AV 05th February 2022

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

Looking to COP27 in 2022

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5 - 11 FEBRUARY 2022

7 Celebrating the contributions of our community champions

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

14 Single mother of five wins scholarship; goes back to university at 37

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Republic Day celebrations in the UK

As the Asian community reels under the stigma of mental health issues, emotional losses and bereavement, we’d like to remind our readers that there are various organisations in the UK that are tirelessly working to help you with your mental health and well-being.

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VOL 50 - ISSUE 39

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DON'T GIVE UP

India's military might, diversity in brief on show at R-Day parade

Govt projects India's GDP growth at 8 to 8.5 per cent

Wings of change Steady growth in Air India bookings since TATA’s Takeover

Shefali Saxena Despite using Norfolk and Suffolk mental health services, 65 people have reportedly taken their lives in the last two years, among which, men are far more likely to die ‘unexpectedly’.

Eastern Daily Press reported that the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) which oversees mental health services across the two counties revealed 320 people have died unexpectedly within six months after using their services.

However, in 111 cases, the cause of death has yet to be established. Continued on page 6

India’s national carrier, Air India which has been debt-ridden for a while has finally been officially handed over to the TATA Group which they bought last year. The conglomerate had made a successful bid of £1.7bn to buy Air India in October 2021. As per a statement issued on Thursday, TATA group now owns Air India, Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd. Continued on page 13

Papa J P John’s h ’ IInvestmen t t near B Bath th h Auction Date: 3rd Feb 2022 With a guide id pric i e off £32 20K+ (6 (6.25%), 25%) this thi prop perty t iis entir ti ely l llett to Papa a John’ J h ’s (GB) Ltd on a new 1515 year leasse. Contact us to discusss before this goes under er the hammer.

Call Pritesh Patel el on 020 4516 5 5124 for more details.

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AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

5 - 11 February 2022

with Keith Vaz

Amazon worker faces prison sentence for stealing

DHEE VENKADESHAN Singer/Songwriter Dhee is one of the most inimitable talents in South India.

Unfettered by expectations and traditions, Dhee has become one of India’s most distinctive voices with hits like ‘Rowdy Baby’ – recognised as one of the most-viewed Indian videos of all time with over a billion hits on YouTube.

Dhee has released her debut single “Enjoy Enjaami” featuring Arivu and produced by Santhosh Narayanan. Riding high on the stupendous success of her latest Indie release, “Enjoy Enjaami”, Dhee is taking South Asian music to new heights, transcending linguistic, geographical and cultural borders.

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

I feel at home wherever my family and friends are.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

My proudest achievements have always been when I complete something I’ve started. Be it anything. There’s unexplainable joy and beauty in completion. I feel that the strongest when I finish writing and composing a song that I’m satisfied with. Also when I convinced my family that I wanted to drop out of school.

3) What inspires you?

Everything, really. I find inspiration everywhere, all around me.

People and my roots are my main source of energy.

4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?

It’s meeting expectations that I set for myself 5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?

Santhosh Narayanan.

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

Current role feels like a job (laughs) best part is that it doesn’t feel like a job the adrenaline rush you get while performing, bringing people together and making people happy 7) And the worst?

I love all aspects of what I do. there are no worst aspects. I’m grateful for everything I get to do 8) What are your long term goals?

To feel content. To always make music.

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

I would change the fact that I’m Prime Minister 10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why.

I think practically speaking I should choose someone who’s known for their great escapes but I’m going to choose Rumi. Rumi is a poet and an Islamic scholar. I’d like to learn from him. I think he’d find beauty and mystic in wherever we are.

Health warnings issued in Birmingham As more than a dozen swans were found dead in Brookvale Park in Erdington this week, a stark health warning has been issued.

Avian influenza has been detected in birds across two parks in the city.

M e a n w h i l e , Birmingham City Council confirmed cases of avian influenza in waterfowl at

Cannon Hill Park.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged people, not to touch sick or dead birds and if they had done so they should contact UKHSA's West Midlands Health Protection Team on 0344 225 3560. From there, the

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insurance and possession of cannabis.

Alexandra Youster, defending, said Aslam was

'completely ousted' from his family after the collapse of arranged marriage. She also added that he did not know that he was disqualified from driving when he was stopped by police in December.

Aslam was also sentenced for separate driving offences committed which he committed in March last year.

Women, babies still enduring FGM in Birmingham Women living in Birmingham who survived female genital mutilation (FGM) are seen struggling with flashbacks during intimacy, depression and social anxiety. The barbaric procedure where the female genitals are deliberately cut is still taking place in Birmingham.

Though it is declared illegal since 1985 in the UK, the procedure is still per-

formed on women, girls and babies in the West Midlands.

Susan, an FGM community development worker at Women's Aid, said, "We see depression a lot, anxiety and all this is because of the challenges that women are having to endure, all these consequences they are having to encounter each and every

day. So, they just stay indoors or in very closed communities and it affects their social contact."

The small FGM team at Women's Aid has supported 17 survivors within.

Birmingham streets becoming 'ghettos' full of broken people Chief Supt Stephen Graham was speaking at a roundtable discussion that was hosted by Birmingham Live to explore the problems caused by the largely unregulated, non-commissioned exempt sector, which provides rooms in shared houses and hostels for an esti-

mated 21,000 people with a range of additional needs.

Meanwhile, the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities select committee wants an inquiry into the exempt accommodation issue. The hearings are likely to take place in February or March.

Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, said of the issue: "This is not the way to provide care on the cheap. The Government thought initially this was an easy way to provide supported accommodation but without checks and balances it is ripe for exploitation."

Pay extra £113 a year for student loans team will offer antiviral medication and maintain close monitoring for 10 days.

New Covid hotspot emerges in the UK More than half of local areas around the country have seen a week-on-week rise in Covid cases as Plan B restrictions come to an end - but some new hotspots have emerged.

A district in

Amazon worker Mohammed Aslam, 24, from Hockley was announced a jail term for stealing £4,000 worth of Garmin watches. He was caught by fulfilment centre security staff with one of the devices strapped around his ankle and more than ten watches were recovered from his car. Aslam admitted of stealing, driving being disqualified, driving without

Northern Ireland has come out as a new Covid hotspot recording the biggest w e e k- o n - w e e k rise in cases in the UK. As plan B restrictions come to an end, more than half of local areas around the country have seen a weekon-week rise in Covid cases.

Of the 377 local areas in the UK, 218 - 58% - have seen a week-on-week rise in rates.

The five UK areas with the biggest week-on-week rises are: - Lisburn & Castlereagh up from 1,110.9 to 1,740.5 - Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon - 1,318.4 to 1,918.7 - Ards & North Down 1,047.2 to 1,584.6 - Woking - 1,126.9 to 1,659.9 - Wokingham - 1,062.4 to 1,516.6

People with student loans will now end up paying much more a year after a freeze to repayment thresholds. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), those earning £30k will have to pay back an additional £113 a year. The freeze will come in on April 6.

The changes in the policy were made on Friday in a written statement to Parliament, The Mirror reports. It happened after ministers scrapped plans to raise repayment thresholds

of student loans by 4.6 per cent.

IFS senior economist Ben Waltmann said, “Graduates with the lowest earnings do not reach the repayment threshold for student loans, so they will be unaffected by the freeze.

Those with the highest earnings will pay off their

loans, either way, so the freeze just means that they will repay their loans quicker.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “It is now more crucial than ever that higher education is underpinned by a sustainable finance and funding system. We need to ensure the system remains fair and open to everyone who has the ability and the ambition to benefit from it.”

Tuition fees will be frozen at £9,250 for the fifth year in a row.

Viral pet dog of ex- BBC journalist died Cabbage, the collie cross of former BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones dies at age 14, who had gone viral when she was stolen but recovered hours later in midNovember.

He shared the news that his family have “had to say goodbye” to “lovely, energetic” Cabbage.

Along with her, five more dogs were taken in a dog walker’s van in Acton,

west London. When all six dogs were found safely, the 63-year-old, thanked his 197,000 Twitter followers.

“It was time for her to go but we miss her so much.” he wrote on Twitter.

‘Ice cream van’ mobile jab unit for vaccinations Leicester City Council’s public health team is planning to bring in ‘ice-cream van’ style mobile jab unit to encourage Covid-19 vaccination uptake in specific communities.

Over a quarter of Leicester’s 16-plus population still have

not taken their first dose of vaccination.

Caroline Trevithick, executive director of nursing quality and performance and deputy chief executive for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

Clinical Commissioning Groups (LLR CCGs), said: “A van on the street that allows people to be vaccinated where they don’t have to traipse a number of streets away to go and get vaccinated.”

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Minding one’s own business British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told the press that he will tell the Russian leader Vladimir Putin to "step back from the brink" over Ukraine. Joining hands with Poland and Ukraine, Britain are to announce a trilateral security pact to counter challenges from Russia, in the face of aggression.

With Sue Gray’s report out, Mr Johnson is currently bleeding badly, with perhaps the trepidation of the worst to come. Chancellor Rishi Sunak tipped off to be the next Prime Minister, with reportedly a solid campaign in his pocket, the situation at Whitehall is more tensed than not. No10 has now decided not to reveal the identity of MPs being fined for breaking Covid rules, as the situation surrounding the Partygate fiasco remains shrouded with mystery.

The country still has around 100,000 covid cases on average, with young people who lost their jobs during the pandemic now reportedly returning to less secure work. Often, they are in gig economy roles, according to recent research from a leading thinktank which found that almost 50,000 men under the age of 24 are now ‘economically inactive’.

Sailesh Vara MP during his appearance on the Sky News on Monday night, said how his constituents have been concerned about Partygate, but insisted how we need to give attention to other significant issues, such as the potential conflict on the Russia and Ukraine border.

The Sky News reported Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the armed forces deployment will "support our NATO allies on land, at sea and in the air" - while showing the UK will stand in the face of Russian "hostility" and not "tolerate their destabilising activity".

It is perhaps time that politicians actually start listening to the concerns of their voters.

We haven’t forgotten the Iraq war or Afghanistan, which not only took our children away, but opened a portal to hell, with modern terrorism unleashed on us as an act of revenge, responsible for so many innocent lives lost, and livelihoods destroyed.

A very interesting letter in The Economist magazine by a former staff member of the NSC states how the West’s relationship with Eastern Europe has complicated the rapport with Moscow.

Robert Morley writes: “Russians find it difficult to understand how the NATO membership for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania enhances the security of countries like Belgium, France and Iceland. Estonia is only 200 miles from St

Petersburg…We would have benefited more by coming up with something for the Baltic countries short of NATO membership that still enhanced their security. These decisions have helped facilitate the rise of demagoguery in Moscow. In a way we helped create opportunities for people like Vladimir Putin to rule. Now we have no other option than to deal with his like.”

A war in Ukraine will have terrible consequences, but a war with Russia will have worse effects. The Telegraph reported how UK’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has vowed that Vladimir Putin's wealthy cronies would have "nowhere left to hide" if Russia invades Ukraine. UK as usual is moving forward in the footsteps of Washington, where President Joe Biden administration has drawn up a list of Mr Putin's allies that could be hit with sanctions in the event of a Russian invasion.

On the other hand, the Indian government on Monday called for immediate ‘de-escalation’ on the Ukraine issue after it abstained from a procedural vote in UN Security Council on whether discussions were required on the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine or not. Following the vote, India for the second time in the past few days said the issue should be resolved through diplomatic and constructive dialogue.

While the discussions did take place with 10 countries led by the US voting in favour of having a meeting, India joined Kenya and Gabon in abstaining, according to The Times of India.

India for years have maintained a certain unbiased relationship with Russia- the famous non-alignment policy. If the west, especially US and UK think of India’s alliance, it needs to offer her a permanent seat in the Security Council.

Anything short of that is not worth the risk.

As per India’s budget it’s GDP has a growth promise of 9.2%- highest of all economies. Its Startup industry is booming. In 2021 India overtook the UK to emerge as the third highest country in terms of number of unicorns it added after US and China. As of January 14, 2022, India has 83 unicorns with a total valuation of US$ 277.77 billion, the Economic Survey shows.

With everything going its way, it will be unwise for India to join the US-UK clique in their political agenda against the East. Sometimes minding one’s own business is the best road possible to success.

Sitharaman aims to boost long-term growth India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech made it clear that the government remains focused on overcoming long-term growth hurdles rather than offering handouts ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in five states. She said that the budget has been focused on boosting capital expenditure, aimed at formulating a broad roadmap for India’s economic growth over the next 25 years.

Sitharaman prioritised long-term job creation, digitisation, green energy and infrastructure development, contrary to expectations that the upcoming elections would dictate terms of the budget. For instance, there were no announcements related to income tax or state-specific sops, but several measures were announced to boost overall infrastructural output and job creation. This suggests that the government is not counting on the budget to better its electoral prospects, but is using it to solve long-term problems like unemployment and infra development. The lack of populism in the budget has left many political pundits surprised, but it also affirms the government's commitment to building trust and attaining long-term developmental goals.

Sitharaman said India has entered ‘Amrit Kaal’ or the 25year-long lead-up to 100 years of independence. She added that the government’s vision for this budget is to lay a roadmap to achieve certain goals by 2047. It continues to build on the vision drawn in the Budget of 2021- 22. Its fundamental tenets, which included transparency of financial statement and fiscal position, reflect the government’s intent, strengths, and challenges. This continues to guide us, Sitharaman said. One of the key takeaways from the budget was that the government has increased its capital expenditure target to £75 billion, which economists feel will provide a huge boost to economic growth and private investments.

The combined measures will help spur job growth. While the total spending for FY23 has been pegged at £394.5 billion, a bulk of it has been allocated to schemes and support measures aimed at boosting long-term growth.

The government plans to spend a bulk of its total expenditure budget on PM Gati Shakti dubbed as a master plan for driving infrastructural growth. The budget has also laid out the roadmap for higher spending on productivity enhancement, investment, new opportunities, energy transition and climate action. Sitharaman said, “The scope of PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan will encompass the seven engines for economic transformation, seamless multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency. It will also include the infrastructure developed by the state governments as per the Gati Shakti Master Plan.” These 7 engines in the National Infrastructure Pipeline will be aligned with the PM Gati

Shakti framework. The touchstone of the master plan will be world-class modern infrastructure and logistics synergy among different modes of movement both of people and goods and the location of projects. This will help raise productivity, and accelerate economic growth and development,” she added.

Building an elaborate network of railway networks, multimodal logistics parks, urban transport networks, and capacity building for various infra projects are key aspects of PM Gati Shakti. While agriculture also got a boost in the budget, no direct sops were announced to appease farmers something that was expected given the elections in agriculturallyheavy states such as Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The inclusion of technology, digital lending and use of ‘Kisan drones’ were some of the key measures announced for the agricultural sector. Other measures, announced for various sectors, including education, healthcare, defence and MSMEs, were also aimed at providing a long-term growth roadmap.

Experts welcomed the budget and most summed it up by saying that it reflects the government’s long-term commitment to infrastructure, which will eventually lead to job creation and economic growth. Although the budget received positive feedback from numerous industry experts, a large section of the middle-class population remains unhappy as it gave no short-term relief from rising prices of commodities and income loss amid the ongoing pandemic. BJP chief JP Nadda said that it is a 'Garib Kalyan' budget. It will empower the poor and labourers. The markets reacted cheerfully as Sensex jumped 848 points to close at 58,863; Nifty ends above 17,550. Calling the budget "people-friendly and progressive", PM Modi said it has brought new confidence to usher development in the midst of one of the most terrible calamities in 100 years, a reference to the pandemic. He said this budget will create many new opportunities for the common people, besides strengthening the economy.

NRI businessmen from Dubai hailed the announcements on e-passports and digital currency in the budget. They also welcomed the RBI’s digital Rupee which will be a trendsetter in the digital currency market. They said that introduction of e-passports, which provides better protection and security, and extension of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) till March 2023, are welcome steps. The tour operators in Dubai also welcomed the new action plan and said the new steps will help them further accelerate their services in India. But the demand of the NRI community on sops such as ease of compliance under the Income-Tax Act, reduction in withholding tax rates, and concessions among other relaxations could not be met in the budget.

Thought for the week Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!’ - Robin Williams

Political Sketchbook Alpesh Patel

Indian Entrepreneurs a Global Resource For 15 years, as the UK Government's Department for International Trade's Dealmaker covering India, I have seen first hand the brilliance of Indian entrepreneurs. My role is to do deals to land their global HQ in the UK. I was also UKIBC Board Member for a decade and before all that co-founder of the UK Chapter of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs - part of the world's largest entrepreneur mentoring organisation established by Indian origin tech entrepreneurs) and on the UK India Roundtable at the request of the UK PM to advise on closer relations with India. So it is that I've been eyeballs deep in Indian entrepreneurship. So it was that I was delighted this past month to read the technophile PM of India has charged Indians tech entrepreneurs to solve the nation's biggest problems.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently called on Indian startups and entrepreneurs. The PM wants Indian tech companies to lead the innovation required to solve the world's most pressing problems. But what can be achieved?

And what have Indian entrepreneurs done to date?

January 16th has been announced as Indian National Startup Day. It will become one of the pillars of the PM's vision of building a young, modern, progressive India.

Indian entrepreneurs and startups have had a significant impact worldwide. They are running some of the world's biggest companies, like Microsoft, Adobe, Mastercard and Oxford Business School. But in light of Modi's call for more solutions, what does the future hold?

New Generation There is a new generation of Indian entrepreneurs. Many of them are women. However, if the country is going to succeed, it needs to overcome the biases that several women face in the business world. Ragini Das began leap.com, a womenfocused professional network. They've secured around $1m in funding, but they've had a challenging time with some investors.

There is no excuse for this kind of thinking. India has produced several excellent women entrepreneurs, like Falguni Nayar and Leena Nair. If the country is to achieve the PMs aims, it will need to draw on contributions from all 1.3bn of its citizens and not just men.

Red Tape Another area that stifles innovation is government red tape. When famed entrepreneur Elon Musk tweeted recently about bureaucratic challenges in entering the Indian market, several ministers promised him the red carpet treatment.

However, Indian startups are also affected by red tape, taxation, land acquisition laws, and state labour laws.

Reform, infrastructure, and more affordable finance are required for Indian companies to excel.

In fact, some commenters feel that easing regulations is not enough. India has had excellent tech startup success.

Many feel that other sectors can learn a lot from the tech culture, which could lead to a breaking of the regulator shackles.

The PM's comments about tech should help. The government has committed to reducing red tape by easing the registration and taxation process.

India has the 3rd largest startup ecosystem globally, behind India and China. In 2021, the company produced 46 unicorns (startups worth over $1bn). The Indian Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal, hopes that number will increase to 75 in 2022.

For India to succeed, it will need to draw from a vast, increasingly educated population. Citizens have plenty of young self-made founder CEOs to draw inspiration from.

Ritesh Agarwal at OYO Rooms, Advait Thakur at Apex, and Suhas Gopinath of Globals Inc. all come to mind.

Emerging Sectors There are several emerging industries that Indian startups could lead. One growth area is the cultivated meat sector. The "smart proteins" and plant-based meats have a considerable potential market. But to gain further success, they need more access to funding and world-class scientists.

Which is something that India is not short on.

Another promising sector is Pharmaceuticals. India has a solid pharmaceutical history. The country exported $24bn in products last year and expects R&D to increase in the country in the future. With lots of experience and expertise, India is becoming a major hub of vaccine innovation.

While COVID-19 was devastating for the local population, it has brought opportunities for some companies. Over 60% of entrepreneurs have reported positive effects of COVID on their business.

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5 - 11 February 2022

Prolific sex offender Cassius Povey found guilty After a 29-year-old man was found guilty of rape following a four-week trial at Leicester Crown Court, police sent a message to victims of abuse. At an earlier hearing, prolific offender Cassius Povey pleaded guilty to a number of sex crimes against children. When social media posts with regard to the actions of Povey surfaced, police began the investigation. Povey was charged with a total of 22 offences, relating to nine women who were survivors of his crimes. Detective Constable Kevin Sharkey from the force Signal team, said: "I'm pleased with the outcome, and hope that it offers some closure to the survivors of Povey's crimes.

TfL celebrates South Asian heritage staff TfL has celebrated the South Asian Heritage Month over many years, last year, particularly with a selection of portraits celebrating the contributions and achievements of its staff.

Man gets stabbed six times in Leicester Leicester shoppers watched in horror when Mohammed Osman, 20, allegedly stabbed the victim multiple times attempted murder, jury heard. When the man was stabbing, the victim ‘lay defenceless on the ground near the city's Clock Tower’, a jury was told. Post the stabbing, the alleged victim was airlifted to hospital and underwent life-saving surgery.

Defendant Mohammed Osman admitted to possessing a knife in Gallowtree Gate and wounding with intent, but he

denied attempting murder.

On the first day of Osman's trial, Samuel Skinner, prosecuting, said: "The stabbing happened at 3.30 in the afternoon on a Tuesday in the middle of Leicester city centre, outside Greggs and near the Taco Bell, in Gallowtree Gate.

He alleged Osman launched the knife attack because he "lost his temper" with the complainant, who knew him as they had met at least once before, in Melton, where the alleged victim lived.

9 Indian takeaways have the worst food hygiene ratings Usually, local authority gives ratings when it comes to food hygiene and these ratings range from zero - meaning urgent improvement is needed - to five, which is the highest possible hygiene standard.

In Leicestershire, many Indian takeaways have got a 0 or 1 rating but there are few takeaways with a rating of 2.

Here are some of the Indian takeaways with a 2 rating - as they appeared on the Financial Services Authority FSA’s website on January 25.

1) Curry 2 Night, Borough Street, Castle Donington 2) Massala, Central Avenue, Ibstock 3) Spice Balti House, Thurncourt Road, Leicester 4) BKs Saanu Indian Takeaway, Strathmore Road, Hinckley

5) Cinnamon Tree, Wood Road, Nailstone 6) Dawat, Highfield Street, Leicester 7) Jebu Tandoori, Evington Road, Leicester 8) Kitchen 26, Belgrave Road, Leicester 9) Shahi Khana and Coffee, Glossop Street, Leicester

More Black and Asian students accepted at top UK universities

The poster exhibition highlighted the workforce in varied roles across TfL serving London. The display can be found at Victoria, Hounslow West, Limehouse DLR and West Croydon.

Recently, an image of a TfL board has gone viral on social media, which celebrates South Asian Heritage staff.

The Black and Asian students have won places at prestigious UK universities at record levels in 2021, as per the Ucas figures. By 2026, there could be one million applicants as students from all backgrounds are being accepted, said the chief executive of the Ucas admissions service.

According to figures released by Ucas, the number of Black students who accepted places at selective institutions rose by 19 per cent in a year, from 3,775 in 2020 to just under 4,500.

It is believed that the number of applications and acceptances rose because of the government’s decision to cancel exams and

Ethnic minority cleaners to take action against GOSH Dozens of ethnic minority cleaners are taking legal action against a world-leading children’s hospital having accused the organisation of denying them NHS contracts that would offer a higher wage as well as benefits such as overtime, sick pay, holiday pay and access to the NHS pension scheme.

Some 83 workers at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital (GOSH) in central London say the trust has refused to employ them under the same terms and conditions as other staff which the trust denies.

Nearly 83 ethnic minority cleaners who work at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital (GOSH) in central London say the trust is being unfair to them when it comes to the wages. They said the trust refuses to employ them under the same terms and conditions as other staff. However, the trust has denied the allegations and, in their defence, they claimed that the cleaners are receiving benefits and are paid £11.84 per hour, not £10.75.

Initially, the staff members, most of whom are black and of African descent, were working for third-party contractor OCS Group UK, but last August, their employment was transferred to GOSH. One of the cleaners, Memuna Kabia, told the Independent: “GOSH has been denying us what they owe for a long time and finding excuses not to treat us fairly. They are meant to look after us, but they have denied us our right to NHS pay and other benefits. So, we need to take them to court to get justice. And justice we will get.”

replace them with teacher-assessed grades.

Clare Marchant, the chief executive of Ucas, said: “This year sees the return to exams, and is the second year of what will be a decade of growth of 18-year-olds in the UK population. As we are set to hit one million applicants by 2026, it will be even more important than the higher education admissions system meets the needs of students in this increasingly competitive environment.”

The data also revealed that nearly 21 per cent of students receiving free school meals were accepted onto a university or college course last year.

Meg Hillier raps NHS chief over hospital deal The chair of parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Meg Hillier rapped NHS England Amanda Pritchard for failing to publish ministerial direction letter on time by writing a sternly-worded letter. Hillier says the organisation has failed to publish an exchange with the heatlh secretary Sajid Javid.

Earlier this month the health secretary issued a written ministerial direction authorising plans to put private hospitals on standby in order to support NHS services which are at risk due to rising cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 - at a cost of between £75m and £90m a month.

“This is not in line with the guidance issued to all accounting officers in December 2021 by the Treasury officer of accounts, which clearly stated all ministerial directions must be published promptly on GOV.UK and that the chair of the Committee of Public Accounts must be made immediately aware. I do not expect such a delay to occur again,” she added.

in brief FAMILY LEFT WITH NO HEATING FOR SIX DAYS A family from a Leicestershire village were left with no heating for six days after their gas ran out and Calor Gas did not refuel it even when the levels had reached 25 per cent. The family includes pregnant mum Laura, her husband and their two-yearchild. As the village itself is not connected to the mains gas, residents there have to get gas delivered and supplied directly from energy companies such as Calor Gas. Laura said: "On Friday we literally had no heating, hot water, and no way to cook as we have an AGA and is entirely gasdependent.”

LIZ TRUSS TAKES PRIVATE JET AT COST OF £500,000 TAXPAYERS Foreign Secretary Liz Truss took a private jet instead of a business class flight for flying 22,000 miles ‘to, from and within Australia’ on a private government plane, the Independent reported. If she would have opted for a business ticket, she would have arrived more quickly and at least £492,000 would have been saved. Ms Truss who is widely seen as a frontrunner to take over as Prime Minister if Boris Johnson is ousted has always been in the news for her spending.

Reports also say she took a private jet to Australia at a grotesque cost of £500,000 to the taxpayer.

HOME OFFICE ADMITS BEING UNLAWFUL TO CHANNEL MIGRANTS The Home Office has admitted to exercising an unlawful and secret policy under which it seized all Channel migrants’ phones.

Lawyers representing Priti Patel, the home secretary, made the admission at the High Court while fighting legal action brought by three asylum seekers. Despite not committing any crime, men from Iraq and Iran were all arrested on arrival in the UK and were stripped of their possessions.

Along with it, British authorities kept their mobile phones for several months leaving them unable to contact their loved ones.

The Home Office has apologised for failing a “duty of candour”.

ROYAL MAIL TO CUT DOWN JOBS Amid growing competition from rivals, Royal Mail is planning to cut down 700 management jobs, to reduce costs. The Royal Mail has been facing a flak for delaying postal. It is believed that the decision is being taken as part of a restructuring plan. Also, the company has been struggling to cope with Covid-related staff absences. Some of the customers complained of waiting up for a month for important deliveries including prescriptions and legal documents as well as late Christmas cards. Large parts of London, Manchester, Hertfordshire, Wales and Scotland, have been affected by the delays.

Recently, the regulator Ofcom said that it was "concerned about these delays and have made it clear to Royal Mail that it must take steps to improve its performance as the effects of the pandemic subside".

After the start of the pandemic, the company laid off a fifth of its managers, around 2,000 posts, in June 2020

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THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WINDRUSH

COMPENSATION SCHEME S

ome people from the Caribbean, or countries such as India, Bangladesh or Pakistan who settled lawfully in the UK before 1988, faced problems because they did not have the correct documents to show their legal status.

As a result, they may have found it hard to demonstrate their right to work and access services in the UK, and lost out on things like jobs, housing, and healthcare. This has become known as the ‘Windrush scandal’ as many of those affected are people from the ‘Windrush generation’.

We sat down with Azar, who has worked as a Windrush Outreach Engagement Officer at the Home Office since April 2018, to answer some common questions about the Windrush Compensation Scheme, as often many people don’t realise, they are eligible to apply for support.

Azar, Windrush Outreach Engagement Officer, Home Office

Q: What is the Windrush Compensation Scheme all about?

The UK Government set up the Windrush Compensation Scheme to help those affected by the Windrush scandal get compensation for the impacts and losses they suffered.

Q: Is it true that the scheme is only available to people from the Caribbean?

No, this is incorrect. Windrush compensation is available to people of all ages and nationalities, who suffered losses because they could not prove their right to live in the UK. Some children, grandchildren and close family members may also be able to claim compensation, and you may also be able to claim on behalf of a relative who has died.

Q: Can you still apply for help if you don’t have the correct paperwork, or can’t prove you suffered losses?

The Windrush Help Team will consider a wide variety of evidence and can provide advice on documents to show your date of birth or arrival in the UK, and your lawful status. They can also put you in touch with a free independent adviser for more help with your claim.

Q: We heard it can take years to receive support or compensation, is this really the case?

Getting help is easier than you think. The Windrush Help Team are specially trained to help you through the application process and get you extra support if you need it. The team aims to make a decisionon claims as quickly as possible.

Q: Will your immigration status be affected if you apply for compensation?

All active Windrush cases are dealt with confidentiality and sensitively by the Windrush Help Team and applying for the scheme will not affect the immigration status of you or any members of your family.

Q: How much compensation do people receive?

The Windrush Compensation Scheme was improved in 2020. If you’ve suffered – whether in a big or small way - compensation now starts at a minimum of £10,000 and can go up to £100,000 or more. There is no limit on the total amount of compensation available, and no end date for the scheme.

I also want to highlight that the helpline is free, and any applications made to the Windrush Compensation Scheme are free.

Q: Do you have to accept the first offer of compensation offered?

Not at all. If you’re offered compensation and

aren’t happy with the amount offered, you are entitled to have the offer reviewed by another team in the Home Office. If you are still unhappy with the offer, you can have it reviewed by an independent Adjudicator.

Q: Can you apply if you are based overseas?

You’re still able to apply for support from the Windrush Help Team, but the process is slightly different. If you’re applying from outside the UK, you

must use the online application form.

Q: Can people receive support to complete their application?

Yes, absolutely. If you are worried about applying due to language, disability, mental health or for any other reason, the team can provide extra support. If you need help completing the application form, the Help Team can also put you in touch with a free independent advisor.

To learn if you can receive help from the Windrush Compensation Scheme, even if you are unsure of the documents you need,

visit https://gov.uk/windrushhelpteam/ or call the FREE helpline 0800 678 1925 for assistance.

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Continued from page 1 In an article titled ‘Why we need to talk about suicide in the Asian community’, freelance journalist Poorna Bell talked about the unfortunate demise of her husband who took his own life. She wrote about the "double-edged sword of stigma around suicide and mental illness exists in the British South Asian community.”

Challenges in the Asian community Dr Dinesh Bhugra, Emeritus Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity at King’s College London told Poorna in an interview with the BBC that rate of suicide in South Asians was high Dr Dinesh Bhugra (back in 2018) and that it was worth thinking about.

“There are communities within communities,” Dr Bhugra said. “So, what might be right for the Sikh community, may not be right for the Hindu or Muslim community.”

In 2008 Bhugra's study of attempted suicide in West London found the rate of attempted suicide among Asian women aged 16–19 years was 17 times that of Asian men.

In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Asian Voice last year, Dr Bhugra spoke about overcoming the taboo of mental health in the community. He said, “There are two challenges: firstly, it is about stigma as people often see talking about mental illnesses and stress as showing weakness and being ashamed of people of a certain age worry that if they talked about it, nobody would visit them, and they would be shunned.

“The second point worth remembering is that often many South Asian individuals see mental illnesses as punishment from a previous life or karma and would not see these as a medical problem. In one of our studies a while ago Punjabi women saw depression as a result of life's ups and downs and thus, they would rather go to the temple, gurudwara or the mosque than go and see their GP and do so i.e. going to the GP will also lead them to worry that people will get to know.

“All this in spite of the fact that there is no equivalent word for depression in Punjabi or Hindi or Urdu, sadness yes. Thus, the models that people have in explaining men-

DON'T GIVE UP tal illnesses must be taken into account when designing or delivering services.

“We need to bear in mind that there are many illnesses and people may feel ok talking about anxiety or dementia but not schizophrenia.”

Historic data on Asian communities A paper titled ‘Suicide and attempted suicide among South Asians in England: who is at risk?’ published in 2018 reported that South Asians do experience a high level of stress, which, in one study of people of Pakistani origin in Manchester, has been implicated in depression, and similar conclusions may be drawn from other work.

Powerlessness and deprivation influence how East London Bangladeshis respond to illness and misfortune, which often involves a belief in jinns (spirits) and recourse to folk and religious healers.

Mental Health Foundation reported in September 2021 that In England and Wales, nearly one in five of us come from a BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) background. Challenges such as racism, stigma and inequalities can affect the mental health of people from BAME communities.

While suicide rates have not risen just due to the pandemic, the British Medical Journal urged people to remain ‘cautious’.

Latest overall numbers According to ONS in 2020, there were 5,224 suicides registered in England and Wales, equivalent to an age-standardised mortality rate of 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people and statistically significantly lower than the 2019 rate of 11.0 deaths per 100,000.

As the Asian community reels under the stigma of mental health issues, emotional losses and bereavement, we’d like to remind our readers that there are various organisations in the UK that are tirelessly working to help people with mental health and wellbeing.

While it is a promising development to see this decline, we’re also aware that many community members have not got the closure of seeing someone they loved for one last time because they were either Covid patients or living abroad during the lockdown.

Recently, a London based Indian doctor, a neurologist who worked at the Milton Keynes University Hospital in London committed suicide in India because she lost her mother to Covid and couldn't cope with the grief. She reportedly left behind a suicide note that was recovered by the police later.

Causes and cure NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) award-winning suicide prevention system is saving lives.

A real-time surveillance system (RTS) that tracks the number of suspected deaths by suicide, underpinned by the ‘Orange Button Community Scheme’, are the two key elements of a suicide prevention system that is saving lives in Lancashire and South Cumbria.

A spokesperson from Prevention of Young Suicide (PAPYRUS) told us, “During the pandemic, the number of contacts (calls, texts and emails) we received increased by 25 per cent and particularly during the lockdowns – isolation and loneliness increased as themes/reasons why young people were feeling anxious, desperate and suicidal.”

PAPYRUS said that around nine in 10 calls, texts and emails to its HOPELINEUK service since lockdown referenced coronavirus, with children and young adults concerned about their own mental health or about the livelihood of loved ones.

Many are concerned about a loss of income, domestic violence and abuse, and the potential to become infected with Covid19. The charity also said that children and young people need help to heal after the trauma of lockdown.

Of all crimes recorded by the police in the year ending March 2021, 18% were domestic abuse-related. This was an increase of three percentage points compared with 15% the previous year 30% rise in emails and texts Samaritans, a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to those at risk of suicide has seen approximately 30 per cent rise in emails and texts from those seeking emotional and mental help during the pandemic.

A Samaritans spokesperson told Asian

“Drowning” Street?

Sue Gray’s report raises major concerns about ‘Partygate’ Senior civil servant Sue Gray’s report titled ‘Investigation Into Alleged Gatherings On Government Premises During Covid Restrictions’ reached No 10 at 12 noon on 31 January. It is a carefully crafted timeline of events with specific dates and number of people involved in the so-called ‘Partygate’ the infamous and alleged parties that are said to have taken place at Downing Street in the presence of senior party leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson during strictest of Covid lockdown for the rest of the country. Gray did not provide detailed factual accounts of the events themselves.

She did not name anyone specifically, but interviewed over 70 individuals, and analysed a range of documents and digital information.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologised on Monday saying that he was “sorry” after the report into lockdown parties held at his Downing Street residence criticised serious failures at the heart of government. "I get it, and I will fix it," he said in the Prime Minister’s Question Hour in the House of Commons.

Serious failure, difficult to justify Gray’s findings state that amid the backdrop of the pandemic when the Government was asking citizens to accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives, some of the behaviour surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify.

At least some of the gatherings in ques-

tion represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of Government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time.

More importantly, the senior civil servant’s findings note that at Left: Sue Gray; Right: PM Boris Johnson times it seems there was too little steadily increased in recent years, the structhought given to what was happening across tures that support the smooth operation of the country in considering the appropriate- Downing Street, however, have not evolved ness of some of these gatherings, the risks sufficiently to meet the demands of this they presented to public health and how they expansion. might appear to the public. The report clear“The leadership structures are fragmently mentions that there were “failures of lead- ed and complicated and this has sometimes ership and judgment by different parts of No led to the blurring of lines of accountability.

10 and the Cabinet Office at different times” Too much responsibility and expectation are and “some of the events should not have placed on the senior official whose principal been allowed to take place.” function is the direct support of the Prime Minister. This should be addressed as a matExcessive consumption of alcohol ter of priority,” it says.

The rather shocking mention of “excesIn conclusion, the report suggests that sive consumption of alcohol” which accord- the gatherings within the scope of this invesing to Gray “is not appropriate in a profes- tigation are spread over a 20-month period – sional workplace at any time” is also a matter a period that has been unique in recent times of concern in her findings. in terms of the complexity and breadth of The report asserts that steps must be the demands on public servants and indeed taken to ensure that every Government the general public.

Department has a clear and robust policy in “I have noted, a number of these gatherplace covering the consumption of alcohol in ings should not have been allowed to take the workplace. place or to develop in the way that they did.

It further says that some staff wanted to There is significant learning to be drawn raise concerns about behaviours they wit- from these events which must be addressed nessed at work but at times felt unable to immediately across Government. This does do so. not need to wait for the police investigations Fragmented leadership to be concluded,” Sue Gray wrote.

The document, published on January 31, While Sue’s report adds that the number of staff working in No 10 Downing Street has is not the final version of the report by senior

Voice, “The most recent ONS data indicates that suicide rates have not increased during the coronavirus pandemic but, while this is encouraging, we know that the experiences of the last couple of years are likely to have long term effects on mental health and wellbeing. Around a fifth of calls for help to Samaritans mention coronavirus, along with issues around loneliness and isolation, mental health and family.”

Mind Out, a mental health service run by and for lesbians, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) people told the newsweekly, “Our services are also available to those who may not identify under the LGBTQ umbrella including straight people who have sexual and/or romantic relationships with LGBTQ people, men who have sex with men, women who have sex with women, people who previously identified as LGBTQ and those who are questioning their sexual and/or gender identities.”

Victoria Hornby OBE, Chief Executive of charity Mental Health Innovations, which powers Shout 85258 (UK’s first and only free, 24/7, confidential text message support service) said, “From the analysis of a set of anonymised conversations relating to suicide, we found that both a sense of hopelessness and the absence of social connectedness intensified feelings of distress. Both of these factors are recognised as critical factors in the potential development of suicidal ideation.

For 43% of people, texting Shout is the first time they told someone how they are feeling and asked for help. Shout’s daily conversation numbers have increased by 180% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and are continuing to rise.

Need for reforms and investment in health Speaking to the newsweekly, Brian Dow, Chief Executive, Mental Health UK and co-chair of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance said, “To help prevent more people dying by suicide, we also need to continue to break down the stigma. By looking out for our family, our neighbours and the community around us, we can help reduce feelings of isolation and remind people that they have somewhere to turn to for support if they’re going through a tough time in their lives.” civil servant Sue Gray. That will not be published until the outcome of MetPolice investigations.

Will Sunak be the richest British PM? Tax justice campaigners have warned that should Boris Johnson step down, Rishi Sunak, who is being touted as the number one choice for PM will be the richest prime minister Britain has ever seen as he is reportedly the richest MP right now.

Not to forget that Sunak’s wife Akshata Murthy (daughter of Infosys founder Narayan Murthy) is richer than even Queen Elizabeth in the UK. Reports state that Akshata Murthy possesses shares worth over £430 million (approx Rs 4,200 crore) in her father NR Narayan Murthy's tech giant Infosys. In comparison, the Queen's personal wealth is around £350 million (approx Rs 3,400 crore).

According to OpenDemocracy, experts say Sunak has not been transparent with his finances and that his hedge fund background raises questions about his commitment to fighting tax avoidance. His PR game is quite strong, a testament to which is the fact that he hired the co-founder of a social media agency to manage his public image after he was appointed.

His online presence is said to have more closely resembled a celebrity influencer than a frontrunner for Tory leader.

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PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH UK GOVERNMENT

CELEBRATING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS Despite the impact on public health and safety and various other challenges that Covid-19 posed, our communities have come together to support each other like never seen before. We have witnessed community heroes doing food shopping for the vulnerable, checking on them over the phone, door-to-door visitation, and volunteering to help the NHS as vaccinators. Therefore, it is important that we appreciate and celebrate the commitment of these volunteers, charities, businesses and organisations towards their community.

Rupanjana Dutta Working together for the common good The volunteers at BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, London have worked diligently to serve communities across the nation. His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current spiritual leader of BAPS, issued a call for volunteers in 2020. BAPS in the UK immediately launched a ‘Connect & Care’ programme, mobilising over 1,100 volunteers in 61 areas around the UK as well as in Europe to help the elderly and vulnerable in local communities and ensure that they remain informed, safe and supported.

They have supported 210 hospitals and key workplaces by providing food and supplies and delivered over 75 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables to charitable organisations and grocery bags to the needy.

But their efforts haven’t just stopped at delivering essentials.

The spiritual leader personally urged worshippers at the temple to take their vaccinations and inspired and energised the temple’s efforts to encourage vaccination take-up.

The Neasden Temple Vaccination Centre also urged communities to take the vaccination, and the temple’s daily summaries and guidance have been an important tool to overcome vaccine hesitancy in the community. These have been supported by presentations and videos – in English and Gujarati – outlining the importance of vaccinations, debunking myths and dispelling misinformation.

Spokesperson Yogesh Patel told Asian Voice, “An NHS vaccination centre was opened by BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, in February 2021 where over 130,000 people have been inoculated with first, second and booster jabs.

“The Mandir has provided volunteering services to prepare and run the facility and offered the premises free of charge to support the government’s vaccination

GET BOOSTED NOW rollout. At its peak, 1,000 daily vaccinations were delivered across the premises.

“We believe that unity is the foundation of success in any of our activities or programmes. Our efforts to support the national vaccination campaign, including the opening of a vaccination centre as well as providing education, guidance and encouragement are founded on a united effort by our volunteers to work together for the common good.”

Providing jobs for the unemployed Pharmacist Jainil Patel is a Pharmacy Manager at the Hollowood Chemists. He is also the Clinical Lead of Crewe & Nantwich Vaccination Centres.

Speaking to this newsweekly, Jainil

said, “At Hollowood Chemists, we have worked tirelessly to implement our knowledge in clinical safety and medical practice into producing high quality vaccine centres. We have worked around the clock for over a year to get our local communities

Every adult in the country now needs to get a Covid-19 booster vaccine, because two doses does not give you enough protection against catching Omicron.

To keep each other safe and support the challenging work of our community heroes, please book your Covid-19 booster jab. vaccinated as quickly and safely as possible and collaborated with Honda’s Bike Garage to set up our first site.

“We have worked hard to create a friendly environment which invites all ages, cultures and ethnicities to come and get vaccinated, or at least explore whether it is the right decision for them.

“Through accessing various media platforms and educating our local population on the vaccine, we have helped the public understand what the vaccine is and why it is so important to receive all three of their doses (where eligible).

“A key step in motivating the community has been to banish the myths surrounding the vaccine.

Patients are hesitant due to the vast noise of disinformation they are exposed to. It is important to discuss these fears and to present the opposing argument and then let the patient make their choice after receiving all the information.”

Personally, Jainil thinks it has been one of the most humbling experiences of his life. “When vaccinating, I often realise that with every jab, I could be saving multiple lives,” he added. “It is not often one has the opportunity to be put in that situation, and it

really is a humbling feeling and position to be in.”

However, He also acknowledges that the national vaccination effort has required teamwork, togetherness, and trust amongst those of often greatly different backgrounds.

But one of their greatest achievements was to extend helping hands to the local community, and employ people, who were even ready to work for free.

“We realised that the pandemic has inflicted significant financial and mental health stress for people, mainly caused by unemployment. So, throughout our vaccine programme, we had decided to employ people from the local community,” said Jainil. “It was our duty, not only as employers, but members of the community, to provide paid opportunities to those in difficult situations. It also gave them a great purpose in participating in a lifesaving programme.”

Working with faith leaders to boost vaccine uptake Dr Rupa Joshi is a GP and Managing Partner at the Woodley

Centre Surgery in Berkshire.

With 20 years of experience in general practice, she thinks it has been her primary role to look after community needs and provide services to make their health better. She told us, “It’s all about looking at patients with health inequalities and organising services around the patients’ needs.”

They were amongst the first primary care networks and surgeries to start the vaccination programme back in December 2020. Dr Joshi said, “We organised campaigns, contacting our patients via phone calls text messaging and through the website to organise large and smaller clinics within the surgery to vaccinate them. We also had the outreach clinics, one of which was at the mosque in Reading. We saw patients from the Gurdwara too, and we’ve managed to get around 86% of our local population vaccinated.

“We also worked together with the local council to reach out to our elderly populations to offer support such as help with prescriptions, food and befriending services. We’ve worked together with the local mosque and offered health and wellbeing advice about how to keep healthy during Ramadan, through a webinar.

“We have reached out to our patients with health inequalities, unvaccinated patients in nursing homes and in residential care homes and have organised webinars for safe social care for carers. We have also organised virtual group consultations for long term chronic conditions and provided shielding advice to our patients and primary care networks.

“We have held social media campaigns and used the council’s communications team to get messages across to bust some damaging myths around vaccination and provide reassurance to those hesitant to take their jabs.

“It’s extremely important for everyone to have their booster vaccination now. To find out where you can go and have your vaccination, you can use the national booking service, or you can contact your primary care network or even your GP surgery.”

Get your booster now nhs.uk/ covidvaccination

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Vimal Pandya asked to leave UK; gets support from #LetVimalStay campaign Vimal Pandya has raised more than £10,000 via an online petition amid reports of his deportation to India.

The Rotherhithe shopkeeper was investigated by the Home Office again last year – and he found out on January 19 that his appeal had been unsuccessful, meaning he has to leave the country by February 2 or challenge the decision again, which would entail yet more legal costs, Southwarknews reported. He has spent £40,000 so far in this fight to stay back in the UK. A spokesperson for the Home Office told Southwarknews, “We are committed to an immigration policy which welcomes those in genuine need but which deters illegal immigration, prevents the abuse of benefits and services and removes immigration offenders from the UK.” Pandya is said to have been living in the UK without permission since 2015, the news portal reported. But, he has become an integral part of the community during the lockdown.

Eleanor Salter Thorn, who was one of the organisers of a protest to support Pandya’s case, told Asian Voice, “I was one of the protesters on Saturday. Vimal's shop is in a quiet riverside neighbourhood east of Tower Bridge and Vimal was working in one of the very few shops in the area. Throughout lockdown, he stood out as a complete hero. I live

Let's love ourselves this February

Rohit Vadhwana PHOTO CREDIT: Siu of Eleventh Hou

further down the street and he came to my attention when I read about the thank you letter from the Queen. All deportations are distressing, but when there is one that is about to happen just down the road, it was time for action. I didn't know Vimal.

My daughter and husband had popped into the shop after the article was published.

She is also managing the Twitter account @letvimalstay that was recently set up.

“Saturday was more a symbolic start more than anything else. As long as Vimal is able to submit his appeal by Wednesday, then there should be other opportunities to go and protest,” Thorn added.

Honor Barber of Change UK attended the protest, as did the local Pearly King and Queen. Despite the Queen’s letter of appreciation for Vimal, he hasn’t been able to secure

any support from her office to stay in the UK. According to Thorn, about 16 people turned up for the protest.

She made a new placard for the next time which reads "Our quiet SE16 community cares! You can't just quietly kick out a lockdown hero".

When more than half the people had gone home, a photographer arrived, Siu of Eleventh Hour Photography. “We did not have a permit to actually march, so we stowed the placards in my cargo bike and walked there,” Thorn told the newsweekly.

Now, there are two main focuses: Vimal’s aim is to get more donations into the GoFundMe campaign and submit his appeal. The organiser also told us that Vimal’s new lawyers are asking for Discriminatory Leave to Remain, because there have been many errors in his case.

Veerayatan’s Pujya Acharya Chandanaji conferred with Padmashree Award Jyotsna Shah Veerayatan’s Pujya Acharya Chandanaji who created a revolution in the field of education by combining ServiceEducation-Spirituality conferred with Padmashree Award.

There was a wave of happiness in the entire Jain community as the news of the Government of India's awarding Padmashree Award to Acharya Pujya Chandanaji, the founder and inspiration of Veerayatan on 26th January 2022 Republic Day, spread like wildfire.

26th January was the 86th birth anniversary of Acharyashri and this could be considered as the best gift to her. This service movement that started from Bihar has spread to Meerut, Agra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Nepal.

India’s Prime Minister Hon’ble Narendra Modiji had a telephonic conversation after the prestigious award was conferred to Acharyashree who has been instrumental in the education revolution by working on a mission of social service for 50 years to bring a change in the lives of thousands of underprivileged, orphans and poor. The synopsis of her conversation with PM is presented here: Commencement of Shri Chandana Vidhyapeeth Jain school in UK in 1995 The dream of Shri Chandana Vidyapeeth Jain School (SCVP) of Veerayatan outside India on foreign land was the first time fulfilled in 1995 in the UK by Sadhvi Shri Shilapiji was realised by the vision of Pujya Chandanaji (Pujya Tai Maa). In this school, teaching the values of Jainism in English medium keeping in view the diversity of western society attracts thousands of children and youth through contemporary experimental questionnaire education methods based on compassion.

First Jain lady to be conferred with a national award On this occasion, Dr Vinod Kapashi OBE said, “The announcement of the Indian Government awarding the title of Padmashree to Pujya Acharya Shri Chandanaji has created waves of joy among the people of Britain, especially the citizens of the Jain community. It is a matter of pride for everyone. For the first time, a Jain lady is conferred with a national award like this. Pujya Chandanaji has not only spread the philosophy of Jain religion in a proper manner but has successfully enlightened people by a revolutionary task of social service by taking the responsibility of executing massive humanitarian activities.

“The eye hospital, schools, colleges and other activities in Bihar; the highly appreciated service provided post-Nepal earthquake and similarly several activities after the earthquake in Gujarat’s Kutch displays is the witness of her power

Pujya Acharya Chandanaji

of management skills and exquisite spirit. She has won the hearts of the Gujarat people by establishing more than 11 colleges, several hospitals and service centres. When she came to Britain she established the first Pathshala along with her disciple Shilpaji Maharaj. The Pathshala still runs perfectly. We also congratulate her and pray for her long life as she completes 85 years of age and enters the 86th year.”

The month of February has started. It is called the month of Love. It gives us many occasions to express our feelings towards someone or something. Youngsters celebrate Rose Day, Propose Day, Kiss Day, Hug Day and many more. But the most known among them all is Valentine's Day, celebrated in honour of the martyred Saint Valentine of Rome.

But this month can be celebrated for more than just romantic love in the traditional sense. This month can be used as an important time to develop self-love.

In our endeavour to be good, to be considered good, we often forget to love ourselves. While we keep committed to others, it is quite possible to leave behind our own self. The month of December goes into celebrations and parties of the festivities. It remains busy under social pressure to meet friends, attend dinners and receptions or simply to raise toasts. Then comes January which gives psychological pressure to make an annual resolution. We burden ourselves with a number of goals, many of them unrealistic desires. For some time, we try to follow the strict routine penned down in a new diary, just to meet failures day by day. This takes a toll mentally and physically.

So, the next month, February, should be better used for self-love, self-care. Here we need to ask ourselves what is really important for ourselves. What do we care for? Let's keep aside, for the time being, all those pressure points which are created to meet others' expectations, to prove our ability in the eyes of others. Let this be time to focus on our own happiness and well-being. This may include giving ourselves some ME-time, giving some rest from routines, accepting ourselves as we have been and most importantly, not throwing ourselves to the judgement of others.

Because when we are assessing our achievements and standing through the eyes of others, we are bound to fail. A fish can never run like a rabbit, and a leopard cannot fly like an eagle. So why kill our self-esteem with criticism?

One needs a certain amount of physical, emotional and spiritual comfort. This month may be the best to anchor our needs in these directions. Let there be an empty corner in the house where we can relax, let there be a time slot when no one disturbs us, let there be a day in the week when we pamper ourselves. Let us develop emotional strength to protect ourselves from any adversities and deal with challenges. Creating a protective layer around our emotional self is very important to live a happy life. Let’s not get disturbed by insignificant events that may cause trembles in our lives. Let us find our spiritual being, let that journey begin now for peace of mind.

Let's love ourselves this February, let it turn out to be the best month of love in our lives to date.

(Expressed opinions are personal)

Britain’s youngest Islamist terrorist jailed Police probe youngest Islamist terrorist, “deeply committed extremist” who suspicious murder Britain’s who is identified only by the letters was days away from helping stage a RXG is back behind the bars for pos“massacre” at an Anzac Day parade of a woman sessing a smartphone that broke the in Australia in April 2015. PA media Marina Shaban, mother of four was found with serious injuries at the entrance of a block of flats in the Bordesley Green area of the city shortly after 7 pm on Friday. She was pronounced dead at the scene, however, a post-mortem examination is not yet carried out to confirm the cause of her death.

While paying tribute to Ms Shaban, her mother said a loving, caring and dedicated mother with a fantastic personality and a real zest for life was tragically taken from us before her time.

Meanwhile, West Midlands Police are appealing to people to come forward if they have witnessed any suspicious behaviour.

Anyone with information can contact West Midlands Police via Live Chat on their website or by calling 101, quoting log 3492 of 28/01/22.

terms of his release on licence.

Earlier, at the age of 14, he was arrested and jailed for plotting a massacre. RXG from Blackburn, Lancashire was described as a

does not know about the nature of the material on his phone but sources said the fact that he had the internet-enabled device meant he was held.

Avanti West Coast hiring female train drivers Avanti West Coast, a train operating company has launched a campaign to help recruit 40 new train drivers in London and across the UK in 2022. Meanwhile, the company is urging women to apply for train driver jobs and consider it as a realistic career option with salaries up to £70,000. At the time of applying, one has to be 20.5 years old.

Hayley Richardson, a Londonbased driver said she absolutely loves being a train driver. “I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone, and I would encourage anyone, especially women who are looking for a career change or have their hearts set on becoming a driver to put in an application,” she added.

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When you think you need A&E,

contact NHS 111 online first T

he NHS is encouraging the public to use NHS 111 online to get urgent medical advice quickly – in addition to existing services – ahead of what England’s top doctor has said will be a ‘winter like no other’.

With more people predicted to suffer from flu this year and hospitals already treating an increased number of Covid-19 patients, NHS 111 online offers an alternative way to get immediate medical advice.

Data from September showed that the NHS was

already experiencing record demand for emergency services, with ambulances responding to 76,000 life-threatening incidents and call handlers taking more than one million 999 calls.

The NHS 111 phone service also saw record demand, with a call being taken every seven seconds.

It’s recommended that if you have an urgent but not life-threatening medical need, you should visit NHS 111 online first rather than going straight to A&E. You can

access the service by visiting the website 111.nhs.uk.

People use the online 111 service for a range of reasons, including to check their symptoms and if an injury or illness requires further investigation, to get information on mental health support services available, or to seek advice on how to take a medication.

The service is also able to arrange for you to be seen at an Urgent Treatment Centre, GP surgery, pharmacy, emergency dental services or A&E should you need it.

If you or your loved one have a life-threatening illness or injury, then you should always use 999.

Just think 111 first. When you think you need A&E, go to NHS 111 online 111.nhs.uk or call 111.

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5 - 11 February 2022

Our Alice in Wonderland politicians

What is the 1928 Institute?

I have been living in this wonderful, democratic country for 55 years that once ruled one-third of the globe but have never come across politicians so out of touch with reality at ground level that we are laughing stock in most overseas countries, an easy touch for those who wants to milk, rob and make fool of us.

Our MPs are kind, caring and always ready to help their constituents but when it comes to international diplomacy, we are bottom of the league, along with the US, Ukraine is the latest example where even super-rich Germany is not willing to get involved, refuse to supply much-needed arms and ammunitions, yet Germany will suffer most if it comes to war. Is it our duty to defend Germany and many such selfish nations! Now that PM will be visiting Eastern European NATO countries, I hope our PM will invite the French President and German Chancellor to accompany him, to present “United Front!”

Germany has taken over most of our trade with Russia, due to the short sightlessness of our PM Boris Johnson who is more interested in hugging the limelight overseas than at home! Perhaps “Party Gate” is one miscalculation too far that may bring his premiership to an end.

When Boris defeated left-wing Labour hero Red Ken, I was much impressed, believing that in Boris, we have discovered new Lady Thatcher, alas how wrong I was! In fact, since the end of WW2, we had only a handful of creditable politicians including Aneurin Bevan, Clement Attlee, Winston Churchill and Lady Thatcher.

I do not see any creditable candidate to replace Boris, although Rishi Sunak is the book-makers favourite. But he is a newcomer, may be more interested in his personal advancement. On the right side he is an expert at manmanagement, has not offended any politician while climbing the ladder, he may stop infighting among Tory MPs and bring much-needed harmony among the party that has ruled uninterrupted for a long time.

Bhupendra M. Gandhi

The 1928 Institute is a British-India Think Tank. It was formed in 2020 by a few Indian academics based in Oxford.

Their professed aim is to represent British Indians to policymakers and the media of the United Kingdom. They seek to foster a better understanding of our community as well as explore wider public perceptions of India. They further want to, 'Deconstruct colonial narratives on our community through creative written form and visual media'. This is a loaded term and needs to be explained in simple terms.

They claim to be Non-partisan, Inclusive, Internationalist and Pioneering. They are mostly funded by the founders.

They are also partly funded by Linacre College, University of Oxford.

They have carried out a survey that claims only 56% of Indians would take the Covid vaccine and Indian women are significantly less likely to have the vaccine than men. They also claim that their survey showed that 80% of Indians experience prejudice as a result of their Indian identity in the UK. The largest part of this prejudice according to them is Hinduphobia.

I believe that the Indian community should be very wary of imposing on itself the word Hinduphobia. It has many negative connotations. First of all, there is no Hinduphobia in this country. We are in fact living in a very tolerant country in which we have magnificent temples and Hindu faith-based schools. Adopting the word Hinduphobia means we want to play the victim game. We are not victims and we do not want the great British public to think that from being a vibrant, confident and very successful community that has integrated well, we are suddenly playing the victim card. There is mention also of a desire for, 'Open Air Cremations' amongst those they surveyed. This issue has been dead and buried(excuse the pun) twenty years ago. There was one individual who was campaigning for open-air cremations and the Government held a consultation to discuss the issue. I was present at the meeting and I said there was no need for open-air cremations and that even in India all the cities have modern crematoriums. If anyone wanted open-air cremations they could inform their relations and be transported to India after their death. The whole matter was dropped. These are the types of demands that get us classified as extremists.

Membership of the Institute is free and Lord Desai, Lord Parekh, Baroness Sandip Verma, Virendra Sharma MP, Indian MP Shashi Tharoor and The Hindu Council UK are members.

I wonder if The Hindu Council has been actively involved with the activities of this organisation.

I have some reservations about this Think Tank. They seem to have taken on the task of representing the British Indian's unilaterally. With their base in Oxford and the founders being Oxford academics the media will increasingly turn to them for issues impacting the Indian community.

There is a danger that the Indian diaspora which has cultivated a positive, moderate image will find that it is being represented by an institution that can possibly give it a negative, confrontational appearance. I hope the Hindu organisations will look into this matter.

Nitin Mehta

History of Knighthoods It was right and appropriate for Kapil’s Khichdi to remind readers of the origins of Knighthoods honours. History is replete with stories of violence, genocide and injustice committed over centuries in the name of religion.

Unfortunately, this trend continues even today in certain countries such as China (Muslim Uighurs mistreatment), Myanmar (violence against their mainly Muslim citizens), Afghanistan (ill-treatment of the Hazaras), Iraq (Shia Sunni religious conflict), etc. It is sad and terrifying to learn what humanity can descend into based on differences.

A few years ago, I had visited Goa for a holiday. I booked an organised excursion which included visits to the old Catholic Churches. Along the way, we were also taken to the site of an old gallows which was used by the colonial Portuguese to kill those Goans who refused to convert to Christianity.

Thankfully, the process of religious propagation is relatively peaceful now. The objective remains the same but the means to achieve it have become more sophisticated.

Missionaries have been known to deploy financial, educational and medical inducements to persuade people (usually the poor and dispossessed) to change their faith/beliefs.

The missionaries no longer require new converts to change their names to the newly adopted religion as it would give the game away. I feel that to overcome the religious divide, humanity needs to move to a universal spiritual well-being way of peaceful life devoid of religions.

Dinesh Rai

Patriotism On the morning of January 26, 2022, we had a very patriotic feeling in our heart by attending India’s flag hoisting ceremony at Santana Mandir Markham, Canada It was bitterly cold (-14 Centigrade) but sunny morning. We showed our love, respect and patriotism to our motherland. The reason we went is that when Indian army men and women go on 45C in snowy weather on the mountains border to protect and guard our country, then we can also attend the flag hoisting ceremony. My friend Mahendra Patel and I (Suresh Patel) both are in the late seventies and we still went.

Temple priests performed Puja of India’s flag as per Hindu religion by chanting Vedic mantras. All murties were nicely decorated with India’s flags in the patriotic spirit.

Then outside of the temple was the flag hoisting ceremony where we sang the national anthem of India.

Last but not least, we like to dedicate India’s flag hoisting ceremony in loving memory of Jagdish Patel, his wife Vaishali Patel and their two children Vihangi and Dharmik who died from exposure due to the biting cold in Manitoba, Canada while illegally crossing Canada -US border in the human smuggling scheme. As they were born in Gujarat India and died on Canadian soil so hoisting of both the Indian flag and Canadian flag at Sanatan temple Markham, Canada is a fitting tribute to them and we also offered our prayer to all deities of the temple to grant eternal peace in heaven to their departed souls. Jai Hind, Jai Canada.

All please stay safe and healthy.

Suresh Patel, Markham and Mahendra Patel, Stouffville, Canada

Love was God's plan when he made man Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi or the Father of the Nation, believed that it was the duty of every human being to study and respect every religion. In pursuit of this, he studied the holy scriptures of every religion.

All his life, in all his ashrams in South Africa and in India, prayer services were held every morning and evening. In them, prayers from all religions were included and given equal importance. The Christian hymn 'Abide with me' was one of his favourite hymns and would be sung many times.

After Independence, after India became a Republic, Republic Day commemorations would end with the beating of the retreat ceremony on Raj Path on January 29. Marching bands of all three services performed several songs. ‘Abide with Me’ was always performed all these years. It symbolises the syncretic culture of our nation where all religions were included and given equal status and respect. This year inexplicably, 'Abide with me’ had been replaced. It is hurtful more so because the next day, January 30, is the day Gandhiji was martyred in 1948. In his memory and as a tribute to his desire for an inclusive all-embracing respectful and loving nation, the citizens of India should take it upon themselves to perform, recite or play the hymn 'Abide with me' as a tribute to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Father of the nation.

My appeal to all the churches in India is to sing the hymn 'Abide with me' on January 30 as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and as an affirmation of our syncretic culture and our secular belief of equal respect to all religions.

Unfortunately, today hated has taken a centre stage in our nation, changing the narrative of so many decades and corrupting the ideal on which our nation was founded.

Gandhiji said that hate must be countered solely with love, a very Christian ethic.

Let us all make the singing, reciting or playing of the hymn 'Abide with me' our reply to hate. Let love prevail.

St. Francis of Assisi rightly said, "Where there is hatred, let me sow love".

Jubel D'Cruz, Mumbai, India

Kapil Dudakia

Kapil’s KHICHADI

Wokes at Oxford University Over the past decade or so, increasingly one comes to a belief that some students (and possibly even their lecturers) at Oxford University have the DNA of an antinational. Spineless creatures who use their educated manipulative tongue to spout rhetoric and platitudes to hide their own moral and ethical inadequacies. The privileged lot it seems thrive on their own cowardice.

And now you are all wondering, where is Kapil taking this narrative today? Interestingly, did you know that on 9th February 1933 the students at Oxford Union voted 275 to 153 that they would under no circumstances fight for King and Country. We had a King then obviously, but translate that for 2022, and it would read that they would not fight for Queen and Country. How would the country react if they were to do the same today?

History shows us that whilst the privileged few enjoyed themselves by playing linguistic gymnastics at university, had it not been for the ordinary man and woman, this nation would not have had anyone to fight off the scourge of Nazism. On Holocaust Memorial Day, we remembered the madness of the genocide, and the millions of other lives lost. Had this nation left it to these spineless students at our elite universities, this nation would have been a German outpost.

Some of you are still asking, where is Kapil going with this narrative?

Let’s bring this to present day and see what universities like Oxford are allowing to take place under their auspices.

On 5th and 6th February, a group of anti-India and anti-Hindu (that’s how they come across to me at least) students and lecturers will be taking part in an International Conference called: Counting Caste Breaking the Caste Census Deadlock, by South Asia Alternative Forum, Oxford South Asian Society.

Some of the speakers invited have shown antiIndia and anti-Hindu rhetoric in the past. Caste and Hindutva it seems is their route to undermine Hindus at any cost. Some of the people involved might have ‘Indian’ sounding names, but they are converts to the Christian narrative.

We have seen the same anti-Indian toolkit being used previously. “Dismantling Global Hindutva” Conferences were delivered both in the USA and in the UK. The usual suspects names keep coming up time and again, but their focus is always to undermine India and Hindus.

Remember, this is the same Oxford University where Rashmi Samant, the first Indian woman to become president of Oxford Students Union, was hounded out by bullies who targeted her because she was Indian and a Hindu. The university investigated the matter, but the report has so far not been released.

What grave findings are they trying to hide? Or has the report been hidden because the University has done some dastardly deal with higher authorities?

It’s also the same university that cancelled an event at which Dr Subramaniam Swamy was going to make a speech in 2015. Again, one can only conclude it was done because he was a proud Indian Hindu who was going to expose truths about inequality and racism against Hindus and Indians.

The pattern of behaviour suggests to me that this University, and others here in the UK and also in the USA, are in the pockets of some very powerful and rich entities. I have been told a white Christian cabal exists to fund and control an anti-Hindu narrative. It seems the harvesting of the heathen soul continues whilst our own billionaires remain clueless.

Some of our universities have become centres for indoctrination. And cancel culture is now the new religion for the wokes at our universities.

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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Antimicrobial Resistance: Worse than a Pandemic?

Ruchi Ghanashyam 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 This week there are many important developments competing for attention. A crisis has been building up in Ukraine, with the US and Russia on the brink and NATO on the alert.

Ukraine joined NATO's enhanced opportunity partner interoperability program on 12 June 2020 and has links with the rest of Europe.

The question of ‘will they or won’t they’ (go to war, that is), has for the moment become somewhat less critical as attempts are on to deescalate the crisis.

There was speculation over India’s reaction. India has traditionally strong links with Russia and is fast building up its relations with the West. India, therefore, wisely abstained from a vote on the Ukraine issue in the UN Security Council on Monday and called for finding a solution that takes into account “the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long term peace and stability in the region and beyond.” Kenya and Gabon also abstained, while Russia and China voted against it. The US move received support from nine other UN Security Council members.

India’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman painted an upbeat picture of India’s economic future in the budget 2022.

Budget highlights are readily available.

A historic Australian Open tennis tournament just concluded in Melbourne. Rafael Nadal made history by becoming the first one to win 21 Grand Slam men’s singles titles.

Another history was made in women’s tennis as Ashleigh Barty became the first Australian to win this Grand Slam title since 1978, ending a 44-year long drought. This time, the drama started unfolding even prior to the tournament as Novak Djokovic landed for the tournament without being vaccinated against Covid and was deported after a battle in court.

The Djokovic saga seemed to almost eclipse the developments that followed at the tournament. But more than the event itself, the entire story raised important issues surrounding vaccination. There are those who support individual liberty and the right to choose, especially amongst those who oppose vaccination for one reason or another. There are also those who feel that no individual should have the right to endanger himself and/or others and that in a global pandemic, it is everyone’s responsibility to help end the pandemic, and that vaccination offers the hope for conquering the pandemic.

Any of these subjects would suffice to be the focus of one’s weekly column. But this week I decided to focus on the important subject of antimicrobial resistance or AMR. The Lancet published a stark analysis that covered more than 200 countries and territories, saying that AMR is killing more people than HIV/Aids or malaria. Many hundreds of thousands of deaths are occurring due to common, previously treatable infections because bacteria that cause them have become resistant to treatment. A report in the Guardian newspaper highlighted that antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to humanity as it has become a leading cause of death worldwide and is killing about 3,500 people every day. It said that more than 1.2 million died in 2019 as a direct result of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

AMR poses a threat to people of all ages, but young children were found to be at particularly high risk: one in five deaths attributable to AMR occurred in children under the age of five. Deaths caused directly by AMR were estimated to be the highest in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, at 24 deaths per 100,000 population and 22 deaths per 100,000 population respectively. But high-income countries are not immune either. AMR led directly to 13 deaths per 100,000 and was associated with 56 deaths per 100,000. In the western Europe region, which includes the UK, more than 51,000 people died as a direct result of AMR. A big reason for AMR is how we use or rather misuse medicines. Indian television journalist, Palki Sharma Upadhyay highlighted this in her recent report on WION TV by underlining that India’s favourite snack is not bhujia or samosa, but a tablet for fever and body ache. 3.5 billion tablets of this particular brand have been sold since the beginning of the 2020 pandemic. Stacked up, they would form a tower 63000 times taller than Burj Khalifa and 6000 times taller than Mt Everest. Self-medication without consulting doctors and leaving treatment incomplete are increasingly contributing to AMR. People often stop taking antibiotics when the symptoms ease instead of completing the full course of antibiotics prescribed.

AMR is not a new problem. It has been building up over the years but has reached a crisis point now. Having seen the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the focus is urgently required to address this global challenge. Each of us has a responsibility here!

ISIS Bride could return to UK ISIS bride Shamima Begum could return to the UK after a court case victory of a 6year-old- girl from Bethnal Green who successfully claimed that she was a victim of modern slavery. Her lawyer said the case of the runaway teen has buoyed hopes of Ms Begum's return.

Jonathan Hall QC said:

"Being both a victim of modern slavery and presenting a risk to the general public are not incompatible. If fewer criminal cases are going to be possible, this begs the question whether there are sufficient non-criminal justice measures in place, in particular, to deal with the terrorist risk presented by

children." In 2015, Ms Begum fled to Syria, alongside two other schoolgirls.

A Home Office spokesperson said earlier this week: "We are carefully considering the implications of this ruling, and intend to seek permission to appeal from the Supreme Court."

Pfizer booster causing rare skin condition?

More than three-quarters of the UK population is now fully vaccinated and the booster campaign has helped in neutralising the threat posed by the new Omicron variant.

However, along with the benefits, side effects are being reported in a small number of populations. A

new case study published in the International Journal of Dermatology has documented cases of bullous pemphigoid that show up after getting the Covid vaccine.

Bullous pemphigoid is a rare skin condition that causes large, fluid-filled blisters.

"To date, in our tertiary referral centre, which also

includes a specialized Autoimmune Blistering Disease Outpatient Department, we have observed four patients with new-onset BP [bullous pemphigoid] and three patients with exacerbation of previous BP [bullous pemphigoid] following Covid-19 vaccination," the researchers wrote.

Dr Soumitra Dutta to take charge as new Dean of Said Business School The University of Oxford has appointed Indian-origin academic Professor Dr Soumitra Dutta as the new Dean of its Saïd Business School.

Professor Dutta will take charge on June 1 this year.

He is currently a Professor of Management at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University in New York.

Soumitra Dutta is an authority on innovation in the knowledge economy, with a refreshing global perspective. He is the co-editor and author of the Global Information Technology Report, published by the

Dr Soumitra Dutta

World Economic Forum and the Global Innovation Index, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization - two influential reports in technology and innovation policy.

Prof. Dutta said, “I am delighted to be joining Saïd Business School at Oxford University. My daughter

Sara graduated from Oxford and both my wife Lourdes and I spent a fruitful halfyear sabbatical at Oxford.

We are both looking forward to being part of this diverse, exciting and innovative community.

“It is an honour to be appointed as Dean of the School, it is a unique institution placed within one of the world’s greatest universities. I very much look forward to collaborating with colleagues, students and alumni within Oxford Saïd and across Oxford, to move the school forward to higher levels of excellence and impact.”

Police solved only 5% of burglary cases As per the analysis of official statistics, police were able to solve only 5 per cent of burglaries last year compared with nearly 9.4 per cent in 2015. Between April 2020 and April 2021, there 268,000 burglaries took place, of which only 14,000 were solved while 243,000 cases were abandoned, mainly due to evidential difficulties such as problems securing CCTV recordings or a failure to find a suspect.

When it comes to solving the case, only one in 17 is resulting in a charge, according to the latest Home Office statistics.

Figures released showed that only one in 20 violent crimes resulted in a charge in 2020-21.

Meanwhile, the Times analysis revealed that police are struggling hard to find the suspects as of the 268,000 burglaries that took place in 2020-21, 211,411

investigations were closed without identifying the suspect. While 12,981 resulted in a charge or summons, more than 31,000 other burglary cases were closed because of evidential difficulties, while nearly 10,000 remain unsolved.

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SCRUTATOR’S India to export BrahMos missile to Philippines In a major fillip to India’s hopes of becoming an exporter of defence platforms, the Philippines signed a deal to buy three batteries of the BrahMos missile, which is developed jointly by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. The deal is worth nearly $375 million, and is India’s first significant defence export. The missiles are manufactured by Barhmos Aerospace in India. The Defence Ministry said that BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) signed a contract with the Department of National Defense of the Republic of Philippines on January 28, 2022 for supply of Shore Based AntiShip Missile System to Philippines. The contract is an important step forward for Government of India’s policy of promoting responsible defence exports. While the formal contract was signed last week, the Philippines had given a go ahead for the deal on December 31, 2021. Its National Defense department had sent a Notice of Award to BAPL, which mentioned that BAPL’s proposal for the shore-based anti-ship acquisition project for the Philippine Navy, with a corresponding price proposal” for US$ 374,962,800 “is hereby accepted”. BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile, which can reach a maximum speed of 2.8 mach, or 2.8 times the speed of sound. (Agency) Women aged 50 to 70 plan Himalayan expedition Bachendri Pal, India's first woman

mountaineer, sprang a surprise on her friends two years ago: what about a 4,500 km trans-Himalayan expedition from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh by a women-only group aged between 50 and 70? The plan went cold as everyone hunkered down for the pandemic to pass.

Pal, 67, didn’t give up and now 10 women are getting ready for an adventure of a lifetime this March. Pal, a Padma Bhushan awardee, and her friends met in Maharashtra’s Wardha recently for an event and decided to get on with the expedition. “There’s a lot happening with the ‘Fit India’ campaign. We want to show that those above 50 can be physically fit too,” Pal said. Her friends are accomplished mountaineers - some have scaled Mt Everest and some were part of her pre-Everest treks. The plan was exciting, but their age made them think twice. “It will take almost five months to complete this expedition,” said Chetna Sahoo, 54, of Kolkata who climbed Mt Everest with her late husband in 2016. “I mapped the route. Any trans-Himalayan expedition requires crossing a number of passes. If all goes to plan, we will start from Arunachal Pradesh in March and end at Tiger Hill (of Kargil War fame) around five months later,” she said. (Agency) 356 unique species of birds sighted in Gujarat The ‘Bird Race’ held recently sighted 356 unique species of birds in Gujarat in one day. This represents about 50% of the total avian biodiversity in the state. The red-breasted goose, a resident of Arctic Siberia, was sighted for the second time in the state, at Thol lake on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. It was earlier spotted for the first time in Gujarat in January 2021at Nalsarovar. This year too there were reports of it at Nalsarovar but it later went missing. It was then spotted at Thol lake during the bird race. Uday Vora, former chief conservator of forests and member of the Gujarat Bird Conservation Society, said that the major number of unique species, 174, were recorded in the coastal belt of Mahuva and Rajula. Vora said Nalsarovar, Thol and Vadla recorded 160odd species. Of these, several species were common at all the three major lakes of Ahmedabad district. He said these 356 species were recorded at 235 sites in the state, including village ponds or makeshift

ponds where rainwater accumulated.

Sighting of 356 species represents about 50% of the total avian diversity in the state. He said the bird race was just a oneday affair and even with limited staff they managed to cover the entire state. (The Times of India) Actor Shweta apologises for remarks on God Actor Shweta Tiwari has caused some controversy recently when a statement of hers at an event in Bhopal caused a furore. Shweta was promoting an upcoming web series. Clips from the event doing rounds on social media show her saying, "Mere bra ki size bhagwan le rahe hai." (God is taking the measurements for my bra)." She was being criticised for her remarks with some asking for her arrest for hurting religious sentiments. The actor has now apologised for the comment and said it was taken out of context. Sweta said that the 'bhagwan' she was referring was her co-star Sourabh Raaj Jain, who has played the role of Lord Krishna on TV earlier. "When put in context, one will understand that the statement was in reference to ‘Bhagwan', in reference with Sourabh Raj Jain’s popular role of a deity.

People associate character names to actors and hence, I used that as an example during my conversation with media," the statement adds. Shweta and Sourabh are appearing together in a web show called Show Stopper, which stars Sourabh in the role of a 'bra fitter'. (Agency) Anand Mahindra praises this Chennai auto driver

Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra group, never misses an opportunity to appreciate smart business skills, be it in any field, or at any level. And recently, a Chennai auto rickshaw driver has managed to impress the business tycoon with his innate customer management skills. Anna Durai drives an auto, which is equipped with free Wifi, newspapers, magazines, refreshments, and a range of electronic gadgets to keep his

customers entertained. And all this is offered for free, just to give his customers the best experience possible. His business skills have thoroughly impressed Anand Mahindra, who not only shared his story on his social media handle but also called him a Professor of Management. In his post Mahindra said, "If MBA students spent a day with him, it would be a compressed course in Customer Experience Management. This man's not only an auto driver... he's a Professor of Management". In addition to magazines and refreshments, his auto also has an iPad Pro, a laptop, AWS Deep Lens, Amazon Echo, and Google Nest, which can be used by customers while travelling in his auto. When the auto driver was asked why he's taken such an approach he said, "My customer is my real god. I am able to eat using the money I earn from my customers." (Agency) Surat donates second pair of hands to mother of 3 A 35-yearold woman from Buldhana in Maharashtra may get another chance to lead a normal life after she was transplanted with two new hands donated from Surat.

The mother of two daughters and a son had lost both her hands three years ago due to electrocution. Recently, a green corridor was created by the city police to take the limbs to the airport from Kiran Hospital, from where the pair of hands crossed 292 km from the Diamond City to the Maximum City by air in 75 minutes. It was the second pair of hands that Surat donated. Earlier, a pair of hands was donated from Surat in October and transplanted to an accountant in Pune.

The transplantation is so far successful as the hands are showing positive signs. Not only hands, but in his death 67-year-old Kanu Patel ensured a new lease of life for four others after the kin donated his kidney, liver and corneas as well. Native of Bhavnagar district, Patel suffered a paralysis stroke on January 18. Due to brain haemorrhage a blood clot was developed in his brain and it was removed through surgery. Since his health was not improving, he was declared brain dead.

Patel’s wife Sharda along with their sons agreed for organ donation when approached by Donate Life president Nilesh Mandlewala. (The Times of India) Bride cancels wedding after groom slaps her A bride in Tamil Nadu called off her wedding after the groom allegedly slapped

her for dancing at a wedding function. She then married her cousin hours later, according to a report. The bride, a postgraduate from Panruti, and the groom, a senior engineer with a Chennai firm, had decided to get married on January 20. However, problems arose a day before their wedding, when the couple and their families came together for a function that involved a DJ and a dance floor. The bride and the groom were reportedly dancing together until the bride's cousin joined them on the dance floor. Things went smoothly until the cousin placed his hands on the bride and groom's shoulders and started dancing with them, which reportedly annoyed the groom. The groom pushed the bride and her cousin away. What happened next is not clear - but the bride's family insist that the groom slapped her. The bride's father was enraged that the groom had slapped his daughter and asked him and his family to leave the hall. After that, the bride's relatives decided to get her married on the same date. They arranged her marriage to her cousin. The bride agreed to the proposal and married her cousin on January 20. Meanwhile, the spurned groom has lodged a complaint at an allwomen police station. He is seeking a compensation of Rs 700,000, which he says is the amount his family spent on wedding preparations and functions.

(Agency) Home guard risks his life, rescues dog

A Telangana policeman is now being hailed as hero after a video showing him saving a dog was shared online. The clip captures him risking his own life to save the creature. There is a chance that after watching the video you will praise the man too. IPS officer Dipanshu Kabra posted the video on Twitter. He shared a caption in Hindi while explaining the incident of the brave home guard named Mujeeb. He explained that when the guard noticed the dog stuck in a flooded stream, he stepped up to help the innocent soul. The video shows him perched atop the bucket of an excavator rescuing the animal from the overflowing waterbody. Since being shared, the clip has accumulated more than 8,100 views and the numbers are only increasing.

(Agency)

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Wings of change Continued from page 1 Asian Voice asked travel experts about what this means for the UK-India partnership if they’ve seen any spike in bookings and the upside for travellers.

Jaymin Borkhatria from Southall Travel told the newsweekly, “The spike in bookings

Jaymin Borkhatria would only come about once the Indian Government change the rules of 7-day isolation on arrival tests for negative results. The majority of travellers at the moment are those going for longer periods and mainly the OCI holders as compared to leisure travellers. TATA’s takeover of Air India is definitely good news but we believe it would take a minimum of one year before TATA completely are in command. Customers will benefit hugely from this takeover as TATA is a commercial organisation and would ensure the offering to customers meet the exceptional standards that are expected from an organisation like TATA. This should take away the complaints and any issues customers may have had with Air India.”

PS Kang, Managing Director - Moresand Group told Asian Voice, “As far as bookings

PS Kang are concerned, it is too early yet as India visa is a problem still. But in the long run, there will be bookings upward rise once TATAs have settled down.”

Suk Patel from Travelpack said,

Suk Patel “Travelpack has seen steady growth in Air India bookings since TATA’s Takeover announcement of Air India. However, recently we have seen a sharp rise in bookings and enquiries with the airline as we are a Preferred Partner for Air India in the UK. “The TATA Group is a well-established organisation with a successful number of industry-leading brands. I believe we will see a considerable improvement in Air India’s brand as the TATA Group’s core values are instilled into the Air India brand. TATA are focused on making the Air India Brand a global success, after regaining ownership almost 7 decades later.

“Customers can look forward to a significantly better overall experience. TATA are focused on improving customer service, punctuality and in-flight experience. Shortly they will be installing new equipment for the enhanced meal service which will be launched on Delhi-Mumbai, key Gulf routes and flights to the US & UK. As part of their commitment to improving Air India’s punctuality, all aircraft doors will be closing 10

minutes prior to departure.”

Anirban Mukhopadhyay who is a loyal

Anirban Mukhopadhyay Air India flyer shared why he chooses the airline over and over again. He said, “I find the inflight service quite decent, direct flight to Kolkata - a huge plus, never faced major issues in cancellation if flights as I was booked alternatives- was lucky to that extent.”

Travel guidelines Those travelling to India will have to go through a thermal screening, and those from "at-risk" countries will have to take a Covid test upon arrival. The Indian government issued revised guidelines for all international arrivals, which became effective on January 22nd. Regardless of the country of origin, travellers must still follow a host of pre-and post-arrival formalities.

Indian health officials have rewritten their guidelines for passengers arriving from abroad. Passengers who test positive upon arrival will not be forced to quarantine in an isolation facility, instead, they will be given the option to quarantine at home. The majority of other rules remains the same and can be broken down into pre-and postarrival protocols.

The online Air Suvidha portal requires that travellers upload a self-declaration form and a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR report.

Tests must be done within 72 hours prior to travel. Pre-booked on-arrival tests are also available to travellers. The latest government guidelines call for pre-booking of tests to be mandatory for all passengers arriving in six metro cities located in "at-risk countries" Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

A thermal screening will be conducted on every passenger, and those travelling from “at-risk” countries will have to complete a Covid test (self-paid) after arrival.

Additionally, passengers arriving from “not at risk” countries will need to undergo screening. A person who tests negative must quarantine for seven days and take a re-test on day eight. Passengers who test positive will be asked to isolate themselves as per standard protocol and their samples will be sent for genome analysis. Passengers sitting in close proximity to positive travellers will also be ordered to home quarantine.

Earlier, passengers with positive tests on arrival had to be quarantined at government facilities. Covid-positive passengers arriving from anywhere in the world now have the option to recover at home and upload the Covid test result after seven days to the online portal.

Meanwhile, the British government has announced that it will do away with Covid19 testing requirements for double-vaccinated travellers arriving in England or Scotland.

The modified guidelines will come in place at 4 am UK time on February 11. Those who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will need to take a test before departure. They will also need to take a PCR test on or before day 2 of arrival in the UK. This means that the mandatory quarantine has been lifted, and will be required only if they test positive.

While the UK will continue to treat all under-18s as double-vaccinated passengers, children between 12 to 15 years of age in England can use a Covid pass as proof of vaccination from February 3 while travelling outside the country. They can also get a “proof of prior infection” as a digital document issued by the National Health Service if required.

Turn to P19 for more details on the acquisition of Air India by TATA Group

Personal Injury Specialist joins Axiom DWFM A leading personal injury specialist domestic and international has joined the fast-growing law personal injury. firm Axiom DWFM. His specialities include: Personal and Serious Injury Suki Chhokar arrives as a Cases, Working with Domestic Partner in the Birmingham office and International Lawyers and where he will head up the compaCase Study Management. ny’s newly-formed Public and Suki Chhokar said: “I am International Health team. He delighted to join such an ambijoins from high-profile personal Suki Chhokar tious and innovative law firm injury solicitors Irwin Mitchell as Axiom DWFM. I look forward to using my where he led the International Personal extensive experience to lead the drive in the Injury Department. freshly-created Public and International His team primarily dealt with group Health section.” actions against UK-based tour operators, or Axiom DWFM Partner Shyam Mistry single party actions against defendants in said, “I look forward to working closely with foreign countries. Some of the cases involvSuki who brings a wealth of knowledge and ing large numbers of people falling ill on holexpertise to our Personal Injury team. iday resulted in multi-million-pound settleUndoubtedly, his credentials speak for ments. themselves and I can only see great things on Suki has extensive experience of dealing the horizon.” with serious injury cases to include both

NEW CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO HELP PARENTS IMPROVE CHILDREN’S DIET Families will be given support to help to improve the diets of their children through a new campaign as new statistics reveal the number of parents giving unhealthy snacks to their children has increased during the pandemic.

The NHS Food Scanner App has been updated as part of the Better Health campaign, which has been launched to encourage families to eat better. The App includes a new ‘scan, swipe and swap’ feature which provides a simple solution to help families maintain a healthier diet.

The easy-to-use NHS app is free to download from the App Store or Google Play and identifies foods and drinks that are high in sugar, saturated fat and salt and offers healthier alternatives by simply scanning a product's barcode. The App uses a ‘Good Choice’ badge to help signpost people to healthier food and drinks in line with the government’s dietary recommendations for added sugar, saturated fat and salt.

The campaign comes on the back of a record rise in obesity amongst children since the start of the pandemic, with latest data highlighting that nearly 26% of South Asian children of reception school age are overweight or obese, rising to 46% in Year 6 (ages 10-11).

A new survey conducted by Netmums, focusing on children's nutrition, revealed that 66% of Asian parents give their children more sugary or fatty snacks than before the pandemic and 76% said they worry about how healthy their children's snacks really are. Many Asian parents (45%) said they find it hard to say no to their children when they pester them for snacks, and that crisps or chocolate were the snacks they were most likely to give them.

When asked about the biggest barriers to their children eating more healthily, Asian parents cited their children’s fussy

eating habits, being pestered for unhealthy snacks, and a lack of time spent with their children due to work or school. The survey also found that 93% of Asian parents said that they would benefit from an app to help them make better food choices for their children.

Mother of two Priya Taneja, who has been using the app says: “I love that it gives me healthy lunch box ideas and nutrition packed recipes, which makes meal planning so much easier.” At first Priya thought the app was just about scanning products but she quickly realised it has much more to offer with its healthier swaps function.

“It has helped me become knowledgeable and conscious about what I will be purchasing going forward.”

The government recently established the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities which is focused on addressing inequalities and levelling up health across

the country – including through work to tackle obesity and the drivers of poor health.

Public Health Minister Maggie Throup said: “We know that families have felt a lot of pressure from the pandemic which drastically changed habits and routines. The new year is a good time for making resolutions, not just for ourselves, but for our families. Finding ways to improve their health is one of the best resolutions any of us could make.By downloading the free NHS Food Scanner App families can swap out foods from the weekly shop for healthier alternatives and avoid items high in salt, sugar and saturated fat.”

Download the free app from the App Store or Google Play or search ‘Food Scanner App’.

For more information, visit http://www.nhs.uk/better-health/foodscanner

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Single mother of five wins scholarship; goes back to university at 37

Half of the women aged 30

don’t have children According to the latest report by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), Britain continues to see a delay in childbearing, with women born in 1990 becoming the first cohort where half of the women remain childless by their 30th birthday. Levels of childlessness by age 30 have been steadily rising since a low of 18% for women born in 1941.

Lower levels of fertility in those currently in their 20s indicate that this trend is likely to continue.

Asima Nazir from Dudley has been named the winner of this year’s lifechanging Millennium Point Charitable Trust Scholarship, earning her a fullyfunded undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University (BCU).

has already funded six inspiring young people from the region through their degrees, including 2017 Sagal Qodah, who has since gone on to graduate with a First Class Honours degree in Civil Engineering.

Asima Nazir the future. Be yourself, enjoy the process and learn as much as you can because you have nothing to lose but so much to gain.

- For women like you who may want to get back to academics at an older age, what would your advice be to them in order to strike a balance?

It is never too late to get yourself back into education. Education helps us grow and opens many opportunities.

I want to get my degree, which will hopefully lead to a successful job and career to support my children. Because changing your life will change your family’s life and it's never too late to make a positive change.

- How supportive has your family been throughout?

My family has always encouraged me to make progress academically.

They are proud of how I juggle my family and academic life.

- How can this scholarship change and transform the careers of women?

Millennium Point Trust is giving out this scholarship in order to financially take a burden off Students who can then concentrate purely on studying. And not stress about how they will need to repay back a student loan or need to save before starting the course.

- Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years’ time, I see myself as an academically strong, financially stable and confident Town Planner. Who worked hard while times were difficult and got through it. Because if we have the determination then the opportunities will arise and if we have prepared ourselves academically then these opportunities will become our future.

Q

“The average number of children born to a woman has been below two for women born since the late 1950s.

While two-child families are still the most common, women who have recently completed their childbearing are more likely than their mothers’ generation to have only one child or none at all,” said Amanda Sharfman, Centre for Ageing and Demography, Office for National Statistics.

The average number of children born to women by age 30 years continues to fall. The average number of live-born children to women by age 30 years and completed family size, by year of birth of woman, 1920 to 1990, England and Wales.

The average number of live-born children that women have by their 30th birthday gives an indication of trends in family size for cohorts of women born more recently. Although, as women delay childbearing to older ages, this will be less indicative of trends in completed family size.

There was a year-on-year decline in the average number of children women have by age 30 years from a peak of 1.89 children per woman born in 1941, through to 1978 (0.98 children). There was then a slight uptick between 1979 and 1987. However, since the cohort of women born in 1988 has reached 30 years, there has been a decrease again, resulting in an all-time low of 0.96 children for the 1990 cohort (latest cohort reaching 30 years). The report suggests that half of the women are now childless by their 30th birthday.

The 37-year-old mum of five is currently studying Social Science and Humanities at Dudley College, with the aim to read for a degree in Planning at Birmingham City University (BCU).

Asima Nazir is a single mom of 5 children. As part of her previous employment, she used to work in the Local Planning Authority for 12 years prior to starting her degree. She also previously opened up a business but then left to take a couple of years out to raise her younger two children.

Following a rigorous assessment day earlier this month, which included individual presentations to the panel of five judges, Asima was selected to be the latest lucky recipient of the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship, which has already helped launch the careers of six outstanding STEM students.

Finalists were chosen following a competitive open call for applications from across the West Midlands earlier this year.

Now in its seventh year, the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship

Foreign Secretary pledges to support over 2.7 million Afghans with life-saving aid Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has pledged £97 million of emergency UK aid to the Afghan people to provide life-saving food and emergency health support. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has pledged £97 million of emergency UK aid to the Afghan people to provide life-saving food and emergency health support, as well as water and sanitation facilities.

This latest allocation of vital support means the UK has now delivered on its promise to double UK aid to Afghanistan, with £286 million committed this financial year. UK aid allocated since October will support over 60 hospitals, provide health services for over 300,000 people; ensure 4.47 million people get emergency food assistance through the World Food Programme; and provide 6.1 million people with emergency health, water, protection, shelter, food, and education support through the UN Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund.

The UK continues to work with international partners to ensure aid agencies can work unimpeded and that desperately needed aid reaches those most in need.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “The UK continues to provide vital humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. We have doubled

WFP/Marco Di Lauro

UK aid this year to save lives, protect women and girls and support stability in the region. The funds announced today will mean essential food, shelter and health supplies will reach those who are most in need.”

Funds announced will be used to provide food and healthcare, as well as assistance to survivors of gender-based violence.

The support will also fund essential child protection services. Aid agencies will prioritise those most at risk, including households headed by women and people with disabilities.

The UK funding will be primarily channelled through the UN Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, World Food Programme (WFP), and United Nations Children’s Fund. No funding will go directly to the Taliban.

Each year, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust fully funds an undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, which covers over 20 different courses across computing, digital technology, engineering and the built environment.

We spoke to Asima Nazir about winning the scholarship.

- How did you find out about the scholarship?

I found out about the scholarship through UCAS emails, which were encouraging students to apply for Science Technology Engineering and Maths related careers.

- What kind of preparation is required to win this scholarship?

Please elaborate on your statement of purpose.

You need to be passionate and determined about the course you want to do. You need a goal that you are working towards. The judges are looking to see your future aspirations and where you see this degree leading to in

Q Q

Q Q

Q

Latest data reinforces the safety of Covid-19 vaccinations in pregnant women The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged pregnant women to get vaccinated as the latest data reinforce previous findings on the safety of Covid19 vaccines in pregnancy.

The latest data from UKHSA shows that vaccinated women who gave birth between January and October 2021 had a very similar low risk of stillbirth, low birth weight and premature birth compared to women who were not vaccinated in pregnancy.

Previous studies have shown the risk of being severely ill with coronavirus (Covid-19) is higher for unvaccinated women. Out of 235 pregnant women who were admitted to intensive care with Covid-19 between January and September 2021, none had received 2 doses of vaccine.

The latest analysis shows that women who had received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine during their pregnancy and gave birth between April and October 2021 were more likely to give birth without any of the reported adverse outcomes than women who had not been vaccinated in pregnancy (92.9% compared with 91.6%). This difference was more apparent in those aged 30 years and older.

The stillbirth rate for vaccinated women who gave birth was approximately 3.6 per 1,000, a similar rate for women who were not vaccinated in pregnancy (3.9 per 1,000).

The proportion of vaccinated women giving birth to babies with low birth weight (5.01%) was lower than the proportion for women who were not vaccinated in pregnancy (5.33%). The proportion of premature births was 5.97% for vaccinated women, similar to the 5.88% in women who were not vaccinated in pregnancy.

Vaccine coverage has been increasing overall – in August 2021, 22.5% of women giving birth had received at least one dose of vaccine. This increased to 32.1% of women who gave birth in September, and 41.3% in October 2021, almost doubling in 2 months.

Of women who gave birth in October 2021, 29.4% had received 2 doses of the vaccine.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “There is growing evidence indicating that if you are pregnant, you are at increased risk of serious illness from Covid-19, especially in late pregnancy. We know that the Covid-19 vaccines used in the UK are highly effective at protecting against hospitalisation and our ongoing monitoring of the vaccine programme continues to provide reassuring evidence on the safety of Covid-19 vaccines in pregnant women. I would urge all pregnant women to come forward and get their vaccine without delay. This is the best way to protect you and your baby.”

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New weight loss support on the high street

Dr Saliha Mahmood: Master of Gastronomy Sunetra Senior Saliha is the winner of MasterChef 2017. She is also a respected gastroenterologist and the author of popular cookbooks such as Khazana, which was a best-seller, and Foodology: her gastronomical epic. “Gastroenterology and cooking seem to be two indirectly related professions but they’re very similar.” Indeed, Foodology, the Cuisinier’s first collection, is an ode to the bridge between culinary experimentation and scientific thought. “We all talk about tasting good food but what does it mean to taste: what is the mechanism of this sense; where are the taste buds located in the mouth and how can such understanding make you a better chef? There are also many foods that are healthy for us fundamentally e.g., probiot-

ic foods that introduce good microbes to the system. As a result, I call the recipes in the book a food lover’s guide to finding digestive health and happiness. A favourite dish of mine within the pages is the Probiotic Tabbouleh. This is a typically Middle-Eastern salad which is very tasty. There’s finely chopped parsley and mild spices and I’ve added a signature twist: shaved up broccoli and cauliflower.

These are greens that are good for the gut. When the fibres are digested, beneficial molecules called short-chain fatty acids are produced which help in the function of the gut. The salad lasts for a long time too. I sometimes add extra chunks of apples and seeds to fortify the healthiness further with a slice of poached chicken or salmon thrown in.” Yum! In short, Saliha’s speciality is wholesome Indo-Persian cuisine! “My goal is versatile deliciousness as well as being well. It’s also important to enjoy the process. Food is inherently fun.”

Indeed, there’s a reason Masterchef is so beloved and done internationally

well itself! “After my time on the show, I continued to research the types of dishes I was creating, uncovering the origin of my cooking. With my increasing seniority as a medical professional, I became more adept at food! I do especially love exploring heritage through a colourful medium.

I have Kashmiri Pakistani roots as well as influence from the Middle-East, having lived in Saudi Arabia for some time. North-African cooking appeals too. I love the mix of fruity, spicy and

"What does it mean to taste: what is the mechanism of this sense; where are the taste buds located in the mouth and how can such understanding make you a better chef?" salty that constitutes Moroccan flavour. My mantra is Diversity of Diet and to do what I can to celebrate that.

Many people, for example, assume eating healthy cannot be exciting but it’s the most unconventional experimental approach! Many of my dishes are plant-centric and organically creative. I use as many different compounds as possible from nuts and

DR SALIHA MAHMOOD

wholegrains to various vegetables and meat in moderation.”

Correspondingly here, Saliha is also the founder NHS Food Fighters; a philanthropic outfit that aims to bring high quality food to staff and patients within the vital establishment. “I work with lifestyle co-ordinators in different hospitals to improve canteen facilities as well as giving cookery demos to inspire. I definitely see myself collaborating on more campaigns in the future that elevate the lives of a workforce who’ve done so much for us.”

Indeed, the foodie doctor credits her job in the medical world for her success on Masterchef. “Of course, you must be talented and be able to cook great food but one must also stay cool under pressure, have patience and resilience and be able to work with others. Dealing with medical emergencies helps with managing stress while prioritising essential work.”

Social strengths then are as important as perceptive wits. Interestingly, Saliha practices at Watford General Hospital which is big and particularly busy.

“I always give my passions the full attention and these are medicine, family and recently dynamic food!” And so, together with niche cooking that is designed to lift, Saliha at once exhibits the formula to leading a vibrant life: having a hearty soul! She concluded: “To do well, you must put yourself out there, taking pleasure along the way.

You may fail but true confidence allows for that. You simply learn and do better next time. If you want to cook - just go for it. There’s so much room in the industry to flourish with unique approaches. The food industry is an exhilarating massive place. Only good can come of trying and sometimes really, really good things. I became a chef over the course of a few weeks which was not my day job.

Fortune really does favour the brave as long as you are prepared to accept the obstacles as part of a natural journey.

Social media has been excellent in accelerating visibility too. You can develop a business from your own backyard and generate income from simply exposure!” Finally, fortune has never been more on one’s side.

'Khazana' won Best New Cookbook at the Observer Food Monthly Awards 2019.

T: @salihacooks

People struggling to lose weight will now be offered help from their local high street pharmacy as part of the NHS's radical action to tackle rising obesity levels and Type 2 diabetes.

Community pharmacy teams can now refer adults living with obesity, and other conditions, to the twelve-week online NHS weight management programme.

People are being urged to come forward and community pharmacies are expected to make hundreds more referrals in the coming weeks in addition to the several hundred already made.

GPs have already referred over 50,000 adults living with obesity at risk of developing weight-related conditions.

People will be able to start the programme within 10 days of visiting their local pharmacy, with support for some people including oneto-one coaching from a weight loss expert.

Adults living with obesity plus hypertension or diabetes will qualify for the service, which people can access via an app on their smartphone or online.

People from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic backgrounds can join the programme at a lower BMI of 27.5, due to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Three in five adults in England are overweight, with more than one in four living with obesity.

Recent research found that people seeking NHS help to lose weight during the pandemic were on average five pounds heavier than those doing so during the previous three years.

Dr Bruce Warner, Deputy Chief Pharmaceutical Officer at NHS England, said: “Obesity is a significant threat to the nation’s health – it increases your chance of dying from Covid and puts

you at greater risk of stroke, cancer and other deadly disease.

“The NHS’s radical action plan means it is now easier for people to take control of their health – adults with obesity can now walk into any high street community pharmacy to take the first step on a lifechanging weight loss journey.” One of the core knockon effects of obesity in this country is an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is estimated to cost the NHS £10 billion a year, with almost one in 20 GP prescriptions for a diabetes treatment. Projections also show that the growing number of people with diabetes could result in nearly 39,000 extra people suffering a heart attack in 2035, and over 50,000 experiencing a stroke.

Robert Pettifer, a pharmacist in Warwickshire, said: “Pharmacies play a vital role in the health and wellbeing of our communities, and it’s great that we can now refer people to this new weight loss programme.

“Trained pharmacy teams can support you on a journey to a healthier lifestyle – using simple online plans.”

All 11,000 pharmacies in England have a trained Healthy Living Champion who provides health information and signposts patients to relevant health services to enable them to live healthier lifestyles.

Trained staff in pharmacies will work with people who want to lose weight and signpost them to a range of resources and available support including the NHS weight management programme.

Indian Entrepreneurs - a Global Resource Continued from page 3

The pandemic saw rapid digitisation and tech adoption across the country.

This growth has been matched by foreign and domestic investment.

Fintech is a huge growth area. It attracted more than $8bn in funding in 2021, up from $2bn the year previous.

Foreign investment has grown sharply over the last few years. India offers an excellent opportunity for investors because of its huge talent pool and robust IP protection. Upcoming regulatory reform will make India even more attractive to foreign inflows of capital.

Global reliance on China is reducing. The Chinese government's tech crackdown presents an opportunity. The bar to Chinese investment has become high, which means

India could benefit. For many, this is India's moment.

One big part of ensuring future prosperity is good foreign trade deals.

Much publicised discussions with the United Kingdom are going well.

Additionally, close ties are being forged with the United States. The countries will collaborate on a range of issues, like the environment, security, and technology.

Summary PM Modi wants Indian entrepreneurs to drive the country into a new era.

With more than 90 unicorns currently operating, the talent is clearly there.

However, red tape and regulation present barriers that need to be removed so that the population of 1.3bn people can reach their potential.

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This year India is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav which is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. This Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India & abroad who have not only been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its evolutionary journey but also hold within them the power and potential to enable the Prime Minister’s vision of activating India 2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat. It is also an embodiment of all that is progressive about India's socio-cultural, political and economic identity.

Republic Day celebrations 2022

strength of our friendship & partnership.

In the evening, a grand Republic Day Reception hosted at the was Consulate. This year’s celebration was special as we are celebrating the 75 years Netaji’s Life & Legacy was inaugurated by Lord-Lieutenant of West of Indian Independence, Midlands Mr John Crabtree and Consul General Dr Shashank Vikram.

Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, under which a series of The Consulate organised several events events are being organised in Midlands and to celebrate the occasion. This year’s North England all throughout the year. The Republic Day was exceptional and was celeevening commenced with the inauguration brated over two days. The celebrations of the exhibition on the Life & Legacy of started on 25th January with ‘Enliven with Yoga’ Session where the communities of Midlands & North England enjoyed this lucrative approach to yoga.

On the morning of 26th January, Consul General Dr Shashank Vikram unfurled the National flag followed by the singing of the National Anthem. The address of the Hon’ble President delivered to the nation on eve of the Republic Day was read out by Consul General. Community Leaders, Diaspora members joined the celebrations at the Chancery.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose by LordThe Consulate was also illuminated on Lieutenant of West Midlands Mr John this auspicious occasion with the spectacuCrabtree and Consul General Dr Shashank lar Tricolour celebrating 75 years of freeVikram at Consulate General of India, dom, independence & symbolising the Birmingham to commemorate his 125th

birth anniversary. The exhibition will be displayed at the Chancery premises for 7 days till 2nd February 2022.

This special exhibition showcases the journey & struggle of Great Netaji and is a reflection of the ideals & beliefs of Netaji in contemporary times.

Thereafter, Lord Mr John Lieutenant Crabtree delivered his keynote address where he spoke on how West Midlands especially Birmingham is gearing up for the Commonwealth Games & how the India@75

motherland.

This was followed by an informative address by Consul General Dr Shashank Vikram where he spoke about the various steps taken by the consulate for public outreach. He also deliberated on the achievements, success, goals of the Consulate and also highlighted the planned events under the aegis of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The evening continued with patriotic cultural celebrations by the cultural troops. Punjabi music, Mohiniyattam & Kuchipudi Dance was well enjoyed by the community members present.

Exclusive performance on India@75 by Ms Arunima Kumar, leading South Asian dancer & Kuchipudi expert, showcasing graceRepublic Day celebrations at High Commission of India, London; Photo Credit: Amish Tripathi - Twitter ful movements of dance, gestures, song & the best of Indian classical dance & art to global audiences was the highlight. Certificates of participation were distributed to all the participants. More than 120 members of the Indian community, local dignitaries, friends of India, members of the local diplomatic corps, participated in the celebrations. The dignitaries included Mr John Crabtree OBE, Lord-Lieutenant for West Midlands, Mr M.D. Alimuzzamal, Assistant High Commissioner, Bangladesh, Cllr. Amrik Jhawar, Mayor of the Borough of Telford and Wrekin, Mr Paul Sabapathy former Lord Lieutenant, several Councillors, celebrations can be an integral part of the Deputy Lieutenants and other eminent perevent. Soon, the National Anthem of both sonalities of British and Indian communithe countries was played to which everyties representing different faiths. body rose as a mark of respect to their

A humble tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi on Martyrs Day by Consul General Dr Shashank Vikram. The ideals of peace & truth embraced by him stirred the conscience of all and became a beacon of hope for people across the world.

Republic Day of India was impressively celebrated in London on 28th January. Titled Sanskruti Darshayaami, the event was led by Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence in association with the Nehru Centre (ICCR, London), High Commission of India and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and was held at The Bhavan.

More than 300 people, including several community leaders, attended the programme and were spellbound with the vibrance which included an array of authentic dance forms of different regions of India and music presentations.

The line-up consisted of some of the rarely seen folk and tribal dances.

The programme began with the rendering of the national anthem and snippets of celebrations in Delhi. Video messages by H.E. High Commissioner of India Mrs Gaitri Issar Kumar, President of ICCR Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Minister (Culture) and Director of the Nehru Centre Amish Tripathi were played.

Video message by Ranjit Savarkar, grandnephew of Veer Savarkar was played followed by a presentation on Andaman and Cellular Jail by Sushil Rapatwar, paying tributes to all the freedom fighters. Best wishes by honourable Chief Ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and Shri Pema Khandu were printed in the booklet “Gamanam” released on the occasion

Republic Day of India celebrations showcase art and heritage

and disseminated to all.

Bob Blackman MP and Baroness Verma were Guests of Honour. While Bob lauded the diaspora members as the living bridge between the UK and India, Baroness Verma reiterated how important it is to remember the sacrifices made by the ancestors for attaining Independence. She hailed Sanskruti Centre and other organisations engaged in teaching cultural aspects to the young and building future torchbearers. Dr M Nandakumara emphasised the importance of Vidya and Kala and recited a Sanskrit poem that says knowledge is eternal.

The fully packed hall of audiences enjoyed the rich cultural tapestry showcased on the stage. During the two- and half-hour program, some of the vibrant dances from North, South, West, East and North East regions were presented, some of them for the first time on British soil. Shiva- The Indian Youth Choir of England concluded the cultural program with shlokas and songs.

Vote of Thanks was presented by Ragasudha Vinjamuri, who has also conceptualised the program. “It took about 3 months of spadework to generate the content of this program and huge efforts to procure the authentic costumes for some of these dances. She said ”Glad that we could showcase some unique and lesser-seen dances for the UK audiences.

Thanks to all the volunteers, kaaryakartas and communities in India and Britain who supported and made this happen”

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Looking to COP27 in 2022

By Dr Chamu Kuppuswamy, Senior Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire (and part of the University Alliance campaign to address climate change concerns). She is also a National Park ranger.

As we look towards the next big global climate change conference (COP27 hosted by Egypt in November) - how can we make sure that we, as Asians living in the UK, step up to the vital planet preservation agenda?

How we increase our knowledge and experiences of our environment and natural sources. How we behave as shoppers and consumers. How we invest in shares and ventures. These are considerations that we all need to take far more seriously.

Perceptions We are, however, living against a backdrop of challenging perceptions of our lifestyle. There is a danger that media coverage about India’s hesitancy on “phasing out” coal may have greatly impacted perceptions of Asians in the UK. Therefore, now is the time to ensure that much stronger Asian voices are heard on tackling climate change.

Indian diaspora has played an increasingly larger role in the economic development of India and therefore developing a stronger voice from beyond India’s borders to address climate change can influence India’s own growth and development trajectory to become more sustainable. Yet, the solutions are not so simple in that the diaspora themselves are part of the problem as well as part of the solution.

Lack of engagement with nature In my work as a Park Ranger, I have observed that South Asians’ engagement with the environment and nature has traditionally been low in the UK for numerous reasons including the unwelcoming feel of the countryside, safety and security concerns, and socioeconomic differences.

With a track record of low engagement with the outdoors, how can we ensure this does not reflect in apathy for climate change action too? The connection with nature has been lost through generations in England and Wales as there has been little or no access to nature for many Asians, particularly women.

Systemic issues in accessing nature in Britain are also responsible for the low engagement of South Asians with the outdoors. Groups of walkers are small and do not necessarily accommodate our larger Asian group sizes. Stories of the countryside are told in local ways without connection to global histories and diversity.

Sustainability needs to take into account of cultural diversity.

Need for more diverse representation Stronger South Asian voices for climate

change can be developed only if society and government enable the environment for the growth of such voices. Diverse languages are lacking in our environment.

Multilingual appreciation of nature should become more commonplace. Celebrating writers and advocates of nature from all languages should be the norm. Our love for nature is our strongest ally in the fight against global warming.

This idea of not putting a label to it, but living sustainably, not as a lifestyle choice but as an essential duty, is a way of life for many South Asians in Britain. ‘Not wasting food because there is a less fortunate countryman somewhere out there who goes hungry’ has been a constant refrain familiar to many in the community. We should stop and think twice before throwing away old clothes or shoes - there is always someone who can repair and prolong its use. Taking care of other living things around you and being compassionate is essential.

Reuse, recycle and reduce ‘Reuse, recycle and reduce’ waste is economically embedded in the vast informal economies of South Asia. In many ways, stories of sustainability belong in every community in the world before mass production and consumption took over after the Second World War. Success has manifested itself as rampant materialism amongst South Asian communities. There is now a real need to rebalance this with our traditional values.

I strongly come to the conclusion that it’s also time to rethink Asian investment habits, such as investing in land/construction and in gold - two of the big emitting sectors in the world. It is time to question how to make these sustainable and to radically address their value for communities.

Do Asians think about responsible investing in real estate?

The issues on environmentalism and sustainability are mainly framed by white activists, yet the biggest impact needs to come from communities that are not fully understood by them. How are we going to join forces with them and shape a diverse narrative for the greatest impact?

The Emissions Gap Report by the United Nations Environment Programme shows that even newer climate pledges from various countries put the world on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the century, well above the 1.5°C of the Paris Agreement.

We all need to do more to reduce global warming.

HC Gaitri Issar Kumar and Alpesh Patel OBE, Chair - The India League at Tavistock Square on Martyr's Day 30th January, paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary.

Photo credit: Alpesh Patel OBE, Twitter

Gandhi Nirvana Din A special tribute meeting was held on January 30, Gandhi Nirvana Din at Tavistock Square Garden and Parliament Square Garden. Gaitri Issar Kumar, High Commissioner of India to the UK, senior officials of the Indian High Commission, Sabrina Francis, Mayor Councilor of Camden, The India League’s former Chairman CB Patel and current chair Alpesh Patel OBE paid their tribute to the Mahatma at Tavistock Square Garden by laying a wreath at the Gandhi statue.

Other dignitaries who were in attendance were Deputy High Commissioner of India, Sujit Ghosh, Minister (Coordination) Manmeet Singh Narang, First Secretary Rohit Vadhwana,

Dr Nandkumara M, Executive Director Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Defence and Air Advisor Air Commodore Prashant Mohan.

The Japanese Buddhist monk who visits Tavistock Square in London every year, was also present on Gandhi Nirvana Din and offered special prayers.

Gaitri Issar Kumar, High Commissioner of India, said that Mahatma Gandhi, who fought for life for eternal values like non-violence, brotherhood and truth, is a source of inspiration for many people of the country and the world.

At the end of the program, everyone observed a two-minute silence and remembered Mahatma Gandhi.

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Londoners struggling to cover bills The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is calling for the Government to do more to tackle these rising costs of living and to help those most in need. He believes that cutting Universal Credit by £20 was a mistake and that Ministers must find ways to increase support, including extending eligibility for the Warm Home Discount, investing in multi-year energy efficiency programmes to help low-income households receive support to reduce their energy use, and extending the Household Support Fund that enables councils to provide hardship support.

Increasing food, energy and fuel costs are hitting people hard with a new poll showing that the cost of living has increased over the last six months for nearly 80 per cent of Londoners.

The cost of living in the capital was already a challenge before the pandemic, with 2.4 million Londoners living in poverty.

Increasing costs are hitting the poorest households the hardest and the Government’s upcoming changes to tax and benefits are set to drive an estimated 130,000 more into poverty.

The report by City Hall and new polling

by YouGov highlights that nearly 80 per cent of Londoners have seen an increase in their cost of living over the last six months, with food and energy bills leading to a rise in costs.

34 per cent of Londoners have struggled to pay their household bills in the last six months, with 13 per cent struggling to make ends meet, going without essentials or relying on credit.

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5 - 11 February 2022

Dear Financial Voice Reader,

Alpesh Patel

My reason for writing this weekly column for approaching 20 years now is that if I cannot spread my expertise to my own community, when through my Bloomberg show and Financial Times columns I spread it to the world, then what is the point of having it? Presently Asian Voice readers will be considered about their pensions investments in the stock market.

Latest Smart Money Thinking on a Stock Market Crash The S&P 500 has shed 500 points amid inflation fears. It's been a punishing start to 2022. But is it just a bump on the road? Or are we set for the stock market crash that some commentators have been predicting for years?

Stock market turbulence throughout January has caused a significant degree of alarm. Since the pandemic related drop in March 2020, stocks have risen dramatically. In just 17 months, the S&P 500 doubled. Last year, the index returned 27%.

However, according to some smart money investors, the good times are over for now.

Inflation Paul Tudor Jones, the well-known billionaire investor, believes inflation is here to stay. He thinks it's the biggest threat to the market and society at the moment. Inflation hit 30-year highs last year, but Jones suggests that's just the start.

The Tudor Investment founder believes that the trillions of dollars of stimulus money injected into the economy will keep inflation running hot.

The legendary investor states that now is the time to look at various inflation hedges, like Treasury inflation-protected securities and commodities. He warned against fixed-income products and suggested that equities will outperform them in an inflationary environment.

High Valuations Some smart money is less optimistic about equities.

Jeremy Grantham, the co-founder of GMO, suggests we are in the middle of a “superbubble”. When Grantham talks about bubbles, people listen. He predicted the dot-com crash in 2000 and the housing crisis of 2008.

Grantham describes a “superbubble” as a scenario when prices rise more quickly than usual, followed by a narrowing of the market where blue-chips rise, but speculative stock stagnates. This picture will seem familiar to everyday investors.

In Grantham's opinion, the U.S. market is overinflated. If his thesis bears out, the S&P 500 could drop to 2,500 points — which would be down almost half from its record highs from December 2021.

However, he believes there are plenty of opportunities out there. For example, value stocks in other markets — like the FTSE 100 — could be worth considering.

But Grantham isn't the only expert sounding the alarm.

John Hussman, president of Hussman Investment Trust, believes we have entered the most extreme financial bubble in U.S. history. And he blames the Fed. Hussman suggests that haphazard Federal Reserve monetary policy over the last 15 years is to blame. He explains that since the beginning of the financial crisis — and especially since the pandemic — the central bank has attempted to keep interest rates low by pumping liquidity into the economy.

However, with inflation nearing 40-years highs, they are moving quickly to tighten policy.

The result of this policy is the high valuations we see today. Hussman points to his favoured measure of market health: total market cap to total revenues, indicating extreme valuations. Further to that, he indicates that the S&P 500 will have to drop by 70% to reach normal valuations.

Ray Dalio at Bridgewater Associates is similarly bearish about U.S. equities. His top three holdings are emerging market ETFs, suggesting a pivot away from the American market.

Wall Street guru Warren Buffett doesn't seem too fazed by recent market problems. His advice is to concentrate on the long-term. However, he has been selling more than buying.

Some people feel that could indicate that he sees a market crash brewing. Alternatively, he might be freeing up some capital for something else.

Other Headwinds Of course, inflation and high valuations aren't the only things that could affect stock prices throughout 2022. In fact, there are plenty of events that could hit the market.

New COVID-19 variants are contributing to an uncertain landscape. Economies are showing resilience and recovering, but new strains could cause issues.

Politics could also throw a spanner in the works this year.

For starters, the stopgap funding bill agreed in December only applies until February 13th. The ideological differences between the parties could make another government shutdown possible. Additionally, with midterm elections due in November, majorities for either party could hurt the market. If the Democrats strengthen their hand, corporation taxes could increase. However, if Republicans win more seats, it could kill Biden's Build Back Better program. Further afield, China's tech crackdown could hurt U.S. equities. Weakening of the Chinese market could hurt innovation and the supply chain, with negative downstream consequences for U.S. stocks.

Finally, this could all come down to history repeating itself. In the last eight bear markets since the 1960s, the road to recovery has featured a 10% market correction three years after the bottom. We haven't hit that point in the 22 months since the pandemic crash, but it could be around the corner.

ICICI Bank UK PLC to facilitate home loans in India for Indian diaspora based in the UK ICICI Bank UK PLC is now facilitating home loans in India through its parent, ICICI Bank Ltd India (ICICI Bank), for NRI (Non Resident Indians)/Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)/ Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) based in the United Kingdom (UK).

With ICICI Bank’s India home loans, NRIs/OCI/PIO living in the UK can avail home loan to buy properties in India (residential as well as commercial) without travelling to India.

ICICI Bank India has a

portfolio of pre-approved properties, accessible online on www.home.icicibank.com that makes the selection process easy and efficient.

ICICI Bank UK PLC has a dedicated team based in UK to assist the homebuyers who are looking to avail a home loan in India. Customers can also transfer their existing loan from other lenders to ICICI Bank or avail a loan against their existing property.

ICICI Bank has also enabled its online platform

for salaried customers (applicable to NRIs) to avail a provisional sanction letter digitally, in just a few clicks. The online platform provides customers an opportunity to avail competitive interest rates and discounted processing fees.

Currently, ICICI Bank’s interest rates in India are competitive and developers too are offering lucrative deals and schemes on properties.

The currency conversion between a Pound Sterling and Indian

Rupee is at present much better for a Rupee buyer as against a year ago, which further weighs in favour of buyers living in the UK. All of these factors make it a great time for NRIs to purchase their dream home or expand their real estate portfolio in India. Customers can get in touch with ICICI Bank UK PLC branches, or can also visit our website www.icicibank.co.uk or drop an email at nrihomeloansuk@iciciban k.com to request a call back.

PM and FM Britain to boost ethnic diversity among employees in finance favour increase in The Financial Conduct Authority, Bank of England and finance ministry published a discussion paper setting out how diversity and inclusion could be improved in one of Britain' biggest economic sectors. It suggested that senior managers could have their pay linked to progress in making workforces more diverse.

FCA senior adviser Georgina Philippou, said there will be proposals for public consultation in the second quarter, with final requirements at the end of this year or start of 2023. Philippou favours targets rather than quotas.

Targets tend to be more aspirational and take longer to fill, while quotas are mandatory. A Women in Finance project to improve gender diversity is beginning to bear fruit, with Philippou hoping this experience will bring faster results

in this year's push to improve ethnic and race diversity. Britain's financial services minister John Glen urged financial firms to appoint a senior executive to be responsible for ethnic diversity and to set targets.

Britain's Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has recommended that all employers voluntarily report pay gaps among ethnic groups. Asked if the diversity push will end up with a 'zero sum game' - where one group's gain could be negated by another's loss, Diana Noble, who chaired the Bank of England's review on ethnic diversity and inclusion, said this reaction has to be faced. There is a whole community at the BoE who have had less opportunity over the past 5-10 years, which needed redressing over the next few years through targets and not quotas, Noble said.

payroll tax

With surging inflation exacerbating a costof-living squeeze, the government has faced growing pressure, including from some of its own Conservative lawmakers to delay or cancel a new health and social care levy that will see the rate of National Insurance rise by 1.25 percentage points.

However, according to prime minister Boris Johnson and finance minister Rishi Sunak, a planned increase in British social security contributions from workers and employers will go ahead in April, despite calls to scrap the rise due to the strain on household budgets.

Some British newspapers have speculated that Johnson, who faces a possible no confidence vote over social gatherings at Downing Street during Covid-19 lockdowns, might seek to shore up support by scrapping the rise. Britain racked up its biggest budget deficit since World War II, equivalent to 15% of gross domestic product, in the 2020/21 financial year.

New law to ensure that rented properties are safe Government plans to bring out a new law to ensure that private sector will be forced to bring their properties up to the national standards for the first time under plans to be unveiled in the government’s levelling-up strategy.

Michael Gove, the housing secretary, will announce legislation that will require landlords to refit about 800,000 properties that don’t meet requirements to be “safe, warm and in a good state of repair”. The law will

also be introduced a register that anyone renting a house must join, with rogue landlords being ejected from the list. All tenants in the private rental sector would also gain a new right to redress for complaints about their

homes. The moves, long demanded by campaigners, will bring the private rental sector into line with the obligations to rent out “decent” properties required of councils and housing associations. These are being reviewed by Gove with the intention that they be toughened and applied to the whole rented sector.

This could include new measures on energy efficiency, as well as a mini-

mum standard of fixtures and fittings for furnished accommodation. Ministers hope to halve the number of poor-quality rented homes by 2030.

Official figures suggest that 4.4 million families rent their home from a private landlord, representing 19 per cent of all households in England. But the English Housing Survey in 2019 estimated that 23 per cent of those did not meet the “decent home standards”; about 1.1 million homes.

Tory MPs demand revival of economic crime bill A 2020 government report said “corrupt foreign elites continue to be attracted to the UK property market, especially in London, to disguise their corruption proceeds.” The economic crime bill was recently put before the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee, chaired by leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg, as a contender for the Queen’s Speech in May which will set the legislative agenda for the 2022-23 parliamentary session.

Tory MPs have urged PM Boris Johnson to revive a long-awaited economic crime bill - designed to crack

down on the flow of dirty money to the UK - after the legislation was hit by further delays.

According to John Penrose, the government’s anti-corruption champion, the prime minister should accelerate the bill to send out a signal to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, over Ukraine. He added “London’s financial markets are a huge economic asset, but they’re also magnets for dirty cash and, with Russian troops on the border of Ukraine, Putin will be looking for any signs of weakness that we aren’t serious about threats to sanction his oligarchs.”

The bill was expected to include crucial reform of Companies House to crack down on the abuse of shell companies as well as powers to unmask the real owners of offshore companies that own UK property and tougher powers to challenge kleptocrats’ unexplained wealth. The reforms have won crossparty support owing to widespread concerns about the £100bn in dirty money that the National Crime Agency estimated has been channeled through the UK from countries, including Russia, and the rise in fraud related to Covid-19 state support.

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Maharaja is back with the Tatas After 68 years, Maharaja has returned to the Tata group. It took more than two decades and three attempts for the government to finally sell its flagship national carrier Air India. The airline was founded by JRD Tata in 1932 and was called Tata Airlines then.

In 1946, the aviation division of Tata Sons was listed as Air India and, in 1948, the Air India International was launched with flights to Europe. The international service was among the first publicprivate partnerships in India.

In 1953, Air India was nationalised and for the

next, over four decades it remained India's prized possession controlling the majority of the domestic airspace. With the opening up of the aviation sector to private players in 1994-1995 and private entities offering cheaper tickets, Air India gradually started losing market share.

As part of its broader privatisation and disinvestment push, in the NDA 2000-2001 government unsuccessfully tried to sell a minority stake in Air India. The airline started suffering losses every year since Air India and Indian Airlines merged while retaining the brand name Air India in 2007.

Shaving a Development

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

A Turnaround Plan and a Financial Restructuring Plan were approved for Air India by the UPA regime in 2012. While the Narendra Modi-led NDA Government's first attempt at selling its stake in the state-owned airline in 20172018 failed, the BJP government's second attempt finally took off in 2021 nearly 12 months after it was announced.

The government had set the reserve price at £1.29 billion and the Tata group

made the winning bid of £1.8 billion. The Tatas will own 100% stake in Air India, 100% in its international low-cost arm Air India Express and 50% in the ground handling joint venture, Air India SATS. Apart from 141 planes and access to a network of 173 destinations including 55 international ones, Tatas will also have the ownership of iconic brands like Air India, Indian Airlines and the Maharajah.

Google to invest $1 bn in Airtel Tech giant Google will invest up to $1 billion in Bharti Airtel through a mix of equity and commercial partnerships in areas like affordable smartphones, networks, and cloud. This is Google's second investment in an Indian telecom service provider (after Reliance Jio) and is part of its $10-billion India digitisation fund.

Discussion between the two companies had been going on since the first half of 2021 and culminated in an announcement last week.

The $1-billion commitment includes an equity investment of $700

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is now the second most valuable information technology company globally ahead of US giant IBM, according to Brand Finance, a UK-based brand valuation consultancy firm. According to the report, TCS’ brand value grew 12% year-on-year and 24% since 2020 to $16.8 billion. Meanwhile, IBM’s brand value plunged 34% year-on-year and 50% since 2020 to $10.6 billion.

IBM’s brand value was impacted by the divestment of Kyndryl, which caused a loss of over $19 billion in revenue, the report says.

The average growth of Indian brands that have appeared in the ranking since 2020 stood at 51%, while the US brands have on average contracted by 7%, the report says.

This comes at a time when software services firms in India have outpaced their rivals from the United States in brand value growth over the past two years.

million. Shares will be issued to Google on a preferential basis at Rs 734 apiece and will give Google a 1.28 per cent stake in the company.

Additionally, Google will set aside $300 million for potential investment in areas like smart phone access, networks, and cloud.

This, according to the report, was aided by the Covid-19 pandemic which accelerated digital transformation across businesses.

TCS has not only successfully managed the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic to continue developing its business operations around the world, but also maintained momentum with brand partnerships and sports sponsorships, the report says. Its Indian peer Infosys witnessed the fastest increase in brand value among all brands in the ranking this year. Following 52% year-on-year growth to $12.8 billion, the company is now the world’s third most valuable IT services brand.

The investment will help Airtel to offer a wide range of affordable devices to consumers.

Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal said the company had no plans to develop its own exclusive smartphone. It will work with partners, including lenders, device

manufacturers, and ecommerce companies, to improve the availability of smartphones, he added.

The other two areas of collaboration are 5G and cloud. Both companies will potentially co-create Indiaspecific network domain use cases for 5G and other standards.

Airtel uses Google’s 5G-ready Evolved Packet Core and software defined network platforms.

They will also focus on shaping and growing the cloud ecosystem in India to accelerate their digital transformation journeys, the companies said.

The Modi government has appointed Venkatraman Anantha Nageswaran as its chief economic advisor (CEA) days before the tabling of the 2021-22 Economic Survey (on January 31) and the presentation of the 2022-23 Union Budget (on February 1).

Nageswaran assumed charge of his new role in the finance ministry last week, according to an official statement. He has replaced Krishnamurthy Subramanian, who returned to academia in December after a three-year tenure as CEA. Nageswaran was till recently the dean of IFMR Graduate School of Business and a distinguished visiting professor of economics at Krea University. He was also a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister from 2019 to 2021.

He holds a postgraduate diploma in management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Nageswaran, who has worked with UBS, Credit Suisse and Julius Baer, among others, is also a co-founder of a venture capital firm and the think-tank Takshashila Institution. He has authored three books.

India’s economy is estimated to grow by 9% in the current fiscal year, a tad slower than the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) earlier forecast of 9. 5% due to the impact of the third Covid wave.

The IMF, which released its World Economic Outlook, raised India’s GDP growth estimate to 9% for 2022-23 from its earlier estimate of 8. 5% in October and for 2023-24 it forecast the economy to grow by 7. 1%. On a calendar year basis, the IMF said

We are currently involved with an asset which has planning for four further units. The property is in a very affluent ‘brown’ street. The area commands a high premium due to its footfall and its proximity to transport and conveniences.

On the ground floor the space has been subdivided into several smaller commercial units, which are bringing in a good rental, and there are no voids. It’s easy to see why for a single person trader, they pay one monthly fee without business rates, and everything else is taken care of, rather like a serviced office.

There are flats above which are fully rented. The value of the site, as is, is about £3M, and it is producing a net rental of around £150K per annum; this is a very strong yield for anywhere in London.

The asset is stable and producing a good cash flow. The question is whether we sell the site or finish the works. The end value is expected to be £4M-£4.2M, and the work cost circa £550K. The other option is to sell the asset, and leave the margin for the incoming buyer. The build is never as easy as it seems, literally there will be things which would come out of the woodwork, whilst the work is progressing; you have to expect speed humps, it’s the nature of the beast.

Currently one of the main issues is nailing a builder down to commit to a job and a price. The construction sector is extremely active and busy at the moment, and good builders and tradesmen are rushed off their feet.

The question is does one sell, avoid the hassle of the construction, and invest into a deal where there is added value to be had simply through planning?

This is known as the opportunity cost, defined as the value of the next-best alternative when a decision is made.

There is also one's personal time, and temperament. Is the activity of managing a building project suited to one’s nature or would they be better putting this focus elsewhere.

This is a point which most of the time is not really addressed, the decision is normally made on the basis of numbers and returns. Another point of consideration is coming in and out of a deal involves expenses.

Therefore, shifting focus adds to the costs and reduces profitability. When you’re in a deal which is flowing with income it’s easier to complete the deal, in the sense of maximising its potential.

If this was the road we would choose to go down, then the basic principle is to reduce the cost of the project. This may seem like an obvious statement, but spending time splitting hairs will reduce perhaps even six figures in the long run, in regards to restructuring the deal.

In order to minimise the development cost, the largest factor is the build cost, which if managed well, can be shaved substantially. The other missed opportunity is splitting the asset into separate structures. This means you do not pay for development funding on the whole of the asset. The lowest cost of funding is on the residential element, then the commercial, and finally the highest is on the development funding.

A paper exercise like this will shave a lot of unnecessary interest costs from a project, not just in the construction phase, but on a long term basis.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a fresh petition from Future Retail (FRL) seeking quashing of lenders’ letters threatening initiation of insolvency proceedings. The plea cited its live deal with Reliance Retail for sale of assets for nearly £2.5 billion, which is virtually stalled because of cross-country litigations initiated by American multi-national Amazon.

When senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi sought urgent hearing, a bench headed by CJI N V Ramana said a bench headed by him had already reserved its orders on a number of issues relating to the litigation between Future Coupons, Future Retail and Amazon over the sale of retail assets to Reliance Retail.

India’s growth is projected at 8. 7% in 2022 and 6. 6% in 2023. China is estimated to grow by 8. 1% in 2021 and 4. 8% in 2022.

India will retain its tag as the fastest growing major global economy.

IMF’s forecast for 2021-22 is slightly lower than the 9. 2% growth projected by the National Statistical Office (NSO). The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has estimated the economy to grow by 9. 5% in 2021-22. The economy

has been on a recovery path after the impact of the world’s strictest lockdown, which led to a 7. 3% contraction. The spread of the Omicron variant has prompted states to impose curbs, which has hurt several sectors of the economy particularly the contact-intensive services sectors. But most experts acknowledge that the impact of the third wave on the economy would be muted.

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China supplies mounted howitzers to Pak to take on India Islamabad: In a move that ensures that Pakistan continues to remain locked up in confrontation with India, Islamabad has received first batch of Chinese manufactured vehicle mounted howitzers to counter the Indian K-9 Vajra howitzers. Beijing is also supplying NORINCO AR-1 300 mm multi barrel rocket launchers to Rawalpindi so that the Pakistan Army has a reply to Indian rocket launchers. The total contract is worth around USD 512 million.

The supply of conventional weapon systems, fighter aircraft, destroyers and even the inclination to give DF-17 hypersonic missile to counter India’s latest acquisition, the S400 air defence system, are all

part of Beijing long strategy to keep Rawalpindi GHQ in a state of permanent confrontation with India. This strategy has paid dividends to Beijing regime in the past as forces in India to remain alert on its western border with a power

that boxes much above its weight category due to heavy lift from China, be it in international fora or in military or nuclear parity. The role played

by Beijing in developing Pakistan into a nuclear state along with the covert supply of

delivery systems since 1990s is all well documented.

According to reports, Pakistan in 2019 signed a contract with Chinese arms major NORINCO to supply 236 SH-15 155 mm vehicle mounted howitzers apart from AR-1 heavy rocket launchers. In addition to artillery, the contract also includes supply and technology transfer for various ammunition including extended range artillery shells and guided artillery shells with the range of 53 km. Clearly, this supply is to boost the firepower of Pakistan army all along the western border, specially to heat up the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in case the existing ceasefire breaks down or to send a message on Kashmir.

in brief TALIBAN COME TO THE AID OF NZ REPORTER A pregnant New Zealand journalist says she turned to the Taliban for help and is now stranded in Afghanistan after her home country has prevented her from returning due to a bottleneck of people in its coronavirus quarantine system. In a column published in New Zealand Herald, Charlotte Bellis said it was “brutally ironic” that she’d once questioned Taliban about their treatment of women and she was now asking the same questions of her own government. “When Taliban offers you - a pregnant, unmarried woman - safe haven, you know your situation is messed up,” she said.

PAK LOOKING TO SECURE

Christian priest shot dead India ready to expand list of LOAN FROM CHINA in Pakistan shrines for pilgrims from Pak PESHAWAR: A Christian priest was shot dead and another wounded by unidentified gunmen who opened fire on them as they were returning home after Sunday mass in Pakistan’s northwestern Peshawar city, police said.

Bishop William Siraj was shot multiple times and died on the spot, while Father Naeem Patrick was wounded in the attack in the Gulbahar neighbourhood of Peshawar, police said. The police immediately rushed to the spot and started the search operation.

A strict security has been made at the entry and exit points to nab the culprits.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest on Pakistan's small Christian minority that has been targeted by militants in recent years. Police said they were reviewing the CCTV footage to locate the attackers, who escaped on motorcycles.

Hafiz Muhammad Tahir

Mahmood Ashrafi, Chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council and Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Pakistan for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East, condemned the attack on the Christian priests.

Chief Minister Mehmud Khan has condemned the attack and directed the police for the early arrest of the attackers.

Khan also ordered the best medicare facilities for the injured priest. According to the 2017 census, Hindus constitute the largest religious minority in Pakistan. Christians make up the second largest religious minority.

BAT appoints new Chair of Advisory Council in Pak The British Asian Trust has announced the appointment of Mian Mohammad Mansha as the Chair of their Advisory Council in Pakistan. He joins Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari (Chairman of the National Tourism Coordination Board), Amin Lakhani (Managing Director at Lakson Group), and Tariq Rangoonwala (Chairman of the Board, Rangoonwala Group of Companies, Pakistan) on the Pakistan Advisory Council.

Mian Mohammad Mansha is a Mian Mohammad Mansha leading businessman of Pakistan and Chairman of the Nishat Group of companies, which holds major business interests in the textile, cement, financial services, power generation, real estate and hospitality, dairy and agriculture, paper products, retail commerce, aviation and automotive sectors. He is a committed philanthropist and provides support to causes in healthcare, women’s education, sustainable tourism, sports, poverty alleviation and social uplift. Mansha was awarded Pakistan's prestigious civil award, the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) in 2004 in recognition of his contributions to industrial development. He is currently Chairman of MCB Bank Limited and a Board member of the Atlantic Council, USA.

NEW DELHI: India said it is ready for discussions with Pakistan on expanding the number of religious shrines that can be visited by pilgrims of both sides and their mode of travel, against the backdrop of a Pakistani proposal for allowing pilgrims to travel by air.

The development comes at a time when ties between the two countries are at an all-time low, with trade and most forms of travel suspended since a terror attack at Pulwama in 2019 brought the two countries close to war.

The Pakistani mission in New Delhi recently forwarded to the external affairs ministry a proposal from the Pakistan Hindu Council that permission be granted for two chartered flights of the Pakistan International Airlines to carry pilgrims from Lahore and Karachi to India. Currently, pilgrims are only allowed to

Arindam Bagchi

travel via the Wagah land border and the Kartarpur Corridor.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a virtual weekly media briefing that India is prepared to discuss the expansion of the list of shrines that can visited by pilgrims of both countries under the terms of the bilateral “Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines” of 1974. With Covidrelated travel restrictions currently in place, he suggested these talks could be held before the situation normalises.

Kenya tightens security after warnings of possible terrorist attacks NAIROBI: Kenya has tightened security after several European countries warned about the risk of possible attacks and urged their nationals to avoid public places. Heavily armed officers were patrolling the streets of the capital, Nairobi, as security was boosted outside key government offices, five-star hotels, private buildings and shopping centres.

The National Police Service said in a statement it “assures the public that security in the country has been scaled up through different policing operations. We urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities,” the statement added.

The French embassy warned its nationals of the danger of an attack in Nairobi in the coming days. It advised people to avoid places frequented by foreigners, such as restaurants, hotels and

shopping centres. “Therefore, people in Kenya are advised to be extremely vigilant and avoid these public places in the coming days, including this weekend,” it said. The German and Dutch mission said it had been informed by the French of the possible threat and that it considered the information “credible”. Kenya has been hit by several attacks by the al-Shabab armed group in retaliation for sending troops into Somalia in 2011 as part of an African Union forces to beat back the fighters.

In 2019, al-Shabab attackers killed 21 people in an attack on the upscale DusitD2 hotel and office complex in Nairobi. In 2015, an attack on Garissa University in eastern Kenya killed 148 people, almost all of them students. Many were shot point-blank after being identified as Christians.

Cash-trapped Pakistan is looking to secure a $3 billion loan from China and investments in half a dozen sectors during PM Imran Khan’s visit to Beijing this week, according to a media report. Khan will visit the Chinese capital on February 3 to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics and to also meet the top Chinese leadership on the sidelines for bilateral talks. A finance ministry official said the government was considering requesting China to approve another loan to the tune of $3 billion in China’s state administration of foreign exchange so as to boost its foreign exchange reserves. China has already given $11 billion to Pakistan in the shape of commercial loans and foreign exchange reserves support initiatives.

US MAY GET FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON SC BENCH The US will be on the cusp of another historic political and judicial moment soon, with President Joe Biden finding an opening to nominate the first black woman to the US Supreme Court following the announcement that Justice Stephen Breyer is stepping down. Like the US Senate, the SC has also been a white male bastion in the 230+ years of its existence. There have been 120 SC justices, and only two are African-American, both men - Justices Thurgood Marshall (1967-1991) and Clarence Thomas (1991present). Biden has publicly committed to nominating a black woman to the apex court, a call stemming from, among other factors, a 90+% support for Democrats from that demographic. The hot favourite to succeed Breyer is Ketanji Brown Jackson.

MAN CLAIMS HE HAS FATHERED 129 BY SPERM DONATION A man has claimed that he could be the “world’s most prolific sperm donor” after fathering 129 children in nine years.

Retired maths teacher Clive Jones, 66, said nine more babies are on their way and that he plans to keep going until he reaches 150. He said he offers his services for free - despite health experts warning that donors and patients should be treated at a licensed clinic. “I might continue for another few years. . . get to 150 anyway,” he said. “I feel the happiness it brings. I do it for free, though sometimes I ask a bit for petrol,” he said. He said he was unable to become an official donor because sperm banks have an age limit of 45, and he began at the age of 58.

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in brief LIBYAN HEALTH MINISTER REMANDED IN CUSTODY The Libyan health minister, Ali Zenati, and his number two were remanded in custody as part of an investigation into alleged corruption, judicial sources said. The Minister and Deputy Minister of Health were "heard about the failure to comply with the regulations applied in administrative contracts ..., especially regarding the sale of oxygen production units, with a markup of up to 1000% of the purchase price," said the Attorney General in a statement. The same source also cites "the signing of contracts directly with companies founded on August 10, 2021, which do not meet the requirements of solvency and expertise to carry out the work subject to the contracts."

RUSSIA PUTS NAVALNY ON LIST OF TERRORISTS Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and a handful of his allies were added to an official list of “terrorists and extremists”, the latest in a series of moves by Russian authorities to stamp out their opposition to President Vladimir Putin. The “terrorist” listing means Navalny and the members of his team are subject to limits on bank transactions and need to seek approval every time they want to use their accounts.

US STATES SUE GOOGLE OVER PRIVACY BREACH The District of Columbia and three other states - Texas, Indiana and Washington - are suing Google for allegedly deceiving consumers and invading their privacy by making it nearly impossible for them to stop their location from being tracked. In the lawsuit filed in a District of Columbia court, DC attorney general Karl Racine alleges Google has “systematically” deceived consumers about how their locations are tracked and used. He also says the internet search giant has misled users into believing they can control the information the company collects about them. “In reality, consumers who use Google products cannot prevent Google from collecting, storing and profiting from their location,” the lawsuit says.

N KOREA TESTS LONGEST-RANGE MISSILE North Korea last week fired what appeared to be the most powerful missile it has tested since President Joe Biden took office, as it revives its old playbook in brinkmanship to wrest concessions from the US and neighbours amid a prolonged stalemate in diplomacy. The Japanese and South Korean militaries said the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory, apparently to avoid the territorial spaces of neighbours, and reached a maximum altitude of 2,000hm and travelled 800 km before landing in the sea.

The flight details suggest the N Korea tested its longest range ballistic missile since 2017, when it twice flew intermediate-range ballistic missiles over Japan and, separately, three intercontinental ballistic missiles that demonstrated the potential to reach deep into the American homeland.

UGANDAN NOVELIST DETAINED AGAIN Lawyers for a Ugandan satirical novelist charged with insulting the country’s ruling family said their client was unlawfully detained in defiance of a court order for his release issued just hours earlier. Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was expected to be released after a court in Kampala had granted him bail and ordered that he not speak to reporters before the conclusion of his trial.

Rukirabashaija, who won the PEN Pinter Prize International Writer of Courage award last year, was arrested on December 28 on charges of offending President Yoweri Museveni and his powerful son on Twitter.

Trudeau, family leave home as truckers protest against vaccine mandate OTTAWA: Hundreds of trucks and thousands of protesters, most of them Sikhs migrated from India, have blocked the streets towards downtown Ottawa to protest against the government's vaccine mandates required to cross the Canada-US border. The protest is part of a self-titled 'Freedom Convoy 2022', which started out as a rally of truckers against the requirement that Canadian truck drivers crossing the border into the US be fully vaccinated as of mid-January.

After being joined by thousands of other protesters, it then turned into a demonstration against the government's overall restrictive measures during the Covid pandemic. The crowd gathered around the Parliament Hill, waving flags and banners

and chanting slogans against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is self-isolating after one of his children tested positive for the coronavirus.

The increasing number of protesters prompted police to prepare for the possibility of violence. As of now, no injuries or deaths have been reported.

Parliament members were

advised by the head of House of Commons security, Sergeant-atArms Patrick McDonell, to "go somewhere else" if a demonstration occurred at their personal residences or constituency offices, and to "refrain from posting anything related to the demonstration on social media".

Due to security concerns, Trudeau and his family left their

downtown Ottawa home, the CBC reported. His office said it does not comment on security matters. Ottawa’s mayor said the city’s residents were “prisoners in their own homes” as the Freedom Convoy trucker protests continued. Leaders of the demonstrations vowed to stay in the Canadian capital “as long as it takes” for the government to fold and withdraw vaccine mandates.

Sikhs represent a major share of truckers in US and Canada, with estimates of 150,000 and 200,000 personnel commanding as much as 40 per cent of the enterprise. Lots of them are part of the US-Canada provide chain and they’re mentioned to be resentful of the vaccine mandates and different Covid protocols.

Chinese scientists warn of new kind of Covid from bats BEIJING: A new type of coronavirus, NeoCov, that spreads among bats in South Africa may pose a threat to humans in future if it mutates further, according to a study by Chinese researchers. The yet-to-be peerreviewed study recently posted on the preprint repository BioRxiv, shows that NeoCov is closely related to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a viral disease first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute

Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Researchers from Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wuhan University noted that NeoCov is found in a population of bats in South Africa and to date spreads exclusively

among these animals.

In its current form, NeoCov does not infect humans but further mutations may make it potentially harmful, researchers the noted.

"In this study, we unexpectedly found that NeoCoV and its close relative, PDF-2180-CoV, can efficiently use some types of bat Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and, less favourably, human ACE2 for entry," the authors of the study

More than 1,000 take part in Saudi Arabia's first yoga festival RIYADH: More than 1,000 people gathered at the Juman Park in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, as the country’s first Yoga festival kicked off on January 29 and will end on February 1.

The event was organized by the Saudi Yoga Committee, which saw the participation of Saudi yoga teachers from across the Kingdom. The Saudi Yoga Committee is a government body that acts like a small federation established by the Saudi Arabia Olympic Committee, Ministry of Sports, to promote yoga in Saudi Arabia on May 16, 2021.

Nouf AlMarwaai was appointed the president of this body, and an MOU was signed between the India's Ayush Ministry and the Sports Ministry, including the Saudi Yoga Committee, on Yoga day in 2021 - the first collaboration between Saudi Arabia and India on Yoga in the history of the bilateral relations. A variety of activities - like Yogasanas, different forms, and the art of mindfulness -

were organised at the event. It began with Yoga classes. Murali Krishnan led the adults, while Sara Alamoudi led the children. Officials from the Indian embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah also participated in the event. Indian Consul General Shahid Allam and Marwaai honoured young yogi, Arav Pradisha, who won a medal at the first participation in Asian Games hosted by Saudi Arabia. He is an Indian resident of Saudi Arabia and a member of the Saudi Yoga Committee team. Indian Yoga teacher Irum Khan also participated in the festival.

Winter storms trigger transport chaos, power outages in US BOSTON: Blinding snow whipped up by powerful winds pummelled the eastern US, as one of the strongest winter storms in years triggered transport chaos and power outages across a region of some 70 million people. Major cities such as New York and Boston bore the brunt of the blizzard, which the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed had intensified into a “bomb cyclone” - characterised by the explosive power of rapid drops in atmospheric pressure.

The heaviest-hit parts of New York and Massachusetts received 61cm of snow by early evening, with more than 95,000 homes in Massachusetts reported power outages. Snowfall in Boston equalled the one-day record of 23. 6 inches set in 2003, the NWS said, while the town of Sharon, 29 km to the south, had recorded the highest snowfall on Saturday with more than 30 inches.

noted.

ACE2 is a receptor protein on cells that provides the entry point for the coronavirus to hook into and infect a wide range of cells.

"Our study demonstrates the first case of ACE2 usage in MERS-related viruses, shedding light on a potential bio-safety threat of the human emergence of an ACE2 using "MERS-CoV2" with both high fatality and transmission rate," they said.

The researchers further noted that infection with NeoCov could not be cross-neutralised by antibodies targeting SARSCoV-2 or MERS-CoV.

Tropical storm kills more than 70 in Southern Africa ANTANANARIVO: Southern Africa has been hit by flooding that has left more than 70 dead across the region in the wake of Tropical Storm Ana. Madagascar has seen at least 48 deaths and 130,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to makeshift shelters.

In Malawi, at least 11 people have died. The country has suffered a nationwide power cut and some areas have been declared disaster zones.

Mozambique, meanwhile, has reported 18 deaths.

But officials there say the true number is still unknown, with 20,000 affected by the flooding. In Mozambique, Ana destroyed 10,000 homes and dozens of schools and hospitals, while downing power lines.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms have continued to hit some regions even after the storm's passage, contributing to the flooding. Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário said that his country was not begging for help - but the challenge was bigger than any one country's ability to tackle it.

And he pointed to the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

"We are a country that does not contribute much for climate change, and yet we are one of the countries that suffer the most from its impact," he said. He has called for international aid - and Unicef, the United Nations children's charity, said it was deploying staff to the country to help the 45,000 people it estimated will need humanitarian aid.

UN Resident Coordinator in Mozambique, Myrta Kaulard, said "vulnerability is very, very high. The challenge is titanic, the challenge is extreme," she said. Floods hit electricity infrastructure as well as homes, leaving beleaguered towns in darkness as the water rose.

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India's military might, diversity on show at R-Day parade The Republic Day parade this year showcased India's military might, cultural diversity and many unique initiatives to mark the celebration of the 75th year of independence. This year the celebrations commenced on January 23 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the occasion of Netaji's 125th birth anniversary, unveiled the hologram statue of the freedom fighter at India Gate in Delhi. The grand Republic Day parade started on 26th January amid foggy weather. As per tradition, the national flag was unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute, presented by Ceremonial Battery of 871 Field Regiment.

On the eve of Republic Day celebrations, President Ram Nath Kovind approved awards of 384 gallantry and other defence decorations to armed forces personnel and others. The President also approved the conferment of 128 Padma awards this year.

The list comprises four Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri awards.

Many firsts this year A flypast by 75 aircraft and helicopters was the highlight of this year's parade. This year's celebrations are significant - it's the 75th anniversary of India's Independence, being observed as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country. Strict Covid protocol was in place as only 5,000 people attended the celebrations.

The parade started at 10:30 am, half-an-

hour later than usual for better visibility. Ahead of the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to India's fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial. The parade, led by Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, started after the tricolour was unfurled with a 21-gun salute. The winners of the country's highest gallantry awards, Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra, led the contingents in saluting the President, the Supreme Commander of armed forces. How Indian Army uniforms and rifles evolved over the decades since independence was on display at the parade.

Three contingents of the Army wore uniforms and carried rifles from previous decades, and one wore the new combat uniform and carried the latest Tavor rifles.

President Kovind posthumously awarded Ashok Chakra, the country's highest peacetime gallantry award, to Assistant Sub Inspector Babu Ram, who was killed fighting terrorists in Kashmir. The officer's wife received the award on his behalf.

The contingents of security forces were followed by tableux from states that showcased India's cultural diversity, with themes ranging from the freedom struggle to biodiversity. Several government ministries and departments also took out tabluex, highlighting flagship initiatives such as Jal Jeevan Mission. The Central

Public Works Development tableau paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary.

About 480 dancers from diverse genres, who were selected through a nationwide dance competition, performed in the parade.

The grand flypast began with the 'Dhwaj' formation with four Mi-17 aircraft and concluded with 17 Jaguar fighter aircraft flying in the 'Amrit' formation to commemorate 75 years of Independence.

Celebrations in Gujarat In Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel unfurled the tricolour at the state-level function held at Gir Somnath district to mark the occasion. A total of 18 platoons of personnel from the Indian Coast Guard, Gujarat Mariner Police from Jamnagar, the Junagadh district and Rajkot city police, State Reserve Group, Gujarat Jail Police participated in the event held at the Sadbhavna ground.

3 from Bengal decline Padma awards Three people from West Bengal have refused the Padma awards offered to them by the Modi government. Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee - an arch critic of the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi - was the first to decline. Since then, two eminent artistes from the state, tabla maestro Pandit Anindya Chatterjee and eminent vocalist Sandhya Mukhopadhyay, have said they too, have turned down the awards, which, meanwhile, have sharpened the rift within the opposition Congress.

Sandhya Mukhopadhyaya (also known as Sandhya Mukherjee), the 90-year-old who has a singing career spanning

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya

Sandhya Mukherjee

eight decades, refused a Padma Shri - the fourth highest civilian honour - saying it suits a junior artiste and not someone of her stature.

Mukhopadhyaya's daughter Soumi Sengupta said when the call on the award came from Delhi, her mother told the senior official that she felt "insulted" at her being offered the award at her age.

Canada relaxes testing needs for Indian travellers Canada no longer requires passengers travelling on non-stops from India to get a Covid test done within 18 hours before departure. It has also ended the need for third-country testing for those coming on one-stops from India. This means people travelling from, say India to Canada via the Gulf/Europe/US, will no longer need to be tested at the transit country before taking a connecting flight to their destination.

To be sure, Canada continues to require that all travellers, unless specifically exempted, have a valid negative pre-departure Covid-19 molecular test result taken within 72 hours before a scheduled flight to Canada. Canada had on September 27, 2021, allowed resumption of direct flights from India, over five months after suspending the same during the second Covid wave here, with stricter testing norms.

The non-stops were, and continue to be, from Delhi. And passengers needed to obtain a pre-departure negative Covid-19 molecular result from a test done at Delhi Airport’s Genestrings Laboratory within 18 hours before their scheduled departure.

This stringent requirement goes now and the move could pave the way for direct flights between more Indian cities and Canada because as of now non-stops only to and from Delhi are allowed.

“Effective January 28, 2022, we’re removing the modified predeparture Covid-19 test requirements for travellers on direct flights to Canada from India and Morocco, and the requirement for third country testing for travellers on indirect routes to Canada from these countries,” Transport Canada tweeted. The Canadian government said it is from January 28, 2022, removing the modified pre-departure test requirements for travellers coming to Canada on direct or indirect flights from India or Morocco.

"Padma Shri is more deserving for a junior artiste, not 'Gitasree' Sandhya Mukhopadhyay.

Her family and all the lovers of her songs feel," Pandit Anindya Sengupta said.

One Chatterjee of the finest vocalists of Bengal, Sandhya Mukhopadhyay received the "Banga Bibhushan", West Bengal's highest civilian award, in 2011 - the year it was instituted by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and a National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer in 1970.

Pandit Anindya Chatterjee who accompanied maestros like

Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, also said he had signalled his negative when he received the phone call from Delhi seeking his consent.

"However I politely declined. I said thank you but I am not ready to receive Padma Shri at this phase of my career. I have passed that phase," said the eminent percussionist, who received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2002.

A disciple of Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh, he has performed at the Rastrapati Bhavan in the past and was the youngest tabla player to perform in the British Parliament's House of Commons in 1989.

India's Central Asia summit reiterates strong support for Afghan peace Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the first India Central Asia summit hosted virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on landlocked countries, with special focus on Afghanistan. While China was not really the focus of attention in the virtual meeting, they all agreed, according to a joint declaration, that connectivity initiatives had to be based on the principles of transparency, broad participation, local priorities, financial sustainability and “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.” The summit came two days after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s own summit meeting with the Central Asian leaders in which he offered $500 million as aid to the five countries.

PM Modi condemned crossborder terrorism, a term used by India to indict Pakistan, and

underlined the significance of transparency, along with respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, in pursuing connectivity initiatives. Regional security with a focus on Afghanistan, along with connectivity, dominated the summit that saw Modi emphasising that the Central Asian region was central to India’s vision of an integrated and stable “extended neighbourhood”.

In the summit, the leaders reiterated strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan while emphasising the respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and noninterference in its internal affairs, according to the declaration.

“They also discussed the current humanitarian situation and decided to continue to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan,” it said.

in brief NEPAL CARRIES OUT ‘INFORMAL CENSUS’ IN UTTARAKHAND The Central Bureau of Statistics, Nepal, has conducted an “informal census” in Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, territory considers its own. According to a preliminary report, the area has a “population of around 700 people”. The census workers did not reach the area physically and other non-conventional methods have been used, officials said. “Nepal’s new population census includes the Kalapani region as well. So, we had to ask migrant labourers who travel to India, security personnel deployed at the border and Nepalese nationals who have relatives in India to ascertain the figure. We will conduct satellite imagery to ascertain the actual number,” said Hemraj Regmi, deputy director, Central Bureau of Statistics, Nepal. Border tensions between India and Nepal had started after defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 74-kmGhatiyabagar-Lipulekh road on May 8, 2020.

CONG, LEFT FORM ALLIANCE IN MANIPUR In a new twist ahead of Manipur assembly polls, the opposition Congress, Left and “likeminded” parties announced a pre-poll alliance with the key objective of defeating BJP. Besides Congress, other members of the alliance include CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, RSP and JD(S). As Congress has already released its first list of 40 candidates for the February 27 and March 3 polls, the party will have a friendly fight with the CPI candidate in Kakching seat. So far, CPI has announced to contest in only two seats - Kakching in Kakching district and Khurai in Imphal East.

NID STUDENT WINS CONTEST Nikhil Kumar Rai, a student of animation and film design at NID, won the international logo design competition launched for the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Israel. On January 29, 1992, India and Israel established full diplomatic relations.

At a virtual event, the commemorative logo to mark the event was launched. The selected logo features the Star of David and Ashok Chakra forming the number 30.

DAUGHTERS CHOOSE FATHER OVER MOTHER Two girls told the Supreme Court that they would prefer to be under the guardianship of their India-based father rather than go with their US based mother. The estranged woman has been engaged in a bitter court battle with her husband for the custody of their two daughters, who were taken from US to India by their father. The girls told the SC bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli that “there is little we can do as the children are not willing to go with the mother. ” This remark came from the bench after it interacted with the two girls, one over18 years of age and the other 16 years, through video-conferencing without the presence of counsel.

SUSHANT’S ‘DRUG LORD’ NEIGHBOUR HELD Sahil Shah alias Flacko, the alleged drug lord and late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s immediate neighbour, who was on run for nearly eight months was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau. NCB officials said they will interrogate Flacko (31) in connection with the seizure of 310gm of marijuna worth Rs 25,00,000 and Rs 150,000 from two arrested accused - Ganesh Shere and Siddhant Amin - in April last year.

Shere had given information regarding Flacko and the NCB officials had raided his flat in Malad, but he was missing. Flacko appeared before the agency and surrendered.

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President Kovind hails India's vaccination drive

in brief CONG’S EX-MIN RPN SINGH JOINS BJP Former Union minister and a known face of the Congress Kunwar Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh, popularly known as RPN, quit the party and joined the BJP, a development seen as a personal jolt to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Accompanied by Union minister and long time political associate Jyotiraditya Scindia, Singh joined the party in presence of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is poll in-charge for BJP in Uttar Pradesh, and has been working towards consolidating the BJP’s dominance over the OBC vote-bank, a factor seen as crucial in party’s performance in 2014, 2019 Lok Sabha polls and2017 assembly polls in the state.

TERRORISTS KILL COP IN SOUTH KASHMIR Terrorists shot dead a J&K police head constable near his home in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, while security forces engaged “two-three” terrorists in a shootout in Pulwama d istrict. Officers said Kulgam police station head constable Ali Mohammad Ganie was grievously wounded in the shooting near his home at Hasanpora Tabala of Bijbehara. He was taken to the government hospital in Anantnag town, but couldn’t be saved. It was a shoot-and scoot, a common tactic used by terrorists. Police said the shootout at Naira village in Pulwama could continue for some time, with a joint team of police, Army and CRPF personnel engagingt errorists hiding there. The area has been cordoned off to minimise collateral damage and to prevent any terrorist from escaping.

TATA STEEL TO BUY NEELACHAL ISPAT Tata Steel will take control of Neelachal Ispat Nigam after bidding £1.21 billion, including equity and debt, the government said. The unit of Tata Sons plans to make Neelachal’s Odisha facility, currently defunct, the hub for its long steel business in the future (rods, rails and bars used in the construction sectorare called long steel products). The deal comes hot on the heels of Tata Sons acquiring Air India from the government through the privatisation process. The M&A is in line with Tata Steel’s strategy of doubling down on the India business after selling some unprofitable overseas ventures.

In 2018, it had acquired Bhushan Steel for £3.52 billion, the first such move.

Lauding the leadership, policy makers and administrators at the Centre and in states for making timely interventions to maintain supply chains intact in the vaccination drive, President Ram Nath Kovind said it is due to such interventions that the economy is on the move again.

“It is a testimony to India’s spirit in the face of adversity that the economy is projected to grow at an impressive rate in this fiscal, after going through contraction last year.

This shows the success of Atmanirbhar Bharat the Abhiyan launched in the previous year. The impressive eco-

nomic performance is made possible due to improvement in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.”

Addressing the nation on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day, President Kovind said that India showed an “unmatched resolve” when faced with the pandemic. “The pandemic management was bound to be all the more difficult in India. We have high population density, and as a developing economy we did not have the level of resources and infrastructure needed to battle this invisible enemy. But it is only in such difficult times that the resilience of a nation

Ram Nath Kovind

shines forth. I am proud to say that we have shown an unmatched resolve against the coronavirus. In the first year itself, we raised the healthcare infrastructure and also reached out to help others. By the second year, we had developed indigenous vaccines and launched the world’s biggest

vaccination drive in history. The vaccination drive is progressing at a quick pace in our country.

During the pandemic, we have reached out to several other countries with vaccines and other medical help. This contribution by India has been appreciated by international organisations,” he said.

Gujarati producer Rajita Shah makes it to BAFTA list

Gandhi is millennium’s greatest person: Amit Shah

Gujarati producer Rajita production was Shah has won nominaher calling. tion for BAFTA (British “ B A F T A Academy of Film and Breakthrough is Television Arts) for her the recognition 'Love Sarah' – the first for the work I movie to screen in the have done in the UK and other countries past 10 years. After after Covid restrictions 'Love Sarah', I were lifted – under her have been workMiraj Films banner. The ing on two prolist comprises 25 actors, jects, including a directors, producers, fascinating realwriters, cinematogralife story of Rajita Shah phers, etc. working in the women’s football UK. She was the only in the UK from Indian-origin person to receive the 1929 to 1970s. Two of my executive 2021 honours, and one of the few to producers - Paras Mehta and Kartik be featured over the years.

Shah - are from Surat,” said Rajita, “It’s a very prestigious selection adding that she also plans to adapt

by BAFTA that chooses two productwo acclaimed books, Our Endless ers every year. It means a lot of supNumbered Days and Kika & Me, for port from the BAFTA team in helping celluloid. the company expand, assistance in If one compares work with the mentorship with big production Indian film industry, the challenges companies, and creating a solid proare the same, avers Rajita, who has file in industry,” said Rajita. Daughter been working in the UK for the past of Surat-based businessman Rajan two decades. “There are only a few Shah and Mita Shah, Rajita is an women filmmakers in a country like alumna of School of Visual Arts in the India, which is shocking, given the US and Royal Holloway London number of films produced annually.

University in production and filmSo, I believe that people like me can making. She tried her hand at short improve diversity and give an impefilms and direction but realized that tus to new voices,” she says.

Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest person to have lived in the past millennium, union home minister Amit Shah said in Ahmedabad.

Shah said that the Centre’s schemes such as Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Vocal for Local are the new definitions of the Swadeshi movement propagated by Mahatma Gandhi.

Shah unveiled a mural of the Mahatma at the Sabarmati riverfront on the occasion of Martyrs’ Day. “Mahatma Gandhi not just fought for India’s freedom, but also offered many ways to rebuild the country after it had achieved freedom,” Shah said. “He advocated Swadeshi, Satyagraha, swabhasha, sadhan shuddhi, aparigraha (non possessiveness), prayer, fasting, and simplicity. ” Shah said Mahatma Gandhi instilled these ideas in the consciousness of the citizens while fighting against the British so as to make the ideas the base for the country’s reconstruction after it achieved freedom. “Without a doubt, Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest person to have lived in the past millennium anywhere in the world,” Shah said in his address. “Unfortunately, while homage was paid to the photos of Bapu and he found mention in speeches, for many years khadi, handicrafts, swabhasha, and Swadeshi were forgotten,” Shah said. “After becoming the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi gave a new lease of life to all these ideas of Bapu. ” Shah said that the new education policy lays emphasis on swabhasha. He said the policy will give due importance to Indian languages because if India is detached from its languages, it will get separated from its culture, history, literature, and grammar.

Gujarati girl Ashwarya making a splash as a pop singer in Australia Nischal Sanghavi Popular among Australian youths, this Melbourne based 21 year old Gujarati girl Ashwarya, has a sound that traverses rap and pop, bhangra drumming and R&B trilling.

Today, after just 18 months into singing, Ashwarya has three widely acclaimed singles and hundreds of thousands of fans with over 90,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and over 40,000 followers on TikTok among other social media platforms. With a total six popular songs to her credit so far, she already had four live shows in Melbourne which went with packed houses, where people lined up with an average 20 AUD ticket.

The following two shows in Sydney were also sold off, but had to be canceled due to the surge in pandemic there. Ashwarya has also been signed by Australia's leading music companies Sony Music Australia and NOiZE recordings.

One of the sizable recent achieve-

ments of Ashwarya is accumulating over 3 million streams on her debut EP (Extended Play) – ‘Noctural Hours’. Ashwarya’s songs have also been played several times by the London based Radio Channel BBC Sounds Asian Network.

According to Ashwarya, "last year when the world was in lockdown mode, I started creating music and videos in the confines of my home, using my iPhone and other gadgets. I dropped out of the university to pursue a full time career in music."

Ashwarya's father Mehul Shah who hails from Gujarat was into art and literature enjoying his stage performances during school days in Ahmedabad. When Ashwarya was six months old, Mehul and wife Shalini left with her for Australia. Ashwarya's singing talent comes from her grandmother Jahanvika Shah who lives in Ahmedabd and is a writer, radio presenter and retired banker apart from being a good singer

Ashwarya with her parents

herself. Ashwarya's mother Shalini who hails from Lucknow says, "their visits to her grandparents in Ahmedabad who in turn also visit them regularly, got her oriented to Bollywood movies and music of the 80s. She feels that having both Indian and Australian backgrounds has opened up a whole new perspective for her to work with whilst song writing."

Ashwarya was named among the six joint winners of Australia's popular Levi's music prize by Bigsound.

She had won a share of 90,000 AUD in prize money, 15,000 dollars in cash to contribute for career development and a host of other prizes.

Ashwarya's song Biryani is getting very high popularity with youngsters right now.

She got the idea about the connection of food and love while having her favourite food Biryani, cooked by her mom. Her song Psycho Hole has also been a very big hit.

Talking to Asian Voice Ashwarya says, “Now, I am moving on to more intricate sounds, more nuanced feelings. ‘To The Night’, my first single of 2021, rides the same kind of shapeshifting beat that typifies songs like ‘Psycho hole’, but the feelings are darker, more complex here, arpeggiating synths and skittering beats evok-

ing the neon-toned fantasy world of 'The Weeknd', featuring cult American rapper Vic Mensa, ‘To The Night’ sees my heady internal world clash with the chaotic realities of our lives in the 2020s, resulting in an impassioned, empathetic song that speaks to our moment. ‘To The Night’ is about feeling empowered and taking charge of your decisions and actions,” Ashwarya says. “It's a main character anthem and I hope people can feel like they're in total command whilst listening to it.”

Year 2021 sees the release of Ashwarya’s debut EP Nocturnal Hours, a glamorous and insightful look into the mind of a young pop auteur. The EP is Ashwarya at her purest, and speaks to her ambition to not only become a fixture of the pop landscape, but to stay true to her distinct personality and sound throughout. A few months ago, Vogue magazine listed Ashwarya among the 8 emerging Indian women in the global hip-hop landscape.

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SOUTH INDIA

Covid cases continue to rise in Kerala Thiruvananthapuram: Covid-19 cases in Kerala continued to rise with the state reporting 51,570 new infections taking the total number of affected people to 59,83,515. The state has reported 14 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours taking the death count to 53,666, the state health department said.

The state has tested 1,03,366 samples in the last 24 hours, health department said. On Saturday, Kerala had reported 50,812 cases. On January 25, Kerala had registered 55,475 cases, the highest ever singleday spike in the infection count since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.

Among the districts, Ernakulam reported 9,704 cases, the highest in the state, followed by Thrissur with 7,289 and Thiruvananthapuram with 5,746 cases. "Currently, there are 3,54,595 active cases in the state

out of which only 3.4 per cent are admitted to hospitals," the health department said.

28,264 new cases in Karnataka Karnataka reported 28,264 new Covid cases and 68 deaths, taking the tally to 37,85,295, and death count to 38,942. There were 29,244 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries to 34,95,239, a health bulletin said.

Of the new cases, 11,938 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 10,454 people being discharged and 14 virus-related deaths. The total number of active cases

across the state is now at 2,51,084.

While the positivity rate for the day stood at 16.38 per cent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.24 per cent. Of the 68 deaths, 14 are from Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru (10), Dakshina Kannada and Ballari (7), (4), Tumakuru Chitradurga (3), Belagavi, Chamarajanagara, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Mandya, Raichur and Uttara Kannada (2), followed by others.

Cases fall in Tamil Nadu The number of daily Covid cases in Tamil Nadu continued to fall for the eighth consecutive day with 22,238 fresh infections.

The number of recoveries exceeded new infections for the fourth day in a row as 26,624 were reported on Sunday. The number of deaths also came

down marginally with 38. This took the toll to 37,544.

Chennai reported 3,998 cases, the highest in the State. It was followed by Coimbatore, which reported 2,865. Four other districts - Chengalpattu (1,534), Tiruppur (1,497), Salem (1,181) and Erode (1,127) - reported more than 1,000 cases. Another six districts reported more than 500 cases. Mayiladuthurai (98) and Perambalur (52) were the only two districts to report less than 100 cases.

All 38 districts reported a marginal to noticeable decline compared to the day before.

Among the 38 deaths, 10 happened in Chennai.

Chengalpattu, Tiruchi, and Madurai reported six, five and three deaths respectively.

Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Tiruvallur reported two deaths each. Another eight districts reported one death each.

PUNJAB

SAD chief vows to revive welfare schemes scrapped by Cong BARNALA: SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal announced that all social welfare schemes that had been scrapped and curtailed during the Congress regime would be restored if the SADBSP came to power.

He also said millions of scrapped blue cards, which gave access to ration to the poor, would also be restored within a month.

Addressing public gatherings in favour of party candidate Kulwant Singh Kanta, Sukhbir said the Congress government had played a fraud on the poor by dispossessing millions of them of the blue card facility, which entitled them to subsidised ration under the atta-dal scheme.

“It is equally shocking that CM Channi has not corrected the injustice meted out to the community as well as the

poor. Channi also refused to come to the aid of SC students who were robbed of their scholarship fee and has done nothing to fill up the backlog in government vacancies for the candidates of the community. Now people will ask him why he discriminated against the SC community,” Sukhbir added.

He said AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal was fooling people by stating that he was not aware of the release orders of Prof Devinderpal Bhullar, which were pending before him.

Sidhu files paper; dares Capt, Majithia

AMRITSAR: Filing nomination from the Amritsar East seat, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu dared his bête noir Amarinder Singh to leave Patiala and take on him. He also challenged Shiromani Akali Dal's Bikram Singh Majithia to fight only from the Amritsar East seat and leave the Majitha assembly constituency. Apart from the Majitha seat, Majithia, a former Punjab minister, has also entered the fray from Amritsar East from where Sidhu is seeking re-election.

"If you have so much guts and have faith in people then leave Majitha and fight from one seat here. Do you have the guts?" Sidhu dared while interacting with reporters after filing his nomination.

About former chief minister Amarinder Singh's comment that he would not let Sidhu win, the Punjab Congress president dared him to leave Patiala and contest from Amritsar East. "Come to Amritsar," Sidhu said. Amarinder Singh, who was made to resign as chief minister and later exited the Congress, has floated the Punjab Lok Congress and entered into an electoral tie-up with the BJP. He will fight from the Patiala Urban seat.

WEST BENGAL

Mamata blocks governor Dhankhar on Twitter KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she has blocked Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Twitter, "disturbed" by his regular posts against her government on the microblogging platform.

Mamata also said that Dhankhar has threatened the chief secretary and the director general of police on several occasions. "I have been forced to block Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Twitter. Everyday he was issuing tweets targeting and threatening govt officials as if we're his bonded labourers," said Mamata.

Addressing a press meet here, the CM said she has written to

Mamata Banerjee & Jagdeep Dhankhar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi several times, seeking the removal of Dhankhar. "However, no action has been taken so far," Mamata, who shares an acrimonious relationship with

the governor, said.

Covid curbs eased Mamata also announced easing of Covid-19 curbs in the state. She said schools for classes 8 to 12 will reopen from 3

February. The decision to relax Covid curbs and to reopen schools and colleges in the state comes as the Covid-19 pandemic situation improves in the state.

However, Mamata said that the night curfew will be extended by an hour and now the curfew will remain in place from 10 pm to 5 am instead of 11 pm to 5 am.

She said restaurants, bars and cinema halls can now operate at 75 per cent capacity compared to the earlier 50 per cent. The same applies to sports arenas, which can now operate at 75 per cent seating capacity.” She said the Covid situation in the state has improved a lot, because of which certain relaxations are being given.

in brief TN URBAN LOCAL BODIES POLLS ON FEBRUARY 19 Election to the urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu will be held on February 19 and counting of votes will be taken up on February 22, the State Election Commission announced. The filing of nomination for the single phase poll will commence from January 28 and would go on till February 4.

The nomination papers will be scrutinised on February 5 and February 7 will be the last day for withdrawal of nominations, State Election Commissioner V Palanikumar said while announcing the election schedule. The announcement of the poll schedule comes a day after the Madras High Court gave its approval to conduct the elections to urban local bodies and said that it will monitor the polls. Counting of votes will take place on February 22 and results will be announced the same day.

HC'S QUERY TO TN GOVT OVER LEARNING HINDI “What harm will learning Hindi do? Many have lost the opportunity of getting central government jobs,” Madras high court observed while hearing a public interest writ petition seeking to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Tamil Nadu, which has refused to do so.

Responding to the observation, made by the first bench of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice P D Audikesavalu, Tamil Nadu advocate-general R Shunmugasundaram said, “The Tamil Nadu government follows a two-language policy and not a three-language policy as it would be overburdening the students. ” Moreover, no one is stopped from learning Hindi in Tamil Nadu. “There are institutions like the Hindi Prachar Sabha where one can learn Hindi,” he added.

SC BARS POLICE FROM ARRESTING SAD LEADER MAJITHIA The Supreme Court has barred the Punjab police from arresting SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia till February 23 in a case registered against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in view of the assembly polls scheduled for February 20. The Bench – which had earlier restrained the State of Punjab from taking any coercive action against Majithia till January 31 – asked the SAD leader to surrender before the trial court on February 23. It directed the trial court to hear and decide his bail plea expeditiously after his surrender in the drugs case. Earlier, on behalf of Majithia, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, termed it a "classic case of political vendetta" as the FIR was registered on December 20 last year on the directions of the acting DGP with respect to offences during 2004-2015.

4 OF A FAMILY KILLED IN BENGAL COAL MINE COLLAPSE Four members of a family died while a fifth was seriously injured when a section of the Madhaipur open cast mine of Eastern Coalfields Ltd in Bengal’s Durgapur collapsed and buried them alive.

Officials said the family from Madhaipur village in West Burdwan district had sneaked into the restricted area and were digging for coal illegally when the collapse occurred. Locals alerted authorities on the accident and teams from Eastern Coalfields mounted a rescue. But Anna Bauri, Shyamal Bauri, Natabor Bauri and Pinky Bauri (23) didn’t survive, an official said. The fifth person was admitted to a hospital.

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Govt projects India's GDP growth at 8 to 8.5 per cent The government has projected GDP growth at 8 per cent to 8.5% compared with an estimated 9.2 per cent for the current fiscal year and a 6.6 per cent contraction the previous year. India will allocate an additional £1.95 billion to boost investment in solar equipment manufacturing, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while presenting the union budget in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. She said. "Production Linked Incentive for manufacture of high efficiency modules, with priority to fully integrated manufacturing units from polysilicon to solar PV modules, will be made."

She said the budget will lay the foundation for India's economic growth and expansion for the next 25 years. She said the budget comes at a crucial juncture for the public and policymakers alike. The govt expects to lead the world in economic growth this year in a post-pandemic bounceback,

Nirmala Sitharaman

according to Economic Survey 2022.

The Reserve Bank of India will introduce a digital currency in the next financial year using blockchain and other supporting technology. The government has also decided to levy 30% tax, the highest tax band in the country, on income arising out of digital assets. The budget has several new ideas to get the economy going

again. At the same time, it doesn’t do much harm by introducing new taxes or stop-gap policies, even though it could have done without higher import duties.

Going slow on the fiscal glide path, the government has projected the fiscal deficit to narrow to 6.4% of GDP in 2022-23 on the back of a multi-year high capital expenditure allocation as share of total outlay and modest growth in revenues.

“This is consistent with broad path of fiscal consolidation at below 4.5% of GDP by 2025-26," said Sitharaman.. “I am conscious of needs to nurture growth through public investment… and become stronger and sustainable," she added.

The fiscal deficit target for FY22 was revised down to 6.9%

6 from Gujarat on way to US abducted in Turkey As Gujarat contends with the news of four from the state freezing to death near the US border, it has emerged that two families from a Gandhinagar village have gone missing en route to the US via Turkey. These two families comprise six members, according to Gandhinagar Police. Sources in police said that two different Patel families from a village in Kalol taluka of Gandhinagar had left for the US via Istanbul.

The sources said that they were abducted by

human traffickers in Istanbul and have been held to ransom. “One family consists of Tejas Patel, his wife Alka, and their son Divya,”said an officer of Gandhinagar Police. “The second family’s members

are Suresh Patel, his wife Shobha, and their daughter Foram. They had left their village for the US in the last week of December or the first week of January. ” The officer said that the Indian embassy in Istanbul received a complaint about the abduction from the relatives and friends of the victims. A team of the CID (crime) has been trying to reconstruct the families’ itinerary: how they went to Istanbul and how they intended to reach the US.

HC expunges remarks against Juhi Chawla; reduces fine The Delhi high court last week expunged remarks made by its judge against Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla, earlier when it was hearing her petition challenging setting up of 5G wireless networks in the country on account of health hazards.

The court also reduced the fine against the actress from Rs 20,00,000 to 200,000, saying she "didn't take up 5G issue in a frivolous and casual manner". Juhi and a few others had approached the Delhi high court against 5G rollout

Juhi Chawla

which a single-judge bench in June termed as 'defective' and 'abuse of process of law'.

The bench also noted that the suit was filed for gaining publicity and imposed a fine of Rs 20,00,000.

During last week's virtual hearing, the court also

noted that Juhi volunteered to work with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) and feature in the programmes for empowering the marginalised section of the society. The actor thanked the court for the reduction in fine and offered to assist in any matter of public interest. "I thank you for your interest in reducing the costs imposed on me. I would like to mention that I moved the suit for relief to my immediate family as well as all citizens in the entire country," she said during the hearing.

from 6.8% as government’s revenues exceeded the budget estimates by 16.2% to 20.7 trillion, and total expenditure overshot by 8.2%.

Capital expenditure, which is used to create assets like infrastructure and acts as a multiplier, is estimated to expand by 24.3% in FY23, while revenue expenditure, which comprises fixed obligations or ongoing operating expenses, such as salaries and pensions, is budgeted to expand by 0.8%.

Capex allocation as a share of total outlay is estimated at 19%, in FY23, an 18-year high. It was 22.8% in 2004-05.

Sitharaman speaks on proposed Digital Rupee and cryptocurrencies: What RBI will issue is a digital currency. Everything that prevails outside of it is assets being created by individuals & we are taxing profits made out of transactions of those assets, at 30%. We are also tracking every

trail of money in that (transaction of crypto assets) by imposing 1% TDS at every transaction, Sitharaman said.

Sitharaman gave a one-time window to taxpayers to correct any discrepancy or omissions in their ITRs within two years of filing, subject to payment of taxes.

She said this is an "affirmative step in the direction of voluntary tax compliance".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation to hail the budget. "The budget has brought new hopes and opportunities for the common people," he said.

Budget 2022-23 is a 'Garib Kalyan' Budget. It will empower the poor and labourers. This Budget is dedicated to the development of infrastructure, rural and hilly areas, and Northeast.

This Budget is in line with Govt's policy of social justice and equality, said BJP chief JP Nadda.

Arunachal teen given electric shocks in Chinese custody, alleges father The Indian teenager who was allegedly abducted by the Chinese army from Arunachal Pradesh was reunited with his family, an official said. Indian Army reunited Miram Taron with his parents at a function in Tuting in Upper Siang district on Monday evening, district Deputy Commissioner Shaswat Saurabh said.

He was given a warm welcome by the local administration and panchayat leaders on returning home.

Miram, 17, was allegedly abducted by the Chinese army on January 18 from Lungta Jor area near the Line of Actual Control when he went on a hunting trip with his friend Johny

Yaying. Yaying managed to escape from the scene and report the matter to the authorities.

The Chinese army handed over Miram to the Indian Army on January 27 at the Wacha-Damai interaction point at Kibithu in Anjaw district, where he underwent quarantine and completed legal formalities.

Miram's father Opang

PRL scientists spot tracks created by tumbling blocks on Mars Scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad have spotted thousands of tracks on the surface of Mars created by tumbling boulders. These boulder tracks can be used to pinpoint recent seismic activity on the planet as humans become more and more interested in the Red Planet with plans to develop colonies in the near future.

The study published last month in Geophysical

Research Letters states that it takes about two to four Martian years (four to eight Earth years) for boulder tracks to disappear, whereas on Earth they are rarely preserved. These ejections and tracks can be used to recognise very recent surface processes on planetary surfaces.

The images of tracks left behind by Curiosity and the Perseverance rover on Mars are reminders of human ingenuity on another planet

Maharashtra eases Covid curbs from 11 districts The Maharashtra government issued guidelines to ease Covid-19 curbs in 11 districts of the state, including Mumbai. The state government allowed an increase in the number of guests at marriage functions, and also permitted swimming pools, water parks, theatres, and restaurants to remain open with 50 per cent capacity subject to nod of the competent authority.

After a surge Covid cases last month, the state has now been

recording a dip in the new infections reported daily. The fresh guidelines issued late Monday night relaxed the curbs in 11 districts of the state where over 90 per cent of the eligible people have received the first dose of vaccine against Covid and 70 per cent have received both the doses.

These 11 districts include Mumbai, Pune, Bhandara, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Satara, Sangli, Gondia, Kolhapur and Chandrapur.

Taron said his son was mentally exhausted as the whole incident scared him.

He was tied and blindfolded while in the custody of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) for more than a week, the father alleged. "He is still in shock.

He was kicked in the back and given a mild electric shock initially. He was kept blindfolded most of the time and his hands were tied during captivity. They untied him only when it was time to eat or relieve himself. But, they provided him with adequate food," Opang Taron told reporters at the function.

As per the fresh guidelines issued by state Chief Secretary Debashish Chakrabarty, all national parks and tourist spots in the state will remain open, while spas can function at 50 per cent capacity.

There shall be no limit on the number of people to attend a funeral, as per the order. Marriages may have guests up to 25 per cent of the capacity of the open ground and banquet halls, or 200, whichever is lower, it said with

respect to the 11 districts.

However, these guidelines are applicable "either fully, or partly, only after the explicit permission of the SDMA (State Disaster Management Authority)". The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) may decide on restrictions on movement during the night hours between 11 pm and 5 am, opening of local tourist spots with reasonable restrictions, and opening up of the weekly markets, as per the guidelines.

that has remained untouched for millennia.

However, the two rovers are not the only things leaving their marks on this uninhabitable world, there are natural forces at work as well.

When it comes to geological activity, scientists last year confirmed that the planet’s centre is molten, likely having a similar composition as Earth, which has a molten outer core and a solid inner core. Seismic waves are key to understanding the deep layers of Martian composition. As waves move varying in speed and shape while travelling through different materials inside a planet, they provide seismologists with a way to study the Red Planet’s inner structure. The new research further adds to the intrigue of geological activity on the Red Planet, making it crucial to understand, as more and more resources are poured towards our planetary neighbour with plans to build a future settlement.

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Community set to rejoice and pray on

Saraswati Puja and Vasant Panchmi U

couple Anuran and Tamalika busy- working out the best menu, on a tight budget.

In this Covid year with sponsorships being tight, Treasurer Sandhya Sen’s challenge is to deliver this ambitious plan at a very modest budget at a prime venue in Northwest London.

As the lovely idol waits at the newly bought home of Secretary Tandrani Mukherjee, to be taken to the venue on the day, Tandrani is busy working out the guest list of the day with Chandreyee Roychoudhury.

Kolkata’s ‘Bhowanipur 75 Palli’ would be partnering with Heritage Bengal Global in this event and provide promotional posters for the promotion of Bengal’s Puja to a global audience to attract foreign tourists on the back of the Unesco’s heritage that conferred. HBG also plan to pay tribute to the late Padma Shree recipient and legendary cartoonist Narayan Debnath during the event, who had passed away in Kolkata recently.

Adda’s 10th Puja Adda Slough is celebrating its 10th Saraswati Puja this year on 5th February. As per the government and NHS health directive, Adda is happy to be back with one of its marquee events.

Puja will be organised in Slough Hindu Temple with traditional fervour.

The community is already excited and gearing up for the event. The main Puja will be from 10:30 am to 12 noon followed by Anjali and haatekhori (first writing ceremony) for the kids.

Adda will also organise cultural events on the occasion where both adults and kids will showcase their talents.

Adda promotes cultural integration among kids of the diaspora. As a part of this, there will be an exhibition of artworks done by kids at the event as well.

There will be bhog or lunch by Adda for the attendees, but the biggest attraction of the event will be Pithey Puli and Mishti Mela. Adda along with the celebrated food store ‘ITS Convenient’ brings a range of winter sweets and savouries of Bengal. It will not only have popular sweets like pithey, puli, pati-shapta, rosogolla, payes, sondesh made from nolen gur or date jaggery but also rare items like chitoi pitha, mug pakkon, khirsa pitha which have disappeared from our kitchen over generations.

The UK Hindu Cultural Association will have its Saraswati Puja from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on February 5, at The Olympic, Beechenlea Lane, Swanley, BR8 8DR. The Camden Saraswati Puja will take place on 5 February, at 1 pm at the Swiss Cottage Library.

K’s Bengali diaspora is all set to launch a campaign aimed at creating a global tourism interest in Bengal’s Durga Puja on the back of UNESCO’s heritage tag, in their Saraswati Puja at London.

Heritage Bengal Global (HBG), a non-profit organisation based in London, has chosen this occasion, which is being celebrated on 5 February, to launch a campaign in the UK to promote Bengal’s Durga Puja as a world tourism destination on the back of the heritage tag by UNESCO. The uniqueness of this Saraswati Puja is that the traditional ‘pandal’ or the temporary housing structure of the goddess is being made and decorated by the kids aged between 4-12 years, wherein the pandal is designed based on ‘alpona’, Bengal’s age-old traditional art form using a ground-rice solution which got its first introduction in London at the Mayor of London’s Diwali in the Square event, last October.

The venue of the event is at the Zoroastrian Centre at Harrow where all other diaspora communities are also invited due to the growing popularity amongst the diversified local population to make this possibly a large-scale community festival in the UK. The enthusiasm garnered in the last few weeks has made this event a day-long festivity amongst the participants with sumptuous lunch and dinner being planned to be served at the venue by the organisers.

Along with the kids, their parents, and young members of HBG are equally enthused to participate in this day-long event with the same fervour and grandeur with which it is celebrated in Bengal, a day which is often referred to as Bengali valentine’s day.

Heritage Bengal Global’s founder-director Anirban Mukhopadhyay is quite upbeat about this event and added, “The success from displaying of Bengal’s alpona at Trafalgar Square last Diwali has actually inspired us to use similar murals in designing the pandals.”

HBG vice-president Mahua Bej, the Pandal Project Lead reiterated that, “We would like to encourage our children to keep connected to our roots in Bengal through these Prime Minister Boris Johnson traditional forms of art and crafts has called on international which are almost getting obliterated tourists to visit the UK and enjoy outside Bengal. This is our humble the sights and sounds of one of effort to keep alive the heritage of the most open countries in Bengal and to take it globally as far as Europe. possible.”

As testing and quarantine Members of the Pandal team restrictions end for fully Rajib Saha, Rahul Dasgupta and vaccinated visitors, the UK is Priyanka Burman Mitra are already ready to welcome visitors from working on making artefacts for the around the globe for a Pandals and providing guidance to blockbuster year of events kids so that the basics are ready and showcasing the breadth of the Pandal could be stood up in just culture, creativity and a couple of hours on the day. innovation on offer, including The evening will see is an array of Her Majesty The Queen’s cultural performances managed Platinum Jubilee, the under the stewardship of Reshmi Birmingham 2022 Laskar.

Commonwealth Games and Unboxed: The fibre-glass goddess Creativity in the UK. Saraswati has been made by noted It comes ahead of a new VisitBritain £10 Kumartuli artisan Kaushik Ghosh million international marketing campaign and all the puja essentials and targeting the UK’s most valuable visitor accessories from Kolkata (from markets of Europe and the USA which will traditional ‘dashakarma bhandar’) launch in February. are being taken to UK by Poushali Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: Bera, currently in Kolkata.

“Thanks to the phenomenal success of our Bhog will be served free to all the booster campaign and the extraordinary members and that is what keeps the efforts of the public, the UK is officially one of

Opera North commissions Roopa Panesar for

PRS Foundation’s new music biennial 2022 Opera North has announced a new commission from sitarist Roopa Panesar for PRS Foundation and Southbank Centre’s New Music Biennial 2022.

The Crossing, Roopa’s new work in collaboration with pianist Al MacSween, with sound design by producer and musician Camilo Tirado, will be performed at two celebration weekends: in Coventry (22 – 24 April) as part of Coventry UK City of Culture and at London’s Southbank Centre from 1 – 3 July, with a special performance at the Howard Assembly Room, Leeds, to follow.

One of the UK’s foremost sitarists, Roopa Panesar grew up in Leicester and took up the instrument at the age of seven, training in the Hindustani classical tradition with Dharambir Singh MBE. Having qualified as a chemical engineer and embarked on a career in the oil and gas industry, she made the decision to become a professional sitarist, one of a very small number of women in the field. She

released her debut album Khoj in 2011 and has toured extensively in Europe, the USA and India. Always maintaining her deep roots in South Asian music, she has collaborated with musicians and ensembles from jazz, western classical and contemporary music ranging from the Belgian Symphony Orchestra to Talvin Singh.

This year’s New Music Biennial invites composers to explore the joy, and excitement transformations that music can affect as we confront the challenges of our lives.

Describing The Crossing as “a movement from loss to renewal”, Roopa hopes that it will offer a space in which to contemplate and respond to music after the griefs and hardships of the last two years.

“We can’t get away from it”, she says. “Everybody – artists and audience – has changed because of it. Now that we’re able to come together again, we want to acknowledge that, and open a space for exchange between our instruments and the audience.”

Largely improvised, The Crossing is formed by the weaving of lines on Roopa’s sitar and the piano of her collaborator, Al MacSween, within the structures of Indian classical raagas – melodic frameworks each associated with a particular time of day, a mood or an atmosphere.

Prime Minister declares UK ready for an international tourism boom

the most open countries in Europe and ready to welcome visitors from across the globe.

“The UK is home to thousands of world class attractions, unbeatable hospitality and incredible history and culture. 2022 also promises a host of unmissable events – from Her Majesty’s Jubilee to the Commonwealth Games.

“Now is a fantastic time to book a trip and enjoy the best the UK has to offer.”

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

“There is huge pent up demand from international tourists to visit the UK and my message is clear: our brilliant tourism, hospitality and leisure businesses are ready and waiting to welcome people back. 2022 is set to be a blockbuster year with an unmissable opportunity to see worldclass sports in the Commonwealth Games, culture and creativity through the Unboxed events and royal pageantry as we mark the Queen’s 70-year reign.”

VisitBritain’s multi-million pound campaign will spotlight cities across the UK including London, Edinburgh and Cardiff which have been hit hard by the lack of international visitors.

It will encourage visitors to see another side of Britain promoting new and exciting experiences such as kayaking on London’s iconic River Thames, Edinburgh’s famous Fringe Festival and sampling some of the world’s finest gins at Cardiff Distillery.

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Physical activity monitors may Regular exercise slows the change people's behaviour progression of Parkinson’s: Study A study published in the Neurology Journal reveals that people with early-stage Parkinson’s Disease, who regularly got one to two hours of moderate exercise twice a week, may have less trouble with their daily physical activities later.

Researchers found that those who exercised regularly over five years did better on cognitive tests and experienced a slower progression in several aspects.

Study author Kazoo Tsukita, MD of Kyoto University in Japan and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, said, “Our results are exciting because they suggest it may never be too late for someone with Parkinson’s to start an exercise program to improve the course of their disease. That’s because we found that to slow progression of the disease, it was more important for people with Parkinson’s to maintain an exercise program than it was to be

active at the beginning of the disease.” The study examined 237 people with early-stage Parkinson’s. They had an average age of 63 and were followed by researchers for up to six years. Participants’ exercise levels at the start of the study were determined using a questionnaire that measures time and intensity during the previous week of leisure activity, like walking and biking, household activity, like gardening, and

occupational activity, like taking care of others.

Researchers found that people’s physical activity level at the start of the study was not associated with the progression of their Parkinson’s later on.

People who got at least four hours per week of moderate to vigorous exercise like walking or dancing had a slow decline in balancing and walking five years later, as compared to those who did not get that much exercise.

New test to identify Covid-19 infection and severity Researchers from George Washington University have made a major breakthrough discovery. The scientists have developed a blood test that quickly detects if someone has Covid-19 and predicts how severely the immune system will react to the infection. The study was published in PLOS One. The findings of the study could one day lead to a powerful tool to help doctors determine the best treatment plan for people with Covid-19. At present, there is no good way to predict how the immune system will respond to the virus that causes Covid-19 or other disease-causing microbes. The immune response could range from mild symptoms, all the way to critically severe symptoms, which can lead to the intensive care unit or even death.

The researchers

sequenced whole blood RNA from Covid-19 patients whose symptoms ranged from asymptomatic to severe. They found visible changes in the cells of people with Covid-19. Their analysis also revealed that Covid19 severity was associated with an increase in neutrophil activity and a decrease in T-cell activity.

Professor of medicine at GW and lead researcher on the project, Timothy McCaffrey

said, “This test could prove very valuable during the pandemic, especially as variants continue to spread and doctors need to be confident in identifying the problem and providing effective treatment.

When we sequence whole blood RNA, we’re given a fuller, more dynamic picture of what’s happening inside the body, and our test helps identify those who need the more aggressive treatments.”

Alcohol-related hospital stays in UK fall during Covid The rate of alcohol-related hospital stays in the first year of the Covid pandemic in UK was down 10% compared to the previous 12 months, figures show. However, Public Health Scotland said the fall in numbers between April 2020 to the end of March 2021 could have been affected by Covid measures.

Admission to hospital was tightly restricted during many months.

Official stats on alcohol deaths, released last year, showed 2020 had the highest number in a decade.

The National Records of Scotland statistics showed there were 1,190 alcohol-specific deaths registered in Scotland in 2020, 170 more than the previous year.

The latest PHS figures on alcohol-related hospital admissions showed a rate of 614 per 100,000 of the population in 2020/21, down 10% on the 681 the previous year.

The rate of alcohol-related hospital admission peaked at 855 per 100,000 population in 2007/8. PHS said there had been a longer term downward trend.

The report said there were 35,124 alcohol-related hospital stays in Scotland in 2020/21. The majority were treated in acute hospitals but 6% were in psychiatric hospitals. The hospital stays related to 21,480 patients and about half were admitted for the first time.

Men were 2.3 times more likely than women to be admitted for alcohol-related conditions. People in the most deprived areas were seven times more likely to be admitted than those in the least deprived areas.

New research has found that physical activity monitors like fitness applications and wearable devices have helped increase activity levels in adults. The study was published in The BMJ Journal. The effects are small to moderate. However, findings suggested that these devices may be useful at a time when many adults don’t meet recommended activity levels.

Modern physical activity monitoring devices have the potential to change people’s behaviour, however, studies looking at their effectiveness have often reached different conclusions.

Researchers in Denmark searched databases for trials comparing activity levels in adults who received feedback from physical activity monitors with control interventions in which no feedback was provided.

They found 121 randomised controlled trials involving 16,743 mainly healthy 18 to 65-year-olds. Most of the trials were European (31 per cent) or North American (40 per cent) with a median intervention period of 12 weeks. The median age of study par-

ticipants was 47 years, with a higher proportion of women (median 77 per cent) than men. Overall, the interventions showed a moderate effect on physical activity (equivalent to 1,235 daily steps), a small effect on moderate to vigorous physical activity (equivalent to 48.5 weekly minutes) and a small but insignificant effect on sedentary time (equal to 9.9 daily minutes).

The researchers acknowledged that the included trials varied in design and methods and said that the results may not apply to lowerincome countries.

Thousands to go on NHS soup and shake diet plan Thousands of obese Britons are expected to be prescribed the NHS’ soup and shake diets to help them slim down after a trial found people shed more than two stone in three months. The NHS announced that it was expanding the diet programme to 11 more regions in England after the diet was found to help people reverse type 2 diabetes.

Overweight patients will be referred by their GP and given low-calorie shakes and soups for free on the NHS for three months. The scheme is part of the health service’s plan to tackle diabetes and costs the NHS £10 billion a year. Over four million people have diabetes in

the UK and 90 per cent of these have type 2, which is linked to obesity.

As part of an NHS trial, 2,000 patients with type 2 diabetes were put on the diet and on average lost more than two stone after three months. Research

shows around half of those who lose weight on this diet can achieve remission from diabetes within a year. The diet is open to people aged 18 to 65 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the past six years with a body mass index over 27.

Autism rates higher among boys exposed to more screen time Japanese researchers compared the screen time levels of 84,000 one-year-olds against diagnoses rates aged three and discovered that boys exposed to screens for two to four hours were 3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism. Experts at the University of Yamanashi said their findings support limiting excessive screen time among infants. However, there was no similar link for girls.

Scientists do not know exactly what causes autism, but it is sometimes passed on to children from their parents. Meanwhile, studies suggest it is more common in the children of older par-

ents, as well as mothers who are overweight or suffer pregnancy complications.

Around one in 50 youngsters fall on the spectrum.

Children with autism can find it hard to make eye contact, understand how

others feel or have a keen interest in certain topics. Youngsters may also take longer to get their head around information, or repeat things.

Recent studies have spotted a link between the duration of screen time and autistic characteristics in youngsters.

The findings, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics show that the proportion of boys with autism increased as screen time increased.

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We are publishing these reports in good faith. Before you try any of these remedies, please consult the doctor. We are not responsible for any adverse effects.- Editor

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fter months of delays, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ has finally found a release date for February. The Alia Bhattstarrer has been postponed a couple of times due to the pandemic. However, the makers have now announced that it will be released in theatres on February 25.

‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, which also stars Ajay Devgn, will be premiered at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, which is being held from February 10 to 20. The movie’s release date was announced by Bhansali Productions on Twitter, with the caption, “Witness her reign in cinemas near you on 25th February 2022. #GangubaiKathiawadi”.

The film is set during the 1960s, and is based on one of the chapters of noted author Hussain Zaidi’s book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’. The first teaser of the film was released in February 2021. The movie is expected to be one of Alia’s career highlights.

On the work front, Alia has movies like ‘Brahmastra’, ‘RRR’, ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’, and ‘Darlings’.

Alia Bhatt’s ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ gets a new release date

Hrithik Roshan spotted with a mystery woman

Done with ‘one film for them one film for me’: Rajkummar Rao

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ctor Rajkummar Rao, who has long been associated with movies that deal with socially relevant issues, does not feel the urge to balance off-beat films with ctor Hrithik Roshan was spotted leaving a restaurant commercial ones anymore. In a recent interview, while promoting his upcoming over the weekend holding hands with a mystery woman release ‘Badhaai Do’ which revolves around the LGBTQI community, Rao said whom fans believe to be Saba Azad. Both of them were wearing “nothing great gets unnoticed” and that nobody knows which film will click masks, and while it was easy to notice Hrithik, the woman, not so with the audience. much. Paparazzi clicked pictures and videos of the handsomeRao said, in his opinion if a good film is not noticed upon its release, pair exiting the restaurant and walking towards the actor’s looking people will talk about it a year later. Citing the example of his 2019 film car.

‘Sonchiriya’, he said, “So many people watched ‘Sonchiriya’ later, and Hrithik never left his companion’s hand, even as he helped her they loved it. I like ‘Sonchiriya' a lot.” get into the car. He waved at the paps as he later drove away. After Rao added that he is “done with calculating that one film for me his divorce with Sussanne Khan, with whom he has two sons, Hridaan and one for them. I am fine if out of 10 people only 3 have watched and Hrehaan, Hrithik has largely avoided relationship speculation.

‘Omertà’ or ‘Shahid’. I know those three people loved it more than Saba Azad is a 32-year old singer and actress who made her acting they love anything which has maybe done over £10 million at the debut in the year 2008 with the film ‘Dil Kabaddi’. She had also worked box office. I am happy with just those three people and talking to in the 2011 movie ‘Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge’ and has done five films so them." far. She along with Hrithik has maintained silence on their rumoured Helmed by Harshvardhan Kulkarni, ‘Badhaai Do’ will relationship. release in the theatres on February 11.

Meanwhile, the actor was last seen on screen in the hit 2019 actionthriller ‘War’. He has several projects lined up, including the Hindi remake of ‘Vikram Vedha’, and the action film ‘Fighter’ in which he will pair for the first time with Deepika Padukone.

Kajol tests Covid positive,

breaks news with Nysa’s picture Actress Kajol has tested positive for Covid-19. She took to Instagram to break the news with a photo of her daughter Nysa. She captioned the post, “Tested positive and I really don’t want anyone to see my Rudolph nose so let’s just stick to the sweetest smile in the world! Miss you @nysadevgan and yes I can see the eye roll!”

Several comments flooded in with love and heartfelt wishes. Actress Priyanka Chopra also commented on the post, calling Nysa “stunning”. Kajol and Ajay Devgn’s elder daughter, Nysa was born in 2003. She is currently studying International Hospitality at Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland. While her Instagram account remains private, she often shares pictures in videos on VSCO. On the work front, Kajol will be next seen in the film ‘The Last Hurrah’.

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Experienced heartbreaks, but on superficial levels: Ananya Panday A

nanya Panday, who is currently promoting her upcoming film ‘Gehraiyaan’, says she has felt everything her character Tia has felt in the movie, but “very superficially”. In the movie, Tia is engaged to Zain, played by Siddhant Chaturvedi, but he begins an affair with her cousin Alisha, played by Deepika Padukone.

In an interview, Ananya said she has not been through heartbreak as intensely as Tia. She said, “I am really young and I have been through heartbreak but obviously not…

Like in school, when people cheat and you slap them, it’s very dramatic that way. All that has happened but it’s obviously not as serious. The emotions and stakes are

obviously not as high as what Tia is going through.”

She added, “I think I have felt everything she has felt but very superficially so for this film, I kind of had to go in much deeper and face some uncomfortable truths. But they weren’t things that I actually dealt with to that extent.”

Directed by Shakun Batra, ‘Gehraiyaan’ explores the complexity of modern relationships. In an earlier interview, she called Batra a “dream director” and called working for him “surreal”.

Produced by Dharma Productions, Viacom18 Studios and Jouska Films, ‘Gehraiyaan’ is set to release on Amazon Prime Video on February 11.

Not seeking validation as an actor anymore: Richa Chadha A

ctress Richa Chadha aims to never fall into the trap of seeking “validation” as an actor or buckle under the burden of expectations. After a decade-long stint within the Indian film industry, Richa is set to open 2022 with her latest web series ‘The Great Indian Murder’ which features her as a cop named Sudha Bhardwaj investigating a high-profile murder.

In a recent interview, Richa said she is keen to see how the audience receives the show but no longer feels the need to be attached to the end result of her projects. She said, “I am excited about the show, but I no longer have butterflies in my belly, massive expectations or massive disappointments. I am fairly stable through the thick and thin of this. I guess this is the pandemic situation, which has made everyone get some kind of a reality check. I am not even seeing validation as an actor, that is something I stopped long back.”

The 35-year-old actor said she operates from a space of complete awareness and knows when she has excelled or when her performance has missed the mark.

“I am happy when someone likes my work and tells me, but I am not really looking for specific reviews or four-star ratings. Sometimes I feel I myself am so critical, so then I don’t bother (what others are saying). If I feel like I have not performed well, I won’t even watch it. But I don’t think that I need to take pressure. The more time I spend here in the business, the more I feel like I don’t owe anyone anything. I just want to humanise the parts that I play… Right now, I just want to tell amazing stories which push the envelope. I want to find a new voice,” she said.

Shilpa cleared of obscenity over Richard Gere kiss

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ollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has been formally cleared of obscenity charges dating from when Hollywood star Richard Gere publicly kissed her on the cheek at an AIDS awareness event 15 years ago. The incident triggered a local firestorm at the time, with Hindu rightwing groups burning effigies of both the celebrities to protest the perceived insult to Indian values.

A judge soon afterwards issued arrest warrants, with both accused of various counts of obscenity and indecency. The charges against Gere were quickly shelved, allowing the actor – one of the world’s best-known Buddhists – to return to India in 2010 for a meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

But the case against Shilpa languished in India’s slow-moving legal system for more than a decade until it was finally discharged in Mumbai recently. In a court order made public recently, a judge said the charges against the actress were “groundless” and that she had been subject to an unwanted amorous advance from the Hollywood A-lister.

“It seems that… Shilpa Shetty is the victim of alleged act of accused No. 1 (Richard Gere),” the order said. Shipa's lawyer said the entire case rested on the fact that “she did not protest when she was kissed by the co-accused”. “This by no stretch of imagination makes her a conspirator or perpetrator of any crime,” the lawyer added.

Suniel Shetty to reunite with Sanjay Dutt on screen after 12 years A ctors Suniel Shetty, 60 and Sanjay Dutt, 62 are all set to collaborate on screen after a gap of over a decade. In a recent interaction, Suneil revealed that he and Sanjay will team up for a comedy film directed by Samir Karnik and that the two will be “playing their age” in the movie. If media reports are to be believed, the film is a family comedy also starring Zayed Khan and Esha Deal.

In an interview, Suniel said, “I am happy that Baba and I are teaming up for a film after so many years. We are playing our age in this film, and I must say the script is brilliant. The audience has seen us portraying these macho characters together on screen, but this time around, we are bringing comedy to the table.”

Suniel and Sanjay were last seen on screen together in the 2010 release ‘No Problem’, but are best known for their collaborations in action hits like ‘Kaante’, ‘Dus’, and ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’.

Talking about his bond with Sanjay, Suniel said, “We share a superb equation. I think it is a take on our personal relationship, too. We get along well and you will see us that way, cool and casual, onscreen, too.”

Salman finally congratulates Katrina on her wedding

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alman Khan seems to have finally congratulated Katrina Kaif on her wedding with Vicky Kaushal. The couple, who managed to keep their relationship silent, tied the knot at a strictly guarded wedding in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur on December 9.

During the ‘Big Boss 15’ finale on Sunday, Salman dropped a sudden congratulatory wish for the actress.

Looking right into the camera, Salman said, “Katrina, Shaadi Mubarak ho (Congratulations on your wedding)”. While not acknowledged publicly, it is commonly known that Salman and Katrina shared a special relationship for quite some time, and continue to share a close bond.

However, he failed to make it to the guest list of Kat’s wedding which led to a lot of speculation.

Salman’s brother-in-law, Aayush Sharma had earlier said in an interview, “For us, Katrina is a very dear friend and all of us wish her all the best. It’s the way she wants to decide her marriage and there is no big deal about it. I think everyone makes a very big deal. It’s her and Vicky’s big day and they need to have a good time, in whatever capacity, that’s about it.”

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Sai Pallavi shares thank you note for ‘Shyam Singha Roy’ team W

ith Sai Pallavi’s ‘Shyam Singha Roy’ receiving a lot of love from the audience, the actress took to Instagram to share beautiful pictures of herself on the sets of the movie. The film, which recently started streaming on Netflix, has performed well at the box office.

Sai thanked the team for all the memories and captioned the pictures, “Dear team, I’m not just thankful for the success of the film but also for getting to watch you cinephiles (wish I could find a term more intense) in action. Thank you for the memories.” The actress played the role of Maitreyi aka Rosie, a devadasi from Bangladesh in the Nani-starrer reincarnation story of a revolutionary writer.

Earlier last week, Nani shared a picture of himself and Chiranjeevi. He revealed that the superstar loved watching ‘Shyam Singha Roy’. On the work front, Sai has ‘Virata Parvam’ in her kitty, while Nani is gearing up to shoot ‘Dasara’.

Dhanush set to collaborate with Aanand L Rai for next A

ctor Dhanush is all set to collaborate with Aanand L Rai for his next. A media report revealed “Dhanush and Aanand L Rai have brilliant synergy together. After two runaway successes, the powerhouse actor-director duo is collaborating for an action love story produced by Aanand L Rai’s home banner Colour Yellow.”

The National Award winner was last seen in ‘Atrangi Re’, which marked his first Hindi film after seven years. The actor had earlier opened up on his intention to sign more Hindi films. He said, “Everything has to fall in place. You have to land the right script. But when a good script came to me I was held up somewhere else, I missed some beautiful stories here in Bollywood.”

He added, “It is a big process. I am doing a lot of films down South. Rai came to me with ‘Atrangi but he gave me one-year advance notice. He told me that he would need me at this time and I blocked those days. I have now made a mental note to do more and do at least one Hindi film a year.

I, Rai, and Himanshu are constantly brainstorming, there are a lot of lines, a lot of stories…”

Nagarjuna dismisses rumours about him talking over Chay-Sam divorce A

ctor Nagarjuna has expressed dissent at news reports about him “breaking silence” on son Naga Chaitanya’s divorce from Samantha Ruth Prabhu. He took to Twitter to share that he has not given any interview about the update.

Nagarjuna wrote, “The news in social media and electronic media quoting my statement about Samantha & Naga Chaitanya is completely false and absolute nonsense!! I request media friends to please refrain from posting rumours as news. #GiveNewsNotRumours.”

Last week a few news and tabloid sites published stories on how Nagarjuna had revealed that it was Samantha who had asked for a divorce.

Samantha and Chay announced their divorce in October after four years of marriage. They shared identical messages for their fans, making the announcement.

“We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us,” they wrote, requesting privacy during the ‘difficult time’. The confirmation of the split came just days before their fourth wedding anniversary.

On the work front, Samantha was last seen in a special dance number for Allu Arjun's ‘Pushpa: The Rise’.

Titled “Oo Antava”, the song became an instant hit.

Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya starred together in ‘Bangarraju’ recently.

Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth resumes work after separation

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picture of Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth at work is currently doing the rounds of the internet. It is the first photo of Aishwaryaa to surface online since her separation from husband Dhanush. The Instagram account of production company Bay Films recently posted a picture of Aishwaryaa brainstorming as part of pre-production work for a music video she is directing.

The project is happening in Hyderabad, where even Dhanush is shooting for his maiden Telugu film ‘Sir’. Both, Dhanush and Aishwaryaa issued a joint statement saying they both have grown apart as individuals and hence they have decided to part ways after 18 years of marriage. They have two sons, Yatra Aja and Linga Raja.

On the work front, Dhanush was last seen in ‘Atrangi Re’. He is now busy with the shooting of director Venky Atluri’s ‘Sir’.

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SATURDAY 29 JAN 2022 6.00 Paiso Maro Parmeshwar 15.00 RASOI SHOW 18.00 SUDI VACHCHE SOPARI 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 30 JAN 2022 12.00 Mango Sayba Janamo Janam No Sath 15.00 Back Bencher 18.00 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU ® 19.00 SHU CHALE CHE 19.30 GEETA 20.30 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM 22.00.00 SHU CHALE CHE SATURDAY 29 JAN 2022 11.00 KARADI TALES 15.00 SHU CHALE CHE 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 SASURAL SIMAR KA 18.30 TU AASHIQUI 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 19.30 HUKUM MERE AAKA 20.00 COMEDY NIGHTS WITH KAPIL 21.00 THAPKI PYAR KI 2 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2 SUNDAY 30 JAN 2022 11.00 KARADI TALES 16.30 RASOI SHOW - DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT 3 18.00 BFFs with Vogue - Season 2 19.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 20.00 COMEDY NIGHTS WITH KAPIL 21.00 THAPKI PYAR KI 2 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

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Academy Award-winner Olivia Colman’s Bihari connection W

e all love the queen of film and television, BAFTA and Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman. Be it her role as Queen Elizabeth II in ‘The Crown’, or her spiteinspiring characterisation of Godmother in BBC’s ‘Fleabag’, she has made all of us fall in love with her.

What many may not be aware of is that the actress has definite Indian roots. In a recent episode of the British documentary series ‘Who Do You Think You Are’, Colman (and the collective of us) discovered her very Bihari roots. The actress, who started the show with certainty that her people have never lived anywhere out of Norfolk, we see her excitedly uncover her Indian connection.

We learn that Colman’s great great great grandfather Charles had a wife of Indian descent called Harriot, who was from Kishanganj, Bihar. She was born in the 1800s when India was still under the

Ali Fazal shares new promo of

‘Death on the Nile’

control of the East India Company. The episode, which aired in July 2018, shows her undertaking a journey to Kishanganj where she receives more detailed information regarding Harriot.

What’s more? It is also revealed that Harriot’s father most likely lived with a local woman. Colman grows genuinely overwhelmed over the discoveries and at one point in the clip, she says, “I’m so much more interesting than I thought I was…I hadn’t got a clue that India played any part of my family.”

Colman is known for her performances in projects like ‘Fleabag’, ‘Flowers’, ‘The Father’, ‘The Lost Daughter’, and ‘The Crown’. She is currently filming the highly anticipated movie ‘Wonka’ alongside Timothee Chalamet. The film is touted as a prequel to the beloved ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.

Want to keep experimenting with characters: Pratik Gandhi

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ctor Ali Fazal recently amped up our excitement by sharing a new promo from Kenneth Branagh's directorial ‘Death on the Nile’. He took to Instagram to share a glimpse of his character, ‘Cousin’ Andrew Katchadourain in the eagerly awaited thriller.

The 14-second clip gives a tiny background about Andrew, who is described as a “slippery fish”. We hear Ali’s voice possibly talking about his bond with Gadot’s character. The actor captioned the post, “Keep your friends close. See me as The Cousin in #DeathOnTheNile exclusively in theatres February 11. @deathonthenile @20thcenturystudios @20thcenturyin.”

Fans and fellow celebrities flooded the comment section with praises. One user wrote, “Yeah, now we are talking.” Based on Agatha Christie’s novel, the movie features a stellar cast alongside Fazal, including Branagh, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Emma Mackey, Letitia Wright and Russell Brand among others. It will be released in theatres on February 11.

Amazon, Netflix strike deal with Anushka's Clean Slate Filmz A

nushka Sharma and Karnesh Ssharma’s production house Clean Slate Filmz has partnered with Amazon Prime and Netflix in a deal that is touted to be worth about £40 million. According to a media report, Clean Slate Filmz will release eight films and series on the streaming services in the next 18 months.

Clean Slate is known for producing movies like ‘NH10’, ‘Phillauri’, and ‘Pari’ for theatre releases. It has also produced critically acclaimed series for Prime, ‘Paatal Lok’, and horror film ‘Bulbbul’ for Netflix. Their next release will be ‘Qala’, with Tripti Dimri and late actor Irrfan Khan's son Babil and, ‘Chakda Xpress’ with Anushka.

Karnesh was quoted in a media report as saying the competition between OTT giants like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Disney+ has led to a rise in budgets, and subsequently a rise in the will to experiment. He said, “What has happened over a period of time is ambition is also going up within the studio systems. And that’s great for people like us.”

E

stablished Gujarati and theatre star Pratik Gandhi became a national sensation overnight with his stellar performance in the critically-acclaimed series ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’. Today, the Surat-born actor resolves to experiment with the characters he plays on screen.

Speaking in an interview, Gandhi said, “One thing that should be consistent is good work, which is every actor’s dream and that is what I am aiming for. I still feel I have to prove myself with each and every project. Gone are the items that one successful project will give you everything for a lifetime. Every project is a challenge.”

The 41-year-old added, “I don’t want

to shy away or be afraid of experiments. I want to keep experimenting with my craft and the characters that I create. It is very easy to be caged, I don’t want to do that. It is ok to fail but I don’t want to stop experimenting, for sure.”

On the work front, Gandhi’s next project is the upcoming Disney+ Hotter thriller series ‘The Great Indian Murder’, which features him in yet another unique role. Directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia the show is based on Vikas Swarup’s bestseller ‘Six Suspects’. Gandhi features in the lead along with Richa Chadha. ‘The Great Indian Murder’ is backed by actor Ajay Devgn and producer Priti Vinay Sinha. It will start streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from February 4.

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Kuldeep, Bishnoi in squad against West Indies India’s limited-overs squad selection for the upcoming home series against the West Indies marked the return of an old template, wrist-spin taking centre-stage again. After a long hiatus, Kuldeep Yadav is back to the 50-over fold to pair up with Yuzvendra Chahal, while Ravichandran Ashwin hasn’t been included either in the ODI squad or for the T20Is. India will play three ODIs and as many T20Is against the West Indies, in Ahmedabad and Kolkata respectively, starting from February 6. Rohit Sharma has recovered from his hamstring injury to lead India in the series.

Ashwin was brought back to the white-ball fold before the T20 World Cup last year. Then, he was picked for the ODI series in South Africa as well. There have been talks about the senior off-spinner being ruled out due to an injury. But the BCCI didn’t mention anything, although it confirmed that “Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been rested” and Ravindra Jadeja has been “undergoing his final stage of recovery post his knee injury”. It is learnt that the selection meeting was lengthy, the Chetan Sharma-led committee dissecting India’s 3-0 ODI series loss in South Africa and discussing the way forward.

in brief

Both head coach Rahul Dravid and stand-in skipper for Yuzvendra Chahal & Kuldeep Yadav the South Africa Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep series KL Rahul had spoken Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi about a few changes going ahead Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh and eventually, the selection Krishna, Avesh Khan committee decided to fall back T20I squad: Rohit Sharma on the wrist-spin pair that had (Captain), KL Rahul (Vicecontributed to India’s white-ball captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat recovery after the 2017 Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Champions Trophy.

Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicketODI squad: Rohit Sharma keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak (Captain), KL Rahul (ViceChahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Bishnoi, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Chahal, Washington Sundar, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Patel.

Chahar, Shardul Thakur,

English cricket comes under fresh fire over racism Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq has criticised Middlesex County Cricket Club chief Mike O’Farrell’s comments attempting to explain English cricket’s lack of diversity, saying it was indicative of an “endemic problem” in the sport. The county cricket chairs of Middlesex, Yorkshire, Hampshire and Glamorgan appeared before a Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) select committee as part of an ongoing investigation into cricketing governance.

The committee has players, including Rafiq, who alleged they were victims of institutional racism at their clubs. Speaking before the DCMS committee, O’Farrell suggested that a lack of diversity in English cricket could be attributed to minority communities focusing on other

interests. “The football and rugby world becomes much more attractive to the AfroCaribbean community,” O’Farrell said. “In terms of the South Asian community, we’re finding that they do not want necessarily to commit the same time that is necessary to go the next step.

“They sometimes prefer to go into other educational fields and then cricket becomes secondary, and part of that is because it’s a more time-consuming sport than some others.” Rafiq responded to O’Farrell’s comments, taking to Twitter and saying it was “painful listen. This has just confirmed what an endemic problem the game has. I can’t believe what I am listening to.

We all love cricket,” Rafiq later told Sky Sports. “This narrative that we’ve been hearing for a long time that Asian cricketers

want to go and study, that’s because we’ve not been made to feel welcome in our workspaces.

If someone does want to do something else, the data out there proves that we have massive representation at grassroots level that just drops off. ” O’Farrell apologised for “the misunderstanding” caused by his comments in a statement on Middlesex’s website. “I was aiming to make the point that . . . cricket has failed a generation of young cricketers, in systematically failing to provide them with the same opportunities that other sports and sectors so successfully provide,” O’Farrell said. Gareth Williams told the committee that the Welsh club’s historic lack of diversity was not representative of Cardiff ’s demographics, saying that

racism had prevented players of minority ethnic communities from turning professional in the past.“I have absolutely no doubt that historically there have been issues of racism in this sport generally, and no doubt in Glamorgan in particular,” Williams said. Williams added that the club was working towards addressing these issues, highlighting the presence of South Asians on the board of directors and in the squad. “I’m satisfied it’s not the position now,” Williams said. “Two of the directors are from the British Asian community, they’re terrific directors that make a huge contribution. We have two of our squad of 22, excluding international players. One is Kiran Carlson, who is the vice captain of the entire team. We have Prem Sisodiya who’s another, I think, Cardiff man. ”

Nadal is first man to win record Grand Slam title

PM Modi writes to Gayle, Rhodes on Republic Day

Rafael Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open men's singles final to win a record 21st Grand Slam title. Coming from two sets down in the title clash, Nadal rallied to defeat Medvedev in a gruelling final in Melbourne. With his victory, Rafael Nadal Nadal overtook Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the list of most men's singles Majors and become the first ever male player to win more than 20 Grand Slam titles in singles. Nadal won the thrilling final in Melbourne 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. Earlier, Medvedev broke in the fifth and seventh games to take the opening set in 42 minutes. The duo then exchanged two breaks each before the second set went to a tiebreak where Medvedev prevailed in a gripping set lasting 84 minutes.

The set was marred when a protester holding a banner highlighting refugee detention jumped on to the court midgame when Nadal was serving for the set at 5-3 before being quickly dragged away by security officials. Nadal then fought back and won the third set as he broke the Russian second seed in the ninth game as the crowd roared him on. In the fourth set, Nadal kept his hopes alive by grinding down an increasingly agitated Medvedev, breaking two times to the Russian's one.

In the dramatic final set, Nadal broke Medvedev's serve in the fifth game but the Russian broke back in the 10th game to level the set. Nadal, however, broke back immediately to clinch victory and become the first ever man in the history of tennis to win 21 Grand Slam titles.

As India celebrated its 73rd Republic Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to celebrated cricketers Jonty Rhodes and Chris Gayle, acknowledging their “profound connection” with the country. While South African Rhodes has a daughter named ‘ Narendra Modi, Jonty Rhodes & Chris Gayle India’, Gayle has been a words. I have indeed grown so big hit among Indian fans for his much as an individual on every visit exploits in the IPL. to India. My whole family celebrates Modi, in his letter conveyed his Republic Day with all of India, Republic Day greetings to them. He honour the constitution that wrote,' over the years, you have protects the rights of the Indian developed a profound connection people, Jai Hind,” Rhodes tweeted. with India and its culture. This is Jamaican Gayle also spoke about truly reflected when you named his special bond with Indian public. your daughter after this great “I would like to congratulate India nation. You truly are a special on their 73rd Republic Day. I woke ambassador of the strong relations up to a personal message from between our nations,” the letter Prime Minister Modi reaffirming that Rhodes shared on his social my close personal ties with him and media page said. to the people of India.

Both Rhodes and Gayle thanked Congratulations from the Universe the Indian Prime Minister for his Boss and nuff (sic) love,” Gayle gesture.

“Thank you tweeted. narendramodiji for the very kind

WINDIES BOWLER HOLDER CREATES HISTORY WITH 4 WICKETS IN 4 BALLS South Africa batters Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen have made huge gains in the ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings after helping their team complete a memorable 3-0 series win over India. De Kock is in the top five for the first time since the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 after aggregating 229 runs that included a match-winning 124 in the final match in Cape Town. The wicketkeeper-batter has moved up four places after his Player of the Series effort. Van der Dussen, who scored 218 runs, has advanced 10 places to reach a career-best 10th position. Captain Temba Bavuma has also made huge progress, reaching a career-best 59th position from 80th before the latest weekly update which also includes the Afghanistan-Netherlands series and the last match of the Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe series. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, the leading scorer for India against South Africa with 169 runs, has moved up one place to 15th in the list led by Pakistan captain Babar Azam with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in second and jointthird positions, respectively. Rishabh Pant is up five places to 82nd. Afghanistan batter Rahmat Shah's aggregate of 153 runs against the Netherlands has lifted him seven places to joint-36th while Hashmatullah Shahidi is up nine places to 53rd. For the Netherlands, Scott Edwards's series-topping 208 runs see him move up 97 places to 100th. Charith Asalanka of Sri Lanka is another one to progress, from 52nd to a career-best 46th position. In the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings, England batter Jason Roy's 45-run knock in the second match against the West Indies has helped him move up one place to 15th while West Indies' Brandon King is up 28 places to 88th thanks to his unbeaten 52 in the first match.

MANPREET TO LEAD INDIA IN FIH PRO LEAGUE Star midfielder and Olympic bronze medal winning captain Manpreet Singh will lead a 20member strong Indian hockey team in the double-leg FIH Pro League ties against South Africa and France to be held between February 8 to 13. Manpreet will be assisted by ace drag flicker Harmanpreet Singh.

Young drag flicker Jugraj Singh and striker Abhishek are the two new faces in the squad.

Jugraj, who is from Attari, came into the senior national camp for the very first time this time after he impressed the national selectors during the first Hockey India Senior Men Inter Department National Championship, where he turned up for Services Sports Control Board.

LAKSHYA, MALVIKA TO LEAD INDIA IN ASIA MEET In the absence of senior players including PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth, India Open champion Lakshya Sen and Syed Modi International finalist Malvika Bansod will lead the Indian men’s and women’s teams in the Badminton Asia Team Championships to be played at Shah Alam, Malaysia from February 15-20. With many players recovering from Covid-19 or injuries, the Badminton Association of India continued to give importance to performances in the two AllIndia Ranking tournaments played in Chennai and Hyderabad last month in selecting players based on aggregate ranking points scored in the two events. “We have been considering domestic tournaments for selection for a while now and selecting players in the top-25 world ranking directly.

But with most senior players recovering from Covid and injury, it’s an opportunity for us to give the bench strength opportunities to make their mark in the tournament,” BAI secretary Ajay Singhania said.