Saturday to 64 8% on Sunday

significant in Odisha; the revised turnout was 4 1 percentage points

declared by EC towards the end of polling day

Mukesh Ambani sets sight on Africa with new telecom venture

Asia's richest ma n Muk esh Ambani is set t o e nte r Africa wit h a telecoms ve ntur e, see kin g t o win mobile br oadban d custome

owth mar ke

L t d , w

p r o v i d e k e y n e t w o r k i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , applications and smartphones for Ghanab a s e d N e x t - G e n I n f r a C o , a c c o r d i n g t o

Harkirit Singh, the executive director of N G I C H e d e s c r i b e d t h e p l a n s a h e a d o f

NGIC's launch announcement in Mumbai

N G I C , w h i c h i s p l a n n i n g t o b e g i n

o p e r a t i o n s b y t h e e n d o f t h i s y e a r , w i l l provide 5G broadband services to mobile operators and internet services providers in Ghana The company is based on a premise o f b u i l d i n g a f f o r d a b l e d i g i t a l s e r v i c e s i n emerging markets," Singh said Other strategic partners in NGIC include Nokia Oyj, Indian outsourcer Tech Mahindra L t d a n d M i c r o s o f t C o r p , w h i c h h a s i n c r e a s i

telecoms business following an acquisition of two cloud networking firms in 2020 Ghana, a West African country with a population of just over 33 million, has three m

19 students from Kyrgyzstan back home after 4-day arduous journey

Afte r a ma ra thon four -d ay journe y sp ann ing t h r e

Ma

Pr ade sh, amon g a g roup of 19 Indian med ica l stude nt s, fina lly ar rive d home on Sund ay Ravi Sarathe, Vivek Sharma and Rohit Panchal from Ujjain, Chetan Malviya from B a r w a n i , a n d K u s h a g r a S a w a n e r f r o m Khargone are now worried for their friends back in Bishkek, especially those living in rented apartments as they have no security Sawaner said he could return only with the help of the Indian embassy Chetan, in his eighth semester of MBBS, had posted a video few days earlier, pleading with Indian govt and MP CM Mohan Yadav to evacuate them “We reached Bishkek airport on May 22 but were not allowed to enter I hired a cab for Almaty in Kazakhstan, 4 2 5 k m a w a y , w i t h t w o s t u d e n t s f r o m Bharatpur and Dausa in Rajasthan,” Chetan said They arrived in Almaty on May 23, only to find there were no flights “So, we left for Tashkent, 815 km away, on May 24 We had to wait there 20 hours for a flight to Delhi,” he said

strategic partners, its technological prowess and the company's possession of Ghana's only 5G license will help

build broadband

individual mobile carriers, Singh said Two African telecoms firms - Ascend Digital Solutions Ltd and K-NET - hold a combined stake of 55% in the new company, said Singh The Ghana government will own just under 10% of NGIC, while local mobile operators and private investors will retain the remaining shares in the firm Singh is also the chief executive of Ascend NGIC has the exclusive right to offer 5G services in Ghana for a decade, though its license is valid for 15 years The company s capital expenditure for three years is $145 million, according to Singh The company is looking to emulate the success of Ambani's Jio Infocomm Ltd in India Jio launched telecoms services in India in late 2016 with low-cost data and free voice calling, forcing some rivals to shut down and others to consolidate It is widely credited for making mobile data affordable to hundreds of million of Indians Jio is currently India's biggest mobile operator with 470 million users

Close shave for Rahul at Bihar rally as portion of dais caves in

C ong ress leader Rahu l Gandhi had a clo se shave when a p ortion o f the stage, set up fo r th e I ND I A bl o c 's el ec ti o n c a m p ai g n in Bihar, cav ed in on M onday Th e incident happened wh en Rahul Gand hi, along with other INDIA bloc lead ers, entered the stag e to ad dress the public gathered to attend th e Opposition alliance's rally T he leaders were campaigning just ahead o f the seventh and the last phase of th

Sabha electio

wherein Gandhi and Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Misa Bharti could be seen holding each other s hand when the stage broke A security official then seemed to offer Rahul Gandhi help Gandhi told him he was fine and continued waving at his audience at the rally in Bihar's Paliganj Although the leaders lost balance when the i n c i d e n

Yadav and other leader delivered speeches at the rally on Monday Gandhi reiterated the promised made by the party in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024

j

Psychologist Mamta Saha

Dear Reader s,

Effective communication Skills

This week I'm excited t o shar e som e effective comm unication t echniques We all have t hings we want to exp ress, but so metim es, it 's hard t o find t he r ight wor ds Fo r examp le, a client of mine had tro uble speaking u p at wo rk, which made it tou gh for them to connect wit h their col leagues How can we m ake our com municatio n bett er and bu ild stro nger relationships? Let 's explo re som e easy ways t oget her

Listen mor e, talk less: Imagine communication as a game of give and take Sometimes, it's more about listening than talking Actively listening means really paying attention to what the other person is saying and showing them you understand Try repeating back what they've said in your own words to show you're listening My client found this particularly helpful at work I advised her to listen more during meetings and ask clarifying questions to show her colleagues she valued their input By being a good listener, you'll build trust and make it easier for others to open up to you

Body language: Did you know that a big part of communication isn't just what you say, but how you say it? Your body language, like how you sit or your facial expressions, can say a lot without you even speaking Try to keep an open and relaxed posture and make eye contact when you're talking to someone My client struggled with maintaining eye contact, especially in stressful situations I encouraged her to practice making eye contact during one-on-one conversations with colleagues, which helped her feel more confident and engaged Don't forget to pay attention to the other person's body language too – it can give you clues about how they're feeling

Pu t you rself in t heir sho es: Communication isn't

means trying to see things from the other person's point of view, use language such as "I can see why you'd feel that way " My client struggled with this init i a l l y ,

leagues I advised her to put herself in their shoes and consider what might be causing their behaviour It helped her approach conversations with more empathy and understanding, which improved her relationships at work

Sp eak their language: We all have our own way of talking, and it's important to match our communication style to the person we're talking to Some people like lots of details, while others prefer things short and sweet Try to adapt your communication style to suit the other person For instance, if you're talking to someone who likes to get straight to the point, keep your message clear and concise

Improving your communication skills is all about practice and being open to learning By listening more, watching your body language, showing empathy, and adapting your communication style, you'll build better relationships and make it easier for others to understand you Remember, communication is a two-way street – let's make sure we're all on the same page!

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Pineapple is rich in manganese, which strengthens your bones Simply add this fruit to your daily diet to help maintain a strong body and keep your bones healthy

Black and South Asian women more likely to go through perimenopause at earlier ages

Shefali Saxena

A leading rep ro ductive and mental health charity, Cysters, anno unced their inaugural event, " Marginalised and Meno pausal," fo cusing o n th e unique meno pause exp eriences o f historically marginalised communiti es

Held on May 11 at the Midlands Art Centre (MAC), the event featured keynote speakers like Dr Nighat Arif from This Morning and Wolverhampton-based GP, Dr Aziza Sesay Beyond discussing hot flashes and hormones, it aimed to create a safe, inclusive space for sharing specific needs and experiences This comes as NICE recently updated menopause treatment guidelines to include CBT alongside HRT, a step forward, but many believe it falls short of addressing all concerns

Here’s our exclusive interview with Dr Aziza Sesay:

Asa doctor specialising in women's health, what unique challenges do you believe historically marginalised communities face during their journey through menopause, and how do these challenges differ from those of other groups?

It’s partly why this event exists in the first place because we have so many nuances that exist within our communities There's a lot of shame There's a lot of stigma, a lot of taboo A lot of embarrassment These conversations are never had because it's always brushed under the carpet or it's not seen as something significant and it's not, it's just something that we should endure as women So that is one of the big things that we have within marginalised groups

It's just not spoken about at all And what I witnessed as a doctor is often, they don't come in with, you know, your typical menopausal symptoms It's in our communities particularly, for instance, in black women, one of the most common presentations is mood changes, depression, and anxiety So that s often lumped with mental health And then they're given antidepressants rather than HRT, which could manage their symptoms as well as others that they may not be comfortable talking of vaginal dryness, genital urinary syndrome of menopause is very, very common It can be very debilitating

However, unfortunately, again, within those communities, it's not a conversation that's had people are too ashamed to come forward, they are too embarrassed, and they are suffering in silence This is something I do see on a day to day and its conversations But then I do have my patients and it's about understanding But this is again, why we need to inject awareness into the community So they are aware But also, we need to educate the health care professionals because again, within marginalised groups

For instance, Black and South Asian women, were more likely to go through perimenopause at earlier ages as well as menopause It's about recognising that if a young woman in her late thirties comes in with

symptoms of hot flushes, irritability, pins and needles, needles, those sorts of things It's about recognising that that could be perimenopause and menopause and giving them the correct treatment for them and not dismissing them, that it's “just one of those things get on with it ” We need to stop the narrative that women are made to suffer and it's just a plight that we must face

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recently announced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as a potential treatment option for menopausal symptoms How do you think this alternative therapy could benefit historically marginalised communities, and what are the potential limitations or barriers to accessing this treatment for these groups?

I think when we talk about treatment for menopause, we should look at it on a holistic level So we need the medications that can help, we also need to look at the lifestyle factors that can support too And then of course, CBT could be supportive as well with regards to therapy for the psychological consequences of the symptoms that are experienced with menopause, but also the psychological symptoms that are associated with menopause in general The issue is unfortunately within marginalised communities, and I can speak about this as a black woman, when we talk about mental health, there's still a lot of taboo People don t want to be labelled as having issues with their mental health and then CBT or counselling or therapy again, a taboo that's associated with that “Oh, if I get offered this, will that be put on my records? Would that then affect my employment in the future? Will that affect me in the long term? Will people then think that I, I don't want to use this word? Will they think that I'm crazy?” When it's not the case, it's just a symptom and consequence of menopause CBT could potentially help as an additive I'm not saying that it should be the be-all and endall treatment It can be a good supplement,

In your experience, how do cultural and societal factors impact the experiences of historically marginalised individuals navigating menopause, and what steps can healthcare professionals take to address these factors and provide more inclusive care?

One thing that I will say with regards to healthcare professionals, is understanding the nuances that exist and being culturally sensitive and aware and also using the correct language and the correct tools to educate the population and also to support the population to know the questions to ask and volunteer the questions Because again, it's not always that the patient will volunteer the information You have to know the right questions to ask and the symptoms that are often associated with those groups The biggest thing I would say is healthcare professionals need to listen and believe our patients when they talk about their pain, not dismiss them

and support them with individualised care Look at the patient as a whole patient-centred individualised approach

How do you believe events like these can contribute to raising awareness and promoting more equitable healthcare practices for historically marginalised communities experiencing menopause?

It's a room where finally people feel seen, feel heard, and feel like they are finally part of, in part with individuals who all resonate and can relate with what they go through It's in a setting where you feel you're allowed to be vulnerable, you're allowed to be vocal You’re being listened to and finally, you feel like, “Oh my God, I'm actually not alone ”

It's a perfect place to raise awareness about menopause, which we need to keep talking about because it affects 51% of the population It will affect individuals directly and indirectly So, yeah, I, you know, I've said a lot of the things with regards to the cultural nuances that exist, I also think that these events, if possible, would be great if we could make them a little bit more mandatory For instance, in a work setting where everybody has to attend, both men and women I wish to see more men in these sorts of events And then, you know, we could tailor these events in what's called a spiral approach where maybe we can have younger individuals turn up so that they can understand what is going on or what will potentially happen to them or what's potentially happening to their parents or their moms, you know, or their aunts Menopause is a community problem that will be managed, if we all are involved together, we can impact change greatly

Dr Aziza Sesay

Kiran Rao admits she and Aamir Khan got married because of parental pressure

Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan remain friends and colleagues despite their separation In an interview, the Laapataa Ladies director revealed that they decided to marry because of their parents, after having lived together for a year

"I've always believed that marriage

a s a n i n s t i t u t i o n n e e d s r e t h i n k i n g

Aamir and I lived together for a year before getting married; honestly, we did it more for our parents and societal expectations Even then, we understood that marriage is a great institution if you can function both as individuals and as a couple within it, said Kiran

The issue we don t discuss enough is how marriage often stifles women

There needs to be a way for individuals to be themselves within the institution

T h i s t o p i c i s o p e n f o r d e b a t e a n d discussion Esther Perel, the American psychologist, has written an excellent book on the subject Traditionally, as apes, we lived together, but the nuclear family setup puts a lot of pressure on w o m e n W o m e n a r e e x p e c t e d t o manage the household, maintain family unity, and stay connected with in-laws These expectations place a significant burden on women," Kiran added Kiran and Aamir met on the sets of the 2001 film Lagaan, where she was an Assistant Director They began dating in 2004 and married in 2005 After struggling to conceive, they welcomed their son Azad in 2011 The couple announced their separation in 2021

Kajol and Prabhudeva to reunite on screen after 27 years

Inshowbiz, it's reunion time as actor Kajol and filmmaker Prabhudeva are set to collaborate once more after 27 years

This time, they'll be working on a high-budget action thriller directed by Charan Tej Uppalapati, who is making his Bollywood debut with this project

Charan Tej Uppalapati is currently busy bringing his vision to life on camera

The project will feature an impressive cast, including Naseeruddin Shah, Samyuktha Menon, Jisshu Sen Gupta, and Aditya Seal

Notably, this will be the first time

Kajol will share the screen with Naseeruddin Shah The first schedule of the film has already been completed, and the makers are now preparing to release the teaser soon

The makers of this ambitious project are pulling out all the stops, enlisting Jawan cinematographer GK Vishnu and Pushpa 2 editor Navin Nooli to lend their expertise The screenplay is penned by Niranjan Iyengar and Jessica Khurana, with Saahi Suresh crafting the visual aesthetics as the production designer

The film's soundtrack will be composed by Harshavardhan Rameshwar, known for his work on Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, which featured Ranbir Kapoor and was a major hit with its memorable music Details about the plot and the film's title are currently being kept under wraps

The makers are confident that the combination of a stellar cast and a topnotch technical crew will make this action spectacle one of the most anticipated upcoming releases

him for years

Manoj Bajpayee on why Anurag Kashyap didn't work with

Manoj

Bajpayee and Anurag Kashyap have a long history, but from 2000 to 2011, they didn't collaborate.

In a recent interview, Manoj revealed the reason behind this gap "There was a misunderstanding that we never discussed It became exaggerated on social media, leading to embarrassment I felt he wasn't making films suited for me, and he thought my career was declining So, we both enjoyed our lives separately; he didn t need me, and I didn t need him, said Manoj

Their collaboration began in 1998 with Ram Gopal Varma s cult thriller Satya, where Anurag served as a writer and Manoj portrayed the iconic role of Bhiku Mhatre The success of Satya led to another collaboration the following year with Shool, another action crime drama directed by Ram Gopal Varma

However, there was an 11-year gap before they teamed up again for Anurag's 2012 crime epic Gangs of Wasseypur, where Manoj delivered a memorable performance as Sardar Khan Since then, they haven't worked together, pursuing their separate paths once more

Manoj's upcoming projects include the rustic action drama "Bhaiyya Ji," reuniting him with director Apoorv Singh Karki He's also starring in "Despatch" and "The Fable "

Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan team up for an action comedy film

Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan are teaming up for the first time in an action-comedy project Written and directed by Aakash Kaushik, the project's shooting has already commenced with both actors on board

confirmed the news through

post on X, formerly known as Twitter The untitled project, backed by Dharma Productions a

collaboration with Dharma Productions

The social media post read, “Ayushmann - Sara Ali Khan to star in dharma - Sikhya’s action-comedy”

“Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment reunite, t

#AyushmannKhurrana and #SaraAliKhan Written and directed by Aakash Kaushik This is Dharma and Sikhya’s third theatrical collaboration Shooting has begun Title will be announced soon, ” added the post

Further details about the project remain under wraps H

entertainer, promising plenty of action, thrills, and laughter

Ayushmann's latest appearance was in Raaj Shaandilyaa’s c

Released on August 25, 2023, the film proved successful at the box office, crossing the 100 crore mark in collections The ensemble cast also included Manjot Singh, Rajpal Yadav, Paresh Rawal, Asrani, Manoj Joshi, Seema Pahwa, and Vijay Raaz

Alia Bhatt's Kalank song ‘Ghar More Pardesiya’ gets

a shoutout

from The Academy

Abhishek

Varman's 2019 period romance, "Kalank," may not have received the recognition it deserved initially, but it recently earned a shoutout from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The official Instagram handle of The Academy shared a clip of the film's song "Ghar More Pardesiya," featuring Alia Bhatt

The star-studded cast includes Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, and Sonakshi Sinha The song is composed by Pritam Chakraborty with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya ” The comment section was flooded

dancing skills as she underwent Kathak training for the song One Instagram user commented, “Alia Bhatt's performance has been spectacular in every movie she's done ”

Another commenter wrote, “Alia literally is the biggest female Indian superstar right now ” A third comment read, “Beautiful song (red heart emojis) and choreography ”

Numerous Instagram users also praised Shreya Ghoshal's vocals One commenter remarked, “I think The Academy is a big fan of Shreya Ghoshal ” Another said, “Everyone, please stand up for Shreya Ghoshal The undisputed queen of Indian music!” A third comment stated, “Shreya Ghoshal has never failed to impress us with her classical vocal abilities (sparkling red heart emoji) ”

Janhvi Kapoor recalls panic attack on reality show

Janhvi Kapoor revealed in a recent interview that she had a "panic attack" on a TV reality show during the promotions of her debut film Dhadak.

Reflecting on the incident, Janhvi Kapoor recounted, "I once appeared on a dance show shortly after the tragic incident of my mom Sridevi's passing while promoting 'Dhadak ' It was still a very raw time for me, and everyone was careful not to remind me of what had happened They went through all the plans for the day without mentioning a segment about my mom However, during the show, they surprised us with a video montage featuring all of mom's famous songs and dance numbers, accompanied by her voiceover in an emotional scene The children began dancing as a tribute, and while it was beautiful, it was also too soon for me "

Janhvi Kapoor admitted, "I wasn't prepared Suddenly, I couldn't breathe and began crying uncontrollably, eventually running off the stage into my van, experiencing a full-blown panic attack They edited out my breakdown, replacing it with footage of me clapping from another segment "

Janhvi Kapoor, daughter of late superstar Sridevi and film producer Boney Kapoor, is known for starring in films like Roohi, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Ghost Stories and GoodLuck Jerry among others Janhvi made her big Bollywood debut with Dhadak, co-starring Ishaan Khatter

Esha Deol's Tamil conversations with Mani Ratnam confound Ajay Devgn during 'Yuva' shoot

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, "Yuva," shot simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil as "Aayutha Ezhuthu," featured a completely different star cast in each version

However, one actress, Esha Deol, became an integral part of both In the Hindi version directed by Mani Ratnam, she starred opposite Ajay Devgn alongside Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, and Rani Mukerji In the Tamil version, she was paired opposite Suriya, sharing the screen with Siddharth, R Madhavan, Trisha, and Meera Jasmine

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the awardwinning film, Esha took to her Instagram to share throwback photos from two decades ago with her co-stars, along with snapshots from the Singapore premiere In her caption, the actress reminisced about "Yuva" being her debut film with Ajay Devgn She humorously recalled how she would leave Ajay clueless by conversing with

Pashmina Roshan opens up about Hrithik Roshan's advice and family legacy

The title track of "Ishq Vishk Rebound," starring Pashmina Roshan, Jibraan Khan, Naila Grewal, and Rohit Saraf, was launched at an event in Mumbai During the event, Pashmina shared insights into the pressure of upholding her family legacy and discussed her cousin Hrithik’s advice to her, among other topics

pride and pressure when reflecting on her surname She stated, “The

family holds and the admirable work

immensely proud of all of them

Mani Ratnam in Tamil, her mother tongue and that of her veteran star mom, Hema Malini

Marking 20 years of "Yuva" and "Aayutha Ezhuthu," Esha Deol shared photos with Ajay Devgn and Suriya, praising director Mani Ratnam's magic She expressed her pleasure at working with him on both the Tamil and Hindi versions, calling it a dream come true Esha also praised her costars Ajay Devgn and Suriya, describing them as perfect and wonderful to work with She fondly remembered how she and Mani Ratnam would converse in Tamil during discussions, leaving Ajay clueless

However, this pride also comes with the weight of expectations There's pressure to live up to their legacy, to heed their advice, and to carve out my own niche in an industry where

She also shared the advice she received from Hrithik, saying, “I not

his mentorship He always emphasises

Pashmina, daughter of composer Rajesh Roshan and niece of Rakesh

Prabhas on marriage rumours:

"Don't want to hurt my female fans"

Prabhas, the pan-India star renowned for his roles in blockbuster films such as 'Baahubali' and the recent hit 'Salaar', consistently remains a hot topic, whether it's about his upcoming projects or personal life He is set to appear in his next pan-India film, 'Kalki 2898 AD' At a recent promotional event for this film, he addressed some of the ongoing rumours concerning his marital status.

For years, fans and media have speculated about Prabhas' marriage plans, frequently linking him to his co-stars During the event, Prabhas assured his fans that he has no plans to marry anytime soon He stated, "I am not getting married soon because I don't want to hurt the feelings of my female fans "

The event, held in Hyderabad, also served as the stage for introducing 'Bujji,' a unique robot featured in 'Kalki 2898 AD ' Directed by Nag Ashwin, this sci-fi film boasts a stellar cast including Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, and Kamal Haasan, alongside Prabhas. The movie is set to release in multiple languages on June 27, 2024

Prabhas and Nag Ashwin unveiled 'Bujji,' showcasing its connection to Prabhas' character, Bhairava The teaser highlighted 'Bujji' as Bhairava's sidekick

“I am single, unwilling to mingle”, says Shruti Haasan

Actress

Shruti Haasan, who is making waves in Tollywood with a hat trick of hits like 'Krack,' 'Waltair Veerayya,' and 'Veera Simha Reddy,' is known for her bold statements During a recent Q&A on social media, when asked if she was single or committed, she replied, "Entirely single, unwilling to mingle, only working and enjoying my life " Though she initially expressed reluctance to answer such questions, her cryptic response quickly went viral

Shruti Haasan is excelling in both singing and acting, enjoying a peak in her career Despite her enduring passion for music, she has returned to films and is relishing her on-screen work Besides her professional achievements, Shruti Haasan is also known for her love life

She was often seen with her boyfriend, Santanu Hazarika, with whom she dated for nearly four years Recently, rumours surfaced about their breakup In her latest Q&A on social media, Shruti Haasan confirmed their split

In her latest appearance, Shruti Haasan starred in a music video alongside young director Lokesh Kanagaraj Titled "Inimel," the video was composed and conceptualized by Kamal's daughter, Shruti Haasan What adds intrigue to the project is Lokesh's involvement, not as a director or in a technical capacity, but as an actor sharing the screen with Shruti in the video

The song narrates the romantic journey of a young couple, from their first date to the evolution of their bond over time, capturing both the shining moments and the challenges they face along the way

Suriya to produce Karthi’s next film

‘Meiyazhagan’

with Arvind Swamy

Actor Suriya took to X (formerly Twitter) to wish his brother, actor Karthi, an early happy birthday and to unveil new posters from Karthi's upcoming film

Directed by Prem Kumar and produced by Suriya, "Meiyazhagan" stars Karthi and Arvind Swamy in lead roles

Suriya shared two posters on X a day before Karthi’s birthday In one poster, Karthi is seen sitting on a cycle while Arvind rides it, with a temple in the background as they ride away with playful

Karthi looking a bull in the eyes with a wide smile on his face

S

wrote, “One from our Hearts !” Wishing his brother Karthi a happy birthday, he praised him for always picking good subjects, writing, “@Karthi Offl Happy bday!

Always love it when you give back to make good cinema!!” Explaining the meaning behind the film’s title, Karthi wrote on X, “#Meiyazhagan= Meiy+Azhagan Beauty is always what’s in our hearts ”

"Meiy" means truth or body, while "Azhagan" implies beauty "Meiyazhagan" is Prem Kumar’s first film after the highly successful "96" starring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan Kannan Sundaram and N Aravindhan co-direct the film with him Govind Vasantha, who was instrumental in the success of "96" with his music, is composing the tunes for this film as well Notably, the film does not have a stunt master, similar to "96 "

TV Listing

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MON 03 JUN - FRI 07 JUN 2024

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23:00 TARI DHUN LAGI RE SATURDAY 08 JUN 2024

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SUNDAY 09 JUN 2024

9:30 DESHI BEATS

10:30 Rangai Jaane Rangma

11:30 SONA NI JAAL

14:30 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM

15:30 Rangai Jaane Rangma

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17:30 BEST OF RASOI SHOW

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20:30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU

21:00 GEETA

22:00 GATHA SHIV ANE SHAKTI NI 23:00 TARI DHUN LAGI RE

23:00 Molkki

SATURDAY 08 JUN 2024

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SUNDAY 09 JUN 2024

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22:00 AJNABI BANE HUMSAFAR

Neena Gupta opens up about doing bold roles for survival

Neena Gupta, gearing up to reprise her role as Manju Devi in the third season of "Panchayat," recently opened up about various aspects of her life Despite being labelled as a ‘rebel star’ and ‘bold actress,’ she revealed in an interview that she doesn’t identify with these epithets. Neena explained that the media bestowed her with this image primarily because she is a single mother.

T h e v e t e

reminisced about her early days in Mumbai and shared the advice she g a v e t o h e r d a

Gupta, who is expecting her first child with her husband, Satyadeep Mishra

N e e n a G u p t a , a n e s t e e m e d actor since 1982, faced challenges during her early days in Mumbai In an interview, she reminisced about considering leaving the city every three months Despite initial s t r u g

opportunities always seemed to

leaving

While Neena Gupta's journey

h a s b e e n i n s p i r i n g , i t ' s h a d i t s share of ups and downs She now finds herself in a place where she can decline roles if she chooses Reflecting on her past, she recalls

d o i n g b o l d p r o j e c t s s o l e l y f o r financial reasons, even praying for

s o m e f i l m s n o t t o r e l e a s e However, she now exercises the freedom to say no to roles that don't resonate with her, opting

o n l y f o r s c r i p t s a n d r o l e s s h e genuinely believes in

2024 Cannes Film Festival:

India's cinematic brilliance captivates the world

The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival proved notably significant for India. Alongside th special screening of Shyam Benegal’s "Manthan," nearly 48 years after its release, the festiva showcased numerous celebrities and influencers making a splash on the red carpet Additiona Indian films and actors received nominations across various categories at this prestigious eve

Anasuya Sengupta becomes first Indian actor to win Best Actress award

Addin

g t o th e In di an triu mph, act or Anasu ya Se ng upt a, haili ng from Kolkat a, se cure d the Un C ertain Re gard Pri ze for Best Actress for h er capt iv at ing pe rformance in "The Shame le ss "

Directe d and writ te n by Bulg arian fi lmmak er Konstant in Boj an ov , the fil m re volv es around Re nuka, portraye d by Anasuya, who escape s from a Del hi brothe l aft er a fat al confront at ion w ith a pol ice officer. The narrati ve also fe ature s Omara She tt y, depicti ng Ren uka' s love in te re st .

With this achievement, Anasuya has made history as the first Indian to clinch this prestigious award Reflecting on the moment she learned her film had been selected for the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes, Anasuya recalled, “I received the news when Konstantin sent me a link to the press conference announcing the Cannes official selections When our film’s name was announced, I leaped out of my chair with joy!”

Aside from Anasuya's achievement, two Indian films, "Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know" and "Bunnyhood," secured the first and third place, respectively, in the La Cinéf Selection at this year's Cannes "Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know" is a Kannada short film helmed by Chidananda Naik, a student from the Film and Television Institute of India On the other hand, "Bunnyhood" is directed by Mansi Maheshwari, originally from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and currently pursuing studies in the UK, as reported

Preity Zinta presents Pierre Angenieux ExcelLens award to Santosh Sivan

In a sple ndid ceremony he ld at t he 77th Canne s Film Festi val, Indian ci nematog rapher Sant osh

Sivan was bestowe d wit h t he este eme d Pie rre An gé nie ux Exce lLe ns in Cin ematography hon our The award w as presen te d by act or Prei ty Zint a

The prestigious event unfolded at the iconic Palais des Festivals, honouring the art of cinematography and recognising the significant influence of Indian cinema worldwide

Dressed in an elegant pink saree, Preity Zinta took to the stage to confer the award upon Sivan, her longtime collaborator Their professional collaboration

Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia scripted history as her spellbinding drama "All We Imagine as Light" won the Grand Prix award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival The Grand Prix Award is the second most prestigious award at festival after the Palme d'Or, and was awarded to Kapadia after her film received an eight-minute standing ovation at its world premiere

commenced with Mani Ratnam’s 1998 romantic drama "Dil Se," where Sivan’s cinematography beautifully showcased Zinta’s debut performance Their reunion at Cannes signifies a notable milestone in their careers, especially as they prepare to collaborate once more on the upcoming period drama "Lahore 1947, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi

All We Imagine As Light makes history; wins Grand Prix at Cannes

Kapadia's feature directorial debut has already received

Indian actor Sahindur Rahman to enact as father in Austrian film on illegal immigration

Agroundbreaking

Austrian film titled "Happy," directed by Indian-origin Austrian filmmaker Sandeep Kumar, features Indian actor Sahidur Rahman speaking German for the first time Rahman, an alumnus of the National School of Drama, Delhi, portrays an illegal immigrant facing deportation repercussions Kumar, whose last film was "Mehrunisa," revealed that Rahman learned German for four months before filming

Originally considering a Mumbai actor for the lead, Kumar praised Sahidur's performance Inspired by Vienna s immigrant community, the film was initially conceived as a documentary but transformed into fiction for storytelling ease Motivated by real-life events,

glowing reviews in the international press, and has already registered its name in the history books after becoming the first Indian film in 30 years and the first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition

including 2023 deportations, Kumar felt compelled to share this timely narrative Happy revolves around the protagonist's relationship with his nine-yearold half-Austrian daughter The film is about his struggles to find happiness for himself and his daughter in the face of the prospect of being deported from Austria," says Kumar, who grew up in Delhi The film, supported by the Austrian Film Commission, was released in Cannes film festival followed by a theatrical release later this year

Sanjay Leela Bhansali

recalls Richa Chadha's struggle to

nail key shot in Heeramandi

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali discussed a tense moment he experienced with actor Richa Chadha on the set of his debut streaming series, "Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar." Bhansali revealed that he reached his limit of patience with Richa when her performance didn't meet his expectations, leading to her becoming upset He shared in a recent interview that Richa's tears and humiliation in the final shot were genuine

In an interview discussing an elaborate shot in the song "Masoom Dil Hai Mera," Bhansali recalled that Richa took some time to perfect her performance "It was a special moment, but her performance wasn't quite clicking," he said "She was making an effort, but I wasn't getting the desired result " Bhansali admitted to becoming a little frustrated, stating, "You've rehearsed it, but it's still not coming together, you're not in the right state of mind " This led to Richa feeling upset as well Bhansali explained that he decided to capture the genuine emotions Richa was experiencing in that moment for the shot He noted, "The anger on her face was remarkable, a result of our exchange " He emphasised the rarity of an actor embodying the scene's emotion rather than focusing on personal feelings Despite both feeling frustration, they prioritised the scene's integrity

f

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers, lift IPL trophy for 3rd time

Kolka ta Knight R iders (KKR) lift ed the ir third tr ophy in

t he Ind ia n Pr emier Lea gue

wit h a crushing eight-wicke t

lowest-ever total in an IPL

title clash KKR chased down t

many as 57 balls to spare

Venkatesh Iyer was the top scorer with an unbeaten

scored 39 runs for KKR

Earlier, SRH were all out

for 113 runs in 18 3 overs Skipper Pat Cummins was the highest scorer with 24 runs for SRH KKR’s Andre Russell scalped 3 wickets and Mitchell Starc was declared Player of the Match T

broke the previous record h e l d b y C h

Kings, who scored 125/9 in

Throughout their innings, SRH struggled to find their rhythm and it was clear that they were off their game KKR showed why they've

b

team this season Mitchell Starc, their top bowler who had faced criticism earlier,

needed most He made an impact right from the first

Sharma for just 2 runs with a superb delivery that moved away late

quickly reached 75/1 in the

match out of SRH's reach early on Even though Sunil

cheaply, Venkatesh Iyer and

pace Their powerful hitting

H bowlers, and KKR achieved the target in just 9 4 overs, d

Gymnast Dipa creates history with gold at Asian Championships

D ipa Karmakar h as always loved making h isto ry From

b e i ng t h e f i rs t I nd i an

g ym n as t to t ak e p ar t i n Olymp ics in Rio in 2016 to becoming the cou ntry’s first woman to win a medal in t h e s p o rt i n Co mmo nwealth Games in G l as go w, 2 0 1 4, s h e h a s always been an inspiratio n S he was also the first to win

g o l d i n F I G Ar ti s ti c G y mn as t i cs Wo r ld Ch allenge Cup in 2018 in Mersin, Tu rkey

earlier, it was the first time that an Indian finished on top of the podium The girl

f r o m T r i p u r a w a s expectedly over the moon

a f t e r a c c o m p l i s h i n g t h e feat

After finishing 16th in t h e a l l r o u n d c

i n

H e r f i r s

i g h t b o d y f r o n t

Team India reaches New York ahead of T20 World

T he first batch of Indian p layers who left for the U nited States ahead of the T 20 World Cup 20 24 hav e reached New York to take p art in the up co ming ICC event Earlier on Saturday, t

Cup

and

T20 World Cup campaign begins on June 5 against

International Cricket Stadium in New York India versus Pakistan clash will take place on June 9 They will later play tournament co-hosts USA (June 12) and Canada (June 15) to wrap up their Group A matches

In the tournament, India will be aiming to end their ICC trophy drought, having last won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 Since then, India has reached the 50-over World Cup final in 2023, semifinal in 2015 and 2019, the title clash of the ICC World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023, T20 WC final in 2014, semifinals in 2016 and 2022 but failed to secure a big ICC trophy

A n d o n S u n d a y s h e created history one more time as she won gold in V

Although Indian gymnasts, including Dipa, won bronze in the Asian meet four times

Tashkent with a score of 4 6 1 6 6 e a r l i e r o n F r i d a y , Dipa came back with a bang on Sunday to win the gold in Vault with an average score of 13 566 Silver and bronze went to North Korea’s Kim Son-Hyang (13 466) and Jo Kyong-Byol (12 966)

somersault 360 turn Asked about her performance on the day, Dipa said, “I could have executed it a bit better b u

Irrespective of the penalties, D i p a s

Nandi couldn’t have been more proud of his pupil

Simran wins India’s 6th gold in para athletics

S im r an S ha r m a w on g ol d m edal in wome n ’ s 200m T12 e ve nt wit h a pers onal be st t i m e of 2 4 9 5 s e c o n ds t o f etch the s ixth yellow m etal f or India on the f inal day of t h e Wor l d P ar a A t hl e t ic s Cham pions hips a t Kobe in Japan on Sa turday

S i m r a n s h a v e d o f f around one fifth of a second from her earlier personal best of 25 16 seconds to win the g o l d T h e T 1 2 c a t e g o r y i s meant for athletes who have vision impairment

India now has 15 medals (6 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze) to b e a t s i x t h p l a c e i n t h e standings

E a r l i e r , I n d i a w

second-place finisher Dinesh

Lanka

S i

Rinku Hooda and Ajeet

s F46 javelin throw final but the result was put on h

d a f t e r I n d i a l o d g e d a p r o t e s t t h a t H e r a t h w a s ineligible to compete in the c a t e g o r y I n p a r a s p o r t s , a t h l e t e s a r e c l a s s i f i e d i n t o groups with similar levels of physical ability to allow fair

competition

The F46 classification is f o r a t h l e t e s w i t h a r m deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement in arms, with athletes competing in a standing position

“ H e ( H e r a t h ) w a s n o t classified properly and did n o t b e l o n g t o t h e F 4 6

Committee of India

originally finished third with

Ajeet (62 11m) was handed a bronze

“ W

against the Sri Lankan, who h a

l s o

n g o l d a t t h e Tokyo Paralympics, that he should not have been eligible t

d c o a c h Satyanarayan said “Now, Rinku is the silver w i n n e r f r o m t h

g i n a l third and Ajeet was upgraded from fourth place to bronze ” This is India’s best-ever p e r f o r m a n c e , h a v i n g surpassed the earlier record medal haul of 10 medals (3 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze) it won in the 2023 edition in Paris

India’s 4x400m teams win Asian relay silver

F i e ld i ng u nd ers tr eng th teams after hav ing qualified

India's both the men's and w om en's 4 x4 0 0m quartets

f i ni s h ed se co n d a t th e i n au g u ra l A si an Re lay

India will be aiming to win their first T20 WC title ever since they won the inaugural edition of the tournament back in 2007 in South Africa In the last edition held in Australia in 2022, India lost to England by 10 wickets in the semifinals India Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd Siraj Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan

Yorkers, deceptive slower balls: Bumrah is a cut above

As th is year ’ s IP L c onclu ded, it is clear th at every o ne o f a p aceman ’ s assets in T20 has been s ystematically stripp ed away S h o r t b al l s ar e d is p a

deliveries wh ip ped or ramp ed to the f enc e and good-l ength bal ls bl udgeoned into second tiers, coining th e term “ u pper- dec ker”

In IPL qualifier 2 - the match that determined who will meet Kolkata Knight Riders in the final - the South African mauler Heinrich Klaasen slotted the first ball he faced from Trent Boult straight over the sightscreen Batsmen even have a deft response to the bowler’s last resort, the wide yorker: steering or slashing it behind square on the off side Anything remotely out of the striker’s reach is a wide or no-ball And a sluggish over rate costs the bowler a boundary fielder for the last few overs In T20 fast bowlers are in effect running in naked

Last week's County Championship Hampshire’s young opener Toby Albert ground out 20 (unbeaten) off 100 balls Before that Gujarat Titans openers, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, slayed the Chennai Super Kings attack for 14 an over i

unprecedented totals in the IPL, the 1,000 sixes mark breached for the third successive season and in record time - one every 13 balls - and the World T20 on the immediate horizon, bowlers are being ritually humiliated

The timing would put the Indian mixed 4x400m team at the 21st place -from earlier 23rd -in the Road to Paris list of World Athletics

Muhammed Ajmal, Jyothika Sri Dandi, Amoj Jacob and Subha Venkatesan clocked

difficult position to make the Olympics cut as only sixteen teams will compete in the mixed 4x400m relay event in Paris

A quick glance at their report card from this year ’ s IPL demonstrates that even pacemen of the highest class - Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc - as well as one day specialists such as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Sam Curran have been brutally spanked The unorthodox and consistently brilliant Jasprit Bumrah is an anomaly, conceding just more than six an over Most others are going at nearly double that It is why England have been so desperate to reintroduce their Bumrah equivalent, Jofra Archer

The Indian crowds appear not to care about the bowlers But the administrators should, because this IPL has become basically a firing range, with the bowlers rather than the batsmen as the targets The victims have had enough This is from a seasoned coach (and former batsman) in the IPL: “Bowlers are in shock