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7 - 13 AUGUST 2021 - VOL 50 ISSUE 14

First ever site for scattering funeral ashes opens in Wales

Meet the ‘Speak Up Champion’ at NHS

Mamata meets Sonia to forge united front

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

7 - 13 August 2021

with Keith Vaz

Investigations reveal childcare homes under Lambeth Council exacted cruelty and sexual abuse on children

Poonam Sharma Radio Celebratory Poonam Sharma known as Missy B is a well know radio personality. She is an award-winning radio personality, a host, and social media influencer with 35k followers. Missy B started her media career at the age of 11 and hosts a weekly show on Sabras Radio the Leicester based station.

She is all about empowering women & her life motto is #LoveLifeLiveLifeLaughLouder. Missy balances her media work alongside running her PR company and working in the world of finance.

She also has been working on the project for several months. Basking in the glory of Leicester FC’s success in the Premier League, Missy B will officially be representing several key players from the team. She os therefore one of the very few female ethnic minority agents.

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

The UK is home for me.

Leicester is and will always be home, but London is now home from home due to work commitments, and I love the balance.

2 What are your proudest achievements?

Winning best female radio presenter for Sabras Radio & working with some amazing sports personalities for my PR company 3 What inspires you?

This one is easy my husband Raj very talented media personality who always supports his people & I would not have got where I am without his support and continued drive. He has been there on this journey and is the genius behind Missy when it comes to the media aspect of yours truly.

4 What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

One of the biggest obstacles is juggling everything. Working in the media but also in the world of finance can be a balancing act sometimes 2 hours sleep but I would not change this as I love life at 100mph 5 Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?

My parents - my family have supported me from day one in everything that I wanted to do.

They have supported me with all of the big decisions in life and been with me on this journey from the start, they are always by my side or in the audience cheering the loudest and for that I am grateful.

6 What is the best aspect about your current role?

I love the travelling that comes with the job, been lucky enough to travel to Mumbai, Cannes, and Canada. I love the glitzy events and the main thing meeting some amazing people from across the globe. The buzz that I get when hosting from a red-carpet event I love 7 And the worst?

Not having enough time to fit in me time (This is where my summer vacancy comes in) 8 What are your long-term goals?

This one I want to keep under my belt for now, but I have something that I will be working on in 2022 and I cannot wait to share this when the time is right.

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

This is a hard one. How long is a piece of string. There is so much that I would want to do. NHS being at the top of my list I feel this field does not get the recognition it deserves, lots of young children do not get the support they need & of course helping those in need.

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

I am not old enough to answer this! If I were on an island it would have to be Princess Diana - I love her life story, the women she was and everything she stood for. I am all about strong grounded women, standing up for what you believe in, and this lady was all of these things.

Three independent investigations were conducted into five children’s homes under the Lambeth Council after allegations of child sex and abuse.

According to inquiry report the Lambeth Council child care homes exposed children to risk of sexual abuse and knowingly kept staff who where a threat to children. In spite of 705 complaints the council disciplined only one employee in 40 years. Allegations were against 177 members linked to Shirley Oak childcare home, according to a report by Sky. A child who alleged to be sexually abused by his “house father” died in bathroom in 1977. However, Lambeth coun-

cil did not inform the official about the allegations. Some recommendations include vetting checks of current foster carers and mandatory training on safeguarding for elected councilors.

Councillor Claire Holland, leader of the Lambeth Council has apologised.

Shocked about the abuse, she admitted that a disproportionate num-

ber of those children were from Black, Asian and Multi-Ethnic backgrounds.

Alex Murray of the Metropolitan Police expressed optimism and apologetically confirmed changing the way to investigate with better training for officers, greater collaboration between social care partners, and putting the victim at the heart of the investigation.

Confirming receipt of recommendation by IICSA to consider whether there are grounds for a criminal investigation in the child’s death, he has appealed victims to come forward and speak to them.

PM Johnson’s plans to relaunch a domestic agenda Prime Minister Boris Johnson has launched the government's crime plans with extension of stop and search powers. The relaunching of PM's domestic agenda also includes a pledge for those guilty of anti-social behavior and sentenced to unpaid work like cleaning canals or clearing graffiti. The plan proposes this offender to wear fluorescent jacketed chain gangs making them more visible, while paying their debts to the society. The plan also includes trials of use of alcohol tags, that detect alcohol in the sweat of Wales prison leavers who were guilty of drink-fuelled crime.

The plan has been criticised by campaigners for the extension of stop and search powers. Human rights groups have said the powers were discriminatory and led to racist profiling of minorities.

PM Johnson, a longtime proponent of the tactic, since the time he was Mayor of London disagrees saying, "It's a kind and loving thing to provide backing to the police, to stop and search someone and relieve them of a dangerous weapon. It is just one of the range of tools to fight street crime."

Stop and search powers were restricted in 2014 by

Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Theresa May to be used for limited hours only if the person believed to be an immediate violent threat. The restrictions were eased in 2019 by Home Secretary Priti Patel to allow it round the clock on grounds of possible violence.

Asians in England and Wales live longer than Whites and mixed ethnic groups According to a study by ONS (Office of National Statistics) linking 2011 census and death registration data, people from white and mixed ethnic groups had lower life expectancy compared with Black and Asian groups in England and Wales during 2011-14.

Life expectancy of white and mixed ethnic groups was 83.1 years as compared to 88.9 of Black African women. For men the life expectancies were 79.7 for white, 79.3 for mixed ethnic, 83.8 for black African

thinktank Dr. Veena Raliegh says, "the evidence do not support views of academic and commentators that ethnic minorities have the worst health outcomes."

Considering 'healthy migrant effect' with lower levels of smoking, alcohol consumption and other risk factors in migrants, as the key reason for life expectancy, she adds that the effect, however, Confirming the robustness wanes out over time. and consistency of ONS analyDr. Raghib Ali, senior clinisis with previous research, cal research associate, senior fellow at the King's fund University of Cambridge, says Covid had a disproportionate impact 3371 pregnant women have been on minority ethnic admitted to all 194 UK hospitals groups, reversing with consultant-let maternity. the previous morOut of this, during the first tality advantage. wave 24% had moderate or According to her, severe disease compared with health needs of 36% infected with Alpha variant both ethnic minoriand 45% admitted with the ties as well as poor Delta variant. whites should be The study also found that in the last three addressed. Health months 37% pregnant women in hospital developed pneumonia and 15% required intensive care. inequalities have 99% of 742 pregnant women admitted since 1 also affected milof poor February were unvaccinated. Pregnant women lions whites.

She points have been advised Pfizer and Moderna vaccines

by JCVI in April. Another survey of 6267 pregnant out deprivation as women says that 37% felt scared to leave the the biggest driver of house, 70% are limiting their interactions with worst health outcomes. others and 90% are feeling unsafe and 84.5 for Asian excluding Indian, Bangladeshi and Chinese.

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After the worrying rise of hospital admissions of Covid-19 infected unvaccinated pregnant women, Prof Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, chief midwifery officer of England has urged expectant mums to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

According to data collected by the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS), no fully vaccinated pregnant women have been hospitalised with Covid-19 symptoms since mid-May. 98% of those hospitalised were not vaccinated, while the rest had received a single dose. There is also evidence of Delta virus posing significantly greater risk to pregnant women then previous strains. The pregnant women are likely to experience complications like preterm birth or stillbirth if they get infected.

The report reveals that since 1 March 2020,

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COMMENTS 3

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

7 - 13 August 2021

Is corruption the legacy we leave behind for our children?

Corruption in India is an issue which affects the economy of union, state, and local government agencies in many ways.

Corruption is reportedly blamed for stunting the economy of India. A study conducted by Transparency International in 2005 recorded that more than 62% of Indians had at some point or another paid a bribe to a public official to get a job done.

In 2008, another report showed that about 50% of Indians had first-hand experience of paying bribes or using contacts to get services performed by public offices, however, in 2020 their Corruption Perceptions Index ranked the country 86th place out of 180, reflecting steady decline in perception of corruption among people.

The media has widely published allegations of corrupt Indian citizens stashing millions of rupees in Swiss banks. Swiss authorities denied these allegations, which were later proven in 2015–2016. In July 2021, India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) replied to Right To Information (RTI) requests stating undeclared assets of Rs 20,078 crore identified by them in India and abroad following the investigation till June 2021.

When it comes to corruption, we automatically look at the third world countries or say Russia, but the recent scandals in the UK prove no less.

The Financial Times recently reported that a major Conservative donor received $4m from a company he knew to be secretly owned by a powerful Russian who was at the time a senior member of Vladimir Putin’s regime, according to three people with direct knowledge of his business dealings.

Although the donor Mohamed Amersi has reportedly said that “not a penny that I earned in Russia . . . has come close to being invested in the UK political system”, the claims actually raise questions about the origin of the fortune.

Mr Amersi has apparently many philanthropic ties. A little digging on wikipedia says, he is also involved in several projects that were launched under the Prince of Wales, including the Prince’s Trust International, the Prince's Trust Mosaic network and Dumfries House.

He is a Trustee and a member of the Global Advisory Board of Prince's Trust International. He is also the chair of the International Advisory Council for the British Asian Trust, another of the Prince of Wales’ charitable initiatives.

Additionally, is a trustee of the Kailash Satyarthi Children's

Foundation, the Rose Castle Foundation, which works with faith leaders to improve inter-faith communications and United We Reach. He is a Counsellor for One Young World, joining Kofi Annan, Meghan Markle and Bill Clinton as current or former Counsellors.

A man is allowed to earn his money, pay his bills, flaunt his conquests, but the problem starts when the society that accepts corruption start preaching to others. Access capitalism is not a viable option. This is exactly what led to Greensill and David Cameron’s ‘chumocracy’.

The Times calls chumocracy a close cousin of cronyism – rightly so! In the past it has led to ‘cash for honour’ scandals, or our Foreign Secretary has imposed asset freezes and travel bans to foreigners to fight corruption, but how can the blatant hypocrisy be justified? As The Times’ Sean O’Neil said, it is a full-blown corruption crisis, what remains to see is what happens now?

Open Democracy pointed out that British politics operates a bit like a protection racket. The rich and powerful pay a small portion of their money to Boris Johnson’s Tories, who in return ensure that said wealth and power are protected. It said, 20% of Tory donors are property tycoons, who gave £60m to the party over the past decade. Meanwhile, the Conservatives work to rip up planning laws to ensure that said tycoons can design our future towns, cities, and homes on their own terms.

The findings were published in a report by Transparency International, which warned that Tory “dependence” on money from the property sector created a risk of “aggregative corruption”.

The FT analysis includes all company donors and those who have given more than £100,000 but excludes hundreds of individuals who gave smaller amounts, meaning the true figure of donation could be higher.

Britain now, more than before, needs a long hard think about its social duties. Covid-19 has left the country in debt as well as people with no jobs. The money pumped into parties need to go to social services, NHS, creating jobs, apprenticeships, education, innovations, charities, climate change and so much so. The challenges ahead for younger generations is uphill. It is a shame that cash is buying one’s worth when their actual work should do the talking. Makes one ponder if we are setting a right example for our children?

Indian women athletes' stellar show at Tokyo Olympics Indian women have comfortably outperformed their male counterparts in the last Olympics and in the current one so far. It has been 11 days into Tokyo 2020, and it is women athletes who have provided some succour to a medal starved country at the biggest sporting event. In a historic feat, Rani Rampal and co showed nerves of steel and entered the semifinals of the women's hockey by beating favourites Australia. For nearly four decades the mother of all sporting upsets belonged to India. On Monday, in sunny Tokyo, an Indian hockey team, low in prominance, but high on belief, did the unthinkable for India. India coach Sjoerd Marijne expressed a widespread sentiment when he said: “I think this is Chak De! India in reality.” Discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur fell short of India’s first athletics Olympic medal but her performance is heart warming as she was the first Indian to reach the final of this event.

P V Sindhu became the first Indian women to win two Olympics medals. Sindhu won her first medal when she won a silver in 2016 Rio Olympics. This time she could not improve her Rio performance, but did not disappoint by winning the bronze medal. Earlier, it was Saina Nehwal who won a bronze in 2012.

Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom’s dream of winning a second Olympic medal was shattered in the pre-quarterfinals as she was unable to make progress despite her excellent performance in the challenge. This is the last Olympic event for the 38year-old boxer. But after the defeat, Mary Kom and Ingrit Valencia met each other dearly. They both hugged each other with full respect. While the Marie Kom congratulated the winner, the Colombian boxer also honored the Indian player’s hand.

But why are women giving more bang for the buck? One explanation getting traction is that Indian society makes it so much harder for a woman to play a sport, those who fight through this swamp have extra steel. Sexism is found worldwide: South Korea’s gold-winning archer An San is being trolled for her short hair and ‘feminism’. But in India it gets much more prohibitive, like girls being prevented from travelling alone or made to marry at 18. Ultimately sports are a reflection of society.

Ability needs to meet opportunity. Still, the tide is turning. Mary Kom inspired Lovelina, as will Savita Punia’s wondrous goalkeeping or Vandana Katariya’s hat-trick in cricket. May their success be the mother of many more.

India has sent a bigger contingent - 127 sportspeople - to compete in 18 sports at the Tokyo Olympics, which is touted to be the first-ever “gender-balanced” game. While major countries like the US, China, Canada, and Australia, among others, have more women athletes participating than men, India has a mix of 56 women and 71 men representing the country. It is noteworthy that while India has great hopes for the athletes to bring home medals and laurels, it is equally important that people celebrate all the 127 sports people's journey of becoming the athlete of their dreams. Every sportsperson in the world faces hardship and turmoil of some kind. But in India, several of them also have

to overcome financial, infrastructural and societal barriers to fulfill their Olympics dreams. Athletes such as 2012 London Olympic bronze medalist Mary Kom, who grew up in a mud house and skipped meals to become World Champion, have become part of the country’s sporting folklore.

It would be fair to say that rags-to-riches stories are not new to India. But that doesn't make those stories any less inspiring.

Each member of India’s Tokyo Olympics contingent has their own story of sacrifice, grit and determination, but some stand out for the way they have defied the odds. From going hungry everyday to not being able to afford equipment, these athletes have some heart-warming stories behind their success. In India being a sportsperson is really difficult and to be successful in sports you need to go through many struggles. The main reason behind this is the mentality of the people. We are brought up by being said: “Padhoge likhoge banoge Nawab, kheloge kudoge banoge kharab” which translates to “You will be a King if you read and write, and be spoilt if you play games”. This has been followed through generations. If a person chooses to take sports as a career then the first to criticize them will be the society. As soon as they will know that you want to choose sports as a career there will be gossips everywhere. .

Another biggest struggle of a sportsperson in India is in academics. He has to balance both studies and sports. If the performance in studies goes down then both of his parents and teachers would say that “playing a sport will get you nowhere in life, but to make a life you need to be good in academics”. It’s like they don’t live their childhood to the fullest as strict schedules have to be followed. They cannot live their school life or college life to the fullest. The odds that he/she would decide to pursue professional sports at the cost of his/her education are negligible. To all those who think that being in sports is not expensive then they are wrong. No matter in which sport you are, you needs to be ready to spend a huge amount of money. Essential high-end equipment to compete on a national level are really expensive; if you want to be better, then you have no option but to buy them. And even if the equipment is not costly, the diet you ideally need to follow is costly.

Another most important thing you need to take care of is your health. You need to follow a diet, but in India, most of the sportsperson doesn’t have proper knowledge of diet. So the nutrition that the body needs is often not provided and this leads to injury. If you get seriously injured during the practice then all the work that you’ve done for the competition will be in vain. Also, some injuries are life-threatening. If you are in a sport which is not very well known then there is no government support and there is no encouragement from schools. And also if they go in search of scholarship that they need they will get one after going to many companies if they are lucky. India is the world’s second-most populous nation but still, it has the worst Olympics record in terms of medal per hand.

Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

– Babe Ruth

Alpesh Patel

The PM’s Special Advisor Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s former Senior Special Advisor has been in the news a lot.

Coincidentally, or because we are both right (the latter), he is the first person I’ve ever met who takes the same views on several critical issues. It was he who was advising Gove when Gove decried the problem with ‘experts’ getting things wrong. For me it’s in the fund manager ‘experts’ letting down pensioners.

For Dominic Cummings it is this, ‘perhaps the most profound aspect of broken systems is they cannot reflect on the reasons why they’re broken — never mind take effective action.’

As he notes, “we can see some reasonably clear conclusions from decades of study on expertise and prediction in many fields.

• Some fields are like extreme sport or physics: genuine expertise emerges because of fast effective feedback on errors.

• Abstracting human wisdom into models often works better than relying on human experts as models are often more consistent and less noisy.

• Models are also often cheaper and simpler to use.

• Models do not have to be complex to be highly effective — quite the opposite, often simpler models outperform more sophisticated and expensive ones.

• In many fields (which I’ve explored before but won’t go into again here) low tech very simple checklists have been extremely effective: e.g flying aircraft or surgery.

Successful individuals like Warren Buffett and Ray Dalio also create cognitive checklists to trap and correct normal cognitive biases that degrade individual and team performance.

Fields make progress towards genuine expertise when they make a transition from stories (e.g Icarus) and authority (e.g ‘witch doctor’) to quantitative models (e.g modern aircraft) and evidence/experiment (e.g some parts of modern medicine/surgery).

• In the intellectual realm, maths and physics are fields dominated by genuine expertise and provide a useful benchmark to compare others against. They are also hierarchical. Social sciences have little in common with this.

• Even when we have great examples of learning and progress, and we can see the principles behind them are relatively simple and do not require high intelligence to understand, they are so psychologically hard and run so counter to the dynamics of normal big organisations, that almost nobody learns from them.

Extreme success is ‘easy to learn from’ in one sense and ‘the hardest thing in the world to learn from’ in another sense."

• I find that uneducated people on 20k living hundreds of miles from SW1 generally have a more accurate picture of daily No10 work than extremely wellconnected billionaires.”

All of this seems very timely to me for so many reasons.

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

7 - 13 August 2021

Lack of tall fire ladders with highest tower blocks put people’s safety at risk On 19 May there was a fire at the 19-storey New Providence Wharf which started in the fuse board on an 8th floor flat and spread to 11th floor. Currently, the firefighters only have 90 ft platforms that can reach the top floors of a six-storey building.

Tower Hamlets has 900 tower blocks and almost 300 buildings registered with the government safety fund to remove cladding, which is the highest in the UK. After learning

there are no tall ladders in Borough, from the 19-May blaze, Tower Hamlets council discussed a 200ft hydraulic rescue platform with London fire

brigade.

After the proposal to purchase the equipment was put forward at a full council meet last week, the labour-run administration passed it unanimously.

A cross party campaign was kicked off when Conservative's Peter Golds wrote a letter to Tower Hamlets’ Mayor suggesting purchase of ladder and to consider the safety of people in high rises. Liberal Democrat's

Rabina Khan said, after four years of Grenfell tragedy we are still talking about safety.

In the meantime, LFB has purchased, UK’s tallest ladders, three new 64m turntable ladders to be based at Old Kent Road, Dagenham and Wimbledon.

Mayor John Biggs has criticized administration for being fast and loose with building regulations creating potential fire traps and urged them to consider people's safety.

PM Johnson praises AstraZeneca on 1 billion doses shipped landmark AstraZeneca has played a lead role in protecting the world from coronavirus, by making Covid jabs at cost.

After EU countries have made repeated attacks on the Oxford vaccine since last year; the PM has praised the achievement of AstraZeneca of shipping 1 billion doses so far to 170 countries worldwide.

The PM’s official spokesman has acknowledged it as a fantastic achievement saving countless lives around the globe. The government has ensured distribution to as many countries as possible thereby saving as many lives as possible.

However, the EU’s attempts to undermine confidence in vaccines have left the government

seething.

The vaccine was branded quasi-ineffective for over 65s by French President in January. The scare stories of blood clot and risks had led many EU countries to suspend the use of jabs.

One official has said that deaths of thousands because of anti-vaxx scare stories will go down in history. He has said that

Brexit was the reason, EU behaved like that. He has blamed the EU leaders who trashed AZ to have blood on their hands.

The statements of EU leaders were blamed for slow vaccination.

While the EU commission has accused AZ of failing to produce the number of vaccines it promised in its contract.

London councils peak complaints in the year of pandemic LGSCO (Local Government and Social Care Obdusmen) launched more than 700 detailed investigations into the capitol’s local authorities in the year ending March 31. It has revealed the London council’s failings with number of complaints received.

Housing is the most complained area. The highest number of complaint received were 72 in Haringey. There were sev-

eral offences including not sufficiently supporting a family threatened with homelessness, delaying housing applications, inadequate care assessments and miscalculating council tax.

Barnet and Bromley had second highest with 26 grievances, while Tower Hamlets and Lambeth had 25.

Bexley, Merton and Hammersmith and Fulham had

fewest complaints upheld, each with seven.

Ombudsman Michael King criticized that some officers of Haringey were unaware of current law and procedures or chose to disregard them. They also had to register a new complaint when the council failed to comply with the recommendations it had agreed to.

A kidney transplant patient

in Bromley was left homeless and sleeping rough for six nights following an illegal eviction. The council agreed to pay 300 GBP after the investigation. Tower Hamlets was ordered to pay 1000 GBP for denying a parking bay to a disable child family.

Mr. King said that this year’s review was the most difficult and the pandemic was widening the cracks.

More than 500,000 students to attend summer classes The DfE (Department for Education) said 74% (2820) mainstream secondary schools have volunteered for hosting summer schools to help pupils catch up after the pandemic.

After some heads expressed reluctance to run catch-up, schools were encouraged a bid for a share of a GBP 200 million government fund for summer schools this year, targeted at Year 7 students predominantly.

Main reasons for school leaders not in favour of running summer schools were that staff and pupils need a proper break and less family support.

DfE favours face to face learning of 547,210 pupils to

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DfE has also announced GBP 1.4 billion funding to help pupils for lost learning.

School minister Nick Gibb is happy for the summer school.

Some of the well being help them catch up on education lost through the pandemic. According to DfE summer schools will include variety of academic and enrichment activities, from maths and English lessons to activities designed to build confidence, friendships and

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activities planned by the schools include interesting things like theatre trips and sports sessions.

General Secretary of school leaders’ union Paul Whiteman confirmed that significant number of secondary schools have decided to run a summer school.

Suspected burglar attacked by three causing lifelong injuries Adrian Perry was believed to be breaking into Victoria Kebabs by Asmat Khan, 33. When he saw Perry standing outside later that day, he forced him to the ground. CCTV showed, Asmat’s brother Mohammed, 25 and employee Zafar Ahmed, 35 also joined the attack.

According to court hearing Perry was dragged into the shop and security shutters were closed.

Ahmed could also be seen attacking Perry on floor with a plastic cone.

The victim’s head and body was repeatedly kicked and was filmed and interrogated by Asmat. A passerby had called police.

Perry who did not cooperate with police investigation suffered fracture to his eye socket, cheekbone, jaw and a fracture to his forearm. All the defendants were jailed for two years, of which they will server half and remainder on

Asmat, Zafar and Mohammed Khan, each have been jailed for two years (photo courtesy: Nottinghamshire Police)

license.

The judge said that instead of calling the police, after suspecting Perry for burgling, sustained a group attack to a defenseless man.

Detective inspector has blamed Ahmed and other two of a barbaric, unforgiving act that left a man with lifelong injuries, proving that they are capable of organized violence.

He also thanked the member of public for rightly reporting the suspicious nature of incident.

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in brief in brief JOHNSON PROMISE TO CHANGE PANDEMIC RULES ON 16 AUGUST PM Johnson has promised to stick with planned changes to self-isolation rules to fully-vaccinated Britons from quarantine from 16 August. He says the time table is ‘nailed on’, which means from mid-August people with two jabs will be able to escape selfisolation even after coming in contact with positive Covid case. However, despite PM’s comments, policing minister Kit Malthouse said that minister have to wait to see what’s happening on the numbers, before making a decision on self-isolation rules. Also business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said no final decision would be taken until a week before 16 August. While infections in UK fell for seventh day in a row, Johnson has warned people not to get carried away, as there is still significant risk of the virus. He is pleased that UK has world’s highest proportion of vaccinated adults and that the country take a cautious approach to get a very strong economic recovery. He rejected that people refusing to get vaccinated are selfish. Mr. Johnson is happy with the young people as 70% of 18-20 years old have come forward for the jabs.

TEMPERATURES MAY CROSS 40 DEGREES IN SUMMER UK’s leading meteorologists have warned that temperatures during summertime will soar above 40C even if global warming is limited to 1.5C. According to The State of The UK climate 2020 report, the average winter temperature of last year was substantially higher than 1981-2010 average, which makes Dec-19 to Feb-20 the fifth warmest winter.

August 2020 saw the worst heatwave to affect Southern England in 60 years with temperatures hitting 34C on six consecutive days. The research found that early 21st century has been 0.5-1C warmer than 19012000 and 0.5-1.5C warmer than 1801-1900, for Central England. Royal Meterological Society’s chief executive Professor Liz Bentley said that world was already seeing extreme heat and we are likely to see never before 40C temperatures in the UK. Mike Kendon, Climate Scientist at the Met Office said that in seven out of last ten years, we have seen temperatures of 34C in the UK compared to seven out of previous 50 years before that. He adds that this is an indication of the fact that our baseline of our climate is changing and what we regards as normal is changing. The figures according to him, will be the new normal for the UK.

DROP IN CASES MIGHT RELIEVE US CONSIDERABLY

BY OCTOBER Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London whose modeling led to the first nationwide lockdown has said that by late September, October time we will be looking back at most of the pandemic. As Covid-19 cases dropped by 40% as compared to previous week, he applauds the effect of vaccines in reducing the risk of hospitalization and death. To ensure people into not letting their guard down by early good news the Government is opting for caution. Ferguson warned that next week will be the key in ascertaining that hospitalizations decline and also an increase in contact rates again as schools reopen in September. Ferguson who predicted last week that cases could 200,000 a day, says he would be happy to be wrong. However, the effect of unlocking may be observed after several weeks. So we need to monitor quite a lot of different indicators to get the real insight. Jason Leitch, National Clinical Director, Scottish Government, said country’s case rate and hospitalizations are falling. He said that while Euro 2020 had caused a spike, it was important to keep the football in perspective.

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7 - 13 August 2021

APPRENTICESHIP MYTH BUSTERS

Asian Voice speaks to Mark Donnelly, Head of Apprenticeships & Skills, BAE Systems on common assumptions about apprenticeships and why these myths aren’t true.

‘HAVE AN OPEN MIND’ What is the name of your apprenticeship scheme?

Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprenticeship What year of your scheme are you in?

2nd year Which site are you/ would you be based at?

Mark Donnelly, Head of Apprenticeships & Skills, BAE Systems

Apprenticeships are only for school and college leavers Those undertaking apprenticeships vary in age, apprenticeship level, and sector and are not just limited to school and college leavers. They are a transformative opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to achieve their full potential.

Apprenticeships provide high-quality, comprehensive training across many industries – with the opportunity to ‘earn while you learn”, providing a significant draw for anyone who wants to develop new skills. At BAE Systems, almost 10% of our current apprentices are aged 25 and over, with the programmes also providing opportunities for people looking to retrain.

Apprenticeships are only for people who don’t get into university Apprenticeships offer a unique blend of learning which embraces both academic knowledge as well as vocational skills and behavioural development. These programmes provide quality and high skilled training, which can also include higher and degree apprenticeships which offer degrees as part of the apprenticeship. They provide a pathway to skills at all levels.

Apprenticeships don’t lead to good qualifications The idea that apprenticeships fail to provide robust learning and nationally recognised qualifications is false. At BAE Systems apprentices work towards accredited qualifications throughout their apprenticeship. One third of our apprentices are on higher and degree apprenticeships and will achieve degree level qualifications at no cost to them. On top of their qualification, apprentices also benefit from on-the-job learning through work placements, allowing them to accrue the relevant industry know-how, putting the ‘theory into practice’.

Apprenticeships are only available to those doing manual jobs Apprenticeships are a great way to develop a wide range of skills, many offer a chance to develop practical abilities, but they are certainly not limited to those looking for manual work. There are hundreds of different types of apprenticeships.

Whilst BAE Systems offers Engineering and Manufacturing apprenticeships, we have a total of 50 different apprenticeship programmes including Business, Project Management, Finance and Data Analysis.

Apprentices don’t get given any real work to do This couldn’t be further from the truth

Warton/ Samlesbury

– a good apprenticeship is not only a learning experience, but a high-quality, full-time job opportunity based around real work placements and fee earning work.

Apprentices bring much to their business, contributing significant value across their apprenticeship, providing innovative ideas and a more diverse workforce.

We need as employers to give them real work experience to enable them to be fully competent employees. On completion of their apprenticeship, our apprentices are suitably qualified both for their first role and for their careers.

Businesses aren’t looking to hire apprentices Whilst we must acknowledge the impact the pandemic has had across every industry; we and many other businesses have continued to recruit apprentices. We recently announced we are going to recruit more than 850 apprentices and 400 graduates in 2021, the highest intake in a single year.

Apprentices play a critical role in supporting businesses and provide a vital contribution to economic growth; 70% of the apprentice roles we recruited in 2020 were in the North of England, helping to support the levelling up agenda. Hiring apprentices is an extremely effective way for organisations to foster and grow new talent, developing a more diverse, highly skilled and motivated workforce. In fact, 78% of employers* said apprenticeships helped them improve overall productivity. *https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/ employers/benefits-of-hiring-apprentice Apprenticeships don’t lead to a fulltime job or a career 95% of our BAE Systems apprentices complete and of these almost all progress into permanent employment with us.

Apprenticeships provide people with the necessary skills to work in highly specialised and technical industries. Through on-thejob learning, training and the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals, apprenticeships offer an entry into a longterm and successful career.

Businesses that take on apprentices invest time into developing talent and enhancing critical skills, and retention of these skills is essential to future proofing and continued growth. In fact, research suggests that the majority (85%** ) of apprentices stay in employment after their apprenticeship ends or go on to further learning. **https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/ apprentices/becoming-apprentice

https://www.baesystems.com/en/careers/ careers-in-the-uk/apprenticeships

Are you currently onsite or working from home?

Working from home Why did you choose an apprenticeship at BAE Systems?

Following an apprenticeship route into engineering made sense to me as I was looking to seek new openings that could provide me with an ideal platform to build the professional relationships and networks needed to succeed as an engineer. My decision was also driven by the prospect of diversifying my experiences, regularly challenging myself and having my achievements underpinned by a formal qualification. The idea of transferring the theoretical knowledge and skills attained during my studies to my professional work was also very appealing.

Having the experience of ‘a day in the life of an engineer’ through the Movement to Work programme prior to joining BAE Systems was another instrumental factor behind my decision to pursue an apprenticeship route into engineering. Prior to that experience, I was unsure as to what exact professional path I wanted to take, but with the support and guidance of my Movement to Work mentors, I was able to recognise my strengths and accumulate a range of skills. This allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, better preparing me for the world of work in aerospace. Fast forward two years from the programme and I have just started my fourth placement as an Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprentice.

Can you tell us about the apprenticeship and what it has encompassed so far?

To date, the scheme has exceeded all my expectations – my experiences within the business have given me exposure to a wide array of situations that academic learning alone would not have been able to provide.

What I have found most important about the apprenticeship programme is the way in which my placements have given me a broad overview across the engineering lifecycle, whilst being able to demonstrate the key fundamentals required to make a project successful.

The Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprenticeship provides two placements annually, where endless opportunities are presented to develop key transferable skills which are invaluable to becoming a qualified Aerospace Engineer. The programme also helps provide a journey towards professional body recognition, to become an Incorporated Engineer with Engineering Council.

Although I am still at such an early stage of my career at BAE Systems, I have had the privilege to attend the inaugural Global Air Chief’s Conference; it was a fantastic

Yaamin Nanlawala

opportunity to engage in panel discussions with industry leaders across the air and space industry on the strategic challenges we face, and how we can address these by shaping our capabilities and skills for the future. Earlier this year, I was also invited to support a visit by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the Air sector’s Warton Site, where he was shown some of the leadingedge digital technologies of the future.

Has there been anything surprising or unique about the role you’re doing or have done during your apprenticeship?

Despite working remotely for most of my time at BAE Systems, I have been surprised by the level of responsibility and trust given to me, all of which has allowed me to bring new ideas to the projects I have been given the opportunity to work on.

This has invariably allowed me to step outside my comfort zone to think creatively, whilst being able to explore all avenues of engagement with the latest technologies and developments in the industry.

The memorable experiences and opportunities presented to me to date have all been truly inspiring and have undoubtedly reaffirmed my conviction in joining BAE Systems. I’m now very excited for the future, as I continue to strive for personal development and career progression within the company over the coming years.

What would be your advice to anyone who might be considering an apprenticeship?

A keynote of advice for anyone considering an apprenticeship would be to have an openminded approach and to be receptive to a wide variety of ideas. You need to be bold and prepared to step out of your comfort zone to maximise every opportunity.

Providing you have the drive, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn, an apprenticeship could be the perfect route for you to find and develop your passion!

A short quote summarising career/ experience to date at BAE Systems.

My personal experience on the scheme has shown me that the focus BAE Systems places on continuous improvement will provide the perfect environment for any enthusiastic, motivated and engaged individual to feel like they can contribute to the future of the organisation.

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IS THE TIDE CHANGING? England's Football Association expressed their anger via Twitter.

"We're disgusted that some of our squad –- who have given everything for the shirt this summer –- have been subjected to discriminatory abuse online after tonight's game. We stand with our players," the FA tweeted. England manager Gareth Southgate too condemned the incident.

With UK celebrating South Asian Heritage month, pointing at the incredible contributions of the largest diaspora in the UK, Mr Southgate featured alongside Swansea's Yan Dhanda and West Ham Women's Maz Pacheco in a FA video series, talking about how football must revisit its approach to scout and create opportunities for British South Asian talent to prosper in the sport.

Therefore, FA aiming to increase British Asian (including South Asian) participation in football across the country, hoping to bring ‘opportunities to communities’, updated their inclusion strategy and to support it, Watford Women footballer Rosie Kmita, Mansfield Town footballer Mal Benning, Aldershot Town Assistant Manager Anwar Uddin, presenter Seema Jaswal and FA’s Head of Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Programmes, Dal Darroch, came together and discussed the continued importance of increasing Asian participation and inclusion in English football at a roundtable.

Speaking about the strategy, Dal Darroch, FA’s Head of Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Programmes said, "We know that Asian com-

Dal Darroch, FA’s Head of Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Programmes

ing in the area, but not many play football.

Racism and discrimination are one of the few reasons why South Asian parents don't allow their children to take up sports as a full-time career.

To change this narrative and to bring in positivity, Southall FC, which recently celebrated 150th year anniversary as one of the oldest clubs in the country has started a petition #BringSouthallHome to bring the community together. They are urging Asians to come forward and play football, irrespective of race and caste.

"At Southall FC we decided to launch our #BringSouthallHome petition a few months back following the Covid pandemic and the effect it had on our predominantly South Asian Community. Southall FC lost its stadium in 1992 and have not been home with our community since. Southall FC has progressed the careers of great talent over the years such as Les Ferdinand MBE, Alan Devonshire, Justin Fashanu and many more. In the worst of times the power of football was made clear during the Euro’s which brought the nation together. We represent a community that has been forgotten. Whilst we as a club, have tried over the years to Bring Southall Home, under new management we have made great strides in making this dream become a reality, and hope to provide a chance for young players to achieve their dreams", said Aatish Sharma, Chief Executive, Southall FC club.

Aatish Sharma, Chief Executive, Southall FC club

Aatish expressed a concern over lack of facilities provided to British Asians. However, he hopes that with community's support, munities are the most under-represented they will return to the area to further encourethnic minority group in many areas of the age participation at all levels. He believes that game, and we are passionate about and dedi- the community will certainly bring a real cated to ensuring our game is for all. We’re change to the sport.

"I hope to see more South Asian footproud of the progress made so far, but there is more to be done and we will continue to ballers achieve their goals, but without the work closely with Asian communities and facilities to train, exercise, learn and flourish our stakeholders so that we can strive to this task becomes even more difficult. In the past, many have said we need to encourage make our game truly inclusive."

Though the British Asian communities South Asian participation but not enough has form the largest ethnic minority groups in been done to address this. The obvious the UK, within grassroots football, male and answer in promoting South Asian talent is to female Asian participation (aged 16+) is now have the facilities needed in areas that are at 10.7% and 13.5% respectively, according to predominantly of South Asian backgrounds", FA. But the number of professional players of expressed Aatish.

Aatish believes that football is one such Asian heritage is significantly lower, meaning tackling Asian underrepresentation at all lev- sport which has no boundary, and no player els of the game remains a key priority for the is defined by his religion or ethnic background.

FA. Structural racism stunting growth He said that their campaign received of community? good response and they are encouraging Southall has a large number of Asians liv- more people to sign up the petition to demonstrate the need for sports and health facilities for 24 hour helpline e their community. Their next 020 8361 6151 step will be to further discuss plans to Bring Southall Home with Ealing Council to return the great club; Southall FC back home with the people.

• An independent Hindu fam mily business Football and risk of dementia • D Dedic di atted d Shiva Shi chapel h l off restt The landmark, University of Glasgow-led research into • Washing and dressing facilities lifelong health outcomes in for• Ritual service items provided mer professional footballers, • Priest arranged for perforrming last rites the FIELD study, has revealed further major insights into the • Specialists in repatriation n to India link between football and risk of dementia.

In findings published on Tuesday in the journal JAMA Neurology, researchers report that risk of neurodegenerative disease in former professional Chandu Tailor 07957 250 851 footballers varies by player Jay Tailor 07583 616 151 position and career length, but Bhanubhai Patel 07939 232 664 not by playing era.

Dee Kerai 07437 616 151 These results add to the ground-breaking observations 24 hour helpline: 020 8361 6151 | e: info@tailor.co.uk | w: www.tailor.co.uk from the 2019 FIELD study Chani House, Lower Park Road, New Southgate, London, N11 1QD

publication, which found that former professional footballers had an approximately three-and-a-half-fold higher rate of death due to neurodegenerative disease than expected. The results show that, for goalkeepers, neurodegenerative disease risk was similar to general population levels. In contrast, neurodegenerative disease risk for outfield players was almost 4 times higher than expected and varied by player position with risk highest among defenders, at around 5fold higher than expected.

Despite changes in football technology and head injury management over the decades, there is no evidence neurodegenerative disease risk changed for the population of footballers included in this study, whose careers spanned from around 1930 to the late 1990s.

Cultural, inter-generational and economic factors contribute to Asian parents’ reluctance Amidst fears of racism and dementia, what keeps Asian parents sending children to take up sport as a career?

Biologist and vocalist Atrayee Bandyopadhyay, and a mother, believes that cultural, inter-generational and economic factors contribute to Asian parents’ reluctance to allow their kids to pursue sports as a full-time career.

"Sports is considered as an impediment to academic success (often called a “distraction”) in most Asian families and parents have a sort of compulsive anxiety resulting from fear that invested efforts may or may not translate into future success. But academics is almost a guaranteed path to economic stability. Lack of encouragement to play outdoors leads to poor fitness issues as well," said Atrayee.

However, she and her husband encourage their son (who is into swimming) and will be very happy if their son takes up any sport as a full-time career! They believe sports is a wholesome lifestyle choice and it has a positive impact on both physical and mental health in the long run.

Another parent Anirban Mukhopadhyay

Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Director, Heritage Bengal Gobal said that racism was never been a deciding factor for him. He said that if his son would have had the required talent, he would have wanted his son to take up sports. Speaking on racism, he said when someone faces a racism, he or she should fight it and stand against it.

Anirban who is also a director of nonprofit organisation Heritage Bengal Gobal, is doing his bit to bring people together. A FA accredited football tournament will take place on 15 August, where people of all communities are welcome to play.

"Our main objective is to keep people healthy and fit. We have been taking practice sessions on weekends since May. We told people, that if they don't come for practice, they will not be allowed to play football. Match will be played between 6 teams, out of which 3 will be from East Bengal and 3 from Mohun Bagan.

Avimanyu Sengupta who is IT Director at HM Revenue & Customs and Shreyoshee Sengupta, who is a lead Business

Relationship Manger at HM Revenue & Customs, think that racism and discrimination is not the only reason why the community of British Asians don’t see many British Asian kids having a full-time sports career. However, recent events do have a deep impact on one's mind and definitely a key factor to that prevents many from taking up sports as a full-time career option.

"I think the core problem is the unconscious bias that people have towards Asian origin children that either they are not as athletic as other communities; and that they are very focused at education often at the expense of sports taking a backseat most of the time," said Shreyoshee.

Both believe that some of the biases stated are often true but if no concerted collaborative effort is made to bring more diverse players onboard, then British Asian kids will always remain underrepresented in sports at a national level. Instead of a one size fits all approach based on stereotypical assumptions, it is vital to understand what the differing motivations and constraints are there currently for the British Asian kids when it comes to choosing sports as a career.

They feel that this could be done quite early on at school, working in partnership with a variety of organisations who capture and understand the specific needs of the targeted audience (British Asian or from ethnic minority background) to provide more opportunities that encourage them to take up sports as a full-time career.

"The more the opportunities are broadened, the engagement with the wider communities increases, then more and more parents will get the assurance and feel confident in helping kids choose sports as a full-time career option. For the nation, this will lead to greater talent pool and further our chances of winning at the national level," said Avimanyu.

Avimanyu Sengupta, IT Director at HM Revenue & Customs and Shreyoshee Sengupta, Business Relationship Manger, HM Revenue & Customs Speaking on British Asian parents’ unwillingness to allow their children to take up sports as a main career, Aatish said, "We urge parents not to discourage their children taking up sports as a career, as in the modern era the opportunities in all sports are far greater than what happens on the pitch alone."

In the past Southall has seen ugly riots where people have lost their lives. To bring children from diverse backgrounds together and to spread information on race equality, Southall FC since the end of lockdown is working with local grassroots clubs, academies and seeking to launch football camps to promote a fairer and equal game.

They hope that this can establish a clear pathway for young players from diverse backgrounds achieve their dreams.

"We hope our efforts are fruitful in bringing Southall home so we can deliver the coaching and facilities required to help our community in football and in life," said Aatish.

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New diversity targets for NHS’ tech and data staff The organisation responsible for the technology and data behind the NHS has pledged to increase its diversity by 2025.

Around one in five NHS employees are Black, Asian or from minority ethnic groups and NHS Digital has made a new commitment for its staff to have the same diversity at all levels of the organisation.

The public body, which employs around 3,500 people across England, has been at the heart of the digital response to the pandemic from setting up the Shielded Patient List to running the online systems for booking and recording the Covid-19 vaccine.

NHS Digital is striving for 19% of its staff to be Black, Asian or from minority ethnic groups, 14% to be disabled, and 50% to be female by 2025.

Simon Bolton, Interim Chief Executive at NHS Digital, said, “Setting workforce representation targets is a symbol of our, and my personal, serious intent to make a difference. It certainly is not a quick fix; however it is a visible and public acknowledgement of our current position and acceptance to be held to account.

“It signals our commitment to work much harder to retain and develop our existing diverse talent and to do things differently to engage and attract colleagues from all backgrounds. This is particularly important in our senior leadership roles where we know we need to do better.

“Having a more diverse workforce is only part of the solution, and we need to work to make NHS Digital a truly inclusive environment. This starts with strong leadership and I am unapologetic in setting these expectations of the leadership community in NHS Digital, my executive team and myself as CEO.”

First ever site for scattering funeral ashes opens in Wales Rupanjana Dutta A site where Sikhs and Hindus can scatter the funeral ashes of their loved ones, has been officially opened in Wales. First of a kind, the site is on the River Taff at Llandaff Rowing Club in Cardiff.

The loss of a loved one is always filled with immense sadness and emotional stress.

In both Hindu and Sikh communities, the last rites are a very important aspect of human life and have an obligatory ritual, whereby, after the death of a person their ashes are scattered in a river. It is believed that this provides peace to the departed soul and a smoother transition to the next life. It also provides solace to family and friends.

The first generation of our communities tended to take the ashes back to their motherland, mainly India, and scatter it in one of the holy rivers- usually Ganges. However, the latter generation, either born or have lived most of their life in the UK, prefer to scatter the ashes of their loved ones, in Wales.

For years, the Hindu and Sikh communities of Wales have been concerned with the lack of facilities for performing the last rites for the dispersal of funeral ashes of their ‘near and dear departed’ in Wales.

The lack of such facility therefore prompted the representatives of both communities, to form a joint committee “Antim Sanskar Group Wales” (ASGW) in 2012 along with Hindu Council of Wales and Sikh Communities. Their aim was to work with Cardiff Council in obtaining necessary consent, and to find a suitable site, so that the funeral ashes of the loved ones could be scattered with respect and dignity.

First Minister of Wales, Cardiff Council officials, Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Dr Sakti Guha-Niyogi, Chair of Hindu Council of Wales, Jaswant Singh MBE representative of Sikh Community and Vimla Patel, MBE Chair of Antim Sanskar Group Wales

Promising to serve generations over the years, although the site can be used by any religious groups, they need to follow booking procedures.

It has taken several years to bring this project to completion. This site was sanctified by performing Bhumi Puja and performing of ‘Ardaas' on 22nd July 2020. This is believed, to purify the land and pave the way, for the smooth running of the site.

Dignitaries present at the opening of the site included Lord Mayor of Cardiff - Cllr Rod McKerlich, First Minister of Wales - Rt Hon Mark Drakeford, Leader of Cardiff Council- Cllr Huw Thomas, Cllr Michael Michael, Cllr Kanaya Singh, Trevor Wing (Chairman of Llandaff Rowing Club), Raj Aggarwal OBE (Indian Consulate), Gurmit Randhawa MBE, Chair of Sikh Council of Wales and other community leaders.

The event on the day started with a Hindu Prayer by Radhika Kadaba, Sikh Ardaas by Verinder Bhogal, and a welcome speech by Vimla Patel MBE (Chair), First

Bengal Heritage Foundation commemorates 175th death anniversary of Dwarkanath Tagore Post Brexit, the Indo UK partnership has grown from strength to strength. In this backdrop, it is fitting and timely that the Bengal Heritage Foundation commemorated Dwarkanath Tagore – pioneering Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist on his 175th death anniversary – on 1st August 2021.

The sunny London afternoon brightened up further as songs and speeches eulogised Dwarkanath Tagore’s contribution to business, innovation and philanthropy, celebrating his life. Wreaths were placed on the monument to Dwarkanath Tagore by the First Secretary, descendants of the Tagore family and members of Bengal Heritage Foundation.

Henry Vivian Neil from the Friends of Kensal Green welcomed all to the commemoration and shared memories from the 150th year of Dwarknath’s death anniversary.

Rohit Vadhwana, First Secretary (Economic), High Commission of India, spoke about how Dwarkanath Tagore set up new milestones in business and entrepreneurship and his relevance today. He reflected on the friendship between India and UK and today’s equal partnership between the two countries had it seeds sown as Dwarkanath set up business relationships with the British. He stressed on the need for pride about heritage within the community. He referred to Raja Rammohun Roy’s statue in Bristol and his final resting place is maintained over the years by the broad Indian community.

Neil Mukherjee, a descendent

in digitally from his quarantine and noted that Dwarkanath was ‘full spectrum’ in today’s parlance.

He noted that no Members of BHF and Rohit Vadhwana, First Secretary one is better to (Economic), High Commission of India with wife Femida Shaikh inspire us than of the Tagore family and a doctor, Tagore as we embark on the referred to his forefather’s philanRoadmap 2030 agreed between thropy especially his contribution prime ministers of UK and India in setting up of Calcutta Medical which will deliver a quantum leap College. He shared personal stories in the quality of the relationships from his childhood as he discovin a new era. ered his ancestor through a wonJonathan Kennedy, Director derful portrait of Dwarkanath in (Arts) British Council India, the ancestral home. He read reflected on the long relationship excerpts from Kishroi chand between British Council and mitra’s biography of Dwarkanath Bengal Heritage Foundation and and reflected how Dwarkanath the how the commemoration enriched Indian voice in the midst of the living bridge between India European narrative of the sub conand UK. Referring to Dwarknath as tinent.

India’s first Internationalist, he Amit Guha, from Bengal talked about his business collaboHeritage Foundation, read rations, social reforms, philanexcerpts from Krishna Dutta’s thropy, modernity and his endeavworks and talked about the various our to promote happiness and facets of Dwarkanath's remarkable prosperity of his fellow countryachievements in business, his men. famous dinners at his country villa, The talks were interspersed his philanthropy and his travels in with mellifluous music presented Europe and England. He also

by Anamika Sarkar, Tanusree spoke about the remarkable simiGuha, Suranjan Som, Joydeep Pal, larities between Dwarkanath and Amit Guha and Subham Pal, wonhis grandson Rabindranath: both derfully curated by Jhuma Bhadra were drawn to music, theatre and and Tanusree Guha from the literature; both revelled in travel, music of Bengal – celebrating the often staying at the best hotels; life of Dwarkanath Tagore. The both loved to meet the best minds; host for the event, Nirmal Nag, both had a keen sense of national referred to the Dwarkanath pride; and both shared a vision of Commemoration in Narayankoori, East and West meeting in cooperaIndia and read out a poem from tion. the region in a poignant closing of Nick Low, British Deputy High the programme.

Commissioner in Kolkata, joined

Minister of Wales. A plaque describing the site was unveiled by Leader of Cardiff Council Cllr Huw Thomas and Cllr Michael Michael.

Hon Consul for India, Raj Aggarwal said, “I must congratulate the Antim Sanskar Group for their dedication and huge efforts in establishing this valuable site at the Llandaff Rowing Club on River Taff in Cardiff. It is a proud day for the community and Wales as this superb facility that will support the final necessary ceremonial rites for loved ones with safety and dignity.”

Swami Vivekananda’s statue unveiled outside Harrow Arts Centre The first outdoor statue of Swami Vivekananda in the UK, sculpted in Portland stone was unveiled on

Suresh, Manmeet Singh Naran, Minister for Coordination at the Indian High Commission and

Photo: Umesh Desai AM, Navin Shah and Cllr Krupesh Hirani AM Photo courtesy: Twitter

28 July to commemorate Swamiji's arrival to England 125 years ago outside of Harrow Arts Centre.

A vision of the late and former Mayor Cllr Mrinal Choudhury, who passed away on 1 August 2020, the statue was unveiled by The Mayor of Harrow Ghazanfar Ali. Deputy Mayor Sasikala

Swami Sarvasthananda of Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, UK were also present.

Swami Vivekananda travelled to the UK twice, in 1895 and 1896, lecturing successfully here. In November 1895, he met Margaret Elizabeth Noble an Irish woman who would become Sister Nivedita. During his second visit to the UK in May 1896 Vivekananda met Max Muller, a noted Indologist from the University of Oxford who wrote Ramakrishna's first biography in the West.

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What is your way of decision making?

IJA hosts Summer Party to kick-off its 74th anniversary celebrations

Rohit Vadhwana Do you take one step forward and two steps back? Is it your way of decision-making? Many people plan for something and prepare for it in a vigorous way, but when the time comes for implementation, they re-think and decide against it. In a way, they walk a step forward but then because of self-doubt or any other reason, take two steps back.

It may happen either due to a person's inherent hesitant nature or because of any new situation created during the intervening period. But after assessment, if one is every time going backward, then it is about the nature of the person.

Procrastination and hesitancy are two major limitations of human nature. It may also be due to the inertia that one feels in going out of their comfort zone.

Why does it happen is an individual perspective. One may be risk-averse and it may have become an ingrained feature of one's personality, without realization. It also happens that after such retracting, the person is happy that he didn't move ahead. It may be part of his justification for failure to work on the decision, or it may be a correct analysis. But in a way, it reaffirms the person's habit of walking back.

In a way, no decision is easy to make and no plan is easy to implement. Therefore, there is always some fear in mind, some hesitation at heart, but only if we be bold to stick to it, we see some new result, some new success. Unless we take that risk of change, how do we change anything in life? A Comfort zone is not easy to leave, and not many people can do it. Taking steps back is very common but it has to be intentionally and forcefully prevented.

So, if you are going to take steps back in the next instance, be careful it is an unknown trait of human nature that is prompting you to do so. Save yourself from being a victim of that characteristic and move ahead.

Lord Navnit Dholakia presenting a flower bouquet to the High Commissioner

Guest of Honour Ms Gaitri Issar Kumar, High Commissioner of India to the UK speaking at the IJA Summer Party

Krishna Pujara, CEO, Enfield Saheli, Virendra Sharma MP, Sanam Arora, Founder and Chair, NISAU and Dr Vijaya Priyadarshini, Vice President and Head of Events, NISAU

(Expressed opinions are personal)

Photo credit: Gopi Nath, G Grafix

London’s Deputy Mayor for Business Rajesh Agrawal speaking to Ms Kumar

Vivekanand Jaganathan, Partner, Silk Route Legal and Royston Fidelis Araujo, Dy Manager- Credit Monitoring, Union Bank of India with Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor of Business for London and Co-Chair, Labour Friends of India

CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar speaking to the High Commissioner in presence of Dr Kartar Lalvani of Vitabiotics

The Indian Journalists’ Association (UK) hosted its first ever Summer Party on Friday 30 July at The Courthouse Hotel, Shoreditch. The reception that was attended by member journalists, MPs, Peers, London’s Deputy Mayor for Business, trade bodies, thinktanks, university representatives, business, industry and community leaders had Ms Gaitri Issar Kumar, the High Commissioner of India to the UK as the Guest of Honour.

The evening started with a short speech

by IJA President Rupanjana Dutta, where she spoke about the tireless work of journalists– the unsung heroes. She also paid a tribute to Danish Siddiqui, the Indian journalist who died recently at Kandahar, Afghanistan, mutilated by the Talibans.

The High Commissioner addressing the audience spoke about the on-going UKIndia partnership, her recent visit to Wockhardt UK vaccine facility in Wrexham, north Wales and the upcoming COP 26 or the heath summit in India and a healthcare conference in Birmingham, UK. She said, “It is a perfect example of the potential of India-UK cooperation in being part of the solutions in today's world, whether it is creating jobs over here, whether it is bringing in a key manufactur-

Loknath Mishra, MD and CEO, ICICI Bank UK speaking to the High Commissioner in presence of Rohit Vadhwana, First Secretary (Economic), High Commission of India

ing facility here. And what we do for popular mutual benefit, bringing vaccines and very critical care pharmaceuticals to the rest of the world.

“In Scotland and Wales, similarly, I found the Indian community, the business community with lots of enthusiasm for being part of the India-UK story. There are challenges, there are potential irritants, there are issues that both of us need to address and resolve together…We have a very, very strong commitment to working together on these challenges.

“COP26 in November is going to be the big thing on the India-UK horizon, whether it is saying no to plastics, whether it's the fact that you already have a low carbon footprint, whether it is the international solar alliance, which is a personal initiative of our Prime Minister, or whether it is a coalition for disaster resilient infrastructure- another personal initiative of our Prime Minister. The fact that we have organisations, institutions that are working with developing countries to bring the technology that we've developed for renewables and affordable, adaptable, innovative technology for clean energy- India has a lot to show for ourselves.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel sent a mes-

Avi Sengupta playing India’s national anthem on Sitar, accompanied by Milind Naik on Tabla

sage to the IJA, which was read out by the organisation Secretary Rithika Siddhartha.

Ms Patel said, “I want to pay tribute to the IJA for your work which has had an immensely powerful role to play in informing and inspiring the Indian Diaspora.

“The last year has been an incredibly difficult one for both the UK and India. The challenges of the global pandemic have enhanced the profound sense of shared values and an enduring connection between our people. I was very moved by the way the British people and our blooming diaspora community rallied to support the people of India during some the darkest days of the pandemic.

“That enduring connection is shared by the UK Government. We were also determined to be there and support India during this time of need, providing life-saving oxygen and medical equipment. As we look to a brighter and better future, there are many positives from this year for both our countries to build upon.

“Our Prime Ministers have a clear vision as set out in the ‘2030 roadmap’ that marks the beginning of a new era in the UK-India relationship, increasing cooperation on healthcare, climate, trade, education, science and technology, and defence.

“Our new Mobility and Migration Partnership with India which will provide opportunities for thousands of young people in the UK and India seeking to live and work in the other country.

“These economic and cultural exchanges will benefit all of us. As a BritishIndian, I am excited for young British people who will be introduced to wonderful things that have always been part of my life.

“And I am delighted that we will welcome more young Indian people to the United Kingdom, where they too will thrive from new experiences.

“This is a buoyant time in UK-Indian relations, and I know that members of the IJA will be at the forefront of reporting on historic and ground-breaking achievements between the UK and Indian Government; and between the peoples and businesses of our two great countries.

“Both our countries share so much in common, and, on behalf of the British Government, I wish you a wonderful party and I look forward to continuing to work with all you as our country-to-country ties grow even stronger.”

A sitar recital was presented by Avi Sengupta along with Milind Naik on tabla to conclude the formal event.

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in brief BRITISH-BORN ACTOR DEV PATEL OPENS UP ON HOW PEOPLE JUDGED HIS APPEARANCE British-born Hollywood actor Dev Patel is an Oscar- and Emmynominated actor known for his leading roles admits to the occasional Dev Patel bout of imposter syndrome.

While speaking to the New York Times, the actor recalls the criticism of his looks and onscreen storylines influenced him. He said, “I was a young kid going on these chat rooms and it was quite brutal. There were lists of best-looking characters, and I was always the ugliest, the least attractive."

Talking further he looks back on how he was judged by peers for his decision to join the Skins cast, “I felt like suicide in the community to put your kid into a TV show and let him drop out of school at 16. While other’s kids are becoming a doctor or a dentist, I'm here on this TV show, simulating sex and taking drugs.”

Two new colleges to help underprivileged Londoners win places at top universities The NCS (Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre) serves one of the areas which have the highest rates of child poverty in the UK. While 95% students leave for the Russell Group universities, head-teacher Mouhssin Ismail’s East London College has helped dozens of students in the most deprived areas of the capital win places at Oxbridge or get scholarships at MIT, Harvard and Princeton.

Mr Ismail and City of London Corporation plan to open two new colleges in Hackney and Islington to replicate the process of Mr Ismail’s East London College.

Mr Ismail who was a former city lawyer

Mouhssin Ismail

Photo courtesy: The NCS website

believes NCS is a beacon of excellence leveling the playing field for students in Newham. These two new institutes will

Queen unlikely to meet and spend time with Prince Harry at her annual trip Queen Elizabeth II is unlikely to invite her grandson Prince Harry at her annual trip to Balmoral according to royal experts, as reported by The Daily Express.

Duncan Larcombe, Royal Expert and Commentator, has reportedly indicated that Her Majesty can 'kick off the crown' to the Scotland retreat to enjoy outdoors with family.

Vegans cannot be compulsorily vaccinated Ethical veganism was ruled to be a protected characteristic at a tribunal last year. It is found by an employment tribunal to amount to a belief capable of being protected.

Apart from this people from some religious groups or with some disabilities or medical conditions are also in protected categories.

Although the vaccines available in UK contains no ingredients derived from animals, there are some ethical vegans who believe that vaccines may have been inevitably tested on animals. This leads them to disagree for vaccination.

The fact that they are protected means

Ayehsa Karim

provide talented young people from other areas with opportunities they simply don’t get in their normal school. According to Mr. Ismail, they have been receiving applications from all over London and into Essex.

Ayehsa Karim is one of the latest students who studied in the NCS and have secured a place in Ivy League School.

Because of NCS, she was able to get an allexpenses paid work experience placement at CERN in Switzerland that helped her get into engineering studies at Princeton next September. She believes there should be an NCS in every area.

companies forcing them for vaccination could lead to mounting a claim of constructive dismissal.

According to legal experts if companies introduce compulsory vaccination, more than half a million vegans in UK will have to be exempted. Companies cannot ask new hires to be vaccinated, if they fall within protected categories, as per Equality legislation. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, initially spoke in favour of compulsory vaccination, but, later changed the stance.

Employment lawyers call this a conflict between individual rights and office health and safety requirements.

Meghan Markle and Harry have 'gone rogue' with the attacks on Royal family as claimed by a royal expert. While Harry spoke his feeling of being 'trapped' as a royal, Meghan claimed of not receiving any help when she felt suicidal. Harry also lambasted his father and declared his wish to break the cycle of royal parenting.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has shared concerns about upcoming memoir as the book has the potential to become dynamite. He added the book maybe used as a leverage against the royals. With no clarity about what Sussexes want, the situation is unpredictable where anything is possible.

According to Mr. Larcombe, Balmoral is a key place in Queen's sanity, where she can become the mother, grandmother and great grandmother by kicking off the crown. In lieu of any drama that has happened, Prince and

Prince Harry and Meghan and the Queen

Meghan would have been certainly invited to Balmoral for a family catch up where Queen would reunite with son Archie and meet Lilibet.

No royals would publicly say, but, experts feel Harry has cancelled his own invitation. For the moment, there is no confirmation, whether Harry has received any invitation from the Queen.

End to the Pingdemic?

The public is being urged to continue to use the NHS Covid-19 App as changes made from Monday will result in fewer contacts being advised to self-isolate following a close contact with a positive case.

As part of a review into the app announced by the Health Secretary, the ‘logic’ which underpins how close contacts are notified will be updated from today.

Currently, for people who input a positive test but are asymptomatic, the app looks for close contacts five days prior to a positive test. This will be updated based on public health advice to look back at contacts two days prior to a positive test.

The change will mean fewer contacts that took place when the positive case was unlikely to be at the peak of their infectiousness are advised to self-isolate, reducing the overall number of notifications sent by the app.

This update does not impact the sensitivity of the app, or change the risk threshold, and will result in the same number of high-risk contacts being advised to self-isolate.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid said specifically of the app ‘logic’ change, “We want to reduce the disruption that self-isolation can cause for people and businesses, while ensuring we’re protecting those most at risk from this virus. This update to the app will help ensure that we are striking the right balance.

“It’s so important that people isolate when asked to do so in order to stop the

spread of the virus and protect their communities.”

This update comes as new analysis shows the NHS Covid-19 App continues to play a crucial role in breaking chains of transmission, preventing hospitalisations and saving lives.

New analysis from leading scientists shows that in the first 3 weeks of July, as cases were exponentially rising, the app averted up to 2,000 cases per day, and over 50,000 cases of Covid-19 including chains of transmission assuming 60% compliance with instructions to selfisolate. This is estimated to have prevented 1,600 hospitalisations.

It also shows the app reduces the spread of Covid-19 by around 4.3% each week, and for every 200-250 tests entered and shared in the app one person is prevented from being hospitalised from the virus.

Usage remains high, with around 40% of the eligible population regularly using the app and around 50% of all reported tests being inputted.

The government is urging the public to continue using the NHS Covid-19 App. Around one in three people experience this virus without symptoms and, even if you are fully vaccinated, it is possible that you could be unwittingly carrying and spreading the virus, creating a chain of transmission that could have someone vulnerable to the virus at the end of it.

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READERS' VOICE Beating crime

Columns with punch and panache

We have recently seen the Government publish their ‘Beating Crime’ plan to great fanfare.

Whilst it is positive to see Ministers finally taking action on crime on a national level after a period of near silence on the issue, the Police Federation have been right to dismiss some of the Plan’s pledges as a set of gimmicks.

There is also the question of how the Government can expect more from police forces, like the Met, when they have cut almost £1 billion from it over the last decade and froze police officer pay only a few weeks ago.

These cuts have inevitably led to a decline in the number of officers on London’s streets and in the Met’s backroom staff.

Coupled with the prolonged underfunding of our criminal justice system, it is not surprising that last year, only 7% of recorded violent crimes against the person in England and Wales led to a conviction or a court summons.

We have seen City Hall take steps to plug the police and youth services funding deficit, but we could see a lot more progress in the fight against crime if the Government acted more quickly to reverse the damage that has been wrought by austerity.

Perhaps I may be one of the few readers who read AV/GV like holy Bible, Bhagwat Gita, from page to page until the end! Then being prolific writer, I have to, as so often I find subjects I write on from these pages, like my last letter Lions of Gujarat!

My two favourite columns are “Alpesh’s Political Sketchbook” and “Kapil’s KHICHADI”. While Alpesh’s column is articulate, sophisticated, mainly for A1 readers, Kapil’s column is down to earth, dealing with subjects that are on our mind but most would not dare to raise them in public! As we say, politics and religion should not be discussed at “Dining Table!”

I particularly refer to Kapil’s article, “So Who Fills Our Jails!” in AV dated 24th July. One interesting point he raises is that we have 82000 prisoners, each costing us, the tax payer £44000 that is a mind boggling sum, you work it out!

Breaking them down into caste, colour, creed and religion, it comes to no surprise that Jews and Hindus form the lowest percentage of the ethnic minority prison population.

In fact Hindus are mentioned as 0% as it is such a minuscule figure and most of them are in prison for what we call “Soft Crimes!” But surprisingly Sikhs and Buddhist prison population exceeds their numerical strength, so do Muslims who form the bulk of the BAME prison population.

Just like word Asian, the word Muslim is somewhat confusing, misleading, as Daudi Bhora, Shia Ismalis, Ahmedia, Sufi, Shia Ithna-Asheri and few more are all grouped together as Muslims, although many are not considered as Muslims in most Islamic nations and are as highly educated, law abiding as Hindus and Jews. I have some wonderful friends amongst these communities, so I speak with experience.

I feel we are entering Kalyougha, all types of crimes are on the rise, even reputable commercial establishments do not hesitate to rip-off consumers, customers, especially OAPs and disable people who may not be able to fight-back!

It is time for the government to protect these people with stringent laws!

Krupesh Hirani AM London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow

Human Rights in India I was very pleased to read the article by Lord Bhikhu Parekh regarding human rights in India (Asian Voice 31 August).

Lord Parekh defended Indian's institutions which zealously protect the rights of all the citizens of the country.

Interestingly he mentioned that minorities can also be at fault. Lord Parekh also mentioned that the Dalit community too is progressing in all walks of life and many of its members hold powerful positions in the country. He also articulated the feelings of many Indians when he said that condescending and patronising attitudes by international organisations and the media will not be tolerated anymore.

Over the years I have had many clashes with Lord Parekh on this issue! One goes back almost 35 years on BBC world service radio when I objected to his portrayal of India and the last one was a few years ago at Chatham House when Lord Parekh drew a negative picture of India. To his credit Lord Parekh always took my challenges in a good spirit and often invited me to discuss issues over a cup of tea. However, with this article we both are on the same page. Lord Parekh has changed his views and that speaks volumes of him as an individual. We still disagree on the role of the House of Lords. I believe it is not fit for purpose.

Bhupendra M. Gandhi

Asymptomatic Covid-19 A lot of people have been infected with Covid-19 but have no symptoms of the disease at all like fever, cough, cold, etc.

This means that they are asymptomatic.Being asymptomatic means that you have no symptoms of Covid-19 but are Covid positive. If you live in a house with people with a Covid-19 infection and you have no symptoms, you may be an asymptomatic case and should take treatment at earliest.

Precaution is better than cure.

Jubel D'Cruz Mumbai, India

Nitin Mehta

Scottish Boy accidently selected for an Indian film on Netflix Kris and Julie Smith have been on a world trip since June 2019.

As a coronavirus lockdown came they were stuck in Nepal for a long time. Before that they had arrived in Goa, India in October 2019. They had put their child Jacob in a local kindergarten there.

Once, when Smiths came to pick Jacob, a casting agency was there. The casting agency belonged to a new Indian movie Mimi on Netflix. The casting team, who had been looking for 6 months all over India for a boy for this role, offered to give a prominent role to 3 year old Scottish boy Jacob Smith.

After a bit of thinking whether to put the child in the spotlight or not, the Smiths agreed as the production team eased their concerns. They then relocated to Mumbai in January 2020 for acting coaching. The film was later shot in Rajasthan in February.

Jacob’s father said we never wanted fame or fortune. We just wanted to ensure that he had a good experience and was looked after well. Jacob had to memorise 20 pages of dialogues during the movie for lip synching, as the dialogues were dubbed to give the feeling of Indian dialect. However, the lips are seen to work very well throughout this romantic comedy movie. The whole thing was kept secret for 19 months and is now out as the movie is released.

British Indian author’s novel longlisted for Booker Prize On July 27, British Indian novelist Sunjeev Sahota’s novel, China Room, has been longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize.

According to a press release, in a span of 6 six years, this is Sahota’s second nomination. His novel, The Year of the Runways, was shortlisted for the Booker in 2015. China Room follows two characters—a teenage bride in the 1920s and a recovering addict in the 1990s—across generation and continents, from Punjab to England, in a moving portrait of family secrets, intergenerational trauma, and the search for freedom.

The longlist was chosen from 158 novels published in the UK or Ireland between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021. The shortlist will be announced on 14 September.

Government consults on increasing access to lifesaving overdose medicine A lifesaving medicine which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose could be available to more frontline workers under new plans to tackle record high drugrelated deaths.

A consultation has been launched on Tuesday to amend current regulations in order to allow naloxone to be supplied and administered by a wider group of people regularly coming into contact with drug users.

Police officers, prison officers, paramedics and pharmacists are among the professions that would be given access to the drug able to help save the lives of people suffering an overdose.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid said, “Drug misuse destroys lives and has a devastating impact on people’s health, their livelihoods and their families.

“To prevent people dying from drug abuse we need to make sure the right treatment and medicines are available, which is why we’re launching this consultation on naloxone today.

Priti Patel

“This Government is committed to tackling drug misuse and saving lives, including through our new Joint Combating Drugs Unit and an ambitious new strategy.”

Drug related deaths have doubled since 2012 with the latest statistics showing record numbers of opiate-related deaths across the United Kingdom.

This 8-week consultation comes after the government launched a new Joint Combating Drugs Unit and committed to publish an ambitious new drug strategy later this year to tackle drug misuse across society.

This commitment was made in response to Dame

Carol Black’s landmark independent review on drugs.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said, “Drugs destroy lives, ruin families, and tear apart communities and we are doing everything in our power to stop this poisonous cycle and help people to turn their lives around.

“Allowing police officers and other frontline workers to carry naloxone would mean more lives are saved from this terrible scourge and I am delighted to sup-

port the Health and Social Care Secretary in this work as part of a whole of government effort to drive down drug misuse.

“At the same time, we will continue to clamp down on criminal gangs by actively disrupting supply chains which fuel illegal markets, support people through treatment and recovery and rid communities of the harm drug misuse causes.”

Currently, while naloxone can be legally administered by anyone during an emergency, its supply is tightly controlled and is only available through prescription.

Aside from an emergency situation, it is only commissioned drug treatment services that are able to obtain, and supply naloxone to individuals without a prescription or other written authorisation. This consultation seeks to change that.

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 Rupanjana at rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com

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in brief in brief EXTENSION OF SENTENCE COULD HAVE AVOIDED STREATHAM TERROR ATTACK After 10 days of release from prison, post serving a sentence for terror attacks, Sudesh Amman launched an attack on 2 February 2020, where he stabbed two people, before being finally shot.In May '18 he was arrested for suspicion of planning a terror attack, but was charged with lesser offence relating to ISIS propaganda. In Dec’19 handwritten notes showing a pledge of allegiance to the head of ISIS, were found in his cell. He was put in segregation in Jan’20 after joining a protest.

Released on 23 January, he was subjected to a curfew, electronic tag and several licence conditions. He was gradually put under 24 hours armed surveillance. Sudesh was followed by four undercover armed police officers, while others were in vehicles on surrounding roads, when he launched the attack. After taking a kitchen knife from a shop display, he ran and within seconds stabbed a woman. Shortly afterwards he also stabbed a man. Both victims have survived. Sudesh ran on until stopping outside a Boots chemist. Police shot at him twice, while he turned to officers while holding the knife.

The inquest heard that he was referred to children’s services over mental health concerns in 2014. He was also arrested once in 2016, but not charged. ISIS claimed responsibility for the stabbing, but no information suggests connection between both.

£5MN MONEY LAUNDERER CALLS IT ‘JUST A DELIVERY JOB’ On 8 April, Salim Patel, 32, who ran cash laundering operation was arrested near his unit with £125,070 stashed in an Amazon box inside his Nissan van in Ash Street, near Humberstone Road, in Leicester Leicester Crown Court was told a cash ledger in the car revealed he had already handled about five million pounds in a month, supposed to be drug-related proceeds.

According to the report of Leicester Mercury, Salim, was jailed for five years and admitted two counts of possessing criminal property between March 7 and April 8, one of concealing, disguising or transferring £125,070 of criminal property and other connecting £4,692,590.

Christopher Jeyes, prosecuting, said that in an Amazon cardboard box, which was found inside a rucksack in the van's footwell, along with a further £7,010 elsewhere in the vehicle and £2,085 in a safe in the industrial unit.

When Salim was asked why he had so much cash he said he did not know, adding, "It's just a delivery job." He was assigned to undertake the "risky business" of receiving delivery of the currencies, counting it and packaging it for onward distribution. The ledger also had several cash consignments received by Patel averaged at about £120,000 while one showed £300,000.

Free tv license for pensioners amidst controversy again Last year, the BBC announced the plan to end free licences for pensioners from the start of August. But the decision amid pandemic sparked an outrage across the UK. Campaign group Silver Voices, which struggles to fight against issues impacting over 60-year-olds, urged its members to cancel their licence fees in protest at the decision.

It is more than a one year but neither the BBC nor the Government have shown signs of reinstating the free licence.

Dennis Reed, Director of Silver Voices told Daily Express, "I'm frustrated that despite wringing their hands of quite a lot, the Government has not seen fit to interfere.

The matter hasn't sort of slunk away; it is still up front.”

Free TV licences for over-75s were first

Grant awarded to continue vital community work Birmingham-based Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage have been awarded funding from The Baring Foundation for a vital community project in one of the city’s most deprived areas.

Since 2017 Sampad have been working with Dolphin Women’s Centre (DWC) in Washwood Heath to co-design the community engagement project Create and Change.

Attended by local women and families Create and Change uses a variety of art forms from spoken word, photography to craft making, through a programme of workshops designed to increase wellbeing and reduce isolation.

The £39,980 grant over two years will help Sampad to continue their ongoing partnership with DWC an organisation that provides a safe place where women can come together, learn skills, and make new friends.

Sabra Khan, Sampad’s Executive Director said, “Sampad has long believed in using the arts to support wellbeing. At a time when there is a greater need to take care of our physical and mental health, we thank The Baring Foundation for this grant. This funding will enable us to continue to work with our participants and embed long term arts activity through our partnership with DWC in Washwood Heath, an area listed in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods nationally.”

The Baring Foundation is an independent organisation which protects and advances human rights and promotes inclusion. The Foundation seeks to build positive, purposeful partnerships with grant recipients, grant makers and others to work together for social change.

The Baring Foundation’s Director David Cutler said, “We are delighted to be supporting Sampad's continued work with the Dolphin Women’s Centre. Projects often have to close through lack of funding just as participants are getting the most benefit, so we are especially pleased to be able to offer

Lawyer Afzal refuses to defend a rapist Noted to be a prosecutor of UK's most notorious sex offenders, Nazir Afzal went on to become the Chief crown prosecutor in Rochdale grooming gang case in 2012.

Mr Afzal joined the Crown Prosecution Service in 1991 and went on to become the director of prosecutions for London. He has brought justice for perpetrators of so-called honour based violence.

In 2011 he began investigating sex grooming gangs in Rochdale. In 2012 he was able to bring prosecutions against 9 men who were convicted and jailed for the sexual exploitation of 47 young girls.

He also kept in touch with victims and survivors. There was a victim whose case did not lead to a conviction. However, when Mr

introduced by Gordon Brown. As part of the re-negotiation of the BBC's royal charter outlining its responsibilities in 2016, the corporation agreed to take on the cost.

However, in June 2019, BBC announced to end the benefit and will be available only to

those who are receiving Pension Credit.

Mr Reed added, "The Government is quite happy to let the matter roll and a bit of bad impression goes in the BBC's direction, but while the BBC weren't taking any enforcement action there was no imperative on the Government to do anything because we were just talking about the possibility of fines.

In 2019, Mr Johnson told the BBC should "cough up" and cover the cost.

The BBC has said more than 90 percent of over-75 year olds have paid for a TV licence and are in line with the general population.

Are you a pensioner and worried about free tv license coming to an end? Let us know what you think at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

Afzal visited her, she admitted that her recovery started the moment Mr Afzal believed her. And that has stayed with her.

Mr. Afzal was advising a rape suspect as a defence lawyer, suddenly decided to quit, not wanting to represent him. This happened when he saw the man was getting pleasure from rehearsing about what he had allegedly done to a woman. Not being a party to the process where the girl was dragged to the courtroom, he quit.

According to Mr Afzal his quest for justice was partly shaped by the racist bullying suffered as a Pakistani parent's child in Birmingham.

this support.” in our Centre and working with them to design and delivMaxine Mills, Project er arts workshops and activiManager, Dolphin ties for our Centre users.”

Women’s Centre added, Due to Covid-19 the pro“Our service users have ject was moved online in taken part enthusiastically autumn 2020 via video calls in Sampad’s programme delivering weekly sessions since 2017. The arts workincluding Bollywood Dance shops and activity have workshops and Embroidery for been designed to connect Wellbeing. the local community, pri- Sabra Khan, Sampad’s This project will commarily of South Asian back- Executive Director mence in September 2021 and ground, to South Asian arts will see an artist resident at the Centre to co and culture and to help us to further open design workshops and projects with local up conversations around mental health and communities. The project will also support wellbeing. These activities may often be the participants to reintegrate to in person only arts activities that they participate in. activity when they feel comfortable and safe We are really excited about this next phase to do so. of the project and to having an artist based

12 MEDIA WATCH

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SCRUTATOR’S SCRUTATOR’S IPS officer seeks VRS for ‘devotional service of Lord Krishna’ A senior IPS officer of Haryana cadre, Bharti Arora, has sought voluntary retirement from the service to “dedicate the rest of her life in loving devotional service of Lord Sri Krishna”. Confirming the move, a senior officer of state police said that Arora’s request was being examined. A 1998 batch IPS officer, Arora is currently working as Inspector General of Police, Ambala range. She has sought retirement from the service with effect from August 1 when she will turn 50. She has applied for voluntary retirement under rule 16 (2) of All India Service (DCRB) Rules, 1958. In a letter addressed to Haryana Chief Secretary, Arora said, “My service has been my pride and passion. I am very grateful to this service for providing me the opportunity to serve, to learn, and to grow. My gratitude to the state of Haryana for showing me the right path. Now I wish to achieve the ultimate goal of life. I yearn to traverse the path shown by the Holy Saints like Guru Nanak Dev, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Kabirdas, Tulsidas, Surdas, Meerabai, the Sufi Saints and dedicate the rest of my life in loving devotional service of Lord Sri Krishna.” The officer has further requested to relax the period of prior notice of three months as per provisions of the rules. (Agency) Bhut Jolokia goes to London, with love from India

Bhut Jolokia, one of the hottest chillies in the world, was exported from Nagaland to London for the first time recently. The Press Information Bureau has called it a "major boost to exports of Geographical Indications (GI) products from the northeastern region." Also known as "Raja Mircha" or king chilli from Nagaland, Bhut Jolokia got its GI certification in 2008. The PIB took to Instagram to share a few pics of the chillies that were exported to London via Guwahati by air.

"India's hottest chilies, #BhutJolokia make their way to #London," PIB wrote while sharing the pictures, which show boxes of the chillies being packed and moved. A GI certification is an intellectual property right that safeguards the creation and sale of a product originating in distinct geography and culture. Airports Authority of India said that the Bhut Jolokia (ghost pepper) was exported to London from the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, Assam, via an Air India flight.

The 250 kg consignment of king chillies was sourced from Tening, part of Peren district, Nagaland and was packed at an APEDA assisted packhouse at Guwahati.

Because of their perishable nature, exporting the Bhut Jolokia proved to be a challenge. To facilitate the export, APEDA, the apex body which promotes the export of agricultural products from the country, collaborated with the Nagaland State Agricultural Marketing Board. (Agency) Himachal CM deploys own chopper for evacuation

Setting an example, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur deployed his newly acquired 16-seater chopper for ferrying at least 66 people stranded in the Himalayan heights. As the weather cleared on Sunday after days, Thakur directed authorities to deploy his chopper in its

maiden flight for the evacuation of the people, including tourists, who have been stranded in the remote landlocked LahaulSpiti district for five days after roads closed down due to flash floods. In its daylong four sorties, the chopper evacuated almost all stranded people from Tandi and dropped them to Baring and Kullu from where they were sent to their destinations in public transport by road. In fact, Thakur, who reached Keylong, to oversee the ongoing relief and rescue operations, decided to travel in his old chopper to reach the state capital so that the new one can be used to ferry the stranded people. A total of 221 people, comprising tourists from New Delhi, Punjab, Odisha and Maharashtra, were rescued by road from various places. (Agency)

that he would play Bhagat Sing's role.

When the execution scene had to be enacted, Shivam looked for a rope. The swing would do, he thought, and brought a stool to climb on. He took the swing’s rope, fashioned a noose out of it and put it round his neck. But at some point, his feet went off the stool. He struggled to breathe, as his friends thought he was just acting. “When he got motionless, the kids ran outside, and cried out. By the time any of us could get there, it was too late,” Kumar said. (Agency) A throwback pic from the Day One of JRD Tata's dreams came true Ratan Tata took to Instagram to share a

India-UK study to test Ashwagandha for Covid recovery

The Ayush ministry’s All India Institute of Ayurveda in collaboration with the United Kingdom’s London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine will conduct a study on Ashwagandha for promoting recovery from Covid in a boost to the traditional Indian medicine system.

Both the institutions signed a MoU to conduct the clinical trials of Ashwagandha on 2,000 people in three UK cities Leicester, Birmingham, and London (Southall and Wembley), said the ministry in a statement. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), commonly known as ‘Indian winter cherry’ is an easily accessible nutritional supplement in the UK and has a proven safety profile. The positive effects of Ashwagandha have been observed in Covid. The successful completion of the trial can be a breakthrough and give scientific validity to India’s traditional medicinal system. (Agency) Boy dies while rehearsing Bhagat Singh's play Shivam, 9, and his friends were rehearsing Bhagat Singh’s hanging for Independence Day celebrations at Babat village in UP’s Budaun. Shivam found a rope, tied a noose around his neck and played the part. But while other schoolboys continued with the play, his feet slipped off the stool he was propping himself up on and died within minutes. As Independence Day was approaching, Shivam and his friends decided to enact the hanging of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Shivam's uncle Vinod Kumar said that they were rehearsing in his courtyard. Shivam insisted

post remembering his mentor JRD Tata on his 117th birth anniversary. The Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons shared a throwback picture that was taken at the launch celebration of the Tata Estate station wagon car in 1992. "Another reminiscent picture, another memory, on JRD's 117th birth anniversary," he wrote. Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata or JRD, as he was known, was born on July 29, 1904. Ratan Tata has often talked about the respect he has for JRD Tata, whom he considered a mentor and a role model. "Jeh had been a dear friend, a role model, a mentor, and a person who had a profound influence on me, both at work and at home," Tata had once said. In 1991, JRD Tata, who had led the Tata Group for over half a century, appointed Ratan Tata to be his successor.

"JRD Tata dreamt of the Tatas producing a 'Tata' car. Sumant Moolgaokar shared in this dream," he wrote. Sumant Moolgaokar was known as the architect of Tata Motors, formerly known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO).

"This picture was taken at the launch celebration of the TATA ESTATE at the Pune plant," Ratan Tata wrote while sharing the photo which shows him with JRD Tata. (Agency) Want Sunday exercise without moving an inch?

Sundays are for lazing around. And on holidays it can take a lot out of you to stick to your fitness routine. Industrialist Anand Mahindra has, therefore, found an innovative way to not feel guilty about skipping the gym. The Chairman of Mahindra Group has found the perfect video that will make you feel like you have had a long session at the gym without even moving an inch from your couch. The video that he shared on Twitter is a

montage of some performances by gymnasts at various events. Pulling off some complex flips and jumps, the gymnasts are the epitome of fitness and form. Sharing the clip, Mahindra wrote, “If you are the type that feels lazy on a Sunday to do your exercise routine, then here's a solution: Like me, store this clip, watch it at least twice and I assure you, at the end, you will be exhausted and every muscle in your body will feel exercised…” The clip has been viewed over 77,100 times in three hours and is being widely shared. Replying to the tweet, one user shared a video of a much older woman performing some gymnastic stunts. “You can (take) some inspiration from here as well,” the user said. “Is it even real!” another user wondered. “Just watch....do not attempt,” read one comment. “Are they humans or just robots having springs attached in their steps to bounce in succession at such speed that the normal eye fails to believe,” another user commented. (Agency) Monkey takes over principal's chair in Gwalior school Uninvited guests can turn into a hassle

rather quickly. And a school in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, recently had a tough time with such a guest who managed to get a hold of the principal's chair and then refused to move. We have to admit that things got a tad trickier because the occupant of the chair was not a human but a monkey that seemed to have taken a fancy to the chair. The entire incident was caught on camera and the 1.15-minute clip has gone viral since. In the video, the monkey, oblivious to the panic it is creating, is shown happily occupying the principal's chair at the government school.

Several staff members are seen trying to intervene and shoo animal away. The monkey, on its part, looks quite content with its new seat. The curious animal even makes an effort to remove the plastic sheet used to cover the chair. After a few seconds, the monkey leaves the chair and runs into the corridor, after a staff member approaches the animal. This is not the first time in the recent past that a monkey has created a furore with its antics. In June, this year, an errant monkey was seen travelling in the Delhi Metro, much to the annoyance, amusement and shock of the commuters. The video, which went viral on social media, shows the monkey nonchalantly traversing through the coach.

(Agency)

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One World Express partners with Orange Connex to deliver game-changing technology platform Leading international courier One World Express has partnered with Orange Connex to launch a new technology platform, Ship2world.

Ship2world has been created to enable businesses to develop more efficient shipping strategies. Powered by One World Express and its innovative Smarttrack technology, Ship2world’s platform allows merAtul Bhakta, CEO chants to access a plethora of shipping Andrew Yang, CEO of Orange Connex of One World Express options and optimise routing.

One World Express has partnered with The platform also the global digital supply chain tech company, provides merchants with the flexibility to Orange Connex, to deliver the new global adjust their courier strategy, and switch carshipping solutions. Orange Connex has a rier providers, should a more efficient option successful portfolio in providing superior present itself. international shipping services to merchants Ship2world’s technology also connects to selling internationally on online marketvendors’ online shop, meaning sales autoplaces such as eBay. This new platform promatically generate shipping orders. vides an outbound service for UK merchants Combining competitive tariffs with cutting to international markets across the world, edge logistics tech, the new platform is supleveraging the international shipping infrasporting the UK’s eCommerce SMEs by protructure Orange Connex established over the viding them with the tools to increase sales years. and in turn profits by accessing cost effective The partnership will deliver competitive shipping solutions worldwide. pricing to all UK merchants for outbound Atul Bhakta, CEO of One World Express, shipping to four leading eCommerce export said, “This is a really exciting new partnermarkets: the US, Canada, Australia and ship. By combining One World Express’ Germany and later expanding into other plethora of experience and knowledge within countries. the logistics sector with Orange Connex’s Ship2world is designed for vendors rangoutstanding standardised international shiping from sole traders to established SMEs. It ping services and strong technology capabiliquickly sorts through more than 130 leading ties, we can empower merchants to take their logistics companies to find the best quote to products to new, international markets. ship their goods anywhere in the world.

“The timing couldn’t be better. The pan-

Rishi Sunak best contender for Conservative party top post After Chancellor Rishi Sunak's £400 billion spending splurge trying to address the Covid crisis, he is riding high.

He has also won 31% of the Conservative voters' favour, while no other candidate could exceed support from 12%.

Chasing him at second and third place are Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Cabinet office minister Penny Mordaunt.

Mr Sunak said his plan to get the nation back on its feet was working with a £65 billion furlough scheme ending in September. It has started winding down with employers

now paying 10% of the cash this month, which rises to 20% next month.

While number of furloughs is down to 1.9 million, New Economics Foundation claims, 660,000 people whose jobs are at risk are likely to need it.

It still remains to be seen that the Chancellor's appeal continues after he starts to pay off the pandemic bill. Some people believe there is a vague but powerful sense of being the coming thing about Mr Sunak. The question remains is he going to be Britain’s first ever Prime Minister?

Demands grow for relaxation of international travels As Britain opens its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from US and EU, demands grow especially from industry leaders to ease further restrictions and allow people to enjoy the benefits of a successful Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Those with families in India, are hoping for a change of status for India from Red List to Amber this month, saving them a lumpsum of £1750 to quarantine in hotels. In UK, NISAU, an Indian students’ body’s effort led to Adar Poonawala donating £1mn of his own money to support Indian students heading to the UK to study, help them afford quarantine costs.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and other MPs have joined the urge for a simpler system with scrapping of ‘amber watchlist’ and a safe opening of borders.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday told the journalists that he wanted to get the travel industry moving again with a simple user-friendly system, to allow people to travel abroad, without importing the new variant.

He reportedly said, "We need to get people, get the travel industry moving again. We want an approach that is as simple as we can possibly make it."

Confederation of British Industries (CBI) has joined other industry bodies urging the relaxation of international travels at the earliest. John Foster, CBI Policy Director, said, “The

international travel sector is in the last chance saloon for its the summer season. Restrictions must be relaxed if beleaguered businesses are to salvage any opportunity to trade their way towards recovery this year.

“The UK’s successful vaccine rollout, coupled with lessons learned throughout the pandemic, offer genuine opportunity for more travel to resume safely. The UK urgently needs to widen the list of those able to avoid self-isolation on their return, to include individuals who have received UK approved vaccines, rather than just those who received NHS vaccines.

“Rebuilding passenger confidence will be key. Establishing simple, consistent rules and communicating them clearly is essential. The decision to abandon publication of an amber watchlist is a sensible step towards that goal, but the government must get back to consulting industry first, thus creating better policy and enabling improved implementation. “In addition to lifting restrictions, Government should prioritise the creation of an efficient pre-travel system of assessing passengers’ Covid-status to prevent congestion at airports.

“Meanwhile, further economic support for the sector will also be needed until passenger numbers recover. This will be vital to protect jobs and skills and ensure the UK’s travel sector remains competitive with global peers.”

demic has resulted in a huge eCommerce boom – but it has also raised logistical challenges, which have been compounded by Brexit. Ship2world can help vendors overcome this issue, connecting them to costeffective, efficient solutions. This tech platform is perfectly positioned to nurture the international ambitions of businesses of any size.”

Andrew Yang, CEO of Orange Connex,

added, “Orange Connex is committed to providing a superior 4th party logistics and supply chain services for global e-commerce players, empowering cross border trade reaching new heights. Through this partnership, we are delighted to be able to expand to the UK markets. We are eager to help merchants propel their businesses into the future with this exciting new game-changing platform.”

14 WOMEN’S VOICE

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in brief

Meet the

NEW POP-UP COVID-19 VACCINE CLINIC FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

‘Speak Up Champion’

Northern Health and Social Care Trust have launched a pop-up clinic for pregnant women to get vaccinated against the Coronavirus. According to reports, the facility at Antrim Area Hospital will run every Tuesday and Wednesday morning. It is an attempt to encourage more pregnant women to take the vaccine amid news of rising cases of Covid-19 as confirmed by the Northern Trust, South Eastern Trust and Belfast Trust.

at NHS Shefali Saxena Katrina Sheikh describes herself as a doctor and painter who is inspired by gin and champagne. But there’s more to Sheikh than the two hats she dons. In an exclusive chat with Asian Voice, Katrina Sheikh told us, “I am half Pakistani, from my late Father’s side and my Mother is half Polish and half Ukrainian.

I think there is even some Russian and German down the line too! I was born in Nottingham but grew up in Solihull, the West Midlands.” Here are a few excerpts from our Q&A: ow do you juggle between your medical duties and art at the same time, and that too, with such amazing work?

Ah, thank you. I’m not going to lie, it is difficult. Clinical work can be exhausting as you can imagine, especially with the pandemic and being put on emergency rotas.

Even being on-call, days can be 13 hours on average, sometimes more with the commute.

You literally only have time to eat and sleep before going to work the next day. I write myself off any social engagements when I am on-call. I suffered with what I call “painter’s block” and did not paint for 6 months until recently. It wasn’t even a case of being tired, I just didn’t feel like it. For me, I have to be inspired and my mind will tell me when I am ready. This can even be at 3 am! I have been known to paint in the middle of the night. n both your endeavours, as a medical professional and as an artist, how does your heritage help you in dealing with a diverse set of patients, co-workers and customers?

I am very lucky to come from a multi-cultural background, despite not being able to speak Polish or Urdu. I can’t blame my parents because they really did try! I laugh and say that I can speak Latin though, which I guess is helpful for understanding medical jargon!

When it comes to patients, everyone is interested to know my “background” and I always ask them to guess because no one gets it right! I can speak a few words here and there and always do try with patients. It does make them smile especially some of the naughty words!

I love learning about other peoples’ backgrounds and cultures and am very keen to

H

I

embrace diversity in the workplace. ow is your view/perspective of South Asian society different from the rest of the community, considering you’re from mixed-race?

This is a difficult one. I don’t see myself as “mixed-race” or coming from a certain background. The only time I do is when I have to tick the ethnic minority box for HR! I just see myself as me. I can’t explain it. I just look at someone and never see the colour of their skin first but actually how they are as a person.

My late father was a psychiatrist and always welcomed diversity and inclusivity in

H

tors. As an Ambassador for the charity, I talk about my art with other doctors and how it contributes to my own wellbeing. I think it is paramount we look after ourselves first because then we can look after our patients with safety.

As I mentioned earlier, art took a back seat but I have slowly got back into it and I look forward to painting more. s a South Asian woman who is successful and independent (which is a rare phenomenon even today), what do you think worked for you in your journey despite all odds?

I think the way I was brought up by my family has helped significantly. I was very lucky to have an excellent education where my school, both primary and secondary welcomed diversity and embraced different cultures.

Throughout my career, I have only had people see me for me, and my achievements as a doctor and not the colour of my skin. I am fully aware that I am very lucky and being mixed race, I am not sure if this has anything to do with it. I really hope, in this day and age people would just value others on their skills and personality and not the colour of their skin but unfortunately, racism is still very prominent having recently seen this during the Euros.

I am so grateful to my parents for bringing me up with such good values and morals.

I am also not afraid to call out any behaviour that I see as racist towards another person or any undermining in the workplace and that is why I have taken up the position of Speak up Champion at my Trust. I want people to feel safe in their working environment and enjoy coming to work.

A

the workplace and wrote many articles on mixed-race marriages. I would like to think people would embrace each other from whatever background they are and how they act like human beings. ow has the pandemic influenced or changed your approach towards medicine and art?

I am so proud to work for the NHS. Throughout the pandemic, we all came together whether it was out of fear, or because we had no choice. We have all seen things we wish never to see again and I feel we all have a mutual understanding and respect for each other because of what we have been through.

I have a special interest in leadership at the NHS and the pandemic has only pushed me further to pursue more projects such as my work with ‘You Okay, Doc?’, which is a mental health and wellbeing charity for doc-

H

Female GP loses a job due to Long Covid More than 450 key workers with long Covid have expressed their struggles in front of an all-party parliamentary group on Coronavirus. Most have complained of Long Covid symptoms like debilitating fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pains, sleeping difficulties and brain fog.

According to a report published in The Guardian, a 50-year-old GP was removed from her practice, where she had been a partner since 2002. She was away for almost 26 weeks and couldn’t meet the terms and conditions of her partnership agreement.

“I’ve got what they call the brain fog, which in my case means that I can’t pull lots of information together quickly and make sensible decisions

Dr Katrina Sheikh

about it. I’m absolutely hopeless, my brain doesn’t work properly at the moment, and so I am not safe making decisions about other people. This

is not a situation that I thought I would find myself in. I expected to be a GP at that practice for another 15 years … It was very much a part of me,” she told the publication.

Besides her, there are hundreds of other nurses, GPs and health workers who have suffered the repercussions of Long Covid.

11 per cent of women in the military reveal they were sexually harassed According to a parliamentary report, almost two-thirds of women in the armed forces have experienced bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination during their careers. The report states that the UK military is “failing to protect” female recruits.

The defence subcommittee has said that 62 per cent of the 4,106 veterans and current female personnel who gave testimony had either witnessed or received “unacceptable behaviour”.

This includes astounding accounts of gang rape, sex for promotion, and trophies or contests to “bag the women” on camp or on ships. Some women have even reported that their refusal to surrender to sexual favours landed them into an atmosphere of bullying and their accommodations became “places of danger”.

According to the committee’s survey titled ‘Protecting Those

LESSER WOMEN GET PENSION AS COMPARED TO MEN IN BRITAIN Men are more likely to be receiving the maximum state pension; women are disproportionately missing out, The Sunday Times has reported. It stated that 509,000 men and only 178,000 women were receiving full state pension, where the latter are not getting the same benefit. Bloomberg analysts suggest that one reason could be that men would have worked for full 35 years that makes them eligible for full state pension as compared to women who must have taken career breaks to raise children and may have taken early retirement.

NADIYA BREAKS THE BARRIERS FOR HIJAB WEARING WOMEN Nadiya Hussain, 36, mother to three has had a series of successes. Apart from a series of cookbooks and hit TV shows, she has been awarded an MBE and has even baked the cake for the Queen on her 90th birth anniversary. Nadiya grew up as one of the six children in a working class Bangladeshi family in Luton. Nadiya had her shares of struggle. First of all the challenges of being a hijab wearing woman of colour. She also had issues of mental health and was sexually abused by a distant relative, which led her to a suicide attempt and debilitating panic attacks.

Coming from a community where women don't talk about things and abuse and mental health have a lot of shame attached.

This was the reason she did not just stuck to baking, but became a voice and inspiration for millions of young Muslims and people of colour. However, Nadiya feels she had to work 10 times more than others would have to reach where she is right now.

Meanwhile, her professional life is going from strength to strength – with another cookbook, Nadiya’s Fast Flavours, and an accompanying TV series due in October, she is well on her way to emulating her mentor Mary Berry’s incredible 50-year career.

Who Protect Us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life’, around one in 10 serving women gave testimony, with MPs receiving around 700 comments relating to the male-dominat-

ed culture and a number calling for more effort to tackle “mess hall culture” and sexualised behaviour. In addition, 11% of women revealed they had experienced sexual harassment over the past 12 months – compared with less than 1% of men.

In the Committee’s survey, 64 per cent of female veterans and 58 per cent of currentlyserving women reported experiencing BHD during their careers. The MoD’s representative statistics show that BHD and sexual harassment are gendered. More than 3,000 respondents – around 84% – reported that women face additional challenges compared with men although nearly 90% said they would recommend the armed forces as a career.

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in brief in brief CITY SIKHS APPOINTS RITA CHADHA AS A DIRECTOR City Sikhs has appointment Rita Chadha as its first director. Rita has spent much of her career working for a number of local and national charities on issues related to social justice and she will take up the new role in August.

Rita is an experienced non-profit executive who was previously working as the Chief Executive of the Small Charities Coalition where she developed a new strategic plan for the organisation. She has also held Chief Executive and Trustee positions at the Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London, and Barking and Dagenham CVS. Jasvir Singh OBE, Chair of City Sikhs, said “City Sikhs is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and we are excited and looking forward to working with Rita to help take City Sikhs to the next stage of its development”. Rita Chadha, said, "I am looking forward to working with the trustees, advisory group, volunteer ambassadors and our partners to continue to build City Sikhs as one of the leading Sikh and South Asian organisations in Britain promoting community development, education, capacity building and community cohesion". City Sikhs received 39 applications for the position, and from that, a shortlist of four people were invited to interview.

EAST IS EAST TO RETURN TO BRUM AFTER 25 YEARS A new revival of the classic play East is East is to return to Birmingham 25 years after premiering at the city’s Repertory Theatre in 1996. Since then, East is East has sold out three London runs, been adapted into a BAFTA award-winning film and become a modern classic of comic drama. The play is set in 1971 in Salford where fish-and-chip owner George Khan expects his family to follow his strict Pakistani Muslim ways. But his children, with an English mother and having been born and brought up in Britain, increasingly see themselves as British and start to reject their father’s rules on dress, food, religion, and living in general. East is East is a play by Ayub Khan-Din, first produced by Tamasha Theatre Company in co-production with the Royal Court and Birmingham REP. The play runs at the Birmingham REP between 4th – 25th September 2021. For tickets and more information visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk.

RIVERDANCE PREPARES FOR UK TOUR Preparations are underway for Riverdance: The New 25th Anniversary Show which is set for a UK tour starting from August 26th.

Described by The Arts Review as “magical, moving and utterly memorable”, the show is a powerful and stirring reinvention of this family favourite, celebrated the world over for its Grammy Award-winning music and the thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance. Amazingly, the cast for this rescheduled tour are so young that they were not even born in the year that the show first opened – 1995 at the Point Theatre in Dublin. To find out more visit www.riverdance.com.

New online Menopause Clinic for women A new clinic offering women a new approach to menopause care has just launched.

Dr Ferhat Uddin, who’s family hails from Bangladesh, has brought together over two decades of expertise and passion about women’s health to create an online clinic. She is determined to reach women especially in Asian communities where they continue to suffer midlife health complaints in silence.

The discourse around Menopause in the UK has been one of secrecy and shame, women facing what can be a devastating period of turbulence on their own without help. The impact of which can have disastrous effects, with high rates of suicides happening in midlife, linked to menopause.

For the very first time, women can receive medical, psychotherapy, and nutritional support from a new online clinic without a GP referral, from specialised menopause clinicians.

Liberty Health Clinics offers women, no matter their location or medical history access to treatment, as it's exclusively online.

Physician on a Menopause mission Founded by a leading

menopause expert, Dr Ferhat Uddin, dubbed the ‘Physician on a Menopause Mission’, has drawn together medical, mindset, nutrition, and lifestyle experts to support the hundreds of thousands of women who endure years of debilitating menopause symptoms from as early as aged 40.

Specialising in the gold standard of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and nutrition support for women in midlife, the new clinic has been launched to tackle the huge disparity in menopause healthcare across Britain.

Dr Ferhat is on a mission to change the way menopause is

treated, managed and perceived.

She said, “Menopause is not a disease, it’s a natural stage of life. Yet millions of women are without the right information and support to help them make informed choices for their care.

“The current approach is one-dimensional, often reaching for a prescription to cure all ills when there’s much more to be considered. Instead, we need to treat women holistically, viewing their medical needs as equally as important as their mental health, nutrition, and lifestyle…We are on a mission to ensure women; their partners/families, places of work, and the world of primary care join the menopause dots to see the full picture.”

Women themselves not realising their symptoms are perimenopause-related, as there are over 60 symptoms.

Dr Uddin, continued, “Perceptions of menopause across all areas of society need to change. We are beginning to see a shift, but this needs to happen with a greater pace. It will literally change and save lives.

“Especially in the workplace where an extraordinary number of women feel forced to leave their careers, to the impact on

Applications open for Chevening Scholarships 2022-23 The application window for the UK Government’s prestigious Chevening Scholarship programme for 2022-23 is now open.

Aspiring scholars who are planning to study for a one-year master’s degree in British universities can apply.

ning the scholarship and fellowship programmes in India since 1983. It has helped more than 3,300 scholars and fellows from across India – including many first-generation learners - realise their dream of pursuing a worldclass education and training in

Chevening Scholarships offer full financial support for one year to candidates applying for a master’s degree at any UK university – covering nearly 12,000 courses from more than 150 universities.

The scholarship will covertuition fees for the selected course; travel expenses and visa fees; and a monthly stipend.

Alex Ellis, High Commissioner to India, said, “Chevening Scholarships offer a unique opportunity for the future leaders of India to study at some of the world’s best universities in the UK. Whatever your background, your geography, please apply for this chance to learn and experience the best of what the UK has to offer and in doing so, strengthen the living bridge between our two countries.”

India is home to the largest Chevening programme in the world. Chevening has been run-

the UK. Many of these scholars and fellows have gone on to make remarkable contributions towards the prosperity of India.

Applicants to Chevening Scholarships must have a minimum two years of work experience and a strong academic background. The deadline to apply is 2 November 2021.

There are four Chevening alumni present in Prime Minister Modi’s current council of ministers - Piyush Goyal (Cabinet Minister for Commerce and Industry), Gajendra Shekhawat (Cabinet Minister for Jal Shakti), Anupriya Patel (Minister of State for Commerce and Industry), and Devusinh Chauhan (Minster of State for Communications).

Candidates can apply for any course of their choice. Further details, including on how to apply, can be found https://www.chevening.org/scho larship/india/.

relationships and their home life.

“Most devastatingly are the high incidences of suicide amongst women, during this life stage.”

Although Liberty Health Clinics is private, Dr Ferhat shares her approach and expertise with NHS GPs as a lecturer in GP education in a bid to improve care for all, and not just those who can afford it. Dr Uddin, is also a practicing GP in South London, seeing patients on daily basis.

Currently, if a GP spots the signs of menopause – as it’s not always obvious to diagnose, they may be prescribed treatment and typically hormone replacement therapy, some may not even receive that. If symptoms are complex, they may be referred to a menopause clinic, where sadly the wait is long.

If a woman presents with symptoms of anxiety and depression for the first time, it may be connected to menopause, they may get a referral for mental health support, which means joining the queue for mental healthcare in the community, which is not specific or specialised in menopause care.

"What’s in a name?”

Atrayee Bandyopadhyay What’s in a name? Well, I say, everything!

Now that I’ve started on a note of contradicting the “Bard of Avon”, let me begin by reassuring that I’m not being tendentious but simply enkindling some food for thought!

Having lived in three different continents and four countries, one of the most common experiences has been the response people have towards my name!

In almost two and a half decades in Kolkata, very few Bengalis have ever accurately enounced my name “Atrayee” and unsurprisingly, a dwindling minority has ever spelled it right! Needless to mention, my expectations from people outside my community were infinitesimal, and when we moved to LA, from the immigration officer at the airport to my neighbours at Thousand Oaks, I responded to any vibrations that had “A” “T” and “Raaaye”!! On a crispy Californian morning, my gynaecologist, seemingly tired after writing “Atrayee Bandyopadhyay” had light-heartedly joked that “though I’m all for feminism, may I suggest you consider using your husband’s last name, as it would make life easier for us!” Must I confess, that I’ve often thought about the same, replacing “Bandyopadhyay” with an effortless “Roy” would indeed be a painless solution! However, the staunch liberal rationalist in me is unrelenting!

With years I’ve noticed that though South Asians often make their names simpler and more acceptable for their westerner friends, Europeans, Russians and Americans have no such predicaments! The world would spare no effort to get the “Djokovic” or “Mkheidze” right, nor would any “Szilagyi” ever attempt to oversimplify their identities to suit the needs of others! However, there are examples galore of how “Rabindra” becomes “Rob”, a “Naicker” a “Nick” and “Jayawardena” a “Jay”! Why do we, the most diversified race, have this insatiable desire to bend over backwards for acceptance and inclusion instead of proudly owning the quintessence of our identity? Is it the same colonial hangover behind our fascination of the Caucasian skin colour or insecurities that drive us to briskly denounce our mother tongue and wholeheartedly flaunt a foreign language as our own? To each his/her own and I try not to judge, but with age find myself increasingly undaunted by the sighs, eye-rolling and banters as I patiently wait at every entry made, official or leisure!

Moreover, as we raise our children in a land far away from their roots, I find it unquestionably imperative that they recognise and embrace the personal, cultural and historical connection their “names” represent! (Atrayee Bandyopadhyay, is a PhD in Genetic Toxicology and a trained vocalist with an inclination towards writing. She is presently a stay-at-home parent living in Bromley).

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Scotland's Chancellor demands apology from Rishi Sunak Chancellor Rishi Sunak visited Edinburgh and Glasgow and Fife on last Thursday to meet people supported by the UK Government’s ‘plan for jobs’ scheme. He has hailed the strength of the Union and Scotland’s ‘innovation and ingenuity’ ahead of the visit.

Meanwhile, the SNP has demanded Sunak to apologise for prematurely withdrawing furlough and risking thousands of unnecessary redundancies. suSNP’s Chancellor Alison Thewliss urged him to explain on short-changing on youth jobs and going ahead with universal

Rishi Sunak

credit cuts that will plunge half a million people into poverty, criticizing the GBP 250 million spent by government on yacht.

Mr Sunak has applauded

Europe’s fastest vaccination roll-out and added that Scotland’s innovation and ingenuity will be the key to creating jobs.

According to the Treasury, during the pandemic, 900,000 people in Scotland were furloughed.

Over 90,000 business received loans and GBP 1535 billion were paid in self-employment support.

More than 660,000 low-paid key workers, including nurses, supermarket staff and social carers, will be among the millions of people affected when

the Universal Credit £20-perweek uplift ends in the autumn, figures from the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce suggest.

From July 1, employers had to pick up 10% of their furloughed workers’ salaries, with the Government paying 70%, while in August and September, the Government will pay 60% and employers will pay 20%.

The furlough job support scheme is due to finish at the end of September. 9 million people were furloughed across UK during the peak of pandemic in May 2020.

Role of government critical in giving confidence to people during pandemic Health Secretary Sajid Javid had tweeted urging people not to “cower” from Covid-19.

However, later he had to issue an apology as his tweet insulting describing thousands of people who have suffered bereavement or have shielded themselves.

That is because “cower” is the verb for the noun “coward”.

However, though Javed may be clumsy in language, his message to inveigh against cowering from Covid may be right, now that the risks are reducing.

The government is giving mixed messages, taking a distinctive approach to Covid-19 that the pandemic may continue in some form for years: a forever war. This avoids people to gain confidence and come out of hiding.

Here the author’s author is not discussing the individualistic and antisocial view of so-called libertarians for whom pandemic fighting measures are an intrusion to their civil liberties and disease and to should be avoided

Sajid Javid

to save from economic costs. He has problems with the fatalist view. The three main sources for this are the uncertainties around the jab and its acceptance, lack of absolute protection even after jabs and development of new mutations of the virus.

Insisting on masks, incentivizing vaccination and rapid testing should be the norm. Yet, according to the author, the government lacks the political appetite and the competence to deliver.

Ineffective training and testing of train driver causes a near-collision Investigation has found that a head-on crash between trains was narrowly avoided due to a train driver with a history of safety blunders and undiagnosed sleep condition, when he missed a stop sign in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, while operating Chiltern Railway to London Marylebone.

The train automatically halted from 60mph speed, was restarted by him without necessary permission. This is because he did not recall passing the signal and believed it was a spurious activation of safety system.

After that he continued after nearly crashing Chesham bound train head-on.

Later he stopped the train 75ft away from it.

According to RAIB, the driver was probably fatigued. He was also diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea, which can make sufferers very tired. Though he was suffering from many years, the disorder was missed during his regular medical assessments.

Involved in 15 previous safe-

ty-related incidents since 2002, the driver had been restricted to driving empty trains to and from a depot between 2015 and 2018.

RAIB concluded that the driver’s training and testing was not effective.

This could be a consequence of operator struggling to recruit and retain staff. The company had requested to increase the salary in May-20 but it was declined by Department of transport.

While RAIB made a series of recommendations, Chiltren Railways said the operator had already adjusted some of its processes and procedures following the report.

Reports reveal those shielding does not help prevent NHS from becoming overwhelmed When Covid-19 cases were high in UK, people deemed to be clinically extremely vulnerable to covid were advised to stay at home.

Pell and her colleagues’ analysed data of over 1.3 million people between March-May 2020 registered with GPs in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Out of this 27,747 were advised to shield because of serious health issues that put them at high risk.

They found 140 (0.51%) deaths among shielded people as compared to 0.23% in medium risk group and 0.01% in those at low risk from the disease.

The study revealed that shielding does not help to prevent the NHS from becoming overwhelmed, because you have to roll out shielding to about a

third of the population to really impact on NHS burden.

It was also found that shielding to protect vulnerable

patients was not as effective as hoped. In fact, realistically it is difficult for someone to stay at home for months due to things

like required hospital visits, domestic pressure to do certain things and sharing house with others. Isolating in a house while leaving with others required two bedrooms, two bathrooms and two living rooms; which is available with very few people.

This research in Scotland found that in the first wave, people advised to shield were five times more likely to die after a confirmed Covid infection.

Scottish government spokesman argued that they are confident that shielding program has helped the vulnerable.

The study is limited to a single geographical area and doesn’t account factors like ethnicity, rurality, exposure to health and social care workers etc.

in brief in brief 16 YEAR OLD BOY STABS GIRL OVER 50 TIMES 16 year old disabled teenage girl was found in a field off Highsted Road in Sittingbourne, Kent on 21 July in early hours. A boy allegedly also 16 year-old, known to her, carried her to a park and stabbed her 50-60 times. He has been charged with attempt of murder. Prosecutor Andrew Jones told that the victim, who had troubles in walking long distances, was in critical condition and may not survive. He added that the boy was in some sort of relationship with the girl and had lured her for a walk. He carried her to a secluded park known as The Orchards when the girl began to fall behind him. The boy’s solicitor said they are waiting for a full psychiatric assessment before entering a plea. The boy was remanded in custody to appear before court on 23 August.

The officers have appealed people, who owns CCTV or have some footage or were walking in the area between 11pm to 3am on the day, to come forward and give information.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Kimber showed keenness of the department in putting the pieces together of victims last known movements.

FAMILY EVICTED FROM TEMPORARY HOUSING IN A DAY A family of five is reportedly taking legal action against their local council for being evicted from their London home with just a day’s notice. Family lived in temporary accommodation in the borough of Lewisham.

According to the family, the government offered them a private property in Stoke-onTrent. But, the family was unable to attend a viewing for the house as the father had just started a job in London. The family had applied for “accommodation pending review”.

The council informed them on 19th July on the next day of viewing that they had to leave their temporary accommodation. The review decision is expected on 22 August.

Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth supports the family as Waltham Forest Council didn’t provide accommodation pending the outcome of the review especially in the middle of soaring heatwave and rising Covid cases. Cabinet Minister Louise Mitchell said, though the council works hard to provide accommodation to assistance requests, demand in housing in London far outsrips supply. Alongside providing accommodation, they also need to take care of taxpayer’s money. Government’s benefits cap policy is followed considering financial circumstances of that household so that the offer is affordable and sustainable to them.

DETAINEE HIVPOSITIVE HAD TO WAIT FOR 3 DAYS FOR HIS DAILY MEDICATION A 28 year old man referred to as CSM arrived in the UK in 1996 as a child. He was detected with HIV soon after. He has a condition which requires him to take medication each day at the same time to prevent the virus ‘rebounding’. CSM who was deported to DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) in 2017 managed to return back the following year, and claimed asylum. On 8 August 2019, when CSM attended an asylum screening interview, he was detained by the authorities and sent to Harmondsworth Immigration removal centre (IRC). The staff of IRC were able to obtain HIV medicine by 9th August midnight.

However, he was not provided the medication until about 4 pm on 11th August, CSM’s barrister told a hearing in June that the Home Office was in breach of Article 3 by failing ‘a sufficient system’ in place to deal with HIV-affected detainees. The Home Office as given a statement that they take welfare of those in care extremely seriously.

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in brief WOMAN EXCITED ON RECEIVING QUEEN'S APPRECIATION FOR HER ‘AWFUL' PAINTING On death of Prince Phillip and during his funeral, watching him everywhere on TV, Honor Morrison fancied painting a portrait of the Prince, especially because his wrinkled face made a great subject.

She finished the painting in four hours and put it in her living room at her residence in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. After a few weeks, she felt bit creepy with a feeling that he was watching her, so she decided not to have it around. However, she did not want to throw it in the bin. She joked on Tik Tok that if her video gets a thousand likes, she will send the portrait to Buckingham. The video which went viral not only received 21,000 likes, but also 150,000 views soon. As promised she parceled the portrait to the Queen with an emotional condolence letter.

Ms Morrison was overjoyed when last week she was returned with a personalised letter on behalf of the Queen and a special photo pamphlet about Prince Philip. She also filmed herself opening the envelope that she received with a Royal Mail ER stamp.

She was touched to receive a letter that read that the Queen thanked her for the message of sympathy and the charming painting. The letter read that the Queen was deeply touched and was most grateful to her.

JIHADI WOMAN LIVES IN HALF A MILLION COUNCIL HOUSE Samia Hussein was born and brought up in London. She left for Nairobi in 2012 to study for her A-levels, living with her step father.

She is believed to have entered Syria in 2015.

She stayed in a guest house for women nicknamed 'Little London' because of large number of British Jehadis living there.

Hussein married there and the couple moved after six months to Raqqa, where her arm was amputated in an air strike. According to Hussein she wanted to leave Syria, but had to stay back due to fear of being killed. When she returned to the UK 18 months ago, she was arrested at the airport, but released shortly.

From then onwards she is roaming freely. She lives with family in a council house worth over half a million pounds. She also has a prosthetic hand now. The artificial limb and its treatments which cost thousands of pounds is said to have been sponsored by the NHS. Although Britain has stripped the citizenship of Shamima Begum, many others have been quietly allowed to return to the country. As per home office estimates at least 950 British extremists went to join the Syrian Jihad out of which around 450 have returned back.

32 YEAR OLD DIED OF STABBING Usman Patel, 32, lived in St. Saviour Road, Evington, Leicester. His body was found knifed on Green lane road last week.

While toxicology and other test reports are awaited, the post mortem report reveals, the man died of stab wounds. Leicester Coroner Ian Cartwright confirmed that Patel was found injured outside his home, but the occupants of the house were not connected to ‘arguments’ that involved two or more men, which happened outside the home Sunday, July 18 early morning. While murder investigation is underway, Mr. Patel breathed his last shortly.

One of the charged with murder, Oman Nur, 18, a resident of Chartley road in the Westcoast area, attended magistrates‘ court and the crown court in Leicester. He has been remanded into custody. An inquest has opened into the fatal stabbing case. Police and East Midlands Ambulance Service were alerted to an altercation on Green Lane Road in the Leicester area between at least two males during which the deceased, Mr Patel was stabbed.

T

wo weeks back in Asian Voice, you might have read an interview of Dhwani Kothari. Dhwani who is a Miss England finalist, and she wants to spread awareness about Brain Tumor.

On 27 July 2021, Dhwani Surrey’s Princess visited Christian Care Home’s Alzheimer Centre and spent time entertaining the care home residents. Surprisingly, Dhwani’s mother submitted the entry form for participation without informing Dhwani.

After the selection of Dhwani’s photograph in the wild card, she was informed and was very much surprised by the selection. After this, voting was carried out and she was interviewed before qualifying for the finals.

Dhwani was 5 years old when her parents, Shailendra Kothari and Ekta Kothari moved to London from

Miss England finalist visits Princess Christian Care Home’s Alzheimer Centre

Mumbai. In 2009, her mother Ekta was diagnosed with a brain tumour when they went to India. It was necessary to operate it immediately. After an 18-hour long surgery, there were only 20 per cent chances of survival. But after three months of rest in the hospital, she was saved.

After her mother was diagnosed with a Brain Tumour, Dhwani decided to spread awareness about the disease. For the last four years, Dhwani is associated with The Brain Tumor Charity, UK, and raises funds for the charity.

If she wins the Miss England pageant, she will get an opportunity to take her charity work across the world and spread awareness for Brain Tumour. It is also noteworthy, that her brother, Jay Kothari who is 10 years old is a chess player and has received many awards for the same.

Buckinghamshire man completes 80 mile cycling challenge raising £5000 in memory of his wife A father from Milton Keynes, took on an 80-mile cycle ride on Saturday 24 July for charity Anthony Nolan, raising £5,000.

He took on the challenge in memory of his wife, who sadly died from blood cancer following a stem cell transplant.

He is also encouraging more people from minority ethnic backgrounds to join the stem cell register.

Bharat Miangar, 61, who works at a technology company, lost his wife, Sangita, to Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, in December 2015 when she was just 48-years-old. To mark five years since her death, he gathered together a group of 20 riders to participate in his cycling challenge, including his two sons Kiran, 26, and Joel, 21, and the consultant who treated Sangita at Oxford Churchill Hospital. The 80-mile route took them from Milton Keynes, around Buckinghamshire and Berkshire before returning back

Bharat and his cycling team

Sangita and Bharat with their two sons Kiran and Joel

to the family’s home in Milton Keynes Bharat said, "Sangita was first diagnosed with NonHodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2008.

She was treated with chemotherapy and we were so happy when we found out that her treatment had worked and she was cancer free, but she sadly relapsed just a year later.”

Following further chemotherapy, doctors decided that Sangita’s best chance of survival would be to have a stem

cell transplant. Her siblings weren’t a match for her, so Anthony Nolan searched their stem cell donor register for a stranger who could give Sangita a second chance of life.

Unfortunately, a match could not be found, so following recommendations from her hospital team she had an ‘autologous’ transplant, which involved using her own stem cells rather than donor cells.

Only 37% of transplant recipients from minority ethnic backgrounds receive the best stem cell donor match from an unrelated donor. This is compared to 72% of patients from white Caucasian

backgrounds. A person’s stem cell match is most likely to come from someone with the same ethnic background as them.

Bharat raised over £5,000 which is more than double his £2,500 target.

The funds he’s raised will support Anthony Nolan’s work to diversify its register, so the charity can find matching stem cell donors for all patients in need of lifesaving stem cell transplants, regardless of their ethnicity.

Parash Vyas, Professor and Consultant of haematology at the University of Oxford, was Sangita’s consultant during her treatment and joined Bharat to take part in the cycling challenge.

Parash said, "I am just so super supportive of what Bharat is doing. It’s hugely important for all patients to find a donor.”

Ethical fashion start-up by Coventry University London alumni adapts offer to survive Covid downturn An ethical fashion start-up by two former Coventry University London business students defied the pandemic-induced economic downturn by adapting its fabrics to produce masks, loungewear and pyjamas to meet the needs of customers living under lockdown.

The award-winning ADKN (an acronym for Animal-free Designs and Kindness for Nature) was set up by Lavinia Rusu and Ashfakur Rahman after graduating from their BA in Global Business Management degree at Coventry University London in 2015.

The company makes premium quality fashion products based on very strict ethical and environmental standards. It says it is an exclusively 100 per cent animalfree, eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable fashion brand that is committed to help convert the entire fashion industry into a

more conscious and sustainable sector.

Lavinia, who specialised in marketing on her BA degree, explains how they adapted to the pandemic, “We had to make changes to adapt to a dying economy and take risks outside of our comfort zone. We started off by repurposing our fabrics into making masks and PPE for donations, further starting to

retail masks as well. This was our saving grace during the extraordinary times we all faced.”

Ashfakur, who credits his Coventry University degree with helping him to better understand demand and supply, scarcity of goods, and identifying niche developing markets, added: “We kept a close eye on the market and the environment we were all in and by analysing the needs of

consumers we were able to be one step ahead and survive 2020 through our collection of masks, pyjamas and loungewear.”

The two business partners have weathered many challenges, including sourcing the right suppliers where there is very little available in terms of truly sustainable and ethical solutions, and finding the right personnel in a UK garments manufacturing industry that is in decline. Their biggest challenge was lack of investment opportunities.

ADKN are proud winners of the Green Business of the Year 2019, awarded by the Newham Chamber of Commerce and have been PETA-approved since day one. Coventry University London opened its doors to its first cohort of students in October 2010 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a high-achieving, globally recognised institution, providing business education in the centre of London

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Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel Are Big Tech Stocks Overvalued?

Over the last week, the world's biggest tech stocks announced their quarterly earnings. Between Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Facebook, the performance was astounding. Revenues were up by $332 billion — a rise of 36%. Tech stocks have been the story of the pandemic, raking in the money at stunning rates.

However, these earnings announcements failed to spur further investment. Alphabet share prices did rise slightly during the week, but the other tech giants dropped — with Amazon down almost 10%. Each of these stocks is near its all-time highs, and it seems many investors are taking this opportunity to cash out some profits.

Is this an admission that tech stock prices have peaked, or they're overvalued?

Have Big Tech Stocks Peaked?

Before the big tech companies announced their earnings, the Dow Jones Industrial Average took a tumble.

There's been lots of talk about market crashes and bubbles since the pandemic market recovery, so this was an uncomfortable dip for many investors. However, the drop was soon reversed, with many tech stocks getting back to all-time highs.

Market sentiment seems strong, according to Morgan Stanley's E-Trade Financial survey. Those surveyed were all investors with $1 million or more in a self-managed brokerage account. Only 6% of respondents felt the market would drop by 10% or more in the third quarter, while 65% of investors said they were bullish.

Tech stocks still seem to be favoured among wealthy investors, with 46% of those surveyed suggesting that the tech market is where they hope to make gains during Q3.

Energy stocks are another favourite for millionaire investors, but big tech's consistent earnings meant it kept its place at the top.

Are Tech Stocks Slowing Down?

Of course, not everyone is quite as bullish about tech stocks. Lisa Shalett, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management chief investment officer, sounded warning signs about the market in July.

Shalett warned that low rates had pumped tech stocks up to dot-com era valuations. She cited price to sales ratios in tech at levels not seen since the 2000 peak. Additionally, because tech stocks have a bigger weight in the S&P 500 than they did in 2000, Shalett suggests the price to sales ratio of the index is 50% larger than ever.

Potential trouble lies ahead because of a weaker US dollar, increased competition, stricter regulations, and higher taxes. Many fear that a tech stock slowdown will disproportionately affect the broader market.

Conclusion Recent months have seen tech stocks slow down, while reopening trade has seen some investors shift their focus to cyclical stocks. Digitisation, remote working, and streaming were all trends that accelerated during the lockdown. But, as the vaccine rollout continues, some investors believe reliance on tech will slow down.

Indeed, tech stocks are up 10% in the last six months, less than the S&P 500 at 13%. Despite this, tech stocks' impressive recent earnings suggest that their price-earnings ratios are dropping, which indicates that they are a strong long term bet. With some twists and turns expected in the broader economy, tech stocks might be the only safe haven in the case of a market fall.

You can learn more and follow me at www.campaignforamillion.com

End of furlough scheme to increase job losses by 150,000 A leading think tank believes the end of the UK government's furlough scheme will lead to an increase in job losses in the country. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) said it had revised up its 2021 growth forecast from 5.7 per cent to 6.8 per cent. It added that even though the UK would move up in the G7 league table for growth, the jobless rate would increase from 4.8 per cent to 5.4 per cent once the furlough scheme is phased out.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak, in an interview on LinkedIn, said he was confident that strong hiring intentions meant the “vast majority” of those still furloughed would find work. Deputy director of Niesr, Hande Küçük said, “Supply-side factors and effects of reopening amid

Rishi Sunak

the recovery in consumption are likely to keep inflation well above the Bank of England’s 2% target for the most part of next year.” She added it was time for BoE to prepare the ground for an eventual increase in interest rates and the reversal of bond purchases under its quantitative easing programme.

Meanwhile, IHS Markit/Cips has found shortages of labour and

Dobson said, “Although July saw UK manufacturers report a further month of solid growth, scarcities of inputs, transport and labour are stifling many businesses.

On the one hand, manufacturers are benefiting from reopening economies. This is leading to solid inflows of new work from both domestic and overseas markets, including the US, the EU, China, and the Middle East. On the other, the recent surge in global manufacturing growth has led to another month of nearrecord supply chain delays, exacerbated by factories and their customers building up safety stocks. Some firms also noted that post-Brexit issues were still a constraint on efforts to rebuild sales and manage supply and distribution channels to the EU.”

Jobs threat at Meggitt following £6.3bn buy-out UK defence supplier Meggitt faces job threats after it finalised a £6.3bn takeover deal from US rival Parker Hannifin. Board of the FTSE 250 engineering company that operates in the aerospace, defence and energy markets has unanimously recommended that shareholders accept the 800p-a-share deal.

Parker, which employs over 2,000 staff in 18 facilities across the UK, has made a number of legally binding contractual commitments to the government to protect Meggitt's operations as part of the deal. These include keeping Meggitt's UK headquarters in Coventry, maintaining the headcount in its research and development, product engineering and manufacturing operations, ensuring most of the company’s board are UK nationals; and increasing research and development expenditure by a fifth during the next five years.

However, it will look to cut jobs in areas not protected by the legal guarantees. Parker chairman and chief executive Tom Williams said a significant number of Meggitt's approximately 2,000 UK staff would be protected from the cuts. He said, “Any transaction of this size, or any transaction period, typically has some overlap between the two businesses.

We are going to evaluate all the talent, all the people... and our intention is to put the best of both companies.”

The acquisition will almost double Parker's aerospace operation.

Williams said, “We are committed to being a responsible steward of Meggitt and are pleased our acquisition has the full support of Meggitt's board. We fully understand these responsibilities and are making a number of strong commitments that reflect them.”

All of Parker's legal commitments are, however,

Small UK companies face record highs on gas market Multiple households stand to lose their energy supplier this winter as small companies witness record highs on the UK gas market, and a looming deadline to hand over renewable energy subsidies at the end of the month. Equity analyst at Investec, Martin Young said a “combination of many” factors could lead companies to fail or become the target of an opportunistic acquisition by a larger rival.

The energy regulator is monitoring the finances of companies amid concerns that a slew of small suppliers could shut down later in the year. Young said unexpectedly high gas prices could compound the difficulty of meeting a payment deadline of August 31 to hand over money collected from bills to pay renewable energy developers for their

materials affecting the ability of British factories to take advantage of a postlockdown boost in demand. The monthly survey found output and order book growth had slowed to the weakest in four months despite strong performance in July. It found that expansion would have been faster last month had it not been for stretched supply chains and problems with staff recruitment.

IHS Markit/Cips said the July performance was still among the best on record, but would have been even better had it not been for supply constraints. Cost and price pressures during the increased month, the survey added.

Director of IHS Markit, Rob

clean electricity. Suppliers that fail to pay in August have until the end of October to meet a late payment deadline, plus penalty charges, before the regulator begins the process of stripping them of their supply license.

Young said he expected “consolidation” within the energy industry over the upcoming months through “supplier failures and/or distressed sales” as companies find themselves struggling to meet their debts.

Gas prices in the UK markets have soared by about 80 per cent this year to surpass 16-year highs and could continue climbing into 2022. The energy regulator is expected to respond to the market surge by raising the maximum cap on default energy tariffs by more than 13 per cent, or at least £150 a year, from October.

An Ofgem spokesperson was quoted by a media report as saying that the regulator is “proactively” monitoring supplier finances and that suppliers were actively encouraged to engage with it at an early stage if they get into financial difficulty. They said, “In the event of a supplier failure, Ofgem's safety net makes sure that customers stay connected while protecting domestic customers' credit balances.”

only binding for one year, except for the R&D investment pledge which comes with a fiveyear guarantee.

Williams said, “I see no reason why we would ever move the UK headquarters. These are going to be commitments that will be there for a long time. We are a strategic buyer, we are builders. If you were to benchmark this total offer – our binding commitments in addition to our financial offer – I think you would find it stands in a place of its own compared to other transactions.”

He added that the deal was structured in anticipation of the upcoming National Security and Investment Act, which gives the UK government power to protect important national assets from foreign takeovers. Williams said, “We are very conscious of it.

That is why we have framed

the binding commitments as we did in such a way that they would be supported by all stakeholders.”

The deal is being closely monitored by the UK government. A government spokesperson was quoted by a media report as saying, “Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the business secretary has powers to intervene in mergers and takeovers which raise national security concerns. While commercial transactions remain primarily a matter for the parties involved, the government is closely monitoring the proposed acquisition of Meggitt by ParkerHannifin.”

Being in an office 'really beneficial', says Sunak In an interview with LinkedIn news, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said it was “really beneficial” being in an office at the beginning of his career.

Talking about helpful relations he made working in offices at the start of his career as the British Finance Minister, Sunak said, “I have spoken previously about young people in particular benefiting from being in offices. It was really beneficial to me when I was starting out in my career.”

He added that on a visit to Scotland last week he met young people starting careers in financial services. “I was telling them the mentors that I found when I first started my job. I still talk to them and they have been helpful to me all through my career even after we have gone in different ways. I doubt I would have had those strong relationships if I

was doing my summer internship or my first bit of my career over Teams and Zoom. And that’s why I think for young people in particular being able to physically be in an office is valuable,” he said.

He also said that the government has left the decision up to businesses.

“We've kind of stopped saying that people should actively work from home and have now left it up to businesses to work with their teams to figure out the right approach.”

“In terms of a return to work, which we have said we would expect that and recommend that to be gradual from when the restrictions eased, in keeping with everything else that we are doing, it’s been gradual, it’s cautious, it’s careful, so there will be a gradual return back to the offices and I think that is what broadly will happen.”

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Adani joins petrochemicals business to take on Ambani Gautam Adani took a small step to enter the petrochemicals business by forming a wholly-owned unit under Adani Enterprises Ltd. Sources tracking the company said this is in response to Mukesh Ambani’s announcement in June that Reliance Industries Ltd would make an investment of £7.5 billion in a green energy giga complex in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

Adani Petrochemicals Limited was registered last week with the Registrar of Companies, Ahmedabad to “carry on the business of setting up refineries, petrochemicals complexes, speciality chemicals units, hydrogen and related chemicals plants and other such similar units,” Adani Enterprises said in a regulatory filing. The Group did not offer details.

The Adani Group is understood to be “rattled” by Ambani’s entry into the renewable energy space, a segment in which it had set lofty global ambitions. Since

entering the renewables business more than a year ago, the Adani Group has quickly moved to become the world’s biggest solar power developer through a mix of acquisitions and strategic partnerships.

Inducting TotalEnergies as a 20 per cent partner in the renewables business sealed a strategic alliance that covers investments in LNG terminals and renewable assets across India, besides the gas utility business. Since January 2020, the value of the Group’s renewables business has increased over 600 times, thereby, yielding one of the best returns across all stock markets.

Thereafter, in May 2021, it acquired Softbank and Bharti’s 5 Gigawatts portfolio of renewable assets, allowing it to leapfrog and get to the target of 25 Gigawatts four years ahead of schedule. The Group also decided that a significant part of its future investments will be focused on sustainable and renewable

energy.

But, unlike Ambani’s entry the into renewable energy sector, Adani’s foray into petrochemicals lacks vision without a refinery Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani in its fold, says downstream sectors - adding sources. In the refining about 150 basis points to business, the availability of GDP and generating more petrochemicals in the product than 100,000 jobs over the portfolio hedges against a next decade, the report, drop in price/demand of fuels.

India’s ‘Riding Besides, integration of Petrochemicals Wave’, said. refining and petrochemicals Incumbents and new can lead to better profit entrants will need to assess margins. the market dynamics, India will drive more capability requirements, than 10 per cent of the business model fit, world’s growth in competition landscape, and petrochemicals over the next potential disruptions before decade and will need to set making long-term bets, the up one cracker every year report said. A robust until 2035 to meet domestic portfolio strategy needs to demand, according to an build in flexibility to account August 2020 report by for product evolution, consultant Kearney. The product switches for netback sector provides a direct optimisation, and synergistic investment opportunity of offerings for high-value more than $30 billion, which propositions. will cascade into

Birla offers stake to govt as Vodafone Idea heading towards collapse Unable to work out a revival for the ailing telcom company Vodafone Idea (VIL), company chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla has offered his group’s stake to the government or any other entity that it deems fit, saying that the measure is required in “national interest” as the operations are headed towards an “irretrievable point of collapse”.

Birla’s appeal, through a letter written to cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba on June 7, displays a last-ditch effort by the Indian group which holds around 27% stake in VIL (UK’s Vodafone Plc holds about 44%) - to salvage the company ahead of possible defaults on statutory payments and bank dues.

Kumar Mangalam Birla

Sources in the government, however, said that not much can be done for the company immediately as telecom companies had already been given relief in the form of spectrum payment obligations as well as AGR dues. Any relief for a particular entity does not appear practical, although the government is still trying to work out ways to ensure that there are “three private telcos” that operate in the country, the other two being

Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Airtel, the sources added.

Vodafone Idea, however, appeared to be in deep distress and the problems for the company - which was formed from the merger of Idea Cellular, controlled by Birla, and Vodafone’s India subsidiary in 2018 - are far from being resolved. Outstanding debt of the company, which has slipped to the third spot after being on top, was estimated at £18 billion at the end of March 202.

“It is with a sense of duty towards 270 million Indians connected by Vodafone Idea, I am more than willing to hand over my stake in the company to

any entity - public sector/ government /domestic financial entity or any other that the government may consider worthy of keeping the company as a going concern,” Birla said in the letter..” In his letter, Birla said that the company “has been trying” to raise £2.5 billion funding through “mostly non-Chinese” investors, but the latter “want to see clear government intent to have a three-player telecom market (consistent with its public stance) through positive actions on longstanding requests such as clarity on AGR liability, adequate moratorium on spectrum payments most importantly, a floor pricing regime above the cost of service.”

Videocon’s Dhoot moves appeals court against Twin Star order Videocon Group promoter Venugopal Dhoot approached an appeals court against a June insolvency tribunal order that cleared the resolution plan of Vedanta group firm Twin Star Technologies. Dhoot listed three respondents in his petition filed at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) - Videocon Group resolution professional Abhijit Guhathakurta, the committee of creditors (CoC) and Twin Star Technologies.

At a December vote, over 95% of lenders backed Twin Star’s £290 million plan for 13 Videocon firms, while the

Venugopal Dhoot

rest dissented or abstained.

This implied a 95% haircut the 13 companies owe £6.17 billion to financial creditors.

State Bank of India (SBI) has the highest voting share of 18.05% in the CoC, followed

by IDBI Bank at 16.06% and Union Bank of India at 9.07%.

According to the petition, the process

undertaken by the resolution professional suffers from “material irregularity" as all assets have not been included in the information memorandum. Further, the resolution plan of Twin Star is against the objective of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), Dhoot alleged.

He said the commercial wisdom exercised by lenders is “arbitrary and irrational and does not reflect any applicability of mind by rejecting a proposal which was 10 times higher and submitted at an early stage of the process".

Dhoot requested that NCLAT set aside the June order of the Mumbai National Company

Law Tribunal (NCLT) and allow seeking of fresh resolution plans for all assets of the group, including all foreign oil and gas assets.

The petition said NCLAT could also direct lenders to reconsider Dhoot’s proposal under Section 12A of the IBC and approve it. In October, Dhoot submitted a proposal to repay £3.17 billion, but this was rejected by lenders.

Section 29A of IBC disallows defaulting promoters from gaining control of their firms. To consider a defaulting promoter’s offer, creditors would have had to seek withdrawal of the firm from IBC under Section 12A of the code.

Roll with the punches

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

Not so good news on our recent valuation of £1.5M, which we contested. Though in truth we were expecting the valuer not to change their mind; if they did so it would mean in short, they do not know what they are doing. And no professional likes to acknowledge that, especially from a ‘lay person’.

In retrospect, what we should have done was to get a private valuation instructed first, and then let the lender appoint their valuer. Valuers are less likely to contradict each other. I mean how would it look if professionals from the same body contradicted each other? Each valuation stays on a central database and is accessible to other valuers. This then sets the benchmark.

It’s easy to give recommendations retrospectively.

We have decided to push the button and implement the remortgage, as it takes our client off the bridge, which is not a good place to hang out on for too long. A bridge is supposed to take you from one place to another, it’s not a place where you should idly hang out.

In the greater context of the deal, the valuation is not bad at all. The whole building was purchased at £1.2M, the valuation is for about 1/3 of the building and has come in at £1.5M. The other 2/3 is being worked through for planning, which will be done in three phases, with phase 1 already in place.

Originally, we were looking to do the work in a piece meal fashion, as the planning comes in to then build out.

However, there are issue like reinforcing the ground floor in the event we get planning to extend upwards.

Therefore, it made more sense to wait till it was all in place before pressing the button on the implementation.

The market at the moment is a hot one. Yes, you can find deals, but they will not land on your plate. One needs to hunt and look for deals which are not plain vanilla, but also make sure they are not too tutti frutti, but just enough so you can solve the issues involved.

We have previously acquired properties with enforcement notices on them, unknown tenancies etc.

This means you have to be prepared to dig deeper into the issue prior to purchasing the deal. This involves time, energy and money, and may result in nothing; however, win or lose you’re building muscle.

There is also the element of gut feel, which is something which gets refined with time and experience.

Soon I suspect the market will take a dip and more people will be selling; not because they wish to, but because they have to.

Tatas buy Tejas Networks to push enterprise telecom play Tata Sons is buying Tejas Networks, a publicly listed company offering data networking products to telecom operators and internet service providers for £292.3 million, to bolster its enterprise telecom play. According to the contours of the deal, Tata Sons is buying 72% in Tejas by subscribing to preferential shares and warrants besides acquiring shares from founders and public shareholders. It is purchasing Tejas shares at Rs 258 apiece, which is at a premium of Rs 246 on the BSE. After exiting the wireless services space in 2019 by transferring the business to Bharti Airtel, Tata Sons has been focusing on providing telecom services to enterprise customers. Tejas is Tata Sons’ first major deal in telecom after the exit from consumer mobile business. Currently, its telecom and connected interests are spread across Tata Communications, Nelco and Tata Teleservices.

Tejas was founded by three first-generation entrepreneurs - Sanjay Nayak, Arnob Roy and Kumar Sivarajan - in 2000 in Bengaluru. The company, which went public in 2017, posted a profit of £3.8 million on sales of £52.7 million in fiscal 2021. Tata Sons said Tejas’s existing management team will continue to lead the company even after the change in ownership. The founders own 5.6% in Tejas and their stake will reduce to 2.6% after the deal. The transaction will be done in multiple stages.

Interestingly, in the past, Tata Sons promoter Tata Trusts had partnered with Tejas to roll out public Wi-Fi hotspots in rural and semi-urban India.

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Ghani blames sudden US exit for worsening security in Afghanistan KABUL: Taliban fighters pushed deeper into the southern Afghan provincial capital of Lashkargah on Monday and closed in on government buildings, a senior official said, as the insurgents pressed a rapid advance.

Heavy fighting was raging close to the National Directorate of Security, the prison and the police headquarters in the main city in Helmand province, the government official said. Taliban fighters have moved in on three provincial capitals in the last few days and seized territory nationwide since Washington said it planned a complete withdrawal of troops by September.

Most of their advances have focused on rural areas and they have yet to take full control of a major city. An Afghan military commander said the government forces managed to beat back the Taliban later in the day. “In the afternoon the level of intensity of the fighting (in Lashkargah) decreased as the Taliban suffered heavy casualties following the air and ground operations,” Sayed Sami Sadat, the commander of the Maiwand army corps, said.

President Ashraf Ghani on Monday blamed the country's fast-deteriorating security situation on a “sudden” decision by the United States to withdraw its troops. “We have had an unexpected situation in the last three months,” he told the Afghan parliament.

Ghani added that the Afghan government had a US-backed security plan to bring the situation under control within six months. He also accused the Taliban of keeping up its ties with terrorist groups and of stepping up attacks on women.

The Taliban rejected Ghani’s accusations. “Declarations of war, accusations and lies cannot prolong Ghanis government’s

Ashraf Ghani

life; his time has run out, God willing,” the movement's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said on Twitter.

Taliban rockets hit Kandahar airport According to reports, Taliban leadership is targeting to take over a key airport in the southern city of Kandahar to ensure that the facility is not used for aerial attacks against them. An attempt was made on Sunday but reports from the area suggest that their assault was repulsed by the government forces. All domestic and international flights have been suspended after rockets were fired at the facility. Details of the damage are unavailable because of the claims and counter claims by both sides.

The airport chief Massoud A Pashtun said three rockets were fired by Taliban with two landing on the tarmac. “There were no casualties and the damage is being repaired,” he said. Taliban spokesman Zabihuallah Mujahid said the attack was necessitated because the airport was being used by enemy forces as a hub to conduct airstrikes on them. It was necessary, he said, to either shut or take over the airport.

US expands Af refugee plan The US state department is offering potential refugee status to new categories of

Afghans who assisted the US during the war in Afghanistan, including those who worked for news media and NGOs. The department said that the creation of a “Priority 2” category for Afghans within the US Refugee Admissions Programme is intended for Afghans and their immediate families who “may be at risk due to their US affiliation” but aren’t able to get a Special Immigrant Visa because they did not work directly for the US government. Those who worked as employees of contractors, locally employed staff and interpreters and translators for the US government or armed forces are eligible for the new designation, as well as Afghans employed by a US-based media organisation or NGOs. About 200 Afghans flew into the US last week as part of its evacuation effort.

China-Taliban ties warming up China’s foreign minister met a delegation of high-level Taliban officials as ties between them warm ahead of the US pullout from Afghanistan. A photo posted on the ministry’s website showed Wang Yi posing with senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and his delegation in the city of Tianjin, then sitting down to talks. The highly conspicuous show of friendliness had the appearance of a diplomatic mission at a time when the Taliban are craving legitimacy. Wang said China respects Afghan sovereign independence and territorial integrity and always adheres to noninterference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. He said the hasty withdrawal of the US and Nato “reveals the failure of America’s policies and offers the Afghan people an important opportunity to stabilise and develop their own country.”

in brief INDIAN STUDENT IN CHINA FOUND DEAD A 20-year-old Indian student studying in a university in the Chinese city of Tianjin has been found dead in his room and the cause of his death is not yet known, officials said.

Aman Nagsen, who hailed from Gaya in Bihar, was a student of Business Administration in the Tianjin Foreign Studies University. He was found dead on July 29.

The cause of death is under investigation, officials said. He was one of the few Indians who remained in China throughout the pandemic while most of the around 23,000 Indian students who returned are stuck in India due to Beijing’s reluctance to lift visa curbs. The Indian embassy and his family have been informed and officials said preparations are being made to send his body home.

PAK NOT TALIBAN SPOKESPERSON: IMRAN The Pakistan government is not a spokesperson for the Taliban and Islamabad cannot be held responsible for the actions of the insurgent group in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of soldiers from the US and its allies, PM Imran Khan has said. In his comments to Afghan media representatives that were aired last week, Khan also said that Pakistan will have good relations with whoever the Afghans choose. “What the Taliban are doing or aren’t doing has nothing to do with us. We are not responsible, neither are we spokespersons for the Taliban,” he was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper. his remarks were a continuation of Pakistan’s repeated warnings that it would not accept the responsibility if it was blamed for any setbacks in the Afghan peace process.

More than 50 hurt as football match in Bangladesh turns violent

GUNMEN INJURE CHINESE WORKER IN PAK

DHAKA: A mob of radical Islamists in Bangladesh attacked the Hindu community without provocation June 21 (Eid day). The incident took place at Kalabari Union Parakata Bazar in Kotalipara in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Hindu Unity Council said that more than 50 people, including police personnel, were injured. The Islamist mob ransacked shops and houses belonging to Hindus and had vowed to ‘sacrifice’ religious minorities on the occasion of Eid. The attack took place in the backdrop of a football match that was conducted in the Parakata village on July 19. During the match at the Janakalyan High school ground, a quarrel broke out between two sides about the outcome of the game.

Two days later on July 21, a heated argument ensued between 18-year-old Sajal Gain and 38-year-old Jamal Mallick. The argument soon assumed a communal turn, leading to a clash between two sides. Reportedly, the accused have been identified as Rustum

Unknown gunmen last week fired at a vehicle carrying two Chinese factory workers, injuring one of them in Pakistan’s city of Karachi with China downplaying the incident as an “isolated case.” The attackers, who were riding on a motorcycle, fled the crime scene, police said. One of the Chinese nationals was injured due to the gunshot, while the other was unhurt in the incident, police said. No one has taken responsibility for the attack and the motive behind it is unknown. The shooting incident comes days after an explosion on a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dasu area of upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province killed nine Chinese and injured 27 others. A total of 13 people were killed in the incident.

Reacting to the attack, China termed it as an “isolated case”. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Beijing that “China is following this matter closely, and the relevant case is under investigation”.

Mallick, Nannu Mallick, Jasim Mollah, Faizul Mallick, and Babul Mallick (26). They vandalised shops, houses and targeted Hindu men, women, and livestock. They chanted slogans vowing to make the village free of Hindus and demanded human sacrifice on the ocassion of Eid. A police team rushed to the spot to control the situation. More than 50 people, including men, women, children and police personnel who tried to pacify the mob were injured. Most of the injuries were stab wounds. The injured were rushed to hospitals.

Police, administration took the side of attackers: Victims In a video shared by Bangladeshi Hindu activist Raju Das, an injured Hindu man could be heard as saying, “This is our school and they don’t let us play. Today, a Hindu was thrashed. They (Muslims) came here with sticks and rods. They are ready to kill Hindus.

They have declared that they would do Qurbani (sacrifice) with Hindus. We all got

thrashed and the administration also took their side…. The attack was pre-meditated.”

In another video, a Twitter user alleged that the police personnel were also involved in the stone pelting against Hindus. He claimed that the police took the side of the attackers and thrashed the victims (Hindu community).

Following the incident, the Hindu Coalition group in the US staged a protest.

They said that it was a matter of shame that the Hindus were targeted in the Prime Minister’s constituency on the occasion of Eid. An arbitration meeting was held between the Hindu and Muslim communities later.

Public representatives and the district administration have appealed to people to maintain calm in the area. According to OC (Kotalipara police) Aminul Islam, a contingent of police have been deployed in the area.

Minorities in Pak live under constant fear, says human rights report

FLOODING KILLS 150 IN NE AFGHANISTAN

ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has reaffirmed the abysmal state of the minorities in the country. According to a report by the commission, the minorities in the country live under constant fear of persecution as their perpetrators enjoy court sanctions, support from the influential and affluent section of the society and patronage from political leaders.

In May 2019, the fact-finding team visited Ghotki district with the purpose of assessing complaints regarding the forced conversions of Hindu girls, with reference to the case of Reena and Raveena, two underage Hindu girls who disappeared from their homes in Daharki city and were later found to be married to Muslim men after

Flash flooding killed 150 people in a remote area in Afghanistan’s mountainous northeastern Nuristan province controlled by the Taliban, a spokesman for the insurgents said. The provincial government appealed to the Taliban to allow rescue teams into the area to help. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said heavy rains caused the flash flooding. In a statement, Mujahid said the insurgents ordered their own rescue crews to the affected area. He also said the Taliban have also ordered that 5 million Afghanis - or about $62,000 - be spent aiding the clean up and the villagers hit by the flooding.

However, it is unclear how equipped the Taliban are to deal with emergencies in areas under their control, which are mostly rural areas.

being converted to Islam.

The Hindus protested against the incident but the local police reportedly refused to file a complaint. An FIR was filed in the case only after strong protest from the Hindus and after the video of the two girls went viral on social media in which they claimed that they had converted to Islam and married two Muslim men from their locality. The family of the two girls claimed that they were underage but the commission formed by the Islamabad High Court to ascertain the facts found that the girls were of marriageable age. The Islamabad High Court ordered the Ghotki sisters to return back to their Muslim husbands after the girls allegedly confessed in front of the court that they had willingly converted to Islam.

Against the backdrop of these developments, the members of the commission met the Hindu residents of the Ghotki district and recorded the apprehensions harboured by them. The leaders or the mukhis of the Hindu Panchayats of various districts admitted to being victims of the high-handedness of certain powerful groups and individuals. A majority of them complained that they faced some kind of discrimination from the ‘powerful’ or the ‘influentials’.

The commission found that most Hindu residents who once lived here migrated to India after facing frequent cases of banditry and forcible seizures of their property. Many others who met the team lamented about lack of support for the community when a case of forced conversion took place.

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in brief BHUTAN FULLY VACCINATES 90% OF ADULTS IN 7 DAYS The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has fully vaccinated 90% of its eligible adult population within just seven days, its health ministry said.

The tiny country, wedged between India and China and home to nearly 8,00,000 people, began giving out second doses on July 20 in a mass drive that has been hailed by Unicef as “arguably the fastest vaccination campaign to be executed during a pandemic.” In April, Bhutan grabbed headlines when its government said it had inoculated around the same percentage of eligible adults with the first dose in under two weeks after India donated 5,50,000 shots of AstraZeneca vaccine. But the country faced a shortage for months after India halted exports as infections surged at home.

Bhutan was able to restart its drive last week after half a million doses of Moderna vaccine arrived from the US as a donation under the UN-backed COVAX programme.

MYANMAR ARMY RULER SAYS POLLS IN 2023 Myanmar’s military ruler Min Aung Hlaing has taken on the role of prime minister in a newly formed caretaker government, state media reported. In a speech, Hlaing repeated a pledge to hold elections by 2023 and said his administration was ready to work with a future regional envoy on Myanmar. The announcement and speech came exactly six months after the coup on February 1. Hlaing has chaired the state administration council (SAC) was formed after the coup and that has run Myanmar since then. “The SAC has been re-formed as caretaker government of Myanmar,” state Myawaddy TV said. In his speech, Hlaing repeated a pledge to restore democracy, saying, “We will accomplish the provisions of the state of emergency by August 2023”. He added: “I guarantee the establishment of a union based on democracy and federalism.”

CHINESE-CANADIAN POP STAR DETAINED Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu has been detained by Beijing police on suspicion of rape following an accusation that the former member of the Korean boy band EXO lured young women into sexual relationships, police said. Wu, 30, earlier was accused by a teenager of having sex with her while she was drunk. Wu denied the accusation. The teen said seven other women contacted her to say Wu seduced them with promises of jobs and other opportunities. She said some were under 18 but gave no indication whether they were younger than China’s age of consent of 14. Wu has been “criminally detained” on suspicion of rape “in response to information reported on the Internet” including that he “lured women to have sexual relations,” police said. It gave no other details.

VIRUS FLARES IN WUHAN AS DELTA CHALLENGES CHINA DEFENCES Millions of people were confined to their homes in China as the country tried to contain its largest coronavirus outbreak in months including seven positive tests found in Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in late 2019.

China reported 55 new locally transmitted cases on Monday as an outbreak of the Delta variant reached over 20 cities in over a dozen provinces. The Wuhan cluster came after the official daily tally was released, but it was confirmed by state media which said the infections had been traced to a train station.

“The seven were identified as migrant workers,” Xinhua reported, citing health officials. Cities including Beijing have now tested millions of residents while cordoning off residential compounds and placing contacts under quarantine. Authorities in the capital agreed on the need to “raise vigilance, take precautions and defend (the city) to the death”, the Beijing government said.

JeM chief Masood residing in Pakistan as state guest: reports NEW DELHI: Pakistan has ensured that India's most wanted terrorist Masood Azhar, who has been charge-sheeted in several cases from the 2001 Parliament attack to the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, remains in a densely populated area so that an operation similar to the one by the US against Osama bin Laden is not possible, according to a report by a newly launched Hindi news channel.

According to the channel, it has "accessed undeniable visual evidence" that confirms Pakistan's "deep state is still providing a safe haven to terror masterminds" including Masood Azhar, who heads Jaishe- Mohammed terror group.

The news channel said that Masood has two houses in

Masood Azhar

Pakistan's Bahawalpur with one located right next to the Osman-O-Ali Masjid and the National Orthopedic and General Hospital.

Pakistani army jawans have been stationed outside his house to secure their prized asset, the release said, adding the motive is simple - with a mosque and hospital next to his house "an

Osama-like operation becomes virtually impossible" while the residential surroundings will give Masood and his friends an opportunity to escape in case of a strike.

The second house of Masood is also located in Bahawalpur, nearly four km away from the first. It also lies next to a mosque and the Bahawalpur bench of the Lahore High Court is just a km away from Masood's second home, while the District Collector's office is just at a distance of three km.

Again, the channel said, Pakistani army personnel in uniform were seen guarding Masood's bungalow and added that the "global terrorist resides

in a posh locality of Pakistan as a state guest." Azhar is wanted in the Parliament attack case, terror strike at Pathankot airbase and even in the 2019 case of a suicide attacker of the terror outfit killing 40 CRPF personnel in South Kashmir.

He was among the three terrorists released by Indian authorities after the 1999 Kandahar hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane. He went to Pakistan and started his new terror outfit by the name of Jaish-e-Mohammed. India has been trying for sanctions against him at the United Nations but the same has been obstructed by China. India has submitted dossiers after dossiers to Islamabad to bring the terrorists to book but to no avail.

Siddiqui was executed by Taliban, says US report WASHINGTON: Pulitzer Prizewinning Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui wasn’t simply killed in a crossfire in Afghanistan, but was “brutally murdered” by the Taliban after they verified his identity, according to a report in a US magazine.

Siddiqui, 38, was covering clashes between the Taliban and the Afghan forces when he died.

Citing local authorities, the report in Washington Examiner said Siddiqui was travelling with an Afghan national army team to the Spin Boldak region to cover the fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban for the

control of the lucrative border crossing with Pakistan. “When they got to within one-third of a mile of the customs post, a Taliban attack split the team, with the commander and a few men separated from Siddiqui, who remained with three other Afghan troops,” it said.

The report said that the photojournalist got hit by a shrapnel during the assault and took refuge in a local mosque where he received first aid. As the word spread that a journalist was in the mosque, the Taliban attacked. A local investigation suggested that the Taliban

attacked the mosque only because of Siddiqui’s presence there, the report said. “Siddiqui was alive when the Taliban captured him. The Taliban verified Siddiqui’s identity and then executed him, as well as those with him. The commander and the remainder of his team died as they tried to rescue him,” it said.

“While a widely circulated public photograph shows Siddiqui’s face recognisable, I reviewed other photographs and a video of Siddiqui’s body provided to me by a source in the Indian government that show the Taliban beat Siddiqui around

Kenya, Israel to enhance cooperation on health and security NAIROBI: Kenya and Israel say they are keen to enhance their “special” relations including that on economy, security and projects linked to the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs]. Delegations from both sides met virtually after which they agreed to expand cooperation in development, security and health.

“Kenya and Israel agreed to invest in joint efforts on security issues, innovation, and cyber security, as well as continued cooperation in coping with Covid-19 and providing health training in general,” a dispatch from the Foreign Ministry in Kenya said.

“The two sides agreed to progress and widen development support, including holding a dedicated Development Dialogue, to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and to progress President Kenyatta's Big 4 Agenda,” the statement added, referring to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s ambitious projects to improve food security, manufacturing, healthcare and housing.

The two delegations led by Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau and Israeli Foreign Ministry DirectorGeneral Alon Ushpiz met during the 4th Political Dialogue between the two countries.

This was also a preparatory meeting for the upcoming Joint Commission on Cooperation due in November. Israel, seen as one of the best in security management, has also managed to reduce Covid-19 fatalities through a wider vaccination programme. It had earlier helped train Kenya’s nurses after independence through the Mashav programme.

However, critics have accused some Israeli firms, such as tech firm NSO Group, the developer of Pegasus, of aiding intelligence agencies across the world to mine private information on targets.

There were no details on the nature of

cyberspace cooperation in the dispatch, however, and Israel itself has indicated it doesn’t control what clients of the spying apps can do, meaning the blame on abuse rests with end users. The Joint Commission on Cooperation usually discusses vital areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Israel has been involved in various Kenyan projects in the past, with mixed success. It has traditionally cooperated with Kenya in training of security forces. A trial programme for irrigation in Galana-Kulalu, Tana River County, run by an Israeli firm failed to pick up with the firm withdrawing from the project and citing frustrations.

However, more Israeli firms are involved in Kenya’s agribusiness.

The meeting also discussed “development, economic, and legal cooperation, implementation of pending agreements, and collaboration in international organisations.”

Israel joined the African Union recently as an observer state, returning to the body it left acrimoniously 19 years ago. As an Observer, Israel will not have a vote but can send delegations to crucial meetings and be able to lobby for favourable support. It is widely seen as a check on Palestine, which had been an Observer state at the African Union since 2013. The African Union has always supported a two-state solution, and opposes Israeli’s alleged forced eviction of Palestinians.

“The Political Dialogue is an important opportunity for both Kenya and Israel to discuss bilateral issues at a senior level, and promote the special relations between the countries,” Kenya’s Foreign Ministry said. “The dialogue underscores the strength of the special partnership between Kenya and Israel, which is based on shared goals and common interests, as well as a long history of friendship and admiration.”

Danish Siddiqui

the head and then riddled his body with bullets,” wrote the writer Micheal Rubin, who is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Desperate Zimbabwean youth turn to drugs to heal pain

Harare: The unemployed agricultural youths in Zimbabwe started using the drug last year when the country was placed under a hard lockdown. Everything came to a "standstill", one youth says. "We were at home, had nothing to do, so we ended up taking drugs to forget our troubles," he said, preparing to take a hit from the improvised pipe. "Doing drugs is a way of healing the pain and stress of being unproductive," the lanky fellow said.

"When I take crystal meth, I get lots of energy," he added. Crystal meth use is adding to a cocktail of woes accompanying the coronavirus pandemic - economic hardship, unemployment, poverty and desperation. Psychiatrists say the drug is relatively new in Zimbabwe, and as it costs only US$3 a sachet, it is dangerously affordable.

Half of Zimbabwe's population - around eight million people - live in extreme poverty, according to a recent study by the national statistics agency, UNICEF and the World Bank. "There has been an alarming rise in substance abuse, particularly during the lockdown," said Harare-based psychiatrist Anesu Isabel Chinoperekwei.

More than two-thirds of her caseload is drug-related, while at public hospitals, around 65 per cent of psychiatric admissions are linked to drug abuse.

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Indian origin picked as 1st Muslim to be US religious rights envoy WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American attorney Rashad Hussain as the ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, the first Muslim to be nominated to the key position, according to the White House.

Hussain, 41, is currently director for partnerships and global engagement at the National Security Council. “The announcement underscores the president’s commitment to build an administration that looks like America and reflects people of all faiths. Hussain is the first Muslim to be nominated to serve as the

Rashad Hussain

ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom,” the White House

said. He previously served as senior counsel at the department of justice’s National

Security Division. During the Obama administration, he served as special envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, special envoy for strategic counter-terrorism communications and deputy associate White House counsel.

In his roles as envoy, Hussain worked with multilateral organisations to expand partnerships in education, entrepreneurship, health, international security, science and technology and other areas. He also spearheaded efforts on countering antisemitism and protecting minorities in Muslimmajority countries.

Sydney seeks military help as it posts record daily rise in Covid cases SYDNEY: Australia's biggest city Sydney posted a record one-day rise in local Covid-19 cases last week and warned the outbreak would get worse, as authorities sought military help to enforce a lockdown of 6 million people poised to enter its sixth week.

Australia has struggled to contain an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant in and around Sydney in recent weeks, which threatens to push the country's $1.5 trillion economy into its second recession in as many years.

Despite an extended lockdown of Sydney, the state capital, New South Wales recorded 239 locally acquired cases, the biggest daily rise since the pandemic begun. "We can only assume that things are likely to get worse before they get better given the quantity of people infectious in the community," New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

Berejiklian said one more person had died from Covid, taking the death count from the current outbreak to 13 and the overall national total to 921.

With little sign that recent restrictions are reducing case numbers, Berejiklian said new curbs would be imposed on the southwestern and western areas of Sydney where the majority of Covid cases are being found.

More than two million residents in eight Sydney hotspots will now be forced to wear masks outdoors and must stay within 5 km (3 miles) of their

US Republican report indicts China for Wuhan lab leak WASHINGTON: Covid-19 pandemic is back with a vengeance across the world, with renewed focus in the US on China which is again locking down towns and municipalities following fresh outbreaks. A report released by a US Republican congressional panel, citing copious open source data, renewed allegations that the virus escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) lab before September 12, 2019.

Evidence cited in the report included satellite imagery showing a surge in hospital traffic around the WIV’s headquarters and an increase in the use of internet search terms related to Covid-19 symptoms soon after the outbreak was detected on September 12. A surfeit of spending on safety protocols for the facility even though it was less than two years old, and a virtual military takeover followed by the virus database being taken offline in the middle of the night. Shortly after the removal of the database, the lab requested bids for additional security at the lab, such as gatekeepers, guards, video surveillance, security patrols, and people to handle the registration and reception of foreign personnel, the GOP report said, revealing that Major General Chen Wei, a biology and chemical weapons defence expert, had taken control of one of the institute’s labs in late 2019.

homes. With even tighter restrictions set to begin, New South Wales Police said it had asked for 300 military personnel to help enforce lockdown orders.

"With an increase in enforcement activity over the coming week, I have now made a formal request to the prime minister for (Australian Defence Force) personnel to assist with that operation," New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said. It was not clear what the military personnel would be doing if deployed, but neighbouring Victoria state used a similar number of troops to assist with running testing centres and checking to see whether people under strict stay at home orders were abiding by the requests.

Berejiklian

extended the Sydney lockdown by another month, but allowed the majority of construction projects to resume as long as workers do not come into contact with residents. The restrictions are likely to take a heavy economic toll, with New South Wales accounting for more than a third of Australia's economy.

Berejiklian said restrictions need to remain as too few people in Sydney are vaccinated amid tight supplies of Pfizer vaccines, which Canberra had hoped to inoculate everyone under 60 years old.

All adults in Sydney have now been urged to seek an AstraZeneca vaccine. But citing rare blood clots, many are reluctant and would prefer to wait several months when Australia is expected to receive additional Pfizer supplies. Only about 17% of people above 16 years fully vaccinated in New South Wales.

NSO blocks Pegasus use by some govts: Reports WASHINGTON: Israeli surveillance software company NSO Group has temporarily blocked several government clients around the world from using its Pegasus spyware as the company investigates its possible misuse, Washington-based non-profit media outlet NPR reported.

The development also follows raids on some offices of the NSO Group by Israeli government agencies “to begin assessing” security breach allegations against the company’s Pegasus spyware.

Meanwhile, French authorities have found traces of Pegasus software on the phones of several French targets on Amnesty and Forbidden Stories’ list – providing independent corroboration of this month’s explosive reports, a tweet by a Reuters correspondent said, quoting La Monde and an online investigative journal, Mediapart.

According to NPR, NSO Group suspending supply of the software is in response to an investigation by the Pegasus Project, a consortium of media outlets that reported that the company's Pegasus spyware was linked to hacks and potential surveillance of telephones of people including journalists, human rights activists and heads of state.

“There is an investigation into some

clients. Some of those clients have been temporarily suspended,” said the source in the company, who – according to NPR – spoke on condition of anonymity because company policy states that NSO “will no longer be responding to media inquiries on this matter and it will not play along with the vicious and slanderous campaign.” NPR reported that the company employee would not name or quantify the government agencies - or their countries - that NSO has recently suspended from using its spyware, asserting that Israeli defence regulations prohibit the company from identifying its clients.

NSO says it has 60 customers in 40 countries, all of them intelligence agencies, law enforcement bodies and militaries. It says in recent years, before the media reports, it blocked its software from five governmental agencies, including two in the past year, after finding evidence of misuse, NPR reported.

NSO’s ongoing internal investigation checked some of the telephone numbers of people that NSO’s clients reportedly marked as potential targets. “Almost everything we checked, we found no connection to Pegasus,” the employee told NPR, declining to elaborate on potential misuse NSO may have uncovered.

in brief MORE THAN 300 KILLED IN CHINA FLOODS More than 300 people died in recent flooding in central China, authorities said, three times the previously announced toll. The Henan provincial government said 302 people died and 50 remain missing. The vast majority of the victims were in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, where 292 died and 47 are missing.

Ten others died in three other cities, officials said. Record rainfall inundated Zhengzhou on July 20, turning streets into rushing rivers and flooding at least part of a subway line.

Video posted online showed vehicles being washed away and desperate people trapped in subway cars as the waters rose. Fourteen people died in the subway flooding. The previous toll, announced on Friday, was 99.

TUNISIA PREZ DECLARES CRACKDOWN ON GRAFT Tunisia’s President Kais Saied accused 460 businessmen of embezzlement as he declared a crackdown on corruption, days after grabbing power in what his opponents have labelled a “coup”. Saied, who suspended parliament for 30 days and seized all executive powers last week, slammed the “bad economic choices” made in recent years, during a meeting with a leader of the employers’ federation UTICA. In his comments, the president singled out for criticism “those who plunder public money”.

Saied accused the 460 businessmen of owing 13.5 billion dinars ($4.9 billion) to the state, citing the findings of a commission of inquiry into graft under former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. “This money must be returned to the Tunisian people,” he said, adding that he intends to offer the businessmen “judicial arbitration”. In exchange for dropping proceedings, the reimbursed money would be injected into less developed parts of Tunisia.

NASA FINDS EVIDENCE OF WATER VAPOUR ON JUPITER MOON In a significant finding about the presence of water outside the earth and its moon, astronomers have for the first time found evidence of water vapour in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede, opening up the possibility that there could be presence of life on the largest moon of our solar system.

According to a study in journal Nature Astronomy, the water vapour forms when ice from the moon’s surface turns directly into gas from solid, a process called sublimation.

Scientists used new and archival data sets from Nasa’s Hubble telescope to make the discovery. According to the study, Ganymede’s temperature may become sufficiently warm near the equator around noon, which in turn leads to its ice surface to release (or sublimate) some small amounts of water molecules. The findings will give a heads-up to European Space Agency’s upcoming mission, JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer), which is planned for launch in 2022 and arrival at Jupiter in 2029. JUICE will spend three years making detailed observations about Jupiter and three of its largest moons.

USCIS GETS 1ST WOMAN HEAD The US Senate has confirmed the nomination of Ur Mendoza Jaddou as Director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

She is the first woman to head the immigration agency of the US government. In April, US President Joe Biden had announced his intention to nominate her for the post. The Senate, last week confirmed her appointment by a vote of 47-34. According to the White House, she is a daughter of immigrants, a mother from Mexico and a father from Iraq.

She was born and raised in California and holds a masters’ degree from Stanford and a law degree from UCLA. She has two decades of experience in immigration law and policy, which includes an earlier stint at USCIS

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Assam-Mizoram drop FIRs ahead of talks on Aug 5 Squabbling northeastern neighbours Assam and Mizoram made “goodwill gestures” towards each other on Monday, including dropping FIRs filed in connection with the border violence a week ago, as they prepared the ground for an August 5 meeting in Aizawl to take another crack at resolving their decades-old boundary dispute. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said he had deputed senior minister Atul Bora of AGP, who is known to share a rapport with Mizoram CM Zoramthanga, and new cabinet colleague Ashok Singhal to represent the state at the talks.

Squabbling northeastern neighbours Assam and Mizoram made “goodwill gestures” towards each other on Monday, including dropping FIRs filed in connection with the border violence a week ago, as they prepared the ground for an August 5 meeting in Aizawl to take another crack at resolving their decades-old boundary dispute.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said he had deputed senior minister Atul Bora of AGP, who is known to share a rapport with Mizoram CM Zoramthanga, and new cabinet colleague Ashok Singhal to represent the state at the talks.

Mizoram announced the first

conciliatory move, with Zoramthanga asking the police to drop the FIR against his Assam counterpart, six senior officials of the civil and police administration of the neighbouring state, and 200 unnamed cops allegedly involved in the border violence on July 26.

CMs agree to bury the hatchet Six days after the flare-up on the border which saw six Assam police personnel being killed in firing by Mizoram Police, the chief ministers of the two states buried hostility on Sunday - which happened to be the International Friendship Day - following Union home minister Amit Shah’s intervention and agreed to sit down for

In U-turn, Goa health minister says no O2 deaths in state

Vishwajit Rane

Over two months after saying that several Covid-19 patients died due to oxygen shortage at the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Health Minister Vishwajit Rane now told the Legislative Assembly that the facility did not face any paucity of the life-saving gas during the pandemic and hence there was no question of any fatality occurring due to it.

In his statement in the House, Rane said, “Not a single Covid patient died due to oxygen shortage at the GMCH.” He was replying to a question tabled on the floor of the House by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat. In the written reply, the minister said, “At no point in time, the oxygen supplies at GMCH ran out of stock and thus, no death has been reported to have (been) caused due to non-supply of oxygen.”

His statement was contrary to his own remarks made on May 11, in which he had said that 26 persons died within 24 hours at the GMCH due to oxygen shortage. At that time, Rane had said that between 2 am and 6 am on May 11, these patients had lost their lives as the hospital did not get adequate supply of oxygen. “On Monday (May 10), our requirement was about 1,200 cylinders, but we received 400 cylinders. The hospital has been facing a shortage of oxygen supply,” the health minister had said.

Chief minister Pramod Sawant, who had visited the Covid wards on May 11, had also hinted that there was oxygen shortage. But in the written replies to three questions on oxygen-related deaths, Rane not only outrightly denied there were any such deaths but went further and lauded the government.

talks to resolve the vexed border dispute once and for all.

Shah had telephonic conversations with Assam chief minister Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga separately.

Subsequently, Zoramthanga, who is in quarantine after contracting Covid, called up Sarma before the two CMs went public on their peace moves. In another clear indication that hostilities are subsiding, the Mizoram chief secretary said the FIR against Sarma filed at Vairengte police station, which accused him of attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy, would be withdrawn as “Zoramthanga did not really

approve of it”.

Stressing the need for resolving the border dispute, Sarma said: “If the Centre takes an initiative, we have no problem talking.

The Assam government is ready to talk to the Mizoram government at any point of time and at any place, be it Guwahati, Aizwal or New Delhi. If the Mizoram CM wants us for discussion, we are always available. We do not like these frequent border skirmishes.

We have come for development and these border tensions are a big deterrent,” he said, while emphasising on a final decision on boundary demarcation. The interstate border demarcation is a central subject and both Assam and Mizoram are now looking up to

New Delhi to find a permanent solution, which has been pending before Mizoram was carved out of Assam, first as a Union Territory in 1972 and then as a state in 1987.

Sarma’s statements came soon after Zoramthanga announced on Twitter: “As per telephonic discussion with the Union home minister and Assam chief minister, we agreed to resolve the Mizoram-Assam border issue amicably through meaningful dialogue. In the meantime, in order to prevent any possible escalation of the situation, I request the people of Mizoram to avoid posting sensitive messages and make judicious use of their social media platform,” the Mizoram CM added.

Australia to hand over 14 artefacts, many of which were ‘looted’ from India The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) has decided to return another 14 artefacts to the Indian government, many of which have been stolen or illegally removed from India. The artworks, worth nearly $3 million, include six sculptures, six photographs, a painted scroll and a processional standard. The collection is composed largely of “religious and cultural artefacts”, including some dating back to the 12th century.

According to reports, the Canberrabased National Gallery of Australia had purchased 13 of the works from the disgraced art dealer Subhash Kapoor and one from another dealer, William Wolff.

NGA director Nick Mitzevich confirmed that it is believed that six of the artworks were likely looted from India.

As quoted by ABC News, Mitzevich said that although the ownership of two other items could not be traced, they would also be returned to India as the NGA had “no faith in Kapoor’s ethics.”

Mitzevich has said that the works were set to be returned to the Indian government within months. “It’s a relief that they can be returned to the Indian people, and it’s a resolution for the National Gallery to close a very difficult chapter of our history,” he added.

This is the fourth time the NGA has given the Indian government antiquities

smuggling charges and is still an undertrial in India. Kapoor has denied all charges. In September 2014, then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott returned a 900-year-old Shiva sculpture allegedly smuggled by Kapoor, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country. Following this, the NGA returned another five artworks it purchased from Kapoor, including a thirdcentury rock carving and a series of exquisite stone sculptures.

Once the latest batch of 13 artefacts are returned to India, the Australian gallery will only hold three of the 22 works it has purchased from Subhash Kapoor. Over 30 years, Kapoor is believed to have traded in over millions worth antiques, including statues and paintings, many of them now believed to be stolen.

His gallery, Art of the Past, was located at the heart of Manhattan’s art circle, and Kapoor himself was a celebrated donor of art and the toast of openings in New York and other major art capitals.

Many of the antiquities Kapoor dealt in dated back to the 11th and 12th centuries, when the Chola dynasty presided over a flourishing of Hindu art in Tamil Nadu. Since Kapoor’s arrest in 2011, the United States has also returned several hundreds of artefacts.

it bought from Kapoor, who was arrested in October 2011 in Germany over idol

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New Karnataka CM to discuss cabinet expansion with BJP high command BENGALURU: Newly sworn-in Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is in Delhi and is expected to meet the BJP high command to finalise the names of ministers to be inducted into the new Cabinet. He has also dropped hints that the new ministers will be formally appointed by August 5, if the names were finalised by the central leadership.

“The names for the Cabinet will be decided in the meeting.

Swearing-in will take place either on Wednesday or Thursday,” Bommai said. He added that he was also trying to meet Home Minister Amit Shah at the Parliament before his scheduled meeting with party chief J P Nadda. Bommai has reiterated that the appointments would be completed “in a balanced manner, also considering the previous team (led by B S Yediyurappa)”. Responding to queries about whether the expansion of his cabinet would be done in separate phases,

Basavaraj Bommai

Bommai clarified that the decision on the same would be made during the upcoming meeting with the party’s leaders.

“Another decision will be that of the number of Deputy CMs that will be included in the cabinet. Efforts will be made to ensure everyone is together, considering the current political situation,” Bommai added.

Bommai also revealed that some ministerial aspirants, camping in the national capital, have met him since his arrival. “We have had good discussions and they are also aware that not everyone can be picked for the Cabinet,” he said. Lobbying for the plum

posts, including that of deputy CM, has been intense since Yediyurappa resigned last week, with a few leaders visiting and staying put in the national capital, airing their demands to the party leadership as well.

What led to Yediyurappa's downfall Several MLAs within the BJP went public against former CM, with BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal first saying that the party cannot have Yediyurappa as the chief minister in the next elections. The CM has to be changed to keep the BJP alive in the state, Yatnal said.

State tourism minister CP Yogeshwara and HuballiDharwad MLA Arvind Bellad had also spoken out against the former CM. Yediyurappa also faced a sort of internal rebellion from former CM Sadananda Gowda, who was dropped from the Union Cabinet and returned to Bengaluru.

Corruption allegations Further, Yediyurappa was

accused of being involved in the alleged illegal allotment of 24 acres of government land to private individuals at a loss to the taxpayer. In April this year, the Supreme Court put a stay on the criminal proceedings against him in the 10-year-old corruption case related to alleged illegal land denotification.

Allegations of interference with governance in the state were also levelled against Yediyurappa’s kin, including his sons, for piggybacking on the 78year-old’s clout and furthering personal financial interests at the cost of state matters.

Growing age Then, several leaders within the BJP emphasised the need for a young leader to take on the state unit's baton for the next Assembly elections. It should be remembered that the Yediyurappa government had come to power after toppling the Congress-JD(S) coalition government led by former CM HD Kumaraswamy.

PUNJAB

Jakhar questions Sidhu's appointment as Punjab Cong chief CHANDIGARH: All is not well within Punjab Congress as former state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar has expressed his grievance openly, saying the party has forgotten him, indirectly pointing to the incapability of the newly appointed state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Directly questioning the party high command's decision on the appointment of Sidhu as the new Punjab Congress chief, Jakhar said that the person who was trying to patch up the rift between Captain Amarinder Singh and Sidhu was forgotten by the Congress party.

Jakhar further said, "In Congress, it has become a

tradition that if someone gets upset, then people go to their home to persuade them. But today, who did you hand over the keys to? Today, you forgot Sunil Jakhar." Rahul Gandhi tried to settle the crisis in Punjab but it seems another simmering tension is brewing which may harm the party's prospects in the 2022 state Assembly elections.

"The route to the national revival of the Congress party goes via Punjab, and the road to Punjab Congress' return to power goes via Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan," added Jakhar referring to the incidents when two youths were killed in the police firing at Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015, while

Sunil Jakhar

protesting against the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari on October 12.

Police had also opened fire on protesters at Kotkapura, leaving many injured, the same day.

Speaking at the Congress ceremony to commemorate the appointment of Sidhu as the new state party chief, Jakhar said, "The whole of Punjab came out in protest against the farm laws.

At that time, if there had been any other chief minister, other than Captain Amarinder Singh, then, the protests being held against BJP would have been against us (Punjab government and Congress). He (Amarinder

Singh) handled them brilliantly and sent them there (Delhi border)."

Patch up by Sidhu, Captain Amarinder Despite his refusal to issue an apology, Amarinder met Sidhu hours before his elevation ceremony at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh last week. The moment was captured in photos wherein the two leaders - Sidhu and Amarinder - were seen sitting beside each other during a tea ceremony hosted by Amarinder.

Sidhu also greeted Amarinder with folded hands when he had arrived at Punjab Bhawan. However, the meeting didn't go as smooth as it appears.

According to sources, Sidhu did not meet Amarinder at first.

When Amarinder's cavalcade arrived, Sidhu left the venue alone but came back within 10 minutes. It is reported that Sidhu returned to the venue after he was cajoled by some party members.

WEST BENGAL

Babul Supriyo quits politics, says his absence 'won't matter' in BJP KOLKATA: Former Union minister and BJP MP Babul Supriyo, who has recently been dropped from the Union cabinet after his defeat in the West Bengal Assembly election, announced that he will be quitting politics as he needs some time. In a long Facebook post, the singer-turnedpolitician wrote social work can be done even without being associated with politics. " He explained that losing the ministry has played some role in his decision.

"Have listened to what my father, wife, daughter and a few close friends had to say. After listening to everything, I am saying that I am not going to

Babul Supriyo

any other party. I am confirming that I am not joining the Congress, not the CPM. Neither they have called me, nor I am going. I am a oneteam player. Have always supported Mohun Bagan.. have

done only party BJP West Bengal..

That's it!" the former minister wrote.

B a b u l ' s political career received two major blows in the recent days after he lost in the West Bengal Assembly election followed by the loss of Cabinet berth. In his post, he has elaborately answered the reason behind his decision and said that the loss of ministry is certainly responsible for the decision. "I don't want to play unfair, So it

will be better if I clarify this. It will also give me some peace," Babul wrote, "There was a difference between 2014 and 2019. In 214, I was alone in Bengal BJP (with due respect to GJM's Ahluwaliaji), But today there are many new and bright leaders in the party. Some of them are young, some of them are veterans. Needless to say, under their guidance the party will go far in Bengal. I have no qualms to admit that today one individual does not matter a lot in the party and it is quite clear.

And I think admitting this would be the right decision," his Facebook post written in Bengal read.

in brief 66% OF TN POPULATION HAS COVID ANTIBODIES The third Tamil Nadu Sero survey in July, covering over 26,000 samples revealed that at least 66.2 per cent of the population has developed antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19. Among the 26,610 samples tested, 17,624 individuals had IgG (Immunoglobulin G) antibodies against SARSCoV-2 virus. While the overall seroprevalence was 66.2 per cent, the highest seropositivity was observed in Virudhunagar district at 84 per cent while Erode in west Tamil Nadu reported the lowest at 37, according to the latest serosuvrey conducted by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in 888 clusters across the state. In the earlier state-wide surveys, the seropositivity was 31 per cent in October/November 2020, and 29 per cent (in the second conducted in April 2021).

COVID CASES RISE IN KERALA, CENTRE SENDS TEAM In the wake of a sharp and persistent increase in daily new cases of Covid-19 in Kerala, the Centre has sent a high -evel team to the southern state to support in the effective public health interventions in order to contain the infection spread. Kerala has been recording more than 20,000 new cases for the few weeks. The state with an active case load of 154,000 is contributing 37.1% of the total active cases, with a growth rate of 1.41 (per cent) in the last seven days. The state is also reporting a high positivity of 12.93%, while six of its districts have more than 10% weekly positivity.

Central sources said Kerala, in mid-May 2021 was reporting a high of more than 43,000 new cases a day and this began to decline there on to the first week of June. But from June third week to date, daily new cases are rising in a gradual and consistent manner with Kerala recently reporting more than 22,000 new cases in a day. This is more than 50% of the peak witnessed by Kerala in mid-May.

DON’T RAZE GOLDEN TEMPLE ‘SARAI’: ACTIVISTS Conservationists have voiced concerns over losing the historical character around the Golden Temple by replacing old structures with new ones. Situated in the vicinity of the Golden Temple, they favour preservation of oldest ‘sarai’ Sri Guru Ramdas Ji Niwas, which the SGPC decided to demolish to pave way for new construction. Conservationists are citing both national and international rules to stress the point. Citing the report of the National Commission on Urbanisation, published in 1988, Rajinder Singh Baath, a retired archaeologist of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Museum, pointed out that neither an elevated road nor a flyover or a road-widening scheme was allowed in historical towns. Baath said the focus must be to preserve the old buildings.

BENGAL EXTENDS COVID -19 CURBS TILL AUGUST 15 West Bengal extends Covid-19 restrictions in state till August 15, while night curfew hours to remain in place between 9 pm to 5 am except for emergency and essential services. The State Executive Committee of West Bengal State Disaster Management Authority recommended a further extension of restriction measures as already in force with graded and calibrated approach to relaxations as required after a review of the current situation of Covid pandemic. Issuing a press release, the state government reiterated that wearing of masks, maintenance of physical distancing and health & hygiene protocol must be followed at all times. There was no word on the resumption of local train services. Metro services will operate for five days a week for the general public. The notification added that work from home must be encouraged as far as possible and practical.

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India, China make ‘some progress’ at border talks India and China have inched closer to completing the stalled troop disengagement at Gogra and Hot Springs in eastern Ladakh, though there was no headway in resolving the much more crucial Depsang standoff during the top-level military dialogue last week, sources said. A bland joint statement issued on Monday, without specifying any location or place, stated the two countries agreed during the12th round of corps commander-level talks on July 31 to resolve “the remaining issues” in the 15month long military confrontation in eastern Ladakh in an “expeditious manner” in accordance with existing agreements and protocols.

The nine-hour military dialogue was “constructive”, which “further enhanced mutual understanding”, with “a candid and indepth exchange of views on resolution of remaining areas related to disengagement” along the line of actual control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, added the statement.

Sources, in turn, said “some progress” has been made towards resolving the faceoff at patrolling points (PPs) 15, 17 and 17A in the Hot Springs-Gogra-Kongka La area in a phased manner. “There is cautious optimism because even a joint statement was not issued after the 11th round on April 9.

But we have to wait and watch how it translates on the ground, especially since the PLA had agreed to disengage from Gogra and Hot Springs twice last year but eventually did not. Depsang and Demchok will take much longer to sort out,” said a source.

The joint statement said the two countries agreed to keep “the momentum of dialogue and negotiations” going, while continuing with their “effective efforts” in ensuring stability along the LAC and jointly maintaining peace and tranquility in the interim. The corps commander-level meeting on Saturday, almost four months after the last round, came after external affairs minister S Jaishankar held an hour-long meeting with his counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conclave at Dushanbe in Tajikistan on July 14.

Earlier, on June 25, India and China had also virtually conducted the 22nd meeting of the diplomatic Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination

PM Modi launches e-RUPI to make targeted DBT benefits work Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a digital direct benefit transfer (DBT) platform called eRUPI, which aims at making sure that the money transferred by the user, in this case, the government, is used exactly for the same purpose as it is intended to be. PM Modi termed the e-RUPI as a “big reform”, in line with the launch of BHIM-UPI payment system in December 2016. The UPI system has indeed changed the payment landscape in India and has become the preferred mode of payment in many cases. In July alone, UPI registered 3 billion transactions, worth Rs 6 trillion-plus.

What is e-RUPI? It is a one-time digital voucher developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) that will be transferred directly to the mobile phone as an SMS string or QR code which can be redeemed at particular merchant points that are specifically focused on delivering services related to the benefit scheme for which the money has been transferred. To start with, eRUPI has been launched to transfer benefits schemes of the Ministry of Health.

Instead of crediting the DBT amount directly to the beneficiary bank account, through the e-RUPI,

Narendra Modi

an equivalent amount voucher will be sent directly to the beneficiary’s mobile phone in the form of an SMS string, or a QR code. The beneficiary will have to show the SMS or QR code to specific centres where it can be redeemed with a code delivered to the mobile number where the SMS or QR code had come.

It will be targeted for a specific purpose and cannot be used for any other thing. For example, if the e-RUPI has been sent to the beneficiary to avail vaccination, it can be used at the vaccination centre only to get the vaccine. This would ensure that the “money is utilised for the same purpose it is given for,” PM Modi said while inaugurating the facility.

Earlier, as the benefit amount used to get directly credited to the account of the beneficiary, it was possible to withdraw and use it for, say, consumption purposes. With the new transfer scheme, that can be plugged.

However, it is not clear yet what happens to those beneficiaries who do not have even a basic mobile phone. In such cases, DBT scheme would likely continue for some more time, said a banker.

PM Modi said going forward, e-RUPI will be used for other DBT schemes of the government as well. Currently, there are 315 DBT schemes run by 54 ministries of the government. However, not all schemes are for everyone. Data from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) show till date, 7.32 trillion transactions have been done, transferring about Rs 1.42 trillion to the beneficiaries. While banks and payments systems have a huge role to play in this ecosystem, hospitals, and corporate entities have also shown interest in adopting this technology, the Prime Minister said.

on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC). During the military dialogue, India had raised the need to complete the stalled disengagement at Gogra and Hot Springs, while also calling for the “restoration of unhindered patrolling rights” in the strategically-located Depsang Bulge region, with the bottomline being restoration of the status quo as it existed in April 2020.

The PLA has been blocking Indian troops patrols in the ‘Bottleneck’ area of Depsang, which is 18-km inside what India perceives to be its territory, from going to their traditional PPs-10, 11, 11A, 12, and 13 in the region since April last year. India has been repeatedly stressing that troop disengagement from the “remaining friction points”, followed by de-induction and the consequent deescalation, is critical for improvement in bilateral ties.

Hotline established India and China established a

hotline between their ground commanders in Kongra La in north Sikkim and Khamba Dzong in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, amidst the continuing military confrontation in eastern Ladakh since April-May last year.

The development comes a day after the 12th round of corps commander-level talks, led by 14 Corps commander Lt-General P G K Menon and the South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin, on the Chinese side of the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in eastern Ladakh on Saturday.

In a statement, the Indian Army said the new hotline was established to “further the spirit of trust and cordial relations” along the borders to coincide with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Day. This is the sixth such hotline between the ground commanders along the 3,488-km line of actual control. Now, there are two hotlines each in eastern Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

India assumes presidency of United Nations Security Council India on August 1 assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council and will be hosting signature events related to maritime security, peacekeeping, and counter-terrorism during the month.

India took over the presidency from France. Ambassador of India to United Nations TS Tirumurti thanked the French Permanent Representative to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, for steering the UN Security Council for the month of July. "Thank you Ambassador @NDeRiviere, PR of France for steering the UN #SecurityCouncil for the month of July. India takes over the Presidency for August," Tirumurti tweeted.

Meanwhile, France said it is committed to working with India on strategic issues as maritime security, peacekeeping, and counter-terrorism. "Delighted that India is today taking over #UNSC presidency from France. We are committed to working with India on strategic issues as maritime security, peacekeeping, and counter-terrorism, and upholding a rules-based, multilateral system to face today's many ongoing crises," Ambassador of France to India Emmanuel Lenain tweeted.

This is India's first presidency in the UNSC during its 2021-22 tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC. The two-year tenure of India as a non-permanent member of the UNSC began on Jan. 1, 2021. During the presidency of the powerful 15-nation UN body, India said it will be focusing on maritime security, peacekeeping, and counter-terrorism.

Tirumurti said that New Delhi will continue to keep the spotlight on counter-terrorism. "Further, as a country that has been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, we will continue to keep the spotlight on counter-terrorism. I would like to thank Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and External Affairs Minister (S Jaishankar) for counting to guide our permanent mission especially during our stint during the security council," he said. This is India's eighth tenure in the UNSC.

Floods claim 207 lives in Maharashtra, millions evacuated The death toll in flood-hit Maharashtra rose to 207 and heavy rains coupled with discharge of water from the Koyna dam forced the evacuation of millions of people while the northern states received widespread showers with Delhi recording the highest rainfall in a day for July in eight years. The meteorological department has forecast heavy rain in Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal under the influence of a low pressure that has formed over the Bay of Bengal.

Monsoon may have arrived late in Delhi, but it is inundating the capital now. The city has recorded 381 mm rainfall so far this month, the highest for July since 2003 and the second-highest ever. The Safdarjung Observatory recorded 100 mm rainfall in just three hours last week, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

It is also the maximum rainfall in 24 hours in the month of July in eight years. In

2013, Delhi had received 123.4 mm rains on July 21. The monsoon, the most delayed in 19 years, is now drenching Delhi, flooding lowlying areas and causing long traffic snarls.

16 dead in J&K and Himachal At least 16 people have died and 20 others were either injured or reported missing in two separate incidents of cloud bursts in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir and LahaulSpiti in Himachal Pradesh, even as heavy rains brought life to standstill in several parts of northern India. The Jammu and Kashmir administration deployed Indian Army and state disaster relief force personnel at Honzar village in Kishtwar district after a cloudburst damaged over half a dozen houses in the area.

While seven bodies have been found from the debris, 12 others are feared trapped.

Additional director general of police, Mukesh Singh, said of the 17 rescued, five were critical and have been shifted to government hospi-

tal in Kishtwar. “Army is assisting local police in the rescue operations,” he said.

About 100 villagers in Honzar were caught unaware when a gush of water came down from a neighbouring monsoon stream very early in the morning when most were asleep, Singh said. Most of the houses that got swept away were on the side of the stream, he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet that the Central government is closely monitoring the situation in the wake of the cloudbursts in Kishtwar and Kargil and all the possible assistance is being made available in the affected areas. Union home minister Amit Shah also spoke to the lieutenant governor (L-G) & Jammu & Kashmir’s director general of police (DGP) regarding the incident, officials said.

Ladakh In two simultaneous cloudbursts, a mini power plant was badly damaged in Kargil area

of the Union territory of Ladakh. In addition, several residential houses and standing crops were also damaged in the region, officials said, adding there was no report of loss of human life in the cloudbursts, which struck Sangra and Khangral.

Uttarakhand Mini cloud bursts leading to heavy rains were reported from Chamoli in Uttarakhand even as the rest of the state got heavy rains, leading to several landslides and blockade of traffic. In Almora district, a home guard jawan was swept away while riding home on his scooter. Continuous heavy rains caused water logging in low lying areas of Dehradun, where a culvert was damaged in Bakrawala area. The water logging damaged several houses in the capital city. Due to heavy rains, tourists were also stopped from going to the popular tourist spot of Kempty Falls near Mussoorie.

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PM Modi is among mostfollowed politician on Twitter Prime Minister Narendra Modi's massive social media reach has helped him earn the tag of being one of the popular leaders on Twitter in the world. His Twitter account has now surpassed the 70 million followers mark, becoming the most followed active politician in the world on the microblogging site. PM Modi joined Twitter in 2009. He was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat. In 2010, he had just 100,000 followers.

Congratulating PM Modi, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, "PM Narendra Modi ji's personal connect, vision and decisive actions keep adding to his surging global popularity.

Congratulations to our Prime Minister on another milestone of 70 million twitter followers. We are proud of and inspired by your leadership."

Narendra Modi

While United States President Joe Biden's personal account has 30.9 million followers on Twitter, the account of the POTUS has 12.8 million followers.

Former US President Barack Obama has 129.8 million followers.

France President Emmanuel Macron has 7.1 million Twitter followers.

Earlier, former US President Donald Trump

was the most followed active politician on Twitter.

But his account was permanently suspended after the US Capitol riots.

He had 88.7 million followers before Twitter permanently suspended his account. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has a following of 26.3 million on Twitter while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has 19.4 million followers.

India rejects elections in Pak-occupied Kashmir India last week rejected the recent “elections” held in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), while simultaneously rejecting a reference to the CPEC in a recent Pakistan-China joint statement, saying it lies in India’s territory that has been illegally occupied

by Pakistan and which is resolutely opposed by India.

The Indian response also covered the reference to J&K in the joint statement with the MEA spokesperson saying UTs of J&K and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India. Ministry Arindam spokesperson Bagchi said India lodged a “strong protest” with Pakistan on a “cosmetic exercise” to hold elections in PoK. “Such an exercise can neither hide the illegal occupation by Pakistan nor

the grave human rights violations, exploitation, and denial of freedom to people in these occupied territories.”

Vacate illegal occupation: India MEA spokesperson said, “Pakistan has no locus standi on these Indian territories. We call on Pakistan to vacate all Indian areas under its illegal occupation.” The election exercise, Bagchi said, is nothing but an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation and the material changes undertaken by it in these territories.

On the CPEC, which India has opposed on the grounds that it violates its sovereignty, the MEA spokesperson said, “We resolutely oppose any attempts by other

countries to change the status quo in areas illegally occupied by Pakistan as also to Pakistan bringing up any material change in Indian territories under its illegal occupation. We call upon parties concerned to cease such actions.” Asked to respond to a meeting between Taliban leader Mullah Baradar and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, the MEA spokesperson avoided commenting on the meeting as such, but said India “wishes to see an independent, sovereign, democratic and stable Afghanistan, at peace with itself and neighbours.

Unilateral imposition of will by any party will not be democratic, cannot lead to stability, and cannot provide legitimacy. Gains over the last two decades should be preserved”.

India, US united against terror, support regional economic connectivity India and the US stand united in addressing the scourge of terrorism and supporting regional economic connectivity through transparent development of infrastructure, while ensuring respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said last week in a veiled jibe at Pakistan and China.

He said the two sides are together in opposing terrorist safe havens,

economic recovery and the situation in Afghanistan. In his response, Jaishankar said India and the United States have a comprehensive, strategic and global partnership based on shared democratic values and convergence of interests on regional and global matters and the relations have seen a steady growth and development after 2014.

"Relations between India and the US have seen steady growth and development after 2014.

S Jaishankar with Antony Blinken

countering terror-financing and strengthening cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including those in India's immediate neighbourhood. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Jaishankar said the India-US partnership is one of the major relationships in the world and the cooperation between the two countries is evident in the common commitment to address contemporary issues such as terrorism, climate change and pandemics.

The external affairs minister's comments came a day after he held wideranging talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with a focus on the Indo-Pacific engagement, Covid-19 response and

This has extended over three administrations in the US. The India-US relationship is today one of the major relationships of the world and there is widespread appreciation of the significance of this relationship and the fundamental convergences therein," he said.

Jaishankar also referred to a joint strategic vision of the two countries for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions that calls upon all parties to avoid the threat or use of force and pursue resolution of territorial and maritime disputes through peaceful means and in accordance with international laws, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. "To this end, India and

the US are committed to respecting freedom of navigation, overflight and commerce throughout the region and the need to resolve territorial and maritime disputes peacefully and in accordance with international laws," he said

in comments seen as directed at China.

China's military assertiveness in the South China Sea as well as in the larger Indo-Pacific region has been a matter of considerable concern for leading global powers.

Jaishankar said India and

the US support bolstering regional economic connectivity through transparent development of infrastructure and the use of responsible "debtfinancing practices", while ensuring respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the rule of law and

the environment.

There has been growing global criticism of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as Chinese financing has resulted in rising debt in several countries where infrastructure projects under the mega programme are being implemented.

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Mamata meets Sonia to forge united front West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her residence last week, for the first time since the two parties fought as rivals in the assembly elections, as the Trinamool chief said there will be efforts for a unified opposition to take on BJP. The meeting between the two leaders is a part of Mamata's series of outreach meetings in the national capital, including those with Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Anand Sharma a day before.

"It was a very good meeting,” Mamata said after the visit to 10 Janpath. Opposition leaders were likely to meet after Parliament’s monsoon session, she said, hoping for “a positive outcome”. The comments are significant as Mamata's ties with Sonia have been frosty for long, with the CM often accusing Congress of acting in provocative manner. Ahead of the 2019 election, she had said as much to Sonia during a chance

Sonia Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee

meeting in the Central Hall of Parliament.

Congress sources said Sonia and Mamata had “free and fair discussions” on all issues in the country and issues inside Parliament.

They also discussed how institutions were under attack under the Modi government. Sources said the two leaders share personal equations and this resulted in the meeting where no decisions were taken.

“I am not a political astrologer,” the Bengal CM said when asked whether she would lead a coalition of opposition parties. “It depends on the situation, structure. I have no problem if someone else leads (it). We can decide when the issue is discussed.

I cannot impose (my will),” she added. “I have a sweet home in Bengal. I will stay there and do not plan to shift to Delhi now,” Mamata said adding: “I am noth-

ing alone, everyone has to unite. I am not a leader but a cadre… a person on the street.” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was also present at the meeting at 10, Janpath.

Describing the meeting as "very positive," and one that had a “positive outcome”, Mamata said she discussed the present political situation in the country, the Covid situation as well as opposition unity with the Congress leadership.

Mamata said she met Sonia Gandhi because she had invited her for tea at her residence. "Rahul ji was also there during the meeting. We discussed the country's political situation in general."

On the Pegasus snooping issue she said, “The snooping controversy and the Covid-19 situation also came up for discussion during her meeting with Sonia Gandhi.

The government should reply on this issue in Parliament.” Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that opposition parties were not allowing

Parliament to function, Mamata said, "Why does the government not answer our question on the Pegasus controversy? They should reply. Don't the people want to know? If debates and discussions won't happen in Parliament, then where would they take place?"

She said “Khela Hobey”, the TMC campaign line used in the Bengal polls, will now go national and “the game is still on”. “Khela hobey, aaj Parliament mein… phir pura desh mein khela hobey,” she said in reply to a question after the meeting.

Challenging the PM and BJP, the TMC chief said the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will see Modi pitted against the entire country.

“Narendra Modi se fight hoga desh ka (Narendra Modi’s fight will be against the country),” she said when asked about who will be the challenger. In Delhi for the first time after the win, the Chief Minister has lined up meetings with several key opposition leaders.

Furious Shilpa ‘lashes out’ at husband Kundra The former Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty burst into tears and threw a spate of insults at her husband Raj Kundra during a fiery encounter at their property in Juhu that was broken up police. As authorities searched the building, she reportedly told her husband that he had brought a bad name to the family as well as destroyed any hopes of future financial sponsorships. “We have everything, what was the need to do all this,” she reportedly told her husband as he arrived at their home.

The businessman was arrested recently after allegedly luring a woman into making an X-rated film with the promise of an acting job. Police currently believe he a is ‘key conspirator’ in the pornographic film case and had extended his custody amid an ongoing investigation.

Shilpa, meanwhile, denied any involvement in the alleged offenses, but faced questioning on the day that the alleged row ensued.

She reportedly told the police that she had no concrete information about what content was shown on the adult film app "Hotshot," which allegedly streamed pornographic

content. She told police she was "unaware of the exact nature of the content" on the app, describing it as "erotica" rather than pornography.

But, after officers seized 48 terabytes of images and videos from the Bollywood star's home during a search, cops are now seeking to clone her phone and may also bring her in for a second round of questioning. They are also investigating whether Shilpa benefited from her husband's alleged links to the porn film business as part of her position as director of his firm, Viaan, from which she has now resigned after allegations came to light.

SEBI nails Kundra and Shilpa Market regulator SEBI, meanwhile, imposed a penalty of Rs 300,000 on the couple and their company Viaan Industries for contravening insider trading rules.

Kundra, Shetty and Viaan have been fined for a three-year delay in the disclosure of an allotment of preferential shares. In 2015, Viaan Industries had made a preferential allotment of 500,000 equity shares.

Of this 128,800 equity shares each were allotted to Kundra and Shilpa, the promoters of the company.

According to SEBI's Prohibition of Insider Trading Rules, 2015, the promoters had to disclose this transaction to the company within two days if it exceeded Rs 10,00,000 in value. The company, in turn, has to relay this disclosure to the stock exchanges within two trading days.

Bail denied to Kundra A Mumbai court Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, SB Bhajipale, meanwhile, refused to grant bail to Kundra and his associate Ryan Thorpe in the case pertaining to alleged production and distribution of porn content.

Accordingly, Kundra, a British national who was arrested by the Mumbai Police on July 19, will remain in judicial custody till Aug. 10, as ordered by the magistrate court.

Kundra, through senior advocate Abad Ponda, had filed a separate petition in the Bombay High Court challenging his arrest, which he contended was 'illegal,’ and appealed to quash all the orders of the Metropolitan Magistrate Court remanding him to police and then judicial custody.

However Justice A S Gadkari

refused to grant any interim relief to Kundra before hearing the police version in the matter.

Making a strong plea for bail, Ponda said that the chargesheet has already been filed in the case and invoked grounds of parity saying all the other accused are enlarged on bail.

He contended that some of the other accused have been booked under far more serious charges compared to Kundra, who could face jail term for a maximum of seven years. Opposing the bail plea, the public prosecutor said that a second FIR has also been registered in the case, the financial audit of Kundra's companies is yet to be completed and more victims are coming forward with their grievances.

51 films seized The public prosecutor informed the Bombay high court that “51 pornographic films were seized” from two apps by Mumbai

India registers 40,000 new Covid cases, 422 deaths India registered 40,134 fresh Covid-19 infections, pushing its virus tally to 3,16,95,958, while the number of active cases recorded an increase for the sixth consecutive day, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The death toll from the pandemic climbed to 4,24,773 with 422 daily fatalities.

The number of active coronavirus cases has increased to 4,13,718 and comprises 1.31% of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.35%, the data showed. An increase of 2,766 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. Also, 14,28,984 tests were conducted on Sunday, taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of Covid-19 in the country to 46,96,45,494, while the daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.81%. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.37%, according to the health ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to

3,08,57,467, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34%, the data stated.

Cumulative vaccine doses administered so far has reached 47.22 crore under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive.

NDMA may be used to issue orders The Centre may consider using the National Disaster Management Act to issue directions to states where Covid positivity rates are high unless the situation changes for the better and central advisories to restrict movement are followed in areas currently recording worrying levels of infections.

The Centre is looking to persuade

affected states, which include Kerala that has been contributing close to 50% of current infections in the country and some of the northeast states, to implement advisories pertaining to micro containment to prevent a wider spread in the community. The Centre has curtailed directions under the NDMA since May last year when the unlock process was largely left to the states.

There is a view that the situation cannot be allowed to drift after the high cost of the second wave in terms of lives and resources. “There are wider ramifications to failing to bring down infections. A new variant can impact our vaccine programme,” said an official.

Parts of the northeast in states like Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram have seen a rise in infections and the Centre is awaiting National Centre for Disease Control teams’ assessment of the health infrastructure and systems of detecting and reporting Covid 19.

Shilpa Shetty

crime branch and Kundra and Ryan Thorpe were arrested as they had “started deleting WhatsApp group and chats’’ and hence “destroying evidence”. At a hearing via videoconferencing before the bench of Justice Gadkari, Pai said the duo is accused of “serious offences of porn streaming content” and police “also seized material from phone and storage device”. She said there was an “email message from Kundra on his Hotshot app with one Pardeep Bakshi, his brother-inlaw, who owns a company in London...” Police “found obscene and bold videos” and information on a number of subscribers, payments received, she said.

NDA ally Nitish backs Pegasus probe demand Bihar chief minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar on Monday became the first NDA ally to seek an investigation into the Pegasus snooping allegations, albeit with the disclaimer that he was “not sure what has actually happened, what has not happened”.

“These days, you do not know who will do what by misusing technology. Therefore, the government should, in my opinion, take an appropriate step after observing all aspects of the issue,” Nitish said. “I know whatever information about Pegasus that is there in the newspapers. But the entire matter - how phones are being tapped, heard by others should be investigated properly and all facts brought before the people,” he said.

Nitish Kumar said, “If anyone indulges in the act of telephone-tapping with an intention to disturb someone, irritate someone, such a thing should not happen.” On the stand-off in Parliament over the opposition’s demand for a probe by a joint parliamentary committee, Nitish said it was a matter that should be sorted out within the precincts of the House.

“The government has already given a reply on the issue in the House. If the government has given a reply, then what is the matter? We do not have the entire information on this. We are aware that there is a deadlock.”

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Worldwide Dementia cases to triple by 2050 Research presented at the 2021 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Colorado reveals global dementia cases may triple by 2050, affecting 152 million lives.

Researchers at the University of Washington estimated global dementia prevalence from 1990 to 2019, then used the information about trends in risk factors for dementia to forecast the number of dementia cases by 2050.

The scientists suggest that the number of people living with dementia is set to increase from an estimated 57 million in 2019 to 152 million by 2050.

They estimate the highest increases to come from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East. The growth is largely driven by population growth and aging population.

Analysing information on risk factors revealed that there would be an increase of 6.8 million dementia cases globally between 2019 and 2050 – specifically due to poorer heart health factors.

Improved education would account for a reduction of 6.2 million.

Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, Hilary Evans said, “Dementia is our greatest long-term medical challenge. These string figures lay bare the shocking scale of dementia on a global scale. To have 57 million people already living with this

devastating condition is 57 million too many, but with that number set to almost triple we need to see concerted global action now, to transform the prospects for the next generation.”

“Dementia doesn’t just affect individuals, it can devastate whole families and networks of friends and loved ones. The heart-breaking personal costs go hand-in-hand with huge economic and societal impacts – and all of these will shoot up alongside the number of people affected.”

She added, “While age is the biggest risk factor for developing dementia and is largely driving the increase in cases, the condition isn’t an inevitable part of getting older. While we can’t change our age, making positive lifestyle changes can help tip the scales in our favour. There is robust evidence that what’s good for the heart is also good

for the brain. Not smoking, only drinking within the recommended limits, staying mentally and physically active, eating a balanced diet, and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check can all help to keep our brains healthy as we age.”

“New drugs to treat the diseases that cause dementia are in sight, but they won’t be a panacea. Reducing the number of dementia cases is a key focus for Alzheimer’s Research UK, and global leaders need to come together to make concerted and coordinated efforts to minimise the number of rising cases.”

“We are currently at a tipping point for dementia research and substantial and stable funding will make all the difference in bringing about new lifechanging treatments for the people who desperately need them. The UK is a global hub for dementia research, but to safeguard progress and improve outcomes around the world, it’s now vital that our government meets the urgent need for investment across every stage of the process.”

Researchers estimate that every year there are 11 new cases of young-onset dementia per 100,000 people. They found there was no big difference between the number of men and women developing young onset dementia.

Early Covid-19 symptoms vary from men to women, age groups Symptoms for early Covid-19 infection differ across age groups and gender.

The differences are most notable between younger age groups 16 to 59 years, as compared to older age groups 60 to 80 years. The symptoms also differed from men to women. The paper, published in the Lancet Digital Health, led by researchers from King's College London analysed data from the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app between April 20 to October 15, 2020.

The scientists modelled the early signs of Covid-19 infection and successfully detected 80 per cent of cases when using three days of selfreported symptoms. Researchers compared the ability to predict early signs of Covid-19 infection using current National Health Service UK diagnostic criteria and a Hierarchical Gaussian Process model, a type of

machine learning.

The machine learning model was able to incorporate some characteristics about the person affected, such as age, sex, and health conditions, and showed that symptoms of early Covid-19 infection are different among various groups.

Lead author, Claire Steves, Reader at King's College London said, “Its important people know the earliest symptoms are wide-ranging and may look different for each member of a family or household. Testing guidance could be updated to enable cases to be picked up earlier, especially in the face of new variants which are highly transmissible. This could include using widely available lateral flow tests for people with any of these non-core symptoms.”

The most important symptoms for

the earliest detection of Covid-19 overall included loss of smell, chest pain, persistent cough, abdominal pain, blisters on the feet, eye soreness, and unusual muscle pain.

Dr Liane dos Santos Canas, first author from King's College London, said, “Currently, in the UK, only a few symptoms are used to recommend selfisolation and further testing. Using a larger number of symptoms and only after a few days of being unwell, using AI, we can better detect COVID-19 positive cases. We hope such a method is used to encourage more people to get tested as early as possible to minimise the risk of spread.”

Cut out afternoon snacks, exercise for better heart health Omitting afternoon snacks from your diet and exercising may just be the best way to keep your heart healthy in old age. Experts found combining crash diets with regular half-hour treadmill work-outs had little benefit other than weight loss. In fact, cutting out 250 calories was the only one of three methods found to be effective in boosting heart health.

Scientists at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina categorised 160 obese adults in their 60s and 70s into three different groups for 20 weeks. A third of volunteers were asked to keep their regular diet, but go on a treadmill four days a week for 30 minutes. The others were asked to carry out the same amount of exercise but were instead asked to restrict their calorie intake. One group was instructed to cut out 250 calories per day, while the others were told to cut out 600 calories.

The dieting candidates received pre-made lunches and dinners but were

given a list of breakfast items they could eat. Results showed weight loss rates were similar between the calorierestricted groups. Those who cut the most calories lost 19.8lbs (9kg), on average. Those in the moderate calorierestricted group lost 17.6lbs (8kg), while those who only exercised lost just 3.7lbs (1.7kg). However, only those who cut out fewer calories saw significant improvements to their heart health.

The researchers monitored the stiffness of the aorta among all the participants.

People who ate 250 calories less per day had a 21 per cent increase in aortic distensibility – a measure of the artery's ability to expand and tighten to push blood around the body. And they also saw an 8 per cent fall in pulse wave velocity – the speed blood travels through the aorta. A higher figure is associated with a stiffer aorta.

Dr Tina Brinkley, lead author of the study published in the Circulation journal, said it is the first to assess the effects of aerobic exercise training with and without reducing calories on aortic stiffness. She said, “Our findings indicate these moderate lifestyle changes may help reduce aortic stiffness and improve overall vascular health in older adults. “We were surprised to find that moderate caloric reduction and aerobic activity had a better effect on arteries than exercise with a more restrictive diet. These relatively small changes should be manageable for people and more sustainable over the long term.”

How to Protect Yourself in a Toxic Relationship Psychologist Mamta Saha Every relationship moves out of the honeymoon phase and the longer a relationship lasts, the more ups and downs it goes through. While the ups and downs are a natural part of all relationships, if you feel more miserable and drained than happy after spending time with your partner or just being around them, it may be something else. Toxic relationships are another story, and it can be tricky to see the red flags and even trickier to find a way out of that space. These red flags are not exclusive to romantic relationships, they can also be found in platonic friendships and amongst family members, near and far.

Pay attention to the faces and names of people that come to your mind It can be deeply upsetting to be around these negative vibrations especially if you are a sensitive person and sometimes you may feel as if you have no way to escape them. Neuropsychologist’s have found that toxic relationships can shorten our life span. In this article, I hope to share what you can do to protect yourself in such situations. First and foremost, accepting the reality of a difficult relationship is the kindest action you can take for yourself. When you reflect on your current reality you will naturally open the door to your own compassion and wisdom.

Write down your experiences, including your honest feelings and thoughts In toxic relationships it is very common for the other person to blame you for everything that has or is going wrong in your life and theirs, remember this is not true.

You are not responsible for their emotions. You never have been, and you never will be. Don’t take responsibility for their suffering; if you do, they will never get the chance to take responsibility for themselves and hold themselves accountable.

Imagine a separate bubble around them and around you. Repeat ‘I matter’ Another way to protect yourself and mental wellbeing is to set clear and strong boundaries. Toxic people will push your boundaries and make you feel bad for having them. Know exactly what you will tolerate and what you won’t. You can’t please everyone, but toxic people will have you believing that you can’t please anyone – so you try harder, work harder, compromise more. It’s exhausting, and never worth it.

For a video on managing guilt when setting boundaries visit saha_mamta on IG Make your mental health a priority. Manage your energy when supporting others and use your intuition as a guide. Know your strengths and think about what is in your power and control, it’s more than you may believe.

Lastly make sure that you surround yourself with people who give you the same love and respect as you give to others, your life depends on it.

For more - download your free e-book from www.mamtasaha.com. Follow me on IG: saha_mamta and FB: Mamta Saha. Reach out and share your thoughts and questions on: mamta@mamtasaha.com.

Babies of parents working from home sleep extra 40 minutes each night Results from a study conducted in Australia reveals babies of parents who sleep for longer at night. Researchers at the Flinders University, Australia analysed data from over 1,500 American babies and their parents. Half the infants had their sleeping habits monitored at the end of 2019, before the ongoing pandemic struck. The other half was assessed between November and December 2020, when the lockdowns were in effect, and the novel coronavirus was at its peak.

The team of researchers claim it was possible the difference was down to their parents working from home.

Parents were likely to spend more time with their children during the day when working from home, so were less inclined to keep them up longer. Lead author Dr Michael Kahn claimed it may benefit to allow parents to work from home once the worst of Covid-19 is over.

The team said it may help improve the well-being of both parents and infants as they “transition to post-pandemic times”. It was also found that older babies in the pandemic group had an extra 18 minutes of screen time per day. With parents trying to focus on work or domestic chores, they may have been likely to use TV and other devices to keep older infants occupied.

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Aishwarya sizzles in Dabboo Ratnani's 2021 calendar shoot Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's latest monochrome photo has won over the internet. Photographer Dabboo Ratnani shared the picture from his 2021 calendar shoot. Aish was among several other celebrities to feature in the calendar this year, including Vidya Balan, Sunny Leone, Hrithik Roshan, and Tara Sutaria. Fans showered the photo with love, with many of them tagging her as “the diva” or “stunner”.

Dabboo captioned the picture, “When You Possess Light Within, You See It Externally.

Absolutely Radiant Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.” On

the work front, Aishwarya will be seen in Mani Ratnam's magnum opus 'Ponniyin Selvan' alongside Sarathkumar. The movie marks her fourth collaboration with the filmmaker. The two have worked together previously in 'Iruvar', 'Guru', and 'Raavanan'.

Aishwarya shared a poster of the film on her Instagram recently, and wrote, “The Golden Era comes to life.” The movie also stars Vikram, Trisha, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Lal, Jayaram, Vikram Prabhu, Ashwin Kakumanu, Kishore, and Aishwarya Lekshmi among others.

FARHAN AKHTAR LASHES OUT AT TROLLS ATTACKING FAMILY When it comes to online trolling, Farhan Akhtar seems to have zero tolerance. The actor recently lashed out at trolls attacking his family, saying if people have a problem with him, they should address the issue directly instead of dragging his family into the picture. Son of veteran lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar, he is often seen dealing with trolls on micro-blogging website Twitter.

Speaking in an interview, Farhan said, “I don't think anybody would be happy with their family being attacked on any kind of platform for any reason. At the end of the day, if you have any issues with me, right or wrong, the issue should end with me. I don't feel it has to pass on to anybody else. I am here for you to be able to talk to. Also, I do feel that if there is any criticism that has to come your way, when it comes

wrapped up in any kind of abuse, bigotry or prejudice, how can you take that seriously?”

“At the end of the day, a person revealing how hateful they are, it shows me how ugly they are. It tells me very little about me but a lot about them. If you want to have a conversation about something and discuss it and even maybe change my mind about something, I am more than happy for my thoughts to get changed if it's a respectable conversation. There’s a classic saying that ‘Never wrestle with a pig because you will get dirty but the pig loves it’(laughs) So that’s what it is,” he added.

Last seen in 'Toofaan', Farhan was seen playing a boxer in the Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra directorial. He will soon be seen in Ashutosh Gowariker's action movie.

Complaint registered against Anurag Kashyap's 'Ghost Stories' A tabloid reports that Netflix India has received a complaint against a particular scene in Anurag Kashyap's short film 'Ghost Stories'. Filed earlier last week, the complaint is among the first grievances to be registered after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in February formulated the Information Technology Rules 2021.

As per rules, social media platforms and streaming services need to set up redressal mechanisms to address viewers' grievances. The scene in Kashyap's film features actress Sobhita Dhulipala's character consuming a foetus after suffering a miscarriage.

According to the media report, the complainant

Kareena pouts while Saif works out

Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan took to Instagram recently to share a no-make up selfie. Resting her chin on one hand, she sported her signature pout, also sneaking husband Saif Ali Khan into the frame. She wrote, “Pouting while he works out.” Saif appeared to be running on a treadmill in the back.

The power couple has worked together in films such as 'Tashan', 'Omkara', and 'Kurbaan'. They tied the knot on October 16,

says, “The scene is not required for the story, and if the creators wished to add such a scene, there should have been a trigger warning for women who have gone through the trauma of miscarriages.” A Netflix spokesperson is quoted in the report as saying, “As this was a partner-managed production, we reached out to the production company to share the complaint.”

Released in January 2020, 'Ghost Stories' features short films helmed by Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, and Zoya Akhtar. The group of filmmakers had earlier collaborated on 'Lust Stories'.

2012, and have two sons – Taimur, 4, and Jeh, five months. The family recently moved into their new home in Mumbai, just across the street from their former Fortune Heights residence.

On the work front, Saif will be seen next in horror-comedy 'Bhoot Police' alongside Jacqueline Fernandez, Arjun Kapoor, and Yami Gautam.

The film is set for a direct-todigital release on September 17. His other upcoming projects include 'Bunty Aur Babli 2', and 'Adipurush'.

Kareena, meanwhile, will be seen next in 'Laal Singh Chaddha', and Karan Johar's period drama 'Takht'.

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Rakeysh Omprakash PRIYANKA-PARINEETI Mehra reveals to hold arm wrestling match Actress Parineeti Chopra held an 'Ask Me Anything' session on Instagram over the weekend, as she strolled around a park in London. One of the 10 questions was a fan asking her “Can you beat Priyanka Chopra Jonas in arm wrestling?” A visibly Parineeti shocked responded by saying her sister was stronger than her. She wrote, “Naa I think she would beat me.”

The question was reposted by Priyanka on her Instagram Stories.

She wrote, “Why don't we try it next time you're home!” Both actresses are paternal cousins and staying in at London the moment.

On arrival in the UK, Parineeti headed to Priyanka's home after taking her first dose of coronavirus vaccine. Both of them are close with each other. Parineeti recently spoke about the advice she gets from Priyanka about the movies she should choose.

Speaking in an interview, Parineeti said, “She always gives me this advice, she said, 'When we are in a film and we do not meet the audience's expectations, that's our fault. Because they do expect a good performance from us. So don't be in a film (where you) don't give it your all. Do something interesting or do something, don't be in a film just for the sake of it'.”

On the work front, Parineeti was last seen in 'Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar', 'Saina', and 'The Girl On the Train'. Her next project is Sandeep Reddy Vanga's directorial 'Animal' co-starring Ranbir Kapoor.

Priyanka, meanwhile, has an entire slew of projects including 'Matrix 4', 'Text For You', and Amazon Prime series 'Citadel'.

Katrina Kaif joins ‘photo dump’ trend Actor Katrina Kaif joined the long list of celebrities who embraced the ‘photo dump’ trend on social media, wherein they share a carousel of images, with a single caption. She posted a number of behind-the-scenes pictures and videos from a recent shoot on Instagram and wrote, “Photoshoot bts dump.” She added a sun emoji.

In the first video, featuring Katrina in a side profile, she flipped her hair and gazed at something in front of her. She burst out laughing while dancing in the second video, as hairstylist Amit Thakur did a goofy dance behind the photographer. The third and fourth were pictures of her resting against a glass surface, looking away from the camera. The fifth and sixth images were candid photos of Katrina and Amit laughing.

Katrina wore an olive green blazer over a white crop top and denim shorts in all except the second video, in which she opted for a tie-dye crop top and joggers set.

“What a fun day this was,” Amit commented on Katrina’s post, along with a heart emoji. Fans showered love on her, calling her ‘amazing’, ‘queen’, ‘beautiful’, ‘flawless’, ‘the cutest’ and ‘Barbie doll of Bollywood’.

Katrina, who made her Bollywood debut with Boom in 2003, is known for films such as 'Namastey London', 'Partner', 'Welcome', 'Raajneeti', 'Dhoom 3', 'Tiger Zinda Hai' and 'Zero'. She will be seen next in Rohit Shetty’s 'Sooryavanshi', starring Akshay Kumar in the titular role, with Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh in extended cameos. The film was originally scheduled for a theatrical release last summer but has been indefinitely delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Apart from this, Katrina has 'Phone Bhoot' with Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ishaan Khatter in the pipeline. She will also be seen in 'Tiger 3' alongside Salman Khan and Emraan Hashmi.

Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has delivered several hits along the years; Of which, 'Rang De Basanti' remains the most iconic. Mehra released his autobiography 'The Stranger in the Mirror' on July 27 and the book is rife with anecdotes and details of his journey in advertising and filmmaking. In a newly released excerpt, Mehra shares how superstar Aamir Khan demanded to be paid double the amount in case 'Rang De Basanti' was delayed.

Showering praise on Aamir, Mehra said, “He imbibed

the soul of DJ and Chandrashekhar Azad and gave his own interpretation to it, ranging from the sublime to the mundane qualities of the character. Bharathi (the filmmaker’s wife) had given me a quote which she had read, ‘There are two primary choices in life. Either you let things be the way they are. Or take responsibility for changing them.’ I sent Aamir the same as a one-line brief for his character impetus.”

Describing what Aamir's clause was, Mehra added, “Aamir is a visionary and understands everything that is going wrong or right with the creative process. Sometimes, tough decisions like ‘let’s shoot for 10 more days’ became easy because Aamir backed the need to do it. Also, he had no ego about whose scene it was. If the scene belonged to the other boys, he would happily stay in the background because the film’s narrative was the Bible that could not be tampered with. Aamir’s cinematic understanding remains unparalleled in our industry. Without his nod, RDB would have been another dreamer’s script gathering the dust of apathy and inertia. While signing on the dotted line, Aamir included a clause, which was the reason I ended up making the movie on time in the first place. Here’s an example: ‘If my fee is £400,000 and you don’t pay me on time, then you’ll have to pay me £800,000 for defaulting,’ he had said.

I had never even seen £800,000 till then.”

The 2006 release went on to gather both critical and commercial acclaim, and remains one of the finest Bollywood movies to this date.

Sidharth wishes 'big love' to rumoured girlfriend Kiara Advani

Lisa Haydon responds to hate comment on her baby Actor-model Lisa Haydon has responded to a hate comment on a promotional post she shared about a sun protection lotion.

The photo, shared on Instagram, was captioned “Here's your reminder that even though this monsoon, the sun may be playing hide and seek- You should still not forget your sun protection!”

Reacting to the post, a user wrote “@lisahaydon stop selling chemicals to run people lives.

Your baby will be cursed for fooling followers.” Lisa responded saying, “Wow”. Her fans came around in her support, and bashed the troll for the insensitive remark. They also showered love on her and her child. A fan wrote, “Hey...have you blessed

Aamir's clause for 'Rang De Basanti'

with girl or boy?? N when...we are waiting for good news.”

Another wrote, “Put some pics of the new little one.”

Lisa confirmed the birth of her third baby last month.

While she has not made any official announcement, she took to the comments section of a post and responded to a question by a fan asking, “Hey can you tell me please where're your 3 tiny babies.” She replied, “In my arms.”

Lisa and businessman husband Dino Lalvani are parents to two sons – Zack and Leo. They had announced their third pregnancy by enlisting Zack in revealing the new child's gender, a girl.

Sidhart Malhotra shared behind-the-scenes from the sets of 'Shershaah' to wish his rumoured girlfriend Kiara Advani on her birthday. The actress turned 29 on July 31. The picture on his Instagram Stories feature both the actors in their character getups. While Kiara is dressed in a baby pink salwar suit, Sidharth is seen wearing a blue checked shirt.

Sharing the picture, Sidharth said, “Happy Birthday Ki. Shershaah's journey with you has been incredible. Lots of memories from this one... Stay amazing. Big love.” She reposted his birthday wish on her Instagram Stories and wrote, “Thank you Captain.” Both the actors are set to appear in the war-themed film that narrates the story of Kargil War hero Captain Vikram Batra. Trailer of the film was released recently. As far as their relationship is concerned, the duo has remained tight-lipped.

If grapevine is to be trusted, filmmaker Karan Johar is the one who played Cupid between the two. Eagle-eyed fans have often noticed both Kiara and Sidharth in similar locations a few times. The couple headed to the Maldives together earlier this year, and the paparazzi also spotted Kiara visiting Sidharth at his home and spending time with his family.

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Southern filmmakers not keen on OTT release: Aakanksha Singh Aakanksha Singh who resumed shooting in the south film industry in July 2020 has been working non-stop since the peak of the pandemic. Currently awaiting the release of all her projects, Singh counts her blessings.

“I've been very lucky that I've constantly travelled for shoots. But the only concern for me is that whatever I've shot till now, is yet to come out.”

With several Bollywood filmmakers adapting for a direct-to-digital route for their projects, Singh believes filmmakers in the south are not that keen for the same.

She says, “Down south, makers are waiting. There films

mean theatres and people there don't enjoy watching film on OTT. For them films are huge and should be released in cinemas.” She added that she too wants her movies to be released on the big screen, however, isn't averse to doing digital projects.

“I’m shooting for a Telugu web series and also in talks for a Hindi web series,” reveals the 31-year-old.

Singh currently awaits the release of her Tamil debut 'Clap', and an anthology Telugu film 'Meet Cute'. She is also set to star in Bollywood movie 'May Day' alongside Ajay Devgn.

Dulquer Salmaan announces next film 'Othiram Kadakam' Anirudh Ravichander croons a song for Telugu Superstar Mahesh Babu Rockstar Anirudh is now at the peak of success and has many films in his pipeline. He is not only known for his music but also for his voice. He sang many songs in Tamil films and every number is a super hit. Anirudh's unique voice has many fans just like his music. He sang many songs for leading actors like Vikram, Ajith, Vijay, Rajinikanth, Sivakarthikeyan and many more. He was recently roped in to sing a song for the magnum opus 'RRR'.

Following this, he recently sang a song for Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu for his upcoming film, 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata'. The fierce first look poster of this film was also released a recently.

Sharing the poster Mahesh Babu wrote " Taking off on this whole new journey of action and entertainment! Join us this Sankranthi! :) #SVPFirstNotice " On the professional front, Anirudh is currently composing music for many films like Thalapathy Vijay's 'Beast', Kamal Haasan's 'Vikram', Vijay Sethupathi's 'Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal' and many more.

TV Listing * Schedule is subject to change

MON 9 AUG FRI 13 AUG 2021 6.00 VAAV 13.00 MAHAVIR HANUMAN 14.00 RASOI SHOW 15.30 JAI SHRI KRISHNA 16.00 SAU DAHDA SASUNA 18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MANMILAP.COM 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

Actor Dulquer Salmaan has announced his upcoming movie 'Othiram Kadakam', set to be helmed by actor-director Soubin Shahir. The duo has previously collaborated on 'Parava'.

Announcing the latest collaboration, Dulquer shared the first look poster. He wrote, “Super excited to announce this brand new film, 'Othiram Kadakam'. I've always known Soubin to have a fab aesthetic and a keen sense of cinema. When he told me his idea for 'Parava' I knew I had to be a part of it in some way! I knew in my gut he would make a special film.”

“To date Imran is one of my most loved characters and something I enjoyed performing to my heart's content. This time

around he discussed a full length role in his next film and I know in his hands I’ll discover characters and nuances I’ve never done before. This will be my second movie with my machan Soubin donning the director’s hat and I cannot wait to start filming!!”

Sharing the poster on his Instagram account, Soubin Shahir expressed how Dulquer Salmaan brought “DQ energy” to his directorial debut Parava, which made the film “fly higher than I

could have ever imagined.”

On the work front, Dulquer has 'Kurup', 'Salute', 'King of Kotha' and a Telugu film helmed by Hanu Raghavapudi in the pipeline.

Kalidas Jayaram joins the cast of 'Vikram' Malayalam actor Kalidas Jayaram shared that he has joined the cast of action-thriller 'Vikram'. Helmed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film also stars Kamal Haaasan, Fahadh Faasil, and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead roles.

Taking to Twitter to share a picture of himself and Haasan, Kalidas wrote, “Extremely elated to be a drop in this ocean of a film #Vikram, Happy to join back with the one and only #Andavar @ikamalhaasan sir. Thank you @Dir_Lokesh sir for this opportunity #arambichitom @RKFI.” Haasan retweeted the post and welcomed Jayaram on board. He wrote, “Welcome to the RKFI family Kalidas Jayaram. One more Jayaram family member joins our team. @kalidas700 @Dir_Lokesh @RKFI #arambichitom.”

The film brings together three acting powerhouses – 20.30 SHANI 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI SATURDAY 7 AUG 6.00 CHUNDADI NI LAAJ 13.00 MAHAVIR HANUMAN 14.00 RASOI SHOW 15.30 JAI SHRI KRISHNA 16.00 SAU DAHDA SASUNA 18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MANMILAP.COM 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 SHANI 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI SUNDAY 8 AUG 15.00 Vifreli Vaghan 18.00 RASOI SHOW 19.00 Ventilator 22.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

Haasan, Sethupathi, and Faasil for the first time. It will be bankrolled by Haasan's production company Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI).

22.00 ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN 3

SATURDAY 7 AUG

16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS

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DESI BEAT (SEASON 3)

18.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 9 AUG - FRI 13 AUG 2021 8.30 BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 18.30 19.00 20.00 20.30 21.00 21.30

TUM KAUN PIYA DIL KA RISHTA BHAGYA KA LIKHA DIL SE DIL TAK BARRISTER BABU EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA

20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK

20.30 DESI BEAT RESET

21.00 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

SUNDAY 8 AUG

16.30 RASOI SHOW -

DESI FLAVOURS

17.30 DESI BEAT (SEASON 3)

18.00 BOLLYWOOD KI SHAAM

BLOCKBUSTER KE NAAM RAJA HINDUSTANI

21.30 DESI BEAT RESET

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Indian women's hockey team shows nerves of steel As the final hooter went off during the second women’s hockey quarterfinal, the scene at the Oi hockey stadium in Tokyo on Monday was poignant. At the centre of the blue pitch was the Indian women’s hockey team, crying, hugging doing a celebratory jig. At the other end, the Australians had slumped to the ground, shocked and dejected.

These post-match scenes were expected but not many would have imagined it in this reverse order!

August 2 will go down in the history of Indian hockey as a day when 18 resolute girls sent out a landmark message: Dare to dream, and live it.

India went into the quarterfinal match as the dark horses, only to emerge giant killers.

They showed nerves of steel and admirable determination to stun world No. 2 Australia by a solitary goal, scored by Gurjit Kaur (22nd minute), and book their semifinal berth against Argentina.

In the 60 minutes on the pitch, Rani Rampal and Co. put up an inspiring exhibition of fearless and near-flawless hockey complemented by remarkable fitness - both mental and physical.

This against a team which came into the fixture with the confidence of being three-time champions, and on a five-match winning streak in the league phase.

The Indian team also showed a lot of character. Each player on the field had something to offer to the team’s success. If Savita Punia came up with nine game-changing saves, Gurjit, who had looked offcolour and misfired with the dragflick, scored her first goal of the competition when it mattered the most. With Australia going hard from the start, striker Sharmila Devi tumbled and injured her back while defender Deep Grace Ekka took a blow on her head but nothing could halt the blue brigade’s victory march.

A confident Australia opened

the attack with Ambrosia Malone taking the first shot at the goal in the second minute.

The Hockeyroos repeatedly tested the Indian defence and midfield, operating on the flanks, but were shocked to find an opposition unruffled and effective.

The goal, which turned out to be the winner, disturbed Australia’s concentration and plan.

They suddenly grew quiet as a team. India, on the other hand, were aware that a one-goal advantage was never enough. So, they went about putting everything they had in maintaining the lead.

The final quarter was a nerveracking affair, In the 50th minute, Savita, who came up with two stunning saves with the stick, put out Madison Fitzpatick’s closerange shot at the goal. A flurry of activity followed in the Indian circle, with Australia earning a set of back-to-back penalty corners in a span of six minutes. In the

intervening time, India were also down by a player after Nikki Pradhan was penalised with a green card (54th minute). But a jaded Australian attack was no match for a sturdy Indian defence.

For a squad comprising eight first-time Olympians, this unique installation lends itself as anchor to forge a closely-knit unit. It was the strangest run-up to the Games.

Vandana Katariya, hattrick heroine against South Africa, lost her father as recently as May 30 this year. Seven players had to take a Covid-19-induced break, they have lived in near isolation at Bengaluru’s SAI centre and conformed to new norms of

training – smaller groups and limited interaction. Most of the team building exercises were virtual. Against Australia, the team was all aggressive intent, holding nothing back in both the attack and defence. Australia dominated ball possession but the Sjoerd Marjine coached team took control of the proceedings. While each one played a part, it came down to goalkeeper Savita Punia to put up the performance of her career and the 29-year-old gave it her all.

Covering every inch of her goal with quick reflexes and finesse in stickwork, she swatted away nine goal-bound balls to ensure this was not to end just a pipe dream.

Sindhu becomes 1st Indian woman to win 2 Oly medals Indian shuttler PV Sindhu won the women’s singles bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday defeating China’s He Bingjiao 2113, 21-15 at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza to add a second medal to India’s tally at the Games. With Sindhu’s bronze, India have now equalled their tally of 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

It was Sindhu’s second medal at the Olympics after she bagged a silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

She also became the first Indian woman to win two Olympics medals. Before her feat, wrestler Sushil Kumar was the only Indian to win two medals at successive Olympics. Sindhu’s first point in the match came with a 22-shot rally running for 27 seconds. She rose to take a quick 4-0 lead

PV Sindhu

before the left-handed He levelled at 5-5. Sindhu stormed to a midgame lead of 11-8 with a straight smash down the line.

Post the break, Sindhu started to dictate terms, snatching three points. The rallies were intense but Sindhu’s aggressive play didn’t

wane. All of this, combined with her fierce power, clearly rattled He who lost the opening game in 23 minutes. In the second game, Sindhu didn’t loosen her grip.

She continued to dominate her Chinese opponent and took an early 4-1 lead. He tried to claw back with long smashes and engaged Sindhu in net play. But the Chinese was clearly struggling with the drift, which led her to commit errors.

The one-way traffic continued as He was at the receiving end of Sindhu’s powerful smashes. The Chinese gave Sindhu time and

space to hit her smashes, conceding a three-point lead at the interval.

Post the interval, He looked to make a comeback by winning three straight points to level at 1111. But Sindhu bounced back with a down-the-line smash and then caught He by surprise with a lastminute turn of the wrist for a fantastic cross-court slice drop for a 14-11 lead.

An unforced error by He gave Sindhu another point. But the Chinese won two points on the trot to bring the lead down to two points. Another rally followed, but it was sealed with a cross-court smash from Sindhu, who opened a three-point lead again.

He won a point but Sindhu forced the Chinese to commit an

Colombian shatters Mary Kom’s medal dreams Mary Kom was fidgety but her face was blank, sweat dripping following a gruelling duel. She was perhaps expecting the announcer at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan arena to announce her name as the winner. But, it was not to be. After realising that her dream of winning another Olympic medal had ended, Mary embraced her opponent Ingrit Valencia and lifted the Colombian’s arms.

A moment to savour, indeed - the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist (Valencia) hugging the 2012 London Olympics bronze winner (Mary). A heartto-heart after the bout.“Some sports have legends, boxing has Mary Kom,” the commentator said as emotions ran high.

The motley crowd at the arena cheered for Mary, 38, as she left the hall.

Thursday’s last-16 bout was her last at the Olympics as the International Boxing Association (AIBA) doesn’t allow boxers above the age of 40 to compete at the Games. It was Mary’s dream to win another medal at the Olympics, especially a gold. “I have all the medals in my hand. It’s not easy to count them.

What is left is the Olympic gold medal.

That is driving me and pushing me to

Mary Kom

carry on,” she had said after winning the first round.

That dream was shattered by the tiniest of margins. The 38-year-old was visibly tired in the last few moments of the third and final round. The mind was goading her to go for the jugular but the body wasn’t willing. Her punches, jabs, crosses seemed to touch thin air. In the last 90 seconds, Mary was mostly evading, trying not to get hit. She had chosen the safer route, hoping that her body of work in the second round and the start of the third would help her. But you can’t leave anything to chance at the Olympics. It is about remaining steadfast for three rounds, over nine minutes – a total of 540 seconds – where each and

every second matters.

One clean punch, one aggressive combination, one spurt of energy, and Mary would have landed in the quarterfinals of the 51kg category. The scoreline – 3-2 in Valencia’s favour – was all about what could’ve been had the Argentinian or the Kazakh judge awarded one point to Mary instead of the Colombian. What will also rankle Mary is that she won two out of the three rounds but still lost the bout.

At any rate, the bitter-sweet loss doesn’t take away the sheen from Mary’s six World Championship, five Asian Championship, 2014 Asiad, and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medals.

The Olympic bronze in London still retains its lustre.

“Only admiration and respect for Mary Kom,” the country’s only Olympic individual gold medallist Abhinav Bindra summed it well. “Amazing effort by the living legend. Mary Kom is forever,” Mahesh Bhupathi echoed the thoughts of most Indians. “I thought I’ll come back with a medal. I can’t believe that I lost the match,” a distraught Mary said, while interacting with the media after the prequarterfinal bout.

unforced error to go 19-15 up.

Sindhu raced to 20 with another amazing smash. She then wrapped up the match with a scintillating cross-court smash and took the bronze medal by winning the second game 21-15. For Sindhu, it has been a resounding campaign at the Olympics. She topped Group J and did not drop a single game in her winning matches except for the semifinal defeat to Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei.

But she recovered well to outclass He in straight games.

After a disappointing loss in the semifinals, Sindhu was keen to keep going to bring home the bronze medal on Sunday. The Indian went down in straight games to Tai Tzu-Ying on Saturday.

Indian men fail to qualify for hockey gold medal match Indian men’s hockey team failed to qualify for the gold medal match as they went down to Belgium 2-5 in the semifinals. India led in the first quarter and the match remained tied till the end of the third quarter but Alexander Hendrickx scored twice and JJ Dominique Dohemen added the fifth in the fourth quarter to take Belgium to the finals.

Belgium broke the deadlock inside two minutes as Loick Luypaert converted from the penalty corner.

India then hit back through Harmanpreet Singh from the second penalty corner that India won. Ten minutes later Mandeep Singh put India ahead with a neat finish from a Amit Rohidas cross. India was dominated in the first five minutes but the tables turned ever since they equalised.

Belgium started the second quarter just like they did the first one, as they won penalty corners in quick successions. Then the highest-scoring team at the Tokyo Olympics equalised by the tournament’s highest goal scorer Alexander Hendrickx from their sixth penalty corner. Both teams tried to go ahead in the match but they headed into the break on level terms.

In the third quarter, both teams were a bit cautious and the pace of the game also dropped because of the heat. India won a penalty corner but could not capitalise as it was clocked by the first runner out of the box. The tactical quarter remained goalless as the teams headed into the third break on equal terms.