AV 09th July 2022

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

PM Modi affirms India’s ambition to become chip maker

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9 - 15 JULY 2022

05 Outstanding young hero in Bolton receives award in memory of Princess Diana

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

UK announces 75 scholarships in India's 75th year of Independence

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Indian Law Minister Hon Kiren Rijiju promises to set up an International Arbitration Centre in India

SUNAK AND JAVID QUIT JOHNSON'S GOVERNMENT

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VOL 51 - ISSUE 10

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‘RRR’ nominated for best picture at Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards

Shinde government wins trust vote, seeks disqualification of 15 Sena MLAs

EMBRACING PRIDE How far has South Asian culture advanced when it comes to accepting and embracing the LGBTQIA community? We ask members and supporters of the community.

Saima Razzaq, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Brimingham Pride L-R: Rishi Sunak, PM Boris Johnson, Sajid Javid

Rupanjana Dutta Chancellor Rishi Sunak resigned from the government minutes after Health Secretary Sajid Javid shared his letter of resignation to the PM on Tuesday evening. The pair's resignations came minutes after Mr Johnson gave an interview admitting and apologising, he should not have appointed MP Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip in February after allegations that the MP groped two colleagues at a social event while drunk.

In his letter to the PM, Sunak tweeted, he wrote, “In preparation for our proposed joint speech on the economy next week, it has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally good different. I am sad to be leaving Government, but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this.”

The Chancellor said, "The public rightly expect the government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognise this may be my last ministerial job,

but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning."

What appeared to be a coordinated move by an Indian and a Pakistani-origin Minister, has thrown the Prime Minister’s future in serious doubt.

Responding to Rishi Sunak's departure as chancellor, PM Boris Johnson said that he was "sorry" to have received Sunak's resignation letter and praised his "outstanding service". In a brief letter to the health secretary, Johnson wrote: "Dear Saj, Thank you for your letter this evening tendering your resignation. I was very sorry to receive it.” Referring to Javid’s plans on Covid backlogs and other health series, Johnson said that the “Government will continue to deliver on them”.

Nadhim Zahawi, former Secretary of State for Education was appointed as the new chancellor and Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP as Secretary of State for Education late evening on Tuesday.

Continued on page 06

Shefali Saxena More than a million people have taken part in the 50th anniversary of the UK's first Pride parade in London. Hundreds of LGBTQ+ community groups attended the march from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall Palace earlier. The parade paid homage to the original 1972 march, organised by the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), and saw revellers pass significant sites from the UK's LGBTQ+ movement.

Fashion designer Abhishek Ray married his partner Chaitanya Sharma in a ceremony that’s standing as a beacon of hope for the LGBTQ+ community in Kolkata. As per a Times of India report, the wedding followed all Hindu rituals including a priest chanting mantras, varmalas and vows taken by the couple around a holy fire.

Continued on page 14

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9 - 15 July 2022

Kites in sky to mark a year of Taliban Colourful kites will flutter in skies across Britain and Europe in an aerial act of solidarity with Afghans, marking one year since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.

Afghan artists, actors and athletes are taking part in Fly With Me in 15 host cities across the UK on August 20 to celebrate the country’s ancient craft of

kite-flying as it experiences one of the most devastating humanitarian crises in the world.

The Taliban believe flying kites distracts young men from praying and other religious activities and banned it along with music, theatre and dance during its previous occupation.

Ehsas, the Elham London-based actor who

starred in the film The Kite Runner, said: “During my lifetime, my country’s colours have been painted, wiped, repainted then wiped again 15 times. But we have always flown kites.

Fly With Me is also calling on “the UK government to treat all people seeking asylum fairly and equally, those from including Afghanistan”.

Majority of Britishers support inquiry on assisted dying Nearly three-quarters of the British public support a parliamentary inquiry into assisted dying, polling reveals today.

The research found that 74 per cent were in favour of examining the impact of the law as it stands and potential changes to legislation. In the poll, assisted dying was defined as a terminally ill adult of sound mind legally seeking assistance to end their life via medication, with the approval of two doctors.

The results showed that

80 per cent of Conservative voters, 77 per cent of Labour voters and 79 per cent of Liberal Democrat voters supported an inquiry. There was similarly strong support from both those who voted to remain and those who voted to leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum, at 80 per cent and 79 per cent respectively.

The polling was released before a debate on assisted dying in the House of Commons today. It will be the first time that MPs have debated the subject in more

than two years.

More than 155,000 people from across the country have demanded that MPs give assisted dying the time and respect it deserves.

The British Medical Association has reaffirmed its neutral position on assisted dying, after an attempt by doctors to force it into opposition was thwarted. Last year the BMA dropped its longstanding opposition to a change in the law after a debate at its annual representative meeting.

Copy websites of DVLA charge for free services The DVLA said some sites are offering to help with V5C vehicle registration certificates or renewing a driving licence from the age of 70.

These websites have been asking drivers to pay for services which are free on the DVLA website.

These secondary websites do genuinely offer the services they advertise - it is just they charge too. If there is a

service that DVLA charges for, the copy websites will ask for even more.

For example, it costs £14 to renew a driving licence on the DVLA website, but up to £60 elsewhere. The DVLA said it has been contacted by 1,200 drivers about the issue since January 2020.

If a website offering DVLA-related services doesn't have "gov.uk" in the address

bar, it means it may charge these extra fees. Another sign is that you are being asked for money for something that was previously free for you like updating your car's log book when you move house.

Drivers were previously warned they face a hefty fine and penalty points on their licence if they pay with mobile phones at drive-thru restaurants.

City Corporation donates to Bangladesh flood relief efforts The City of London Corporation has made a £25,000 donation to a fund providing relief to victims of floods in Bangladesh. The Square Mile’s governing body has donated the money from its International Disasters Fund to the charity Save The Children’s response to the humanitarian crisis in the south Asian country.

Heavy monsoon rains

and floodwater from upstream in India have inundated large parts of the Sylhet region of eastern Bangladesh, killing over 100

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people and leaving millions marooned. The money will be used to provide hygiene kits, water purification tablets, food and shelter kits and to support cleaning up schools and rebuilding homes devastated by the floods.

The City of London Corporation’s Finance Committee Chairman, Henry Colthurst, said: “With the eyes of the world understandably on events in Ukraine, it is important that the international community does not overlook the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Bangladesh.

“With the largest Bangladeshi community in the UK on our doorstep in Tower Hamlets, the plight of families affected by the flooding has a particular resonance for us here in the City.

“This funding will contribute to the vital work Save The Children is doing on the ground to provide food, shelter, clean water to those in need and to support the rebuilding effort which must follow.”

Sajid Javid resigns; Steve Barclay new health secretary Sunak and Javid resign, hinting that the game is over for PM Boris Johnson On Tuesday evening, Sajid Javid resigned as health secretary, saying the country needs a “strong and principled Conservative party”.

“I have spoken to the Prime Minister to tender my resignation as Secretary of State for Health & Social Care. It has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can no longer continue in good conscience,” Javid tweeted as he shared a copy of his resignation to the PM. In his letter of resignation, Javid said the public had concluded the government is neither popular nor competent and "this situation will not change under your leadership and you have therefore lost my confidence".

The health secretary told Johnson that the

British people "rightly expect integrity from their government". He said the recent vote of confidence was a "moment for humility, grip and new direction".

He wrote: "The tone you set as a leader, and the values you represent, reflect on your colleagues, your party and ultimately the country.

"Conservatives at their best are seen as hard-headed decision-makers, guided

by strong values. We may not have always been popular, but we have been competent in acting in the national interest.

"Sadly, in the current circumstances, the public are concluding that we are now neither."

Sajid Javid had replaced Matt Hancock amid the peak of the pandemic when the latter was caught flouting lockdown rules and having an affair with a close aide.

Andrew Murrison MP has announced on Twitter that he has resigned as a trade envoy.

Steve Barclay has been appointed as health secretary, Downing Street announced. Barclay was previously the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and chief of staff for Downing Street.

Inside Boris Johnson's luxury jet and boozy BBQ tour Boris Johnson is back in Britain after a mammoth eight-day foreign trip where international summits were overshadowed by mounting questions about his leadership and defence spending.

On an eight-day jaunt, he was hurtled about by turbulence on his Airbus, however, it was nothing compared to what waited for him when he landed last night.

The Prime Minister welcomed Kiwi counterpart

Jacinda Ardern to No10 and he was dealing with the fallout from Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher’s resignation, amid groping allegations.

Though Mr Johnson tried to escape with swims, a boozy barbecue with G7 chiefs and striking up a new “bromance” with long-time sparring partner Emmanuel Macron, he was forced to confront criticisms of his leadership style, election humiliations and how he

felt about critics plotting against him in Westminster.

A Government source said: "He was very refreshed as he came in, and it was an ongoing banter between him and Justin Trudeau because Trudeau sort of ran around the lake as the Prime Minister was swimming in it.

"So all this banter about riding bareback and imitating Putin and displaying their pecs got a new lease of life off the back of that."

Teachers' union reject nine per cent pay rise Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi who has offered militant teaching unions a whopping 9 per cent pay rise is facing backlash from militant teaching unions. It seems that the Tory minister backed away from his position last week that striking would be 'unforgivable' by begging Chancellor Rishi Sunak to bankroll a wage hike for 130,000 junior teachers in

England.

However, Mary Bousted, the general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'If we don't receive a very much better offer we will be looking to ballot our members in October.'

Ms Bousted said: '9% for beginner teachers does not really shift the dial on the

Government's plan to reach a £30,000 starter salary within two years. In that time, however, teachers will have experienced the intense and excessive workload which leads to almost a third quitting within five years of qualifying'.

'It is well below the current RPI inflation of 11.7%.

What we need to see is an inflation-plus pay increase for all teachers.”

Foreign ministers announce a joint India-UK Commonwealth Diplomatic Academy Foreign ministers of the UK and India have today announced a joint India-UK Commonwealth Diplomatic Academy programme.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “In an increasingly geopolitical world, we must champion the Commonwealth values of democracy and sovereignty.

The UK and India are helping to build a modern Commonwealth fit for the 21st century and delivering tangible benefits for its

members.

That’s why we are working together on a new Commonwealth Diplomatic Academy programme, which will equip young diplomats with expertise and training they will need to tackle the global challenges we face.”

A joint statement was issued by the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, the Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, and External Affairs Minister of India, Subrahmanyam

Jaishankar on the establishment of an India-UK Commonwealth Diplomatic Academy programme. It said both ministers were pleased to announce that a joint India-UK Commonwealth Diplomatic Academy programme is to be hosted in New Delhi, India. The Academy programme will equip young diplomats from all Commonwealth Member States with expertise and training on global challenges.

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The great resignations: Britain’s popularity and population challenges The recent decision by 13 states in the US, to ban abortion or make it illegal, has absolutely shocked the world. Typically, one looks at the West, and thinks of the US as a symbol of success, and innovation and is considered as a leader in paving the way to modernisation, development and freedom.

And then comes the regressive decision to stop allowing a woman to choose what is right for her mind or body, an attack on the very democratic right the nation boasts to protect. It is contrary to what the pioneers of the US Constitution would have ever wanted to see in the country they built on pillars of unity.

UK’s Census 2021 has shown how it’s a majorly ageing population, pointing at the declining number of younger people. In fact, the under 5years population has shrunk by 7.6% (3.2mn) in the last decade. The fall in the number for the younger population will directly have an effect on economic growth and accelerate health problems. The NHS, which is celebrating its birthday this week, has already not recovered from the pandemic pressure and to get basic treatment could be up to 5 years of wait in some parts of the country. The doctors and other medical professionals have started quitting their jobs, under insurmountable pressures, some also falling victims of institutional racism.

On the other hand, scandals like high infant deaths show how deprivations in cause such deaths. The Lancet in a report published through the UK and Sweden have similar levels of economic development and universal healthcare, the authors found through Sweden's lower mortality rates among infants should be achievable within the UK. In fact, it was UK's more unequal wealth distribution leading to poorer maternal health during pregnancy, which in turn caused more babies to be born prematurely and with low birth weight.

The demographer Paul Moreland caused controversy on the weekend by arguing that Britain needs to tax the childless to tackle our declining birth rate.

The Daily Mail reported how Elon Musk said that he's been 'banging the baby drum' for a while and warns that the US could face a fate like Japan’s if plunging fertility rates don't improve.

“I'm always banging the baby drum,” Musk, who has fathered eight children with multiple wives, said. 'Where do you think people come from?” Last year, Japan saw its population plunged by more than 600,000 due to declining fertility rates and a rapidly ageing population.

Intervening in people’s fertility decisions is tricky if not improper, especially for those who have been incapable of procreating despite tries and medical assistance. With an ageing population, there is incredible pressure on the NHS and

the need for more people to be recruited from outside the country, including unskilled labour, to be able to cope.

This is where the government needs to change policies to make having children a treat. Incentivise it, remove the benefit restricted only to two people and make flexible working common. Though family necessarily does not mean having children, a lack of kin and a narrowing circle can lead to isolation.

As CapX in an article pointed out, it would be callous folly to impose additional taxes on those without children. And some of Morland’s other suggestions – including gimmicks like a day to celebrate parenthood or a telegram from the Queen for a third child – are not really the brightest.

Moreover, as education becomes more generic and easily rewarding with people scoring very high marks at GCSEs and A-levels, it makes the environment much less challenging or competitive, leaving a very big pool of equally and similarly talented and trained young people aiming for similar jobs or roles. With limited availabilities professionally in a small country like the UK, people then tend to move away for better opportunities in correspondence to their academic success, leaving older generations to strive alone.

The problem of population isn’t the only one. Misconduct allegations have led to two senior ministers resigning.

Sajid Javid resigned as the Health Secretary as well as Rishi Sunak, who resigned as the Chancellor of the country, in standing up against Boris Johnson's leadership (see p1).

This fallout happened over the appointment of Chris Pincher as Deputy Whip in February by Mr Johnson, after allegedly knowing that the disgraced MP had allegedly groped two colleagues at a social event while drunk. Though Mr Johnson profusely apologised for what happened or his decision, the former Cabinet ministers told the PM they had lost confidence in him.

The Chancellor wrote: "The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously.

"I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning."

Mr Javid said the public had concluded the government is neither popular nor competent and "this situation will not change under your leadership, and you have therefore lost my confidence".

In his letter to the PM, the health secretary told Mr Johnson that the British people "rightly expect integrity from their government".

He said the recent vote of confidence was a "moment for humility, grip and new direction".

Role of media, politicians in shaping public opinion Media and politicians have a major role in shaping public opinion. Media keeps a check on the functioning of the government to keep the system intact. The role of the media is to ensure that the people are aware of the social, economic and political developments taking place around them. In performing its role in spreading information, the media also plays a pivotal function in creating public opinion. It holds significance in a democracy as a positive public opinion on any subject would mean legitimization and validation from the public. Human nature is such that it makes them eager to know about their surroundings, the tendency of being informed, such a typical nature makes them prone to relying upon and getting influenced by the information that they receive without critically thinking about the authenticity of the information. It can be observed that sometimes the information providers not only tell the bare information but also state their opinion along with it. Mass Media including news channels, internet (social media), newspapers, etc. have the power of changing people's perspectives on an issue at hand. All such instances combined help in the formation of public opinion, depending on the authenticity of the news and how the people wish to interpret it.

With the help of public opinion, several policy decisions can be taken by the government. In a democracy, government policies and programs are people-centric and to know whether the government can create the desired impact through its actions, public opinion is necessary. Mass media works as a medium between the government and the public.

Its function is to provide the people with information for them to form an opinion based on the piece of information.

The media also plays a role in bringing the issue of corruption into the limelight. Thus, creating awareness is the primary task in the hands of the media to make the public capable of forming some sort of opinion because to form an opinion on a particular issue it is vital to be aware of what is going on and around the society.

One needs to understand that the role of mass media in shaping public opinion can be positive as well as negative.

Sometimes the controversies created by the media can help to give momentum to a cause for good whereas sometimes it can prove to be detrimental. The role of mass media, including social networking sites becomes even more significant when there is no direct experience or some other knowledge on a particular issue is unavailable. In such a sit-

uation, all that the audience has got is what is being presented by the media, where there is no way to cross-check, which gives them the benefit of doubt. Even when there is an availability of other sources to verify, what makes it easier to shape public opinion according to the agenda-setting, is the growing tendency of the people to believe in each and everything which they see that is out there. Social Media is also a platform to influence public opinion and this act is done by the social media influencers. Media must promote pluralism, be it the news channels or social networking sites, what is important, to present both sides of the picture to assist people from a better and holistic opinion.

Politicians also should be very careful while expressing their opinion on any subject. Recently, the Supreme Court criticised the remarks of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma in creating dissension among the people.

The judges remarked that her responsible statement was responsible for what happened in Udaipur. In modern society, the voice of the people forms the crux of any legislation or policy in the land. While this facet of societal feedback is prevalent in all societies regardless of the degree of authoritarianism, it is especially true for democratic societies of the world. But it is important to first realise and understand what public opinion really is. Today, public opinion is defined in the following way: collective evaluations expressed by people on political issues, policies, institutions and individuals.

It is important to differentiate between public opinion and pressure groups. Public opinion changes policy through passive observations that accumulate amongst citizens.

Pressure groups work to change policy actively through direct interaction with policymakers. Public opinion is important in a democracy because the people are the ultimate source of political power. In theory, a government official has to take public opinion into account whilst deciding on a future course of action. This is not to say that politicians always do what people want. But even the most unapproachable politician needs to avoid making the majority of a country too displeased. Political parties must maintain a certain level of positive public opinion which is subject to a certain measure of manipulation through mass media and other sources and used to maintain the status quo. That is, however, not to say that public opinion, itself, should be considered a ‘positive social function’.

Thought for the week It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest thing in the world. – John Green

Political Sketchbook Alpesh Patel

The Politics of Inflation Inflation can bring down Governments. It can also bring about war – thankfully less so in Europe than in the past (I’m thinking of Germany). Inflation can also bring disaster to an economy rapidly, for instance the European Exchange Rate Mechanism when the UK targeted the Deutschemark by raising interest rates to show its commitment to keep wages lower. That’s complicated you may think.

Well, it came up in my Oxford entrance interview.

The idea was that unions would ask for higher wages thinking price inflation would not make their products more expensive given that the currency could depreciate on the back of higher inflation. So, the Government would raise rates (no Indy BoE back then) and thereby make it less attractive for unions to push for higher wages as it would now make their products uncompetitive and lead to redundancies.

Of course, the theory was too tenuous and complicated and didn’t hold water. And the Major Government with Lamont as Chancellor lost a billion to Soros who shorted the Pound i.e., sold Pounds as he knew raising rates by the Government to track the Deutschmark was not credible as a promise. You see Soros as a hedge fund manager knew about another branch of economics – Game Theory and if your threat (high interest rates) is not credible then your currency will fall as the market anticipates any interest rate rises leading to buying of your currency will not last long and sales follow as the much-expected interest rate drops indeed happen sooner or later.

I know, complicated! But important. We are again in an inflationary period and old grey hairs which were once full and young have memories which help us anticipate direction. Now the Bank of England can make its own decisions and is unlikely, unlike Lamont, but because of Lamont, to make thousands of business bankrupt by spiking up rates. Lamont was a mediocre economist as was his naïve special advisor at the time – one David Cameron. Both studied economics at a time when Game Theory was novel. Game Theory (you’ve seen the movie “A Beautiful Mind” is essentially about anticipating the next move of your opponent in a multi-stage game.

Also telling is the political culture of a country.

In the US they’d rather have growth over low inflation and so interest rates are more likely to remain lower for longer. In the German, they still recall inter-war inflation and would sacrifice growth for low inflation. In the UK we are somewhere in between. So, you should anticipate some rises in rates – do not wish it away. For all you readers with lots of corporate debt and landlords – plan ahead now and start deleveraging!

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Asylum seekers from Solihull hotel rooms are plumbers, midwives and artists Asylum seekers who are living in Solihull have fled war, persecution and death. They cannot work and are dependent on a weekly allowance of barely £40.

They spoke their heart out at the town's first-ever Refugee Week event.

Firas, an audio editor, was forced to flee his home country of Syria and came alone, from eastern Syria. "I came for safety,

for my future, for my daughter."

A gifted and trained artist, Iraqi Kurd Bewar was forced to flee Iraq.

"I had a certificate from an art academy in Iraq. I was an art teacher in Iraq, working for 13 years. I went to college." And where have the ideas come from for his art? "I get ideas, [one picture] is from Dover, when I saw Dover, I was very happy."

Three charged with murder of schoolboy in Wolverhampton A schoolboy Ronan Kanda was stabbed to death by two teenagers and a 20-year-old Josiah Francis in the Lanesfield area of Wolverhampton shortly before 9 pm on Wednesday, June 29. All three suspects have been charged with murder.

He suffered serious stab wounds in Mount Road, with a post-mortem examination later revealing that he was stabbed twice.

West Midlands Police said: "A man and two teenagers have been charged with the murder of Ronan Kanda, who was stabbed to death in Wolverhampton.

"Ronan, 16, was attacked on Mount Road, in Lanesfield, shortly before 9pm on Wednesday.

Tragically, Ronan died at the scene and a murder investigation was started.

"A post-mortem revealed he died after being

stabbed twice. Last night, Josiah Francis, 20, of Westcote Avenue, Birmingham, was charged with murder, along with two 16-year-old boys.

"All will appear before W o l v e r h a m p t o n Magistrates' tomorrow (Monday). A 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man held earlier this week have been released on police bail."

Meanwhile, detectives are continuing to check CCTV and want anyone who was driving in the area at the time of the stabbing to check their dash-cam footage. Ronan's heartbroken family paid tribute to the 'loving' schoolboy and said: "Ronan was a kind-hearted, loving, caring 16-yearold.

"He was taken from us cruelly and our hearts are broken. We want everyone to pray for his soul now."

Cancer survivor mumof-two had 'one year to live', now clear due to miraculous treatment A mum-of-two with Jasmin David discovered that her cancer had spread to the lungs, lymph nodes and chest bone, she was given the devastating news that she had less than a year to live. But after taking part in a clinical trial with experimental medicines, she is now living a healthy life.

When Jasmin David discovered that her cancer had spread to the lungs, lymph nodes and chest bone, she was given the devastating news that she had less than a year to live.

The previously fit and healthy mother of two grown-up children, who worked in a care home for the elderly, discovered she had an aggressive triplenegative form of breast cancer in November 2017.

She then underwent a gruelling six months of chemotherapy and a mastectomy in April 2018, fol-

lowed by 15 cycles of radiotherapy which cleared her body of cancer. But in October 2019, cancer returned.

Two months later, and with no other options left, Jasmin took up the opportunity to be part of the research by participating in phase I (early phase) clinical trial.

She was given an experimental medicine combined with Atezolizumab, an immunotherapy drug administered intravenously which she continues to have every three weeks.

Now, she is showing no evidence of the disease.

“I celebrated my 50th birthday in February 2020 while still in the middle of treatment and not knowing what the future held. Two and a half years ago I thought it was the end and I now feel like I’ve been reborn”.

Holed up in hotels, they are considered by law to be asylum seekers while their applications for refugee status are considered by the Home Office. As they await the outcome of their applications, asylum seekers are banned from working.

The council's free event was organised for people to learn more about refugees in Solihull

and the West Midlands.

Communities boss at Solihull Council, Alison McGrory, told BirminghamLive: "We supported a major exercise at Birmingham Airport last year when [refugees] came from Afghanistan, that was our first major work with refugees."

"We didn't have a formal resettlement service, but now we do."

Queen's Baton Relay begins in England The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is around the corner and the Queen's Baton Relay has officially landed in England ready for its tour around our home nation.

The baton tours the country visiting Stonehenge, the White Cliffs of Dover, and other landmarks before finishing at the Alexander Stadium on July 28.

The Queen's Baton Relay has arrived at a windy Portland, and it will be going on a National Sailing Academy boat around the Portland marina.

Before Portland, it arrived at Exeter Quayside via a paddleboard. It toured Exeter and stopped at Butts Ferry.

West Bromwich-born athlete and TV presenter Denise Lewis was presented with the baton by postman David Hoskin.

The Mayor of Plymouth Sue Dann, who is actually from Birmingham herself, spoke of her pride.

She said: "This is a very special occasion. To actually see the Queen's Baton, which is an honour anyway, but knowing it is going to end up in Birmingham, my hometown is really personal."

The Commonwealth Games will take place from July 28 to August 8 where 72 countries are set to take part.

Leicester group's personal Ugandan Asian memorabilia to air on BBC Antiques Roadshow Navrang Arts are set to feature on the long-running programme BBC's Antiques Roadshow where they will showcase items they’ve collected from Ugandan Asians in the city. The group is the spearhead of ongoing commemorations celebrating 50 years of Ugandan Asians in Leicester.

The organisation has been collecting memorabilia from local residents and across the country. It will be featured in an exhibition titled Rebuilding Lives: 50 Years of Ugandan Asians in Leicester at Leicester Museum in New Walk.

Rebuilding Lives is set to open at the museum's brand new gallery space in July.

Last week at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham, filming for the episode took place.

Navrang’s Nisha Popat took along some of her own personal

objects including the jacket that her father wore when he first came to the country to see what the valuers thought. The jacket still had all the badges on it from all the organisations that he has been involved in over the years.

Other than the jacket, there was a record player, personal documents such as passports, and a suitcase. But the verdicts of the experts are being kept secret for now.

Navrang’s Nishil Saujani said: “The producers heard about the exhibition that we were collecting items for, and this sparked an interest into the work we've been doing across the year, and how we managed to get these items from people across the country - especially here in Leicester.

The episode is expected to air this September on BBC One.

in brief WANTED FRAUDSTER LIVING LAVISH LIFESTYLE IN DUBAI OWES HMRC £2.2M Ardip Singh Hayre fled the country without paying back his debts to HM Revenue and Customs. He fled to the United Arab Emirates after a warning to pay back £2.2million - or be thrown back in jail. This wanted fraudster is understood to live in a lavish villa worth around 7 million AED, around £1.5m, in an "exclusive" complex with two drivers and a maid. He was caged after his role in an organised crime gang that stole huge sums of money to fund a life of luxury "they neither earned nor deserved".

Both he and his dad were jailed as criminal investigators smashed the multi million pound racket. In 2013, Hayre was ordered to pay back the hefty sum of £2.2m with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) "determined" to ensure the gang would not "leave jail to enjoy that lifestyle again". However, in the following year, Hayre fled to start a new life in the UAE and years on he is still wanted

by HMRC over the confiscation order.

FEWER PUBS THAN EVER IN THE COUNTRY During the first half of 2022, the total number of pubs dropped below 40,000, a fall of more than 7,000 since a decade ago. And in the last six months, the West Midlands witnessed the biggest drop in the country – with 28 pubs closed between the end of 2021 and the end of June. The research from real estate advisers Altus Group says, pubs that have disappeared from communities have been demolished or converted into other buildings like homes and offices. But the researchers believe that while pubs managed to battle through Covid, they are now facing a fresh challenge thanks to record inflation and an energy crisis. “Whilst pubs proved remarkably resilient during the pandemic, they’re now facing new headwinds grappling with the cost of doing business crisis through soaring energy costs, inflationary pressures and tax rises,” Robert Hayton, Altus Group’s UK president said. British Institute of Innkeeping and UK Hospitality, only 37 per cent of hospitality businesses are turning a profit, according to research from the British Beer and Pub Association. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “As a sector we have just weathered the hardest two years on memory, and we now face the challenge of extreme rising costs, with only one in three hospitality businesses currently profitable. It’s essential that we receive relief to ease these pressures or we really do risk losing more pubs year on year.”

'Our pay hasn't gone up in years and we could strike’, says Tameside GP Greater Manchester GP Dr Faisal Bhutta and other GPs, who have been ‘working all of the time’ for months now have to brace up for a NHS new contract that will force GPs to take more appointments in the evenings and on weekends to meet the sheer volume of people needing help.

While medics across the country have now come out in force to protest the new

contract, threatening industrial action, Tameside GP Dr Bhutta says that GPs could strike with regard to the less payment they receive.

He has claimed that GPs have been under a ‘pay freeze’ for around five years, limiting doctors to a one per cent rise each year.

Other clinical and nonclinical staff are given pay rises but by the time doctors’ wages are considered, there is no funding left in the pots of practices to hand out the raises, says Dr Bhutta.

“As GPs, our pay has been frozen for four to five

years, limited to around one per cent increase. But all the while, the workload is going up, we’re asked to do more and more, including possibly starting seven day working - though I wouldn’t say that’s the main reason for GPs wanting to strike.

Dr Bhutta says getting round the negotiating table should be the resolution to the pay question, otherwise, patients will suffer.

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10-Day ‘Festival of Inspiration’ at Neasden Temple This summer, the worldrenowned Neasden Temple in London is delighted to bring together tens of thousands of people at the ‘Festival of Inspiration’ – a vibrant, ten-day multi-feature cultural event across a seven-acre site from 22 to 31 July that promises to light up the Borough of Brent with a fusion of sound, colour, and aromatic fragrances.

This iconic community gathering will celebrate the centennial birth anniversary of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the creator of Neasden Temple and one of the world’s great spiritual leaders. He taught and lived by the ethos: “In the joy of others lies our own.”

Amongst the many attractions of the festival is ‘The Island of Heroes’, a fun, immersive experience for children to learn from inspirational stories of the past, present and future. Children will be able to learn from

and enjoy games, stories, educational activities, animations and live performances. Younger children aged 8 and under can discover their own enjoyment at the onsite play area.

A large community stage will host live performances from a varied genre of arts, including dance and musical talent from across India.

Here, local residents, as well as visitors from afar, will join together at the beating heart of the festival and be able to offer their own contributions to make this a truly inclusive and uplifting event, celebrating Brent’s rich diversity in harmony.

Inspirational life-sized statues, representing the rich heritage of India, and a mosaic of interactive displays will reveal an improved way of living through yoga and wellbeing, care for the environment, and family harmony. A series of interactive learning

zones comprising shows, activities and presentations will offer a museum of history, reflection, and inspired living for visitors.

A festival is of course incomplete without appeasing the palate. The ‘Festival of Inspiration’ will indeed elevate the experience of food with a range of multicultural cuisine to captivate the senses. This culinary journey will be brought to life through live cooking demonstrations from esteemed chefs.

After meandering through the endless learning and cultural wonderland, visitors will leave not only with refreshed minds but an energised soul. This celebration of the values that Pramukh Swami Maharaj embodied will bring together people of all backgrounds, cultures and ages from this great borough for a truly exciting family day out.

Jareem is Britain’s most pampered toddler Kasey Akram, 32, the selfdescribed full-time mum, who is on benefits, has splashed out thousands on her son Jareem, one year old right now, and says she can't stop.

Some of Jareem’s most extravagant possessions include a £750 Versace chain, a £925 diamondencrusted bracelet and even a £1,000 solid gold dummy.

Kasey, who lives in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said: “I’ll be wearing charity shop clothes while he’s wearing a £50 t-shirt and if I had the choice I would walk around naked so he could

wear what he wants. I’m not working at the moment, I do all this on benefits and the help of my ex-partner."

Kasey, who has previously worked as a dancer and model, gives Jareem a bath, using milk and honey a couple of times a week, followed by baby oil and a baby massage while he watches Peppa Pig on his bedroom TV which she moved in there from the living room.

His pampering doesn’t end there as she also takes him to get his hair cut once a fortnight and insists it’s cut by the manager of the

barbershop. And he also goes with her to the nail salon where he gets a mini pedicure from the staff there.

And she’s so keen to put Jareem ahead of herself that when her and her bed broke, instead of replacing it she spent £300 on a tractor bed for her son and slept with her mattress on the floor.

As well as feeding him an all-organic diet, she refuses to let him drink tap water as she is concerned that the level of estrogen would cause him to grow breasts.

Outstanding young hero in Bolton receives award in memory of Princess Diana The youngest person from Bolton is honoured with The Diana Award for going above and beyond in their daily life to create and sustain positive change.

Milan Paul Kumar, aged 9, from Bolton has been recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts – The Diana Award.

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of

Sussex.

Aged only 9, Milan was awarded the ‘British Citizen Award 2021’ for charitable fundraising to support children and families most affected by Covid-19.

During the first lockdown, he read 50 books in 3

months and was inspired to join the ‘National Literacy Trust’, where for ten days he cycled 50 laps of the University of Bolton Stadium. Milan completed another challenge in 2021 which involved 5 days of hiking, cycling and skiing.

He wrote and self-published his own book, 'Covid Christmas Parade', with all proceeds going to the charity, and was congratulated by the Prime Minister. He also took part in the 'My Dear New Friend' scheme, supporting 15 care home residents to help combat isolation and loneliness.

An evening to celebrate the beauty of poetry On Monday evening, The Chambers at the Taj hosted an evening of poetry by Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi organised by Baithak. It marked the launch of the translation of Akhtar’s poetries in the book ‘In other words’ in 3 languages- Bengali, French and Italian, besides English.

In the first half of the evening, the audience enjoyed a beautiful poetry reading by Akhtar followed

by a translation into English by Azmi. Examples of the Bengali, French and Italian translations were also witnessed.

The second half of the evening was a honourees

humorous conversation between Sangeeta Datta and the couple about the legacy of poetry and romanticism, where both took questions from the audience.

Among the guests in the audience was Barkha Dutt, who is here in London on her latest book tour. Lord Meghnad Desai was also one of the attendees.

Full story next week.

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Dr Sunil Hirani passes prestigious WSLO exam Specialist Orthodontist Dr Sunil Hirani is celebrating after recently passing the World Society of Lingual Orthodontics (WSLO) exam. Lingual orthodontics involves treating patients discreetly with braces ‘behind their teeth’. This technique known as invisible braces is very technically demanding.

Lingual orthodontics is an advanced sub-specialty of orthodontics.

There are currently about 1500 registered specialist orthodontists in the UK and only 5-10% of them can proficiently undertake lingual orthodontic treatment. The main reason for this is the very high level of skill required as it takes many years to master.

Dr Hirani was the only candidate from the UK to sit

the exam, which took place at the 8th WSLO Congress in Barcelona in July 2019. A panel of expert lingual orthodontic examiners assessed Dr Hirani’s cases.

As of 2019, only 246 individuals have passed this exceptionally difficult exam

worldwide, so it’s a fantastic achievement.

Dr Hirani is the only consultant-trained specialist in the UK to hold this esteemed qualification. The candidate sitting the exam is usually a specialist for at least 10 years. He is also the first British Hindu to ever have achieved this accolade.

As chairman of the British Lingual Orthodontic Society (BLOS), Dr Hirani is committed to raising the profile of lingual orthodontics in the UK. Dr Hirani, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have passed this examination. It reflects the steps that I have slowly climbed over the last 16 years as a specialist. It is my family and faith that have kept me very focused.”

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SUNAK AND JAVID QUIT JOHNSON'S GOVERNMENT Continued from page 1

Though under current rules, Mr Johnson is safe from another leadership challenge until Summer 2023, but the executive of the 1922 Committee can reportedly change the rules whenever it wants.

The Guardian reported: “A new antiJohnson executive is expected to be elected next week, but even the current executive – more evenly split between loyalists and critics – could act now if it felt there was a consensus in the party.”

Asian Voice speaks to Rishi Sunak On Friday, as the world celebrated Ratha Yatra festival, Asian Voice interviewed Rishi Sunak while he was still the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Hopeful to visit India later this year, he emphasised how important the UK-India relationship is for him and how proud he is about India’s changing perception in the world as a leading nation.

During the interview organised by the Indian Journalists’ Association, Mr Sunak, ahead of his appearance at the UK India Awards, hailed his values as a British Indian, growing up in a humble family, spoke about visiting the Vedic Society Hindu Temple in Southampton- the city where he spent his childhood.

Tipped off to be UK’s next Prime Minister and the first Indian-origin one, also talked about how his family came to the UK via East Africa, and him growing up in a typical middle-class British Indian household, helping his immigrant parents to go about their daily jobs.

He said, “Like so many British-Indian families, of all faiths, we came together to serve the community. And still do. This Sunday, I’ll be at our Mandir in Southampton, where I grew up, for our family prayer day. We’ll cook and serve lunch for the whole community, just as we do every year. Because that’s the lesson I learnt from my parents. An ethic of service.

“Whether working in the shop, or delivering medicines to elderly people at home, or even just out and about in town, people

would stop and thank my Mum and Dad. I found that incredibly inspiring. And ultimately that’s why I became an MP.” Emphasising on the importance of opportunities available to all in Britain, he elaborated, “My story was only possible because lots of people came before me. And whether it was my parents or grandparents and lots of others, who broke down the barriers and endured things that I didn't have to endure, and paved the way for me and my generation, to be able to do incredible things. And that says an enormous amount about Britain's openness and tolerance and warmth, that someone like me is sitting here in the treasury.

“I’m incredibly proud of where I come from. It will always be an enormous part of who I am. And it brings me joy to live, and belong, in a country where, for all our faults, for all our challenges, someone like me can become Chancellor.

“Our task now is to make sure that’s not the end of the British-Indian story – but the beginning.”

He further added that he is looking forward to going to India later this year to not only meet family but celebrate India’s progress as a nation, that he admitted having impressed him immensely.

A relationship of equals Mr Sunak said, “I think the perception of India is not caught up with the reality, for many people here in the UK. When I go, I do a lot of family things, but when I'm also out and about seeing businesses or seeing what's going on. India is now the country with the third highest number of tech unicorns. It's got the second highest smartphone penetration anywhere in the world, and one of the most active social media markets. So, you know, that's what modern India looks like.

“And if I think about the future relationship, one, which is based on innovation and technology, and science is important. India has moved a long way from just being a place where lower costs of labour were, to

creating globally best in class companies that are providing cutting edge technology products and services to people. And that is that really impresses me whenever I'm there, seeing that pace of change. Hopefully I can go in and see what even more progress has been made, since I was last there.

“The UK-India relationship is a partnership of equals, where the brightest talent from both our countries travel back and forth to study and work, where we are close trading partners, and where we freely exchange world-class ideas and innovation.

In the same light, adding about the ongoing FTA he said, “UK and India in the process of the FTA and the plan is to be in a good point by Diwali. Whether it's someone who is now able to benefit from a new banking app, or FinTech product, which will help them access savings, or whether it's someone who now can sell health care products or travel more easily to receive the health care treatments in one or another place.

“With the Covishield vaccine, we saw the benefit of the collaboration between the two countries bringing science to the benefit of people, not just in India, in the UK, but across the world. The FTA is about more access to more products and services, ultimately, that's good for consumers, good for citizens and good for businesses and creating jobs.

“India deserves to play a significant role in the region and in the world, given its economy and its cultural influence. And there will be no greater champion of India taking on that bigger role than the UK. That is a shared ambition across government.”

Mr Sunak also pointed to reforms in the visa system to make it easier for talented Indians to come to the UK and said there are several categories now open to talented Indians, including the new High Potential Individual visa.

Photo Credits: PM Boris Johnson - Frederic Legrand - COMEO; Editorial Credit for Sajid Javid - Alexandros Michailidis

Peter Brook: No more Figures from the world of theatre have expressed their admiration for the director Peter Brook after his death at the age of 97.

He was described as a visionary and a giant in his field, known for his bold reworking of Shakespeare. Peter Brook, the theatre director whose radical productions included A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed on trapezes and stilts, has died at the age of 97.

Brook’s death was announced by his son Simon on Twitter alongside a photograph of them together.

Actors and directors expressed their admiration for a visionary whose reworking of Shakespeare and embrace of avant garde writers transformed people’s expectations of theatre.

Many tributes were from France, where Brook moved in the 1970s to set up a theatre company. He once described British postwar theatre as “oldfashioned, stereotyped and in the hands of a small number of very conven-

tional people who did Shakespeare in the most boring way imaginable”.

Brook, who died on Saturday, was born in Chiswick, west London. and attended Westminster School and Oxford University.

His first production was of Dr Faustus in 1943 at the Torch Theatre in London. He went on to become director of productions at the Royal Opera House. Brook was among the first in theatre to focus on increasing the diversity of his productions.

Yet the pinnacle of his imagination was

Britain’s small businesses to create thousands of new jobs Britain’s fastest-growing small businesses are poised to create thousands of new jobs over the next year, even amid soaring inflation and rising interest rates.

It is expected that Britain’s fastest-growing private companies with revenue of less than £250 million, more than 6,000 jobs will be generated over the next 12 months as businesses look to expand in the UK and abroad.

The companies, which

come from a wide range of industries and locations, currently employ nearly 21,000 people in total. Of those businesses ranked, 68 responded with forecasts of their recruitment plans.

Those going on the biggest hiring spree include London technology consultancy AND Digital, Darlington-based leisure operator Lane7, and Double Eleven, a video games developer in Middlesbrough.

surely the celebrated nine-hour staging of The Mahabharata, an ancient Sanskrit epic that emerged in 1985 encompassing fire, earth, air and water. Yet Brook was never one to get stuck in a groove. He told how, after The Mahabharata, he was swamped with invitations to work similar magic on Beowulf, Icelandic myths or German myths.

He directed half a dozen more films, of which the best was Lord of the Flies (1963).

In many respects The Empty Space was the apotheosis of his influence on British theatre, its “commandments” achieving a similar status to those handed down to Moses on Mount Sinai — they existed to be followed and broken in equal measure.

Brook left Britain in 1970 to travel the world, exploring theatre practices in other cultures and testing his theories and the limits of his thespians in every fly-blown African village in which he parked his magic carpet.

Easyjet COO quits as amid flight chaos Peter Bellew, Chief operating officer, Easyjet, has resigned to ‘pursue other business opportunities’ after leaving Ryanair to join the airline two-and-a-half years ago, amid anger over thousands of flights being disrupted and cancelled.

It comes after the company apologised to customers for failing to ‘deliver the service they have come to expect from us’.

UK airports have been plagued by widespread travel chaos, mainly due to low staff levels post-lockdown and difficulties obtaining security clearance for new recruits.

EasyJet is one of the worst hit airlines, with many holidaymakers dev-

astated after seeing their flights axed on the day they were due to fly.

The mayhem could continue into this month, with some workers set to strike in a dispute over pay.

Trade union Unite last month claimed there was a ‘lack of leadership’ and Mr Bellew should be ‘taking control of this situation’.

The company has appointed David Morgan – who has been with the airline since 2016 – as interim chief operations officer. The news follows allegations that dozens of tourists were locked in a sweltering airport corridor for an hour, only to find out their flight had been cancelled.

in brief NHS TO RECEIVE GEORGE CROSS NEXT WEEK The NHS will be presented the George Cross by Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by The Prince of Wales, in an Audience at Windsor Castle on Tuesday 12th July 2022. Commenting on the award on the Health Service's 74th birthday, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “The George Cross award recognises the courage, the compassion and the skill of our NHS staff and I am honoured to be attending on their behalf next week.

“Under the most difficult of circumstances during the pandemic, our staff responded magnificently – caring for over 750,000 people with covid-19 in hospitals and many more in the community, treating hundreds of thousands of people with other health needs, as well as designing and delivering the biggest and most successful NHS vaccination programme in our history protecting the public at speed, helping to get the country back to normal and saving hundreds of thousands of lives. “Today, on the NHS’ birthday, we are marking their extraordinary efforts in the face of adversity but also their dedication over the last 74 years. “The George Cross is for everyone working in every part of the NHS - our nurses, doctors, cleaners, paramedics, porters, therapists – and the entire team, who make the NHS what it is today for millions of people and their families.”

UK citizenship test needs urgent review, says Lords committee A review of the Life in the UK Test is urgent and an end date for its completion should be set by the Government immediately.

The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee writes that the current edition of the Life in the UK handbook, which is the basis of the Test “comes across as a random selection of obscure facts and subjective assertions, trivialising the process”, in a letter to the Minister for Safe and Legal Migration, Kevin Foster MP, published today.

Passing the Test, in order to demonstrate ‘sufficient knowledge about life in the UK’, is required for citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). In the case of ILR the stakes are particularly high. Failure may mean deportation, the loss of livelihood, and separation from family.

The committee believes that the Test is in fact a test on the material included in the Government’s handbook, of which witnesses were critical during the committee's inquiry.

Those reading the handbook felt offended by the British Empire being described as “a force for good in the world” and the suggestion that the UK had fought alone against Nazi Germany.

The committee agreed with witnesses, that far from fostering social cohesion, the Test may alienate candidates, reducing their appetite for active participation in society.

People taking the Test even believe it was designed as ‘an additional barrier’ or ‘a resilience test’.

The committee also heard much evidence about the cost of the process - not only the direct costs, but time off work for preparation as well as travel, which can be to a distant test centre. Inevitably, Home Office fees for citizenship and permanent residency were mentioned, sometimes meaning that not every member of a family can afford to apply, and families can face being split up.

The committee has today called on the Government to appoint an Advisory Group to conduct a review to be published by a set deadline.

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UK-India Awards celebrate high achievers in every sphere India Global Forum’s glittering awards ceremony with Guest of Honour, UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak, marks the culmination of a high-power UK-India Week 2022

T

he UK-India Awards, organised annually by UK-headquartered India Global Forum (IGF) to celebrate all those companies, organisations and individuals working tirelessly to make the UKIndia partnership a winning proposition across all sectors, marked the culmination of UK-India Week 2022 on 1 July 2022 evening.

The Guest of Honour at this glittering VIP ceremony in Windsor was the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, in honour of his own

dedication to strengthening this important bilateral relationship.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “I’m delighted to be at the awards tonight to talk about the British-Indian story and how we might reimagine the UK-India relationship for the future.

“The relationship between our two countries is rooted in the enduring values of hard work, sacrifice, education, family, and service. My vision for the future of UK-India relations is a partnership of equals, where the brightest talent from both our

countries travel back and forth to study and work, where we are close trading partners, and where we freely exchange world-class ideas and innovation.”

The Awards, now in their 4th year, are the result of deep deliberations by an eminent jury:

v Professor Soumitra Dutta, Dean, Said Business School, University of Oxford v Lord Jitesh Gadhia, Parliamentarian, House of Lords v Kate Hampton, CEO, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) v Harpreet Kaur, Winner of BBC Apprentice 2022, Owner, Oh So Yum v Andy Street, Mayor, West Midlands The UK-India Awards 2022 categories included: v Legal Practice of the Year v Financial Services

Organisation of the Year v Consultancy of the Year v Technology Firm of the Year Award v Investment of the Year Award v New Market Entrant of the Year Award v Business Promotion Organisation of the Year v Social Impact Project of the Year v Special Award for Contribution to UKIndia Cultural ties v Lifetime Contribution to UK-India Relations Professor Manoj Ladwa, IGF Founder & CEO, said: “IGF seeks to

open up opportunities of a new global India to the world through engaging the very best minds in the most incisive conversations and debates. It's about setting tomorrow’s agenda today!

“The last two years have been challenging. But with challenges come opportunities to reimagine our future partnerships and achieve that Quantum Leap that Prime Minister Modi has hailed as within our grasp. These awards are about celebrating that reimagining of the UKIndia partnership.”

Top ministers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs line up for UK-India week The UK-India Week is organised by India Global Forum (IGF) annually as a celebration of the myriad facets of this important bilateral relationship, which is poised at a critical point this year with the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations going full steam ahead towards a Diwali timeline.

According to official estimates, an FTA with India is expected to nearly double UK exports to India and massively boost jobs in both economies.

A trade deal is expected to boost Britain's total trade by as much as £28 billion a year by 2035 and increase wages across different parts of the United Kingdom by £3 billion.

The list of speakers at the UK-India week included: Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, UK Government Dr S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Government of India Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, UK Government Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Government of India Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Labour & Employment, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India Dr Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Electronics and IT, Government of India Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for External Affairs of India Alok Sharma, President, COP 26 Lord Gerry Grimstone of Boscobe, Minister of Investment, Government of UK Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade, UK Government Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive, Standard Chartered Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Harmeen Mehta, Chief Digital & Innovation Officer, BT Dr Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, Lok Sabha Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder & CEO, OLA Amit Kapur, Country Head, TCS UK and Ireland, Tata Consultancy Services Sadhguru, Founder, Isha Foundation.

Addressing a Climate Finance and Technology Summit in London, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav highlighted the milestones achieved by India in the field of climate action on "mission mode".

"For the developing countries, adaptation finance is important, and the USD 100bn finance goal must be fulfilled by the developed world. And this climate finance must address the three essential Ss scope, scale and speed," said Yadav, in virtual interaction.

"Climate change is not some disaster waiting for us in the future, but it's our current reality. India is relying mainly on domestic resources to implement adaptation

Priti Patel

Rishi Sunak

and mitigation action on mission mode," he said.

"Prime Minister Modi is very committed to the issue of climate action. There's a real commitment on the part of the Indian government to work with the UK on climate goals," said UK Cabinet Minister Alok Sharma, President of the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow last year.

"At COP26, we managed to get almost 200 countries to agree to a historic climate pact at COP26 because every country saw it's in their own self-interest to act.”

"As a generation, we face a challenge, but we have the privilege and opportunity to turn things around too," said Sadhguru, as he highlighted his Save Soil campaign.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said, “We are going to have the highest number of Indian students come to the UK for the new semester year. India dominates our immigration system,” she said.

“Free trade agreements, FTAs, are absolutely there for trade purposes. When it comes to people-to-people movement or migration, they should not necessarily be in trade agreements," she said.

"We have introduced a points-based immigration system, a brand-new digital immigration system. That is up and running, it’s working. And, the nationality that tops the list is India. It's a high skill, sponsored by employers to work across a range of sectors,” the home secretary elaborated.

Asked about further opening up visas with an FTA, she noted: “I think we should disaggregate this from the wider FTA. FTAs are the territory of tariffs and quotas, which do not apply to immigration. We want high skills and high wages.”

Indian governments at different times adopted protectionist measures in trade negotiations with Britain, but that entrenched resistance is now melting away, Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said at day two of the UK-India Week 2022.

People from both sides India and the UK seem to be suggesting that some of the entrenched resistance is melting away, Tharoor said. It's a challenge for another good reason that India doesn’t have that much to offer to Britain in terms of goods that it is already offering, what it can offer is services so on that front visa and work permit issues must be resolved, he

S Jaishankar

Bhupendra Yadav

emphasised.

Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India, said: “In India’s 75th year, this is a great milestone together.

“Thanks to the exceptional support from our partners in the industry, I am delighted to announce 75 scholarships for

Indian students to experience the best of the UK. Nearly 30% of Chevening scholars in India come from smaller cities or are firstgeneration students, making this an increasingly diverse programme.”

Alok Sharma Tech Entrepreneur & Angel Investor Priyanka Gill, Founder & CEO of tech impact forum Maanch Darshita Gillies, Taj London Area Director Mehrnavaz Avari, Co-Founder of cultural platform Manch UK Meera Kaushik were also a part of the UKIndia Women in Leadership event.

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Two men arrested over fatal stabbing of Karamjeet Singh Reel Two London men, 32-yearold and 23-year-old, have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of Karamjeet Singh Reel in Hounslow. In the early hours of Saturday, emergency services found the 31-year-old with stab wounds on Staines Rd outside the Moon Under Water pub. Despite best efforts to save him, he suc-

cumbed to his injuries at the scene. A post-mortem examination found the cause of his death was a stab wound.

Met Police said that Reel’s family have been informed and are supported by specialist officers.

On Tuesday, two men were arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody in west

London, Met Police said.

Both men are from Ealing.

Detective Chief Inspector James Shirley, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Our investigation continues into the events that led to Karamjeet’s murder. We still need to speak to anyone who was in the area of Staines Road in Hounslow in the early hours of

Saturday, 25 June and witnessed anything that may be of relevance.

Karamjeet is believed to have worked for bathroom installation specialists Right Tiles before his death. Heartbroken colleagues raised more than £2000 for his family after setting up a GoFundMe page for their “kind” and “genuine” friend.

Charity Commission India arbitrarily detaining launches inquiry into British Sikh activist, says Captain Tom Foundation Boris Johnson After identifying concerns 100th birthday, Sir Tom about the charity’s management and independence from the late veteran’s family, the Charity Commission has launched an inquiry into The Captain Tom Foundation.

In March 2021, a month after Sir Tom died, the watchdog opened a case into the charity and began reviewing the set-up of the organisation. After the commission became concerned about arrangements between the charity and a company linked to Sir Tom’s daughter, Hannah IngramMoore, and her husband Colin, as well as the trustees’ decision-making and how the charity is governed, this has now escalated to an inquiry.

At the height of the first national Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020, before his

became a well-known figure after raising £38 million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden.

The commission said the money raised for the NHS, which was donated to NHS Charities Together, is not part of the scope of its inquiry.

Following his fundraising efforts, the Captain Tom Foundation was registered on June 5 2020.

The inquiry, which was launched on June 16, is figuring out if the trustees of The Captain Tom Foundation have been responsible for mismanagement or misconduct in the administration of the charity leading to any losses, adequately managed conflicts of interest and complied with their duties and responsibilities under charity law.

For the first time, Boris Johnson has said that the Indian government is arbitrarily detaining Jagtar Singh Johal, the British Sikh activist held in an Indian jail for four and a half years.

In a letter to Keir Starmer, the prime minister says Singh has been arbitrarily detained without formal charges being laid against him.

In 2017, he was arrested over his alleged role in killings by the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), a banned terrorist organisation.

His brother Gurpreet Singh Johal, who had a meeting with the Labour leader and the shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy was happy with the move saying it has come as a breakthrough but asked

why it had taken so long.

Gurpreet Singh Johal said: “This is a breakthrough moment. I will never forget that it took the UK government almost five years to acknowledge that my brother is arbitrarily detained, or that they only did so after a nudge from the UN and the leader of the opposition, but at least they got there in the end. The next step is to demand his release and bring him home.”

Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was arrested after travelling to the Punjab for his wedding.

Glasgow to return looted Indian artefacts Glasgow said it would return seven Indian cultural artefacts that were looted during British colonial rule, calling it a first for a UK museum service.

In the 1800s, six items that were stolen from northern India and a seventh that was illegally purchased after being stolen from their orig-

inal owners were looted from sacred places such as temples and shrines and given as gifts to the Scottish city's museum collections.

In the wake of global anti-racism movements, Glasgow's repatriation commitment is part of a wider reassessment of the provenance of items in Western

UK’s leading abortion clinic warns of assaults on abortion law Following the fall of the landmark Roe vs Wade ruling in the US, Britain’s leading abortion care provider, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) is anticipating “assaults on abortion law in Parliament”.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) said abortion rights are “certainly not secure” in the UK as terminating a pregnancy is still a criminal offence under a piece of legislation that dates back to 1861.

As per the law, it is a criminal offence to have an abortion in England, Scotland and Wales at any gestation.

The 1967 Abortion Act did not revoke

the legislation but instead provided a legal defence against criminalisation if an abortion meets the terms of the Act. It means in Great Britain, terminations are legal up to 24 weeks in most circumstances, but only with the permission of two doctors.

“Because abortion, unlike any other comparable medical procedure, is still a criminal offence under this legislation from 1861, it means that politicians have the ability at any time to impose restrictions on women’s access to abortion,” the BPAS spokesperson said.

museums.

Meanwhile, officials are in talks with Indian diplomats and last week hosted a Nigerian delegation to discuss the repatriation of 19 Benin bronzes.

In total, Glasgow will be returning 51 items to the descendants of their rightful owners, from India, Nigeria,

and the Cheyenne River and Oglala Sioux tribes.

"By addressing past wrongs, we believe the returns will help to strengthen existing relations with these descendant communities," said Duncan Dornan, head of museums and collections at Glasgow Life.

Labour leader Keir Starmer visits Gurjar Hindu Union

Last week on Wednesday (29 June, Labour leader Keir Starmer visited the Gurjar Hindu Union to see the Mandir and Apple Tree Centre which was also a Covid Vaccination clinic during the pandemic, tackling vaccine hesitancy in the Hindu and wider community.

The attendees included: Chandubhai Nayee, Trustee, Bharat Lukka, Trustee, local residents - Dixita Nayee, Hetal Nayee, Dina Patel, Lata Pate and Priya Patel.

The introspection exercise Rohit Vadhwana When you read this article, most probably I would be in Vipassana for ten days. It's a different kind of experience where I won't have any means of communication, and the condition is not only silence of speech but complete silence, noble silence involving any gesture or reading or writing. While I will go through this experience, mostly for introspection, I would suggest readers also do some exercise, as per their convenience, to do introspection for themselves.

I would suggest that you look within to identify your likings and dislikes, and rationalize them to make life simpler and easier rather than complex and difficult.

Then you can also think about your nature. I mean how do you describe yourself and whether you would like to continue to be what you are or you would welcome some changes? This is for your thought process and hopefully understanding your nature and identifying important characteristics of yourself will be very useful. You can actually write them down if you like to.

If you like to continue the introspection exercise, I would suggest that today you think of your desires. When I say desire, it means something more than your regular wishes. Desire means something which is long-lasting and lifetime. So what would be your top five desires in life that you would like to fulfil and that will give you great satisfaction?

And also how is the weather within you? Is it calm and cool or are you feeling turmoil? I think this might be a good topic for you to do a mental exercise. When you come across some unexpected thing, how do you react? What are your reflective actions? What kind of initial response do you give to unexpected incidents? It might revive some memories in your mind and you might re-live the experience of earlier incidents. And I hope that most of them would turn out to be pleasant once although there might be a few which would be painful.

Why don't you think about your surroundings today?

Most of the time our surroundings are based on the circumstances in which we are living and also depend on our own choice. Some of the things in our environment we can change but many of them are beyond our choice. How do you evaluate your surrounding in terms of your liking, your comfort and their role in your well-being? Would you like to make some changes and adjustments or you are quite comfortable?

I believe that entertainment is part of spirituality because it pertains to your inner self. In fact, I strongly believe that your mind needs happiness that comes through entertainment. It actually works as meditation and rejuvenates our minds. That's why I call a movie is like a meditation which gives you lots of peace and takes you away from the world. On this point, why don't you think about your preference for entertainment and activities that make you happy?

The next exercise that I would suggest would be to deliberate about 4-5 changes that you would like to bring into your life. Are there any big transformational changes that you are thinking of?

Well, these are some thoughts that come to my mind before I go for Vipassana and write down my experience in the next article. Meanwhile, happy introspecting!

(Expressed opinions are personal)

Almost 600 TfL fat cats earned £100,000 a year It has been revealed that close to 600 executives at Transport for London earned more than £100,000 last year – including a record-breaking £626,000 to an ousted director.

In 2021/22, a total of 597 TfL and Crossrail staff earned six figures compared with 455 in the prior financial year, including £626,037 paid to Vernon Everitt, who left TfL in February after a boardroom shake-up meant to save cash.

Mr Everitt, who had worked for TfL for 14 years, received £352,697 is believed to be the biggest amount of annual remuneration ever paid by TfL. It is believed that on the day after the Platinum

Jubilee bank holiday weekend,when London was hit by a 24-hour Tube strike called by the RMT seeking to protect jobs and pensions, the salaries - and almost £1.6m of bonuses to 37 serving or departed executives - were quietly approved.

A Government source said: “These are unbelievable, tone-deaf sums of money, sneaked out only days after the mayor pleaded poverty and announced massive bus service cuts.

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Met officer who ignored husband’s crime sacked A female officer has been sacked from the Metropolitan Police after her husband was revealed as a gangland enforcer robbing drug dealers alongside a corrupt officer.

PC Inga Gherghel, 33, became a trainee police woman while her husband was engaged in a Line of Dutystyle enterprise, using a corrupt officer to steal back money paid out by a crime family in large-scale drug deals.

Gherghel, who was arrested but released with no further action, is the third Met officer dismissed in connection with the corrup-

tion scandal. Ioan Gherghel, her Romanian husband, was jailed for working with PC Kashif Mahmood as part of an organised crime syndicate to retake hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of money from deals involving cocaine and heroin and the laundering of vast sums of cash.

Mahmood’s wife, PC Shareen Kashif, was convicted of money laundering offences connected to the racket. The gang were found to be taking instructions from abroad via Encrochat, an encrypted messaging service.

Number of GPs has plummeted to the lowest level Monthly figures released recently by the NHS revealed that family doctors are quitting in droves despite repeated pledges from politicians to recruit more GPs. The number of GPs in England has now plummeted to the lowest level since records began seven years ago, new data shows.

There are 27,627 fully qualified full time GPs in England, down from more than 28,000 this time last year and almost 2,000 fewer than in 2015. Ministers have

admitted that they will fail to deliver a Conservative manifesto pledge to hire 6,000 more family doctors by 2024.

Millions of patients are finding it harder than ever to see their GP. Growing demands from an ageing population mean that some GPs are now responsible for 2,500 patients each. In some instances, cases of cancer have been missed because patients were unable to get an appointment.

Conservative Friends of India bid farewell to High Commissioner of India CF India held a special Farwell and Thank You Drinks Reception for the High Commissioner of India, HE Gaitri Issar Kumar.

Special guest speakers included the Health Secretary, The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Minister for Small business & London Paul Scully MP, The Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP, Bob Blackman MP, David Simmonds MP. CF India was also honoured with the special attendance of Akshata Murthy, Team CF India Cllr Reena Ranger OBE, Cllr Ameet Jogia MBE wife of The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, and Nayaz Qazi with Patron Lord Ranger Chancellor of the Exchequer. presented a Thank You Plaque.

Present from the Conservative Scully in closing thanked team CF India and Friends of India were CF India the diaspora for their support to the Parliamentary Lord Rami Ranger CBE, CoConservative Party.

Chairs Cllr Reena Ranger OBE, Cllr Ameet David Simmonds MP thanked the High Jogia MBE and Director Nayaz Qazi. CF Commissioner for all the work and efforts to India members came from across the counbring the UK and India closer together in try to say Thank you to the HE Gaitri Issar this new era of the UK and India's special Kumar. relationship.

The High Commissioner of India HE Gaitri Issar Kumar thanked all the guests who had taken the time to attend the Reception. The High Commissioner said how she was touched by the Farewell and Thank You Reception organised by The Conservative Friends of India. The High Commissioner spoke of how when she took office in London, it was at the time of the Pandemic and lockdown, making connecAkshatha Murty at the CFI event for HC tions with Government, Ministers, and Conservative MPs all through zoom.

The Health Secretary, The Rt Hon Sajid The High Commissioner thanked Lord Javid MP, spoke of the togetherness and Rami Ranger for always being there for the close ties between UK and India and how the High Commissioner and for all his efforts closer collaboration benefits the two great past and present in bringing the nations, their peoples and the world.

Conservative Party closer to India and for Bob Blackman MP thanked High standing up for the cause of India.

Commissioner Gaitri Issar Kumar for workThe High Commissioner said how ing to bring both India and Britain even delighted she was on the encouragement of more closely together and to help develop Minister Negi of the High Commission to and strengthen the Living Bridge. work with CFIN to achieve the optimum in Parliamentary Vice-Chair of CF The Rt building upon the India & UK relationship.

Hon Theresa Villiers MP, spoke of how The High Commissioner spoke of how proud she was to put forward the accurate she accorded the highest priority to work facts in relation to India in Parliament and with CFIN, the Conservative Friends of looked forward to continuing to do, stating India. The wonderful team of Co-Chairs Cllr it was important that the one-sided rhetoric Reena Ranger and Cllr Ameet Jogia, and and comments by the Labour Party are Director Nayaz Qazi, in working with the responded to with the true facts and to share High Commissioner to share the true facts all the positive work and efforts of India for about India rather than filtered, incomplete the benefit of its people and globally. India is and prejudiced information. the oldest democracy, and freedom and Lord Ranger thanked the High democracy are enshrined in its constitution.

Commissioner and paid tribute to the efforts Minister for London and Small of the High Commissioner HE GaitriJi, and Businesses and Parliamentary Vice-Chair of spoke of their work to further the special CF India Paul Scully MP spoke of how he relationship between the UK and India and enjoyed working with the High how Lord Ranger, CF India and the diaspora Commissioner HE Gaitri Issar Kumar. Paul with miss the HE Gaitriji.

Police officers sacked for posting Whatsapp messages Two Metropolitan Police officers have been sacked after posting offensive and discriminatory messages in a group chat, including a racist joke about the Duchess of Sussex.

PC Sukhdev Jeer and PC Paul Hefford, who worked at Bethnal Green police station in east London, posted the content on WhatsApp in 2018. Their actions amounted to gross misconduct, a

tribunal decided yesterday.

They will not be allowed to work at other forces.

Jeer, described as the “most active contributing member”, posted a series of “highly discriminatory and offensive” pictures and messages.

In one he compared the Duchess of Sussex to a “golliwog” toy. Another was of a young boy in a hoodie that was captioned “monkey in

the jungle”. A further post said: “Everyone is so politically correct these days. You can’t even say, ‘Black paint,’ you have to say, ‘Tyrone can you please paint that wall?’”

Jeer, described as a “longserving” member of the force, had previously told the hearing he was “not in a good place” and had used the language to cope with the “issues” he had been experiencing.

Expansion plans for London city airport London City airport has set out plans for significant expansion — including allowing more weekend flights — as it becomes the latest UK facility to react to the travel industry’s recovery after the depths of the pandemic.

The London Docklands airstrip has launched a 10-week consultation on increasing the cap on how many passengers can fly in and out per year, from the current 6.5mn to 9mn by 2031. Any attempt to ease controls on flying over the weekend or in the early morning is

likely to be vigorously opposed by residents and environmental groups.

The airport wants the current prohibition on take-offs and landings between 12.30pm on a Saturday and 12.30pm on a Sunday to be relaxed; it wants to be allowed to operate between 6.30am and 10pm on a Saturday.

The management is also pushing to be allowed to operate 12 flights between 6.30am and 7am six days a week, up from the current six flights, and for more leeway to allow late-arriving jets to land

after 10pm rather than divert.

There would be no change to its Sunday hours of 12.30pm to 10pm.

The airport is not seeking to lift its cap of 110,000 flights a year, which it did not come close to exceeding, even pre-pandemic.

The plans come as passenger numbers have bounced back along with the easing of Covid-19 travel curbs. The airport expects 3mn passengers to fly this year, with a return to pre-pandemic levels of 5mn a year as soon as 2024.

PARDADA PARDADI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY:

A VOLUNTEER’S PERSPECTIVE “

My abiding memor y of the Pardada Pardadi Educational Society (PPES) is the intense, absorbed attention of every girl I taught: they were totally engaged and hungr y for education and all the other opportunities on offer”.

So says Lizzie, a London employment lawyer who volunteered at PPES in 2018.

Lizzie quickly realised that her skills as a former English literature teacher were going to be useful: within hours of arrival, she was working on essay planning and mind mapping for senior girls preparing for scholarship programmes.

Volunteering at the school meant being flexible and adaptable and rolling up her sleeves to get on with whatever needed doing. Lizzie spent her time primarily working with senior girls to improve their exam and interview techniques.

“I found myself drawing on skills I hadn’t realised I had to develop the girls’ thinking and presentational abilities – it was challenging and great fun. I loved it”, Lizzie remembers.

“I fulfilled a couple of my projects, including presenting to Assembly on the Global Goals, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, with the support of my two wonderful translators Kalash and Rekha.

“We put up a display and shared the fan-

tastic teaching resources available online. I hope I was able to support and enhance the amazing work on human rights being done in the school and demonstrated on every wall and in every classroom”, Lizzie says.

Lizzie worked closely with six girls in particular and will never forget any of them. But she also vividly recalls the intensity and appetite evident everywhere in the school. She says, “Every girl I met reminded me of the special opportunities PPES offers to all”.

Lizzie’s volunteering highlights included witnessing the huge and immediate impact of a few simple organisational skills on the girls’ ability to present themselves; going home with one of her students and meeting her mother who made such a difference in her daughter’s life by supporting her education; and the genuine affection that developed between her and her special young students.

Concluding her story Lizzie says. “I felt very lucky indeed. I was privileged to volunteer at PPES. I’d recommend it to anyone and can’t wait to return”.

PPES transform the life chances of girls in poor rural communities through the power of a first-class education. Lizzie’s experience as a volunteer teacher is an elegant, memorable testimony to the girls’ ambition and hunger for learning.

PARDADA PARDADI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY UK is a registered UK charity (Charity no. 1166879) and can be contacted through email at info@pardadapardadi-uk.org; phone at 079 03329311; postal address 25 Sweetcroft Lane, Uxbridge, UB10 9LE.

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Politicians out of touch with reality Our politicians are out of touch with reality at ground level, living in their penthouses, enjoying the view! While the country is going through crisis after crisis, our PM who should be here to lead the nation was away for two weeks, trying to solve the problems of the rest of Europe.

PM just announced an increase of £1 billion in Ukraine aid, taking it to a mouth-watering £4 billion, the money we do not have, money badly needed on the home front, NHS, Social Services, Education and many other departments crying for additional funds to meet unprecedented demands on their services.

PM’s promise to build 40 new hospitals was a political stunt, as it is practically impossible to build it in one term.

According to the latest information, only two have been built, although some have wings attached to the existing buildings or temporary cabins installed in the hospital’s open ground.

These cuts on the home front are more regrettable when the PM announced extra spending on defence, from 2% to 2:5% of GDP, the second biggest spending after the USA. Most European countries do not even meet 2% and that included super-rich Germany, their coffers overflowing with trade surpluses.

This is in sharp contrast to Britain’s debt of well over £2 trillion, increasing month by month, the most heavily indebted nation in the world. As if taking on Russia is not enough, some ministers are talking about arming Taiwan if it is attacked by China. Do these politicians know China is in a completely different league than Russia, led by wise, dedicated politicians who rarely misjudge their involvement, whether it is Hong Kong, Taiwan or India?

It is pity that this spending spree will only marginally decrease under Labour if they come to power, as their priorities are more or less the same as Tories. It is time these politicians spend a week or two sleeping rough, under the bridge, in shop entrances and even on benches in a park.

Such deprivation I have not seen even in East Africa!

Millions of children are undernourished, and parents go to bed on empty stomachs. It is time all children are given a glass of milk before they start studying and nutritious lunch to keep them healthy, even if we have to curtail our reckless overseas spending. I am proud to say that most ethnic minorities, the especially the Sikh community is taking lead in distributing free food to the needy, shaming the government!

Bhupendra M. Gandhi

Selfless service National Doctors’ Day was celebrated in India on July 1 to express gratitude for the relentless service provided by doctors across the nation. It is observed in honour of Bidhan Chandra Roy, the physician-politician who was the second chief minister of West Bengal. Since the beginning of the pandemic, doctors have selflessly served the people of the nation. With Covid-19 infections on the rise, once again, this is the right time to appreciate the contributions of doctors to our healthcare apparatus.

Jubel D'Cruz, Mumbai, India

Jai Ho: A record 150 participants performed together

(Photo: The Grand Finale)

The grand annual concert- Jai Ho was organised by the students of Geetanjali Academy of fine arts- GAOFAL at JFS Kenton on Saturday. The theme was AR Rahman and Bollywood melodies. In the Grand Finale, a record 150 participants were on the stage singing and performing together. A band of six top musicians led by Mr Sunil Jadhav supported the young talent.

Awards were given to the students in appreciation of their work. Founder and Director of GAOFAL Jayeeta Ghosh said, “The objective of the lessons is not just to teach the student to sing or play an instrument but to develop an appreciation and understanding of classical and contemporary music.”

Vimalji Odedara honoured for strengthening the Mehar community London Mehar Community Association organised an event in Feltham to honour Vimalji Bhai Odedara, President of the International Mehar Supreme Council for his hard work in strengthening the Mehar community. The event started with aarti and ended with the beautiful presentation of Garba.

After receiving the honour, Vimalji Bhai said, “I am trying that each member of the community should connect to each other with positive and progressive thoughts.

We organised the Lirbai aai rath yatra in India. In 21 days, we reached 177 community villages in Saurashtra. We are focusing on better education along with cultural and spiritual involvement. I also visited Uganda and Dubai to meet our com-

munity members and tried to do everything possible to strengthen the community. Mr CB Patel is our patron. We get a lot of inspiration, guidance and support from him every time.”

Chief Guest C B Patel, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar said, “Mehar community is known for its dedication, commitment and loyalty. The

ways in which they preserve culture, heritage and language are extraordinary. Vimalji Bhai and his team are spreading social and cultural awareness. As the president of NCGO also he is doing big efforts for the Gujarati Diaspora in the UK. The event was conducted by Dhirubhai Ghadvi and a vote of thanks was given by Sanjay Odedara and Shailesh Odedara.

Yoga Day at Kenton Swaminarayan Mandir At the Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple (SKSST) in Kenton Harrow, June 21, International Day of Yoga. The day was marked to embody – spirituality and a holistic approach to health and well-being. Yoga Classes have continued at the temple for the last fifteen years, including during the Covid pandemic and lockdown.

Hundreds of our regular Yoga enthusiasts as well as devotees from the Temple have benefited from the classes.

The Yoga participants, together with the Temple Trustees, have also worked with various local charities

over the years like, GO Dharmic, Asiana, Mencap and St. Lukes Hospice.

The event drew nearly 90 participants with varying abilities. The important aspect of the classes is to ensure that people of all abilities can practice Yoga. The

classes run every Tuesday from 7.00 pm in two spacious halls.

The Yoga program has been a huge success due to the patient and determined approach of the lead teacher, Bharatbhai Mehta, who has served since its inception.

The success of the classes has resulted in an ever-increasing demand for places.

The day concluded with all participants being treated to a sumptuous Prashad dinner and most of the participants yearning for the next such gathering.

Civil servants resist Brexit reforms

Violent assault against Bangladeshi student

Civil servants are blocking the government’s efforts to cut EU legislation after Brexit because they hold a “Remain bias”, attorney general and cabinet minister Suella Braverman has claimed.

Suella said she had battled with officials who are unable “to conceive of the possibility of life outside of the EU.” She said, “Some of the biggest battles you face as a minister are, in the nicest possible way, with Whitehall and internally with civil servants, as opposed to your political battles in the chamber”.

The government’s chief law officer – who campaigned for the Leave vote during the Brexit referendum – said the resistance to post-Brexit reforms was “something I didn’t expect”.

Meanwhile, Ms Braverman also said that a “rights culture” in Britain has “spun out of control” – blaming the European Court of Human Rights, after a highly contentious deportation flight to Rwanda was stopped following an appeal to the Strasbourg court.

The minister also lashed out at “stretched and strained interpretations” of the UK Human Rights Act by lawyers and judges – particularly Article 8, the right to a private family life, and Article 3, the prohibition against torture.

Police have stepped up patrols and appealed for calm after a video showing a brutal assault of a student was posted on social media - which led to properties being attacked in retaliation over the weekend.

The assault took place in Featherstall Road North on June 21 - but footage of the attack by a group of people has only just emerged. DCI Matt Walker said investigations into both incidents were ongoing and appealed for calm.

The victim is contained in a headlock and pinned to the floor while the rest of the group continues their assault. The ordeal lasted for at least four minutes and 30 seconds, during which the victim can be heard saying: "I am dead" and "let me die". He is then seen being stripped of his clothes. Three arrests have since been made in connection with the incident. The victim, believed to be a student from Bangladesh has been released from the hospital and is recovering.

On Saturday evening police received reports of a group of people attacking three properties in the Westwood and Werneth areas of Oldham and initial enquiries suggest that this has been in retaliation to the video of the assault being circulated online.

Anyone with information is being urged to call 101, quoting log 1708 of the 3rd July 2022.

Single-sex toilets to become mandatory in new buildings Single-sex toilets will be compulsory in all new public buildings under new government plans. The new rules will affect new office buildings, schools, hospitals and entertainment venues over a certain size, in a bid to prevent public spaces from being built solely with gender-neutral facilities.

The driving force behind the plans is equali-

ties minister Kemi Badenoch, who is said to have seen the move approved by ministers last month.

Ms Badenoch’s designs, set to be announced next week, following a review spearheaded by former housing secretary Robert Jenrick which reportedly came across concerns voiced by women about the

reduced privacy and longer queues generated by gender-neutral toilets.

The rules will be adopted following a consultation in the autumn and will also apply to new or redeveloped government-owned buildings, the newspaper reports.

It comes after a poll published in June this year found that four in 10 UK workers do not want their employer to introduce gender-neutral toilets – a number far below levels of acceptance in other countries.

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

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Commonwealth in Kigali

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

R

wanda’s capital, Kigali, hosted the recently concluded 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from June 20 to 25. It had to be postponed from 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. India’s delegation was led by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.

This Meeting was special not just because it was held after a gap of four years (the last one was in April 2018), or that it was hosted in Africa after 2007, or even that the host was a new Member, having joined the Commonwealth only in 2009. It was special for several reasons.

This was the first Commonwealth meeting of the Heads of Government held in a country that had not been a part of the erstwhile British empire.

Between the First World War and its independence in 1962, French was the language used administratively under the Belgian administration. With the return of large numbers of Tutsi refugees from anglophone Uganda, the usage of English in the administration increased and in 2008, the government changed the medium of education from French to English, though French continues to be taught in schools in Rwanda.

This was the first meeting to be addressed by the Prince of Wales, after being designated as the queen’s successor as head of the Commonwealth by the leaders at the London meeting in 2018, when it was agreed that he will automatically follow the Queen as head of the Commonwealth. The Queen had said earlier it was her "sincere wish" that Prince Charles would follow her in the role. The head role is non-hereditary so is not automatically passed on upon the death of the monarch. The role carries no formal functions and has symbolic significance.

There are growing voices supporting Republican movements in some of the 14 Commonwealth countries outside the UK where the queen is head of state. In November last year, Prince Charles visited Barbados on behalf of the Queen to witness the Caribbean island becoming the world’s newest republic. Some other Caribbean nations are understood to be considering the same course. Another member, Australia, has also appointed a minister for the republic.

In his address to Commonwealth leaders, Prince Charles directly

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addressed this issue. Saying that the Commonwealth contains within it countries that have had constitutional relationships with the British Royal family, some that continue to do so, and increasingly those that have had none, "I want to say clearly, as I have said before, that each member's constitutional arrangement, as republic or monarchy, is purely a matter for each member country to decide." The Commonwealth is a grouping of mainly former British colonies, he emphasised that it would always be "a free association of independent, self-governing nations".

Another important issue that appeared in the statement was an acknowledgement of the wrongs that shaped the past. “Many of those wrongs”, he said, “belong to an earlier age with different, and in some ways lesser, values." He spoke of his “personal sorrow” and of “slavery's enduring impact”, describing it as “the most painful period of our history". Any talk of reparations would, however, be premature. The UK was one of several western countries to be involved in the slave trade, and as for colonialism, Britain claimed, at one stage, an empire where the sun never set!

Critics of the Commonwealth have long predicted its demise. Most people, anywhere in the world, would be at a loss to describe the role of the Commonwealth or what it represents.

This notwithstanding, the Commonwealth remains a network where small and large nations can come to the table as equals. It is not a formal group like NATO or the UN; rather, it is a network of countries that are bound mainly through historical and cultural ties, not formal obligations. Neither is there any formal trade agreement between Commonwealth member states? Instead, it serves as a conduit or platform through which ministers can meet informally and discuss the trading potential. Perhaps its significance lies in its smallest member states, with 32 of the world’s 42 small states being Commonwealth members.

Amongst its notable moments, the organisation can count on its role in the dismantling of the system of apartheid in South Africa. An agreement of Commonwealth leaders on a programme of economic sanctions against the South African regime in 1986 is widely credited with contributing to the end of apartheid. The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group also serves as a strong voice of support for democracies. Thus, in 2007, members moved to suspend Pakistan from the Commonwealth for a second time due to the imposition of emergency rule that was judged to be in direct contravention of democracy, rule and law, and “the Commonwealth's fundamental political values”. Pakistan returned to the fold a year later.

For the Commonwealth to remain relevant in the future, it would have to stay focussed on the current and future challenges of its members and look for innovative ways to address these, while finding out-of-the-box solutions. With two more countries joining the Commonwealth at the Kigali meeting, Togo and Gabon, neither of which has any past association with the anglophone world, the Commonwealth seems to have retained its appeal for now.

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9 - 15 July 2022

SCRUTATOR’S 95 drugs filled capsules recovered from Nigerian's gut Customs officials at Sardar Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad recovered 95 capsules containing drugs from the large intestine of a Nigerian passenger who arrived from Dubai. The officials detained the Nigerian after he was suspected of carrying drugs. As many as 95 capsules were recovered from his gut. The Customs officials had kept a watch at the airport on the basis of information that a passenger on an Emirates flight was carrying drugs worth millions of rupees in his stomach. The officials intercepted the youth and sent him for an X-ray and CT, which revealed that the drug consignment was inside his large intestine. The man was admitted to the Civil Hospital and the drug consignment was recovered over four days during the man’s ablutions. The doctors said that the man must have inserted the capsules into his body through the rectum as it is impossible for anyone to swallow 95 pills each of which was 2.5 inches long and 1 inch wide. (The Times of India) Neeraj touches feet of elderly man, Internet says 'respect'

Javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra recently won the hearts of Indians by touching the feet of an elderly man who came to congratulate him. A video of his heartwarming gesture is going viral on social media where Neeraj is seen interacting and clicking photos with a group of fans in Stockholm. An elderly man was part of that group, and as soon as he congratulated the Tokyo Olympic champion, he reciprocated by touching his feet. He also told his Indian admirers that he has to leave since his bus is waiting for him. The elderly man is heard encouraging Neeraj that he will reach the 90-metre mark on his next outing. "Agli baar 90 se uppar jaayega (Next time, you will definitely throw over 90 metres)," the man said. The clip has been widely shared on Twitter which shows people wishing Neeraj good luck for his future to which he responds in a polite manner, saying "Dhanyawad (Thank you)".

The post has garnered several comments and has received over 200,000 views and over 11,000 likes on Twitter. (Agency) Why Sushmita never got married Sushmita Sen said that her two daughters Renee Sen and Alisah have never been the reason for her not getting married. The Miss Universe 1994 is the mother of two adopted daughters and made her acting comeback with the web series 'Aarya'. She has now revealed that she came close to getting married thrice, and all three times 'God saved’ her. She recently broke up with her boyfriend Rohman Shawl. The two seem to be on cordial terms as they react to each other's social media posts; he even joined her to celebrate the 28 years of her beauty pageant win. Sharing the thumb rule for her relationships after adopting her first child Renee, Sushmita told Twinkle Khanna in an interview, “I don't want anybody to come and share the responsibilities but never try and ask me to

step away from it.” Opening up about marriage, Sushmita said, "Luckily I met some very interesting men in my life, the only reason I never got married is because they were a let down. It had nothing to do with my kids. My kids were never in the equation. If at all, they have been very gracious. Both my kids have accepted people in my life with open arms, never made a face. They have given everybody equal measure of love and respect. It's the most beautiful thing to watch." (Agency)

Buy delicacies in exchange for plastic waste

Little girls dance to Kareena, Shahid’s 'Nagada Nagada' Little kids and their talents simply know no bounds. And with the help of social media, one can get to see and know kids whose talents exceed all expectations.

This particular video shows two little girls whose talents have been winning hearts all over the social media platform. The adorable girls can be seen wearing salwar suits and acing the dance moves to the song 'Nagada Nagada' from the movie 'Jab We Met'. Released in 2007, this song was sung by Javed Ali and Sonu Nigam. The song was picturised on actors Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor. And several years later, the song continues to be a big hit and a go-to for several people who love to dance, just like these two little girls who happen to be sisters. In the caption to this dance video, both Kareena and Imtiaz Ali have been tagged. (Agency)

Junagadh in Gujarat has thrown some light on an experiment it is endorsing to tackle the plastic menace. The district administration will open a cafe there where people can order their favourite dishes with plastic waste in place of real cash. People can bring in their plastic waste and they will be served food depending on its weight. What’s more, the ingredients for the food will be organic and sourced locally from the farmers. The cafe will be run by Sarvoday Sakhi Mandal, a group of women who have tied up with farmers while the space and infrastructure has been provided by the district administration. Junagadh collector Rachit Raj said, “We want to promote clean and green Junagadh. To start with, we will give a glass of lemon juice or fennel juice for 500 gram plastic waste and one plate of dhokla or poha for 1 kg plastic waste. More the plastic waste, the bigger the platter.”

The district administration has hired an agency which will buy this waste. (The Times of India)

Wife doesn’t need spouse’s nod to donate organ The Delhi high court has held that there is no need in law to get a noobjection certificate from the spouse if a wife wishes to donate an organ as per legal procedures. Justice Yashwant Varma in a recent order underlined that any such demand of a nod from the husband would “impinge upon the right of the petitioner to be in control of her own body” and allowed the plea of a woman who wants to donate her kidney to her father. The court noted that applicable rules did not mandate any “spousal consent” in case of organ donation to a close relative adding that “she is not a chattel. It is her body.” While ruling out the need to have a no-objection certificate from the spouse if a wife wishes to donate an organ as per legal procedures, the Delhi High Court has asked the concerned hospital not to insist on an NoC from the husband and process her request as per law. Justice Varma observed that any insistence on spousal consent being obtained is clearly ultra vires the law.(Agency)

"good old days". "Life was good when the only deadline we had was 3 seeti (whistle) mein cooker band karna (Turn off the gas after three whistles)," it said. The post created nostalgia among social media users and led to a barrage of comments. (Agency) Teacher left in tears after finding out why students call her 'goat' Mathematics seems to be like a nightmare to most of the students. Many social media users keep sharing their school experiences on various platforms, about how they managed to overcome the difficulty posed by the subject. It is rare that a mathematics teacher is loved by students during their school lives. But this story is about a unique post on social media, which confused a mathematics teacher and later left her in tears. The Class 8 maths teacher found out that her students call her "goat". She expressed concern on Reddit, and sought help too from users to decipher the "joke". The teacher was left pleasantly surprised after learning that the acronym is not demeaning, but means "Greatest Of All Time." "It's a compliment. Sounds like you're a great teacher and they enjoy your classes. Which is saying something since math is most people's least favorite subject," a user wrote. (Agency) Ants carry gold chain

Zomato posts a question on Twitter, gets hilarious responses

The food delivery giant Zomato took to Twitter to ask users a question, "If the first half of 2022 was a dish, what would it be?"

Since being shared, it has received lots of reactions and users have responded to the question by posting about hilarious food items they came across this year. Some of the users shared their own experiences of getting their food items delivered. "An over oily biryani. Had great expectations before it was delivered, disappointed when it came but ate it anyway," a user wrote.

Another said, "Anything having bitter gourd." A third user posted a picture of "Idli Sambhar Icecream." Other Twitter users reacted to this Zomato tweet by posting comments like, "Maggi Panipuri, Fanta Maggi, Chocolate Samosa, and most of the odd meals in the world. Last month, Zomato shared a post remembering the

Ants are common insects. They are surprisingly known for their massive strength and they are no stranger to lifting heavy objects. Proving this, a video showing ants carrying a gold chain has resurfaced online and has taken the internet by storm. A video shows a colony of black ants lifting up what looks like a gold chain and moving it along the way on rocky terrain. In the clip, a group of ants are seen carrying off the gold chain while walking between cracks as they usually would. The amazing moment captured on camera is clear evidence of nature in all its grandeur. Since being shared, the video has grabbed the attention of many on the internet and has garnered more than 143,000 views. It has prompted users to express their views. A user even hilariously responded and wrote. He wrote, “First need to identify their gender. If female, it's their rights to be maintained & live with status. For men, no need to book a case, contact state police & they will encounter on spot.” (Agency)

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9 - 15 July 2022

Summer’s a time for celebration and coming together With Eid ul-Adha and other summer festivities just around the corner, many people are looking forward to celebrating with loved ones, and the chance to come together to recite our prayers and savour delicious meals.

For many others, the long summer months ahead offer the prospect of fun days out, relaxing holidays and memorable times with our family and friends. We all Dr Nikki Kanani want to make the most of it and whilst there’s nothing we can do to may be hearing less about it, the improve the British weather, there virus is still with us, and growing are a few things we can think about numbers of people are being so we’re able to enjoy our time off. infected. But there are things we Making a few little changes to can do to protect ourselves, our your routine or taking health advice will help you be on top form, regardless of whether you’re living with a long-term health condition, feeling a bit under the weather, or have any worries about your Eid in the Square - stage health or fitness.

And taking precautions about families and friends.

Covid-19 when you’re out and “Of course, we want to celeabout will help make it a summer brate and spend time with loved to remember for the right reasons. ones during the summer, and Celebrating safely when celebrating religious events Many community celebrations that are important to us, such as and events are returning this year Eid, Janmashtami or Paryushan. after a two-year absence due to the But if you feel unwell, please stay at Covid-19 pandemic. Eid in the home and avoid mixing with othSquare made a spectacular return ers, particularly with elderly family to London’s Trafalgar Square in members or those with weakened May, marking the end of fasting for immune systems who are at Ramadan. Thousands of people greater risk of complications from descended on the capital to celeCoronavirus.” brate together, whilst the West Staying Covid safe over summer Midlands hosted the successful During the pandemic, restricSouth Asian Culture Festival. tions were put in place to keep The summer is set, with more people safe. This meant that large family-friendly events planned, events and festivals were cancelled including melas with traditional or postponed. dance, music and food. With social Although most restrictions are gatherings like these returning as a no longer in place, Covid-19 rates part of normal life again, Covid-19 are rising and putting people at may seem like a distant memory risk of serious illness. Continuing but with transmission rates rising to follow basic steps like staying at across England, we must remain home when you are ill, washing cautious. your hands regularly, covering Dr Nikki Kanani, a GP and your mouth when you cough or Medical Director of Primary Care sneeze, and keeping a window for NHS England, urges people to open when you have guests remember to stay safe when out indoors, are still important to help and about, taking easy, simple reduce risk of infection. steps to protect themselves and The Covid-19 vaccine is availothers. able to everyone over the age of 5 She says: “Whilst we’re enjoyand tens of millions of people have ing the hot and sunny weather, it’s had at least one of their recomeasy for us to believe that Covid-19 mended jabs already, significantly has gone away. Even though we reducing their chance of catching

Dr Hina Shahid

the virus, becoming seriously ill or needing to go to hospital.

Everyone aged 16 and over can get two initial doses, followed by a ‘booster’ dose. So can those aged 12 or over and at greater risk from the virus, for example because they or someone they live with has an underlying health condition, medication or treatment that weakens their immune system.

Some in these groups will need an extra dose too – a clinician will be able to advise on what is needed and the best timing.

“Having all the doses of vaccine that you need will give you the best protection against Coronavirus during summer,” Dr Kanani adds. “If you’re having a summer holiday or family get together like a wedding or celebration in August, getting protected as soon as you can, will maximise your protection ahead of this.”

Covid-19 spreads easily when people come together, such as mixing in new groups or crowded places, and getting all doses of the vaccine you need, as soon as possible, will ensure you get the best protection.

Community leaders and health experts continue to encourage people to come forward for their vaccination, and to share any questions or concerns.

Dr Hina J Shahid (General Practitioner and Chairperson for the Muslim Doctors Association) says: “Data shows that vaccines have been extremely effective in preventing serious illness and death from Covid-19. We have been working with local communities to encourage people to have all of their vaccines. Through sharing information and helping people to have their vaccinations, leaders in all of our Asian communities have made a huge difference in helping to save lives.

“Vaccines have gone through rigorous testing, including on people from our community, so we can trust it to protect us

against the virus. It’s also not too late to have your first, second or initial booster dose.

“These are free, you don’t need to be registered with a GP, and you also don’t need to have an appointment. Simply check online for a convenient vaccination walkin site near you and drop in. If you’re still unsure about the vaccine, please ask a health professional who can answer any questions you might have.”

Having fun in the sun When taking part in any activity outdoors, whether in the UK or overseas, it’s advisable to protect your eyes and use at least a factor 30 sunscreen offering both UVB and UVA protection.

Applying this regularly, even on a cloudy day, helps protect your skin from damage and reduces your risk of sunburn which can increase your risk of skin cancer.

People with naturally brown or black skin can still develop skin cancer and are more vulnerable to

Cruise airport

burning if they are only exposed to intense sun occasionally (for example, while on holiday).

Extra care is needed to protect children and babies’ sensitive skin and some adults are also at greater risk because of a long-term medical condition or treatment.

Further advice is available from NHS.uk It’s also important to stay hydrated and remember to drink water regularly throughout the day. While easily forgotten when you’re enjoying a day out, it’s essential for our health, particularly in the warmer weather.

Going abroad?

Whether making a pilgrimage, visiting family, working away or taking a holiday, you might be wondering about Covid-19 and how to stay safe. You might also have questions about travel vaccinations.

In just the same way you’d

Bangla Town Super Stores banned for indefinite period Mrs Begum was the registered owner of Bangla Town Super Stores Ltd in Eden Terrace, Millfield. She had been previously prosecuted in 2019 for three offences under food and safety regulations after inspections revealed rodent infestations and other unsanitary conditions. Further inspections by council environmental health officers in March 2021 revealed similar problems.

She has now been banned from running a food business after a string of offences that breached food safety and hygiene regulations.

The order was made against Sofina Begum, of Gilsland Street, Sunderland, by South Tyneside Magistrates as part of food safety and hygiene prosecution by Sunderland City Council’s environmental health team. Officers again found a rodent infestation, poor food storage and unsani-

tary conditions, and inadequate recordkeeping and documentation.

In the store’s butchery, inspectors found raw meat stored in open and damaged plastic containers, dried blood smeared across the walls, work surfaces, shelves and chiller cabinet, and no evidence of any appropriate cleaning being carried out. There were further safety hazards as the butchers’ bandsaw

Eid in the Square - BP check

want to make sure your passport and holiday insurance are up-todate, making sure you have had all of the vaccinations you’re eligible for could avoid your plans being ruined.

Information about how to get your Covid-19 vaccination can be

had no guard on it and there was no effective antibacterial soap. Officers determined that the store posed a significant risk to public health and ordered it to be temporarily closed.

At court, Mrs Begum admitted three offences of failing to comply with the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations of 2013. She was ordered by the court to pay fines and costs of £1,637.72p. The council applied for a Hygiene Prohibition Order preventing her from operating any food business for an indefinite period. This was granted by magistrates and it cannot be challenged for a period of ten years.

In mitigation, Mrs Begum said that she was very sorry for what had happened, had nothing to do with the business and she had effectively been ‘forced’ into being the owner.

found at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/c oronavirus-Covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/ and via the NHS app. The app also records the doses you receive, and you can use it to obtain a Covid Pass which may be necessary for your travel and holiday providers.

Whether it’s your first, second, or a booster dose, no appointment is necessary – visit www.nhs.uk or scan the attached QR code for a walk-in site near you. Whichever option you choose, you will be welcomed by the NHS. If you’re living with a longterm condition and need regular medication, don’t forget to order your prescription in plenty of time especially if you’ll be away from home over the August Bank Holiday weekend. If you’re in the UK and need advice, you can visit NHS.uk, or contact NHS111 online or by calling 111.

NHS turns 74 On 5 July 2022, the NHS marked 74 years of service.

As part of the birthday celebrations, NHS Charities Together is asking NHS Trusts and Charities across the UK to take part in the biggest NHS Big Tea ever. This gives NHS staff, patients and communities a chance to come together for a moment of thanks after what has been a challenging couple of years, and to raise money to help the NHS go that bit further for our staff and patients.

Over the last two years NHS Charities Together have funded over 600 projects in every Trust and Health Board across the UK to support staff, patients and volunteers from counselling and wellbeing rooms, to specialist equipment and training for volunteers. This year, NHS Charities Together hopes to make the event the biggest NHS Big Tea to date, with a collective fundraising target of over £775,000.

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EMBRACING PRIDE Continued from page 1 This, however, was not the first time that the city was witnessing a same-sex wedding, but the first such wedding that followed Hindu traditions. Initially, Ray had been apprehensive about what the reaction to his wedding would be.

Ray told TOI about how the LGBTQ+ community has “always craved inclusion". “People live-in or perform small functions at home when they want to stay together. When we decided to marry, I told

Michael-Mann

Chaitanya to do it in a way that it remains memorable for our friends and family," he said. The wedding involved a Bengali and a Marwari family, and hence rituals of both communities were maintained. Photos from the event went viral on social media.

Asian Voice reached out to Ray and Sharma but didn’t hear from them until we went to press on Tuesday. However, British South Asians shared their perspective on how far has the community come in accepting the LGBTQIA community.

Change doesn’t happen overnight Saima Razzaq is a British political activist and was the first South Asian woman to lead a Pride parade in Britain. She’s the Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Birmingham Pride.

Speaking to Asian Voice, she said, “Here in the UK we certainly are seeing a shift in LGBTQI acceptance from within our South Asian communities. Every day we’re seeing more and more LGBTQI South Asians reclaiming their own narratives authentically, with the nuance required to represent all their intersections.

“I think one of the biggest milestones has been LGBTQI representation within South Asian entertainment and media. I never thought I’d see the day where a Bollywood film like ‘Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga’ would be produced, with a star-studded cast, let alone for it to include an LGBTQI version of DDLJ’s classic train scene.

“As a British-born South Asian, I am fully aware of the fact that LGBTQI discriminatory laws were introduced into our home countries at the hands of the British during colonial rule, and from my perspective, if it wasn’t for colonialism

Report shows progress in boosting investment in UK's women entrepreneurs

we’d have all A new report published on a significant and encouragbeen Indian.

28th June reveals the ing change from 2020, when As South strength of investment in all-female teams requested Asians, we are the UK’s women less than 50% of the still recovering entrepreneurs by lenders amounts requested by malefrom the genand investors signed up to only teams; the number of erational trauthe Investing in Women code signatories has now mas that were Code, a world-leading comreached 160, with a notable imposed on us mitment to improving increase in the number of at the hands of access to finance for women-led businesses. venture and growth capital firms joining, partition. accounting for 34 of the 53 new signatories in The Investing in Women Code is an ini“Change the year to 31 March 2022 tiative recommended by the governmentdoesn’t hapWhile there is more work to be done, the commissioned Rose Review, led by NatWest pen overnight code is gaining recognition worldwide. A CEO Alison Rose, into how best to boost Kolkata based Abhishek Ray and Cheitan Sharma and we’ve still partnership between 14 countries including female entrepreneurship. The code sets out got a long way existed throughout time. It’s Australia, Canada and China, the World commitments to support the advancement to go to be a fully inclusive, not part of some modern Bank and 6 regional development banks is of women entrepreneurs in the United and united South Asian ‘woke’ propaganda. planning to draw on the UK’s experience to Kingdom by improving their access to the community. I truly hope “It is not something that create a ‘Women Entrepreneurs Finance tools, resources and finance they need to that in time we come to is being ‘borrowed from the Code’ to help the 400 million businesses achieve their goals. realise that we as South west’. In fact, its erasure is. owned by women around the world.

Signatories to the code include Angel Asians have far more in Well, it’s time to give back Gurpreet Manku, BVCA Deputy Director investment groups, venture and growth common than the westthat what does not serve us.

General and Director of Policy said, “The investors and High Street banks including ernised divisions Queer erasure is colonial venture and growth capital community Barclays, NatWest and Santander. imposed on us. We will violence. Queer erasure is a recognises that it needs to work together to The report is the second-ever annual be so much stronger systematic and methodical improve the levels of funding going to report on the code and key findings include: together, as a united diverse founders. Increasing transparency in 2021, 34% of venture capital deals made by South Asian community, and access to venture and growth capital code signatories were in companies with at both at home in South investors is key to this and it was great to see least one female founder, compared to an Asian and abroad, if we more firms sign up to the code this year. Our industry average of 24% ; in 2021, the average can just treat each and ambition is to increase the number of signaamount of Angel (early-stage) investment everyone from our commutories further and continue to highlight best being sought by all-female teams (£791k) was nity with the mutual respect practices and actions that work.” very similar to all-male teams (£823k). This is they deserve.”

Real positive shift and wider acceptance Author of Ghostcloud, Michael Mann, mixed-race, gay parent and teacher of Ash Mukherjee British Indian origin told us, The UK's Permanent Representative to the travel. Women cannot leave their homes “I've noticed a real positive step created by Abrahamic UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, without a mahram. Some remain trapped in shift and wider acceptance patriarchy towards the supdelivered a statement during the urgent their homes, facing domestic violence with in my generation vs my pression of the sacred femidebate on the human rights of women and no way out. grandparents and parents' nine or Shakti. It is sympgirls in Afghanistan. “It is almost one year “This suffering is, of course, not limited generation. There's still tomatic of a post-colonial since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. to women and girls. In August, the Taliban work to be done - coming hangover. It is wonderful to announced an amnesty for all Afghans yet Tragically, our worst fears have come out can be hard whatever live at a time when we are we continue to receive credible reports of true when it comes to girls’ education. your community - so we do beginning to wake up from former security force members, being torMany secondary schools continue to be need to keep fighting for this hangover and proudly tured or killed. Many Afghans, including closed to girls, despite Taliban commitments equality and acceptance. reclaim our innate Indian religious and ethnic minorities, LGBT+ perthat secondary education would be open to But I'm hopeful for the queer heritage. There is still sons, and civil society activists, continue to all by 23 March. Afghanistan is the only future." a lot of work to be done. We face discrimination, harassment, and death country where girls cannot attend secondary Queer erasure is colonial are still in the early stages of threats. school. As the father of three girls myself, I violence this paradigm shift as we “The UK remains committed to supportfind that heartbreaking.

Dancer/Choreographer begin to accept ourselves ing the Afghan people. We delivered £286m “An entire generation of girls are missing Ash Mukherjee told the and each other. The moveof aid to Afghanistan in the last financial out on equal access to opportunities, their newsweekly, “1st of July ment of reclamation is year and we will do the same this year. We hopes and dreams shattered, the gains of the 2022 marked the 50-year strong however as we begin are allocating at least 50% of that aid to last decades squandered. anniversary of the Gay to live our lives again, being women and girls and recognise the urgent But education isn’t the only way Liberation Front (GLF) able to discover who we need for funding to women’s organisations, women’s and girls’ rights have been cruelly members marching through really are as people,” Ash to ensure vital services are delivered to curtailed. Women and girls face increasing the streets of London in added. women across Afghanistan,” Manley said. restrictions on their ability to work and to what became known as the nation’s first-ever Pride march. On that day I was honoured to be in a room full of Indian and British The government has today need for higher supervision Asian people in Birmingham announced ambitious new levels. as part of the Birmingham plans to improve the cost, This could potentially Indian Film Festival organchoice and availability of eventually reduce the cost ised by Dharmesh Rajput, childcare that will benefit of this form of childcare by presenting Vishnu’s Got My hundreds of thousands of parup to 15%, or up to £40 per Back, a queer coming of age ents across the country. week for a family paying story from post-colonial £265 per week for care for The UK has some of the Kolkata to London.” their 2-year-old, if highest-quality childcare proAsh said that to be able providers adopt the visions in the world with 96% to present this piece to desi changes and pass all the of early years settings rated by queer people and allies and savings on to parents.

Ofsted as good or outstanding, see them sitting upright on Education Secretary, but it is also one of the biggest their seats with their eyes Nadhim Zahawi said, costs facing working families shining as they felt their “Every child deserves a today. This means some famistory heard and represented To drive down costs for providers great start in life and that means givlies, in particular women, feel they are was a privilege. and parents, a new consultation will ing families the support they need. not able to return to the workplace According to look at increasing the number of chilChildcare is an integral part of after giving birth due to the high cost Mukherjee, India has a dren that can be looked after by each our economy, and these reforms of putting their child into paid care. strong queer heritage. staff member in early years settings. prove again that this government is With the cost of living continuing Queerness has been repreIt will propose changing staff-toon the side of working families. I’m to rise, the government is committed sented in myths, temple child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for twohugely grateful to the thousands of to doing everything it can to support carvings, and scriptures, year-olds, giving providers more flexdedicated early years professionals families with their finances while from depictions of ardibility in how they run their businesswho provide daily care and education keeping people in high-wage, secure hanareshwar and ayappan es while maintaining safety and qualto our youngest children, which is jobs that help grow the economy. to name but a few. Same-sex ity of care. Childcare for children why I am determined to support New plans are being set out today to love, non-binary and genaged 0-2 is the most expensive for them by giving them greater flexibiliensure high-quality and affordable der-fluid beings have always providers to deliver, largely given the ty in how they run their services.” childcare is accessible to all.

Afghanistan: Entire generation of girls are missing out on equal access

Drive to reduce the cost of childcare for parents

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The colours of Rajasthan light up London during the annual 'Jeeman' programme O

rganised by RAUK on the 26th of June on this special day many Rajasthani people came together to celebrate and be proud of their nationality. On this occasion people wore their best clothes, men wore pachrangee and bandhani turbans while women were also adorned in beautiful jewellery and ghagras. Even the children were not lacking as they were also ornate on colourful clothing.

The people in charge of RAUK Dillip Pungalia and Indu Barot said that this year, under the guidance of Alok Ji Sharma and Ragini Ji Chaudhary, the outline of the program was prepared many months ago dividing it into lots of sections. This

was allocated to volunteers who helped greatly in bringing the event together.

Rajeev Kheechar and Pradeep Bera warmly welcomed the guests by applying tilak on their foreheads and making their mouths sweet with jaggery. Shipra Ji and Aditya Singh Ji took the responsibility for all the decorations while Anchal Ji and Rakhi Ji took responsibility for sponsoring all the per-

formances. Rajiv Ji Danga, Nandlaal Ji Jat and Ravi Kumar Ji with their experienced tram took care of handling the food for all guests.

Harendra Singh Ji Jodha, the patron of “Jeeman” told us how he was working on bringing their heritage and culture within reach of Rajasthani people, who have been far away from their roots, through the medium of this program.

Pushpa Chaudhary, one more media in charge of RAUK, informed us that in this program that the chief guest Shri Anil Agarwal, the founder and chairman of Vedanta group, his wife Mrs Kiran Agarwal, Saint Abhay das Ji Maharaj and Saint Mohan Ji participated and also showered their blessings.

Chief guest Shri Anil Agarwal assured that he would provide any possible help to the Rajasthani people in the UK. The chief minister and the Governor of Rajasthan and many ministers sent their congratulations and best wishes. About 1000 people from the UK participated in this program, peo-

ple from different cities of the UK like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Milton keys, Leeds, Birmingham, Colchester etc.

People from far away places came to become a part of this program to meet their dear ones. It was also a chance that in the programme a group of 25 ex-

students of MBM engineering college jodhpur was also present there and they all made fresh memories of their college and youth.

At the end of the program like each year, “Maha Ghoomar” was performed in which women children performed the Ghoomar dance with zeal and enthusiasm.

UK announces 75 scholarships in India's 75th year of Independence The UK Government has partnered with leading businesses in India to offer 75 fully-funded scholarships for Indian students to study in the UK from September.

This is the highest number of fully-funded scholarships given for the one-year master’s programme to date.

HSBC, Pearson India, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Sons and Duolingo are supporting this special initiative to celebrate India’s 75th year of independence. The programmes on offer include Chevening scholarships for a one-year master’s programme, with the opportunity to study any subject at any recognised UK university. Further to this, the

British Council in India is offering at least 18 scholarships for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – covering over 12,000 courses across more than 150 UK universities. Along with these, the British Council is also offering six English scholarships.

The announcement comes as British and Indian leaders from international business and government gather in London for the India Global Forum.

Speaking at the India Global Forum, Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, said: “In India’s 75th year, this is a great milestone together. Thanks to the

Paid covid leaves scrapped for NHS staff From 7 July, the staff terms and conditions section of the Covid workforce guidance will be withdrawn, meaning the immediate end to guaranteed sick pay for new episodes of the illness.

This means special paid leave for NHS staff off work with Covid-related sickness will be scrapped, at a time when two new variants are rapidly driving up infection rates.

Access to Covid special leave for the purposes of selfisolation will also be withdrawn, according to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), which said the decision indicated “how little the UK Government values its nursing staff”.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the guidance was “temporary” and that the changes were part of learning to live with Covid.

Under the guidance, periods of absence related to Covid are fully paid for all NHS workers regardless of

their length of service.

Under the previous guidance, which currently also applies to non-Covid-related sickness, staff are entitled to additional paid absence according to how long they have worked for the NHS. The change will have a significant impact on staff suffering from long Covid, which can prevent people from working for months.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “As we learn to live with Covid, we are withdrawing the temporary NHS staff sickness guidance that was put in place at the height of the pandemic, as part of plans to move back to the normal arrangements set out in the NHS terms and conditions”.

exceptional support from our partners in the industry, I am delighted to announce 75 scholarships for Indian students to experience the best of the UK. Nearly 30% of Chevening scholars in India come from smaller cities or are first generation students, making this an increasingly diverse programme” Hitendra Dave, CEO, HSBC, said: “We’re delighted to partner with

Chevening for the ‘Chevening HSBC Scholarship’ programme.

Our objective is to encourage young people with potential to become leaders and decision makers in their

fields by leveraging the world class educational facilities offered under this programme. As a British bank with a significant lineage and legacy in India, we believe we have a meaningful role to play in developing leadership talent in the country.”

During his recent visit to India, Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the ‘India/UK Together’

programme, promoting the rich cultural ties between both countries. Education is one of the mainstays of the living bridge between the UK and India that connects our people through common values and affinities.

Nearly 108,000 study visas were issued to Indian nationals in the year ending March 2022, almost double the number compared to the previous year.

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Home Office must urgently fix ‘joke’ UK citizenship test The Home Office is being asked to urgently reform the UK’s “joke” citizenship test, which quizzed immigrants on a series of “random” facts under threat of deportation. People who are seeking to permanently settle in the UK are made to take the bizarre quiz on British history and culture, but a parliamentary committee says its content is not fit for purpose.

Content covered by the Life

In The UK Test includes how a person should react when spilling beer over someone in a pub. Along with this, people are expected to memorise a dubious version of history which claims Britain fought alone against Nazi Germany.

If someone fails trial-by-trivia, the person will be deported along with the loss of their livelihood, and potential separation from

family, the critical parliamentary report notes. “‘Trivial’, ‘outdated’, and ‘undermining British values’ were some of the terms used by witnesses to our inquiry into the Life in the UK Test,” Baroness Hamwee, chair of the House of Lords justice and home affairs committee, said.

She added: “Should candidates be required to memorise

content referring to the Enlightenment and where the founder of the UK’s first curry house eloped with his wife? The UK today is about more than stereotypes such as roast beef and pantomimes.”

Anyone who wants indefinite leave to remain in the UK, or who wants to naturalise as a British citizen, the Life In the UK Test is mandatory.

Second Queen Elizabeth People in Manchester, Leicester and Nottingham Hospital doctor tragically dies have ‘lowest disposable income in the UK’ People living in Nottingham, Leicester, Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire, Sandwell in the West Midlands and Manchester are the five local authorities with the lowest gross disposable household income per person, while the areas that are home to those with the highest incomes are all located in London.

According to data published by think tank the Resolution FoundationBefore housing costs and after taxes, the average income per person in Nottingham in 2019 was just £11,708. People in Leicester brought home £11,769 on average, while in Blackburn with Darwen residents had £12,455 to play with and in Manchester, the UK’s second-biggest city, householders had an average dispos-

able income of £13,061.

Meanwhile, in Kensington & Chelsea, the average disposable income stood at £52,451 per person – 4.5 times that of the Nottingham average and four times the Manchester average.

In Westminster, the average was £36,507, followed by Hammersmith & Fulham with £31,964, Camden with £30,658 and Richmond-upon-Thames with £30,645.

Alex Beer, welfare programme head at the Nuffield Foundation, a health think tank, said: “Reducing large and persistent geographical inequalities in income requires investment in making more places attractive to high skilled jobs and workers, although that won’t necessarily improve outcomes for lower skilled workers.”

Sadiq Khan and Priti Patel at loggerheads over Met Police After the Metropolitan Police was placed in special measures, a war of words broke out on Wednesday between the Government and Sadiq Khan.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary also unearthed “systemic failings” in routine policing, including the failure to record the reason for a quarter of stop-and-search operations and the failure to log 69,000 crimes a year.

A source close to Home Secretary Priti Patel accused Mr Khan of being “asleep at the wheel”.

The Mayor in his defence said he had been calling for some time for systemic and cultural changes in the force “in the face of opposition from Priti Patel and Boris Johnson”.

Nickie Aiken, the prominent London Tory MP, said: “Sadiq Khan cannot continue to pass the buck and blame others.

Crime continues to climb on his watch, neighbourhood policing has been decimated. Perhaps it’s not the commissioner who needs changing but his deputy mayor for policing.”

AS per the latest data from Mopac, in the 12 months to May, the total number of offences reported to the Met was up more than 10 per cent year on year to 850,162.

The source close to Ms Patel said: “The Mayor’s focus on ideas not within his gift, like decrimi-

nalising drugs, means the force is now in special measures. He needs to get a grip instead of drifting through his time at City Hall.”

Tributes have been paid to Vaishnavi Kumar, 35, described as a 'kind and devoted' doctor who worked at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital after she died suddenly. Her tragic death comes just two weeks after the passing of another doctor, Andrew Haldane, 45, from the same city hospital. He was a consultant anaesthetist and was discovered dead in woodland in the remote Worcestershire countryside on June 8.

The hospital trust described the doctor as a "much-loved and highly respected doctor, friend and colleague", who specialised in diabetes and endocrinology hormone-related diseases. She had previously told how the

Prince Charles will not accept large cash donations for charities The Prince of Wales will not accept large cash donations for his charities, a senior royal source has said after Charles faced criticism over claims that he received €3m from a billionaire Qatari sheikh reportedly stuffed in a small suitcase and Fortnum & Mason carrier bag.

Met officers accused of sharing offensive WhatsApp message about Meghan Three Metropolitan police officers, Sukhdev Jeer and Paul Hefford, and former PC Richard Hammond have been accused of gross misconduct, which can be punished with dismissal.

They have appeared before a misconduct hearing accused of sharing racist and offensive messages, including likening the Duchess of Sussex to a golliwog toy and calling a black boy a monkey.

It is believed that the officers, who worked in a unit at Bethnal Green police station in east London, allegedly shared videos that were “explicitly racist, homophobic, sexist, ableist and Islamophobic”.

The three officers were said to have been members of a WhatsApp group called But

pandemic had "taken its toll" on the NHS profession in the West Midlands.

Paying tribute, Dr Vijayan Suresh, Divisional Medical Director for University Hospitals Birmingham, told BirminghamLive: “We are incredibly sad to learn of the death of our colleague, Dr Vaishnavi Kumar. Vaishnavi had such a positive impact on her patients, offering them the very best care and treatment.

“From talking to those she worked closely with, it is clear that she was a kind, devoted, much-loved and highly respected doctor, friend and colleague.

Our thoughts remain with Vaishnavi’s family, at this very difficult time.”

They Promised, which they used between January and December 2018.

A misconduct hearing that took place at the Empress State Building, in west London, was told that the group had shared messages including an image of a golliwog toy captioned “a sneak preview at Meghan’s wedding dress”, a reference to Prince Harry’s then-fiancee, Meghan Markle.

The hearing continues.

It was reported that Charles personally accepted the donations, which were passed to the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund (PWCF) from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber alThani, who was the prime minister of Qatar between 2007 and 2013.

It is being said that between 2011 and 2015, three donations were made. Clarence House has said all correct processes were followed.

A royal source said that the heir to the throne “operates on advice”. “Situations, and contexts change over the years. I can say with certainty for more than half a decade with the situation as it has evolved, this has not happened and it would not happen again … That was then, this is now.”

Meanwhile, the Charity Commission is examining reports to decide whether this is a matter for it to investigate.

The Charity Commission has said in a statement: “We are aware of reports about donations received by the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation.

We will review the information to determine whether there is any role for the commission in this matter.”

in brief SAJID JAVID'S DIGITAL NHS REVOLUTION COULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT 'FOR MILLIONS', CRITICS WARN The Health Secretary Sajid Javid revealed that by March 2024, the current NHS App will be upgraded to allow video consultations with GPs and other medics. He believes that it will help patients by giving them direct access to a doctor from their pocket as part of the scheme to bring all their health records into one place.

However, critics have hit out at the move claiming it 'excludes millions' of elderly Britons and have demanded 'tough legislation' to ensure in-person services are not silently scaled back over the coming decades. Experts are of the opinion that face-to-face appointments are vital for picking up on subtle signs of illness that can be missed during a virtual consultation.

Mr Javid said: 'We are embarking on a radical programme of modernisation that will make sure the NHS is set up to meet the challenges of 2048 – not 1948, when it was first established.' He unveiled his plans for a 'digital revolution' in the NHS, which he said will bust the 6.4million and rising Covid backlog and improve patient care. Also, the plans will create 10,500 new data and tech roles.

DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP RESIGNS AFTER ALLEGEDLY GROPING TWO MEN The Conservative deputy chief whip Chris Pincher quit after allegedly groping two men at an exclusive private members’ club in London. He tendered his resignation to the prime minister and said that he had “embarrassed myself and other people” at the Carlton Club, the original home of the Conservative Party. He wrote in his letter: “Last night I drank far too much . . . I apologise to you and to those concerned. I think the right thing to do in the circumstances is for me to resign as deputy chief whip.” Pincher’s resignation will lead to questions over Boris Johnson’s judgment as he was warned about appointing Pincher in February. He is said to have done so because Pincher was instrumental in an operation to rally support for the prime minister. Some ministers believe that Pincher will also be forced to resign as an MP, triggering a by-election in Tamworth, his seat. It has been reported that one of those present at the Carlton Club was a fellow Conservative whip, who reported Pincher’s behaviour to Chris HeatonHarris, the chief whip. After interviewing those involved Heaton-Harris spoke to Pincher, who subsequently tendered his resignation.

AIRLINES FORCED TO CANCEL FLIGHTS AT HEATHROW Heathrow staged a rare “schedule intervention” last night, forcing airlines to cancel or change flights taking off this morning, affecting thousands of passengers.

Britain’s biggest airport Heathrow staged a rare “schedule intervention” last night, forcing airlines to cancel or change flights, affecting thousands of passengers. It told its 20 biggest airlines that they needed to move 30 flights from the morning peak to reduce the number of passengers in its terminals. “We are expecting higher passenger numbers in the morning peak than the airport currently has capacity to serve, and so to keep everyone safe we have asked airlines to remove 30 flights from the morning peak,” a spokesman for the airport said. “We will work with airlines to get affected passengers rebooked on to other flights outside of the peak so that as many as possible can get away tomorrow, and we apologise for the impact this has on travel plans.”

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No politics, please. I am happy doing films: Akshay Kumar The book ''Hindujas and Bollywood'' puts a spotlight on the contribution of the Hinduja brothers in establishing Bollywood as a global brand during its golden age Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar doesn’t want to join politics at all! He was replying to the question asked at the book launch of ''Hindujas and Bollywood'', held at the Institute of Directors at Pall Mall in central London on Sunday evening. He said, “I am very happy doing films. I am trying to communicate my message through cinema. As an actor, I do whatever is possible to highlight social issues in my films. For this, there is no need to join politics. It is not my cup of tea.”

Akshay, who was the chief guest at the event, said, ''Hinduja brothers distributed around 1200 films but what next?

Bollywood needs you; India needs you in the current scenario. It is now time to do a lot. Answering another question He said, I cannot do Parallel cinema. I do not have a temperament of that type. In my case, I pick up an issue or cause and I look for a commercial angle so that it should reach the maximum number of people."

The book ''Hindujas and Bollywood'' puts a spotlight on the contribution of the Hinduja brothers in establishing Bollywood as a global brand during its golden age. Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Raj Loomba, founder of the Loomba Foundation, Baroness Sandip Verma, Noted film producer Vashu Bhagnani and Vijay Goel, chairman of Indo-European

L to R: Vijay Goel, Ajit Rai, Ashok Hinduja, Deepshikha, Vashu Bhagnani, Baroness Verma, Akshay Kumar, Lord Tariq Ahmad, GP Hinduja, PP Hinduja, Lord Raj Loomba

Business Forum marked their special presence at the book launch.

Gopichand P Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group of Industries said, “Our father taught us ‘Neki Kar Dariya me Daal’ (if you do something good, don't go talking about it.)… and we followed. In all these films we have financed and distributed, we have never lost a single penny. The reason wasthe hard work and to ensure that we were not working to earn money. It was our passion. Now, how Indo-UK ties can come up for Bollywood, we all have to work on that.”

Lord Tariq Ahmad said, “The Hinduja family had contributed to bringing people together. As we celebrate 75 years of India's independence today, we also celebrate the contributions made by the Indian diaspora in the UK.” Prakash P Hinduja, Chairman of the Hinduja Group in Europe said, “Film business is not just entertainment, it helps to increase trade, economy, education and the culture of India. Now India is shining

and I wish that all of us may contribute to giving a boost to the Indian film industry.

We should raise funds.

There is a lot of talent in India and why can’t the UK and India work together?

We should involve British technology and writers.”

P Hinduja, Ashok Chairman, Hinduja Group of Companies (India) said, “There is a lot of potential for co-production in the field of cinema between India and other countries of the world.”

The author of the book, Ajit Rai, said, “The Hinduja brothers should have continued their cinema business in some form or the other for a few years now. Their endeavour to take Indian cinema around the world should have been documented which would inspire the coming generations. I suggest that a museum should be built in Mumbai which depicts this golden history of cinema.

Today's young generation, who love cinema, should at least know how that period was and how Indian cinema got recognition across the world due to the efforts of the Hinduja brothers.”

Is Vikram replacing Gaitri Issar Kumar?

Indian Ambassador to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami is allegedly expected to take over as Indian envoy to the United Kingdom. A 1992 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Doraiswami is a Chinese speaker who has served as Indian ambassador to Uzbekistan, South Korea and served in the US as well as private secretary to the Prime Minister.

Vikram Doraiswami replaces ambassador Gaitri Issar Kumar, who superannuated on June 30, 2022.

The present Deputy Chief of Mission in the US, Sudhakar Dalela, a 1993 batch IFS officer, is expected to replace Vikram in Dhaka.

There is speculation that Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma will replace Ruchira Kamboj in

Bhutan and Sandeep Arya will take his place in Hanoi.

Kamboj has been appointed as India’s permanent representative

Vikram Doraiswami

in the UN. Both Verma and Arya are 1994 batch officers.

A professional and hardworking diplomat, Doraiswami has been central to the close bilateral relationship with Dhaka with the officer pushing for cementing ties with Bangladesh through infrastructure

and defence cooperation.

Doraiswami as Indian ambassador to South Korea was one of the key players to get KIA motors into India and the joint development of K-9 155 mm selfpropelled howitzer in India.

In Vikram Doraiswami, India will have an ambassador who will push for closer relationships but will also take up friction points including those related to diaspora upfront. His possible replacement, Dalela has vast experience as Director (Prime Minister’s Office) focusing on India’s engagement with its South Asian neighbours and he was Joint Secretary handling Bhutan and Nepal when the 2017 Doklam crisis broke with China.

Prince Charles' secretive deals with a Tory peer being probed The Prince of Wales issued Lord Brownlow with an award at Buckingham Palace - after allegedly accepting millions in donations from him.

Brownlow was appointed a trustee of the Prince's Foundation nine years ago. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator has launched a probe, saying: "We can confirm that the work of Havisham Group and property

transactions relating to the Knockroon development in Ayrshire forms part of our overall investigation, work on which is ongoing.”

It is reported Charles' failed eco-village was bailed out with his help. His firm Havisham Properties spent an alleged £1.7 million gobbling up unwanted houses after just 30 of 700 plus homes were built.

He was also awarded a £1.2m contract back in 2015.

A Prince’s Foundation spokeswoman said: “Lord Brownlow was appointed CVO in 2018 in recognition of his role as chair of the charity The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community.”

Charles last week confirmed he would stop taking large-scale donations from donors. He recently deputised for the Queen at the Opening of State Parliament.

Indian Law Minister Hon Kiren Rijiju promises to set up an International Arbitration Centre in India at par with Singapore and London FICCI hosts a panel discussion to talk about ‘Arbitrating Indo-UK Commercial Disputes’ in the light of UK-India FTA Indian Law Minister Hon Kiren Rijiju and Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on their visit to London attended an event organised

by FICCI at Mansion House in the City of London, to discuss the recent trends in mergers and acquisitions and the future of India as an arbitration destination under the topic ‘Arbitrating Indo-UK Commercial Disputes’, especially in the light of the ongoing UKIndia Foreign Trade Agreement (FTA).

The event was moderated by FICCI’s Director General Arun Chawla who welcomed the guests, introduced the keynote speakers, setting the mood for later discussions.

Minister Rijiju, who dashed to Ambedkar Bhavan in London after his speech, said, “The Government of India has

proposed setting up of The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre which will come up very shortly.

The centre will be equipped with necessary infrastructure and professional management offering quality legal administrative expertise and in panel recruit arbitrators. The ambition is to be independent and autonomous body facilitating institutional arbitration in India and get an institute of national importance, attracting best arbitrators to India like Singapore and London and become a major arbitration hub.

“The government of India has undertaken steps to reduce compliance burden for improving overall business regulatory environment in India. The objective of this exercise is to improve ease of living

FICCI's Director General Arun Chawla, N G Khaitan, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, Indian Law Minister Hon Kiren Rijiju, Acting High Commissioner of India to the UK HE Sujit Ghosh and Geeta Luthra

and make government to business and citizen interface hassle-free.”

Chief Justice Ramana made key suggestions and hailed the idea of the centre by the Government of India.

Emphasising on the effects of the FTA, and legalities arising from there, Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Vincent Keaveny said, “We prepare us to be committed to further our commodity trading partnership. Plans to last year's enhanced Free Trade Agreement kind of

moves to the next phase, the importance all of this can't be overstated. A trade deal would boost bilateral exports and the increase in investment opportunities over time depending on the liquidity in the UK market expected after all-time high…

“So, in order to enhance this important partnership, UK’s new partnership and our cultural or business relationships, needs to backed up by a robust legal system.

“It shows that any

disputes arising out of the increased economic and commercial building between our two countries, can we get away with greater speed, efficiencies and improve transparency.”

Acting High Commissioner of India to the UK Sujit Ghosh added,

“India and the UK are celebrating 75 years of establishment of a productive community and our relations are based on a shared economy in democracy.

Our international relations are in a state of high growth trajectory.”

Money lost through scams not repaid to victims The fraud chief at British banking’s trade body Katy Worobec has refused to disclose which banks are best at refunding savers who have been scammed, saying that it would be misleading.

Managing director of economic crime at UK Finance, Katy drew criticism after it emerged that banks had not refunded £312 million — more than half of the

proceeds lost by their savers to scams last year.

As per the UK Finance figures, the amount of money lost to scams rose by £160 million, or 39 per cent, in a year; people were tricked out of £583.2 million last year. Some 195,996 savers reported falling victim, up 27 per cent. The rise in fraud was driven by a surge in investment scams online.

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Dear Financial Voice Reader,

Alpesh Patel OBE

Which Stocks to Beat the Cost of Living Crisis? The problem is of course the markets are falling or jittery. So what to do?

With UK inflation at 9%, we're all feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis. However, any significant economic event creates some opportunities. So which stocks should we consider to beat the rising prices of essential goods?

What sectors are performing well in 2022 The S&P 500 is down 22% in what has been a punishing start to the year for investors. The same issues of inflation, the invasion of Ukraine, and the Fed's hawkish monetary policy are contributing to a bleak outlook.

However, the Commodities sector has been boosted in recent weeks by China's reopening, summer travel, and the grim continuation of the Russia/Ukraine situation.

The Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund (NYSE: DBC) continues to go from strength to strength.

The fund provides investors with a straightforward way to invest in Oil, Gas, Gold, Corn, and other grains and metals. So far this year, it's up almost 30%.

Copper to bounce back The price of copper is down around 14% this year.

However, some experts believe it can rise significantly.

They cite copper use in green construction and the industry's lack of investment in new mines to meet demand.

The ETFS Copper ETC (COPA.L) has dropped sharply this month, but it could be a promising long-term option for patient investors.

The case for a commodity boom Several factors indicate commodities could keep going up. Inflation, a subdued dollar, alongside weather and environmental concerns, could all create favourable conditions.

As rumours of an upcoming food crisis swirl, the Teucrium Corn ETF CORN could be an exciting pick.

Ukraine exports around 13% of corn worldwide. Should the war continue, corn prices could rise considerably.

Commodities have a reputation as a good hedge against inflation. With sanctions against Russia set to continue, a commodity gap has opened up, which South America could take advantage of. Some stocks to look out for are PetroRio, Ecopetrol SA, and Gerdua, although each of these stocks has been performing weakly so far this year.

Goldman Sachs has recommended three plays in the Metals and Energy sector. GLENCORE INTERNATION(GLNCY), Steel Dynamics(STLD), and Diamondback Energy(FANG). Each stock looks pretty cheap, especially if the commodity gap thesis bears out.

Of course, the natural gas space could continue to rise.

The Chesapeake Energy Corporation is up 26% this year, while Antero Resources Corporation has risen a staggering 75%. Both stocks have slowed down in recent weeks and should be monitored for a low entry price.

Batteries are another area that could benefit from the energy crisis. There are several battery ETFs to keep an eye on, with ETFS Battery Tech and Lithium (ASX: ACDC.AX) looking good to shake off a rocky year at some point in the future.

The case against commodities Of course, while commodities could be set for a boom, there are some risks to consider. China is a huge consumer of commodities, especially metals. A global recession or a significant contraction of the Chinese economy could see demand fall alongside prices.

Indeed, many commentators suggest we are nose-diving into a recession. For investors looking for a safe haven, property has a solid track record. However, as Edmund Shing at BNP Paribas points out, alcohol and chocolate always do well in times of financial turmoil.

Conclusion The market is full of hazards right now. However, as Warren Buffett says, you should never hold money during a war. As inflation continues to push the cost of living to new heights, commodities look like a safe haven until things return to normal. For now, it's definitely a stock pickers market.

If this has whetted your appetite you should check out my Campaign for a Million www.campaignforamillion.com

BCC chief urges government to save UK economy

Small UK firms to hire more than 6,000 people

After Bank of England British businesses boss Andrew Bailey said through measures such soaring inflation could as bringing in 50% hit the UK harder than business rates relief for elsewhere, Shevaun eligible High Street Haviland, director-generbusinesses, and freezal of the British Chamber ing an amount it uses of Commerce (BCC), told to calculate rates a conference that time is which will be "worth running out to help the £4.6 mn over the next economy grow. She said five years" for firms. that the government has Recently released "until the Autumn budget figures showed that Shevaun Haviland to reset, rethink and get household finances their house in order". failed to keep up with inflation in the first three months of the Rising material costs, supply chain year, marking the first time real disposissues and worker shortages are creating able income has fallen for four quarters a "perfect storm", she told the audience in a row since records began. at the BCC's global annual conference.

Businesses are also being hit by The government said it was suphigher prices, with fuel and energy porting firms to "navigate the months prices at unprecedented levels. The cost ahead". A Treasury spokesperson said of living has pushed unions to demand the government had "cut taxes for hunpay rises, leading to some workers going dreds of thousands of businesses" by out on strike in recent weeks, with increasing the employment allowance more walkouts planned over the and cutting fuel duty. summer.

The Treasury said it was supporting

Britain’s small businesses will hire thousands of people over the next year, even amid soaring inflation and rising interest rates. According to reports, private firms with revenue of less than £250 million, will create more than 6,000 jobs over the next 12 months as businesses look to expand in the UK and abroad.

The companies, which come from a wide range of industries and locations, currently employ nearly 21,000 people in total. Of those businesses, many plan to recruit new hands. Most of the other companies plan to add more jobs to support their continued growth, but did not say how many. Those going on the biggest hiring spree include London technology consultancy and digital, Darlington-based leisure operator Lane7, and Double Eleven, a video games developer in Middlesbrough.

Energy firms told to become efficient Ofgem has published plans to cut baseline annual rates of return to 4.75 per cent for the five years from April 2023, down from about 6.8 per cent under the current regime. This means the companies that own the UK’s local electricity distribution networks are facing big cuts to the profits they are allowed to make after the country’s energy regulator told them to invest more in maintenance and improvements.

The regulator has said the proposal would enable £20.9 bn to be spent on maintenance and measures to boost resilience, such as the replacement of wooden poles, while keeping charges to customers stable at about £100 per year. The move would hit six monopolies including ScottishPower, Northern Powergrid and UK Power Networks which own the local distribution networks that transport electricity from the high

Walgreens drops plans to sell Boots US pharmacy giant Walgreens has dropped plans to sell Boots, saying buyers were unable to raise enough funds due to instability in financial markets. Walgreens said it had various offers for the pharmacy business after it put Boots up for sale in January. But none of the offers adequately reflected the high potential value of the UK pharmacy chain, it said.

Potential buyers for Boots reportedly included Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and US buyout firm Apollo Global Management, who made an offer valuing the business at about £5 bn. The Walgreens Boots Alliance said it would now keep Boots and the No7 beauty brand. The Walgreens merger deal for Boots in 2014 valued the firm at about £9 bn at the time.

Walgreens said it had moved away from plans to offload Boots after an "unexpected and dramatic change" in the financial markets. "As a result of market instability severely impacting financing availability, no third party has been able to make an offer that adequately reflects the high potential value of Boots and No7 Beauty Company," it said.

Retail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth said that Walgreens had wanted more for Boots than suitors had been prepared to pay for it. She said raising the necessary funds to buy it would have been difficult in the current market, and that Boots has a "significant" pension liability. One of the main challenges for Boots, she said, is that it is possible to buy equivalent products from competitors such as supermarkets and online shops.

voltage national transmission grid to homes and businesses.

The proposals are expected to be contested, with a final decision projected by the regulator by the end of the year.

Jonathan Brearley, chief executive of Ofgem, said: “Ofgem’s job is to ensure energy networks have achievable and affordable plans that will attract the investment needed for a more resilient energy net-

Tesco stops Heinz products over price dispute Britain’s biggest supermarket chain Tesco apologised to customers for empty shelves where the products would normally be, saying it would not pass on “unjustifiable price increases”.

Kraft Heinz, the American company that owns the Heinz brand, said it was “working closely with Tesco to resolve the situation as quickly as possible” and was “confident in a positive resolution”.

However, Tesco’s reserves of several of the company’s products, including four-packs of baked beans, salad cream and chicken noodle soup, have already sold out on its website and shoppers reported empty shelves in stores.

Last week, the Office for National Statistics reported

Tax cut worth up to £330 comes in for 30 million workers 30 million people across the UK will benefit from the biggest personal tax in a decade from July 6 with hard-working Brits saving up to £330 per year.

The £6 billion tax cut will see the level at which people start paying National Insurance rise to £12,570 – lifting 2.2 million people out of paying any personal tax and ensuring people get to keep more of the money they earn.

The threshold change means that 70% of UK workers will pay less National Insurance, even after accounting for the Health and Social Care Levy that is funding the biggest catch-up pro-

gramme in NHS history and putting an end to spiralling social care costs. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “I know rising prices are putting pressure on hard-working families across the UK – which is why we’ve stepped in to help to ease the burden with a £37 billion package of support this year, including at least £1,200 going directly to the 8 million most vulnerable families.

“Today marks the next stage in that package, with the biggest personal tax cut in over a decade coming in to help millions of workers across the UK keep up to £330 more each year.

work and achieve the government’s net zero ambition at the least cost to the consumer.”

An investigation by Ofgem found that nearly three quarters of the damaged poles were more than 40 years old, suggesting a lack of investment in the network had contributed to the problems. The regulator is keen to ensure that the companies become more efficient rather than raising consumer bills.

The Prime Minister said: “We know it’s tough for many families across the UK, but we want you to know that this government is on your side.

“Today’s tax cut means around 70 per cent of British workers will pay less National Insurance even after accounting for the Health and Social Care Levy that is funding the biggest catch-up programme in NHS history and putting an end spiralling social care costs.

“So whether you are a receptionist, work in hospitality or are a delivery driver, this tax cut is likely to make you and your family better off.”

that higher food costs had helped to push inflation to a 40-year high of 9.1 per cent.

It said that shoppers were already cutting back on the amount of food they buy to cope with the increases.

Research has found that the price of Heinz products has surged at other supermarkets in recent weeks, with increases for more than 230 of its products at Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda since the beginning of June.

The price of a four-pack of Heinz tomato soup, for example, has gone from £2.50 to £3.50 in Sainsbury’s, and a four-pack of Beanz Snap Pots has risen from £2.50 to £2.99 in Morrisons.

The removal of popular products such as Heinz tomato ketchup is likely to drive shoppers elsewhere, while Kraft Heinz will have to absorb lower sales until the issue is resolved. Which company will win the power struggle remains to be seen.

Tesco said: “We hope to have this issue resolved soon.”

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India's GST collection up by 56% in June India’s GST collections rose 56%, at their fastest pace in over a year, to nearly £14.5 billion in June, marking the 12th consecutive month of over £10 billion collections.

The £14.46 billion collected in June, based on transactions in May, was the second highest monthly generation since the new tax regime kicked in five years ago. June was the fourth straight month of collections topping £14 billion.

“The trend that was being talked about, we are now reversing that and showing that the GST revenues remain above £14 billion. So, £14 billion is the

rough bottom line, we are not going below that. We will remain above that,” finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at the GST Day celebrations.

The government is hoping for

Reliance to run Pret A Manger chain in India The first outlet of British coffee and sandwich chain Pret A Manger is expected to open early next year in Mumbai. Pret A Manger, which means "ready to eat" in French, was founded in London in 1983, with the first shop opening the following year. After the original company went into liquidation the brand was bought by college friends Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe, with their first store opening in 1986.

A unit of Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries will run the chain under a franchise agreement in India. It marks the first venture by Reliance Brands, which also owns India's biggest retail chain, into the country's growing

food and drinks industry. A deal has been struck to open outlets of Pret A Manger across India.

"Our partnership with Pret is rooted in the strong growth potential of both Pret as a brand... also of the food & beverage industry in India," Darshan Mehta, the managing director of Reliance Brands said in a statement.

"We're looking forward to working with them on what is our most ambitious global franchise partnership to date," Pret A Manger's chief executive Pano Christou added. The Pret A Manger brand currently has 550 outlets around the world, across nine markets including the UK, US, Europe, and Asia.

further improvement in the coming months. “The average monthly gross GST collection for the first quarter of 2022-23 has been £15.1 billion against the average monthly collection of £11 billion in the first quarter of the last fiscal, showing an increase of 37%. Coupled with economic recovery, anti-evasion activities, especially action against fake billers, have been contributing to the enhanced GST. The gross cess collection in this month is the highest since introduction of GST,” the finance ministry said.

Gujarat registers impressive rise in ease of doing business Gujarat registered an impressive rise in the ease of doing business (EoDB) rankings for 2020. In the last rankings announced in September 2020, Gujarat was placed 10th in India.

The rankings are based on the implementation of the business reform action plan (BRAP) 2020, conducted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

With an EoDB feedback score of 97.77%, Gujarat now stands at second position among all states and union territories of India in the EoDB rankings. Andhra Pradesh, with a feedback score of 97.89%, took the top spot.

A state government statement said that Gujarat is one of the two states in the country which have displayed 100% adherence to the 301 reform points listed in BRAP 2020.

These cover 15 business regulatory areas, such as access to information, single window system, labour and land administration.

“In terms of feedback scores, Gujarat ranks second in the country. This is a jump of eight positions from the previous ranking. Gujarat is among the only two states that have 100% compliance on implementation of the 301 reforms,” said Rahul Gupta, industries commissioner of Gujarat.

Apart from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, the other states which have been classified as achievers include the states of Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

India’s core sector on growth path despite hurdles India’s industrial sector had been hit hard by the impact of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine but has held up against several risks.

The broader economy has also scripted a robust recovery against the backdrop of several risks, such as inflationary pressures and supply chain disruptions.

Data released by India’s

department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) showed the sector spanning coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity rose an annual 18.1% in May compared with 9.3% in the previous month and 16.4% in May 2021.

These eight core industries comprise nearly

Indian rupee hits 79 for a $ for the first time The rupee breached for the first time the 79 level in postmarket trade on 29th June.

The fall came even as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) managed to defend the domestic unit from breaching the milestone level earlier in the day for most of the trading hours. Dealers said that there were post market trades at the 79.02 level as the dollar continued to gain strength globally.

The domestic currency has lost almost 6% during the current year with a third of the losses in the month of June. Dealers said that there was demand from multinational banks on behalf of foreign institutional investors, while public sector banks purchased dollars for importers including oil companies. The RBI was

understood to be selling the greenback through public sector banks.

It is the oil prices which will determine the worsening current account deficit.

Unless oil prices really come off, there is no reason for the rupee to reverse its movement,” said DBS Bank head (treasury & markets) Ashish Vaidya. While the weakening of the rupee has accelerated in June, the movement has been orderly.

The RBI has managed to ensure that there are no wild swings in the exchange rate by selling billions of dollars from its reserves.

41% of the weight of items included in the index of industrial production (IIP) and augurs well for the numbers, which will be released later in the month.

Growth in the country’s crucial core sector has surged in May on the back of strong performance by coal, cement, electricity and fertiliser sectors and

helped by a low base during the second Covid wave.

The core sector data showed the cement sector grew 26.3% in May compared to a growth of 7.

4% in the previous month and 11. 7% expansion in May 2021. The robust growth could be attributed to the pickup in construction activity and infrastructure projects.

Inflation will continue longer, predicts RBI The Reserve Bank of India said the shock waves from the war in Ukraine and retaliatory economic and financial sanctions (on Russia) have jolted the global economy, which was already beleaguered by successive waves of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has predicted in its financial stability report that persistently high inflation globally is to stay here longer than anticipated as the ongoing war and sanctions take toll on economies, threatening a further slowdown to global trade volume. The global economic outlook is clouded by the ongoing war in Europe and the pace of monetary policy tightening by central banks in response to mounting inflationary pressures, RBI report said.

According to the report, “The Indian economy appears to have weathered the third wave of the pandemic associated with the Omicron variant, although the war in Ukraine is now casting a long shadow on the outlook”.

Since its previous edition of FSR in December 2021, RBI said, the global economic prospects have deteriorated markedly consequent to the economic and financial ramifications of the war and sanctions taking their toll.

Citing IMF projecting global growth to decline to 3.6% in 2022 from 6.1% in 2021 as the shock of the war was to interact with the monetary tightening, financial market volatility, pandemic and unequal vaccine access, RBI said both AEs (advanced economies) and emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) are expected to lose pace by 1.9 percentage points and 3 percentage points, respectively.

ASKETH AND YOU SHALL RECEIVETH Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

Recently, we were introduced to a client who requires a mortgage for a large transaction in Central London, of £6M. He has a couple of BTL properties in the background, which he accumulated by each time upgrading his residential home. I think they call this the accidental landlord. He runs a venture capital fund which has a large piggy bank with the aim of investing into companies and then through improvements trebling or more their investment.

Our introduction was in order to sort out the mortgage for the proposed purchase. At this sort of level its worth examining a couple of things. One is the stamp duty payable, and the other is the best structure to make the purchase in, as part of the process. There are 49 reliefs for stamp duty which the typical solicitor is ill equipped to understand, let alone implement. Yet most never even ask the question.

What was surprising for me was one would have thought someone who has a high level of financial sophistication would have thought of these questions. It turns out he hadn’t even thought to ask.

The question needs to be asked, even if you end up right back in your current position; which was the case in this scenario. However, what was picked up were the BTLs he has accumulated in the background. They are held in personal names and therefore do not benefit from the ability to offset the interest element of the mortgage against the rental income. As both are high value properties this means a high level of taxation applied on the rental.

If one were to ‘transfer’ the property into a company this would involve a stamp duty being charged by the purchasing entity, and a capital gain to be paid by the sellers. These two levies would render the exercise uneconomical. However, there is a solution which is known as incorporation, if certain criteria can be met the properties can be ‘incorporated’ into a corporate structure, bypassing the need for these two taxes. Often people pay more attention to the gross profit of an investment, than they do to the net profit.

It is the net profit you end up actually enjoying.

This case is being looked at now in a holistic manner, which involves not just this issue, but is being looked at with a far wider lens, including analysing inheritance tax planning as well.

There seems to be an agenda, as things are being tightened in the economy, to go after property landlords. The general perception is they seem to be hoarding all the nation’s wealth and this needs to be extracted, even if the principles are unreasonable.

The above example is indicative of the general lack of planning which goes into property investing.

At least the question should always be asked.

Maruti to focus on launching new SUV models in India India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has been feeling the absence of SUVs in its line-up, and just had the previous-generation Brezza and the bigger SCross in its off-roader portfolio. The absence of a strong line-up and newgeneration models has been hurting the prospects of Maruti, prompting the company to go on an overdrive in the category.

Now Maruti has driven in the upgraded Brezza as the company promised to introduce a series of SUVs to take on off-roaders from companies such as Tata Motors, Hyundai, and M&M. “The new-gen Brezza is here, and we have a few more SUVs in the pipeline,” Maruti’s new MD and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said. New Brezza

will be available in manual and automatic versions, priced between Rs 800,000 and Rs 1.4 million (exshowroom).

Takeuchi said Maruti plans to strengthen the company’s line-up across segments, with a special focus on SUV portfolio. In line with the rapid modernisation of the automotive industry, he said, the company’s new model will be high on design, technology and features.

Maruti said Brezza has been the company’s first model to be conceived, designed, and developed exclusively for India. Since its launch in March 2016, Maruti has sold over 750,000 units of Brezza.

The model still sells around 10,000 units on a monthly basis.

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in brief

Hindu college principal forced to wear garland of shoes DHAKA: A video showing a Hindu college principal being compelled to wear a garland of shoes has provoked fury on social media in Bangladesh. The Muslims put the garland on shoes around the neck of Principal Swapan Kumar Biswas in the presence of police personnel because a Hindu student had posted an image of Nupur Sharma on social media. The student has been arrested for the crime of posting the photograph of the former BJP spokesperson.

The incident took place at Mirzapur United College in Narail’s Sadar Upazila on June 17. According to reports, the incident occurred after a Hindu student named Rahul Dev Roy studying in the eleventh class shared a post hailing Nupur Sharma on Facebook along with her photo. Nupur has been criticized for her allegedly derogatory comments on the Prophet Muhammad.

When the Hindu student arrived at the

campus, some Muslim students met him and asked him to delete the post. But he refused to do so and wrote ‘Pranam Nio bas Nupur Sharma, Jai Shri Ram’, and it was deemed insulting to Islam by the Islamists.

After that, the Muslims went to meet principal and demanded to take strong action against the student. Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, the principal kept the Hindu student in his office and called the police.

But this worsened the situation as the Islamist students started spreading the rumour that the Hindu principal was protecting the student despite committing blasphemy. As the rumour spread outside the campus, Islamists and clerics from the area arrived at the college demanding action against both the principal and the students. Angry Muslim residents and students set fire to the principal’s and two other teachers’ motorbikes.

Meanwhile, the police arrived and tried

to take the student to the police station.

But the mob prevented them, and they clashed with the police. They then put garlands of shoes around the neck of both the student and the principal. In the video, it can be seen that several policemen were present at the scene, but they were mute spectators. They didn’t do anything to protect the student and the principal from Islamist attack. Later, more police came and they tried to extract Rahul from the mob but were not able to do so. Instead, there was a big fight, and several people, including students, teachers and policemen were injured in the clash.

By evening, senior officials of district administration and police arrived at the college and they were able to pacify the mob. They assured proper investigation into the incident and took the student and the principal to the police station. Later the student Rahul was arrested and the principal was allowed to go.

IMF tells Lanka to tackle graft, raise taxes COLOMBO: Sri Lanka should stamp out corruption and substantially raise taxes to rescue its economy, the International Monetary Fund said after bailout talks with the bankrupt island nation. Representatives from the global lender have just concluded a 10-day visit to the capital Colombo to map out a resolution to the South Asian country’s unprecedented economic crisis.

Their meetings follow months of lengthy blackouts and days-long queues for petrol as a financial crunch leaves Sri Lanka without the funds to meet its energy needs.

The IMF said more work was needed to set the nation’s finances right and repair its runaway fiscal deficit before a deal could be struck on a funding arrangement to address its balance of payments crisis.

“Given the low level of revenues, far-reaching tax reforms are urgently needed,” the lender said in a statement.

Sri Lanka needed to

“reduce corruption vulnerabilities”, contain spiralling inflation and bring an end to costly energy subsidies that had long been a drain on the government budget without hurting more vulnerable citizens, the statement added.

“The authorities have made considerable progress in formulating their economic reform program. We are looking forward to continuing the dialogue with them," it said.

Sri Lanka has already reversed drastic 2019 tax cuts introduced by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, which have been blamed for precipitating the economic crisis. It

has also scaled back energy subsidies, with the cost of fuel rising by up to 400% this year, and in April the government defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt.

Sri Lanka’s 22 million people have laboured through shortages of food, pharmaceuticals and other essentials this year, and already hardships have worsened in recent weeks. It is almost completely without petrol and the government has shut down nonessential public services to save fuel.

The UN estimates 80% of the public are skipping meals to cope with food shortages and record prices.

Pak court jails man linked to Mumbai attacks ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court has sentenced a man to 15 years in jail for financing the main handler of 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Sajid Majeed Mir, 43, was arrested in 2020 and sentenced in May this year, but his detention and sentencing were never disclosed

by Pakistan.

He was sought by the FBI in connection with the 2008 attacks on India’s financial hub that killed 166 people, includ-

ing six Americans. Mir was designated a “terrorist” by the US and was indicted in 2011. He was on the FBI’s ten most wanted fugitives list.

Under the rewards for justice programme, the United States offered up to $5 mn for information on Mir’s alleged involvement in the attacks in neighboring India. The court documents provided no details on Mir’s involvement in terror financing.

Pak hikes petroleum prices under IMF deal Islamabad: The Pakistan government has steeply hiked petroleum prices to implement the tough preconditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revive the stalled $6 billion bailout package for the cash-strapped country.

Prices of all petroleum products went up by about Rs 1419 per litre after the decision came into effect last week.

According to a notification issued by the finance ministry, the government imposed a Rs 10 per litre petroleum levy on petrol and Rs 5 each on high-speed diesel (HSD), kerosene and light diesel oil (LDO). As a result, the per-litre price of petrol has been increased by Rs 14.85, HSD by Rs 13. 23, kerosene by Rs 18. 83 and LDO by Rs 18. 68. The ex-depot price of petrol now stands at Rs 248. 74 per litre, HSD at Rs 276. 54, kerosene at Rs 230. 26, and LDO at Rs 226.15.

Finance minister Miftah Ismail told the media that the petroleum levy was imposed to revive the IMF programme suspended four months ago after the previous government led by Imran Khan reneged from signed agreements. This is the fourth hike in petroleum under the incumbent government which took power in April.

The IMF has set tough preconditions like hiking electricity tariffs and imposing a levy on petroleum products to revive the bailout programme.

Mir’s whereabouts were not publicly known until the Pakistani newspaper The Dawn reported over the weekend that he had been quietly arrested in Gujranwala, a city in Punjab province. It said Mir’s sentencing appeared to be part of efforts by Pakistan to get off the "grey list" of the Financial Action Task Force. In 2018 the Paris-based group added Pakistan to the list.

Mir is the founder of the out-

lawed Lashkar-e-Taiba, of which he was believed to be a member.

The group was active for years in the Himalayan region of Kashmir. In April, Saeed was sentenced to 31 years in prison for terror financing but he was never charged in connection with the Mumbai attacks. The official said Mir planned to appeal the sentencing. There was no immediate comment from India about Mir’s sentencing in Pakistan.

Stop interfering in Afghan affairs: Taliban chief KABUL: The Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada urged the world to stop telling them how to run Afghanistan, insisting Sharia law was the only model for a successful Islamic state.

Akhundzada, who has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power in August, was addressing a major gathering of religious scholars in the Afghan capital called to rubber-stamp the hardline Islamist group’s rule.

Over 3,000 clerics have gathered in Kabul last week for the three-day men-only meeting, and Akhundzada’s appearance had been rumoured for days - although media are barred from covering the event.

“Why is the world interfering in our affairs?” he asked in an hour-long speech broadcast by state radio.

“They say ‘why don't you do this, why don’t you do that?’ Why does the

world interfere in our work?"

Akhundzada rarely leaves Kandahar, the Taliban’s birthplace and spiritual heartland, and apart from one undated photograph and several audio recordings of speeches, has almost no digital footprint. But analysts say the former Sharia court judge has an iron grip on the movement and bears the title “Commander of the Faithful”.

His arrival at the meeting hall was greeted with cheers and chants, including “Long live the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”, the Taliban's name for the country. His appearance comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country, killing over 1,000 people.

The Taliban have thrown a dense security blanket over the capital for the meeting, but two gunmen were shot dead near the venue.

MILITANTS ATTACK POLIO VAX TEAM IN PAK, 3 KILLED Unidentified militants opened fire on a polio vaccination team in Pakistan, killing one of those handing out doses and two policemen, while a child was injured, officials said, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility. The attack in the region bordering Afghanistan comes a day after Pakistan launched its latest national campaign to stamp out the virus. An official report from the region’s deputy commissioner said a search for the culprits had begun.

JOURNALIST ATTACKED FOR CALLING GENERALS 'PROPERTY DEALERS' Ayaz Amir, 77, a senior journalist and political analyst has been assaulted by unidentified masked men a day after he termed Pakistan’s powerful army generals “property dealers.” Ayaz was returning home after recording his television show, when unknown people stopped his car and assaulted. The attackers also tortured his driver before fleeing from the scene. Ayaz said that “the masked men not only hit him and tore his clothes; they also took away his cell phone and wallet”. He referred to the army generals as “property dealers” during a seminar on “Regime Change and its fallout on Pakistan”.

US, TALIBAN TALK EARTHQUAKE AID Talks between the United States and the Taliban continued in Doha earlier this week to discuss earthquake aid. Following a devastating earthquake last month, The Taliban is seeking a way to unlock some of the country’s foreign reserves which are currently frozen by US. The US is looking for assurances that the money would go to help the population. During the talks, the US reiterated an earlier pledge of $55 million in new assistance for earthquake relief, according to State department.

IRAN, ARGENTINA WANT TO JOIN BRICS Iran, which holds the world’s second largest gas reserves, has applied to join the Brics group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that Beijing and Moscow cast as a powerful emerging market alternative to the West. Iran’s membership in the group “would result in added values for both sides”, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said.

Russia said Argentina had also applied to join. Russia cast the applications as evidence that the West, led by the US, was failing to isolate Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine.

3 KILLED IN COPENHAGEN SHOPPING MALL SHOOTING Three people were killed and three others seriously wounded hen a gunman opened fire at on of Denmark's biggest shopping malls. The 22-year-old man, described as "an ethnic Dane", was arrested and charged with the attack which sparked panic at Field's mall in south Copenhagen. Police chief Soeren Thomassen said the motive was unclear and he could not rule out an "act of terrorism". Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she wanted to encourage Danes to stand together and support each other in this difficult time. The alleged gunman wandering around inside Field's Shopping Centre and had a rifle and ammunition when he was arrested, police said.

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in brief FIRST BLACK WOMEN JOINS TOP US COURT Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51,the newest associate Supreme Court justice, becoming the first black women to serve on the nation’s highest court.

She will replace Justice Stephen Breyer, joining the court’s three-member liberal minority. In a statement, she said “she accepts the solemn responsibility of the role”. The addition of her to the court means that its liberal minoritywith the Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Sonia Sotomayor, will be made up entirely of women.

She previously sat on the influential US court of appeals for DC circuit. She got the support from three Senate Republicans, delivering Biden a bipartisan 53-47 approval for his first Supreme Court nominee.

AUSTRALIA’S POPULATION DOUBLES IN 50 YEARS Australia’s population has doubled over the last 50 years, data from the national census revealed. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) published the results of the 2021 census, which was conducted on August 10 last year. It found there were 25,422,788 people living in Australia at the time of the census, an increase of 8. 6 per cent since the 2016 census and about 103. 4 per cent from 12,493,001 counted in the 1971 census. More than 1 million residents migrated to Australia from overseas between 2017 and 2021, with more than 20 per cent coming from India. More than 50 per cent of Australian residents in 2021 were either born overseas or had at least one parent born overseas. The number of Australians who reported speaking a language other than English at home increased by about 800,000 from 2016 to over 5. 5 million.

SHIP SINKS IN STORM OFF HK, DOZENS OF CREW IN DANGER An industrial support ship operating in the South China Sea has sunk with the possible loss of more than two dozen crew members, rescue services in Hong Kong said. Authorities dispatched planes and helicopters to aid in the rescue, with at least three people from the crew of 30 brought to safety. The accident occurred about 300 km south of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Flying Service did not give the name or origin of the vessel. It said in a statement that crew members were negotiating difficulties brought on by Severe Tropical Storm Chaba, which was packing maximum winds of 110 km per hour. The storm is expected to make landfall in the western part of the coastal province of Guangdong. The Hong Kong service sent two fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters for the rescue effort.

RUSSIA PASSES LAW AGAINST FOREIGN MEDIA Russia’s top prosecutor will be empowered to shut down media from countries that ban or restrict Russian news outlets under a law passed by the lower house of parliament. The bill - following bans by some Western governments on Russian media - creates a legal basis for Moscow to retaliate against foreign media that restrict the activity of Russian journalists.

‘AMERICAN WOMAN’ GETS GUITAR BACK AFTER 46 YEARS They say you never forget your first love, and after pining for his stolen guitar for almost half acentury, Canadian rockstar Randy Bachman has finally been reunited with the instrument which an eagle-eyed fan tracked down in Japan. Bachman, who wrote the original “American Woman” with his band The Guess Who, was in Tokyo for the emotional handover- 46 years after his cherished orange Gretsch was snatched from a hotel. “Wow”, a stunned Bachman said, holding the guitar lovingly before playing it at a special concert at the Canadian embassy.

Indian-origin arrested in US for alleged $45 mn fraud WASHINGTON: A 50year-old Indian-origin tech entrepreneur has been arrested in the US for an alleged investment scheme that defrauded more than 10,000 victims of over $45 million and netted him several luxury cars and real estate.

Neil Chandran, of Las Vegas in Nevada, was arrested in Los Angeles, the Department of Justice said.

According to the indictment, Chandran owned a group of technology companies that he used in a scheme to defraud investors by falsely promising extremely high returns on the premise that one or more of his companies, operated under the banner of "ViRSE," was about to be acquired by a consortium of wealthy buyers.

Chandran's companies -- which included Free Vi Lab, Studio Vi Inc., ViDelivery Inc, ViMarket Inc, and Skalex USA Inc, among others -- developed virtualworld technologies, including their own

cryptocurrency, for use in the companies' own metaverse. indictment The alleges that Chandran caused other individuals to make various materially false and misleading representations to investors, including that investors in his companies would soon receive extremely high returns when one or more of those companies was purchased by a group of wealthy buyers.

In fact, according to the indictment, there was no such buyer group that was about to purchase the companies for the claimed returns; a substantial portion of the funds was misappropriated for other business ventures and the personal benefit of Chandran and others, including the purchase of luxury cars and real estate; and there were no prominent billionaires involved in purchasing Chandran's companies.

Europe to see high levels of Covid this summer: WHO COPENHAGEN: The World Health Organisation said that it expected “high levels” of Covid19 in Europe this summer and called on countries to monitor the spread as cases tripled in the past month. “As countries across the European region have lifted the social measures that were previously in place, the virus will transmit at high levels over the summer,” said WHO Europe regional director Hans Kluge.

“This virus won’t go away just because countries stop looking for it. It’s still spreading, it’s still changing, and it’s still taking lives.” With the milder but more contagious Omicron subvariant BA. 5 spreading across the continent, the 53 countries in the

WHO European region are currently registering just under 500,000 cases daily, according to the organisation’s data. That is up from around 150,000 cases daily at the end of May. Austria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg and Portugal were the countries with the highest incidence rates, with almost all countries in the region seeing arise in cases.

After registering around 4,000 to 5,000 deaths per day throughout most of the winter, Europe is currently seeing around 500 deaths per day, about the same level as during the summer of 2020. Kluge also called on countries to increase their vaccination rates.

US citizenship climbs up in 2022, Indians among top 5 WASHINGTON: Independence Day celebrations in US always include programmes to welcome new citizens by holding naturalization ceremonies. During the week of July 1-8, this year more than 6,600 new citizens will be sworn-in. The United States has welcomed 661,500 new citizens as of June 15 in the fiscal year 2022, with India the second largest country of birth for naturalized American citizens in the first quarter after Mexico (24,508).

As per the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) data, 34% of these consisted of persons from the top five countries, Mexico on top, following India (12,928), Philippines (11,316), Cuba (10,689) and the Dominican Republic (7,046). Ur Jaddou, director of USCIS, said “throughout our nation’s history, the promise of both life and liberty, and the freedom to purse happiness, is what has drawn millions from across the globe to call America their home.” She added that “there is nothing more patriotic than making the choice to be an American”.

Protests in US over killing of black man WASHINGTON: Angry protesters rallied in the city of Akron in northern United States following yet another police shooting death of a Black man earlier this week.

Jayland Walker, 25, was shot and killed after officers tried to stop his car over a traffic violation, the police department in the city of Akron, Ohio said. But Walker drove off and fired a shot as police engaged in a car chase, which lasted several minutes. He eventually got out of his car, while it was still moving, and fled on foot.

Several officers finally chased Walker to a parking lot, where “actions by the suspect

caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat to them,” leading them to open fire, the police statement said.

Walker was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have provided few details of the shooting, promising to release body-cam video from the scene soon, but local media have reported that dozens of shots were fired.

“Jayland was a sweet young man, he never caused trouble,” his aunt Lajuana WalkerDawkins told reporters. “This is not a monster. This is not a man who ever caught a crime in his life,” said attorney Bobby DiCello, who represents Walker’s family.

Protesters storm Libya's parliament building TOBRUK (LIBYA): Protesters stormed Libya’s parliament in Tobruk, express their anger at deteriorating living conditions and months of political deadlock. Images showed thick columns of black smoke coming from its perimeter as angry young protesters burned tyres.

The parliament building was empty as Friday is observed as weekend in Libya.

"We want the lights to work," protesters chanted. Two governments have been vying for power for months: one based in Tripoli,

led by Abdulhamid Dbeibah, interim Prime Minister and another headed by former interior minister Fathi Bashagha, appointed by the parliament and supported by eastern-based strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Images shows, protesters driving a bulldozer had managed to smash through part of gate, which allowed other demonstrators to enter the parliament building easily. Other protesters, some brandishing the green flags of the Gaddafi regime, threw office documents into the air.

Balkheir Alshaab, Lawmaker said “we must recognise our failure and immediately withdraw from the political scene”. Libya's National Oil Corporation said that a blockade at oil installations in the central coastal

region of Sirte meant it may declare force majeur, a measure freeing it of contractual obligations due to circumstances beyond its control. A blockade of two major oil export terminals and several oilfields began in April. A drop in gas production contributed to chronic power cuts, which can last around 12 hours a day.

The United Nations said that talks between the rival Libyan institutions aimed at breaking the deadlock had failed to resolve key differences.

Israel heads for Nov 1 election, Lapid becomes caretaker PM JERUSALEM: Yair Lapid officially became the 14th Prime Minister of Israel. Lapid's term could be the short one as he take over the caretaker government ahead of Israel's election which was scheduled to take place on November 1, The Times of Israel reported.

"We'll do the best we can for a Jewish, democratic state, good and strong and thriving, because that is the job, and it's bigger than all of us," Lapid said at a handover ceremony with the outgoing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

On his first day in office,

Lapid's first agenda is to hold the meeting with Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet security agency, at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. Shortly after this, the new Prime minister is scheduled to hold a meeting to discuss "the captives and MIAs", a reference to the two Israeli men and the remains of two Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

This topic again became the headline this week after Hamas disseminated a video showing Israeli captive Hisham al-Sayed hooked up to an oxygen mask,

the first image of him since he crossed into Gaza in 2015, reported The Times of Israel.

Hamas is believed to also be holding Avera Mengistu, as well as the remains of soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin.

Talks to secure their release have stalled repeatedly over the years.

US President Joe Biden congratulated Lapid for becoming the new Prime Minister. "I look forward to seeing you both in July to celebrate the unbreakable US-Israel partnership," Biden

Yair Lapid

added.

Lapid is also scheduled to make a brief trip on July 5 to Paris, where he will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

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PM Modi affirms India’s ambition to become chip maker Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking at the inauguration of Digital India Week 2022 in Gandhinagar stated that India wanted to become “chip maker from a chip taker”.

He said that India is targeting $300 billion worth of electronics manufacturing in the next three to four years. He also launched six digital initiatives and an E-book with the aim for enhancing technology accessibility, streamlining service delivery to ensure ease of living, and giving a boost to startups. Also, he announced the first cohort of 30 institutions to be supported under the Chips to Startup (C2S) programme.

Investment in semiconductor production is on

Information Technology.

Stakeholders from various other industries, including startups were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, Modi said the digital campaign which began eight years ago (in 2014) has been expanded Narendra Modi with the changing times.

“The country which fails the rise. to adopt modern technology will The event was attended by always be left behind. India was a Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra victim of this during the third Patel, Union Ministers Ashwini industrial revolution. But today we Minister for Vaishnaw, can proudly say that India is Communications, Electronics & guiding the world in the fourth Information Technology and industrial revolution – Industry Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of 4.0,” said Modi. He also State for Electronics and mentioned Gujarat’s role in taking

Rath Yatra passes off peacefully in India The 145th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, brother Balaram and sister Subhadra passed off peacefully in Ahmedabad last week amid intelligence inputs of attempt to sabotage the procession.

Security forces had relief after the procession returned at 8. 30 pm to the Jamalpur Temple, from where it had started at 6. 57 am. Despite fears, no untoward incident was reported. Rath yatra was held after two years because of Covid.

More than 200,000 people were estimated to have participated in the yatra along its entire route.

The day started with Union Home Minister Amit Shah arriving at the Jamalpur Temple at 3.40 am to perform the mangala aarti. Soon, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel arrived to perform the “pahind” ceremony that involves cleaning the path of the three chariots with broom. As per age-old tradition, it is the CM of Gujarat who performs the ceremony.

Amid tight security at the temple premises and under the watchful eyes of drones deployed by the police, the three chariots started rolling from the temple premises at 6.57 am. By the time it reached Khamasa, a sea of devotees had already joined the procession.

In Surat, processions were taken out amid tight security. Officials figures say, 18 elephants, 101 trucks, 30 tableaus and 20 bhajan mandalis were part of the procession this year. For maintaining law and order in Gujarat, 20,000 security personnel, including

paramilitary forces, Seema Suraksha Bal, Indo Tibetan Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force were deployed.

Also CCTV cameras, drone camera and hot air balloon cameras were also kept to watch the whole procession. In Udaipur, yatra passed through old city streets with full security arrangements. The yatra began at 3 pm from Jagadish ji temple and devotees dressed up in traditional Mewari attire.

In Kolkata, yatra draw huge crowds, people celebrate the day with much decorated chariots of Lord Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra were brought out for yatra. Bhubanseshwar in Oddisa, with huge congregation expected in Puri for Rath Yatra amid a rise in Covid cases, the state government has made face masks mandatory for people visiting the pilgrim city during the festival.

Rath Yatra in Bangladesh Rath Yatra is one of the major festivals of Hindu in Bangladesh. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) has drawn up a nine day programme in Dhaka and it will end with Ulto Rath (reverse journey) celebrations. This is the 351st Rath Yatra at Dhamrai, and a Rathmela organised on the occasion will continue throughout the month. Devotees pulled the ropes of the chariots through different parts of city and rounded it up on the premises of Dhakeshwari temple. Special security measures were deployed at the place and there was no untoward incident.

Obituary Neelanjan Bhattacharjee, a physics major from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, and a devoted computer and sales expert, passed away on May 2, 2022 at the age of sixty after a brave battle with cancer.

Neelanjan was born to Sucharu and Jana Bhattacharjee on October 18, 1961 in Kolkata, India. He was the third child and only son among their six children. Neelanjan chose to pursue physics instead of engineering even after cracking one of the most difficult college engineering entrance exams, the Joint Entrance Exam. He started his career in his home town, Kolkata, with an IT company, DPS, and then went to Europe where he played the key role of business developer and technical leader of projects with existing or new clients at the same company. He was entrusted with setting up the first European office of ADA Software in Köln, Germany. He had also extensively worked in the Netherlands, France, and England.

In December of 2003, Neelanjan joined HCL Technologies, where he worked for the next 19 years. He became the President and Representative Director of HCL Japan Ltd. To quote his friend and colleague, Ganesan Hari Narayanan, Neelanjan was “widely respected for his astute leadership, excellent communication skills, and passion for sales. For many he was a good friend, philosopher, and guide.”

Neelanjan was a much loved member of the Indian community in Japan. He was also a gifted photographer and singer. He had been blessed with a uniquely beautiful voice!

Neelanjan is survived by his wife, Hiya, his son, Pratyush and his daughter, Modhur.

The warmth of his character is best felt in the following words of his colleague from Sony, Hiroshi Yoshioka: “Neel has been one of my great friends for almost 14 years. Time to time, we talked a lot about the business, world, friends, family, future, and even pandemic. I still hear his voice when I want to talk on something. Have a peaceful rest and talk to me!”

a lead in this revolution.

Modi said that “Today 40% of the digital transaction at the global level takes place in India, added to this by saying that next four to five years the government’s focus was on skilling, upskilling and reskilling about 14 to 15,00,000 young people for Industry 4. 0.

FinTech as a solution that was by the people, of the people and for the people.

PM said for the amusement of many in the audience in the event, “The world is discussing how we managed to give Covid-19 vaccination certificates to people just after they got jabbed, but a few people here (in India) were just focused on why there was Modi's photo on these

certificates”.

“The world is amazed at the way record of each dose of vaccine given to such a large population was made available. People elsewhere faced trouble in getting vaccine certificates. But in India, once a person got a vaccine dose, he would immediately receive the certificate on his mobile phone,” Modi stated. Moreover, digital technology has changed lives.

Modi added: “Mark my words.

You can refer to my speeches way back in 2005 or 2006. Everything I said about what we envisaged at GIFT City is now taking shape”.

He went on to say: “In the coming days, GIFT City will be India’s pride in the area of fintech, data security, and finance.”

US based Bhatt family donates £150,000 to Charusat Healthcare Foundation Bhatt family from United States has donated £150,000 to Charusat Healthcare and Research Foundation (CHRF). Family is a native of Borsad in Charotar and the donation was made by Kunjubahen Bhatt of Sedona in Arizona and her two brothers, Harshadbhai and Nayanbhai.

The donation has been made by the family in memory of their parents Tarabahen and Natwarlal Bhatt. Kunjubahen and her brothers decided to do noble and socially benevolent deeds in the field of health and as a part of which this generous donation was made to CHRF. Natwarlal Bhatt, the late father of Kunjubahen and her brothers, was known as a social leader and

Bayan bhatt

Wahalabhai in the family and community.

Kunjubahen and her brothers came to America in 1970 and settled in California and then Arizona.

Since their arrival in the United States, they have been associated with Virendrabhai Patel, Vice President of CHRF and a member of the governing body of Charusat and a

trustee of the Kelavani Mandal.

The Bhatt family, during a conversation with Virendrabhai Patel, expressed their commitment to donate to Charuset. They have been impressed by the social work done by Virendrabhai Patel and attracted by the principles of Charusat university. As a result, they deposited a $2 million with the Charusat Education Foundation in the United States. This generous donation of the family will help in carrying out health related activities of the society.

Surprisingly, the Bhatt family has never visited the Charusat campus yet but has been impressed by the noble work being carried out by trust and Virendrabhai Patel.

Murmu meets JMM leaders for seeking support Droupadi Murmu, NDA's presidential candidate, visited Jharkhand and sought the support of ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, a tribal party, besides BJP legislators and parliamentarians in the state for her election to the country's top most office.

She also met Shibu Soren, JMM president, and Hemant Soren its executive president and Chief Minister. JMM spokesperson said that, The JMM, which is yet to announce its stand on its support to a candidate during the July 18 presidential polls, will take the decision this week.

According to JMM statement, Chief Minister Soren extended a warm welcome to Murmu, who is a former governor of the state, on her arrival. She was accompanied by union ministers Arjun Munda, Annapurna Devi and Arjun Meghwal, besides BJP state president Deepak Prakash.

Droupadi Murmu

Murmu and Soren are both tribal leaders and belongs to the Santhal ethnic group, which has a sizeable population in Jharkhand as well as in Odisha, from where she hails. Lobin Hembrom, senior JMM leader said Hemant Soren has been authorised by JMM to talk to the Centre and take the "appropriate decision" on the party's stand on supporting the presidential candidate. Soren had met Shah and other NDA leaders in Delhi and is learnt to have told them that the party will soon take a call on whom to

support in presidential polls.

Earlier, Murmu held a detailed meeting with BJP leaders Deepak Prakash (RS MP), former chief minister Babulal Marandi, national vice president Raghubar Das and union ministers Arjun Munda and Annapurna Devi.

Murmu and Sinha are the only two left in the race for the president's office after the last day for the withdrawal of nomination ended on Saturday. Several regional parties like the BJD, BSP and SAD have extended their support to Murmu.

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SC comes down heavily on Nupur Sharma Not entertaining her plea to club FIRs against her in different states with the one in Delhi over her remarks on the Prophet, the Supreme Court came down heavily on suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, saying she has a “loose tongue” and is “singlehandedly responsible for what is happening in the country” including in Udaipur where a tailor was hacked to death last week for allegedly sharing her remarks.

Stating that Sharma should have “apologised to the nation”, the vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala pulled her up for approaching the

Nupur Sharma

Supreme Court directly. “The petition smacks of her arrogance that magistrates of the country are too small for her.”

The bench was also critical of the Delhi Police response in the matter and asked, “What has Delhi Police done? Don’t make us open our mouth.”

“When you get an FIR registered against XYZ, he is arrested immediately…

Nobody has dared to touch you,” Justice Surya Kant said.

Sharma’s petition was filed under the name N V Sharma and Senior Advocate

Four killed as heavy rain pounds Saurashtra Four people died as torrential rain lashed Saurashtra last week. Two children of a labourer from Madhya Pradesh drowned in a lake in the industrial area of Shapar-Veraval adjoining Rajkot. They were ragpickers and had gone to collect waste but did not return home. The bodies of Arjun Bariya (5) and his brother Ashwin (9) were found near a lake.

Two workers of the ceramic industry in Bela Rangpar village of Morbi also drowned in the lake in which they were bathing as the water level suddenly swelled. A bus of a private university was stranded in the flooded Lalpur underpass of Gondal town in Rajkot district. A team from the municipality rescued the students.

Seven labourers also had a close shave when their car got stuck in turbulent water near Lodhika in Rajkot. The car was trapped in the causeway of the Fofal river.

Some of them managed to

climb on the roof of the car to save their lives. Villagers came to rescue and threw ropes to bring all of them out safely.

Gir forest and parts of Junagadh district witnessed extremely heavy rain, forcing the district administration to sound an alert for people living low-lying villages in some talukas.

One person, 90 animals killed in Anand One person and 90 animals were killed after heavy rain lashed Borsad taluka of Anand district, government sources said. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been sent for rescue and relief operations after the region received 12 inch rainfall.

As many as 380 people

were shifted to safer places from rainfallhit villages in Anand district by a team of the NDRF. “A total of 380 people from two villages in Borsad taluka were shifted to safer places due to flooding in low-lying areas. Rains have stopped in the area and water receded, but some 140 people have not been able to return home yet,” said a disaster management official of Anand district administration.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel took stock of the situation and spoke to the district officials, especially about Sisva village where the situation is stated to be grim.

Meanwhile Palsana taluka in Surat recorded 209 mm rainfall in a day, officials said. In the 24-hour period, parts of south Gujarat and Banaskantha in north Gujarat received heavy rainfall, causing flooding in many areas.

Amarnath Yatra begins amid tight security After the gap of two years, the 43-day Amaranath Yatra to an ice stalagmite in a cave in the Himalayas has begun amid tight security. The yatra passes through mountains, meadows and forests, and is dotted with sandbagged security bunkers, sharpshooters and drones.

The pilgrimage is taking place amid tensions in the disputed regions of Kashmir which has recently been rattled by a spate of targeted attacks on local Hindus, known as Pandits, and nonresidents from other parts of India.

The Indian security forces have intensified their counter insurgency operations, killing more than 100 suspected rebels this year, nearly 30 in this month alone. The last Amarnath yatra was cancelled on August 5, 2019, the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government stripped the region of its limited autonomy and brought it

under New Delhi’s direct control, triggering the current wave of anger and violence in the valley.

For 75 years, Kashmir valley has witnessed tensions between India and Pakistan. The two nuclear powers have fought two of their three full-scale wars over the territory. This year, some rebel groups have warned of targeting the pilgrimage, accusing the government of “politicizing the pilgrimage” amid rising anti- Muslim sentiment in the country. To prevent such attacks, authorities have implemented a fivetier security arrangement, using drones and radio fre-

quency identification (RFID) to track every pilgrim entering the region.

While a heavy military presence during the pilgrimage is a routine affair, officials say the threat perception is higher this year due to threats of attacks by armed rebel groups fighting since 1989 for an independent country or the region’s merger with neighbouring Pakistan.

A Kashmiri political expert who did not want to be identified fearing reprisals from the government said there is “scepticism” among residents about the way the BJP government is promoting the Amarnath pilgrimage. “No one asks the government to lower its guard but the natives should not be held hostage to the pilgrimage,” he said.

Maninder Singh, who was representing her, said this was done because there was threat to her life.

At this, Justice Surya Kant said, “She has threat or she has become a security threat? The way she has ignited emotions across the country, this lady is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country.”

Singh said Sharma had tendered a written apology, but Justice Surya Kant said “she was too late to withdraw” and it was done “conditionally saying sentiments hurt”.

“We saw the debate on how

she was incited. But the way she said all this… and later says she is a lawyer… it is shameful… she should have gone to the TV and apologised to the nation.”

“What if she is the spokesperson of a party? She thinks she has back-up power and can make any statement without respect to the law of the land?” Justice Surya Kant said.

Sharma made remarks on the Prophet during a TV debate on the Gyanvapi mosque issue on May 27. On a request by Singh, the bench allowed the petition to be withdrawn with liberty to avail alternate remedies.

International students prefer Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi In its latest reports of QS ranking, Chennai and Delhi join Mumbai and Bengaluru as top Indian cities for International students. The cities have secured their place among 140 cities worldwide with Mumbai securing the highest rank among the Indian cities at 103, up from 106 last year followed by Bengaluru at 114. Chennai and Delhi ranked 125th and 129th respectively. On global level, London, Seoul and Munich are the top three favorite destinations for international students; while Boston university of US has been edged out from the top 10 ranks.

By end of 2023, India seeks to attract 2,00,000 international students, which is more than four times the current total, a goal which may need to be reviewed as it was set

prior to the pandemic, which has affected international students mobility. QS uses six metric groups to compile the “Best Student Cities Ranking”: whether the city has a range of highly ranked universities (ranking); is this city a desirable place to live (desirability); is this city affordable for students (affordability); employer activity; and is the city a diverse and tolerant place (student mix) and do students who have actually studied in this city recommend it to their peers (student voice).

The latest edition is informed by the views of 98,426 survey respondents. Five of the world’s top-10 cities in this metric are based in Asia, highlighting the continent broadly as a bastion of higher education excellence.

India- UK FTA by Diwali ‘absolutely achievable’: UK trade minister A free trade agreement (FTA) between the UK and India is “absolutely achievable” by the Diwali timeline set by Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi with only some technical/legal aspects left to be resolved, UK Trade Secretary AnneMarie Trevelyan said.

Confirming that both sides are now getting on with the market access aspects of a trade deal, the minister in-charge of the negotiations on the UK government side said that some “compromise and cooperation” will be required on both sides to get a deal over the line.

“We have been set the challenge to get a deal by this Diwali, 24th October is seared in my brain,” she said, during a UK-India Week forum on trade relations.

“That’s really helped our negotiators to really focus and where the big prizes are. It’s imperative as we all want to get on so that our businesses get cracking. It is absolutely achievable.

"It might be in a practical sense we haven’t completed some boring technical bit, but what we are clear is that by Diwali we have got that whole picture and we know where we have the mutually valueadding parts,” she said.

The minister said an FTA with India would take on a “unique form” because a “cookie-cutter, one size fits all” approach to negotiating a trade deal would not work. “Undoubtedly, negotiations can be tough.

Success comes through compromise and cooperation on both sides. There are times when we need to

meet each other in the middle,” she said.

Earlier this week, the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) said the latest round of talks concluded last week with discussions in 71 separate sessions covering 20 policy areas. The talks took place in a hybrid fashion with a majority of officials joining virtually and the fifth round of FTA talks is scheduled to be held in New Delhi next month.

The focus of the FTA negotiations is on reducing the barriers to trade, cutting tariffs and supporting companies to export.

According to DIT, IndiaUK bilateral trade currently stands at around GBP 24 billion a year. Industry experts hope this figure could be boosted further with the conclusion of the FTA.

Kejriwal's free electricity promise in Gujarat Ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections due later this year, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will provide free electricity to people in the state if they bring an "honest party" to power. Taking a swipe at opposition parties, the AAP's national convener said that he always "calculates" before he makes such claims as he is "educated" and also has an "original degree".

Kejriwal stated that he will visit Gujarat every week to interact with the public on various issues like corruption and farming and said that his party has shown in Delhi and Punjab that they stick to their promise.

"Gujarat can also get cheap, free, 24-

hour electricity, but the condition is only one, and that is you will have to change the politics, government, and bring in an honest party...I will be back with a solution to Gujarat's electricity problem," Kejriwal said during a neeting organised on the issue of electricity.

When some members of the general public raised various issues affecting them, the AAP leader said he will discuss them separately. "Today, we should discuss electricity. We will discuss other issues as well.

I will visit Gujarat every week and hold 'jan samvad' (public dialogue) on the issues of corruption, agriculture, MSP (minimum support price)," he said.

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in brief

SOUTH INDIA

Indiscipline, irregularity won't be tolerated, warns TN CM NAMAKKAL (TAMIL NADU): "I will become a dictator and take action if indiscipline and irregularity rear their heads," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin asserted, addressing a party meeting of representatives of urban local bodies. Underscoring that local bodies are the lifeline of democracy, Stalin said the icons of social justice - Periyar E V Ramasamy and Rajaji - who held lofty positions began their public life as heads of local bodies in Erode and Salem respectively.

Pointing to many newly elected women representatives,

he advised them to act independently and not surrender to their spouses the responsibility bestowed on them.

He said the elected representatives of local bodies should abide by the law, the principles of fairness and justice, and serve the people.

"I warn that those who violate this will face action. Legal action will be taken and not just action from the party," he said.

Several of his close friends have been telling him that he has become 'excessively' democratic, Stalin said and added, "if indiscipline and irregularity rear their heads, I will become a

dictator and take action."

The top DMK leader said the party did not capture power so easily and it is the result of the selfless work of millions of party workers and similarly, he became the Chief Minister following his hard work for the people for the past 5 M K Stalin decades. responsibilities to come their Recalling his incarceration way. Earning the people's during the infamous Emergency goodwill is difficult, he said and during 1975-77 and him added that he has been working becoming a legislator only in among the people for the past 50 1989, he said cadres should work years. hard for the people and wait for

PUNJAB

Punjab passes resolution against SAD backs Murmu, but says issues Agnipath scheme CHANDIGARH: The Punjab CM had asked the Punjab Assembly last week central government for an passed a resolution against immediate rollback of the the Agnipath recruitment Agnipath scheme. He also scheme, a move opposed by said that all the states the opposition BJP. Punjab should pass resolutions has become the first state against the Centre’s new in India to pass a resolution military defence against the Agnipath recruitment scheme.

Bhagwant Mann recruitment scheme.

The resolution further said that more than 100,000 soldiers from While moving the resolution in the Punjab served in the armed forces of the Assembly, Punjab Chief minister nation and many of them give the supreme Bhagwant Mann said that the unilateral sacrifice of their life on the borders of the announcement of the Agnipath scheme by country every year. the government of India has witnessed "The youth of Punjab consider serving widespread reactions in all states, in the Indian armed forces as a matter of including Punjab. pride and honour and renowned for their "The Punjab Vidhan Sabha strongly valour and courage. This scheme has feels that the scheme where youth will be crushed the dreams of many youths of employed only for a period of four years Punjab who have been aspiring to join the for only up to 25 per cent will be retained armed forces as regular soldiers," the is neither in the best interests of national resolution said. security nor of the youth of this country," The house through the resolution also the resolution said. recommended the state government to Mann said, "This policy (Agnipath) is take up the matter with the Union likely to create dissatisfaction among the government in order to roll back the youth who wish to serve the armed forces Agnipath scheme immediately. of the nation for a lifetime." In June, the

with BJP remain

CHANDIG AR H: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)’s core committee passed a resolution to extend the party’s support to NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu Droupadi Murmu in the presidential polls, but said the party’s reservations over key issues with former ally BJP still remain.

SAD had pulled out of NDA on September 26, 2020, in protest against central farm laws.

The core committee members said they accepted presidential hopeful Murmu’s appeal for support in the forthcoming polls as she symbolised the cause of minorities, the exploited and backward classes as well as the dignity of women. “She has emerged as a symbol for poor and tribal segments,” read the resolution passed by the core committee.

Later in the afternoon, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and other party leaders met Murmu in Chandigarh to convey to her the party’s decision to support her candidature.

WEST BENGAL

Bengal governor seeks clarifications on bill to make CM chancellor Kolkata: West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has sought some clarifications from the state government on a bill that seeks to make the chief minister the chancellor of all 31 state-aided universities replacing the governor.

The West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed by the state’s legislative assembly on June 13 and sent to Raj Bhawan for the mandatory governor’s assent.

Assembly officials said the governor has pointed out in his note that the documents received by him were incomplete and did not include the discussions that took place in the House before the passing of the bill.

Jagdeep Dhankhar

“The documents will be updated with records of the discussions,” one of the officials said, requesting anonymity. The issue has opened a new chapter in the acrimonious relationship between Raj Bhawan and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

While some leaders of the ruling party claimed that the bill was returned by the governor, the latter refuted the same.

Man enters Mamata's residence, spends night there KOLKATA: A man sneaked into West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's residence in south Kolkata's Kalighat area in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

The incident triggered a security scare with questions being raised that how he went past the large number of personnel who guard the chief minister's private residence, and spend a night at the house without anyone noticing.

The man scaled a wall of CM's house to enter around 1am, police said. He remained inside the house, spending the night sitting at a corner, and was spotted only in the morning by security personnel, a senior police officer said.

"They informed the Kalighat police station who

Mamata Banerjee

arrested the man," he said.

Police said it is still unclear why he trespassed into the house, and going by the appearance, "he seems to be somewhat mentally unstable".

"We are talking to him and trying to find out his whereabouts. We are also trying to find out whether someone instructed him to enter the CM's residence with a motive. An investigation is underway," the officer said.

AIADMK LEADERSHIP RIVALRY INTENSIFIES

For the first time, AIADMK's influential leader Edappadi K Palaniswami told his rival O Panneerselvam that he is not the party's coordinator any more and slammed him for trying to scuttle the June 23 General Council meet convened by both of them. Writing to Panneerselvam (OPS), Palaniswami (EPS) said the GC meet held days ago did not endorse the amendments made to party bylaws made on December 1, 2021 and hence his post of Coordinator ceased to exist. This is the first time EPS has openly said that his rival does not hold the top party post.

KANNADA PLAY STOPPED MID-WAY BY HINDUTVA ACTIVISTS A group of people said to be associated with Bajrang Dal stopped the staging of a Kannada play mid-way at Anavatti in Sorab taluk of Shivamogga district in Karnataka. While the play was under way, a group of people raised slogans and went on the stage. They forced the actors to abandon the play and the audience to leave the venue. Rangabelaku, a Shivamogga-based theatre group, was staging Jategiruvana Chandira, a play written by well-known writer and lyricist Jayant Kaikini at Veerashaiva Kalyana Mandira in Anavatti. Raghu Purappamane is the director of the play, which is a Kannada adaptation of 'Fiddler on the Roof' by Joseph Stein.

AMARINDER TO MERGE HIS PARTY WITH BJP Former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh is likely to merge his party Punjab Lok Congress with the BJP after his return from London, where he is recovering after a spinal surgery. Though there is no word from the party, senior Punjab BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal claimed that a decision in this connection has been made.

Before departing for London, Singh had conveyed his intention to merge his party with the BJP, Grewal said, adding the former chief minister will announce the merger on his return. Singh had floated the PLC after he quit the Congress following his unceremonious exit as the chief minister last year.

BENGAL LOGS 1,822 NEW COVID CASES, 3 DEATHS Bengal reported 1,822 new Covid-19 infections, 526 recoveries and three deaths, with the case positivity rate standing at 14.10 per cent. Currently, there are 10,583 active cases in the state: 10,279 in home isolation and 304 in hospitals, according to the state bulletin. The state’s positive recovery rate was 98.44 per cent and mortality rate 1.04 per cent on Sunday when 12,921 samples were tested. Since the pandemic broke out in 2020, the state has recorded 20,34,485 cases, of which 20,34,485 have made full recoveries. As many as 21,225 fatalities have been recorded in Bengal so far.

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Shinde govt wins trust vote, seeks disqualification of 15 Sena MLAs The new Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra sailed through the trust vote in the state assembly on Monday, with 164 MLAs voting in its favour and 99 MLAs siding with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

The MVA received eight votes less than it had in the election for the state assembly speaker a day earlier.

In a blow to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, one more MLA, Santosh Bangar from Marathwada, switched to the Shinde camp in the morning, reducing their numbers to 15. Besides, several opposition MLAs, including Congress veterans Ashok Chavan and Vijay Wadettiwar, did not reach on time and could not cast their vote.

A total of 263 votes were polled in the trust vote, 25 short of the strength of the House. Twenty MLAs were absent from the assembly. Of these, 11 were from the Congress, 6 from the NCP (including two who are in jail), two BJP MLAs who are unwell and one AIMIM MLA. Two SP MLAs and one AIMIM MLA abstained from voting. BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar, who was elected speaker, could not vote and one Sena MLA has expired.

Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde camp, whose appointment as Shiv Sena chief whip was approved by

Eknath Shinde

assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar on Sunday, petitioned the assembly speaker on Monday evening asking him to disqualify the 15 Sena legislators, including Aaditya Thackeray, who defied the whip to vote for the party line.

“They could not even get 100 votes. We are the real Shiv Sena, and this is the Shiv Sena-BJP government people had originally voted for in 2019,” said chief minister Eknath Shinde. The government will follow the Hindutva ideals of Sena founder Bal Thackeray but will work for all sections of society, he said. “We will not overturn all decisions of the previous government out of a sentiment of revenge. We will only undo decisions that did not follow norms or are against the public good.”

The battle that will follow is a

legal one for control of the Sena’s legislature party. The issue of appointment of the group leader and chief whip is already in the SC, with the next hearing on July 11. Both Uddhav’s camp and Shinde’s faction had issued whips ahead of the trust vote asking MLAs to vote in the party’s favour.

BJP’s Narwekar elected Speaker Earlier in the day, in the first major victory for the Shinde government, its nominee, BJP MLA from Colaba Rahul Narwekar, was elected as Speaker of the Maharashtra assembly on Sunday. He polled 164 votes compared to 107 votes for the MVA nominee, Shiv Sena’s Rajan Salvi.

Three MLAs - two from the Samajwadi Party and one from MIM - abstained from the vote.

During Sunday’s vote, both the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and the Eknath Shinde faction complained that the whip issued by the party on whom to vote for, had been violated. The Shiv Sena’s complaint was brought on record by deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal, while the Shinde faction’s complaint was read out by Narwekar. The issue on who will control the Shiv Sena legislature party is set to see a legal battle.

Udaipur killing accused thrashed in court Several lawyers, litigants and visitors in a Jaipur court kicked, slapped and hurled abuses at the four men arrested for the beheading of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal Sahu when they were taken to the vehicle for ferrying prisoners after being produced before a judge last week.

The people shouted slogans against Pakistan and demanded capital punishment for the four accused - main suspects Mohammad Riyaz and Gaus Mohammad, and "co-conspirators" Mohsin and Asif. The quartet was produced in a special court dealing with NIA cases amid tight security. The court of presiding officer Ravindra Kumar sent them to NIA custody for 10 days till July 12.

The proceedings followed high drama in and outside the courthouse. Such was the anger against Riyaz and Gaus that the crowd assaulted them, shouted slogans and demanded that they be killed in a staged police shooting.

Although personnel of special police units guarded the quartet, some people got close and kicked them. Some threw water bottles at them. Slogans such as "Police inka encounter karo, hum tumhare saath hain", "Pakistan murdabad", among others were heard when the accused were brought to the courtroom on the third floor.

2 'co-conspirators' arrested Earlier, two “co-conspirators” were arrested in connection with the beheading of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal. Udaipur IGP Prafulla Kumar said the duo - Mohsin Khan and Asif - were involved in the planning and execution stages of the crime. Both are residents of Udaipur. Public prosecutor Praveen Khandelwal said the two men will be sent to a special CBI court designated for NIA cases in Jaipur. NIA is investigating the case as it appears to be an act of terrorism, with the probability of foreign jihadi influences quite high.

UAPA slapped on 7 Amravati suspects An Amravati court gave the NIA custody of the seven men arrested so far for the June 21 murder of chemist Umesh Kolhe, coinciding with police slapping additional charges against them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The NIA has registered a separate FIR under the UAPA. As the agency waited to formally take

over the murder probe on the instructions of Union home minister Amit Shah, Amravati police contested allegations about the case being "suppressed" initially. Police commissioner Arti Singh pointed to the arrest of two of the suspects within a couple of days of Kolhe's murder, although the possibility of a link between the crime and the victim's support of ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma wasn't known at the time.

NIA chief briefs Shah Meanwhile, the chief of NIA on Monday met Shah and is understood to have briefed him about the progress in the ongoing investigations in the killings of two persons in Rajasthan's Udaipur and Maharashtra's Amravati, officials said.

Both the cases were handed over to the NIA by the home ministry.

Dinkar Gupta, Director General of NIA, had a 40-minute meeting with the home minister at his North Block office where the former is said to have apprised him about the probe into the two cases.

Putin, PM Modi discuss Ukraine, food and oil prices Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the situation in Ukraine, including its impact on international food and energy markets, in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the Indian government, Modi reiterated India’s long-standing position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy.

At Modi’s request, as per Russian authorities, Putin briefed him on the key aspects of the Russian “special military operation” in Ukraine, emphasising “the dangerous and provocative nature of the line of the Kyiv regime and its Western patrons aimed at escalating the crisis and disrupting efforts to resolve it politically and diplomatically”.

This was the fourth conversation Modi had with Putin since Russia’s war in Ukraine. The US and others are currently implementing fresh sanctions targeting Russia’s defence exports and to ban gold imports from the country.

Putin is learnt to have drawn Modi’s attention to the “systemic mistakes” made by a number of states that led to the disruption of the “entire architecture of free trade of food products and provoked a significant increase of their cost”.

“Illegitimate sanctions against Russia have exacerbated an already difficult situation. The same factors had a negative impact on the global energy market. At the same time, the Russian leader stressed that Russia has been and remains a reliable producer and supplier of grain, fertilisers and energy carriers, including to the Indian partners,” said a Russian readout of the conversation.

India has refused to join the West in condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine and the government continues to ramp up its Russian oil imports despite international sanctions imposed by the US and other Western countries. India has defended its position saying it wants to be able to reach out to both Russia and Ukraine to promote dialogue between them. The two leaders reviewed the implementation of the decisions taken during Putin’s visit to India in December 2021, said the government.

Karnataka’s Sini Shetty crowned Femina Miss India Sini Shetty from Karnataka has been crowned “Femina Miss World 2022” at Jio World Convention Centre. She will now represent India at prestigious 71st Miss world pageant.

This year there was diverse mix of contestants- a surgeon, a social activist and an environmentalist, among the contestants. The event opened with 30 finalists each representing their home state, winners taking the stage by storm in a desi cool avatar of shimmering lehengas teamed with sunglasses as they broke out into some serious hip swivels to the infectious rhythms of Bollywood.

Sini Shetty who called US new antiabortion law “a case of gender inequality” and when quizzed whether abortion should be a woman’s right, said “a woman’s body is her choice”- was crowned Femina Miss India World 2022. The 21-year-old professional dancer was born in Mumbai and lives in Mangaluru.

Runners up were Rajasthan’s Rubal

138 SpiceJet passengers stranded for 11 hours in Karachi, fly to Dubai After being stranded for nearly 11 hours in Karachi, 138 passengers of a Delhi-Dubai SpiceJet finally took off for UAE on an alternate flight that was sent from India on Tuesday evening.

SpiceJet's Boeing 737 Max aircraft had made an unscheduled landing at the Karachi airport this morning after the fuel indicator malfunctioned. Pilots on board the aircraft had indicators of a possible fuel leak from one of tanks in the wings of the jet.

According to aviation regulator, Directorate General Of Civil Aviation, ''the crew observed unusual fuel quantity reduction''. In other words, the fuel display in the cockpit appeared to indicate an unexpected loss of fuel from the aircraft. This required the pilot to make a landing in Karachi though this was a precautionary landing, not an emergency one.

The aircraft landed safely at Karachi and passengers were safely disembarked. No emergency was declared and the aircraft made a normal landing. There was no earlier report of

any malfunction with the aircraft. Passengers have been served refreshments, the airline's spokesperson had said.

SpiceJet sent an alternate aircraft SG 9911 from Mumbai to take the passengers to Dubai which took off at around 9:20 pm.

"Apparently there was and is a problem with the aircraft's light indicator and it couldn't be repaired immediately and it didn't get clearance from the engineers so another aircraft was sent from Mumbai," an official was quoted as saying. The fuel light malfunctioning was the first of two incidents involving a SpiceJet incident on Tuesday. Later in the day, a SpiceJet aircraft, flying from Gujarat's Kandla to Mumbai, made a priority landing in the Maharashtra capital after its side windshield developed a crack mid-air.

All passenger and crew members are safe, the airline said in a statement.

PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com Aviation sources have told NDTV that this is the seventh safety-related concern in SpiceJet in less than three weeks.

Shekhawat, who confessed “I come from a conservative society and following my passion for beauty and fashion wasn’t easy but I wanted to inspire other girls from my state to follow their dreams,” and Shinata Chauhan from Uttar Pradesh who challenged body shamers with her belief that “there’s no perfect body, what matters is a healthy body.”

Ash Chandler, actor, singer and comedian turned up the entertainment quotient with humour. Bollywood stars Kriti Sanon, Rajkumar Rao set the stage on fire by their performance. This year’s chapter was also about combining acts of goodness and pageantry with contestants joining environmentalist Afroz Shah in cleaning beaches of 1,000 kg of garbage.

Manipur landslide toll 29 Rescuers retrieved eight more bodies at the landslide site in Manipur’s Noney district, taking the death toll in the tragedy to 29. A massive landslide had struck Noney last week.

Among the bodies recovered, five are of soldiers of the Territorial Army’s infantry unit and the rest are of civilians. So far, the mortal remains of 20 soldiers and nine civilians have been retrieved.

Among the soldiers who lost their lives in the landslide are two from Assam - Jiyarul Islam of Rowinari village in Bajlai district and Balaram Sharma of Umrangso in Dima Hasao district. The mortal remains of the duo reached their respective native places and the final rites were performed with full military honours. The search is still on for 34 other missing persons, which includes 10 TA soldiers and 24 civilians. Deputy commissioner Haulianlal Guite said, “Due to rainfall, new cracks have appeared at the site. All the rescue teams have been advised to proceed with caution. ”Over 400 rescuers are currently engaged in search and rescue operations assisted by search and rescue dogs.

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Why South Asians must explore superfoods Shefali Saxena Kash Atwal is co-founder of Operate, the UK’s first nootropic sports drink.

Formulated to help you operate your mind and your body, this plant-powered drink comes in three unique and delicious flavours; peach and green tea (for energy), raspberry and cranberry (to speed recovery) and lemon and yuzu (to give you a boost).

Each bottle is low in calories, has no added or refined sugars, and is full of vitamins and minerals, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and a range of superfood ingredients. Operate is specifically designed to deliver the best nutritional hydration without compromising on taste. www.operatedrinks.com Kash Atwal told Asian Voice, “Although South Asian food already has lots of healthy vegetables and pulses, it can be tricky, especially if you are busy, stressed, or very active, to get the full range of nutrients you need. So, adding some superfoods to your diet can really help. My personal favourites are Yuzu, which is full of vitamin C to help ward off colds, and antioxidants which can help prevent heart disease and diabetes. The

latter is particularly important as South Asians are known to be Kash Atwal 6x more likely to get type 2 diabetes; Ashwagandha, which studies have shown can help build muscle, so it’s ideal if you like to work out, plus it can help

reduce stress and anxiety; and Griffonia Seeds which are also known to help reduce stress, create a feeling of relaxation, and aid sleep. You can buy all these as supplements, or in nootropic drinks like Operate, so they are easy to add to your diet without changing the way you eat.”

Indian Artist Michelle Poonawalla speaks at the House of Lords and receives Shiromani Award Michelle Poonawalla was recently a Speaker at the House of Lords and was awarded the Shiromani Award by GP Hinduja for her contribution to the field of Art. Poonawalla unveiled her artwork at JMS Foundation Charity Gala Dinner at The Dorchester in London on 23 June 2022. The NRI Institute celebrated its 33rd anniversary with a twoday gala celebration of achievements, charity, investment opportunities, innovation and business networking.

The Shiromani Award was instituted in 1977 and has been bestowed on Mother Teresa, Chief Marshal Manekshaw, Raj Kapoor, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, PT Usha, Leander Paes, Vishwanathan Anand, The Dalai Lama, Jaya Bachchan and Asha Bhosle in the past. In addition to Poonawalla, the Shiromani Award was awarded to Shri Sadhu Bhramvihari, Lord Rami Ranger, Rita Hunduja Chhabria, Dr. Kamel Hothi OBE and Falguni Shane Peacock.

Poonawalla’s artwork often explores universal themes that resonate with audiences all over the world - be it India or the UK. For the gala, Poonawalla unveiled her short film Reserve which highlights water scarcity as an impending global crisis.

Listed by the World Economic Forum as one of the largest global risks to date, water scarcity has the potential to have catastrophic impacts on everyone. Whilst water shortages are devastating for everyone so few of us make changes to our lives.

Reserve looks to highlight these issues layering haunting images of dripping taps and leaking pipes. The film is poetic as we see images of acrylic paints dissolved in water, a poetic reference to the pollution and contamination that affects so much of our water reserves. Reserve looks to increase awareness and highlight how simple it would be for all of us to make a change and take a step towards preserving the most indispensable commodity on earth.

Poonawalla’s speech at the House of Lords touched upon art as a vehicle of change that can bring people together and how art is a universal language.

“Art is one of the most valuable resources that we share universally. It is an international language across borders, cultures, political differences and age. As an artist, I like to support social and ecological causes, from the Elephant Parade in India and the UK to the Tiger Parade in Singapore

and India. Art is a powerful tool to support social causes within a community. I hope my film Reserve will bring attention to the world’s water scarcity issue. I am also deeply honoured and humbled that I have been chosen as an awardee of the prestigious Shiromani Award and to have been given the opportunity to speak at the House of Lords,” Michelle Poonawalla said.

COUNTING AND CRACKING Discover the story of one family's journey through love, heartbreak, civil war and migration to Australia in this epic multigenerational tale.

A profoundly moving story of love and political strife, of home and exile, of parents and children. Counting and Cracking follows the journey of one Sri Lankan-Australian family over four generations, from 1956 to 2004. It features nineteen performers hailing from six different countries: Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and France.

On the banks of a suburban Sydney River, Radha and her son Siddhartha release the ashes of Radha’s mother – their final connection to the past, to Sri Lanka and its struggles. Now they are free to embrace their lives in Australia. But a phone call from Colombo brings the past spinning back to life, and we’re plunged into an epic story of breakup and reunion.

The play ‘Naba Narak Guljaar’ asks relevant questions T

he pandemic created havoc across the world taking 6.32 million lives. And as the second wave raged across India, it tested humanity. Profiteering whilst survival was stake pushed the ugly boundaries of the human race. People lost lives not just because of Covid but at times because of the business for Covid. Young lives were lost. A year down the line, while the Covid is again on a rise, debut stage play by a new production house ‘Meraki – Movies, Music and More’ triggered some very relevant questions in people’s mind through their stage production “Naba Narak Guljaar”.

A bunch of Bengali professionals living in London rallied together with Koushik Chatterjee to stage two houseful shows at the Brady Art Centre in eclectic East London. The hi-tech production using canned footage, psychedelic effects, and live music to compliment the stage production left audiences spellbound. The play is inspired by the 1970s classic ‘Narak Guljaar’ of eminent thespian Manoj Mitra. The drama is played out in the courts of the ‘Bidhata’ (Almighty), where deceased Covid victims arrive from Earth and await their judgement to be allocated to Heaven and Hell, based on their deeds during their time

Legendary South Asian ingredients specialist partners with supper club chef to reimagine the dinner party essential Specialist South Asian ingredient brand, Fudco, has partnered with supper club chef Sohini to reimagine the classic charcuterie board.

The collaboration celebrates South Asian street food and snack culture to create a ‘chaat-cuterie’ board guide with recipes.

The partnership marks the official launch of Fudco’s new online store, responding to ongoing consumer demand for quality, specialist blends of its infamous fruit and nuts, herbs and spices.

Aimed at anyone who enjoys quality, variety, and international flavours, the specially created grazing board showcases the perfect way to pair chutneys, nuts, pickles, dried fruits, and spices with other common board essentials.

Since launching over 40 years ago, Fudco has become known for consistently providing superior quality and the widest range of Asian ingredients thanks to more than 1,000 products

Written by Shakthi Shakthidharan, a Sri LankanAustralian who researched and developed the work over the course of ten years, the play tells the tale of two countries: Sri Lanka post-independence and Australia as an immigrant nation.

It is directed by Eamon Flack, an award-winning director and the Artistic Director of Belvoir, one of Australia’s most celebrated theatre companies.

Performed in English, Tamil and Sinhalese, with live translation into English.

It is originally co-produced by Belvoir with Co-curious, UK / Australia Season.

You can buy tickets at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company as part of the Edinburgh International Festival Mon 8-Fri 12 Aug : https://lyceum.org.uk The show will be on at The Birmingham Rep from Fri 19 Aug-Sat 27 Aug pls see for more info: www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

sourced carefully from around the world.

A trusted household name and leader in the premium ethnic food market, the new online shop will allow the 58% of consumers shopping for groceries online to access the highest quality ingredients, from Keralan cashews to handpicked Sri Lankan cloves. Fudco’s must-haves include premium grade Californian nuts and the finest authentic Indian spice, chutneys and pickles.

on earth. It is during this debate the production shines the light on the ugly underbelly of opportunism as Covid creates havoc. Through subtle humour, it throws light on some of the foulest truths of humanity. While the audience were found laughing at some of the lighter moments between Yama (ruler of the departed) and Chitragupta (Bidhata/Alimight’s assistant), there were some very intense moments leaving some people with moist eyes while they remembered the struggle during the pandemic. The audience was left pondering with questions on humanity at the end of the show. The production also takes it one step further by introducing a female Chitragupta as opposed to the traditional male Chitragupta. Three short film footages were shot in Kolkata which was embedded into the actual stage play, another unique and rare style of production. The stagecraft was also done brilliantly depicting a close to real courtroom and the lights manged by Arjun Sen added to the effect.

The onstage cast of Somnath Roy, Debasri Sengupta, Sarit Bose, Sarbartha Chakrabarti, Dibyajit Majumder, Anamika Sarkar, Srijit Bhowmik was supported by backend technology specialists Mridul Sengupta and Joydeep Pal. These participants are members of Bengal Heritage Foundation. The unique and distinctive feature of the play is that all the cast and crew are professionals in a different field from investment banking to information technology to head hunting. It is impossible to figure this out given the sleek production.

However, the audience gasped in realisation as they interacted with the cast and crew post the staging, a key feature in UK stage productions. Music by Suranjan Som and Tanusree Guha was also remarkable and got a lot of compliments from the audience.

The audience feedback was heartwarming.

“Pulling off such a project successfully needs a lot of deep thought and courage, and that’s exactly what Koushik and his team displayed. The best part for me was to see three short films being merged into the play very cleverly. The production was just under an hour and hardly had any dull moments.

At one point I forgot that the stage actors were my friends and amateurs” said Surojoy Bhowmik, musician and actor based in St Albans.

Shaoli Das Gupta, based in Maidenhead noted, “Thoroughly enjoyed yesterday’s performance of Naba Narok Guljaar.

Fantastic use of visuals, music and props to keep the story flowing. Fabulous concept and even better execution. Kudos to the whole team for a commendable show”. The production team has already started scouting for the next venue to stage the production.

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Sleep deprivation affects physician Keeping your teeth healthy is linked to longer life perception of patient pain A recent study from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and researchers in Israel found that sleep-deprived doctors show less empathy for patient distress and that this impression affects their prescribing behaviours. The findings of the research were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study tested 31 resident physicians in Israel who were just starting their day and 36 just wrapping up a 26-hour shift.

They read through a clinical scenario describing a female patient with a headache and another scenario describing a male patient with a backache. The physicians then answered questions about the magnitude of patients' pain and reported their likelihood to prescribe pain medications. The doctors wrapping up their shifts registered significantly less empathy for the patients than those just starting.

"Pain management is a major challenge, and a doctor's perception of a patient's subjective pain is susceptible to bias," said co-author David Gozal, MD, the Marie M. and Harry L. Smith Endowed Chair of Child Health at the MU School of Medicine. "This study demonstrated that night shift work is an important and previously unrecognized source of bias in pain management, likely stemming from impaired perception of pain.”

To verify their findings, the researchers analyzed more than 13,000 electronic medical records (EMR) discharge notes involving patients arriving with pain complaints at hospitals in Israel and the US. The study found the physicians' propensity to prescribe analgesics to patients presenting with severe pain during the night shift was 11 per cent lower in Israel and 9 per cent lower in the US. "The fact that the divergence of analgesic prescription from the general World Health Organization guidelines is greater during night shifts suggests that there is indeed an under-prescription during night shifts, rather than an overprescription during the daytime," Gozal said. "These results highlight the need to address this bias by developing and

Importance of oral hygiene: Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's mouth clean and free of dental diseases and bad breath by regular brushing of the teeth and also cleaning between the teeth. But what if we tell you that keeping your teeth healthy is actually linked to a longer life. What’s more, brushing your teeth at a certain time is also linked to better longevity, compared to skipping your oral hygiene routine at that time. So let's find out what research has revealed on this surprising link between your mouth’s health and how long you’ll live!

About the research: Research published in the Journal of Aging has found that good oral health contributes to longevity. They studied the association of dental health behaviours and the arrangement or condition of the teeth on all-cause mortality in 5,611 older adults from 1992 to 2009 and calculated risk estimates in men and women separately. Variables such as gender, body mass index (BMI), education, smoking status and history of chronic disease of the participants were taken into account before arriving at the conclusions.

Deadlift variations to build lower body strength: The researchers found that toothbrushing at night before bed was linked to longevity.

Further, healthy oral hygiene habits such as using dental floss everyday and visiting the dentist were also associated with longevity. Not seeing a dentist within the last 1 year increased mortality risk by 30–50 per cent, compared with seeing a dentist two or more times. implementing more structured pain On the other hand, the researchers found that never brushing at night management guidelines and by educating increases mortality risks by 20-35 per cent, compared with brushing everyday. physicians about this bias.”

Also, never flossing increased mortality risk by 30 per cent, in comparison to Gozal said it is also important to flossing everyday. consider whether hospitals should make Longevity and number of teeth: With an increasing number of missing changes to resident physician work teeth, your mortality rate also rises. The researchers found that toothless people schedules to avoid empathy or decision had a 30 per cent higher risk of death, in comparison to those with 20 plus teeth. fatigue.

A recent study published in the journal of Community Dentistry and Oral The study, "Physicians Prescribe Epidemiology also showed that maintaining healthy teeth appears to promote Fewer Analgesics During Nightshifts survival in older adults.

Than Dayshifts," was recently The study found that those people with 20 teeth or more at the age of 70 had a published in the journal Proceedings higher chance of living longer than those people having less than 20 teeth. of the National Academy of Sciences Apart from longevity, oral health indicators have been linked to several general of the United States of America. health problems like heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, dementia and problems during pregnancy.

How to maintain oral health: To maintain a healthy mouth, experts recommend brushing twice-a-day with a fluoride toothpaste. You should cut down how frequently you consume sugary foods and drinks and gargle or rinse your mouth after every meal.

Visiting your dentist regularly to reduce your chances of developing any disease and it will also help to improve your smile. Taking good care of your teeth will not only benefit your oral health but will also positively impact your entire body.

Menopausal women have higher levels of brain biomarker: study According to a recent study, menopausal women may have higher levels of a brain biomarker termed white matter hyperintensities than premenopausal women or men of the same age. They are tiny lesions visible on brain scans that become more common with age or with uncontrolled high blood pressure. These biomarkers have been linked in some studies to an increased risk of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.

"White matter hyperintensities increase as the brain ages, and while having them does not mean that a person will develop dementia or have a stroke, larger amounts may increase a person's risk," said study author Monique M. B. Breteler.

"Our study examined what role menopause may have on amounts of these brain biomarkers. Our results imply that white matter hyperintensities evolve differently for men and women, where menopause or factors that determine when menopause starts, such as variations in the ageing process, are defining factors.”

The study involved 3,410 people with an average age of 54. Of those, 58 per cent were women, and of the women, 59 per cent were postmenopausal. Also, 35 per cent of all participants had high blood pressure and of those, half had uncontrolled high blood pressure.

All participants had MRI brain scans.

Researchers looked at the scans and calculated the number of white matter hyperintensities for each participant. The average total volume for these brain biomarkers was 0.5 millilitres (ml). The average total brain volume was 1,180 ml for men and 1,053 ml for women. The average total white matter volume, the area of the brain where white matter hyperintensities can be found, was 490 ml for men and 430 ml for women.

After adjusting for age and vascular risk

Risk factors that make you prone to heart attack factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes, researchers found that postmenopausal women had more of these brain biomarkers when compared to men of similar age. In people 45 and older, postmenopausal women had an average total white matter hyperintensities volume of 0.94 ml compared to 0.72 ml for men.

Researchers also found that the increase in brain biomarkers accelerated with age and at a faster rate in women than in men.

Premenopausal women and men of a similar age did not have a difference in the average amount of white matter hyperintensities.

They also found that postmenopausal women had more white matter hyperintensities than premenopausal women of similar age. In a group of participants ages 45 to 59, postmenopausal women had an average total volume of white matter hyperintensities of 0.51 ml compared to 0.33 ml for premenopausal women.

There was no difference between postmenopausal and premenopausal women using hormone therapy. Breteler said this finding suggests that hormone therapy after menopause may not have a protective effect on the brain.

"It has been known that high blood pressure, which affects the small blood vessels in the brain, can lead to an increase in white matter hyperintensities," said Breteler.

There are several factors that pose a threat to the normal functioning of the heart which is one of the most important organs of the body.

It is vital to take note of the risk factors in view of the stealth nature of heart ailments.

Heart related diseases do not occur all of a sudden; they are the consequences of years and years of unhealthy practices and unattended risk factors.

Heart diseases or cardiovascular diseases claim close to 18 million lives each year. As per the WHO data, one-third of the deaths due to heart diseases occur prematurely in people less than 70 years of age.

Health experts have discussed several risk factors which are responsible for the growing cases of young people getting heart attacks.

Experts at John Hopkins say stress can cause inflammation which is not good for the heart. Stress can increase the blood pressure which is lethal to heart health. Many other complications like lack of exercise, sleeplessness, and obesity which are dangerous to the heart stem from stress.

Lack of sleep Less sleep is the root cause of several health related issues and one of them is heart issues. Lack of sleep or insomnia is linked to high blood pressure. An individual experiences this mostly due to stress. In order to maintain good sleeping hours one has to follow a healthy lifestyle like eating early, reading a book before going to bed, and following bedtime.

Excessive alcohol consumption Excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to high blood pressure and increases the

risk of heart attack or even heart failure.

Apart from this risk, alcohol consumption can increase the weight of an individual which is again another potential risk factor for heart disease.

Overweight Weight is the perfect example of how years of mindless eating and not keeping track of a lifestyle can affect you in a massive way. Health experts have always warned us to keep an eye on the weight. Overweight makes an individual prone to several complications like diabetes, blood pressure, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea among others.

Smoking Smoking increases the risk of formation of plaques in blood vessels. As a result of this deposition, the arteries that carry blood to the heart get narrowed down. The chemicals used in smoking items like cigarettes are also known to thicken blood and cause clots.

When clots are formed the flow of blood to the heart is restricted.

The other risk factors are: Family history: One who has a family history of heart diseases is more likely to suffer from one.

High blood cholesterol: High cholesterol level in the blood increases the risk of plaque formation in blood vessels.

Poor diet: Unhealthy eating habits can make the heart unhealthy.

Age: Risk of heart disease increases with age Male gender: Men are said to be more prone to heart disease Diabetes: People with diabetes are more prone to heart problems.

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Dia Mirza calls premarital sex and pregnancy 'personal choice'

No novelty in mainstream cinema these days: Harsh Varrdhan

A

ctor Dia Mirza opened up recently about how she feels about premarital sex and pregnancy. She called it a “personal choice” and said that it can only be “celebrated” by those who aren’t threatened during their decisionmaking process. Mirza also added that people aren’t as progressive as one might think.

Dia married businessman Vaibhav Rekhi in February 2021. They announced their pregnancy in April, soon after. At the time, she was questioned about the timing of her marriage and pregnancy. To this, Dia clarified that she did not get married because of her pregnancy. In July, of the same year, she welcomed her first child, a baby boy she named Avyaan.

In a recent interview, Dia said that many people in society recognise premarital sex and pregnancy as a “right”. She said, “I feel when it comes to personal choice and the power of personal choice, it can only be celebrated by those who ensure they make personal choices, not threatened, not afraid of making the choice that you need to as an individual.”

She added, “And while there may be many people with regressive thoughts on things like premarital sex or premarital pregnancy or any other things for that matter, there are enough people who recognise the fact that it is a personal choice, that people have the right to do if they choose to. I don’t think we are as progressive as we imagine or as we consider ourselves to be.”

On the work front, Dia will be seen next in filmmaker Anubhav Sinha’s upcoming film ‘Bheed’.

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Kangana impressed by Rakul Preet’s golfing skills

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akul Preet Singh recently joined former cricketer Kapil Dev and spiritual leader Sadhguru for a game of golf in Washington DC. Her pictures on social media garnered a lot of attention and also garnered positive comments from actor Kangana Ranaut, who took to Instagram to pen a special note for her.

Kangana shared a picture Rakul playing golf on her Instagram Stories and wrote, “What a woman… @sadhguru says great things about your game @rakulpreet”. Rakul shared a video of her playing golf with Kapil Dev and Sadhguru on Instagram and captioned it, “What better than kickstarting ATA convention at Washington DC with

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Priyanka’s homeware brand criticised for exorbitant prices

riyanka Chopra’s recently-launched new Indian homeware lineup Sona Home is under fire for keeping the prices of the collection “exorbitantly high”. Several people took to the micro-blogging site Twitter to express disappointment and shock.

According to their website, their 'Panna' Collection has a tablecloth that is priced at around Rs. 31,000 (USD 398)! They also have a dinner set collection - 'Sultan'. On the website, a cup and saucer set is priced around Rs.5,300 approximately (USD 68), and Chutney Pots, (a set of 6) are priced around Rs. 15,000 approximately (USD 198).

Looks like the price list didn't go down well with netizens. In reaction, they started a hilarious thread on Twitter. One user wrote, "I wanna be rich to a point where I can casually buy a SONA HOME tablecloth worth 30K INR". Another user wrote, "Sona home is beautiful and I was down to

@sadhguru @therealkapildev.”

On the work front, Rakul was last seen alongside John Abraham in ‘Attack’ and in Ajay Devgn and Amitabh Bachchan-starrer ‘Runway 34’. She has several more films in the pipeline. She has Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer campus comedydrama ‘Doctor G’, Indra Kumar’s ‘Thank God’ with Sidharth Malhotra and Akshay Kumar’s ‘Mission Cinderella’.

She will also be seen playing the quality control head of a condom factory in Chhatriwali. Rakul says the film aims to "destigmatise" the conversation around the use of protection in a subtle, entertaining way.

splurge on it bc I've been wanting new dinnerware but $60/per plate. Miss Chopra, you crazy.”

On June 23, Priyanka took to her Instagram to share the news of Sona Home. launch. She shared a video on Instagram and wrote, "Launch day is here! I couldn't be more proud to introduce you all to SONA HOME. It was challenging to come from India and make America my second home, but my journey led me to a place where I found a second family and friends. I bring a piece of India into everything I do and this is an extension of that thought. It's awesome to be working alongside @maneeshkgoyal and our entire team in creating something so dear to our hearts and heritage."

ctor Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor was born into a family of actors. His father Anil Kapoor, uncles Boney Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor, and sister Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, have all walked down a similar path. However, Harsh has taken the road less trodden and taken upon more and more unconventional projects. In a recent interview, he said there is no novelty in mainstream cinema these days.

Harsh said, “I see the same repackaged, rehashed version of most films. I find them really boring and feel all actors are interchangeable in that format. There is no novelty to any of it. It’s a cycle of the same thing, with a couple of alterations here and there.”

The 31-year-old said there is no dearth of good content but such subjects either get stalled or go to the “bigger stars”.

He explains, “Sometimes, such films (movies with unconventional storylines) don’t even get shot. Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018) and Thar (2022) are the kinds of films that make very little compromise in terms of creativity. That’s why they stand out.”

Since he is particular about the kind of projects he signs, he has only done a handful of films so far. He says, “I am not the kind of actor who has to do back-to-back projects. It takes time for all my films because they are not typical Bollywood films.

So it takes me perseverance. I am trying to put together some really ambitious stuff.”

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Role in SRK’s ‘Dunki’ 'purely on talent', says Taapsee

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n a recent interview, actress Taapsee Pannu, who is set to be seen in Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Dunki’ opposite Shah Rukh Khan, shared how happy she was about bagging the role only “on the basis of credentials and talent.”

The movie marks the first collaboration between Shah Rukh and Hirani. The movie is slated for a December 2023 release, and according to reports, the shoot is set to commence later this year. This will also be the first time Taapsee will act opposite Shah Rukh and in terms of scale, it will be one of her biggest films.

Speaking in an interview, Taapsee said, “I feel so happy that this has happened purely on the basis of credentials and talent. Nobody picked up the phone for a recommendation. I got the film only because someone liked what I did.” She also shared her excitement about being paid with Shah Rukh.

“I have to pinch myself every day to believe that this is happening. I have grown up watching his (Shah Rukh’s) films. For me, Shah Rukh Khan is the introduction to Hindi films. So just standing next to him in a frame is surreal. I just hope I don’t mess it up.”

Taapsee has an action-packed 2022. She has already seen two releases in ‘Looop Lapeta’ and ‘Mishan Impossible’. Next up is ‘Shabash Mithu’, releasing on July 15. Pannu has five more releases lined up, all seemingly in 2022. These include Tamil films 'Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘Alien’, Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Dobaaraa’, horror-thriller ‘Blurr’, and ‘Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan’.

Arjun Kapoor calls Kartik Aaryan Bollywood’s 'saviour'

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artik Aaryan is currently riding high on the box office performance of his film ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’.

Actor Arjun Kapoor recently called him a “saviour” as he praised the trailer of Arjun’s upcoming film ‘Ek Villain Returns’. Kartik shared the ‘Ek Villain Returns’ trailer on his Instagram Stories and wrote, “Superb trailer. Killing it with the villains." He tagged Ek Villain Returns star cast including John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Tara Sutaria and Disha Patani in the post and further added, "@mohitsuri sir your world is fantastic as always.”

Arjun reacted to Kartik's post for him, saying, "Saviour has spoken." Kartik responded to his comment, saying, “ Passing on the torch.” Helmed by Mohit Suri and joined and produced by T-Series and Bali Telefilms, ‘Ek Villain Returns’ is scheduled to release in theatres on July 29. It is the sequel to the 2014 film, ‘Ek Villain’, starring Sidharth Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh.

The trailer begins with an official showing a presentation about the serial killer Rakesh Mahadkar, played by actor Riteish Deshmukh in the 2014 original.

He says that a new villain has arrived, eight years later and targets women, who don't reciprocate their stalker's love. The identity of the real villain is not revealed. While John is cast opposite Disha, Arjun is seen romancing Tara in the trailer.

Kartik's ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ has made £26.2 million gross worldwide. It also stars Kiara Advani, Tabu and Rajpal Yadav. It ran in theatres for around six weeks before landing on Netflix. Producer Bhushan Kumar even gifted Kartik India’s first McLaren GT worth £470,000 for the film's success.

Kartik will be seen next in ‘Shehzada’, ‘Captain India’, ‘Freddy’, and Sajid Nadiadwala's untitled next.

Ranveer made Alauddin Khilji 'so terrifying' in ‘Padmaavat’, says Ranbir

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n a recently emerged clip, actor Ranbir Kapoor heaped praises on actors Sanjay Dutt, Shah Rukh Khan and Ranveer Singh. In a new video shared by Yash Raj Films on Twitter, Ranbir spoke about how villains in the history of Hindi cinema have been loved and remembered as much as the protagonist.

“They say in a fight between good and evil, it’s the good that always wins. Jo haar k bhi logo ka dil jeeth le use Baazigar nahi villain kehte hai (The one who wins heart even after losing isn't the gambler but the villain),” Ranbir said. The video then featured Ranbir talk about villains and how in several movies the villain is more celebrated than the hero.

The clip titled ‘RK Tapes Episode 3 The Villain’, Ranbir spoke about how Gabbar Singh became more famous than Jai and Veeru in ‘Sholay’, how ‘Mr India’s Mogambo snatched the limelight and Kancha Cheena dominated in ‘Agneepath’.

Ranbir talked about actors taking up negative roles, "Shah Rukh said KKK...Kiran and registered his name in one of the most iconic roles as a villain. All the villains in the ‘Dhoom’ franchise stunned everyone, it's unbelievable. In ‘Padmaavat’, Ranveer Singh made Alauddin Khilji so terrifying, that even

after the film ends, the character stays with you.”

"And what do I even say about Sanjay Dutt? I think he's one of the best villains in recent times. The ultimate khalnayak (antagonist), who's coming back as a villain in Shamshera. A part of me is envious, I'd have loved to do that role. Mera sapna raha hai ki main bhi negative role karun aur log apne bacchon se kahe ki 'soja beta warna Ranbir ajayega' (My dream is to play a negative role and then people scare their children using my name).”

The video ended with Ranbir saying, "I'm looking forward to the bad guys we are yet to watch to the actor who'd scare us out of our seats and to the villains that will redefine evil." The video was shared with the caption, "All about villains. Watch #RanbirKapoor talk about his favourite villains in RK Tapes Episode 3 - The Villain. Shamshera releasing in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.

Celebrate #Shamshera with #YRF50 only at a theatre near you.”

On the work front, Ranbir will be seen next in ‘Shamshera’, where he will essay his first double role. The movie is scheduled to release on July 22.

Karate champ gives Sonu Sood 'honour of life'

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ctor-philanthropist Sonu Sood recently met karate champion Amritpal Kaur, who has won several medals for India, including the gold at the South Asian Championships in 2019. Sharing a glimpse of their meeting on Instagram, Sonu revealed that he had helped her two years ago when she needed knee surgery.

Sharing pre and post-surgery pictures of Amritpal, Sonu wrote, “When you see the positive impact you have had in other's lives, then it makes your life even more worthwhile. I met Amritpal 2 years ago when she urgently needed a knee surgery. She had huge dreams but circumstances didn't let her work for it.

Helping her get there was one of the biggest honours of my life and seeing this medal in her hand today makes it all the more worth it.”

“The All India Karate Champion Amritpal won the gold medal without giving even a single score to the opponents and will soon be representing India at the upcoming

Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. I am sure she will bring glory to all of us and the nation,” he added. Responding to the actor’s words, Amritpal dedicated the gold to Sonu for helping her at the ‘lowest’ point in her life.

Calling Sonu ‘saviour’, she said in a post, “Met with my saviour @sonu_sood sir who has helped me 2 years ago.

Dedicating this Gold of All India karate championship (National) to you sir.

Thank you so much for being there for me. Without your help, I would not have made it.” Earlier, Sonu had made news for helping a little girl from Bihar, named Chaumukhi Kumari. She was born with four legs and four arms, and Sonu helped her with surgery.

On the work front, Sonu is currently hosting the latest season of MTV's ‘Roadies’, the first episode of which premiered on April 8, 2022. Apart from this, he was last seen in Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Samrat Prithviraj’ and played the role of Chand Barai in the film.

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‘RRR’ nominated for best picture Arjun Das to lead Hindi at Hollywood Critics remake of Association Midseason Awards Malayalam hit S 'Angamaly Diaries' A S Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘RRR’ continues to get praises, and this time, the validation came from the West. The movie was adjudged the second-best film at the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards 2022 on July 1.

The Hollywood Critics Association gives away awards twice a year, once in February and then in July, which are called the Midseason Awards.

The nominations for these awards were announced by the body last week. In the Best Picture category, Ram Charan and Jr NTRstarrer 'RRR' found itself competing against Hollywood heavyweights like ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, ‘The Batman’, ‘Elvis’, and ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’.

The tweet read, "And the winner of the HCA Midseason Award for Best Picture goes

Meena requests fans not to spread false information about her husband T

amil actor Meena Sagar’s husband Vidyasagar passed away earlier last week. With the news of his death coming to light, several rumours about the cause of his death began to do the rounds on the internet. In an Instagram post over the weekend, the actress requested her fans to stop spreading these rumours and said that the family is seeking privacy at the moment.

Sharing a long note, Meena added a folded hands emoji in the caption box. The note read, “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my loving husband Vidya Sagar. I sincerely request all media to respect our privacy and sympathise this situation.

Please stop further broadcast of any false information on this matter.”

She added, “During these difficult times, I want to express my gratitude to all those good hearts who helped and stood with our family. I would like to thank all the Medical Team who tried their best, our Chief Minister, Health Minister, Radhakrishnan IAS, Colleagues, Friends, Family, Media & My loving fans for sending love and prayers.”

Many fans paid their condolences in the comments section of the post. One fan commented, “Please stay strong ma'am.

Your kids need you.” Another one wrote, “My deepest condolences to you and your family.”

Earlier, Meena's close friend, actor Khushbu Sundar also requested people to not spread misinformation about Vidyasagar's death and that he didn't die of Covid-19. “I very humbly request the media to be little responsible. Meena's husband had Covid 3 months back. Covid worsened his lung condition. Pls do not send out a wrong message & create any kind of fear or cause flutter by saying we lost Sagar to Covid. Yes we need to be cautious, but pls,” she said.

Vidyasagar was a Bangalore-based businessman. He tied the knot with Meena in 2009 and they have a daughter named Nainika. Meena, who started her career as a child artiste, became one of the most popular Tamil actors in the 90s and early 2000s.

to…Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Runner up: RRR. #HCAMidseasonAwards #A24 #EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce @A24 @EEAAOA24."

Reacting to the news, many fans said that RRR should have been given the award.

A tweet read, "RRR should have been the winner! Indian film with worldwide reach and appreciation vs a Hollywood release." Another fan said, "Disappointed. Should have been RRR." A person also tweeted, "Simple EEAAO is hwood /us based film. And got more exposure, hype, reach. RRR is a foreign film with limited exposure. RRR 1st half alone is better theatrical experience than whole EEAAO. People who watched RRR in theatres or home theatres would know which is better."

ctor Arjun Das is set to make his debut in Bollywood with the Hindi remake of the Malayalam hit 'Angamaly Diaries'. Tamil director Madhumita of KD fame will helm the remake, which is bankrolled by Abundantia Entertainment.

Not ready to explore OTT yet: Prabhas A

ce actor Prabhas has expressed his apprehensions about making his OTT debut despite the recent popularity of streaming platforms. With theatres closed worldwide amidst the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+Hotstar witnessed a range of releases. Several films that were stalled, chose the OTT route as the wait got longer.

The actor said that he would like to wait for at least another few years before he explores the OTT space. He said, “Maybe it is good to release some films on OTT, I guess it is a safer decision if the filmmakers think that the audience will prefer to watch it at home than in the theatre. Currently, all my films are big-screen releases.”

He added, “Probably in the future, I might think about it (exploring the OTT space). I know that we should all evolve, but for another three-four years, I am not thinking about the OTT space. I love the movie theatre and the experience that comes with it.”

On the work front, Prabhas was last seen in ‘Radio Shyam’, opposite Pooja Hegde. He has mythological drama ‘Adipurush’ alongside Saif Ali Khan and Kriti Canon. He will also be seen in ‘Salaar’ alongside Shruti Haasan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, and in ‘Project K’, which also stars Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan.

'Angamaly Diaries' was a memory piece which was written by Chemban Vinod Jose, who is a native of Angamaly. The film chronicles the formative years of a group of young boys, who share a common characteristic of ill-temperament. The movie was a big hit in Malayalam. And it also put director Lijo Jose Pellissery on the map.

The Hindi remake, which is yet to get a title, will be set against the backdrop of Goa. And Arjun Das will lead the star cast.

“I am delighted that my first step in the Hindi film world is happening on such a strong footing. With Madhumita in command of the re-imagining of such a stellar film like 'Angamaly Diaries' and to have Abundantia Entertainment and Vikram produce the film, I couldn’t have asked for a better start to this new chapter for me.

Madhumita has brought her own unique flavour to this film and I can’t wait for the audience to watch her vision for the film,” said Das. Arjun Das is a regular fixture in director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s movies. His breakthrough role was in Kanagaraj’s 2019 hit 'Kaithi'. He was also seen in a significant role in Vijay’s 'Master'. The actor also made an appearance in the recent blockbuster 'Vikram'.

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Mahesh Babu, Namrata Shirodkar meet Bill Gates in NY A ctor Mahesh Babu and wife and actress Namrata Shirodkar recently met billionaire Bill Gates in New York. Mahesh shared a picture from their meeting on Twitter. Bill Gates too tweeted about “running into” the couple, as he shared Mahesh’s photo.

He also shared a special message for the couple.

Mahesh and Namrata are on a family holiday in the US with their daughter Sitara Ghattamaneni and son Gautham Ghattamaneni. The Microsoft co-founder and American businessman wrote along with this tweet, “Being in New York is always fun - you never know who you’ll run into. It was great meeting you and Namrata!”

Meanwhile, Mahesh described him as ‘one of the greatest visionaries’ and ‘very humble’. The actor also said he’s ‘truly an inspiration’. “Had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bill Gates! One of the greatest visionaries this world has seen... and yet the most humble! Truly an inspiration!” Mahesh wrote. Many of his fans reacted to his photo with Bill, with one person tweeting, “Next target (Joe) Biden.” A person also tweeted, “The world is his territory.”

On the career front, Mahesh played a loan agent in his latest release ‘Sarkaru Vaari Paata’, which grossed over £20 million at the box office worldwide. The film marked the maiden collaboration between Mahesh and director Parasuram.

Sidharth Malhotra, Chris Pratt bond over desi food

Suriya is the first Tamil actor to join Oscars' committee A

ctor Suriya has accepted the invitation to join the Oscars committee by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences last week. He took to Twitter to accept the offer, making him the first South Indian actor to be invited to the prestigious committee.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its list of 397 artists invited to the Academy’s Class of 2022 on Twitter, which included Suriya's name. The invitation comes for Suriya after a scene from Suriya's 2021 Tamil legal drama ‘Jai Bhim’ was shared on the Oscars' Youtube channel under the section, ‘Scene at the Academy.’

Quoting the tweet, Suriya thanked The Academy for the invitation and said he will strive to make all proud.

He wrote, "Thank you @TheAcademy for the invitation, which I humbly accept. My heartfelt thanks

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ctor Sidharth Malhotra had a fun interaction with Hollywood star Chris Pratt recently, on the sets of his recently released series, ‘The Terminal List’. Amazon Prime Video’s ‘The Terminal List’ presents Pratt in a never-seen-before avatar. In the series, the actor plays a Navy SEAL named Lieutenant Commander James Reece. In a new video shared by the streaming platform, Pratt is seen in conversation with Sidharth, whose ‘Shershaah' is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. In the film, Sidharth played the role of Captain Vikram Batra, who laid down his life during the 1999 Kargil War. Sidharth shared everything that went into making the movie “as authentic as possible”. He also spoke about shooting in Kargil and the sense of responsibility he felt as soon as he wore the Indian army uniform. He said, “I think the moment you are playing a character which is from the armed forces of the country you are in, it kinda gives you more sense of responsibility to make it more authentic. It comes with a lot of handwork and prep before that the audience doesn’t see.”

The two had several fun moments in the interaction as well.

Sidharth asked him about his “fart breaks” during shooting for his movie, and Pratt, who claims to be a foodie, revealed that they were due to his birthday treats. He said, “It was my birthday week and my wife made me birthday cookies. You gotta do what you gotta do.”

While Sidharth said that he wants to do the same in India, he quickly added that it might not be the best option for him.

“Maybe I am going to use it on my sets. It’s a problem in India that we have so many people around. Even if I step out there are like hundred people around,” responded Sidharth. “But that’s good you can blame somebody else,” added Chris to solve the actor’s problem. They interacted during a special video interaction, shared by the YouTube channel of Amazon Prime Video.

In the video, Sidharth and Chris talked about several topics, such as their love for fitness, Indian food and essaying roles of armed force officers. Chris promised to visit India and try Indian delicacies such as bheja fry.

On the work front, Sidharth will be next seen in Rohit Shetty’s upcoming web series, ‘Indian Police Force’. He also has ‘Thank God’ and ‘Yodha’ in the pipeline.

Amy Jackson celebrates boyfriend Ed’s birthday

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ctor Amy Jackson celebrated beau Ed Westwick’s 35th birthday in London earlier last week. The ‘Gossip Girl’ star shared a picture of his birthday celebration on his Instagram handle. The photo featured him alongside Amy and his grandmother.

After days of being spotted together, Amy made their relationship Insta-official earlier last month.

In a picture shared by Ed on his Instagram Stories, he is seen giving a forehead kiss to his grandmother, while a happy Amy is seen holding her shoulders. A car-shaped cake is also seen in the photo. Amy was earlier engaged to George Panayiotou. They welcomed their son Andreas in September 2019. Their split was confirmed last year when Amy deleted all photos of George, including the post announcing the birth of their son.

Earlier this year, Amy was spotted with Ed in the streets of London holding hands and later in June, she confirmed her relationship with Ed by posting a loved photo with him on her Instagram Stories.

Ed is known for playing playboy Chuck Bass on the CW Network's ‘Gossip Girl’ from 2007 to 2012. He later appeared in films such as, ‘Breaking and Entering’, ‘Son of Rambow’, ’S. Darko’, ‘Chalet Girl’, ‘J. Edgar’, ‘Romeo & Juliet’, ‘Bone in the Throat’, ‘Freaks of Nature’, ‘Billionaire Ransom’ and many more. He was last seen in ‘Me You Madness’, which was released last year.

Amy is a British actor, who made her debut in India with ‘Madrasapattinam’ in 2010. She also starred in Bollywood films like ‘Ekk Deewana Tha’, ‘Singh Is Bliing’ and ‘Freaky Ali’. She was last seen in Rajinikanth's big-budget film ‘2.0’.

to all those who wished me, will always strive to make you all proud!.”

Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan took to Twitter to congratulate Suriya on the rare recognition, and told him to be proud of his achievements. He wrote, “Glad my brother @Suriya_offl treads the ground of stars. In spite of gravity, which makes wings weak. We created angels and stars. Hence be proud brother to join the crowd of excellence. ” On the work front, Suriya was last seen in an important role in Kamal's latest release ‘Vikram’.

He will soon be making his entry into Bollywood as a producer as his company 2D Entertainment will be producing the Hindi remake of ‘Soorarai Pottru’ with Akshay Kumar in the lead opposite Bhumi Pednekar.

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India fined for slow over rate

England beat India by seven wickets England redeemed themselves on the last two days of the test match against India following three poor days of cricket as the visitors thrashed the Indians by seven wickets in Birmingham, Edgbaston. The series was levelled by England with the dominating victory on day five of the rescheduled fifth test match.

Indian bowlers couldn’t answer the aggressive assault from former England skipper Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, who stitched a match-winning partnership of 269* runs for the fourth wicket which turned the entire match upside down. The total of 378 runs looked below par against the England unit, that scored runs for fun against the Indian bowlers in the fourth innings of the test match.

Joe Root slammed 142* runs while Jonny Bairstow scored 114* and helped England go over the winning rope to level the five-match test series by 2-2.

After claiming an upper hand in the first three days, India let the game slip away from their grasp as their batters had no answers for the short ball trap fielded by the opposition during the third innings. The well-laid plot worked for England as they dismissed India to a scanty total of 245 runs in the third innings and the lead was blocked at 378 runs, which still was a good total to defend.

England openers Zak Crawley and Alex Lees opened their fire against the Indian bowlers and scored over 100 runs in just 20 overs. However,

India got back on track after stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah scalped the wicket of Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope in quick succession. Alex Lees, who was timing the ball nicely, became the prey to an unfortunate mix up with Joe Root and had to lose his wicket.

However, the duo of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow did all the work for their team as they never looked uncomfortable against the Indian bowlers.

“We [India] fell short with the bat yesterday and that is where we let the opposition in to let the match slip away from us. Ifs and buts can always be there,” said Jasprit Bumrah during the post-match presentation.

Had Indian batters played a little cautiously against the well-planned trap in the third innings, certainly, the result would have been something different. Reacting to India's defeat in the rescheduled fifth Test former Indian chief coach Ravi Shastri said Team India's "timid" and "defensive" batting approach in their second innings allowed England to make a comeback on the fourth day. "I think (it was) disappointing, to say the least, because they could have batted England out of this contest," Shastri added.

India were on Tuesday fined 40 per cent of their match fee and penalised two ICC World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate against England in the rescheduled fifth Test in Birmingham.

England won the match by seven wickets to level the series 2-2. The series spilled over to this year due to Covid -19 cases in the Indian camp last year.

ICC match referee David Boon imposed the sanction after India were ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

"In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time," the ICC said in a statement.

Bairstow plays down verbal duel with Kohli Jonny Bairstow has played down the verbal argument he had with former India captain Virat Kohli at the start of Day 3 in the Edgbaston Test. Kohli was seen passing comments on Bairstow's batting as the Englishmen struggled early on against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami followed by a verbal duel that ended with Kohli asking Bairstow to "Shut up, Just stand and bat".

Undeterred from the sledging, Bairstow went on to score a sensational hundred to keep the hosts alive in the contest. Bairstow was asked about the incident after the end of the day's play and the England batter played it down by saying it's "part and parcel of the game".

"We've played against each other for a solid 10 years now, so it's a bit of craic," he said. "We're fiercely competitive on the field and that's what it's about. We're playing Test cricket, we're two competitors, that's why we play the game and that's what brings the best out of us. You want to be out there, you want to do your best and you want to win. Whatever it takes, you want to get your team over the line. That's part and parcel of the game."

Chris Jordan talks about preparations for The Hundred

Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan found his niche as a death specialist in T20 cricket for England after initially breaking through as a bowling allrounder in Tests and ODIs. Jordan's career looked to be going nowhere at the end of 2012 when he was released

by Surrey, but he made his international debut less than a year later.

Following is an interview given

by Jordan to Asian Voice.

How does it feel coming into second year of The Hundred as defending men’s champions?

It’s a good feeling! First and foremost to win the first competition. I guess everyone was gunning to be the first and luckily we were but that does come with added responsibility. Everyone will be looking to beat us this year and we obviously have to be prepared for that. Do our due diligence, take

it a game at a time and just try build momentum as the tournament goes on. I think we jelled quite nicely as it went on last year. We’ve more or less retained a high percentage of the group as well and added a couple of very quality overseas so I think that all makes for good ingredients to hopefully get off to a good start again and build into the season.

You obviously had a great start last year but so did the women’s team as they also made it to the final but just fell at the last hurdle to Oval Invincibles. What do you think collectively you did well?

It was amazing to see the girls do so well. Actually - and I think a lot of the guys would say the same but because they played before us and they played such an exciting brand of cricket, the manner of which they were winning games actually inspired us to go and back that up on the day. Especially when we were at the Ageas Bowl, more often than not the girls would win and then we’d be under a pressure to win as well but I thought it brought the best out of the group.

So yeah, it was great to see both teams get all the way to the final.

Unfortunately the girls didn’t get over the line but I don’t see them

being too far away this time around either.

What stood out to you most about last years competition?

It was definitely fast pace, everything was happening at a rate of nots. I also think, touching on what I spoke about just now, having the girls play before us I thought was great for the sport. The girls played some amazing skill and at times really inspired us to then with that intensity in the next match and I’m sure a lot of the other teams would say the same. The girls staying to watch as well and doing laps around the pitch was great. I think it was very inclusive from that point of view, it all created good harmony.

In what ways can we make the game (cricket generally) more open and accessible?

To be honest, the type of conversations we’re having within communities even just in and around the sport I think is provoking people to think in different ways. I think The Hundred set the tone last year, especially with having women’s games before the men’s games - that was quite inclusive. I think so much is being done and obviously there are improvements to be made but the

mere fact that people are thinking in that way and actually making an effort to try to find little ways to improve the game and make it more inclusive and accessible, I think that in itself will bring the results.

Are there any stand out players from last year that you’re looking forward to seeing again this year?

I’m looking forward to playing with Tim David, he obviously had a couple of games with us last year but since then he’s just gone from strength to strength. He’s a real entertainer and a top guy as well so I’m looking forward to having him in our team and hopefully him winning a lot of games for us.

Obviously the IPL has recently finished, have you any thoughts on how the comp went?

As a whole it was a great competition, they did well to host it all in Mumbai and moved on to Kolkata and Ahmedabad. It was an awesome competition, it always is an awesome competition to be a part of.

Obviously from a Chennai Super Kings point of view we didn’t quite have the season that we would have liked, for whatever reason we just couldn’t quite get momentum. Even when we won a

game we didn’t quite back it up.

It’s obviously disappointing but you have to move on, take your learnings and try make improvements going forward.

How do you think competitions like The Hundred can grow in a similar way to the IPL and attract some of the best players form around the world?

I think first and foremost the hundred balls, and it being a slightly different dynamic creates interest in itself. You’ll see it attracting a whole different type of audience which is exciting for us (players). It could even go into other countries and evolve the way cricket is played, obviously it’s still bat on ball but it’s so much more fast paced and you’re seeing a few different trends starting to come out as well so it could be quite catchy from that point of view and keep going from strength to strength.

The Hundred is cricket’s newest competition that fuses blockbuster entertainment with world-class cricket, inviting everyone to fall in love with the game. Find out more about The Hundred and book your tickets at the hundred.com.

I am confident of breaching 90m mark this year: Neeraj Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is confident of breaching the elusive 90m barrier this year but he is not thinking about the coveted mark going into the upcoming World Champion ships as he feels that would lead to extra pressure.

The 24-year-old is within touching distance of the the coveted 90m mark, considered the gold standard in the world of javelin throw.

In his three outings this season, Chopra has improved his personal best twice -he recorded a 89. 30m throw last month at the Paavo Nurmi Games before sending his spear

Chopra finished second to 89. 94m, just 6cm shy of 90m, behind Grenada’s Anderson Peters, at the Diamond League Meet. “I who had a best throw of 90. 31m in felt good, and after the first his third attempt. throw I thought I could throw “When Anderson Peters even over 90m. But it is okay as crossed 90 metres, I too felt that I I have more competitions had to do it. I had that in mind that coming this year,” Chopra said everything should be perfect, the after his second place finish.

Neeraj Chopra javelin should go in one line and Chopra’s opening throw of the technique should be perfect.

89. 94m bagged him his first When everything is perfect then only you can podium finish at the Diamond League. “I am throw such long distance,” the Indian said. close to 90m now and I can throw it this year.

“There was competition but I am happy Despite the fact that I did not win tonight, I that my all throws were quite good. I am feel very good because I did my best. ”

happy with the performance. I am playing after a long time and will look to give my best in the next competition. ” Chopra will next compete at the World Championships to be held in Eugene, USA from July 15 to 24.

“I will come to know about that (form) in Oregon. Every competition, every day is different. When I start playing in Oregon I will get to know if I am feeling the pressure of being an Olympic champion. “I play with a free mind, pressure is not there in my mind. I train hard and try to give my 100 per cent in competition,” he said