AV 06th May 2023

Diversity & Inclusion

Much needs to be done lament campaigners

SEE PAGE - 16 -17

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E L E B R A T E K I N G C H A R L E S I I I

o r o n a t i o n o f t h e King and Queen will be a historic occasion We have not had such an event for 70 years Faith communities can be part of leaving an enduring and exciting l e g a c y b y e n c o u r a g i n g e v e n m o r e v o l u n t e e r i n g New polling in the buildup to the coronation has found that the King’s positive ratings are rising, with 62 per cent believing that C h a r l e s w i l l b e g o o d f o r the monarchy

Continued on page 06

Indian origin academic to be honoured with Immigrant Achievement Award

Star studded evening at Met Gala 2023

The coronation of King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 6 May 2023, at Westminster Abbey

with Keith Vaz

B I JA L KOT E C H A

Bijal Ko techa w as born and bred in Leicester

She grew up in Melton Mowbray and this is where she went to school Her family mo ved to Leicester itself after they f inished school, and they have all rem ained in Leicester

After school she qualif ied as a beauty therapist and hairdresser, although she did not continue this as her main profession, she still does this on this side, as well as party décor! In 2000, Bijal started working in accounts and have since remained in this f ield, and currently working at Peepul Centre doing her dream job

As well as working hard she also like to play hard! She is a huge social butterfly and love to be the life and soul of any party or event With her are her partners in crime, her two sons Who are her life and the reason she is the best version of her

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

I have travelled to many countries and cities and without a doubt Leicester is my home It is where all my friends and family are, where my memories and milestones have all happened I know I can go anywhere in Leicester, and I will be greeted by family, friends, and love

2) What are your proudest achievements?

"My proudest achievement in my life is being a mum to two boys! Being their rock and lifeline in this crazy world we live in Watching them grow into f ine young men has been my proudest moment, especially in a world when children want for ever ything They are well grounded and family boys I am also proud of how hard I have worked over the years and what I have achieved ”

3) What inspires you?

In my life my greatest inspiration is and has been my sons and my family They make me want to be the best version of me, hardworking, caring, compassionate and their rock My sons show me it is ok to have good and bad moments and that no matter what we are all in it together My family inspire me to work hard and be there for them and my sons

4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

The biggest obstacle I f ind in life is the belief that I CAN do it, and to believe in myself I often doubt myself when working and although I know I can do it, it takes me a while to see and believe this Often after the event/job is done I think this sometimes slows me and holds me back from talking over the world!

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

My biggest influence is my parents, they have brought me up and shown me how to be hard working, disciplined and organised They taught me to be resilient and be responsible towards my actions and choices Whenever there is a high or low point I turn to my parents for help and advice

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

The best aspect about my job is that I am living the dream! I have landed my

dream job, where I am working with other people, from different walks of life, cultures and life experiences These people have taught me more about the world, they have developed my understanding about the greater good and have added value into my life Working at Peepul Centre has given me the opportunity to host events and also be part of a charity that helps venerable women in both UK and in Asia I feel I have been given the opportunity to give back to people, helping people who need time and support be it from f illing a form to helping with the food bank during the pandemic Ever y day is a new experience and f illed with new learning experiences

7) And the worst? I am yet to f ind the worst part! Ever y day is a new learning day!

8) What are your long-term goals?

My long-term goals is to continue to work hard and be someone my children and family are always proud of I would like to work more into the charity side of Peepul Centre and give back to the community

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

If I was Prime Minister, I would make sure all the homeless people are given a place to stay, food to eat and support Hubs would be set up nationwide and accessible to all walks of life I would want to encourage ever yone pays into a charity, that helps those in need, like we pay tax, a percentage is given to the poor So, no one is ever without

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

Princess Diana, she to me is s woman who succeeded and flourished in a man ’ s world When she had the biggest power against her, she did not hold back, she worked hard and kept her head held high This is who I was aspired to be like She gave love and support to ever yone, regardless of your social or emotional background There were no boundaries but compassion with Princess Diana I would love to learn from her and if I could follow even in one of her footsteps it would be an honour and greatest achievement

Peer

mentor facilitators course: First batch completed

Th e f irst batch has com pleted their peer m entor facilitators co urse, d esig ned to upskill the Punjabi co mmunity and support it around mental health, a statem ent said The Social Connections challenge was developed in partnership by Taraki, who works with Punjabi communities to reshape approaches to mental health and leading m e n ’ s h e a l t h c h a r i t y, Movember

T h e p r o g r a m m e w a s piloted with partner organis a t i o n s , T h e He e r a Foundation (Leicester) and Sikh Alliance (Yorkshire)

T h e p r o j e c t i n v o l v e d d e l i v e r i n g p e e r s u p p o r t t r a i n i n g t o l o c a l m e n t a l health champions, providing them with the necessar y tools and support so they can go on to cultivate peer support groups in their local communities

A s p a r t o f t h e p r ogramme, 18 mental health c h a m p i o n s w e r e t r a i n e d o v e r a s i x-m o n t h p e r i o d , through the deliver y of 12 training sessions

550,000 free meals on Easter from Mayor’s fund

More th an 550 ,000 free meals have been provid ed to lowi ncome Lo nd oners over th e Easter h olid ays i n p artnersh ip w i th t he May or ’ s Fun d for Lo nd on and Th e Feli x Projec t, new f i gures have revealed

The meals were given at community hubs and centres t o h e l p lo w -i n c o m e p e o ple

during the two-week school holiday

R e c e n t l y, M a y o r S a d i q

K h a n a n n o u n c e d a n e m e rgency package of more than £3 5 million to fund around 10 million meals during school h o l i d a y s a n d a t w e e ke n d s over the next year

T h e f u n d i n g i n c l u d e s

£3 1m to expand the readymade and cook-at-home meal provision during school holidays

A d d i t i o n a l l y, £ 4 2 5 , 0 0 0 will be provided to The Felix Project to expand its capacity, and allow it to deliver food on Saturdays, as well as during the week

Nationalist movements pose danger of destabilisation

Nat io n ali s t m o v em e nts w i th i n th e B ri ti sh A s ia n c o m m u ni ty h av e b ec o m e m o re p rev a le nt i n rec e nt years and could “destabilise Br it i sh s o c i ety ” , a m aj o r independent faith review in the U K has stated

The report by the gove r n m e n t ’ s f a i t h a d v i s e r, Colin Bloom, added that the change can be seen in the small mobilisation of Hindu

n a t i o n a l i s t a c t i v i s t s w h o re p o r t e d ly t a r g e t e d p u bl ic f igures and politicians they considered hostile to their agenda in the 2019 UK general election, and the recent t e n s i o n s i n L e i c e s t e r i n September 2022

T i t l e d ‘D o e s Government ‘do God’?, the review also warned against t h e ‘ s u b v e r s i v e , a g g r e s s i v e a n d s e c t a r i a n ’ a c t i o n s o f

some pro-Khalistan activists a n d c a l l e d fo r a c t i o n t o ensure such groups are not unwittingly allowed access to the UK’s Parliament It h i g h l i g h t e d h o w members of the British Sikh community expressed their g r o w i n g c o n c e r n o v e r a small, but extremely vocal group “hijacking” the Sikh faith to push a subversive pro-Khalistan narrative

UK minister’s India visit will facilitate FTA

Lo rd D ominic Johnson, the UK’s Inv estment Minister, i s i n India no t only to pu sh th e di al on the UK-Indi a i n v e s t me nt p a r t ne r s h i p a cross technology a nd life sci ence s sectors but a lso to bui ld mo me nt um be hi nd t h e o n g o i n g f r e e t r a d e a gree me nt (FTA) ta lks T h e D e p a r t m e n t fo r Business and Trade (DBT) said the minister begins his “ p r i o r i t y m a r ke t ” I n d i a visit with Bengaluru – the tech capital of India, before moving on to Pune to meet i n v e s t o r s a n d l e a d i n g Indian businesses, includ-

ing Infosys and Zensar, to drum up investor interest H i s v i s i t c o m e s a s b o t h s i d e s b e g a n t h e n i n t h round of FTA negotiations

Lord Johnson will also use his visit to promote the

G l o b a l I n v e s t m e n t Summit 2023, which will b r i n g t o g e t h e r o v e r 2 0 0 C E O s o f m u l t i n a t i o n a l companies and investment c o r p o r a t i o n s i n t h e U K later this year According to the UK government, the inaugural Summit in 2021 secured nearly £10 billion of new foreign investment on the day, with this year ’ s e v e n t s e t t o s h o w c a s e emerging UK success stories in life sciences, deep tech, nuclear fusion and s m a l l m o d u l a r r e a c t o r s (SMRs), and manufacturing

Nobody caught for over 200,000 burglarie s

Mo re t h an 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 burglaries went unresolved last year, the equ i v a len t o f 574 ev ery d ay, accordi ng to g o v er nm e nt f i gures

T h e Ho m e O c e statistics revealed that 2 0 9 , 4 2 4 b u r g l a r y cases were closed by police last year, a 10 p e r c e n t r i s e c o mp a r e d w i t h t h e p r e v i o u s year Analysis by the Liberal Democrats showed that 77 per cent of all burglar y cases went unresolved and only 6

per cent resulted in a susp e c t b e i n g c h a r g e d Hampshire police recorded the worst outcomes, with 84 per cent of cases last year

not being solved Eight in ten burg l a r y c a s e s b y t h e Me t r o p o l i t a n Po l i c e , Hertfordshire, Surrey and South Yorkshire

p o l i c e fo r c e s w e n t u n r e s o l v e d T h e

Home Oce pointed to the Oce for National Statistics’ crime survey, published yesterd a y, t h a t s h o w e d domestic burglar y had fallen by 51 per cent since 2010 A s p o ke s m a n a d d e d : “ T h e home secretar y has already made clear to police chiefs

that forces should attend all d o m e s t i c b u r g l a r i e s a n d expects them to deliver on their pledge to do this ” Separate police-recorded crime data published by the ONS showed that violent crime has soared by 20 per cent compared with prepandemic years

O N S f i g u r e s s h o w e d that 2 08 million offences of “ v iole n c e a g a i n s t t h e p e rson ” were recorded in the year to December, a 5 per c e n t i n c r e a s e c o m p a r e d with the year to December 2021

Thought for the week

Mann Ki Baat – an innovative way to connects with people

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio program Mann Ki Baat is an innovative and non-controversial way to connect with people across India and share his vision for the country Since its launch in 2014, this programme has allowed PM Modi to speak directly to Indian citizens without any intermediary, creating a sense of inclusivity and allowing people from all walks of life to share their views with the PM One of the key reasons for this programme to be successful is that it allows PM Modi to speak directly to the people without any intermediary Through this programme, the Prime Minister has been sharing his thoughts on a range of topics, from governance and development to social issues and cultural events He has been using the platform to highlight the achievements of his government and to address concerns and grievances that people may have

His programme has also caught the attention of world leaders Why this programme has achieved so much popularity is that it is not just a one-way communication channel, it allows citizens to interact with the Prime Minister by sending their ideas, suggestions, and questions through various channels This creates a sense of inclusivity and allows people from all walks of life to share their views with the Prime Minister It is also accessible to a wide range of audiences It is broadcast in multiple languages, including Hindi, English and regional languages and is available on a variety of platforms This ensures that people from all parts of the country, including those in remote areas, can access the programme and participate in it This programme also allows the Prime Minister to focus on local issues that may not receive much coverage in the mainstream media Another example of how PM Modi has used this programme to raise local issues having a national perspective is his focus on the issue of water conservation In the July 2019 edition of the programme, he spoke about the need to conserve water and called on citizens to take simple steps to reduce water wastage He also highlighted the efforts of communities across the country who were working to conserve water He also spoke about the issue of plastic waste and its impact on the environment He called on citizens to reduce their use of plastic and highlighted the efforts of several individuals and organizations who were working to promote recycling and reduce plastic waste

The PM has used this programme to highlight the achievements of local communities and individuals In one of the programmes, he spoke about the efforts of a group of

women in Uttar Pradesh who had successfully constructed a toilet for their village He praised their efforts and called on citizens to work towards the goal of achieving a clean India This was an important issue for many communities across the country, particularly those in rural areas, where access to sanitation facilities is often limited Another reason why this programme has been successful is that it focuses on issues that are relevant to their daily lives By addressing these issues, the Prime Minister is able to connect with people on a personal level and show that his government is committed to improving their lives

It has also been successful in creating a sense of national unity and patriotism The programme often features stories of ordinary citizens who have made extraordinary contributions to their communities or the country as a whole These stories serve as an inspiration to listeners and create a sense of pride in the achievements of their fellow citizens It has also given an opportunity for PM Modi to raise local issues and connect with people across the country By focusing on issues that are relevant to their daily lives and leveraging the power of technology, this programme has created a strong digital community of listeners who can engage with each other and with the Prime Minister on issues of national importance It has become an important tool for the government to communicate with citizens and has helped promote transparency, accountability and national unity

This has become a key pillar of the government's citizenoutreach programme addressing multiple social groups such as women, youth and farmers and has spurred community action PM Modi said that he received thousands of letters and messages from people, congratulating him for the 100th episode of this programme “This programme is the personification of our citizens; here we celebrate positivity and people's participation”, the PM said while adding that the show is a way to celebrate others' achievements and an occasion to learn from others Describing how the programme kept him connected to the people, PM Modi said when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, it was usual for him to meet the general public But after coming to Delhi in 2014, he found the nature of work different and security scenarios different So this programme is an innovative way to connect with the general public As the programme continues to evolve, it is likely to play an even greater role in shaping the national discourse and addressing the concerns of citizens across the country

Innovative water metro of Kerala

At the beginning of the 20th century, 90 per cent of island residents in Kerala used small boats to reach the mainland However, they gradually shifted to road-based transportation as more roads and bridges were constructed Currently, inland water transport is used by less than 3 per cent of the population As a result of uncontrolled urban growth, a scant road network, and multiple rise in the number of private vehicles on the road, it worsened traffic congestion and air pollution

To address this issue, the state of Kerala collaborated with Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) to commercially launch the Kochi Water Metro Project Kochi is the largest city in Kerala and the second-largest along India’s western c o a s t l i n e a f t e r M u m b a i T h e K e r a l a W a t e r T r a n s p o r t Department operates around 200 boat services from Kochi and nearby islands at present There services operated by private players However, these services have received minimal funding and technological advancement, and they frequently received criticism for their inadequate facilities and safety precautions

The Kochi Water Metro Project intends to utilise the waterways in and around Kochi and comprises 15 identified routes over 76 route kilometres In the first phase, the water metro will operate with eight electric-hybrid boats on two routes The journey time on both routes is around 20–25 minutes The Kochi Water Metro service is fully funded by the Kerala government and KfW, a German funding agency

The project is expected to reduce travel time from one part of the city to another It is projected to decongest the city’s increasing traffic and carbon footprint The Kochi water metro is a game changer for urban commutes; the boats use Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) batteries that can be charged in 15 minutes using a specially built charging system LTO batteries have a life cycle of 7 to 10 years, making them the world's longest-lasting and safest commercially available batteries The ferries would have diesel-powered generator backup, which would take over their operation automatically, in the event of any failure of the battery Another notable feature of the metro is an automatic passenger control system that can limit the number of passengers inside the boat based on its capacity This approach can get rid of the congestion that is thought to be the main factor in accidents involving water transportation

An automatic boat location system will continuously monitor their position from the Operating Control Centre (OCC) at Vytilla Mobility Hub The OCC, which will serve as the main hub for organising the entire operation, will also

have total command and control over the entire fleet and be in charge of disaster management, real-time tracking of the boats, and passenger safety monitoring Maintenance and emergency response will be aided by four boats and an ambulance

Its primary features include integration with the Kochi metro, existing bus terminals, taxis, rickshaws and other water transport systems, allowing the creation of a single ticket network system for the city of Kochi’s public transportation system This groundbreaking project will also aid in sustainable mobility and a green future Upon full implementation, it is anticipated that using electric propulsion for the boats will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 16,000 tonnes annually

This project is expected to contribute to India’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2070 It is intended to reduce the amount of noise and wave effects that could damage riverbanks and affect the flora and fauna that live there Lightweight and recyclable materials were being used Toilets are not available within the vessels in order to prevent any discharges from hurting the backwaters The passengers can travel in both the Kochi metro and the water metro using the "Kochi 1" card They can also book the tickets digitally The interiors of the boats have a similar colour scheme and design to the Kochi Metro; the features of the metro rail service are mirrored in the boat terminals, passenger entry and exit gates, ticket counters, and safety measures All jetties feature electronic display boards about the boat services Announcements will be made in English, Hindi and Malayalam when the services are in full swing

Kochi Water Metro also features an automatic fare collection system, which will be integrated with both the metro train and water transport systems Each boat is capable of carrying from 50 to 100 passengers This system adheres to universal design and has features that are gender-responsive and inclusive For instance, the dock has floating platoons so that, regardless of tidal restrictions, individuals with disabilities can board and exit the boats safely and easily Kerala is considered one of the country's top destinations By enhancing connectivity between islands, backwaters, and the mainland, the water metro project will help to maximise Kerala's tourism potential The project aims to improve the livelihoods and living standards of both islanders and the general public

Phase I will be the largest centrally controlled urban water transport system in the world when it is fully operational in 2024, serving 34,000 passengers per day

To be inspirational you don't have to save lives or win medals - Queen Elizabeth II

Political Sketchbook

Alpesh Patel

The Queen of Pakistan and Arms Control

As we look forward to t he Kin g ’ s coronat ion, I am reminded that whe n HM Queen wa s crowned she was don e so as Que en of Pak istan I write t his as Apr il marks the birt h mont h of AQ Khan – father of t he Pak ista ni b omb

As I’ve written before, when I worked in the US Congress part of my role was to lobby the US State Department of this nuclear proliferator

The UK continues to have a central role in counter proliferation

In a world increasingly marked by geopolitical tensions and competing interests, the importance of arms control and counter-proliferation cannot be overstated The case o f D r A b d u l Q a d e e r K h a n , t h e s o - c a l l e d " f a t h e r o f Pakistan's nuclear bomb," serves as a stark reminder of the danger posed by the unchecked spread of nuclear technology and the need for greater vigilance in counter-proliferation efforts

Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was a Pakistani nuclear physicist who played a crucial role in the development of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program He established the Khan Research Laboratories in the 1970s and went on to lead Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, culminating in the country's first successful nuclear tests in 1998

However, Khan's activities went beyond Pakistan's borders He led a clandestine nuclear proliferation network that sold nuclear technology and expertise to countries like Iran, North Korea, and Libya, violating international nonproliferation norms The exposure of this network in the early 2000s highlighted the extent to which a single individual could undermine global non-proliferation efforts

Le ssons from the AQ Kha n Sa ga:

The AQ Khan case underlines the importance of robust arms control and counter-proliferation measures in preventing the spread of WMDs Some key lessons that can be drawn from this episode include:

1 S t r e n g t h e n i n g I n t e r n a t i o n a l N o n - P r o l i f e r a t i o n Regimes: To prevent another AQ Khan-style episode, the international community must reinforce the existing nonproliferation regimes, such as the Treaty on the NonP r o l i f e r a t i o n o f N u c l e a r W e a p o n s ( N P T ) a n d t h e International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) These organizations must be provided with the necessary resources and support to effectively monitor and enforce non-proliferation norms

2 Enhancing Intelligence Cooperation: The AQ Khan network operated for years before being exposed, in part due to insufficient intelligence sharing among nations To counter such threats, countries must improve their cooperation on intelligence, including sharing relevant information on illicit nuclear activities and networks

3 F o c u s i n g o n R o g u e A c t o r s a n d P r o l i f e r a t i o n Networks: The AQ Khan case demonstrates that individual actors and networks can pose significant threats to global security Counter-proliferation efforts should target not only state actors but also individuals, companies, and other entities involved in illicit WMD proliferation

4 Implementing Sanctions and Incentives: The international community must be prepared to impose sanctions on countries and individuals involved in WMD proliferation, while also offering incentives for cooperation and c o m p l i a n c e w i t h n o n - p r o l i f e r a t i o n n o r m s T h i s d u a l approach can be more effective in curbing the spread of WMDs

Con cl usion :

The AQ Khan saga serves as a potent reminder of the urgency and importance of arms control and counter-proliferation measures By learning from this episode and implementing effective strategies, the international community can mitigate the risk of nuclear proliferation and contribute to a more secure and stable global order It is our responsibility to keep these issues in the public eye and encourage our government to play a leading role in promoting global non-proliferation and arms control efforts

Units

Tel: 020 7749 4080 • Fax: 020 7749 4081

Email: aveditorial@abplgroup com

Website: www abplgroup com

British Asian becomes stunt woman in a comedy movie

T h e B ri ti s h d i rec to r Ni d a M anzoor, who created the TV com ed y h it We A re Lady Parts, attacks h er m ovie d ebut with the kind of go for-broke energy that m akes that punk-rock sitcom seem catatonic in com parison C hap ter head ing s in a giant font slam onto th e screen

The camera zooms in and out Scenes whip to other scenes with the whooshing sound of a spun rope And the teenage prot a g o n i s t R i a K h a n ( P r i y a K a n s a r a ) , a k a r a t e - o b s e s s e d schoolgirl from Shepherds Bush in west London, roars through her dialogue about rejecting her f a m i l y ’ s t r a d i t i o n a l P a k i s t a n i v a l u e s , b e c o m i n g t h e w o r l d ’ s greatest stuntwoman and joini n g h e r w a n n a b e a r t i s t s i s t e r L e n a ( R i t u A r y a f r o m T h e Umbrella Academy) in the secular celebrity world

T h e n s l a m - c u t t o L e n a , who’s a bit depressed, comforteating an entire crispy duck outside a Chinese takeaway And a n o t h e r s l a m - c u t t o R i a , u n l e a s h i n g h e r m a r t i a l a r t s

20% of those illegally crossing the Channel were Indians

I n di an s m a d e u p t he s econd large st c ohort of m i g ra n ts c ro ss i n g t he

C ha nnel i n s mall boats i n t h e f i r s t t h re e m on ths of the year

COMPENSATION IN HORIZONTAL ACCOUNTING SCANDAL DELAYED

moves against classroom bully

Kovacs (Shona Babayemi) in a protracted fight sequence that

e x i s t s i n a c i n e m a t i c s p a c e s o m e w h e r e b e t w e e n S c o t t P i l g r i m v s t h e W o r l d a n d

E v e r y t h i n g E v e r y w h e r e A l l a t

Once And, keep up, slam-cut again to Ria witnessing Lena’s hastily arranged engagement to the slimy doctor Salim (Akshay Khanna), who lives in a giant m a n s i o n w i t h h i s d e v o u r i n g mother, Raheela(Nimra Bucha, a hoot), and might just have some Get Out-style shenanigans in store for Lena

On and on it goes, with the kind of overstimulated consist e n c y t h a t ’ s s i m u l t a n e o u s l y admirable, entertaining and a tiny bit grating

Mercury Trove’s 1500 objects to be auctioned

H e was a s tar who captivated audiences across the globe But out of the spotli ght, Fredd ie M ercury spent his days scouri ng antique shops and auc tion houses for treas ures to di splay at his home

For 30 years, Garden Lodge in Kensington, west London, has remained almost entirely as the Queen singer left it Now its contents will go on show to the public in a month-long exhibition at Sotheby’s Opening on August 4 and closing on what w o u l d h a v e b e e n M e r c u r y ’ s 77th birthday on September 5, the exhibition will take over the auction house’s entire 16,000 sq ft gallery It will culminate in six dedicated sales, each one devote d t o a d i f f e r e n t a s p e c t o f Mercury’s life

Mary Austin, 72, a friend of t h e s i n g e r , h a s l i v e d i n t h e Georgian-style mansion since M e r c u r y ’ s d e a t h f r o m A I D Sr e l a t e d d i s e a s e s i n 1 9 9 1 S h e said: “The time had come for me to take the difficult decision to close this very special chapter in my life ” Austin added: “It was important to me to do this

In the period to the e n d o f M a r c h , 6 7 5 Indian migrants arrived in small boats, or 18 per cent of the total 3,793 crossings in the first quarter of 2023

A f g h a n s w e r e t h e m o s t common migrants, with 909, accounting for 24 per cent of arrivals

The number of Albanians making the journey has drastically fallen since the autumn

Only 29 Albanians arrived in small boats at the start of this year

Last year they accounted f o r t h e l a r g e s t c o h o r t , w i t h 12,301 arrivals for the whole of 2022 However, Home Officials h a v e s a i d t h e y e x p e c t a n i n c r e a s e i n t h e n u m b e r o f A l b a n i a n s a t t e m p t i n g t h e c r o s s i n g f r o m t h e s p r i n g onwards because in past years

i l l e g a l m i g r a t i o n f r o m t h e Balkan country has been linked with summer seasonal work in the UK Last year, 95 per cent of Albanians who made the journey arrived between May and October

A l m o s t a s m a n y I n d i a n s arrived by small boats by March t h i s y e a r t h a n t h e 6 8 3 t h a t arrived in the whole of last y e a r H o m e O c e s o u r c e s attributed the surge to illegal working in the UK At the start of this month, the Indian government said the surge in the number of its emigrants was linked to a rise in Sikhs fleeing the country because of a crackdown on separatist activity in the state of Punjab

Women’s-only tower plan approved

i n a w a y t h a t I f e l t F r e d d i e would have loved, and there w a s n o t h i n g h e l o v e d m o r e than an auction ”

About 1,500 objects will go on sale, from Victorian paintings to more personal objects c o l l e c t e d b y M e r c u r y I t e m s from his professional life are a l s o u p f o r g r a b s , i n c l u d i n g d r a f t s o f s o n g s , s u c h a s h i s handwritten working lyrics to We are the Champions, which are expected to sell for up to £ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 P i e c e s o f h i s c o stumes will be on display, such as Mercury’s imitation of the c o r o n a t i o n c r o w n a n d i t s accompanying cloak, which he wore during his last tour with the Queen and for their final r e n d i t i o n o f G o d S a v e t h e Q u e e n a t K n e b w o r t h P a r k , Hertfordshire, in 1986

T h e i t e m s , d e c o r a t e d i n fake fur, red velvet and rhinestones, are estimated to fetch up to £80,000 His Tiffany & Co silver £ moustache comb along with his favourite silk waistcoat f e a t u r i n g h a n d - p a i n t e d p o rtraits of his cats are also up for auction

Italian PM praises Sunak

T h e I ta li an p r i m e m i ni s ter , Giorgia Meloni, has praised the w ork undertaken by her British c o u nt erp a rt, Ri sh i S u n ak, t o fig ht p eop le traffickers and cland estine imm igration netwo rks, as tw o of the m ost p rom inent righ twing lead ers in Eu rope m et in Downing Street

At the start of a two-day visit d e s i g n e d t o d e e p e n r e l a t i o n s between the two governments, M e l o n i w a s g r e e t e d o u t s i d e Downing Street by a small group of demonstrators carrying placa r d s r e a d i n g “ s t a n d u p t o r a c i s m ” a n d “ n o t o f a s c i s t Meloni”

She said the meeting with Sunak marked “ a new beginning” in relations between Italy and Britain

“I am very happy to be here, and I am convinced that we can do a good job together,” she said She underlined that she “absol u t e l y a g r e e s ” w i t h t h e w o r k

Sunak was doing to counter “the f i g h t a g a i n s t t r a f f i c k e r s a n d clandestine immigration”

H i s c o m m e n t s s p a r k e d a barrage of criticism from the centre-left, and calls for him to resign The Democratic party leader Elly Schlein reacted by i n s i s t i n g t h a t “ a n t i - f a s c i s m i s our constitution”

Planners have appro ved desig ns fo r w h at i s be li ev ed to b e Br it ai n ’ s f i rs t w o m en ’ s - o nl y tow er block

The scheme for 102 flats to be rented to single women is to be built in west London by a housing association founded in 1920 as part of the suffragette movement

Each home will have a deep balcony and will be designed specifically for women Details c o u l d i n c l u d e s l i g h t l y l o w e r kitchen work surfaces and careful attention to ventilation to ensure comfort for menopausal women, said Women’s Pioneer Housing (WPH), the landlord T h e 1 5 - s t o r e y t o w e r i n Ealing will offer homes for low social rents to women who face inequality, abuse and disadvan-

tages in the housing market

Tenants are likely to include vict i m s o f d o m e s t i c a b u s e a n d b l a c k a n d m i n o r i t y e t h n i c women who face a significant pay gap, making housing less affordable

The person taking the tenancy must be a single woman, and men will only be able to live i n t h e t o w e r b l o c k i f t h e y become a tenant’s partner The only way a tenant could be male is if they are the adult child of a female tenant and inherit the tenancy Transgender women, including people intending to undergo gender reassignment, will be allowed, but men who c r o s s - d r e s s , t r a n s g e n d e r m e n , and anyone with a known histor y o f m a l e v i o l e n c e a g a i n s t women or children will not

Thinktank urges to make reducing long-term sickness health equivalent

Britain’s poor record on health is costing the economy £43bn a y ea r a n d c ut ti n g t he an n ua l incomes of individuals affected by long-term si ckness by up to £2 , 2 00 a y e ar o n av e ra g e, a report says

With official figures showing more days lost to sickness than at any time since 2004, the I n s t i t u t e f o r P u b l i c P o l i c y R e s e a r c h s a i d i m p r o v i n g t h e country’s health was vital both for the economy and to boost the incomes of disadvantaged groups The left of centre think tank said the government should aim to make Britain the healthiest country in the world within 30 years and urged ministers to m a k e e f f o r t s t o t a c k l e l o n gterm sickness the health equivalent of the drive for net zero carbon emissions

The “clock is running and we owe it to the dead” to end delays, said lawyers representing victims of the Horizon accounting scandal as it was revealed that yet another postmaster has died without compensation Sir Wyn Williams, the retired judge chairing the public inquiry into the scandal told a hearing in central London yesterday that Robert Boyle had died on April 5 without receiving a complete settlement Thousands of Post Office owner-managers were accused of taking money from their tills between 2000 and 2015 when it was a computer glitch in the Horizon IT system that was to blame More than 700 people were prosecuted for crimes including fraud and theft, and scores were sent to jail Boyle was given a 12-month suspended sentence, with 100 hours of community service and an electronic tag after the Post Office prosecuted him in January 2012 for stealing £12,000 from his Nottinghamshire post office It took until July last year more than ten years for him to clear his name at the Court of Appeal The court was told that Boyle had to sell his home to raise cash to make up the shortfall in his accounts

REGISTRATION AND INSPECTION REQUIRED FOR FAITH SCHOOLS

Jewish yeshivas, Muslim madrassas and other religious institutions that operate “like a school” must be registered and inspected, according to a report whose author said the government had “lacked the courage” to regulate them The recommendation is “not aimed at Sunday schools that meet for an hour after Sunday morning [church] service”, the author explained, but at groups that “look like sound like and behave like” schools by providing “nearly full-time education focusing on religious instruction” Colin Bloom an independent adviser appointed by the government to compile a comprehensive report on the relationship between faith groups and the state in Britain, said the vast majority of madrassas and yeshivas are extremely well run , but there was a question mark around some where they re not registered [and] not properly regulated

the Covid pandemic, the IPPR said the health of the population was going backwards The UK had rising rates of death and impairment – including greater incidence of long-term health conditions, and since 1960 had fallen from 7th to 23rd for life expectancy among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development group of wealthy countries

Sickness was a factor in half the people leaving work and h

prospects, the think tank said The report found that in the five years before the pandemic, the annual earnings of someone with a new physical illness fell b y

SUNAK’S MOTHER-INLAW EXPLAINS THE IMPORTANCE OF A WIFE

, 8 0 0 o n

T h e impact on annual earnings was even more marked for people with a new mental health condition, falling by about £2,200 on average

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak s motherin-law Sudha Murty said that her daughter Akshata Murty made her husband a Prime Minister Rishi Sunak s quick ascension to power has been highlighted before but his mother-in-law Sudha Murty's claim in a video circulating online has raised eyebrows In the video, Murty can be heard saying: "I made my husband a businessman My daughter made her husband the Prime Minister of the UK The reason is the glory of the wife See how a wife can change a husband But I could not change my husband I made my husband a businessman, and my daughter made her husband a Minister " Prime Rishi Sunak married Akshata Murty in 2009, and the Prime Minister who as a student at Stanford Business School was considered an unknown made a quick rise to power in the year that ensued

Local elections huge talking point

Vote rs in this we ek’s loca l ele ctions will be req uire d to show ID for t he first time

M i n i s t e r s m a d e t h e move to introduce mandatory photo ID in Britain earlier this year, despite concerns the move could disenfranchise voters, while there is little evidence of electoral fraud at polling stations

Critics including Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said it was an “outrage” that m i l l i o n s w e r e b e i n g s p e n t during a cost of living crisis on the “ unnecessary ” move which she fears could lock millions out of voting

This week’s local elections in England will be the f i r s t e l e c t i o n s i n B r i t a i n where voter ID is required

Much of England goes to the polls in local elections that will set the political tone going into the summer The balance of power ought to be clear: Labour holds doubled i g i t p o l l l e a d s , a n d i s favoured on every issue by voters who report exasperat i o n w i t h t h e g o v e r n m e n t a n d e a g e r n e s s f o r c h a n g e Y e t t h e m o o d i n Westminster is more uncertain – Labour fears and the Conservatives hope, that the tide can still turn before the

NHS has to pay for leaving the stent in the digestive system instead of removing

general election arrives

The task for Rishi Sunak in his first electoral test is clear The tide is against his party, so he needs to set the bar low and hope disaster is at least averted It does not help that his party are more exposed than usual with this y e a r ’ s c o n t e s t s m a i n l y o n b l u e - l e a n i n g t e r r i t o r y Y e t the Conservatives also have a w e a k e r - t h a n - u s u a l s t a r t i n g position, thanks to the electoral wipeout they suffered in 2019 when nearly all of the seats being contested were last fought

H o w e v e r , t h e s e l o c a l elections are not a huge talking point in Glossop, a town in the borough council of H i g h P e a k , w h i c h r e l i a b l y swings like a pendulum from Labour to the Conservatives and back again

Many residents are middle-class professionals who h a v e m o v e d o u t o f Manchester or Sheffield for a bit of country life and commute into those cities a few days a week on various notor i o u s l y u n r e l i a b l e r a i l w a y lines They tend to be the L a b o u r v o t e r s , w h i l e t h e Tories have a more rural base w i t h l o n g e r - s t a n d i n g r e s idents

Police picking a side in family feud leads to armed battle

A W es t Mi dl a nd s P o l ic e officer 'p icked a side' in a fami ly feu d wh ich led to an armed battle in the streets, a c o u r t h e a rd S u s p e nd ed s e rge an t I ft i kh ar Al i allegedly lo oked u p c ri me logs and fed informatio n to h is friends involved in the so -called 'Raza wars'

T h e h a t e - f i l l e d f e u d centred around Flex Fitness gym in Digbeth with the landlords and business tenants rowing over rent payments, Birmingham Crown Court was told It culminated in a 'pitched battle' in the street in June 2017 with rival g r o u p s w i e l d i n g w e a p o n s and a member of the Raza family mowing down a rival in his BMW, for which he was ultimately jailed

Ali has been accused of i m p r o p e r l y r e s e a r c h i n g confidential police information, including 'threats to

kill' reports, to help personal trainer and co-defendant

Waheed Mohammed, 33, at the centre of the dispute Both deny misconduct in p u b l i c o f f i c e - r e l a t e d offences

Ali, of Longmore Road, Shirley, Solihull, has denied 11 counts of misconduct in a public office, 11 counts of breaching data protection and one charge of perverting the course of justice

Mohammed, 33, of Willows R o a d , B a l s a l l H e a t h , h a s pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice and eight counts of couns e l l i n g o r p r o c u r i n g m i sconduct in a public office C o - d e f e n d a n t A z h a r M a h m o o d , a g e d 3 7 , o f Birchfield Road, Perry Barr, has denied six offences of c o u n s e l l i n g o r p r o c u r i n g m i s c o n d u c t i n a p u b l i c office

Get ready to wear face mask again

F ace masks should be worn ag ain on p ublic transp ort, experts say, as the A rcturus C ovid variant co ntinues to sp read F i v e p e o p l e h a v e d i e d from the strain, according to the UK Health Security Agency, while 135 sequences have been detected in the U K s o f a r , a n d t h e r e a r e believed to be around 104 cases as some people have been sequenced twice

P r o f e s s o r S t e p h e n G r i f f i n , c h a i r o f

Independent Sage, said that people should go back to

A man has been awarded tho usands of pou nds in co mpensation by the NHS after a stent t hat 'sho uld have been r em oved after a year' was 'left in his digestive system' The patient, who has not been named, under went sur gery to remove his gall bladder at Manchester Royal Infir mary in 2017 , his r epresentatives said

The procedure involved fitting a stent to help his digestive system, they added The stent should have been removed after 12 months, but medics didn't contact

the patient or his GP, his lawyers at Hudgell Solicitors claim

They claim the stent became embedded in the surrounding tissue of his

bile duct, leading the man to experience abdominal pain, jaundice and fatigue, which left him struggling to work He was admitted to A&E after suffering from

shortness of breath

The patient then had three new stents fitted over an 18-month period, it is claimed Doctors replaced the original stent with a fourth and final temporary stent, which was then removed, the patient's representatives said

With all stents now removed, the man, now 52, says he feels well, but during two years of fatigue and illness, he needed a significant amount of time off work, his lawyers said

testing regularly and wearing face masks to protect f r o m t h e v i r u s T h e n e w strain, known as XBB 1 16, w a s f i r s t i d e n t i f i e d i n January and emerged from two previous potent strains of Omicron, BA 1 and BA 2

R e s e a r c h i n d i c a t e s

Arcturus could be 20 per cent more infectious than the last major sub-variant

A r c t u r u s h a s b e e n m o n itored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) since 22 March, which upgraded it to a “variant of interest” in mid-April

Report reveals Muslims stigmatised by politicians

S enio r po liticians must stop stigmati sing Muslims by making them feel resp onsible for Islami st terro ri sm, acco rding to a repo rt th at aims to reset the government’s ap proach to dealing with religiou s grou ps Muslims are being marginalised in a number of areas of British life, according to the report by the gove r n m e n t ’ s f a i t h a d v i s e r , C o l i n Bloom, including by being made to f e e l t h e y f r e q u e n t l y h a v e t o renounce terrorist acts Bloom also urged ministers to develop shariacompliant student loans to help more Muslims into university and to conduct an outreach programme to increase their representation in the armed forces

The comments are part of a s w e e p i n g r e v i e w o f t h e g o v e r nm e n t ’ s i n t e r a c t i o n s w i t h f a i t h groups at every level of society The Guardian has previously revealed

Weather may bring a shortage of fruit and vegetable

S ho p pe r s ha v e be e n w a r n e d the y face mor e fruit a nd ve get able shorta ges, as te mper atur es in southe rn Spain soar to unpr ecede nte d leve ls while th e UK gr owing se ason g ets off to a la te st art be ca use of cold, ove rcast wea the r

NHS WORKER JAILED AFTER SENDING A THREATENING LETTER

several of the report’s other main recommendations, including gove r n m e n t c r a c k d o w n s o n f o r c e d marriage and unregistered religious schools

S o m e r e l i g i o u s c a m p a i g n e r s also welcomed its findings Yehudis Fletcher, who founded a think tank to campaign against Jewish extremism, said: “We strongly support the Bloom review recommendations in relation to schools, coercion within marriage, and faith-based extremism and exploitation ”

Police officer used dead’s bank details to shop

A form er Metropolitan P olice offic er a c cu s ed o f u s i ng th e ban k d etails o f dead people for shopping sp rees h as app eared in court for the first tim e

Muhammed Mustafa Darr, 37, acquired the credit and debit card details of deceased people when police had been called out to sudden death, it is said

He allegedly used stolen money to “acquire goods or money transf e r s f o r h i m s e l f o r o t h e r s ” , W e s t m i n s t e r m a g i s t r a t e s c o u r t heard

Darr, who is no longer an officer with the Met Police, is also accused of abusing his role as a PC

to steal a laptop and a bag from a Mercedes and look himself up on police computer systems

He also faces a charge of perv e r t i n g t h e c o u r s e o f j u s t i c e b y allegedly interfering in a live police investigation

Darr, wearing a large black winter coat with a red lining, appeared in the dock, as his case was sent to Southwark crown court

He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address and was released on bail by District Judge Briony Clarke, with one condition of sleeping each night at his home in Walthamstow

Temperatures were expected to reach a new April record o f 3 9 C ( 1 0 2 F ) i n p a r t s o f Andalucía amid a long-lasting drought that has affected the p r o d u c t i o n o f v e g e t a b l e s i n S p a i n C ó r d o b a r e a c h e d a record 38 8C

Spain has been in drought since January last year and this is likely to be the hottest, driest April on record Meanwhile, British growers have also been facing weather challenges, particularly the cold start to the spring growing season and a lack of sunlight

Fresh produce grown in S p a i n f o r U K c o n s u m p t i o n i n c l u d e s t o m a t o e s , p e p p e r s , cucumbers, lettuces, broccoli

and citrus fruit Sainsbury’s has warned of further shortages this week Its chief executive, Simon Roberts, said some problems with fresh produce, s u c h a s p e p p e r s a n d e g g s , remained

An industry source says the cold spring has been challenging for those who only grow crops outside, meaning they have had to delay putting some young plants in the ground, as well as insulating other plants to try to speed up their growth

A veteran NHS worker has been jailed for five months after sending a “vile” letter containing threats and abuse to former Home Secretary Priti Patel Pooneeraj Canakiah 65 marked the letter as personal” in the hope that Ms Patel would open it herself, sending it in January last year when she was still in charge at the Home Office in Boris Johnson s government Prosecutor David Burns said the letter, which was intercepted before reaching the Home Secretary, went on to make a series of lewd suggestions about sex between Ms Patel and Mr Johnson Westminster magistrates court heard Canakiah was identified by his handwriting, and he pleaded guilty to sending a letter conveying an indecent or offensive message at his first court hearing in March Canakiah who lives in key worker accommodation in Hackney, east London, must serve half his five-month prison sentence before being released on licence

COST OF LIVING LEADS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS TO VISIT WAR ROOMS

The Business Departm ent has re co v e red j u s t £ 1 0 m o f th e £ 2 2 bn o f ta xp ay er s ’ m on ey lo st in a black h ole of fraud and m is tak es s u rro u nd in g C o v id support schemes, accord ing to th e G o v ern m en t’ s sp e nd i ng watchd og

The department’s “laissezf a i r e ” a p p r o a c h p u t p u b l i c money at risk and is “effectivel y w r i t i n g o f f ” n e a r l y £ 1 b n which was paid out erroneously by local authorities on its b e h a l f , t h e P u b l i c A c c o u n t s Committee (PAC) warned

It said that of the estimated £2 2bn lost via fraud and errors on pandemic schemes such as the Bounce Back Loan (BBLS), the Government has claimed back just 0 45pc, or £10m, according to the com-

m i t t e e ' s a n n u a l r e p o r t a n d accounts for the Department o f B u s i n e s s , E n e r g y a n d Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

Of the £2 2bn in lost funds, an estimated £985m was lost t h r o u g h e r r o n e o u s l o c a l a u t h o r i t y g r a n t p a y m e n t s m a d e i n t h e f i r s t w a v e o f Covid support

This was because the first wave of grants was not applic a t i o n - b a s e d b u t w a s p a i d directly to businesses by counc i l s , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e i r r a t e p a y e r d a t a b a s e s , w h i c h included major inaccuracies

The Department believes this m o n e y c a n n o t b e r e c o u p e d because the payments did not involve deliberate fraud and t h e b u s i n e s s e s w e r e s t r u ggling

Coronation street star in hospital

C o ro n ati o n S tr eet s tar Bh a v na L i m b ac h i a h as s h are d an u p d a te w it h fans following an injury to her thu mb The actress, who played Rana Habeeb on the ITV soap, posted a pictu re of herself in the ho spital as sh e had h er th umb looked at by d octo rs , r ev e ali n g to h er online follow ers that the i nj u ry m i g h t re qu i re surg ery ‘

G o t a l o t o f m o v ement back in my thumb but still not fully healed,’ s h e w r o t e o n h e r Instagram stories I’m keeping e v e r y t h i n g c r o s s e d t o a v o i d surgery ’ Bhavna, 39, didn’t reveal what happened to her thumb T h e s o a p s t a r d e p a r t e d C o r o n a t i o n S t r e e t b a c k i n 2019, with fans left shocked as Rana was killed off on the day of her wedding to Kate Connor

(Faye Brooks), after she was crushed when the factory roof collapsed

Rana’s exit drew some criticism from the LGBTQ+ comm u n i t y , b u t B h a v n a s u b s equently defended the scenes, saying: ‘My decision to leave and to be killed off was never i n t e n d e d t o o f f e n d t h e LGBTQ+ community

More than half a million people visited community “warm rooms” to escape freezing homes and escalating poverty during the winter, according to the first audit of the impact of these potent symbols of the UK’s cost of living crisis Warm space projects sprang up in their thousands across the UK in the autumn, as charities, libraries and faith groups responded to soaring energy poverty by opening venues to provide cash-strapped people with warmth free food and a cup of tea A survey by the Warm Welcome campaign a UK-wide network of over 4 200 warm spaces suggests many successfully provided their visitors with a measure of respite from their problems – but not necessarily the problem the projects had planned for Most visitors welcomed the warmth; they were struggling financially and saved money on heating and food, wifi costs and children s activities But while respite from poverty was important, the survey found, it was secondary to warm rooms’ other main if perhaps unforeseen benefit: challenging the social blight of loneliness

EFFORTS TO STOP FORCED MARRIAGES MUSLIM FOCUSED

UK ministers’ efforts to stop forced marriages are failing because the unit set up to tackle them is undervalued underresourced and overly focused on Muslim families according to a report from Michael Gove’s levelling up department

The 165-page report by Colin Bloom the government s faith adviser will highlight a range of areas in which ministers are ineffective because they are too wary of tackling problems that arise within religious communities It is expected to be the most sweeping review of the government s relationship with religion in more than a generation Bloom said these included forced marriage – including instances where gay people are forced to marry as a conversion practice – substandard religious schools and religious nationalism Bloom’s 65,000-word report will deal with almost every aspect of government policy where it affects religious groups, praise the work faith groups do and urge ministers to engage with them more

But it will also risk angering some faith groups with its insistence that ministers should be bolder in tackling abusive and dangerous behaviour by some within them

Less than 50% of fraudulent Covid loans could only be recovered

Is a South Asian diet contributing to greenhouse gas emissions?

Ketan Dattani

Environmental iss ues aff ec t everyone, so it is i mportan t to understand how cultural diets c an be adapted toward s ustainable eating

M aki ng sus tain ab le food c hoices promotes hum an health and well-being while s upporting environmental and s oci al s ustainabi li ty By focusing on foods that are easi ly ac cessib le, affordable, and c ulturally acceptab le we will reduce the impact of greenhous e gas es on our environment

Did you know that over 33% of food is wasted each year? In the UK we dispose of 9 5 million tonnes of food annually During the production and disposal of food, potent greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere contributing to climate change

Global food wastage is linked directly to climate change From production to consumption there are significant amounts of food that are lost during the entire food supply chain

Poor harvesting tech-

niques, transportation, storage, and distribution, including household and consumer-level food waste contribute to the emissions of greenhouse gases like Carbon Dioxide and Methane

Numerous studies conducted into sustainable eating have demonstrated the importance of cultural diets reducing our carbon footprint Some South Asian communities have been practicing veganism, vegetarianism, and intermittent fasting as part of our cultural practices since ancient civilisation, along with traditions that contribute to sustainable eat-

ing Consumption of foods used by South Asian communities has an important role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and decreasing livestock emissions, animal waste, and fertilisers needed in agriculture There is a need for us to reduce the amount of processed and red meats, dairy products plus foods containing high fat, sugar, and salt

South Asians are at higher risk for Type 2 diabetes than other ethnic groups due to a combination of genetics and lifestyle factors Whilst there is nothing than can be done to change genetic risk, making positive changes to the diet can reduce the risk of developing diabetes and its complications Meals containing less unsaturated fats, oils, sugar and carbohydrates can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes

Reducing food wastage can be challenging due to cultural practices such as hosting large feasts and

preparing excess food for guests To reduce the carbon footprint of a South Asian diet, it's important to consider the source and transportation of food products Mindful meal planning, buying locally grown produce, and incorporating traditional practices such as reusing leftovers and composting food scraps can help decrease wastage while still honouring cultural practices

H ere are my top 10 tips on eating sustainably:

1.Emphasise plant-based meals: Plant-based eating is great for your health and helps reduce the environmental impact of animal agriculture South Asian cuisines are rich in vegetarian options, so aim to incorporate more plantbased meals into your diet These meals can be just as flavorful and satisfying as meat-based meals

2.Choose sustainable seafood: South Asian cuisine can include a variety of seafood, so look for options that are sustainably sourced and don't harm the environment

3. If you choose to eat animal products, choose products that are raised using sustainable and ethical practices

4.Avoid overconsumption of meat: Meat consumption in some South Asian cuisines can be high, so consider reducing your meat consumption and opting for more plantbased meals

5.Avoid processed foods: Many South Asian convenience foods come in plastic packaging that are harmful to the environment Try preparing more homemade meals with fresh ingredients

6.Choose eco-friendly packaging: Where possible choose reusable or compostable packaging materials like paper and cardboard This can help to reduce waste by minimising the use of single-use plastics and other unsustainable materials

7.Reduce your food waste: Plan your meals in advance, buy only what you need, avoid cooking more than necessary, and make use of leftovers creatively For example, use leftover rice to create fried rice, or use leftover vegetables in a soup or curry

8.Choose locally grown produce or grow your own produce: Buy food that’s been produced locally or if you have space for gardening, growing your

own produce is a great way to eat sustainably and reduce your carbon footprint associated with transportation costs

9.Use sustainable energy for cooking: Consider using energy-efficient induction stoves, and slow cookers, only use as much water as you need, and make sure to cover pots and pans while cooking

10.Eat seasonal produce: Eating seasonally helps reduce the need for energy-intensive methods used to grow and store out-of-season produce This will ensure the production of fresher, healthier, and more flavourful foods

I cannot stress the importance of how cultural diets can be sustainable for the future of human health and our world We need to take immediate action on the foods we consume daily

Sustainable eating decreases the risks of diseases, improves your health and well-being, and solves global wastage of food and climate change Together we can contribute to mitigating the impact of climate change on our planet and an environmentally sustainable future

Ketan Dattani

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj is in UK for a five-week visit

Swami Maharaj is in the UK from 2 May to 8 June to inspire faith, service and global harmony Soon

Maharaj told the devotees waiting at London Mandir, "Just as you are all eager to be with me, it is no less for me I am just as eager for all your darshan!"

His Holiness’s visit will bring renewed hope, energy and enthusiasm across communities in the

UK who, in recent times, have e x p e r i e n c e d u n c e r t a i n t y a n d adversity through the Covid-19 pandemic, cost-of-living difficulties, and various other challenges

Many haribhaktas across the UK and Europe have observed special vrats and niyams as a devotional form of swagat for His Holiness

Various programmes and community events have been organised in his presence These will be focussed on strengthening faith,

m o b i l i s i n g c o m m u n i t y s e r v i c e and inspiring harmony among p e o p l e o f a l l g e n e r a t i o n s a n d backgrounds Mahant Swami Maharaj visited the UK for the first time as the leader of BAPS in 2017, having previously visited the UK and E u r o p e o n s e v e r a l o c c a s i o n s since 1970 This visit will also coincide with the Coronation of K i n g C h a r l e s I I I a n d Q u e e n Camilla This momentous event

and associated celebratory and community events will also be marked in His Holiness’s presence Sanjay Kara, a trustee at the T e m p l e , e x p l a i n s , “ N e w s o f Mahant Swami Maharaj’s visit h a s l i f t e d t h e c o m m u n i t y S o many people have experienced c h a l l e n g i n g t i m e s o f l a t e ; h i s spiritual wisdom and presence here in the UK will bring much optimism, joy and stability ”

Sat 6 M ay

P uja Darshan: For devotees from the following centres only:

Edinburgh London Brent Luton

Chiltern London Enfield Milton Keynes

Cardiff London Finchley Swindon

Bristol London Harrow Watford London West Welwyn Hatfield

T ime: 6 00 am to 7 30 am

S wag at Din 1:

---------------------

For devotees from the above centres only

T ime:

5 30 pm to 8 00 pm

Yogvivekdas Swami, Head Swami for BAPS UK & Europe, said: “His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj’s visit will lift the community who have waited six long years since his last visit in 2017. His spiritual wisdom and presence here in the UK will strengthen faith and bring renewed hope, energy and peace across communities in the UK who, in recent times, have experienced uncertainty and adversity through the Covid-19 pandemic, cost-of-living difficulties, and various other challenges People of all ages are looking forward to engaging in the various programmes and activities that have been organised in his presence ”

Sun 7 May

Puja Darshan: For d ev otees from the follo wing centres only: Birmingham Hinckley Nottingham Brighton Leeds Oxford Cambridge Leicester Preston

Colchester London East Reading

Coventry London South Southend-on-Sea

Crawley London South East Wellingborough

Derby Loughborough Any not listed Havant Manchester

Time: 6 00 am to 7 3 0 am

Swagat Din 2: Fo r devo tees from the following centres only:

Time: 5 30 pm to 8 0 0 pm

Mon 8 Ma y Puja Darshan: With special blessings for students undergoing exams

Time: 6 00 am to 7 30 am

---------------------

Eve ning: Prapti Din | Kirtan Aradhana

A melodious musical evening celebrating the spiritual attainment of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and His Holiness Mahant

Swami Maharaj, in his divine presence

Time: 5 30 pm to 8 00 pm

--------------------We d 10 M ay

Puja Darshan

Time: 6 00 am to 7 30 am

---------------------

Th u 11 May

Puja Darshan

Time: 6 00 am to 7 30 am

---------------------

Fri 12 Ma y

Puja Darshan

Time: 6.00 am to 7.30 am

---------------------

Sat 13 May

Puja Darshan

Time: 6 00 am to 7 30 am

---------------------

Morning : Mahila Din | Sagpan Tam Sathe: A

Spiritual Bond that Defies Boundaries

Explore the divine relationship between female devotees and Bhagwan and the Guru through an enlightening programme of mono-acts, dramas, presentations and dances

In the presence of Shri Akshar-Purushottam

Maharaj

Time: 9 00 am to 12 00 pm

Sat 13 May

Eve ning: Family Din | Satsang at Home: A New Way Swami’s Way

What’s the most effective way to do satsang? At mandir, on our own, or with our family? Using technology or books?

Discover a new way to do satsang at home with our children, using Swami’s way

Time: 5 30 pm to 8 00 pm

Sun 14 Ma y

Puja Darshan

Priority seating for registered participants

Time: 6 00 am to 7 30 am

Sun 14 Ma y

Eve ning: Karyakar Din |

Mare Banvu Chhe Upasak

Karyakar

Through skits, panel dis-

cussions and motivational speeches along with an interactive session with Mahant Swami Maharaj, we learn from his vision of the ideal volunteer in the service of others

Time : 5 30 pm to 8 00 pm

Mo n 15 May

Mo rning: Mahila Bhakti

Din | Ekadashi Annakut

Utsav

A devotional offering of annakut by mahilas of all ages to Shri AksharPurushottam Maharaj on the auspicious day of Ekadashi

Time : 10 00 am to 12 00 pm ---------------------

Tue 16 May

Puja Darshan

Time : 6 00 am to 7 30 am

Ev ening : Yogi Jayanti | Amar a Jog i: Beyond the Smile

Celebrating the birth anniversary of His Holiness Yogiji Maharaj, visionary of Neasden Temple and guru of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, through a theatrical production incorporating unique eyewitness accounts

Time : 5 30 pm to 8 00 pm

Thu 18 M ay

Puja Darshan

Priority seating for registered participants

Time : 6 00 am to 7 30 am

Mo rning: Vadil Din | Jivandori Amāri: A Lifeline of Love

All over-65s are invited to join in a special ‘Jivit Kriya’ mahapuja in the presence of Shri AksharPurushottam Maharaj

Time : 9 30 am to 12 30 pm

Fr i 19 Ma y

Puja Darshan

Time : 6 00 am to 7 30 am

Ev ening : Celebrating British Hindu Contributions

An inspiring evening in the presence of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj bringing together diverse Hindu communities from around the UK to celebrate the wide array of contributions of British Hindus to the country

Priority seating for registered guests

Time: 5 30 pm to 8 00 pm

Scholarship for black students by Raheem Sterling

Premier League star Raheem Sterling has launched a sc holarship fund in a bi d to i ncreas e the number of Black British s tudents attending univers ity

Queer in the corporate chair : An interview with Radhika Piramal

Paramita Purkayastha

Radhi ka P iramal is th e Executive D irector and V i ce Ch ai rp e rso n o f V IP In du st rie s Limited Sh e is also o ne of the very few queer women in corpo rate wh o h ave not only been open abo ut their sexuali ty, but h ave also taken s tep s to ens u re gre ater ac cep tance of qu eer peop le in th e workplace While the Sup reme Cou rt of India is cu rrently h earing p etitio ns o n legaliz ing queer marriages, Radhika, who marri ed her partner Amanda in a civil union in London way back in 201 1, sp oke to Asi an Voice abo ut her j ourney to becoming a confident qu eer leader in corpo rate, the imp ortance o f diversity and inclusio n in the workplace, and her th ou gh ts o n marriage equality

Radhi ka's jou rney:

From the closet to the corporate chair, Radhika s steps were slow But each of them brought her closer to being a happier person About that journey, she had the following to tell us:

F o r t u n a t e l y , t h e y w e r e s u p p o r t i v e a n d inclusive We lived together as a couple in our family home and held our civil union a few years later in London in 2011 We chose to hold our ceremony in London because UK law specifically recognized LGBTQ+ couples Getting formally united under the law in front of hundreds of friends and family was a major public step My family were a little nervous about media scrutiny and societal backlash, but they ultimately wanted me to be happy, not lonely, and so they supported my civil union by attending it in full force

D &I fo r mo re sensitive corpo rates :

It turns out that some Indian media outlets publicised Radhika's queerness without her consent But Radhika, a scion of the P i r a m a l f a m i l y w h o s e f a t h e r i s t h e Chairman at VIP Industries, took that experience in her stride to build a culture where employees could bring their full selves to their workplace

India about the LGBTQ community Since then, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) efforts increased momentum across leading Indian companies D&I and HR leaders from companies across India highlight the importance of accepting all employees as equals who s h o u l d n o t f a c e a n y d i s c r i m i n a t i o n o r harassment just because they are different from the majority Many companies have incorporated this principle into their policies and processes The good news is that there are now many companies in India where LGBTQ+ employees can be out and proud, bringing their full authentic selves to work every day I am often invited to give D&I talks at leading companies, which I happily accept because I believe that being visible, vocal and out helps improve common perceptions of the LGBTQ+ community " Radh ika's tho ughts on queer marriages:

T h e C h e l s e a s t a r , w h o g r e w u p i n

Neasden and attended Copland School in Wembley, said that he hoped the initiative would be a “ game changer” The Raheem Sterling Foundation has partnered with the U n i v e r s i t y o f M a n c h e s t e r a n d K i n g ’ s College London to support 14 students with university scholarships

Applications will be open to young people in Greater Manchester and Greater L o n d o n , a n d f o u r s c h o l a r s h i p s , t w o a t

King’s and two at Manchester are available for 2023/24 It comes as High Education Statistics Agency figures showed just 8% of UK-domiciled students enrolled in 2021/22 were Black Sterling said: “This opportunity will help young people access further education and present them with experiences and opportunities that will enhance their future career prospects I hope this initiative will be a real game changer over the next few years and I am delighted to be working with two of the finest universities in the world I wish the recipients of our funding all the very best and look forward to meeting everyone on campus in Manchester and London later this year ”

For more information on the courses available, eligibility criteria, and application p r o c e s s , p l e a s e v i s i t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Manchester and King’s College London website

Harrow Illegal shisha lounge fined

The owner of an il legal shisha l ounge was ordered to pay more than £6,000 after ignoring an off icial warning to s top peopl e sm oking on the prem is es

M o h a m e d B e l m e j d o u b p u t u p a n enclosed canopy behind Vogue Lounge in High Street, Wealdstone, without planning permission and served shisha and tobacco

D u r i n g a v i s i t i n J a n u a r y , i n s p e c t o r s f o u n d c u s t o m e r s s m o k i n g s h i s h a i n t h e canopy, which had no opening for fresh air to get in and so was not compliant with The Health Act 2006

This meant that not only was it harmful to the health and wellbeing of customers and staff, it also exposed the public to second hand smoke

A promotional video also confirmed that the premises was being used for smoking shisha and other tobacco products – despite doing so in such an enclosed space being prohibited

At Willesden Magistrates’ Court on April 13, owner Mohamed Belmejdoub was found guilty in his absence of failing to stop a person smoking on the premises where he was a manager

He was fined £2500, and ordered to pay costs of £2,868 90 and a victim services surcharge of £1,000 - a total of £6,368 90

"Born in 1978 and growing up in the 1990s, being lesbian in India was a stigma This taboo existed partly because homosexual acts were deemed illegal under Section 377 until the historic Supreme Court judgment in 2018, and partly because families were afraid to accept homosexuality because of society’s judgement It took me twenty years to fully come out of the closet starting with me first telling my sister in confidence in 1995, all the way to me sharing my story publicly to the Indian media in 2015 at the Godrej Culture Lab in Mumbai There were many steps along the way such as attending public events as a couple, coming out at work, and being outed by the media Each time I took a step forward out of the closet, my life improved, as I shunned secrecy and sought respect from society Over the years I have moved from asking for tolerance to demanding acceptance and respect " So wh at gave her th e co nfidence to be o penly qu eer professionally?

"I realized I was lesbian in my early teens in the 1990s The first person I told was my older sister Aparna, followed by telling my parents, my cousin and a few close friends I studied at Harvard Business School from 2004- 2006 after which I worked at Bain and Co in New York One of the most respected and popular professors at Harvard Business School was an out-lesbian professor Bain had an internal LGBTQ employee resource group led by senior partners who were all out at work These senior and visible role models gave me the confidence to come out at university and work I met my partner Amanda in New York in 2007 and we moved to Mumbai in 2009 We made this decision only after a serious discussion with my parents, in which I explained that we would return to India only if they were comforta b l e w i t h u s b e i n g o u t a s a c o u p l e

Miscarried woman fined for claiming free prescription

A woman who mi scarr ied was fined by t h e N H S f o r cl a i m i ng a f r e e pre scri pti on whi le pre gna nt S a d i e H a w k e s , 3 3 , l o s t h e r b a b y before she had received the maternity exemption certificate that entitled her to free prescriptions throughout her pregnancy

D u e t o t h e p a i n a n d t r a u m a o f m i s c a r r y i n g , s h e d i d n ’ t a t t e n d h e r s c h e d u l e d a p p o i n t m e n t w i t h h e r midwife to collect the certificate

Three months later, she was fined a n d c h a r g e d t h e p r i c e o f t h e medication

"My civil union was reported in the Indian tabloids, which is exactly what my parents were afraid of, and which overnight made my relationship very public At first, I was nervous about public opinion, but ultimately being out in the press enabled me to come out to colleagues at work and take charge of my own story It took some time to sensitize colleagues and teams in VIP Luggage that being lesbian is natural and normal, because this subject is not usually discussed in the Indian workplace I’m lucky that my family supported me instead of judging me, and my father didn’t feel that my sexuality affected my professionalism "

"The Supreme Court’s landmark decis i o n t o d e c r i m i n a l i s e h o m o s e x u a l a c t s between consenting adults in 2018 significantly helped educate public opinion in

Being educated in Oxford and Harvard herself, how does she deal with those arguing that queerness and queer unions are incompatible with 'traditional' Indian values?

"I explain to employees that although I may be “western” because of my Oxford and Harvard education, and part of the “urban elite” as I was born in Mumbai from a prominent business family, I still want the same fundamental rights as any other member of the heterosexual majority, including the right to marry Marriage is such an essential part of family life in India that excluding LGBTQ couples from marriage e x c l u d e s u s f r o m s o c i e t y i t s e l f B e i n g allowed to marry under the protection of the law will enable our sense of belonging and help us gain the acceptance we are seeki n g i n s o c i e t y , r e g a r d l e s s o f o u r b a c kground "

* ASTHMA

* ALLERGY

* SKIN PROBLEMS

* ACNE

* PSORIASIS

* SNEEZING

* ECZEMA

* MIGRAINE

* VITILIGO

* MEMORY LOSS

* INSOMNIA

* ANXIETY, STRESS

* JOINT PAINS

* BACK PAIN

* ARTHRITIS

* SCIATICA

* GAS TROUBLE

* CONSTIPATION

* ULCER, ACIDITY

* DIABETES

* BLOOD PRESSURE

* HAIR PROBLEMS

* THYROID

* LIVER PROBLEMS

* WEIGHT LOSS

* WEIGHT GAIN

* SEXUAL PROBLEMS

* ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

* INFERTILITY, PCOD

* PREMATURE EJACULATION

* LADIES

*

Is Britain sick man of Europe!

I distinctly remember the late seventies and early eighties when the country was plunged into relentless strikes, country held to ransom by the action of one influential, left leaning leader of Miners’ Union, namely one and only Arthur Scargill His strike action was against the closure of loss making and low productive coal mines, especially in North England But mines were closed under both Labour and Conservative governments, from 1947 to 1979

It was a time when government wanted to move away from polluting coal to much cleaner gas and nuclear energy, much cleaner but more expensive way to produce energy, as the cost of building and especially decommissioning nuclear reactors safely at the end of their working life was considerable

As there was no law against secondary picketing, miners picketed power stations, coal depots and hold country to ransom, making us laughing stock in Europe, forcing the government to introduce three day week, bringing Lady Margaret Thatcher to power, one of the most right wing but popular PM in history

Perhaps history is repeating itself We are more or less in the same situation with widespread strikes in vast and varied professions, notably nurses and junior doctors who had never strike before Who is stroking the culture of putting down tools, inconveniencing millions of ordinary people and patients missing appointments with longest waiting list in NHS history?

Although there is no Arthur Scargill, there is no shortage of militants either among Trade Unions or more accurately among various organizations, fighting foe for one cause or another, especially environment related issues close to the heart of most British people The double figure inflation has also paid its, as people are struggling to put food on the table

I will not be surprised if Tories win the next general election, they may ban strike among key workers, especially in medical fields that affect the people most, in line with police and army who are not allowed to strike Perhaps the next election will be the most important election since the end of WW2!

Bhu pendra M Gandhi

Tendulkar turns 50

Sir,

“Challenges and advantages of being the most populous” in Asian Voice 29 Apr to 5 May 2023 gives a nice balance of facts and looks at the holistic view of the present situation as well the likely challenges of the future

As mentioned in the article, India will have the largest pool of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) with 47% STEM women graduates STEM subjects are going to be the backbone of any economy in the future especially as the world is looking towards enormous use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) Based on the above, there is no harm in saying that India will be in a commanding position Regrettably, we have to note that some European countries including the UK are unable to keep pace with STEM subjects Recently our prime minister Rishi Sunak expressed concerns about the current situation of maths in the UK

Since India has the potential for domestic consumption, the population will be a blessing and not a curse This is not to say that there will not be any challenges They will be there First and foremost will be to provide jobs to aspiring youth They will expect better facilities and a better quality of life Due to the digital era, they know what is going on around the world so they will expect better and more advanced things in terms of infrastructure and education

There will be lots of negative publicity about India regarding the nonavailability of jobs to the right people, pathetic hygiene situation, rapes of girls and other things by the media including the BBC and other renowned newspapers This is because of the Lok Sabha election in 2024 As usual, they will be using an eagle eye to give a magnified view to the world about what Narendra Modi has not done or could not do for India Definitely, people around the world and the business fraternity know that India is the fifth-largest economy based on democratic pillars and a solid economic foundation Negative publicity will not yield any results for the people with vested interests

Hitesh Hingu London

Neighbours’ fight hits resident with huge losses

A coup le wh o built on their neig hbours’ g arden, then told them “ go to cou rt” hav e been ord ered to d em olish th eir £8 0,0 00 extension and hand ed £20 0,0 00 in leg al bills

Shabaz Ashraf, 45, and his wife Shakira, 40, were told by a judge to tear apart the extension to their £700,000 London home because it was built just over two inches too close to their neighbours’ house T h e c o u p l e e s t i m a t e s t h e y s p e n t £ 8 0 , 0 0 0 r i p p i n g d o w n a 1970s extension at the back of their h o u s e i n R i d g e w a y G a r d e n s , Redbridge, and replacing it with a modern one, only to have the cou-

Kapil D udakia

Gareth Unmasked K A P I L’ S K H I C H A D I

BRE A KI NG NEW S: I have just seen a letter from Truptiben Patel, the President of the HFB, to Keir Starmer In her letter she talks about a conversation she had with Gareth Thomas in which she states, ‘At one point in the conversation Gareth said, ‘I am unfortunate enough to represent a significant section of the Gujarati community in my constituency' This is devastating news How can Gareth Thomas, the Labour Party Shadow Minister for Trade say that it is rather unfortunate he has to represent Gujaratis? Truptiben goes on to remind Keir, ‘Would it be acceptable if Gareth had said, ‘I am unfortunate enough to represent the Jewish community'? Or ‘I am unfortunate enough to represent the Muslim community'? Recently we have seen the race fiasco emerge again in Labour forcing Keir to take the whip away from Diane Abbot And now we have another Labour MP, telling us that it’s unfortunate he has to represent his Gujarati constituents On what planet are these Labour politicians living on? Antisemitism and anti-Hindu sentiments seem to be fuelling the very essence of this party

Gareth has brought his office into disrepute He has broken the parliamentary code of conduct He has in fact made the Gujarati community into a group he tolerates just to be their MP He is unfit to hold any public office Truptiben rightly points out to Keir, ‘As the leader of the Labour Party, you also have responsibilities and we believe you need to remove Gareth from your Shadow Cabinet, along with taking away the Labour whip’ Of course, if Gareth has any honour left, or any sense of duty or responsibility, then he should resign and offer an unreserved apology to the Gujarati community

I am also sure there will be some who will try to undermine Truptiben, and to tarnish her reputation

We have seen such attacks on Priti Patel, Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman and many others before, and quite often from the same vested individuals and groups

Exclusive to Asian Voice, I spoke to Truptiben at length It seems during the said conversation with Gareth, there was indeed a witness who was also present and heard the conversation Therefore, it seems there is clear evidence to support the contents of her letter to Keir Starmer

APPG Gujarati Update: I was able to get to the launch event and observe for myself what happened It was held in the Atlee Suite with a capacity of 125 In my estimation I believe around 85 people were in attendance

I took the opportunity to speak to some in the queue, and followed this up when we were in the event room It transpires that many were family, friends, or Labour members I could not find anyone representing any of the recognised national organisations

Of course, Truptiben Patel of HFB and Pravinbhai Amin of NAPS were present, but they came to lodge their official objection to the APPG It became clear that Gareth had no intention of allowing anyone to speak or to even ask questions In fact, at one point in his speech he made a song and dance about the president of one of the smaller organisations attending, ignoring the fact that Truptiben Patel and Pravinbhai Amin were literally a few feet away from him I had to intervene and point this out to him - at which point in his embarrassment he had no choice but to recognise them One must wonder what kind of APPG is being created which they cannot value and respect the leaders of our organisations?

in the public domain, the fact that we have to keep asking for such basic information suggests you have much to hide

It was left for me to intervene and ask Bob Blackman his thoughts on the fact that almost every major national organisation had rejected the APPG Bob in his candid style made it clear that he was also very unhappy with the poor communications that had taken place That is code by a politician I guess to tell the listener that he was uncomfortable with the whole set up and how the secretariat and Gareth had conducted themselves A word of advice to Bob, if you stay too long with this madness, don’t be too surprised if it affects you also

The launch was a shambles Most who attended, represented only themselves or their own business interest Mahendra Sinh Jadeja was seen to be prominent, but it seems his interest might have been to promote a business enterprise that he is involved with A group of Punjabis were also present, but then I heard from a source that the creation of an APPG for British Punjabis was now on the cards There are now mutt e r i n g s t h a t s o m e p o l i t i c i a n s a r e c o n t e m p l a t i n g A P P G ’ s f o r T a m i l s , M a h a r a s h t r i a n s , B e n g a l i s , Rajasthanis etc If Indians cannot see the madness of this divide and rule policy of the Labour Party, God help us

Whilst many people might be focussed on the Hindu and Jain Gujarati community from India, it’s also important to note that Gujarat has a sizeable Muslim community as well Also, did you know that in Pakistan it is estimated that there are some 3 5m Gujarati Muslims? I am sure Pakistani Gujaratis in the UK will also want to be accommodated and not i g n o r e d A f t e r a l l , t h e A P P G i s n o t l i m i t e d t o Gujaratis from India alone

Of course, if I was very picky, I could point out to Gareth that when they started the event, there were only two MPs in attendance Part way through two more joined them, and then a Lord Interestingly, NOT one MP or Peer of Indian origin who were part of this APPG originally, turned up That's right, missing in action were Shailesh Vara, Virendra Sharma and Navendu Mishra With respect to Lord Dholakia, I am pleased to inform you that on Gujarat Day, he has decided to withdraw himself from APPG I commend Navnitbhai for siding with the community

Y o u s h o u l d a l s o k n o w t h e n a m e s o f t h o s e involved with this APPG madness: Sanjay Jagatia, M a h e n d r a s i n h J a d e j a , A j a y C h a u r a s i a , M u n a Chauhan, Pragna Hay, Sanjay Rughani, Jeet Rughani, Raj Mistry, Pramod Thakkar, Amit Karia and Amit Chandarana that I am aware of I was also surprised to see Meena Jasani President of the Lohana community of North London and Ajay Jobanputra President of the Lohana Community of South London in attendance They will need to explain to their membership why they wanted to be part of the tukde tukde gang

I commend Lord Popat because he is the only peer who wrote to Gareth objecting to the formation of the APPG

p l e n e x t d o o r - f o r m e r f r i e n d s

Avtar Dhinjan and wife Balvindercomplain that it was millimetres over the boundary between their properties

Mr and Mrs Dhinjan, backed by their son Gurpreet, said the new extension strayed 68mm or 2 68 inches onto their land with an overhang at roof level 98mm or 3 86 inches the wrong side of the line

Mr Dhinjan, a former Ford car plant worker, said his neighbours “intended to annoy ” him and his family by building over the boundary between their homes in 2019

Apart from the normal rhetoric, Gareth was not able to produce any information on who they had consulted, or how many organisations had given their blessing and so on At one point they said this was in the making for more than a year Really? And during this period, they could not find the time to consult any of our leading organisations? The facts are that most of our organisations have written to him and rejected the APPG as divisive

Open challenge to Gareth Thomas: You have been asked time and again, please provide a full list of every organisation you consulted and the criteria for selecting them Provide a full list of all individuals you have consulted and why? And provide copies of all letters of support you have received What we are asking for is standard practice This should already be

P r a v i n b h a i A m i n , P r e s i d e n t o f N a t i o n a l Association of Patidar Samaj asked a very serious question to Gareth, ‘Gareth - lots of organisations have not been contacted and when we mention this to the Secretariat, he said if we do not invite him, he will not invite us That is not right ’ Gareth deflected the question, but I was left utterly shocked I had a chat with Pravinbhai later to confirm the details Can you imagine, here we have the secretariat (Sanjay Jagatia) of this unwanted APPG, that now appears to be practicing partiality In effect, if you do them a favour, then they will invite you to their group This is not an APPG for Gujaratis, this is an APPG for family and friends of those who set it up I wonder who would support such morally and ethically suspect practices? At the very least, it is clear Sanjay Jagatia is unfit to be the secretariat

Much has happened in one week

The issues arising are not only serious, but they are also having a direct impact on the whole Indian community

There is also a lesson for the people of Harrow West (and indeed all Gujaratis across the nation) that if they had any self-worth, how on earth can they allow those who exhibit such prejudice to exploit them so openly?

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

Crisis in Sudan: Operation Kaveri brings stranded Indians home

ened by military air strikes over RSF positions in densely populated urban areas, with both sides fighting pitched battles on the streets using guns and artillery fire

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 o n l y t h e s e c o n d w o m a n H i g h Commissioner to the UK since India’s independence and during her tenure, she w i t n e s s e d a n u m b e r o f s i g n i f i c a n t developments in the UK-India relations

@RuchiGhanashyam

On1 5 A p r il 2 0 2 3, an o n go i ng r iv a l ry betw een Sudan’s two to p generals, army chief, Abdel F attah al-Burh an and his f o rm e r d ep u ty a n d c h ie f o f t h e Ra p i d Sup po rt F orces (RSF ), bro ke o ut into op en warfare between forces loyal to th e two generals , engu lfing th e cou ntry into dangero us warfare The c onflict between the army and th e RSF erup ted into intensely viol ent op en battl es in the s treets of Kh artoum – with tro op s, tanks and planes

The tipping point was a dispute over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army This was a key condition for a deal t o r e s t o r e S u d a n ’ s d e m o c r a t i c t r a n s i t i o n which was awaited since the government led by former president Omar Al-Bashir was toppled by the military in April 2019 following mass protest in the country The two generals had joined forces to oust a civilian government installed after the downfall of the Bashir government Thereafter, they turned on each other Ferocious clashes between the country’s army and paramilitary force, the RSF, have been going on ever since

The RSF grew out of, and is primarily composed of, the Janjaweed militias These were used by the government of Sudan to stifle a rebellion in the Darfur region in the e a r l y 2 0 0 0 s T h e t u s s l e b e t w e e n t h e Sudanese army and the RSF is of recent origin; until a few years ago they were allies In 2022, a framework deal to put power back in the hands of civilians was agreed Tensions increased over the demand for the RSF’s integration into the Sudanese military In April 2023, Dagalo mobilized the RSF against al-Burhan’s government The fighting that broke out in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, on April 15 quickly escalated to other parts of the country Much of the conflict is happening in densely populated urban areas, as RSF forces moved into these areas Civilians, thus, become victims of the conflict A large number of people are reported to have died, with dead bodies littering the streets, as people struggle with acute shortages of food, water, medicines, electricity and virtually everything else Tens of thousands of civilians have been trying to escape the fierce fighting amidst escalating violence, wors-

A crisis such as this throws even the most well prepared set ups out of gear Even though all Indian missions have updated contingency plans and make efforts to keep in touch with Indian nations residing in the country, the sudden outbreak of intense fighting within the capital city of Khartoum i t s e l f , m e a n t t h a t t h e s i t u a t i o n i n i t i a l l y required monitoring, as anything else was virtually impossible The Indian government and the embassy monitored the developments closely and carefully The embassy managed to establish contact and create netw o r k s w i t h I n d i a n s i n S u d a n , i n c l u d i n g PIOs Amidst heavy fighting, and after several failed attempts to enforce a ceasefire, there was eventually a ceasefire with sporadic fighting restricted to some areas only This was the window everybody was waiting for!

T h e G o v e r n m e n t o f I n d i a l a u n c h e d Operation Kaveri, an effort to help, assist and bring back the stranded Indians stuck in the conflict zone in Sudan Each step of the evacuation process was a challenge The port area from where rescue operations could t a k e p l a c e w a s a b o u t 8 5 0 k m s f r o m Khartoum Indian nationals were stuck not just in various parts of Khartoum but also in other parts of Sudan Communication was a challenge, with network problems and lack of electricity in many places Finding buses to transport the Indians in their large numbers, and then diesel for the buses to travel 850 kms was another almost insurmountable challenge that the hardworking staff of the embassy managed to accomplish Movement was invariably restricted to the darkness of n i g h t f o r s a f e t y r e a s o n s T w o o f f i c i a l s accompanied each bus Consular facilities were provided to those who needed them as many would have been unable to bring even their travel documents due to the prevailing crisis Arrangements were also made at the port area for the waiting Indian nationals and their families Similar arrangements w e r e m a d e b y t h e I n d i a n C o n s u l a t e i n J e d d a h f r o m w h e r e t h e s t r a n d e d p e o p l e finally travelled home

At the time of writing, around 3000 people had been evacuated from Sudan safely The 16th batch of evacuees, including senior citizens, had left Sudan on an Indian Air Force C-130J flight bound for Jeddah with 122 passengers Indian ships and aircraft have been ferrying the stranded Indians back to their motherland through extremely dangerous conditions,

The bravery and courage of the service personnel have helped the lives of their compatriots stranded in Sudan

Sudan is, unfortunately, no stranger to conflict Civil war, conflict, coups and fighting ensured that the third largest African c o u n t r y , w e l l e n d o w e d w i t h n a t u r a l resources, has one of the poorest populations in Africa As Indian nationals reach the safety of their motherland, it is hoped that good sense will prevail in Sudan and that the people of Sudan will see the return of peace at the earliest Failure can be catastrophic not just for Sudan but would also put at risk the countries of the region

Detective told to pay £20k

T h e Me t r o p ol i t a n P ol i ce ha ve b een accused of a “chil ling” move to det er whistl eb l ow e r s a f t e r d e ci di n g t o p u r su e l e ga l cos t s fr o m a d e t e c ti v e wh o b r o ug h t a n e mpl oy ment tribuna l ca se Kam Sodhi, a homicide detective, claimed she was harassed on grounds of her race and sex and that she had been victimised by the Met She took the case to the tribunal last year, where it was successfully defended by the force T h e M e t , w h e r e S o d h i still works, is now seeking

Cost of living crisis forcing many older to stay in work

British workers are increasin g ly l ik el y to w o rk in to th ei r 7 0 s , ac c o rd i ng to res ea rc h r ele as ed o n International Workers’ Day that found the cost of living crisis h as left older people with little ch oice bu t to stay in employment

There were 446,601 people above the age of 70 still in work last year, a rise of 61% compared with 277,926 in 2012, said Rest Less, an online community for the over-50s that offers advice to older workers

While most of the over70s workforce is male, the rise has been steeper among w o m e n , m o s t l i k e l y i n r e s p o n s e t o t h e g r a d u a l

equalisation of pension ages

b e t w e e n 2 0 1 0 a n d 2 0 2 0

W o m e n w e r e p r e v i o u s l y able to retire five years earlier

The number of women working beyond the age of

7 0 i s u p 6 6 % s i n c e 2 0 1 2 , compared with an increase of 58% for men

The state pension age in

the UK is 66 for men and women but is due to start rising from 2026 From May 2026, pensionable age will rise to 67 for those born on or after April 1960 Further rises have been predicted for a f t e r t h e g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n next year, potentially affecting millions of people born in the 1970s

Danger of millions of giant super-rats

Th e UK is facing a p lague o f 3 0 0 m i ll i on g i ant super-rats who are able to c h ew t h ro u g h c o ncrete – as o ne is spotted “outside a M cDonald ’ s ” A large rodent is said t o h a v e b e e n s p o t t e d s c u r r y i n g a b o u t a McDonald’s car park in T o r y g l e n , s o u t h Glasgow The TikTok user k n o w n a s “ L e y a n n e o r r ” shared the footage with her followers a few days ago and had already picked up more than 150 comments In the

brief clip the woman starts off by saying: “Oh my God, we have just been in the McDonald’s in Toryglen ” A man, off screen, can then be heard laughing as

the woman added: “It’s not funny Wait until you s e e t h i s ” T h e f o o t a g e then cuts to a bin with some small plants not to it, as the camera zooms i n o n t h e p l a n t s a r a t then darts out and runs across the car park and along the kerb before the footage ends E x p e r t s h a v e p u t t h e growing rodent population down to our unhealthy diet o f c a l o r i e - l a d e n f a s t f o o d with the rats feasting on the leftovers

£20,000 in costs from her I t i s a n u n u s u a l m o v e that the Metropolitan Black Police Association (MetBPA) claimed would have a “chilling effect” on whistleblowi n g C h a r l e s E h i k i o y a , t h e

M e t B P A c h a i r m a n , s a i d

Sodhi had a legitimate right to bring a case to tribunal and that she had raised serious issues of concern

He said pursuing her for costs would deter victims of discrimination and wrongdoing from coming forward

“It flies in the face of what the leadership are telling the

public that they want officers to come forward and report what is really going on, ” Ehikioya said

The move comes after a report by Baroness Casey of B l a c k s t o c k c o n c l u d e d i n M a r c h t h a t t h e f o r c e w a s

institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic

S i r M a r k R o w l e y , t h e M e t r o p o l i t a n P o l i c e c o mmissioner, said in response to the report that he fully accepted the “diagnosis” but r e f u s e d t o u s e t h e t e r m “ i n s t i t u t i o n a l ” , c l a i m i n g i t was ambiguous and political

British Asians thrilled to celebrate King Charles III

The British Asian community is marking this historic moment and celebrating with the King and his family in their own unique ways

T h e A n o o p a m M i s s i o n i s celebrating the coronation of King Charles III through their Bake-off c o m p e t i t i o n – B a k e a n E g g l e s s c a k e o r t r e a t s T h e m i s s i o n i s h o s t i n g a t e a p a r t y s e r v i n g a s e l e c t i o n o f v e g e t a r i a n refreshments on Sunday 7th May 2023 from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm at W e s t e r n A v e n u e , D e n h a m , Uxbridge, UB9 4NA While some will be virtually joining the big day from India, British Indians have big plans, including The Big Help O u t w e e k e n d t o r e j o i c e i n t h e K i n g ’ s c o r o n a t i o n T h o r r u n Govind, Pharmacist and Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England told Asian Voice that s h e w i l l b e w o r k i n g o v e r t h e Coronation weekend, helping look after patients - as a pharmacist “I will be looking forward to catching up on the Coronation and hope I can one day meet King Charles again!” she said

T h e f i r s t p r o c e s s i o n s i n t o Westminster Abbey will be made u p o f F a i t h L e a d e r s a n d F a i t h Representatives followed shortly afterwards by representatives from His Majesty’s Realms Flags of each Realm will be carried by national r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s a c c o m p a n i e d b y the Governors-General and Prime Ministers Bearing the Flag of the United Kingdom ahead of Prime M i n i s t e r R i s h i S u n a k a n d M r s A k s h a t a M u r t y w i l l b e C a d e t

Warrant Officer Elliott Tyson-Lee

T h e K i n g w i l l a p p e a r o n t h e b a l c o n y a f t e r h e h a s b e e n

crowned The Queen Consortw h o w i l l b e k n o w n s i m p l y a s Queen Camilla after the crowning ceremony - and the Prince and P r i n c e s s o f W a l e s a n d t h e i r children are likely to join him The exclusive polling by YouGov for The Times comes as Buckingham P a l a c e c o n f i r m e d t h a t t h e congregation of more than 2,200 p e o p l e f o r t h e c o r o n a t i o n a t Westminster Abbey would include r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s f r o m 2 0 3 c o u n t r i e s , i n c l u d i n g a b o u t 1 0 0 heads of state alongside charity and community champions

T he Big Help Out

The Big Help Out, which has been announced by the Palace as part of the Coronation festivities, i s a h u g e p u b l i c e n g a g e m e n t campaign to promote, champion a n d s h o w c a s e v o l u n t e e r i n g o n Monday 8 May Organised by the T o g e t h e r c o a l i t i o n , p a r t n e r s i n c l u d e s o m e o f t h e b i g g e s t c h a r i t i e s i n t h e U K i n c l u d i n g NCVO, Royal Voluntary Service, Scouts, Girl Guiding, NSPCC and many others

The weekend is not just about t h e C o r o n a t i o n c e r e m o n y a t Westminster Abbey on Saturday, important as that is, but also gives us the opportunity for everyone to b e a c t i v e c i t i z e n s a n d c o m e together as a nation Hindu and other faith communities already p l a y a n o u t s i z e d r o l e i n t h e country’s volunteering efforts and are set to be a pivotal part of the Big Help Out

This campaign is so important because, ultimately, volunteering has a triple benefit It’s positive for the charities and beneficiaries who receive the support Many of the

168,000 charities in England and Wales are heavily dependent on volunteers It’s also good for the volunteers themselves Research repeatedly shows that there are health and social benefits to giving your time to help others In a recent survey carried out by the NCVO, 77% of volunteers reported that volunteering improved their m e n t a l h e a l t h a n d w e l l - b e i n g , while 53% saw benefits to their physical health Significantly, 77% of people aged 18-24 also said that volunteering made them feel less isolated

The event at the Passage in April brought together religious and community leaders from the Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Buddhist communities

T h i s w a s a c c o m p a n i e d b y statements of support from over 30 religious leaders from all over the UK

When it comes to Big Help

O u t ’ s o b j e c t i v e i s t o p r o m o t e volunteering, where many faith

Senior faith and belief leaders i n B r i t a i n h a v e v o i c e d s t r o n g support for the Big Help Out and urged their communities to take p a r t i n v o l u n t e e r i n g a c t i v i t i e s during Coronation Bank Holiday on 8 May Some of the faith and c o m m u n i t y l e a d e r s w h o h a v e voiced support for Big Help Out a r e R a j n i s h K a s h y a p , G e n e r a l Secretary, of Hindu Council UK, T r u p t i P a t e l , P r e s i d e n t o f t h e Hindu Forum of Britain, The Lord

BAPS Charities The clean up of the area surrounding the bowling green at a local Bowling & Croquet

C l u b a n d s p r u c e u p o f t h e c l u b h o u s e l e d b y t h e H i n d u

Swayamsevak Sangh Volunteers in Barnet

The serving of 300+ hot meals, t e a a n d c o f f e e , n o n - p e r i s h a b l e s and provisions to the homeless community and anyone in need in London by NishkamSWAT Food preparation and delivery to those in need led by the Sikh Charity

Feed My City Manchester The c o o k i n g a n d p a c k a g i n g o f h u n d r e d s o f h o t m e a l s t o b e d i s t r i b u t e d t o t h e h o m e l e s s i n

London led by Central Gurdwara

London A gardening project and mural painting on the wall of an electricity power station led by the N o r t h e r n I r e l a n d I n t e r f a i t h

Forum

British Indians invited to attend the Coronation ceremony

In addition, 400 young people r e p r e s e n t i n g c h a r i t a b l e organisations, nominated by The King and The Queen Consort and the UK Government, will have the o p p o r t u n i t y t o w a t c h t h e

C o r o n a t i o n S e r v i c e a n d

P r o c e s s i o n f r o m S t M a r g a r e t ’ s Church, Westminster Abbey, by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Young p o e t , t h e B e n g a l i g i r l f r o m Birmingham Iona M andal, is one of the invitees at St Margaret’s

C h u r c h , w h o r e c e i v e d h e r invitation through the National

L i t e r a c y T r u s t , a f t e r b e i n g n o m i n a t e d f o r t h e C o r o n a t i o n Champion Award by the Trust

M eena Upadhyaya OBE PhD

edited five books

She sits on the Royal College of P a t h o l o g i s t s ( R C P a t h ) R e g i o n a l Wales Council, the EDI network of R C P a t h , E u r o p e a n N e u r o f i b r o m a t o s i s ( N F ) G r o u p She is a trustee and member of the M e d i c a l A d v i s o r y B o a r d o f t h e Nerve Tumours, UK, and a nonexecutive director of the Welsh Government Civil Service Board She has also contributed to the All Wales COVID-19 Workforce Risk Assessment Tool She was awarded t h e I n s p i r e W a l e s , t h e N F European Prize, and Saint David Award

She is a trustee for REF, RCC, Monumental Welsh Women and P u r p l e P l a q u e s M e e n a w a s a mentor for Women in Public Life, W e n W a l e s , E Y S T a n d W e l s h g o v e r n m e n t A s a f o u n d e r a n d chairperson of the EMWWAA and E M W W H , M e e n a i s p a s s i o n a t e a b o u t p r o m o t i n g e q u a l i t y , d i v e r s i t y , i n c l u s i o n , c o m m u n i t y c o h e s i o n , a n d i n t e g r a t i o n ; a n d recently co-edited Seventy Years of S t r u g g l e a n d A c h i e v e m e n t - l i f e stories of ethnic minority women in Wales, published by Parthian Harilal Narand as Patel BEM ,

communities wish to be involved

F i r s t , H i n d u a n d o t h e r f a i t h t r a d i t i o n s p r o m o t e , i n t h e i r scriptures, kindness and service to others, which is the concept of SEWA Secondly, there is ample e v i d e n c e t o s h o w t h a t f a i t h communities volunteer at higher rates compared to the rest of the population Churches, mosques,

s y n a g o g u e s , g u r d w a r a s , t e m p l e s and other places of worship act as hubs for volunteering

F o r a l l t h e s e r e a s o n s , f a i t h organisations look set to play a significant role in The Big Help

O u t T h e H i n d u c o m m u n i t y i s organising various events such as Sewa Day are doing Soup/Sewa kitchens in various cities BAPS

Charities and NSPCC are working together on the "Listen Up Speak Up" online training that NSPCC are offering as part of the Big Help

O u t T h e y w i l l a l s o o r g a n i s e H e a l t h S c r e e n i n g f o r t h e c o m m u n i t y , o f f e r e d b y B A

S i n g h o f W i m b l e d o n C B E , D i r e c t o r a t N e t w o r k o f S i k h Organisations, Jasvir Singh CBE, C h a i r o f C i t y S i k h s , N a t i o n a l Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is o f t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m a n d P r o f e s s o r A j a y S h a h , C h a i r o f Trustees of the Jain Network Faith Com munities acro ss the U K unite in support of the Big Help Out

F a i t h c o m m u n i t i e s a c r o s s B r i t a i n a r e c o m i n g t o g e t h e r t o organise volunteering initiatives o n C o r o n a t i o n B a n k H o l i d a y Monday 8 May as part of the Big Help Out This comes as leaders f r o m U K f a i t h c o m m u n i t i e s (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, S i k h , B u d d h i s t , B a h á ’ í , J a i n , Zoroastrian) have signed an open letter in support of the campaign and called for their communities to take part in the Big Help Out

The open letter in support of the Big Help Out pays tribute to His Majesty the King’s lifetime of public service stating: Free health s c r e e n i n g c h e c k s f o r t h e community led by volunteers from

F R C P a t h F L S W i s a n E m e r i t a Professor of Medical Genetics at Cardiff University, an honorary

P r o f e s s o r o f P r a c t i c e a t t h e

UWTDS, an honorary Professor of Genetics at Kochi, India, a visiting Professor at Ganga Ram Institute

o f P o s t g r a d u a t e M e d i c a l

Education and Research in Delhi and an international advisor for the organisation of rare diseases, India

S h e h a s m a d e s u b s t a n t i a l

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

c o n d i t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g

N e u r o f i b r o m a t o s i s T y p e 1 a n d F a c i o s c a p u l o h u m e r a l m u s c u l a r dystrophy and published over 200 papers, 26 book chapters and co-

of Cardiff, has been invited to the Coronation of their Majesties King Charles lll and Queen Camilla at the Church of Westminster on the 6th day of May 2023 H a r i l a l h a s s e r v e d h i s community as a volunteer since he arrived as a Ugandan Refugee in 1 9 7 2 H e i s a T r u s t e e a n d a f o u n d e r m e m b e r o f S a n a t a n D h a r m a M a n d a l & H i n d u C o m m u n i t y C e n t r e ( S D M & HCC), since 1984, giving voluntary services to the community He r a i s e d t h e p r o f i l e o f t h e organization and integrated it into the Welsh Society

Harilal was born in Uganda

At the age of 3, he lost his father At 12 years old he had to balance school and work to support his family He got married in 1970 and came to the UK in 1972, penniless Arriving in the UK he went to a camp in Yeovil In search of a job, he moved to Cardiff and worked in a p e t r o l s t a t i o n , e v e n t u a l l y managing and owning some of the sites He employed staff from all b a c k g r o u n d s i n c l u d i n g d r u g addicts and ex-offenders with the aim of changing their lives for the better He also trained people,

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Meena Upadhyaya OBE

Harilal Narandas Patel BEM

Historic Coronation vestments that will be used by The King at the Coronation Service

helping them get various jobs in the process

He was also a prominent member of the business community, providing guidance to b u d d i n g e n t r e p r e n e u r s a n d s t a r t i n g a business club He was a chairman of the BP Retailers Club with his expertise earned him BP holidays in many countries

In 2021, Harilal was recognised with the award of a British Empire Medal for the Services to Community Cohesion in Cardiff in the New Year Honours list

R e c e i v i n g t h i s h o n o u r , H a r i l a l s a i d , “Success is never a one-man show, but is the efforts and sacrifices of so many behind the scenes I would therefore like to thank my family members, friends and volunteers for their unconditional support In particular, I am very grateful to my late mother who i n s t i l l e d g o o d q u a l i t i e s i n m e I ' m n o t convinced that I've done anything to deserve such an accolade but it does reflect the kindness and generosity of the people I'm surrounded by In this, I feel truly blessed and am proud to serve the community at large ”

Focus on Anglo-Ind ian cuisine at the UK's old est Ind ian restaurant

The coronation ceremony has shifted focus to the historic milestone of AngloIndian cuisine at the UK's oldest Indian restaurant According to PTI, Veeraswamy, dating back to 1926, is located in the heart of L o n d o n a n d h a s t h i s m o n t h b e e n s p o t l i g h t i n g t h e c u l i n a r y i n t e r a c t i o n between Britain and India that has shaped UK gastronomy against the backdrop of the Coronation on May 6

E n t r e p r e n e u r C a m e l l i a P a n j a b i a n d I n d i a n c u l i n a r y h i s t o r i a n a n d a u t h o r A n o o t h i V i s h a l a r e e x p l o r i n g t h e r o y a l antecedents of Indian food in Britain that date back to King Charles' ancestor Queen Victoria in the 19th century King Charles I I I ’ s r o y a l d i s h h a s b e e n n a m e d a

"Coronation Quiche" for the Coronation Big Lunch street picnic party element of the celebratory weekend Th e congreg ation at Westminster A bbey for the coronation of their m ajesties the king and the queen consort T h e C o r o n a t i o n S e r v i c e o f T h e i r

Majesties The King and The Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey will be attended by a congregation of more than 2,200 people Guests attending will include Members of the Royal Family, as well as international r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s f r o m 2 0 3 c o u n t r i e s , including approximately 100 Heads of State, a l o n g s i d e c o m m u n i t y a n d c h a r i t y champions

One of the patronage attendees will be Sourabh Phadke from Mumbai, who is a graduate of both The Prince’s Foundation’s Building Craft Programme and The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts He was part of the cohort of students who c o m p l e t e d t h e “ l i v e b u i l d ” o f t h e summerhouse at the heart of Hillsborough Castle’s walled garden in 2018-19 Before a r r i v i n g t o s t u d y a t D u m f r i e s H o u s e , Sourabh, now 37, led a nomadic existence, moving from one community to another to lead education in science and social studies and using his architecture degree and skills in earth building to help communities plan and build housing and school facilities

T h e P r i n c e ’ s T r u s t I n t e r n a t i o n a l attendee will also include G ulfs ha from India, who was awarded The Prince’s Trust Global Award in 2022 in recognition of her e x c e p t i o n a l d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d achievements demonstrated through her participation in the Get Into programme in I n d i a D e l i v e r e d b y T h e P r i n c e ’ s T r u s t

I n t e r n a t i o n a l p a r t n e r M a g i c B u s I n d i a Foundation, Gulfsha completed the Get Into programme she had heard about at college L e a r n i n g v i a a n o n l i n e e n v i r o n m e n t , Gulfsha honed a range of workplace skills and successfully interviewed for her firstever job She now works for a consultancy f i r m , p r o v i d i n g p r i c e e s t i m a t e s f o r

construction projects

Jay P atel from Prince’s Trust Canada is a resilient individual who overcame isolation and low confidence after moving from India t o C a n a d a i n 2 0 2 1 B y c o m p l e t i n g T h e Prince's Trust Canada's Youth Employment programme in May 2022, Jay gained valuable s k i l l s a n d s e c u r e d a j o b a s a c o o k a t Toronto’s iconic CN Tower – one of the city’s most famous landmarks Now on his

way to becoming a Chef, Jay is passionate about inspiring others to find the same kind of support network that helped him achieve success Rose-centred red d ress d esigned by fash ion d esig ner fro m West Beng al s Ho oghly d istrict 2 9 - y e a r - o l d , P r i y a n k a , c o m e s f r o m a small village situated about 50 km from Kolkata She holds degrees from Italy`s Milan, Harward and the Stanford University of the US She is also a member of the Royal

"Images of diverse forests, wildflower meadows and pollinating insects highlight the importance of wildlife conservation, while traditional crafts such as hedge-laying and beekeeping also feature prominently," it said

The Miniature Sheet background design, also featuring a newly commissioned wood e n g r a v i n g b y A n d r e w D a v i d s o n , d e p i c t s intermingling foliage, symbolic of the four c o u n t r i e s o f t h e U K : t h e r o s e , t h i s t l e , daffodil, and shamrock

Commonwealth Society of the UK

P r i y a n k a M a l l i c k , a f a s h i o n d e s i g n e r f r o m W e s t B e n g a l ` s H o o g h l y d i s t r i c t r e c e i v e d a t r a n s c o n t i n e n t a l e - m a i l c u m appreciation letter straight from the United K i n g d o m , t h a n k i n g h e r e n o u g h f o r d e s i g n i n g a " b u t t e r f l y b r o o c h " f o r H i s Majesty King Charles III

Priyanka will be virtually attending the evening party of the Coronation ceremony, scheduled to be held on May 7, 2023 Not o n l y K i n g C h a r l e s I I I , b u t C a m i l l a , t h e Queen Consort, will also don a rose-centred red dress designed by Priyanka Co ronation and th e C omm onw ealth

A set of four stamps reflecting subjects close to the heart of King Charles III, such as diversity and the Commonwealth, has been unveiled to mark the 74-year-old monarch's Coronation on Saturday

The ‘Diversity and Community' themed stamp is designed to reflect a multi-faith community and the cultural diversity of contemporary British society

“The stamp features figures representing the Jewish, Islamic, Christian, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist religions and is representative of all faiths and none The background s h o w s a s p e c t s o f b o t h r u r a l a n d u r b a n Britain and includes some of the many different places of worship that are found around the United Kingdom,” Royal Mail said

The Commonwealth stamp is said to depict an outward-looking UK, global trade, cooperation, democracy and peace

Coronation C oncert at Windsor Castle

On Sunday, 7th May 2023, a special C o r o n a t i o n C o n c e r t w i l l t a k e p l a c e a t W i n d s o r C a s t l e i n c e l e b r a t i o n o f t h e Coronation of Their Majesties The King and T h e Q u e e n C o n s o r t T h e C o r o n a t i o n Concert will be attended by Their Majesties and other Members of the Royal Family

The Coronation Choir will perform at a concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday 7 May The choir will be made up of a diverse group of community choirs and amateur singers from across the UK, such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs

Buckingham Palace has not yet released d e t a i l s o f p l a n s f o r a n h o n o u r s l i s t t o c e l e b r a t e t h e K i n g ’ s c o r o n a t i o n T h e coronation honours would be the second list awarded by the King after he issued the New Year’s honours four months after the Queen died

Who pays for the co ronation?

Unlike royal weddings, the coronation is a s t a t e o c c a s i o n , w h i c h m e a n s t h e government pays The ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II cost a total of £1 57m - the equivalent of £46m today The King is said to be planning a coronation ceremony that will be less expensive than his mother's because of the cost of living crisis While m o r e t h a n 8 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e a t t e n d e d t h e Queen's coronation, it's expected a modest 2,000 will be there for the King's - enough to fill Westminster Abbey without the need for extra seats

The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire hosts a tea for faith leaders at Bhaktivedanta Manor, in celebration of the King’s Coronation

In the run-up to t he momentous occasion of the coronation of Kin g Charles III, B ha k t i v ed a n t a M an o r h os t ed a ‘ p rec o ro n a t i on t e a ’ fo r fa i t h l ea d e rs o n

Tuesday 2nd May

The event was attended by over 30 r e l i g i o u s o r g a n i s a t i o n s f r o m H e r t f o r d s h i r e , w h o c o l l e c t i v e l y r e p r e s e n t e d a d o z e n f a i t h s

Bhaktivedanta Manor this year celebrates its 50th anniversary it was 50 years ago t h a t G e o r g e H a r r i s o n o f t h e B e a t l e s k i n d l y d o n a t e d t h e t e m p l e t o o u r community

Robert Voss the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire said that “faith is a central p a r t o f t h e K i n g ’ s p r i o r i t i e s a n d

Hertfordshire’s diversity is something to celebrate Hosting this tea will bring faith leaders together to form strong links to bring about change in our community”

V i n a y T a n n a a D e p u t y L i e u t e n a n t said in his welcoming speech to the faith leaders that “coming to a spiritual place like this; walking around the gardens and

l a k e o r f e e d i n g t h e c o w s , i s a b o u t strengthening one ’ s own faith”

Lady Verulam who is the Chair of the H e r t f o r d s h i r e L i e u t e n a n c y i n t e r f a i t h p a n e l s a i d “ I t i s h o p e d t h a t s u c h a gathering of faith leaders has a special role to play, in fulfilling the vision of the

King ” P r e s i d e n t o f B h a k t i v e d a n t a M a n o r

Her Grace Visakha Dasi added “We are grateful to have the privilege of hosting this interfaith event at Bhaktivedanta Manor Cooperation and collaboration between our many and diverse spiritual

c o m m u n i t i e s w i l l b e s t r o n g e s t w h e n there’s positive communication between us ”

The event culminated in a cutting of a royal cake by Her Grace Vishaka Devi and the Lord Lieutenant, with the ceremonial sword

Thorrun Govind at an event Prince Charles hosted to celebrate pharmacy

PM’s wife-backed company receives grant from taxpayers’ money

The pr im e min ist er ’ s wife is a sha reholde r in a compa ny t ha t w a s a wa r d e d a lm o st £ 3 50 , 0 0 0 of t a x p a y e r s ’ m on ey as p art of a sche me t o suppor t ent re pren eurs R e c o r d s a t C o m p a n i e s House show that Catamaran Ventures UK Ltd, the investment company controlled by Akshata Murty, has a stake in Study Hall, an education t e c h n o l o g y s t a r t - u p L a s t year the business received a g o v e r n m e n t g r a n t o f

£349,976 through Innovate UK, the arm ’s-length body t h a t p r o v i d e s s u p p o r t t o companies developing new products or services

Murty’s shareholding in a f i r m t h a t h a s b e e n t h e direct beneficiary of government funding raises fresh questions about her business dealings and the potential for a perceived conflict of interest

Study Hall, which aims to harness the power of artif i c i a l i n t e l l i g e n c e ( A I ) i n s c h o o l s , w a s f o u n d e d b y S o f i a F e n i c h e l l , a t e c h entrepreneur Her previous

v e n t u r e M r s W o r d s m i t h , another education start-up, c o l l a p s e d i n 2 0 2 1 , s i x months after getting state support

M r s W o r d s m i t h w a s g i v e n £ 6 5 0 , 0 0 0 a s a l o a n through the government’s F u t u r e F u n d , w h i c h matched funding from priv a t e i n v e s t o r s i n e q u i t yb a c k e d s t a r t - u p s C a t a m a r a n w a s a l s o a minority shareholder in Mrs Wordsmith

The Innovate UK grant c o v e r s A u g u s t 2 0 2 2 t o August 2023 The abstract f o r t h e a w a r d d e s c r i b e s Study Hall as a firm “develo p i n g a c u t t i n g - e d g e A Ibased adaptive learning and a s s e s s m e n t p l a t f o r m ” t h a t could reduce the attainment gap between rich and poor students after the pandemic

According to Companies House records, Catamaran Ventures UK Ltd held 2,474 shares in Study Hall at the t i m e o f t h e c o n f i r m a t i o n statement There are no subsequent documents indicating that they have been sold

Request for not scraping of workplace sexual harassment bill

In the last financial year I n n o v a t e U K , p a r t o f U K R e s e a r c h a n d I n n o v a t i o n d i s b u r s e d £ 2 3 b i l l i o n o f grants to almost 4,000 recipients A spokesman said: “All funding decisions are made through a rigorous, transparent process by independent experts ”

The disclosure also raises questions about the process for awarding taxpayers’ money to start-ups Records show that Study Hall was incorporated on September 1, 2021, six months after Mrs W o r d s m i t h w e n t i n t o administration and five days before the firm was formally wound up The taxpayer was expected to get back only a b o u t £ 4 0 , 0 0 0 o n t h e £650,000 investment in Mrs Wordsmith when the business collapsed, with its key assets acquired out of insolv e n c y b y a M o n a c o - b a s e d hedge fund The cost to the state was higher, since the business also claimed tens of thousands of aid via the furlough scheme before its collapse

SNP’s worst crisis in 50 years

T h ere i s no d ou bti ng th e d ifficulties facing Scotland’ s g overning Scottish National p arty as it reels from a very p ubli c p olic e inv estig ati on into its finances Party p resi d ent M ic h ael Ru sse ll h as called it the SNP’s wo rst crisis in 50 years, while Nicola S tu rg e o n h as s aid ev en ts, since she quit as leader last m onth, surpassed her “ w orst nigh tmares”

“It’s a real shit show,” said one SNP parliamentarian of the turmoil that is t h r e a t e n i n g t h e p r o - i n d ependence party’s long domi-

n a n c e o f S c o t t i s h p o l i t i c s and prompting fears that it could lose many of the 45 s e a t s i t h o l d s a t Westminster at the next UK general election “A lot of people are worried ”

How the crisis is handled by Humza Yousaf, who in March narrowly won a d i v i s i v e l e a d e r s h i p c a mpaign to become SNP leader and first minister, will have far-reaching implica- tions for the party and its cause of independence

Allies of Yousaf said he hoped to ride out the storm

Sadiq Khan does not favour creation of ‘social housing champion’

R ene w ed ca ll s for th e creation of a ‘social hou si ng ch a m p i o n ’ for L ondon hav e b een kn o ck ed b ac k by S a d i q Khan

T h e c i t y ’ s m a y o r s a i d h e instead wanted to see a similar role created, but covering the whole country, not just London The London

A s s e m b l y ’ s h o u s i n g c o mmittee have long called for the capital to have its own social housing commissioner, saying that such a figure would give tenants a louder voice on issues affecting the quality and safety of their homes

But Mr Khan has argued that such a role would only b e e f f e c t i v e a t a n a t i o n a l l e v e l , a n d h a s r e f u s e d t o approve the creation of a London-wide version of the post The housing commit-

t e e - a c r o s sp a r t y b o d y o f City Hall politicians, first called for the role’s creation in 2018 A t a F e b r u a r y m e e ting of the committee, members heard from a panel of speakers - including campaigner K w a j o T w e n e b o a - a b o u t the problems that can affect p e o p l e i n s o c i a l h o u s i n g

The Government has committed to “ a programme of reform to improve the quality of social housing” This i n c l u d e s p r o v i d i n g s o c i a l housing tenants with access to free training and webinars offering advice on their rights and how to hold their l a n d l o r d t o a c c o u n t T h e Government is also consulting on whether it could set updated standards, to establish new minimum quality requirements for homes

Women’ s rights groups and trade unions have written to Kemi Badenoch to p lead for her no t to scrap the new wo rker protection bill, saying new law s are bad ly needed to tackle “end em ic” sexual harassm ent in the workplace The Fawcett Society and P r e g n a n t T h e n S c r e w e d were among the groups to call on the business secretary not to allow the legislation to time out, after it became a rare example of a private member’s bill winning government backing The bill would introduce a legal duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and to protect staff from third-party harassment by clients and customers H o w e v e r , a r a f t o f C o n s e r v a t i v e p e e r s a r e opposed to the bill, leading to multiple reports that the g o v e r n m e n t w i l l i n e f f e c t drop its support by letting it run out of time

I n a j o i n t l e t t e r t o B a d e n o c h , r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s f r o m 2 6 o r g a n i s a t i o n s –i n c l u d i n g C h r i s t i n a McAnea, the general secretary of Unison; Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT; and Paul Nowak, the g e n e r a l s e c r e t a r y o f t h e TUC – made the case that sexual harassment at work was “extensive”, with particu l a r c o n c e r n s a b o u t p r otecting workers from customers and clients

They said half of working women would experi-

e n c e w o r k p l a c e s e x u a l harassment, and the figure w a s e v e n h i g h e r f o r L G B T Q + , d i s a b l e d a n d Black women, and they said these figures were likely to be “just the tip of the iceberg as 79% of women do n o t r e p o r t t h e i r e x p e r iences ” T h e y h i g h l i g h t e d t h a t more than half of women working in the hospitality i n d u s t r y h a d e x p e r i e n c e d sexual harassment, as well as three in five nurses while carrying out their work

Fastest Royal jet will star in the coronation

by focusing on delivering on promises to improve SNP g o v e r n a n c e w h i l e i m p l ementing policies he thinks will restore the party’s reputation for competence S o m e c r i t i c s q u e s t i o n the ability of the NEC to effect genuine reform, arguing that it failed for years to p r o p e r l y s c r u t i n i s e p a r t y o p e r a t i o n s B u t m e m b e r s s a y t h e b o d y i s u n i t e d b e h i n d Y o u s a f “ A t t h e m o m e n t , i t ’ s p o s i t i v e a n d constructive and looking to m o v e f o r w a r d t o g e t h e r , ” said the first member

T h e f as t es t- ev er ro yal j e t will star in the King’s coronatio n flypast as it is sho wcased for the first time by the RAF

The role of the £40 million Envoy IV is to transport VIPs including members of the royal family, prime ministers and military leaders around the world at near supersonic speeds W i t h a U n i o n J a c k emblazoned on its tail fin, it w i l l b e t h e p e n u l t i m a t e plane on display during the a i r p a g e a n t o n S a t u r d a y After waves of attack helicopters and fighter jets, the

England schools face unprecedented shutdown

All sta te schools in E n g la n d co u ld be closed by “ un pre cede nte d” coor dina ted strik es in volving all fo u r t e a c hi n g u n i on s a f t e r t h e i r le a d e r s v ow e d t o incre ase pr essur e on t he g ov er n me n t t o i mp r o v e it s p a y offe r

In a joint press c o n f e r e n c e , t h e l e a d e r s o f t h e f o u r m a j o r education unions said they wanted to send a message to the education secretary that she needed to resume negotiations over pay and school funding Roach said Keegan had “ gone to ground” and was refusing to meet unions

“Her haste to strike a deal has seriously backfired a n d w e ’ r e h e r e t o d a y because it has galvanised not just us but our members, r a n k a n d f i l e c l a s s r o o m teachers and school leaders who are now going to be balloted for industrial action ”

If the ballots held by the four unions, including the National Education Union a n d t h e N a t i o n a l

A s s o c i a t i o n o f H e a d

T e a c h e r s , p a s s t h e l e g a l threshold, then the leaders said they would coordinate action in the autumn term this year

Keegan has refused to reopen talks, saying she will wait until she receives reco m m e n d a t i o n s f r o m t h e independent school teache r s ’ r e v i e w b o d y f o r t h e 2023-24 pay award later this summer

“ s l e e k ” s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t p l a n e i s d u e t o t a k e t h e prime position at the back before the Red Arrows roar over Buckingham Palace T w o E n v o y s w e r e a c q u i r e d f o r t h e N o 3 2 S q u a d r o n , k n o w n a s t h e Royal Squadron, under an £ 8 0 m i l l i o n c o n t r a c t l a s t year The RAF says its name “reflects the role of the aircraft in defence diplomacy and relationship building”, a d d i n g t h a t i t s u s e w i l l enhance Britain’s “international presence ” , which is “critical to UK security”

VIPs can use the jets to

“ t r a v e l a r o u n d t h e w o r l d more quickly and efficiently than before”, according to the air force “The Envoy can fly further, faster and more sustainably than the aircraft it replaces ” Its main f u n c t i o n i s t o p r o v i d e “assured, secure, timely and d i s c r e e t ” a i r t r a n s p o r t o f high priority military pers o n n e l , a s w e l l a s s m a l l i t e m s o f “ m i s s i o n c r i t i c a l f r e i g h t ” , t o o p e r a t i o n a l areas With eight people onboard, it can fly 5,500 miles w i t h o u t r e f u e l l i n g a n d r e a c h s p e e d s o f u p t o 660mph

Why did BBC Chairman quit?

A s the day has m oved on since Rich ard S harp announced his resignation as BBC chairm an, new detail has em erged a bo u t t h e s er ie s o f ev ents that led to his d ecision to quit

He had intended to hold on but changed his m i n d a t a l a t e s t a g e

Why? The BBC director general Tim Davie visited the chairman at his West London home

Mr Davie's visit raised the inevitable question of whether that meeting had been pivotal in Mr Sharp's decision-making But I now u n d e r s t a n d t h a t h e h a d d e c i d e d t o r e s i g n i n t h e hours before that visit

I'm hearing that he came to that conclusion after conversations with many people - inside and outside the B B C - o v e r t h e p a s t f e w d a y s H e s i m p l y r e a d t h e room and took the view that he wasn't prepared to put

the BBC or himself through a n y f u r t h e r t u r m o i l a n d noise U n t i l t h a t p o i n t , I understand, Mr Sharp was not planning to resign In fact, quite the opposite I've b e e n i n t o u c h w i t h M r Sharp's external crisis comm u n i c a t i o n s c o n s u l t a n t many times over the past t h r e e m o n t h s T h e r e w a s always a belief from that side that there was a way for the BBC chairman to ride out the story and get on with the job

Anandana Nadhavajhala: Universal Yoga

Sunetra Senior

You can hear the meditative cool s t r ai g h t a wa y i n An a n d an a ’ s voic e: her regular class es must then be transformative! I ndeed, the young yoga teacher i s award-winning and foc uses signific antly on s peci al n eeds whi le cateri ng to a range of young pe opl e “ I te n d to t ea c h i n s m al l groups of three or four” she told us: “ as I wan t to give e ach chi ld the a pp ro pr i a te a tt e nt i on a n d c a r e ” Anandana owns a small studio and is trai ned i n traditional an d H atha yoga whi ch is “ an especially therapeutic type ” She has always been interested in health and well-bein g, having b een a passionate swimmer, runner and winner of a gold medal for kick boxing!

***

Today, Anandana gives students u n i q u e t o o l s t o h e l p t h e m f i r m l y emotionally regulate via the dedicated practice of simple physical stretches Often an overwhelming experience for those who have limited abil-

advantageous for general distress, the self-exploratory exercise of yoga can a d v a n c e e v e r y o n e f u n d a m e n t a l l y Not simply recreational, the hobby can be almost essential, remedially toning both the body and mind to o r g a n i c a l l y f o s t e r c o n f i d e n c e T h e patience, self-love and gentle discipline involved also develops you personally The consummate tranquillity

Cost of living forcing women to become an escort

Wo m e n are i n cr eas i ng l y being fo rced to eng ag e in “ surv ival sex ” becau se of the co s t o f li v i ng c ri si s am i d

w o rs en in g co n d i ti o ns f o r

Bri ta in ’ s m os t v u lner abl e

Ch arities warn th at rising costs paired w ith years of

u nd e rfu n d i ng m ea n

w o m en , i n cl u d i ng th o s e

w i th tr au m a an d m e nta l health issues, are having to turn to sex in exchang e for housing or to meet other basic need s

S e x f o r r e n t – w h e n l a n d l o r d s d e m a n d s e x i n r e t u r n f o r d i s c o u n t e d o r free accommodation – is a g r o w i n g p r o b l e m a s e c onomic conditions tighten, they said, with perpetrators using it as a tool to abuse

and control It is particularly a n i s s u e a m o n g m i g r a n t women and asylum seekers, the Observer understands The crisis is also making it harder for those trying to leave abusive relationships

The Beyond the Streets charity said the cost of living crisis is driving those who a r e a l r e a d y v u l n e r a b l e t o turn to survival sex to meet the cost of bills and rent, l e a d i n g t o i n c r e a s e d exploitation and abuse A support worker for the charity said she had spoken to women who are trapped in escorting or selling sex and several who are having to “top up ” low-wage jobs with sex in order to make ends meet

BBC staff was racial with Newsreader Reeta

TV New s p resenter Reeta

C h ak rab ar ti h as rev eal ed she su ffered racism at the hands of BBC colleag ues as a young journalist

C h a k r a b a r t i , w h o w a s born into an Indian Bengali family, said the BBC was s t r i v i n g t o g e t a m o r e diverse workforce into its n e w s r o o m s B u t i t w a s a slow process, she said

However, if you do attend yoga committedly, you always receive the benefit long-term Yoga is not a quickfix: rather a natural, tangible way to start the healing process ”

One of Anandana’s favourite routines is: “to start the class with an ‘ O m ’ , w h i c h t h e y l o v e : h a n d s a r e placed on the knees up to 5 times Then there is a small short prayer before going into the main stretches Afterwards, there’s the breathing and teaching students to do this slowly I often end with a prayer again, introducing essential oils along the way too ” This seems beautifully ambient It seems the ultimate aim of yoga is to c u l t i v a t e o n e n e s s w i t h y o u r s u r -

A s k e d i f s h e ’ d e x p e r ienced racism, the journalist, 58, who started off as a BBC radio producer before moving into TV in 1997, said:

“Yes, I have It’s never been anything systematic, but I’ve had one or two tart comments from colleagues who have suggested I’ve only got t h e j o b b e c a u s e o f t h e colour of my skin ” She believes Asians are not represented enough on screen, saying it “might be

s o m e t h i n g t h a t f e e d s o n itself”

She added: “Newsrooms remain by and large quite monochrome - even behind the scenes - and if a workf o r c e d o e s n ’ t l o o k m i x e d t h e n i t d o e s n ’ t a t t r a c t d i v e r s e p e o p l e I t ’ s s o m ething the BBC has been trying to work on for quite some time, but it needs to happen much faster “I’m a bit dismayed sometimes at the slowness of progress ”

The BBC has previously said that it is “committed to creating an inclusive workforce, by reflecting and repr e s e n t i n g t h e d i v e r s i t y o f the UK ”

As part of its diversity plan, it says it is “challenging ourselves to ensure that Diversity and Inclusion is hardwired into everything the BBC does”

Sexual offences at a record high

ity, basic yoga can make accessible real harmony in an otherwise chaotic world “Understanding the body parts is not as easy for them as it is for an able person There is also the beneficiary cerebral component: sitting quietly, listening and learning to engage the senses can create lasting stillness

Another practice I introduce is the colouring of poses which are drawn around in class to visually represent the positions ” Through an elementary mastery of physicality, students can feel more mentally in control of themselves In short, if one can be individually in touch with their body, they are at once connected to the personal agency within the soul: particularly through the sensory realm of the subconscious Feeling connected and confident, this gives a person peace in life “This also benefits the parents of students with special needs as the poses can be useful tools to reinforce routines at home The techniques can be tapped so that there is deep change and elevation of mood over time ” Indeed, Anandana is known for her own investment of time in classes, m a k i n g s u r e s t u d e n t s e n j o y a n d recognise self-care

H o w e v e r , t h o u g h e s p e c i a l l y

to be found in yoga was definitely a phenomenon many people began to discover over lockdown when daily fulfilment became as important as p a s s i n g t h e t i m e A n a n d a n a c o m -

mented of the skill: “It is a holistic strength that is best learned young This is why I enjoy teaching children, teens and cross-culturally too Yoga encourages you to think structurally which can aid in productivity It can be hard to re-align as an adult so better to make it habit earlier in life

Ther e wa s a record number of se xual offe nces logged by the Met Police last ye ar, ne w figur es sh ow Charity Victim Support s a i d i t i s s e r i o u s l y c o ncerned sexual offences have r e a c h e d a n a t i o n a l r e c o r d high for the second year in a row and called on the government to prioritise tackling the violence Office for N a t i o n a l S t a t i s t i c s f i g u r e s shows 25,144 sexual offences were recorded by the Met P o l i c e i n t h e y e a r t o December 2022 – a record h i g h s i n c e e q u i v a l e n t records began in the year to September 2007

It was up from 23,703

sexual offences recorded the 12 months prior and up from

roundings by better appreciating the self Finally, Anandana does not simply demonstrate the power of underrepresented soft skills but specifically that of assured calm as a valuable internal resource

W: https://yogasadharmanandana com/a bout-me/ www instagram Com/yogasadharmanandana www YouTube Com/@yogasadharmanandana

20,097 offences in the year to March 2020, before the pandemic Across England a n d W a l e s , t h e r e w e r e

1 8 9 , 7 0 0 s e x u a l o f f e n c e s recorded last year – a 19 per cent increase from the year p r i o r t o C o v i d - 1 9 r e s t r i ctions and the highest level recorded T h e f i g u r e s a l s o s h o w over 697,500 stalking and h a r a s s m e n t o f f e n c e s w e r e recorded across forces last year This was relatively in line with the year before, but a 44 per cent increase compared to the pre-pandemic year ending March 2020

In London, stalking and h a r a s s m e n t o f f e n c e s r o s e from 52,884 pre-coronavirus to 62,183 last year

Name Change

I Pratishtha D/O Vijay Kumar

b born o on 7 M May 1 1991 a and r resid ing a at W WZ- 8 83A, U Uttam N Nagar, New D Delhi- 1 110059 h ave c chan ged my n ame t to P Pratishth a A Aggarwal vide a affidavi t d dated 5 5th A April 2 2023 in L London, U UK.

ANANDANA NADHAVAJHALA

"Yoga is not a quick-fix: rather a natural, tangible way to start the healing process”

Should I join the RAF? I'd say try it

Hon Air Commodore Veronica Pickering

Dive Much needs to b

that we have to do is to shift the conversation to how we can actually change the injustice and define the rights of the LGBTQ+ community,” Omkar said

D r Zu ba i d a H a q ue t h e f o r m e r Executive Director of The Equality

Hon Air C omm odore Vero nica M oraa P ickering ad dressed the audience on beh alf of th e Royal A ir Force T alking abou t her early asso ciatio n with th e RAF she said, “ Initially I didn't think it was as div erse as it could be It wo rried me L ater I m et with the RAF ’ s Ethnic Minority Network and its div erse perso nnel There w ere so m any people of colour, I honestly w as am azed and su rprised ”

“The more I met them, the prouder I felt that I belong to something that actually was much better than I perceived”

“So, I have to say to all of you that are still thinking ‘should I join the RAF? I'd say, try it ”

Veronica Moraa Pickering was born in Kenya and moved to Kent, England with her parents in the late 1960’s She has worked in the public sector for almost 30 years and is Honorary Air Commodore to 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron RAuxAF (appointed September 2018) and Deputy Lieutenant for Nottinghamshire (appointed May 2013) In 2022 she was awarded the title of Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) by his excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya Veronica is the first black woman to be appointed as High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire (installed 30 March 2023)

Veronica is an experienced and qualified Executive Coach and Mentor and is a member and Senior Practitioner of the E u r o p e a n M e n t o r i n g a n d C o a c h i n g C o u n c i l ( E M C C )

Diversity, equality and inclusion (DE&I) are integral to Veronica’s being and are close to the core of all her work, including throughout her coaching practice Veronica acts as a DE&I advisor and a support for organisations such as the RAF and the RSPB – she is also the DE&I Chair for Nottinghamshire Lieutenancy and hosts ‘Black Women Talking’, an online support group for women of colour in senior leadership roles

Veronica is committed to uniting people and organisations with the aim of making a positive difference to lives and communities in the UK and in her birthplace of Kenya She is passionate about her professional work facilitating partnerships and relationships between UK investors and Kenya

Veronica has a keen personal interest in the arts and nature and is a lifelong campaigner for diversity, young people, the arts and wildlife conservation She is an RSPB Council Member and Visiting Professor at Lincoln International Business School She is also an Ambassador/Trustee for a number of Nottinghamshire charities and organisations

A mbassador

• The Woodland Trust

• UK RAF Museums

• Backlit Studios

Trustee

• RSPB

• Nottinghamshire YMCA (Robin Hood Group)

• Worksop Priory Gatehouse Trust

t t i n g h a m ) a n d D e p u t y Lieutenant for Nottinghamshire. S h a r i n g s o m e i n s i g h t s w i t h t h e a u d i e n c e a n d p a n e l l i s t s , S e e m a stated, that the percentage of the p o p u l a t i o n f r o m d i v e r s e e t h n i c groups is projected to rise from 15% in 2019 to 21%, in 2026, and 30%, in

2 0 5 1 R e s e a r c h f r o m C M I s h o w s t h a t t h e r e a r e 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 m i s s i n g managers, again, in the workplace from diverse ethnic backgrounds

“Also, the UK has 420,000 managers f r o m l o w e r s o c i o - e c o n o m i c

b a c k g r o u n d s t h a t a r e m i s s i n g , ”

Seema added

The panel discussion at the event w a s m o d e r a t e d b y A n i t a G oy al M B E, Chair and Trustee of The Hemraj Goyal Foundation, and the H a l l m a r k F o u n d a t i o n T h e panellists were Dr Zubaida Haque, Dr Amit Patel and Krishna Omkar

Kr ishna Omkar, a corporate lawyer by training, is the founder of R eturn on Equity, and is at the forefront of bridging the worlds of the private sector and civil society He counsels b o a r d s o f d i r e c t o r s , C - s u i t e e x e c u t i v e s a n d c o r p o r a t i o n s o n c r e a t i n g e q u i t a b l e o u t c o m e s a n d l o n g - t e r m s u s t a i n a b l e g r o w t h Krishna, while acknowledging that the UK has come a long way in e n s u r i n g t h a t m e m b e r s o f t h e

L G B T + c o m m u n i t y e n j o y e q u a l rights, lamented that in most parts of the world, much needs to be d o n e A c o r p o r a t e l a w y e r b y t r a i n i n g w i t h o v e r a d e c a d e o f experience, Krishna has advised on m a t t e r s s p a n n i n g m o r e t h a n 6 0 j u r i s d i c t i o n s a n d o v e r U S $ 2 0 0 billion in value “I think one thing

T r u s t , f o r m e r i n t e r i m C E O a n d Deputy Director of The Runnymede Trust said, “Diversity and inclusion isn’t just about what you do inside It's not just about what you do behind closed doors It's also about the message that you send to the world outside It's about ensuring trust among members of diverse backgrounds and them having the confidence to say that they belong ”

Z u b a i d a h a s e x t e n s i v e s e n i o r m a n a g e m e n t e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e equality, anti-racism, inclusion and s o c i a l j u s t i c e s e c t o r s S h e h a s experience of working in several g o v e r n m e n t d e p a r t m e n t s , t h i n k t a n k s , U n i v e r s i t i e s , n a t i o n a l C o m m i s s i o n s a n d t h e v o l u n t a r y sector

Dr A m i t P a t e l i s a b e s t - s e l l i n g a u t h o r , T V p r e s e n t e r , d i v e r s i t y , equity and inclusion consultant, m o t i v a t i o n a l s p e a k e r , d i s a b i l i t y r i g h t s c a m p a i g n e r a n d c h a r i t y

T r u s t e e H e s p e c i a l i s e s i n e m e r g e n c y m e d i c i n e . H e i s r e g i s t e r e d a s s e v e r e l y s i g h t impaired (blind) since 2013 Amit was matched to Kika, his first guide d o g i n 2 0 1 5 K i k a w a s t h e inspiration for Amit to write his book called ‘Kika & Me’ which was p u b l i s h e d b y P a n M a c m i l l a n i n 2020 He said, “I don't want to be someone who just ticks the box, I w a n t t o m a k e c h a n g e h a p p e n D i s a b l e d p e o p l e c a n ' t l i v e o n benefits The cost of benefits is more for a disabled person I think it's something like £550 more than an enabled person just to do their everyday jobs and tasks And that isn't paid by benefits We all have the ambition to work, go into a mainstream school with a disability a n d c o m e o u t w i t h a t o p - c l a s s degree. But yet an employee will i n s i s i t o n s e e i n g y o u r d i s a b i l i t y policy affinity and that's where we need to change things ”

CB Patel Chairman ABPL delivered the vote of thanks R u p an j a n a Du t t a , M a n a g i n g

E d i t o r , A s i a n V o i c e h o s t e d t h e event

(Photo credit: Raj D Bakrania, PrMediapix)

L to R: Moderator Anita Goyal MBE , Panelists

CB Patel Chairman Asian Business Publications Ltd

Dr Amit Patel, Dr Zubaida Haque, Krishna Omkar

Seema Malhotra MP

Dear Financia

Voice Reader Alpesh Patel OBE

M ax im iz i n g Yo ur P en s i on w ith T ec h Stoc k s : A Strategic Guide

For me tech stocks have been key to my ISA, SIPP and my son ’ s ISA too But it didn’t mean buying and forgetting Or spraying and praying To make real money, it’s more nuanced but worth the slightly more effort

For 2023 my big winners are nVidia (chips), M i c r o s o f t , A p p l e , A m a z o n , M e t a , A l p h a b e t , ServiceNow among others

But whilst they did well in 2021 too, I had to sell them in 2022 to buy back cheaper in January of this year

I don’t trade my investments But I don’t take a pounding and sit there either like fund managers have to I can switch to cash as in 2022

Investing in tech stocks can be a highly effective w a y t o m a x i m i z e y o u r p o r t f o l i o ' s p o t e n t i a l a n d secure a comfortable retirement With the rapid growth and innovation in the tech industry, these s t o c k s h a v e p r o v e n t o b e h i g h l y p r o f i t a b l e investments over the years However, with so many options to choose from, it can be challenging to know where to start

While tech stocks can provide significant returns, they also carry some risk It s essential to conduct thorough research and analysis before making any investment decisions

When it c omes to investing in tec h stocks for your pension, there are several strategies you can empl oy to maximize your return s Here are a few key tips to consider:

1 Focus on industry trends: Keep an eye on emerging technologies and trends within the tech industry, such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity Investing in companies that are at the forefront of these trends can provide significant r e t u r n s o v e r t i m e B u t I m e a n b i g o n e s , l i k e Microsoft Not the noise of some tiny player

2 Id e n t if y p ro m is i n g c o m pa n i e s : L o o k f o r companies with strong financials, a track record of innovation, and a competitive advantage in their respective markets Consider factors such as revenue growth, profit margins, and market share when evaluating potential investments I do this through my approved filtered list You can follow me on my free Telegram channel – www alpeshpatel com/ links to see me do it in real time

3 Mon itor your investments: Keep a close eye on your portfolio and make adjustments as necessary

Re-evaluate your investments regularly and consider selling stocks that are underperforming or no longer align with your investment objectives For me, this means every 12 months, but any falls of 25% and then I decide if to exit to buy cheaper if at all later, or buy more Stron g fin an c ial perf orman c e: One of the most important indicators of a profitable tech stock is a track record of strong financial performance This i n c l u d e s c o n s i s t e n t r e v e n u e g r o w t h , h i g h p r o f i t margins, and healthy cash flow Look for companies that have a solid balance sheet, low debt, and a history of returning value to shareholders through dividends or share buybacks

M ark e t do mi n an c e : A n o t h e r k e y i n d i c a t o r o f a profitable tech stock is a dominant market position This means that the company has a significant market share in its industry and is able to maintain a competitive edge over its rivals Look for companies that have a strong brand, innovative products or services, and a loyal customer base

Growth potential : A profitable tech stock should also have significant growth potential, both in terms of expanding its existing business and entering new m a r k e t s L o o k f o r c o m p a n i e s t h a t h a v e a c l e a r growth strategy, strong R&D capabilities, and a history of successful product launches

But to me, what I consider the most is what is the share price doing? Tools like Yahoo finance will allow you to check that for free

Remember this though, Meta fell 77% last year I sold out and bought back cheaper Paypal did the same and I held on keeping it for the long term

Also bear in mind that diversification is for the ignorant If you don’t know what you ’ re doing then spray and pray with an index tracker (ETF)

I tend to hold 20-30 stocks Research shows that’s ample diversification but this year about 30% of my money is in the big tech companies mentioned above

Average monthly rents hit record high in London,

Average monthly rents outsid e of London rose to a new hig h of £1 ,190 in the first quarter of th is year, with tenants in th e city paying m ore than £ 2,500 for the first time, according to data from real estate website Righ tm ov National average asking rents outside London have r i s e n f o r 1 3 c o n s e c u t i v e quarters since the end of 2019, although the pace of

rest of UK

growth has slowed over the last nine months, it said In London, the average a s k i n g r e n t f o r t h e f i r s t three months of this year r e a c h e d a r e c o r d - h i g h o f £ 2 , 5 0 1 a m o n t h T h e increase was the smallest in two years, yet it was just 0 9% when compared to the previous three months

Rightmove said the supp l y o f r e n t a l p r o p e r t i e s coming on to the market

Low-income households to get cost of living payment

T o h elp lo w - i nc o m e househ old s deal with their continu ous hi gh bi lls , th e g o v er nm e nt i s c u rre ntl y distribu ting the most recent co s t- o f -l i v i ng p ay m en t Betw een now and M ay 17th, the £3 01 instalment should be s en t to ei g h t m i l li o n m ean s -t es ted be ne fi t clai mants, includ ing tho se receiving U niv ersal Cred it

T h e c o s t o f t h e supermarket shop has kept inflation - the rate of rising prices - stubbornly high in t h e U K A t y p i c a l household's energy bill also remains at £2,500 a year, although all of these bills are expected to drop later in the year

W i t h o u t r e q u i r i n g a claim, the most recent £301 will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of q u a l i f i e d r e c i p i e n t s T o d i s t i n g u i s h i t f r o m t h e

f o l l o w i n g t w o p a y m e n t s , which will be for £300 and £299, it is £301 A m I eligible for the money?

T o b e e l i g i b l e f o r a payment, you must receive e i t h e r U n i v e r s a l C r e d i t , I n c o m e - b a s e d J o b s e e k e r s Allowance, Income-related E m p l o y m e n t a n d S u p p o r t

Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child

T a x C r e d i t , o r P e n s i o n

Credit Who can get the next co stof-liv ing p ayments?

T h e T r e a s u r y

C o m m i t t e e o f M P s h a s p r e v i o u s l y c r i t i c i s e d t h e " c l i f f - e d g e " o f p a y m e n t c r i t e r i a , w i t h t h o s e j u s t o u t s i d e t h e e l i g i b i l i t y r e q u i r e m e n t s m i s s i n g o u t on hundreds of pounds of s u p p o r t w h e n c o m p a r e d with those just inside the requirements

UK to tighten rules on online gambling

Th e U K g ov e r n m e n t ha s a n n o u n ce d p r o p o sa ls t o tighte n reg ula tions on int ern e t g a m bli n g i n a l on ga w a it e d r e v i si o n o f r u le s ena ct ed be for e ce ll phone s pu t 2 4 - ho u r c a s in o s a n d sp o r t s bo ok s i n e v e r y o n e ' s pock ets

A f t e r m u l t i p l e d e l a y s , the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports ( D C M S ) r e l e a s e d a w h i t e p a p e r , l a y i n g o u t i t s blueprint for regulating the modern gambling industry

The culture minister Lucy F r a z e r t o l d t h e H o u s e o f

C o m m o n s t h a t g a m b l i n g could wreck lives and ministers were “bringing our presmartphone regulations into the present day with a gambling white paper for the digital age ”

The proposals include: Online slot machine stakes s h o u l d b e l i m i t e d t o between £2 and £15; "free spin" and "bonus" offerings s h o u l d b e r e s t r i c t e d ; a n d there should be an obligatory 1% tax on industry income m e a s u r e s t o s l o w d o w n online casino games; more resources for the Gambling

remained “constrained” but

w a s s h o w i n g s i g n s o f

i m p r o v e m e n t t h i s y e a r ,

w i t h t h e o v e r a l l n u m b e r available 6% higher than the near-record lows recorded in the first quarter of 2022

T e n a n t c o m p e t i t i o n increased as a result of the supply and demand imbal-

a n c e , w i t h i n q u i r i e s p e r property increasing by 173% in the first quarter compared to the same period in

2019 Nevertheless, it had d e c r e a s e d 2 % f r o m t h e same three months in 2017

Tim Bannister, a director at Rightmove, said: “We have seen some early signs o f i m p r o v e m e n t o n squeezed supply levels this year, though with no significant influx of new properties becoming available to rent currently on the horizon, the mismatch is set to continue for some time ”

CBI to undergo re-branding in the wake of scandal, says new boss

After many allegations of s exua l m i s c o n d uc t s h oo k th e or g a n i s a t i on , th e C on f e d e r a ti o n of B ri t i s h I n d us t r y w i l l b e r e n a m e d , a c c or d i n g to th e or g a n i z ation's new boss

Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI's new director general, said the organisation would need to undergo a rebranding, in an effort to restore trust after more than 50 major corporations, including John Lewis and NatWest, suspended or revoked their membership “Personally, over time, I’m sure we ’ re going to see a new name for the CBI, but that’s just the wrapper that goes on the outside What matters is what we do, what we deliver and our purpose, ” Newton-Smith told the media

“The CBI that emerges from this is not going to be the CBI of the past, that is clear It needs to be a new, different, organisation ”

In a separate interview, she told the media she had raised concerns over sexual harassment when she previously worked at the CBI “Whenever I have seen sexual harassment, I have acted and I raised those issues,” she said “I supported staff who needed to raise them, and I think that’s absolutely critically important,” she said

“That’s not how it felt when I was here, but at the same time I, like everyone else, have read the stories of the survivors of rape in the papers from the outside, and I know that something has gone badly wrong, ” she told the media

UK car parts giant Unipart may shift investment to US

C o m m i s s i o n ; p l a n s f o r a g a m b l i n g o m b u d s m a n ; some of the measures – such as slot machine stakes and bonus offers – will go out for f u r t h e r c o n s u l t a t i o n , s i gnalling fresh delay to a process that began in late 2020, w h e n t h e g o v e r n m e n t launched a review promised in Boris Johnson’s 2019 election manifesto

The boss of a maj or UK manufac turing c ompany sai d that fres h i ncenti ves offered in the US and Europe have him thinking about shifting investment there John Neil, who runs parts and logistics gi ant Unipart, s aid he wanted to invest in Britain but UK companies could not "compete on a level playing field"

Through loans and tax benefits, the US is investing billions to support businesses that make electric cars, green energy, and microchips Europe is also planning to ease state help rules for firms in green sectors

UK govt borrowed £13 bn less than expected last year

The UK gover nment borr o we d a b o ut £ 1 3 b n l e ss than wha t was expected last ye ar, as per official figures, despite the budget deficit re aching the fourth-highest l evel on re cords dating back to 1946

According to the Office for National Statistics, the d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n t h e state's revenues and expenditures was anticipated to be £139 billion in the year e n d i n g i n M a r c h , m o r e than £18 billion from the previous year

T h e a m o u n t , m e a nwhile, is less than the £152

But the UK has yet to announce its strategy, with the chancellor telling the media that he would wait to see what the EU did before making any d e c i s i o n s U n i p a r t i s a n Oxford-based company that manufactures car parts and components and handles supply chain logistics

billion prediction given by t h e O f f i c e f o r B u d g e t

Responsibility (OBR) alongside the chancellor's budget last month With a notable spending undershoot, both spending and receipts came in lower than expected

Analysts said the better than expected figures could provide Jeremy Hunt with wriggle room to cut taxes or i n c r e a s e s p e n d i n g b e f o r e

t h e n e x t e l e c t i o n

H o w e v e r , t h e c h a n c e l l o r said “ we cannot borrow forever ” , adding that the government had a clear plan to get debt falling

Neill, who is also a key b o a r d m e m b e r o f t h e c a r industry body the SMMT, said America's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed last year, was offering firms a "completely game changing set of incentives and fiscal support" that was hard to ignore

"I've asked our team to think very carefully about our investment strategy in the US and our US operations and whether we should be pivoting more into those markets a n d p o s s i b l y a l s o i n t o o u r

u r o p e a n c o m p a n i e s , " h e said

Rain Newton-Smith

Gujarat clears 199,000 hectare land for green hydrogen projects

Th e G u j a r a t ca bi n e t a d o pt e d t h e d r a ft l a n d allocation policy for gre en hy d r o g e n p r o j e c t s by clea ring 199,000 hectar es of lan d for five ke y play ers –pr iv a t e s e ct o r e n t i t ie s –eye ing t heir for ay into gre en hydr ogen ma nufactur in g, in addit ion to othe r incen tive s and the a lloca tion will soon beg in

T h e m a j o r i n v e s t o r s , w h o h a v e i n - p r i n c i p l e a p p r o v a l f r o m t h e s t a t e government for land parcels

in Kutch and Banaskantha d i s t r i c t s , i n c l u d e R e l i a n c e New Energy Limited (74,750 ha), Adani New Industries L i m i t e d ( 8 4 , 4 8 6 h a ) , T o r r e n t P o w e r L i m i t e d ( 1 8 , 0 0 0 h a ) , A r c e l o r M i t t a l

India’s growth more stable on healthy macros: finance ministry

India's growth rate has be com e more s tabl e, ac cording to the finance ministry, but it iss ued a warning about the potential ne gat ive eff ects of E l Nino, the geopol itica l e nvironment, and the s tability of the global financ ial s yst em on the Indian econom y

The latest Opec decision to reduce production was also noted in the monthly economic report as one of the elements that could reduce the 6 5% GDP growth projection for the current fiscal year The report did mention that India's goods exports decreased during the December quarter, resulting in a l o w e r t r a d e d e f i c i t a s i m p o r t s d e c r e a s e d m o r e q u i c k l y

However, it also claimed that the current account deficit shrunk as services exports kept their momentum “ E v e n a s e x t e r n a l s t a b i l i t y s t r e n g t h e n e d , f a c t o r s contributing to internal stability also improved,” the finance ministry document said, pointing to higher revenue, better expenditure quality due to an increase in the capex and an improvement in the fiscal situation of the states “ T h e e a s i n g o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m m o d i t y p r i c e s , t h e p r o m p t n e s s o f m e a s u r e s t a k e n b y t h e g o v e r n m e n t , a n d monetary tightening by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have helped to rein in domestic inflation Inflationary expectations also appear to be anchoring, as witnessed in various surveys for households and businesses,” it added

Besides, it further argued that Indian banks remained stable as supervision and regulation by the central bank was robust and domestic players fared better on most counts, rendering the Silicon Valley Bank-type incident “improbable”

LinkedIn has 100 mn members in India now: Satya Nadella

L ink edIn , a platf orm f or profe ss ional s oci al networking, reported having almost 100 million members i n India Acc ording to the corporati on, the platform i s expanding by 19% annually i n the Indian market, Satya Nadella, c hairman and CE O of Microsoft, was informed

Microsoft-owned platfrom has seen record engagement in the March quarter as more than 930 million members globally now turn to the professional social network to connect, learn, sell and get hired

During the company's Q3 2023, Nadella said, "Member growth accelerated for the seventh consecutive quarter as we expanded to new audiences We now have 100 million members in India, up 19 per cent "

LinkedIn Talent Solutions continues to help hirers connect to job seekers and professionals t o b u i l d t h e s k i l l s t h e y n e e d t o a c c e s s opportunities "Our hiring business took share f o r t h e t h i r d c o n s e c u t i v e q u a r t e r T h e e x c i t e m e n t a r o u n d A I i s c r e a t i n g n e w o p p o r t u n i t i e s a c r o s s e v e r y f u n c t i o n f r o m m a r k e t i n g , s a l e s a n d f i n a n c e t o s o f t w a r e d e v e l o p m e n t a n d s e c u r i t y , " s a i d N a d e l l a Microsoft purchased LinkedIn for more than $26 billion in 2016 The tech giant's March quarter saw an 8% growth in LinkedIn revenue New AI-powered features have been added to the platform, such as writing recommendations f o r m e m b e r p r o f i l e s , j o b d e s c r i p t i o n s , a n d collaborative articles

N i p p o n S t e e l I n d i a Limited (14,393 ha) and W e l s p u n G r o u p ( 8 , 0 0 0 ha)

Against a demand of 3 2 6 , 0 0 0 h e c t a r e i n company proposals, the state cabinet has okayed 199,000 hectare at the rate of Rs 15,000 per hectare on a 40-year lease basis

T h e g o v e r n m e n t w i l l a c c e p t £ 2 9 9 8 m i l l i o n a s security deposit from these five companies According t o g o v e r n m e n t e s t i m a t e s ,

Perception is reality

3 9 9 , 5 0 0 m e t r i c t o n n e s o f g r e e n h y d r o g e n w i l l b e produced on the proposed land, generating a total of 9 9 , 8 1 4 M W o f r e n e w a b l e energy

Among the players, the Reliance Group has already signed a memorandum of u n d e r s t a n d i n g w i t h t h e state to set up a 100GW renewable energy park and g r e e n h y d r o g e n p a r k i n addition to manufacturing e l e c t r o l y s e r s , w i t h a n investment of £56 billion

Hinduja group is the sole bidder in fray for Rcap auction

T h e Hi n d u j a Gro u p , th r o u g h In d u s In d In ter na ti o nal Ho ld ings, p laced the hig hest bid of £ 965 million in the second round of the auction for Reliance Capital ( RC ap) This development will likely place the leading creditors, the L if e I ns u ra nc e C o rp o r ati o n ( L I C ) an d th e E m p l o yee Prov ident Fund Org anisation (EPFO), in a quandary as the liquidation value is believ ed to be £ 1 25 billion

In addition to providing non-banking financing, RCap served as the holding company for Anil Ambani's companies that provided financial services The general insurance and life insurance companies of RCap are the group's most v a l u a b l e r e m a i n i n g a s s e t s f o l l o w i n g t h e c o m p a n y ' s bankruptcy Insurance industry sources said that while RCap’s holdings in the insurance companies were worth well over £1 billion, the complications over the bankruptcy were resulting in distress valuations

Torrent was the highest bidder in the first round, with £ 8 6 4 m i l l i o n T h e N a t i o n a l C o m p a n y L a w T r i b u n a l announced in February as a winning bidder and invalidated Hinduja s late bid The bidders were permitted to conduct a second round of bidding by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)

In response to Torrent’s plea, the Supreme Court said it will examine the case and seek a response from IndusInd International, Vistara ITCL (which represents bondholders), Asset Care and Reconstruction Enterprise, Yes Bank and others Sources said that it was likely that the Supreme Court would have the final say in the matter

Maruti plans £2.4 bn plant to increase production of cars

Ma ruti Suzuki has st art ed work on a £2 4 billion inve st men t pla n to set up a 10,00, 000 per an num ca r p r o d u ct i o n fa c t o r y t h a t w o u ld co me o ut s id e Ha r y an a , so ur c es said The compan y is buildin g a s e co n d fa ct o r y i n H a r y a n a 's K h a r k h o d a ( S o n i p a t ) t h a t w il l pr od uce 10 ,00,00 0 un its a nnua lly a t a peak In addit ion to p lan ning a big push for ex ports, it a ims t o g ive oper at ion s more punch be ca use it is st ill bullish about car sales in India

“The board is likely to approve the investment plans soon and groundwork will happen towards early parts of 2024 by when the land would have been acquired,” one of the sources said Maruti will meet the investment needs through internal accruals It has

$45,000 billion in cash on hand In order to preserve its dominance in I n d i a a n d r e g a i n 5 0 % o f t h e market share for cars, the firm believes that quick growth in sales and manufacturing is one of the most important tactics

T h e c o m p a n y ’ s H a r y a n a plants - in Gurgaon and Manesarhave a capacity of 15,00,000 units annually (additional 100,000 units will be added to Manesar by 202425),while Suzuki’s Gujarat factory g i v e s a n o t h e r 7 5 0 , 0 0 0 - 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 units annually Its partner Toyota provides the company with 50,000 u n i t s t h r o u g h i t s f a c t o r y i n

K a r n a t a k a T h e c o m p a n y i s targeting to begin the first batch o f p r o d u c t i o n a t S o n i p a t f r o m 2 0 2 5 w i t h 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 c a r s p e r annum

There i s a p ro perty i n a promi nent locatio n in Ho lbo rn, notably near to Bury Place, where the f irst Hare Krish na Temple in Britain was op ened i n the 7 0s, whi ch keeps turni ng up to auctio n, but doesn’t sell Normal ly a p ro perty may co me up o nce or twice if i t doesn’t s ell Th is p ro perty has come up no less than 27 ti mes ! Wi thin a very sho rt space of time

The only reason I can think of is it has to sell at auction, that is the preferred method of sale This route has been chosen for the purposes of transparency Though often if this method does not work then there is a justification to take a lower offer post auction, which rest assured was tried

The property is owned by a fund, our assumption is they have taken the decision to sell, and take this asset off their books Often in this scenario they tend to consider a low ball offer, post auction

Not in this case though Someone seems adamant to sell this in auction, and to obtain a certain price; regardless of whether or not the market is reciprocating

The property is a freehold office building consisting of nearly 4,000 sq ft in a prime location in Central London

T h e o b v i o u s a n g l e t o t h i s d e a l i s f o r r e s i d e n t i a l conversion This would be allowed under PD rights, meaning without the need for planning Even if the council had done this under the old regime, this would be invalid under the new current raft of planning

But this is no ordinary council, this is Camden council They were on the ball enough to reapply for an Article 4 under the new round of legislation In short, this means this property cannot be converted into residential usage under PD rights

On the surface this seems like it’s good for an owner occupier, or someone who likes the postcode and wants to have a commercial building in the mix From our analysis the demand for office space is sluggish, there are many properties in the locality being marketed, without much take

This building is dated, and requires a programme of refurbishment

This along with a tough council with the hurdle of an Article 4 means the property, despite its stunning location and low price per square foot, proves to be a tough sale

This type of property should not be exposed to the market in the way it has been Even putting a property three times in auction destroys its image This has gone in 27 times, so the perception of this property has been decimated Note, not the property itself, but the perception of it And there’s an argument to say perception is reality Therefore, the property has been decimated!

I’ll leave you to ponder on this

Vinod Adani steps down from 3 cos linked to Australia coal mine

V in o d A d a ni , t h e o ld er brother of Gautam Ad ani, resigned from h is position as d i rec to r o f th r ee businesses in late February as concerns m ounted and th e v a lu e o f th e A d an i

Gro up's stock p lum meted

T h es e bu s i nes s es w e re linked to the family's coal mine in Australia, w hich it has staked billions of dollars in He continues to serve on th e board of A bbot P oint

Port Holdings in Singapore

A n A d a n i G r o u p

r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s a i d V i n o d , a s i d e f r o m b e i n g a s h a r e h o l d e r o f c e r t a i n e n t i t i e s , h a d n o m a n a g e m e n t r o l e i n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e C a r m i c h a e l m i n e o r i t s

Alphabet CEO Pichai reaps over $200 mn amid cost-cutting

Su n d a r P i c h a i , C EO o f A l ph a b e t I n c , g o t compens ation of roug hly $226 milli on in 2022, more than 800 times the media n e mploye e wage , th e fi rm reported i n a se curiti es fili ng

P i c h a i ’ s c o m p e n s a t i o n i n c l u d e d s t o c k awards of about $218 million, the filing showed

T h e s a l a r y g a p o c c u r s a t a t i m e w h e n

Google's parent firm, Alphabet, has been laying off workers all around the world In January, the

Mountain View, California-based corporation revealed plans to eliminate 12,000 jobs globally, or 6% of its total workforce

E a r l y t h i s m o n t h , h u n d r e d s o f G o o g l e employees staged a walkout at the company ’ s London offices following a dispute over layoffs

In March, Google employees staged a walkout at the company ’ s Zurich offices after more than 200 workers were laid off

related infrastructure Adani G r o u p d i d n ’ t a d d r e s s a q u e s t i o n a b o u t t h e resignations H i n d e n b u r g ’ s J a n u a r y 2 4 r e p o r t s a i d d o z e n s o f shell companies controlled by Vinod had moved billions o f d o l l a r s i n a n d o u t o f A d a n i G r o u p c o m p a n i e s , s e e m i n g l y t o e m b e l l i s h shares and results Vinod is a member of the promoter group, which Adani Group confirmed and c l a i m e d i t d i s c l o s e d a s needed Because the brother i s n o t a m a n a g e r a t t h e g r o u p ' s p u b l i c l y t r a d e d c o m p a n i e s o r t h e i r s u b s i d i a r i e s , i t l a r g e l y rejected inquiries about his business affairs Bloomberg reported he has a cabin in the Dubai office of Adani Global - a c o m m o d i t y d i s t r i b u t o r owned by one of the family’s l i s t e d f i r m s - a n d s p e n d s t w o o r t h r e e h o u r s d a i l y t h e r e W h e n a s k e d a b o u t t h i s , a n A d a n i G r o u p representative repeated that such queries were “of no relevance”

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

Bangladesh okays India’s use of 2 ports to transport goods to the northeast

D H A K A : Ba n g la d e sh h a s clea red the use of C hatt ogra m and Mon gla ports by In dia for tr a nsit a nd t ra n s-ship me nt of ca rgo, a move ex pecte d to significa ntly cut t he t im e an d cost nee ded to t ran sport g ood s to the coun try ’ s nort heast ern st ate s T h e N a t i o n a l B o a r d o f Revenue (NBR) of Bangladesh i s s u e d a " p e r m a n e n t t r a n s i t order" stating that the transshipment of goods will be carr i e d o u t i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h standard operating procedures that the two nations concluded under a 2018 agreement

In recent years, India and Bangladesh have taken a number of actions to improve connectivity, including reopening s e v e r a l c r o s s - b o r d e r r a i l w a y links that had been shut down s i n c e t h e 1 9 6 5 w a r w i t h

P a k i s t a n , c o n n e c t i n g r i v e r i n e w a t e r w a y s y s t e m s , a n d u s i n g

B a n g l a d e s h i p o r t s f o r t r a n ss h i p m e n t o f g o o d s t o I n d i a ' s strategically important northeastern region

“

T h e t w o s i d e s s i g n e d t h e

A g r e e m e n t o n t h e u s e o f Chattogram and Mongla Ports

for movement of goods to and from India” in October 2018 and finalised the standard operating procedures for operationalising the pact a year later But the t r a n s - s h i p m e n t o f g o o d s h a d not started as Bangladesh had to finalise certain customs procedures and put in place necessary

in brief

logistics, people familiar with the matter said

T h e C o v i d - 1 9 p a n d e m i c caused a setback for the initiative However, the Covid-19 crisis also demonstrated the value of cross-border connection, as Bangladesh was supplied with necessities by the Indian side through cross-border train services

Over the past year, the two sides conducted comprehensive trial runs for trans-shipment of cargo to the northeastern states using Chattogram and Mongla ports The first trial trans-shipment of goods was done in July 2020, when a shipment of iron rods and pulses was transported from Haldia port near Kolkata to Chattogram port in southe a s t e r n B a n g l a d e s h a n d t h e n shipped over land to Tripura

China to ‘deepen and expand’ military ties with Pakistan

IS LAM ABA D: Ch ina says it will work with P akis tan’s military to “ f u rth e r d eep e n an d e xp an d” th e two natio ns ’ mutual interests and jointly protect regional p eace and stabi lity

A c c o r d i n g t o a s t a t e m e n t from the Chinese Ministry of D e f e n c e , G e n e r a l S y e d A s i m

Munir, the head of Pakistan's army, met with Zhang Youxia, v i c e c h a i r m a n o f C h i n a ' s Central Military Commission, o n t h e l a t t e r ' s f i r s t v i s i t t o Beijing “ N o t i n g t h a t C h i n a a n d

Pakistan are all-weather strateg i c c o o p e r a t i v e p a r t n e r s a n d close friends, Zhang said that no matter how the international situation changes, China always g i v e s P a k i s t a n p r i o r i t y i n i t s n e i g h b o u r h o o d d i p l o m a c y , ” said the statement

T h e I n t e r - S e r v i c e s P u b l i c Relations (ISPR), the media arm of the Pakistan army, claimed in a separate statement that Munir was welcomed with open arms and given a guard of honour upon his arrival at the People's Liberation Army headquarters

Iran navy seizes oil tanker with 24 Indian crew members near Oman

D U B AI : I r a n' s na vy s e iz e d a

M a r s h a l l I s l an ds - f l ag ge d o il tanker with 24 Indian crew members in the Gulf of O man heading to the US amid w ider tensions o ve r T e h r a n' s n u c l e ar p r ogramme, the latest- suc h captu re in a waterway cruc ial f or global energy s upp lies

T h e A d v a n t a g e S w e e t w a s r e c o g n i s e d a s t h e s h i p b y t h e US Navy's 5th Fleet, which is stationed in the Middle East The s h i p , a c c o r d i n g t o M a r i n e T r a f f i c c o m ' s s a t e l l i t e tracking information, was located in the Gulf of Oman, not far from M u s c a t , t h e c a p i t a l o f O m a n H o u s t o n w a s i n d i c a t e d a s t h e destination and it had just arrived from Kuwait

"Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said in a statement “Iran should immediately release the oil tanker ”

The Navy initially said Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft later confirmed that Iran's navy captured the ship, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr Timothy Hawkins told the media

The seizure occurred after an "unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel in the Persian Gulf, l e a v i n g s e v e r a l I r a n i a n c r e w members missing and suffering injuries," according to the staterun IRNA news agency of Iran

INDIAN ORIGIN FOUND GUILTY OF KILLING 3 TEENS

An Indian-origin has been found guilty of killing three teenage boys who played a doorbell-ringing prank at his house in the US state of California, according to a media report Anurag Chandra, a Riverside County resident was found guilty of three counts of attempted murder and three counts of firstdegree murder The incident took place on January 19, 2020, when a group of teenage boys rang Chandra’s bell on a dare Chandra said one of the teens flashed his buttocks before running away The crash killed all three teenagers who were 16 years old Chandra followed the boys and rammed their Toyota Prius, which slammed into a tree in Temescal Valley

PAK PARENTS PADLOCKING GIRLS’ GRAVE

in Beijing “Matters of mutual security interests and military cooperation were discussed Both military commanders reiterated the need for maintaining peace and s t a b i l i t y i n t h e r e g i o n a n d enhancing military to military c o o p e r a t i o n , ” t h e P a k i s t a n i statement said

The ISPR said Munir will hold further meetings with mili t a r y o f f i c i a l s i n C h i n a t o enhance the “long standing relat i o n s b e t w e e n t h e t w o m i l itaries” during his four-day visit

M u h a m m a d F a i s a l , a n Islamabad-based foreign policy analyst and close observer of P a k i s t a n - C h i n a t i e s , t o l d t h e media Munir’s visit is crucial as i t c o m e s a m i d p o l i t i c a l , e c on o m i c a n d s e c u r i t y c r i s e s i n

Pakistan

“Of late, Pakistan’s dependence on China for economic stability and regional security coordination has grown in the f a c e o f f i n a n c i a l c h a l l e n g e s , renewed threat of terrorism and I n d i a - c e n t r i c c h a l l e n g e s , ” h e said

Pakistan PM secures surprise trust vote in national assembly

The other ship allegedly involved in the collision was not named T h e A d v a n t a g e S w e e t h a d been in the Persian Gulf, but as it travelled through the Strait of Hormuz, where a quarter of all commercial oil passes, its track displayed no odd behaviour In earlier seizures, Iran has made claims that eventually crumbled as it became evident Tehran was attempting to use the capture as a bargaining chip with other count r i e s I r a n ' s “ h a r a s s i n g a c t i v i t y within the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman is commensurate with an established pattern of behavior that has seen Iran target vessels as a r e s u l t o f o n g o i n g d i s p u t e s , " m a r i t i m e s e c u r i t y f i r m D r y a d Global said

I S L A M A B A D : P a ki s ta n P M Sheh baz Sh arif won a tru st vote in th e 34 2 - me mb er Na ti o n a l Assembly, with 1 80 lawmakers rep o si n g “ fu l l c o nf i den c e ” i n him as leader of th e ho use, as opp osed to 174 when he was elected p rime mi nister in Ap ril last year

The resolution was introduced by the foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari after the coalition government's money bill to fund the electoral comm i s s i o n f o r e l e c t i o n s i n t h e p r o v i n c e s o f P u n j a b a n d K h y b e r - P a k h t u n k h w a o n t h e Supreme Court's directives was rejected by the legislature The highest court questioned if the House had faith in Sharif after the bill was rejected A f t e r t h e r e s o l u t i o n w a s

t a b l e d , v o t i n g w a s h e l d w i t h lawmakers in favour of adopting i t r i s i n g f r o m t h e i r s e a t s S p e a k e r R a j a P e r v a i z A s h r a f announced that 180 members h a d r i s e n f r o m t h e i r s e a t s Sharif swiped at recent orders of the SC, saying rulings that questioned parliament’s confidence in him could lead to “serious consequences ”

“It is not possible that parliament frames a law and the judiciary issues a stay order on it even before it is enforced,” he said, referring to another SC ruling that barred his government from implementing a new l a w t h a t r e d u c e s t h e C h i e f Justice’s powers He said only p a r l i a m e n t h a s t h e r i g h t t o m a k e a n d a m e n d t h e Constitution

Taliban kill head of IS cell that bombed Kabul airport in 2021, says US

W A SH I NGT ON: Th e Taliban have killed the lead er of th e Is lam ic S tate terro r g ro up c ell responsible fo r the suicid e bombing at the international airport in Kabul, Afgh anistan, in A ugust 2021 th at killed 13 US troop s and 1 70 civ ilians, the White House said Four US sou rces claim ed th at US intellig ence analysts learned in early A pril th at th e attack's mastermind - whom they chose not to nam e - had p erished in an Afghan Taliban operatio n According to the sources, it was unclear wh ether the insu rgent w as particularly targ eted by th e Taliban or if he died in o ne o f th e clashes between Taliban and IS forces John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National

Security Council, called the Taliban operation “another in a series of high-profile leadership losses” that the IS cell, known as IS Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K, had suffered this year

The officials said based on classified intelligence reports, analysts concluded with “high confidence” that the chief plotter of the airport attack had been killed However, the authorities provided no proof for that assertion or any other information on his alleged demise The government started contacting the loved ones of the US service members who perished in the assault to inform them that the Taliban security forces had recently assassinated the leader of ISIS-K

Parents in Pakistan now guard their dead daughters against rape by putting padlocks to their graves That a woman is raped every two hours in a country taking great pride in its family oriented values has been hammered to the point of repetition in our collective conscience But the heart wrenching sight of padlocks on the graves of females is enough for the entire society to hang its head in shame and never dare to look at the so-called vessels of honour,” reads an editorial Harris Sultan, an ex-Muslim atheist activist blamed hardline Islamist ideology for such depraved acts “Pakistan has created such a horny, sexually frustrated society that people are now putting padlocks on the graves of their daughters to prevent them from getting raped When you link the burqa with rape it follows you to the grave ” Sultan tweeted

INDIAN-AMERICAN PLEADS GUILTY

A 47-year-old Indian-American has pleaded guilty to wire and securities fraud charges in connection with his scheme to dupe potential investors into supporting the technology startup he founded and led Manish Lachwani who founded Silicon Valley-based HeadSpin in 2015 and served as its CEO until May 2020 was charged in 2021 with defrauding investors by overstating the revenue and other key financial metrics Between April 2017 and April 2020, HeadSpin - that provided clients with software tools and access to devices to test mobile applications - raised more than $100 million from investors over multiple rounds of fundraising leading to a valuation of approximately $1 1 billion Lachwani admitted that he disseminated false and overstated revenue metrics to potential investors to lure investments into his company

3 SOLDIERS KILLED IN MILITANT ATTACKS IN PAKISTAN

At least seven terrorists were killed while three Pakistani soldiers lost their lives in separate encounters with militants in northwest region, an official said The terrorists made three attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district that were foiled by the security forces, killing seven terrorists, Pakistan army said The army confirmed that three soldiers also lost their lives In one of the attacks, a suicide bomber riding a bike blew himself up close to a security check post in the Bhittani area The other two attacks were made on the compound of a college which also housed security installations Independent sources said Tehrik-e-Jihad Pakistan claimed the attacks

in brief Indian origin academic to be honoured with Immigrant Achievement Award

DISCRIMINATION OF WOMEN CONDEMNED

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution condemning the Taliban s discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan and called for the country s leadership to swiftly reverse policies banning education, employment and equal public participation of women and girls The resolution, co-sponsored by more than 90 countries, received 15 yes votes and was unanimously adopted in Russia’s last days in its month long role as the rotating president of the council The resolution, which called for the “full equal, meaningful and safe participation of women and girls in Afghanistan,” also addressed the Taliban administration s edict on April 4 prohibiting the UN from employing Afghan women

THAI WOMAN KILLED 13 WITH CYANIDE

Thai police have widened their investigation into a woman accused of a spate of cyanide poisoning murders, with officers raising the number of victims to 13 and charging her with premeditated murder Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn who is married to a senior policeman was arrested for alleged murders which took place over several years Police believe money was the motive in the killings but said that Sararatwho is four months pregnant - has previously been diagnosed with psychiatric issues Officers were now probing at least 13 suspicious deaths dating back to 2020 Police haven’t specified how many murders Sararat’s been charged with

IRAN CHARGES TWO ACTRESSES FOR NOT COVERING HEAD

Iran has charged two prominent actresses for publishing pictures of themselves flouting the country’s dress code for women, just weeks after announcing a crackdown on breaches Police in Tehran have referred the case against Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram to Iran s judiciary accusing them of the crime of removing the hijab in public and posting photos on the internet”, the Tasnim news agency said If prosecuted, the pair could face fines or prison terms Photos of Bahram, 53, went viral after she posed without a headscarf at a film screening, while Riahi, 61, posted several photos taken in public places around Tehran in which she did not wear a headscarf

GERMAN FAMILY’S BID TO CHANGE SURNAME REJECTED

A court in Germany has rejected a married couple’s request to legally change their Russiansounding surname due to negative repercussions they said they had experienced since the start of the war in Ukraine The couple had sought to force officials in the German state of Rhineland Palatinate to authorise the change, claiming that they and their daughter had suffered in their daily lives because of their last name The regional administrative court in Koblenz did not provide the couple s surname in line with German privacy rules The court said that judges dismissed the Germany-born couple’s request on the grounds that the reasons they gave for the change were insufficient

JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN RAPE SUIT AGAINST TRUMP

Jury selection has started in the federal court in Manhattam as former US president Donald Trump is on trial for allegedly raping a writer named E Jean Carroll in the middle of the 1990s in a department shop dressing room Trump 76 has denied raping Carroll, 79 He called her claim a “hoax” and “complete scam” in an October 2022 post on his Truth Social platform He said she made up the encounter to promote her memoir and declared she was not my type! Trials are expected to last one or two weeks As witnesses testify about his alleged sexual misconduct all of which he denies, it is one of a number of lawsuits and investigations facing Trump, the Republican front-runner in the 2024 presidential election

W A SH I N G T O N : T he pr e s tigious Immigrant Ac hievement Award will be gi ven to Neeli

B en d a pud i , th e I n d i a n

A me r i c an p re s i d e nt o f Pe n n State Univers ity, for her contributions to US hi gher education this year

E a c h y e a r , t h e h o n o u r i s given to a person or group that has demonstrated a commitment to upholding America's history as a nation of immigrants and advocating for compassionate immigration laws

The award would be pres e n t e d t o 5 9 - y e a r - o l d

B e n d a p u d i a t t h e D C

I m m i g r a n t A c h i e v e m e n t Awards reception For nearly 30 years, Penn State President Dr

B e n d a p u d i ’ s c a r e e r i n h i g h e r education has been committed t o s t u d e n t s u c c e s s , f o s t e r i n g inclusive excellence, and creating opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to thrive,” said J e r e m y R o b b i n s , e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r o f t h e A m e r i c a n Immigration Council

Singapore hangs Indianorigin drug-trafficker, ignoring pleas for clemency

S I N G A P O R E : A 4 6 - y e a r -o ld drug t ra fficker of Ind ian de sce nt w a s e x e cu t e d i n S i n g a p o r e d e s pi t e a p pe a ls fo r c le m e n cy fr om his fa mily , h um an right s adv oca te s, a nd t he UN

T a n g a r a j u S u p p i a h w a s h a n g e d a t d a w n i n C h a n g i

Prison, a day after his 11th-hour appeal was rejected by a court here The 46-year-old was sentenced in 2018 for coordinating with two other men to import 1 k g o f c a n n a b i s i n 2 0 1 3

Although he never came into contact with the drug, he was sentenced to death by hanging after a judge ruled that he was linked to the other men through two phone numbers belonging to him

Singapore's drug regulations are among the strictest in the world, and some drug trafficking offences carry the death penalty

The nation hanged 11 persons in 2017 for drug-related nonviolent offences Singapore's first execution in six months was that of Tangaraju

Human rights organisations

e x p r e s s e d c o n c e r n t h a t Tangaraju was denied access to a T a m i l i n t e r p r e t e r w h e n t h e police collected his testimony a n d w a s d e n i e d a c c e s s t o a lawyer when he was originally q u e s t i o n e d b y a u t h o r i t i e s Singaporean law does not guarantee such a right

“We have concerns around due process and respect for fair t r i a l g u a r a n t e e s , ” R a v i n a Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN high commissioner for human rights, said Singaporean authorities dismissed those concerns, saying that Tangaraju had been afforded due process

The other two men connected to the case both gave evidence against Tangaraju at his trial

One of them, who was arrested with the cannabis in question, pleaded guilty to trafficking 499 9 grams of the drug - just below the 500 grams that would draw the death penalty - and was sentenced to 23 years in prison and 15 strokes of the cane The other r e c e i v e d a d i s c h a r g e n o t amounting to acquittal

Contaminated Indian cough syrup found in West Pacific

M AJ URO: Af ter a spate of c hild deaths linked to s im ilar syrups in s om e countries l ast year, the WHO s aid contaminated c ough syrup made by an Indian f irm has been found in the Mars hall Is lands and Micronesia

There was no mention in the WHO statement of any illnesses among youngsters in Micronesia or the Marshall Islands However, it claimed samples from a batch of imported c o u g h s y r u p w i t h t h e b r a n d n a m e Guaifenesin syrup TG syrup were contaminated with prohibited levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, both of which are fatally hazardous to humans when swallowed

The stated manufacturer of the medicines was India’s QP Pharmachem, based in Punjab, and the product’s marketer was Haryanabased Trillium Pharma, WHO said Samples from the suspect batch were analysed after being reported to WHO on April 6, it added QP Pharmachem’s MD said the company took the Indian government’s permission to e x p o r t 1 8 , 0 0 0 s y r u p b o t t l e s o n l y t o Cambodia The syrup was also distributed in India, he said, adding that no complaints had been received so far

“ A s a n i m m igrant and trailblazer, she has spent years navigating the lack of diversity in leadership and the chall e n g e s c o n f r o n t i n g m i n o r i t y g r o u p s T h i s y e a r , w e a r e thrilled to commemorate Dr Bendapudi

f o r e m b o d y i n g t h e diverse contributions generations of immigrants bring to this nation and as a testament to the enduring power of our country’s immigrant history,” Robbins said Born and raised in India, Bendapudi relocated to the US to complete her doctoral stud-

ies at the University of Kansas and begin her career as an academic administrator and teacher She is the first woman and the first person of colour to hold the position of president of Penn State, where she oversees the institution's modern land-grant mission of teaching, research, and community service on 24 campuses as well as the online Penn State World Campus “ T h e U n i t e d S t a t e s i s a nation of immigrants, and I am merely one of many who have come to this country in search of America’s ‘golden door’ to o p p o r t u n i t y a n d p r o s p e r i t y , ” Bendapudi said

Diwali made official holiday in the US State of Pennsylvania

P E N NS Y L V A N IA : T he Hind u festival of Diwali has been designated as an official holiday in th e US state of Pennsylv ania S en ato r f ro m P enn sy lv ani a Nikil S av al announced this in a tw e et E a rli e r th i s y ear i n Febru ary, state senators Greg Roth m an and Sav al p rop osed leg islation to d eclare Diw ali a state holiday in Pennsylvania S a v a l t w e e t e d t h a t " T h e Senate voted unanimously to recognize Diwali as an official holiday! To all Pennsylvanians who celebrate this festival of light and connection: you are seen, you are welcome, you matt e r T h a n k y o u , @rothman greg, for the opportunity to join you in introducing this bill " “Every year, Diwali’s festival of light and connection is celeb r a t e d a t t e m p l e s , h o u s e s o f worship, and community cent r e s a c r o s s o u r Commonwealth,” said Senator Saval Senator Greg Rothman thanked Senator Saval for agreeing to co-sponsor this piece of l e g i s l a t i o n a n d t w e e t e d , “ M y legislation to recognise Diwali

in Pennsylvania just passed the PA Senate 50-0 Today's vote u p h o l d s a n d c e l e b r a t e s o u r Commonwealth’s rich cultural d i v e r s i t y T h a n k y o u @SenatorSaval for agreeing to cosponsor this piece of legislation " Rothman stated that Diwali i s c e l e b r a t e d b y h u n d r e d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f P e n n s y l v a n i a n s each year, including many resid e n t s o f t h e 3 4 t h S e n a t o r i a l District,” adding that recognizing Diwali as an official state holiday upholds and celebrates our Commonwealth’s rich cultural diversity

A r o u n d 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 A s i a n Americans live in Pennsylvania, a c c o r d i n g t o I n d i a A m e r i c a n Impact, with nearly 200,000 of them being Indian Americans, who celebrate Diwali grandly and glitzily every year Diwali is one of the most i m p o r t a n t f e s t i v a l s f o r t h e Indians which symbolises the 'victory of light over darkness' It is a festival of lights and people worship the goddess 'Lakshmi' T h i s y e a r , D i w a l i w i l l b e observed on November 12, 2023

Bernie Sanders backs Biden's re-election Bid

W AS HI N G TO N : Sena tor Bern ie Sanders, a f orme r two- time presi dential c andidate, s a i d he e n d or s e s Pr e s i d e n t B i de n ' s r eelecti on bid, foregoin g a third run for the White House

Even though surveys indicate that most

A m e r i c a n s , i n c l u d i n g D e m o c r a t s , d o n ' t want Biden to run again, he declared that h e w i l l b e p u r s u i n g a s e c o n d t e r m

According to the report, Sanders said he would "do everything I can to see the president is re-elected", warning against a v i c t o r y b y f o r m e r P r e s i d e n t T r u m p o r another Republican, media reported

"The last thing this country needs is a Donald Trump or some other right-wing demagogue who is going to try to undermine American democracy or take a w a y a w o m a n ' s r i g h t t o choose, or not address the c r i s i s o f g u n v i o l e n c e , o r r a c i s m , s e x i s m o r h o m o p h o b i a , S a n d e r s reportedly said So, I m in to do what I can to make sure t h a t t h e P r e s i d e n t i s r eelected " Sanders predicted Biden

w o u l d u l t i m a t e l y b e t h e D e m o c r a t i c n o m i n e e o n E l e c t i o n D a y , s a y i n g h e t h o u g h t h i s j o b , a n d t h e j o b o f t h e p r o g r e s s i v e m o v e m e n t , w a s " t o m a k e certain that [Biden] stands up and fights for the working class of this country and does not take anything for granted " S i n c e e n t e r i n g t h e n a t i o n a l s t a g e , Sanders, a socialist who has spent decades in Congress as a member of both the House and the Senate, has garnered a sizable following among the Democratic Party's progressive wing He was the Democratic Party's runner-up for president in both 2016 and 2020

CHANGE OF NAME

I R Rimpy w w/o J Jasvir L Lal

at present residing at 30 Gledwood Drive Hayes, UB4 0AQ and formerly residing at Chak Mander Post office Kultham

S B S Nagar PIN 144514 PUNJAB, INDIA hearby give notice of

CHANGING MY NAME FROM Rimpy to Rimpy Basra.

Neeli Bendapudi

10 policemen among 11 killed in Dantewada Maoist attack

T en p ol ic e o ffi ce rs a nd a d ri v er am o ng 1 1 p e o p le k i lle d w h e n M ao i st s attacked secu rity forces in C h h att i sg a rh ' s D an tew a d a a rea T h i s i s th e b i g g es t attack on security forces in the insurgency-hit central Indian state since A pril 2021

T h e o f f i c e r s w e r e r e t u r n i n g f r o m a n a n t iMaoist operation when their v a n w a s b l o w n u p b y a n improvised explosive device ( I E D ) , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e authorities Images of the attack site revealed a crater created by the detonation

U n i o n h o m e m i n i s t e r A m i t S h a h s p o k e t o Chattishgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel about the a t t a c k a n d p r o m i s e d a l l possible help to the state government “Anguished by

the cowardly attack on the

C h h a t t i s g a r h p o l i c e a t D a n t e w a d a H e s p o k e t o C h h a t t i s g a r h ’ s C h i e f M i n i s t e r a n d a s s u r e d a l l p o s s i b l e a s s i s t a n c e t o t h e s t a t e g o v e r n m e n t M y condolences to the bereaved f a m i l y m e m b e r s o f t h e m a r t y r e d J a w a n s , ” h e tweeted In a tweet, Baghel called

It was the biggest attack i n C h h a t t i s g a r h s i n c e a s h o o t o u t w i t h M a o i s t s i n the Bastar region in April 2021, when 22 police and paramilitary personnel were killed and at least 20 more were hurt

27% dip in India's weekly Covid cases

With cases in the past seven days d own 27% fro m the total for the w eek before, the current C ovid-1 9 rise in the nation looks to h av e peaked This is the first d rop in the case count for the sev enth d ay in 13 weeks since the start o f February

Other ind icators su ch as fatalities, activ e cases and th e positivity rate to o reg istered a d rop Th ere was a sligh t decline in d eaths from the viru s, with th e toll in the sev en days ending S aturd ay falling to 13 1, from 1 60 in the prev ious week

t h e a t t a c k s a d d e n i n g a n d s a i d t h e f i g h t a g a i n s t Maoists is in its last stage a n d t h a t t h e L e f t - w i n g i n s u r g e n t s w o u l d n o t b e spared He added the police p e r s o n n e l w e r e a t t a c k e d w h e n t h e y a r r i v e d f o r a n operation based on a tip-off a b o u t t h e p r e s e n c e o f Maoists under the Aranpur police station of Dantewada

CBI files chargesheet against Sisodia in excise case

M ani s h S i s o d i a, a fo r m er d ep u ty ch i e f m i ni s te r o f D el h i , and t h ree o t h er p eop le w ere charg ed by the C BI in connectio n with an i n v es ti g a ti o n i nto al le g ed corru ption in the creation and implem entatio n of the excise policy 2021 –2022

The agency has invoked section 201 (destruction of evidence) and 420 (cheating) of IPC in its report apart f r o m s o m e s e c t i o n s o f P r e v e n t i o n o f C o r r u p t i o n Act against Sisodia who was accused number 1 in CBI's FIR

Amandeep Dhall, liquor b u s i n e s s m a n , B u c h i B a b u G o r a n t a l a , B u c h i B a b u

G o r a n t a l a , a n a u d i t o r f o r t h e s o u t h g r o u p c a r t e l , A r j u n P a n d e y , f o r m e r p r e s i d e n t o f I n d i a A h e a d news channel have l been charged in this case by the CBI D h a l l , t h e d i r e c t o r o f B r i n d c o S a l e s , w h i c h imports and sells alcoholic b e v e r a g e s , w a s o r i g i n a l l y d e t a i n e d b y t h e

Enforcement Directorate on

M a r c h 1 f o r m o n e y laundering He was hauled into prison on April 19 and questioned by the CBI in Tihar Jail The Telangana chief minister's daughter K Kavitha s accountant, Buchi Babu, was detained by the CBI in the first few days of February

A r j u n P a n d e y , f o r m e r p r e s i d e n t o f I n d i a A h e a d news channel is alleged to h a v e c o l l e c t e d a r o u n d £400,000 from co-accused Sameer Mahendru on behalf o f V i j a y N a i r w h o h a s already been chargesheeted in the case CBI filed the supplementary chargesheet

after obtaining prosecution s a n c t i o n f r o m t h e c o m p e t e n t a u t h o r i t y i e ministry of home affairs

According to the latest c h a r g e s h e e t , S i s o d i a n o t only headed the GoM which w a s g i v e n t h e t a s k o f formulating the policy but was also holding the excise portfolio at the time It was at the instance of Sisodia and his associates that coaccused Vijay Nair had been p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n d i f f e r e n t m e e t i n g s h e l d w i t h t h e o t h e r c o n s p i r a t o r s i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h f o r m u l a t i o n o f t h e s a i d policy, says the chargesheet

Complaint against Bihar DyCM for alleged remark against Gujaratis

T ejas hwi Yadav , the deputy chie f mi nis ter of Bihar, has b een charged wi th crimina l d e f a ma t i o n a t a n

A h me d a b ad m et r op ol i ta n court for an a lleged remark he made about Guj aratis T he alle gation state s tha t Y a d a v r e p or t e d l y a d d e d , " L o o k i n g a t t h e p r e s e n t condi tion of the coun try, o n l y G uj a r a t i s ca n b e cheats (thag) "

D e f a m a t i o n c l a i m s against the Rashtriya Janata D a l ( R J D ) l e a d e r w e r e b r o u g h t b e f o r e M e t r o p o l i t a n C o u r t 1 7 b y Haresh Mehta, an officer of t h e N G O A l l I n d i a A n t iC o r r u p t i o n a n d C r i m e

Preventive Council

The complainant took e x c e p t i o n t o Y a d a v ’ s s t a t e m e n t o n a Y o u T u b e channel He quoted Yadav as saying, “Those two are the cheats, and they have p e r m i s s i o n t o c h e a t L o o k i n g a t t h e p r e s e n t condition of the country, o n l y G u j a r a t i s c a n b e cheats, and their cheating will be pardoned Give them LIC’s money, bank’s money They will run away with it, t h e n w h o w i l l b e responsible for it?”

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e c o m p l a i n t , Y a d a v ' s s t a t e m e n t a m o u n t s t o d e f a m i n g G u j a r a t O n

T h e f r e s h a t t a c k i n D a n t e w a d a c a m e m o n t h s a f t e r s e v e n s e c u r i t y p e r s o n n e l , i n c l u d i n g a n army jawan, were killed in s u s p e c t e d M a o i s t a t t a c k s a c r o s s C h h a t t i s g a r h o v e r one week in February

The attacks came even as the Union government maintained there has been a d e c l i n e i n l e f t - w i n g extremism (LWE) violence

In January, Shah said they a i m t o m a k e t h e c o u n t r y free from Maoism before the 2024 general elections

India reported 53,737 fresh cases during April 23-29 as opposed to 73,873 in the preceding week, when the current surge fuelled by new sub-lineages of the Omicron variant appears to have reached its peak

All major states, except a few in the east and the northeast, reported a drop in fresh cases last week (April 2329)

As in the past several weeks, Kerala reported the highest count of cases at 11,726 But the number had declined by 2 8 % f r o m t h e p r e c e d i n g w e e k S i m i l a r d e c l i n e s w e r e reported from Haryana (5,203, down 27%), Maharashtra (4,117, down 33%), Uttar Pradesh (3,507, down 36%) and Tamil Nadu (2,937, down 20%)

India reports 9,629 new Covid-19 cases, active caseload dips to 61,013 India has logged 9,629 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases have decreased to 61,013 from 63,380, according to the Union health ministry data

Gujarat HC refuses interim protection to Rahul in defamation case

The G uja ra t high court on Tue sd ay re fuse d t o give a ny int erim prot ection to Cong ress lead er R ahul Ga ndhi in t he Mod i sur name case a s it re se rv ed t he ve rdict on his plea for a st ay on his conv ict ion in the 20 19 ca se which cost him his Pa rliamen t mem ber ship

A lower court convicte d Rahul G an dhi on Ma rch 23 for his 2019 comme nt 'how come a ll t hieve s ha ve Mod i surn ame in common ' R a hu l w a s se n t e n c e d t o t w o y e a r s imprisonm ent which disqualifie d him a s an MP Ra hul approa che d a highe r court which uphe ld the lower cour t's ve rdict followin g which Rahul appr oa ched the high cour t

In the high court, Rahul was represented by Abhishek Singhvi who contested that the offence for which Rahul Gandhi has been awarded the maximum sentence of two years was not serious and it did not involve any "moral turpitude" but the consequences of d e n y i n g a s t a y o n t h e v e r d i c t w i l l b e

irreversible

"In the case of a public servant or a l e g i s l a t o r , i t h a s v e r y s e r i o u s a d d i t i o n a l irreversible consequences - to the person, the constituency, and also drastic consequences of re-election," Singhvi said referring to a p o s s i b l e b y p o l l i n W a y a n a d L o k S a b h a constituency

"When you say all Modi are thieves, is it

not moral turpitude? What message are you giving to the world? That an opposition leader of India brands his Prime Minister as a thief before thousands of people?" advocate N i r u p a m N a n a v a t y a p p e a r i n g f o r t h e c o m p l a i n a n t , B J P ' s P u r n e s h M o d i , countered

"An elected person loses the right to be a r e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f t h e p e o p l e , w h i c h i s irreversible He will lose the next session, meetings, etc There is a loss to him, he loses the right to represent the voice of people The people of the constituency lose their voice The entire right of collectivity 'we the people' is lost There will be a loss of public exchequer," Singhvi said during Tuesday's hearing

While the court refused to provide any interim protection to Rahul Gandhi, the verdict has been reserved Justice Hemant Prachchhak concluded the hearing before he goes out of India on May 5 The verdict will come out after the vacation R a h u l ' s c o n v i c t i o n , f o l l o w e d b y h i s disqualification as an MP has brought the opposition parties together against what they call 'BJP's vendetta politics' Congress alleged that the case was pursued soon after Rahul's Lok Sabha speech in which he questioned the relationship between PM Modi and Adani

Hurdles can't stop India's dream to emerge as a developed nation: PM Modi

M a r c h

2 5 , h e w i t n e s s e d Yadav's declaration Mehta claimed that as a result of t h i s r e m a r k , G u j a r a t i s travelling outside of Gujarat will be treated suspiciously In accordance with the IPC, he has sought the court to i s s u e a s u m m o n s o r a warrant for the defamatory comment “I supplied a list of witnesses, a CD with the video, and a transcript The court scheduled a hearing on May 1 for verification,” the c o m p l a i n a n t s a i d B e s i d e s Y a d a v , C o n g r e s s l e a d e r Rahul Gandhi is facing two c r i m i n a l d e f a m a t i o n c a s e s

P ri m e M i ni s ter N are nd r a Mo di claimed that d espite the existence of p olarising f o rc es and th e s la v er y m e nta li ty , I n d i a h as t h e c ap a ci ty fo r g r o u ndb rea ki ng i nv ent io n s th a t will aid in the realisation o f the o bjectiv e of becom ing a dev eloped co untry by 204 7 Mo di virtu ally ad dressed the closing ceremony of th e 10d a y S a u ras h tr a T a m i l S an g am am i n th e t em p l e town of S omnath

“ W e h a v e t o t a k e t h e country forward, but on the way, there will be forces that will threaten to break us and people to mislead us We also have the challenges of the era of slavery and the p e r i o d o f s e v e n d e c a d e s after that But India has the c o u r a g e t o d o s o m e t h i n g

Narendra Modi

n e w e v e n i n t h e m o s t

difficult of circumstances,”

Modi said

M o d i s a i d t h e s h a r e d h i s t o r y o f S a u r a s h t r a a n d

T a m i l N a d u g i v e s u s a n assurance of this conviction

“ S u c h a c o n f l u e n c e o f cultures is the fulfilment of the dreams of millions of f r e e d o m f i g h t e r s w h o s a c r i f i c e d t h e i r l i v e s a n d cherished the dream of ‘Ek B h a r a t S h r e s h t h a B h a r a t , ” he went on to say

In order to give the p e o p l e o f S a u r a s h t r a o r i g i n w h o c a m e t o T a m i l N a d u c e n t u r i e s a g o t h e c h a n c e t o r e k i n d l e t h e i r t i e s t o t h e i r a n c e s t r a l h o m e , t h e s t a t e g o v e r n m e n t organised the festival A s p e c i a l t r a i n b r o u g h t a r o u n d 3 , 0 0 0 v i s i t o r s t o Somnath, who then visited D e v a l i y a P a r k , D w a r k a , Porbandar, and the Statue of Unity

H e e m p h a s i z e d t h a t I n d i a i s a c o u n t r y t h a t c e l e b r a t e s i t s d i v e r s i t i e s which don’t divide but only s t r e n g t h e n t h e p e o p l e s ’ b o n d i n g a n d h a r m o n y Modi that India has to move f o r w a r d t o w a r d s n a t i o n -

Manish Sisodia

Nearly 3,000 Indians evacuated so far from crisis-hit Sudan

N e ar ly 3 ,0 00 In di an s ha ve n ow le ft S u d a n u n d e r # O p e r a t i o n K a v e r i , "

M in ist ry of Ex ter na l Affa irs S p o k e s p e r s on A r i n d a m

Bag chi twe et ed "An In dian

A irforce flight has land ed in

N ew Delhi with 40 pa sseng ers With this flight , a round 2, 300 peop le hav e r ea ched

In dia," Ext ern al Affairs m iniste r Jaishan ka r twe ete d

It was the 8th flight carrying Indian evacuees that took off from Saudi Arabia's J e d d a h , s i n c e ' O p e r a t i o n Kaveri' began The 7th flight destined for Bengaluru took off from Jeddah with 229 passengers onboard

O n S a t u r d a y e v e n i n g , 3 6 5 I n d i a n s f r o m S u d a n arrived in New Delhi, while

a flight carrying 231 Indian p a s s e n g e r s r e a c h e d t h e national capital on Saturday morning As a ceasefire has been called in Sudan, several countries, including India, are attempting to evacuate their citizens from a conflict-ridden nation

S u d a n i s e x p e r i e n c i n g b l o o d s h e d d u e t o c l a s h e s b e t w e e n t h e a r m y a n d

Release of “Whispers of my Heart” poem book

"Whispers of my Heart" written by Jayashree Shah is an inspiring and special poem book w hich invites you to shed tears of pain and joy but also to trav el through nature, cosmos and along the way meet s qu i rr els , rai nb o w s an d s o o n , w ith w h i sp ers and w o rd s A n d finally, you meet you r inner self

p a r a m i l i t a r y f o r c e s E v e n though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been a l l e g a t i o n s o f v i o l e n c e F i g h t i n g h a s e r u p t e d b e t w e e n s o l d i e r s l o y a l t o Sudanese army leader Abdel

F a t t a h a l - B u r h a n a n d h i s deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo

India's April GST collections at record high of £18.7 billion

T he amount of goo ds and s e rv i ce s t ax c o ll ec t ed i n Ap ril increased by 1 1 6% to a new high o f £1 8 70 billion, driven by stro ng domestic g ro w th T h e la te s t dat a i ssued by the finance mini stry on Monday indicated that the mop u p i n Ap ri l, b a s ed o n t ra ns a c ti o n s i n March, was at the highest l e vel s i nc e th e n ew l ev y went into effect in J uly 201 7

T h e p r e v i o u s h i g h o f £16 75 billion was recorded exactly a year ago Typically, March generates the maximum sales for companies given the year-end rush to

meet targets “ G r e a t n e w s f o r t h e Indian economy! Rising tax collection despite lower tax rates shows the success of h o w G S T h a s i n c r e a s e d i n t e g r a t i o n a n d c o m p l ia n c e , ” P r i m e M i n i s t e r N a r e n d r a M o d i s a i d A c c o r d i n g t o t h e f i n a n c e m i n i s t r y , d o m e s t i c s a l e s revenues increased by an estimated 16% This more than offset the integrated GST's 8 8% increase, which was caused by a decrease in the import tax of 4 8% due to lower shipment values

In April, smaller states

a n d U n i o n T e r r i t o r i e s r e p o r t e d h i g h e r g r o w t h with Sikkim registering the highest increase of 61%, foll o w e d b y M i z o r a m ( 5 3 % ) , J & K ( 4 4 % ) , L a d a k h ( 4 3 % ) and Goa & Manipur (32% each) Some of the larger ones too didn’t fare badly e i t h e r a s M P ( 2 8 % ) , K a r n a t a k a ( 2 3 % ) , M a h a r a s h t r a & U P ( 2 1 % each) and Tamil Nadu (19%) grew faster than the nationa l a v e r a g e O d i s h a ( 3 % ) ,

G u j a r a t ( 4 % ) , R a j a s t h a n (5%), Andhra Pradesh (6%) and Delhi (8%) were among the laggards

Pak backing terrorism, relations with China abnormal, says Jaishankar

India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar o nce more criticised Pakistan for its spo ns o rs h i p o f i n ter nat io n al ter ro ri s m as P akistani F oreign Minister Bilaw al Bhutto is read y to g o into India fo r the S hanghai C ooperatio n Organisatio n (SC O) meeting in Goa

Ahead of a likely bilateral meeting with Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang on the margins of SCO, Jaishankar also said India had been trying to advance relations with all countries without seeking exclusivity and that China “falls in a somewhat different category because of the boundary dispute and the currently abnormal nature of our ties”

“That is an outcome of a violation of agreements regarding border management b y t h e m , ” h e s a i d a t a n e v e n t i n t h e Dominican Republic “India’s most important priorities are in its neighbourhood Given its size and economic strength, it’s very much for the collective benefit of every-

one that India, under PM Modi, has a generous and nonreciprocal approach to smaller neighbours It’s known as neighbourhoodfirst policy,” the minister said “This has seen a dramatic increase in cooperation, contacts and connectivity in the region The exception to this is Pakistan in view of the crossborder terrorism it supports,” he added Jaishankar targeted Pakistan for the second time during his current trip to Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the impossibility of a formal bilateral meeting with Bilawal

F o r m e r P a k i s t a n i h i g h c o m m i s s i o n e r

Abdul Basit alleged that India had "informally" requested a meeting with Pakistan; however, government sources in this country v e h e m e n t l y r e f u t e t h i s B o t h d i p l o m a t i c s i d e s c o n f i r m e d t h a t n e i t h e r p a r t y h a d requested a meeting Both are anticipated to h o l d o n e - o n - o n e c o n f e r e n c e s w i t h t h e i r

SCO counterparts

Landslides stall yatra to Badrinath for over 8 hours

Lan dslides near Pinola an d T a y a p ul i n t h e C h a m o li d i s tr i c t h av e c l os ed t h e B a dr i n a t h n a ti on a l h i g hw a y , o r N H - 5 8, l e a v i n g hundreds of pilgrim s trave l l i n g t o t h e s a c r e d s i t e d e t a i n e d f or m o re t h an ei ght hours las t week The d is tri ct e mer gen cy ope rat ion ce ntr e sa id that th e hi ghway was opened after 8 hours

“The landslide occurred

in Govindghat police station area in the early morning hours As a result, long q u e u e s o f v e h i c l e s w e r e f o r m e d o n t h e h i g h w a y with large boulders blocking the road,” said Nand Kishore Joshi, district disaster management officer of Chamoli M a n y o f t h e p i l g r i m s were left without food and water, and district police had to distribute food pack-

T h i s i s h e r f i r s t , s p e c i a ledition book dedicated to her late mother The book is a testament to the power of words These creative poems can be a source of comfort and inspiration, reminding us about self discovery and the oneness of humanity

Ten years ago, Jayashree Shah who is a r e t i r e d N H S i n t e g r a t e d m e d i c a l G P discovered her love of poetry She is a firm believer that everyone has creativity inside them, waiting to be unlocked with the keys of courage and joy She spends her active retirement engaging in social activities, t r a v e l , f u n d - r a i s i n g a n d i m m e r s i n g i n nature Presently, she resides in London a f t e r s p e n d i n g m o s t o f h e r t i m e i n Lancashire, Sweden and India She lives with her husband Dr Rajnikant Shah, a retired consultant anesthetist, two sons, daughters-in-law, and grandsons

Dr Rajnikant Shah, Dr Jayashree Shah and their friends established the UK-based non-profit organisation ‘Positive Sight’ in

November 1997 to support various social activities in India aimed at recovering eyesight It is affiliation with the Blind People's Association (BPA), an NGO based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat which works for the services of people with disabilities Positive Sight raises funds through various innovative ways, such as hill climbing, t r e k k i n g , s p o n s o r i n g w a l k s , r a f f l e s , a u c t i o n s , c h a r i t y e v e n t s a n d t h r o u g h individual / corporate donations

The book is planned to be e-launched d u r i n g a z o o m e v e n t o n W o m e n E m p o w e r m e n t a n d A c h i e v e m e n t s organised by Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice on 27th May 2023 The proceeds from the book sales will be used to restore vision and conduct cataract operation for extremely poor people living in rural areas of India For more details, check pg 7

India's first water metro launched in Kochi

Kerala know n fo r its lush backwaters and spectacu lar b eac h es , h as lau n ch ed India's first “water metro”, connecting ten islands w ith the bu stling, centuries- old port city of Kochi During th e o p e ni ng c er em o n y, K er al a ’ s ch i e f m i ni s te r, Pinarayi Vijayan said , “T he Kerala gov ernm ent says the clean-energ y p roject is A sia’s l arg e st i nte g ra ted w ate r tr ans p o r t sy s tem I t w i l l re v o lu t io n i se w ate r transpo rt and boost tou rism in the state ” P r i m e m i n i s t e r N a r e n d r a M o d i w h o h a s promised to “connect every corner of the country”, was on hand to inaugurate the 48-mile system A fleet of 78 electrically propelled boats will ply 15 routes with 38 stops and feed into the city’s metro system With a minimum fare of 20 rupees, the project's first p h a s e w i l l c a r r y 3 4 , 0 0 0 passengers each day It will b e n e f i t r e s i d e n t s o f t h e

ets and water bottles The point where the landslide occurred is just 20-25 km away from subsidence-hit Joshimath town

O f f i c i a l s s a i d t h a t i n view of the weather alert till May 3, pilgrims who do not have confirmed hotel or guest house bookings at K e d a r n a t h a r e b e i n g stopped at Srinagar in Pauri Garhwal in order to prevent chaos at the temple town

F o llo w i n g A n t h o n y

Alba ne se 's con fir mation t hat Austr alia will host t he 2023 Qua d summit in Sy dne y on M a y 24 , Pr im e Mi n i s t e r Na re ndr a Mod i tha nke d him a nd sa id t he gat herin g will s up p o r t m e m b e r n a t io n s ' e f fo r t s t o e n s u r e a f r e e , o pe n , a n d in c lus iv e I n d oPa cific

“I look forward to my v i s i t a n d d i s c u s s i o n s o n strengthening Quad collabor a t i o n a c r o s s d o m a i n s t o advance our positive agend a , ” t w e e t e d M o d i i n h i s response to the announcement by the Australian PM M o d i ' s f i r s t v i s i t w i l l t o

Vembanad lagoon, which is commonly referred to as the "Venice of the East" due to the system of canals that connect its islands Kochi Metro Rail is in charge of t h e £ 1 1 1 m i l l i o n n e t w o r k , which will be finished by 2035 and is supported by a l o a n f r o m t h e G e r m a n development bank KfW V i j a y a n s a i d t h a t t h e p r o j e c t c o u l d p r o v i d e a b l u e p r i n t f o r e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y f r i e n d l y water transport that could be used in at least 40 of I n d i a ’ s o t h e r c i t i e s w i t h a b u n d a n t w a t e r w a y s T h e

and Quad summits in May

c a t a m a r a n - h u l l e d , b a t t e r y p o w e r e d b o a t s a r e s l e e k , n o n - p o l l u t i n g a n d l e a v e only a small wake, unlike traditional ferries When fully operational, the water metro is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 44,000 tonnes a year The state government has been k e e n t o r e v i v e a n d modernise water transport, which played a pivotal role i n t h e g r o w t h o f K e r a l a , home to 34 million people, and its commercial capital, Kochi, ruled at various times b y t h e P o r t u g u e s e , t h e Dutch and the British PM Modi to attend G7

H i r o s h i m a i n J a p a n f r o m

May 19 to 21 for the G7 summit, from where he will travel to Australia and also for the first time to Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Albanese had officially invited Modi for the Quad summit when he visited India last month

“The Quad is committed to supporting an open, stab l e a n d p r o s p e r o u s I n d oPacific that is respectful of s o v e r e i g n t y a n d e n s u r e s security and growth for all I look forward to discussing with Quad leaders how we –alongside important regiona l i n s t i t u t i o n s , s u c h a s

A s e a n , t h e P a c i f i c I s l a n d s F o r u m , t h e I n d i a n O c e a n R i m A s s o c i a t i o n a n d o u r regional partners - can shape the Indo-Pacific region we a l l w a n t t o l i v e i n , ” s a i d Albanese in a statement A l t h o u g h t h e I n d oP a c i f i c r e g i o n ' s s t a b i l i t y , adaptability, and prosperity are promoted by the Quad, Beijing and Moscow see the o r g a n i s a t i o n a s a U S - l e d effort to contain China “We will be discussing the global economic environment that we know is under pressure d u e t o g l o b a l i n f l a t i o n a r y pressures, ” Albanese said in Canberra

Jayashree Shah

Uniform civil code among BJP's election promises in Karnataka Cong abused me 91

BE NGA L U RU : Imp lementation of the Uniform Civ il Cod e, 1 0,0 0,0 00 jobs in th e manu facturing sector and a State Capital Regio n tag fo r Bengaluru are among the to p promises made by the BJP in its manifesto for the M ay 1 0 Karnataka A ssem bly election

The document, named BJP Praja Pranalike, was released in Bengaluru by the party's national president JP Nadda Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai and veteran party leader BS Yediyurappa were also present on the occasion, among others Addressing the media, Nadda said t h e m a n i f e s t o w a s n o t p r e p a r e d a f t e r discussions in an air-conditioned room and that party workers had visited every corner of the state and gathered inputs for preparing this document

Nadda said the BJP's vision for the state is "justice to all, appeasement to n o n e " H e a l s o s a i d t h a t t h e p a r t y ' s government in the state has abolished the " u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l " r e s e r v a t i o n f o r M u s l i m s J u s t b e f o r e t h e p o l l s w e r e a n n o u n c e d , t h e B a s a v a r a j B o m m a i - l e d cabinet decided to do away with the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims and divide it equally between Lingayats and Vokkaligas -- two politically influential caste groups in Karnataka

The move has sparked protests from the Opposition, with the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) promising to restore

the reservation if they come to power The party, which faces a tough electoral battle in the state this time, has said that its p r o m i s e s t o u c h e v e r y s e c t i o n o f t h e society

It has said that the Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in the state "based on the recommendations given by a high-level committee which is to be constituted for the purpose"

T h e p a r t y h a s a l s o p r o m i s e d introduction of the National Register of Citizens and "speedy deportation of all illegal migrants" Other promises include monthly ration kits for households below poverty line, a fixed deposit scheme for women from scheduled castes and tribes, and a plan to develop Karnataka into a hub of electric vehicles The party has also promised 3 free cooking gas cylinders to BPL families in a year - one each during the months of Yugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi and Deepavali

Badal Senior cremated with full state honours

M U K T S A R ( B A D A L ) : A k ali s ta lw a rt and f iv e- ti m e P unjab CM Parkash S ing h Bad al was cremated w ith full state honours in h is ow n fields in his nativ e village of Badal, in M uktsar d istrict, last week Thou sands from all w alks of life cam e to say go odbye to the grand o ld man of P unjab politics

After hugging his father one last time, the Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch’s son and party president, Sukhbir Singh Badal, wept as he lit the funeral pyre in the family orchard Kinnow trees planted by Badal Senior over two acres had to be uprooted for lack of such a big cremation ground in the village

Mod i pays last respects

Earlier, political leaders cutting across party lines and prominent personalities from other fields paid homage before the mortal remains of SAD patriarch PM Modi, too, came to Chandigarh to pay his last respects to Badal, who passed away aged 95 He had termed Badal’s demise a “personal loss”

SAD and BJP’s 24-year alliance had ended over the contentious farm laws PM Modi met Sukhbir Badal before leaving for Delhi He was accompanied by Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar After kirtan and prayers, the specially decorated ambulance carrying Badal’s body, which was driven by SAD politician Bikram Singh Majithia, left the party headquarters for Badal’s village where last rites were performed

PM Modi

BE N GALU RU : Prime Minister Narendra Mo di, w ho launched the s econd and final leg of h is c ampaign in po ll- bound Karnataka on Saturday, s aid Co ngress and its f unctionaries h ave so far h urled 9 1 types o f abu ses at h im

H e s a i d t h e p e o p l e o f K a r n a t a k a w o u l d respond to this abuse with votes on May 10 “Someone made a list of all the 91 different abuses and sent it to me Had Congress put the same effort into good governance and boosting the morale of their workers instead of wasting time on this dictionary of abuses, the party wouldn’t have been in such a pathetic state,” Modi said at a public rally at Humnabad, in Bidar district, about 700 km from Bengaluru

A t a r a l l y a t V i j a y a p u r a , 5 0 0 k m f r o m Bengaluru, Modi took an indirect swipe at former CM Siddaramaiah, saying, “A Congress leader is seeking votes in name of retirement His biggest poll plank is: ‘This is my last election Give me a chance’ What a pathetic state they have reached,” M o d i s a i d A d d r e s s i n g a p u b l i c m e e t i n g i n Mysuru, defence minister Rajnath Singh said Congress was traumatised by Modi’s growing popularity and, therefore, was making demeaning r e m a r k s a b o u t h i m A t t a c k i n g C o n g r e s s a t another public meeting, in Belagavi, Modi said: “Congress owns corruption while BJP owns Amrit Kaal ” He added: “When the very foundations and ideas of a party are parivarvaad (dynasty), when a p a r t y ’ s e x i s t e n c e d e p e n d s u p o n a c o r r u p t ecosystem, it cannot deliver results on the ground It cannot work for the welfare of the people ”

L U D H I A N A : T ox ic g a s f r o m a su s pe ct e d c o ck t a il o f s e w a g e a n d illega lly d umped in dustria l e ffluent s kille d 1 1 pe ople , 10 of them from thr ee migra nt familie s of Bihar an d U P, in a horr ific tra ged y outside a milk booth in t h e G i a sp ur a n e i g hbo u r ho od o f Punjab's Ludhia na on S un day

Two cops were among four others k n o c k e d u n c o n s c i o u s a s t h e y responded to the sight of bodies either sprawled on the street or struggling to b r e a t h e , s t a r t i n g w i t h a m a n w h o c o l l a p s e d a n d t u r n e d b l u e , eyewitnesses said Air-quality sensors used by the NDRF detected high levels o f h y d r o g e n s u l p h i d e g a s , w h i c h officials suspect caused the deaths

“The milk shop opens early and t h e f i r s t c u s t o m e r s a r e u s u a l l y shopkeepers At first, one person fell on the road like he had been struck by someone or something One by one, anyone who went near him met the same fate We initially thought it was an electric shock," Mehanga Ram, a r e s i d e n t o f t h e a r e a , s a i d “ I t w a s

CONG PROMISES FREE TRAVEL FOR WOMEN IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced free travel for all women in public transport if the party is voted to power in Karnataka At a campaign meeting in Adyar Mangaluru Rahul said: “Not just the four (previous) promises we will fulfil all five promises on the first day we form government This fifth promise is for women BJP stole 40% commission from the women of Karnataka and our job is to return it to them

After we win this election women in Karnataka need not pay even a single rupee to travel in government buses He said Congress zeroed in on these promises after extensive interactions with people especially women, farmers and the working class “to know what should be done for them Congress previously announced four guarantees - Griha Lakshmi (financial assistance to women head of families), Griha Jyoti (free electricity), Anna Bhagya (10 kg of rice) and Yuva Nidhi Scheme (stipend for unemployed youth)

OPS DISSOLVES 'FAKE AIADMK GENERAL COUNCIL'

t e r r i b l e T h e v i c t i m s m a y h a v e p e r i s h e d w i t h i n s e c o n d s N o b o d y could help them ” By the time NDRF a n d f i r e b r i g a d e t e a m s a r r i v e d t o cordon off the area, all but four of the people lying on the road were dead A preliminary probe identified the source of the poison gas as a sewer i n t o w h i c h a n “ o r g a n i s e d g a n g ” allegedly discharges effluents collected f r o m f a c t o r i e s L u d h i a n a p o l i c e commissioner Mandeep Singh Sidhu pinned the blame on “irresponsible people who poured effluents down a manhole somewhere near ”

“The police have scanned footage from CCTVs near the site where the deaths occurred, but haven’t found a n y t h i n g s u s p i c i o u s y e t W e a r e e x t e n d i n g t h e s e a r c h t o n e a r b y locations with cameras to identify the culprits,” he said

One of those hospitalized told the police that he was familiar with the stench of gas emanating from sewage in that locality, especially during the monsoon months

SC eases out Calcutta HC judge from school jobs scam case

N E W D E L H I : T h e S u p rem e

C ourt eased o ut C alcutta High C o u rt j u d g e J u st ic e A bh i j i t Gangop ad hyay fro m the West Beng al sc ho ol j obs scam c as e o ver an interview he g ranted to a T V new s channel on th e raging controv ersy, promp ting h im to a s k th e t o p c o u rt ’ s s ec re tar y g eneral to place before him th e o fficial translated cop y of his interview

A b e n c h o f J u s t i c e s A S B o p a n n a a n d H i m a K o h l i h u r r i e d l y a s s e m b l e d a f t e r t h e normal court hours and stayed the controversial order passed by Gangopadhyay, hours after

the SC asked the Acting Chief J u s t i c e o f t h e C a l c u t t a H i g h Court to reassign the school jobs scam case to another judge The apex court had recently voiced displeasure over Justice Gangopadhyay’s interview to TV n e w s c h a n n e l A B P A n a n d a J u s t i c e B o p a n n a s a i d J u s t i c e

G a n g o p a d h y a y ’ s o r d e r s o o n after the apex court’s direction to the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court was not proper S o l i c i t o r G e n e r a l T u s h a r Mehta agreed with the view of the bench and said the judge s h o u l d n o t h a v e p a s s e d t h e order “On hearing the Solicitor G e n e r a l , a s h a s b e e n r i g h t l y pointed out, the order of the present nature ought not have b e e n p a s s e d i n j u d i c i a l proceedings More so, keeping in view the judicial discipline

T h e p r e s e n t p r o c e e d i n g s a r e closed and the order of the high

court is stayed,” the bench said The bench then directed the secretary general of the apex court to immediately convey the o r d e r t o t h e C a l c u t t a H i g h Court registrar general “As the m a t t e r s t a n d s , n o f u r t h e r p r o c e e d i n g s n e e d e d i n t h i s c a s e , ” J u s t i c e B o p a n n a s a i d

Hours before the SC bench met for an urgent hearing to stay his o r d e r , J u s t i c e G a n g o p a d h y a y wanted the official translation of his controversial interview, in which he was alleged to have s p o k e n a g a i n s t T M C l e a d e r A b h i s h e k B a n e r j e e , t o b e brought before him

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, OPS, as he is known "dissolved" the "fake general council" of the AIADMK that expelled him and his supporters from the party in July last year Taking strong exception to the group, spearheaded by another former Chief Minister K Palaniswami for amending the party by-laws to alter the AIADMK hierarchy, Panneerselvam said contrary to the rules laid down by founder M G Ramachandran that the general secretary of the party should be elected by the primary members the coordinator who was duly elected and his supporters were expelled from the party Accepting the recommendation of his party meeting in Tiruchirappalli on April 24 Panneerselvam said that the fake general council has been dissolved with effect from today The new council will be formed after the process of issuing identity cards to genuine members has been completed, he said

MAN ARRESTED FOR DESECRATING SIKH HOLY BOOK

Punjab police arrested a man for allegedly desecrating the Sri Gutka Sahib a holy book of the Sikhs, at a gurdwara in Gurdaspur s Shuor Kalan village Local residents have demanded strict action against the accused, identified as Sucha Singh over the sacrilege incident The villagers caught the accused and handed him to the police Gurdaspur SP Jagjit Singh Saroha said We received a call from Shuor Kalan village that a person has done beadbi’ (sacrilege) of Gutka Sahib The person has been arrested and a case has been registered against him Further investigation is being done " This incident was reported four days after a man was arrested for allegedly desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib and hitting two priests at a gurdwara in Morinda He was sent to two-day police remand by a local court

CALCUTTA HC ORDERS NIA PROBE INTO RAM NAVAMI VIOLENCE

The Calcutta high court last week ordered the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe the violence that occurred in West Bengal’s Howrah district during the Ram Navami celebrations in March The high court ordered the state police to hand over the investigation to NIA Hearing a PIL moved by BJP legislator and leader of the opposition in the assembly Suvendu Adhikari a bench of acting chief justice TS Sivagnanam and justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya ordered the state police to hand over the investigation to NIA “We are convinced that no useful purpose would be served by directing the state police to register cases against those who used acid bottles and petrol bombs etc under the Explosive Substances Act as the matter has travelled beyond that stage and it is a fit case to transfer the investigation to the NIA,” the court stated

times, Karnataka voters will reply:

11 die after inhaling toxic gas in Ludhiana

'Mann Ki Baat' filled a void, gave people connect, says PM Modi

P M N ar en dr a M o di s a id th e m o n th l y ra di o p r o gr am me h a d a l lo w ed h i m to ap p re ci a te th e virtu es in peop le h e had met o r sp oken to wh en h e addressed the 1 00th episo de o f "Mann Ki Baat " Additi onally, h e claimed th at i t s a ti s f i ed th e " e mp ti n es s " h e experienced u pon arriving in the cap ital fro m Gu jarat in 2014

Stating that the broadcast was n o t j u s t a p r o g r a m m e b u t a “ m a t t e r o f f a i t h a n d s p i r i t u a l journey” for him, Modi described Mann Ki Baat as a great medium through which to learn from the qualities of others, adding that it allowed him to connect with the people of the country like he used

t o w h e n h e w a s G u j a r a t c h i e f minister

The BJP has transformed the 100th episode of the Mann Ki Baat i n t o a m a s s i v e o u t r e a c h e f f o r t , with key party figures, including ministers, attending the speech at

v a r i o u s l o c a t i o n s

E m i n e n t c i t i z e n s j o i n e d p a r t y - r u l e d state chief ministers a n d g o v e r n o r s a t their official houses t h r o u g h o u t t h e programme “After coming to Delhi in 2014, I found t h a t l i f e h e r e w a s v e r y d i f f e r e n t T h e nature of the work is different, the responsibility is different, one is b o u n d b y c i r c u m s t a n c e s , t h e rigours of security and time limits

In the initial days, something felt different, there was an emptiness

Fifty years ago, I did not leave my

CM Patel greets people on Gujarat Foundation Day, skips event

O n t h e o c c as i o n o f t h e

G uj ar at F o u nd a ti o n D ay , C h i ef M i n i s te r Bh u p e nd r a P at el s ent gr eet i ngs to th e p u b l i c bu t w a s u n ab l e to attend the state-l evel event in J am na gar d ue t o t h e c ond iti on of his son P a t e l ’ s s o n A n u j P a t e l suffered a brain stroke and underwent a surgery at the K D Hospital in Ahmedabad He was later shifted to a hospital i n M u m b a i o n M o n d a y m o r n i n g f o r f u r t h e r t r e a t m e n t A g o v e r n m e n t s t a t e m e n t s a i d , “ C h i e f Minister Bhupendra Patel will not be able to attend various p r o g r a m m e s o f t h e G u j a r a t

Foundation Day celebration to be held today in Jamnagar due to the ill health of his son ” H e a l t h m i n i s t e r

Rushikesh Patel and governor

Acharya Devvrat attended the state-level event in Jamnagar

The CM took to Twitter to wish the people of Gujarat on

Bhupendra Patel

its 63rd foundation day

“Heartiest wishes to all the citizens on Gujarat State F o u n d a t i o n D a y ( G u j a r a t G a u r a v D i w a s ) G r a t e f u l salute to all those who have c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t a n d g l o r i o u s development of the state May

the state of Gujarat reach a n e w p e a k o f a l l r o u n d development and the people o f G u j a r a t g e t e t e r n a l h a p p i n e s s , p e a c e a n d prosperity,” he tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted his good w i s h e s t o t h e p e o p l e o f G u j a r a t “ G r e e t i n g s o n G u j a r a t S t h a p a n a D i w a s Gujarat has made a mark due to its all round progress as well as its unique culture I pray that the state continues t o s c a l e n e w h e i g h t s o f d e v e l o p m e n t i n t h e t i m e s ahead,” the PM said

Gu jarat Day zoo m ev ent

On the occasion of the Gujarat Foundation Day, a celebratory zoom event was organised by Asian Voice and G u j a r a t S a m a c h a r L o r d B h i k h u P a r e k h , L o r d N a v n i t Dholakia, Kapil Dudakia, Dhiru Gadhvi, P K Laheri, Sudhir Raval, Dr Vallabh Kathiria, Kanti Nagda MBE were the key speakers for the evening Well-known singer, Maya Deepak sang melodious folk songs on the occasion Detailed report of the event will be published in the coming week's edition of Asian Voice

SC asks states to act swiftly against hate speech

The Suprem e C ourt ordered poli ce in all s tates and U Ts to tak e suo motu ac tion and regi ster cases agai nst thos e makin g hate s pe e c h e s , r eg a r d le s s o f t he i r re l i g i on , b efore wa iting for a f orma l c om plai nt The c ourt descri bed hate speec h as a "serious offen ce" that could affect the secular fab ri c of the n ation

A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna clarified to the authorities that any hesitation to act will be viewed as contempt of the top court and that appropriate action will be taken against the erring officers while also expanding the scope of its 2022 order beyond Uttarakhand, UP, Delhi, and Maharashtra

It stressed that the state governments were duty-bound to act against hate speech and it had to pass the order as no action was being taken to deal with the problem The bench also asked the parties not to “bring politics” in the hearing

The claim that police authorities must act regardless of the offender's religion came after the hearing, during which many parties accused one another of employing hate speech

T h e S C b e n c h s a i d , “ R e s p o n d e n t s (states) shall ensure that immediately, as and when any speech or any action takes p l a c e w h i c h a t t r a c t s o f f e n c e s s u c h a s

Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153B (assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 295A (insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code, suo motu action be taken to register cases and proceed against the offenders in accordance with law We further make it clear that such action be taken irrespective of the religion or maker of the speech, so that the secular character of ‘Bharat’ as envisaged in the Preamble is preserved ”

home just to find one day it would be difficult to contact the people

o f m y o w n c o u n t r y T h e v e r y c o u n t r y m e n w h o a r e m y e v e r y t h i n g I c o u l d n o t l i v e separated from them Mann Ki

Baat gave me a solution to this challenge, a way to connect with the common man, ” the PM said

More than 11,00,000 people

f r o m r o u n d t h e w o r l d p o s t e d pictures while listening to Mann

Ki Baat Around 900,000 tweets with billions of impressions were registered on social media The common man at home, in societies

a n d c o m m u n i t i e s a c r o s s t h e

c o u n t r y t u n e d i n f o r t h e

p r o g r a m m e A u d i e n c e s a t

international embassies of India across the world listened to the b r o a d c a s t T h e d i a s p o r a a l s o o r g a n i s e d h u n d r e d s o f programmes across the globe to watch Mann Ki Baat, the sources said CMs and Union ministers w e r e p r e s e n t f o r s c r e e n i n g s a t various places

R a j B h a w a n s i n v i t e d p e o p l e from their state who had been mentioned in Mann Ki Baat and special screenings of Mann Ki Baat were organised Mann Ki Baat was a l s o m a d e a v a i l a b l e i n m a n y community centres and railway stations across the country with porters to police personnel seen listening to the broadcast

Rajnath rules out military engagement with China

I n a st e r n m e ss a ge t o i t s n e ig h bo u r , C h i n a , I n d i a ma de it clea r that t here will simply be n o improv eme nt in the ove ra ll bilat era l re lat ion sh ip un til it s t roops dise nga ge a nd de -esca la te the t hree -yea r sta ndoff in easte rn Lad akh In dia also summ a r i ly r e j e c t e d a n e w Chin ese pla n for the r esta rt o f m i li t a r y -t o - m il it a r y

e nga geme nts

D e f e n c e m i n i s t e r R a j n a t h S i n g h t o l d h i s C h i n e s e c o u n t e r p a r t G e n e r a l L i S h a n g f u t h a t China’s “violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations”, and disengagement at the border needs to be logically followed by de-escalation, during their 55-minute delegation-level meeting

A c c o r d i n g t o a s t a t ement from the defence mini s t r y , " c a t e g o r i c a l l y " t o l d General Li that the "develo p m e n t o f r e l a t i o n s " between the two nations "is predicated on the predominance of peace and tranquillity at the borders "

“He added that all issues at the Line of Actual Control need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral a g r e e m e n t s a n d c o m m i tments,” the statement said The deep chill in bilateral relations was also evident when Singh did not shake hands with Gen Li, as he did with his other counterparts from Iran (Brigadier General M o h a m m e d R e z a G h a r a e i A s h t i a n i ) , K a z a k h s t a n ( C o l o n e l G e n e r a l R u s l a n

Zhaksylykov) and Tajikistan

( C o l o n e l G e n e r a l S h e r a l i Mirzo) in bilateral meetings w i t h t h e m a h e a d o f t h e S h a n g h a i C o o p e r a t i o n O r g a n i s a t i o n ( S C O ) m e e t Sources said China presented a new proposal to restart military-to military cooperation just before the bilateral meeting but it was rejected with the message that it can only be considered if the s i t u a t i o n a t t h e b o r d e r returns to normal

“China was told that the situation at the border is untenable India can consider the new proposal only a f t e r t h e f e s t e r i n g b o r d e r issue is resolved India wants to improve relations with C h i n a b u t i t c a n h a p p e n only after peace and tranquillity are restored on the border,” a source said

Sharad Pawar quits as NCP chief

S en i o r M ah a ras h tr a p o l it ic i an S h a rad P aw a r dropp ed a bo mbsh ell as he anno unced h is resi gnatio n as chief of the Nationalist C o n g re ss P ar ty ( N C P ) , re d o u bl i ng s p ec u la ti o n abou t his nephew Ajit Pawar d r if ti ng to w a rd s t h e B J P " A f te r a lo ng p eri o d o f public life from May 1, 1960, to May 1 , 2023 , it is necessary to take a step back," 82-yearold Sharad Paw ar, who has p l aye d a p i v o ta l r o le i n b ri ng i ng t og eth e r opp osition parties ah ead o f th e 20 24 L o k S ab h a elections, said in a surprise an no u n ce m en t a t t h e launch of h is autobiograph y in Mumbai

" I t ' s t i m e f o r a n e w g e n e r a t i o n t o g u i d e t h e party I recommend that a committee of NCP members decide on the election of P r e s i d e n t ' s p o s t , " h e s a i d , a s s e r t i n g t h a t h e i s n o t

retiring from public life

T h e f o u r - t i m e Maharashtra chief minister m a d e t h e s u r p r i s e a n n o u n c e m e n t w i t h nephew Ajit Pawar by his side His decision was met w i t h p r o t e s t s b y N C P workers and leaders, many of whom could be seen in tears

Pawar also announced a panel of senior party leaders to plan the way forward "I am not retiring from public l i f e T h e r e w i l l b e n o s e p a r a t i o n f r o m m e o r p u b l i c r e t i r e m e n t I w a s w i t h y o u ; I a m a n d w i l l always be there till my last

breath," he assured E m o t i o n a l p a r t y w o r k e r s a n d l e a d e r s begged Pawar to withdraw his decision and said they wouldn't leave unless he did so Top NCP leader a n d R a j y a S a b h a P r a f u l

Patel said Sharad Pawar did not take anyone into c o n f i d e n c e b e f o r e announcing his resignation Reports that Ajit Pawar m a y t a k e o v e r g a i n e d traction when he said that the "next president of NCP w i l l w o r k u n d e r S h a r a d Pawar's guidance" "Pawar S a h e b h i m s e l f h a d s a i d a b o u t t h e n e c e s s i t y o f change in guard a few days b a c k W e s h o u l d s e e h i s decision in the light of his a g e a n d h e a l t h E v e r y o n e h a s t o t a k e a d e c i s i o n a c c o r d i n g t o t i m e , P a w a r Saheb has taken a decision, and he won't take it back", Ajit Pawar said

World’s highest railway bridge to open in Kashmir soon

In the middl e of the mighty Himal ayas in India n-administer ed Kas hm ir lies the worl d’s highes t railway bridge The dis tant area wil l be c onnec ted to India's extens ive r ail way network by the 1,3 15 -m eter-long (4,314-f oot) and 3 59 -m ete r-high (1,177-f oot) bridge over the Chenab River, whic h of fers all -weather ac cess

The bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, lies between the villages of Bakkal and Kauri in Reasi district of the southern Jammu

area of Kashmir The steel arch bridge, which weighs 28,000 tonnes, is regarded as an engineering miracle because it was constructed in a region with a lot of seismic activity In addition to frequent landslides and severe weather, the rocky and uneven terrain

The 119 km-long railway project comprises 38 tunnels and 931 bridges having a combined length of 13 km to make the railway link possible

Prior to its construction, the engineers had to make a 26 km approach road and a 400-metre-long (1,300 feet) tunnel to reach the site of the bridge

While inspecting the completion of the bridge last month, Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s railway minister said, “This bridge and the other tunnels were difficult because this whole area is a highly seismic prone area To strengthen it from any seismic activity special

strengthening technology has been used ”

The bridge, official documents say, has been built to withstand strong winds and high-magnitude earthquakes “This project has been the most daunting work undertaken by post-independence Indian Railways,” an engineer working on the project told the media “The completion of the bridge also shows vast advancement in India’s engineering technology,” he added

Sharad Pawar

Indian-origin man jailed for smuggling puppies, cat

A 36-year-old Indian-origin Malaysian was sentenced to 12 months in prison for smuggling 26 puppies and a cat in laundry b a g s t o S i n g a p o r e T h e N a t i o n a l P a r k s Board (NParks) called the incident "one of the most serious cases of animal smuggling to date" and stated that one puppy was discovered dead and 18 dogs later perished f r o m c a n i n e p a r v o v i r u s i n f e c t i o n

According to the newspaper, Gobysuwaran Paraman Sivan was given a prison term for b r i n g i n g i n p e t s w i t h o u t a p e r m i t a n d inflicting undue agony on the animals On October 18, 2022, he brought 26 puppies and a cat into Malaysia aboard a lorry (Agency)

Kanpur woman elopes with boyfriend’s father

In a bizarre love a f f a i r i n U t t a r Pradesh s Kanpur, a 2 0 - y e a r - o l d w o m a n r a n a w a y w i t h h e r b o y f r i e n d ' s f a t h e r , l e a v i n g b e h i n d h e r

lover and family The woman eloped a year a g o a f t e r s h e s t a r t e d t a l k i n g t o h e r boyfriend's father, Kamlesh, while visiting his house In March 2022, Kamlesh and the w o m a n l e f t K a n p u r , l e a v i n g b e h i n d Kamlesh's son Amit, then 20 The victim's f a m i l y h a d r e p o r t e d t h e w o m a n ' s kidnapping to the Chakeri police station Following a year-long search, the police located Kamlesh and the woman in Delhi and took them into custody Kamlesh and the woman told police they were in love and t h a t t h e y s h a r e d a h o m e A d d i t i o n a l research is under way (Agency)

SC closes contempt case against Lalit Modi

T h e S u p r e m e C o u r t a c c e p t e d e xI P L c h a i r m a n L a l i t Modi's "unconditional a p o l o g y f r o m t h e bottom of his heart" f o r h i s d i s p a r a g i n g comments against the judiciary on social media and dismissed the case against him The court ordered him to refrain from any actions that would damage the reputation of the judiciary Letting him off from contempt proceedings, a bench of Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar made it clear that he would have to face the music if he repeats the mistake in future The b e n c h a g r e e d w i t h t h e s e n i o r a t t o r n e y r e p r e s e n t i n g M o d i , A b h i s h e k M a n u Singhvi, who asked the supreme court for mercy in accepting his genuine apologies, which came from the bottom of the former cricket administrator's heart (Agency)

Teen lives life of millionaire using con money

He grew up in a dilapidated house and hardly had any money to spend But over the last 10 months, this 17-year-old boy f r o m D h a n d h u k a t o w n i n A h m e d a b a d district had been living a lavish life that many can only dream of The teenager

Punjab cop makes a rag picker smile

A video shared on Instagram by a user shows a policeman from Punjab giving a bottle of water to a rag picker. As the clip goes on, the cop gives the boy slippers and clothes to wear as well The post has received over 62,000 likes and several comments. People praised the officer for a s

o n h o w appreciative the youngster appeared to be of the present from the officer Some others advocated for everyone to take the initiative to provide individuals living on the streets with some essential items like clothing and shoes (Agency)

purchased a car, a high-end motorbike, vacationed in Goa, and stayed in five-star hotels All with the alleged theft of Rs 4 7 , 0 0 , 0 0 0 f r o m a s e n i o r c i t i z e n ' s b a n k account “He bought a used car, did trips to Goa and Rajasthan and even invested Rs 800,000 in the stock market Despite being so young, his planning was elaborate,” said a cybercrime sleuth “In fact, the sudden c h a n g e i n h i s l i f e s t y l e a t t r a c t e d t h e attention of the locals in his area who s o m e t i m e s q u e s t i o n e d h i s s o u r c e o f income But, the boy wanted to have the best of everything in life,” the police added “The boy took the help of his two friends who too stayed in Dhanduka (The Times of India)

Gemini Sankaran, Indian circus pioneer, dies at 99

M V S a n k a r a n , c o m m o n l y k n o w n as Gemini Sankaran, p a s s e d a w a y f r o m old age problems in a h o s p i t a l i n K a n n u r , K e r a l a a t 99 He had turned a boy's dream of the o l d - f a s h i o n e d c i r c u s i n t o f o u n d i n g a n d owning India's finest circuses, including Gemini and Jumbo The fifth of the seven c h i l d r e n o f s c h o o l t e a c h e r K a v i n i s s e r y Raman Nair and Kalyani Amma, he was born in 1924 near Thalassery - the cradle of Indian circus Sankaran grew up on the front edge of live entertainment, smitten by a one-man act called Kittunni Circus when he was 10 He went on to occupy a ringside seat in the growth of Indian circus over the p a s t s e v e n d e c a d e s S a n k a r a n h a d welcomed guests including former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, former president S Radhakrishnan, American civil rights a c t i v i s t M a r t i n L u t h e r K i n g J r , a n d Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda during the glory days of the Indian circus (Agency) Man urinates on co-flyer on NY-Delhi flight

A passenger who allegedly urinated on a f e l l o w p a s s e n g e r w h i l e t r a v e l l i n g o n American Airlines from New York to New Delhi was turned over to police when they arrived In this instance as well, the accused was drunk when he reportedly urinated on a fellow passenger after getting into a fight w i t h h i m “ A n a l l e g e d l y i n e b r i a t e d p a s s e n g e r r e l i e v e d h i m s e l f o n a n o t h e r

passenger American Airlines has recorded statements of co-passengers and handed over the passenger to law enforcement agencies An FIR has been lodged,” said a senior DGCA official The CISF handed over the accused to Delhi police (Agency)

Windfall for owners who gave plots for Bullet Train project

Landowners in eight Gujarati regions now believe they made the right decision to take the hit Many people have now become c r o r e p a t i s b e c a u s e o f t h e g e n e r o u s compensation they received for the land they gave up for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project Sixty-seven-year-old Hariom Vyas of Surat had little idea of the

wealth his ancestors had left behind for him Vyas, fondly known as Maharaj, was a small-time trader while his elder brother took care of their sugarcane and banana farming on 5 5 ‘bigha’ land they jointly owned in Antroli village on the outskirts of Surat Now, Vyas is at a loss for words when he starts talking about how his fortunes changed overnight “It was with God’s grace that without any family dispute, both of us got 50% share resulting in compensation of £1 45 million to me, ” said Vyas, who now owns more land, property, a fleet of cars and has made some fixed deposits as well (The Times of India)

India joins elite club with naval interceptor missile test

I n i t s o n g o i n g

e f f o r t t o d e v e l o p a s u c c e s s f u l b a l l i s t i c m i s s i l e d e f e n c e (BMD) system both

o v e r l a n d a n d s e a , India has successfully c o m p l e t e d t h e f i r s t flight trial of a seab a s e d i n t e r c e p t o r

m i s s i l e c a p a b l e o f

i n t e r c e p t i n g a n i n c o m i n g n u c l e a r b a l l i s t i c m i s s i l e T h e D R D O a n d N a v y tested the 'endo-atmospheric interceptor missile' from a vessel off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal “The trial’s purpose was to engage and neutralize a hostile ballistic missile threat, thereby elevating India into the elite club of nations having n a v a l B M D c a p a b i l i t y , ” t h e d e f e n c e ministry said Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, Navy and the industry partners involved in successful d e m o n s t r a t i o n o f t h e s h i p - b a s e d B M D capabilities (Agency)

Mother-to-be ferried in hammock for 3 km to an ambulance

W h e n K a r i n a G u n g u n i y a d e v e l o p e d l a b o u r p a i n , s h e h a d t o b e t a k e n i n a hammock for about 3 km before she could be put in an ambulance For, there is no motorable road up to Kuylipada faliya of Dhankvad village where she lives In order to continue her journey in an ambulance, her family and the villagers had to trek 3 km through the forest carrying torches The mother was later taken to a hospital in Valsad, where she gave birth to a girl “The woman developed labour pain and we could not take her up to the ambulance on a motorcycle since there was fear that she w o u l d f a l l d o w n W e q u i c k l y m a d e a h a m m o c k b y u s i n g a p i e c e o f c l o t h suspended from bamboo We carried her in the hammock for 3 km,’’ said Alkesh Vejal, a labourer (Agency)

Man strikes gold after 22 years of legal battle

Shyam Lavania finally won gold after 22 years of court battle The state consumer disputes redressal commission has directed a top beverage company to give the 52-yearold man from Mathura the 50 grams of 22 carat gold it had promised under the cap of a cold drink bottle he bought way back in 2001 Lavania, who runs a small eatery, had

then purchased bottles of the cold drink for his son's birthday party on April 28 One of the bottles came with a declaration of the reward Despite best efforts by Lavania to c l a i m t h e r e w a r d f r o m t h e r e t a i l e r , w h o l e s a l e r a n d c o m p a n y , h e w a s unsuccessful (Agency)

Stray dogs snatch infant from cradle

A seven month-old infant girl was taken from her cradle and dragged away by four stray dogs Pooja, the daughter of labourers, was put in the cradle near Sonal Cinema Road in Sarkhej, Ahmedabad while her p a r e n t s w e r e w o r k i n g F o u r s t r a y d o g s suddenly attacked the child in the cradle The dogs dragged her for some distance, biting and scratching her A few people in the area chased away the dogs and saved the child The incident was caught on CCTV camera The child suffered serious wounds from the bites and scratches and was taken to Civil Hospital She was discharged after treatment (The Times of India)

New cheetah names: Pawan, Vayu, Agni

N e w n a m e s h a v e b e e n g i v e n t o t h e cheetahs relocated from N a m i b i a a n d S o u t h A f r i c a T h e r e n a m i n g c o m e s i n r e s p o n s e t o P r i m e M i n i s t e r Narendra Modi's request for suggestions for new names for the cheetahs during his Mann Ki Baat address on September 25, 2022 The c o m p e t i t i o n t o s u g g e s t n e w n a m e s w a s h o s t e d o n t h e G o v e r n m e n t o f I n d i a s p l a t f o r m m y g o v i n , a n d r e c e i v e d 1 1 , 5 6 5 entries Namibian cheetahs Tiblisi, Siyaya, Savannah and Oban are now named Dhatri, Jwala, Nabha and Pawan The South African cheetahs were earlier named after their old habitats - like Mapesu sub-adult female, Phinda adult male 1, Tswalu adult female, Waterberg biosphere adult female The new names selected for them are Daksha, Nirva, V a y u , A g n i , G a m i n i , T e j a s , V e e r a , S u r a j , Dheera, Uday, Prabhas, and Pavak (Agency) Bride, groom and wedding guests hurt

in ‘acid attack’

An acid-like substance was thrown at a bride and groom during their wedding in a village in the Bastar district, resulting in burns At least ten additional persons were also hurt when the chemical spilled on t h e m W h i l e t h e v i c t i m s a n d f a m i l y members say it was an acid attack, officers are calling it an “acid like liquid” until they get the forensics report “Someone took advantage of the darkness to attack the newlyweds when they were sitting on the wedding mandap,” said an officer (Agency) MP woman wins silver at World

Transplant Games

Ankita Shrivastava, who had donated 74% of her liver to her mother, won a silver medal at the World Transplant Games in Perth, Australia In the 2019 games in the UK, she had won three medals two gold and a silver and set two world records in long jump (3 61m) and ball throw (31 71m) She has started her 2023 campaign with a silver in the 3000m walk (Agency)

Consume walnuts to boost brain power

Several studi es have spoken about the antii nflammatory and anti- oxidative properties of walnuts that can help support cogni tive f u n c ti on s A re c e nt s t ud y b y S pa ni s h r e s e ar c he r s p ub li s h e d i n t he j o ur n al eClinic alMedici ne finds out that boys and girls who eat a handful of walnuts daily or at l e a s t h av e i t t hr e e ti m e s a w e e k c a n s u b s ta n ti a l ly i m pr ov e t he i r c o gn i t i ve abi li ties , which includes attention

Walnuts are rich in alpha-linolenic acid, p l a n t - b a s e d o m e g a - 3 f a t t y a c i d s , a n d polyphenolic compounds - all considered critical brain foods They can effectively reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which cause cognitive decline They are part of the aging process and mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease,

and other brain disorders, according to the National Library of Medicine Walnuts can boost brain power across all age groups, from newborns to adults to the elderly

The best way to eat walnuts is to soak t h e m o v e r n i g h t t o i m p r o v e t h e i r digestibility and nutrition absorption and have them in the morning Adding them to your smoothies, salads, shakes, chutneys, breakfast cereal, and desserts is also a good idea

W alnuts have more than a handful of benefits

Curbs inflammation: Inflammation is the root cause of many diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer's, type 2 diabetes a n d c a n c e r S i n c e w a l n u t s c o n t a i n p o l y p h e n o l s , t h e y c a n h e l p f i g h t

inflammation

G u t h e a l t h : have shown that h e a l t h y g u t ensures good overa health Eating soak w a l n u t s h e l p i n c r e a s e t h b e n e f i c i a l b a c t e r t h a t n o u r i s h a n p r o m o t e g u t h e a keeping your brain

C o n t r o l s promotes weight lo g consumption of soaked walnuts has been associated with increased activation in a b r a i n r e g i o n t h a t h e l p s r e s i s t h i g h l y tempting food This is how walnuts help in

Genetic therapy may lower Alzheimer’scausing tau protein: Research

A wor ld-fir st t r ial a t U CL a nd U CLH ha s found a new g ene ther apy for Alzhe imer’ s d ise ase that can sa fe ly lower l e v e l s of t h e h a r m f ul t a u p rote in kn own to cause the d isea se Le d by consu lt an t n e u r o lo g is t D r C a t h e r i n e M ummer y, t he t rial re prese nts the first t ime a “ ge ne silencing ” appr oach ha s be en t a k e n i n d e m e n t i a a n d A lzheime r ’ s T h e t r i a l u s e s a d r u g c a l l e d B I I B 0 8 0 ( / I O N I SMAPTRx), which is an antisense oligonucleotide (used t o s t o p R N A p r o d u c i n g a protein), to ‘silence’ the gene coding for the tau proteinknown as the microtubulea s s o c i a t e d p r o t e i n t a u (MAPT) gene This prevents the gene from being translated into the protein in a doseable and reversible way

It will also lower the production of that protein and alter the course of the disease

The phase 1 trial looked a t t h e s a f e t y o f B I I B 0 8 0 , what it does in the body, and h o w w e l l i t t a r g e t s t h e MAPT gene It involved the U C L D e m e n t i a R e s e a r c h C e n t r e , w a s s u p p o r t e d b y the NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, was sup-

ported by the NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, a n d t o o k p l a c e a t t h e L e o n a r d W o l f s o n E x p e r i m e n t a l N e u r o l o g y Centre at NHNN

Around 46 patients with an average age of 66 were enrolled in the trial, which t o o k p l a c e f r o m 2 0 1 7 t o 2 0 2 0 T h e t r i a l l o o k e d a t t h r e e d o s e s o f t h e d r u g ,

given by intrathecal inject i o n , c o m p a r e d w i t h t h e placebo Results show that the drug was well tolerated, with all patients completing t h e t r e a t m e n t p e r i o d a n d o v e r 9 0 % c o m p l e t i n g t h e post-treatment period Dr Mummery said, "We will need further research to u n d e r s t a n d t h e e x t e n t t o which the drug can slow the p r o g r e s s i o n o f p h y s i c a l s y m p t o m s o f d i s e a s e a n d evaluate the drug in older and larger groups of people and in more diverse populations But the results are a significant step forward in demonstrating that we can successfully target tau with a gene silencing drug to slow- or possibly even reverse -A l z h e i m e r ' s d i s e a s e , a n d other diseases caused by tau accumulation in the future ”

Music therapy may help children with brain injuries: Study

P i lo t re s ea rc h h as f o u n d th at a music th erapy strategy may h elp yo ungsters with s e ve re ac q u i re d b ra i n i n j u r ie s ( A BI ) m ee t th e i r walking recovery go als Th e f i r st - o f - it s - ki n d re se a rc h p r o je ct s u gges ts r h yth m ic au ditory stimulatio n co uld au gment th e ph ysiotherap y o rdinarily of fered to ch ildren and young people with severe acqu ired brain injury

T h e p r a c t i c e a i m s t o improve walking speed and q u a l i t y o f m o v e m e n t b y using rhythms to provide cues for patients' stepping rates In establishing neurological connections between auditory prompts and physical movements, the technique has been shown to f a c i l i t a t e s m o o t h e r a n d more coordinated walking patterns

T h e a p p r o a c h h a s i m p r o v e d w a l k i n g s p e e d a m o n g p e o p l e w h o h a v e suffered a stroke, those living with Parkinson’s disease and, more recently, children with cerebral palsy All par-

ticipants of the study, published in the International J o u r n a l o f T h e r a p y a n d Rehabilitation and involving a music therapy expert f r o m A n g l i a R u s k i n U n i v e r s i t y ( A R U ) , s h o w e d improvement as a result of rhythmic auditory stimulation being added to their r e h a b i l i t a t i o n p r o g r a m m e , w i t h t h e m o s t m a r k e d advances evident in walking quality D r J o n a t h a n P o o l , Senior Research Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University's C a m b r i d g e I n s t i t u t e f o r

M u s i c T h e r a p y R e s e a r c h

and an author of the study said, “This is the first study to look at rhythmic auditory stimulation for children and young people with acquired b r a i n i n j u r y A s a p i l o t study, it provides initial evidence of the effect of music o n g a i t r e h a b i l i t a t i o n f o r t h i s p o p u l a t i o n a n d h a s revealed insights into some of the issues for researchers in this area ”

He added, “While showing variation across particip a n t s i n t h e b e n e f i t s o f rhythmic auditory stimulation, the study findings are e n c o u r a g i n g a n d i n d i c a t e

that the detailed assessment o f q u a l i t y o f m o v e m e n t should be considered alongside other tests when measuring functional gains in gait rehabilitation ”

l l n g h u n g e r a n d petite

H e l p s l o w e r

BP: High BP can b e a m a j o r r i s k factor for stroke oaked walnuts are own to lower BP, especially diastolic BP

P r o t e c t s a g a i n s t z h e i m e r ’ s : T h e nts in walnuts help a g e t o t h e b r a i n Regular consumption of soaked walnuts has shown significant improvement in memory and learning skills, faster processing speed and more mental flexibility

Add these ten foods to your diet to ease anxiety

Salty an d suga ry sna ck s ma y activa te the plea sur e ce ntr es of our bra in a nd make us fee l be tte r for a shor t win dow, but the se high-fa t foods end up d oin g more dama ge t han good in the long t erm a nd ma ke us prone to depr ession an d anx iety Pr oc e sse d me a t s, hig h -sug a r foo ds , t e a a n d c offe e , ca n increa se cort isol production an d ex acer ba te anx iety symptoms Mean while , t here ar e ce rta in foods y ou can trust to br in g y our an xiet y leve ls down Cashe ws, ber ries, or an ges, dar k chocola te , a nd turm eric a re some supe rfoods tha t ca n help ease a nxie ty

In her recent Instagram post, Uma Naidoo, a Harvard Medical School-certified psychiatrist and nutrition specialist, said, “What you eat can impact your emotional well-being Certain foods can help support and soothe anxious feelings, while others may be agitators Using food as medicine is a smart first line of defence for mild anxiety But as always, check with your healthcare practitioner to see what treatments are right for you It is important to note that while these foods can help manage anxiety, they should not replace proper treatment ”

She lists te n superfoods tha t ca n help you with an xie ty sy mptoms

Cashews can aid in relaxation and calmness due to their high magnesium content; Berries have antioxidants that can protect the body and brain from oxidative stress that can worsen anxiety; Brussels sprouts are rich in vitamin C, which can support the adrenal glands that produce stress hormones

Omega-3 fatty acids in wild salmon have anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce anxiety symptoms; Turmeric contains curcumin, which has been shown to have anti-anxiety effects; Probiotics in pickles can support gut health, linked to improved mood; Avocados contain healthy fats and B vitamins that can help reduce stress and anxiety

Flavonoids in dark chocolate may have mood-boosting properties; L-theanine, an amino acid in green tea, can promote relaxation and improve sleep; Swiss chard is a good source of magnesium and potassium, which can have calming effects on the body

Soft skin patch can detect early signs of heart attack, stroke

A f l e x i b l e , e l a s t i c u l t r asonography patch was crea t e d b y e n g i n e e r s a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f C a l i f o r n i a , S a n D i e g o t h a t m a y b e worn on the skin to track blood flow through signific a n t a r t e r i e s a n d v e i n s located deep within a person's body T o d i a g n o s e v a r i o u s cardiovascular conditions, such as blood clots, heart valve issues, poor circulation in the limbs, or blocka g e s i n t h e a r t e r i e s t h a t could result in strokes or h e a r t a t t a c k s , c l i n i c i a n s m u s t b e a w a r e o f h o w q u i c k l y a n d h o w m u c h b l o o d f l o w s t h r o u g h a

patient's blood vessels

With the novel ultrasound patch created by UC S a n D i e g o , b l o o d f l o w , blood pressure, and cardiac function can all be continuously tracked in real time A team led by Sheng Xu, a professor of nanoengineering at the UC San Diego

J a c o b s S c h o o l o f Engineering, reported the

p a t c h i n a p a p e r p u bl i s h e d i n N a t u r e Biomedical Engineering Y o u c a n w e a r t h e patch on your chest or n e c k T h e p a t c h i s u n i q u e i n t h a t i t c a n n o n - i n v a s i v e l y d e t e c t and quantify cardiovasc u l a r i m p u l s e s u p t o 1 4 c e n t i m e t r e s d e e p i n s i d e the body And it is really accurate in doing so "This type of wearable device can give you a more comprehensive, more accurate picture of what's going on in d e e p t i s s u e s a n d c r i t i c a l organs like the heart and the brain, all from the surface of the skin," said Xu

Star studded evening at Met gala 2023

The Met Gala, which began in 1948 as a society midnight supper at a place other than the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has emerged to become one of the most significant fashion events in the world This year’s theme paid tribute to the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld In attendance were Billie Eilish, Gigi Hadid, Jenna Ortega, Rihanna, Anne Hathway and many more

As the West dazzled pretty brightly at the unique event, the Indian beauties turned heads with their iconic outfits and regal presence A-listers from India celebrated the late king of couture, Karl Lagerfeld, at the annual Met Gala as they brought their top style game to New York, oozing glamour and style!

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's daughter, Isha Ambani looked surreal in a black saree-turned-gown as she paid homage to her Indian roots Isha dazzled, literally, as she walked the carpet in Prabal Gurung s black silk saree dress covered in thousands of crystals and pearls She donned a Prabal Gurung outfit for the 2019 Met Gala as well

Bollywood actress, Alia Bhatt made a stunning debut at the event She was dressed in Prabal Gurung’s ivory ball

gown, embellished with 100,000 pearls that were hand beaded in India Her look was inspired by supermodel Claudia Schiffer's 1992 Chanel bridal look

Priyanka Chopra looked as edgy as ever in her thigh-high-slit black offshoulder dress with iconic regal bell sleeves as she arrived with her husband, Nick Jonas The power couple paid tribute to the late designer Karl Lagerfeld in their matching Valentino outfits To complete her black-and-white look for the night, Priyanka sported an 11-carat diamond necklace

The Indian businesswoman and chairperson of the Villo Poonawalla Foundation, Natasha Poonawalla, is one of the best fashion icons to look out for She flaunted an iconic-looking dress that is structured in a metallic Schiaparelli gown

Abhishek reacts to a fan telling him to let Aishwarya

work more

Prabal Gur ung ’ s design s stood out in the crowd

NepaleseAmerican fashion designer Prabal Gurung designed outfits for celebrities Alia Bhatt, Rita Ora, Isha Ambani, Taika Waititi, Quinta Bruson and more for the programme Gurung began his career in New Delhi moving to New York complete his studies New School of Desig his own line in 2009

Sooraj Pancholi acquitted of suicide abetment charges in Jiah Khan case

Shah Rukh gets mobbed by unruly fans at Srinagar airport

Abhishek

Bachchan took to Twitter to share his review of Mani Ratnam’s recently released ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2.’ Praising his wife and actor Aishwarya Rai, who plays the lead in the film, he wrote, “#PS2 is simply FANTASTIC!!! At a loss for words right now So overwhelmed Well done to the entire team #ManiRatnam @chiyaan @trishtrashers @actor jayamravi @Karthi Offl and the rest of the cast and crew And so, so proud of the Mrs Her best by far ”

His tweet prompted a response from someone who wrote, “As you should! Now let her sign more movies and you take care of Aaradhya ” Abhishek responded by saying, “Let her sign??? Sir, she certainly doesn’t need my permission to do anything Especially something she loves ” Fans were quick to praise Abhishek for his response

One wrote, “Well said sir also eagerly waiting to see both of you in a movie ‘Jay’n Nandini together in a movie would be a treat to watch ” Another wrote, “Tweet of the day my man ” ‘Ponniyin Selvan 2 ’ is the second part of Ratnam’s epic The movie is an adaptation of Kalki Krishnamurthy’s five-part novel series of the same name Abhishek and Aishwarya got married in 2007 and welcomed daughter Aaradhya in 2011

Aspecial CBI court in Mumbai gave its verdict in connection with the death of actor Jiah Khan Accused of abetting Jiah’s suicide, actor Sooraj Pancholi was acquitted in the case. He was at the CBI court when the verdict was declared. Judge AS Sayyed of special CBI court in Mumbai said, “Due to paucity of evidence, this court can’t hold you (Sooraj Pancholi) guilty, hence acquitted ” Best known for starring in ‘Nishabd’ opposite Amitabh B a c h c h a n , J i a h w a s f o u n d dead at her home in Mumbai on June 3, 2013 She was 25 B a s e d o n a l e t t e r s e i z e d a w e e k l a t e r , p u r p o r t e d l y w r i t t e n b y h e r , M u m b a i P o l i c e h a d b o o k e d S o o r a j Pancholi under section 306 (abetment to suicide), and he was arrested In the letter she a l l e g e d l y s p o k e a b o u t h e r t r o u b l e d r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Sooraj, and said he physically and mentally abused her Sooraj was granted bail on July 1, 2013, after he signed a bond of Rs 50,000 On July 2, t h e c o u r t a c q u i t t e d S o o r a j

Pancholi and said he was not accountable for Jiah Khan’s s u i c i d e H o w e v e r , u n h a p p y w i t h t h e c o u r t ’ s j u d g m e n t , the later actor’s mother, Rabia Khan requested the court for a t h o r o u g h a n d d e t a i l e d i n v e s t i g a t i o n T h e B o m b a y High Court transferred the case from Mumbai Police to CBI a year after Jiah’s death

Last year, Rabia had filed a f r e s h a p p e a l i n t h e B o m b a y High Court to reopen the nineyear-old case, alleging errors in t h e p r i o r i n v e s t i g a t i o n c o n d u c t e d b y t h e C B I

H o w e v e r , t h e B o m b a y H i g h

Court dismissed the petition filed by Rabia In her plea, Rabia had alleged that her daughter was m ur dered and so u g ht a fresh probe into the case by an independent and special agency w i t h a s s i s t a n c e f r o m t h e United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Bollywood

‘Badshah’ Shah Rukh Khan’s presence at Srinagar airport made fans frenzy A video has surfaced online where he is seen getting mobbed by fans The actor was recently filming in Kashmir for his forthcoming film ‘Dunki,’ opposite Taapsee Pannu

A small video clip shows Shah being pulled and pushed by fans at the airport Several fans of the actor are seen trying to record the moment on their mobile phone as their security personnel rescues him from the crowd Previously, several behind-the-scene pictures and videos of the actor from the Dunki sets were leaked online He and his team were seen at the popular Sonamarg in Kashmir The actor also posed with fans in some photos

‘Dunki’ is the first collaboration between Shah Rukh and National Award-winning director Rajkumar Hirani

It also features Vicky Kaushal The movie is set to be released in December The team had previously filmed in London and Saudi Arabia, among other locations It’s touted to be a comedy-drama about illegal immigration by Indians

On the work front, Shah was last seen in Siddharth Anand’s blockbuster film ‘Pathaan,’ alongside Deepika Padukone and John Abraham He will be seen next in A

’

Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi

Alia Bhatt

Natasha Poonawalla Isha Ambani

Kangana Ranaut

Actress Kangana Ranaut shared her take on gender and sexuality, saying one shouldn’t judge a person based on it, and those who do, don’t go very far in life

She has also spoken against those who make their gender their identity and “flaunt it everywhere ” She said she doesn’t like being referred to as “just a woman” as she never perceived herself that way

Alia pens heartfelt note after F I L M F A R E A W A R D W I N

The comments come as the Supreme Court hears p l e a s f o r l e g a l s a n c t i o n s f o r s a m e - s e x m a r r i a g e s Kangana took to Twitter Friday morning to talk about gender neutrality She wrote, “Whether you are a man/woman/ anything else your gender is of no consequence to anyone but you, please understand In Modern world we don't even use words like actresses or female directors we call them actors and directors What you do in the world is your identity, not what you do in bed Whatever your sexual preferences are they must remain in your bed only ”

Ranaut added, “Don t make them your identity c a r d o r m e d a l s a n d f l a u n t e v e r y w h e r e M o s t importantly don't roam around with a knife to cut every throat who don't agree with your gender I am again saying your gender is not your identity don't make it that way I am a woman from rural area life gave me no concession I had to make my own place in t h e w o r l d o f a c t o r s , f i l m m a k e r s , p r o d u c e r s a n d writers ”

She further wrote, “Never ever see people from the lens of gender or any other physical attributes You know what happened to those who thought Kangana is just a woman They were in for a big surprise because I am not, I never see/perceive myself or anyone else that way I am always in a room full of p e o p l e , i n d i v i d u a l e n e r g i e s o n l y p e o p l e n o t men/women/homo/hetro/ physically strong or weak, no!!!!!! I would have not come this far had I judged everyone around me and myself on so many levels

Alia Bhatt has won the Filmfare award for Best Actor (Female) for her performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi ’ She took to her Instagram to share many photos from the night, penning a heartfelt note for receiving the honour Alia thanked her director and her family for supporting her throughout the journey ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ featured Alia in the role of a sex worker The movie also won top awards, including Best Film and Best Director Alia collected the award from veteran actress Rekha onstage She captioned her post, “The day we wrapped Gangubai K a t h i a w a d i , w i t h s h a k i n g h a n d s a n d h e a v y h e a r t s , I r e m e m b e r t e l l i n g m y wonderful crew 'No matter the outcome, just the experience of shooting the film, learning and growing under the guidance of Sanjay sir - that's my blockbuster ' I left that set a different person - and that was ONLY because of this amazing team! Gangu meri jaan my alter ego, belongs to you Sanjay sir Thank you for believing in me, so I could believe in myself I will forever be in your debt!”

Actress

j o u r n e y I c a n b e e v e n h a l f a s h a r d working, half as dedicated and driven as y o u - I w i l l c o n s i d e r m y s e l f v e r y f o r t u n a t e ! ” A l i a a l s o e x p r e s s e d h e r gratitude to her fans while also thanking h e r “ g o r g e o u s ” a c t o r - h u s b a n d R a n b i r Kapoor and daughter Raha for bringing her support and joy She concluded, “To my audience - my fans, my family! Thank you for being my constant inspiration to do better Always My whole team, I am me, only because of you You keep me in one piece ” " A n d l a s t b u t n o t t h e l e a s t ! M y beautiful family that grounds me and keeps me steady - Mama, Papa, Tanna I love you my other mom - my mom-inlaw & my father-in-law up there whose blessing is always with me My gorgeous husband, for hearing me rant about my d a y f o r h o u r s a n d m o t i v a t i n g m e whenever I was down and out! And my baby girl, who wasn’t there at the time, but I will continue to thank for the rest of my life for the joy and peace she brings to m e E t e r n a l l y g r a t e f u l ! ( m o o n emoticons)”

I am not bothered about fashion policing: Bhumi Pednekar

She added, “I’ve always said you make the world believe in magic - and if on this

The actress will next be seen with Ranveer Singh in Karan Johar's ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’, which is set to release on July 28, 2023

Salman teases Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Alia Bhatt over shelved film ‘Inshallah’

Filmmaker

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Salman Khan were due to reunite again after 12 years for a grand project titled ‘Inshallah.’ Alia Bhatt was set to play the female lead. However, the project was shelved due to creative differences Recently, Salman, one of the hosts of the 68th Filmfare Awards last week, teased Sanjay and Alia about it in a now-viral moment at the ceremony

A light-hearted clip has been doing the rounds on the internet The clip features writer Utkarshini Vashishtha accepting the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogues She exclaimed, “Then I’ve g o t t o t h a n k G o d f o r A l i a B h a t t ! ” Salman quips, “Inshallah ” Sanjay and Alia burst into laughter, with the actor covering her face with her hands

T h e c l i p h a s raised fans' hopes for the movie A T w i t t e r u s e r a s k e d , “ C h a n c e s h a i k y a ? ? ? ( I s there a chance?) ”

A n o t h e r a d d e d , “ m a n i f e s t i n g f o r i n s h a l l a h 2 0 2 4 e i d ” A s e p a r a t e comment read, “This got back the memories from the day Inshallah was announced The wave of emotions I went through not knowing whether to be excited about it or nervous But it definitely would have been one of the most anticipated movies ”

A f t e r ‘ I n s h a l l a h ’ w a s s h e l v e d , Sanjay announced he was working with Alia on ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi ’ It won eight awards, including Best Film, Best Actor in Leading Role (Female) and Best Director

Actor Bhumi Pednekar is on a bit of a fashion revolution, experimenting with her looks and clothing styles While her new looks have garnered her admiration, it has also promoted some trolling However, the ‘Bheed’ actor remains unfazed and admits she only gained the “courage” to go all out with fashion recently

Bhumi said, “In real life, this is exactly how I am - bold and carefree Over the last two years, I met people from the (fashion) fraternity who saw this side of me ” She elaborated, “I’ve just become a lot more c o m f o r t a b l e w i t h m y s e l f n o w I h a v e a c c e p t e d m y s e l f a l o t m o r e A l l t h a t i s translating into my appearances at whatever events and red carpets that I attend I have realised that I have always loved myself I have been a confident girl It is a journey for everyone Today, I’m more upfront and I am a little more carefree about showing people who I really am ”

When asked if she is bothered by fashion p o l i c i n g , P e d n e k a r s a i d , “ N o t a t a l l ”

Elaborating, “For me, fashion and beauty is so therapeutic My journey, I would like to believe, started in the lockdown when I s t a r t e d p u t t i n g o u t b e a u t y b l o g s a n d makeup videos Earlier, I was so nervous when I put out my first video because I was thinking if this is something which I should be doing But then it was so therapeutic to me and I got so much love for it ”

She adds, “It started casually when I decided to put out aspects of my life and I honestly do this for myself I love fashion And I’ve loved fashion since I was a child Today, I like to own it to the max that I can So this comes from a very, very authentic place of being passionate about beauty and f a s h i o n A n d t h e f a s h i o n p o l i c e d o e s n ’ t bother me ”

Sarbh and Vijay Razz

‘ G a n g u b a i K a t h i a w a d i ’ a l s o f e a t u r e d A j a y D e v g n , S h a n t a n u Maheshwari, Jim

Vicky Kaushal reveals

Punjabi phrases he has taught Katrina

Actors Vicky Kaushal recently attended the 68th Filmfare Awards held in Mumbai, where he spoke about teaching Katrina a few basics in his mother tongue Punjabi He also shared that he felt like fainting after hearing her say anything in the language V i c k y w a s a s k e d a b o u t w h a t

m a r r i a g e a d v i c e h e w o u l d g i v e t o

o t h e r s H e s a i d h e h a d o n l y b e e n

married for a year and a half, and it was just their beginning The actor added that he was still receiving tips from others, and it was still time for him to start giving tips to others The one tip Vicky did give was to get married Later, Kaushal spoke about some Punjabi phrases he had taught Katrina

K a i f S p e a k i n g w i t h A n u s h k a Dandekar and Karan Wahi on the red carpet, Vicky said he had taught her "Ki haal chaal and haal chaal badhiya ne " He added, "Thodisi bhi Punjabi aati hai, main faint ho jaata hoon (Whatever little Punjabi she knows, I faint afterwards) "

On the work front, Vicky was l a s t s e e n i n t h e D i s n e y + H o t s t a r movie ‘Govinda Naam Mera’ with Kiara Advani and Bhumi Pednekar H e h a d a s p e c i a l a p p e a r a n c e i n

A n u r a g K a s h y a p ’ s ‘ A l m o s t P y a a r ’ with DJ Mohabbat earlier this year V i c k y h a s ‘ S a m B a h a d u r ’ a n d untitled projects in the pipeline with Anand Tiwari and Laxman Utekar

One shouldn't judge a person based on gender, sexuality:

A R R A H M A N asks his wife Saira Banu not to speak in Hindi at event

Music composer AR Rahman recently attended an awards show in Chennai, along with his wife Saira Banu, who was invited to speak on stage In a video shared on Twitter by a fan, she held an award and stood next to her husband

Aishwarya Lekshmi was scared to play Poonguzhali

Aishwarya Lekshmi, who essayed the role of Poonguzhali in Mani Ratnam’s historic ‘Ponniyin Selvan,’ has returned with the movie's second part She said she was initially scared to play the part In a recent interview, she added that Ratnam gave her the confidence to take the role ‘Ponniyin Selvan 1’ was released last year and received rave reviews from critics

The second part hit theatres last week The movie also features Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Trisha, Vikram, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jayam Ravi, and Prakash Raj Aishwarya said, “I didn’t think I could pull of Poonguzhali The one thing Mani sir told me to give me confidence was, ‘Don’t worry, you can pull it off And this character is sexy ’ At a time when you wouldn’t expect a woman to do a job that requires so much physical strength, she was somebody transported people by rowing a boat from one part of the town to another over a one-night journey across the ocean That requires a lot of physical and mental strength as you don’t know what can happen in the ocean ”

She added, “She’s (Ponnguzhali) a boatwoman from the fishing community but she’s in love with the king even though she isn’t supposed to desire what she can’t get She’s not expecting anything from him Her love is pure ”

A s S a i r a s t o o d b e s i d e h i m , R a h m a n spoke in Tamil, "I don’t like to watch my interviews again She keeps playing again and again and watching because she loves my voice " Saira Banu smiled as he said this T h e a n c h o r t h e n a s k e d S a i r a t o s p e a k B e f o r e s h e c o u l d a d d r e s s t h e a u d i e n c e , Rahman told her, Don’t talk in Hindi, speak in Tamil Saira closed her eyes and said, Oh m y G o d " T h e a u d i e n c e l a u g h e d a n d clapped S h e t h e n c o n t i n u e d , " G o o d e v e n i n g everyone Sorry, I can't speak fluently in Tamil So, please excuse me I am super, super happy and excited because his voice is my favourite I fell in love with his voice That's all I can say " Rahman tied the knot with Saira Banu in 1995 They are parents to t h r e e c h i l d r e n – K h a t i j a , R a h e e m a a n d Ameen Rahman has often spoken about his family Recently, he talked about his daughter Khatija's song ‘Sagavasi’ after it got millions of views on YouTube "As a father I am always proud of her, she is a unique daughter, she has her own personality lot of tough things on social media, she has singlehandedly fought all those wars and yet she is kind She is an amazing human being and god bless her, he had said

Veteran Malayalam actor Mamukoya dies

Veteran Malayalam actor Mamukoya, 76, died at a private hospital in north Kerala’s Kozhikode last week, two days after he collapsed during an event in Malappuram district, people familiar with the matter said

Based on Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novels, the Tamil historical drama chronicles the story of the early days of Arulmozhivarman, a powerful king of the south who became the great Chola emperor Rajaraja Chola I

Not a trap but a choice, Says Mani Ratnam about going panIndian with ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ franchise

Filmmaker

Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan

2’ released good reviews last week Before the movie hit theatres, he discovered what makes a film pan-Indian today. He also said that filmmakers shouldn’t see making panIndian films as a trap but as a choice

MAY

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“His death is a big loss to the state and film world,” said the Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, condoling the death of the actor who acted in over 450 movies over five decades and was known for his comic roles

Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, opposition leader VD Satheesan and many film p e r s o n a l i t i e s a l s o c o n d o l e d t h e a c t o r ’ s death He is survived by his wife Subra, and four children

Mamukoya started his career in theatre, before making his debut in the Malayalam movie, 'Anyarude Bhoomi', in 1979 He popularised the Moppila dialect of Malabar in his inimitable way and was known for his one-liners, toothy grins and rustic look that touched a chord with the audience

Mamukoya was considered close to legendary writer Vaikkom Mohammad Basheer and drama doyen K T Mohammad

When asked in a recent interview what makes a film pan-Indian in today’s context, he pointed out that doing pan-Indian films should be a choice Ratnam said, “We’ve been doing it since Chandralekha (1948), but those films were never called pan-Indian back then We accepted our films to be this way long ago, while the rest of the North learnt to w a t c h S o u t h I n d i a n f i l m s , a p p r e c i a t e , encourage and develop them much later It’s just a part of our growth and it’s healthy to see a film like Kantara, in a regional language, speaking about a regional culture, doing well across the country No one is compelling directors or actors to make one kind of film If we start doing that, it’ll make us stale soon Doing different cinema rejuvenates us Doing pan-Indian films is not a trap but a choice ”

‘PS2’ was released in Hindi along with the original Tamil version After attempting twice, Ratnam finally succeeded in making ‘Ponniyin Selvan ’ He tried to make the m o v i e t w i c e , o n c e i n 1 9 9 4 a n d 2 0 1 1 H o w e v e r , t h e p r o j e c t d i d n ’ t t a k e o f f a s planned Made in two parts, the period film f e a t u r e s J a y a m R a v i a s P r i n c e Arulmozhimarman, while Vikram, Karthi, Trisha, and Aishwarya Rai play key roles

MON 08 MAY - FRI 12 MAY 2022

15:30 Sukhi

RADHA RAGHAV 19:30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU 20:00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

20:30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU

21:00 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM

21:30 Top FM Music Awards

SATURDAY

17:30 KUMKUM NA PAGLA PADYA

18:00 BALIKA VADHU SEASON 1

19:00 AJNABI BANE HUMSAFAR

19:30 Nima Denzonpga

20:00 NRI HAADSA SEASON 4

21:00 Entertainment Ki Raat-Housefull

22:00 RAKSHAK

SUNDAY 14 JAN 2023

16:30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS

17:30 KUMKUM NA PAGLA PADYA

18:00 BALIKA VADHU SEASON 1

19:00 AJNABI BANE HUMSAFAR

19:30 Nima Denzonpga

20:00 NRI HAADSA SEASON 4

21:00 Entertainment Ki Raat-Housefull

22:00 RANGEELA

Hollywood director James

Gunn said in an interview that he would love to work with ‘RRR’ actor Jr NTR. The movie created quite a buzz in the West this year In 2022, James received a r from an Ind to watch th Rajamoulidirectorial

He said he had already watched the film and “totally dug it,” he said It now appears th was so imp y ‘RRR’ that he wanted to work with Telugu actor Jr NTR He said, “Who is the guy from RRR that’s so good What’s his name? RRR, the big one from last year? With all the tigers coming out of the cage and everything? That guy (referring to Jr NTR)! I would love to work with that guy someday So amazing, so cool ”

When asked if he had any particular role in mind for him,

J s would igure t He said now, I ve to f one o would le ” Gu he sam interview, if he drew inspiration from Ind in his approach to th music in the ‘Guardi of the Galaxy’ franch responded, “ 1000 pe Gunn said he lov Bollywood movies a and entertainment, are no rules about w has to be, it could be different things

Padma Lakshmi claps back at body-shamers

V host, a Lakshmi when criticised

0 Gala, asted er cooking en tutorial

s, I have a , w h o n a flowy slit, she y macher we should up about woman s ot totally tered and ng heavy a for her this year, who took d around

with her daughter Krishna about her own breasts As a mom of 4 daughters, there's a time and a place and when it s t a r t s m a k i n g o u r d a u g h t e r s uncomfortable because we are being objectified, time to take notice," one social media user wrote

In response to that, Padma said, "First if (sic) all it's a JOKE And my daughter isn't uncomfortable with me or my boobs or my posts, nor does she read these comments unless I show her because she isn't on social media "

Back in 2020, the 'Tomatoes for N e e l a ' a u t h o r a l s o c l a p p e d b a c k a t haters who criticized her for going b r a l e s s w h i l e r e c o r d i n g a c o o k i n g demonstration "(I got some comments last time that it was immoral for me to not wear a bra in my own kitchen during the quarantine," she captioned an Instagram video of herself making lasagna

"So those people should be happy to note that I'm wearing two today) But s e r i o u s l y , l e t ' s n o t p o l i c e w o m e n ' s bodies in 2020 ok?"

Sonam Kapoor to perform at King Charles’ coronation in London

star Ranveer Singh looked dapper in white as he attended the Tiffany & Co event in New York last week He was dressed to the nines in a white suit with a plunging neckline and flaunted black shades Singh also fashioned a layered neckpiece R a n v e e r w a s s e e n i n t e r a c t i n g w i t h Hollywood’s Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union He also took time to interact with fans who were waiting for him outside the event

Bollywood

Several fans gathered outside the event and screamed Ranveer’s name when they spotted him A fan video from outside the event showed the actor responding to cheers, walking toward the crowd, and sending flying kisses Someone from the crowd was heard saying, “Ranveer I love you How is Deepika?”

To which he replied, “Good ”

In another video from inside the event that has surfaced on social media, Ranveer

i n t e r a c t s D w y a n e G a b r i e l l e unversed brand ambassador for India Other attendees were Park Jimin, Jacob Elordi, Florence Pugh and Katy Perry

Earlier, Ranveer was snapped by paparazzi Elder Ordonez near Soho house He wore an oversized trench coat with a knitted sweater and denim pants He paired it with a pearl necklace while walking down the street Ranveer will next be seen in ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,’ directed by Karan J o h a r T h e f i l m f e a t u r e s A l i a B h a t t , J a y a Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Dharmendra

The Karan Johar directorial was scheduled to be released on April 28, 2023 However, the film's cast and crew recently announced that 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani' will be released on July 28, 2023

Hollywood star Tom Cruise, musical group

The Pussycat Dolls and even Bollywood’s very own Sonam Kapoor

A report in Variety, Sonam will “ appear o n s t a g e t o d e l i v e r a s p o k e n w o r d p e r f o r m a n c e t o i n t r o d u c e t h e Commonwealth virtual choir ” This will be Sonam’s first royal appearance In a press r e l e a s e , t h e R o y a l F a m i l y s a i d , “ T h e Buckingham Palace is pleased to announce f u r t h e r d e t a i l s o n t h e c e r e m o n i a l ,

celebratory and community events that w i l l t a k e p l a c e o v e r t h e C o r o n a t i o n W e e k e n d b e t w e e n S a t u r d a y 6 t h a n d Monday 8th May 2023 ”

“The Service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury As previously announced, the Service will reflect the Monarch's role today and look towards the future while being rooted in longstanding t r a d i t i o n s a n d p a g e a n t r y , " r e a d

B u c k i n g h a m P a l a c e ' s r e l e a s e T h e coronation is on May 6, and a concert will be organised for May 7 ” S o n a m l i v e s i n L o n d o n w i t h h e r husband, Anand Ahuja and their son Vayu She was recently spotted with Apple CEO Tim Cook as they watched an IPL cricket m a t c h i n M u m b a i S h e t w e e t e d ,

“#TimCook and entire @apple team - we hope you've had a lovely stay here and leave e n c o u r a g e d a n d p o s i t i v e o n A p p l e ’ s outlook in the country We're so grateful for the care and attention you've given to c r e a t i n g y o u r s i g n a t u r e w o r l d c l a s s experience here," the actor tweeted with about the evening "Thank you so much for an unforgettable evening!"

James Gunn would 'someday' love to work with Jr NTR

Ranveer Singh attends Tiffany and Co event in NYC

RCB beat Lucknow by 18 runs

Aided by KL R ahul’ s injur y ea rly in t he mat ch, Roya l C hallen ger s Ba nga lore ek e out an 18run win ov er Luck now Supe r Gian ts in a lowscorin g IP L ma tch LSG sk ippe r Ra hul pulled his right thig h muscle in t he se cond over of R C B i n n i n g s a n d ca me ou t t o b a t o n ly towar ds t he en d, which acte d in fav our of the v is i t o r s L SG d i sh e d o u t a fi n e b ow l in g disp lay t o re st rict R CB to a below -pa r 1 26 aft e r bein g a sk ed t o bow l fi rs t La t e r, it turn ed out to be a nightma rish st art for LSG while chasing a mod est 127-run t arg et and lost their first thre e w ick ets for just 21 runs in 4 1 over s An injure d Ra hul ca me out to bat la st with LSG nee ding 24 off eight ba lls, but he looke d in d iscomfort an d failed to open his a ccount

Mumbai be at R ajastha n

M u m b a i I n d i a n s d e f e a t e d R a j a s t h a n Royals by 6 wickets at the Wanhede Stadium

Suryakumar Yadav smashed 55 runs from just 29 balls and was aided by Camroon Green, who hit a 26-ball 44, and a 14-ball unbeaten 45 from Tim David, in their highest-ever chase at home Sandeep Sharma gave the Royals the perfect start when he cleaned up Rohit (3), but the pair of Kishan and Green led the recovery, taking the hosts to 58/1 in the powerplay Green added 62 runs for the second wicket with Kishan With MI needing a Suryakumar special, the batter smacked an incredible six off Ashwin over fine leg off the first ball he faced, and got off the blocks quickly with three fours off Holder as MI reached 98 for 2 at the halfway mark

Chennai fail to defend 200 -plus score

Zimbabwe all rounder Sikandar Raza played an audacious chip shot over the head of square leg to get three runs of the last ball

that helped Punjab Kings chase down a daunting 201 This was the biggest chase ever against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk and with both teams on 10 points, the race for top-4 has suddenly turned topsy-turvy After a n a f t e r n o o n w h e r e f o r t u n e s f l u c t u a t e d wildly, it all boiled down to six balls of d r a m a S r i L a n k a n s l i n g e r M a t h e e s h a Pathirana had only nine runs to play with, but the youngster showed remarkable calm to stretch the game to the last ball Shahrukh Khan and Raza, both seasoned players, just couldn’t get the big shot and one felt that CSK might just pull it off, yet again But that w a s n o t t o b e a s R a z a s h o w e d g r e a t innovation of the last ball that got them home Before Raza’s moment of magic, it was the 16th over which yielded 24 runs that

Rahane back in Test squad for WTC final

Ajinkya Rahane has returned to the Test t ea m f or t he Wor l d Te s t Cha m pio ns hi p (WTC) final against Aust ralia at the Oval in London in June, 14 m onths af ter he was ou s t ed f r om In di a' s T e s t t e a m a n d on e month af ter losing his c entral contrac t with the Indian c ric ket board (BCCI)

started to turn things around for Punjab Kings Guj arat T itans top the table now

G u j a r a t T i t a n s o u t p l a y e d a n d o u twitted Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 wickets at the Eden Gardens racing to the top of the table with 12 points from 8 matches and dealing a significant blow to the hosts’

playoff ambitions In a match delayed by 45 minutes because of rain, KKR never looked to be in control of their destiny despite Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s power-packed 39ball 81 and Russell’s late fireworks Having r e s t r i c t e d K K R t o 1 7 9 / 7 , t h e T i t a n s completed the chase with consummate ease, with Shubman Gill (49) setting up the platform and Vijay Shankar (51 not out) and David Miller (32 not out) providing the coup d’etat with an unbeaten 87-run stand off 39 balls Hyderabad dow n Delhi Sunrisers Hyderabad overcame an allround performance by Mitchell Marsh to down Delhi Capitals by nine runs South Africa s Heinrich Klaasen hit an unbeaten 53 to steer Hyderabad to 197-6, a total their bowlers defended by restricting Delhi to 1886 at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground Marsh returned bowling figures of 4-27 including a maiden over and then hit a 39-ball 63 but the effort was not enough for bottom-placed Delhi, who fell to their sixth loss in eight m a t c h e s F o r m e r c h a m p i o n s H y d e r a b a d , who won their only title in 2016 under c u r r e n t D e l h i s k i p p e r D a v i d W a r n e r , bounced back from their three losses to move up one spot to eighth

Rishi Patel ton steers Leicestershire to draw against Glamorgan

3 0,000 miles in just about 23 6 day s

L a s t w e e k , T o m y c a m e i n second place in the Golden Globe Race, the world's longest endurance competition He was engaged in a navigational duel with South African Kirsten Neuschafer to reach the finishing line, the port of Les Sables d’Olonne in France

According to the media report, the veteran Indian sailor sailed through all three navigable oceans on a boat Bayanat with 1968 vintage technology and carried out countless repairs during the ride to complete a circumnavigation in the Golden Globe Race

The solo race, considered the world’s toughest sail race, began on September 4, 2022, from Les Sables-d’Olonne in France, with 16 sailors from 11 countries But, after completing 26,000 nautical miles, only three sailors remained Tomy completed the solo sailing race in 236 days, 14 hours, 46 minutes, 34 seconds on April 29

The race's regulations forbid competitors from asking the shore f o r a s s i s t a n c e , n e w s , o r r e p a i r s I t i s a s o l o , u n a i d e d circumnavigation, and there is no internet To connect with people at sea, the sailors are given a high-frequency radio

In 2018, Tomy met with a horrific accident in a storm that nearly killed him and was rescued after 70 hours He was left with spinal fractures that required Titanium rods to be inserted and five vertebrae to be fused

Ris hi Patel le d the way with a c areerbest 134 not out as Leices tershire comf ortab ly batted out m os t of the f in a l da y a ga i ns t G l a m or g a n t o sec ure a draw Patel and Lewis Hill (82 ) took Leic est ershir e to 252 -3

Much-improved Leicestershire n o w h a v e 4 5 p o i n t s f r o m t h r e e games, including their opening win over Yorkshire, and Glamorgan 31 from three draws

Glamorgan resumed on the final day at 446-8 but soon lost Andrew Salter, bowled by Wright for 13, leaving Cooke hitting out at everything and soon becoming Wright's fifth victim Their scoring rate of three an over meant the match was running out of time, but Leicestershire were always likely to face an opening onslaught from the Glamorgan seamers and Sol Budinger soon edged Michael Neser to slip for one

As Glamorgan tried to flog some life out of the pitch with shortpitched bowling, Patel smashed Timm van der Gugten over square-leg into the Milligan Road, while both he and Hill survived vociferous appeals for caught behind

But the tension soon eased as Leicestershire were in the lead with nine wickets still standing at lunch, leaving Glamorgan needing miracles in the afternoon and getting no help from the pitch

Patel plundered 18 off an Andrew Salter over on the way to an attractive century off 137 balls, with Hill looking set to join him until he inside-edged rival captain David Lloyd onto his stumps following a stand of 203 The match will be remembered for Cooke and Neser's record eighth-wicket stand for Glamorgan as well as Patel's effort

Cops file 2 FIRs against WFI chief, one of them under Pocso

Brij Bh ushan Sh aran Singh, th e p resid ent of the Wrestling Fed eration o f India (WFI), w as the targ et of two different formal comp laints ( FIRs) filed by female wrestlers, including a minor, alleging sexu al h arassment

“Two FIRs have been registered at Connaught Place police station The first one pertains to allegations levelled by a minor victim which is registered under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act along with sections concerning outraging of modesty etc,” DCP (New Delhi) Pranav Tayal said

The Delhi Police had earlier told the Supreme Court that an FIR would be filed against Singh Seven national-level women wrestlers filed a complaint with the police on April 21 accusing the WFI president of sexual harassment

The safety and security of these wrestlers is the priority Second,

investigations by local police will not suffice as the accused faces 40 more FIRs, including one in a murder case That is worrying The investigations can be entrusted to a special task force monitored by the court,” Kapil Sibal who is representing the protesting wrestlers said Indian Olympic Association president P T Usha criticised the wrestlers for going public with their protest She said the sit-in has b r o u g h t b a

approached the IOA’s athletes commission before staging a protest, she said After being outraged by her remarks, the protesting wrestlers, led by Olympians Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik, retaliated against Usha by calling for respect for their campaign to shield upcoming generations of female wrestlers from sexual harassment

The four national selectors picked the team before it was announced Rahane’s inclusion comes on the back of a steady Ranji Trophy season and the injury to Shreyas Iyer He has also been playing brilliantly in the current IPL, incidentally Although Rahane's hot performance for Chennai Super Kings has received a lot of attention, it had very little to do with his selection It is discovered that his IPL shape in this instance is simply accidental Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were let go by the team administration and selectors in February 2022 in an effort to develop the batting of India in the future Now they are starting from scratch Ravindra Jadeja is likely to be asked to take up the bulk of the middle-order workload Rahane's experience would be crucial for the team management t o o v e r c o m e t h e d i f f i c u l t c o n d i t i o n s i n England Sources said that the selectors had very few options to pick a middle-order batter in the absence of Rishabh Pant and I y e r S u r y a k u m a r Y a d a v ’ s l o n g - f o r m a t b a t t i n g h a s n ’ t b e e n c o n v i n c i n g f o r t h e s e l e c t o r s S a r f a r a z K h a n , w h o h a s b e e n d o m i n a t i n g F i r s t - C l a s s c r i c k e t f o r t w o seasons, has been exposed against top-notch pace in the IPL

No vice-captain, no second wicketkeeper

The selectors have retained KL Rahul in the squad but they haven’t named a vice-captain for the WTC final Rahul was stripped of his vice-captaincy in the last two Test matches against Australia The selectors have also picked only one wicketkeeper- KS Bharat

IPL franchises wooing English players with lucrative deals, say reports

Ow n ers o f p ro m i n ent I P L te am s ar e at tem p t i ng to p e rs u ad e u p t o s i x o f England's first class players to retire from in terna tio na l c ric ket and s ig n lu cr ati v e annual co ntracts worth up to £5 million in order to play in T20 tournaments all year lo ng , according to media rep orts

Nearly all of the 10 IPL franchises have expanded into other leagues, such as the CPL in the West Indies, SA T20 in South Africa, Global T20 League in the United Arab Emirates, and the upcoming Major L e a g u e T 2 0 i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s T h e report, however, omits information about the franchises that approached and the participants in the conversation

There will also be an ambitious Saudi T 2 0 l e a g u e w h e r e s o m e o f t h e I P L franchises might be investing The media q u o t e d : “ I n i t i a l d i s c u s s i o n s h a v e t a k e n place after at least six English players, including some international stars, were approached by IPL franchise owners and asked whether, in principle, they would accept a deal that would make an Indian team their main employer, rather than the ECB or an English county ”

“This development follows discussions among players’ unions around the world a b o u t t h e p o t e n t i a l i m p l i c a t i o n s o f 1 2month franchise contracts, which would be a significant step towards the football model of elite players being primarily contracted to their team and released for international duty, rather than the other way around Sources said that contract offers could come as soon as the end of the year ”

Indian sailor becomes 1st Asian to sail around the globe in 30,000 miles race

IPL Points Table

Rishi Patel