AV 09th September 2023

NOT JUST A ‘WHITE PERSON’S DISEASE’

A new pilot project aimed at increasing the number of black, Asian and ethnic minority patients taking part in potentially life-enhancing breast cancer clinical trials has been announced, highlighting their historical underrepresentation in prior studies

Shefali Saxena

Experts are emphasising the need for increased participation of black, Asian, a n d e t h n i c m i n o r i t y i n d i v i d u a l s i n breast cancer trials, highlighting their historical underrepresentation in prior s t u d i e s T h e r e e x i s t s a w i d e s p r e a d misconception that black women are l e s s a f f e c t e d b y b r e a s t c a n c e r , erroneously leading to the belief that c a n c e r p r i m a r i l y a f f e c t s w h i t e individuals In response to this issue, the NHS Race and Health Observatory, in c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h M a c m i l l a n C a n c e r Support and supported by Roche, has l a u n c h e d a c a m p a i g n t o e n h a n c e diversity in breast cancer clinical trials.

Continued on page 12

PM Rishi Sunak set to make history

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to make history by becoming the first British Prime Minister with Indian roots to visit New Delhi on this weekend He will be attending the G20 Leaders' Summit scheduled for September 910 and meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

This visit marks his inaugural trip to India as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, although several members of his Cabinet have r e c e n t l y t r a v e l l e d t o I n d i a f o r F r e e T r a d e Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

Continued on page 07

Tory rising star Claire Coutinho joins UK cabinet in mini-reshuffle “Enterprise and hard work at the heart of the immigrant story”

Indian-origin Tharman Shanmugaratnam wins Singapore presidential poll

G20 dinner invite stirs debate with mention of 'President of Bharat'

with Keith Vaz

M E H MO OD M I R Z A

Mehmo od Mirza was born in Rawalp indi, Pakista n, where he comple ted h is gra dua tio n In 1994 he mo ve d to the UK Tho se f irst few yea rs we re quite toug h, his initial job was of a waiter, with long hou rs a nd low pay Eventu ally wit h some f inancia l he lp from his f ath er, he g ot involve d in prop ert y bu siness and tha t prov id ed h im with his liv ing He also e nrol led a t the Univ ersity of East L ondon, st udied Law, a nd th en joined Fara ni and Tayor a s a leg al ad vise r

Mehmood mostly handles pro bono, Immigration and Asylum cases and said that the hopelessness and suffering among his clients were eye opener for him Since he has always been interested in people and politics, when a friend suggested he should join the local branch of Labour Party, he dived in with both hands But eventually resigned from the Labour Party, stood as an independent candidate and shocked the political establishment in Newham by winning a by-election in Boleyn ward in July of this year

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

I love living in London, it’s full of energy and opportunities It’s such a diverse and vibrant city I don’t think there is a city in the world that witnesses so many different languages, culture, religion, and races co existing in absolute harmony Obviously, there are people with strange views, but thankfully they are only a tiny minority Having said that, I still miss my Rawalpindi with its bazars and shops, that stayed open till late into the night

2) What are your proudest achievements?

My proudest achievement when I stood in the byelection for Councillor’s p o s i t i o n a n d b e a t L a b o u r c a n d i d a t e decisively It was like a contest between David and Goliath Labour candidate had the full support of the local as well as the region, they brought out all the big guns, there would be hordes of councillors knocking on doors, doing double shifts (64 Labour councillors in Newham out of a total of 66) And there I was on my own and occasionally a friend or two would come along This win gave me the most satisfaction

3) What inspires you?

I t a ke i n s p i r a t i o n f r o m Je r e m y Corbyn’s philosophy of helping the poor and needy in the society When Covid19 arrived and lots of people lost their jobs, especially overseas students from Indian subcontinent who were relying on part time jobs that were no longer there Some feared star vation coming on I requested the local mosque management and I was given permission to use their premises So, I started a food bank back in 2020 and still continue to this day Ever y Saturday we ser ve 300 to 400 people It is the largest food bank in Newham We are not intrusive, and ask no questions, if people join the queue we ser ve, I have a fantastic team of volunteers

Suella Braverman reiterates UK ECHR withdrawal wish

S u ell a Brav erm a n h as o nc e ag a i n e xp re ss ed her d esire to w ithd raw f ro m th e Eu r o p ean Cou rt of Hu man Rights (EC HR), w hich she has referred to as " p ol iticised " A dd itionally, she has not ru led o ut the possibility of mass tagging of asylum seekers, a p ropo sal criticised by a refugee charity as d ehumanising

Returning to the political scene after a summer b r e a k m a r ke d b y s e v e r a l Home Off ice policy controversies that led to speculat i

4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

I am not fazed by obstacles and setbacks One just must go round the obstacles and learn from setbacks I h a v e a l w a y s b e e n p o s i t i v e i n m y approach to life I believe if you work hard and are willing to ask for help when you need it, you can achieve your goals

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

Again, I have to say Jeremy Corbyn has been the most influential in my political career He is honest, straight for ward, sincere and he brought hope to ordinar y people People believed in him He could inspire and during the time of his leadership, hundreds of thousands of young people joined the Labour Party

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

I would say best aspect of my current role is to provide an independent voice at the Council meetings For far too long Labour had taken residents of Newham for granted I want to change that I want to hold Labour to account, I want to raise residents’ issues that affect them and demand action, I don’t have to toe any line, or keep quiet, because whip’s off ice says so I am conf ident that I will make a difference and for the better

7) And the worst?

I wish there were more independent councillors, but watch this space I am working on it I am constantly getting members of the public contacting me, and wanting to come on board

8) What are your long-term goals?

My long-term goals are to make council take notice of residents’ views, not run phoney consultation exercises There have been many occasions where developments have taken place, without consultations with those affected, and yet council will pretend all boxes have been ticked

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

I f I w e r e P r i m e M i n i s t e r, I w o u l d s t o p telling lies and start telling the truth I would make the tax system fair Plug all t h e t a x l o o p h o l e s Discontinue the practice of offshore tax havens I w o u l d o r d e r a j u d i c i a l enquir y to look into all the c r o n y i s m t h a t w e n t o n during Covid-19 and continues till today

m e n t a s Ho m e S e c r e t a r y, B r a v e r m a n e m p h a s i s e d t h e g o v e r nment's determination to use all available means to reloc a t e a s y l u m s e e ke r s t o Rwanda

Braverman has been a c o n s i s t e n t c r i t i c o f t h e

S o u r c e F c k r

ECHR and the human r i g h t s c o n v e n t i o n i t o v e r s e e s T h i s s t a n c e h a s g a r n e r e d s u p p o r t from conser vative MPs on the right, leading to s p e c u l a t i o n t h a t s h e may consider running fo r l e a d e r s h i p i n t h e event of Rishi Sunak s d e fe a t i n t h e g e n e r a l election I n h e r c o n t i n u e d c r it i q u e o f t h e c o n v e n t i o n , B r a v e r m a n c l a r i f i e d t h a t while it is not currently the government's off icial plan to withdraw from it, she pers o n a l l y s u p p o r t s s u c h a move

Police in England and Wales guilty of gross misconduct now face automatic dismissal

Police off icers found guil ty of gross misconduct will now fa c e a ut o ma t i c d i sm is sa l , an d al l staff fa il ing v etting can be terminat ed, as part of the gov ernment's reform of the disciplinar y system

These measures aim to rebuild public trust in policing, following several highprof ile controversies, including the conviction of ser ving f i r e a r m s o f f i c e r Wa y n e C o u z e n s fo r t h e k i d n a p , rape, and murder of Sarah Ev e r a r d I n Fe b r u a r y, Me t

police off icer David Carrick w a s s e n t e n c e d t o l i fe i n prison after admitting to 85 s e r io u s o f fe n s e s , i n c lu d i n g

48 rapes

O n T h u r s d a y, Ho m e

Secretar y Suella Braverman announced changes to the law, requiring all off icers in England and Wales to undergo appropriate vetting during their ser vice This will also allow for the dismissal of off icers who fail a re-vetting

t e s t w h i l e i n t h e i r r o l e s Dismissal will be automatic

in cases of gross misconduct unless exceptional circumstances apply

In the new framework, independent public hearings le d b y c h ie f c o n s t a ble s o r s e n i o r o f f i c e r s w i l l b e r e s p o n s i b l e fo r r e m o v i n g corrupt off icers from their r e s p e c t i v e fo r c e s Po l i c e chiefs will also have the right to challenge decisions, and former off icers and special constables' cases will genera l l y b e e x p e d i t e d t h r o u g h fast-track procedures

Junior and senior doctors in England to stage first-ever simultaneous NHS strike

Junior d octors and consultants in Eng land are set to strike simu ltaneou sly for the f irst time in NHS history, marking a sig nif icant escalati on i n th ei r ac rim o ni o us wage dispute w ith the g overnment

T h e B r i t i s h Me d i c a l Association attributes this d e c i s i o n t o t h e g o v e r nment's refusal to engage in salar y negotiations for doctors, leading to the union's decision to orchestrate coord i n a t e d s t r i ke s i n v o l v i n g both groups of medical professionals

These joint actions will r e s u l t i n h o s p i t a l s a n d h e a l t h c a r e s e r v i c e s i n England operating at a level of care equivalent to that on Christmas Day for a total of four days in September and

BMA

October

T h e c o m b i n e d s t r i ke s h a v e i m m e d i a t e l y r a i s e d concerns among healthcare

l e a d e r s M a t t h e w Ta y l o r,

C E O o f t h e N H S

C o n fe d e r a t i o n , e x p r e s s e d alarm, referring to this joint a c t i o n a s t h e " n i g h t m a r e scenario" long dreaded by

NHS leaders He criticised it as a step that will cause unnecessar y delays and distress to patients "

The planned protests are scheduled for September 20 and then on October 2, 3, and 4, coinciding with the Conser vative Party's annual conference in Manchester

G overnment exploring expansion of facial recognition technology

Th e gov ernm ent is exploring the possibility of broaden i ng th e d ep l o ym e nt o f facial reco gnition technology with in police fo rces and secu rity agencies

T h e D e fe n c e a n d Security Accelerator (DASA), a division of the Ministr y of Defence (MoD) responsible for identifying and funding technology solutions for the a r m e d fo r c e s , p o l i c e , a n d security ser vices, has issued a request for companies to

assist in identifying "solutions that can enhance the utilisation and eff iciency of facial recognition technologies within UK policing and security "

T h e m a r ke t e x p l oration" initiative, scheduled to continue until October 12, is actively seeking concepts that have the potential to be put into operation to b e n e f i t t h e Ho m e O f f i c e and policing within the next 18 months

Cr i t i c s h a v e c r i t i c i s e d t h i s m o v e a s "d i s t u r b i n g " and "unnecessar y, " drawing parallels to "Or wellian mass s u r v e i l l a n c e" p r a c t i c e s o b s e r v e d i n R u s s i a a n d C h i n a Ho w e v e r, Po l i c i n g M i n i s t e r C h r i s P h i l p a n d Professor Paul Taylor, the Po l i c e C h i e f S c i e n t i f i c A d v i s e r, h a v e e x p r e s s e d their strong support for the p o t e n t i a l e x p a n s i o n a n d u t i l i s a t i o n o f t h i s technology

Suella Braverman

Who will address the elephant in the room?

As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak heads to India for G20, it’s a gala homecoming celebration for him This is the first time Mr Sunak is visiting India as UK’s first-ever Indian-origin Prime Minister But with his roots, heritage and family in India, it is a reunion of a sort PM Sunak during his exclusive interview with Asian Voice, told us clearly, he will be representing UK’s 1 7mn diaspora or living bridge (see p1)

In the UK, the preparation for next year ’ s election has already started The upcoming party conferences will outline the major claims on manifestos On Monday 3 September Labour party organised a community engagement reception for the diaspora Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs MP David Lammy hosted this event to talk about the importance of diaspora and their contributions to build Britain (see P9)

He said, “ When we think about not just the challenges that still exist in the communities, but the opportunities that come to fruition, the successes, the aspirations of communities We're now at a stage where there are over 1000 Indian businesses contributing over a billion to the UK economy ”

The Labour party, as sources reveal, have quite a few Asian-origin candidates getting ready for the 2024 elections

Both Labour and Tories have reshuffled their Cabinet, with S i r K e i r S t a r m e r t r y i n g t o e c h o T o n y B l a i r a n d P e t e r Mandelson’s modernisation techniques from the 1990s

But there is an elephant in the room that no one wants to address! During Sir Starmer’s interview at the UK-India week, he assured that his relationship with India will be a renewed one, despite all previous tensions between the party

and Indian government In an interview with Asian Voice in lasty half of 2022, he said, “I am recognising that the Kashmir issue has to be resolved between India, Kashmir and Pakistan Our role will be to help facilitate that peaceful resolution But it is very important for the Labour party to strengthen the relationship between India and the UK We are reaching out to India I am very clear and determined to build trust ”

For years, faith has remained a major identity factor for the second and third generation immigrants The Hindu community in the UK, has been given a voice by the Tories, which helped the party win three consecutive elections While our Prime Minister prides himself as a practicing Hindu, he also stands for a majority Christian country It is perhaps unwise to mix faith and state affairs, but identity politics has changed a lot over the last few years

In a recent news, Labour voters have apparently said they are most likely to oppose people with strong religious faith from becoming Prime Minister of the UK, according to an exclusive poll for Express co uk

With Leicester communal unrest and questions raised about India’s foreign aid situation as opposed to mission Chandrayaan expenses, Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami’s Daily Telegraph column may not be enough to make a point for India The Tories have been an island, while the rest of the Britons seem to have a very different perspective of India Labour party is reportedly 18% ahead of the Tories in the poll to win next year ’ s elections, but they have a lot of damage control to do, if they want the Indian donors and voters to start supporting them again

Dynamism of Indian diaspora

The Indian diaspora as global citizens have made considerable contributions not only to the world’s economy or cultural or historical ties but have built strong connections between their country of residence and roots - popularly known as the “living bridge”

From Silicon Valley to the bustling streets of London, Indian entrepreneurs and business leaders have founded and scaled enterprises in diverse sectors They've not only contributed to the economic growth of their adopted countries but have also established India as a hub for innovation and talent Indian CEOs are in charge of some of the most valuable businesses in the world, with a focus on the technology industry Despite underrepresentation of women in this group, they are also progressively becoming influential figures in Silicon Valley

C E O s l i k e S a t y a N a d e l l a ( C h a i r m a n a n d C E O o f

M i c r o s o f t ) , S u n d a r P i c h a i ( C E O o f G o o g l e ) , S h a n t a n u

N a r a y e n ( C h a i r m a n a n d C E O o f A d o b e ) , L a x m a n

Narasimhan (CEO of Starbucks), Reshma Kewalramani (CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals), and some other prominent Indian CEOs have emerged as key players in the global economic ladder

The Indian diaspora has also had a significant impact on world commerce By utilising their contacts and knowledge to establish profitable business alliances, they have promoted trade between India and the nations that they have been living in Additionally, their cultural and business connections have opened doors for Indian companies looking to expand globally According to recent reports, the UK government and Tata Steel, the nation's largest steel maker, are in

advanced talks about a £500 million package aimed at securing its long-term presence in the UK Alongside this investment, Tata Group, the Indian parent company, is said to be contributing £700 million to the Port Talbot steelworks in South Wales

This dynamic engagement in the business world extends beyond commerce It involves knowledge-sharing, mentorship and philanthropy, where successful members of the Indian diaspora often support educational and charitable initiatives both in their host countries and back in India

The diaspora has also made major and successful inroads into the political landscape globally As expatriates and i m m i g r a n t s , i n d i v i d u a l s o f I n d i a n o r i g i n h a v e a c t i v e l y engaged in politics, both in their adopted countries and in connection with India With his victory in Singapore's presidential election, Tharman Shanmugaratnam joins a lengthy list of Indian-origin leaders who are currently controlling politics In the United States, the growing influence of the Indian American community can be seen in the success of Kamala Harris, who became the first woman and the first coloured Vice President of that country Indian-origin leaders like Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy have launched their bids for the White House in 2024 Rishi Sunak became Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister last year

In essence, the Indian diaspora has crossed borders to become true global citizens, promoting global cooperation, cultural interchange, and economic prosperity Their efforts have ignited a worldwide appreciation for India's multifaceted heritage and talents, creating bridges of understanding and unity across borders

Spectacular contributions of

Women have made an enduring impact on modern Indian society, across a diverse range of fields Their influence extends from politics and education to business, social services, arts and culture, sports, aerospace, journalism, science and technology, literature, entertainment, philanthropy, spiritual leadership, entrepreneurship, social activism, and envir o n m e n t a l c o n s e r v a t i o n T h e i r s t e a d f a s t d e d i c a t i o n a n d resilience stand as a compelling testament to their exceptional strength

Indian women have left a lasting impact in the domains of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Their achievements span a wide array of fields, shattering barriers and serving as beacons of inspiration for generations to come

A recent testament to this progress is the success of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission with 120 women scientists from ISRO playing pivotal roles M Vanitha, the Chandrayaan-2 project director, and Ritu Karidhal, the Chandrayaan-2 mission director, achieved historic milestones as India's first female leaders of a space mission

Apart from scientific curiosity, India has seen a significant increase in strong and confident women making waves across the political scene, and while there's still progress to be made, the scenario continues to change rapidly India’s current President, Draupadi Murmu is making history as the first tribal person and the second woman after Pratibha Patil to hold this office She is a staunch advocate for tribal rights and development, working to preserve distinct tribal identities

Supriya

Thought for the week

Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen - that stillness becomes a radiance.

Morgan Freeman

Political Sketchbook

Alpesh Patel

India on the World Stage

As two Hind u Head s of G over nmen t re ady t o me et a t the G20, (a s t he BBC put it), let’ s look at Ind ia’s perce ption on the world sta ge Can y ou im agine when Ma hatma Ga ndhi met t he Kin g, or whe n Churchill calle d G an dhiji a halfna ke d fak ir, that a Hindu would be Head of G over nme nt in the Unit ed Kin gdom Wha t if t he Mahat ma had whisper ed th at in t he King’s ea r?

The article from Pew Research Center, titled "Views of India Lean Positive Across 23 Countries," delves into the international perception of India and its Prime Minister, Narendra Modi The report is based on surveys conducted in 23 countries across various continents, including North A m e r i c a , E u r o p e , t h e M i d d l e E a s t , A s i a - P a c i f i c , s u bSaharan Africa, and Latin America It reveals that a median of 46% of adults hold a favourable view of India, while 34% have unfavourable views Narendra Modi's international reputation is more mixed, with 37% expressing confidence in him and 40% lacking confidence The report also highlights that Indians are more optimistic about their country's rising global influence compared to other nations

The Modi Paradox: Why is there such a stark contrast between Narendra Modi's domestic popularity and his mixed international reputation?

Global Perception vs Self-Perception: What factors contribute to the discrepancy between how Indians view their country's global influence and how the rest of the world sees it?

The European Downturn: Why have favourable views of India declined significantly in European countries, and what implications does this have for India's foreign policy?

A S cho larly Perspective on India's Global P erception

Ah, the enigma that is India a nation of profound complexities and paradoxes, a land where ancient traditions coalesce with burgeoning technological advancements The recent Pew Research Center's report provides a fascinating lens through which one can scrutinize the global perceptions of this South Asian behemoth Allow me to elucidate

Firstly, the report reveals a rather intriguing dichotomy: while Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys a robust approval rating domestically, his international reputation is, shall we say, less unanimous This bifurcation is not merely a statistical anomaly but a reflection of the intricate tapestry of geopolitics and domestic policy Modi's domestic agenda, which resonates with a significant portion of the Indian populace, may not necessarily align with international norms or expectations, thereby leading to this schism in perception

Indian women

for their unwavering and assertive stances in Indian politics

Women's involvement in the business sector is also on the rise in India and their contributions to the country's economy are increasingly pivotal Many women are venturing into entrepreneurship, creating businesses that wield a significant impact on the economy Additionally, women are assuming leadership roles within various multinational corporations, actively contributing to the growth and development of India's economic landscape

Figures such as Leena Nair (Global CEO of Chanel), Shikha Sharma (former Managing Director and CEO of Axis B a n k ) , R o s h n i N a d a r M a l h o t r a ( C h a i r p e r s o n o f H C L Technologies), and Naina Lal Kidwai (Country Head of HSBC India) serve as prominent examples of this trend

Since the new millennium, Indian female athletes have r i s e n s i g n i f i c a n t l y o n t h e g l o b a l s p o r t s s t a g e A p i v o t a l m o m e n t o c c u r r e d a t t h e S y d n e y 2 0 0 0 O l y m p i c s w h e n

Karnam Malleswari won a historic bronze, becoming India's first female Olympic medallist in weightlifting

Her achievement inspired a new generation of Indian sportswomen like MC Mary Kom, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, and Sakshi Malik They aimed for greatness, defied odds, and earned Olympic medals, further enhancing the stature of Indian women in sports and fostering a legacy of excellence

These are just a few of the many inspiring women who make India proud and while we celebrate these achievements, but it's crucial to acknowledge that women in India still face significant challenges Gender discrimination, female foeticide, violence against women, and unequal pay persist as pressing issues and need attention

Secondly, the report underscores a palpable sense of optimism among Indians regarding their nation's ascendancy on the global stage Approximately seven-in-ten Indians believe their country's influence is waxing a stark contrast to the more tepid assessments from other nations This divergence can be attributed to a myriad of factors, including but not limited to, nationalistic fervour, economic growth, and perhaps a touch of hubris It raises the question: is India's self-perception inflated, or is the world yet to catch up with India's actual capabilities?

L a s t l y , t h e r e p o r t u n v e i l s a d i s c o n c e r t i n g t r e n d among European nations, where favourable views of India have waned over the years This decline is particularly pronounced in France, where favourable opinions have plummeted from 70% in 2008 to a mere 39% today Such a downturn necessitates a revaluation of India s diplomatic strategies in Europe, especially in an era where alliances are increasingly fluid

In conclusion, India's perception on the world stage is a complex amalgam of admiration, scepticism, and indifference As India continues to carve out its role in the global arena, it must navigate these multifaceted perceptions with sagacity and diplomatic finesse After all, in the grand theater of international relations, perception often shapes reality

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Sule, Priyanka Gandhi, Swati Maliwal, and Agatha Sangma are among the notable firebrand politicians known

Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall supports 'Restore Trust' group

T h e ha r d - r ig h t C on se r va t iv e candidat e in the London may or al r a ce , S usa n H a l l , h as p ub l icl y e ndorse d Re store Trust , a cont r o v e r si a l gr o up a c cu se d o f d o wn p l a y i n g t h e n e ga t iv e a spects of Br it ain's colonial hist or y Restore Trust has criticised the National Trust's efforts to provide historical context to its properties and lands connected to Britain's role in slavery Hall's s u p p o r t f o r t h i s r i g h t - w i n g movement included a statement: "I'm helping to restore trust in the National Trust " However, h e r e n d o r s e m e n t h a s r a i s e d questions about her stance on Britain's colonial past, particularly in one of the world's most diverse cities

London Labour MPs recently

James Cleverly addresses human rights concerns with China

British Foreig n Secretary Jam es C lev erl y a d d re ss ed co n ce rns a bo u t C h i na' s h u m an ri g h ts reco rd d uring h is visit to Beijing o n Wed nesday He em phasized the significance of m aintaining a "prag matic" working relationsh ip and re-establishing channels of comm unication

MAN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH HISTORICAL SEXUAL ASSAULTS

wrote to Conservative chairman

G r e g H a n d s , q u e s t i o n i n g t h e party's support for Hall in light of her previous remarks about London's Notting Hill carnival, which she deemed "dangerous " S h e h a s a l s o m a d e s t a t ements about the black community having a "problem with crime " Hall's backing of Restore Trust aligns with her strong opposition to the removal of any statues in the capital

Home Office defies high court, places 100 asylum-seeker children in hotels

D espite being deemed unla wful b y the high court , the UK Home Of fice has ac comm odated over 100 l one asyl um -s eeker c hildren in hotels in recent weeks

T h i s o n g o i n g g o v e r n m e n t practice has faced criticism from human rights and refugee organizations due to more than 200 c h i l d r e n g o i n g m i s s i n g , w i t h dozens disappearing from a single hotel in Brighton One of the reasons behind the continued use of hotels for child placements, some lasting several weeks, is the inability of Kent County Council

to cope with the influx of arriving children

T h e c o u n c i l s g e o g r a p h i c a l location places it under the obligation to care for unaccompanied children who arrive on the Kent coast via small boats They have expressed difficulties in fulfilling their legal responsibilities towards both UK-born and asylum-seeker children

The high court has previously ruled that both the Home Office and Kent County Council acted unlawfully by failing to provide proper care for these children

"Woke" policing harming public trust, Suella Braverman warns

T h e H o m e S ec re tar y, S ue ll a Brav erman, h as cautioned that p ublic trust in the police is being e ro d e d and u nn ec es s ari l y h a rm e d d u e to o ff i ce rs w h o exhibit political bias and partisansh ip

In an interview with The T e l e g r a p h , s h e d i s c l o s e d t h a t she had instructed Andy Cooke, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, to investigate the " u n a c c e p t a b l e i n c r e a s e " i n p o l i c e i n v o l v e m e n t i n c o ntentious issues and provide a report on the matter

She expressed concerns that the focus on "politically correct c a u s e s " w a s d i v e r t i n g p o l i c e from their core responsibility of combatting crime and has communicated her worries in writ-

This trip, the first by a U K foreign secretary to China in over five years, aims to thaw r e l a t i o n s t h a t h a v e g r o w n increasingly strained due to vari o u s i s s u e s T h e s e i n c l u d e Beijing's crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong (a former British colony), human rights abuses against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, China's support for Russia, and Britain's close security ties with the United States

Cleverly held meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Y i a n d V i c e P r e s i d e n t H a n Zheng during his one-day visit Both diplomats emphasized the significance of dialogue between their nations, with Wang highl i g h t i n g t h e g l o b a l i m p a c t o f

James Cleverly

cooperation between China and Britain

Cleverly's office reported that he engaged in "in-depth discussions" concerning the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, particularly in light of Beijing's introduction of a stringent National Security Law in the region

The visit has sparked divisions within Britain's governing Conservative Party Some lawmakers, who have advocated for a tougher stance on China, critic i z e d t h e v i s i t a s a f o r m o f appeasement

Majority of adults concerned about their ageing parents

A surv ey of 2,00 0 adults w ith p arents ag ed ov er 70 reveals that m ore than eight in 10 are concerned abou t their parents' welf ar e a nd se cu r i ty w h il e als o d esiring to m aintain their ind ep endence

Among their top concerns are falls, scams, and burglaries

Sixty-one percent of adult children express a wish to ensure the safety and security of their e l d e r l y p a r e n t s H o w e v e r , despite this desire to intervene, 46 percent fear that doing so would make their parents feel like a burden

Suella Braverman

i n g t o c h i e f c o n s t a b l e s i n England and Wales

T h i s c o n c e r n h a s a r i s e n amid controversies surrounding "woke" policing, including an incident where officers recorded a "hate incident" after an autistic boy unintentionally damaged a copy of the Koran and police i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n t o t w e e t s b y f e m i n i s t s e x p r e s s i n g g e n d e rcritical views

T h e s t u d y , c o n d u c t e d b y smart home security company Ring, shows that 24 percent of respondents attempt to contact t h e i r e l d e r l y p a r e n t s a t l e a s t o n c e a w e e k , b u t 1 1 p e r c e n t would do so more frequently if possible Additionally, the survey reveals that 71 percent worry up to 10 times a week about how their elderly parents will manage things around the house as they age

Furthermore, 12 percent of respondents state that neither they nor their siblings live near their elderly parents

Ealing landlords violating regulations ordered to pay over £250,000

Ealing Co uncil h as comp leted cr ac kd o w ns o n l and lo rd s i n Southall and Periv ale, resu lting in substantial fines amou nting to h un d red s of th o us and s o f pounds

Two landlords faced hefty fines due to their failure to comply with planning regulations and their disregard for instruc-

City mosque fights to save £2m youth centre after 'stoning' video backlash

T h e g o ve rn m en t h as te mpo rarily withh eld a £2 2 milli on gran t de si gnated fo r a crucial you th centre p roject at a city mosque Th is decisio n follows the viral circulation o f a social media clip featuring a preach er discussi ng the topic of 'stoning women '

G r e e n L a n e M a s j i d a n d

Community Centre's leaders are actively working to chal-

l e n g e t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f

C u l t u r e , M e d i a a n d S p o r t

( D C M S ) d e c i s i o n t o ' p a u s e ' t h e g r a n t a l l o c a t i o n T h e

mosque leadership contends that the edited clip lacks cont e x t a n d i s m i s l e a d i n g

Furthermore, they assert that it has led to a barrage of hate mail and threats, prompting t h e p o l i c e t o c o n s i d e r increased patrols around the

venue The DCMS confirmed that it has temporarily suspended the release of £2 175 m i l l i o n f r o m i t s Y o u t h

I n v e s t m e n t F u n d t o G r e e n Lane Masjid and Community Centre The reason behind this p a u s e i s t o s e e k a d d i t i o n a l reassurances regarding safeg u a r d i n g m e a s u r e s a n d t o investigate online allegations

In connection with investigations into allegations of historical sexual assaults detectives have brought charges against an individual Makhan Singh Mauji aged 70 from Northampton, faces 14 counts of sexual assault These charges pertain to incidents that occurred between July 1983 and July 1987, taking place at various locations, including a Gurdwara in Hitchin Singh Mauji held the role of a traveling Granthi, a ceremonial religious figure responsible for reciting the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism, within Gurdwaras Mr Mauji also maintained affiliations with several other Gurdwaras including those in Northampton, Bedford, and Milton Keynes

LANDLORD FINED £285,000 FOR OVERCROWDING TENANTS

A landlord who overcrowded vulnerable tenants into cramped flats above a pub in Stoke Newington has been fined £285,000 following the intervention of Hackney Council enforcement officers During the proceedings at Wood Green Crown Court, it was revealed that Ibrahim Has, owner and director of Has & Co Properties, had managed to fit 13 flats into the space above the Yucatan Pub on Stoke Newington Road These dwellings were exceptionally small, some measuring as little as nine square meters in size which is less than a quarter of the legal minimum requirement of 37 square meters

"ZERO TOLERANCE" POLICY TOWARDS SHOPLIFTING

tions from the council's planning enforcement team

Zasar Khan, residing at The Broadway, Southall, has been ordered to pay over £125,000 for neglecting a planning enforcement notice at his property Mr Khan, aged 49, had constructed a n u n a u t h o r i z e d r e a r r o o f extension and converted it into six self-contained flats, resulting in cramped and substandard living conditions

In Perivale, Hafiz Imran of Rydal Crescent had unapproved s t r u c t u r e s a d d e d t o h i s r e s id e n c e o v e r a d e c a d e Additionally, they found that Mr Imran had converted the side extension into a self-contained flat without obtaining the necessary planning permission

A s a r e s u l t , h e w a s s u mmoned to court, and in July of t h e c u r r e n t y e a r , I s l e w o r t h

C r o w n C o u r t i m p o s e d a Confiscation Order of £100,000, along with £30,000 in costs and a £500 fine

The policing minister, Chris Philp, emphasized the need for a strict zerotolerance stance on shoplifting, urging the police to investigate all incidents, regardless of the stolen goods value, according to The Daily Telegraph Philp stated that law enforcement agencies should scrutinize any case supported by CCTV evidence He highlighted the widespread impact of shoplifting on businesses, both large and small, across the nation often involving acts of violence or threats against retail staff These comments followed Tesco's CEO, Ken Murphy, advocating for a legal change to criminalize abuse or violence towards retail workers throughout the United Kingdom

CONTROVERSIES SURROUND CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE TO REPLACE NADINE DORRIES MP

The Conservative candidate chosen to succeed the departing MP Nadine Dorries has faced various issues, including having several of his organisations deregistered from the official companies register and accusations of distributing a counterfeit newspaper in the constituency Festus Akinbusoye, a 45-year-old Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire, is vying to become the next Conservative Member of Parliament for the rural constituency However, he has encountered a series of local controversies like company collapses, hypocritical statements and fake newspaper distribution These controversies may impact his prospects of following in Dorries' footsteps

Max Ghose

Tory rising star Claire Coutinho joins UK cabinet in mini-reshuffle

Gran t Sha pps has assumed the role of the new Defence Secr etar y in the governmen t, t a k in g o v e r f r om B e n Wal la ce , who t ende re d his resignation earl ier today

Shapps, who previously served as the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, has been succeeded by Claire Coutinho, who t r a n s i t i o n s f r o m a j u n i o r ministerial position in the Department for Education

This is a significant promotion for the East Surrey M P , w h o w a s e l e c t e d t o P a r l i a m e n t i n D e c e m b e r 2019 In her prior role as a P a r l i a m e n t a r y U n d e rS e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e w i t h responsibilities for childcare, s h e h e l d a p o s i t i o n j u s t below the Cabinet, but not quite at the Cabinet level

Rishi Sunak's decision to elevate her to the Cabinet, m a k i n g h e r t h e y o u n g e s t member, immediately establishes her as a prominent figure in Conservative politics, both in the present and for the future She also becomes the first member of the 2019 intake of Tory MPs to reach t h e C a b i n e t , m a r k i n g a notable achievement in her political career

Before her election as the Member of Parliament for East Surrey, at the age of 38, she served as an adviser to Mr Sunak when he was the C h i e f S e c r e t a r y t o t h e Treasury When he assumed the role of Chancellor in 2 0 2 0 , t h e i r p a r t n e r s h i p effectively continued, with Coutinho serving as his parliamentary aide

She played a significant role behind the scenes in Mr S u n a k ' s l e a d e r s h i p c a mpaigns the previous summer and gained recognition for her performance as a minis-

PCC and Chief Constable join Home Secretary at No.10 to mark historic 20,000 uplift programme

PC C and C h ief C o nstable jo i n H o m e S ec re tar y at No 1 0 to m a rk h is to r i c 20 ,00 0 uplift program me

Claire Coutinho

ter, particularly as childcare issues gained prominence in the political agenda

Like the Prime Minister, C o u t i n h o i s t h e c h i l d o f i m m i g r a n t s H e r p a r e n t s immigrated from India to the UK in the 1970s, where t h e y w o r k e d a s d o c t o r s , w h i l e s h e w a s b o r n i n London in 1985

H e r p r e v i o u s p o s i t i o n h a s a l s o b e e n f i l l e d w i t h David Johnston now taking on the role of Minister for C h i l d r e n , F a m i l i e s , a n d Wellbeing

T h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r a n n o u n c e d t h e s e c h a n g e s o n T h u r s d a y m o r n i n g i n response to Wallace's resign a t i o n , w h i c h h a d b e e n anticipated throughout the summer and followed his decision not to seek re-election as an MP in the next general election

Amber de Botton, Rishi Sunak's director of communications, has also departed Downing Street after serving in the role for just 10 months, expressing that it had been an "honour and privilege" to work for Sunak but that she had decided it was the appropriate time to move on N e r i s s a C h e s t e r f i e l d , Sunak's press secretary and l o n g - s e r v i n g a i d e , w i l l assume the role of de Botton S h e b e c o m e s t h e s i x t h D i r e c t o r o f Communications at Number 10 in just 18 months

UK minister committed to deal with crumbling school buildings

B ri ti s h F i nan ce M in i st er J er em y H u nt h as announced the go vernm ent's co mm itm ent t o s w i f tly a d d r es si n g u n sa fe s c h o o l bu i ld in g s after app roximately 1 0 0 s ch o o l s w ere i nstructed to close som e structures due t o d e ter io r ati n g concrete

The decision, made last week, compelled schools to vacate buildings constructe d w i t h R e i n f o r c e d A u t o c l a v e d A e r a t e d C o n c r e t e ( R A A C ) s h o r t l y before the start of the new t e r m , c a u s i n g f r u s t r a t i o n among parents and educators due to the last-minute nature of the directive

H u n t s t a t e d t h a t a majority of the 104 affected

P o l i c e a n d C r i m e C o m m i s s i o n e r R u p e r t M a t t h e w s m a d e a s p e c i a l visit to No 10 to mark the c o m p l e t i o n o f a n a t i o n a l 2 0 , 0 0 0 p o l i c e o f f i c e r recruitment uplift T h e L e i c e s t e r , Leicestershire and Rutland

P o l i c e a n d C r i m e

C o m m i s s i o n e r w a s j o i n e d b y C h i e f C o n s t a b l e R o b

N i x o n a n d P C S u m m e r Lobo, who was recruited as part of Uplift Programme, at a special meeting hosted by H o m e S e c r e t a r y S u e l l a Braverman

T h e n a t i o n a l P o l i c e U p l i f t P r o g r a m m e w a s launched in 2019 to significantly boost police officer numbers across the country by 20,000

L e i c e s t e r s h i r e P o l i c e s u c c e s s f u l l y e x c e e d e d i t s target ahead of the deadline, r e c r u i t i n g 3 4 0 o f f i c e r s across the force - an increase of 17 per cent - to serve the city and two counties' communities more effectively

The officers have joined the force through a variety of entry routes including the Initial Police Learning and D e v e l o p m e n t P r o g r a m m e (IPLDP), the Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP), the Direct Entry Detective

Programme (DC DHEP) and the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)

F o l l o w i n g h i s v i s i t t o

D o w n i n g S t r e e t , M r Matthews said: "This milestone is fantastic news for c o m m u n i t i e s a c r o s s t h e country including those in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland It means we now have an even more robust a n d p r o a c t i v e w o r k f o r c e

committed to tackling the problems that matter most to local people

I was delighted to join Chief Constables and PCCs from across the country to m a r k t h e s u c c e s s o f t h i s d r i v e w i t h o u r H o m e Secretary Suella Braverman

The country now benefits from 149,500 police officers k e e p i n g u s s a f e i n o u r h o m e s a n d p u b l i c s p a c e s and I am proud Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland has played its part in that achievement

" W e n o w n e e d t o g e t back to work and continue d e l i v e r i n g a n o u t s t a n d i n g service that the public can trust and be proud of "

schools, out of a total of 22,000 in England, will be able to operate with minimal disruption He emphasized the government's willingness to allocate the necessary resources to resolve this issue promptly H e a l s o a c k n o w l e d g e d t h a t R A A C , a l i g h t w e i g h t form of concrete commonly u s e d i n t h e 1 9 6 0 s - 8 0 s , i s now considered weaker and poses significant safety concerns

Jeremy Hunt

Mandatory whole-life orders implemented for most heinous killers

Rishi Sunak has unveiled new p lans that will m andate lifelong im priso nment without the possibility of release for the m ost h einous murderers

The government intends to a m e n d l e g i s l a t i o n t o c o m p e l judges to issue whole-life orders for the most morally reprehensible killers, barring only except i o n a l l y r a r e c i r c u m s t a n c e s

Whole-life orders represent the harshest punishment available within the nation's criminal justice system

T h i s d e c i s i o n f o l l o w s t h e application of such an order to child serial killer Lucy Letby, who was convicted of murdering seven infants and attempti n g t o m u r d e r s i x o t h e r s

Furthermore, this legal amendment will establish, for the first time, whole-life sentences as the default punishment for sexual-

Autumn Covid vaccine program moved up due to new UK variant

T he flu and C ovi d-19 vaccine p rog ram is set to com mence earl ier th an o ri gi nally sch ed u led this year, accord ing to officials

T h i s d e c i s i o n h a s b e e n prompted by the discovery of a n e w v a r i a n t o f t h e C o v i d - 1 9 virus in the UK on August 18

BEDS FOR COVID NIGHTINGALE WARDS BEING SOLD FOR £6 EACH

contains a substantial number of mutations

Lucy Letby

ly-motivated murders

The prime minister said: “By bringing in mandatory wholelife orders for the heinous criminals who commit the most horrific types of murder, we will make sure they never walk free ” Downing Street has indicated that this change in sentencing could have been applicable in recent cases such as those i n v o l v i n g Z a r a A l e e n a a n d

Sabina Nessa

Rishi Sunak: No government mandate for shops to accept cash

O n We d ne sd ay, R i sh i S u na k confirm ed th at he will not comp el sho pkeepers to prov ide customers w ith the option to pay in cash The Prime Minister stated that it is not suitable for th e g overnment to dictate h ow indiv idu als co nd uct th eir business

However, Mr Sunak emphasized the government's dedicat i o n t o e n s u r i n g t h a t p e o p l e have access to cash when need-

ed He pointed out the legislation he introduced during his tenure as Chancellor, which has since been enacted, guaranteeing that individuals are within a three-mile radius of free cash access

Additionally, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been granted the authority to fine or compel banks to offer free cash services to the public

Braverman attributes migrant barge evacuation to civil servants' actions

S u e ll a B ra v er m an h as p lac ed blam e o n Ho m e

Offi ce civ il serv ants fo r t h e B i bb y S to c kh o l m barg e shutdow n T h e H o m e O f f i c e ' s intention was to accommodate 506 men on the barge while awaiting the processing of their asylum a p p l i c a t i o n s H o w e v e r , just four days after asylum seekers were relocated to the vessel, it had to be evacuated due to the detection of legionella bacteria in the water system

Expressing her disappointment, she added: “I ultimately t a k e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y T h e b u c k stops with me for everything t h a t h a p p e n s a t t h e H o m e Office and we are working very quickly to remedy the situation and move people back onto the barge as quickly as possible ”

A d d i t i o n a l l y , B r a v e r m a n attributed responsibility to contractors for failing to ensure that safety protocols were completed b e f o r e a s y l u m s e e k e r s w e r e placed on the barge, which is currently moored at Portland

Port in Dorset

Dave Penman, the general s e c r e t a r y o f t h e F D A t r a d e union, criticized Braverman for h e r c r i t i c i s m s o f o f f i c i a l s ,

describing them as "cowardly attacks "

Referred to as BA 2 86, this variant is regarded as the most worrisome new variant since the e m e r g e n c e o f O m i c r o n , e v e n though it has not been classified a s a " v a r i a n t o f c o n c e r n " S c i e n t i s t s h a v e n o t e d t h a t i t

In response to the situation, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced that v a c c i n a t i o n s w i l l b e g i n o n September 11, based on guidance from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)

T h e U K H S A h a s r e c o mmended the accelerated launch of the autumn vaccine program to provide increased protection, especially for individuals at the highest risk of severe illness

Pret a Manger fined £800,000 over freezer incident with employee

P ret a M anger has received an £ 800 ,00 0 fine follow ing an incid ent in which an emp loyee was trapped inside one of its freezers for ov er tw o hours, resorting to u sing croissant boxes to ward o ff hypothermia

This occurred in July 2021 at the chain's Victoria coach station store, where the employee, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, b e c a m e t r a p p e d i n a w a l k - i n f r e e z e r t y p i c a l l y s e t a t - 1 8 ° C When discovered after two and a half hours, she was in a dist r e s s e d s t a t e , e x p e r i e n c i n g breathing difficulties, and had lost sensation in her legs and feet Subsequently, she received

treatment for hypothermia in t h e h o s p i t a l T h e c o m p a n y expressed deep regret for the incident

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the employee had attempted to tear apart a cardboard box containi n g c h o c o l a t e c r o i s s a n t s t o shield herself from the frigid air blowing out of the vent, but her hands were too cold to manage it

An investigation following t h e i n c i d e n t d i s c o v e r e d t h e absence of a suitable risk assessment for employees working in t e m p e r a t u r e - c o n t r o l l e d e n v ironments

Mahek Bukhari seeking to overturn her murder conviction

T ikTo k personality turned m urd erer, M ahek Bukhari, is seeking to overturn her m urd er convictio n through an appeal at the C ourt of A ppeal Currently serv ing a life sentence, the 24-yearo ld , labelled a " co ld -blooded m urd erer," is expected to rem ain in prison for over 30 years Bukhari, once a social media influencer, was sentenced t o l i f e i m p r i s o n m e n t f o r h e r involvement in the murders of S a q i b H u s s a i n a n d H a s h i m Ijazuddin on February 11 of the previous year She was convicted alongside her mother, Ansreen, and two others, Rekan Karwan

and Raees Jamal, while three a d d i t i o n a l i n d i v i d u a l s w e r e found guilty of manslaughter Mahek, residing at George E a r d l e y C l o s e i n S t o k e - o nTrent, was sentenced to a minim u m o f 3 1 y e a r s a n d e i g h t months in prison before becoming eligible for parole

Hundreds of beds initially acquired for Covid Nightingale wards during the pandemic are now being sold for just £6 each, even though their original cost was £2,500 per bed The NHS has acknowledged a loss of £13 million on these unused emergency beds, intended for as many as seven temporary hospitals These beds were originally purchased for £2,500 each, but they cannot be utilised in regular healthcare service wards due to their failure to meet current standards The NHS Commissioning Board reported "constructive losses" of £13 million in its last two annual reports encompassing storage expenses associated with "emergency beds that were procured for the Nightingale hospitals at the beginning of the pandemic

AWARD-WINNING MY DELHI RESTAURANT RELOCATING TO FORMER ZIZZI LOCATION

A new restaurant is preparing to open in the former Zizzi location on Belvoir Street The renowned My Delhi street eatery is relocating to this site, which had been closed since 2020, with a commitment to introduce the authentic flavors of Delhi to the city center This upcoming restaurant marks My Delhi's inaugural venture beyond the North East and constitutes its third establishment, joining the ranks of its thriving restaurants in Newcastle and Sunderland Boasting a lively and colorful interior, My Delhi aspires to provide a dynamic and diverse restaurant environment, presenting authentic favorites influenced by the street food stalls of Delhi

NEW REGULATIONS FOR BABY AND CHILD CAR SEATS IN EFFECT

As of September 1 2023 new regulations regarding baby and child car seats have come into effect nationwide According to the law a child must remain in a car seat until they reach 12 years of age or a height of 135 centimeters, whichever occurs first Car seats must now adhere to the ECE R129 regulation introduced by the EU in 2014 These seats should allow parents to make adjustments based on their child s height, rather than their weight, and this requirement applies to car seats manufactured in the UK

ONE IN FOUR TEACHERS IN ENGLAND PROVIDED FOOD TO HUNGRY PUPILS

An inquest h as disclosed th at th e ca u se o f S a ra S h a ri f' s d e ath re m ai ns u nd e term i ne d , al th o u g h co r o ner s have ind icated that th e 10year-old's demise, which triggered an international m anhunt, is likely to be "unnatural " S a r a w a s d i s c o v e r e d deceased at her residence in Woking, Surrey, on August 10, a day after her family had travelled to Pakistan British authorities reported that her father, Urfan Sharif, 41, had p l a c e d a 9 9 9 - e m e r g e n c y c a l l from Islamabad that led to the d i s c o v e r y o f h i s d a u g h t e r ' s

body

D u r i n g t h e i n q u e s t ' s opening into her death, it was revealed that the exact cause of death has not been established but is anticipated t o b e " u n n a t u r a l , " a s d i sclosed in Surrey Coroner's Court on Tuesday

This comes in the wake of statements made by Urfan S h a r i f ' s b r o t h e r , I m r a n Sharif, who, while in the cust o d y o f J h e l u m p o l i c e i n P a k i s t a n , c l a i m e d t h a t h i s niece "fell down the stairs and broke her neck "

A recent survey has unveiled that one in four teachers in England have personally supplied food to hungry students out of concern for their well-being This revelation comes as headteachers express concerns about the sustainability of schools continually having to assist struggling families Just ahead of the new school term the survey of 9 000 teachers disclosed that 35% of them indicated that their schools frequently offer food assistance to children and their families This figure significantly increases to nearly half of the schools in the most deprived regions of England FareShare a food waste charity commissioned the survey FareShare's mission involves distributing surplus food from local supermarkets to various charitable organizations and community groups, including those running breakfast, after-school, and holiday clubs for children and young people

Bibby Stockholm barge

Mahek Bukhari with mother Ansreen

Sara Sharif's cause of death is likely "unnatural," inquest reveals

Sara Sharif

PM Rishi Sunak set to make history

A twelfth round of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place from 8-31 August As with previous rounds, this was conducted in a hybrid fashion - a number of UK officials travelled to Delhi for negotiations a n d o t h e r s a t t e n d e d v i r t u a l l y T h i s approach comes after they missed their ambitious Diwali target date for finalising the agreement last year S unak d ismisses the p ossibility of a quick trade deal

T h e U K P r i m e M i n i s t e r , R i s h i Sunak, has officially dismissed the possibility of a quick trade deal with India before the upcoming G20 summit in New Delhi later this week In fact, w i t h i n t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , t h e r e ' s growing scepticism that these negotiat i o n s w i l l r e a c h a c o n c l u s i o n e v e n before the general elections scheduled for next year S p e a k i n g t o A s i a n V o i c e a t a n

EXCLUSIVE interview in August 2023, Mr Sunak said that he was looking forward to visiting India as a representat i o n o f t h e U K ’ s 1 7 m i l l i o n ‘ l i v i n g bridge’ “I am always excited to visit India, particularly in this the way that you describe (first British Indian PM of the UK) will be special,” said the PM “And I'm a representation of a living bridge between our two countries So, it will be a particularly memorable moment and meaningful to me personally ”

Speaking about FTA he told Asian Voice, “I ve had very good conversations with Prime Minister Modi, about our shared commitment, conclude, you know, a good FTA I have always said with all FTAs, that I don't want to put arbitrary deadlines on them, because we should focus more on the quality than rush things, for the sake of it, that both you and I are committed to it We look forward to the teams that are talking, and we look forward to making progress ”

Given that both the UK and India are gearing up for general elections in the coming year, many anticipate that serious trade deal discussions will only c o m m e n c e a f t e r t h e s e e l e c t i o n s C o n s e q u e n t l y , n u m e r o u s o f f i c i a l s within the UK government are now

advocating for the removal of any fixed deadlines for concluding the deal

Deadline remov ed

A government source, as reported by The Guardian, mentioned, "Last year, there was talk of finalising a deal by Diwali, but that was contingent on it being a shallow agreement cantered around a limited range of goods Kemi Badenoch, the Trade Secretary, and Rishi Sunak have opted for a different approach and have thus removed the deadline "

Another high-ranking source within the UK government expressed concerns, stating, India is eager to establish an early agreement on goods, but the risk lies in it potentially becoming the final outcome instead of being the foundation for a broader trade deal that includes the more vital aspects the UK desires "

Insiders familiar with the negotiations have hinted at specific agreements in certain areas Recent reports indicated India's willingness to reduce tariffs on scotch whisky by a third (from 100 per cent) in exchange for tax incentives for Indian workers in the UK However, precise figures have yet to be finalised, according to British officials

Trad e Secretary puts India under th e spot

India must undertake "additional measures" to align with the UK's significantly more open economy during t h e i r n e g o t i a t i o n s f o r a f r e e t r a d e agreement (FTA), according to Kemi Badenoch, the UK's Secretary of State for Business and Trade Badenoch, who recently visited India for a G20 trade and investment summit in Jaipur and FTA discussions, emphasised that this unique agreement would establish a precedent

She acknowledged that the UK possesses a relatively open economy compared to India, implying that concess i o n s a n d a d j u s t m e n t s w o u l d b e required on the Indian side to attain full equivalence with the UK Her prim a r y g o a l w a s t o e n s u r e t h a t a n y resulting FTA would not diminish the current opportunities available Reports suggest that these partial agreements could have paved the way for the signing of a simplified trade deal

Birmingham City Council declares bankruptcy

Birmingham City C ouncil, the largest local authority in Eu rope, has effectiv ely d eclared bankrup tcy, becoming th e latest U K lo cal government body to adm it it cannot balance its books this year

The council, which is controlled by the Labour Party and serves over 1 million residents, announced on Tuesday that it had issued a section 114 notice due to "unprecedented financial challenges "

The primary reason cited for its financial difficulties is the necessity to settle historical equal pay claims, which amount to as much as £760 million

exceeding its annual budget for services

The council also mentioned that it had implemented "stringent spending controls in July" and that the section 114 notice is now deemed a necessary step in their efforts to restore the city's financial stability

Local councils throughout England and Wales are grappling with significant financial pressures stemming from rising social care costs, surging inflation, and reduced revenue

t h i s w e e k H o w e v e r , S u n a k a n d Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, have rejected t h i s n o t i o n , f e a r i n g t h a t i t m i g h t impede the prospects of a more comprehensive agreement

With this, the possibility of Indian PM Narendra Modi visiting the UK to close the FTA around Diwali becomes feeble and in fact, it’s not Sunak’s turn to show what he can do for India within the FTA to not just close the deal, but also strengthen the ties of Living Bridge without putting his homeland under a spot

Russia and Ch ina to skip G20

Confirmed attendees among world leaders for the upcoming G20 summit include US President Joe Biden and C a n a d i a n P r i m e M i n i s t e r J u s t i n T r u d e a u N o t a b l y a b s e n t w i l l b e Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, both opting to skip the event French President Emmanuel Macron is likely to participate and engage in bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi, as r e p o r t e d b y I n d i a n m e d i a G e r m a n Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasised the significance of the G20 summit, despite the absence of Russia and China

Key topics on the agenda this year, u n d e r I n d i a ' s y e a r - l o n g p r e s i d e n c y , include increased loans to developing nations from multilateral institutions, reforms to international debt structures, cryptocurrency regulations, and addressing the impact of geopolitical uncertainties on global food and energy security

Notably, the bloc has struggled to issue joint statements this year, with deep divisions over language pertaining to the Ukraine conflict While Russia and China oppose blaming Moscow for the war, Western countries such as the United States, UK, France, and Canada insist on strong condemnation as a prerequisite for a unified statement

The prospect of a joint communique appears dim Russia and China have blocked these binding agreements at all major G20 meetings so far, objecti n g t o l a n g u a g e r e f e r r i n g t o t h e Ukraine crisis The lack of consensus may undercut India’s efforts in using the G20 presidency to burnish its global credentials and ambitions

Rita Patel launches “One Leicester”

Rit a Pat e l, t he f or m er as s is t a nt m a y o r o f Leice ster, has l aunc hed a fre sh politic al en tity kn o wn a s " On e Leice ster

The party's mission is to pave the way for a "brighter future" for the c i t y w h i l e a d d r e s s i n g the perceived toxicity in politics Patel, formerly a Labour councillor, parted ways with the party in March, alongside three other councillors, d u e t o t h e i r s u p p o r t f o r replacing the city mayor s office with a more democratic leadership structure

Having served as a city councillor for 12 years, Patel now leads this novel political g r o u p , e m p h a s i z i n g t h e i r c o m m i t m e n t t o s e r v i n g

L e i c e s t e r w i t h a p o s i t i v e , issue-centric approach that places genuine representation and the welfare of the city's residents at the fore-

Anew survey published today by NHS England has revealed a lack of confidence in the community in recognising the symptoms of a heart attack, with nearly half (44%) of South Asians saying they were not confident that they could recognise the signs

Almost half (48%) claimed they would not call 999 if they or a loved one were displaying chest pain – the most common symptom of a heart attack

The findings come as part of NHS England’s ongoing Help Us, Help You campaign to raise awareness of heart attack symptoms and help save lives

While the most common symptom is chest pain, symptoms can vary from person to person Other symptoms of a heart attack can include:

² A feeling of pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest

² pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy

² feeling lightheaded or dizzy

² sweating

² shortness of breath

² feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)

² an overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)

² coughing or wheezing

Anyone experiencing heart attack symptoms should call 999

People’s chances of surviving a heart attack are far higher if they seek care earlier – overall around 7 in 10 people survive a heart attack, which increases to more than 9 in 10 for those who reach hospital early to receive treatment

Asif Haque is an English teach er, who surviv ed a heart attack in his early forties He says: “It is so important to get medical help rather than dismiss what’s happening It might not feel very serious, but it’s always best to make sure I thought I had bad food poisoning - a pain at the back of my neck right down to my stomach It continued for three days before I thought to do anything about it My family are medics and when I saw the ECG, I knew straight away how major this was Had I sought help sooner, 30% of my heart muscle could have been saved ”

More than tw o th irds (69%)* of South Asian respondents said they are unaware of the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest, with almost half (42%) wrongly believing a cardiac arrest is another name for a heart attack

A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood to the heart becomes blocked, which can starve it of oxygen, potentially causing serious muscle damage, but the person will be conscious and breathing

front

"One Leicester" seeks to transcend party politics and class-based ideologies, focusing on local concerns and f o s t e r i n g c o l l a b o r a t i o n rather than opposition The group's inaugural campaign will involve working alongside other parties to advocate for a referendum on the mayo r a l s y s t e m i n L e i c e s t e r Their aim is to exemplify a n e w a n d c o n s t r u c t i v e a p p r o a c h t o p o l i t i c s t h a t places the people's interests above all else

A cardiac arrest is different – it usually occurs suddenly and without warning with the person quickly losing consciousness Their heart stops, they will have no pulse and sadly people experiencing a cardiac arrest will usually die within minutes if they do not receive treatment A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest

Those from South Asian backgrounds have a 50% greater risk of Coronary Heart Disease compared with the wider population This is a key risk factor for heart attacks, so it’s important to be particularly vigilant about the signs and act quickly

The latest NHS figures show that there were more than 84,000 hospital heart attack admissions in England during 2021/22, up by more than 7,000 compared to the previous year when fewer people came forward for care during the pandemic

South Asian community aren’t confident they could spot the signs of a heart attack

Asif Haque

Rita Patel

Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury celebrates Rakshabandhan by honoring key services

Wed nesday 3 0

Aug ust 20 23

marked th is year ’ s Rakshabandhan – an auspiciou s Hindu occasion celebrating the bo nd between brothers and sisters Raksha, m eans to protect, Band han m eans a bo nd , and thus th is d ay sym bo lises the bond o f p rotection

London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service, Metropolitan Police Service, Ministry of Defence, NHS and Royal Air Force to celebrate the festival of Rakshabandhan

and selfless commitment which co-exist with the core values of the Swaminarayan faith Brent Borough Commander for the Metropolitan Police Service, Dan Knowles also said a few words and spoke of delivering policing with selflessness, compassion and spirituality This ethos resonates very passionately with the Mandir community as they

From orphanage doorstep to Cricket legend

Rohit Vadhwana

Ag i rl lef t a t th e d o o rste p o f a n orphanage went o n to captain the A u s tr ali a n Wo m e n' s N ati o na l C ricket team and later became the first w omen player to achieve th e do uble o f 1 000 runs and 100 wickets in Wom en's International C ricket She won th e Belinda C lark A ward for 200 7 and 20 08 The all round er is only 4 th w omen cricketer to be included in the Australian cricket Hall o f Fam e and w as also the first women cricketer to be included in ICC Hall o f Fame in A ugu st 20 20 She played 3 w orld cu ps for Australian w omen cricket team and cap tained one victo ry befo re annou ncing her retirement in 2013 This remarkable wom an cricketer is Lisa Sthalekar

In modern times, this symbol of the bond of mutual protection between families, has been expanded

In line with the teachings of the community’s global spiritual leader, Gnan

Mahodadhi Acharya Swamiji Maharaj, that one must never take those who protect us for granted, Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury welcomed esteemed guests from across the key services - the

This unique event not only commemorated the bond between a brother and sister but expressed gratitude to the officers for the selfless and valiant role that they and their teams play in protecting society, taking care of and maintaining peace for our communities

During the assembly, the esteemed guests took part in lighting a flame; a peace candle as a universal symbol of peace and compassion in front of the idols of Lord Swaminarayanbapa

Swamibapa

A heartfelt ceremony of Rakhi-tying followed whereby Acharya Swamiji Maharaj tied a sacred Rakhi on the wrists of the officers and

other guests present, including Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North constituency The Rakhi which symbolised the Lord’s protection for them all as they carry out their official duties to protect the community

The chief guest, Major General John Collyer, who in 2021 was appointed the British Army HQ’s Director of Information and Chief Information Officer, spoke of the British Army’s core values; courage, discipline, respect, integrity, loyalty

Hundreds of thousands of London school children to receive free meals

U p t o 287,000 stat e primar y s c ho o l c h il d r e n a c r o ss L ondon a re n ow be nefitt ing f r o m f r e e s ch o o l m e a ls t han ks to a n unpr ecede nt ed £ 1 3 5 m e me r g e n c y fu n d i n g from the Ma yor of Lon don Sa diq Khan Families in e ver y borough in the ca pit al could s a v e up w a r ds o f £ 44 0 p e r c hi ld a cr o ss t h e n e x t y e a r a ft er the Ma yor intr oduced t he historic one -off fund ing t o he lp L on done rs str uggling wit h the cost of living

It means that for the first time ever free school meals are available to all pupils in e v e r y y e a r o f s t a t e - f u n d e d p r i m a r y s c h o o l s , s p e c i a l s c h o o l s a n d p u p i l r e f e r r a l units for this academic year

Children in years 3 to 6 in primary school years had previo u s l y o n l y r e c e i v e d f r e e school meals if they lived in h o u s e h o l d s o n u n i v e r s a l c r e d i t e a r n i n g l e s s t h a n £7,400 a year - after tax and n o t i n c l u d i n g b e n e f i t s ,

regardless of the number of children in the family S a d i q – w h o r e c e i v e d m e a n s - t e s t e d f r e e s c h o o l meals as a child – has taken action to support families as he is determined to do all he can to help Londoners hit by the cost-of-living crisis

It comes as the latest City Hall polling from YouGov Plc reveals that around a third (32 percent) of parents and g u a r d i a n s o f c h i l d r e n between five and 11 years say they are ‘financially struggling’, including around one in six (16 percent) going without basic needs or relying on debt to pay for them In a separate question, around a

third (31 percent) say they are buying less food and essentials

E v e r y b o r o u g h i n t h e capital has received £2 65 per meal in funding to enable schools to deliver the meals over the next year This is higher than the amount they r e c e i v e f r o m t h e Government, which recently increased its funding from £2 41 to £2 53 per meal following the Mayor’s unprecedented intervention

T o f u r t h e r s u p p o r t schools, boroughs have been provided with a wide range of advice on best practices including how to encourage a l l p a r e n t s t o c o n t i n u e t o register for the Government Free School Meal scheme –this ensures schools continue t o r e c e i v e t h e m a x i m u m a d d i t i o n a l P u p i l P r e m i u m funding from Government, w h i c h i s l i n k e d t o G o v e r n m e n t F r e e S c h o o l Meal take up

are the three pillars which represent the teachings of their late Guru, Ved Ratna Acharya Swamishree Maharaj – the teachings which underpin the celebration of the Mandir’s 10 year anniversary celebrations in August 2024

The celebration was a true community event serving as a reminder to all present of the importance of unity, protection and the selfless duty performed by our key services

If you are a cricket fan, you must have heard of Lisa She is the most befitting example of individual capabilities and destinity, combined Lisa was born in Pune, to be left at the doorstep of an orphanage by parents who might not have ability to bring up a child Luckily the orphanage took charge of the baby girl and named her Laila A couple, Sue and Haren from USA were visiting Pune, to adopt a boy from an orphanage They happened to be where Laila was being raised Sue liked Laila's big, brown eyes and fall in love with her The couple decided to adopt the girl - Laila, abandoning their original plan for a boy They completed the paper work and Laila was renamed as Lisa Thus the girl travelled to USA Later Lisa's parents shifted to Kenya for sometime in connection of their missionary work, before finally shifting and settling in Sydney where Lisa's formative years were spent

Lisa got the interest of cricket from her father who used to play with her in backyard of their house Later, she played with boys in the street and went on to play domestic cricket in Australia As an all-rounder, right handed bat and off spinner bowler, she played for Australian national team from 2001-2013, captaining 93 One Days, 143 Tests and 11 T20s Holder of a number of records, a very successful captain, Lisa has played many incredible games and led Australia to remarkable victories, winning millions of hearts

Who would have imaginged such a future for a girl left at the doorstep of an orphanage in India?

(Expressed opinions are personal)

On a 20,000-kilometer charity road trip

R aj es h K ri s h na , an av id adv enturer, embarked on an am b iti o us j ou rne y, d ri v ing ov er 20 ,00 0 kilometers from Lo nd on, UK, to Kerala, India, traversing 75 cities in 55 days, all in th e noble pu rsuit of raising fu nd s for the Ryan Ni n an C h il d re n' s C h a ri ty (RNC C)

The Cross-Country road trip began on July 25, 2023, starting from the UK Rajesh h a s r e a c h e d T i b e t , C h i n a a f t e r h a v i n g c o v e r e d t e n European countries, Turkey, T u r k m e n i s t a n , U z b e k i s t a n and Kyrgyzstan He anticipates another 15-25 days to reach his target destination W h i l e R a j e s h i s p r i m a r i l y t r a v e l l i n g a l o n e , f r i e n d s , p o l i t i c i a n s , a n d c e l e b r i t i e s

w h o s u p p o r t R N C C h a v e been joining him at specific points of interest, adding an e x c i t i n g d i m e n s i o n t o t h e expedition

The driving motivation b e h i n d t h i s e x t r a o r d i n a r y journey is to raise awareness about childhood cancer and o f f e r s u p p o r t t o o r g a n i z a -

t i o n s d e d i c a t e d t o t h e w e l l - b e i n g o f c h i l d r e n g r a p p l i n g w i t h l i f e - t h r e a t e ni n g i l l n e s s e s T h e charity offers crucial g u i d a n c e , f i n a n c i a l assistance, and supp o r t t o y o u n g p a t i e n t s , e n s u r i n g t h e y r e c e i v e t h e u t m o s t c a r e a n d a s s i s t a n c e d u r i n g t h e i r c h a l l e n g i n g journey

T h e c h a r i t y ' s f o c u s extends to supporting institutions such as Helen House H o s p i c e , t h e I a n R e n n i e Nursing Team, and children undergoing treatment at the Regional Cancer Centre in Trivandrum, India

Honoured guests with Acharya Swamiji Maharaj

Major General John Collyer Barry Gardiner and Acharya Swamiji Maharaj

Daniel Knowles with Acharya Swamiji Maharaj

Sadiq

represented at the festival held in Sunbury on Thames, Surrey

Rajesh Krishna

“Enterprise and hard work at the heart of the immigrant story”

Labour party hosts diaspora reception to celebrate Britain’s global bonds and bridges

Rupanjana Dutta

As the Labour party prepares for next year's g e ne r a l e le c ti o n , wi t h le a d er S i r K ei r Starmer currently res huffling the Cabinet, they c elebrated ‘ Britai n ’ s global bonds and bridges’ at an evening reception for the diaspora in a café in South London

The reception, attended by senior members of the Shadow Cabinet including David L a m m y , S h a d o w S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e f o r Foreign, Commonwealth and Development

A f f a i r s a n d A n n e l i e s e D o d d s , S h a d o w Minister for Women and Equalities, Party Chair and Chair of Labour Policy Review was Labour’s drive to recognise the contribution of Britain’s diaspora communities across the country, both in the UK and globally

T h e e v e n t a l s o o u t l i n e d M P D a v i d Lammy and party’s goal to reduce hidden fees on remittances sent overseas by UK's i m m i g r a n t c o m m u n i t y t o s u p p o r t t h e i r families, in order to fight against poverty

T h e W o r l d B a n k h a s e s t i m a t e d t h e value of these payments from the UK at $10 7 billion (£8 24 billion) in 2022 Yet hidden fees, estimated to cost nearly half a billion pounds a year, are putting additional pressure on families in the UK already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis

MP salutes diaspora contributions

Speaking at the reception, Mr Lammy highlighted the huge contributions made by B r i t a i n ’ s d i v e r s e d i a s p o r a c o m m u n i t i e s , through business, culture, art, food and m u s i c , s o c i a l a c t i o n a n d c o m m u n i t y engagement, fighting prejudice and championing a modern Britain He thanked ethnic and community media, for telling UK’s immigrant stories to the world, when the mainstream did not

The MP who represents Tottenham, labelled as one of the most diverse constituencies in the world, is of Guyanese heritage and retains close links to the country and to family living there Mr Lammy who has been renowned for his Windrush campaign and work in criminal justice, said, "Labour is proud of Britain’s diversity and it’s something we celebrate Our communities are global bonds and bridges to every continent It is a great strength not a weakn e s s E v e r y p a r t o f B r i t a i n h a s b e e n enriched by the contribution of diverse communities

"Unlike the Tories who seek to pit communities against each other in divisive culture wars, the next Labour government will v a l u e t h e e n o r m o u s c o n t r i b u t i o n o f B r i t a i n ’ s d i v e r s e c o m m u n i t i e s b o t h a t home and abroad

"The positive impact of diaspora communities to fighting poverty and inequality through remittance payments is too often overlooked Costly hidden fees on these payments put financial pressure on families in Britain already struggling to make ends

NHS launches first- ever sexual safety charter to help protect staff

Mo re sup port will be p rov ided to NHS staff wh o h av e suffered harassment or inappropriate behaviour, thanks to a first of its kind sexual safety charter

The charter is an agreement with ten pledges including commitments to provide staff with clear reporting mechanisms, training, and support NHS chiefs are today calling on organisations across the health sector including royal colleges to sign up to the framework to eradicate sexual harassment in the workplace

As part of the major new action, every

England will also have a domestic abuse and sexual violence lead to support patients and staff to report incidents and access support

NHS England is creating gold-standard policies and support for local hospitals and health systems to use to address incidents of sexual misconduct By signing up to the charter, NHS managers will receive extra training to improve awareness and ensure allegations are appropriately investigated

The NHS staff survey covering all hospitals in England will also now include questions around sexual safety so the health service can monitor progress

Maharashtra brings the first womanled legislative delegation to the UK

D

meet in the Conservative cost of living crisis

"In government, Labour will set the goal of reducing the obstacles and costs to cross border payments, keeping money in the pockets of Britain’s communities and allowing them to build on their contribution to Britain’s impact in the world "

Paying tribute to thousands of immigrants, building the fabric of Britain’s mult i c u l t u r a l s o c i e t y , M r L a m m y f u r t h e r a d d e d , “ D a v i d C a m e r o n ( f o r m e r P r i m e Minister) had asked me to lead a review on the criminal justice It was a really important cross-party event We looked at the figures sent of young offenders coming f r o m B l a c k , A s i a n a n d m i n o r i t y e t h n i c backgrounds That was cross party I'm very sad that we've lost that in the last few years But I think that we can rebuild those bridges Again, whatever your background, so I thank you for reminding our party through good times bad times, about the importance of communities represented in this room and beyond It's so important to understand enterprise and hard work at the heart of the immigrant story ”

'Tearing down barriers to opportunity'

Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Minister for W o m e n a n d E q u a l i t i e s t a l k i n g a b o u t changing social policies and face of the party said, “I know that you share the values that are really critical to us in the L a b o u r P a r t y e q u a l i t y , f a i r n e s s , t e a r i n g down those barriers to opportunity

“We don't just want to make our policy change, we want to make sure that that change happens within our own home as well, within the Labour Party And that has been a long road You know, the changes that we've made because of the EHRC report; you know the changes that we're making, because before the report recommendations, as well Everyone who shares our values is welcome, in the Labour Party and needs to feel at home And we need your brilliance as well to be the face of our Labour party ”

The India Club actively seeking new location as closure nears

T he m anag em ent o f Th e India Club, schedu led to perm anently

UK this weekend

Accompanied by Rahul Narwekar, t h e S p e a k e r o f t h e M a h a r a s h t r a Legislative Assembly, and 22 legislators from the state, the delegation has b e e n o n a f a c t - f i n d i n g t o u r o f Germany and the Netherlands They will a l s o m e e t w i t h t h e I n d i a n H i g h C

Doraiswami, during their visit to London this week

Dr Gorhe said: “This is the first time there are more than 50 per cent women delegates in this delegation, when we visited Germany and the Netherlands and the UK is our third and final destination

“His Excellency explained that we should

concentrate on education, trade and also finance and technology On the people-topeople cooperation front, he highlighted the need for providing support to women married in India and then finding themselves in trouble here in the UK ”

The primary focus of the delegation is to explore potential state collaborations with the UK in areas such as trade, technology, and sustainable energy Additionally, the team is scheduled for a diaspora interaction event organized by the Maharashtra Mandal

Anneliese Dodds Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities and David Lammy Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (right)

Home Office defends former official’s appointed at Amnesty International UK

The Hom e Office has come t o t h e d e f e n c e o f E m m a H a d d a d , a fo r m e r s e n i o r officia l who has assumed a p o s it i o n wi t h A m n e st y I n t e r n a t i o n a l U K , a p r om ig ran t cha rity This mov e ha s spa rke d criticism a llegin g tha t she obst ructed asylum policy e ffort s durin g he r t en ure at the d epar tme nt E m m a H a d d a d , w h o held the position of Director General for Asylum at the Home Office until October, w a s c h a r a c t e r i s e d b y a n a n o n y m o u s s o u r c e a s t h e p r i m a r y i m p e d i m e n t t o m i n i s t e r i a l p o l i c i e s i n a r e p o r t p u b l i s h e d b y T h e T e l e g r a p h D e s p i t e t h e s e a l l e g a t i o n s , H a d d a d , w h o

Renowned Indian Singer on UK visit

K A P I L’ S K H I C H A D I

Kapil Dudakia

Who Am I?

Emma Haddad

n o w s e r v e s a s t h e C h i e f Executive of the homelessness charity St Mungo's, has taken on an unpaid, partt i m e t r u s t e e r o l e w i t h

Amnesty International UK I t ' s w o r t h n o t i n g t h a t

Amnesty International UK has been actively campaigning against the government's measures aimed at preventi n g i l l e g a l b o a t c r o s s i n g s , including the controversial Rwanda scheme

Lack of diversity in English teaching deprives minority ethnic pupils

Research h as unveiled that students in certain parts of England are unlikely to ev er encounter a teacher from a similar ethnic background T his d isparity is in part du e to a lower acceptance rate for minority ethnic ap plicants into teacher training program s

The north-east region has the least diverse teaching workforce in the country, and students of Pakistani or blackAfrican origin are especially unlikely to have teachers of the same ethnicity in their classrooms

Additionally, findings from the evidence center for education at Durham University highlight that while London boasts the most diverse teaching workforce, it still significantly lags behind the capital s minority ethnic pupil population, resulting in the widest gap in England

Professor Stephen Gorard, the director of the centre, attributed these low numbers to the higher likelihood of rejection for minority ethnic applicants to teacher training programs This has a substantial impact on students

Sunak considers GCSE reform and tax return lessons in math plan

Rishi Sunak is consid ering introdu cing lessons on com pleting tax returns as part of his plan to make m athematics compulso ry u ntil the age o f 18 This initiativ e aim s to make math ed ucation m ore practical and relevant

Additionally, the government is contemplating a review of the mathematics GCSE as part of its commitment to transforming mathematics education, following the Prime Minister's vision Insiders familiar with the discussions have also informed that ministers are revisiting the current resits rule, which obliges students who fail to achieve a grade 4 in their math GCSEs to retake the exam until they succeed or reach the age of 18 This rule often results in a disheartening cycle of failure for many students

An expert group, appointed to advise on the implementation of Rishi Sunak's goal of compulsory math education until age 18, has recommended that the curriculum be as relevant to students' lives as possible This includes incorporating lessons on topics such as taxes and inflation The group has submitted its report on potential reforms to the current math education system to the reviewing ministers

BAME volunteers negatively impacted by the cost-of-living crisis

British NGO Human A ppeal's new research , released on A ugust 28, 2023, high lig hts the substantial contributions of BA ME ind ivid uals to the UK's volunteer co mmunity T he study rev eals that 3 8% of BA ME v olu nteers red uced their h ours d ue to the cost-of-living crisis, and one-third (33 %) of all U K volunteers d ecreased their charitable com mitments

Notably, BAME volunteers show strong commitment to diverse causes like childcare (25%), food provision (27%), education (22%), and healthcare (27%) compared to non-BAME volunteers Unfortunately, 47% of BAME respondents had to reduce volunteering to prioritize paid work due to financial pressures This trend affected 40% of all UK volunteers

Despite challenges, volunteers recognized benefits such as improved mental health (25%), acquiring new skills (40%), and connecting with people (38%) The sense of community was most valued by 54% of all UK volunteers

Maya Deepak

Maya Deepak, a renowned singer from Gujarat, India, who has been honored with the Gujarat State Government s prestigious Gaurav Puraskar and numerous other awards, has been specially invited to participate in the grand celebration marking the 50 years of Gujarat Samachar She will be in the UK until the end of October You can connect with her at: 07872 007 227

Nessie, fact or fiction?

Curiosity is a human virtue that has taken us to Moon and beyond Abdominal Snow man or Yeti in the densely forested part of magic Himalayas, as well as Nessie in Loch Ness has been with us as long as I can remember

Everyone in their heart knows that Nessie is a myth created by media and tourist industry to attract and exploit people to visit this somewhat remote part of Britain If Nessie was real, it would be more than hundred years old

It is practically impossible to survive on its own for such a length of time, as the lake is small, it would struggle to support such a creature with omnipresent without being seen, even captured or killed by local fishermen, trapped in their nylon nets

Recently an array of modern kits were assembled like never before, that include sophisticated military equipment, like ultra-modern drones, fitted with search light and could photograph Nessie at any length, especially the water may be muddy in some parts of the lake

These searches were carried out by professional people like marine scientists, biologists, under-water expert photographers and last week’s attempt to solve this intriguing mischief making problem came to an abrupt end, disappointing hundreds of volunteers gathered to celebrate unique occasion, but as predicted by all; it did catch headl i n e s i n w o r l d r e n o w n e d p r e s s i n A m e r i c a , C a n a d a , A u s t r a l i a a n d m a n y m o r e c o u n t r i e s i n E u r o p e a n d A m e r i c a , b r i n g i n g u n s e a s o n a l h o r d e s o f t o u r i s t s t o Scotland

This is not the first, nor the last occasion that Nessie has mesmerised us all and put Scotland on the tourists map of the world No one will quote the odds of Nessie, seen, captured or killed in the next fifty years or so It is immortal, along with Yeti and few more that would keep us interested in Nessie for the good of our tourist industry! Long live Nessie!

Bhup endra M Gandhi

Gurkha warrior

Only few days to go for the Gurkha Warrior premier show in Leicester Square, London

Please come and show your support and solidarity to the end the 208 years of historical injustice by the UK government against the British Gurkha soldiers and their families from Nepal

Yam Gur ung (rtd)

Gur kha Saty agraha U nite d Struggle Committe e UK -Nepal

Thank you teachers

If a country has to make notable progress it needs dedicated teachers, who come in different forms and can inspire o r d i n a r y s t u d e n t s t o d r e a m e x t r a o r d i n a r y t h i n g s A Teacher opens the mind, touches the heart, shapes the future They have the power to change the fate of entire nation as today’s student/reader is tomorrow's leader

T S K arthik

Building bridges

The relationship between India and Pakistan was very bitter earlier Both the countries had some abhorrence with each other due to various factors But In the recent years, the relationship between the two countries is slowly patching up

Both the countries are doing quite well of being friends with each other I think the governments of both the countries should form a mutual understanding so that the citizens may live in a pleasant neighbourhood, and each and every person should feel safe We should do a liberal approach on the issues between us

Recently our family had some sad news about the demise of my uncle Readers will be aware we then follow a series of ‘vidhi’s’ that culminate in what is called ‘Barmu’, i e the 12th day At one point during this vidhi t h e m a h r a j ( p r i e s t ) a s k e d a b o u t o u r a n c e s t o r s Fortunately for us with the help of my father we were able to go back several generals Interestingly I was in a conversation with CB Patelthis week and he raised a similar issue related to ancestry and its relevance within our community He asked, how many from our community would be able to name their ancestors, and to how many generations back? This got me thinking and I have embarked on my own personal journey of discovery to seek out the history and heritage of my family

So I have a challenge for all of you today How many generations back can you name your ancestors?

We have two distinct groups of Indians in the UK One that left India more than 100 years ago and settled in many nations across the world, but mostly the eastern coast of Africa Generally, this group went to one or m o r e n a t i o n s l i k e M a d a g a s k a r , M a l a v i , T a n z a n i a , U g a n d a , K e n y a , Y e m e n , O m a n , S o u t h A f r i c a a n d Mauritius This group travelled light, had to be extremely resilient to new nations, new cultures, and new languages, and have the strength of character to fight off all types of prejudice to make a life for their families With each new generation, their contact with families back home in India was reduced as was their daily interactions with the community that would constantly replenish their memories of history and heritage They kept their faith, they kept their culture and language, but being so far away from India meant something had to give

So it would be interesting to see for this group how many generations they can go back

The second group are the newer arrivals over the past 30 years or so They have arrived in the UK in an environment that is much better for minorities than it had ever been before They also have the most up-todate connections with family back in India And they also have the power of modern-day communications to aid their daily routines I would therefore expect most to have a very secure grasp of their ancestry

Communication plays a key role in this inquiry In days gone by, to communicate one would send a letter by seamail (yes, you read that correctly) which would take weeks to arrive at its destination There was no such thing as instant two-way communication It became better when airmail was introduced when air service came into being But again, whilst this was faster than sea mail, it was still obviously not instant communication In the 60’s, 70 ’ s and 80’s it was rare for households in UK to have their own phone lines Even if you had one, the vast majority of people in India did not have access to any phones I remember the days when you would call a neighbour in India who had a phone andask them to call your relatives at a particular time You would then call back at that time, and with the cost of international calls, one tried to finish the conversation within minutes

Today’s generation with their mobile smartphones and24/7/365 connectivity I suspect will never really know what the previous generation had to endure If their phone is not working for a few minutes, they go utterly crazy, they go into panic mode, and they hyperventilate their frustrations for all to see And if they don’t have access to their phone for a few days, depression sets in

So here is a challenge for all of you, how far back can you go with your ancestry? I suspect many of you will be able to list names of male members of the family, but can you also list the female members? If not, why not?

I invite you to write to Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar (keep it short please) and tell us about your family Let’s all start an effort to find a bit more about our ancestors I have started and I can say that as of today, my name is Kapil Shantilal, Amratlal, Ramji, Kurji, Valji DUDAKIA I have located another three names which still need to be verified, which will then take me back eight generations And let me tell you, getting the names on the female side is proving quite difficult So what is your experience? Regardless of your current age, start asking the questions You never know what incredible gifts you may find on this journey of self-discovery

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

Remembering Shantidada on his

T o m ar k th e 8 2n d b i rth a nn iv ers ar y o f P u j ya S hantid ada, v ari ous ev ents w ere held on 26 A ugust at A no o p am M i ss i o n, Denh am On this au sp icio us d ay, insp ired by the divine g u id anc e o f P ara m P u j ya S ahebji, a sp ecial pu ja cerem ony was organised for the constructio n of the crematorium, the new road , and t h e Nu ta n S ad h ak Resid ence S h a n t i d a d a w a s v e r y f o n d o f d e v o t i o n a l s o n g s (bhakti kirtan), and in his honour, devotional hymns were performed in the temple from the morning

At 11 am, in the divine presence of Pujya Sahebji, a g r a n d p r o c e s s i o n

82nd birthday

n a t i o n a l f l a g s o f b o t h England and India

Neasden Temple to celebrate Janmashtami with Annakut and devotional festivities

( S h o b h a y a t r a ) w a s l e d b y Pradipbhai Dhamecha and Satishbhai Chatwani along with many other prominent figures and devotees The procession featured a chariot carrying the idols of Shri T h a k o r j i a n d P u j y a S h a n t i d a d a D e v o t e e s o f Survrund led the way with d r u m s , c y m b a l s , t a mbourines, etc along with the

The main event started a t 5 P M , w i t h d e v o t i o n a l s o n g s ( k i r t a n b h a k t i ) f o ll o w e d b y a b e a u t i f u l a n d e x p r e s s i v e d a n c e p e r f o rmance presented by Shreela Patel and the youth group Heartfelt tribute videos on the life of Shantidada, p r e p a r e d b y S a d h u H a r m e e t d a s , S a d h u Hardikdas and Ved Sakariya were played at the event Himmatswami, Jahnaviben, Sadhu Harmeetdas, Sadhu S a r j u d a s , D i p t i b e n D e s a i , S a t i s h b h a i C h a t w a n i , a n d S a d h u D i l i p d a s j i D e s a i shared their emotional and s p i r i t u a l a t t a c h m e n t w i t h Shantidada

Jain festival of Paryushan

M embers of t he Ja in comm un ity in the UK will celebra te one of the gr ea test fest iv a ls o f t h e i r ca l e n d a r , P ary usha n Maha -Pa rv a, this y e a r f r o m 1 2 t o 1 9 S epte mbe r UK Jains have a r r a n g e d v a r i o us p r og ra mme s wit h gr ea t d ev ot io n a n d e n t h u si a s m t o p m ark the occasion M a h a - P a r v a m e a n s a great festival This festival of P a r y u s h a n a n d D a sLakshana begins as monks and nuns in India observes t h e i r m o n s o o n s o j o u r n

Shwetamabar Jains celebrate this for eight days where as D i g a m b a r a J a i n s c e l e b r a t e their Das-Lakshna Parva for 10 days This festival is celebrated every year for spiritual upliftment and self-purification The real purpose and true significance of this festival is to repent and seek forgiveness for any kind of s i n s c o m m i t t e d J a i n s observe fasts or semi fasts a n d s p e n d t h e i r t i m e i n meditation Jains finish their meals well before sunset and drink boiled/purified water during daylight hours only They avoid green leafy vege t a b l e s d u r i n g t h e s e d a y s They read holy Jain books

and scriptures They medit a t e a n d p r a y t o

Tirthankaras Tirthankaras are the enlightened beings who have attained Nirvana o r M o k s h a T h e r e a r e 2 4

Tirthankaras and people follow the path as shown by the l a s t a n d 2 4 T i r t h a n k a r a

Mahavir Swami (599 BCE5 2 7 B C E ) T h e y a t o n e f o r their sins and take vows to b e m o r e c a r e f u l a n d n o t accumulate any bad karmas T h e f e s t i v a l p r o v i d e s a n opportunity to reflect and i n t r o s p e c t T h e r i t u a l o f r e f l e c t i o n i s c a l l e d

P r a t i k r a m a n , w h i c h means retracting back f r o m w r o n g d o i n g s

J a i n s b e l i e v e i n t h r e e jewels which are necessary for Moksha: Right knowledge, right faith, and right conduct This means leading a totally n o n - v i o l e n t l i f e s t y l e a n d r e n o u n c i n g a l l attachments

Jains usually attend religious and spiritual discourses where the greatness and glories of Lord Mahavir and other Tirthankars are narrated The festival concludes with people greeting each o t h e r ‘ M i c c h a m i D u k k a d a m ’ w h i c h m e a n s , “ may all my faults become fruitless (be forgiven)” This way we beg forgiveness from each other So, in the true spirit of this ideology please j o i n m e i n s a y i n g Michchhami Dukkadam to all

Shiv amastu S rava Jag at,

P arhita Nirata Bhavantu bhootganah

Dosha p rayntu nasam sarv atra

sukhi bh av antu

May the whole universe be blessed, May all beings engage in each other’s well-being, May all weakness, sickness and faults diminish and vanish, May everyone be healthy, prosperous, blissful, and peaceful

Navnat’s Janmashtami Mela creates a new milestone

Sh ri Krish na Bhagwan is believ ed to be an av atar of Lo rd Vish nu and a pop ular d eity among Hind us He was born on earth th ousands of years ago on th e Hind u calend ar day of Shrav an vad 8 This year, that d ay falls on Th ursday 7 Sep tember

It will be celebrated at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden with a host of devotional festivities, including a ceremonial offering of food (the ‘annakut’), singing, chant-

ing, and an arti signifying the auspicious birth

The day will begin with a ceremonial offering of food to the deities in the Mandir Visitors and devotees will arrive throughout the day to pray and offer their respects, and to swing the murti of Shri Krishna in

the ‘ paranu ’ (birth cradle) The life and teachings of Shri Krishna Bhagwan will be presented through an enlightening evening programme which will begin with the devotional singing of hymns in praise of his life

Itinerary:

A nnakut darshan:

9 00am to 8 00pm Rajbhog arti: 11 45am

Ev ening arti: 7 00pm

Assembly:

8 00pm to 9 45pm

A rti sig nifying birth: 9 30pm

Rangeelu Gujarat showcases colours of Gujarati culture and art

Full report next week

The annual Janmashtami Mela organised by Navnat Vanik Association on 3 September 2023 created a new milestone Various stalls, cultural programmes, yoga, food zone, knowledge and kids zones were some of the attractions that gave reason for families to be attend.

A cultural exhibition Rangeelu Gujarat was held from September 1 to 3 September at Roe Green Park Kingsbury The event showcased established and emerging artists from Gujarat Apart from Gujarati cinema literature and cuisine workshops on music dance and various other form of arts were hosted

NOT

JUST

The initiative aims to raise awareness about the lack of diversity in clinical studies, i m p r o v e c o m m u n i c a t i o n , and provide long-term support to patients Specialist nurses will be stationed at two major cancer centres, Bart’s Health NHS Trust in L o n d o n a n d T h e C h r i s t i e NHS Foundation Trust in M a n c h e s t e r , t o a s s i s t patients throughout the trial p r o c e s s T h i s e f f o r t a l s o includes the inclusion of the 1% of breast cancer patients who are men in the UK

T h e N H S R a c e a n d H e a l t h O b s e r v a t o r y acknowledges several obstacles related to the recruitment, communication, and r e t e n t i o n o f b l a c k , A s i a n , and ethnic minority patients in clinical trials, underscoring their underrepresentation in various studies The C a r i b b e a n A f r i c a n H e a l t h N e t w o r k a t t r i b u t e s t h i s u n d e r r e p r e s e n t a t i o n t o a historical sense of mistrust a n d d i s e n g a g e m e n t i n r e s e a r c h w i t h i n t h e b l a c k community M e d i c a l p r o f e s s i o n a l s advocate for research that aligns with the patient population they encounter in clinical practice However, previous research has shown t h a t b l a c k w o m e n f a c e a higher risk of mortality from breast cancer compared to t h e i r w h i t e c o u n t e r p a r t s Additionally, they are more likely to develop aggressive forms of cancer and receive d i a g n o s e s a t a d v a n c e d stages Dr Habib Naqvi, CEO of

A ‘WHITE PERSON’S DISEASE’

S i m c o c k , C h i e f M e d i c a l Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, stressed the importance of research relevance to clinical practice, historic a l l y a n i s s u e P r o f e s s o r

Simcock added: “As a Breast Cancer Oncologist I want to know that research is relevant to the people we see in clinic Historically that has n o t b e e n t h e c a s e I ’ m d e l i g h t e d t h a t M a c m i l l a n can support this project to ensure that future evidence from clinical trials is representative and inclusive ”

Clinical trial at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust clears patient of cancer

prevalent in the UK, with increased risk as women age Women between 50 and 71 a r e a u t o m a t i c a l l y i n v i t e d every three years for screening, and it's crucial not to delay these appointments as e a r l y d e t e c t i o n e n h a n c e s treatment success

D r S a l i h a M a h m o o d A h m e d i n t r o d u c e d " T h e Bread Exam," a visual guide for women to check their b r e a s t s f o r c h a n g e s T h i s g u i d e a i m s t o m a k e s e l fchecking more comfortable and encourages women to c o n s u l t t h e i r G P i f t h e y notice anything unusual

a m o n g d e p r i v e d p o p u l ations, particularly focusing on minority ethnic commun i t i e s L e i c e s t e r ' s c u l t u r a l d i v e r s i t y u n d e r s c o r e s t h e necessity of recognising and a c t i n g u p o n t h e i n t e r s e ctions of deprivation, ethnicity, gender, and disability in healthcare access True collaboration and co-production with communities are essential to dismantle systemic barriers and promote equitable healthcare experiences and outcomes

Having the tests does not mean that you have cancer

ABPL Group held a special virtual event to mark E t h n i c M i n o r i t i e s C a n c e r Awareness Month and disc u s s B r e a s t C a n c e r Awareness

D r T o r a l G a t h a n i a

PUSHING COUNTLESS LOWINCOME FAMILIES INTO A STATE OF MERE SURVIVAL

The social contract in the UK is collapsing pushing countless low-income families into a state of mere survival, plagued by intolerable poverty levels This dire assessment comes from the independent Poverty Strategy Commission, which includes former ministers from major political parties The commission warns that poverty is escalating, calling for a shift away from the current approach, which it deems ineffective To significantly reduce poverty in the UK the commission estimates an annual cost of £36 billion This sum equivalent to £6,000 per year for 6 million impoverished families, would entail a mix of increased benefits and wages, investments in affordable housing and energy, and improved healthcare services The interim report, released recently, seeks to rekindle political interest in poverty reduction before the upcoming general election It voices concerns over the lack of urgency from the main political parties regarding poverty's scale and nature and the failure to protect the most vulnerable in society The report reveals that relative poverty rates have remained largely unchanged for two decades Even in areas with some improvement like reduced poverty among pensioners and single parents progress is reversing Deep poverty defined as living at least 50% below the poverty line, is affecting almost a third (31%) of officially impoverished individuals They struggle to meet basic needs such as food, energy, clothing rent, and everyday expenses Despite government rhetoric about a "social contract" between the state and citizens, the commission argues that, in practice, this contract doesn't exist The social security system routinely fails to prevent poverty, even for those who are employed, disabled, or elderly

the NHS Race and Health O b s e r v a t o r y , e x p r e s s e d c o m m i t m e n t t o e n s u r i n g i n c l u s i o n a n d r e p r e s e n t ation in future breast cancer trials through culturally sens i t i v e i n t e r v e n t i o n s a n d communications Dr Habib Naqvi, said: “We believe that w h e n t a r g e t e d , c u l t u r a l l y sensitive interventions and communications are put in p l a c e , u n d e r - r e p r e s e n t e d groups can be successfully recruited into clinical trials ” He added: “There is a broad m i s p e r c e p t i o n t h a t b l a c k women don’t suffer as much from breast cancer or it does not run in their family history This can result in the perc e p t i o n t h a t c a n c e r i s a white person ’ s disease “We want this pilot to encourage women at risk, those already d i a g n o s e d a n d i n d i v i d u a l s undergoing post-treatment to come forward and share their experiences and get the information needed ”

P r o f e s s o r R i c h a r d

Jasmin David, a 51-yearo l d m o t h e r o f t w o f r o m Fallowfield in Manchester, r e c e i v e d d e v a s t a t i n g n e w s when her aggressive triplen e g a t i v e b r e a s t c a n c e r metastasized, giving her less than a year to live After initial chemotherapy, a mastectomy, and radiation thera p y i n 2 0 1 8 , t h e c a n c e r returned in 2019 with a poor p r o g n o s i s I n a l a s t - d i t c h effort, Jasmin joined a phase I clinical trial in December 2 0 1 9 a t t h e N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e f o r H e a l t h a n d C a r e R e s e a r c h i n M a n c h e s t e r , r e c e i v i n g a n e x p e r i m e n t a l m e d i c i n e c o m b i n e d w i t h A t e z o l i z u m a b , a n i m m u n o t h e r a p y d r u g Initially experiencing severe side effects, she persevered, a n d b y J u n e 2 0 2 1 , s c a n s showed no measurable cancer cells in her body Jasmin n o w e n j o y s l i f e w i t h h e r family and looks forward to c e l e b r a t i n g h e r 2 5 t h w e dd i n g a n n i v e r s a r y i n September 2023 Her faith a n d t h e s u p p o r t o f l o v e d ones helped her through this challenging journey, and she plans to retire early and live h e r l i f e w i t h g r a t i t u d e t o G o d a n d m e d i c a l s c i e n c e She will continue treatment until December 2023

How the NHS safeguards

women

Each year, over two mill i o n w o m e n i n t h e U K u n d e r g o b r e a s t s c r e e n i n g , potentially saving 1,300 lives b y d e t e c t i n g a n d t r e a t i n g c a n c e r s e a r l i e r I n t h e 2 0 2 0 / 2 1 p e r i o d , 1 2 0 , 0 0 0

people in London participated in breast screening, leading to the detection of 1 , 0 4 0 c a n c e r s t h a t m i g h t have gone unnoticed

Sanjeet Johal, the Breast S c r e e n i n g R e c o v e r y Programme Director for the N H S i n L o n d o n , e m p h asised that breast cancer is

Furthermore, a blog by D r R u w A b e y r a t n e a n d Khudeja Amer-Sharif high-

S e n i o r C l i n i c a l R e s e a r c h F e l l o w i n t h e C a n c e r

E p i d e m i o l o g y U n i t o f t h e

N u f f i e l d D e p a r t m e n t o f

P o p u l a t i o n H e a l t h s a i d ,

SHAM PARKING FIRM BOSS JAILED IN MANCHESTER

lights health disparities in e t h n i c m i n o r i t i e s a n d emphasises the importance o f a d d r e s s i n g h e a l t h c a r e inequities through authentic partnerships and health literacy initiatives

Mita, a participant at the Shama Women's Centre in Leicester, initially discarded a bowel cancer screening kit r e c e i v e d b y m a i l d u e t o uncertainty However, our 'Access to Cancer Services' workshop provided trusted information in a safe environment, motivating her to order a new kit and share t h i s k n o w l e d g e w i t h t h e community This illustrates t h e d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n e q u a l i t y a n d e q u i t y i n healthcare access While we strive for equality by providing everyone with screening k i t s , d i s p a r i t i e s i n t r u s t , knowledge, and confidence hinder utilisation

T h e S h a m a W o m e n ’ s Centre in Leicester is actively working with the NHS to r e d u c e h e a l t h i n e q u a l i t i e s

“Breast cancer is common a m o n g e t h n i c m i n o r i t y women Even though Indian women are less likely to get breast cancer compared to white women, it is still the most common cancer that is diagnosed in Indian women in the UK The most common problem is a lump If you feel that there is a lump in either breast or under the arm then it's important that you seek help for that The other issues can be changes to the nipple, either there is a discharge which can either be clear or with blood or sometimes the nipple can become inverted or have an ulcer for which you need to see a doctor ”

Data from Breast Cancer U K s h a r e d w i t h t h e newsweekly highlights significant breast cancer disc r e p a n c i e s a m o n g e t h n i c g r o u p s i n t h e U K W h i l e breast cancer is more prevalent in White women comp a r e d t o S o u t h A s i a n , C h i n e s e , B l a c k C a r i b b e a n , and Black African women, e t h n i c m i n o r i t y g r o u p s , especially Black Caribbean, Black African, Indian, and P a k i s t a n i w o m e n , f a c e a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer at later, more aggressive stages that are challenging to treat These disparities are more p r o n o u n c e d i n o l d e r a g e g r o u p s a n d a m o n g B l a c k ethnicities

M u l t i p l e f a c t o r s c o ntribute to these differences, i n c l u d i n g s o c i o e c o n o m i c disparities, lower participat i o n i n m a m m o g r a p h i c screening, advanced tumour stages, biologically aggressive tumours, and a higher

Mohammed Isaq, a resident of Hale Barns in Cheshire, has been sentenced to 17 months in prison for operating a deceptive airport car service scheme Isaq charged travellers up to £70 to collect their vehicles and securely park them at Manchester Airport in a floodlit, CCTVmonitored compound However, customers later discovered their cars were extensively damaged scratched, or caked in mud Isaq was involved with three parking firms each operating consecutively: Manchester Airport Parking Ltd, Manchester Airport Parking Services and Manchester Meet and Greet Ltd These entities collectively generated a turnover of up to £200 000 but fraudulent activities ranged from £30 000 to £100 000 Customers faced a range of issues including the theft of keys unauthorised use of their vehicles and significant damage such as collisions Isaq confessed to fraudulent trading between August 2017 and February 2018 and received a six-year directorship ban due to prior convictions for VAT fraud and fire safety violations Isaq s son and daughter, who acted as directors for one of the firms, were also found guilty of negligence under consumer protection laws and received community orders and unpaid work sentences A proceeds of crime hearing is pending to recover prosecution costs and compensate affected motorists

incidence of triple-negative breast cancer among Black women Recent data from England (2013-2017) reveals age-standardized rates per 100,000 population: White

U K f e m a l e s : 1 6 2 , A s i a n females: 116, Black females:

1 3 2 , a n d M i x e d / M u l t i p l e e t h n i c i t y f e m a l e s : 1 0 2

O v e r a l l , e t h n i c m i n o r i t y women bear a greater risk of b r e a s t c a n c e r w i t h l e s s f a v o u r a b l e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n o l d e r a g e g r o u p s a n d a m o n g B l a c k ethnicities

The way for ward

It’s important to work with individuals and communities to understand the barriers that affect them and find the approaches that are effective It’s important that any approaches are aimed at supporting people to make an informed choice and not doing anything that might make them feel pressured to t a k e u p s c r e e n i n g i f t h e y don’t want to

Dr Laura Marlow, Senior R e s e a r c h F e l l o w a t K i n g ’ s College London concludes, “I don’t think it’s a one-sizefits-all approach either It might be a case of reaching out to different community g r o u p s a n d w o r k i n g w i t h those communities to develop something that will work f o r t h a t c o m m u n i t y o n a l o c a l l e v e l ” F o r e x a m p l e , M a r l o w i s i n v o l v e d i n a study to improve screening p a r t i c i p a t i o n a m o n g s t Muslim women H o w e v e r , i t ’ s a l s o n o t the job of local communities a n d g r o u p s t h e m s e l v e s t o inform people about screening and remove barriers It’s up to the Government, the NHS, local authorities, and other services to ensure that t h e i n f o r m a t i o n r e a c h e s t h o s e w h o n e e d i t a n d ensure that good practice and ideas are shared to help r e d u c e i n e q u a l i t i e s a c r o s s the different areas and services

Jasmin, David, Ryan and Riona

Dr Habib Naqvi

Dr Ruw Abeyratne

Dr Toral Gathani

Khudeja Amer-Sharif

Dementia UK - combatting stigma in South Asian communities

Dem entia UK is organising an event at Harrow A rts C entre on S aturd ay 9th September to raise funds for Dementia U K and combat stigm a in Sou th Asian comm unities around dementia

Umesh Raichada and his family have been organising fundraising events with South Asian musicians and singers since 2019 They chose to raise funds and awareness for Dementia UK after using the Helpline and Admiral Nurse service when Umesh’s mother in law was diagnosed with dementia

S p e a k i n g t o A s i a n V o i c e , Raichada said, “My family and I are organising this event as we have sadly had to come to terms with dementia and the effect it has on a loved one My mother-in-law was diagnosed with dementia several years back and sadly passed away, a n d m y f a t h e r - i n - l a w h a s a l s o recently been diagnosed with mild dementia We were lucky enough to discover the support Dementia UK offers through its Helpline and A d m i r a l N u r s e s t o t h o s e l i v i n g with dementia while we were caring for my mother-in-law It was h e l p f u l t o t a l k t o s o m e o n e w e could rely on for advice

Gateway from India to represent an enduring friendship and partnership that India and the UK share

“Sadly, there seems to be a lot of stigma around dementia, particularly in the Asian community We feel strongly that it is important to distinguish between old age and dementia This is something we want to address – and we decided to do so through events Our eldest daughter Karishma Raichada set up a company called Glitz Events, a n d w e a r e h o s t i n g a s p e c i a l

Bollywood music concert called

‘ R E T R O F U T U R E ’ o n S a t u r d a y 9 t h S e p t e m b e r a t H a r r o w A r t s Centre to raise both awareness of dementia and funds for Dementia UK ” There will be Retro Future –with songs from the 80s which will feature performances from a great B o l l y w o o d m u s i c b a n d n a m e d

Kaykay & Co on the Harrow Arts Centre website

Protect the intellectual property rights of the creative sector against AI

Th e head s of the UK publish ing industry h av e urged Rishi Sunak to p rotect th e intellectual prop erty rights of the creative secto r against the impact of artificial intelligence (A I) This call comes in advance of a g ov ernm ent- organised su mm it on A I tech nology In a letter d isclosed by th e Financial Times, the P u bl is h ers A s s oc i ati o n ( P A ) h a s appealed to the Prim e Minister to ensure that "U K intellectual p roperty law s are uph eld w hen AI system s p roc ess co nten t, and th at licenses are obtained in adv ance "

The Publishers Association, representing book, journal, audio, and d i g i t a l p u b l i s h e r s c o n t r i b u t i n g approximately £7 billion to the UK economy, has expressed concerns that the creative industries might be o v e r l o o k e d d u r i n g t h e A I S a f e t y Summit scheduled for November at Bletchley Park Downing Street had announced that this summit would bring together government officials, academics, and leading AI companies to establish regulatory measures for the safe and responsible advancement of AI

T e c h n o l o g y c o m p a n i e s a r e already using content like text and images from newspapers, books, art, and music to train their AI models P u b l i s h i n g g r o u p s , h o w e v e r , a r e

apprehensive that without adequate intellectual property and copyright safeguards, AI systems might freely use entire series of novels, backlogs, or journal articles to create low-cost, u n a u t h o r i s e d v e r s i o n s o f o r i g i n a l w o r k s P A ' s C E O , D a n C o n w a y , emphasised the importance of the UK becoming a global leader in ethical AI development while highlighti n g t h e n e e d f o r t r a n s p a r e n t A I training that respects the creators a n d i n t e l l e c t u a l p r o p e r t y r i g h t s holders by obtaining proper licenses

C o n w a y ' s s t a n c e a l i g n s w i t h that of the House of Commons culture, media, and sport committee, which recently urged the government not to permit AI developers to train their technology using copyr i g h t e d a r t w o r k P u b l i s h e r s h a v e a l r e a d y r e p o r t e d n u m e r o u s instances of copyright infringement r e l a t e d t o A I - g e n e r a t e d c o n t e n t

Conway noted that the success of the publishing industry has long depended on the robust intellectual property framework in the UK

The letter sent by the Publishers

A s s o c i a t i o n h i g h l i g h t s c o n c e r n s that the government might not be doing enough to protect the creative and media industries, despite its emphasis on the productivity and economic advantages of AI

Migrants to receive Home Office reference numbers on NHS records

N HS records of migrants are set to include H ome Offic e reference numbers, raisi ng c oncerns about potential tracking, privac y rights, and an extension of the "hostile environment " A p r e v i o u s i n i t i a t i v e t h a t u t i l i s e d N H S d a t a t o l o c a t e patients suspected of breaching immigration rules was abandoned d u e t o l e g a l c h a l l e n g e s f r o m health and civil liberties organisations These challenges cited concerns over patient confidentiality breaches, discrimination against n o n - B r i t i s h p a t i e n t s , a n d t h e potential deterrence of individu-

The grand opening o f a beautifu lly carved stone arch way “Gateway fro m India” was observed at D itch burn P lace on Mill Road o n F riday, 1 September

The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Indian High Commission and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Cambridge’s Mayor Jenny Gawthrope, MP Daniel Zeichner, Mayor of Harrow Cllr Ramji Chauhan and other key dignitaries

Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner shared a message from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak He said, “On behalf of all parliamentarians, we would commend everything that’s been done today ”

The representative of the Indian High Commission, Sanjay Kumar, said, “Mill Road with its rich history and diverse community provides the perfect location for installation of the Gateway from India It will also represent an enduring friendship and partnership that India and the UK share ”

Former Chair of the Cambridge Hindu Association Thak Patel said, “The carvings have a religious past having adorned the Hindu shrine, which sadly is no more, but they stand here today as a gateway from India, a symbol of hope, maybe even reincarnation, that has brought the whole community together regardless of belief ”

The Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Professor Roderick Watkins praised the project for bringing the community together He said, “This grand occasion is dedicated to

celebrating the cross-cultural vibrancy of the Mill Road community ”

The stonework was saved by Piero D’Angelico, on behalf of the Mill Road Traders Association He started the project and saved the stones after persuading Cambridgeshire County Council to sell them to him for £1 Since then it has been the work of an entire community to remove, store and reerect the carvings in a new archway design for the public to enjoy

Piero said, “My grandfather was a stonemason and he taught me all about the craft as a child When I saw the carvings, I knew how special they were and how much work they had taken and I knew I had to save them So many people in the community around Mill Road have helped out with their skills or advice or with donations to make this happen - it has really brought everyone together ”

Piero further added, “People are proud to have their names around the gateway There are names from many communities and from businesses People are even remembering loved ones who were born at the old maternity hospital on the site Everyone feels part of this pro-

ject ”

Shapour Meftah, chair of the Mill Road Traders’ Association said, “I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in fulfilling this project It’s been a lot of hard work and many people including traders, councillors, and a lot of members of communities who have contributed their time and hard work in achieving this wonderful community project ”

At the end of the ceremony, Sir Pascuale Marchese, Mayor of Castalluccio Valmaggiore, Italy, which is Piero’s home town, and Cambridge’s deputy mayor Baju Thittala Varkey laid a plaque in memory of Piero’s grandfather and master stonemason Falco Gian Pietro

The decorative carvings had once adorned a Hindu shrine in the Old Library building on Mill Road, Cambridge But they had been set for demolition by the county council after it reclaimed the building and it was only the determination of Piero D’Angelico that prevented them being destroyed The pink stone carvings were originally made by stone masons in Rajasthan (India) and installed in the Bharat Bhavan shrine in 2006 and the shrine was inaugurated in 2010

Demotion for Indian-origin MPs in UK’s opposition Labour Party

In a sig nificant reorg anisation, Sir Keir Starm er, th e lead er o f th e U K 's O p p o si t io n L a bo u r P art y, m ad e key ch a ng es o n M o nd a y, in cl u d i ng th e re as si g n m en t o f

In d i an- o r ig in s h ad o w m in i st ers

retary, succeeding Steve Reed

als from seeking medical assistance

However, new concerns have arisen as NHS England received a directive from a senior civil servant, acting on behalf of Health

Secretary Steve Barclay, to accept and store "Home Office reference numbers" in the records of "relevant patients "

T h e B r i t i s h M e d i c a l Association has stated that it will s c r u t i n i s e t h i s d e v e l o p m e n t t o ensure it does not inadvertently reintroduce a system similar to the tracking scheme that was discontinued in 2018

Lisa Nand y and Preet K aur Gill, am ong others

L i s a N a n d y , w h o r e p r e s e n t s W i g a n i n P a r l i a m e n t a n d t h e daughter of Dipak Nandy, a promin e n t K o l k a t a - b o r n a c a d e m i c renowned for his work in the field of race relations in Britain, was relieved of her role as shadow secretary of state Instead, she was appointed to the position of intern a t i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t m i n i s t e r , previously held by Preet Kaur Gill Preet Kaur Gill, the first British Sikh female member of Parliament in the House of Commons, reaffirmed her support for Starmer's leadership on social media

Lisa Nandy

reshuffle, veteran Blairite minister Hilary Benn takes on the role of shadow Northern Ireland secretary and Shabana Mahmood assumes the position of shadow justice sec-

Liz Kendall, who ran as the Blairite candidate in the 2015 party leadership election to succeed Ed Miliband, has been elevated to the role of shadow work and pensions secretary Furthermore, Sir Keir S t a r m e r h a s a p p o i n t e d P a t McFadden, formerly Tony Blair's political secretary, to a crucial role overseeing Labour's election campaign and its preparations for government

Peter Kyle, previously handling t h e N o r t h e r n I r e l a n d p o r t f o l i o , n o w s e r v e s a s s h a d o w s c i e n c e , technology, and innovation secret a r y w h i l e D a r r e n J o n e s w i l l replace McFadden as chief secretary to the Treasury in these organizational changes

These changes come ahead of the anticipated general election scheduled for next year

Dementia UK team working towards a fundraiser

A YEAR WITHOUT OUR BELOVED QUEEN

Britain has now comp leted a w h o le y ear w i t h o u t it s belov ed Queen Elizabeth II, w h o p a ss ed a w ay o n 8 th S eptem ber 2022 in Balm oral C astle Since then, th e world h as s een Ki ng Ch arles II I and Queen Camilla’s glorio u s c o ro n ati o n an d t h ey h av e taken th e reigns of the kingdo m in their hands, and d eserv ing ly so Th e Queen’ s last official pictures with the then PM Liz T russ, tw o d ays b ef o re t h e m o na rc h ’ s d em ise will always stay with u s More im portantly, right after her demise, Britain saw the rise of the first Prime M in i st er o f In d i an o ri g i n Rishi Su nak who took ov er in October 2022

The Prince and Princess of Wales are due to visit St Davids Cathedral to commemorate the life of Her L a t e M a j e s t y Q u e e n E l i z a b e t h I I o n t h e f i r s t anniversary of her passing

The Prince and Princess of Wales will also visit the CârY-Môr Seaweed Farm – the f i r s t ‘ r e g e n e r a t i v e o c e a n farm’ in Wales and a key partner of Notpla, the sustainable packaging start-up a n d w i n n e r o f t h e 2 0 2 2 Earthshot Prize for ‘Build a Waste-Free World’ Finally, The Prince and Princess of Wales will visit the RNLI Lifeboat Station at St Davids where they will meet crew, volunteers and those who h a v e b e e n s u p p o r t e d b y their local unit

First Prime Ministerial v isit to the castle

Last Sunday, PM Rishi Sunak continued a royal tradition by joining the King for Sunday church service at Crathie Kirk parish church n e a r B a l m o r a l i n t h e S c o t t i s h H i g h l a n d s , j u s t

before Parliament resumed o n M o n d a y T h i s m a r k e d the first Prime Ministerial visit to the castle since Liz Truss, shortly before Queen Elizabeth II's passing Boris Johnson and Carrie visited

the estate the previous year This event was a rarity, with t h e l a s t P r i m e M i n i s t e r a t t e n d i n g c h u r c h w i t h a monarch at Balmoral at least five years ago Sunak s visit came before his trip to India for the G20 summit, arriving in a black Range Rover with security

M onarchy at crossroad s

T h e B r i t i s h m o n a r c h y finds itself at a crossroads, facing a series of challenges that have become increasi n g l y a p p a r e n t s i n c e t h e passing of Queen Elizabeth I I T w o r e c e n t i n c i d e n t s h a v e u n d e r s c o r e d t h e monarchy's dilemma First,

Dr Halima Begum criticises government's denial of institutional racism

D r Ha li m a B eg u m , w h o serv ed as the director of the Runnymede Trust, the leading race equality th inktank, for three years, h as criticised the g overnment's persistent d e ni al o f in s ti tu ti o na l racism, stating that it has underm ined its cred ibility

According to her, each time the government denied institutional racism, real-life e v e n t s d e m o n s t r a t e d t h e opposite, eroding their credibility

Dr Halima Begum

r a i s e c r i t i c a l q u e s t i o n s : What should be done about Andrew and Harry, and how can the monarchy address its growing challenges?

King grap ples with defining h is visio n

A l t h o u g h i n d i v i d u a l members of the royal family remain popular, the institut i o n i t s e l f f a c e s d e c l i n i n g p u b l i c s u p p o r t , e s p e c i a l l y a m o n g y o u n g e r g e n e r ations Polls indicate that a significant portion of the p o p u l a t i o n b e l i e v e s t h e monarchy should be abolished or is not important T h e m o n a r c h y ' s f u t u r e i s

During her tenure at the R u n n y m e d e T r u s t , w h i c h began in 2020, Begum witnessed significant social and p o l i t i c a l e v e n t s , i n c l u d i n g the Covid-19 pandemic and t h e B l a c k L i v e s M a t t e r protests Regarding the gov-

e r n m e n t ' s r a c e r e p o r t , w h i c h f a c e d c r i t i c i s m f o r

d o w n p l a y i n g s t r u c t u r a l

r a c i s m i n B r i t i s h s o c i e t y ,

B e g u m m e n t i o n e d t h a t R u n n y m e d e T r u s t f u l l y engaged with the commission to hold them account-

able and work toward better outcomes, despite concerns a b o u t s o m e i n d i v i d u a l s ' track records on race She r e v e a l e d t h a t t h e r e w e r e c o n c e r n s w i t h i n e q u a l i t y groups about the process Despite the challenges a n d c o n t r o v e r s i e s , B e g u m e x p r e s s e d p r i d e i n t h e a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s a c h i e v e d d u r i n g h e r t e n u r e a t t h e R u n n y m e d e T r u s t , h i g hlighting the organisation's resilience and unwavering commitment to its mission D r B e g u m s d e p a r t u r e from the Trust follows her d e d i c a t e d a d v o c a c y f o r r a c i a l e q u a l i t y a n d h e r e f f o r t s t o a d d r e s s i s s u e s r e l a t e d t o i n s t i t u t i o n a l racism in the UK

Queen Camilla unveils portrait of British Indian WWII spy Noor Inayat Khan

Queen C amilla u nv eiled a ne w p o r tra it o f Bri t is h I nd i a n s p y No o r In aya t Khan at the Ro yal A ir Force (RAF) Club in L ond on this week She also d ed icated a ro o m i n m em o r y o f t h e undercov er agent wh o lost her life behind enem y lines d u rin g th e S ec ond Wo rld

War

The newly revealed portrait now adorns the "Noor Inayat Khan Room," situated opposite a stained-glass window honouring women in the RAF, which was inaugurated by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 S h r a b a n i B a s u , t h e author who presented her

biography 'Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan' to Queen Camilla, shared: “For me, it has been a privilege to tell her story This wonderful portrait will now be seen b y m a n y y o u n g m e n a n d w o m e n f o r g e n e r a t i o n s

Noor's story will never be forgotten " Noor served as a member of the RAF's Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) before being recruited to the S p e c i a l O p e r a t i o n s Executive (SOE) in 1942

Kemi Badenoch becomes favoured minister among Tory supporters

f u r t h e r c o m p l i c a t e d b y Prince Charles's reign, as he grapples with defining his vision for the institution

t h e p r e s e n c e o f P r i n c e Andrew, a controversial figu r e , a l o n g s i d e t h e P r i n c e and Princess of Wales raised questions about his future role within the royal family Is he being reintegrated or facing permanent exile?

Strained relations with Prince Harry

Prince Harry's ongoing e s t r a n g e m e n t f r o m t h e family continues to strain relations within the House of Windsor His latest project, a Netflix series titled "Heart of Invictus," criticises the lack of support he r e c e i v e d u p o n r e t u r n i n g from his military service in A f g h a n i s t a n T h e s e i s s u e s

C h a r l e s i s c a u g h t between maintaining contin u i t y w i t h h i s m o t h e r ' s reign and recognising the need for a clearer vision W h i l e h e h a s s u g g e s t e d combining Commonwealth and climate activism, these i d e a s l a c k w i d e s p r e a d a p p e a l T h e Commonwealth s influence h a s w a n e d , a n d c l i m a t e change is a divisive issue T h e m o n a r c h y n e e d s t o address its challenges with a more honest and comprehensive approach

P rince Andrew’s saga

T h e o n g o i n g s a g a s i n v o l v i n g P r i n c e A n d r e w a n d P r i n c e H a r r y f u r t h e r exacerbate the monarchy's problems Prince Andrew's r e f u s a l t o v a c a t e R o y a l L o d g e a n d H a r r y ' s p u b l i c c r i t i c i s m s h a v e c r e a t e d a d d i t i o n a l s t r a i n s E v e n Prince William, known for rarely making public missteps, faced criticism for not a t t e n d i n g a s i g n i f i c a n t event

A ccording to a recent p oll o f C onserv ative Party supporter s, K e m i Bad eno c h h as em erg ed a s th e m o s t es te em e d m em b er o f t h e cabinet This m arks th e first time she has secured th e top s p o t in t h e C o ns er v at iv e Home surv ey of senio r Tory p o l it ic i an s, f o llo w i n g t h e departure of Ben Wallace as defence secretary K e m i B a d e n o c h g a rn e r e d a n e t p o s i t i v e approval rating of 59 perc e n t , s u r p a s s i n g o t h e r n o t a b l e f i g u r e s s u c h a s

Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the Commons, who received 47 5 percent approval, and James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, with 44 percent approval This poll is regarded as a reliable indicator of g r a s s r o o t s o p i n i o n w i t h i n the Tory party Kemi Badenoch's popularity can be attributed, in part, to her role in negotiati n g t r a d e d e a l s , w h i c h p r o v e d b e n e f i c i a l f o r L i z Truss during her tenure as t r a d e s e c r e t a r y

A d d i t i o n a l l y , B a d e n o c h

Kemi Badenoch

serves as the Minister for Women and Equalities and has taken a stance against gender self-identification, a position that resonates with the party's core supporters

Midlands artist's 'Sculptural Gateway' commemorates Ugandan Asian migration

A crowdfunding platform has em po wered local residents to particip ate in the creation o f a n ew p u b li c art p ie ce cele brati ng th e 50th anniversary of the U gandan A sian mig ration to Leicester The initiative invites the public to contribute donat i o n s f o r

will be integrated into the landscaping surrounding

of August P a t e l e l u c i d a t e s that the steel uprights c o m p r i s i n g t h e ' S c u l p t u r a l G a t e w a y ' symbolize the convergence of diverse comm u n i t i e s a f f e c t e d b y the expulsion of Asians from Uganda by dictator Idi Amin in 1972 The structure is united at the pinnacle, signifying the journey of a generation

f i n d i v i d u a l s f r o m o n e country to another

King Charles III at his coronation

King Charles III Queen Camilla and PM Rishi Sunak at Balmoral

Queen Elizabeth II s funeral

The late Queen s last official picture with erstwhile PM Liz Truss

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Bhaktivedanta Manor

It was half a century ago that Srila Prabhupada personally invited and installed the altar Deities Conducting the ceremonies himself as his disciples held an ecstatic kirtan Srila Prabhupada named the beautiful Deities Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda

The latter is a name of Krishna which means He who gives bliss to the land of Gokula ’

Since that day in 1973, Bhaktivedanta Manor has continued to serve Their Lordships through 50 years of dedication devotion outstanding spiritual initiatives and thriving community development

In this auspicious year we have a range of events, offerings and opportunities planned for everyone connected to the Manor Come with us on a journey of celebration, appreciation and inspiration

Aldenham in the thirteenth century, followed by his son Geoffrey The holding was then passed from Geoffrey to members of various other families

In the fifteenth century, the annual rent for Picot’s Manor was 16 shillings

It is significant that there are rumors that the cows on the premises supplied milk which was delivered to the courts and drunk by King Henry VIII

In the early 1700s, a Georgianstyle manor house was built on the site In 1884, however, most of this house was pulled down, and a larger one was built in its place This larger building was designed in mock-Tudor style, and this is the b u i l d i n g w h i c h i s s t i l l p r e s e n t today

T H E B EG IN N IN G

B h a k t i v e d a n t a M a n o r w a s donated by George Harrison in 1973

Built in 1886 as a private home, the Manor billeted RAF officers during the Second World War, and in 1956 became a training school

f o r n u r s e s I n 1 9 7 2 , G e o r g e H a r r i s o n o f f e r e d t o p u r c h a s e a ‘ c o u n t r y h e a d q u a r t e r s ’ f o r t h e devotees, and early the following year the Manor was located by Dhananjaya Das, one of the first British disciples SRI SRI RADHA GOKULANANDA

² R a d h a G o k u l a n a n d a w e r e installed by Srila Prabhupada on the day of Janmashtami, the 21st of August 1973

² Due to popular request, Sri Sri S i t a - R a m a , L a k s h m a n a n d H a n u m a n w e r e i n s t a l l e d i n 1981

² T h e m a i n a l t a r , i n s t a l l e d i n 1976, was renovated and gilded in 2013

² S i x d a i l y b h o g a s a n d a r a t i s offered without fail for 50 years

² 150 unique handmade outfits are used to dress the Deities

² Radha and Krishna are at the heart of our community, and all our activities revolve around T h e m O v e r 5 0 y e a r s , t h e priests serving on the altar have increased from a handful to s e v e r a l h u n d r e d T h e e a r l y morning milk sweets, lovingly

m a d e f r o m t h e m i l k o f t h e M a n o r ’ s c o w s , t h e d e l i c i o u s f o o d o f f e r i n g s , p r e p a r e d s i x times daily from the choicest i n g r e d i e n t s t o t r a d i t i o n a l r e c i p e s , a n d t h e c o l o u r f u l h a n d - s e w n o u t f i t s , s t i t c h e d from the finest fabrics of India, have all grown in their quality a n d t a s t e T h e d a i l y a r a t i s , o f f e r e d w i t h h a n d - f a s h i o n e d silver, are punctual and a joy to w a t c h P e r h a p s t h e g r e a t e s t challenge in serving Krishna for half a century is to offer such services every day without f a i l ; a n d y e t w i t h d e v o t i o n , organisation, and good mana g e m e n t , t h i s h a s n o t o n l y e n d u r e d b u t h a s b e c o m e famous throughout the world

MARBLE EFFECT TILES from £14.99 Per

FLOOR TILES from £14.95 Per SQM OUTDOOR TILES from £24.99 Per SQM

Kripamoya Das

T H E H I S T O R Y , A C H I E V E M E N T S A N D S P I R I T O F

SAVING THE TEMPLE

² Over 35,000 people marched to Parliament in protest of the plans to ban public worship at Bhaktivedanta Manor

² T h e H a r e K r i s h n a T e m p l e Defence Movement (HKTDM) helped keep the temple open after vigorous 10 year fight in UK, India, Europe and South Africa

² T h e P a n d a v a S e n a Y o u t h Group was formed to help save the temple

² New access road built in 1996, also increasing the estate from 17 to 78 acres

raising, the community kept its r e s o l v e a n d w a s u l t i m a t e l y t r iu m p h a n t I n M a y 1 9 9 6 , t h e M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t announced the news: Victory for Bhaktivedanta Manor!

FARM & COW PROTECTION

² N e w G o k u l F a r m c u r r e n t l y cares for 66 cows and bulls

milking parlour, a busy dairy and k i t c h e n , c o v e r e d s h e l t e r s a n d a farm shop, and a hospice for old cows There is also a new permanent home for cows in the county o f R u t l a n d , t h e A h i m s a D a i r y , which delivers fresh bottled milk to hundreds of families

W i t h t h e e x p a n s i o n o f t h e M a n o r e s t a t e i n 1 9 9 6 , 6 a c r e s became available for vegetable production Volunteers from all over the world now come to plough using the bulls, to plant and weed, and to harvest the crops, and to b r i n g o r g a n i c v e g e t a b l e s t o t h e temple kitchen and offer them for sale to visitors

THE KITCHEN RELIGION

² 7000 plates of prasadam served weekly

² Daily sweets are made from milk produced on-site

kitchen prepares 2,000 daily meals for the homeless, poor and vulnerable

ED U CA T ION

² 8 schools in the UK keeping our culture alive

² 12,000 school children reached in 2022

² 170 children regularly attending Sunday School

² Thousands of adults are going d e e p e r i n t o t h e p h i l o s o p h y with the School of Bhakti

over 1000 members

As the Manor grew in populari t y , t h e n u m b e r o f v i s i t o r s increased, raising questions locally as to the estate’s suitability for large gatherings When the local C o u n c i l i s s u e d a n e n f o r c e m e n t order banning public worship in 1991, the campaign to keep the t e m p l e o p e n w a s i n t e n s i f i e d Hindus throughout Britain united w i t h o n e p u r p o s e : “ S a v e t h e Temple!” Through lengthy public e n q u i r i e s a n d h e a r i n g s , p r o t e s t m a r c h e s , d e m o n s t r a t i o n s , h i g hl e v e l p o l i t i c a l n e g o t i a t i o n s a n d international lobbying and fund-

T h e c u l t u r e o f p r o t e c t i n g Krishna’s cows here at the temple has expanded enormously, from one cow in 1973 to a state-of-theart goshala built in 2010, which now houses 66 cows and bulls £2 million was raised to create a permanent home for the cows, bulls and calves The complex includes a

Cooking delicious food, offering it to Krishna with love, then sharing the prasadam or ‘ mercy ’ with others, has always been a pillar of life at the Manor In 1973, the temple kitchen cooked daily for a mere 20 residents and double that on Sunday Today, three kitchens cater for hundreds every day, thousands at the weekend, and serve tens of thousands during festivals

The temple is a place of education where people of all ages can l e a r n a b o u t s p i r i t u a l l i f e Bhaktivedanta Manor hosts dozens of classes each day, in small groups t h r o u g h o u t L o n d o n a n d t h e regions, at the temple itself, and online Numerous children attend the nursery and nearby Gurukula primary school, and 4212 children attend the primary and secondary

A v a n t i s c h o o l s A h o s t o f s p e -

c i a l i s e d c l a s s e s , c o u r s e s a n d

r e t r e a t s a r e o f f e r e d t o a d u l t s through the School of Bhakti OUTREACH

² Over 60 million spiritual publications distributed over the last 50 years

² 26 UK university societies with

Krishna consciousness in the western world started when a pure devotee of Krishna brought sacred books and a pair of brass hand cymbals from India He sang the mantra and spoke the ancient wisd o m ; y o u n g p e o p l e g a t h e r e d around him and a movement was born During the last 50 years the M a n o r h a s p u b l i s h e d a n d s o l d m o r e t h a n 6 0 m i l l i o n o f t h o s e b o o k s t h a n k s t o t h e e f f o r t s o f preachers travelling out to regional towns and cities The singing of K r i s h n a ’ s n a m e s n o w r e s o u n d s throughout the country and all over London

Thousands of newcomers are reached every week In yoga studios, homes, church halls, offices, m a r k e t s q u a r e s , a n d u n i v e r s i t y s o c i e t i e s , t h e m e s s a g e s o f t h e B h a g a v a d - g i t a a r e e x p l a i n e d T h r o u g h r a d i o , t e l e v i s i o n a n d social media, devotees reach out to all Now there are more than 70 small groups dotted throughout the land, and those members, in their turn, also invite more newcomers In this way, the awareness of Krishna grows

The history, achievements and spirit of bhakti at Bhaktivedanta Manor

UNITY IN COMMUNITY

² 1000+ people gathering in regular programs

² 600 volunteers serving every month at the Manor

serve together From kids’ clubs to youth groups, from the newcomer to the experienced, from young couples to families, Bhaktivedanta Manor is a ‘community of commu-

What is Hare Krishna all about?

Th e ‘ H are K ri s h na

Due to the number of visitors and the lack of space to facilitate everyone, in 2007 a plan was put f o r w a r d t o g a i n p e r m i s s i o n t o b u i l d a b e s p o k e s p a c e o n t h e Manor grounds In April 2016 permission was granted, and then two months later, David Cameron, the British Prime Minister at the time, was there to place the first spade in the ground at a ground-breaking c e r e m o n y W o r k s t h e n c o mm e n c e d o v e r t h e f o l l o w i n g f e w years The first stress-test event was held in December 2019 as the community gathered to recite the B h a g a v a d - g i t a t o g e t h e r , a n d b y June 2020 the work was completed on the new building, marking a n e w c h a p t e r i n B h a k t i v e d a n t a Manor’s history

M ovement’ is the inform al nam e of th e International So ciety for Krishna Consciousness (ISK CON), and has its ro ots in the ancient teachings of the ‘ Ved as ’ , wh ich are h istorical ph ilosop hical treatises dating back to o ver 5, 000 years The Vedas are also the source of many eastern religions and traditions including the popular doctrine of yoga The followers of the Hare Krishna movement, popularly known as the ‘Hare Krishnas’

f o l l o w a s p e c i f i c f o r m o f y o g a called ‘bhakti yoga ’ , or the yoga of l o v e a n d d e v o t i o n t o w a r d s t h e divine personality of God, famously known as Krishna The movement was brought to the western world in 1965 by His Divine Grace

A C B h a k t i v e d a n t a S w a m i Prabhupada, known lovingly by the followers of the movement as ‘Srila Prabhupada’

Spirituality allows everyone to see that we are all sons and daught e r s o f t h e S u p r e m e P e r s o n , Krishna When we truly unders t a n d t h a t w e a r e r e l a t e d , w e become firm friends Devotees love to gather with other devotees, discussing, inspiring and encouraging one another Small groups meet regularly, in homes, libraries, halls, cafes, universities – wherever is comfortable and convenient

This satsanga or ‘good company, ’ is a powerful balance for the troubles of the world, and members help each other in both spiritual and practical ways Groups form teams to provide practical volunteer services at the temple, becoming a community as they

nities’ where everyone can find their place

SRI KRISHNA HAVELI

² Cost: £13 55 million

Features include: Café, Chakra Garden, Courtyard, Kirtan Hall, K i t c h e n , M e e t i n g R o o m s , Playground, Reception, Seva Hall

A short biography of Srila Prabhupada

Prabhupada was born in 1896 in Calcutta, India His birth name was Abhay Charan and as a family man, he ran a pharmaceutical business in the city

In 1950, at the age of fifty-four, he retired from married life and devoted much time to his studies and writing He travelled to the holy city of Vrndavana, where he lived in very humble circumstances in the historic medieval temple

c a l l e d t h e R a d h a - D a m o d a r a

M a n d i r H e a c c e p t e d t h e renounced order of life (sannyasa) in 1959 and was awarded the name Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

A t R a d h a - D a m o d a r a , h e b e g a n

Celebrating 50 years of Bhaktivedanta Manor

50 years of The Spirit of Bh akti, Unity in C omm unity

This year marks the anniversary of the 50th installation of Radha Gokulananda It was 50 years ago (on Janmashtami) when Srila Prabhupada personally installed Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda here at Bhaktivedanta Manor Using a kitchen ladle to pour milk over the deities, followed by an ecstatic Kirtan, Srila Prabhupada named the beautiful deities of the Radha and Krishna, Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda

Since that day, Bhaktivedanta Manor has continued to serve their Lordships through incredible init i a t i v e s a n d c o m m u n i t y d e v e l o p m e n t T h i s y e a r marks 50 years of dedication and devotion Come with us on a journey of celebration, appreciation and inspiration

Her Grace Vishaka Dasi, Current Temple President of Bhaktivedanta Manor, said:

“We are absolutely delighted and deeply honoured to be celebrating 50 years of Bhaktivedanta Manor - this year marks a historic milestone for our Temple; from the extraordinary story of our beginnings to the thriving community we have built today.

“None of this would have been possible without the devotion and dedication of all the devotees who have spent their lives making the Manor what it is today, the matchless contribution of George Harrison and of course Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who made it all possible - we offer our deepest gratitude to them all”

work on his life’s masterpiece: a multivolume translation and comm e n t a r y o n t h e 1 8 , 0 0 0 - v e r s e

Srimad-Bhagavatam

In 1965, at the tender age of 69, Srila Prabhupada (as he was informally known) sailed to the United States in a cargo ship to preach Krishna Consciousness When he first arrived by freighter in New York City, he was practically penniless It was after almost a year of great difficulty that he established t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l S o c i e t y f o r Krishna Consciousness in July of 1966 Under his careful guidance, t h e S o c i e t y h a s g r e w w i t h i n a decade to a worldwide confederation of over one hundred temples, schools institutes and farm communities In the last ten years of his life, in spite of his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe twelve times on lecture tours that have took him to six continents H e m a d e o v e r 5 0 0 0 d i s c i p l e s around the world from a variety of backgrounds and established the Ratha Yatra street festival in most of the major cities of the world S r i l a P r a b h u p a d a a l s o w r o t e over sixty volumes of authoritative t r a n s l a t i o n s , c o m m e n t a r i e s a n d summary studies of the philosophical and religious classics of India Highly respected by the academic community for their authoritativeness, depth and clarity, they are u s e d a s s t a n d a r d t e x t b o o k s i n n u m e r o u s c o l l e g e c o u r s e s H i s writings have been translated into t w e n t y l a n g u a g e s T h e Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 exclusively to publ i s h h i s b o o k s h a s b e c o m e t h e world’s largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and p h i l o s o p h y T h u s , t o d a y S r i l a Prabhupada is recognised as one of India’s greatest spiritual ambassadors of the 20th Century

1896 Born in Calcutta, India

1922 Meets his spiritual master f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e o n a rooftop in Calcutta

1933 Becomes a disciple of his g u r u B h a k t i s i d d h a n t a

Saraswati

1944 Publishes the first ‘Back to Godhead’ magazine that still continues to this day

1956 Moves to Vrindavan and begins translating Srimad Bhagavatam, his magnum opus

1959 A c c e p t s t h e r e n o u n c e d order of life

1965 Travels to America on a cargo ship and has 2 heart attacks on the way

1966 E s t a b l i s h e s I S K C O N i n New York

1977 P a s s e s a w a y f r o m t h i s w o r l d a f t e r e s t a b l i s h i n g 108 Temples and spreading the teachings all over the world

SRILA PRABHUPADA’S TIMELINE

Tata Steel nearing £500 mn funding deal with UK government

T h e U K g o v ern m en t i s re p o rte d ly i n ad v an ce d discussions with Tata S teel, th e country's larg es t steel producer, regard ing a £ 50 0 m illi on p ackag e ai m ed at s ec u ri ng it s lo n g - ter m presence in th e U K

A l o n g s i d e t h i s i n v e s t m e n t , T a t a G r o u p , the Indian parent company, is said to be contributing £700 million to the Port Talbot steelworks in South

W a l e s A s p a r t o f t h i s proposed agreement, Tata Steel would be obligated to i n v e s t i n e l e c t r i c a r c furnaces, aimed at reducing carbon emissions This shift

i n p r o d u c t i o n m e t h o d s , w h i c h i s l e s s l a b o u rintensive than the current blast furnaces, may lead to t h e p o t e n t i a l l o s s o f thousands of jobs

O v e r t h e p a s t f e w months, Whitehall officials have engaged in discussions with Tata and British Steel to explore state support for t r a n s i t i o n i n g t o m o r e e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y f r i e n d l y p r o d u c t i o n m e t h o d s I n i t i a l l y , b o t h c o m p a n i e s were offered £300 million each to facilitate the shift away from coal, with the condition that they would safeguard thousands of jobs

SoftBank's Arm targets

$52+ billion valuation in the year's largest US IPO

Sof tB a n k Gr o up' s Ar m i s ai m i ng f o r a v al ua t ion exceeding $ 52 bill ion in its f or t hc o m i ng i n it ia l pub l ic of fering, mar king the l argest US stock mar ket deb ut of the year, acc ording to the chip des igner 's announc ement on Tuesday

I n a r e g u l a t o r y f i l i n g ,

Arm revealed that SoftBank plans to offer 95 5 million American depository shares of the UK-based company at a price range of $47 to $51 per share At the upper end of this range, SoftBank aims to raise up to $4 87 billion This v a l u a t i o n r e p r e s e n t s a decrease from the $64 billion v a l u a t i o n w h e n S o f t B a n k acquired the remaining 25% s t a k e i n A r m l a s t m o n t h ,

having originally purchased it from its $100 billion Vision F u n d D e s p i t e t h e l o w e r v a l u a t i o n , S o f t B a n k ' s I P O p l a n s t i l l o u t p e r f o r m s i t s previous $40 billion deal to s e l l A r m t o N v i d i a C o r p ( N V D A O ) , w h i c h w a s abandoned due to opposition from antitrust regulators last y e a r J a m i e M i l l s O ’ B r i e n , portfolio manager at British f u n d m a n a g e r A b r d n , expressed a more favourable v i e w o f S o f t B a n k ' s I P O valuation compared to the initial discussions

Largest annual drop in house prices since 2009

House prices h av e seen their largest annu al d ecline since 2 0 0 9 , d o w n by 5 3 % c o m p a red to A u g u st l as t y ear , a c co r d i ng to N ati o n w id e T h is d ro p e qu at es t o a £ 1 4 , 6 0 0 d ecrease in the valu e o f a typ ical UK hom e since its p eak in Aug ust 2022

Higher borrowing costs h a v e c o n t r i b u t e d t o a housing market slowdown, w i t h m o r t g a g e a p p r o v a l s also down by approximately 20% compared to pre-Covid levels The Bank of England has raised interest rates 14 c o n s e c u t i v e t i m e s s i n c e D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 1 , w i t h t h e

for a decade

W h i l e n o f o r m a l a g r e e m e n t s h a v e b e e n reached, there is optimism that a Tata Steel deal could be concluded as soon as this month

Around 7,000 businesses a r e e x p e c t e d t o f a c e insolvency every quarter in 2024, driven by high-interest r a t e s , e c o n o m i c r e c e s s i o n , and pandemic-related debt, s a y s t h e C e n t r e f o r

E c o n o m i c s a n d B u s i n e s s Research (CEBR)

The surge in borrowing costs and the cost-of-living c r i s i s a r e p a r t i c u l a r l y s t r a i n i n g f o r b u s i n e s s e s ,

Dear Financial Voice Reader,

Alpesh Patel OBE

Are You Letting Your Pension Sleep On the Job? Wake Up t o t he Underper forming St ocks That C ould C ost

You a Comfort abl e Retir ement It used t o be said t hat as Indians, our children are our pension! Tr y t el ling them that today Indeed with the cost l iving cr isis, we ar e our chil dren’s pension by the l ooks of it

n o t a b l y i n r e t a i l a n d hospitality In the second quarter of 2023, over 6,700 b u s i n e s s i n s o l v e n c i e s occurred in the UK, more t h a n d o u b l e t h e a v e r a g e during the pandemic, which h a d v a r i o u s s u p p o r t m e a s u r e s p r o t e c t i n g businesses from insolvency

Rising rents in deprived UK areas deepen poverty

Pe o p le l iv i n g i n t h e U K' s mo s t d e p r i v e d a r e a s h a v e e x p e r i e n c e d a 5 2% r e n t in crea se ove r the past four yea rs, while ten an ts in the wealthie st re gions ha ve se en their re nts r ise by only 29%, accor ding t o new da ta from esta te ag ent Ha mptons

I n 2 0 1 9 , r e n t e r s i n d e p r i v e d a r e a s p a i d a n average of £499 per month, which has surged to £759 by 2023 In contrast, those in the most affluent districts p a i d a n a v e r a g e m o n t h l y rent of £1,078 in 2019, which increased to £1,387 this year

These statistics illustrate the intersection of Britain's ongoing housing crisis with the cost-of-living challenge, as rent, mortgage rates, and increasing expenses for food and energy strain household

i n c o m e s R e n t e r s a r e disproportionately affected, with a higher likelihood of f a l l i n g i n t o p o v e r t y T h e J o s e p h R o w n t r e e F o u n d a t i o n ' s 2 0 2 2 a n n u a l poverty report reveals that one-third of private tenants, e q u i v a l e n t t o 4 2 m i l l i o n i n d i v i d u a l s , a r e l i v i n g i n p o v e r t y d u e t o t h e c o m b i n a t i o n o f s t e e p h o u s i n g e x p e n s e s a n d limited incomes N e a r l y h a l f ( 4 6 % ) o f p r i v a t e r e n t e r s i n p o v e r t y a t t r i b u t e t h e i r f i n a n c i a l hardship to the burden of housing costs

UK banks offering higher rates to savers

current base rate at 5 25% Consequently, lenders have i n c r e a s e d m o r t g a g e r a t e s , p l a c i n g a d d e d s t r a i n o n homebuyers N a t i o n w i d e ' s c h i e f economist, Robert Gardner, n o t e d t h a t t h e r i s e i n borrowing costs makes the d e c l i n e i n a v e r a g e h o u s e prices unsurprising As per M o n e y f a c t s , t h e a v e r a g e t w o - y e a r f i x e d m o r t g a g e rate stood at 6 7%, while the average five-year fixed rate was 6 19%

UK average house prices reached a peak of £273,751 in August 2022 but have since fallen to £259,153

T h e F i nan c ia l C o nd u ct Authority (FC A) of Britain h as no te d a n em e rg i ng c om p eti ti v e m a rke t w i th h i g h er in ter es t r ate s i n sav ing s accounts However, regulatory intervention m ay still be necessary to ensure fair value for custo mers

L a w m a k e r s h a v e c r i t i c i s e d l e n d e r s f o r promptly increasing interest r a t e s f o r b o r r o w e r s w h i l e being slower to raise rates f o r s a v e r s E a r l i e r t h i s month, the FCA instructed n i n e b a n k s a n d b u i l d i n g societies, including HSBC, L l o y d s , N a t W e s t a n d Barclays, to report by the

You've heard the cliché: "time is money " But when it comes to your pension, the adage rings alarmingly true For too many 25-year-olds, pensions are a distant mirage something you’ll think about when you're "older " But your financial future is being shaped now, often by underperforming funds that can drastically cut into your retirement It's time to wake up and take charge

"British Pension Schemes Fail to Match Market Performance: Is Your Fund Underperforming?"

" T h e S i l e n t C r i s i s : M i l l i o n s R i s k P o v e r t y i n Retirement Due to Poorly Managed Funds"

" W h y t h e A v e r a g e U K P e n s i o n F u n d Underperforms the S&P 500"

What the Data Says:

A recent study from consultancy firm Xafinity Punter Southall found that the average UK pension fund returned only 2 8% annually over the past 10 y e a r s I n c o n t r a s t , t h e S & P 5 0 0 I n d e x s a w a n annualized return of around 13% over the same period Similarly, the FTSE 100, the go-to index for UK equities, had an average annual return of about 4 7% That’s a significant gap that can make the difference between a meagre and a robust pension pot

Impact in Numbers:

£10,000 invested in an underperforming pension fund growing at 2 8% for 40 years: £32,384

The same £10,000 invested in an S&P 500 tracker growing at 13% for 40 years: £1,295,492

“Pensions are not a 'set and forget' deal Knowing where your money is invested is the first step toward ensuring a secure future "

Why You Should Take Charge:

T r a n s pa r e n cy : K n o w i n g t h e s t o c k s i n y o u r p e n s i o n s c h e m e g i v e s y o u b e t t e r c o n t r o l a n d transparency

R is k Mi t ig a t io n : D i v e r s i f y y o u r p e n s i o n investments and avoid being overly dependent on underperforming fund managers Try to understand the simplicity of opening a brokerage account, like with say Barclays or Halifax, and buying an index tracker for instance tracking a basket like the S&P500 (largest 500 US companies) or Microsoft or Amazon stock

Action St eps:

R eview Regularly: Make it a habit to review your pension scheme at least once a year

Lear n: Free information from Investopedia or www investing-champions com will make you better informed

Ask the Funds: If your current fund is consistently underperforming, consider asking them what they’re invested in and consider taking more active control An email is all it takes to ask the question

C onclusion:

Your pension is as active as you make it Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to securing your financial future It's time to wake up, review, and take control

Remember, your future self is depending on your actions today Don't let them down

end of August whether their savings rates align with the " c o n s u m e r d u t y " r e g u l a t i o n s i n t r o d u c e d i n July

T h e F C A r e p o r t e d a n increase in the availability of higher interest rates in both t e r m - l i m i t e d a n d e a s y -

a c c e s s a c c o u n t s s i n c e publishing its plan

UK on recession alert following drops in factory output, house prices

U K pol i c y m ak e rs a r e on h i g h a le r t f or a p os s i b le recess ion as soaring interes t rates have led to a sharp d ec li n e in fa ct ory outp ut a n d t he la r ge s t a n nu a l d e c re a s e i n h ous e p ri c e s s i nc e th e glob al f in an ci a l c ri sis of the late 2000s W i t h m o u n t i n g evidence that the Bank of E n g l a n d ' s 1 4 c o n s e c u t i v e r a t e h i k e s h a v e b e e n slowing down the economy,

b o t h m a n u f a c t u r i n g a n d t h e p r o p e r t y m a r k e t a r e i n d i c a t i n g a c h a l l e n g i n g winter ahead A joint report b y S & P G l o b a l a n d t h e C h a r t e r e d I n s t i t u t e o f P r o c u r e m e n t & S u p p l y (CIPS) has revealed that the p r o s p e c t s f o r t h e U K ' s industrial sector are among the bleakest seen outside of f i n a n c i a l c r i s e s a n d t h e Covid-19 pandemic S i m u l t a n e o u s l y , t h e

N a t i o n w i d e B u i l d i n g S o c i e t y , o n e o f t h e U K ' s l a r g e s t m o r t g a g e l e n d e r s , r e p o r t e d a 5 3 % y e a r - o n -

year drop in house prices in

A u g u s t , m a r k i n g t h e s w i f t e s t a n n u a l d e c l i n e since 2009 Revised growth figures by the Office for National Statistics, however, revealed a faster and stronger postCOVID economic rebound, w i t h t h e 2 0 2 1 e c o n o m y

DWP may outsource 2,500 new positions

The Department for Work and Pensions is co nsid ering outsou rcing up to 2,500 new j ob s fo r t h e d el i v er y o f

U ni v e rs al C re d i t ta rg et ed case review work

ending 0 6% larger than its pre-pandemic level, instead of the previously estimated 1 2% contraction

D e s p i t e t h e r e b o u n d , c o n c e r n s i n d i f f e r e n t sectors of the economy will p o s e a c h a l l e n g e f o r t h e B a n k o f E n g l a n d a s i t considers another interest r a t e i n c r e a s e a t i t s upcoming monetary policy c o m m i t t e e m e e t i n g t h i s month

The department plans to h i r e n e a r l y 6 , 0 0 0 n e w officials by March 2025 but acknowledges that filling all

t h e s e p o s i t i o n s i n - h o u s e may not be feasible This m o v e c o m e s a f t e r t h e d e p a r t m e n t f a c e d

c h a l l e n g e s i n m e e t i n g i t s r e c r u i t m e n t t a r g e t s T h e P C S u n i o n , r e p r e s e n t i n g over 42,000 DWP officials a s o f M a y , h a s r a i s e d c o n c e r n s a b o u t t h e outsourcing plan

The DWP introduced a T a r g e t e d C a s e R e v i e w s t e a m , o u t l i n e d i n i t s " F i g h t i n g f r a u d i n t h e welfare system" policy paper in May 2022 T h e t e a m ' s o b j e c t i v e s i n c l u d e p r e v e n t i n g c u s t o m e r s f r o m f a l l i n g deeper into debt, identifying underpayments, expediting s u s p e c t e d f r a u d c a s e s f o r investigation, and providing i n t e l l i g e n c e o n n e w methods to prevent fraud and errors in the welfare system T h i s i s p a r t o f t h e d e p a r t m e n t ' s e f f o r t s t o s t r e n g t h e n i t s d e f e n c e s against fraud and error

Gearing up

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

We had an enquiry where the client required a remortgage on a large property in Central London, worth about £4 2M Needless to say this is not a rental yield play Rents tend to be abysmal in proportion to the property value in this area I t’ s capital growth which i s the aim when buyi ng these types of assets

The issue with prime London property is that you need to have the staying finances to remain in the deal, for example to weather the service charges which tend to be high; and currently you have a scenario with rising interest rates And entering the market at the right time is crucial If these are aligned it can be a very fruitful investment If not, it will burn a hole

The client wanted 70% of the value of the property With BTL properties the lender has a criterion whereby the rental must be 125% or 145% of the monthly mortgage amount, normally dependent on whether the property is held in a personal name or a Ltd company When imposing this criterion in prime London it puts a low ceiling on the amount one can borrow This ceiling then becomes the over ridding factor, irrespective of how much the property is worth

As rates have risen the ceiling has dropped lower and lower

Some lenders have alternate angles to addressing this issue One is called top slicing, whereby the individual’s personal income is taken into account, and if there is a large enough surplus, this is then used to bump up the rental income to justify a higher borrowing Another example is where the product interest rate is reduced but then the arrangement fee is loaded up, some go as high as 7%

Looking at the case from a lender’s perspective, if the property were to be repossessed the lender would recover their funds, therefore they tend not to lend above 70% especially on high value properties, which is really the bottom line and the hard reality

In this specific scenario, the client has a successful agency business, but the profits are not withdrawn from the company They sit in there accumulating

The excess funds were to be used for property investment, therefore the excess money raised would be working hard for the client in the background – presumably

Given the above challenges we managed to source a lender who has the capacity to go to this level of lending and right up to 70% LTV This taps into the equity the property has, and allows the client to be in a cash rich position, ready to exploit the current market, where the deal flow is increasing steadily

Kotak Mahindra boss quits 4 months before end of term

Vistara merger with AI gets CCI approval

Pav ing the way for a m eg a full serv ice carrier (FSC) , th e C o m p et it i o n C o m m is s i o n of India approved the m erger of Vistara into A ir India Tatas currently own 51% of Vistara, while Singapore Airlines holds 49% of the c o m p a n y F o l l o w i n g t h e m e r g e r , S I A w i l l p o s s e s s 25 1% of the new Air India, w i t h T a t a s h o l d i n g t h e r e m a i n i n g s h a r e s T h e " a c q u i s i t i o n o f c e r t a i n shareholding by SIA in AI s u b j e c t t o c o m p l i a n c e o f v o l u n t a r y c o m m i t m e n t s offered by the parties" was

also given approval by CCI

The Tatas plan to have a mega FSC, AI, and a big lowcost carrier by integrating A i r A s i a I n d i a i n t o A I

E x p r e s s W h i l e t h e L C C

merger has been approved by CCI and is on track for

t h i s y e a r ' s e n d , t h e F S C merger has to be completed by next March Following IndiGo, the combined com-

p a n i e s w i l l c o m m a n d t h e top spot for international air travel Both IndiGo and AI h a v e s i g n i f i c a n t g r o w t h plans, with 970 and 470 aircraft on order, respectively

On the Vistara-AI merger, CCI said in a statement, “The proposed combination envisages in consideration of the merger, acquisition of shares in the merged entity by SIA and Tata Sons and a c q u i s i t i o n o f a d d i t i o n a l shares in the merged entity by SIA pursuant to a preferential allotment ” SIA will invest £205 9 million

India sticks to its 6.5% GDP growth projection for FY24

T h e g o v e rn m ent m a intained its 6 5% annual economic growth forecast, betting th at gro wth m om ent um w o u l d c o nt in u e and that both rural d em and and p r iv ate i nv e st m en t w o u ld increase A d d r e s s i n g t h e p r e s s conference after the release of GDP data for the June q u a r t e r , c h i e f e c o n o m i c a d v i s e r V A n a n t h a Nageswaran said inflation is

expected to moderate, and deficient rains are unlikely to have a significant bearing on overall growth

“There is momentum in economic activity in general, and it is not driven by pricer e l a t e d d i s t o r t i o n s Therefore, our projections a r e s t i l l v e r y c o m f o r t a b l y placed at 6 5% for the current financial year, ” he said, pointing to several high frequency indicators to argue

India's GST collections up 11% in Aug on domestic demand

GST co llections rose 1 0 8 % to £15 90 billion in Aug ust, ev en as the mop-u p suffered due to rain related d isruptions in some states such as Him achal P radesh

The measly 2% increase i n G S T r e v e n u e s i n Himachal Pradesh - where heavy rains have disrupted rail and road travel - is the smallest growth of any state or union territory The latest figures issued by the finance ministry based on transact i o n s i n J u l y s h o w t h a t U t t a r a k h a n d , t h e o t h e r highland state impacted by the monsoon, showed a 24% increase Tripura recorded the highest growth of 40%, f o l l o w e d b y A r u n a c h a l Pradesh at 39%

Once more, it appears that domestic demand drove the growth, despite the fact t h a t i n t e g r a t e d G S T o n imports increased by 3% -

t h e f i r s t t i m e i n t h r e e months - the first increase i n i n t e g r a t e d G S T o n i m p o r t s s i n c e N o v e m b e r G S T c o l l e c t i o n s f r o m domestic sources went up by 1 4 % , t h e f i n a n c e m i n i s t r y said in a statement “The headline number is marginally lower than our f o r e c a s t , d a m p e n e d b y imports However, the overall collections so far this year remain robust,” said Aditi Nayar, chief economist at ratings agency ICRA Revenue secretary Sanjay Malhotra said GST collections have grown more than t h e n o m i n a l G D P g r o w t h rate in the April-June quarter, despite no increase in tax rates “This is because of bett e r c o m p l i a n c e a n d improved tax collection efficiency,” he said, adding that tax evasion and avoidance, too, have been low

India's monthly UPI transactions cross £100 mn

Uday Kotak , t he founde r of Kot ak Ma hindr a B ank, which he led for ne arly t wo decades, a nnounce d that he was stepping down as its MD and CEO four mont hs befor e t he en d of his term The bank er ’ s decision t o become a non-exe cutive dir ector came as a surprise

The bank has recommended two candidates for CEO position to RBI and until the regulator approves the name, the board has appointed joint MD Dipak Gupta as interim MD & CEO Kotak said that the intent of stepping down early was to get more time for his son ’ s marriage coupled with the need to sequence exits of the MD, joint MD and chairman who will complete their terms at the end of the year

The exit of the top management was triggered by a change in RBI rules in 2021 that capped the maximum term for bank CEOs at 15 years and whole time directors at 10 years In the past, changes in shareholding norms and regulations had enabled Kotak to hold over 25% in the bank Many in banking speculated that Kotak might stay on as CEO beyond 2023 but the central bank appears to have taken a firm stand

I n Augus t, UP I transactions f or th e first time ever exc eeded £100 million UP I transactions u p to Au gu st 30, 202 3, to taled £102 4 million with a valu e o f £152 billion, according to NP CI data

UPI transactions stood at £ 93 4 million in July, with the value of the transa c t i o n s a t £ 1 5 3 b i l l i o n Although the value is lower as of August 30, the number is expected to surpass £ 1 6 0 b i l l i o n a f t e r t a k i n g into account the transactions for August 31, which will be available

D u e t o s a l e s f o r

that the September quarter h a s g o t t e n o f f t o a g o o d start The Indian economy grew at a rate of 7 8% in the J u n e q u a r t e r , o u t p a c i n g C h i n a ' s a n d I n d o n e s i a ' s r a t e s o f 6 3 % a n d 5 2 % respectively

A portion of the confid e n c e o r i g i n a t e s f r o m a recovery in rural demand, which he demonstrated in h i s p r e s e n t a t i o n t h r o u g h some charts, including the

largest gain in FMCG sales i n e i g h t q u a r t e r s , a n improvement in tractor and two-wheeler sales, and an i n c r e a s e i n n o n - d u r a b l e s ( b a s e d o n I I P s t a t i s t i c s ) Besides, he said that private s e c t o r i n v e s t m e n t w a s adding to government capex a n d t h a t n e w i n v e s t m e n t projects announced by the private sector in the first quarter have been the highest in 14 years

More Indian-origin execs in Accenture’s global panel

T h e rap i d a sc en t o f I nd ia n- o ri g i n p r o fe ss i o na ls i n A ccenture s g lobal m anagement comm ittee (GMC) , wh ich is resp onsible for making strateg ic decisions, high lig hts the breadth of experience in more mod ern techno log ies that the com pany's clients are benefiting from From four Indian-orig in leaders on th e GM C roster in 20 20, th e num ber has m ore than dou bled till date There are o ther Ind ian lead ers wh o are elevated in other business functions too Accenture’s COO Manish Sharma, also a part of the GMC, has been elevated as CEO of North America effective September 1 North America has generated $29 billion in revenue in the 2022 financial year

Karthik Narain, Accenture’s lead – Accenture Cloud First, Data & AI, will become group chief executive – technology Since the formation of Cloud First in 2020, cloud has become a top growth-driver and cloud-certified talent has nearly tripled under his leadership

Senthil Ramani, the company s lead for data and artificial intelligence (AI), growing markets, will assume a newly created job as lead data and AI, reporting to Narain, to drive a single data and AI go to market and capability

Mahesh Zurale, lead for Advanced Technology Centers in India, will become the global lead for these centres, expanding his current role as it brings all the technology centres around the world under a single leadership Arjun Bedi, lead of Diamond Client Council, Accenture’s global strategic portfolio of clients, will continue for one more year as the lead of the Diamond Client Council extending his three-year term

Adani stocks recover a day after OCCRP report

I n d e p e n d e n c e D a y o n numerous websites, August saw a surge in transactions, according to sources from payment companies There were a lot of gift transactions made using UPI for Raksha Bandhan as well

The festival season is a l s o p r o j e c t e d t o l e a d S e p t e m b e r n u m b e r s t o i n c r e a s e s i g n i f i c a n t l y , w h i c h w i l l i n c r e a s e c o ns u m p t i o n N e a r l y t h r e e y e a r s a f t e r t h e p a y m e n t system s debut, UPI transactions surpassed £10 million for the first time in October 2019

A day a fte r a global net work o f in ve st ig a ti ve jo urn a l ist s sta ted t hat t he business ha d u se d f or e i g n pe r s on s a n d funds in tax haven s to inv est i n i t s ow n sh a r e s a n d

b r e a ch e d Se b i's m in i mu m share hol din g stan dards, t he m a j or i t y of t he A d a n i g r o up 's sh a r e s r e co v e r e d , climbing as much as 2 8%

O r g a n i z e d C r i m e a n d C o r r u p t i o n R e p o r t i n g

Project (OCCRP) had alleged that Adani Group had used layered fund structures to e v a d e r e g u l a t o r y s c r u t i n y with Vinod Adani, brother of g r o u p c h a i r m a n G a u t a m

Adani, and his two foreign associates, leading the whole operations The group had junked the report, calling it ‘recycled allegations’ ED finds suspici ous activities The ED has looked into the connections between an Indian private bank and 15 other organisations, including f o r e i g n p o r t f o l i o i n v e s t o r s (FPIs) whose beneficial ownership is now unknown, in the matter involving the short sale of shares of Adani group firms earlier this year In the l e a d - u p t o t h e J a n u a r y 2 4 r e l e a s e o f t h e H i n d e n b u r g research report

Uday Kotak

GANG TERRORISING INDIAN, ASIAN JEWELLERY STORES IN US BUSTED

A gang of 16 people that allegedly terrorised Indian and other Asian jewellers has been arrested and charged in connection with a yearlong robbery spree across four East Coast US states according to federal officials FBI Assistant Director David Sundberg said that the items stolen were worth hundreds of thousands of dollars The shops were described in a court document as South Asian and at least four could be definitely identified as run by people of Indian origin The gang allegedly carjacked or stole vehicles to carry out the robberies, according to the chargesheet

PAK POLL BODY PLEDGES TO HOLD ELECTIONS BY MID-FEB

Pakistan s election commission has assured the political parties that the general elections would be held by January end or mid-February, allaying fears about the fate of the polls in the cash-strapped nation The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) gave assurance to the Awami National Party (ANP) when the party leaders met the election body During a consultative meeting between the ANP representatives and the electoral watchdog to discuss the election roadmap, the ANP requested that if conducting the election within 90 days was not feasible, they be provided with the election date and schedule

The ECP officials assured ANP leaders of squeezing the delimitation timeline and said elections might even be held sooner, probably by the end of January if the delimitation exercise was completed earlier

NEPAL PM TO RAISE OBJECTIONS OVER CHINA'S NEW MAP

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” during his upcoming visit to China will take up the matter pertaining to the country’s newly issued map that shows Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh as Indian territories CPN-Maoist Centre spokesperson Agni Sapkota said that the matter relating to the map issued by China this week needs to be raised through diplomatic channels during the visit Prachanda will be leaving on September 15 for a visit to the US and later to China

74 KILLED IN FIRE AT JOHANNESBURG BUILDING

At least 74 people were killed and several others injured when fire tore through a fivestory structure in Johannesburg where squatters lived in perilous conditions, according to city officials Authorities were still investigating what started the fire Officials said many residents, including migrants from other African countries, lit fires for warmth and light, posing a deadly hazard Mgcini Tshwaku a Johannesburg city council member who oversees public safety said when he arrived at the scene of the fire people were jumping out of windows to escape

GLOBAL LEADERS URGE BANGLA PM TO RELEASE YUNUS

Muhammad Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for developing the use of microcredit to aid the poor, has received support from more than 170 world leaders and Nobel laureates who have urged Bangladesh's prime minister to halt legal action against him

In an open letter, the leaders, including former US President Barack Obama, former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and more than 100 Nobel laureates, said they were deeply concerned by recent threats to democracy and human rights in Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina responded by stating that she would invite foreign specialists and lawyers to visit Bangladesh to evaluate the court cases and look over the documentation pertaining to the charges against Yunus

Indian-origin Tharman Shanmugaratnam wins Singapore presidential poll

S I N G A P O R E : Th ar m a n Sha nm ugar atn am , an I nd ia nor i gi n Si n g a por e - b or n e c on om i s t , wo n Si n ga p or e ’ s presidential elec tion, defeating two other Chinese origi n contenders i n the country’ s firs t c on t es t e d p re s i d en t i a l p ol ls since 2 011 Shanmugaratnam, 66, who s e r v e d a s S i n g a p o r e ’ s d e p u t y P M f r o m 2 0 1 1 t o 2 0 1 9 , g o t 70 4% votes while his rivals Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian bagged 15 7% and 13 88% respect i v e l y , t h e E l e c t i o n s Department spokesman said Prime Minister Lee Hsien

Tharman Shanmugaratnam

Loong congratulated Tharman o n w i n n i n g t h e e l e c t i o n “ S i n g a p o r e a n s h a v e c h o s e n Tharman Shanmugaratnam to be our next president by a decisive margin As head of state, he

will represent us at home a n d a b r o a d , a n d e x e r c i s e custodial powers, including over the reserves and key appointments,” he said “I thank the three candid a t e s f o r p u t t i n g t h e mselves forward in this presidential election I am happy t h a t S i n g a p o r e a n s h a v e been able to exercise the right to vote for our next president, and to focus on what the elected president is about In this election, both voters and c a n d i d a t e s h a v e s h o w n a greater understanding of the roles and duties of the presi-

d e n t , w h i c h b o d e s w e l l f o r Singapore,” Lee said Earlier, speaking at Taman Jurong Food Centre where his s u p p o r t e r s h a d g a t h e r e d , Tharman said he is “truly humb l e d b y t h e s t r o n g e n d o r s ement” Singaporeans have given him

“I’m humbled by this voteit is not just a vote for me, it is a vote for Singapore's future, a future of optimism and solidarity That’s what it really is My campaign was one of optimism a n d s o l i d a r i t y , a n d I b e l i e v e that’s what Singaporeans want,” he said

More China neighbours fume at its new map

B E I J I N G : A m ap th a t C h in a issued that shows its sov ereig nty claims, includ ing those in the S o u th C h in a S ea, an d t h at Beijing claimed sho uld be considered lo gically and o bjectiv ely has been dism issed as unfounded by the Philippines, M alaysia and Vietnam China unveiled a ch a rt o f t h ei r i nf am o u s Ushap ed bord er, wh ich spans 90 % of the South Ch ina Sea and is the route of m ore than $3 trillion in annual trade

C h i n a w a s a d v i s e d b y t h e Philippines "to act responsibly a n d a b i d e b y i t s o b l i g a t i o n s " under international law and a 2016 arbitral decision that found the border to be without legal justification Malaysia declared that it has lodged a diplomatic objection to the map China says the line is based on its historic maps I t w a s n o t i m m e d i a t e l y c l e a r whether the latest map denotes any new claim to territory

China’s U-shaped line loops

Imran Khan’s jail custody extended till Sept 13: Lawyer

IS L AM A BAD : A da y after a not her cour t suspend ed his prison te rm for gr aft, a Pak ist an i court incre ased t he for mer prime minist er Imran Khan 's dete nt ion in jail for an ad ditiona l 14 day s to allow for an inv estiga tion into th e a lle gat ion s tha t h e le ak ed stat e secre ts

Khan started his three-year prison sentence in Attock jail on August 5 after being found guilty of illegally selling state goods, where the special court held its proceedings Khan was granted bail by AHC when that sentence w a s s u s p e n d e d , b u t h e w a s unable to leave because he was still being held without bond in the case involving government secrets

Speaking to journalists outs i d e t h e j a i l a f t e r t h e j u d g e extended Khan’s remand until S e p t e m b e r 1 3 , K h a n ’ s l a w y e r Naeem Panjutha said an application for bail had been submitted and would be heard soon “We have also filed a plea for an open

court trial,” he said, anticipating that the prosecution could seek a closed door trial, without media or public present M u l t i p l e c a s e s h a v e b e e n lodged against the 70-year old former national cricket captain since he lost the premiership in a parliamentary confidence vote last year According to a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) case r e p o r t v i e w e d b y t h e m e d i a , Khan has been prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act for disclosing information from a private cable received by Pakistan's ambassador to the United States and exploiting it for political purposes He could spend up to 1 0 y e a r s i n p r i s o n i f p r o v e n guilty

Pak bizmen down shutters across country over inflation

ISL AM AB AD: Thous ands of Pakis tan traders s huttered their shops on Sa turday, striking over s oaring energy and f uel bills s tir ring wide spread dis content ahead of national elect ions Deca des of mis managem ent and ins tabil it y have hobbl ed Pakistan’s e conom y, a nd this summ er Is lam abad was f orc ed into a deal wit h IMF to avert default Howe ver, the global l ender demanded that popular subsidie s c us hioning l iving costs be s las hed Petrol a nd elec tricity prices have rocketed

There were widespread market closures on Saturday in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar, where abandoned bazaars were posted with placards decrying “the unreasonable increase in electricity bills and taxes” “Everyone is participating because the situation has become unbearable now, ” Lahore’s Township Traders Union president Ajmal Hashmi said “Some relief must be given so people can put food on the table ” Traders wield immense power in Pakistan, and with an election due in the coming months the government faces the delicate task of keeping them onside while sticking to IMF austerity measures

as far as 1,500 km south of its Hainan island and cuts into the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) o f V i e t n a m , t h e P h i l i p p i n e s , Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia

The Philippine foreign ministry

s a i d , “ T h i s l a t e s t a t t e m p t t o l e g i t i m i s e C h i n a ’ s p u r p o r t e d s o v e r e i g n t y a n d j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r P h i l i p p i n e f e a t u r e s a n d m a r i t i m e z o n e s h a s n o b a s i s under international law ” I t s M a l a y s i a n c o u n t e r p a r t said the new map holds no bind-

i n g a u t h o r i t y o v e r M a l a y s i a , w h i c h “ a l s o v i e w s t h e S o u t h China Sea as a complex and sensitive matter” The map was different to a narrower version submitted by China to the UN in 2009 of the South China Sea that included its so-called “nine dash line” The latest map was of a broader geographical area and had a line with 10 dashes that i n c l u d e d d e m o c r a t i c a l l y g o verned Taiwan, similar to a 1948 map of China

US state of Georgia to observe Oct as 'Hindu Heritage Month'

NE W Y ORK : T he US state of Georgia h as officially d eclared October as th e "Hindu Heritage M o n th to a ck no w l ed g e th e c o ntr ib u ti o ns o f th e v i bra nt Hind u-Am erican com munity in th e state

In a proclamation, Governor Brian Kemp declared October as the 'Hindu Heritage' month It said that the Hindu heritage will be celebrated by focusing on its culture and the diverse spiritual traditions rooted in India

" T h e v i b r a n t H i n d u American community has cont r i b u t e d t r e m e n d o u s l y t o t h e vitality of the State of Georgia by enriching the lives of its citizens," the proclamation dated August 23 read C o H N A ( C o a l i t i o n o f Hindus of North America), a Hindu advocacy group in the US also welcomed the move and t h a n k e d G o v e r n o r K e m p f o r recognising the Hindu community which is a significant contributor to diverse sectors

This was made possible by the untiring dedication of our friends at the Hindus of Georgia PAC Hinduism has contributed greatly to the cultural milieu of America," the Hindu group said o n X , f o r m e r l y k n o w n a s Twitter

Earlier this year, the Georgia A s s e m b l y p a s s e d a r e s o l u t i o n c o n d e m n i n g H i n d u p h o b i a , m a k i n g i t t h e f i r s t A m e r i c a n State to take such a legislative m e a s u r e C o n d e m n i n g H i n d u p h o b i a a n d a n t i - H i n d u bigotry, the resolution noted the Hindu community’s contributions of Yoga, ayurveda, meditation, food, music, and arts in enriching the cultural fabric of American society and enhancing the lives of millions

W h i l e C o H n a a c k n o w le d g e d t h e r e c o g n i t i o n b y Georgia, it expressed dissatisfaction over the anti-caste discrimination bill passed by the California State Assembly this week

Pak fuel prices cross Rs 300mark for first time in history

K A RA C HI : Pakistan raised p etrol and d iesel prices to a record high , th e finance m inistry said T his is th e first time in P akistan’ s history th at prices of fuel have cro ssed the Rs 300 barrier T he decisio n being receiv ed as another blow for the masses, who are alread y g rappling with inflation The per litre of Hig h Sp eed Diesel (HSD) has also increased by Rs 1 8 4 , rising it up to an all-time high of Rs 311 8

The caretaker government attributed these adjustments to the escalating trajectory of global petroleum prices and its corresponding fluctuations in exchange rates Parallel to the towering and consistently increasing inflation and price hikes, the rupee has also been on a free fall against the US dollar with per dollar value crossing Rs 305 in the interbank and over Rs 350 in the open market

Meanwhile, Dawn recently reported that Pakistan’s short-term inflation has risen 27 5% on a year-on-year basis for the week ending on August 17 largely due to a surge in petroleum prices, showed the official data The inflation, however, decelerated from the preceding week’s 30 8%

Imran Khan

Canada pauses trade treaty talks with India after setting year-end deadline

OT TA WA : C anad a unexpectedly said it had p aused talks on a proposed trad e treaty with I n d i a, ju s t th r ee m o nt h s af ter t h e tw o nations said th ey aim ed to seal an initial agreement th is year

Canada and India have been talking off and on since 2010 about a comprehensive economic partnership agreement The talks were formally relaunched last year

"Trade negotiations are long, complex processes And we've paused to take stock of where we are," a government official told reporters ahead of a trip by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to New Delhi next week

India's envoy to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, told the Canadian Press that Ottawa had sought a pause "within the last month" b u t h a d n o t e x p l a i n e d w h y I n d i a a n d Canada said in May they aimed to seal an initial agreement this year to increase trade and expand investment while setting out a

Indian American arrested

for $13 mn tech fraud in Jew Jersey

WA S H INGT ON: A U S A ttorney rep orted that an Ind ian Am erican was detained in New Jersey o n su sp icion of participating in a technical supp ort scam that d efraud ed ov er 7,0 00 v ictims out of more than USD 13 million

UGANDA MAN CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED HOMOSEXUALITY

Justin trudeau and Narendra modi

mechanism to deal with disputes

Last month, a top Indian trade official said New Delhi planned to hold bilateral free trade talks with Canada and other nations on the sidelines of a G20 summit Trudeau will attend the meeting

Neither Trudeau's office or the office of Trade Minister Mary Ng were immediately available for comment

Four Indian-origin students receive Chevron fellowship in US

HO U S T O N : T he U n i v e r sit y o f Ho u st on ( UH) has an nounced t he Chev ron Ene rgy G r a d u a t e Fe l low s a w a r d fo r ou t st a n d i n g ca ndida tes en gag ed in g rad uate educat ion a nd re sear ch in en erg y topics from across the c a m p u s E i g h t st ud e n t s a r e a m o n g t he win ne r of the prestig ious one-y ea r $12,0 00 f ello ws hip , wh ich in clud e s m e nt o r in g by f a c ul t y e x p e r t s a n d t h e o p po r t u n i t y t o e n g a g e w it h s ub je ct m a t t e r e x p e r t s a t C hevr on Four of the m ar e of Ind ian-orig in a nd the ir na mes a re Apa ra jit a Da tt a, Chira g G oe l, S w a p n i l S h a r m a a n d M e g h a n a Ida mak an ti, a ccord in g t o a un iver sit y r elease Chevron is an American multinational e n e r g y c o r p o r a t i o n t h a t p r e d o m i n a n t l y operates in oil and gas sector The UHChevron Energy Graduate fellows are given t h e a w a r d f o r t h e i r r e s e a r c h i n e n e r g yrelated fields at the University of Houston (UH) A b o u t t h e w i n n e r s o f t h e i n a u g u r a l fellowship, the university said their work f o c u s e s o n s c a l a b l e i n n o v a t i o n s f o r t r a n s f o r m a t i o n a l i m p a c t o n t h e e n e r g y

industry

M s D a t t a i s a p o l i t i c a l s c i e n c e P h D candidate whose research focuses on the i n t e r s e c t i o n o f e n e r g y , c l i m a t e a n d redistributive policies in the US Another f e l l o w , C h i r a g G o e l ' s r e s e a r c h p r o p o s a l stems from his passion for nuclear fusion reactions that power the sun and stars and has been driven to replicate a similar process on Earth

Meghana Idamakanti, a third-year PhD student hopes to contribute to sustainable energy initiatives, focusing on the reduction o f c a r b o n d i o x i d e e m i s s i o n s S w a p n i l S h a r m a , a P h D s t u d e n t a n d a n I n d i a n Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi graduate c o - f o u n d e d C o v R e l i e f t o t r a c k t h e a v a i l a b i l i t y o f h o s p i t a l b e d s t h a t h e l p e d many people during the Covid-19 pandemic in India

The selected fellows will engage with C h e v r o n s u b j e c t m a t t e r e x p e r t s o n a quarterly basis and participate in educational and research engagements organised by UH Energy throughout the year

mate

WA SHI NG TON: Don ald Trump, former US presid ent, pra ised opponen t a nd b usi nessma n Viv ek Rama swam y a nd hinted tha t he would be ope n to usin g hi m as hi s running ma te in the US presid ential election, accordi ng to the me dia

Trump, 77, hailed his 38-year-old IndianA m e r i c a n r i v a l ’ s r e n e g a d e p o l i t i c s a n d willingness to commend the 45th president’s administration “Well, I think he’s great Look, anybody that said I’m the best president in a generation I have to like a guy like that,” the New York Post quoted Trump as saying to B l a z e T V ’ s G l e n n B e c k R a m a s w a m y h a d dubbed Trump “the best president of the 21st c e n t u r y ” d u r i n g l a s t w e e k ’ s R e p u b l i c a n primary debate

“He’s a smart guy He’s a young guy He’s got a lot of talent He’s a very, very, very intelligent person, ” Trump added “He’s got good energy, and he could be in some form of something I tell you, I think he’d be very g o o d I t h i n k h e ’ s r e a l l y d i s t i n g u i s h e d himself,” media quoted Trump as saying when asked if he had considered the biotech entrepreneur for vice-president Trump also had a word of caution for Ramaswamy, who has stumbled into controversy over his policy agendas for Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine “He’s starting to get out there a little bit He’s getting a little bit controversial I got to tell him: ‘Be a little bit careful Some things you have to hold in just a little bit’ ”

US Congress okays fighter jet engines deal with India

W A S H I N G T O N : The G E A e ro s p ac e a n d Hindus tan Aer onautic s Lim it ed coll abora tion t o manufac ture fighter jet engines f or the India n Air Forc e has received approval f rom t he US Congres s The agreeme nt rel ates to India 's domes tic jet engine production T h e a c c o r d d i s c u s s e d d u r i n g p r i m e minister Narendra Modi's visit will now be a d v a n c e d b y t h e B i d e n a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , o p e n i n g t h e d o o r f o r u n p r e c e d e n t e d t e c h n o l o g y t r a n s f e r a n d l i c e n c i n g agreements The agreement, which is seen as a game-changing one, is anticipated to solidify further when President Joe Biden travels to India for the G20 conference

T h e m e d i a r e p o r t e d t h a t t h i s arrangement bridges the technology gap in jet engine development, and subsequently reinforces its defense capabilities, especially considering regional complexities

T h e a g r e e m e n t e n c o m p a s s e s 8 0 p e r cent technology transfer by GE, estimated to value around $1 billion

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MKII's operational performance will be improved a s a r e s u l t o f t h i s t e c h n o l o g y t r a n s f e r A c c o r d i n g t o t h e a g r e e m e n t , G E Aerospace's F414 engines would be jointly produced in India for the Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 programme of the Air Force

Charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Manoj Yadav appeared before US Magistrate Judge José R Almonte in Newark federal court

"The defendant and his conspirators are a l l e g e d t o h a v e m i s l e d t h e i r n u m e r o u s v i c t i m s i n t o t h i n k i n g t h a t t h e y w e r e a l e g i t i m a t e t e c h n o l o g y s u p p o r t c o m p a n y affiliated with a major software company," US Attorney Philip R Sellinger said

T h e y a l l e g e d l y c h a r g e d t h e v i c t i m s exorbitant fees for putative support services that were not authorised by the software company after purporting to offer technical support for problems with the well-known a c c o u n t i n g s o f t w a r e o f t h e s o f t w a r e provider

"We allege Yadav lied to software users and forced them to pay for services that would usually come free with their initial p u r c h a s e , " F B I S p e c i a l A g e n t i n C h a r g e J a m e s E D e n n e h y s a i d T h e m a x i m u m sentence for a conviction on a count of conspiracy to conduct wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a fine of USD 2,50,000 or double the gross profit or loss brought on by the offence, whichever is higher

"The amount he's accused of stealing from his victims and the number of victims seems shocking; however, we are seeing an i n c r e d i b l e i n c r e a s e i n a l l t y p e s o f t e c h support scams The fraudsters are pretty savvy in how they con money out of people, even those of us who think we're smart enough to not fall for it If you think you're a v i c t i m , p l e a s e r e a c h o u t t o t h e F B I , ”

Dennehy said

California okays anti-caste discrimination bill

W A S H I N G T O N: T h e C a li fo r ni a s ta te assembly has enacted a bill that aims to fight caste prejud ice and increase protections for disadv antaged com munities all around the state In th e assembly, the bill w as approved

A s s o o n a s C al i fo rn i a's g ov ern o r G av i n New so m signs it into law, caste will become a p rotected class under the nation s antidiscrimination laws, m aking it the first state in the unio n to do so

T h e b i l l s e e k s t o c o m b a t c a s t e discrimination and strengthen protections for marginalised communities across the s t a t e A c o a l i t i o n o f H i n d u s o f N o r t h America (CoHNA) described it as a black day in California history The legislation will revise California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, Education, and Housing codes by adding c a s t e a s a p r o t e c t e d c a t e g o r y u n d e r

“ancestry ” “The assembly vote is a win for the ages, ” said Thenmozhi Soundararajan, executive director of Equality Labs

According to CoHNA, the passage of a statute that is NOT facially neutral and was crafted expressly to target Hindu Americans is the most recent in a long line of unjust l a w s t h a t h a v e b e e n u s e d t o t a r g e t m i n o r i t i e s o f c o l o u r , s u c h a s t h e A s i a n

Exclusion Act “This bill is worse since it ignored the mounting body of evidence about the overreach of CRD in the Cisco lawsuit, the flawed data from a hate group t h a t u n d e r p i n n e d t h e w h o l e e f f o r t , t h e championing of this bill by foreign actors and the rising numbers of Dalit and Bahujan voices speaking against it,” it said

Ugandan authorities have charged a man with aggravated homosexuality, which carries a possible death penalty, in the first use of the charge since the enactment in May of an anti-gay law The law has widespread support in Uganda but has drawn pressure from abroad on Ugandan officials to repeal the measure The suspect is identified as a 20-year-old “peasant” in Soroti who was charged on August 18 with having unlawful sexual intercourse with a 41-year-old man, according to police Aggravated homosexuality is defined as cases of same-sex sexual relations involving a minor and other categories of vulnerable people or when the perpetrator is infected with HIV The charging document does not clarify the aggravating factor in the case

DISGRACED ANC LEADER FORMS NEW PARTY

Ace Magashule, the former secretary general of the African National Congress announced the founding of the African Congress for Transformation (ACT) a new political party in South Africa He was a close friend of former president Jacob Zuma and was only ejected from the ruling party two months ago after being found guilty of breaking its bylaws At a press briefing in Soweto, he described the party as a new ship for freedom Magashule who remains popular with parts of the left-leaning electorate, said the ANC was "moving fast towards the right and abandoning its centre-left position I m disgruntled because the ANC of Oliver Tambo, the ANC I joined for more than 43 years is not the ANC we know today " he said

CHINA COUNTY OFFERS REWARD TO COUPLES IF BRIDE IS UNDER 25

A county in eastern China is offering couples a “reward” of 1,000 yuan ($137) if the bride is aged 25 or younger, the latest measure to incentivise young people to get married amid rising concern over a declining birth rate The notice which was published on Changshan county’s official Wechat account last week said the reward was to promote age-appropriate marriage and childbearing” for first marriages It also included a series of childcare fertility and education subsidies for couples who have children China s legal age limit for marriage is 22 for males and 20 for females, but the number of couples getting married has been falling

JAPAN EYES RECORD DEFENCE BUDGET

Japan s defence ministry asked for a record 7 7 trillion yen ($52 67 billion) in spending for the 2024 fiscal year, the latest step of PM Fumio Kishida s plan to boost military spending by 43 trillion yen over five years The plan announced last year, seeks to double defence spending to 2% of gross domestic product by 2027 as it faces an increasingly assertive China and an unpredictable North Korea The request comes as Japan’s relations with China have deteriorated sharply The request adds a trillion yen to the previous year’s budget of 6 8 trillion yen, an increase of 13% If approved, the budget will have increased spending by a trillion yen from the previous year for an unprecedented two consecutive years

THAI KING REDUCES FORMER PM’S JAIL TERM

Thailand’s king reduced former PM Thaksin Shinawatra s eight-year prison term to a single year following the divisive politician s return last week from 15 years of self-imposed exile Thai media reported that Thaksin can apply for parole after serving one-third of his sentence or four months They said the former leader, who was transferred to a hospital after a brief prison stay because of reported frail health, could remain there for that period with permission from the correction department s chief The decision by King Maha Vajiralongkorn was published in the Royal Gazette making it effective immediately

Trump open to Ramaswamy as his running

8 in 10 Indians have a favourable view of Modi, finds Pew Research

A survey by the US-based t h i nk tan k P e w R es ear ch C entre rev ealed that about 8 0 % o f I nd i a ns h av e a favourable opinion o f Prime M in i st er Na ren d ra M o d i, w it h a m aj o ri ty o f 55 % expressing a v ery favo urable o pinion This find ing confirms the incumbent as the front-ru nner for th e top job i n 20 2 4 w h en L o k Sa bh a electio ns are sch ed uled

According to the survey, a r o u n d s e v e n o u t o f t e n Indians believe that India's influence has grown over the past few years, supporting the political community's belief that Modi's elect i o n h a s b o o s t e d I n d i a ' s geopolitical might By comp a r i s o n , 1 3 % a n d 1 9 % o f r e s p o n d e n t s f e l t I n d i a ' s impact has remained stable, respectively It also showed that about six in 10 Indians saw Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a positive light: a

finding that will encourage t h e p r i n c i p a l o p p o s i t i o n party not to give up its claim to be the main challenger

About 34% of those polled had an unfavourable view of the Congress politician

The most recent survey examined Indians' opinions on other nations as well as t h e i r p e r c e p t i o n s o f I n d i a and its political leaders both inside and outside of India

Due to the difficulties in conducting in-person interviews,

12 killed as 61,000 lightning strikes

Odisha in two hours

A t l ea s t 1 2 p e op l e w e re k i l l e d, 14 o th e r s i n j u re d w h e n 6 1, 00 0 l i g ht n i n g strik es a cross Odis ha in just u n d er t w o h o ur s T he s e strik es could not end anytim e soon becaus e the India

M e t e or o lo g y De p a r tm e n t ( IMD) has i ssued a warning for extremely severe weathe r i n t h e s ta t e u n ti l

September 7

Pew Research Centre had not studied eight middle-income nations since 2019, prior to the Covid-19 epidemic The results also showed that 46% of adults held a favourable view of India, while a median o f 3 4 % h a d u n f a v o u r a b l e views In comparison, views of Modi, which were collected in a subset of 12 countries, were more mixed - 37% said they had confidence in Modi a n d 4 0 % s a i d t h e y l a c k e d confidence in him

A c y c l o n i c c i r c u l a t i o n over the Bay of Bengal might become a low-pressure system, which would likely bring e x t e n s i v e r a i n t o O d i s h a According to an IMD bulletin, the rain is predicted to get heavier later in the week

“ Y e l l o w w a r n i n g f o r h e a v y rainfall has been issued in most districts till September

7, ” the IMD stated

Four of the deceased in last week’s lightning strikes were from Khurda district, two from Balangir and one

INDIA to fight LS polls unitedly as far as possible

A t t he conclusion of t he two-day INDIA con clave in Mumba i, the 28-member o p p o si t i o n c oa li t io n a n n o u n ce d i t s in ten tion t o r un in the Lok Sabha elect ions "a s fa r as possible" as a sing le unit

A cco rd in g to a o n e- pa ge r e solut io n, se at-shar ing agr eeme nt s "will be initiate d imme diate ly an d conclud ed a s soon a s possible in a collabora tive sp ir it or g ive an d ta ke "

A 14-member coordination committee was formed to iron out a smooth relationship and stitch together unif o r m c a m p a i g n a n d c o m m u n i c a t i o n strategies However, the alliance chose not to appoint a convener or finalise a logo The decision to avoid a convener w a s i n t e n d e d t o s c o t c h s p e c u l a t i o n regarding the opposition’s choice of a PM candidate The logo was put on hold as a section of parties thought it would clash for attention with their individual poll symbols The main out-

Jet Airways founder Goyal sent to ED custody till September 11

In a case involving t h e mo n e y l au nd er i ng o f Rs 5 39 b i l li o n , a sp ec i al c o u rt i n Mu m b ai o rde re d J e t Airways (Indi a) Ltd f o u n de r Na re s h

come of the third INDIA conclave - the f i r s t t w o t o o k p l a c e i n P a t n a a n d Bengaluru - was the creation of a multiparty coordination body with working groups and committees under it to m a n a g e c a m p a i g n s , m e d i a , s o c i a l media, and research

The INDIA bloc’s resolution said the parties would coordinate communication and media strategies and poll campaigns using the theme, “Judega

Bharat, Jeetega India (Bharat will unite, India will win)” in different languages

R a h u l G a n d h i s a i d t h e I N D I A alliance represented 60% of the Indian population “If parties on this stage unite, it is impossible for BJP to win this election,” he said “We have taken powerful steps to defeat BJP We have set up committees and I have asked for the seat-sharing formula to be expedited on top priority ”

Indian railways get its first woman chief after 118 years

With the se le ction of Ja ya Ver ma S in ha t o t he po s it io n , I n d i a n Ra ilwa ys n ow ha s it s first fem ale CEO a nd chair per son of t he r ailwa y boa rd (C RB) She will h old t he CR B posit ion unt il August 31, 2024

e a c h f r o m A n g u l , B o u d h ,

D h e n k a n a l , G a j a p a t i , Jagatsinghpur and Puri, the relief commissioner wrote in

a p o s t o n X ( f o r m e r l y Twitter) “Besides, eight cattle were also killed as lightn i n g s t r u c k G a j a p a t i a n d

K a n d h a m a l d i s t r i c t s , ” h e added

“Ex gratia of Rs 400,000 will be paid to each of the bereaved families In case of

cattle death, assistance will be extended as admissible,” he said Weather scientists said these unusual and extreme l i g h t n i n g a c t i v i t i e s o c c u r when the monsoon returns t o n o r m a l c y a f t e r a l o n g break Collision of cold and warm air masses creates the perfect conditions for such u n p r e c e d e n t e d l i g h t n i n g events, they said

Union health minister opens Amrita Patel Centre for Public Health at Karamsad

Naresh Goyal

Go yal to remai n in the c usto dy o f the Enforcement Directorate ( ED) till S eptember 1 1 S p e c i a l p u b l i c p r o s e c u t o r S u n i l

Gonsalves claimed that Goyal had siphoned off proceeds of crime to the various companies and trusts he created in tax havens and had also acquired various properties abroad, including in UAE (Dubai) and the UK He was asking for Goyal's 14-day detention for questioning “Moreover, State Bank of India along with other consortium banks have overall o u t s t a n d i n g e x p o s u r e o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y

£600 million to JIL as JIL defaulted in payments of loan instalments as on December 31, 2018 The accounts of JIL slipped into NPA (non-performing assets) on June 5, 2016, having book liability as on the date of NPA worth £53 86 million in respect of Canara Bank This amount of £53 86 million as NPA is nothing but the proceeds of crime which have been diverted and siphoned off,” the ED said

Sinha, a career railway officer, is slated to retire on October 1, and will be re-employed the same day till her service ends She will succeed Anil Kumar Lahoti Officials said Sinha’s appointment marks the beginning of a new chapter as she becomes the first woman to head the board since its establishment in 1905 - the first woman to be CRB in 118 years Sinha

was at the centrestage of the media briefing in June when, as member ( o p e r a t i o n s & b u s i n e s s d e v e l o pment), she gave details of the electronic interlocking signalling system after the Balasore accident Since railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Lahoti were at the spot, Sinha had made a presentation on the rail crash to PM Narendra Modi Sinha, an alumna of Allahabad University, b e g a n w o r k i n g f o r t h e I n d i a n R a i l w a y T r a f f i c S e r v i c e ( I R T S ) i n 1988 She has experience working for the Northern Railway, South Eastern Railway, and Eastern Railway

Ready to hold polls in J&K, EC to take call: Centre tells SC

The Un ion governm ent told the S up r e m e C o ur t th a t t he U n i on Territory of J ammu a nd Kashmi r m a y ho l d a s s e m b l y e le c t i on s a s soon as the Elec ti on Comm issi on ma de a deci sion, but it was unab le to provide a s pecifi c timeli ne for the UT's return to s ta tehood Responding to the court’s query on the roadmap for restoration of statehood and conducting assemb l y e l e c t i o n s , s o l i c i t o r g e n e r a l

Tushar Mehta said, “The Union

government is ready for (conducting) elections at any time now Till date, updating of voters list was going on, which is substantially over Only some part of the work remains to be completed, which the EC is doing “It (holding of elections) will be a call taken by the UT, the government and ECs together after assessing the ground situation and readiness of the UT administration for holding assembly elections ”

Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, union minister of health and family welfare, o pened the Amrita Patel Centre fo r Public Health at Bh aikaka University, K aramsad-Anand last week in the p resence o f Rush ikesh Patel, Gujarat minister of health & family welfare

The function was attended by Mitesh Patel, (MP), Dr Ramanbhai Solanki (Nyab Mukhya Dandashri), Yogesh Patel (MLA), Rajesh Patel (president, BJP Anand), Atul Patel (president, Bhaikaka University), Jagrut Bhatt (hon secretary Charutar Arogya Mandal), Dr Amrita Patel (ex- chairman, Charutar Arogya Mandal), Dr Utpala Kharod ( ProvostBhaikaka university), staff members of the university and other guests

The health centre will be a vibrant learning hub and an institution for public health professionals of all cadres, paying a befitting tribute to Dr Amrita Patel and her profound vision The center's mission is to train qualified public health professionals, NGOs, healthcare systems and global health initiatives as well as to offer research facilities to students around the world

CAM chairman, secretary visiting UK

K ri s h na Ho s p i tal ,

K ar am s ad m an ag e d by C h ar u tar A ro g y a M an d al ( C A M ) , is extremely grateful for th e s u p p o rt an d patronag e of Gu jarati d i as p o ra a t U ni te d Kingdo m This journey of 5 decad es supporting over 8 million p atients could not have been possible without their sup port

Atulbhai Patel

The CAM is pleased to announce that its Chairman Shri Atulbhai Patel and Secretary Shri Jagrutbhai Bhatt are visiting U K again with an aim to garner support for the crucial upcoming activities, from 11th to 18th Sep’23 This visit represents a significant step in our ongoing commitment to making a positive impact in our community and beyond The visit is embarking on a mission to engage with key Charotarians to rally support for our charitable initiatives

HC sets aside election of Deve Gowda’s grandson

BE NGA L U RU : In a major setback to J an ata D al (S ), t h e K arn ata ka H C declared as null and vo id the election o f party MP P rajwal Rev anna from the Has san L ok Sab ha c ons tituen cy fo r fal sif yin g hi s inc om e d etails i n th e af f id av i t fi le d a lo n g w i th h is nomination p apers Prajwal, son of former Karnataka minister H D Revanna and grandson of f o r m e r p r i m e m i n i s t e r H D D e v e g o w d a , w a s t h e l o n e J D ( S ) candidate to have won a seat in the 2019 general election

D e f e a t e d B h a r a t i y a J a n a t a P a r t y ( B J P c a n d i d a t e A M a n j u a n d G Devarajegowda, a voter from Hassan a n d f o r m e r s t a t e C o n g r e s s g e n e r a l secretary, had filed separate petitions challenging Prajwal’s election

S e t t i n g a s i d e P r a j w a l ’ s e l e c t i o n , Justice K Natarajan observed that the p e t i t i o n e r s h a d p r o v e d “ b e y o n d r e a s o n a b l e d o u b t ” h i s c o r r u p t practices, including “non-disclosure of material facts, wrong disclosure of the value of properties, evasion of taxes, proxy voting, expenditure much higher

t h a n t h e l i m i t p r e s c r i b e d b y t h e

E l e c t i o n C o m m i s s i o n o f I n d i a , a n d wrong acceptance of nomination paper by the returning officer”

T h e j u d g e , h o w e v e r , r e j e c t e d Manju’s plea to declare him the winner, noting that he, too, had resorted to c o r r u p t p r a c t i c e s O b s e r v i n g t h a t

Prajwal’s father and former minister H

D Revanna, and brother Suraj Revanna, had actively helped him in his corrupt p r a c t i c e s , J u s t i c e N a t a r a j a n i s s u e d show-cause notices to them asking why they should not be proceeded against u n d e r s e c t i o n 9 9 ( a ) ( i i ) o f

Representation of the People Act, 1951

C H E N N A I : Co n fu sio n ov e r t he ju r is di ct io n s of a se ssion s court an d a special court in t aking up the ba il plea of a rrested Ta mil Nadu minist er V Sent hil Bal aji has delay ed the hear in g of his petition al though his sta y in prison has crossed 75 days During t his period, he has sp e n t fi v e d a y s i n cu st o dy o f t he E n fo r ce m e n t D i r e ct o r a t e , a n d t h e ce n t r a l a g e n cy ha s fi l e d a char geshe et and issued copies to the ministe r ’ s side

The minister, arrested by the ED on June 14, filed his first bail plea before the special court for cases against MPs and MLAs here The court, however, directed him to approach the regular principal sessions court, which had originally remanded him in judicial custody

Accordingly, Senthil filed a bail petition before the principal sessions court When it came up for hearing, judge S Alli said the special court for cases against MPs and MLAs could hear his bail plea and passed an order saying the special court had the power to hear the bail plea

However, when the case was mentioned before special judge Ravi, the latter refused to take up the case for hearing, saying his court lacked jurisdiction and power to hear cases registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act The judge directed Senthil to a p p r o a c h t h e M a d r a s h i g h c o u r t f o r c l a r i t y a n d necessary orders Senthil is now expected to approach the Madras HC for clarity and orders in the matter

Punjab Cong opposes tie up with AAP in Lok Sabha poll

C H A N D I G A R H : H o u rs a ft er taking a “U -turn" by inform ing t h e h i g h co u r t th at i t i s w it h d ra w in g it s no t if i ca ti o n d issolv ing all g ram panchayats i n th e s tate , t h e P u n ja b g o v er nm e nt su s p en d ed tw o s e ni o r IA S of f ic e rs f o r a “ tech nically flaw ed " decision

The government suspended 1 9 9 4 - b a t c h I A S o f f i c e r D h i r e n d r a K u m a r T i w a r i , P r i n c i p a l S e c r e t a r y , R u r a l D e v e l o p m e n t a n d

Panchayats, and 2009-batch IAS officer Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Director, Rural Development and Panchayats and exo f f i c i o S p e c i a l S e c r e t a r y , R u r a l Development and Panchayats, under the provisions of rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, according to an official order

The order of suspension was issued by Chief Secretary Anurag Verma

Earlier in the day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it was withdrawing the notification on dissolution of all gram panchayats in the state, which was seen as a major

HC ORDERS SUO MOTU REVISION OF OPS DISCHARGE

In a scathing criticism of Tamil Nadu’s premier anti-corruption agency - the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC)Madras high court called it a chameleon that takes its colour from the ruling party ’ The judge made the observations while initiating suo motu revision of former Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam’s discharge in a disappropriate assets case 11 years ago and issued notice to him and his family members - his wife son and all other brothers and their family members All the accused have been directed to be present in the court on September 27 The DVAC behaves like puppets in the Muppets show and sings a different tune in tandem with its political masters, said Justice N Anand Venkatesh, adding: It is a shame on the criminal justice system It would be better to say that (anti-corruption) law will not apply to MPs and MLAs

KERALITIES CONSUME LIQUOR WORTH £75 9 MN DURING ONAM

Kerala witnessed £75 9 million in alcohol sales during Onam festivities last weekend The amount is, interestingly, more than the cost of Chandrayaan-3 mission which stood at £60 million There was an 8 5 per cent increase in the sale of alcohol in the state as compared to last year On the eve of Onam or Uthradam

e m b a r r a s s m e n t f o r t h e B h a g w a n t Mann regime

Rural Development and Panchayats

Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said the state government has suspended the principal secretary and director of the r u r a l d e v e l o p m e n t a n d p a n c h a y a t s department with immediate effect for taking a “technically flawed" decision r e g a r d i n g t h e d i s s o l u t i o n o f panchayats

A c c o r d i n g t o r e p o r t s , p a n c h a y a t minister Bhullar was involved at every step from the beginning to end in the entire decision Bhullar tried to wash h i s h a n d s o f t h e c o n t r o v e r s y a n d cleverly passed on the entire blame on to the two IAS officers for ‘technically flawed’ decision

Harpal Singh C heem a said that AA P would contest the 2024 Lok S abha elections in the state in an alliance with Congress, leaving th e state lead ers of the g rand o ld p art y ba ff le d as t h ey h a v e bee n s p ea ki ng vehemently ag ainst any such arrangement

R e p l y i n g t o a q u e r y f r o m m e d i a p e r s o n s o n whether AAP and Congress in Punjab would contest the Lok Sabha elections together, Cheema said: “Of course INDIA alliance has been formed to save the country’s democracy and the Constitution The aim b e h i n d t h e a l l i a n c e i s v e r y b i g , f o r w h i c h s m a l l differences must be kept aside ”

Sources within Congress revealed that Cheema’s statement had put party leaders in a difficult situation as they had been hurling chosen epithets at Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and AAP, even calling the governing party a ‘B’ team of RSS-BJP They had even been saying that Congress would contest all the 13 seats in the state and there was no question of seat-sharing with AAP “They are now in utter dilemma on this issue and are discussing how to handle this U-turn,” said a Congress MLA

It is for the first time that a senior AAP leader has made such a statement Cheema said the Centre was hatching conspiracies and trying its best to put down the INDIA bloc “BJP is afraid of this alliance There are some political parties in the INDIA alliance that have some differences in their states BJP is attempting to multiply these differences so that INDIA bloc is not a success, ” he said

Kerala witnessed the highest ever sale with Bevco earning £11 6 crore only through the sale of alcohol According to a report in 2022 total liquor sales had touched £62 4 million in the week leading up to the first day of Onam During the same period in 2021, Kerala had recorded alcohol sales worth £52 9 million Among those sold the most, Kerala's own popular rum brand Jawan turned out to be people s favourite with about 70 000 cases of it being sold between August 21 and 30 The comparatively low-priced rum had become the most sought-after brand in the state, especially among the financially weak sections

BITTU BAJRANGI BOOKED FOR NUH RIOTS GRANTED BAIL

A court in Nuh granted bail to Raj Kumar alias Bittu Bajrangi, who was arrested earlier this month for rioting on July 31, the day communal clashes broke out during a religious procession in the district Police said Bittu was produced before the court of judicial magistrate (first class) Sandeep Kumar Booked in another case of alleged hate speech as well linked to the July 31 communal violence, Bittu was arrested on August 15 on a complaint by ASP Usha Kundu He was sent to judicial custody on August 17 and lodged in Faridabad’s Neemka jail after Nuh cops requested the judge to transfer him over security concerns about keeping him in the district jail

EX-TRINAMOOL MLA JOINS BJP AHEAD OF CRUCIAL BYPOLL

KO LKAT A: Tri namool nati onal g e n er a l s e c re t ar y Ab h i s he k B anerjee moved a fres h petition i n t he C al c ut t a h i gh c our t against the “nefari ous ” designs o f c e n tr a l i nv e s ti g a ti n g agencies, even as hi s petition c h a ll e ng i n g th e E D ’ s enforcement case information report ( ECIR) was reserved for order I n t r o d u c i n g h i m s e l f a s c u r r e n t C E O a n d f o r m e r director of Leaps & Bounds Pvt Ltd, Abhishek in his petition drew the court’s attention to the searches and seizures at the f i r m o n A u g u s t 2 1 a n d

f o l l o w i n g J u s t i c e A b h i j i t

Gangopadhyay’s order on April 13, directing ED to investigate aspects of a public speech made by him He alleged that ED,

w i t h “ c o m p l e t e d i s r e g a r d a n d d i s d a i n t o t h e aforesaid direction”, had been carrying on a “fishing and roving i n q u i r y ” i n t h e teacher recruitment case Abhishek had moved the Supreme Court in the matter, following which the S C g r a n t e d h i m liberty to seek “protection and r e l i e f ” f r o m t h e H C Accordingly, the petitioner had m o v e d t h e c o u r t o f J u s t i c e

Tirthankar Ghosh

Abhishek alleged that the i n v e s t i g a t i n g t e a m

“downloaded and introduced”

1 6 f i l e s t o a L e a p s & B o u n d s office computer system during s e a r c h e s , a n d t h e e m p l o y e e s present “ were not made privy to the illegal act” He pointed out that the “predicate offence” was being investigated by CBI, and he feared the agency may cite t h e f i l e s w h i l e c o n d u c t i n g searches in his office

H e s a i d t h e C e n t r e h a d “ w e a p o n i s e d ” i n v e s t i g a t i n g a g e n c i e s t o “ d e s t a b i l i s e a n d create impediments against the elected (Bengal) government”

Just two days before the crucial bypoll to the Dhupguri Assembly seat in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district, the ruling Trinamool Congress received a jolt as the party’s former MLA from the same constituency shifted her camp to the BJP Mitali Roy, the former party MLA from Dhupguri from 2016 to 2021, also contested on behalf of the ruling party in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections from the same constituency However in 2021 she was defeated by BJP’s Bishnu Pada Roy, who died recently necessitating the bypoll Party insiders said that she was expecting a renomination for the September 5 bypoll But the ruling party instead of re-nominating her, fielded Nirmal Chandra Roy a professor at the Dhupguri Girls College for the seat Giving her reaction to media persons immediately after joining BJP, Roy said that she was virtually isolated within Trinamool Congress since her defeat in the 2021 polls

As courts sort out jurisdiction, hearing on Balaji's bail plea delayed

gen secy Abhishek moves HC against central agencies

Two IAS officers suspended after Punjab govt's 'U-turn' on dissolution of panchayats

Prajwal Revanna

Abhishek Banerjee

Dhirendra Kumar Tiwari and Gurpreet Singh Khaira

G20 dinner invite stirs debate with mention of 'President of Bharat'

A n e w a r g um e n t h a s b r o k e n o ut b etween t he NDA and the INDIA bloc since the invitat ions to a G20 summit b anquet hel d at the Rashtra pa ti Bha wa n wer e pr int ed with "Preside nt of Bharat " r ather than "Pre siden t of India "

It was posted on social media platform X by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who shared an image of the i n v i t e a n d u s e d t h e h a s h t a g '#PresidentOfBharat' and said, 'Jana Gana Mana Adhinayak Jaya He, Bharat Bhagya Vidhata'

Following the tweet, the leaders of the opposition have questioned the government's intentions and said that the "Union of States" is being attacked Invoking Article 1 of the Constitution, C o n g r e s s g e n e r a l s e c r e t a r y J a i r a m Ramesh charged that the administration was undermining the concept of a Union of States

He wrote, "So the news is indeed true Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' i n s t e a d o f t h e u s u a l ' P r e s i d e n t o f India'" He alleged, "Now, Article 1 of the Constitution can read: ‘Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States

But now even this "Union of States" is under assaults’ "

The Congress accused the BJP government of being "scared" of the INDIA b l o c a n d d e f l e c t i n g a t t e n t i o n a w a y f r o m p r e s s i n g c o n c e r n s l i k e p r i c e

increases and "rising joblessness" over a

G 2 0 d i n n e r i n v i t a t i o n r e f e r r i n g t o P r e s i d e n t D r o u p a d i M u r m u a s

"President of Bharat "

Social media reacts to India vs Bharat

P r o m i n e n t a c t o r A m i t a b h Bachchan has garnered attention for his most recent tweet amid the ongoi n g d e b a t e a b o u t u s i n g t h e w o r d

"Bharat" instead of "India " Taking to X, Amitabh wrote in Hindi, “Bharat Mata

Ki Jai ” As his tweet came during the India-Bharat row, it seems like Big B h a s j u s t s h o w c a s e d h i s s u p p o r t i n favour of India's name change Soon after Bachchan shared the tweet, several fans lauded the actor for his support A p a r t f r o m B a c h c h a n , c r i c k e t e r

Virender Sehwag also came out strongly in favour of Bharat Govt may bring resolution in Parliament's special session

A proposal to rename India officially to "Bharat" is expected to be presented by the Modi government during the session of Parliament, which is planned to take place from September 18 to 22

Xi to skip G20 summit

Multiple BJP leaders including Assam chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, came out in support of renaming the c o u n t r y ' B h a r a t ' “ O u r c o u n t r y i s

' B h a r a t ' , t h e r e s h o u l d b e n o d o u b t about this Congress has a problem with everything," said Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on the debate over the word 'India' Opposition critises G20 invite

D e l h i c h i e f m i n i s t e r A r v i n d K e j r i w a l a s k e d a " f l u s t e r e d " B J P whether it would change the name of Bharat if the opposition alliance INDIA rechristened itself Bharat amid a scandal over G20 dinner invitation "There is no official information about it but I have heard rumours Why is this happ e n i n g ? S o m e p a r t i e s h a v e c o m e together to form the INDIA bloc If INDIA alliance changes its name to B h a r a t , w i l l t h e y r e n a m e B h a r a t ? " Kejriwal asked at a press conference

W e s t B e n g a l C h i e f M i n i s t e r Mamata Banerjee questioned the need to "suddenly use only Bharat" while referring to India in official commun i q u e N a t i o n a l i s t C o n g r e s s P a r t y (NCP) president Sharad Pawar said no one has the right to change the country's name He stated that the subject will be discussed at a meeting with the leaders of the parties that make up the INDIA coalition that will be called by C o n g r e s s p r e s i d e n t M a l l i k a r j u n Kharge

Indians lose 5 years’ life to air pollution, Delhi worst at 12 years

Air Qua lity Life Index (AQLI) pu b l i sh e d b y t h e E n e r gy Po l i cy In st i t u t e a t t h e Un iv ersit y of Chicago stat ed that an exposure to fine particulat e air pollution (PM2 5 ) is t h o ug h t t o r e d uc e l if e expectan cy for the av erag e Indian b y 5 3 y ears and in Del hi, frequent ly re fer red to as the worl d's most poll ut ed city, b y as much as 11 9 ye ars when compared to the WH O st and ard s of 5 microgr ams pe r cubic metr e (g/ m3)

According to a report, an average Indian could lose 1 8 years of life expectancy and a Delhi resident up to 8 5 years

Nischal Sanghavi

i f t h e c o u n t r y ’ s n a t i o n a l ambient air quality standards (40 µg/m3) are not met, says the report

T h e I n d e x , b a s e d o n

W H O s t a n d a r d s f a c t o r i n g

annual average PM2 5 levels, shows many areas of India faring badly with air pollution shortening lives by 11 2 years in Gurgaon, 10 8 years in Faridabad, 10 1 years in Jaunpur (UP)

T h e I n d e x , b a s e d o n

W H O s t a n d a r d s f a c t o r i n g annual average PM2 5 levels, shows many areas of Indiathe second most polluted in the world after Bangladesh -

Raksha Bandhan is an auspicious day fo r Hindus wh en sisters tie a Rakh i on their brother s wrist and seek his pro tection and w e ll -b ei n g fo r t h em T alk i ng to A si an Vo ice, Po oja Yadav, Deputy C omm issioner o f P o lice for the traf fic d epartm ent in Rajkot says, “early m orning of this auspiciou s day, the traffic police w ere as usual on d uty and caugh t a num ber of p eop le breaking traffic rules w hile visiting their sister’s p lace for the Rakh i-tying ceremo ny ”

According to Pooja, “ even the cops felt awful about fining brothers for attending R a k s h a B a n d h a n f e s t i v i t i e s D C P P o o j a then came up with an idea to tie Rakhis on the wrists of all those who were caught breaking the traffic rules instead of imposing a hefty fine Police made full preparations, as their personnel stood with a tray f u l l o f K a n k u ( v e r m i l i o n ) , f l o w e r s a n d rakhis among other things Women police force then tied Rakhis on the wrist of traffic rule violators

T h i s p r o t o c o l w a s f o l l o w e d b y t h e police at 7-8 traffic points in the city In fact

faring badly with air pollution shortening lives by 11 2 years in Gurgaon, 10 8 years in Faridabad, 10 1 years in Jaunpur (UP), 9 7 years each in Lucknow and Kanpur, 9 2 years in Muzaffarpur (Bihar), 8 8 years in Prayagraj (UP) and 8 7 years in Patna

T h e r e p o r t n o t e s t h a t while 67 4% of the population lives in places where the country's own national air q u a l i t y r e q u i r e m e n t s a r e exceeded, all of India's 1 3 bill i o n + r e s i d e n t s r e s i d e i n locations where the yearly a v e r a g e p a r t i c l e p o l l u t i o n level surpasses WHO limits

C hin e se Pr e mi er L i Qi a ng will atten d 18th G20 Summit in Del hi, a ccor din g t o a b rief s t a t e me n t p os t e d o n t h e w e b si t e o f t h e Ch i n e se Minist ry of For eign Affairs

T h e a n n o u n c e m e n t effectively means President Xi Jinping will not be present as Beijing will not dispatch its two most powerful leaders abroad at the same time, let alone to speak at the same event

Quoting foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, the statement said, "At the invitation of the government of t h e R e p u b l i c o f I n d i a , Premier of the State Council

Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in N e w D e l h i , I n d i a , o n September 9 and 10 " The s p o k e s p e r s o n f u r t h e r s a i d " C h i n a h o p e s t h e s u m m i t can consolidate consensus, convey confidence and promote development" PM Modi call s for G20 unity, ta lks to e nd conflict s

“The world is looking at G 2 0 t o d e l i v e r r e s u l t s o n many issues such as growth, d e v e l o p m e n t , c l i m a t e change, pandemics and disaster resilience, which affect every part of the world We h a v e a n d w e w i l l a l w a y s

stand in support of peace, stability and progress, ” Modi told a news agency in an interview, while responding t o h o w I n d i a c o u l d h e l p forge a consensus between G 7 a n d t h e R u s s i a - C h i n a combine

All ministerial meetings held during India's presidenc y h a v e e n d e d w i t h o u t a communique due to differences in the two groups' pers p e c t i v e s , w h i c h I n d i a i s keen to prevent and has been striving to ensure there is unanimity India has maintained that development and growth must be given top b i l l i n g a n d g e o p o l i t i c a l issues, read Russia-Ukraine conflict in the current context, should be left for other groupings

I n t h e i n t e r v i e w , h e renewed his pitch to make t h e G 2 0 m o r e i n c l u s i v e “Africa is a top priority even within the G20 One of the first things we did during our G20 presidency was to hold the Voice of the Global South summit, which had enthusia s t i c p a r t i c i p a t i o n f r o m Africa We believe no plan for the future of the planet can b e s u c c e s s f u l w i t h o u t t h e representation and recognition of all voices,” he said

Row over Stalin Junior’s call to ‘eradicate Sanatan Dharma’

A spe ech in favour of “ er adicat ing San ata n Dharm a ” by Tamil N adu C M MK S t a li n ' s m i n i st e r s o n Udha yan idhi Sta lin at a n e ven t left h im a n d I N DI A a lli a n c e co nstitue nt DMK fa cin g a na tion wide mae lstr om of pr otest led by BJP, which flagg ed t he re mar ks as “hat e speech”, “ a nt i-Hindu” a nd a ca ll to “ ge nocide of 80% of t he popula tion”

With DMK caught in the crosshairs of the saffron party, Udhayanidhi said that he stood by his statement interpreting Sanatan Dharma as the basis for caste discrimination but denied having called for anyone to be eliminated The minister said he was ready to face legal challenges, daring BJP to “bring it on ” At a rally in Rajasthan's Dungarpur, home minister Amit Shah said this wasn't the f i r s t t i m e t h a t D M K a n d C o n g r e s s h a d “insulted” the nation's culture, history and

Sanatan Dharma

B J P n a t i o n a l p r e s i d e n t J P

Nadda wanted to know whenther Stalin Junior's reflected the opposition’s poll strategy Congress's K a r t i C h i d a m b a r a m s p r u n g t o Udhayanidhi's defence, saying BJP had given the minister's speech a negative spin DMK said the BJP had twisted statements made against the caste hierarchy into one against Hinduism

C ong divide d over rem ark s

Under relentless pressure from BJP over Udhayanidhi's comment, opposition leaders scrambled for a response, with Congress functionaries speaking in different voices and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee professing her regard for Sanatan Dharma and s a y i n g e v e r y r e l i g i o n s h o u l d b e e q u a l l y respected Most opposition parties maintained a studied silence

OBITUARY

Shri Vallabhdas Amaratlal Dudakia Bolton, Lancashire

I t i s w i t h d e e p s o r r o w a n d h u m b l e a c c e p t a n c e o f o u r Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba that we announce the passing away of our beloved father, Shree Vallabhdas A Dudakia on 21st August 2023

He was born in Madagascar in 1932 During this time, he unfortunately lost two elder sisters who died of illness when they were very young In 1937 the family went back to India by ship from Mahajanga Port in Madagascar They landed in Madras (now Chennai) from where it took three separate train journeys before arriving back in Rajkot

a total 262 Rakhis were tied up by the police personnel instead of fining traffic rule violators The police deserve credit for implementing this idea, that actually embarrassed people who were caught breaking rules while at the same time making them cheerful The incident will etch in their minds and they will think twice before breaking traffic rules in future

DoB: 24/09/1932

DoD: 21/08/2023

The Dudakia family have always been adventurers, and in 1940 they went to Aden, though they had to return back to Rajkot within a few years with the onset of World War 2 In January 1947 yet another momentous decision was taken and t h e f a m i l y h e a d e d f o r M o m b a s a , K e n y a t h i s t i m e v i a Porbandar Port It was in Mombasa that the very young Vallabhdas was given full training in all aspects of tailoring by his father Amratlal Ramji Dudakia Father and son set up a professional tailoring shop in Mombasa

In 1967 due to unrest in Kenya, Vallabhdas came to the UK and settled in Bolton where he quickly became very well known as one of the best tailors He remained in Bolton till his sad demise

Vallabhdas lived a long life and will be greatly missed by his family

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

When police tied Rakhis to those who break traffic rules

Udhayanidhi Stalin

After moon landing, India kicks off journey to explore the Sun

T en days after its Moo n landing, I nd i a beg an a S u n j o urn ey las t w eek A ditya-L1, th e nation's first solar sp ace observatory, was placed in a " highly eccentric Earth-bound o rbit" by Isro's PS LV-C57 in o ne o f the time-consum ing launches that lasted just over an hour At Satish D h a w an S p a ce C ent re i n S r ih a ri ko ta, P S L V -C 57 la u nc h ed from th e second launchpad with a 1 , 4 8 0 7 kg s p a ce cr af t ca rry i ng s ev en pac kages to explo re so lar activ ity

Aditya will now travel for 125 days to a "halo orbit" 1 5 million km from Earth around the Lagrange point 1 (L1), where spacecraft can

be stable due to a balance of cosmic forces When it finally reaches the L1 point, seven instruments are expected to kick in and study solar activities, including coronal mass e j e c t i o n s a n d s o l a r f l a r e s -

e x p l o s i o n s o f m a g n e t i c energy capable of causing t e m p o r a r y b l a c k o u t s o f s a t e l l i t e s i g n a l s a n d degrading high frequency radio waves Rover confirms s ulphu r on Moon In the "first-ever insitu" observations in the l u n a r p o l a r r e g i o n , t h e L a s e r - I n d u c e d B r e a k d o w n S p e c t r o s c o p e ( L I B S ) o n b o a r d C h a n d r a y a a n - 3 r o v e r Pragyan revealed the existence of sulphur near the Moon's south p o l e , a l o n g w i t h e v i d e n c e o f n u m e r o u s o t h e r e l e m e n t s ,

Govt calls for special 5-day Parliament session on September 18

T h e M o d i g o v er nm e nt a nn o u nc ed i ts p la n to co nv ene a fiv e-day special s e ss i o n o f P ar li am e nt b eg i n ni ng S ep te m be r 1 8 , catching political circles and the opposition by surp rise and trig g ering sp eculati on about Lok Sabha p olls being h eld along w ith the com ing round o f assem bly elections s c h ed u l ed f o r N o v em b erDecem ber “ S p e c i a l s e s s i o n o f Parliament (13th session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st session of Rajya Sabha) is b e i n g c a l l e d f r o m September 18 to 22 having five sittings Amrit Kaal is looking forward to having f r u i t f u l d i s c u s s i o n s a n d

d e b a t e i n P a r l i a m e n t , ” p a r l i a m e n t a r y a f f a i r s minister Pralhad Joshi said o n X , p r e v i o u s l y c a l l e d Twitter T h e g o v e r n m e n t k e p t quiet about the anticipated a g e n d a f o r t h e s e s s i o n , w h i c h w a s s c h e d u l e d t o b e g i n j u s t o v e r a m o n t h after the monsoon session came to an end on August 11, a d d i n g t o t h e i n t r i g u e s u r r o u n d i n g t h e d e c i s i o n E v e n s e n i o r g o v e r n m e n t f u n c t i o n a r i e s s t r u g g l e d t o d i v i n e t h e p u r p o s e T h e I N D I A b l o c t e r m e d t h e move an attempt to divert attention from their unity e f f o r t s a n d t h e f r e s h a l l e g a t i o n s o n t h e A d a n i

group, but were unable to fathom the motive T h e d e c l a r a t i o n w a s made in conjunction with a government assessment that the Lok Sabha elections may b e m o v e d f o r w a r d f r o m A p r i l t o M a y i n o r d e r t o c o i n c i d e w i t h t h o s e i n Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, C h h a t t i s g a r h , T e l a n g a n a , a n d M i z o r a m A l t h o u g h sources lacked clarity about t h e p o l i t i c a l r a t i o n a l e f o r h o l d i n g t h e s e s s i o n i n S e p t e m b e r , t w o m o n t h s ahead of the winter session w h i c h i s c o n v e n e d i n N o v e m b e r , t h e y f e l t t h a t going to polls early would make political sense for the BJP

PM Modi to attend ASEAN, East Asia summit in Jakarta

P rior to th e G20 Summit, whic h will be held in New D elhi on September 9–1 0, P ri m e Mi n i st er N a re nd ra Mo di will travel to Jakarta, I n do n e s ia , f o r a t wo - d ay t ri p to at te nd t h e 2 0th AS EAN-Indi a Su mmit and the 18th East Asia Su mmit ( EAS) on S ep tember 6-7, the e x te rn al a ff a i rs m i ni s t ry said P M Modi will travel to J a k ar ta I n do n es i a i s a member of th e G20 "tro ika" because it p resided over the G20 meeting last year

T h e A S E A N - I n d i a S u m m i t w i l l b e t h e f i r s t

Summit since the elevation of ties between India and t h e A s s o c i a t i o n o f S o u t h East Asian Nations bloc of c o u n t r i e s t o a C o m p r e h e n s i v e S t r a t e g i c Partnership in 2022 T h e f o r e i g n m i n i s t r y said that the Summit will r e v i e w t h e p r o g r e s s o f India-ASEAN relations and chart the future direction of cooperation According to a s t a t e m e n t , t h e E a s t A s i a Summit would provide an opportunity for leaders of A S E A N c o u n t r i e s a n d i t s e i g h t d i a l o g u e p a r t n e r s ,

Three charged with culpable homicide for Balasore train mishap

T h e C B I a c c u s e d t h r e e r a i l w a y e m p l o y e e s o f c u l p a b l e murder and evidence destruction, alleging that the Balasore train catastrophe, which claimed 296 lives in June, was the result of activities taken by the three railway employees who were arrested with full knowledge of the repercussions of their decisions Murder charges, officials said, were not invoked for absence of any motive or intent The sabotage angle has been ruled out, sources said

Those charged by the CBI are senior section engineer ( s i g n a l ) a n d i n c h a r g e a t B a l a s o r e A r u n M a h a n t a ,

Mohammad Amir Khan, a section engineer, and technician Pappu Kumar The sections which the accused have been charged under are different from the ones in the FIR Mahanta was directly monitoring the work at LC gate No 94, according to the CBI's chargesheet The accused had the direct responsibility for the effective maintenance of the signal and telecommunication assets of Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station in Balasore because he was the senior sectional engineer in-charge of that station

i n c l u d i n g I n d i a , t o exchange views on issues of r e g i o n a l a n d g l o b a l significance

The ASEAN-India Trade i n G o o d s A g r e e m e n t (AITIGA), which was signed in 2009, was the primary item on the agenda of the A S E A N - I n d i a E c o n o m i c M i n i s t e r s ' c o n f e r e n c e i n August in Indonesia

A j o i n t c o m m i t t e e a g r e e d t o a r e g u l a r , q u a r t e r l y s c h e d u l e o f negotiations, which would conclude the review of the ASEAN-India FTA in 2025

a c c o r d i n g t o I s r o A p a r t f r o m s u l p h u r , t h e s p a c e a g e n c y s a i d g r a p h i c a l l y r e p r e s e n t e d p r e l i m i n a r y a n a l y s e s h a v e a l s o u n v e i l e d t h e p r e s e n c e o f a l u m i n i u m , c a l c i u m , i r o n , chromium and titanium on the lunar surface IS RO p uts ro ver in h ibernatio n mo de The Isro reported that it had p l a c e d t h e P r a g y a n r o v e r i n a hibernation state as the daylight time on the Moon is drawing to a close in an effort to prolong the life of the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover “ T h e R o v e r c o m p l e t e d i t s

a s s i g n m e n t s I t i s n o w s a f e l y parked and set into Sleep mode T h e C h a n d r a y a a n - 3 l a n d e r a n d rover were expected to operate only for one Lunar day, which is equivalent to nearly 14 days on E a r t h T h a t i s b e c a u s e t h e electronics are not designed to withstand very low temperatures, l e s s t h a n - 1 2 0 d e g r e e s C e l s i u s , d u r i n g t h e n i g h t t i m e o n t h e Moon The nighttime too extends for as long as 14 days on Earth But t h e r e i s a p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t t h e electronics are able to survive the low temperatures and are able to power themselves again once the sunshine is available

Government forms panel under Kovind to study ‘one nation, one poll’

A d a y af ter t h e announcement o f a sp ecial session of Parliam ent from S ep t em b er 1 8 – 22 s to ke d s p ec u la ti o n o f e arl y L o k Sabha electio ns, co mbined with fiv e state elections d ue la ter th i s y ear , t h e go vernm ent formed a si xm e m be r p a nel h e ad e d b y form er Presid ent Ram Nath K o v i nd to e xam in e t h e v i ab i li ty o f 'O ne Na ti o nOne Election'

H o w e v e r , a n y m o v e m e n t o n t h e O n e N a t i o n - O n e E l e c t i o n proposal would be tough in v i e w o f t h e o p p o s i t i o n p a r t i e s ’ r e s i s t a n c e t o t h e i d e a a n d t h e p r o c e d u r a l difficulties, such as the need t o p a s s a t l e a s t f i v e constitutional amendments, aligning parliamentary and s t a t e p o l l s c h e d u l e s , a n d a r r a n g i n g l o g i s t i c s l i k e additional EVMs, funds and manpower

The window left for the government is too short to b r i n g a b o u t t h e c h a n g e s

required to implement the plan An act of law during the special session seemed i m p r o b a b l e , a c c o r d i n g t o g o v e r n m e n t o f f i c i a l s , b e c a u s e t h e K o v i n d - l e d c o m m i t t e e ' s m a n d a t e includes holding talks with members of various groups, including the political class

O p p o s i t i o n p a r t i e s s l a m m e d t h e B J P - l e d g o v e r n m e n t a t C e n t r e f o r f o r m i n g a c o m m i t t e e t o e x p l o r e t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f bringing a legislation for ‘ one nation, one election’, saying the move was a threat to the c o u n t r y ’ s f e d e r a l s t r u c t u r e and a ploy aimed at diverting

people’s attention from the pressing issues that the country was facing H o w e v e r , a t l e a s t t w o former allies of BJP-BJD and SAD - welcomed the move Sha h, 6 other s nomina te d T h e g o v e r n m e n t n o m i n a t e d h o m e minister Amit Shah along with six others as members of the high-level committee set up under Kovind Other members of the committee were Congress leader in Lok S a b h a A d h i r R a n j a n Chowdhury, former leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former F i n a n c e C o m m i s s i o n chairman NK Singh, leading constitutional lawyer Harish S a l v e , f o r m e r L o k S a b h a secretary general Subhash C Kashyap and former chief v i g i l a n c e c o m m i s s i o n e r S a n j a y K o t h a r i B u t C o n g r e s s l e a d e r A d h i r Ranjan refused to join the panel

Prez decision on mercy pleas final, no appeal: BNSS Bill

The Bha ra tiy a Nag arik Surak sha Sanhita B i ll ( BN S S ) 20 2 3 s e e k s t o p r o h i bi t app eals against any ord er mad e by th e Pres ident in ex ercis e of th e power to g r a n t p a r d o n o r c o m m u t e a d e a t h s e n t e nc e u nd e r Ar t ic le 72 o f th e Constitu tion, eliminating judic ial re view of d ecis ions ma de by th e Pre sident on

This August driest, hottest month in India since 1901

T h e I n d i a M ete o ro lo g i c al De p art m en t ( IM D) re p o rte d th at A u g u s t w a s no t o nly th e d r ie st m o nt h s i nc e 1 9 0 1 bu t al so th e h o tte st m o n th ev e r r ec o rd e d i n Ind ia Four out of the five hottest A u g u s t m e an tem p era tu re s w ere reco rd ed i n th e l ast sev en years , ind icating a rise in extrem e weather ev ents as a result of clim ate chang e A b i t o f r e l i e f i s , h o w e v e r , e x p e c t e d i n S e p t e m b e r a s t h e m o n s o o n r a i n f a l l a c t i v i t y i n t h e month is going to be ‘normal’ in the country as a whole But the overall seasonal (June-Sept) rainfall is likely to be ‘below normal’ due to the huge deficit (36%) in August “Overall, the monsoon season (June-Sept) in the country as a whole is not going to be d e f i c i e n t ,

Mohapatra A c c o r d i n g t o M o h a p a t r a , t h e overall deficit at the conclusion of the four-month season might not be more than 10% As a result, even if t h e c u m u l a t i v e m o n s o o n r a i n f a l l ( J u n e 1 - A u g u s t 3 1 ) h a s a l r e a d y reached a 10% deficit, 2023 won't wind up being a drought year like 2014 and 2015

According to the IMD's records, the nation saw its highest-ever mean temperature in August (since 1901, when scientific record keeping of weather parameters began), which was 28 4 degrees Celsius and 0 84 degrees Celsius above the average mean temperature The month saw b o t h t h e s e c o n d - h i g h e s t / l o w e s t temperature at night and the highest average day temperature since 1901

m ercy petitions of death row c onvic ts The c ourts are also not permitted to e x a m i n e th e P re s i d e nt s d e c i s i o n s ju stific ations “ N o a p p e a l s h a l l l i e i n a n y c o u r t a g a i n s t o r d e r o f t h e P r e s i d e n t m a d e under Article 72 of the Constitution and it shall be final, and any question as to arriving of the decision by the President shall not be enquired into in any court,” states Section 473, an addition to BNSS Bill, which is proposed to replace the CrPC

In some high-profile death row cases, such as the graveyard shift hearings by the SC hours before the execution of death warrants for Yakub Memon, a 1991 Mumbai blasts convict, in 2015, and the four Nirbhaya case convicts, in 2020, the use of this eleventh-hour judicial remedy w a s m a r k e d b y i n t e n s e d r a m a E v e n t h o u g h t h e S C r e f u s e d t o s t a y t h e e x e c u t i o n s i n b o t h i n s t a n c e s , t h e e x t r a o r d i n a r y h e a r i n g s w e r e s e e n b y death row critics and rights activists as a “fair” opportunity for the convicts to exhaust all possible judicial remedies

Others, though, felt that the sessions at midnight were verging on judicial a c t i v i s m I t w a s b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e additional judicial remedy was more of a cunning move to postpone the execution of the death sentence that had already been upheld by the highest court

Ram Nath Kovind

Dubai emerges as a new hotspot for Christmas vacations

Dubai stands as a tourist haven, brimming with a plethora of enticing attractions. Its wide array of affordable tour packages and budget-friendly lodging options ensures that it finds a spot on every traveller's list Additionally, the introduction of emerging travel trends like staycations, along with initiatives like remote-working visas and golden visas, has further fuelled its burgeoning appeal In 2022 alone, over 10 million Britons opted for Dubai as their preferred vacation destination

As per insights provided by Abigail Lewis, a Partner at MB Luxury Travel, the initial s u r g e i n b o o k i n g s w a s o b s e r v e d i n December, coinciding with the beginning o f t r a v e l o p p o r t u n i t i e s a m i d t h e p a n d e m i c D u r i n g t h i s t i m e , D u b a i , alongside destinations like Tenerife and Maldives, stood out as one of the few places open for travellers She said, “At t h i s p o i n t , a l o t o f p e o p l e h a d t h e opportunity to see what Dubai was all about They were keen to holiday abroad, and this was an option with guaranteed sunshine and hotels with amazing prices This was the real big noticeable shift from Miami and The Caribbean, for example, w h e r e a h u g e a m o u n t o f o u r f e s t i v e bookings were originally focused

“This was the start of the trend which is continuously growing and spreading over to Abu Dhabi and Oman now The big resorts are perfect for generational family holidays and the short flight makes it even more appealing ”

A wide range of experiences

T o u r i s t s c e l e b r a t i n g C h r i s t m a s i n Dubai have a variety of festive

Spanish, Japanese and Italian to name a f e w C h r i s t m a s - t h e m e d b r u n c h e s i n Dubai is something not to miss

“ B e e f b a r a t t h e A l N a s e e m h a s a b e s p o k e f e s t i v e m e n u E a t a l y a t T h e Beach has a Buon Natale Christmas Day Brunch with an amazing celebration of Italian Christmas dishes Drift Beach Club serves its infamous festive feast with the sand between your toes and a hamper

Book Review

'The Namesake' by Jhumpa Lahiri

'The Namesake' by Jhumpa Lahiri is a beautifully crafted novel that delves into the intricacies of identity, cultural displacement and the enduring impact of one's name. Lahiri's w r i t i n g i s b e a u t i f u l , c o m p l e t e l y engrossing readers in the world of the G a n g u l i f a m i l y w i t h s e n s i t i v i t y a n d n u a n c e T h e s t o r y f o l l o w s t h e l i f e o f Gogol Ganguli, born to Bengali parents who immigrated to the United States T h e t i t l e i t s e l f a l l u d e s t o t h e c e n t r a l theme of the novel-the significance of one's name

Lahiri's storytelling is her ability to evoke empathy in readers Through her vivid descriptions and intimate portrayal of the Ganguli family, she allows us to step into the shoes of characters like Gogol and his p a r e n t s W e c o m e t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e w e i g h t o f t h e i r c h o i c e s , t h e s a c r i f i c e s they've made and the constant negotiation between their past and present

experiences to enjoy Christmas markets offer a taste of the holiday spirit, while those seeking a touch of snow can venture to ski slopes transformed into a Winter Wonderland Numerous hotels in Dubai offer special themed meals, such as the Vintage Festive Brunch at Jumeirah Al Qasr Hotels also adorn their premises with festive decorations to create a more holiday-inspired atmosphere, adding to t h e f e s t i v e c h a r m o f t h e c i t y d u r i n g

Christmas

Abigail explains that, “The hotels do an amazing job at celebrating but not too loudly, so those who may not celebrate do not feel out of place either We work with the hotels and arrange various things for C h r i s t m a s l o v e r s l i k e C h r i s t m a s t r e e s placed in rooms with presents wrapped and under the trees

“Also, Global Village is a spot we love to send our clients to year-round to focus some of their experiences to be more winter and festive-focused and it’s perfect for that time of year ”

D u r i n g t h e C h r i s t m a s p e r i o d i n Dubai, tourists often flock to some of the city's most popular attractions and engage i n v a r i o u s a c t i v i t i e s T h e s e i n c l u d e t h r i l l i n g a d v e n t u r e s l i k e s a n d b u g g y boarding and 4x4 sand driving, providing a n e x c i t i n g d e s e r t e x p e r i e n c e M a n y travellers also opt for immersive Bedouin e x p e r i e n c e s , v i s i t s t o w a t e r p a r k s , chartering day yachts for leisurely cruises, and exploring the diverse culinary scene a t D u b a i ' s a m a z i n g r e s t a u r a n t s Additionally, some choose to take short flights to Abu Dhabi to visit renowned cultural landmarks like the Louvre Abu Dhabi

Elaborating on the cuisines and dining e x p e r i e n c e s , e s p e c i a l l y f o r C h r i s t m a s , A b i g a i l h i g h l i g h t s s o m e g r e a t establishments She says, “In Dubai, you can eat anything from Moroccan to Thai, B r i t i s h t o C h i n e s e , M e d i t e r r a n e a n t o

raffle prize while Jumeirah Al Qasr has a Vintage Festive Brunch Amazonico have a Jingle Bell Brunch served with festive c o c k t a i l s , a n d f o r t h o s e w a n t i n g something relaxed, places like Folly offer a more traditional roast ”

Early booking can prove economical

D u e t o D u b a i b e i n g a f a m o u s d e s t i n a t i o n f o r t o u r i s t s , i t i s a l w a y s a d v i s e d t h a t p e o p l e b o o k a s e a r l y a s possible Advance bookings come with the benefits of brilliant discounts and cheaper flight fares MB Luxury Travels tailor all their trips based on client needs and communicate extensively to make sure that all of the customer’s demands are met to the best of their ability Abigail says, “We have the ability to hold flights for our clients so many will get back in January and hold for the following year and don’t have to pay until much

Gogol's unique name, given to him by his father, becomes a symbol of his struggle to reconcile his Indian h e r i t a g e w i t h h i s A m e r i c a n u p b r i n g i n g I t a c t s a s a p o w e r f u l metaphor for the larger topics of cultural identit y a n d s e l f - a c c e p t a n c e and becomes a source of both irritation and self d i s c o v e r y T h e n a m serves as a reminder tha identity is a complicate interaction of family, he itage, and personal exper e n c e s r a t h e r t h a n b e i entirely defined by on name T h r o u g h h e r c h a r t e r s , L a h i r i e x p e r t l y p

trays the spirit of the immigrant experience As we follow Gogol's life from childhood to maturity, we see him struggle to balance the American culture that is all around him with the Bengali customs and values that his parents ingrained in him This tension between two worlds is e m b l e m a t i c o f t h e b r o a d e r i m m i g r a n t experience, where individuals often find themselves straddling the line between their heritage and the adopted culture

One of the most powerful aspects of

As readers, we witness Gogol's gradual transformation as he grapples with his name, his heritage and his evolving understanding of himself His journey mirrors the challenges faced by many who navigate the maze of intercultural identities and Lahiri s sensitive portrayal of is struggle adds depth and uthenticity to the narrave

As the plot develops, it b e c o m e s a p p a r e n t t h a t

The Namesake" is a medtation on the human condition as a whole and not just about one person's search for identification

It emphasises the universal desire to belong and the challenges of straddling two worlds

The literary masterpiece "The Namesake" offers a comprehensive i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f c u ltural identity, family and the impact of a me It serves as a poignant reminder that a variety of factors interact to shape our identities In the end, we discover our actual selves when we embrace these intricacies Jhumpa Lahiri's masterful storytelling and lyrical prose make this novel a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the complexities o f t h e i m m i g r a n t e x p e r i e n c e a n d t h e search for self amid the clash of cultures This book is a testament to the enduring p o w e r o f l i t e r a t u r e t o i l l u m i n a t e t h e human soul

London beats New York, Berlin and Barcelona as a top cultural destination

New international research conducted by Censuswide has crowned London as one of the most culturally enticing cities for potential visitors, surpassing New York, Barcelona, and Athens

c l o s e r t o t h e i r d e p a r t u r e d a t e Similarly, we have the same policy on hotels, we don’t request deposits unless the hotels specify – so we can always make changes and amend bookings if better deals come out ”

“We have an incredible team which works together to ensure that every client is looked after seamlessly The sales team assists with selecting the right flights and accommodation and our complimentary i n - h o u s e c o n c i e r g e a s s i s t s w i t h t h e planning of finer details from restaurants to day trips We like to plan early for the festive period so for those who book far in advance we start planning in SeptemberOctober And those who are beginning to b o o k t h e i r h o l i d a y i n S e p t e m b e rOctober we will begin immediately on the planning and booking We leave no stone unturned”, she added Dubai's appeal as a travel destination for Britons lies in its perfect blend of m o d e r n i t y a n d t r a d i t i o n , o f f e r i n g a diverse range of experiences, from luxury living to cultural exploration, adventure, a n d e n t e r t a i n m e n t T h e c i t y ' s commitment to innovation and constant development ensures that there is always something new and exciting to discover in this dynamic metropolis

This research, commissioned by the l a s t m i n u t e c o m L o n d o n E y e , s u r v e y e d over 2,000 respondents from the UK, US, France, and Germany It revealed that 44% of tourists placed London at the very top of their holiday destination list In particu l a r , h a l f ( 5 0 % ) o f A m e r i c a n t o u r i s t s expressed a strong desire to visit England s capital city

London's iconic landmarks (35%), rich history (42%), and numerous museums (29%) were cited as key attractions for visitors Big Ben was the top historical

l a n d m a r k t o v i s i t ( 6 7 % ) ,

w h i l e t h e L o n d o n E y e ranked as the most popular modern activity, with 50% o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l r e s p o ndents expressing interest i n i t s u n p a r a l l e l e d 3 6 0degree city views

When selecting a city to visit, food was the top priority for UK, US, and G e r m a n r e s p o n d e n t s , while the French priorit i z e d ' h i s t o r i c a l m o n uments ' Germans placed a h i g h v a l u e o n Instagrammable locations for selfies, while 'friendly people' were crucial for US

tourists (46%), although it held less significance for the French, with only 16% deeming it important

Rose Wangen-Jones, Managing Director at Visit London, the city’s official visitor guide, said: “London is one of the oldest cities in the world: it’s fascinating hist o r y a n d v i b r a n t c u l t u r e s e t s i t a p a r t f r o m o t h e r l e a d i n g d e s t i n a t i o n s W e w e l c o m e v i s i t o r s f r o m around the globe to come a n d u n c o v e r t o p i c o n i c landmarks like Big Ben and the London Eye, plus surprising hidden gems and unique experiences

“Alongside its sprawling history, one of the best t h i n g s a b o u t L o n d o n i s how innovative the city is: there’s always something new to discover with each visit ”

Jumeirah Al Qasr

Louvre Abu Dhabi

Amazonico

Consume these nutrients to avoid osteoporosis

Osteoporosis can have a substantial negative effect on a person's quality of life since it weakens bones and increases the chance of fractures

Even if genetics and aging play a part, certain nutrients can help preserve bone health and fight osteoporosis

Here are some fanta stic nutrients that c an hel p fortify your bones:

Calc ium: A cornerstone of bone health, calcium is essential for bone formation and maintenance

Dairy products, leafy greens, and fortified foods are excellent sources

V it amin D: This vitamin aids in calciu m a b s o r p t i o n a n d b o n e r e m o d e l l i n g S u n l i g h t e x p o s u r e a n d f a t t y f i s h l i k e salmon are excellent sources

M agnesium : Often overlooked, magnesium contributes to bone density and helps convert vitamin D into its active form Nuts, seeds, and whole grains are rich in magnesium

V it amin K: It controls mineralization of bones and promotes bone strength

Vitamin K can be found in fermented foods as well as leafy greens like kale and spinach

Phos phor us : Working alongside calcium, phosphorus is essential for bone mineralization Fish, lean meats, and dairy products are good sources

Pr ote in: Adequate protein intake is crucial for maintaining bone mass Include l e a n m e a t s , p o u l t r y , f i s h , b e a n s , a n d legumes

V it amin C: Known for its part in collagen production, a major bone matrix component Citrus fruits, berries, and bell peppers offer ample vitamin C

Participants in adult education have lower risk of dementia: Study

Adult education lowers the risk of fluid intelligence and visuospatial memory for middle-aged and older persons by 19% within five years, according t o r e s e a r c h R e s e a r c h e r s f r o m T o h o k u

U n i v e r s i t y ' s I n s t i t u t e o f D e v e l o p m e n t , A g e i n g , a n d C a n c e r i n S e n d a i , J a p a n , published the study's findings in the journal Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience.

The study’s first author, Dr Hikaru Takeuchi, said, “Here we show that people who take adult education classes have a lower risk of developing dementia five years later Adult education is likewise associated with better preservation of nonverbal reasoning with increasing age ” T h e s c i e n t i s t s e x a m i n e d i n f o r m a t i o n from the UK Biobank, which has the genetic, health, and medical details of a l m o s t 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 B r i t i s h v o l u n t e e r s , o f whom 282,421 individuals were examined for the study

The study found that participants' risk of dementia was lowered by 19% compared to those who were not engaged in adult education programmes at the time of enrollment Importantly, the outcomes remained the same when those with a history of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, or mental illness were excluded

England to rollout world's first seven-minute cancer treatment jab

Hundreds of patients in England will receive a cancer-treating injection for the first time from Britain s government-run national health system which could cut treatment times by up to three quarters

Following approval from the M e d i c i n e s a n d H e a l t h c a r e P r o d u c t s R e g u l a t o r y A g e n c y ( M H R A ) , N H S E n g l a n d s a i d h u n d r e d s o f e l i g i b l e p a t i e n t s treated with the immunotherapy, atezolizumab, were set to have "under the skin" injection, which will free up more time for cancer teams

"This approval will not only allow us to deliver convenient and faster care for our patients, but will enable our teams to treat more patients throughout the day," Dr Alexander Martin, a consultant oncologist at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust said N H S E n g l a n d s a i d A t e z o l i z u m a b , a l s o k n o w n a s Tecentriq, is typically administered to patients intravenously, directly into their veins, via a drip Depending on the patient and how difficult it is to obtain a vein, this procedure may take up

Unhealthy traits associated with early heart attacks, strokes

Research t hat was presented at t he E SC Co ng ress 2023 sho ws t hat m iddl e-aged people wh o h av e thr ee or mor e r isk factor s, su ch as moder at ely raised bloo d p r es su r e, c h o l es t er o l , h y p erg lycemia, and waist cir cumf erence, suf fer heart attacks and str okes two years ear lier th an t heir peer s S t u d y a u t h o r D r L e n a L ö n n b e r g o f S w e d e n , s a i d ,

“Many people in their 40s and 50s have a bit of fat around the middle and marginally elevated blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose but feel generally well, are unaware of the risks and do not seek medical advice This scenario, called metabolic syndrome, is a growing problem in W e s t e r n p o p u l a t i o n s w h e r e people are unknowingly storing up problems for later in life This is a huge missed opportunity to intervene before heart attacks and strokes that could have been avoided occur ”

The study included 34,269 adults in their 40s and 50s who participated in a cardiovascular s c r e e n i n g p r o g r a m m e i n t h e S w e d i s h c o u n t y o f

Västmanland between 1990 and 1999 Participants underwent a clinical examination by a nurse a t t h e i r p r i m a r y h e a l t h c a r e facility, which included meas u r e m e n t s o f t h e i r h e i g h t , w e i g h t , b l o o d p r e s s u r e , t o t a l cholesterol, blood sugar, and waist and hip circumference They also completed a questionnaire about lifestyle habits, previous history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and socioeconomic factors such as education

Benefits of consuming ghee on an empty stomach

Ghee, a clarified fo rm of butter w ith deep roo ts in traditio nal Indian cuisine, has gained popularity recently for its potential h e al th ben ef i ts C o ns u m i ng g hee first th ing in the morning is a new trend , and proponents say it has a number o f health

b en ef it s W h i le s ci e nti f ic r es ea rc h is o n g o i ng , s ev era l p otential benefits m ake this practice worth co nsidering

Imp rov ed dig estion: Butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid found in ghee, is essential for enhancing gut health Ghee consumption may aid in the breakdown of meals and the absorption of nutrients throughout the day by boosting the production of stomach acids and enzymes

C ognitiv e bo ost: It is a source of healthy fats, including omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids, essential for brain health

Taking ghee on an empty stomach might provide an early morning cognitive boost, improving focus and mental clarity throughout the day

Weig ht management: Contrary to common beliefs, moderate consumption of ghee may support weight management

G h e e ' s u n i q u e f a t t y a c i d p r o f i l e c a n a i d i n r e g u l a t i n g metabolism and promoting a feeling of satiety, potentially curbing unhealthy food cravings later in the day

minutes, compared with

to 60 minutes for the current method of an intravenous infusion, Marius Scholtz, Medical D

Roche, produces atezolizumab, an immunotherapy medication that stimulates the patient's own i m m u n e s y s t e m t o f i n d a n d e l i m i n a t e m a l i g n a n t c e l l s A variety of malignancies, including lung, breast, liver, and bladder cancers, are being treated via transfusion for NHS patients

Anti-inflammatory foods in your diet can help ease arthritis pain

An indi vi dual' s qu ali ty of li fe can be greatly i mpacted by arthriti s, a common ailment that causes joint pai n and i nflam mati on Altho ugh med ical care i s es s e nt i a l, c o ns u m i ng anti -i nf lammatory f ood s can suppo rt thes e ef forts and less en arthriti s d iscomfort

B e r r i e s , s u c h a s s t r a w b e r r i e s , b l u e b e r r i e s a n d cherries, are rich in antioxidants and anthocyanins that combat inflammation These fruits can be easily be added to breakfasts, snacks, or desserts

Turmeric contains curcumin, a compound with powerful antii n f l a m m a t o r y p r o p e r t i e s Incorporating turmeric into curries, soups, or even smoothies can be a flavorful way to alleviate arthritis symptoms

D a r k l e a f y g r e e n s , l i k e

spinach and kale, are packed with nutrients like vitamin E, which c a n h e l p p r o t e c t c e l l s f r o m inflammatory damage Nuts and seeds, particularly walnuts and flaxseeds, provide a healthy dose of omega-3s and fibre, supporting joint health W h i l e n o o n e i t e m m a y m i r a c u l o u s l y h e a l a r t h r i t i s , i n c l u d i n g a v a r i e t y o f a n t iinflammatory foods in your diet can help you to better manage pain and enhance joint function

Prolonged screen time leading to chronic sleep deprivation in children

The ne gative e ffects of too much scre en ti me on childre n's hea lth are a n increasing issue in toda y's dig ita l a ge, where scree ns have ing rai ned them se lves into eve ry aspect of dai ly life One of the m a n y n e g a t i v e e ff e c ts o f pro l on g e d scree n use is its role in childre n's chronic slee p de priv ation, whi ch is particula rly a larming

C h i l d r e n a r e m o r e a d d i c t e d t o screens than ever Since many kids are not getting the appropriate amount of sleep for healthy growth and overall well being, this situation has caused a d r a m a t i c s h i f t i n s l e e p h a b i t s

A c c o r d i n g t o r e s e a r c h , p r o l o n g e d screen usage disrupts the circadian rhythm, the body's internal clock that controls sleep-wake cycles

t i m e f r e q u e n t l y r e p l a c e s p h y s i c a l activity The quality of sleep can be i m p a c t e d b y a n i n a c t i v e l i f e s t y l e caused by a lack of physical activity R e g u l a r p h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y h a s b e e n linked to longer, higher-quality sleep, and its absence from too much screen time might exacerbate sleep-related problems

Joint lu brication: In Ayurveda, ghee is often used to promote joint health and flexibility When taken on an empty stomach, its lubricating properties help alleviate joint stiffness and discomfort

Balances ho rmo

nes: Ghee contains cholesterol, a precursor to various hormones Consuming ghee in the morning could assist in maintaining hormonal balance, which plays a crucial role in overall health and well-being

The emission of blue light from s c r e e n s , e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e e v e n i n g hours, suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that plays a vital role in inducing sleep This disruption in melatonin production can lead to difficulty falling asleep and staying a s l e e p A d d i t i o n a l l y , e n g a g i n g w i t h stimulating content before bedtime, such as video games or social media, can leave children mentally alert and less inclined to wind down for sleep

F u r t h e r m o r e , e x c e s s i v e s

A vicious cycle can also develop: sleep-deprived children may turn to screens to keep themselves awake during the day, perpetuating the disrupt i o n o f t h e i r s l e e p p a t t e r n s

Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach Parents play a crucial role in setting healthy screen time l i m i t s a n d e s t a b l i s h i n g c o n s i s t e n t sleep routines Educational institutions can also contribute by raising a w a r e n e s s a b o u t t h e d e t r i m e n t a l effects of excessive screen time and incorporating discussions on digital well-being into curricula

Alia Bhatt responds to reference in Shah Rukh’s ‘Jawan’

Actor

Alia Bhatt has responded to her reference in the trailer of Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan.’

The actor took to her Instagram Stories last week and shared the movie trailer. She captioned it, “Aur poori duniya ko chahiye sirf SRK!!!!!

@IAMSRK What a fabulous fabulous trailer 7th

September is tooooo far away ”

T h e t r a i l e r f e a t u r e s S h a h ’ s t i t u l a r c h a r a c t e r , k e e p i n g p e o p l e i n a m e t r o compartment hostage and negotiating with Nayanthara’s cop character on the phone When asked what he wants, he responds cheekily, “Chahiye toh Alia Bhatt ” Shah Rukh and Alia have shared the screen space in Gauri Shinde's 2016 slice-oflife film ‘Dear Zindagi,’ which was also co-

produced by Shah Rukh's Red C h i l l i e s

n t T h e banner also backed Alia's debut film, Karan Johar's 2012 campus caper ‘Student of the Year,’ and Jasmeet K Reen's Netflix India dark comedy ‘Darlings’ from last year

Among others who reacted to the trailer were filmmaker Karan Johar, who called it the “trailer of the century ” Jawan, directed by Atlee and produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, a l s o s t a r s V i j a y S e t h u p a t h i , Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, Sunil Grover, Yogi Babu, and Ridhi Dogra, among others It will be released in cinemas in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu on September 7

Meanwhile, Alia was last seen in her i n t e r n a t i o n a l d e b u t , T o m H a r p e r ' s s p y thriller ‘Heart of Stone,’ also starring Gal Gadot

Ektaa Kapoor to be honoured with International Directorate Emmy

Producer Ektaa R Kapoor will be felicitated with t Directorate Award at the upcoming Internationa Emmy Awards ceremony The special award will be g on November 20 at an event to be held in New York B r u c e L P a i s n e r , P r e s i d e n t & C E O o f

International Academy of Television Arts & Scien said, “Ektaa R Kapoor has built Balaji into one India’s foremost entertainment players with mark l e a d e r s h i p i n t h e t e l e v i s i o n c o n t e n t i n d u s t r reaching mass audiences across India and South A with their long-running series and OTT platform We look forward to honoring her remarkable caree and influence on the television industry, with ou Directorate Award ”

Ektaa is on cloud nine after getting to know about her award “Receiving this recognition fills m e w i t h a p r o f o u n d s e n s e o f h u m i l i t y a n d excitement This award holds a special place in my heart, as it signifies a journey that goes beyond mere work- it’s a pivotal aspect of my

Arjun, Khushi and Shanaya Kapoor come together for Raksha Bandhan

Arjun Kapoor, sisters Anshula and Khushi reunited with cousins Rhea Kapoor, Shanaya Kapoor, and Mohit

Marwah reunited for the Raksha Bandhan celebrations last week In his social media post, Arjun mentioned siblings who couldn’t be a part of the festivities, seemingly hinting at half-sister Khushi Kapoor and cousin Sonam Kapoor

Sharing a group picture on Instagram from the celebrations, Arjun wrote, “The last of the rakhi mohicans!!! Raksha Bandhan sans a few major players from the clan who were missed ” Anshula called all of them her “Favs” in the comments section

Arjun was in a black shirt and matching cargo pants, and his sister Anshula was in a red kurta-palazzo Khushi was in black casuals All three are children of producer Boney Kapoor Rhea Kapoor, daughter of Anil Kapoor, was in black too Shanaya Kapoor, daughter of Sanjay Kapoor, was in a grey maxi dress Mohit, son of Anil Kapoor's sister Reena Kapoor, also chose black for the occasion

Taking to his Instagram Stories, Arjun shared a candid picture as Khushi laughed while Shanaya tied a rakhi on his wrist “The excitement for the envelope,” he wrote Shanaya also shared the group picture along with a picture which showed her tying a rakhi on Mohit's wrist and Anshula tying a rakhi on Arjun's wrist in the background She also shared a selfie with Khushi and Anshula and captioned it with a heart emoji

Khushi will soon be seen in her debut film, ‘The Archies ’ Shanaya is working on her debut film, ‘Vrushabha,’ co-starring Mohanlal and Zahrah S Khan Rhea is also working on her next film, ‘Thank You For Coming,’ starring Bhumi Pednekar, Shehnaaz Gill, Dolly Singh, Kusha Kapila and Shibani Bedi

State of Siege: Temple Attack

Paresh Rughani

The director's portrayal of the 2002 Akshardham Temple Attack in Gujarat is both commendable and truthful The film effectively captivates the audience's attention, with Akshay Khanna delivering a convincing performance as an NSG commando. Overall, the entire team has done a commendable job.

ofessional life Representing my country on the hrough this esteemed platform is an incredible e v i s i o n h a s b e e n i n s t r u m e n t a l i n h e l p i n g m e identity, particularly as a woman working to make women This award allows me to represent them ur shared accomplishments on an international she said a has been a major figure in Indian television since g Balaji in 1994, with her parents Jeetendra Kapoor Shobha Kapoor She is credited with revamping a ’ s television landscape, pioneering an entire genre elevision content, and heralding India’s satellite vision boom Under the Balaji banner, she has ated and produced more than 17,000 hours of elevision and 45 films

Through her banner, Ekta has produced several iconic TV shows such as ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, ‘Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii’, ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’ and ‘Bade Achhe Lagte Hain’ among others

Sunny Deol responds to viral airport incident where he scolded a fan

The film vividly depicts the tragic 2002 terrorist attack on the Akshardham temple, which resulted in the loss of 30 innocent lives While the movie effectively captures this event, it chooses to omit certain distressing details, possibly to prevent the exacerbation of hostility towards any particular community This decision underscores the filmmakers' responsibility to balance historical accuracy with the potential for inciting animosity

Basking

under the success of his latest release, ‘Gadar 2,’ actor Sunny Deol has been making the headlines for all reasons In a podcast with Ranveer Allahbadia, Sunny reacted to a viral video where he was seen behaving rudely with a fan at the airport The video had gone viral on the internet, with many on social media slamming his ill temper A fan tried to take a selfie with the star as he exited the airport When he took a f e w s e c o n d s l o n g e r t h a n

a n t i c i p a t e d t o c l i c k , S u n n y snapped at him, “Le na photo! (Take the photo)” In the podcast, he recounted the incident and said, “Sometimes what happens is that I am constantly running around I also got a catch in my back recently, but still, I am at it and I have to go along with it So many times it has happened that I am in pain but still have to keep moving Obviously, fans

love you, and you share that with them A lot of times, even when it (selfie) is done, they d o n ’ t m o v e a w a y S o a t t h a t t i m e , I a m n o t t h i n k i n g i f someone is recording m e , a n d w h a t I ’ m

t h i n k i n g i s , ‘ l e t m e carry on Please try a n d u n d e r s t a n d ’ There is an emotional c o n n e c t i o n w i t h fans ” Sunny concluded b y a d d r e s s i n g t h e n e g a t i v e c o m m e n t s on the incident and said, "Whoever wants to edit and present it like that does it, and t h o s e w h o a r e d o i n g i t a r e having fun, so let them have fun I a m n o t g o i n g t o c h a n g e because of that I have not done something wrong ” D e o l ’ s ‘ G a d a r 2 ’ s e e s h i m reprise the role of Tara Singh, along with Ameesha Patel as his wife Sakeena from their 2001 f i l m ‘ G a d a r : E k P r e m K a t h a ’ The movie received a massive r e s p o n s e a t t h e b o x o f f i c e , collecting £28 46 million during its first week

Furthermore, I strongly recommend visiting the Akshardham temple in Gujarat It not only stands as a remarkable architectural marvel but also serves as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity It symbolizes peace, spirituality, and cultural richness, making it an essential destination when exploring Gujarat

In summary, while the film may not break new ground, it serves as a tribute to the bravery and sacrifices of our unsung heroes, making it worth watching at least once for this reason

Pramukh Swami Maharaj demonstrated exceptional composure and grace in the face of the Akshardham attack He prayed for the safety of those affected, encouraged calm among devotees and citizens, and provided solace to those in need His actions played a crucial role in preventing communal violence during the subsequent unrest in India, earning him accolades from religious leaders, politicians, the media, and the general public Despite the tragic nature of the attack, he emphasized the significance of peace, unity, and compassion Overall, his unwavering calmness and call for peace were seen as a manifestation of profound Hindu wisdom, contributing significantly to maintaining sanity, peace, and redemption in the world

‘Jailer’

producer offers luxury car as a gift to Rajinikanth

producer Kalanidhi Maran, owner of the Sun Group, has gifted a BMW x7 worth £124,000 to superstar Rajinikanth as the movie crossed £60 million at the global box office A leading film trade analyst posted a picture and a video of Maran gifting the car to Rajini The actor was dressed in his signature white kurta-pyjama while receiving the key to the car

The superstar was reportedly offered the choice of picking between a BMW x7 or BMW i7 He opted for the less expensive car T h e t r a d e a n a l y s t a l s o r e v e a l e d t h a t Kalanidhi had requested the actor to do

Nayanthara makes Instagram debut with a reel with her twins

ActressNayanthara has finally made her much-awaited Instagram debut ahead of the release of her film

‘Jawan ’ She shared a Reel where she’s seen walking with her twin babies in her arms, on the score of Rajinikanth’s ‘Jailer ’ Her bio reads, “Love Strength Peace (yellow heart emoji) ” She gained 271K followers within two hours of debuting on Instagram She later posted the trailer of ‘Jawan’ and captioned it, “My First With My Favvvv @iamsrk A lot of love, passion, and hard work has gone into making this film Hope you like it and keep showering the love as always #JawanTrailer Out Now! #Jawan releasing worldwide on 7th September, 2023 in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu ” Her production house announced Nayan’s Insta debut Rowdy Pictures broke the news on its official Instagram handle They shared her display picture and captioned it, “Boss is here Yours Nayanthara is here @nayanthara #nayanthara @wikkiofficial #rowdypictures ”

Nayanthara married Vignesh in July last year Later in the year, the couple announced they'd welcomed twins via surrogacy Earlier this year, she revealed the names of her baby boys: Uyir Rudronil N Shivan and Ulag Dhaivag N Shivan

Lyca Productions unveils trailer of Raghava Lawrence starrer 'Chandramukhi 2'

another film with Sun Pictures after the s u p e r s t a r c o m p l e t e s ‘ T h a l a i v a r 1 7 1 , ’ h i s

Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial

The development comes on the day the actor was announced as the “highest paid actor in India ” The same trade analyst tweeted earlier in the day, “Info coming in that, the envelope handed over by Kalanidhi Maran to superstar Rajinikanth contains a single cheque amounting £10 million from C i t y U n i o n B a n k , M a n d a v e l i b r a n c h , C h e n n a i T h i s i s a J a i l e r p r o f i t s h a r i n g cheque, which is up and above the already p a i d r e m u n e r a t i o n [ £ 1 1 m i l l i o n ] o f t h e superstar for the movie Total – £21 million Making superstar Rajinikanth the highest paid actor in India ” ‘ J a i l e r ’ a l s o s t a r s V i n a y a k a n , R a m y a

Krishnan, Vasanth Ravi, Tamannaah Bhatia, Shiva Rajkumar, Mohanlal and Jackie Shroff in key roles The music has been composed by Anirudh Ravichander

Prabhas' ‘Salaar’ gets postponed, makers yet to announce new release date

Prabhas and Shruti Hassanstarring ‘Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire’ earlier prepared for a September release, has reportedly been postponed. Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted over the weekend that the film will be released in November However, the makers are yet to announce a new release date

Adarsh wrote on X (formerly k n o w n a s T w i t t e r ) , “

r

thrilling action from the extensive universe created by Neel It features veteran actor Tinnu Anand in a fearless avatar surrounded by several armed men who point their guns at him and are ready to fire It further goes on to introduce Prabhas, as if hinting that he is the king of the jungle The teaser also shows a glimpse of actor Prithviraj Sukumaran

'Chandramukhi 2' is the sequel to Tamil cinema's iconic horror comedy film of the same name starring Superstar Rajinikanth. Directed by P Vasu, the second part is now all set to hit the screens on September 15 Lyca Productions launched the official trailer of 'Chandramukhi 2' in Chennai last week The trailer is packed with ample elements to remind us a b o u t t h e f i r s t p a r t V a i g a i P u y a l Vadivelu is the only role reprised from the original alongside Chandramukhi and Vettaiyan Raja The three-minute l o n g v i d e o j u m p s i n t o h i l a r i o u s episodes right away We see a new family coming to live in the haunting Vettaiyapuram palace

R a g h a v a L a w r e n c e plays Vettaiyan Raja and K a n g a n a R a n a u t p l a y s Chandramukhi It seems that the film will narrate t h e f l a s h b a c k o f t h e s e c h a r a c t e r s f i n a l l y ' C h a n d r a m u k h i 2 ' s t a r s R a g h a v a L a w r e n c e , K a n g a n a R a n a u t , V a d i v e l u , R a d h i k a Sarathkumar, Ravi Maria, Lakshmi Menon, Mahima Nambiar, Srushti Dange and others MM Keeravani's background score is impressive despite the fact it sounded a lot like 'Baahubali ' RD Rajasekar's visuals look stunning with Anthony cuts Thota Tharrani's art direction l o o k s m a j e s t i c T h e f i l m h a s h u g e expectations among the fans and the f i l m i s r e l e a s i n g o n V i n a y a g a r Chathurthi weekend

Upasana Kamineni observes Varalakshmi Vratam with daughter

Ram Charan and Upasana Kamineni’s daughter

Klin Kaara Konidela has already turned two months old The Konidela household has been filled with joy since her birth on June 20 Upasana recently shared her happiness with her fans on Instagram, revealing that she observed Varalakshmi Vratam with her daughter

a k i

g N e w s P R A B H A S : ‘SALAAR’ TO ARRIVE IN NOV

#Salaar is NOT arriving on 28 Sept 2023, it’s OFFICIAL now The post-production work of this #Prabhas starrer is going on in full swing #HombaleFilms – the producers – are bringing the film in Nov 2023 New release date soon ”

Makers of the upcoming pan-India action thriller film unveiled the official teaser The less t h a n t w o - m i n u t e c l i p g a v e g l i m

The film is directed by Prashanth Neel of ‘KGF’ fame This mega project is produced by Vijay Kiragandur of Hombale Films, the makers of the successful ‘KGF’ franchise, and features the same technical team from the ‘KGF’ series The film promises to deliver a grandeur that has never been witnessed before on the big screen, with a staggering 14 massive sets constructed in and around Ramoji Film City

‘Salaar' will be released in five languages, including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi

While sharing a picture of her with her daughter while sitting in the puja room with a pandit, she captioned, “Couldn’t have asked for more My first Varalakshmi Vratham with my Klin Kaara #blessed #gratitude #priceless ” The fasting day is observed by people, especially women, in the southern states of Tamil Nadu,

ried women who pray for the well-being of their loved ones in the family, for their husbands and for their future generations

One of the common beliefs is that worshipping goddess Varalakshmi on this day is equivalent to offering prayers to Ashtalakshmi or the eight goddesses of Wealth, Earth, Learning, Love, Fame, Peace, Pleasure, and Strength

Priyanka’s mother-in-law shows framed picture of her three daughters-in-law at home

Priyanka Chopra Jonas’

mother-in-law, Denise Jonas, has spoken about the warm relationship she shares with the actor In an interview with ‘The Today Show,’ she candidly talked about her love for her three daughters-in-law, including Pri, Sophie Turner and Danielle Jonas. She chose a picture taken at Priyanka-Nick’s wedding framed in her house, and said, “I love that photo ”

T h e p i c t u r e f e a t u r e P r i y a n k a , S o p h i e a n

D a n i e l l e i n t r a d i t i o n a Indian attire, smiling at th camera A snippet of th interview was seen rotatin on the internet, featurin Denise talking about th three ladies She said, “Th is one of my favourite th three of them We love th picture I have it on the top of the stairs When

Masaba Gupta responds to

'hundreds of crores ' from father Vivian Richards

Fashion designer and actor Masaba Gupta has spent her entire life in the limelight as she was born to celebrity parents Neena Gupta and Vivian Richards While they never married, and in fact, her father continued living abroad during her childhood, Masaba remained in contact with him

examples in my house on how great you can be and I always saw it like that ” She also spoke about finding refuge in sports, because she “ grew up in isolation ” She shared how her father would bring her fashionable tennis dresses as she involved herself in the sport She said he always wanted her t o b e c o m e a s p o r t s p e r s o n

walk up, I see it every time

e s , t h i s w a s N i c k a n d r i y a n k a s w e d d i n g B u t I mean, these two (Sophie and D a n i e l l e ) l o o k e d a m a z i n g i n heir Indian attire I loved the ndian attire But I just love h a t p h o t o B e a u t i f u l g i r l s nside and out ”

In an earlier interview, Pri h a r e d h o w h e r m o t h e r M a d h u C h o p r a a n d o t h e r - i n - l a w h e l p b y king care of her daughter, Malti, when the actor is w a y S h e a d d e d t h a t e c a u s e o f M a d h u a n d enise, Priyanka and her usband-singer Nick Jonas an focus on their work

O n t h e w o r k f r o n t , riyanka was last seen in Love Again,’ a romantic drama, and in the Prime V i d e o s e r i e s ‘ C i t a d e l , ’ w c was c eated by The Russo Brothers

Vin Diesel posts throwback pic with Deepika from India trip

Hollywood star Vin Diesel went down memory lane as he reminisced about his India trip in 2017. The actor shared a throwback picture on his Instagram, in which he is posing with actress Deepika Padukone inside a colourful autorickshaw The image dates back to his 2017 India trip when he promoted their Hollywood action film ‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage ’ Diesel posted the photo with a caption, “So grateful and blessed, to have traveled to so many wonderful countries, like India and to experience their beautiful cultures a lucky kid from New York Haha All love, Always ”

The post garnered much attention from the actor’s Indian fans, many whom could not resist making some hilarious autorickshaw jokes One commented, “*Vin Diesel rash driving this auto rickshaw*

Anurag Kashyap defends Neeraj Ghaywan amid ‘Made in Heaven’ controversy Filmmaker

Anurag Kashyap has reacted to the recent ‘Made in Heaven’ controversy and come out in support of director Neeraj Ghaywan. In an interview, Kashyap responded to all the criticism, targeting the fifth episode of the series directed by Ghaywan, featuring Radhika Apte as a Dalit bride who opts for a Buddhist wedding

In a recent interaction with Twinkle Khanna on the Tweak India YouTube channel, Masaba said, “I was very grateful that I had what I had Everyone tells me, ‘Oh you ’ ve become successful because o f y o u r m u m a n d y o u r d a d ’

Someone once apparently told a friend once that, ‘What does she h a v e t o d o H e r d a d l e f t h e r h u n d r e d s o f c r o r e s ’ I s a i d n o , t h e r e ’ s n o h u n d r e d s o f c r o r e s They are being built, but I am building that myself ” She added, “But I never felt that it was a negative I thought it was a positive, because I had such a g r e a t b e n c h m a r k I h a d t w o

However, Masaba called herself an “ angry tennis player,” adding that she couldn’t continue after a point

“I think it was his dream to have me become a tennis star And I was playing, I think I was number three in Maharashtra That much I did with my anger issues I did that much but no more than that,” she said Masaba added, “In my head, I couldn’t talk myself out of it And that’s what playing a sport like tennis is about, right? It’s what you play in isolation You have to talk y o u r s e l f o u t o f e v e r y s i t u a t i o n , every match point, everything you didn’t do on that court I couldn’t do it ”

Deepika: Aiyyo!! Be careful!! Mere appa ka favourite gaadi (sad emoji) ” Another wrote in the comments, “The next fast and furious 11 with auto ”

A third user commented, “Fast tuk tuk and furious ” Another wrote, “Fast and furious 11 scene leaked (fire emoji) ” “Make f11 in india dude (face with sunglasses emoji),” commented another “We want @deepikapadukone x @vindiesel again but this time for fast and furious movie,” a fan's comment read A user slid in a hilarious one, “Vin Diesel be like :

or andar nahi jayega madam (can't take it further inside) ”

DJ Caruso’s 2017 action thriller ‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage,’ was the third instalment in Vin’s popular franchise and Deepika’s Hollywood debut The movie went on to become the biggest hit of the franchise by earning $346 million worldwide on a budget of $85 million

Anurag said, “I get scared for people I care about when they get attacked I have seen t h e e n t i r e j o u r n e y o f N e e r a j Ghaywan and the time he took to find the courage to speak up a n d t h e n I s a w h i m g e t c a n c e l l e d i n a d a y o n s o c i a l media I got very affected by that because he got cancelled by p e o p l e w i t h o u t t h e m understanding the issue ” He added, "It’s a debatable issue You (Yashica Dutt) are not really concerned about the issue because then you can’t be t w o - s i d e d Y o u a r e a t t a c k i n g this guy (Neeraj Ghaywan) So, i f y o u a r e o n l y l o o k i n g f o r validation then to me, you look like an opportunist and nothing more than that And I have seen that man (Neeraj) who found c o u r a g e t o b e t h e v o i c e , struggle, shrink because he got a t t a c k e d b y h i s v e r y p e o p l e Then what is important in this day and age when we talk about r e p r e s e n t a t i o n ? I s representation more important than self? Is yourself bigger than t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n ? B e c a u s e then you are a false self You are a badge wearer You are not really representing something and that makes me angry ” T h e c o n t r o v e r s y e r u p t e d when Yashica Dutt, author of ‘ C o m i n g O u t a s D a l i t : A M e m o i r , ' d e m a n d e d r e c o g n i t i o n f o r i n s p i r i n g t h e character of Pallavi Menke and the storyline of the ‘Made in Heaven 2 ’ episode titled ‘The Heart Skips A Beat,’ directed by G h a y w a n , a s s h e w a s n ’ t formally credited A few days later, the makers of the show released a statement denying the claims

Anurag and Ghaywan have collaborated in the past when h e c o - p r o d u c e d t h e l a t t e r ’ s directorial debut film ‘Masaan ’ Meanwhile, Neeraj co-directed the second season of Netflix's ‘Sacred Games’ with Anurag

inheriting

India beat Nepal, qualify for Super 4 in Asia Cup

India qualified for the Super 4 s tage of the As ia Cup after beating Nepal b y 1 0 wi c k e t s un d er t h e Duckwort h/ Lewis m ethod in a raininterrupt ed matc h at Pall ekele in Sri l anka on Monday Chas ing a revis ed tar ge t of 145 in 23 over s, captain R oh it S ha r m a (7 4 n ot o ut ) a n d Shubm an Gil l (67 not out) s truc k u nb e a t e n h a l f c e nt u r ie s t o t a k e India hom e with 17 bal ls to s pa re India reached 147 for no loss in 20 1 overs Earlier, chasing 231, India were 17 for no loss in 2 1 overs when it started raining heavily, forcing t h e g a m e ’ s s e c o n d i n t e r r u p t i o n Nepal were bowled out for 230 in 48 2 overs Brief scores: India 147 for no loss in 20 1 overs (Rohit Sharma 74 not out, Shubman Gill 67 not out) beat Nepal 230 all out in 4 8 2 o v e r s ( A a s i f S h e i k h 5 8 ; Ravindra Jadeja 3/40)

Ban gladesh score big win M e h i d y H a s a n M i r a z a n d Najmul Hossain Shanto delivered w h e n i t m a t t e r e d t h e m o s t b y h i t t i n g c e n t u r i e s a s B a n g l a d e s h registered an emphatic 89-run win

o v e r A f g h a n i s t a n t o k e e p themselves alive in the Asia Cup at L a h o r e o n S u n d a y C h a s i n g 3 3 5 , Afghanistan struggled to maintain the required run rate which kept on increasing as Bangladesh bowlers

bowled dot balls to building

p r e s s u r e o n t h e i r

opponents Afghanistan did not have the best of starts

a s t h e b i g - h i t t i n g

R a h m a n u l l a h G u r b a z ( 1 ) was trapped leg before by S h o r i f u l I s l a m i n t h e second over Brief scores:

Bangladesh 334/5 (M Miraz

112 retired hurt, N Shanto 104) beat Afghanistan 245 in 44 2 overs (I Zadran 75, H Shahidi 51; Taskin 4/44, Shoriful 3/36) by 89 runs Ind ia , Pak share points

A c o n t e s t t h a t p r o m i s e d s o much ended in a damp squib as a persistent drizzle forced both the P a k i s t a n a n d I n d i a n p l a y e r s t o remain in the dressing room after no further play was possible in the s e c o n d i n n i n g s o f t h e h i g h l y

a n t i c i p a t e d A s i a C u p c l a s h i n Pallekele India, who were bowled

o u t f o r 2 6 6 i n 4 8 5 o v e r s a f t e r choosing to bat first, shared a point with Pakistan, who qualified for the Super 4s with three points, courtesy their crushing win over Nepal in Multan earlier in the week

Lanka slay Banglad esh

P a l l e k e l e : S a d e e r a

S a m a r a w i c k r a m a a n d C h a r i t h

Asalanka made resolute fifties after M a t h e e s h a P a t h i r a n a ’ s h o s t i l e

b o w l i n g a s S r i L a n k a s l a y e d Bangladesh by five wickets in their Asia Cup opener at Pallekele on Thursday Pacer Pathirana’s 4 for 32 restricted Bangladesh to 164

T h e h o m e s i d e t h e n r o d e o n Samarawickrama’s 54 off 77 balls and Asalanka’s unbeaten 62 off 92 balls to overhaul the target in 39 overs

P akistan thrash minnows Nepal

S k i p p e r B a b a r A z a m h i t a delightful 151 while Iftikhar Ahmed smashed his maiden ODI century as Pakistan thrashed minnows Nepal by 238 runs in the opening match of t h e A s i a C u p a t M u l t a n o n W e d n e s d a y B a b a r a n d I f t i k h a r played pivotal roles in powering Pakistan to 342 for six after opting to bat Kushal Bhurtel made a brave s t a r t t o N e p a l ’ s c h a s e w i t h consecutive boundaries off Shaheen Shah Afridi on the opening two balls, but it was shortlived as the ace left-arm made a superb comeback to dismiss him and Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel in the last two balls of t h e o v e r B r i e f s c o r e s : P a k i s t a n 3 4 2 / 6 ( B a b a r A z a m 1 5 1 , I f t i k h a r Ahmed 109*, Mohammad Rizwan 44) beat Nepal 104 in 23 4 overs (Shadab Khan 4-27) by 238 runs

K

L Rahul recalled for India's World Cup squad

I n d ia ' s 1 5 - me m b e r I C C W o r l d C up 20 23 s q u a d a nnoun ced b y chief sel ect or A j it A g a r k a r a n d ca p t a in R o hi t S ha r m a ha d n o s ur p r i se s A fi t -a g a i n K L R a hul wa s r e cal l e d t o t he s id e Is ha n Ki sh a n w a s picked as t he backup opener a n d k e e p e r w h il e S u r y a k um a r Y a d a v p ip p e d San ju Sa mson for the backup middle -orde r b att er's spot A s f a r a s t h e s e a mb o w l i n g o p t i o n s a r e concerned, Jasprit Bumrah, M o h a m m e d S h a m i , M o h a m m e d S i r a j a n d S h a r d u l T h a k u r p i c k e d t h e m s e l v e s , s o d i d a l lr o u n d e r s H a r d i k P a n d y a , Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and spinner Kuldeep Yadav Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh

K r i s h n a , R a v i c h a n d r a n A s h w i n , T i l a k V a r m a a n d S a m s o n w e r e n o t a b l e o m i s s i o n s A s h w i n a n d Chahal were anyway not a part of the Asia Cup, Samson was a reserve and Krishna and Tilak were picked only because ACC allowed teams to name 17-member squads So where is the surprise?

It is in the absence of n a m i n g r e s e r v e s I n d i a

Neeraj Chopra finishes 2nd in Zurich Diamond League

r e f r a i n e d f r o m n a m i n g standby or reserve players, a common practice for multination tournaments and ICC e v e n t s , f o r t h e u p c o m i n g W o r l d C u p a t h o m e t h a t starts on October 5

Since ICC doesn't allow more than 15 players in the m a i n s q u a d , m o s t t e a m s name at least three reserve players They are generally t h e o n e s p r e f e r r e d w h i l e p i c k i n g a r e p l a c e m e n t i f somebody from the main squad gets injured But it appears that India did not want to restrict them to just three or four names Since t h e W o r l d C u p w i l l b e p l a y e d a t h o m e , t h e y obviously have a chance to r e p l a c e a p l a y e r w i t h anybody

Mahika Gaur shines on her England debut against Sri Lanka

T e e n s e n s a ti on M a hi k a

G a ur m ad e a me m ora bl e i n te r n a t i on a l d e b u t b y tak ing a wi cket as En glan d s ecured a 12 -run vic tory in a r a i n - a f f e c te d m a t c h t o k i c k o ff th ei r T 2 0 s er i es agai nst Sri Lan ka

Heather Knight's team set a challenging target of 187 runs, which would have b e e n t h e s e c o n d - h i g h e s t s u c c e s s f u l r u n c h a s e i n w o m e n ' s T 2 0 c r i c k e t i f

a c h i e v e d H o w e v e r , t h e match nearly ended in a s t a l e m a t e d u e t o u n f a v o u r a b l e w e a t h e r conditions

Mahika’s debut became remarkable as she took a wicket when she caught an e d g e f r o m S r i L a n k a ' s c a p t a i n , C h a m a r i Athapaththu The 6ft 2in bowling prodigy is set to e a r n £ 3 , 5 0 0 f o r h e r performance in this whiteball match, as the England and Wales Cricket Board recently equalized women's i n t e r n a t i o n a l m a t c h f e e s with those of the men

Equal pay for men and women cricketers in England

I n a s ignif ic ant demo ns trati on of fi nanci al s upport, England has equali zed th e match fees f or wo men's international c ri cket with tho se of th ei r male counterp arts

The England and Wales Cricket Board ( E C B ) m a d e t h e a n n o u n c e m e n t o n Wednesday, implementing immediate parity in match fees As a result, female players will now receive approximately £12,500 for each Test match, £5,000 for one-day internationals, and £3,500 for T20 internationals This change takes effect starting with Thursday's women's

T20 match against Sri Lanka at Hove

This decision follows the success of the women's Ashes, which attracted a crowd of 110,000 fans It also aligns with one of the r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s f r o m t h e I n d e p e n d e n t Commission for Equity in Cricket, released earlier this summer, which highlighted the prevalence of discrimination in the sport

During an interview with the BBC, Richard Gould, the Chief Executive of the ECB, lauded this move as "the initial step" toward achieving greater gender equality in the sport

N eer aj C ho pr a, fr esh fr o m h is g o ld me da l w i n a t t h e W o r ld A t h le t i c s C h a m pi o ns h i ps, f in i sh e d s e c o nd b eh in d Cz ec h Repu blic ’ s Jakub V adlejc h in th e Zur ich Di amo nd L eague with a best at tempt of 85 71m

Neeraj started off with an 80 79m throw in his first attempt He then committed a foul in his second and third a t t e m p t s , w h i c h t o o k h i m d o w n t o f i f t h position, with Germany’s Julian Weber leading the charts

Neeraj got back up in the standings with an 85 22m throw in his fourth attempt, taking him to second place behind leader Jakub Vadlejch Neeraj committed another foul in his fifth attempt to stay second behind Vadlejch In his f i n a l a t t e m p t , N e e r a j t h r e w a d i s t a n c e o f

8 5 7 1 m , a l m o s t o v e r t a k i n g V a d l e j c h ’ s b e s t attempt of 85 86m

In the World Athletics Championships

2 0 2 3 , h e l d i n B u d a p e s t , H u n g a r y , N e e r a j scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal He achieved this feat with a

b e s t t h r o w o f 8 8 1 7 m i n t h e men's javelin final

He qualified for the final w i t h h i s v e r y f i r s t t h r o w (88 77m) and came up on top in the final against a field of worldclass throwers He also qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 with his effort in the qualifying round

Before his gold-winning performance in 2023, Neeraj had also won a historic silver medal at the Oregon World Championships in 2022 This was India's second medal at the World Athletics Championships after longjumper Anju Bobby George s bronze in 2003 Neeraj's performances have been consistently impressive In May 2023, he clinched the top spot in the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 88 67m In the same month, he, for the first time, achieved first position in the men's javelin throw rankings published by World Athletics With his gold medal at the World Athletics Championships, the 25-yearold Neeraj has now won gold at every major international event

Viacom18 bags BCCI's media rights

Viacom18 bagg ed t he me dia r ights of the I n d i a n c r i ck e t bo a r d (B C C I’ s ) h om e int er nat ion al an d domest ic ga mes for the n ext four -and a-half yea rs - from Se ptem ber 2023 t o Mar ch 20 28 - for a cumulat iv e figure o f £ 59 6 3 m i lli o n i n a n e - a uc t i o n T he n ewcomer, which broa dca sts live action on its digita l pla tform Jio Cine ma and Sport s18 te le vision chann el, won both digita l a s we ll as te le vision r ig hts, ha ving agr eed to she ll out a p r i ce of £ 6 7 8 m il li on pe r g a m e , t h u s outbidding Disney Star and S on y

The TV component amounted to £3 25 million per game (approx), while the digital valuation stood at £3 53 million (approx), culminating in an aggregate sum of £6 78 million, which is £7 8 million, or 12 92% higher than the £6 million that Star India had paid the BCCI in the previous cycle In simple terms, in the digital category, Viacom18,

which now takes over from Disney Star, bid £310 1 million for the digital rights, and for television rights, it bid £286 2 million

O w n e d b y t h e M u k e s h A m b a n i - l e d Reliance Industries and led by Uday Shankar, who revolutionized the broadcast industry in India during his time as the head of Star India, Viacom 18 already owns digital rights for the IPL (2023-2027), and both digital and TV rights for the Women’s Premier League (2023-2027) The network will broadcast 88 games (25 Tests, 27 ODIs and 36 T20I) over the course of 4 5 years in an agreement that starts with a three-match ODI series against Australia at the end of September, just before the 2023 ODI World Cup in India

The latest development marked the end of an 11-year Star Sports era for India’s home matches, both domestic and international, which started from 2012

Australia sweep South Africa T20 series with 5-wicket win

Trav is Head smashed a career-best 91 off 4 8 balls to lead Australi a to a 5-wicket wi n and a clean sweep of their three-match Twenty20

In ternati onal series agai nst hos ts South Africa last week The hosts elected to bat fi rst an d posted 190 for ei ght in thei r 20 overs, their hi ghes t score of th e seri es but not en ough as Australi a easily chased down the target with 13 balls remai nin g

The teams will now move over to a fivem a t c h O n e - D a y I n t e r n a t i o n a l s e r i e s i n Bloemfontein, which will serve as preparation

for the ODI World Cup in India Debutant middle-order batsman Donovan Ferreira topscored for South Africa with 48 off 21 balls before he was run-out Seamer Sean Abbott was the pick of the visiting bowlers with career-best figures of 4-31 The home side managed to reduce Australia to 43 for two in the fifth over, but the visitors were able to keep up with the r u n - r a t e t h r o u g h o u t a n d n e v e r l o o k e d troubled Brief scores: SA 190-8 in 20 overs (D Ferreira 48, R Hendricks 42; S Abbott 4-31) vs Australia 191-5 in 17 5 overs (T Head 91)

Neeraj Chopra

KL Rahul

Mahika Gaur