AV 02nd April 2022

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

Oscars for Riz Ahmed, Aneil Karia and Joseph Patel

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2 - 8 APRIL2022

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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

Eating fat does not make you fat

Tips to stay fit during Ramadan

How can you help those fleeing from Ukraine?

EATING vs HEATING?

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VOL 50 - ISSUE 47

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Normal ties only if you disengage troops, India tells China

Yogi takes oath for 2nd time with two deputies

Total chaos amid an important alliance

Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement 2022 has shaken households that were already functioning on shoe-string budgets. How will Britons survive with the rising cost of living and energy bills? We ask the community members.

Rishi Sunak & Akshata Murthy

Shefali Saxena Last week, an “anxious” Chancellor Rishi Sunak was heavily scrutinised for being an “illusionist” post his spring statement for not being able to protect the public from the rising cost of living. Accused of “gaslighting”, the Chancellor said he had “always tried to be honest with people”, and “I can’t protect them from absolutely everything that we face.”

The panic and criticism come at a pivotal moment when universal free lateral flow tests will end on Friday,

which means £1,000 a year 'tax on caring' for care home relatives. Families visiting relatives in care homes face paying up to £1,200 a year on Covid tests, as the Government was blasted for putting a “tax on caring”. People aged 80 and over will still be able to get them, alongside those with compromised immune systems – if they have symptoms. That would mean a family of four visiting someone once a week would fork out almost £24 a week, or £1,246 per year.

Continued on page 6

The Rt. Hon’ble Elizabeth Truss MP, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and Minister for Women and Equalities, United Kingdom, will pay an official visit to India on 31 March 2022.

Truss will hold bilateral consultations with External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. She would also participate in the inaugural edition of the India-UK Strategic Futures Forum, a track 1.5 Dialogue between the two countries hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs and Policy Exchange, UK. The India-UK relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the India-UK Virtual Summit held between the two Prime Ministers on 04 May 2021.

Continued on page 13

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2 - 8 April 2022

with Keith Vaz

Police condemned for dropping sexual harassment charges against Noel Clarke

EMILE SOLANKI Account Executive; Canada Life Emile was born and raised in South London. His grandparents relocated to Leicester in the late 60s after Idi Amin ousted many Indian residents from Uganda.

Emile started his career in 2003 with Croydon Council, he was involved in a variety of Project Management Initiatives. He moved to Canada in 2009 and in 2010 he entered the Financial Services Industry in Toronto, managing financial planning practice at Investors Group. In 2016 Emile moved to TD Bank where he helped develop a new Insurance Advisory Team and trained advisors to better incorporate life insurance within their wealth offering. He is currently an Account Executive at Canada Life. Emile has extensive experience in Toronto real estate and owns a tourism company focused on archaeology. He is married to Gabriel and is a proud father to their son Luca. In his spare time, Emile is working on a project with his father called “Tilawa 1942 The Forgotten Tragedy”. His great grandfather lost his life on this passage cargo ship, which was attacked by the Japanese during World War Two.

1) Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?

Whilst my heart misses living in the U.K, Toronto has become my home base.

It is considered one of the top 5 liveable cities in the world. Over the past 14 years, though homesick at first, and facing the challenges of starting a new life in a new country, Toronto has been very good to me. It is a multicultural city with lots of good opportunities.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

Anyone in their mid 30’s would perhaps find it presumptuous to answer this question in full. However, I am pleased to have navigated the Toronto real estate market reasonably well and found a good balance between having a day job while still developing my entrepreneurial abilities. I am also proud to have made the most of any opportunity presented to me over the years despite not having a university degree.

3) What inspires you?

My wife Gabrielle and my son Luca. I tell my wife and son regularly that I wake up and go to bed with them in my heart and mind. Without my wife and son I would be lost, but with them both I feel full of life and able to reach new heights.

4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

It has traditionally been me not having a university degree. Due to personal circumstances growing up, I was not able to pursue “a piece of paper” as a prerequisite to open doors. One is more easily turned down or not even given the opportunity for an interview, without a degree.

5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?

This is a tough question. I have been blessed at pivotal moments in my life to have met the right individuals to give me a chance in life to develop, broaden my horizon, and have the platform to creatively use my skill-set to do good work.

6) What is the best aspect about your current role?

I have the privilege to nurture and build relationships. Being a good leader requires demonstrating emotional intelligence, bringing the best out of others, providing solutions, and being an exemplary ambassador for the company.

Since my job is a new role within the life insurance industry, I have a lot more freedom to be creative and implement a variety of strategies, which I love.

7) And the worst?

It would be premature to comment.

However, it is fair to say building relationships in my role has been a challenge during Covid. With everything online, you're not able to have the full impact you would like compared to in-person.

8) What are your long term goals?

I want to be the best human I can be.

I want to be known as a loyal loving person who gives 100% to everything I do.

Being a good husband and father is first and foremost to me. Tilawa 1942- The ForgottenTragedy is a very important project for me and is really the first initiative I have ever worked on with my father. It is special to both of us, and we are very excited to see where this goes.

9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?

I am not one for politics and definitely keep neutral in these matters.

However, hunger is a subject that deeply hurts and cuts me to the core. A child dies from hunger every 10 seconds around the world. Some die from no food, while others die because of too much food. And in the middle of this, there is so much food waste.

10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why.

Most people gravitate towards kind humble individuals full of life’s experience and intellectual depth. On April 6 1926 Gandhi in a letter wrote: “Jesus was one of the greatest teachers of mankind “ so that would be my choice!

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Last May, the force was assessing claims against BAFTA winner Noel Clarke, 46, with more women coming forward in July. The actor had up to 20 sexual harassment and bullying allegations against him Mr Clarke, a married father of three, has denied sexual misconduct. He was awarded the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema BAFTA last year, but it was later suspended.

The Met has now revealed that the Sexual

harassment and bullying claims brought against actor Noel Clarke will not lead to a criminal police investigation as the 20 allegations made against him are now thought not to 'meet the

threshold for a criminal investigation'.

Anna Birley, from the campaign group Reclaim These Streets, said that women deserve to be listened to and believed. She said 'Reporting experiences of sexual assault or abuse is difficult, and so it must be hugely upsetting for women who have been so brave and spoken out to hear that the police don't believe their testimonies are enough. Our criminal justice system fails women time and again.’

Series of burglaries targeting Asians in Berkshire Kajal Mathur's house was burgled on January 22, the day of her wedding anniversary. She's now started a petition calling for increased police patrols and a proactive approach to catching offenders.

Asian families are being warned to be vigilant after a series of what's believed to be targeted burglaries in Reading, Earley and Wokingham. One victim says her daughter can't sleep at night after their home was ransacked by thieves looking for gold jewellery.

'Asian gold' can be a particular target as it tends to be of higher quality. It is

often bought as wedding gifts and passed down through generations in families.

Detective Sergeant Marc Boyd, of the Bracknell and Wokingham Priority Crime Team, said: “We are aware of the increase in the number of family gold thefts in the last few months. We have increased patrols in the area using marked and unmarked police cars and are working tirelessly to catch the perpetrators. We are holding a public conference in the coming weeks to speak with the communities affected by these burglaries. More information will be shared on

social media in due course.

In order to prevent your home from being burgled, do not keep high-value jewellery at home, invest in internal or external CCTV, join your local neighbourhood watch and ensure that side gates, windows and doors are closed and doublelocked if you are leaving your property and at night.”

First female CEO at Co-op calls to tackle the lack of ethnic minorities running major companies The Co-op is the UK’s fifth biggest food retailer with more than 2,500 shops. It has nearly 70,000 staff and is owned by its millions of members. Shirine KhouryHaq, of Arabic and Turkish heritage, became the Coop’s first female chief executive in its 178-year history.

Shirine has called for action to tackle the lack of ethnic minorities running major companies. She says that as of March last year, a

Growing up in Australia and the US, Mrs KhouryHaq moved to the UK in 2000, when she sent out CVs using her then married surname, Beikman. She said: “I was getting responses saying, ‘do come in for an interview’ and ‘be great to meet fifth of the UK’s leading you next time’. After remarfirms still had all-white rying, she used her maiden boards. There must be a name, Khoury, with Haq, “stated intention” to change her Pakistani husband’s surthis: “Does that mean a name – and the replies dried quota? You could argue both up. She said: “Suddenly a ways.” name changed and zero. It felt like one name was accepted and the other wasn’t.” She said Co-op staff suffer note down important phone “day-to-day racism” from customers, numbers.

But the High Court adding: “You don’t ruled that the law could not have to go very far be used to carry out person- to hear about how al searches and, as a result, people experience it the searches of the every day, just claimants and the subse- based on how they quent seizures of their look.” However, she phones was unlawful for does not believe Britain is inherently this reason too.

A Home Office racist, saying: “I seized between April and spokesperson said: “We are love the diversity in September 2020, without considering the judgement and the UK. I love that them being able to tell their it would be inappropriate to people speak lots of families they had arrived in the comment further at this stage.” languages.”

UK or having enough time to

High Court rules against Priti Patel’s policy of confiscating phones of asylum seekers The Home Office has had a secret blanket policy of seizing phones belonging to asylum seekers who had arrived in the UK via clandestine routes, such as in small boats. The phones’ data was then extracted.

Three asylum seekers – known only as HM, KA, and MH – one of whom has been recognised as a potential victim of trafficking, filed a judicial review against the secretary of state at the High Court.

All three had their phones

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Could positive discrimination be the answer to Met Police's failure?

The Home Office has recently invited an inquiry into the resignation of Dame Cressida Dick, as the head of London’s Metropolitan Police. Sir Stephen House, her deputy will lead the Met till the new Commissioner is elected. Dick’s exit came after London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed a no confidence in her as the Met with several scandals. While City Hall insiders have branded it as a “politically motivated” inquiry and “wasting officials’ time and taxpayers’ money”, a report has found Met’s attitude towards ethnic minority community remains as deplorable as ever. The report said, an average of five children a day are being strip-searched by the Met Police, a report has allegedly claimed. Though the true number is believed to be much higher, Child Q’s case showed 75% of children subjected to search were from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared to 22% of white heritage. The case of Child Q, who was strip searched at her school in Hackney, east London after staff said she smelt of cannabis was not included in this list.

The main problem here is the failure to keep up with a changing face of Britain as well as the intoxicated power trip. With Inclusive Britain publication, much remedies have been promised, but fact remains, when you do not see someone like you, a familiar face within the force, in required numbers, at par with your ability, as well as rank and post, it is difficult to have a shift in one’s attitude and behaviour in general.

An independent review is reportedly recommending

that a ‘positive discrimination’ law should be introduced so that police forces in the UK can improve recruitment of black, Asian and ethnic minority officers. Having a more diverse police force may be less likely to discriminate against minority communities and will be more likely to understand the interests and perspectives of those communities.

The review also found that at the current speed of change it will take another 58 years for the police service to achieve a workforce that is representative of England and Wales in terms of ethnicity. The Strategic Review of Policing in England and Wales, chaired by Sir Michael Barber and conducted by the Police Foundation think tank, therefore has made 56 recommendations urging radical reform to police culture, skills and training, and organisational structure, the Independent has reported.

Bullying and stereotyping of poverty stricken communities, which leads to distrust in the force is a longstanding problem. As suggested by the report, the UK government needs to immediately develop a plan to improve workforce diversity, increasing female as well as ethnic minority recruitments for each police force and introduce time-limited positive discrimination, until these goals have been achieved. Ethnic media and organisations with understanding and ability to recommend changes, could work together with the government to accomplish these goals- something the authorities should really consider.

Knife out on Sunak and Patel Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s popularity has fallen sharply after the Spring Statement, according to YouGov opinion poll on last Friday, as he failed to relieve the soaring cost of living, with inflation nearing 9%.

Sunak has been the leading contender to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson since May 2020, since he announced generous Covid relief measures. The difference between respondents with a favourable and unfavourable view of his performance has slumped to 15% from -5%, according to the survey. Interesting to note that those criticising now, never considered that the Treasury was not a bottomless pit, and all that financial support was going to be recovered from taxpayers’ pocket. It is noteworthy that the Chancellor has made clear that without the money there is no spending.

Triple lock is back with pensions set to rise by 7.4%. It is the oldest and simplest proverb of almost every family and wage earner, as The Times said. It is also common sense, but surprising to note why Mr Sunak’s fellow Conservatives are failing to grasp this simple logic? The constant attack on Sunak’s wife regarding Infosys stake in Russia is also a bit too personal. While Infosys is not a UK company, why should UK direct how India should

deal with Russia, when clearly no one has assessed international threats towards India from China and Russia, should the country go against it openly.

The Home Secretary Priti Patel, despite promising everything possible to give homes to Ukrainians (see page 16-17) face acute criticism of apathy towards refugees looking for home because of the non-negotiable requirement of a visa and background check to ensure public safety.

Patel on Wednesday launched a new Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan with a clear ambition of prioritising the prevention of these awful crimes, supporting victims, and pursuing perpetrators. 2.3 million people in England and Wales experienced Domestic Abuse in the last year and around one in five homicides are related to domestic abuse.

It is a time for recovery and damage control- a moment to heal and build back Britain, brick by brick.

One must not forget the Ministers are not individually responsible for government’s policies. The policies reflect the ethos of the party in power. You can’t choose to be a part of achievements but not the failures. The world does not run on those terms.

India has to triple exports to attain $5-trillion economy India’s exports grew 37% over the previous year to surpass the $400 billion mark for the first time within a financial year. Union commerce and industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that the target was achieved nine days in advance and was significantly higher than the previous high of $330 billion achieved during 2018-19. He added that it was an important milestone for Atmanirbhar Bharat. India's imports also jumped to a record $589 billion owing to the rising oil prices. Economists, however, cautioned that rising economic uncertainty from the Russia-Ukraine conflict could worsen the trade deficit and widen the current account deficit going forward as international oil prices are likely to remain elevated, while supply-side bottlenecks and rising freight costs could hurt exports. An official said that in some areas commodity prices hike has played a role but there is evidence that exports have risen despite stable prices and in some cases despite a decline in prices. Former chief statistician Pronab Sen said that India could see exports rising in the coming months and much will depend on the value of the rupee.

Experts noted that another key factor driving the surge in exports is the pent-up global demand that was unmet during major waves of the pandemic.

Expansionary monetary policy by developed economies in response to the economic impact of the pandemic has also boosted demand for Indian exports. Engineering goods were the largest contributors to the growth in exports, growing at nearly 50 per cent and expected to hit $110 billion by the end of FY2022. Electronics goods exports rose by 42.8 per cent in the first 11 months of the fiscal, while gems and jewellery exports grew by 57.3 per cent boosted by a rise in gold prices. Goyal said that India had significantly boosted exports to key trading partners

with outbound shipments to the UAE increasing by 65 per cent during the fiscal and exports to the US increasing by 46 per cent.

Trade expert Biswajit Dhar said that high commodity prices, particularly in the case of crude oil and gold, had contributed significantly to growth in total value of exports. He noted that headwinds to a global economic recovery due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict could, however, dent India’s exports in the upcoming fiscal, particularly in the case of sectors like electronics and machinery exports which have been key growth areas.

Since India aims to be a $5-trillion economy by 2025, one of the conditions it must fulfil if it is to achieve this target is to triple its exports to $1 trillion by the same year. Getting to that milestone will depend a lot on how the government props up its export community – largely through its export schemes that provide a range of financial and non-financial incentives. Export incentives are certain benefits exporters receive from the government as acknowledgment for bringing in foreign exchange and as compensation for the costs they incur on sending goods and services out of the country. In India, export incentives are in line with the government’s flagship “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-sufficient India) programmes. The former aims to transform India into a manufacturing major while the latter advocates self-sufficiency.

China’s success as an exporting nation lies in its manufacturers receiving a wide range of government incentives. Since India aims to be a $5-trillion economy by 2025, it has to triple its exports and bring more foreign exchanges. India has to widen its export and to find new markets. India is a major force in the IT sector and we have to expand our reach to more countries.

Thought for the week If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavour. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Political Sketchbook Alpesh Patel

India changes stance on Russia?

When India abstained from the UN vote against Russia, it caused a great deal of international consternation. New Delhi had moved closer to its Western allies in recent years, so the decision to "sit on the fence" was surprising.

However, a recent call between PMs Modi and Johnson may suggest that India's stance on Russia is shifting.

Modi and Johnson Speak On Tuesday 22nd of March, PM Modi and Boris Johnson made contact to discuss the situation in Ukraine. The international community had expressed concern that India had abstained from voting on a UN resolution against the Russian invasion.

Of course, in geopolitics, things aren't that simple. Russia and India were Cold War allies. Furthermore, India is reliant on Russia for defensive weapons and crude oil. But realpolitik aside, the failure to stand with the West could push India towards Moscow.

On the call, the two PMs discussed the situation in Ukraine. PM Modi underlined India's stance, pleading for a ceasefire and a return to diplomacy.

Modi spoke firmly about his belief in respect for international law. He further noted that respecting the sovereignty and territory of all states was an essential component of the current world order — without explicitly mentioning Ukraine.

However, in his statement, Johnson suggested that the two leaders agreed that Russia needed to follow the UN charter.

What’s more, he indicated that they agreed that Russia must respect Ukraine's territorial sovereignty.

While there is some disparity between the two statements, it does suggest a softening of PM Modi's approach.

Biden: India "Somewhat Shaky" Of course, US President Joe Biden has amped up the pressure on India. He noted that out of the Quad — US, India, Japan, and Australia — India was the only member who was "somewhat shaky."

While New Delhi has called for peace, it has stopped short of condemning Russia for the invasion. A call between Australia and India on Monday saw New Delhi outline its case.

In short, with the perennial issues with Pakistan and a stand-off against China on the Himalayan border, India needs military hardware. Additionally, aligning with the West creates an awkward position in light of Chinese tensions.

Conclusion India's neutrality on Ukraine has put the country in a difficult spot. Sitting on the fence is a diplomatic gamble that might not pay off. Bilateral trade between the US and India sits at $150bn, while trade with Russia is a comparatively small $8bn.

Indian relations with the US and the UK have rarely been better. However, as India drags its heels on the Ukraine invasion, these mutually beneficial close ties could sour. If the West wants India to be closer, they simply have to offer replacements for Russian hardware at the same price. It’s a small price to pay to remove India from the clutches of Russian influence – oh and support on vetos the way Russia does on the UN Security Council. Between France, US and UK – surely that’s something all three want.

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Leicester donations heading to Ukrainian refugees A van carrying hundreds of essential items of food, water and medical supplies will set off from Leicester this week to go to Przemysl in Poland to be given to Ukrainian refugees who have fled from Ukraine to Poland.

Przemysl is situated close to the Ukrainian border and is 400 Kilometres South East of Warsaw. Operation Zenon brings together three Leicester based organisations, The Integration Foundation, The Northfields Foodbank and the Brighton Road Mission who have appealed for donations from local people. Amongst the items are tinned foods, buggies, toiletries such as toothpaste and shower gel, nappies and sanitary wear. Zenon set off from Leicester on Thursday the 26th of March, cross the channel to drive through France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany to get to Poland, to finally arrive in Warsaw on Saturday the 28th of March. Here the supplies will be given to Caritas, a Polish charity focused on ensuring the Ukrainian refugees are taken care of during their stay in Poland.

Keith Vaz, Chairman of the Integration

Foundation said: “The response of the people of Leicester has been overwhelming.

Over the decades I have seen many international crises and Leicester has always answered the call. I have never seen such a huge reaction over such a short period of time. Leicester has responded to the war with generosity and kindness. This is a small contribution but everyone wanted to do something. “ Diana Cank from the Northfields Food Bank added: “ We cannot imagine what it must be like to live in a war zone or be a refugee. I hope that this will bring comfort to those who have lost everything.”

Accused presented in court for allegedly stabbing Indian student from Kerala An Indian student Sona Biju (a 22-year-old from Kerala) was stabbed to death in a Hyderabad biryani restaurant in East London recently.

She was working as a part-time waitress and had arrived in Britain only a month ago.

She was pursuing a master’s degree at the University of East London. She was ruthlessly stabbed in during the day by a man with a knife who was posing as a customer at the restaurant called Hyderabad Wala in East Ham. According to the Times of India, Sriram Ambarla (23) who hails from Hyderabad, India has been charged with attempted murder. He was presented at Thames magistrates’ court and given a remand in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 25 April. Her health condition remains critical.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police were called at 14.22 hours (2.22 minutes local time) on Friday 25 March to report

a stabbing on Barking Road. Officers were present alongside the London Ambulance Service and found a 20-year-old woman with stab wounds. He was taken to a hospital where he is in a critical but stable condition.”

A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said: “We have sent two ambulance crews, a paramedic and a response officer to the scene. We also sent an air ambulance to London. We treated a patient at the scene and took him to a major trauma center as a matter of priority. ”

Drug-addicted mum was allowed to keep custody of her young son despite a warning he could die Coventry Crown Court heard that two days earlier, on November 24, a nurse told a child protection conference the boy was "at risk of dying" and could "die that weekend". She called for Hakeem to be removed from Laura Heath's care but - although it was concluded he was at "serious risk" - he was allowed to stay with her.

The schoolboy - who jurors were told had "severe uncontrolled asthma" - was found dead in the garden on November 26, with no sign of his medication near him.

Matthew Brook, prosecuting, told the court:

Following a report that a pedestrian had been knocked over by a car, officers who attended the incident were told the car - a Vauxhall Grandland - had been "driven at the victim'' emergency services were called to Welland Street, in the Highfields area of the city.

It was found that a man was seriously injured in a collision with a car in the early hours of this morning in a suspected hit and run.

The force said that the injured man is being treated in hospital for potentially lifechanging injuries. Detectives investigating the incident are looking to trace the vehicle and driver involved and have issued a public appeal for information.

Detective Inspector Rob Arthur, from the force’s Complex Investigation Team (CIT), has made a public appeal. He is urging anyone who witnessed the incident, including drivers with dashcam footage, to get in touch. “I am particularly keen to speak to anyone who was driving in the area early this morning and who has a dashcam in their vehicle."

Investigators are also appealing to local residents and businesses who have CCTV cameras or doorbell cameras to come forward.”

He said.

New North Indian restaurant to open at Hinckley’s Tarro Lounge According to Google, Bikaneri Bar and Restaurant will open its doors for the first time on Tuesday, April 5. In recent weeks renovation work has been going on at the unit, next door to Hinckley's Tarro Lounge.

The word Bikaneri refers to the people of Bikaner, a city in the north Indian state of Rajasthan. Bikaner is known for its culture, as well as its rich taste in food and spices.

The team behind Bikaneri are Marwar Caterers, who reached an agreement with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council to

"The defendant deliberately prioritised her addiction to heroin and crack cocaine and flouted the medical advice she received that would have kept her son's asthma under control.

Heath, 39, of no fixed address, has denied the manslaughter of her son, a Year Three pupil at Nechells E-ACT Academy.

Heath remarked to officers that Hakeem had 'told me to stop' taking drugs, the court hears. The defendant also acknowledged drugs affected her decision-making and that she said Hakeem 'deserves better'.

11-year-old girl stabbed by 12-year-old in North Manchester An 11-year-old girl has been taken to hospital following a stabbing before school in north Manchester. Police say a 12year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of assault following the incident on Chapel Lane near the Co-op Academy in Blackley. The victim suffered a 'small laceration to the top of her shoulder' and has since been discharged from the hospital.

A police van was pictured outside the school on Plant Hill Road on Monday morning.

Car collision injures man seriously in Leicester

A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We have attended a police incident at the school following a call at 8.22 am and have taken a female patient to hospital."

A message sent to parents by the school, which has been seen by the Manchester Evening News, said the incident had been 'dealt with quickly and appropriately'. It added: "We appreciate the concern from parents and carers and we have communicated as soon as we can after ensuring the safety of all students."

get the building back into use after two years.

The restaurant's website states: "Come by and spend a relaxed afternoon with your friends or family. Order a couple of drinks and spend some quality time. From the spices used to the cooking methods, Bikaneri strives to deliver the taste of India to you, right here in Hinckley. With the best chefs and great recipes, you can experience the flavours of North India."

The venue will be able to host private parties for up to 45 people at a time. The restaurant will open to the public from noon until 10 pm Monday to Thursday, until 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and from noon till 9 pm on Sundays.

in brief HEADINGTON SHARK AMONG NEW ADDITIONS TO OXFORD HERITAGE A home belonging to former BBC Radio Oxford presenter Bill Heine, with a sculpture of a shark sticking out of its roof, has been made a listed building despite the owner’s protests. Bill had secured the sculpture to his roof, purposely without planning permission, in 1986. He later found himself embroiled in a six-year planning row with the local council before he passed away in 2019. Mr Heine’s son, Magnus Hanson-Heine, vehemently opposed the building being added to Oxford’s heritage list as it would go against his father’s original purpose for the sculpture. He claims the move was an “exercise of power” by bureaucrats making decisions about public artwork “they know nothing about”.

TWO YOUTHS WALKING AROUND TOWN WITH BB GUNS SHOOTING AT PASSING CARS The Greater Manchester Police Bolton neighbourhood Facebook pages posted: "Whilst out on patrol the Bolton town centre team responded to reports of two youths walking around town with BB guns shooting them at passing cars. The incident was met with fury online, as Facebook users commented their thoughts.

Facebook commenters have slammed the police who took two youths home to their parents after 'walking around town with BB guns shooting at passing cars'. Social media users took aim at the officers' approach after the youths were stopped and searched in a town centre, with a 'BB gun and ammo' being discovered.

Those on social media asked 'is that it?'.

Another commenter added that the BB gun could 'easily blind someone... and now mummy tucks them up, ridiculous'.

"Absolute muppets," added a third Facebook commenter. "Nothing worse than your mum and dad finding out. Proper learning curve." .

PASSENGERS STUCK IN-PLANE AND BAGGAGE AT MANCHESTER AIRPORT Flyers who had touched down in Manchester claim they were met with twohour baggage delays, as others complained they were left stuck on a 'sweatbox' plane after landing at the busy airport. One customer, who had been onboard a TUI flight from Turin to Manchester, said passengers were kept on board for an hour after landing, as the heat blazed in through the windows.

Calling the plane a 'sweatbox' with passengers left sat in their seats, she told: "We were stuck on the plane for 50 minutes and the pilot was on the phone to the airport continually. It was absolutely boiling. We were all sweating for nearly an hour." Videos shared to social media also showed crowds of passengers slumped over their suitcases or lying down on the floor as they waited for their bags. Many reported they had to stay as long as two hours to collect their luggage. A Manchester Airport spokesman said the airport is experiencing staff shortages and working to recruit more staff. "We want to apologise to all customers who have been impacted by queues at Manchester Airport", the spokesperson said.

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New campaign to combat the fear of Cancer NHS England and NHS Improvement have launched a new campaign taking a radically different approach to detecting cancer early for patients when it is easier to treat. The campaign is the first to focus on tackling the fear of cancer rather than specific symptoms.

The key message is that if you think something is wrong it is always better to get checked out to put your mind at rest, or to get the treatment that increases your chances of a good outcome.

As part of the campaign, there is a powerful film that features cancer survivors and those who have been referred for testing. It highlights their personal experiences of how the NHS has helped them in their journey and focuses on the importance of visiting your GP and getting a diagnosis as early as possible.

The campaign is launched alongside new research that shows that nearly six in 10 people (56%) say a cancer diagnosis is their biggest health fear, above other illnesses including heart disease and Covid-19.

Almost two thirds (63%) of those surveyed said dying was their biggest can-

cer fear, with more than one in three (37%) worried about being a burden on family and friends and over another third (36%) worried about the impact of chemotherapy or other treatments.

While the majority of people knew catching cancer earlier makes it more treatable, over two fifths (42%) said they would ignore symptoms, wait to see if anything changed, look for answers online or speak to family and friends before seeing their GP. Dr Jyoti Sood “A key part of this new campaign is encouraging people to be aware of any changes in their body, and not to hold back from getting them checked. If you are worried that something in your body doesn’t feel right don’t let it play on your mind, contact your GP.” Daksha Trivedi who is a cancer survivor “Cancer itself can make you feel fearful and worried but once you have seen your GP you’re not alone. Your GP will refer you for the right treatment and is with you throughout your journey. I am alive today. I am cancerfree and I have been for the last three years.”

NHS bosses and cancer charities are urging people

not to delay “lifesaving” checks, highlighting nine in ten of those checked turn out not to have cancer but that it is better to know so that people can get treated early when chances of survival are highest.

Not all the symptoms of cancer are easy to spot. The NHS is encouraging people to contact their GP practice if they experience any of the below symptoms: è Tummy trouble, such as discomfort or diarrhoea for three weeks or more, or è Blood in your urine even just once; è Unexpected or unexplained bleeding; è Unexplained pain that lasts three weeks or more; è An unexplained lump; or è A cough for three weeks or more (that isn’t Covid-19).

Other signs and symptoms to prompt contact to your GP practice if experienced for three weeks or more include: è Unexplained weight loss è Feeling tired and unwell and not sure why è Heartburn or indigestion è Unusual, pale or greasy poo

Experts warn rise in crime with heatwave The sunshine is set to hit highs of 20C over the weekend - with many people planning to head to the nearest pub garden to enjoy themselves. Leading criminologist Professor David said that while Brits should enjoy their time in the sun, everyone should be aware of the risks that they shouldn’t take.

The warmer weather

7-year-old student dies at Essex school A boy died following a "medical emergency" at an Essex school. Police and paramedics were called to Shoeburyness High School shortly before 1.20 pm on March 28.

In a letter to parents, the school said: "At lunchtime today there was a medical issue that involved one child; no other individuals were involved. The ambulance and air ambulance service supported the child and were assisted by the police who then remained on-site as part of their protocol and to support staff and students.

Police say his death is being treated as unexplained. A file is now due to be prepared for the coroner.

often leads to many of us stepping outside of our homes and out with pals, but during the hot weather there is more likely to be more interpersonal violence, so fights will happen more than you would normally expect.

He has said Brits should ensure their houses are "locked up properly" to ensure burglars don't try

to break in while they're out soaking up the rays.

He also warned that the number of fights is likely to increase in the hot weather because people find themselves to be more “hot headed.” Last year more than 200 sunbathers erupted into a beach brawl in front of horrified families during a heatwave.

Why career change?

Shefali Saxena Now Teach finds and supports career changers in teaching. Now Teachers bring a range of backgrounds and quality experience to the education system. What they share is a passion to do something new, which is challenging and makes a difference to young people.

Now Teachers want to give something back to their communities.

There are now hundreds of different types of courses offered by hundreds of different training providers to become a secondary school teacher in England so rather than invent a new one, we guide you to the most appropriate one for you; then work with you and your training provider throughout the early years of your career to accelerate your progress as a teacher.

Sameera Asad Cooper worked in fashion for two decades, including as a head of buying for French Connection. But she found that eventually she really wanted to give back to her community and do something which felt meaningful.

Inspired by her enjoyment of homeschooling during the pandemic, she retrained as a Chemistry teacher and now works at a school in London.

In an interview with Asian Voice, she spoke about a career change, the impact it has had on her life and advised how other people can follow in their footsteps if they feel inspired to.

How scary is the idea of a career change?

I have a love/hate relationship to change. I realise I absolutely thrive being out of my comfort zone but it begins with a feeling of terror. The idea of a career change was only possible with having an incredibly

supportive family who encouraged me to take the first step into the unknown.

What amount of reflection and consulting does it take to reach a level of confidence to switch careers?

Sometimes it’s more about freedom to take a risk combined with having the confidence to actually do it.

For me, I was super familiar with supporting my children’s secondary education which was further intensified during the lockdown. It felt intuitive and then I got in touch with Nowteach and they facilitated my switch.

Is a change of career different for men versus women?

What's your take?

I think women are flexible and naturally reflective which gives them freedom intellectually to assess their choices. Whether they are in a position or not to make those changes is a different thing but we definitively see them as opportunities.

What are the vital steps to make the right decision to change your career?

Get professional guidance and advice. I had a good friend who had previously switched careers and was part of the Nowteach cohort 2020. She pointed me that way and then I was able to ask all the right questions.

Practicalities such as funding, qualification requirements, timings etc. It’s essential to become informed so you can make decisions that suit your circumstances.

How supportive was your family about this?

Very supportive, my children are 17, 15 and 12 and they have been my champions on this journey. Always attentive and curious, and often quite honest and critical if they think I’ve been too strict!

How fulfilling is a career in teaching?

Sameera Asad Cooper

Immensely rewarding, teaching is hard work but fulfilling. The rigour of the classroom has such incredible energy and camaraderie I find it exhilarating. Also, the challenge intellectually of constantly improving my scientific knowledge to support my students is very satisfying.

Do you miss your previous career?

Not at all! My pupils know I previously worked in fashion and when I look back I don’t regret a moment of it. I feel very fortunate to have been able to change career and find something I love. It’s surprised me because the training year was tough, I didn’t think I would overcome the transition. My mentor would constantly say that it gets easier and more natural. I didn’t believe her, but she was right.

What drives you to keep going and sticking to this one?

A strong sense of responsibility to my pupils, colleagues and to the school. As a career change teacher, my previous experience puts my new career into context. The social responsibility runs deep within me and as a parent in such an unsettled world, I also want to give a consistent and solid presence to my students.

In future, would you possibly make another change?

Ha! Good question, I’ve certainly become more curious so who knows what’s around the corner…. But definitely no time soon!

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2 - 8 April 2022

EATING vs HEATING? Continued from page 1

Credit card debt soared by £1.5 billion in February as the cost of living spiked across the UK, along with an additional £400 million in alternative borrowing, including personal loans and store cards.

The current economy also implies that staff in the NHS, the civil service and schools may leave to join private firms due to low wages in the public sector. Without cleaners, porters, healthcare assistants and other low-paid workers, the staffing crisis will deepen unless the government acts swiftly with a real pay rise that leaves inflation in the shade, it has been widely reported in the UK media.

The CEO of Child Poverty Action Group, Alison Garnham told us, “Millions of families are finding they can’t afford essentials as costs soar and the hardship will intensify unless the Government steps in with more support. On current plans, benefits for working and non-working families will increase by only 3.1% next month when inflation is expected to be eight per cent.

That’s an unmanageable real term cut of £663 per year for families on universal credit at the worst possible time.

Already 31 per cent of UK children are in poverty, rising to 46 per cent of kids living in minority ethnic families.

Unless the Government brings benefits into line with inflation next month, more families will be pulled below the poverty line with disastrous consequences for the children concerned.”

Inflation is set to average 7.4 per cent this year as energy bills spiral. Vulnerable people at a higher risk of dying from Covid-19 are facing an “unacceptable” choice between testing and cutting back on food and fuel needed to attend vital medical appointments. Bank of England Governor has warned that real incomes to be hit by ‘historic shock’ bigger than in any year in the 1970s.

Rishi Sunak’s spring statement did not do enough to tackle public sector pay, despite record levels of inflation - which stands at 6.2 per cent- and rising energy bills.

The Office for Budget Responsibility, however, predicts average earnings will be £11,000 lower than pre-2008.

In an interview on Sky News, amid massive controversy about his wife Akshatha Murthy and her father’s firm Infosys’ trade with Russia amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis (Read P13), Sunak said: “I think what we’ve done is substantial. If you take together £9 billion to help people with energy bills announced last month, the significant tax cuts that we announced yesterday, they will all help. But of course, they can’t mitigate all the difficulties that high

inflation is causing. No chancellor could do that.”

Millions of families are set for a council tax lifeline.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “Anything that puts more money into the hands of pensioners who are struggling with the rising cost of living is a good thing.

“For older people who pay in a different way, this approach may not work as well or as speedily. And if the Government was to put conditions on who receives this money according to property band, then older people who have a low income but who are living in a valuable home would lose out, which seems unfair.

“What’s clear is the Chancellor’s Spring Statement was something of a damp squib and did not do enough to help those who need extra support the most.

The Government needs urgently to make amends.”

Asian Voice asked the community businessmen, small businesses, charities and individuals about the impact of the rising cost of living and energy bills on them, and the probable solutions.

Small businesses are some of the worst-hit Deepak Tailor, founder of LatestFreeStuff.co.uk

Deepak Tailor

which is the UK's leading site to claim freebies and samples from top brands in the UK with over 1 million members said, “High energy bills, heating and inflated prices are going to hurt everyone over the rest of the year. The government really needs to step up with more cuts on fuel duties and support for small businesses. We small businesses are some of the worsthit because there is no energy price cap for us. We pay the full rates for energy as the wholesale rate fluctuates.

There have been some financial measures, but with the downturn of covid and then this crisis I feel like some businesses won't survive.”

Deepen Patel of Meet&Deep News Twickenham said, “It is

Deepen Patel

incredibly challenging operating in these turbulent times, being careful with our expenditure whilst continuing to stock a wide range of products for customers who are working from home.

Stock control, availability of products and pressure from customers to keep prices low, as well as paying weekly rental for subscriptions such as PayPoint regardless of whether we are breaking even or not all make it extremely challenging to operate our business. If cases increase, we will need to develop a new business strategy focused on home delivery or online services even if we are to survive.”

Impact can be seen right from homeowners Architectural Designer & Director of MCAPS Global Ltd Mayura Chandekar told

Mayura Chandekar

the newsweekly, “With the rising cost of living and energy bills, the impact can be seen right from homeowners to business owners.

Businesses like ours are having to develop strategies to work around this scenario.

As an architectural practise, we are required to make several site visits for design & pre-construction stage meetings. We have gone virtual for these meetings, saving our time for travel, saving travel expenses and also the clients save the fees they would need to pay for the site visits. Within the team, we are trying to continue hybrid working post-Covid.

This results in saving the expense of travel and office energy bills.

“The construction industry is experiencing a nearly 25% rise in material costs in the market making budgets on many projects tight. This has been really challenging for us, as the construction of good design elements cost money. The approach we are having to take on small budget jobs is to design smartly keeping the costs low, come up with ideas that are unique but achievable at a lesser expense.

“On jobs where design was ready prior to the rise in material cost, we are going through a value engineering exercise. We have meetings with builders where design elements that are not ‘must dos’ are eliminated or tweaked to simpler versions.”

Low-income families have felt embarrassed or ashamed Shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth gave the nickname “Me Tax” to Mr Sunak while warning

that pensioners have been “cutting back on hot meals” and “forgoing hot showers” as they cannot afford the cost.

Hanuman Dass, Founder of Go Dharmic Charity told

Hanuman Das

us, “In the last two years, we have seen a new wave of poverty and mass unemployment. Our various Go Dharmic hot meal distributions, between London and Glasgow, have seen a huge rise in attendance. Many of our volunteers have spoken to people who have lost their jobs and been unable to keep up with payments. This has led some to lose their homes and be unable to provide food for themselves and their children, relying on our food parcels, distributions and grocery kits.

“Many low-income families have felt embarrassed or ashamed, and we’ve had to work with schools to find and provide food kits for the families that need them.

There is great pressure on parents, many will skip meals to feed their children, and they will feel lost and hopeless. This is why besides supplying food and grocery kits; our volunteers offer companionship and social support. It’s important to emphasize that poverty has social and mental effects, as well as physical ones.

“On top of distributing food and basic essentials, we, at Go Dharmic, believe open and warm communication is vital to providing the support economically suppressed families and individuals need.”

Hospitality industry hardest hit Indian hotelier and founder of Speciality Restaurants Anjan Chatterjee told Asian Voice,

some negotiations with our bureau solicitors but we had already taken people with the real estate we could have a discussion for comfort, we got some comfort from Portman estate, but by then we had already invested a capital expenditure of around £1.6 million and on top of that, we had to manpower recruited on our payroll will be who we had to pay the bills partially pay them and then plus we were playing paying the energy costs and insurances etc, other fixed costs.

“It was a question of survival at that point in time. So we were waiting and watching and looking for better weather to take off till the after the Delta variant arrived, and we had the courage to you know, take off at that point of time on the 7th of October. So, October-NovemberDecember things went very well after this. Then again 15th December onwards there was turbulence because people would not come in because of Omicron and then January was a washout beginning of February was also washed out then again.

“While we were handling other costs and tried to manage to survive somehow, the energy costs being doubled. That further aggravated things and hence the losses increased.”

Chatterjee has two suggestions for the government.

He said, “Considering the kind of hit that the FMB industry is taken, one would be to request the government to continue to give us to have the VAT rate at 12.5% for a period of next two years (18 to 24 months) and give a special rebate on the energy costs for this sector.”

Valerie Kolat of Dapur Malaysia (popular for

Valerie Kolat

Anjan Chatterjee

“It was very difficult to manage during the pandemic period because we had already got our restaurants fully ready to take off on the 4th of April 2019. We were absolutely ready with full fitouts done. But then came the pandemic and the rest is history. While we could do

Malaysian street food) said, “The current rise in prices is having quite an impact on our business. Staff wage rises are going up, cost of ingredients has gone up by between 15% to 30%, our contract with our energy company is coming to an end and they have quoted us double the amount. For hospitality, VAT will be back up to 20% in a few weeks. All this while trying to keep on top of the rent and catch up with any back rent from 2 lockdowns. What we have found is that people’s habits have changed irrevocably, while we are strong on the take outs, dining in is still hit and miss and

generally unpredictable.

Ideally, something needs to be done about the fuel and energy cost, whether it's reducing the VAT or cutting the fuel duty more than what was announced. Another year for on 12.5% VAT for hospitality would also help after the debacle over Christmas.”

Asians do not have conversations about finances in their households Sonya Barlow is the host

Sonya Barlow

of the BBC's The Everyday Hustle, a show specially to discuss how Asians can hack the everyday hustle to get richer. Speaking to Asian Voice she said, “As an Asian social entrepreneur author and radio presenter, the cost of living is a topic discussed openly across all forums.

Traditionally, Asians do not have conversations about finances in their households and for this reason, everyone must take responsibility by having the conversation, educating themselves and budgeting. Small steps we can put into place include lessening the number of times the kettle is on, the time we spend in the bath (even 5 fewer minutes makes a difference) and swapping the car for walks where and if possible.

“As Asians we should also be supporting our local community and businesses, so invest in buying products from family-run stores, rather than large mainstream commercials. And lastly. get savvy - stop the subscriptions that aren't being used, e.g not every person in the house needs their own amazon account contact your energy and electricity providers to understand if you are getting the best deal and start generating passive income by selling old clothes, items of the house or even homemade items through forums like Instagram, Etsy and Facebook Marketplace.”

Meanwhile, members of the European Parliament on Tuesday questioned India’s position in the Ukraine war.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations have held several major votes condemning Russia’s actions. In all of them, however, India abstained. Despite the EU urging India to condemn Russian violations of international law in line with its commonly affirmed partnership values, India chose to abstain from the resolutions.

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Spring Statement 2022 Kiran D Patel BFP FCA Founder & Director Albury Associates Limited Introduction When the Chancellor presented his Autumn Budget on 27 October 2021, the UK economy appeared to be emerging from the pandemic, with the Omicron variant yet to arrive. Inflation was poised to reach 3.1%. Five months on, inflation is forecasted to reach 6.2% (or more), Russia is waging war in Ukraine, and Britain is facing a cost-of-living crisis. What was meant to be a low-key affair turned into a mini-Budget?

Understandably Rishi Sunak was under pressure to do more to help households and businesses alike, so he announced several changes, including: National Insurance Contributions (“NIC”) From 6 July 2022, an employee’s income will only be subject to Class 1 NIC when it reaches £242 per week. This brings it in line with the Annual Personal Allowance of £12,570.

In the tax year 2022/23, company directors will be able to earn a salary of £11,908 before they are subjected to Class 1 NIC. For the self-employed, the lower profits limit will increase to £11,908, being the amount that they can earn before NIC becomes payable.

However, the new “Health and Social Care Levy” of 1.25% (as announced last year) will be brought in from 6 April 2022.

This will make the NIC payable for a few months before reducing it in July 2022.

There are no changes for employers other than the Employment Allowance increasing from £4,000 to £5,000 for 2022/2023. The Employment Allowance exempts employers from the payment of Employers NIC due, up to the limits and subject to conditions.

Fuel Duty Fuel duty on petrol and diesel was reduced by 5p a litre for 12 months from 6 PM on 23 March 2022.

Unfortunately, the increase in the price of fuel emanating from the Russian war on Ukraine is likely to cause the benefit of the reduced fuel duty to be shortlived.

Basic Rate of Income Tax The basic rate of income tax will be reduced to 19% from 6 April 2024. This is the first cut to the basic rate of income tax in 16 years, and it will apply to non-savings, non-dividend income taxpayers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and also to the savings basic rate, which applies to savings income for taxpayers across the UK. There were no changes to the tax rates applicable to dividend income.

Research & Development Tax Credits From 5 April 2023, all data, cloud computing and costs associated with research and development will qualify for Research & Development Relief.

Research & Development Relief allows businesses to deduct an extra 130% of qualifying costs from the yearly profits, as well as the normal 100% deduction.

Loss-making businesses are also able to obtain tax credits (and eventual repayment) that are created by the Research & Development Relief.

Green Relief for Business Rates The Autumn 2021 Budget introduced targeted business rates exemptions from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2035 for eligible plants and machinery used in onsite renewable energy generation and storage and a 100% relief for eligible low carbon heat networks with their own rates bill. These measures will now be implemented from April 2022.

Pensions - Lifetime and Annual Allowance The lifetime allowance, which sets the effective maximum taxefficient value of pension benefits will remain at £1,073,100 for 2022/23 and is not due to rise until 2026/2027.

There is also no increase to the annual allowance, which remains at a maximum of £40,000, subject to a taper in money purchase annual allowance rules.

Company Cars Company car tax for vehicles registered since 6 April 2020 will rise in 2022/2023 for all but the highest emission vehicles. The taxable cash equivalent percentages will all increase by 1%, subject to the current ceiling of 37% of the new list price.

This means that the amount that will be added to the salary of company car users could be up to 37% of the on-the-road price of the car as it leaves the showroom.

Value Added Tax VAT on energy-saving measures such as solar power, heat pumps and roof insulation has been cut from 5% to 0% for five years from 1 April 2022.

The reduced 12.5% VAT rate for hospitality holiday accommodation and attractions will end on 31 March 2022, at which point the rate will revert to the 20% standard rate.

Student Finance In January and February, the government announced new rules for student finance applying to students in England and Wales.

For existing Plan 2 student loan borrowers (those who started a course after 31 August 2022) and those starting courses in the 2022/2023 academic year, the repayment threshold will be frozen at £27,295 up to and including 2024/2025 before increasing annually in line with RPI thereafter.

For students starting the 2023/2024 academic year: - The interest rate will be cut to RPI; - Repayment terms will be extended from 30 years to 40 years; and - The repayment threshold will be £25,000, frozen until 2027/2028 and then increasing by RPI thereafter.

Yes, let’s make it happen Rabindra Jung Lamichhane (Ravi) I am Rabindra Jung Lamichhane (Ravi), a businessman by profession and philanthropist at heart. As a London-based Nepalese businessman, I have been almost two decades in the ladies’ fashion business, as Director of Ravi Famous Limited and Gini London – Ladies fashion manufacturers company and the vice president of the UK-Nepal Trade and Investment Forum. Realising that the most effective way to help the neediest people would be as a successful businessman, who could give something back to people and the community and the motherland that is close to my heart, I founded the charitable trust, RaviChandra Trust, a non-profit organisation.

Holding many business titles and responsibilities, my busy professional schedules leave me with little free time, but I have a strong desire to help people and the communities for a social cause that make a significant impact. I have proved to not just cling to business but I have decided my time philanthropy work to serve the communities and the motherland, Nepal. Despite my time in the full-time ladies’ fashion manufacturing business, nothing has stopped me to engage in philanthropy and continuing to coordinate high-profile social events on bringing a positive social impact. The philanthropist in my heart that always wanted me to give back to society, and I have been passionately working to help the poor and less privileged children in Nepal, through the Ravi-Chandra Trust. The Trust currently focuses on quality education and improving livelihood, disaster relief, among other sectors. The trust provides scholarships to students to enable them to have a better future, and I have sponsored more than 60 children in Nepal.

I am growing along the way, not only known for my successful business but my huge amounts of philanthropic works but I have been actively supporting people and the communities through Trust for various social causes that include education, livelihood development, natural disaster, and other various crisis in need, few examples, I contributed to the Prime Minister's Fund in Nepal for the earthquake victims of Nepal in 2015. As a responsible citizen, I have donated funds to help the neediest citizen of Nepal during the outbreaks of the Coronavirus crisis.

I am now involved in a wide range of philanthropic activities and causes. I am honoured to say for my incomparable philanthropic contribution to society and the Nation, I was awarded the highest

Nottingham house fire kills two The alarm was raised in Whittier Road, Nottingham recently at around 12.45 am with the blaze finally extinguished at around 2.30 am.

Fire crews rushed to the terraced home to tackle the blaze, while nearby homes were also evacuated. A cordon has been erected on the road where serious damage can be seen to one of the terraced homes. A man and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene.

The fire service also confirmed crews from the London Road fire station were there in the area to offer reassurance to neighbours.

The residents were frightened following the incident, several people shared their shock at the incident on social media, with one person describing it as "just the saddest news to wake up to."

Firefighters remained at the scene to damp down the property once the flames were out.

Residents said the fire engines had problems reaching the home as cars were parked on both sides of the road.

Civilian honours‘ Suprabal Jana Sewa Shree’ award in April 2020 by the Rt Hon President of Nepal Mrs Bidya Devi Bhandari.

I have a proven record of promoting Nepal-UK relations. I have successfully coordinated various successful high-level events such as the Welcome Gala Dinner in October 2021, in honour of the Rt Hon Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr Sher Bahadur Deuba during his visit to the United Kingdom.

Regardless of my business, my passion for supporting causes doesn’t stop there, I feel very fortunate when I look back on the recent successful series of events in honour of Sri Sadhguruji, the opportunity it provided me, was phenomenal as I sponsored this very historic event for Sadhguru in London. It was particularly rewarding to be able to host the event to bring people from different walks of life. Another way in which I have been able to promote racial harmony through the event, where I am the main coordinator, it gave me great joy to know that I have had a significant role in supporting a global campaign ‘Save Soil’. The mystic, yogi, and visionary Sri Sadhguru has set off his journey on 21st March on a motorbike from London to India, aiming to travel across 27 countries to spread global awareness to save the mother earth through the Save Soil movement.

Taking time out of my tight business schedules for a noble cause gives me a great opportunity to give me something back and invest my time in helping the global community, has the perfect opportunity to use what I have gained through my business ethics to give back to the society. I felt so honoured not only hosting the event at the prominent venues, the Nepal Embassy and the House of Parliament, but by attendees that included the Ambassador of Nepal, India, and other high profiles dignitaries, MPs from different political allies.

There is no better feeling than knowing that I am contributing my time, passion, and platform as a responsible citizen to make a difference to protect and promote the global campaign, ‘Save Soil’.

Although I organised and sponsored this event for Sri Sadhguruji I would like to express my profound gratitude to Baroness Sandip Verma, who hosted and welcomed the event. I want to convey the same gratitude to Rt Hon Gagan Mohindra to address the event with a vote of thanks. I truly feel honoured and blessed to support a great cause ‘Save Soil’ campaign that was initiated and launched globally by Sri Sadhguruji, Yes, ‘Let’s make it happen’.

Man texted drug dealer and killed himself and girlfriend Jay Dawes is believed to have killed his girlfriend and then himself had texted his drug dealer to say he had “got rid” of her, a coroner’s court has heard.

Jay’s girlfriend Amani Iqbal, 28, was discovered by police at her home in Walthamstow on January 3 last year with an initial postmortem failing to find a conclusive cause of death. Her partner, Jay Dawes, had died the previous evening after driving into the side of a parked lorry at a layby on a dual carriageway. Amani was last seen alive on New Year’s Eve in 2020.

Jay had died on January 2 after the red Peugeot he was driving collided with a parked lorry in a layby on the A11 in south Cambridgeshire. During a preinquest review hearing on Tuesday (March 22) at Waltham Forest Coroner’s Court, it was heard that a Domestic Homicide Review would take place over the coming months to establish the

circumstances of their relationship.

The coroner said: “So on New Year’s Eve 2020, which was the

last date Amani was seen alive, he received a call or a text stating that Jay had ‘got rid’ of his girlfriend, broken up with her and he was now happy again. That’s in Jay’s inquest bundle, and Jay asked for money from him despite stealing hundreds of pounds from Amani’s account.

That could mean he was possibly told about Amani’s murder or given details, but importantly he was the only person to speak to Jay from what the police have told us and what the CCTV has revealed.

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UK citizenship test to be investigated by Lords committee The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee has launched a short inquiry into the Life in the UK test, which foreigners applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain or for British citizenship must pass. Failure to pass the test in time can make an applicant liable for deportation.

Over the course of its inquiry, the committee will consider whether a test is the best way of assessing the civic knowledge of new long-term residents and citizens and if so, consider whether the current test

needs reforming. It will seek views from overseas and from those who took the test.

The committee held its first evidence session as part of the inquiry on Tuesday 29 March at 10 am. The committee explored the origins of the Life in the UK test, assess whether its original objectives were met, and consider what would be alternative means to achieve these objectives.

Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future, Professor Dina Kiwan, Professor in Comparative

Education, University of Birmingham and Madeleine Sumption MBE, Director of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford were due to present evidence.

Some of the questions are as follows: Legislation requires long-term residents and prospective citizens to have “sufficient knowledge about life in the United Kingdom”. What do you understand by “sufficient knowledge about life in the United Kingdom”?

What lessons can be learnt from citizenship tests or alternative mechanisms

implemented overseas?

What do you consider the best way of assessing civic knowledge? Are there unintended and unwelcome consequences to the test and to the underlying requirement to demonstrate "sufficient knowledge about Life in the United Kingdom"?

Over two million people have taken the Life in the UK test. What do we know about their experience? Do different groups experience the test differently? What are the direct and indirect costs incurred by the test for those taking it?

London Ambulance Service donates 10 ambulances filled with medical supplies to Ukraine A team of volunteers from London Ambulance Service (LAS) set off for Poland today (Monday) driving 10 reconditioned ambulances, filled with medical supplies, which will be donated to a charity helping to bolster humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

Shortly after 7 am, the team of 26 LAS volunteers set off from a foggy industrial estate in Rainham to drive more than 1,100 miles over

three days to Przemysl, Poland, where ambulances will be handed over to the Medical Aid Ukraine charity.

The 10 vehicles are former LAS ambulances that

had been decommissioned from use in London but have now been rapidly refurbished by the Service’s fleet team to make them suitable to donate to Ukraine.

The ambulances are filled with donated medical equipment from LAS and a number of other NHS bodies and organisations in London. Supplies include ventilators, syringe pumps, tourniquets, wound dress-

Zara is searching for a donor Zara, aged nine, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in October 2019. After a long time in hospital, she fought cancer and was back to leading a normal life, going to school, playing and spending time with her little brother.

Sadly, in March 2022, Zara’s family were given the devastating news that her AML has returned and she was very quickly admitted to the hospital to begin

chemotherapy.

“She desperately needs to find a blood stem cell donor to save her life. It could be you.” says Zara’s dad Vikas “South Asians are heavily underrepresented on the register and it is much more difficult for patients with a diverse ethnic heritage to find a matching donor.”

If you’re aged 17-55 and in general good health, please consider joining the

register by clicking the button below. You may be the one person Zara needs.

More details about her are here: https://www.dkms.org.u k/get-involved/virtualdrives/zara

Former sergeant accused of gross misconduct According to a story in The Times, a former detective sergeant accused of gross misconduct over the Rotherham sex-grooming scandal between 2008 and 2012 told a disciplinary

hearing in Sheffield that he was given no training in investigating the exploitation of children and was juggling up to 180 cases at a time.

However, David Walker

has denied failing to act on information about sex abuse and claims that a council worker was passing girls’ names to potential sex offenders. The case continues.

Routine mammogram saves Labour MP The Labour MP Dawn Butler has successfully undergone breast cancer surgery at the Royal London Hospital.

She posted on social media that a routine mammogram saved her life, adding that cancer cells had been discovered early.

Butler, 52, told the BBC that she had had a mastectomy at the Royal London Hospital after receiving the diagnosis in December.

Steeply rising rates of diabetes and obesity A study has shown that steeply rising rates of diabetes and obesity have stored up a catalogue of other chronic diseases among middle-aged Britons.

Experts at Cambridge University found that people with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk of 57 of the 116 illnesses most commonly seen in middle age. In the world’s largest study of its

kind, they examined data from three million Britons with an average age of 50.

The study found those with type 2 diabetes were 9 per cent more likely to get cancer and significantly more likely to develop kidney failure, eye problems and heart disease. On average people with type 2, diabetes developed these serious “middleage health problems” five

years earlier than those without diabetes. More than 4 million patients in the UK have been given a diagnosis of diabetes, and 850,000 more are thought to have the disease without knowing.

Data suggests that every week, diabetes leads to 185 amputations, 770 strokes, 590 heart attacks and 2,300 cases of heart failure

ings, blizzard blankets and personal protective equipment (PPE).

When the convoy of 10 ambulances and two support vehicles arrives in Przemysl on Wednesday, the ambulances and supplies will be received by the Polish Ambulance Service. The Ukraine Ambulance Service will then collect the ambulances with Medical Aid Ukraine volunteers and drive them to Ukraine.

Tory donor “most wanted” Peter Virdee, 48, also known as Hardip Singh, is a property developer and solar energy entrepreneur, who is suspected of giving more than £100,000 to the Conservatives and £2,000 to the Labour shadow minister Preet Gill MP. “He was given a jail sentence of three years and three months by a court in Frankfurt in December for his role in a £100 million international VAT fraud in Germany,” The Times reported.

Residence rights in trouble A new report from Oxford University’s Migration Observatory has sounded the alarm on “pre-settled status”, which requires people to reapply within five years or become irregular migrants.

More than two million EU citizens and their families hold a temporary immigration status that could see them lose their UK residence rights and be removed from the country, Oxford academics have warned. The status was given to people who were residents in the UK before the end of free movement in December 2020, but who could not produce evidence that they had been in the country for more than five years by that point.

Biggest enemy of relationship is prejudice Rohit Vadhwana 'The new boss who is coming from headquarters is horrible in nature, I have heard from my friends there.' An employee relayed insider information about the new chief who was to take over operation at a branch. Others started inquiring more, and whatever came to their way, from social media, or other colleagues, added to the personality of the person they had never seen or met. Thus, a predisposed evaluation was created about the person.

But it happened that after the manager had taken over, he got along very well with almost everyone, except for those who relented their work. 'Quite a hard task master I would say, but not bad at heart.' Declared the same employee who had lit the fire first. 'Yes, rather the deputy, about whom you had given good reviews is horrible. He smiles, shows to be a person who can be approached, but never helpful.' Another employee added. Again, it turned out to be a wrong judgement about the person.

Reputation travels faster than a person. Before we meet anyone, it is possible that we have heard something about him/her. This reputation, good or bad, influences our thoughts and outlook and we tend to create an opinion even before meeting the person once. This might work as a prejudice in favour of or against the individual and may affect our relationship. As a book is always more than its blurb or a review given on its cover page, so is the individual. One cannot judge from the hearsay as to what an individual would turn out to be.

This is a common human fallacy to create a persona of someone based on a few details they have collected from here and there. It doesn't work like that in reality, because anyone is more than what one can perceive, or describe.

Similarly, one cannot be painted in black and white. One behaves differently with different people, chemistry of personal and professional relationships may also vary accordingly. Why to prejudge someone and give any advantage or disadvantage before direct interaction and experience.

Prejudice is a fallacy of our perception, and it is an enemy of strong and good relationships. It creates a barrier in seeing through an individual in a fair manner.

(Expressed opinions are personal)

Subhash Thakrar honoured with ICAEW’s Outstanding Achievement Award The profession’s most prestigious award is bestowed on a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales who has made an outstanding contribution in any field of endeavour.

The forty-second award has been awarded to Subhash Vithaldas Thakrar in recognising his outstanding achievements and contributions to business, including supporting and championing London’s Asian business community, the UK’s business overseas and his charitable activities.

Past awardees include Sir Kenneth Cork, Lord Benson, Sir Bryan Carsberg, Sir Brian Jenkins, Rt Hon Lord Wakeham, Lord Karan Billimoria, Deepak Parikh, Dame Mary Keegan and Ruby McGregor -Smith.

Subhash qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Spicer and Pegler in 1982 and subsequently joined Blackstone Franks where he became their first Asian partner in 1985.

Subhash led Blackstone Franks and merged with CBW in 2013. Subhash is the founder of the Asian Business Association which is part of the London Chamber of Commerce and has now become a hugely influential body in the UK’s business environment. Subhash Chaired the ABA from 2001 to 2004 and later became Chairman of the London Chamber from 2010 to 2013.

Since mid-1990s Subhash has been involved in business and investment activity in India. Subhash has led various government trade missions to promote UK business in Africa and India. In 2019, Subhash was appointed by the UK Government as Commissioner to advise the Secretary of State for International Development.

Subhash has held other public appointments including positions with OFWAT, bank of England Small Business Panel, Commonwealth Education Fund and World Hindu Economic Forum.Subhash is also active in the voluntary sector where he is Chairman of Attlee Centre, a Trustee at Jaspar Foundation, The Three R’s Trust and is the Founding Chairman of Charity Clarity, an independent rating body that provides rating and guidance to charities. Subhash writes special interest articles occasionally for Asian Voice.

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89-year-old alleges Air India’s staff at Ahmedabad ‘hassled me repeatedly’ 89-year-old Kaushikbhai Dadubhai Patel has just returned to London after visiting his hometown Nadiad in India. He alleges that Air India’s staff at Ahmedabad repeatedly hassled him. He wasn’t allowed to board with an oxygen concentrator on the flight and also had to incur extra expense in a change of dates and travel back and forth to get medical clearance to board the flight again.

Speaking to Asian Voice Kaushikbhai said, “On 1st March I reached Ahmedabad airport but I was denied to board with an oxygen concentrator. They told rudely that the London staff doesn't know anything. Then my sister, who is a qualified midwife, said to take full responsibility for me but denied it. Then the Air India staff asked local doctor’s letter. They denied the letter of the UK doctor. Not only that, they cancelled the ticket and ask to purchase a new ticket.”

"I booked return tickets of LondonAhmedabad-London for £820. The flight from London on 27 December was 9 hours late and it took another 10 hours to complete the journey. The return ticket was on 26 January but I wanted to extend my stay up to 1 March. I was told clearly at the time of booking that I can change or extend the date once. So, I went to the Vadodara Air India office but they charged me £206 for extending the date,” he added.

Kaushikbhai had to visit Nadiad, where he got a medical certificate from a local doctor. He then went to Ahmedabad again on 3rd March.

He said, “They said to fill out one more form and get it signed by the doctor. After going to Nadiad again and coming back to

Ahmedabad, I got the answer – Now Mumbai’s doctor’s concern will be taken.

Finally, approval from Mumbai came on 8th March. The next day purchased a new ticket for March 12 for £1085. It was a height of humiliation, in the afternoon of 11, I got a call from Air India that there is no extra oxygen in the plane, you cannot travel. I said I have a machine. They said, no now you have to travel on March 15.”

Kaushikbhai told us, "I was repeatedly insulted, pushed, I paid extra for the ticket, doctor's fees, everything had to be done at my expense. Air India has not provided any facility. When I returned to London Airport on 15 March, the wheelchair arrived within 3 hours.”

Kaushikbhai's daughter Bina Patel is reportedly going to lodge a complaint to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Responding to Asian Voice for a clarification, Air India. Ahmedabad team replied, “the Passenger has reported directly on the counter on 1 March 2022 with old medical reports as per London doctor, which is not valid as per rules if it is beyond 7 days, that too especially when a passenger is having a medical condition and require oxygen on board, we had to refer to the case to our Medical Department.

“As per our Medical dept. the oxygen bottles were required onboard for Mr Patel’s safety which was arranged during his travel on 15th March 22. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted our Ahmedabad team has considered Mr Patel’s health and safety as first priority during his travel from Ahmedabad to London on the AI flight.”

Celebrating IWD 2022: Supporting the international recruitment of carers in the UK On the 5th March 2022, Assured HR hosted an online webinar celebrating International Women’s Day and sharing an exciting opportunity for Ugandans to be recruited as carers in the UK. In the UK, 83% of carers in the UK are female, and this occasion was celebrated during the webinar.

Based in London, Assured HR is a digital HR company specialising in the international recruitment of carers for nursing and care homes in the UK.

Cllr Mina Parmar Founder & Director, Assured HR

Cllr Mina Parmar founded Assured HR in 2010. She is passionate about breaking gender biases by giving women employment opportunities, thereby ensuring that they have an equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background. She commented, “I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without the support of profound women who gave me the strength to carry on.”

An inspiring array of keynote speakers graced the event, including Hon Flavia Kabahenda, the Woman Member of Parliament representing the Kyegegwa district. She is also the Chairperson of the Parliament’s Gender, Labour, and Social Development Committee in Uganda.

Hon Flavia Kabahenda is passionate about gender equality and female representation. In Uganda, as of February 2021,

Hon Flavia Kabahenda, Woman Member of Parliament, Uganda 34.9% of seats in parliament were held by women (UN Women, 2021). Over the years, Hon Flavia Kabahenda has championed women’s rights and aided various government initiatives in Uganda, including the

Assured HR Team welcoming Grace Amongi to the UK (Feb 2022) extension of paid maternity leave from 60 days to 90 days.

Assured HR’s CEO, Dr Dev Chauhan, is a geriatric medicine specialist who understands the care sector and has vast experience working with social care providers in the UK. To him, International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of women, and an avenue to encourage men to be allies to women for the purpose of driving the equality agenda.

Vara congratulates Ramsey Neighbourhoods Trust on their 10th anniversary Shailesh Vara MP recently visited the Ramsey Neighbourhoods Trust at their Library offices in Ramsey, Huntingdonshire, accompanied by the Mayor of Ramsey and Huntingdonshire District Councillor Steve Corney.

Ramsey Neighbourhoods Trust is a charity offering community-led activities and services to everyone who lives, works and

L-R: Christine Mally, Shailesh Vara MP, Cllr Steve Corney, Alison Seery, Cheryl Greyson, Linda Collumbell and Anna Bradley-Dorman.

volunteers in the local area. The charity works closely with Ramsey Town Council, schools, health professionals, businesses, statutory and voluntary sectors to provide a voice for people on local issues.

Mr Vara met with the Chair of the Trust, Christine Mally, Vice Chair Linda Collumbell, Communications and Grant Manager Anna Bradley-Dorman, Trust Project Manager Alison Seery and Discover Ramsey Project Manager Dr Cheryl Greyson.

In 2012, the National Lottery-funded Big Local Programme awarded Ramsey over £1million to make a difference to the people living in Ramsey and surrounding villages.

Known locally as the ‘Ramsey Million’, a vision was created for a ten-year project. The Ramsey Million project works with the Trust in partnership with local volunteers to make decisions about allocating funds in the com-

L-R: Alison Seery, Cheryl Greyston, Anna BradleyDorman, Shailesh Vara MP, Linda Collumbell, Christine Mally and Cllr Steve Corney.

munity.

An exciting project shortly coming to fruition is Ramsey's new community sporting hub - The Pavilion. This new community hub, home to Ramsey Cricket Club, will provide new facilities, including a place where people can meet and be involved in a variety of community and sporting activities.

During the visit, Mr Vara also took the opportunity to congratulate the team on receiving an Award for being finalists in the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Awards 2021-2022. The Award was for the Discovery Ramsey project, which has been funded by Ramsey Million Big Local since 2015 to revitalise Ramsey parish.

Following the visit, Mr Vara said, “I was very pleased to visit the Trust and meet those closely involved in its running. The Trust has been doing great work in the local community and it has gone from strength to strength over the years as it marks its 10th anniversary. The community continues to benefit from a wide range of activities and services including leisure workshops, social clubs, youth clubs, careers support and advice, as well as a café where people can meet with their dogs. I wish the Trust continued success for its next ten years.”

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Concentrate on aviation safety It is pretty much shocking to note that a Boeing 737 aircraft [belonging to China Eastern Airlines] has been involved in a deadly air crash [reportedly nosediving into the ground near southern China] killing almost all the 132 passengers on board. These news reports have sent shockwaves across the world. Even though the world has been thriving on technological advances, it is time to concentrate on crucial factors like safety and security to name a few. Here it is all about air safety that has often been a talking point across the board.

More to the point, the joy of flying is something every human has been looking forward to. Still, I remember my first-ever happy air trip between Tuticorin and Mumbai via Chennai along with my parents. No doubt more people have been flying across the world these days than before. Yet, many more have been willing to do so for the sake of their families and professionals. Hence, all the parties concerned like aircraft manufacturers and operators should stick to safety measures and foolproof security systems on aircraft.

As a person who just cannot control the joy of seeing airborne aeroplanes over native areas like Korkai, Tirunelveli, Tiruchendur, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu [déjà vu: I could hear the sound of a plane in the sky while preparing this letter], I [as a reader] have been writing about the aviation sector right from my professional years like 2007 and 2010 in Hyderabad where I had even a chance to witness a huge beautiful aviation expo. First up, the aviation sector has all the high points from advanced technology to an excellent career. So it can easily attract passengers and young talents alike. But unfortunately, numerous incidents of air crashes [many of which, down the road, have not yet been resolved right up to date] have long been a blot on the aviation sector.

Therefore it is time for the international aviation sector and all the airliners involved to sort out all the loopholes in the system using advanced technology and operating high-end aircraft.

P. Senthil Saravana Durai Mumbai, India

Getting to the bottom of the RussiaUkraine Crisis Alpesh Patel's article in the Asian Voice( 19 March) on the Russia-Ukraine conflict blaming India for sitting on the fence is disingenuous. Let us first look at the genesis of this conflict. As an emerging Gas supplying nation Russia planned a Gas pipeline going through Ukraine, Poland and Germany as its final destination.

This raised alarm bells in Washington fearing Russia's hold on these countries. As there was a pro-West government in Ukraine that took the NATO line the Russians planned another pipeline called Nord Stream which went straight from Russia to Germany. Later called Nord Stream 2 this direct pipeline meant Ukraine and Poland would lose billions of dollars in transit which they would have earned with the original pipeline. The US tried to sabotage the Russian connection with Germany by creating a conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Russia on its part was extremely concerned about the deployment of long-based, intermediate and short-range missiles on its border. Putin has offered to not deploy any missiles as long as NATO did not. NATO has refused to talk about missiles claiming that it is up to individual countries to decide if they want missiles deployed. The negotiations going on to stop the war are making no progress because of NATO'S instangience. NATO had gambled on the idea that Russia would dare not attack Ukraine fearing a massive US and Western Alliance response. Russia however called their bluff and the US and NATO have decided not to come to Ukraine's aid. They have essentially made Ukraine a sacrificial lamb. All they are doing is imposing sanctions that are not likely to deter Russia. So it is the US and NATO who are sitting on the fence as their ally Ukraine gets destroyed. India refused to take sides knowing these facts. However, it has not set on the fence as PM Modi is making strenuous efforts to stop the war. India has also sent a huge amount of relief aid to Ukraine. Alpesh claims that the West will not forget India's stand and may change its policy in dealing with India. The West however has not much room to manoeuvre as it has to choose between an aggressive China and standing by India as the only power which can stop expats from China. The UK is looking to India for a market of 1.3 billion people post Brexit. The US has had to have a reality check. The old hegemony is under increasing threat from new players on the scene.

Nitin Mehta

Ukraine: Scapegoat of western hypocrisy President of Ukraine Zelenskyy who was a comedy actor before jumping into politics, taking advantage of his TV popularity, akin to our own popular comedians like Two Ronnie’s, Derick Nimmo, Morcombe and Wise, Peter Sellers, Rowan Atkinson, Ken Dodd, Lenny Henry, Dawn French and few more, is more of a liability to his besieged nation than an asset.

No doubt, he is a good, popular actor but is a lousy politician. Practically in every trade, every profession, we have to qualify, either with a University degree or a long apprenticeship, depending on the importance of the profession.

Naturally, when it involves the well-being of people, such as the medical profession, to qualify as a doctor, surgeon, consultant, even pharmacist, apprenticeship is long and demanding. It is the same in the legal profession and building trade where the role of an architect is important, especially when building dams, bridges, tunnels and tower blocks which could become death-trap if planning is faulty, materials used are cheap and not fit for the purpose.

Unfortunately, politics is one important profession where no qualification or apprenticeship is required. We have seen Donald Trump becoming president of America, the most powerful nation on earth, without ever holding a high post in government. The same can be said of Ukraine's President, many feel he is a scapegoat who could be sacrificed at the altar of Western ego!

Zelenskyy should never have fallen into the trap laid down by NATO, especially US and UK, to make him a scapegoat, a proxy nation to fight nuclear-armed Russia and make Russian President Putin an international pariah, an outcast without involving in direct confrontation with Russia. As we say, if you can’t beat them, join them!

If Zelenskyy had promised never to join NATO, change the Constitution, guaranteeing Sweden type neutrality and adopted US or Indian type constitution where provinces have more or less complete freedom, Central Government handling Foreign Affairs and Defence, which would have placated Russian speaking Ukrainians, war could have been avoided, Russia could have been loyal friend rather than foe, as is the case with India!

Bhupendra M. Gandhi

The Kashmir Files Although TKF relates the story of the most recent genocidal actions to wipe out a people from a part of India, it also suggests something important about the transmission and suppression of memory. If knowledge in the Indian culture gets transmitted in ways that are different to those in the West, then TKF testifies to such a difference. If transmission of memory in the West takes place through a documentary archive, Indian traditions are all about the transmission of knowledge through performance, the body, gesture, and sound. Wiping out of memory from a culture involves an assault on their specific culture of memory. While the killings and expulsion of the TKF tells of index the physical disruption of this transmission, the inducing of trauma by violence adds a further impeding dimension. TKF captures both types of assaults, the physical and the inducement of trauma on a population: a culture is attacked in such a way that even the memory of that assault cannot be transmitted. It does so in a manner suited to the Indian culture, by enlisting the assistance of film, a contemporary performative art form, well suited to the Indian cultural environment. This may partly explain not only the box office success of the film but also its success in being able to transmit the experience of violence in such a way that the resulting trauma can be dealt with.

Dr Prakash Shah Reader in Culture and Law School of Law, Queen Mary, University of London

Ukraine & NATO Kapil's Khichadi comment AV 12_18th March 22 is spot on.

Of course, no one agrees with the Russian invasion, but the West instead of accomodating Russian security concerns have used Ukraine as a Trojan Horse. A far better outcome would be to keep a neutral and democratic Ukraine, this would have benefited all parties. I stand with India which has remained neutral in this "avoidable" war.

Jayesh A Patel West Wimbledon London

Asian Voice praised I think Asian Voice is an excellent newspaper which is getting even better week by week. There is always so much to read. Interesting news and features, readers’ views, editorials, personal columns, health and financial advice, entertainment, sport and more, are all presented in a visually appealing way. Well done everyone at ABPL Group and keep up the good work.

Rudy Otter

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Kapil Dudakia

Kapil’s KHICHADI

Uprising of the Slaves Any decision Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas make on their futures will be supported with "pride and respect", said the Duke of Cambridge. Prince William ultimately had to address the elephant in the room, that even the small colonies of the dead British Empire are now standing up and demanding the acknowledgement of the truth, and the associated reparations to support the words of the apologists.

I am reminded of what Churchill said in his book, The River War (1899) in which he said: “How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries.

Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement, the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property – either as a child, a wife, or a concubine – must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Thousands become the brave and loyal soldiers of the faith: all know how to die but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilisation of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilisation of ancient Rome.”

Yet whilst he was writing his books, Churchill conveniently forgot about the British ‘Christian’ Empire that thrived on its brutality to extinguish all those who came in its way. At the hands of the British and their way of imperial governance, millions were slaughtered in the name of the Monarch and in the name of the ‘religion of love’!

History as they say is written by the victors. The victims seldom get an opportunity to have their say.

However, Karma does not forgive, nor does it forget.

Now we see the slaves of the dead empire rise up to not just challenge their former masters, but they are now strong enough to treat them with the contempt they deserve.

In November 2021 I wrote a piece titled ‘Truth Commission - The British Raj and India’. It was my attempt to get a message to our PM Johnson, and to Her Majesty – that time is running out and it would be wise if they were to move towards truth, reconciliation, and reparation urgently.

Whilst the British media will present a very positive picture of the visit by Prince William to the Caribbean, the ‘benevolence’ factor of the white master is now wearing thin.

The Commonwealth as it stands cannot continue. The 54 nations that make up this socio-political group cannot continue whilst they remain on their knees to Her Majesty, and thereafter to Prince Charles. This madness of not reading the room (by that I mean the citizens of these 54 nations) will catch up and people will not like the humiliation afforded to the imperial masters.

In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., ‘Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed’.

We are grateful to all letter writers for more and more versatile letters well within word limit. Please keep contributing as always. If you are new, then write to Shefali at shefali.saxena@abplgroup.com

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India - UK friendship thrives at Southampton University Ruchi Ghanashyam Three years ago, India Centre for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development was set up at the University of Southampton. A research-intensive university, it is a founding member of the Russell Group with 24 of the top UK universities dedicated to maintaining the highest research and teaching standards. The India Centre ‘provides a platform for research leaders to come together with policymakers and business and industry partners to deliver evidence-based solutions and unlock the opportunities for policy change, inclusive economic growth, technology and sustainable development for India’.

The India Centre hopes to play its role in supporting India to achieve its sustainable development goals. As India surpasses China as the world's most populous nation within the next five years, its booming economy underpinned by a sizable youth population could produce significant economic and social impact for both India and the wider world.

Over the past three years, the India Centre had been raring to race ahead with its ambitious agenda. It worked on an interesting lake rejuvenation project in Puducherry in the past year, but beyond that, the pandemic kept its energies under a tight leash. The big moment came with the lifting of restrictions in the UK. India Centre launched a Special India Week from 14-18 March 2022. Working together with the Southampton City Council, Southampton City of Culture 2025, India Business Group and supporting partners, the Centre put together a nice blend of events to celebrate the growing Southampton-India ties.

The series of events was the first of its kind and a landmark in itself. It was also timed perfectly to celebrate three momentous occasions: the 75th anniversary of Indian independence, the 70th anniversary of the University’s royal charter status and 3rd anniversary of the University India

Ruchi Ghanashyam in a group picture with lyricist Javed Akhtar and actress Shabana Azmi

Centre.

The India week started off on a high note in London with the participation of FCDO Minister, Lord Tariq Ahmad, who highlighted the enormous benefits of diversity that have blessed both the UK and India.

He underlined the richness of the UK’s cabinet that includes names ranging from Patel, Sunak, Sharma, Javid, Kwarteng Ahmad and

more! He promised that the friendship between India and the UK will never be broken.

Sir David Payne, a leading Professor at the University of Southampton and Director of the Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics/ Optoelectronics Research Centre gave a brilliant presentation on the work done by him and his associates. It was easy to see in him the world-class pioneer of technology that he is. His work has had a great impact on telecommunications and laser technology over the last four decades.

The vast transmission capacity of today’s internet results directly from the inventions of Sir David and his team in the 1980s.

The evening also showcased Southampton University’s rich scientific repertoire, through a presentation by Dame Wendy Hall, Professor of Computer Science, and an Executive Director of the Web Science Institute at the University. She has taken the lead as one of the first computer scientists to undertake serious research in multimedia and hypermedia and shattered many glass ceilings in the process.

Huge fight at a restaurant on Warrington Road during Mother’s day meal Families 'ran to safety' after a mass brawl broke out with 'screaming and shouting' during a Mother's Day meal at a popular restaurant.

Police swooped on the restaurant on Sunday, March 27, after a fight broke out during a Mother's Day-themed evening. Cheshire Police confirmed that the incident took place at the Istanbul Grill on Warrington Road in Culcheth, near Leigh, at around 6.30 pm.

Onlookers reported witnessing arguing, shouting and swearing before glasses were 'thrown and smashed' at the restaurant. Families had to run out to the

street with their crying little ones during the 'scary' ordeal.

One pregnant woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told the M.E.N that a large party had started fighting with the waiters before glasses started being thrown and smashed. She said: "There was a large group of about 20 or 30 in the restaurant when a fight broke out.

A large police presence was pictured outside the Turkish restaurant as people stood and watched from the street - but most of those involved had fled the scene by the time officers arrived. The venue was full with families, including children and toddlers.

India Week was made special by the participation of Bollywood’s power couple, Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi. Poetry recitals, intellectual discussions about women in films and about India in Urdu poetry, were made uniquely beautiful by the intellect and talent of the well-known couple.

Their creative genius was evident in each of their engagements.

Their commitment to the University and to the Mijwan Welfare Society was transparent as they generously shared their time and energy just a few days before the premiere of Shabana Azmi’s newest venture, Halo, by Steven Spielberg.

Representing the High Commission of India, Vishwesh Negi, explained that the India-UK Roadmap 2030 adopted during the virtual bilateral summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British

FCDO Minister, Lord Tariq Ahmad

counterpart Boris Johnson, has the potential to usher India-U.K. relations into a golden phase of the partnership. With both leaders committed to guiding the effective implementation of the varied facets of the comprehensive strategic partnership, the fasttracking of the free trade negotiations between India and the UK. can be seen as a

manifestation of a win-win economic engagement, while the establishment of consultation mechanisms in defence and security over the last 10 months augurs well from both bilateral and multilateral perspectives. Though challenges persist and much more remains to be done, both countries remain progressively steadfast on the pathway to building a ‘golden period of relations’.

Universities and research institutions in India and the UK can leverage scientific collaborations and partnerships for advancing research and innovation aimed at address-

ing critical global sustainability challenges such as clean energy, climate change and disease burden.

As a member of the Board of Patrons of the India Centre and a former High Commissioner of India to the UK, I too underlined the importance of Roadmap 2030 which transcends many challenges and holds the potential to leapfrog bilateral ties to another level. I also highlighted the positive and influential role of the Indian diaspora in serving as a living bridge between the two countries.

Roadmap 2030 has put India-UK relations on an upward trajectory. Southampton University chose an opportune moment to highlight the contribution its research and innovation-based work can make to achieve the lofty bilateral objectives of the two countries.

Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam is the former High Commissioner of India to the UK. With a career in Indian Foreign Service for over 38 years, she has been posted in many countries including South Africa, Ghana, before arriving in the UK. She was only the second woman High Commissioner to the UK since India’s independence and during her tenure, she witnessed a number of significant developments in the UK-India relations. @RuchiGhanashyam

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SCRUTATOR’S IIT team turns plastics into hydrogen Plastic is not a biodegradable product, that is, they cannot be easily broken down into harmless products. But researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi have developed a method that can transform plastic into hydrogen when exposed to light. The generation of hydrogen from plastics is particularly useful because the gas is the non-polluting fuel of the future, said Dr Prem Fexil Siril, professor of IIT Mandi. The team developed a photocatalyst that can efficiently convert plastics into hydrogen and other useful chemicals when exposed to light. Photocatalysts usually need ultraviolet light for activation and therefore require special bulbs. But the new catalyst can function simply with sunlight. The findings showed that there was 100 per cent degradation within four hours when they used a catalyst in which about 4 per cent weight iron oxide was present in the polypyrrole matrix. The team found that hydrogen evolved during the breakdown of PLA when the catalyst was exposed to visible light. (Agency) Leopard spotted in Srinagar’s high-security area

is locally known as khadmor. The government also said that a captive breeding centre has been set up at Velavadar National Park. The government stated that to track movements and understand their habitat, two birds had been satellite tagged. (The Times of India)

teen was standing. (Agency) This Sikh man's impromptu dance in Miami

500-year-old Sevasi vaav to get a facelift

response can be fatal," he wrote. A Facebook post shared by Priyanka Kadam of Snakebite Healing and Education Society, reveals that Sayed was hospitalised after the cobra bit him. Experts opine that the youth needed guidance on how to handle snakes. Unnecessary handling and playing around can lead to serious repercussions. (Agency) Ropeway from Dharamshala to McLeodganj

A leopard was spotted in Srinagar’s high-security Church Lane area, triggering panic in the neighbourhood that is home to Kashmir’s prominent politicians and top civil servants. The leopard was eventually tranquilised by wildlife officials at the official residence of BJP leader Ashok Koul.

Wildlife warden Altaf Hussain said that after receiving information, they rushed to the area to capture the leopard. Hussain said the CRPF men deployed in the area helped wildlife officials track the leopard.

The leopard had been kept under the constant watch by the CRPF which was tactically placed to cordon the area from all sides. It was during this effort that the leopard entered Koul’s residential compound where officials tranquilised the animal. Hussain said the rescue operation took about 45 minutes. Officials said the leopard could have come from the Zabarwan mountain and forest range. “It is his own territory,” Hussain added.

(Agency) Lesser floricans on the verge of extinction

The lesser florican is the smallest bustard species and is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Its population is declining rapidly in its native range, with the global population estimated to be less than 700. Gujarat is home to three species of bustards - the great Indian bustard, the lesser florican and the houbara. The major population during the breeding season (monsoon) is found in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are the other range states of the species. Their habitats during the non-breeding season are yet unknown. Gujarat has just got 61 birds as on December 31, 2021. The bird is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The government said that efforts are being made to preserve the natural habitat of the lesser florican, which

Sevasi’s centuries-old vaav (stepwell) is going for a major facelift. A Vadodara based NGO has decided to adopt the stepwell that is under the care of the state archaeology department. “We have already held talks with the archaeology department and they have agreed to let us adopt it. In the next few days, we will sign an MoU with the department to adopt the vaav for two years. One of the first things we plan to do is clean up the entire stepwell,” Minu Hirode, trustee of Shree Ananta Charitable Trust that will adopt the vaav, said. “We lit the entire vaav with 1,000 diyas and organized ‘Jal Tarang’ programme to celebrate the World Water Day after taking permission from the archaeology department. The idea is to spread awareness about this beautiful vaav among the citizens,” Hirode said. Built more than 535 years ago, this step-well was built in the memory of a spiritual leader Vidyadhar in Sevasi village. Hirode said that they plan to organize smaller events over the next two years to popularize the vaav among the citizens. (The Times of India) Cop jumps onto railway tracks to save teen An alert policeman is being hailed as a hero for saving the life of a teenager who jumped onto the railway tracks as a train approached. The incident occurred at Vitthalwadi railway station in Thane district of Maharashtra. CCTV footage of the incident shows the policeman risking his life to save the teenaged boy from being run over. The footage shows the teen, in a yellow shirt, standing on the edge of the platform. The policeman, too, is seen walking nearby. However, the teen seems to spot an approaching train, and jumps on the tracks. After losing his balance momentarily, he stands up and puts his hands back while facing the incoming train. The policeman notices this and runs towards the railway tracks. Once near the edge of the platform, he hesitates for a split second, seeing the train arriving, but then jumps onto the tracks. He catches hold of the teen and pushes him to the other side of the tracks. Within seconds, the train passes the very spot where the

When Saminder Singh Dhindsa came across a group of people dancing on a sidewalk, he decided to join them and bust out some of his own moves. A video of the college student wowing the crowd with his dance moves and his infectious energy is now going viral online. In footage shared on Instagram, Dhindsa - whose bio states he is a student at George Mason University in Virginia, USA - was seen approaching a group of hip hop dancers on a sidewalk in Miami, Florida. On being encouraged to join them, he broke into an impromptu dance that elicited cheers from the audience. Other people were seen filming the scene and cheering as the college student nailed it on the dance floor.

"When in Miami..." Saminder Singh Dhindsa captioned the footage while sharing it on Instagram. "Blessed Folks was throwing it down for a video and the boys encouraged that I randomly join," he added. According to his Instagram bio, Dhindsa is part of the bhangra team at his university and a member of the Virginia School of Bhangra. (Agency) Karnataka man's stunt with 3 cobras ends badly Maaz Sayed, a snake enthusiast from Karnataka, was filmed handling three cobras in what many experts have described as a "horrific" manner.

He was seen crouching in front of the snakes, pulling at their tails and moving his hands about - all gestures that the cobras could have perceived as threatening and reacted aggressively. His most recent stunt ended on a terrifying note when one of the snakes suddenly struck him. Footage that has gone viral online shows the snake lunging at the stuntman and biting his knee. The reptile refused to let go even as the shocked man tried to pull it away.

Sharing the video on Twitter, Indian Forest Service officer Susanta Nanda criticised the snake handler. "This is just horrific way of handling cobras...The snake considers the movements as threats and follow the movement. At times, the

A long-pending demand of tourists travelling between Dharamshala and McLeodganj in Himachal Pradesh has been fulfilled. Now, visitors can reach McLeodganj from Dharamshala in just five minutes, instead of undertaking a 45minute road journey. The Dharamshala Skyway, an aerial ropeway project developed by the Tata Group to connect the two tourist hotspots, is ready. In an Instagram post, the Tata Group said that the 1.8-km-long ropeway was ready to “transform travel” between the two places.

Developed in a private-public partnership, the ropeway can reportedly carry 1,000 passengers per hour per direction. During the peak tourist season, traffic bottlenecks are common on the road between Dharamshala and McLeodganj. However, now that the ropeway is operational, it will reduce the distance by 9 km and save around 40 per cent of the travel time. Built at an estimated cost of about £20.7 million, the rope way has two stations and 10 towers. The top station is right in front of the Dalai Lama Temple in McLeodganj. The cost of one-way travel for one person is Rs 300 and two-way tariff is Rs 500. (Agency) Stray dog gets funeral, besna Villagers of Karannagar in Mehsana district gave stray dog Bhuriyo a funeral befitting a human being. They also organised a condolence meeting for the dog followed by a prayer meeting. Alka Patel, a resident of the village, said that there are many stray dogs in the village, but Bhuriyo was different. “One would expect any dog to give in to animal instincts, but we have never seen this dog harm anybody. It would never harass anybody even for food or bark at strangers or bite children. In fact, the children were so friendly with him, he would even allow them to ride him. The last rites were conducted to ensure that it gets a better life in its next birth for all the good deeds it did in this one,” she said. (The Times of India)

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The Victors from Manipur Abhiroop Sengupta Abhiroop Sengupta is a Kolkata based entrepreneur, fencer, amateur historian and writer. Also a devoted Freemason and Rotarian, he spends most of his free time researching about varied subjects, especially those which he feels did not get their deserved due in the course of history.

This fact can not be denied that the British had a very important role in the development of certain organised sports which still exist in our country as a part of our society.

Be it cricket, be it badminton or be it quite a few different other sporting genres that eventually found acceptance among the population. When it comes to the history of sports in India, it must be stated that the initial victories of Indian teams over their European or British counterparts have often been remembered and cherished. Be it India's first Test Match win, the first Olympic Gold medal in Field Hockey or be it the legendary Soccer victory over the East

Yorkshire Regiment in 1911 by Mohun Bagan Athletic Club to lift the IFA Shield, such incidents have become immortalised in the memories of many Indians.

There have been stories and motion pictures with quite a few movies having been made on Mohun Bagan's 1911 victory alone. Having said that, there arises one question. That being which was the first-ever Indian sporting team to have beaten a British or European team in a given sport? The answer is in all probability a Manipuri Polo Team.

Origin of Polo Polo has often been called the "Sport of Kings" and during much of the nineteenth century, the sport received massive patronage from all corners. From sport-loving British soldiers, officers and administrators to quite a few Indian princes, nobles and upper-class aristocrats. The origin of the sport is often debated with some claiming its origin among the nomadic tribes of Iran and Central Asia while others believe modern polo descended from the Manipuri game of 'Sagol Kangjei' or 'Pulu' which post being picked up by British officers had spread to other countries around the world.

The Great Face-off The Prince of Wales, HRH Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII) had toured India in 1875-1876 and during this journey, he had extensively travelled across the land. This famous journey was well documented in the book "The Prince of Wales

Tour: A Diary in India; With Some Account Of The Visit Of His Royal Highness To The Court of Greece, Egypt, Spain

And Portugal" written by William Howard Russel. During this trip while the various princes and maharajas paid their tributes, there were also some serious events and exhibitions planned in honour of the Prince of Wales and one of them was a polo match played between a British polo team comprising five British champion polo players and a Manipuri polo team consisting of an equal number of men. The date was the 3rd of January, 1876 and the incident is mentioned on page number 377 of the above-mentioned book.

What makes this match historic is the fact that in front of the future King-Emperor and his equerry Major General Dighton Probyn, the Manipuri team ended up scoring five goals against the British team. The author mentions that the humiliation was such that quite a few in the audience were offended by the result as according to them it was not fair that a team comprising of Englishmen should be beaten at any sport by a native team. The only solace for them as the book mentions was the thought that Polo was the national sport for Manipur.

Inspiration for ages The author did not mention any detail about the competing polo players but in all probability, the British team had some if not all players from the 18th Bengal Cavalry, who also had exhibited their capabilities in tent-pegging and swordsmanship. Sadly the names of the victorious Manipuri players were also not recorded but there exists in the book a sketch of a polo player from that day which was illustrated by the respected painter and artist Sydney P. Hall.

There also exists a separate Bourne & Shepherd photograph of a Manipuri Polo Team from 1875 which could be of that historic team as their arrival in Calcutta might have been in the last days of 1875 considering the fact that the match was scheduled for the 3rd of January, 1876.

Whatever be the case, the truth remains that on that January day what the Manipur Polo team went on to achieve in the field of sport was such a big feat that it could not be replicated again for a very long time.

Brighton College opens 15 free scholarship places for Ukrainian refugees Brighton College, in Eastern Road, is opening 15 entirely free scholarship places for children aged between five and 17, who have been forced to leave their country.

The scholarship was created after the school offered free places to two Syrian refugees, as they arrived in Brighton in 2015.

The free places come as just the

latest effort from the school, as pupils from one boarding house last week collectively cycled the distance from Brighton to Kyiv, Ukraine, raising £4,000 for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian appeal.

During the upcoming Easter break, all the pupils and staff from another boarding house will be

walking, running, cycling and swimming the combined distance to Kyiv and back, 4300 kilometres, to raise further funds for the DEC. Parents and friends of current pupils have clubbed together to show support – with one person even donating a four-bedroom property in Kemp Town for some of the displaced children to stay in.

East London state school won 89 Oxbridge places Brampton Manor Academy in Newham announced that it had beaten its record for the most Oxford and Cambridge University places after 89 of its students in Year 13 won a spot at one of the prestigious seats of learning.

The state school beat the number of offers given to pupils at Eton in 2021, winning 55 to Eton’s 48.

The East London school only launched its sixth form in 2012 to try and get children from deprived Newham backgrounds into toptier universities. The school has now sent almost 300 of its students

to Oxford and Cambridge.

According to the school, most of its sixth form pupils were getting Russell Group offers - places at 24 of the best universities in the country. The school’s social media handle reads: “The 89 Oxbridge

offers our Year 13 students have received is only a part of the other amazing offers that the vast majority of our students are currently receiving from the top Russell Group universities.

Oxford and Cambridge have both increased the number of state school students they take on each year. Between 2015 and 2020, the number of state school offers from Oxford went from 55.6 per cent to 68.7 per cent. In the same period, Cambridge offers to state school pupils went from 62.3 per cent to 70 per cent.

Couple banned from buying house because they were Indian Sareena, 34, and Ajay Suman wanted to look around a £375,000 fourbed property in Great Barr, Birmingham – but were told ‘there are other properties you can waste people’s time on’. The property that was advertised on Purplebricks, was particularly found special by Sareena, mother of two, as it was close to where she grew up.

However, the seller Claire May allegedly sent the couple a message that read: ‘I am no longer taking viewings from the Indian and Asian community who are not seri-

ous buyers. But just look around properties for sale…as a day out.

There are many other properties you can waste people’s time on so I suggest you go view one of them.’

Sareena , who is a Sales Trainer said, ‘I had to read it 15 times before it sank in. At first, it was laughable and I laughed because I didn’t know how to feel. And afterwards the sadness kicked in and I got upset. I felt forced to explain racism to my eldest son, Jhye, 6, following the message.'

The couple, wed for 10 years, has complained to Purplebricks –

with bosses taking the house off their site. Purblebricks also contacted the buyer and apologised.

Ajay convinced Sareena to avoid firing off an angry snap response as he felt it wasn’t worth the energy. The experience has made her scared for her two sons including the five-month-old Saint.

The only information said to be available to Mrs May when she denied the pair a viewing was Sareena’s name.

Total chaos amid an important alliance Continued from page 1

This would be the second visit of the UK Foreign Secretary to India since the Virtual Summit and would provide an opportunity to assess the progress on the Roadmap 2030 launched during the Virtual Summit. The visit will also serve to further deepen our partnership across various sectors such as trade & investment, science, technology & innovation, defence & security, climate cooperation, education and digital communications.

It is important to note that the E-visa of India has been taken off the list for the UK due to a reciprocal issue under the Foreign Trade Agreement between the two countries.

Sunak faces questions over his wife shares in Infosys Meanwhile, major consultancy firms PwC, KPMG and Accenture have all quit Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, citing a desire to protest against Kremlin's war. By contrast, Infosys is still operating in Moscow. Akshata Murthy, who married Sunak in 2009, is one of the wealthiest women in Britain, with a fortune reportedly even larger than the Queen's.

Akshata's father Narayana Murthy, founded Infosys in 1981.

The entrepreneur is now worth a

reported £3.4 billion. He stepped down as chairman of the company in 2014 but retains a 0.4 per cent stake in Infosys worth around £311million. In addition to his daughter, his wife and son have stakes in the group, too. Infosys remains one of India's largest tech firms, with a presence in around 50 countries.

However, it has attracted criticism for deciding to keep its Moscow office open despite the invasion of Ukraine. It is found that over the past year, Infosys made two dividend payments that would have netted Akshata around £11.7million through her 0.93 per cent holding in the company.

Quizzing the Chancellor about his wife's links to Russia earlier this week, the News presenter had asked him: “Are you giving advice to others that you are not following in your own home?” The Chancellor now faces more pressure over his wife's holdings in Infosys, given he has warned businesses to “think carefully” about making any investments that would benefit the Moscow regime.

A spokesman for the firm said: “Infosys has a small team of employees based out of Russia that services some of our global clients locally. We do not have any active business relationships with local Russian enterprises.” It is not

Liz Truss

known whether Akshata received the cash indicated from the most recent Infosys accounts, or if the dividends were reinvested or redeployed in another way.”

Last-minute cancellations A high-powered cross-party UK delegation to India led by the Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and his deputy was called off at the last minute in a sign of a growing rift over India’s refusal to distance itself from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The 10-strong delegation has been in discussion with India since January and was planning to visit Delhi and Rajasthan, but the Indian high commission is understood to have raised objections at the last minute.

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Eating fat does not make you fat Female Foreign Shefali Saxena Manisha Morgan is an evidence-based nutritionist who has been empowering women over 40 to ditch dieting for good, change their lifestyle through behavioural change. Supporting women to understand menopause and how to manage symptoms through diet and improving health outcomes by implementing healthy habits. In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, she spoke about the food and South Asian women.

Q - What is the ideal diet for a South Asian woman?

The ideal diet for a South Asian woman should be rich in protein, high in fibre and include some healthy fats and at least half a plate of vegetables at lunch and dinner The South Asian diet can be very nutrient-dense, we have many foods which are full of vitamins and nutrients. However, the nutritional profile of these healthy foods can change due to the way we cook them, e.g., adding too much ghee, butter, jaggery or oil.

It’s recommended to be mindful of these when cooking foods and reduce consumption of fried foods and sweet desserts which are high in trans bad as they can increase your risk of heart disease.

Q - Are milk and milk products friendly to the female hormonal system?

Milk is an excellent source of protein, calcium, and lots of other nutrients and full-fat milk contains healthy fats. If you like milk, it can be included in your diet. However, plant-based milk like oat milk does not have as much protein as cow's milk.

Q - How must a woman modify her diet post-menopause?

As women age, their bodies go through hormonal changes and it’s important to adapt your diet accordingly. Typically, this will mean ensuring you consume enough protein each

day to keep your muscles strong and retain as much muscle mass as possible as this decreases with menopause.

Eating a healthy balanced diet and keeping active are both key to minimising the risk of diabetes, muscle loss, osteoporosis, and heart disease as they all increase during the perimenopause and post-menopause years.

Q - Before associating obesity with overeating, what kind of routine examinations/food allergies and tests must a woman undergo to understand what's causing obesity?

All women should go for their over 40’s health check which is carried out by the GP this will help to understand your current health status and if they are at risk of any diseases such as diabetes.

Obesity can be caused by many reasons. Some examples include: 1. Medications such as steroids and anti-depressants 2. Leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Keeping active is essential for good health and overall wellbeing.

Modern life enables us to do everything by the touch of a button such as online shopping, grocery shopping, many of us have cleaners, gardeners etc so we are less active 3. Overconsuming foods. We live in a 24-hour food culture where food is easily accessible, and this isn’t usually nutritious 4. Food allergies tests aren’t routinely used for obesity 5. Learning how to change and implement new healthy habits, education and knowledge are crucial to managing obesity alongside receiving the right support through making lifestyle changes and not opting for quick weight loss solutions Q - What do South Asian women need to learn about gut health?

The simplest way to improve gut health is to add prebiotics and probiotics to your diet. Examples of prebi-

otics include all types of plantbased fibre, which include legumes, beans, fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, garlic, ginger, and green tea. It is recommended we eat 30 different plant-based foods a week to promote a healthy gut. Examples of probiotics include sauerkraut, kimchi, homemade yoghurt, and kefir.

Q - Please bust some myths about food and home remedies that may in fact harm women?

Eating fat does not make you fat, healthy fats are an important part of a woman’s diet and help to regulate hormones and are a good source of energy.

Carbohydrates (carbs) are not the enemy; they are an essential part of our diet and the amount you eat should reflect your activity levels. For example, a person who is sedentary doesn’t need as many carbs as someone who is exercising or very active Lemon water does not lead to weight loss or help burn body fat. It is however a good way to keep yourself hydrated which can help with weight loss as often we mistake thirst for hunger Eating eggs do not raise cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol are not linked unless you have a genetic condition that predisposes you to high cholesterol Intermittent fasting has some health benefits, but it does not ensure weight loss. By skipping a meal, you are reducing your calorie intake for the day. For weight loss to occur you need to be in a calorie deficit this means you eat fewer calories you are burning.

There are different types of fasting protocols, you can choose one which best suits your lifestyle Instagram @manisha_your_nutritionist

Over half of pregnant women have now had one or more doses of Covid-19 vaccines Latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows that 53.7% of pregnant women in England have been vaccinated with at least one dose of coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine.

This demonstrates the significant progress made in recent months, but the uptake remains lower amongst pregnant women compared to the general population of the same age groups.

Vaccine coverage has been increasing overall – in August 2021, 22.7% of women giving birth had received at least one dose of vaccine. This increased to 32.3% of women who gave birth in September; 41.6% in October 2021; 48.6% in November – and the latest data shows that it rose to 53.7% in December 2021.

Despite the overall increase in coverage in recent months, women of black ethnicity and women living in the most deprived areas in England were least likely to have been vaccinated in pregnancy. By the time of delivery, 24.9% of black women and 32.7% of women living in the most deprived areas of England had at least one vaccine dose – up from 13.3% and 18.3% respectively since February.

Despite the increase, these figures are still significantly lower than that of white women (51.4%) and Asian women (42.4%) – and those in the least deprived areas (64.7%).

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA said: “It is very encouraging to see that

Pregnant women who develop severe disease have increased rates of admission to intensive care, the need for invasive ventilation and pre-term delivery.

Home Secretary launches new Domestic Abuse Plan

by December 2021, over half of pregnant women in England had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by the time of delivery. We urge all pregnant woman who has not yet been vaccinated to come forward for their jab.

Covid-19 vaccines used in the UK are highly effective at protecting against hospitalisation and our ongoing monitoring of the vaccine programme continues to reassure us on the safety of these vaccines with similar pregnancy outcomes for vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant women.”

Vaccinated women who gave birth between January and December 2021 had a very similar low risk of stillbirth, low birthweight and premature birth compared to women who were not vaccinated in pregnancy.

Positive birth outcomes were similar across all age groups in vaccinated and unvaccinated women.

Previous studies have shown the risk of being severely ill with Covid-19 is higher for unvaccinated women.

Home Secretary Priti Patel launched a new Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan with a clear ambition of prioritising the prevention of these awful crimes, supporting victims and pursuing perpetrators.

The new Plan aligns closely with the recent publication of the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and is informed by victims’ and survivors’ voices.

2.3 million people in England and Wales experienced Domestic Abuse in the last year and around one in five homicides are related to domestic abuse. The Government has already taken steps to prevent these crimes, but the new Plan is set to go even further in tackling this threat, by delivering many of the provisions set out in the Domestic Abuse Act. Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "My Domestic Abuse Plan focuses on taking the onus off victims and making it easier for them to access the help and support they need while taking tough action against perpetrators.”

Ministers express disappointment over Afghan girls Female Foreign Ministers gave a statement expressing concern about Afghan girls being denied access to secondary schools as they reopen this spring.

schools this spring. The Taliban’s decision to suspend secondary classes until further notice is particularly disturbing as we repeatedly heard their commitment to

A statement by the Foreign Ministers of Albania, Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Iceland, Indonesia, Kosovo, Libya, Malawi, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Tonga and the United Kingdom, read as follows: “Every spring, the reopening of schools in Afghanistan comes along with great hopes and expectations of millions of students: to meet classmates and friends again, to resume learning and training, and to take another step forward in life.

“As women and as foreign ministers, we are deeply disappointed and concerned that girls in Afghanistan are being denied access to secondary

open all schools for all children.

“We urge the Taliban to live up to their commitments to the Afghan people and to adhere to the international conventions that Afghanistan has subscribed to. We call upon the Taliban to reverse their recent decision and to grant equal access to all levels of education, in all provinces of the country. Practical difficulties in implementing a nondiscriminatory educational policy must be overcome.

“We will watch closely whether the Taliban deliver on their assurances. We will measure them by their actions, not by their words.

The scope and extent of our countries’ engagement in Afghanistan beyond humanitarian assistance will be tied to their achievements in this regard.”

Female professors urge to abandon planned cuts to pensions Hundreds of female professors working in UK higher education have written to university bosses urging them to abandon planned cuts to pensions, arguing they will have a disproportionately damaging impact on female academics.

According to Guardian, more than 800 of the most senior women working in the sector have signed a letter that has been sent to Universities UK, the umbrella organisation representing higher education institutions, voicing their “deep concern” and calling for a last-minute rethink.

“Sweeping changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), the UK’s largest private pension scheme, are due to be implemented from 1 April, despite having triggered repeated rounds of industrial action on campuses across the UK by members of the University

and College Union (UCU).

The letter points out that women are already adversely affected by the existing pensions scheme because of gender pay gaps at all career stages and because the scheme penalises those who have taken career breaks because of caring responsibilities,” it was reported.

“The cuts specifically to the defined benefit portion of the USS scheme – which provides guaranteed income for life – could disproportionately impact women because we generally spend more years in retirement,” the letter states.

“Moreover, the sheer scale of the cuts would make the situation worse for future generations of women in academia, intensifying untenable trade-offs between early-career flexibility and the risk of financial precarity in old age.”

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Sarina Shah: Advocating Culture Sunetra Senior Sarina is currently a Modern Languages and Business Management Student studying at Birmingham University. However, involved in a plethora of entrepreneurial roles, she is also fast-becoming a role model for the multicultural community.

“Helping people and seeing them empowered. “I love the slower pace of happy is what drives me. I’m social by Spanish life – when I’m stressed, I nature and the idea of community is at know now how to go out and just sit the heart of every project.” Sarina is with a coffee in the sun…” Embracing founder of the travel blog, Sarina modern culture and languages is furExplores: a travel diary and educationther economically beneficial. Sarina al platform. Garnering “a mini-comelaborated: “There are so many vocamunity” through documentation of tions within language learning. Much her escapades abroad, she decided to more than simply interpretation or further collate different perspectives translation which are the usual go-to. on various job roles in languages, from Additionally, we have a shortage of recent and current lanlinguistic professionguage graduates to teachals in the UK which is ers and people working costing the country within marketing and the 3.5% of GDP in lost sector, to give readers an business opportuniidea of the centrality of ties. The current govwords in culture as well as ernment is giving out the range of careers availa contradictory mesable within the outgoing sage where they conprofession. sciously acknowledge “I wanted to encourthat we need more age the learning of lanlanguage students but guages but, in a fun and do not significantly door-opening way. I study act on this – doing the Spanish and French as opposite in fact e.g., well as business, but there was a bursary there’s a big problem in available for language the UK with the taking up graduates of £26,000 of languages amongst but this has recently young people. There’s a been cut down to only lot of contention around £10,000. This gives it. By introducing the lanthe subliminal idea guage series where I that languages are talked to experts, I wantsecondary and of less ed to linguistically inspire value. There was also people to bring alternaan explicit announcetive tongues into everyday ment in the media life. My website gives that STEM jobs are travel tips but also hopesuperior. I explored fully wider guidance.” this at length in my dissertation. Most Essentially, Sarina seeks to integrate countries in Europe do have citizens the concept of diversity itself. Indeed, who are at the very least bilingual. The language is a cultural window into UK is one of the worst for natives who local ways of being: “If you know the are multilingual. We need to do more native language, you can better conas a nation to address this.” nect to a place you’re visiting: from Indeed, there must be general particular food and custom to an understanding that society is stronger entire lifestyle. Actually, a trip to together. Sarina’s spirit of inclusion Seville in Spain changed my outlook extends to those immediately around. completely. I went to stay for about 3 During the Covid-19 crisis, she comonths in my Erasmus year. I learned founded a local response unit: the how to really relax and re-assess my Selly Oak Community Response with ingrained norm. Here, we often live to over 1,700 Facebook members and 300 work while, there, they live to be active volunteers, who helped over happy. Loved ones and community are 2000 people, delivering food bank prioritised even as people try to get by. parcels and through community Their way is very support. The group featured on emotive which is “I love the slower BBC News and raised over reflected in the £9000 in grants and donations, speech. This con- pace of Spanish including support from trasts to the very Santander Bank. The young life – when I’m polite way of advocate was previously also Britain. I took this stressed, I know President of the Modern lesson with me.”

Society, organising now how to go Languages Of course, social and academic events Seville is also visuout and just sit which raise the profile of her ally stunning. Vivid subject in a fun or engaging way. with a coffee in Finally, being open-minded is as green nature and grand ‘Moorish’ much a fundamental skill as the sun…” architecture pour analytical smarts. The ability to in at every angle. be empathetic, creative and “The place is wonderfully- sized and enjoy recreation can even hone and everywhere you go, there’re hidden elevate professional success. pockets of beauty and peace. The Organically exploratory as a species, physicality fits in seamlessly and flows the closer people are to their emanatthroughout the city.” To travel pasing environment, the more developed sionately then is to be personally they can emerge as vibrant individuals.

Tips to stay fit during Ramadan SARINA SHAH I: @sarinaaax

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ou are doing a bit of part-time journalism. Tell us more?

I’ve been exploring the culture and

life in London as well as that of international locations. I recently became a travel editor for my university’s newspaper and have been able to get involved in other adventurous sections. Through this opportunity, I’ve loved attending press nights for different concerts and theatre shows. Our features sections tie a bit of every category together e.g., a Valentine’s special we did brought together gaming, TV and food and drink, to name a few! ou say you hope to be part of global journalism. How exactly do you envision this?

Yes, I’d love not only to do travelwriting but also cover political and social events while staying in different countries. I’d want to do international opinion pieces if I could. I’m currently contributing a lot from my desk so getting hands-on experience is my next port of call. I have applied to a few graduate schemes for this. hat qualities would you say make a strong young entrepreneur?

Ingenuity and always thinking outside of the box. You need to be able to take inspiration from a variety of external sources and apply that to your own thinking. Confidence and proactivity are also key. You need to be able to explore further opportunities and invite more work in. ou are involved in many community projects as well as studying. How do you keep grounded and calm throughout the stress?

Cooking! I’ve really got into it over the last couple of years. I’ve been recreating Spanish dishes such as Spinach and Cheese croquettes as well as specialties from Latin America such as Frijoles.

Y

W

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarinaexplores/?hl=en

Dr Nighat Arif, medical advisor for community fitness app, Her Spirit, and resident GP on BBC Breakfast shares her top tips on how to stay active and healthy during Ramadan.

“Exercise is encouraged during the month of Ramadan as it has a positive health benefit.

However, it’s imporDr Nighat Arif tant to focus on the right kind of exercise intensity but still improve and the time you do it muscle function. should be chosen carefully.

4. Making sure you get With a fasting period enough sleep and rest days between sunrise and sunset, between sessions will be it can be a challenge to balmore important than ever ance refuelling with your during Ramadan. activity levels, so it takes a 5. Eat healthily to fuel bit more planning,” she said. exercise. Limit refined sug1.

Try exercising just ars (which is recommended before iftar (breaking of the anyway during Ramadan as fast) or between iftar and it regulates energy levels). suhoor (pre-dawn meal) so Also, avoid processed, fried you can eat and drink after and salty foods which can you exercise and replenish dehydrate you. Instead, and rehydrate your body. If choose complex, slowyou join a fitness app like release carbohydrates, proHer Spirit, you will have tein and fresh fruit and vegaccess to replays of live etables. classes which means you 6. If your fitness levels can exercise around your don't seem the same as own schedule. usual, don't worry! Being 2.

If you do want or consistent and enjoying the need to exercise while fastexercise you do is far more ing, start at a lower intensity important. It will be easy than usual and see how you enough to get into your feel and then build up. usual routine once Listen to your body and stop Ramadan is over. if you feel at all dizzy or Her Spirit’s mission is to faint. inspire every woman to 3.

Aim to maintain become fitter, stronger and your fitness rather than hit healthier. Its 22,000 memnew intensity goals. If you bers are part of a supportive want to try something new, community and receive peradd something in that is low sonalised coaching through intensity such as Pilates or a mix of live digital classes Yoga or even a gentle swim. including HIIT, yoga and It is also a good time to priindoor cycling and in-peroritise strength training son challenges such as wild which you can do at a low swimming events.

"The month of Ramadan is often seen as a month where Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. But it is so much more. it is about becoming a better Muslim and living the teachings of Islam in the best way possible. The essence of Ramadhan has been explained by the Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad who said: "The observing of the fast should develop a standard of righteousness within a person, through the means of which one is then able to protect themselves from all forms of spiritual and moral weaknesses, otherwise it is meaningless to fast."

So I hope and pray that as Muslims we make full use of this blessed and holy month in order to become better human beings."

-Imam Farhad Ahmad, Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

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AsianV Vo oiceNewsweekl e ly y

2 - 8 April 2022

HO OW W CAN NY YO OU HELP P THOSE FL LEEIN NG FR RO OM UK KRAIN NE? The UK Go overnmen ntt has ope o ened applications ffo o or people l in i B Briitain itain t i to t off ffer a rroo oo om ((or more if av availab ail illable) l bl ) tto Ukrrainian n nationals fleein ng g the tth warr.. Here’s H ’s everythin everrythin ng you need to t know ow should sh you u be able to help. p.

HO H OMES FOR UKRAINE SCHEME When willl sponsors and Ukra ainians be able to ap apply y for the sponsorship po p scheme?

Phase One of the t scheme opened on 18 M March ffor or visa applications frrom Ukrainian applicants who o havve named people in the UK U willing to sponsor them.

I want to help, h how do I? There are two wayys you can help through the t Homes for Ukraine Sc Scheme. cheme. If you know som meone in Ukraine that you y want to bring to the UK K, then work with them to fill fi out the dedicated visa application.

If you don’t kn now someone you can fill outt an expression of interest. i More infformati ormation will w be available on homesffor oru ukraine.

campaign.govv.uk.

How long do I ha ave to t provide p de ac ccommo odation? t n?

We’re We re asking people p to provide at leasst 6 months of stable accomm modation, but you can extend d this if you and your guestt(s) want to do so.

Wha att sor sort of space can I offe er?

Accommodation can be anything from m an empty room to an unoccupi noccupied home, as long as it it’s saffe, e, heated, free fro om health hazards and giives your guests adequatte access to bathroom and a kitchen facilities.

Am I goin ng to be expected d to cover ver my

guest’’ss bills o or provide me eals?

No, you’ll just be asked to provide the accommodati ccommodation.

However, therre is nothing stopping you off offering ering meals if you want. An n optional ‘thank you’ payment y of £350 per month willl be provided to people who o do host guests.

Will therre be checks carried out out to t protect my y family an nd m my y gu guests?

Yes, the local l c council will complete checcks on the accommodatio on and living arrangements. Security checks will tak ke place too, which willl vary based on circumstan nces. More infformati ormation iss aavailab vailable on homesffor oru ukraine. campaign.go ov.uk v

FOR SP PONSORS Will I be able to sta atte an ny y preferrences?

In Phase On ne of the scheme, it will be ffor or yyou as a a sponsor to apply with a specific naamed person or a named family mem mber. You You should consider what sort o of support you are best able to provvide and who you are most comffortab ortable to support. For example, you should consider whether w your accommod dation is suitable ffor or someone with i h a youn ng child, hild the h elderly ld l or someone w with a disability.

Will I be b paid rent?

No. Y You o should not charge an ou any rent. We ap ppreciate people’s generosity and do know ow that there ther will be costs associated w with helping out, and so we are off ffering erring an optional opti ‘thank you’ paaymen ymeent of £350 per month to people who who o can accommodate one or more ho ousehold (subject to the accommod dation they have). e) The ‘thaank you’ paaymen yment is limited to one payment m per residential address.

You will con ntinue to receive payments for as long l a you sponsor somebody as and ffor or up to 12 months. This paaymen yment will be made de in arr arrears.

Am I expected e to provid de meals too or just

ac a ccommo odation? n J accommodation. However, ther Just here i nothing stopping sponsors off is ffering erring m meals should they wish. Y You ou will not be e expected to cover the costs of food food d and l living expenses (although you maayy wish t off to ffer er this p philanthropically).

Where do do I recor r d my interest?

T e is a short fform Ther orm on Homes for for o U Ukraine.

You Y ou will be k kept ept updated d after

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2 - 8 April 2022

UK KRAINE FAMIL AM MIL LY VIS SA A SCH HEME The U Ukraine Family Schem me provides an immed diate route for for Ukrainians nians with family alread dy in the UK. 1. Go to gov.uk/UFS gov to start an a online application form.

2. Upload a scan of your passport p as part of your application. a 3. UK teams conduct security ity and saffeguar eguarding checks. s.

4. An email is sent confirrming permission to come to the UK. 5. Arrive A in the UK and extend d leaave ve to remain. r Paassport holders who apply app through the online-onl e-only process will receivee a permission permissi to traavel letter l and then a six-mo onth entry stamp vidences their righ right that evidences to work rk, stud dyy and claim benefi fit in the UK. On nce in the UK, they will need to mak make an app plication to extend their staayy (ffor or up to 36 month hs).

reecording your interest.

If yyou alread dyy havve a named co ontact whom you wish to sponsor yo ou should get in touch with them diirectly and prepare to fill in a visa ap pplication with all of their details an nd yours. The visa application ro oute opened on 18 March.

If you don’t currently know anyone wh hom you wish to sponsor, you may wish to get in touch with ma ch harities, faith groups or local

You’ll just be asked to provide thhe accommodation. However, there is nothing stopping you offering meals if you want.

community organisations wh ho are starting to make connectiions between individuals.

Wha at about abo a sofa fa bed d in my sitting si room? m?

We are asking for for sponsors who w can at least off ffer er an empty rro oom, to ensure the saffety ety and priva privacy acy of guests. A bed in a shared sp pace would not be an appropriate off ffer er of accommodation for for 6 mon nths.

Do I need to tell my landlord if I’m renting g?

If you rent, you should seek the t permission of your landlord.

Wha at if I liiv ve in S Scotla and, Wales al or Northern Ire eland? d?

Sponsors can apply for for the scheme scheme from any part of the UK. In addition, the Scottish Govern nment is directly sponsoring a numb ber of Ukrainians themselves. Indivviduals will be able to apply through the usual form form but should choosee

the Scottish Governmeent as their sponsor. The Welsh Go overnment will also serve as a direct sponsor in the coming daays. ys.

Whatt other way ways y can I help?

If you don’t havve a spare room, there are still other waays y you can help, such as by do onating to trusted charities and d aid organisations.

The Ukraine Hum manitarian Appeal is run by the Disasters isasters Emergency Committeee (DEC) (D –a group of UK charities that t provide urgent relief to displacced families.

You could also donate don nate supplies, supp such as ffood ood, clothes aand medical equipment, or volunteeer your time.

Check with your local charity, school or community group g to find out more.

Donate to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal now at donation.dec.org.uk k/ukraine/u /ukrainehumanitarian-appeal. l.

How should my guest(s) reach me e? e?

You Y ou should prrovide your guests with in nstructions on how to reach you from their chosen point of arrival into Britain. At maajor transport hubs there will ill be locally led designated areas where guests arriving i i to t the the UK can gett more infformati ormaation if required, ffor or onward trravel v infformati ormation.

received no rabies treatment is four four months. Pets will be considered case by case, and those which h have v already received some me treatment would spend d less time in quarantine.

Ukrainians ans should contact the Animal and Plant Health A Agency att pettra ettra tt vel@ap v l@apha. h gov.uk or should hould call +44 3000 200 301 optiion 2.

Can people bring their petss?

We recognisee that many people fleeingg the conflict will not have v been able to complete the full health preparations required ffor or their pets, especiallly in relation to rabies. es We haave, ve, theref ther for ore, put in place a new w streamlined process for for peop eople bringing their pets from m Ukraine. The Animal and Plant Health Agency will prrovide quick approvals and d relevant quarantine arrrangements, for for which we willl cover the costs.

Beffor ore arriving riving they or their carrier should contact the Animal and nd Plant Health Agency who w will confirm their approval al and will then organise any necessary n staayy in quarantine which is required to complete the rabies treatment process. o The maxim imum stay in quarantine for for o a pet which has

Why h hav av ve e you offered this sc cheme for Ukrainians ns and not for previous refu r ug gee groups?

The UK hass a long and proud history of w welcoming migrants including recen e t arrivals from Syria, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.. Every scheme is diff ffer erent and a learns from the successes es or challenges of those beffor fore. There has been a sponsorship nsorship route in operation ffor o some years, or and Homes ffor or Ukraine is a developed version of that. We will look to see whether there are ‘lessons’ we can apply from this schemee in future.

•F Fo or more information, please visi isit ukstandsswithukraine. campaign. n.g go ov v..uk •T To o dona ate to the DEC at appeal, visit dona ati tion. dec.orrg. g.uk/ u /ukr ukrainehumanita arian-a ap ppeal

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2 - 8 April 2022

Dear Financial Voice Reader, You will read lots about ISAs now the tax year is coming to a close. Junior ISAs are key to a child’s future. Too often we parents think property and good fortune will look after our kids. We do not plan ahead enough in my experience.

A junior ISA is a tax free account from which you can buy stocks (like Apple, Amazon, Costco or Microsoft) or funds (like a US S&P 500 index tracker). All gains in the ISA are tax free.

For most people, investing is about one of two things: retirement or their children’s well-being. Passing on survival skills to our children is an essential aspect of parenthood. And what better gift is there than financial independence?

As we all know, becoming a self-made millionaire is no mean feat. However, through saving, some well-timed or wise investments, and a little financial education, you can set your kids on the right path.

Below, I will list several methods that show you how to make your child a millionaire.

Junior ISA A junior ISA is permanently tax-free. They come as either cash ISAs or as an investment wrapper. In the tax year, investors could place as much as £9000 per year that will be locked away until a child’s 18 birthday, at which point it becomes a regular ISA. Investing If you want the best returns, you should consider investing. While it is riskier, the rewards are often much more significant.

Financial Education Of course, setting up savings and pensions funds for your kids is just one method. Another, favoured by Warren Buffett, is about teaching children financial literacy from an early age. Indeed, Buffet is so serious about this that in 2011 he created a children’s cartoon series Secret Millionaires Club.

Buffet has many lessons to give anyone about financial management, but for kids and parents, he keeps things simple.

Chief among his advice is teaching financial literacy as early as possible. Setting a good example and demonstrating the value of even a tiny level of savings are all tools that should be passed down to younger children. Buffet also suggests that instilling children with an entrepreneurial spirit and a constant desire to learn are vital factors for ensuring financial independence.

Turning Your Kid Into an Investor Of course, we won’t always be around to help and look out for our kids. So teaching them how to invest while we can is an excellent idea. With the bulk of our brain growth happening by three years of age, financial concepts can be taught in these formative stages. While that might seem young, this study by the University of Cambridge suggests basic money concepts can be grasped by children aged 3-4.

The pandemic — and resultant enforced homeschooling — provided an opportunity for many parents to orient their children towards money management. An intriguing blog on Your Money showed how children could learn about budgeting, risk and reward, cost of living, and investing.

Conclusion A mix of intelligent investing and education is required to help your children retire as millionaires. Consistent savings and a combination of investments and junior ISA are all that it takes to net seven-figure retirement funds. However, teaching financial guidance is a must.

I’ll return to Warren Buffett for the final word. He suggests that the number 1 financial mistake parents make with their children is teaching them financial literacy too late.

To conclude, it’s never too early to start saving, investing, or learning.

London retains its crown as Europe's dominant financial centre The City of London has retained its crown as Europe's dominant financial centre as fears of a Brexit- induced exodus failed to materialize, coming second only to New York in the latest global financial centres index, which is published by think tank Z/Yen Group and ranks the world’s top 126 finance hubs.

It takes into account areas such as political stability, labour market flexibility, quality of life, infrastructure and innovation. The City comfortably beat rival European centres including Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, which respectively came 11th, 16th and 19th.

It comes despite repeated warnings from chief executives and politicians that Brexit would damage the Square Mile's reputation. Despite London’s strong performance, the gap between the UK capital and New York has grown since September, when Z/Yen last published its index.

Hillingdon council bailed out with £25mn grant Hillingdon has been bailed out with a £25 million government grant following claims it could go bankrupt. The Council accepted the grant from the Department for Education after its schools’ budget raised fears of bankruptcy on the Labour benches.

The council’s request for a government bailout came after it overspent on schools’ funding due to a larger-than-expected num-

ber of pupils with special educational needs in the borough.

Hillingdon’s deficit stands at £38 million, larger than the council’s total reserves, meaning they would not be able to pay it back straight away should they have to.

The government will give Hillingdon Council £11 million before the end of the current financial year in April, with the remaining £14 million to be spread evenly over the next four

years. Hillingdon Council will have to pay £4 million per year over the next five years to fund their part of the deficit.

The government bailout will plug just over half of the projected £45 million schools deficit the council is expected to rack up by the start of the financial year 2025/26. A condition of the government grant says that Hillingdon Council will have to find the remaining

£20 million itself.

Hillingdon Labour’s Finance Lead Tony Eginton said: “Although we are thankful that the Safety Valve Agreements has been obtained, the fact is that this will affect our residents by additional costs on the £20mn which the Council has been forced to offer.”

New regulatory body to Over £1m alleged pay-offs oversee governance of in settlement agreement open banking after Sadiq became Mayor Today, in a joint announcement between the Financial Conduct Authority, the Payments Service Regulator, The Treasury and the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority), an entirely new Joint Regulatory Oversight Committee (JROC) was introduced.

The JROC will oversee the governance of open banking going forward, taking over from the CMA, and will be responsible for the long-term regulatory framework of open banking and open finance.

Essentially the JROC will design the ‘new entity’ which the Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) will transition into, in order to lead the UK’s development of open banking and open finance.

According to Andrea Coscelli, CEO of the CMA, “The CMA has carefully considered the appropriate future arrangements to boost Open Banking so that its significant benefits can be realised even more widely, we have today outlined the core principles that will ensure the new entity successfully picks up the reins.”

The JROC will draw up its proposals for the future entity by the end of 2022, and will oversee the new entity once it’s set up. Unfortunately, according to Maria Palmieri, head of public policy at Yapily, “many questions still remain around the future of Open Banking in the UK. With the current mesh of regulators, it is almost impossible for fintechs, banks and open banking providers to plan for the future.”

More than £1 million in socalled hush money has allegedly been given to City Hall staff under deals requiring them to keep quiet about their departures.

The pay-offs are termed “settlement agreements” rather than non-disclosure agreements but prohibit the sharing of “any employment-related issue” that might have resulted in the staff member leaving the Greater London Authority.

A total of 56 settlement agreements have been struck since 2017, at a total cost to the London taxpayer of £1,068,757, according to a freedom of information request. Out of which, 41 staff worked directly or indirectly for Sadiq Khan and 15 for the London Assembly, the cross-party body that

scrutinises the mayor and his policies, Evening Standard reported.

The payments — which average about £18,800 for mayoral employees and nearly £20,000 for the assembly or its “civil service” secretariat — are believed to be in addition to redundancy payments.

By comparison, 48 similar payouts made during Boris Johnson’s second term as mayor, between 2012 and 2016, cost almost £1.9 million.

The settlement agreements include a clause to prevent the disclosure of its terms. This is to protect the financial information, personal data and details of any employment-related issue that may have given rise to the agreement.

Pandemic impact starts to wane in SME perspectives The report for the Q4 2021 results, published last week, provides insight into SME perspectives and borrowing behaviour after almost two years of pandemic-related challenges. The report demonstrates that concerns over the lasting impact of the pandemic have begun to improve in many sectors, with some of the overall impact starting to wane. The proportion of SMEs seeing the pandemic as a major barrier to their business has decreased by 34 per cent since its peak in Q2 2020.

While overall the pandemic was still seen as the top barrier to running a business, this has now also been joined by cost pressures and supply chain issues including skills shortages. These rising concerns are now likely to be

exacerbated as we move further into 2022, as we see how the impacts of the Ukraine crisis on supply chains and costs are felt by businesses globally.

The results also demonstrated a growing minority concerned about EU trading arrangements among international traders, increasing from 22 per cent in Q1 to 34 per cent in Q4.

On the positive side, there was evidence that many SMEs were able to look to the future. A majority (57 per cent) were looking to pursue some sort of activity related to growth, with the top intended action encouragingly being to seek to reduce carbon footprint. In terms of plans to borrow, there did remain a minority of 14 per cent saying they would be seekers of

finance if not for concerns about the economy and their own business performance, though reassuringly only one per cent of those had been directly discouraged by a lender.

It would be wrong to say that in Q4 2021 the pandemic did not still pose a significant challenge to SMEs. However, there are certainly signs the landscape is changing, as we see a growing number of businesses start to see how they can move past the impacts of Covid-19 and look to build their future success despite broader economic headwinds. The extent to which this will be impacted by the global impact of recent geopolitical events as well as inflationary pressures remains to be seen.

Raj Subramaniam named as FedEx CEO FedEx Corp has named Raj Subramaniam as both CEO and president of the packagedelivery company as Fred Smith will step down from the post on June 1. Smith will become executive chairman of the company.

Smith, 77, started FedEx in 1973, delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the post office could. Over the next half-century, he oversaw the growth of a company that combined air and ground service and became something of an eco-

nomic bellwether because of its service to other companies.

“FedEx has changed the world by connecting people and possibilities for the last 50 years,” Smith said in a statement that also praised Subramaniam’s ability to guide the company.

Smith said he will focus on global issues including sustainability, innovation, and public policy.

Subramaniam, 56, joined the company in 1991 and served in several marketing and management jobs in Asia and

the United States. He rose to become the chief marketing and communications officer, and also served as the top executive of FedEx Express.

He became president and chief operating officer in 2019 and joined the FedEx board the following year. He will remain a director.

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India crosses $400 bn milestone in exports India's exports for the first time crossed the $400 billion mark in a fiscal on healthy performance by sectors such as petroleum products, engineering, gems and jewellery, and chemicals, according to the commerce ministry’s data.

The exports rose by 37 per cent to $400.8 billion in 2021-22 until March 21 against $292 billion in 2020-21. Previously, the outbound shipments had touched a record of $330.07 billion in 2018-19. Imports during the period stood at $589 billion, leaving a trade deficit of about $189 billion.

Hailing the success, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that this is a key milestone in India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ journey. The highest ever goods export target was achieved nine days ahead of the March 31 deadline.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that despite all adversities including Covid-19 pandemic, and Russia-Ukraine war, India has achieved this milestone. He added that closer interaction with states and districts; with engagement

exporters; faster resolution of their issues; actively engaging with different export promotion councils, industry associations and other stakeholders have helped in reaching this milestone.

The key export sectors, which contributed to record healthy growth include petroleum products, engineering, gems and jewellery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The top five export destinations are the US, the UAE, China,

Bangladesh, and the Netherlands.

Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Sarangi said that going by the trend, “we would be adding $10-12 billion in the remaining nine days”, taking the exports by end of 2021-22 to over $410 billion.

Anil Ambani quits as director of Rpower, RInfra Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani resigned as director of Reliance Power and Reliance Infrastructure, following markets regulator SEBI order restraining him from associating with any listed company.

Sebi in February barred Reliance Home Finance Ltd, industrialist Anil Ambani and three other individuals from the securities market for allegedly siphoning off funds from the company.

The regulator also restrained Ambani and three others from "associating themselves with any

India exports smartphone worth £4.2 bn in FY22 Led by a strong push by Apple and Samsung to harness benefits and commitments under the government’s productionlinked incentive scheme, exports of smartphones are set to cross the $5 billion mark in 2021-22, the record number coming in as companies gradually pitch India as a core global manufacturing base on the lines of China and Vietnam.

Total smartphone exports are likely to be upwards of £4.2 billion in the just-ending fiscal, according to early estimates by the industry, a growth of over 80% against the near £2.3 billion in 2020-21.

The growth has been meteoric if one considers that till just four years ago, smartphone exports were only at around £130 million (in 2017-18), which then

moved up to £1.12 billion in 2018-19, and thereafter to £2.72 billion in 2019-20.

The numbers were subdued in 2020-21 at £2.3 billion due to production and supply disruptions because of the Covid outbreak in the year. The surge in exports is being seen as exemplary as it also came at a time when the broader electronics market was suffering from severe component shortages due to the semiconductor crunch, apart from the disruptions because of the Covid-related lockdowns and restrictions.

India’s stressed relations with China, a key supplier of critical components, had also resulted in certain parts being held up, or coming in slower than usual. But the industry seems to have overcome this challenge as well.

intermediary registered with Sebi, any listed public company or directors/ acting promoters of any public company which intends to raise money from the public till further orders."

The two Reliance Group companies said that Rahul Sarin has been appointed as an Additional Director in the capacity of Independent Director for a

term of five years on the boards of RPower and RInfra, subject to approval of members at the general meeting.

The board unanimously reposed full trust in Ambani's leadership and invaluable contribution to steering the company through great financial challenges and towards being potentially debt-free in the course of the coming financial year, the firms said.

Gujarat again tops NITI Aayog’s 2021 Export Preparedness Index Gujarat has emerged as the top state in the NITI Aayog’s 2021 Export Preparedness Index for the second time in a row followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.

All three states have performed consistently across pillars, thus consolidating solid scores.

These states are among the top states in the export contribution of more than 50% in India in 2020-21.

Under the category of landlocked states, Haryana has emerged as a top performer.

Bihar and Chhattisgarh are some of the weaker states in this category, according to the final EPI report. Among Himalayan states and citystates, Uttarakhand and Delhi are the top-performing states. Delhi performs well

due to higher FDI inflows, better transport connectivity, logistics and investment attracted because it is the national capital.

Uttarakhand has attracted significant investments over the last three years.

The top six states in India Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana contribute 75% of India’s overall exports. Therefore, India’s export policy has to be more decentralised and state-specific. NITI Aayog recognises this fact and released an Export Preparedness Index (EPI) starting last year to enhance a sense of competition between states and encourage them to adopt export promotion policies, said an official.

The chink in the deal

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

I assumed the slot machine business was a dead business, unless it’s in an amusement park near a popular beach location.

A client has asked us to look at refinancing his commercial property, which is just outside of London going North. He has chosen to give the whole substantial building to a single tenant, who in turn sublets it to various tenants ranging from a night club to a hair dresser. Included in the mix is a slot machine business, where this tenant made his money several decades ago.

He seemed to rent half of the town. He took me into the slot machine premises, and talked me through the numbers.

It is open 24 hours, and fully staffed. It also provides free soft drinks and snacks to its punters; a common trick casinos use to ensure clients do not leave the premises, some even provide a hot meal.

He mentioned to me the client wins 84-85% of the time, the rest the house keeps. This relatively small premises generates £5K net for him per week. There was a time when he had a business which had hundreds of these, he himself was worth hundreds of millions at the time. This is how he had made his fortune; and then lost it all. His story is one you could write a novel with. Perhaps one to cover later on.

The purpose of my visit was to raise money on the property, and to get a good grip of the case it’s important to understand it first hand, not only behind a desk. As a case is only as good as its weakest link; if identified, there’s a chance it can be controlled.

There are several widely varying types of businesses here, and therefore there is a chance the valuation could end up being way off target. With this type of asset, my guess is if I bring in three different valuers, I will get three wildly varying valuations. One way to control this is to insist on a desktop valuation prior to a site visit. Some will likely attempt to charge you for this endeavour, but with some arm twisting it can be done for free. It came to light that a valuation had been done, and had come in at an acceptable level. It would make sense to use the same one. The first step is to ensure the firm is on the panel of the lender, and then to ensure you have enough leverage to get them instructed. I would ideally like, in this case, not just to get the same firm but the same valuer to come out again. This way the chances of slipping is minimised. The valuation is actually instructed by the lender and solely for the lender. So, it’s not always straightforward.

For me, it was a very insightful trip, to a sleepy town, where I never would have assumed a small outdated business would be generating this kind of cash flow. It just goes to show, you’re always learning; and never to assume.

India's forex reserves dip by $2.6 bn to $619.6 bn RBI’s foreign exchange reserves dipped for the second week as the central bank sold dollars to manage the volatility in the forex market arising out of the war in Ukraine.

According to data released by the RBI, forex reserves fell by $2.6 billion during the week ended March 18 to $619.6 billion. This was on the back of a $9.6 billion decline in the preceding week.

The latest decline is, however, more on account of the fall in the value of

gold holdings. The value of gold held by the RBI fell by $1.7 billion to $42 billion. Foreign currency assets saw a $703-million dip during the quarter to $553 million.

In the forex market, the rupee closed 16 paise stronger at 76.21 compared to last Thursday’s close of 76.37.

The rupee gained in weekend trading following a fall in crude oil prices and weakness in the US currency in the overseas markets.

UN, Fitch slash India's GDP growth forecast

Husband, wife mint own unicorns within a year

Global rating agency Fitch and the United Nations have slashed India’s projected economic growth for 2022. While the UN has downgraded the growth by over 2% to 4.

6%, Fitch slashed forecast to 8.5% for the fiscal 202223 from its earlier projection of 10.3%, citing the impact of surging energy prices against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

New Delhi is expected to face restraints on energy access and prices, reflexes from trade sanctions, food inflation, tightening

A Gurgaon-based couple became India's first husband and wife to build their respective startups into enterprises with at least $1-billion valuation, also known as unicorns.

Oxyzo Financial Services, a digital lending startup cofounded by Ruchi Kalra, said it hit the milestone the 13th Indian startup to do so this year - with its maiden fund-raising round of $200 million led by Alpha Wave Global, Tiger Global Management, Norwest Venture Partners and others. Less than a year ago, her husband

policies and financial instability, according to a UN report. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report downgraded its global economic growth projection for 2022 to 2.6% from 3.6% due to shocks from the Ukraine war and changes in macroeconomic policies that put developing countries particularly at risk.

Fitch said highfrequency data indicated that the Indian economy has ridden out the Omicron wave with little

damage - in stark contrast with the two previous coronavirus waves in 2020 and 2021. The PMI for the services sector showed only a slowdown in activity in January and February well short of an outright decline.

Industrial production managed to record a small rise in January, at the height of the Omicron driven wave.

With the wave subsiding quickly, containment measures have been scaled back, setting the stage for a pickup in GDP growth momentum in the second quarter of 2022.

Asish Mohapatra’s OfBusiness reached the same valuation after backing from SoftBank and others.

Kalra, 38, and Mohapatra, 41, are alums of IIT and met while working at McKinsey. Both startups are profitable, an unusual feat for young growth companies. Kalra is the CEO of Oxyzo while Mohapatra is the CEO at OfBusiness.

Matrix Partners and Creation Investments also invested in Oxyzo in what is one of the largest series - A rounds in India’s startup

industry.

Oxyzo was founded by Kalra, Mohapatra and three others in 2017 as an offshoot of the couple’s first startup, OfBusiness, which they started along with three others in 2016.

Oxyzo uses technology to crunch data and provide purchase financing to firms, giving out cash-flow based loans. OfBusiness, formally known as OFB Tech, supplies bulk raw materials such as steel, diesel, food grains and industrial chemicals to small and medium-sized businesses.

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Thousands rally in Pak capital as pressure grows on Imran Khan ISLAMABAD: Tens of thousands of activists from Pakistan’s ruling party and opposition groups have descended on the capital, Islamabad, ahead of a parliamentary vote seeking to topple the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Khan, under mounting political pressure, had urged supporters from across the country to gather on Sunday for a show of strength ahead of the crucial vote expected next week.

“It is a battle for the future of our nation,” the cricketerturned-politician said in an audio message. from Khan’s Activists Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party started arriving in the early morning at the venue, a parade ground near the Faizabad Interchange, where people danced to party anthems and shouted slogans such as “long live Imran Khan”.

PTI leaders said they expect-

ed more than a million people to attend the rally, even though some say the venue cannot accommodate more than 30,000. Addressing the rally, Khan said that a “foreign conspiracy” was behind the no-confidence motion and that “funding was being channelled into Pakistan from abroad. “We have been threatened in writing but we will not compromise on national interests,” he said, without providing details or evidence.

An alliance of opposition parties is accusing Khan’s government of corruption and blaming him for mismanaging the country amid a growing economic crisis. Opposition sup-

porters are also gathering in Islamabad ahead of planned anti-Khan protests. Supporters of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s party began a “long march” on Saturday to the capital from the eastern city of Lahore, the political bastion of Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.

Thousands of activists from the conservative Jamiat Ulemai-Islam (F) party are also marching on Islamabad to join antigovernment protests. Special security arrangements have been made for the rallies and about 13,000 personnel including paramilitary forces have been deployed in different parts of the city to prevent clashes.

The opposition is likely to table the motion of no confidence on Monday. After at least three days of debate, the vote can take place and must be held within seven days. But the PTI, which has a razor-thin majority in the National Assembly, has

been losing allies – with a number of defections ahead of the confidence vote.

50 Pak ministers ‘missing’ The Express Tribune reported that at least 50 ministers belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf are not being seen in public. Out of those missing ministers, 25 were federal and provincial advisers and special assistants, while four of them are the ministers of the state, four are advisors and 19 are the special assistants.

However, at the federal level, Imran Khan still enjoys the support of its ministers.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Minister of Defence Pervez Khattak and Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed are among those ministers who continue to defend the Pakistani PM.

Indian restaurant in Bahrain shut for denying entry to veiled woman MANAMA: An Indian restaurant in Islamic country Bahrain's Adliya has been closed by the authorities after it allegedly denied entry to a veiled woman, Gulf Daily News reported. The restaurant authority has put out an apology statement on social media expressing regret for the incident. The duty manager has been suspended, the authorities said. According to reports, the duty manager is an Indian.

It was reported that the inci-

dent came to the fore after the video of a restaurant staff blocking a veiled woman went viral on social media platforms. Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority has launched a probe and asked all tourism outlets to avoid any policy that violates the laws of the kingdom. "We reject all actions that discriminate against people, especially regarding their national identity," the authorities said.

The restaurant management

Lanka thanks India for $1bn credit line, seeks $1.5bn more COLOMBO: Foreign minister S Jaishankar on Monday called on Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and assured them of India’s continued cooperation and understanding as the island nation battles aparalyzing economic crisis.

While Gotabaya thanked India for its recently-announced $1 billion line of credit to facilitate import of essential items by the island nation, Sri Lanka has sought another $1.5 billion credit line from India for critical imports. It has also sought $2.5 billion from China as credit support to deal with shortages of essential goods.

Jaishankar was in Colombo to hold bilateral talks with the country’s top leadership and attend the seven-nation BIMSTEC summit. In his talks with

President Gotabaya, the minister reviewed various dimensions of our close neighbourly relationship. Gotabaya expressed his gratitude to the government of India for the invaluable assistance provided via the line of credit. “Met with Indian Foreign Minister During his meeting with PM Mahinda, Jaishankar virtually inaugurated the Jaffna Cultural Centre constructed by India. He also met Sri Lanka’s top Tamil leaders and discussed, as he tweeted, realisation of the aspirations of the minority community for equality, justice, peace and dignity.

Sri Lanka is facing an acute economic and energy crisis triggered due to the shortage of foreign exchange. Jaishankar also met Lankan finance minister Basil Rajapaksa on Monday.

posted a statement on social media and said this incident does not represent the authorities. "Everyone is welcome to Lanterns as how it has been for more than 35 years that we have been serving all nationalities in the beautiful kingdom of Bahrain. Lanterns is a place for everyone to come enjoy with their families and feel at home. In this instance, a mistake has been made by a manag-

er who is now being suspended as this does not represent who we are. As a goodwill gesture, we welcome all our Bahraini patrons to Lanterns on 29th of March to have complimentary food on us," the statement posted on Instagram read.

Sri Lanka to host 5th BIMSTEC summit COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will host the fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit from Monday to Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

The Ministry said that the event will be held in hybrid mode and Foreign Ministers and senior officials of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Thailand will arrive in Sri Lanka, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Foreign Minister of Myanmar will, however, participate virtually, it added. On Wednesday, Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will chair the BIMSTEC Summit with leaders of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Thailand participating virtually, according to the Ministry.

It said the leaders and senior officials will discuss the progress and the future of BIMSTEC, and a BIMSTEC charter is expected to be adopted during the summit.

BIMSTEC groups seven nations of South Asia and Southeast Asia including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Meanwhile, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday called on Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in Addu City and discussed the special partnership between the two countries.

Jaishankar, who arrived there on Saturday, also conveyed the personal greetings and good wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Solih.

Taliban block unaccompanied women from flights ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers refused to allow dozens of women to board several flights, including some overseas, because they were travelling without a male guardian, two Afghan airline officials said.

The officials said dozens of women who arrived at Kabul’s international airport to board domestic and international flights were told they couldn’t do so without a male guardian.

Some of the women were dual nationals returning to their homes overseas, including some from Canada, according to one of the officials. Women were denied boarding on flights to Islamabad, Dubai and Turkey on Kam Air and the state-owned Ariana Airline, said the officials. The order came from the Taliban leadership, said one official.

Last week, some of the women were

given permission to board an Ariana Airlines flight to western Herat province, the official said. But, by the time the permission was granted they had missed their flight, he said. The airport’s president and police chief, both from the Taliban movement, were meeting with airline officials.

“They are trying to solve it,” the official said.

Taliban officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

in brief INDIAN AMERICAN KILLED IN HOUSTON SHOOTING A 27-year-old Indian American store clerk, John Dias, was shot and killed last week at the V Stop Food Mart in Houston. The perpetrator of the crime remains at large.

Initial reports say police found Dias in the back room with at least one gunshot wound on his right shoulder. A brief security video prior to this is said to show him attending to the customers when the assailant, approached the counter and shot Dias point blank. Shocked employees and customers gathered outside the gas station on hearing of what had transpired. and were shocked.

Dias is originally from Chandor village of South Goa. He was well regarded and known, having played with the local football club and also working at a local hotel. He then worked on a cruise liner and two years ago settled in the US. An only child, he is survived by his grieving mother.

RACIAL EQUALITY AWARD FOR MANJUSHA KULKARNI Activist Manjusha Kulkarni is one of the five recipients of ‘Bank of America Neighborhood Builders: Racial Equality Award.’ She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles-based AAPI Equity Alliance, a coalition of 40+ community-based organizations advocating for 1.5 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County with a particular focus on low-income, immigrant, refugee, and other disadvantaged sectors of the population.

The bank said the awards initiative was part of its effort to advance racial equality and economic opportunity and that the awardees selected were recognized for their “extraordinary contributions to break down systemic racial barriers and create economic opportunities for Black, Hispanic-Latino, Asian American, and Native American people nationwide.”

INDIA, MALDIVES PARTNERSHIP REACHES $2.6 BN India and Maldives partnership has reached up to $2.6 billion in terms of grants, concessional loans, budgetary support and capacity building and training assistance.

India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar was in Maldives for two days - from March 26 to March 27, during which he called on president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. He held discussions with the Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and signed several agreements related to the bilateral development cooperation, inauguration/and handing-over and launch of a number of key India-supported projects that will contribute to the socio-economic development of Maldives and enhance its security.

US SCRAPS TALIBAN TALKS AFTER GIRL SCHOOLS SHUT The US said that it has cancelled planned talks in Doha with the Taliban after the hardline Islamist rulers of Afghanistan shut girls’ secondary schools. “We have cancelled some of our engagements, including planned meetings in Doha around the Doha Forum, and have made clear that we see this decision as a potential turning point in our engagement,” state department deputy spokeswoman Jalina Porter said. The Taliban shut down girls' secondary schools this week just hours after reopening them.

“This decision by the Taliban, if it is not swiftly reversed, will profoundly harm the Afghan people, the country’s prospects for economic growth," Porter told reporters.

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in brief NOBEL PRIZE WINNER TO DONATE MEDAL Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, a cowinner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, said he would donate his Nobel medal to be auctioned to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees. The Novaya Gazeta newspaper, where Muratov is editor-in-chief, in early March said it would remove material on Russia’s military actions in Ukraine from its website because of censorship, in response to threats of criminal prosecution of journalists and citizens who veer from the government’s official line. “Novaya Gazeta and I have decided to donate the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Medal to the Ukrainian Refugee Fund,” an article published with Muratov’s name said.

“There are already over 10 million refugees. I ask the auction houses to respond and put up for auction this world famous award. ” Muratov, who won the award jointly with Maria Ressa of the Philippines, co-founder of news site Rappler, dedicated his Nobel prize last year to six of the newspaper’s journalists who had been murdered for their work.

N KOREA TESTS LARGEST ICBM North Korea conducted what is thought to be its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said, marking a dramatic end to a self-imposed moratorium on long-range testing. It would be the first full-capability launch of the nuclear-armed state’s largest missiles since 2017, and represents a major step in Pyongyang’s development of weapons that might be able to deliver nuclear warheads anywhere in the US. Japanese authorities said the launch appeared to be a “new type” of ICBM that flew for about 71 minutes to an altitude of about 6,000km and a range of 1,100 km from its launch site. It landed inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), 170 km west of the northern prefecture of Aomori, the coast guard said.

CALL TO EXTRADITE PUTIN’S ‘LOVER’ Opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine and Russia in a petition have demanded Switzerland to expel the strongman’s “lover” Alina Kabaeva amid claims she is hiding with their secret children in a villa. Kabaeva, 38, is a former Olympic gymnast who is believed to be Putin’s “mistress” and mother to “secret” kids, Daily Mail reported. The petition comes amid reports that Kabaeva was sent to a private chalet in Switzerland earlier this month amid the invasion of Ukraine. “Despite the war, Switzerland continues to host an accomplice of Putin’s regime,” said the petition posted on change. org. It has so far got 57,000 signs.

CHINA LOCKS DOWN CITY OF 9MN China locked down an industrial city of nine million people overnight and reported more than 4,000 virus cases, as the nation’s “zeroCovid” strategy is confronted by an Omicron wave. Health authorities reported 4,770 new infections across the country, the bulk in the northeastern province of Jilin, as the city of Shenyang in neighbouring Liaoning province was ordered to lock down. China has moved fast in recent weeks to snuff out virus clusters with a pick and-mix of hyper-local lockdowns, mass testing and citywide closures. It reported two Covid-19 deaths earlier, the first in over a year. Authorities have warned of the risk posed to growth by persistent lockdowns. Shenyang, an industrial base home to factories including carmaker BMW, reported 47 new cases as authorities put all housing compounds under “closed management” and barred residents from leaving without a 48 hour negative test result.

Canada issues 450,000 study permits in 2021; Indians gain most OTTAWA: Canada saw nearly 450,000 new study permits take effect last year, a staggering figure that has almost doubled since 2015 and easily broke the previous all-time record set in 2019. India was the biggest beneficiary, with 217,410 permits being issued to Indian students.

China came in second, receiving about 105,265 study permits.

Due to the pandemic, Canada had issued just over 255,000 study permits in 2020.

As of December 31st, Canada had nearly 622,000 international students. Its international stu-

dent population stood at nearly 640,000 people in 2019 before the pandemic caused it to fall to around 530,000 foreign students in 2020.

The lifting of coronavirus

curbs was a major reason for the rebound. Another contributor was likely Canada’s easing of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules. Prior to the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) did not allow distance learning to count towards PGWP eligibility, but they have temporarily relaxed this policy until August 31, 2022 to help those who want

to go ahead with their Canadian study plans amid the pandemic.

International students who complete their studies at a Canadian designated learning institution are eligible to obtain a PGWP. The PGWP enables international graduates to gain the Canadian work experience they often need to be eligible to apply for permanent residence.

The top 5 international student source countries (as of December 31, 2021) were: India: 217,410, China: 105,265, France: 26,630, Iran: 16,900, Vietnam: 16,285

Indian-American doctor jailed over healthcare fraud NEW YORK: An IndianAmerican ophthalmologist in New York has been sentenced to 96 months in prison for a healthcare fraud scheme, along with fraudulently obtaining government loans meant for Covid-hit small businesses.

Ameet Goyal, MD, was sentenced this month by Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, for falsely billing for millions of dollars of upcoded procedures, and also for fraudulently obtaining two government-guaranteed

loans intended to help small businesses during the pandemic.

“Fraud doesn’t fully capture how blatant this was and how unjustified this was. This was not about need, it was about greed,” US District Judge Cathy Seibel said in a statement. Goyal previously pled guilty to all charges in a six-count superseding indictment before Judge Seibel in September last year.

In addition to the prison term, he was sentenced to five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay forfeiture of $3.6

In Pak, a Hindu teenager killed for spurning Muslim man ISLAMABAD: An 18-year-old Hindu girl was gunned down in Sukkur district of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province after she turned down a Muslim man’s proposal to marry him.

Pooja Kumari’s death is a stark reminder of the plight of Hindu minorities in Pakistan’s increasingly intolerant atmosphere where radical religious and sectarian groups have become more prominent in recent years.

According to police, assailant Wahid Bux Lashari

and two associates broke into Kumari’s house to abduct her and then shot her fatally.

Lashari wanted to marry the teenager, but she refused, said Bashir Jagirani, SHO at a local police station. “He got angry after she resisted. He opened fire, leaving the girl dead on the spot,” Jagirani said. Lashari was arrested and a court remanded him in police custody for 10 days. Kumari’s murder drew condemnation on social media, with #JusticeforPooja trending on Twitter.

Easy access for India nurses, techies in UAE NEW DELHI: UAE is set to allow easier access for Indian nurses, engineering and accountancy professionals as well as the IT and IT-enabled services as part of the comprehensive economic partnership agreement, which is to be implemented over the next few weeks.

Government sources said the bilateral trade deal, clinched in record time, will see India also commit to a liberal regime for 100 out of the 160 services.

On its part, UAE has made “meaningful commitment” for market access in 111 services. So far, the focus has been on manufacturing, but a key gain is seen to be on the services front, including movement of Indian professionals.

The government sees the

million and restitution of $3.6 million. Goyal has already paid approximately $1.79 million toward these obligations.

“A prominent ophthalmologist and oculoplastic surgeon who has now surrendered his medical license, Goyal was blinded by greed. Over a seven-year period, he preyed on the trust placed in him and cheated patients and insurance companies of $3.6 million in false charges,” said Williams.

To cover his tracks, Goyal created fictitious operative

reports, seeded across hundreds of patient files, violating the integrity of patients’ medical records and making it more difficult for subsequent doctors to evaluate their care.

“Even after being arrested for this scheme, he committed a breathtaking new fraud and stole $637,200 from the Paycheck Protection Programme in the early days of a devastating pandemic,” Williams said. “For his crimes, Goyal will serve a substantial sentence in prison,” he added.

US Air Force allows Indian origin Hindu airman to wear Tilak WASHINGTON: The US air force has allowed an Indian origin Hindu man to wear a Tilak while on duty. Darshan Shah, a US Air Force airman stationed at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, has been granted a religious waiver allowing him to wear a Tilak Chandlo while on duty.

Since joining the service two years ago, Darshan, an aerospace medical technician assigned to the 90th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, had been pursuing a waiver. Darshan garnered support from all across the world as word of his request for a religious waiver spread through online group chats.

On February 22, 2022, he was given permission to wear a Tilak Chandlo while in uniform for the first time. “My friends from Texas, California, New Jersey, and New York are messaging me and my parents that they are very happy something like this happened in the Air Force,” said Darshan.

“It’s something new. It’s something they’ve never heard of before or even thought was possible, but it happened. ” Darshan was raised in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, in a Gujarati family that adheres to the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottan Swaminarayan Sanstha, or BAPS. This sect’s religious symbol is a red dot, or “Chandlo,” encircled by an orange U-shaped tilak.

Since starting basic military training in June 2020, he has been seeking a waiver to allow him to wear the Tilak Chandlo in uniform.

New Liberal-NDP pact signed to prop up Trudeau until 2025 UAE becoming a base for Indian companies and professionals to cater to the requirements in other parts of West Asia as well as Africa.

With India planning to enhance its engagement with West Asia through a trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council, the agreement with UAE could be the basis for negotiations for similar opening up.

Apart from UAE, GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.

OTTAWA: In a move never before seen in Canadian history, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Jagmeet Singh reached a new agreement that would see the NDP prop up Trudeau and ensure he remains prime minister until 2025. By then, Canada would have a decade of Trudeau government.

The new agreement instantly awards Trudeau the benefits of a majority in the House of Commons. This official pact between the two parties rescues Trudeau and is an undemocratic manipulation that works around Canada’s electoral system. This merger agreement is not to be mistaken for a coalition government. The NDP cannot install government ministers. Trudeau‘s power grab demonstrates his pattern of authoritarian overreach. In 2020, Trudeau’s Coronavirus Emergency bill granted cabinet “sweeping powers to tax and spend without parliamentary approval through end of 2021.” Jagmeet Singh has at times been tough on Trudeau over ethics violations. Last July, Singh asked Governor General Mary May Simon - the mostly ceremonial representative of Queen Elizabeth II - to veto Trudeau’s outrageous election call in his failed attempt to gain a majority. But now, Singh has helped Trudeau attain the benefits of a majority.

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Fulfil aspirations of people, President urges Gujarat legislators President Ram Nath Kovind told the legislators that their prime aim should be to fulfil the aspirations of the people. He made this remarks while addressing a special session of the Gujarat assembly, the first time a President has addressed the state assembly in Gandhinagar. On the Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment project and Sabarmati riverfront, the President said, “Sabarmati Ashram is being redeveloped as an international tourist destination. The Sabarmati riverfront is an example of river rejuvenation and environmental conservation even while providing recreation facilities to people. It is a good example to follow for those cities which have rivers flowing through them.”

Mahatma Gandhi not only

provided leadership to India’s freedom struggle, but also showed a new path, new thinking and new philosophy to the whole world, he noted.

“Today, whenever there is any kind of violence in the world, the importance of Bapu’s motto, ‘Ahimsa’, is remembered,” he said.

“Gujarat is the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar

Patel, and can be called the land of satyagraha,” he said.

He paid glowing tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in this speech.

“The 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel located on the banks of the Narmada, is known as the Statue of Unity.

But in the minds of people of Indians, the stature of Sardar Patel is even taller. The statue is a tribute of the country’s gratitude for his contribution to the county,” the President remarked.

President Kovind appreciated the contribution of successive state governments in

Gujarat’s development over the decades. He recollected the contributions of Narsinh Mehta, Vikram Sarabhai, Homi Bhabha, former CM Balwantrai Mehta, G V Mavalankar, Vitthalbhai Patel and others in Gujarat’s and India’s growth story. During his 17-minute speech, the President spoke a few lines in Gujarati, quoting poet Umashankar Joshi and commenting that dedication of Gujaratis to the country has been exemplary.

Earlier, Gujarat assembly speaker Nima Acharya handed over copies of the Bhagwad Gita to President Kovind and Governor Acharya Devvrat.

“This is the first time that the President of India is addressing a special session of the Gujarat assembly. It is a matter of pride for the assembly,” she said.

Centre extends free ration for poor by another 6 months The central government has extended the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), offering an extra 5 kg of free ration to 800 million families, by another six months. The scheme will cost the central exchequer an additional £8 billion.

The decision came weeks after the scheme turned out to be a key element of BJP’s electoral success in Uttar Pradesh. Several government functionaries had suggested that the scheme should be

discontinued as economic activity was back to prepandemic levels. But the Union cabinet decided that the intervention was still needed.

“Even though the Covid-19 pandemic has significantly abated and economic activities are gathering momentum, the extension of this scheme would ensure that no poor household goes to bed without food during this time of recovery,” an official statement said.

The Centre’s decision came

along with Uttar Pradesh extending a similar state government-run scheme by three months. Since the lockdown was imposed two ago, the Union years government has so far spent close to £26 billion in providing additional foodgrains for free, where offtake has picked up after the Centre nudged the states to implement the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme that allows beneficiaries to access their quota anywhere

in the country. Under the extended PM-GKAY, each beneficiary will get an additional 5 kg free ration per person every month, doubling his monthly quota.

India to build N-power plants in 'fleet mode' from 2023 With the first pour of concrete for a 700 MW atomic power plant in Karnataka's Kaiga scheduled in 2023, India is set to put in motion construction activities for 10 'fleet mode' nuclear reactors over the next three years. The first pour of concrete (FPC) signals the beginning of construction of nuclear power reactors from the pre-project stage which includes excavation activities at the project site.

“The FPC of Kaiga units 5&6 is expected in 2023; FPC of Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut

Praiyonjan units 3 & 4 and Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Projects units 1 to 4 is expected in 2024; and that of Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project units 1 & 2 in 2025,” officials of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) told the Parliamentary panel on science and technology.

The Centre had approved construction of 10 indigenously developed pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) of 700 MW each in June 2017. The 10 PHWRs will be built at a cost of

£10.5 billion.

It was for the first time that the government had approved building 10 nuclear power reactors in one go with an aim to reduce costs and speed up construction time.

Bulk procurement was underway for the fleet mode projects with purchase orders placed for forgings for steam generators, SS 304L lattice tubes and plates for end shields, pressuriser forgings, bleed condensers forgings, incoloy-800 tubes for 40 steam generators, reactor headers, DAE officials said.

Engineering, procurement and construction package for turbine island has been awarded for Gorakhpur units three and four and Kaiga units five and six, they added. Under the fleet mode, a nuclear power plant is expected to be built over a period of five years from the first pour of concrete. Currently, India operates 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6780 MW. One 700 MW reactor at Kakrapar in Gujarat was connected to the grid on January 10 last year, but it is yet to start commercial operations.

in brief MISSILE JOINTLY DEVELOPED WITH ISRAEL TESTED The Army version of the next-generation medium range surface-to-air missiles (MRSAMs), developed jointly with Israel to destroy hostile aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones at a range of 70-km, was tested twice from the Chandipur integrated test range off the Odisha coast on Sunday.

The flight tests of the MRSAM, developed jointly by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), were conducted as part of the ‘live firing trials’ against high-speed aerial targets. “The first launch was to intercept a medium-altitude target at a long range and the second was to prove the capability against a low-altitude target at short range.

The missiles intercepted the aerial targets and destroyed them completely, registering direct hits at both the ranges,” a DRDO official said. While Navy and IAF have begun inducting their MRSAMs, the trials for Army are currently underway.

GUJARAT SUMMER TO BE ABOVE NORMAL Manorama Mohanty, head of the Gujarat branch of India Meteorological Department (IMD), said that the forecast for summer 2022 has indicated higher than normal temperatures for the western Indian states including Gujarat. “Thus, the temperatures may hover around 40°C in April and May, too.

Parts of North Gujarat and Kutch may face more hotter spells compared to other regions,” she said. IMD officials said that in 2021, the temperature had reached 41.7°C by March-end, whereas in 2019, it was 42. 2°C.

FIVE STUDENTS DROWN IN AMRELI LAKE Five friends, aged between 16 and 18 years, drowned in a lake in Lathi town of Amreli district after they had gone to bathe there. The bodies were recovered after a three-hour search operation carried out by fire brigade personnel and local swimmers. According to the police, six students studying in Class 10 and 11 of Lathi had gone to the Naran Sarovar lake in Dudhala village to bathe. Of them, five friends jumped into the waters to get relief from the sweltering heat. The sixth student who was standing by the side saw his friends drowning and informed the villagers. “There was 20 feet deep pit inside the lake where the boys drowned,” said Amreli deputy superintendent of police J P Bhandari.

The parents of the children soon informed the police and the fire brigade which immediately reached spot even as about 12 local swimmers had already jumped into the waters to find the boys. After much search, bodies of all five boys were recovered three hours later.

Gujarati entrepreneurs reinvent email security after skipping the US dream Nischal Sanghavi Brothers Sohel and Dev Sanghani who hail from Rajkot have already made it to what is called a US dream career. Sohel worked at Bridgewater Associates, a top global hedge fund based in CT, USA after completing his Bachelors in Computer Science and MA in Economics from John Hopkins University.

Dev secured his job at San Francisco based Pocket Gems after completing BS in Computer Science from California Institute of Technology.

Sohel and Dev, aged 33 and 31 who were living a US dream life, like most Indians are hoping for, decided to head back to their hometown in Gujarat to live with the extended family and pursue their entrepreneurial vision here. It is also a fact that being based in India is increasingly attractive for young entrepreneurs since it enables low cost of development and operations, while still having access to a global marketplace.

Everyone is aware that email is a free service. These Gujarati brothers from Rajkot, who were caught up with an idea of an email app which is highly secure and has value added features, created a mobile app called Canary Mail that reimagined email security for modern businesses and individuals.

As per Sohel “security encryption is very common in many apps like WhatsApp, but surprisingly there is no such facility available in E-mail. If somebody gets your password they can regularly access your mails from anywhere, without you even knowing about it. In 2017 we launched an app called Canary Mail; which provides highly secured mail communication. You may be using any mail service, but, by using this app your mails would be totally encrypted and only would be decrypted when only you yourself read it. The app has several other features also. The company charges users a lifetime fee of 20 US dollars per operating system.”

penalties.”

As per Dev, who At Indian government's previously worked with a prestigious National Startup gaming company in US, Awards 2020, “Canary Mail” “after 5 years we have made it as a finalist in cyber 300,000+ users globally security category. As per who use our service. We Tejinder Oberoi, Chairman, have received tremendous GESIA (Association of IT responses and our app has companies of Gujarat), it is been appreciated in many indeed a great effort by the US publications. The app is young entrepreneurs. In fact, also regularly featured by IT environment is very Apple on the App Store conducive in Gujarat right under 'App We Love' Dev and Sohel Sanghani now and there are several category. Canary Mail is new innovative products like this under used by users and teams at top global development in Gujarat. Next few years are organizations such as NHS (UK), Harvard very positive for IT industries of Gujarat.

University, leading European investigative The company has now been funded by agencies “The Intercept”. Healthcare US based Sequoia Capital, one of Silicon organizations in the US and elsewhere are Valley’s largest and best known venture required to encrypt patient health capital firms. Sequoia that has previously information, which is why they prefer using backed Apple, Google, WhatsApp, a secure email solution such as Canary Mail.

Instagram, Zoom has committed to invest Failure to adequately safeguard confidential US $2 million in Canary Mail. health information can lead to severe

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in brief BIHAR MINISTER SACKED FROM CABINET Bihar CM Nitish Kumar recommended to governor Phagu Chauhan to remove Mukesh Sahani, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief, from the post of cabinet minister. “The CM sent the recommendation to the governor after the BJP, in a written letter, urged Nitish Kumar to remove Sahani from the post of minister,” a senior CMO official said. “The BJP, in its letter to the CM, categorically said that Mukesh Sahani and his VIP have no longer remained a part of the NDA in Bihar. Sahani was made the cabinet minister from the BJP quota. As Sahani is not a part of the NDA, he should be removed immediately from the post of cabinet minister,” the official said, quoting the BJP’s letter. Earlier, all three MLAs of VIP had joined the BJP.

COURT REJECTS KANGANA'S PLEA In a detailed order rejecting actor Kangana Ranaut’s plea seeking permanent exemption from attending legal proceedings in a defamation case against her by Bollywood veteran Javed Akhtar, a magistrate’s court held that no doubt, being a celebrity, she had professional assignments, but she cannot forget she was an accused in the case. The court said till date she has not appeared with an intent to cooperate with it for the trial.

“The accused is dictating her own terms for the trial of this case in the manner she likes.

Admittedly, the accused cannot claim permanent exemption as of right,” metropolitan magistrate RR Khan said.

DELHI IS MOST POLLUTED CAPITAL IN THE WORLD Delhi continues to be the most polluted capital city in the world, and is the fourth most polluted city globally, according to the 2021 World Air Quality Report by IQAir. The report names 63 Indian cities in the 100 most polluted cities globally, with Bhiwadi in Rajasthan and Ghaziabad in UP – both of which are in NCR - as the world's two most polluted cities, followed by Xinjiang in China.

New Delhi, Jaunpur (Uttar Pradesh), Faisalabad (Pakistan), Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Bahawalpur (Punjab), Peshawar (Pakistan) and Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh) make up the rest of the top 10.

DHABA OWNER KILLED FOR RS 4 A dhaba owner in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly was allegedly killed following a verbal spat over Rs 4 with three customers. The three accused were nabbed while they were trying to escape.

Police said that the victim, identified as Sewaram Gangwar (45), is a resident of Fatehganj West. He ran a dhaba on DelhiLucknow NH. A probe revealed that the accused went to the dhaba for tea on March 11. After Gangwar asked them to pay Rs 4 extra as per the new rates, an argument ensued between them.

Normal ties only if you disengage troops, India tells China India pressed China for an early and complete disengagement of troops in the remaining areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, as foreign minister S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi last week, saying normalisation of the border situation is a prerequisite for normalisation of ties.

India and China agreed that restoring peace in border areas is in the common interest of the two countries. Differences remained though as Jaishankar conveyed to Wang India’s “national sentiment” that friction arising from China’s deployments since April 2020 cannot be reconciled with a nor-

mal relationship and Wang called for a “long-term view” saying India and China, as “mature” countries, should not allow border issues to affect the overall development of ties.

While there was no breakthrough or any major announcement, Wang’s “outreach” in the form of his visit was seen as significant and the meetings with Doval and Jaishankar were described as cordial, open and candid. China didn’t bring up Quad or Indo-Pacific during the meetings.

Wang said China was looking forward to PM Narendra Modi’s participation in the BRICS summit later this year and invited Doval to China for

carrying forward the mandate of the Special Representatives on IndiaChina boundary question. Doval responded positively and said he could visit China as soon as the “immediate issues” are resolved. Doval told Wang continuation of present situation is not in mutual interest and that restoration of peace and tranquility will help build mutual trust and create enabling environment for progress in relation. He said it was important to ensure actions do not violate spirit of equal and mutual security and that there was a need for maturity and sincerity. Jaishankar told Wang

Wang Yi & S Jaishankar

India found his remark expressing solidarity with OIC countries in Islamabad on the issue of J&K objectionable and conveyed India’s hope that China would follow an independent policy in respect of India, and not allow it to be influenced by other countries.

Digvijaya Singh, five others Akhilesh quits LS seat, to jailed in BJYM assault case lead opposition charge in UP A special court in Indore sentenced six accused, including former Madhya Pradesh CM and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, to one-year imprisonment in a case related to a clash with protesting workers of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in 2011.

The court later granted bail to all the convicts, including Ujjain MP Premchand Guddu, on a surety of Rs 25,000 each.

Three accused were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence.

Government advocate Vimal Kumar Mishra said that because the sentence awarded to all the accused was less than three years, they were released on bail.

Meanwhile, Digvijaya Singh

Digvijaya Singh

and former MP Premchand Guddu said that they do not want to comment on the decision of the court but they will appeal against the said sentence in the High Court.

According to police, BJYM activists tried to show black flags to Singh on July 17, 2011, when his convoy was passing through the Jiwajiganj area of Ujjain, which led to a clash.

Akhilesh Yadav will soon be seen in a new role as the leader of opposition in Uttar Pradesh's state assembly. He was elected by the Samajwadi Party MLAs for the post at a key party meet. The former UP chief minister had quit as the Lok Sabha seat from Azamgarh. He won his first state assembly election from Karhal in the family bastion of Mainpuri earlier this month.

"The Samajwadi Party's newly elected MLAs unanimously chose the party's national president, Akhilesh Yadav, as the leader of the legislators' group," the SP state chief, Naresh Uttam Patel, said.

After months of hectic campaigning and seven rounds of voting, Uttar Pradesh had delivered its verdict on March 10. The BJP combine retained the state for a second term with 273 seats while the Samajwadi Party won 111 of 403 seats in the state assembly.

Akhilesh, however, had said the results this time were a proof that the seats of the BJP - which is honing its image as a formidable political party - can be reduced. The ruling party - and allies - had won 325 seats in the 2017 state elections.Despite ending up as a runner-up in the state polls, Akhilesh has continued his relentless attacks. On Friday, soon after Yogi Adityanath took oath for a second term in front of 70,000 plus crowd at a mega event, Akilesh tweeted: "I congratulate the new government for taking oath in a stadium that was built by the SP government. The oath should not be forming the government alone but serving the people of the state too."

India to end national Covid plan on March 31 Two years after India imposed a nationwide lockdown in view of the Covid-19 outbreak and followed it up with monthly review of health protocols, the NDMA has decided against invoking provisions of the Disaster Management Act beyond March 31 for management of the pandemic.

The shift comes in view of the steep decline in cases across India in the past few weeks and significant capacity-building at the state and Union Territorylevels for dealing with all aspects of Covid containment and control. The decision to do away with a national action plan and Covid restrictions, however,

does not dispense with the need to continue observing safety protocols, such as wearing of masks and hand hygiene, as well as adherence to other guidelines issued by the health ministry from time to time.

Home secretary Ajay Bhalla, in a letter sent to states and Union territories, informed them of the NDMA’s decision to discontinue the issue of orders and guidelines under the DM Act. “Over the last 24 months, significant capacities have been developed for various aspects of management of the pandemic, such as diagnostics, surveillance, contact tracing, treatment and

vaccination, hospital infrastructure and the general public has a much higher level of awareness on Covid-appropriate behaviour.

States and UTs have also developed their own capacities and systems and implemented their detailed state/UT specific plans for managing the pandemic,” Bhalla elaborated. He added there was a steep decline in the number of Covid cases, which now stand at 23,913, and daily positivity too has declined to 0.28%. Also, a total of 1.82 billion vaccines have been administered so far across the country.

“After taking into consideration the overall improvement in

the situation and preparedness of the government to deal with the pandemic, NDMA has decided that there may not be any further need to invoke the provisions of the DM Act for Covid containment measures.

Accordingly... no further order may be issued by the ministry of home affairs (after the validity of the current order expires on March 31, 2022),” the home secretary said while emphasising that the ministry’s advisories on containment measures, including on the use of mask and hygiene, will continue to guide the overall national response to the pandemic.

India resumes all international flights after 2-year break Scheduled international flight services resumed in India on Sunday, two years after a ban was imposed on most foreign flights due to the coronavirus pandemic. Reacting to the development, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that this will help connect India with the world.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, six Indian airlines and 60 foreign airlines will start connecting India with 63 countries from Sunday onwards. According to the new summer schedule, foreign airlines will operate 1,783 weekly flights, while Indian carriers will operate

29.

1,466 departures every week.

Market leader IndiGo will operate 505 departures per week, followed

by Tata Group-owned Air India at 361 weekly flights, and its subsidiary Air India Express at 340 flights per week. The summer schedule refers to the period between March 27 until October

As per the last schedule prepared before the pandemic hit, a total of 4,700 international flight departures were being operated every week from Indian airports - with the split between international and domestic being approximately 50:50. Till Saturday, international flights in India were operating through air bubble arrangements with 37 countries.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced updated guidelines for international travel. Flight cabin crew will no longer be required to wear PPE

kits, the updated guidelines state.

In addition to this, flights won’t have to keep three seats vacant for medical emergency purposes.

However, wearing face masks and maintaining social distance is still mandatory.

“Airlines may carry a few additional PPE protective gears, sanitiser and N-95 masks, to handle any respiratory infections related to cases on air, for passengers as well as the crew,” the ministry said.

The two-year suspension on scheduled flights was imposed in March 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. A few

overseas flights were operated under bilateral air bubble agreements with other countries.

On March 8, the civil aviation ministry announced that regular overseas flights will resume from March 27 amid a decline in Covid19 cases. The countries that get added as a result of scheduled operations include Iran, Malaysia, South Korea, Poland, Myanmar, Turkey, Yemen and Egypt. Even as scheduled operations replace air bubble flights, the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will continue to be applicable for international arrivals into India.

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SOUTH INDIA

in brief

Calls for ban on Muslim traders at Karnataka temple fairs BENGALURU: The clamour to ban Muslim traders and vendors from carrying out business in the vicinity of temples during Hindu festivals and annual temple fairs has spread to more districts in Karnataka. The demand, which surfaced in Shivamogga and Dakshina Kannada districts, has spread to Bengaluru Urban, Hassan, Tumakuru and Chikkamagaluru districts. It started after the state government cited Rule 12 of the Karnataka Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Act 2002 that restricts non-Hindus from doing business near temples.

As applications started pouring in from Hindu organisations, the government empowered tehsildars to decide on banning Muslim traders at

fairs and temples. The VHP asked the muzrai department (which manages temples) not to allow Muslim traders at any temple across the state. It also urged district authorities not to allow Muslims to participate in the famous Belur Channakeshava Rathotsava on April 13 and 14, and the Maha Ganapathy fair on April 5. It also urged organisers of the Siddalingeshwara fair at Yediyuru in Tumakuru district from April 1-16 not to allow Muslim traders.

AIADMK leader rules out scope for Sasikala in party SALEM (TN): AIADMK top leader K Palaniswami reiterated that there is no place for VK Sasikala in the party saying no one could give a new lease of life to a matter that has already been settled. Days after his colleague and party coordinator, O Panneerselvam (OPS) said he personally had respect and admiration for Sasikala, the confidante of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, Palaniswami made it clear that there is no scope for her in the party.

Already, the party brass had passed a resolution against admitting her into the organisation and it was seconded by the party's district units across the state, Palaniswami told reporters when asked if there are chances for her being taken back into the

AIADMK. This decision of the party, as reflected by the resolutions passed by the top leadership and district units, was announced by him and OPS, he recalled. Only two party units (including one in Theni region) did not adopt such resolutions, he said.

While OPS is seen as inclined to consider inducting Sasikala again into the party, it is opposed by Palaniswami who apparently has an upper hand in the AIADMK. Days ago, Paneersevalam, while deposing before the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry had said that personally he had respect and admiration for Sasikala. On earlier occasions too, OPS had hinted that he was in favour of considering her re-entry.

PUNJAB

Punjab MLAs to get Ration to be delivered at pension for only one term people's doorstep in Punjab CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that all the MLAs and ex-MLAs in the state will get pension for only one term, irrespective of them winning several times. He also said that there will be a deduction in the allowances that are given to the families of the MLAs. Mann has announced several reforms in the state.

Days after he announced plans to fill 25,000 posts in government departments, Mann asserted that his government will regularize the service of 35,000 contractual employees. He also assured 10,000 jobs in the Punjab Police Department, and the rest of the jobs in other departments, including

boards, corporations.

Mann earlier called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a special financial package worth £10 billion from the Centre for the revival of the state's economy. He also urged PM Modi to ensure the holistic development and welfare of the people of Punjab.

Hours after the meeting, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal met Mann and the party’s five new Rajya Sabha MPs including former Delhi MLA Raghav Chadha, former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, IIT Delhi professor Sandeep Pathak, educationist Ashok Mittal and businessmen Sanjeev Arora at his residence. All the five AAP nominees were elected unopposed from Punjab.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that people in the state would no more have to stand in queues to get ration as it would be delivered at their doorstep.

In a video, Mann said while the rich sat in the comfort of their homes and ordered things, the poor had to wait in long queues to get ration. “Often they have to leave their day’s work to get the ration. Old women have to walk for kilometres to get it from ration depots,” he said.

Mann said the ration given to the poor is often of poor quality.

“But the poor have no choice but to eat it. However, now the AAP is all set to change this. Good-quality ration will be packed in clean gunny bags and delivered at people’s doorstep,” he said.

He said people would have the choice to opt for the scheme. Those

Bhagwant Mann

who lived near ration depots could get it from the depots as earlier.

Those who opted for the doorstep delivery would have to tell the personnel concerned at what time they were available at their place and clean and good-quality ration would be delivered to them, he said. Mann said the government had decided to make people’s lives easier as that is what governments are supposed to do. He said the scheme would be rolled out soon after working out the modalities.

The CM asked the people to report to the government in case they got shortchanged.

11 MIGRANTS WORKER KILLED IN TELANGANA BLAZE Eleven migrant workers from Bihar were burnt alive while they were sleeping after a major fire swept through a scrap godown in Secunderabad. Only one worker had a miraculous escape after he jumped from the first floor of the godown of Sravan Scrap Traders. Fire officials said a short circuit in a switch board near the stairs on the ground floor may have started the fire which later spread to an LPG cylinder kept nearby, triggering a blast.

It took nearly three hours for five fire tenders to douse the blaze and reach the bodies on the first floor of the godown which were charred beyond recognition. Most of the bodies of the workers were found in a heap. The survivor told the officers that his co-workers were trapped in the godown. He squeezed through the bars of a window and jumped from the first floor.

COURT SUMMONS JAGAN IN POLL CODE VIOLATION CASE The special sessions court hearing cases against MLAs and MPs, served notice to Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and two others for violating the model code of conduct in the 2014 assembly polls. The three have been directed to appear before the court. This is the first time that the special court has issued summons to a CM and has been done on the directions of the Supreme Court. During the 2014 general elections, YSR Congress had fielded a candidate from Huzurnagar.

PUNJAB FARM UNIONS THREATEN STIR The Krantikari Kisan Union has threatened to launch a protest across Punjab against the move to install smart meters. In a statement, Dr Darshan Pal said the move was aimed at benefiting corporate houses and forcing the common man to pay more for power consumed. He was referring to a report, wherein the Centre has threatened to withhold power reform funds meant for Punjab in case the state failed to replace 85,000 meters of consumers with prepaid smart meters. He said while some corporate houses would benefit from the move, nearly 15,00,000 agriculture pump set consumers would oppose it as they would have to bear additional cost. He urged all political parties to join hands and start a joint agitation.

WEST BENGAL

MLAs exchange blows in Bengal Assembly KOLKATA: War of words degenerated into fisticuffs inside the Bengal Assembly with the Trinamool Congress and BJP legislators on Monday exchanging blows over the Birbhum burning and mass murder case that left eight people dead last week.

Another woman who sustained 65 per cent burn succumbed to her injuries on Monday morning taking the official toll of the dead to nine.

A number of MLAs from both sides reported injuries in the scuffle in the Assembly. But TMC legislator Asit Majumdar had to be hospitalised with broken nose allegedly given to him by Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari. The incident started when Adhikari demanded discussion over the Rampurhat violence and Speaker Biman Benerjee turned down the request. Soon slogan-shouting BJP MLAs assembled near the Speaker’s chair demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement in the House. The treasury bench too jumped into the melee.

Even as the two sides jostled - with the marshalls trying to separate them - blows started raining and Majumdar, an MLA from Hooghly district, suffered a blow on his nose. His spectacles broke and he was rushed to hospital and was admitted to the SSKM Hospital.

However, Adhikari who along with other senior leaders took out a massive rally of the BJP supports in North Kolkata said he was only trying to pacify to the two sides and had in fact escorted his party men out of the House.

CBI takes over probe into Birbhum killings KOLKATA: The CBI took over the probe into the killings in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, hours after a Calcutta High Court directive. “A team comprising senior CBI officials and forensic experts has been dispatched to examine the scene of crime,” said an agency official.

On March 21, eight people were burnt to death in the village after a Trinamool Congress deputy pradhan was murdered. The HC directed the CBI to submit a report on its findings by April 7. “In view of this order, the state police authorities or Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the state will not carry out any further investigation in the matter,” it added. While the BJP, the Left and the Congress have welcomed the order, ruling Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that “if at the instance of the BJP, there is an effort to indulge in politics of vendetta... then there will be protest and mass agitation.”

21 arrested Police arrested 21 individuals in connection with the killings. This marks one of the largest number of arrests of TMC

supporters and workers since it came to power in 2011. Police also arrested one person in connection with the murder of TMC Deputy Pradhan Bhadu Sheikh whose death set off the retaliatory killing in which eight were killed.

Didi promises to cooperate CM Mamata Banerjee said her government will cooperate with the central agency, but protest if it follows instructions from BJP, CPM or Congress. “Let CBI do its work. We will cooperate,” Banerjee said in Bagdogra. “But if CBI does something else at the behest of BJP, CPM or Congress, we will hit the streets,” she warned.

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Yogi takes oath for 2nd time with two deputies Yogi Adityanath took oath last week for a second consecutive term as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, heading a team which has 32 new faces and two deputy CMs in Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya. Keshav Prasad Maurya has been retained as deputy CM despite his defeat in the assembly poll. Prominent names - Ashutosh ‘Gopal’ Tandon, Mahendra Singh, Shrikant Sharma and Sidharth Nath Singh - were dropped. Among other prominent faces in the ministry are former Gujaratcadre IAS officer and PM Modi’s trusted bureaucrat AK Sharma who has been appointed as cabinet minister and Kanpur police commissioner and 1994-batch IPS officer, Asim Arun, who is one of the 14 junior ministers with independent charge.

The swearing in ceremony at the Ekana stadium was

Dhami, 8 ministers take oath in Uttarakhand

attended by the saffron star cast led by PM Modi, reflected a bid to balance the upper castes and non-Yadav backwards who formed the mainstay of BJP’s successful response to the Akhilesh Yadav-led challenge in the elections. Just like last time, the ministry included only five women, including the party’s prominent Jatav face and former Uttarakhand governor Baby Rani Maurya.

It is, however, possible that like the previous time, more women may be inducted later. Yogi has the room to add at least eight more ministerial colleagues. Both allies

of BJP, Apna Dal and Nishad Party, have found representation, with Union minister Anupriya Patel’s spouse Ashish and Sanjay Nishad getting cabinet berths. BJP has replaced Mohsin Raja, a Shia, with former ABVP functionary Danish Azad Ansari, a Sunni.

The other women ministers are five-time MLA Gulab Devi from Sambhal district, Pratibha Shukla, Rajni Tiwari, and Vijay Laxmi Gautam. PM Modi, Amit Shah, BJP chief Nadda and a galaxy of senior party functionaries watched the swearing in ceremony.

Sonu Nigam and Victor Banerjee among 35 conferred Padma awards Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam and veteran Bengali actor Victor Banerjee were among the 35 personalities who were conferred with the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Awards respectively under the Arts category in 2022. Sonu Nigam is a popular and successful playback singer of Hindi cinema, is also a recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award for his title track of the 2003 romantic film 'Kal Ho Naa Ho. Sonu sings predominantly in Hindi and Kannada language films but has also sung in Odia, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Nepali, Malayalam, Kannada, Bhojpuri, and other Indian languages.

Besides Sonu Nigam, Marathi singer Sulochana Chavan, singer Madhuri Barthwal, musician Ballesh Bhajantri and filmmaker Chandraprakash Dwivedi have been conferred with

the Padma Shri Award this year.

President Ram Nath Kovind presented Padma awards for the year 2022 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-II at Rashtrapati Bhavan last wee. This year's list of Padma Awards includes four Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri Awards. Thirty-four of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 Posthumous awardees.

The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian

honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher-order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service). The award seeks to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.

The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.

Pushkar Singh Dhami took oath as the 12th chief minister of Uttarakhand at an event held at Dehradun’s Parade Ground.

The ceremony was attended by the entire BJP top brass, including PM Modi, Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Nadda and Union minister Nitin Gadkari. Chief ministers from BJP-ruled states Yogi Adityanath from UP, Shivraj Singh Chouhan from

ment of India after it was alerted about its history by the India Pride Project (IPP).

“The problem of stolen and looted art is not exclusive to the theft victim.

Possessors of illicit objects are increasingly cognisant that they cannot easily sell, exhibit, or transport stolen artworks without facing possible seizure, legal proceedings, and reputational damage,” said Christopher A. Marinello, a lawyer and founder of ARI. “Good faith acquisition is not always a saving grace.

We can offer a confidential and discreet way to resolve these title issues,” he said.

Earlier this year, IPP co-founder S Vijay Kumar informed Marinello that the stolen limestone basrelief had been offered for sale in 2018 by the Belgian Asian Art Trade. The purchaser had relied on a certificate of clearance from a UK-based organisation, which ARI says regularly “mints such documentation” for the art trade. The organisation said the process is wrongly used as a substitute for proper due diligence, without conducting provenance research on well documented and published antiquities.

“This is our third suc-

Madhya Pradesh, Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma, Haryana’s Manohar Lal Khattar and Goa CM-designate Pramod Sawant - also attended the ceremony.

Eight ministers were

9- member Goa cabinet formed Pramod Sawant - a three-time MLA on Monday took oath as the Chief Minister of Goa for the second time in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries. This is his second consecutive term as CM. He became the chief minister for the first time in

March 2019 after the demise of then chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

Along with Sawant, eight newly elected MLAs also took as ministers in the new Cabinet. The new ministers are Vishwajit Rane, Mauvin Godinho, Ravi Naik, Nilesh Cabral, Subhash Shirodkar,

Pramod Sawant

Rohan Khaunte, Govind Gaude and Atanasio Monserrate. Besides chief minister, the Goa cabinet can have 11 more ministers

Passports of 37 Gujarat families snatched away in Turkey Police investigating cases involving illegal immigration to the US have found that an accomplice of human traffickers has disappeared with the passports of 37 families which have been held captive by the traffickers in Istanbul, Turkey. These families had gone to Turkey to travel to Mexico from where they were supposed to cross the US border.

Sources in the police said that the man identified as Ali Khan worked with a group of people smugglers in Istanbul and he snatched away the passports from the

families. He is using the documents as leverage to extort money from the families, police said.

“When these Gujarati families were taken to different rented apartments in Istanbul, Khan was providing logistical support to the people smugglers,” said a Gujarat Police officer. After disappearing with the documents, Khan began demanding money from the families. Sources in the police said that even the people smugglers who had brought the families to Turkey do not know about Khan’s whereabouts.

These families were put up in flats between January 10 and 20. “The Gujarati families were getting all sorts of luxuries at the flats through the money provided by two Gujarat-based angadias,” said another police officer. “So the Turkish mafia decided to extort more money from them. ” The officer added, “Meanwhile, Khan came into picture. He demanded up to 2,000 Turkish lira (about Rs 10,000) from each family. When the families were unable to pay, he vanished with their passports. ”

Nepalese PM to review ties with PM Modi during his India visit Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will be visiting India from April 1 to 3 for his first foreign visit after taking over charge.

Deuba will be meeting PM Narendra Modi on April 2,

Stolen Buddhist sculpture finds way back to India An ancient sculpture that formed part of a panel of Stupas in Andhra Pradesh and was stolen in the 1990s from a museum will find its way back to India after its recovery in Europe. Art Recovery International (ARI), which works on the repatriation of stolen and looted historical artefacts, said it handed over the sculpture dating back to the second half of the 3rd century AD to Ambassador Santosh Jha at the High Commission of India in Brussels recently.

The organisation was able to negotiate an unconditional release of the artwork to the govern-

Pushkar Singh Dhami

also sworn in during the ceremony. Dhami’s earlier cabinet team of Satpal Maharaj, Subodh Uniyal, Dhan Singh Rawat, Rekha Arya and Ganesh Joshi was repeated while four-time Bageshwar MLA Chandan Ram Das, two-time MLA from Sitarganj Saurabh Bahuguna (who is former CM Vijay Bahuguna’s son), and former speaker Premchand Aggarwal were the new inductees.

cessful recovery in as many months with ARI and we are pleased at their ability to encourage good faith purchasers to do the right thing when faced with compelling evidence of theft and illicit removal,” said S Vijay Kumar of the India Pride Project.

“We are extremely grateful to the scholars and citizens who engage with us on a confidential basis to flag potentially problematic acquisitions or auction sales. We hope law enforcement in India and the museum custodians follow up with thorough investigations and museum audits,” he said.

and will also tour Varanasi besides attending to official engagements, sources said. The aim of his three-day visit is to review and further strengthen Sher Bahadur Deuba & Narendra Modi bilateral ties. travel to India to take part in Deuba became the PM a business summit in of Nepal in July 2021, but he Gujarat. The trip, however, has visited India during each was cancelled after the sumof his previous four stints. mit was rescheduled due to He last visited India in 2017, growing cases of Covid-19. making this a record fifth Deuba and Modi had visit as PM. According to met in Glasgow, Scotland, in sources, the visit is in line November last year on the with periodic high-level sidelines of the UN climate exchanges between the two conference and had “fruitful countries and will give an talks” on many aspects of opportunity to review bilatIndia-Nepal friendship. eral relations, including Deuba had thanked his development and economic Indian counterpart for propartnership, trade, cooperaviding support to Nepal in tion in the health sector, essential medical supplies power, connectivity, people and vaccines in its fight to people links and other against Covid-19 pandemic issues of mutual interest. during their first meeting in An aide of the Nepalese Glasgow. During the meetPM had earlier said Deuba ing, overall matters of the had been invited by Prime bilateral relations were disMinister Modi. Earlier in cussed.

January, he was scheduled to

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in brief

Following the lives of multiple generations of immigrants Shefali Saxena WE MOVE is an interlinked, generous and joyful collection of west-London-set short stories by 23-year-old Southall born and raised Gurnaik Johal. Gurnaik is an original new writing talent who we’ve signed up for two books (his debut novel is forthcoming in 2024).

Think Zadie Smith’s London meets Yiyun Li’s craft and skill.

He’s a graduate of the University of Manchester and his day job is as an assistant editor at Hachette Children’s division. He was shortlisted for the Guardian/4th Estate BAME Prize when he was just 19 and an undergraduate and Jon McGregor, Wendy Erskine and Neel Mukherjee are all fans so he’s definitely a talent to watch.

WE MOVE is mostly set in the west London suburbs he grew up in, shifting between there and India with the symbolism of nearby Heathrow Airport (place of work/arrival/departure) in the background.

It’s a perfect set of interconnected stories about a community and a shared history that is so confidently done that it’s hard to believe this is the author’s first book.

Deftly and movingly referencing big politics and activism (the 1984 Sikh massacres, Southall Black Sisters) to the personal

(repressed sexuality, cross-generational misunderstandings) alongside teenage joy, sibling relationships and bhangra daytimers.

He spoke to Asian Voice about it.

What inspired you to write books? How do you choose your themes?

As a teenager, I wanted to make things like art and music and stumbled upon writing fiction at eighteen. It was the perfect form for me - I didn’t need a studio or instruments or expensive supplies, I could just sit at a computer and there were no limits.

Writing has always been an organic, explorative process for me, and I never begin with any certain theme in my mind. Themes only become visible after the fact, and even then, they’ll be clearer in readers’ minds than they are in mine!

What did you grow up reading?

I mostly read whatever my older brother was reading: a lot of sci-fi and fantasy. I only really began to love reading at university when I was introduced to short stories.

Does it help to have a job in publishing while also being a writer?

It helps to the extent that I’m able to view a book in quite a practical way, as a commercial object as well as an art form. It

keeps me probably Gurnaik Johal grounded in that sense.

Other than that, it can be a bit difficult working all day on a laptop looking at text and then working all evening on a laptop looking at the text.

What is the key to writing short stories? Where do most writers go wrong?

Frustratingly, each time I start a story it feels like the first one I’ve ever written - they all require new tools and techniques. But a one-size-fits-all approach to writing would probably have quite boring results, so I’m grateful for that.

In terms of where writers go wrong, I can’t speak for others, but I used to have a problem balancing exposition with action.

Getting that balance right is important, especially in short fiction.

Please tell us a bit about your latest work.

Where can we find it and who is the target reader?

We Move is a collection of interconnected stories set in and around Southall. Following the lives of multiple generations of immigrants, it stretches from the 70s to the present day and offers different (and sometimes conflicting) portraits of one community.

The book has no target reader - I hope it's got enough range for it to appeal to all sorts of readers. You can find it online and in bookshops from 7th April.

Angelica Kauffman paintings worth £1.5 million at risk of leaving UK A Pair of Group Portraits of Mr and Mrs Joseph May and their Children, dating to 1780, is at risk of leaving the UK unless a buyer can be found.

Worth £1.5 million, the two paintings portray a family separated by gender – making them unprecedented in Kauffman’s work, in which families are normally depicted together. Her known collection of 800 pieces shows no other evidence of this format, which is an exceptional phenomenon both in Kauffman’s work and European art of the late eighteenth century.

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

Angelica Kauffman was one of just two female founding members of the Royal Academy. These fascinating portraits are highly unusual for the period, depicting an eighteenth-century family separated by gender. I hope that a buyer comes forward so that they can remain in the UK, and so that we can continue to learn more about these exceptional works of art.

The committee agreed that the paintings had an unusual and purposeful composition, and noted that the female group and its allusion to the Virgin Mary was especially beautiful.

The committee made its

recommendation on the grounds that the departure of this pair of paintings from the UK would be a misfortune because of their outstanding significance for the study of eighteenth-century portraiture.

The decision on the export licence application for the paintings will be deferred for a period ending on 24 July 2022 inclusive. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a considerable period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the pair of paintings at the recommended price of £1.5 million (plus VAT of £300,000 which can be reclaimed by an eligible institution). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for four months.

BATTLE OF POLLILUR IS GOING UNDER THE HAMMER AT SOTHEBY’S

The 19th century 10-metre wide panoramic painting of the Battle of Pollilur is going under the hammer at Sotheby’s on Wednesday. Historian William Dalrymple has said that the painting “identified the British as dangerous outsiders and did more than any other ruler of the time to stop them from taking over the country". The cost is estimated to run between £500K and £800K. This was the centrepiece of ‘Arts of the Islamic World & India. The Times of India reported that there are only three such paintings in the world that depict the battle won by Tipu Sultan on September 10, 1790, as the part of Second Anglo-Mysore war. According to media reports, one such painting was sold in 2010 for £769,250.

The Sothebys site stated: “This vividly illustrated monumental painting depicts the Battle of Pollilur, which took place on 10 September 1780, as part of the Second Anglo-Mysore War. It represents the great victory of the Mysore armies led by Haidar Ali, the ruler of Mysore, and his son Tipu, against the British troops of the East India Company. As a visual record of the battle, and to commemorate his victory, Tipu Sultan commissioned a painting of the Battle of Pollilur as part of a large mural for the newly built Daria Daulat Bagh in Seringapatam in 1784. Three existing copies of the original Pollilur painting are known, three details in a miniature in Baroda Museum; twenty-four preparatory paintings depicting sections of the series, sold in these rooms, 6 October 2010, lot 60, and the present complete panorama.”

New city centre artwork for popular underpass A popular underpass in Portsmouth city centre will soon be made more beautiful and have improved safety for people living and visiting the area, as new lighting is added, and artwork is developed by local artist Pete Codling.

Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner have received funding to improve an area of high crime reporting with better lighting and a new artwork installation at a well-used underpass below Cornmill Roundabout and Lake Road.

Residents and visitors to the city centre will soon benefit from these improvements.

Many people use the underpass to avoid crossing busy roads, and the improvements to this key thoroughfare will include better lighting, and a cleaner, more artistic environment.

Enhanced LED lighting has already been installed, and work will soon begin to clean away graffiti, mould and other rubbish from this popular underpass.

The new artwork will be developed by Pete Codling, an acclaimed local artist who created the “Treadgold Fish” sculpture that can be seen on the Southsea seafront. He plans to use techniques such as thermoplastics to create a design for the floor of the

underpass, as well as creative insets for the tilework. These updates will help make the area much more pleasant for people who use it and provide the community with a sense of pride in their area.

A new pathway will also be installed across the grassland from the Cornmill Street roundabout to the footpaths on either side of Cornwallis House. This is a route that is used by lots of people already, so the council has

responded by creating an accessible formal footpath instead of a muddy track, improving it for everyone to use.

These improvements are being delivered in partnership with the Hampshire Police Crime Commissioner, funded through the Home Office’s Safer Streets Three funding. It is one of several initiatives aimed at tackling violence against women and girls in the city.

Science Gallery Bengaluru announces new exhibition season : PSYCHE Science Gallery Bengaluru announced its new online exhibition season, PSYCHE, which explores the complexities of the human mind in socio-political and cultural contexts. The 45-day exhibition will be showcased from 01 April to 15 May 2022 and is developed in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), The Wellbeing Project and Museum Dr Guislain, Ghent.

Curated by the Science Gallery Bengaluru team, PSYCHE brings together philosophers, neuroscientists, artists, psychologists, filmmakers, sociologists, writers and performers. Shaped with the advice of a multidisciplinary panel of scholars - Richard Wingate, Sanjeev Jain, Ulrike Kluge and Vikram Patel, and curatorial advisors - Jill Bennett, Marius Kwint, Natasha Ginwala and Ruth Garde, the exhibition will feature 10 exhibits, 6 films and 40+ live programmes including workshops, masterclasses and public lectures. While seeking to break down barriers between research and society, the 10 multidisciplinary projects trace the complexities of the mind

from the depths of anxiety to the heights of euphoria. An audiovisual installation ‘Black Men’s Minds’ rests upon the voices of black men who are often missing in conversations on mental health, trauma and stigma. ‘McGill Pain Questionnaire’ visually investigates the objective method for appraising pain (endometriosis and adenomyosis), in relation to a subjective experience against the backdrop of a classic clinical pain assessment tool.

The exhibits will also feature interactive experiences such as ‘Playing with Reality’, based on the winner of the Best VR Immersive Work in 2019 at the Venice International Film Festival which unravels what the phenomenon of psychosis can teach about the limits of reality; ‘The Serpent of A Thousand Coils’ gives participants of the game an empathetic insight into the minds of people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD); another participatory web experience ‘Change My Mind’ helps understand the implication of brain implants on the mind.

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Vitamin D supplements do not stop Summer fitness tips to shed those winter kilos you from catching Covid Vitamin D was one of the most sought-after supplements as the greater hope of fighting Covid. However, as it turns out when it comes to fighting off the pandemic, it does absolutely nothing.

According to the first major study into their effect on the virus, taking vitamin D supplements does not cut the risk of catching Covid or reduce the severity of the symptoms if you do and neither does it reduce the risk of developing long Covid.

A study of 6,200 people, led by the Queen Mary University of London, revealed that the supplements don’t protect against other acute respiratory infections such as the common cold, sinusitis, ear infections, and laryngitis.

Professor Adrian Martineau,

an academic at the Queen Mary University of London and a respiratory specialist at the Barts Health NHS Trust, who is co-heading the trial, said, “We were surprised and disappointed by the outcome given the work we’d done previously showing vitamin D protecting against other respiratory infections.

But it is what it is.”

“If we had known whether it works we wouldn’t have done the trial,

so there was a genuine question there and it was well worth doing.

It was a big trial and we used a generous dose of vitamin D. We showed that people took it and their levels went up. And the trial was done at such a time when only a tiny number of people were vaccinated initially so we captured enough to see the effect if there was one,” he said. The government currently recommends 10 micrograms a day, or 400 international units, to protect muscle and bone health.

“The government advice on vitamin D isn’t based on any effects on respiratory infection it’s based on proven

benefits for bone health and muscle health and those aren’t changed by the results of this study,” Professor Martineau said.

Vitamin D is found in foods such as oily fish, red meat, egg yolks, and liver but in smaller quantities than the immune system needs to function properly.

Prof Martineau said, “There is genuine uncertainty here and the only way to resolve that is by doing the sort of trial that we propose.

There is quite a lot of suggestive evidence. There’s a bit of evidence from the lab and there’s the very, very striking observation that the people who tend to get the most severe disease look exactly like the people who are at highest risk of vitamin D deficiency.”

5 eating habits that are messing up your digestion If you find yourself troubled by digestive issues like constipation, heartburn, and bloating, it may be time to revisit your lifestyle habits.

Faulty lifestyle choices including eating the wrong kind of food, consuming extremely processed, spicy food, or leading a sedentary lifestyle, could all be contributing to your digestive issues.

In her latest Instagram post, nutritionist Karishma Shah talks about common dietary mistakes people make that wreak havoc on their digestion. If you can’t point out exactly why you are having digestive problems, it may be due to some eating mistakes you are making inadvertently.

Eating when not hungry

Setting a fixed time for meals is a good practice, however, eating when you do not feel hungry means you are not paying attention to your brain signals. When you eat a meal when not hungry means your brain has not

received any signals from your stomach to secrete any digestive juices, and this may cause digestive issues.

Emotional eating Nothing good has ever come from eating to numb your emotions. Overloading

yourself with calories for the sake of feeling momentary relief from negative emotions is nothing but a distraction to suppress certain emotions which result in totally overloading your digestive system.

Too much water before or after meals Water can easily dilute your digestive juices and is one of the worst things to do to your stomach.

Eating while multitasking A lot of us have cultivated the habit of eating at our desks, or while watching TV and it leaves our digestive system compromised. Eating mindfully, meanwhile, makes sure you not only digest your food well but also aid in the proper absorption of nutrients.

Non-traditional shifts may delay the onset of natural menopause: Study A new study has revealed that non-traditional shifts can disturb much more than your lifestyle and sleeping habits. The study published in the journal Menopause, also revealed that shift work may delay natural menopause because of possible disruptions in circadian rhythms.

Shift work has increased globally in recent years and reports suggest an estimated 20 per cent of the economically active population in North America and Europe working some type of nontraditional or alternating shifts. Shift work is not without its health risks. Previous studies have linked shift work with an increased risk of coronary events, with the highest risk being associated with night shifts. Other

health problems include peptic ulcers, type 2 diabetes, and cancers such as prostate, colorectal and breast.

While there are multiple studies on the various adverse health effects of shift work on adults, not much research has been done on the effect of shift work on middle-aged and older adults. Age of natural menopause is a matter of concern for middle-aged and older women because both early or late menopause may be a significant risk marker for subsequent morbidity and mortality.

This new study, based on secondary data analyses of nearly 3,700 premenopausal women, aimed to investigate the association between shift work exposure and variations in age at natural menopause

in adult Canadian workers.

Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director, said, “This study shows a potential influence of circadian regulation on age at natural menopause, with current rotating shift work linked to later age at menopause and current night shift work linked to earlier age at menopause.”

She added, “Whether these differences in age at menopause are directly related to the effect of circadian rhythm changes on underlying hypothalamic regulation or are because of other socio demographic factors such as chronic stress, economic insecurity, and substance use or abuse requires further study.”

With the summer sun starting to shine, experts believe this is the right time to shed those winter kilos and get back to your workout routine. Exercising daily is a good habit to cultivate as it not only keeps your BMI healthy but also keeps chronic diseases at bay and strengthens your immunity.

In this article, we share some fitness and workout tips to help you sweat it out at the gym this year.

Keep hydrated Working out in the summers is different than you would in the colder weather.

It is important to take care of your water intake as one loses water and salts through sweating. Water consumption generally gets higher in the summer season and not drinking enough water may make you feel tired, dizzy.

Amp up your nutrition A steady intake of enough calories or macronutrients is important as they fuel your body. Your body typically requires macros in large quantities in the form of fat, protein, carbs, water and fibre. They essentially provide energy and sustain and maintain the body.

Start weight-training A steady weight training plan could help you achieve summer body. your Working out your muscles twice a week can help you achieve great results.

Add Cardio to your routine Adding a cardio element to your workout regime is pivotal. These exercises can help us burn calories as well as increase our endurance levels of a person. Experts recommend inculcating a minimum of 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise twice or thrice a week.

Burn calories with HIIT High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) consists of short bouts of intense work followed by a period of active recovery of the same length. This can also be a replacement for cardio in some instances. The goal is to fit in as many repetitions of a workout in a particular time span so the intensity of the workout increases.

Oral cancer patients with less circulating tumour cells live longer: Study A study conducted by a team of Indian researchers has found that oral cancer patients having a lesser number of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in blood live longer than patients with a greater number of such cells. The study that lasted four years was among the largest clinical trials in head and neck cancers.

A total of 500 patients were analysed by a team led

by Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Dr. Jayant Khandare, and a team of Pune-based Actorius OncoDiscover Technology.

Khandare said in a report, “Altogether 152 oral cancer patients were analysed and 1.5 ml blood per patient was monitored for the presence of CTCs. The study showed that patients with over 20 CTCs per 1.5 ml of blood are more likely to have advanced-stage disease and nodal metastasis (cancer cells breaking away from where they first formed), while patients with less than 12 CTCs per 1.5 ml of

blood survive for a longer period.”

He added, “The study was published in the international peer-reviewed Journal Triple OOO recently. As per the national cancer registry, there are about 14,00,000 cancer patients in India and about nine per cent of these are in Maharashtra.”

“The OncoDiscover test, funded by the government through Biotech Ignition Grant and Small Business Industry Research Initiative of the Department of Biotechnology, is the sole CTC test approved by Drugs Controller General of India as per the Medical Device Rules 2017,” Khandare said.

“The test is used to detect CTCs for diagnosis of cancers like those of head and neck, breast, lung, colon and rectal.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has evinced an interest in our work and will be visiting our Pune facility soon,” he added.

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Sonam reveals first three ‘The Kashmir Files’ director invited to UK Parliament months of pregnancy A were difficult fter conquering the Indian box office 'The Kashmir Files' director Vivek Agnihotri now heads to British parliament to speak of the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. Sharing this startling information do we know of any other Indian filmmaker to have been extended this honour?

- Vivek says, “That’s right, my wife Pallavi and I have been invited to the British parliament. We will be heading there next month. 'The Kashmir Files' was made with the express purpose of taking the message of the Kashmir Pandits’ genocide to every corner of the world. I am glad we are getting there.”

In addition, there is talk now of dubbing 'The Kashmir Files' in multiple South Indian languages to extend its reach. According to box office sources the Hindi version of 'The Kashmir Files' has done far better business than the recent Tamil releases in Chennai.

Says Vivek, “The reach of the film is growing. We have nothing to do with it. The

C

urrently, in Bombay, Sonam Kapoor and her husband Anand Ahuja had recently announced their pregnancy much to her family and fans’ delight. In a recent interaction, Sonam opened up about her journey to motherhood. She said that the first three months of her pregnancy were quite difficult and she wasn’t quite prepared for it.

Speaking to Vogue, Sonam said, “It’s been tough - nobody tells you how hard it is.

Everybody tells you how wonderful it is.” She, however, seems ready to take up the challenges that come with motherhood. She said, “The reason we’re all here is to change and become better versions of ourselves. So that evolution is something I look forward to.”

Both, Sonam and Anand shared photos on Instagram to announce their pregnancy. They wrote, “Four hands. To raise you the very best we can. Two hearts. That will beat in unison with yours, every step of the way. One family. Who will shower you with love and support.

We can’t wait to welcome you. #everydayphenomenal #comingthisfall2022.”

When Aamir Khan almost quit films…

A

amir Khan said there was a brief period during the last two years when he thought of quitting films. The 57-year-old made the revelation during an ABP Network’s Ideas of India Summit.

“When I became an actor, I thought to myself that my family is there with me only and I took them for granted and I went on a journey to win the hearts of the audience.

When you are starting out, you do tend to work a lot harder, but then I was working like this for 30-35 years.

“I was selfish, I was thinking about myself. I was there with my children but not the way I should have been. Now, I am doing it. I have realised this now at the age of 56-57. I wonder what would have happened if I realised it at the age of 86, at least now I can rectify. I don’t know what my children want, so that is the big problem.”

He added that he was very angry and that anger came out towards cinema. “I felt it (cinema) took me away from my family. I told my family, I will quit, not act, produce films. I told them I want to be with you all. It was responsive anger. My family was shocked,” Aamir said.

The actor revealed he initially decided to not speak about his thought of bidding adieu to cinema as he believed some people might perceive it as a marketing tool for his next

power to influence mind-sets is not in our hands. It comes from God. We are just the medium.”

Vivek is getting some threatening calls for filming ‘The Kashmir Files’. They are also threatened on social media. So, it is decided by the central government to provide them with Y category security. Seven 7 to 8 CRPF commandos will provide security to Vivek.

Many were threatened with murder before the release of the film. Vivek has stated that he will deactivate his social media account.

Threatened calls have increased since the movie’s release.

Amitabh remembers Irfan in emotional letter to his son

I

n a note shared by Babil Khan on his Instagram handle over the weekend, Amitabh Bachchan remembered late actor Irrfan Khan. Irrfan, who worked with Bachchan and Deepika Padukone in the 2015 movie ‘Piku’, died on April 29, 2020. In his letter, the veteran actor wrote that friendship transcends death.

Dated March 17, 2022, the note was printed on a letterhead that included the address of Bachchan’s house Prateeksha. The entire content was printed except for the actor’s signature and a greeting on the top that read, “My dear Babil.” The letter read, “Life is transient and death is unfathomable, but ‘Friendship’ transcends death. Memories made, create a lasting impression on those left behind, and will never be forgotten. Each

time we are reminded of a loved one through a phrase, a joke, an action. These are the things that will keep us close despite death.”

Bachchan added, “Your father Irrfan was a great soul and everyone whose lives he touched, are better for having known him. He is missed dearly.” He concluded his letter by sending his regards to Babil, his mother Sutapa Sikdar, and his younger brother Ayaan.

Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in 2018 and was receiving treatment in London before he passed away. He was last seen in the 2020 movie ‘Angrezi Medium’, which was released only weeks before his demise.

Nargis says she took a mental health break from Bollywood

A

film 'Laal Singh Chadha.'

In all of this, Aamir said, three months passed and his children explained to him not to become “an extreme” person and rather try to find a balance in life. “My kids and Kiran ji explained to me I am doing the wrong thing. Kiran got rather emotional and said films reside inside me. So, a lot happened in two years, I quit the industry and came back,” he said.

ctor Nargis Fakhri has revealed she took a break from acting to focus on her mental health a few years ago. Her career was growing positively at the time and yet, she decided on taking a break as she did not feel happy. The actor is now back in India and set to feature in a south film soon.

Speaking in an interview, Nargis said, “Somewhere down the line, I realised that I was overworked and stressed. I missed my family and friends. I remember that 20162017 was a period of realisation for me. I felt that I wasn’t doing things that made me happy. I did films back-to-back and thought there was just too much happening, and I needed to stop. I felt the need to pause to balance my mind and body. And that’s when I took the step.”

She added, “Once in a while, it is important for the sake of your mental and physical health to take a break. I know that in the industry, actors, their managers, and

even PR agencies tell you that you have to be more visible and that if you take a break for too long, people tend to forget you. I think there is a lot of fear in the minds of the artists who don’t want to lose what they have worked hard for. My perspective is, you never lose, especially when you take time out for yourself, for self-care, and to introspect.

Instead, you actually win when you do that.”

Nargis was last seen in a supporting role in the 2020 Netflix film ‘Torbaaz', starring Sanjay Dutt and Rahul Dev. She is currently set to make her Telugu debut with ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’, opposite Pawan Kalyan.

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Aishwaryaa to make Hindi directorial debut A

ishwaryaa Rajinikanth has announced her Hindi directorial debut with ‘Oh Saathi Chal’. Sharing the title poster of the movie, she wrote, “My week couldn’t start better ….excited ,happy and feeling truly blessed to announce my directorial debut feature film in Hindi “Oh Saathi Chal”, an extraordinary true love story, produced by @meenuaroraa9 @c9pictures @archsda #NeerajMaini n thank you @balu_munnangi for being a part of this project ….pre production in progress”.

Makers are yet to share further details of the cast and crew of ‘Oh Saathi Chal’. Aishwaryaa marked her comeback to direction recently with a music video titled ‘Payani’. She had made her debut in 2012 with Dhanush starrer ‘3’.

She went on to direct the thriller ‘Vai Raja Vai’ in 2015 and wrote and directed a documentary called ‘Cinema Veeran’ in 2017.

I come from a very open-minded family: Akshara Haasan A

kshara Hassan has played the role of a confused teenager in the upcoming movie 'Achcham Madam Naanam Payirppu’. The trailer features her character struggling with her sexuality and the changes her body is undergoing.

She has been forced into the “good girl” image trap and doesn’t know how to come out of it.

Written and directed by Raja Ramamurthy, the movie shines a light on the importance of encouraging a sexpositive culture both at home and in society. With the movie set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video this week, Akshara opened up about growing up in a positive and free environment.

She said, “I come from a very openminded family, who let us be who we are. Our parents kept the door open for us to express what we are feeling and helped us understand what we can do and what we shouldn’t do for our own benefit. I know it sounds a bit selfish but at the end of the day, we need to be a bit careful about ourselves, keeping our safety in mind. We were rooted at the same time, and kept our values and ethics intact. It was very easy to talk to my parents and family about a lot of things. That way it was a bit different because we were exposed to people who were not allowed to have an open discussion with their families. So it made us value what we had.”

When asked if she were able to

relate to the character, Akshara said, “Although the character is very different from who I am, I connected to it at a certain level, trying to understand who I can be and what I can be. Even though there are certain expectations of what an ideal girl should be, I was able to be myself, by still being the same good person with those qualities and growing and evolving with time and trying to be the best I can be.”

She added, “My sister (Shruti Haasan) and I were fortunate enough to have our parents say, from a very young age, that ‘both of you have it in you.’ And it’s very important for any child to hear that ‘you have it in you to stand on your own feet.’ So it was very organic when I took off on my own. At any point, if we had a doubt of any sort, we knew we can always call back and home (discuss) this is the deal. How? why? and why not? That differently played a very important role for both me and my sister.”

TV Listing

‘RRR’ breaks records with first day collections S S Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘RRR’ has received a magnanimous reception from the audience and film critics alike. The Jr NTR and Ram Charan-starrer has already broken the previous record for the biggest first-day opening set by Rajamouli’s ‘Baahubali: The Conclusion’. ‘RRR’ made £22.3 million worldwide on Day One of release. It made £15.6 million in India, and added another £4.2 million from the US and Canada.

Rajamouli took to Twitter to thank audiences for the “thunderous” response to the film. Film critic Taran Adarsh tweeted, “‘RRR’ SMASHES ALL RECORDS ON DAY 1… OVERTAKES ‘BAAHUBALI 2’… ‘RRR’ IS NOW NO. 1 OPENER OF INDIAN CINEMA… WORLDWIDE Day 1 biz [Gross BOC]: 223 cr.”

* Schedule is subject to change

Sharing numbers for Australia and New Zealand, he wrote, “‘RRR’ OPENS TO RECORD NUMBERS IN AUS, NZ… #RRR OVERTAKES #TheBatman in #Australia, claiming the No 1 spot on Fri… #NZ is SOLID too… #Australia: A$ 702,560 [ 4.03 cr] #NZ: NZ$ 69,741 [ 37.07 lacs] #USA: Crosses $ 5 million [Thu previews + Fri, still counting].”

Vijay’s ‘Beast’ set to clash with Yash’s ‘KGF 2’

MON 4 APR - FRI 8 APR 2022 6.00 Maina Popat 9.00 SHUBH PRABHAT 9.30 SUR PRABHAT 15.00 RASOI SHOW 17.30 SHRIMAD BHAGWAT MAHAPURAN 18.00 DESHI BEATS 18.30 SURI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU 21.00 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM 21.30 GEETA SATURDAY 2 APR 2022 6.00 Chogada Chagan No Varghodo 9.00 SHUBH PRABHAT 9.30 SUR PRABHAT 10.00 MOTU PATLU

T

he release date of Tamil superstar Vijay’s ‘Beast’ has been announced and it is set to open in cinemas on April 13, just a day before the release of another south Indian big-budget movie ‘KGF: Chapter 2’. The filmmakers released a new poster featuring Vijay along with the release date announcement.

With the effects of the pandemic slowly fading and a huge backlog of unreleased movies, box office clashes are seemingly unavoidable. The makers of ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ have also set off promotions as the movie is due to hit the screens on April 14.

The latest poster confirms the speculated storyline to be true. The picture features a

* Schedule is subject to change

dapper look of Thalapathy Vijay alongside a set of terrorists taking control of a shopping mall. Also, the Hindi version of the movie is titled ‘RAW’ according to the poster.

The cast includes Pooja Hegde, Aparna Das, Selvaraghavan, Shine Tom Chacko, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley and Sathish Krishnan.

MON 4 APR - FRI 8 APR 2022 16.30 RASOI SHOW DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 SASURAL SIMAR KA 18.30 TU AASHIQUI 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 SWARAN GHAR 20.30 DIL SE DIL TAK 21.00 THAPKI PYAR KI 2 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

11.00 GATTU BATTU 15.00 RASOI SHOW 17.30 SHRIMAD BHAGWAT MAHAPURAN 18.00 DESHI BEATS 18.30 SURI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU 21.00 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM 21.30 GEETA SUNDAY 3 APR 2022 9.00 SHUBH PRABHAT 9.30 SUR PRABHAT 10.00 MOTU PATLU 11.00 GATTU BATTU 12.00 Kevi Rite Jaish 15.00 Vitamin She 18.00 DESHI BEATS 18.30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU 21.00.00 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM 21.30.00 GEETA

SATURDAY 2 APR 2022 15.00 SHU CHALE CHE 16.30 RASOI SHOW - DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT 3 18.00 SASURAL SIMAR KA 18.30 TU AASHIQUI 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 COMEDY NIGHTS WITH KAPIL 21.00 THAPKI PYAR KI 2 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2 SUNDAY 3 APR 2022 16.30 RASOI SHOW - DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT 3 18.00 BFFs with Vogue - Season 1 19.00 THE ANUPAM KHER SHOW - SEASON 1 20.00 COMEDY NIGHTS WITH KAPIL 21.00 COMEDY NIGHTS WITH KAPIL

30 OSCARS 2022

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Oscars for Riz Ahmed, Aneil Karia and Joseph Patel South Asians Riz Ahmed, Aneil Karia and Joseph Patel were among the winners of Oscars this year.

British-Pakistani actor and musician Riz Ahmed took home his first Oscar for Aneil Karia’s live-action short film ‘The Long Goodbye’. This is not the first time the 39-year-old was nominated for an Academy Award. He was in the run for his role as a hearingimpaired drummer in ‘Sound Of Metal’ last year and lost out to Anthony Hopkins. Riz won the Oscar for Best Live-Action Short Film, for The Long Goodbye, and producer Aneil Karia, shared that glory for the same; and Joseph Patel, producer of OscarRiz Ahmed (left) and Aneil Karia winning ‘Summer of Soul’ which won the Best Original Documentary as a British-Pakistani, and addresses the directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. alienation of immigrants, and what can The Long Goodbye has won several awards sometimes be the terrible consequences of already, including the BIFA Best Short Film hate speech. Karia is also an award-winning Award, the London Critics Circle Best Short film-maker. His debut feature film 'SURGE' Film Award, the Grand Prix at the Hollyshorts premiered in competition at Sundance Film Film Festival, according to Karia’s eponymous Festival 2020. And he is currently engaged in website aneilkaria.com. producing his next feature film expected to The story is based on Ahmed’s experiences begin shooting in late 2022, his website said.

Joseph Patel

Producer Joseph Patel has a 20-year history in film-making. Variety magazine quoted his comment upon winning the Oscar – “Riz Ahmed earlier tonight, becamse the ninth Soyth Asian to ever win an Academy Awrd. I became the tenth … Also, this will please my moth, I’m the first Patel ever to win an Oscar.”

Patel’s Summer of Soul has had some wins

The Academy responds to Will Smith-Chris Rock slap gate Organisers of the Academy Awards have responded to Will Smith slapping guest presenter Chris Rock in this year’s live broadcast. Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair, comparing her to “G.I Jane”. Jada, who suffers from alopecia, has always been open about her experiences with hair loss and said in the past this is what prompted her to shave her head.

While Jada responded to Rock’s joke with an eye-roll, Will promptly walked on stage and hit the comic, telling him to “leave my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.” The Academy posted a statement on Twitter saying, “The Academy does not condone violence of any form.

Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this

moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”

Smith, shortly after the altercation, won his first-ever Oscar for his performance in ‘King Richard’. In his acceptance speech,

he apologised to the Academy and his fellow nominees but not Rock.

“Thank you for this honour. Thank you for this moment, I thank you on behalf of the entire Williams family. I hope the Academy invites me back. Thank you.”

already before the Oscars. It won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for US Documentary at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. And according to IMDB, it has cornered several critics and guild awards, including 6 Critics Choice Documentary Awards. A journalist of long standing, Patel has produced and directed television and digital content for MTV News & Docs, Vice Media, The Fader, and Vevo.

Other South Asians who appeared in the Oscars list include the Bhutanese film, 'Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom', directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji, one of the nominees for the Best International Feature Film; “Writing With Fire” nominated in the documentary category directed by Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas.

Dune bagged six awards at the Oscars 2022, thus becoming the highest Oscarwinning movie of the year. The Chairman and CEO of DNEG, Indian-origin Namit Malhotra has created a buzz in the industry with his Oscar win for Best Visual Effects Oscar.

Bollywood reacts to Will Smith slap gate Held on March 27, the 94th Oscar Awards was quite an event this year, with Will Smith snatching all the attention by smacking comedian Chris Rock in the face. The internet was flooded with reactions to the incident with fans and celebrities posting on their respective social media handles.

Bollywood celebrities too posted their reactions to the event. Actor Varun Dhawan shared the clip on his Instagram story and wrote, “Wow didn’t expect that also @chrisrock has a chin.” Neetu Kapoor shared a picture of the moment on her Instagram Story and wrote, “And they say women can never control their emotions.”

Sophie Choudry shared her reaction on Twitter by writing,

“Violence is never the way but cracking jokes about someone’s medical condition should not be acceptable either. This was supposed to be a career-high for one of my favourite artists for a superb performance. Instead he’ll remembered for this crazy incident.” Kangana Ranaut in her latest social media post defended the actor. Sharing a picture of the moment on her Instagram Stories, Kangana expressed her support for Will Smith and said she would have also taken the same step if she was in Will’s situation. She wrote, “If some idiot used my mom or sister’s illness to make bunch of fools laugh I would slap him like @willsmith did,” Kangana wrote, adding clapping emojis.

Priyanka delivers Twitter crowd-winning reacts to Oscars snub of speech at the pre-Oscars bash Lata Mangeshkar, Dilip Kumar

One of the hosts at the exclusive pre-Oscar party held in Beverly Hills, Priyanka Chopra stunned in many ways this year. Making a statement in a designer black saree, she went on to give a power-packed speech that moved many a heartstring within the South Asian community. Priyanka spoke about her journey, meeting her husband Nick Jonas, and the South Asian representation in Hollywood.

A video of Priyanka’s speech was shared on Instagram by motivational speaker Jay Shetty. Pri is heard saying, “Each and every one of you are here today because you are excellent in what you do. I came 10 years ago and started looking for work in America. We went out there and met everyone else. But today, I am not someone else. Today, I stand amongst peers, amongst colleagues, amongst South Asian excellence. I have goosebumps, I am emotional, it makes me very proud.”

The actress also spoke about the arrival of her daughter.

She said, “Haven’t been stepping out anywhere but had to come here tonight just to say this that I’m highly proud to be rubbing shoulders with all of you, to be The In Memoriam section encouraging you.” The speech was loved by the of the Oscars 2022 paid a internet, with many referring to it as “inspiring”. tribute to artists and filmmakers The event was sponsored by UTA, the of the global film industry who Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & passed away last year. This year’s Sciences, Johnnie Walker, South Asian segment included stars like Sidney Arts Resiliency Fund of the India Poitier, Betty White, Ivan Reitman, and Center and the Juggernaut. Among Stephen Sondheim among others. other hosts were Annual Acharia, However, it failed to include Indian legends Bela Bavaria, Maneesh K. Goya singer Lata Mangeshkar, and actor Dilip Kumar and their absence infuriated fans. and Shruti Ganguly. On the A fan wrote on Twitter, “The amazing world-record-setting #LataMangeshkar (who work front, Priyanka will now away from Covid) sang more songs for more movies than shown in all Oscars passed be seen in Hollywood films combined. Yet, the #Oscars2022 #Inmemoriam did not see it fit to honor her even with a like ‘Ending Things’, mention. Sometimes, I think, colonialism still lives on…”

‘Text For You’, and the Lata Mangeshkar passed away on February 6 at the age of 92. She was awarded the Bharat web series ‘Citadel’.

India’s highest civilian honour in 2001, and was the recipient of three National Film Ratna, She also has Farhan Awards among many other honours. Veteran actor Dilip Kumar passed away on July 7 last year at Akhtar’s ‘Jee Le the age of 98 after a prolonged illness.

Zara’ in the In the previous years, the Oscars had featured late actors Irrfan Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput, and pipeline.

Rishi Kapoor in its In Memoriam section.

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New British Kabaddi League launched in UK A new British Kabaddi League has been launched in the UK, with tournaments staged in major cities including Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Wolverhampton between 9 April and 10 May. Bringing together professionals from one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, the League was launched in the city of Wolverhampton to mark the prominent role of the Midlands in British Kabaddi, with the eight competing teams including, Birmingham Bulls, Wolverhampton Wolfpack, Walsall Hunters and Leicester Warriors, alongside London Lions, Edinburgh Eagles, Glasgow Unicorns and Manchester Raiders.

The League has been established by English and Scottish Kabaddi, with support from the West Midlands Growth Company – the region’s economic development agency. Kabaddi, a contact team sport originating

from India, is one of the fastestgrowing sports in the world, and the second most popular sport in South Asia, following cricket.

In the past decade, a range of national and international Kabaddi leagues have established rising in popularity, such as the Pro Kabaddi League in India and the Kabaddi World Cup, which features top teams from India, the US, Canada, the UK and Australia compete to be crowned world champions.

Building on the popularity of the sport across the world, the league aims to engage and empower the five million people of British Asian heritage in the UK, as well as promote physical activity and well being among ethnically diverse communities.

The establishment of the league has been supported by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Business and Tourism Programme (BATP), which aims to capitalise on the

Games to create a long-term economic legacy in the West Midlands and wider UK, bolstering trade and tourism links the Commonwealth across nations.

The arrival of the British Kabaddi League follows the launch of the BATP’s Major Sporting Events Strategy, where objectives include the elevation of the West Midlands’ status as a nationally and internationally recognised host of major sporting events.

Birmingham and the West Midlands has a proud and extensive history of hosting international sporting events, including the IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships, the World Gymnastics Championships, the Cricket World Cup, and the Ashes. This year, the region will host the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games between 28 July and 8 August - the secondlargest sporting event ever hosted

Kolkata Knight Riders win IPL opener Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Chennai Super Kings by six wickets in the blockbuster season opener of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Chasing 132 for the win, Ajinkya Rahane hit a brilliant 44 before skipper Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten 20 to steer them past the finish line.

Earlier, Umesh Yadav plucked two early wickets before Varun Chakaravarthy and Andre Russell entered the wickettakers column, leaving CSK tottering at 61/5. But Ravindra Jadeja (26*) and MS Dhoni (50*) did a brilliant job to resurrect Chennai's innings after early blows. The pair put up 70 to help Chennai post 131/5 in 20 overs. On the bowling front, Umesh picked up two while Russell and Chakaravarthy registered one wicket each.

Chennai, one of the most consistent sides since the tournament's inception in 2008, had defeated Kolkata to lift their fourth IPL title last year.

Gujarat Titans beat Lucknow Super Giants Pacer Mohammed Shami bowled a fiery opening spell before Rahul Tewatia smashed an unbeaten 40 to help Gujarat Titans register a 5-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in their maiden IPL match on Monday. Shami (3/25) bowled a fiery opening spell to knock the wind out of the Super Giants’ top order before Gujarat Titans Deepak Hooda (55 off 41 balls) and Ayush Badoni (54 off 41 balls) smashed fifties to help their team post 158 for six.

Skipper Hardik Pandya (33), all-rounder Tewatia (40 not out), Matthew Wade (30) and David Miller (30) then

rallied together to take the Titans over the line. Apart from Shami’s three, Varun Aaron picked two wickets (2/45) while Rashid Khan (1/27) accounted for one batter for the Titans.

Dushmantha Chameera (2/22) was the pick of the bowlers for Super Giants.

Delhi Capitals stun Mumbai Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav’s fine knocks helped Delhi Capitals beat Mumbai Indians by 4 wickets in their opening game in the IPL 2022 at the Brabourne stadium on Sunday. A 70run partnership in just 30 balls between Patel and Lalit Yadav enabled Delhi to chase down the 177 runs in 18. 2 overs. However, Delhi started their innings in a hurry, losing wickets at regular intervals. Earlier, Mumbai Indians rode on a breezy half-century by Ishan Kishan to post 177/5.

Put into bat, Mumbai Indians’ openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan started the proceedings with ease. After taking two quick wickets of Prithvi Shaw and Rovman Powell, it looked like Mumbai Indians have seized the initiative from Delhi. But Axar Patel who was not so impressive in his bowling, rescued the team. First he made a 32-run stand with Shardul Thakur for the sixth wicket and then made a 75-run 7th wicket partnership in just 30 balls

with Lalit Yadav to guide Delhi home.

Punjab beat Royal Challengers Punjab Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by five wickets in their match on Sunday.

The Punjab side chased down a huge target of 206 with six balls to spare in a thrilling high-scoring match. Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored 43 each up the order, while M Shahrukh Khan and Odean Smith remained not out on 24 and 25 respectively as Punjab reached 208 for 5 in 19 overs.

For RCB, Mohammed Siraj was the most successful bowler with figures of 2/59. Earlier, RCB posted 205 for 2 after being asked to bat. Captain Faf du Plessis top-scored with a 57ball 88, while Virat Kohli made 41 not out as the duo shared 118 runs for the second wicket. Dinesh Karthik chipped in with a quick fire 32 not out off 14 balls. For Punjab Kings, Rahul Chahar and Arshdeep Singh took a wicket apiece.

in the UK behind the 2012 London Olympics.

Prem Singh, CEO of British Kabaddi, said: “We are delighted that so many people from different and diverse backgrounds have come together to present this amazing sports project. The BKL was created by the communities and will be used to promote positive community engagement and celebrate cultural diversity.”

Ashok Das, President of BKL and the World Kabaddi, said: “I have been involved with the sport of Kabaddi for over 40 years and our Kabaddi family of Kabaddi playing nations is now 50 strong.

We have organised events all over the globe, but the BKL sets a benchmark for the new Kabaddi league outside of India. The BKL will further empower us to reach out and bring people together serving a common goal of promoting health and wellbeing.

“We as an organisation thank the BBC for giving us the opportunity to contribute, we

have managed to get here today due to a dedicated group of amateur people who are passionate about sport and their communities.”

Neil Rami, Chief Executive of West Midlands Growth Company, said: “The inaugural British Kabaddi League is a tangible legacy outcome of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Business and Tourism Programme, reflecting the Programme’s aims to cement a shared economic and cultural vision with Commonwealth nations. It shows our Major Sporting Events strategy in action, highlighting the West Midlands’ reputation as a destination for sporting excellence.”

The BBC will be broadcasting the tournament on BBC iPlayer, BBC Three and BBC Asian Network. The first broadcast of the British Kabaddi League will be broadcast live on BBC iPlayer on 9 April.

India’s campaign ends in agony Veteran batter Mignon du Preez starred with an unbeaten 50 as South Africa knocked India out of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup with a three wickets win in a thrilling league match at Hagley Oval. It was an apt ending for the league stage of the tournament, dishing out many nail-biting matches.

But this was not the ending that last edition’s finalists India were expecting. After sizzling half-

centuries from Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj and Shafali Verma took India to a respectable 274/7, South Africa were cruising with Laura Wolvaardt top-scoring with 80 and sharing a 125-run stand with Lara Goodall (49).

But a seemingly straightforward chase turned on its head with India making inroads.

South Africa hold nerves It required the calmness of du Preez to take South

Africa home on the final ball of the chase. Another big moment was when South Africa needed three runs off two balls and du Preez holed out to long-on off Deepti Sharma. But replays showed Deepti overstepping by the tiniest of margins, turning the dismissal into a no-ball.

Eventually, du Preez’s whip through mid-wicket on the final ball of the innings and broke the hearts of Indian players.

Dhoni hands over Chennai captaincy to Jadeja MS Dhoni has handed over the captaincy of Chennai Super Kings to Ravindra Jadeja, but will carry on as a player for one more season.

Sources indicated that Dhoni will mentor Jadeja on the field and will take decisions when necessary. “Dhoni’s captaincy magic has made the difference for us in many games. When he is on the field, he will obviously be one of the key decision-makers, even though the official baton will be with Jadeja,” a CSK source said.

Dhoni had been a captain of the Indian team for a decade and won all the white-ball ICC events there to be won, but the Jharkhand man’s deep connect with his franchise has probably outshone all his international achievements.

When the team was in exile for two seasons due to match-fixing scandal, and Dhoni was playing for Pune Supergiant, he

said time and again that his heart would always be with CSK. It was probably this absence that Dhoni’s bond with CSK and its fans grew even stronger. And he kept his word once the team returned to the fold in 2018. Even as his batting faltered, there was never a doubt who would be leading CSK into one of their best phases, winning two titles and losing one on the last ball. But then, Dhoni knows when it’s time to move on. If it was solely left to him, he might not have played this IPL, but there is the compulsion of mentoring a team in its transition. “He probably feels that for one season it’s necessary to guide the ship from inside the ground,” the source added.

Sindhu wins Swiss Open 2022 title India’s ace shuttler PV Sindhu on Sunday claimed the Swiss Open 2022 women's singles crown at St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel. This is Sindhu's second Super 300 title of the year. She has won Syed Modi International back in January. Battling it out at court 1, the double Olympic medallist Indian defeated Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand by 2116, 21-8 in 49 minutes.

With this win, Sindhu now has a head-to-head record of 16-1 against the Thai player. Sindhu got to a fast start in final as she gathered a 3-0 lead in first game. But Thai shuttler refused

to get overpowered as she levelled the game at 3-3. The first game moved at a steady pace and with the score of 9-9 on board, the two impressive points gave Sindhu an 11-9 lead at the first interval. It was neck to neck battle after the resumption as Ongbamrungphan raised her level to get in a point difference against the Indian.

But Sindhu then held her nerve and won the last five points out of six to capture the first game. Sindhu went off the blocks too quickly in the second game as she gathered a massive nine points lead at the mid-game

break. After the change of the ends, with such a massive lead, the experienced Indian shuttler never faced any actual resistance in the game. Sindhu comfortably won the second game by 21-8. Sindhu rode on her attack to open up a 3-0 lead but Busanan started to stay in the rallies and she produced some good quality shots to make it 7-7. Busanan struggled with her length after the change of sides to concede a 0-5 lead early on in the second game. Sindhu looked more aggressive as she troubled the Thai with her acute angle shots to dictate the rallies.

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Complete your creations C ns with aromatic Tilda Pure Basmati mati rice.

ELEVA ATE YOUR PL ATE WITTH THE GREATESTT GRAINS & FINESST FLAVOURS