AV 10th July 2021 by Asian Business Publications Ltd

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE AstraZeneca: Students and travellers victims of Brexit? SEE PAGE - 6 Miss England finalist wants to spread brain tumour awareness SEE PAGE - 14

inside

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side ‘Running allowed me some me time, to let out my frustrations’ SEE PAGE - 16

10 - 16 JULY 2021 - VOL 50 ISSUE 10 Congress, BJP spar as France launches probe over Rafale deal SEE PAGE - 25

PM Modi to reshuffle cabinet by inducting new ministers SEE PAGE - 26

SAVE THE DATE: 19 JULY Shefali Saxena

The UK is all set to reopen on 19 July 2021. Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that Covid-19 cases could get as high as 100,000 a day this summer. He admitted that numbers will “rise significantly” after all remaining Covid restrictions are eased in a fortnight and claimed the government had not “put numbers on hospitalisations” yet. Double vaccinated people will also not have to follow quarantine rules if they meet any positive cases from 16 August, though London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged the government to retain the mandatory requirement for covering to be worn publicly.

Is ending all restrictions a wise move with only 50 per cent of the UK’s population vaccinated against Covid-19?

Continued on page 6

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Queen: We must change how we live, nothing can be normal again The Queen has said that “we are going to have to change the way we do things” in response to climate change. The monarch and Princess Royal visited the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute as part of the traditional Royal Week visit to Scotland. Anne Marte Bergseng, of the institute, said they discussed “everything, essentially”

Shital Adatia Financial Consultant Shital Adatia, is the President at the Shree Hindu Temple & Community Centre in Leicester. The Temple was established in 1969 and was the first Hindu Temple in the UK. He is Leicester Born, graduated from the University of Bedfordshire in Business Administration and Management Finance and outside of his temple duties, he is a Financial Adviser at Empire Finance Ltd. Having worked in Commercial Financial Services for the last 21 years. Shital is married with two children, and he is passionate about working in the community and helping others. Which place, or city or country do you heart. Help people where I can, if I canmost feel at home in? not help, then definitely do not hurt anyBeing Leicester Born and Bred, I feel one. most at home in Leicester. I did have a What is the best aspect about your few years out of Leicester, whilst I was at current role? university, but the love for the city I enjoy meeting people from all walks bought me back home. Leicester is a great of life. Interacting with them on differplace, and I would not live anywhere else. ent levels, listening to them, and helping What are your proudest them with solutions from my practical achievements? experience and my life journey. The temple closed its doors for the And the worst? very first time in March 2020, due to Covid 19. I was lucky enough to have a I would say the administration and strong team around me, and we quickly paperwork associated with my roles. We set up a Foodbank facility to help the vulhave strict guidelines to follow and nerable and those in need within frameworks we must comply too. Leicestershire. We ran the foodbank for Luckily, I have the right team around me, just over a year, and in total we provided who can help me in this department. over 16,400 food parcels. What are your long-term goals? What inspires you? I have been involved at the temple I enjoy working in the community, now for just over 3 years, this has giving helping people aspire to reach their me an insight as to what is required in dreams, this is whether this is in my comthe community. We have identified that munity role as president, or in my day-towe need to get the younger generation day role as a Financial Adviser. There is involved in our culture and aspire them no better feeling than to see people to be confident and take our temple to happy. the next level. We are therefore setting What has been biggest obstacle in up an education centre to teach the your career? younger generation about our culture I would say doing too much alone. and heritage. Being a perfectionist, I would like to overIf you were Prime Minister, what one see everything that has been done by my aspect would you change? team and everyone around me. Over time I would look to reform the education I have accepted I must delegate and have system, provide free education in univerfaith in the actions of others, if we are to sities, and give the students practical succeed. training in all aspects of their study. We Who has been the biggest influence see a lot of students coming out of union your career to date? versity with qualifications, and still I would say my parents, for guiding struggling to find jobs, as they have not in in the right direction. Teaching me the got any hands on experience. ethics in life and giving me the foundaIf you were marooned on a desert tion to excel as a human. They have island, which historical figure would always taught me to do right, with a clear you like to spend your time with and why? If I were on a desert Island, I would have liked to spend time with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Giving me the opportunity to get an insight into his way of thinking, his vision, and what drove him to achieve what he did for the nation.

Dilyn the dog has a new rival next door

The competition to be the top dog in Downing Street is fierce and a new candidate has entered the fray after Rishi Sunak adopted a fox red labrador puppy. The dog, called Nova, posed for a photograph on Sunak’s lap while he sat at his desk. The puppy is said to be partial to roast chicken and naps in the chancellor’s red box. Some have remarked that this newest resident of 11 Downing Street, looks decid-

about a greener future and what that means for our way of

living. The Queen and Princess Anne also met representatives from the Children’s Parliament, who presented the monarch with two rowan trees to be planted as part of her Green Canopy initiative. “Obviously we’re going to have to change our lives a bit,” the Queen said. “Nothing can be quite normal again or what we thought.”

edly sleeker than her neighbour. Boris and his wife, Carrie, own a shaggy-haired Jack Russell cross. They adopted Dilyn in 2019 from Friends of Animals Wales but he has suffered a series of PR mishaps. This year, the prime minister had to clarify that Dilyn was not going anywhere after a series of briefings suggested they wanted to give him up. It is not yet clear how well Dilyn

and Nova, who was chosen by Sunak’s daughters Krishna and Anoushka, will get on.

UK students use orange juice to fake ‘positive’ Covid test results

School children have discovered that applying orange juice to a Covid lateral flow test can generate a fake “positive” result. Science teacher claims students say ‘it’s a great way to get two weeks off’, as experts criticise the practice. The phenomenon – which has been verified through an experiment by the Guardian – is not a result of the juice con-

taining the virus. Rather it appears to be linked to its acidity, which essentially breaks the test. The effect has allegedly also been seen with a number of other foods and drinks including ketchup and Coca-Cola. The “trick” has also been featured on TikTok, with videos of people trying out different fluids. While the

Gap leaves another nail in the coffin of the high street

Shoppers expressed dismay at the closure of another famous high street, American fashion chain Gap announced it was shutting all its stores in the UK. The company said late on last Wednesday that it would close 81 shops by the end of the year as it takes its business exclusively online. The decision is likely to result in hundreds of job losses. Fans of the chain reminisced about the store, which launched in the UK in 1987. On Twitter Steve Peskett wrote: “Another nail in the coffin of the high street. Tragic.”

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faking of positive lateral flow tests may cause concern, not least because everyone in a household must self-isolate immediately should a test show a positive result, the disruption may be short-lived: anyone with a positive test must subsequently take a more accurate PCR test to confirm an infection.

Hancock ally did not declare 27 meetings with health firms for a year Matt Hancock’s closest colleagues, Lord Bethell, a junior minister at the Department for Health and Social Care who was appointed early in the pandemic, held at least 27 meetings between April 1 and April 6 last year which were not declared until last week when the government quietly updated transparency records. Officials said that the late declaration was the

result of an “administrative error”. The meetings were generally with health companies as the government sought to rapidly increase Covid-19 testing capacity.

The UK's tallest man lives a quiet life in a West London care home In 2002, Hussein Bisad achieved international fame when he claimed to be the world's tallest man. He was measured by Guinness World Records, who found him to be 1.4 inches shy of the

world's tallest human at the time, Radhouane Charbib. 20 years on and Hussein Bisad has got married, battled serious illness, and struggled to find clothes that fit him that don't cost a small fortune.

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10 - 16 July 2021

Not enough to just say “thank you” On Monday the wonderful NHS was awarded a George Cross by Her Majesty the Queen. It’s a recognition of the highest order for NHS, including people working in the organisation in every role. In her statement, the Queen talks of NHS’ 'courage, compassion and dedication'- unswerving throughout the pandemic and continues as so. The NHS came alive on 5 July 1948. The 1942 Beveridge crossparty report established the principles of the NHS which was implemented by the Labour government in 1948. Labour's Minister for Health Aneurin Bevan is popularly considered the NHS' founder. It was the first time anywhere in the world that completely free healthcare was made available based on citizenship rather than the payment of fees or insurance. It brought hospitals, doctors, nurses and dentists together under one service. Before the NHS was created patients had to face voluntary treatments and municipal hospitals. According to BBC History Magazine and BBC History revealed, during Victorian times, the hospital was an institution that meant very different things for people of different classes. Those who could afford a private doctor stayed away from the hospital at almost any cost. All hospitals, whether a workhouse infirmary or an elite voluntary hospital, were founded and funded by the middle and upper classes to assist the medical welfare needs of the working-class population free of cost. NHS was formally launched by Clement Attlee's post-war government, at the Park Hospital in Manchester. The motivation to provide a good, strong and reliable healthcare was the key purpose. Sir Winston Churchill, speaking as the Prime Minister in the spring of 1944, affirmed that it was the policy of the govern-

ment to establish a National Health Service that would make accessible to all, irrespective of social class. The NHS today is funded mainly from general taxation supplemented by National Insurance contributions. Since inception NHS has always been geared for general social welfare. NHS is perhaps the most celebrated septuagenarian in the world, as The Times rightly pointed out. The harsh year of 2020 and also part of 2021 saw people pouring love and gratitude towards the organisation. The Asian community across Britain, that also represents NHS in great numbers, collected food, aid, PPE and extended any possible helping hands. Children decorated their windows with rainbow drawings. There was a radio address from the Prince of Wales to celebrate the 73rd birthday, street parties and landmarks like Salisbury Cathedral, Wembley Arch, The Shard, London Eye were lit up in blue in its honour. Yet as fears of NHS’ privatisation loom large with Sajid Javid as the new Health Secretary, politicians continue to dodge questions about how the health service will be funded in the years ahead. Mr Javid has reportedly told the House of Commons that he is firm to “fix the crisis in social care, once and for all”. This probably means tax rises or what we may call beginning of a compulsory social insurance. In a post-pandemic world, with job losses and businesses suffering from unbelievable financial crisis- how easy would that be? While the government is getting ready to have a tough conversation with public about taxes, where is NHS’ opinion on its own future? NHS is bigger than and above any politics. And as the lockdown lifts, it is crucial the concerns of frontline workers are heard. Just clapping for the heroes and saying thank you is not enough!

China-Afghanistan friendship injurious to Britain’s Indo-Pacific strategy The threat posed by terror groups such as al-Qaeda may increase after NATO troops withdraw from Afghanistan. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has warned as he admitted that Britain was forced to pull its forces out of the Middle Eastern country after the US decided to leave. There is a possibility this would lead to another civil war, especially after the public flogging in the Obe district became a viral video, circulating through social media. A local Taliban judge reportedly said it was a mistake, but commanders were angry. It revived memories of darker times when the militants ruled the country. The US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 to oust the Taliban, whom they said were harbouring Osama Bin Laden and other al-Qaeda figures linked to the 9/11 attacks. The US has spent a stunning total of $2.26 trillion according to the Costs of War project. The Defence Department's 2020 report said war-fighting costs totalled $815.7 billion over the years. British troops took the lead within the Kabul Security Force, a 7-nation organisation which provided vital force protection for UK and coalition advisors who were working with their Afghan partners to increase the capabilities and capacity across the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. Alongside military activities, the UK supported a wide range of projects to improve education, healthcare, economic growth, and local governance, in Helmand and across the country. Prince William flew to Afghanistan in a C-17 Globemaster that repatriated the body of Trooper Robert Pearson, during his stint with the Army. Prince Harry also served in the Army for ten years, rising to the rank of Captain and undertaking two tours of Afghanistan. He continues to work in support of his fellow servicemen, promoting support for wounded men and women as they adapt to life post-injury.

21 years since the conflict started in Afghanistan and still has the highest number of civilian casualties. Women and girls continue to face violence, harassment, and intimidation. Violence against children persist. Yet Afghan asylum-seekers continue to be forcibly returned to Afghanistan, particularly from Iran, Pakistan, Turkey and EU countries. These returns, according to Amnesty International had reduced during the pandemic, but the healthcare situation in Afghanistan remains alarming with high level of poverty. According to the International Organisation for Migration, there were 4 million people internally displaced in Afghanistan in 2020, an increase from 1.2 million in 2016 and half a million in 2013. During the 19th century many Afghans migrated to India. Prominent among them were the families of Nawab of Sardhana and the Qizilbashi Agha family of Srinagar, Kashmir. Both the families had martial lineage and belonged to the feudal aristocracy. In her weekly column, Ruchi Ghanashyam, the former High Commissioner of India to the UK explained the importance of peace in Afghanistan for India (see column on page 11). She writes how India has been a major development partner of Afghanistan with over $10bn worth of commitments or projects. While American troops left main military base in Afghanistan, China has already prepared to enter the war-torn country to fill the vacuum left by US and NATO troops. Authorities in Kabul are considering extending a $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). With growing power of China in Afghanistan and also Sri Lanka, India will be in a disadvantageous position - something the country should immediately focus on, as well as bring to the notice of other allied powers such as the post-Brexit Britain.

Religious differences do not define true Indians Indians feel that they live in a society where they can freely practise any religion, according to a report. A survey conducted by US-based based think-tank Pew, which was based on interviews of about 30,000 people conducted in 17 languages between 2019 and early 2020, across the major religious groups, noted that most Indians say it is very important to respect all religions to be truly Indian. 74 years since India became free from colonial rule, Indians generally feel their country has lived up to one of its post-independence ideals: a society where followers of many religions can live and practice freely. Despite sharing certain values and religious beliefs – as well as living in the same country, under the same constitution - members of India’s major religious communities often do not feel they have much in common with one another. Most Hindus see themselves as very different from Muslims and most Muslims return the sentiment, saying they are very different from Hindus. This stands true when it comes to inter-religious matrimonial alliances, there are two recent examples that establish that there’s more to religious intolerance than meets the eye and that they do vary from region to region. An IAS officer’s daughter in Agra married a man thinking he was a Hindu, but years later when he forced her to convert to Islam, she realised he was Muslim. Likewise, a Kashmiri Sikh woman thought to have converted and married a Muslim denying that it was love jihad. She married and converted according to her own will. Among other things, the survey finds that Hindus tend to see their religious identity and Indian national identity as closely intertwined. Perhaps it may have been more correct to say that

Hindu and Hindutva are making some efforts to seek some visibility of their enviable heritage and rich history that had been removed from public space by design over the years. If one looks at the last seven years in India there has hardly been any attempt to spread or force the acceptance of the Hindi language across the country as a political tool. The report deduces wrongly that Hinduism, Hindi and support to BJP are part of true Indian identity. Hindus are in minority in nearly all North-Eastern states, yet BJP has strong support in most. On the other hand, Hindu majority states of Southern India, barring Karnataka, have hardly shown any support for BJP. It is no secret that all states in the South, East and North East are against the imposition of Hindi. Cultural diversity comes with a few exceptions: Two-thirds of Jains and about half of Sikhs say they have a lot in common with Hindus. But generally, people in India's major religious communities tend to see themselves as very different from others. The identity of India, and therefore an Indian, has always been more a concept than something based on fixed parameters since ancient times. The multiplicity of languages, cultures, way of life, religions, different methods of worship within the same religion, genetic differences and size of the sub-continent are some of the more important reasons why it is impossible to establish any fixed parameters for an Indian identity. Yet despite these differences, individuals from different regions still take pride in calling themselves as Indian first. Based on this logic, it may be prudent to say that Indian identity is based on that one singular feeling of belonging to this landmass called India and nothing else.

Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. - Sir Winston Churchill

Alpesh Patel

On Liberty and Masks Liberal democracies such as the UK find their turning points when they turned away from religion based laws, started seperating State and Faith and focussed on legal philosophical writings of people like JS Mill (On Liberty). The question became not, what law would God want, but will this law prevent harm - the harm principle. Of course today, 'harm' includes offence not just physical harm. And that itself encroaches the liberty of speech. This matters as the State decides when we should where masks. Never in peacetime has the State had so much control of our daily lives. And never have I seen so many people asking for the State to continue dictating their lives. Paternalism and socialism are closely linked. Liberalism is not inconsistent with those. But you won't find a Conservative Government moving down that road too far or too long. Now you mention the mask ban, a bit of history. The first stop on the State-Church-State road is in 1675, when King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland officially became a Roman Catholic. When he died in 1701 he had reigned for 44 years as King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The churches alone were not enough for him so he wanted more Church control over the lives of his subjects. And there was an easy solution make all the laws, make peace and war and taxation decisions all them in turn including the Parliament (House of Lords), who were appointed by him (King). He also had the power to socialise the country's economy through religious taxes. It was all a bit of a mess. If you were a Protestant, life was wonderful, but if you were a Roman Catholic it was awful. France started the process in 1682 when it decreed that all Protestants (Calvinist) had to wear an official badge identifying their faith. And England followed suit in 1696 as a result of the Titus Oates plot and the Popish Plot. The Act of Toleration brought about by William III ceded this power to Parliament which then passed laws forcing Catholics to give up their English identity and swear allegiance to the Church of England or face severe penalties. On Liberty was written in 1859, during a time where the UK was beginning to more liberal towards religious diversity. It did not get much attention at the time, but Mill warned that if people were not allowed to think for themselves they would be easily manipulated by those who did. I'm sure there are those who would say he has been proven right today. The question - is it freedom that we want or safety? On Liberty may just have been one man's answer to the question as it stands today.

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Covid vaccine rule: Care home staff exodus continues amid already challenging situation Shefali Saxena As per the latest announcement by the UK government, care home staff needs to be vaccinated in order to continue their job and protect the residents of the care homes. While this is scientifically the most practical approach towards safeguarding care homes from Covid infections, it is also imperative to note that taking the vaccine is a choice, not a mandate. This decision has triggered an exodus of care home staff for many employers in the UK, leading to job losses, and put care homeowners in a sensitive position. According to the BBC, London has the maximum number of unvaccinated care home staff. The publication has several first-person accounts of care home workers who have been bullied into having a jab. Harbhajan Surdhar, a Care Homeowner in the UK spoke to Asian Voice in an insightful Q&A about the consequences of the vaccine rule for care home workers.

- How does the recent vaccine law for care home workers fundamentally impact your staff and hiring process?

The recent discussion around making

vaccine law mandatory for care staff will have serious implications on current serving staff as well as new staff hired. What is already a very challenging situation in terms of recruitment will worsen as we as the employer, will have to seek legal advice both in terms of employment law and employment contracts.

- In case you're put in a situation where any of your workers do not wish to take the vaccine, what would you do?

In all of our care homes, our staff have been fully vaccinated, however, if we were in a position where a staff member did not wish to have the vaccine, we will have to respect their rights unless otherwise governed by law. We are very proud of the fact that we have not had a single covid case in any of our care homes. This is a testament to our managers and staff who have vigorously implemented infection control policies, procedures and testing.

- What is the overall status of staff at your care home right now? Has it in any way been impacted by Brexit and the shortage of staff in the UK in general?

Staff shortages are an ongoing recruit-

ment challenge in the care sector and the situation will, unfortunately, worsen due to Brexit. This is in part due to the perception of care as a career choice, coupled with complex immigration policies and the high costs involved with recruiting staff from overseas. I have been very fortunate to have had an excellent staff retention rate throughout this period of uncertainty brought about by the pandemic and Brexit. I do not use agency staff and have embedded staff retention policies in my business that has future-proofed against staff shortages.

- What are the legal implications of laying off or dealing with staff who may not wish to take the vaccine? Could you elaborate on how it'd affect both parties?

Any changes in the law will require both parties to seek legal advice on these matters. Clearly, for an employer, this would incur greater costs, adapting to new policies and procedures, and losing good staff in what is already an undersubscribed profession. From the perspective of an employee, this would result in the loss of a job and possibly even a career. I would like to thank Elizabeth Johnson, Legal Director at Axiom DWFM, for her invaluable advice and expertise over

Harbhajan Surdhar

the years which has greatly influenced our working practices. NHS statistics from 777 care homes in London that have reported data shows: - The total number of residents in London's care homes is 22,825, the lowest of any region in England, - They have 35,181 staff members - 21,291 (93%) of residents and 26,904 (77%) staff members have had at least a first dose of the vaccine by 13 June - 343 care homes have reported 80% of staff and 90% of residents have had 1st dose (44%), while 179 care homes have had the second dose (23%) - 54% of homes have 80% of staff that have had the first dose

'Westminster changes people' Condemnation for antisemitic abuse Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, and journalist Sarah Vine have announced their separation after 20 years of marriage. In a joint statement released on Friday, Gove and Vine said they remained “close friends” and would continue supporting their two children. They requested everyone to give them privacy and established that they won’t be commenting further. Gove and Vine met in 1999 and married in 2001. “A friend of the high-profile couple told PA Media they had “drifted apart over the past couple of years” but it was an “entirely amicable” split and “there is no one else involved”,” Guardian reported. For those who may not know, Vine is the godmother to one of David and Samantha Cameron’s children.

of Jewish passenger on public transport in London Michael Gove & Sarah Vine

Last week she wrote about former health secretary Matt Hancocks’ affair with his advisor and breaking Covid protocol. She went on record to say that it “showed that Westminster life could drive a wedge between partners.” Stating the power is an “aphrodisiac”, Vine wrote, “Westminster is a place of myriad distractions for the politician seeking refuge from his or her home life,” and that she understood “how you can go from being happily married to the kind of person who gets caught

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so unfortunately on CCTV”. “The problem with the wife who has known you since way before you were king of the world is that she sees through your facade” and that there were some politicians who could walk away from power and others “who will compromise everything for the sake of it”, Vine added. Gove joins names like Boris Johnson, now Matt Hancock whose marriages came to an end during their tenure with the UK government. Further to that, Vine emphasised that “Westminster changes people” and wives of senior politicians “are still more or less the same person they were when they got married” but their husbands sometimes were not.

A Jewish man named Yochai was “verbally assaulted” twice in one hour in central London was threatened because of his appearance while on a bus into Oxford Street and then at an underground station. He was wearing a kippah - the skullcap worn by some Jewish men that day. A black man shouted, “free Palestine” at him as he got off the bus and was later subjected to a “torrent” of anti-Semitic abuse by a white man. “His brother said Yochai was targeted because he looked "obviously Jewish" and that the offenders "were not concerned about the repercussions",” BBC reported. He also said that the passenger leaned in close to his face and tried to punch him but Yochai stopped him. "He was shouting angrily: 'I'll give you an uppercut, I'll give you an uppercut', " Yochai’s brother told BBC. President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Marie van der Zyl condemned the antisemitic abuse and threats made against a Jewish passenger on public transport in London in two separate incidents at the weekend. Marie said: "It is absolutely intolerable that a Jewish passenger travelling on public transport should be subjected to disgusting

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racist threats and abuse in the UK in 2021 not once but twice on the same day. Those responsible should be tracked down and prosecuted." Jonathan Metliss, Chairman of Action Against Discrimination (AAD) and member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said, “We condemn this abhorrent and unacceptable racist behaviour and trust that the police and all relevant authorities will bring the perpetrators to justice. “Sadly, this is another example of continuing anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic attacks on our streets – for example, at the recent pro-Palestinian marches which have nothing to do with the Jewish community, and the online abuse directed at Jewish owners of football clubs following the announcement of the now ill-fated Super League. “Although the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary have vowed to eradicate this behaviour, sadly it continues unabated and will not disappear until and unless appropriate sanctions are applied to all offenders, whoever they are, online or otherwise.” The Met Police and British Transport Police are investigating.

Private judges in demand as couples hire them to speed up divorces With the rising number of divorce cases in the UK during the lockdown amid the pandemic, couples are opting for the “Bupa Style” of hearings for divorce settlement by hiring private judges. Under this style of settlement, experienced lawyers and retired judges are paid to act as private judges and arbitrate disputes over money and children, outside the court system. Court delays and cancellations particularly affect financial disputes because

cases involving the safety of children are prioritised and can bump them off the schedule at the last minute. “More than a third of all arbitrations since the scheme started nine years ago have been since January last year, according to data from the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators. There were 301 family law arbitrations in eight years up to January 2020. By June this year, the number had risen to 428,” a report in The Times said.

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10 - 16 July 2021

SAVE THE DATE: 19 JULY Continued from page 1 After a long haul, as the announcement about UK’s new normal comes on NHS’ 73rd birthday, key questions that remain unanswered- is the government being hasty? Are our frontline workers ready to sacrifice their lives yet again, for something otherwise avoidable? What’ll be the fate of care homes? Asian Voice finds out. Clear disconnect between government and science Though international travel may not go back to normal on 19 July, recent research by Cardiff University suggests that the UK public is likely to take the Covid-19 pandemic less seriously once restrictions are lifted. Psychologists found lockdown in itself was a primary reason why so many people were willing to abide by the rules from the start – believing the threat must be severe if the government imposes such drastic measures. All said and done, the moment of truth is here. Responding to the announcement on Monday by Prime Minister Boris Johnson setting out the Government’s intention to relax nearly all the Covid mitigations on the 19 July, including the mandatory wearing of facemasks, BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul thinks that this move, is “incredibly concerning”. In a statement, he told us, “There is a clear disconnect between the actions the government are planning to take and the data and views of the scientific community and medical profession. “The NHS is already under Dr Chaand Nagpaul immense pressure trying to cope with an unprecedented backlog of care. While admittedly the link between hospitalisations and deaths has weakened, it has not been broken and we now have twice as many people in hospital and on ventilators compared to a month ago. Even modest rises in patients being admitted to hospitals will undermine our ability to treat the record 5 million patients waiting for treatment.” Touching upon the prevailing 2 million Long Covid cases in the UK, Dr Nagpaul further said, “Why is the prime minister knowingly putting more people at risk of becoming ill when masks are proven to be effective and can reduce the spread of infection? It will also impact the economy and businesses if more staff become ill and unable to work.” Talking about face masks, he added, “This cannot be about 'personal choice' when the risk comes from others around you not wearing them. It is inconceivable that the Government would allow for people, many of whom have no choice but to get public transport or be in confined places, to have to take the risk of becoming ill, particularly those who have not been fully vaccinated or cannot take the vaccine for health reasons.” “We would urge the Government to reconsider its course of action and implement some of the necessary measures such as the continued mandatory wearing of facemasks in enclosed indoor public settings until the rampant spread of infection has been brought under control and more of the population is fully vaccinated,” Dr Nagpaul argued. “Ultimately, the Government has a duty to protect people’s health and this announcement today falls very short of that. It also fails to protect our health service and give the NHS and its staff the safeguards it needs,” he added. But Dr Ramesh Mehta OBE, Founder and President BAPIO told us, “NHS is doing an excellent job of vaccination, which is great protection against hospital admission for Covid-19. We are very proud of Indian doctors and nurses, who are playing a prominent role in the vaccination programme. I think it is the right time to open up with keeping a cautionary close watch on the progress of pandemic.” Dr Ramesh Mehta However, as the country opens up, NHS continues to face worsening staff shortages as many senior doctors plan to retire in a few years, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has warned. Ironically, a group of senior health professionals from the NHS went on record to say that “The coronavirus pandemic, the greatest health emergency in NHS history, has shone a light on the amazing work of our nurses, doctors, pharmacists, therapists, porters, cleaners and countless other staff as never before. Thanks to their dedication and skill, the NHS has cared for around 400,000 seriously ill Covid patients requiring hospital treatment.” There are more than 350 different roles on offer. Institutional racism and poor conditions for BAME medical professionals is still a matter of concern, especially amid remarks from Baroness Dido Harding who vowed to exode foreigners from the NHS. In a major relief, Sajid Javid has ruled out Baroness Harding of Winscombe as the next chief

executive of NHS England, it is understood. A senior government source told The Times, “Dido deserves much credit for building Test and Trace, but people don’t think she is the right person to lead the NHS as we enter a new phase.” In response to the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) latest survey of its members Dr Vishal Sharma, chair-elect of the BMA consultants committee said, “It should surprise no one that these findings come on the back of Government plans for a meagre 1% pay offer and a real term cut in pension entitlement, which is driving doctors out of the profession. We welcome yet another medical organisation calling for the new health secretary, Sajid Javid, to Dr Vishal Sharma think carefully about how to strengthen the health service, which has taken full force from the pandemic. We’d urge Mr Javid to listen to the voices representing the frontline. It’s clear that NHS staff are on their last legs and in desperate need of adequate support and resources.” Many NHS workers still await a pay rise amid honours to the charity by the Royals. Care homes to bear the brunt? As Mr Johnson prepares to rip the country of majority Covid restrictions, loved ones visiting care home residents will continue to be disadvantaged by strict measures, Care Minister Helen Whately said. Speaking to Asian Voice, Mahesh Patel, Minister Care Group told the newsweekly, “The past year and a half has certainly been the most challenging period of my career in the sector. I’ve witnessed the devastating impact Covid has had on our residents, their families and, of course, our staff. It’s not just deaths that have had an impact, equally Mahesh Patel awful has been the loss of human contact and the making of little memories that matter so much to all of us. We’ve all tried our best to be as flexible as possible whilst staying within the rules and keeping everyone safe, but that’s no substitute for the normal life that we previously took for granted. The end of lockdown is certainly to be welcomed, but I think we all need to remain vigilant and acknowledge that things aren’t going to go back to the way they used to be overnight.” Anunay Jha and Gyan Dass, owners of Two Rivers Care Home said, "We look after South Asian ladies with learning disabilities. We have managed to weather the storm, with prayers and songs and the love and care of our staff. We experienced several hospitalisations and two of our clients were very close to death. We went into the hospital every day and gave them strength, and they both recovered. “The saddest moment was when one of our clients lost their father, who was an eminent doctor that had served the NHS all his life. How can you explain to her what happened? Our clients just didn’t understand why they couldn’t go out but somehow, they have shown patience. Our staff have been tireless, risking their own health to make life safer and better for our residents. We are so relieved to come out of it and see the new day!"

AstraZeneca: Students and travellers victims of Brexit? The lack of an EU licence for Covishield - the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in India - is leading to travellers from the UK, India and African being technically classed as "unvaccinated". The AstraZeneca vaccine is produced to the same specifications using the same ingredients, but Covishield doesn’t have a sales licence in the EU. This means that some British travellers cannot use vaccine certificates for entry to the EU because the UK’s vaccine programme has used large amounts of the Indian-produced AstraZeneca product. Speaking to us, Sanam Arora, Chairperson NISAU UK said, “There has been quite some confusion and anxiety in students around this especially those who had taken the AstraZeneca vaccine made in India in the hope that this will be of benefit in the context of international travel. We've received many queries from students on this and on related issues such as quarantine. The good thing is once Sanam Arora in the UK students can be vaccinated but for those who've already been vaccinated or have had one dose, there isn't much clarity. We're asking students to consult their GPs and the NHS.” Commenting on this issue, Madan Raj told the newsweekly, “I got vaccinated with AstraZeneca in May and I was not given any choice and would have avoided AstraZeneca if I knew it would have future implications. For whatever such reasons maybe. You cannot have 5mn folks vaccinated and tell them we don’t have the right Madan Raj approvals in place.”

Commemorating the collective ‘can do’ attitude that saved thousands The Queen has honoured the NHS with the George Cross in a handwritten note, as a token of appreciation to all NHS staff past and present for their “courage,

Prime Minister Boris Johnson attended a service of thanksgiving for the NHS and its people in St Paul’s Cathedral, on the 73rd anniversary of the National Health Service’s foundation. Photo source: Twitter/@10DowningStreet

compassion and dedication”. The Duke of Cambridge has applauded the “extraordinary” efforts of NHS workers throughout the “truly relentless” pandemic as he hosted an NHS Big Tea at Buckingham Palace. Prince William, 39, chatted to 28 health service staff, from nurses to caterers, as they were treated to afternoon tea in the palace gardens to mark the 73rd anniversary of the NHS. A special service marked the 73rd birthday of the NHS at St Paul’s Cathedral on Monday 5 July 2021. Guests included leading figures in the NHS's pandemic response and several hundred members of frontline staff, patients and others involved in the NHS’ response to Covid-19. Among the congregation were NHS chief Sir Simon Stevens, matron May Parsons, who administered the first-ever Covid-19 jab outside of clinical trials, actor Lydia West who has publicly supported the NHS Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, Sam Foster, the nurse who gave the first Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine, members of staff who treated the first Covid-19 patients in England and several patients who have been treated for the virus. The service was held to mark the commemoration and thanksgiving to celebrate the contribution to the country during Covid-19, of NHS staff, volunteers, and carers, reflect on the achievements of the last 12 months, the part everyone has played and look ahead to the future of the NHS. Dr Smitesh Patel from Essex, who created a vaccine van to boost uptake, exclusively told Asian Voice, “I’m really honoured to have attended the service, a wonderful time to reflect on what an incredible role everyone in the NHS has played in dealing with this pandemic. The vaccination van has given us an opportunity to go out there and give the Dr Smitesh Patel vaccination to those who otherwise might not have got it. Whether or not they have got access to health care, traditional access to a GP is not there, they’re unregistered, we’ve been able to ensure uptake of the vaccine is maximised as much as we can in a safe space where people can ask questions.” Dr Roopak Khara, Psychiatrist, West London NHS Trust, who set up the first ward for patients with acute mental illness who got Covid, said, “It was an exceptional moment to represent the collective efforts of West London NHS Trust and mental health at a beautiful service which struck the right balance between remembrance, recognition and reflec- Dr Roopak Khara tion. The challenges of working on Avon more ward at Hammersmith and Fulham Mental Health Unit, the country’s first psychiatric Covid ward, were surpassed by gratitude that I was able to work throughout the pandemic. The last year has demanded the very best of the NHS adapt quickly to the pandemic and I have been struck by the collective ‘can do’ attitude of the staff. I have the utmost respect for our patients who responded to these challenges with grace. Ultimately, if we continue our collective efforts in response to the evidence we have from the experts, I do remain hopeful that we can get back to more of the things we enjoy.”

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10 - 16 July 2021

8 UK

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10 - 16 July 2021

House prices grow rapidly in the ‘wild west’ market A rush to beat the stamp duty holiday deadline, low-interest rates and pandemic-fuelled demand turned the housing market into the “wild west” this month, pushing house price growth to its fastest pace in nearly 17 years, the Nationwide Building Society said. The UK Nationwide house price index rose 13.4 per cent in June compared with the same month last year, the biggest jump since November 2004. Prices increased 0.7 per cent compared with the previous month and about 5 per cent compared with March, pushing the average residential property price to £245,432 — a record high. Northern Ireland and Wales saw the largest annual gains in the second

quarter, while Scotland and London registered the weakest growth, Nationwide reported. House price growth in the outer south-east region, which includes cities such as Brighton, Oxford, Winchester and Southampton, registered its first double-digit increase

since 2014, as the race for extra space continues with more people working from home. Separate data from the Bank of England showed that in May, consumers borrowed more than they paid off for the first time since last summer. Consumers’ net borrowing was £0.3bn, up from a net repayment of £0.2bn the previous month and the first positive figure since last August. Mortgage approvals also rose in May against the previous month.

Slough goes bankrupt after discovery of £100m ‘black hole’ in budget Labour-run Slough borough council in Berkshire has declared itself effectively bankrupt after the discovery of a £100m black hole in its budget – the result of what it admitted had been years of poor financial management and mishandling of commercial investments. They issued a section 114 notice last Friday, after admitting it could not meet its legal obligations to meet planned running costs. Without drastic remedial action it warned its financial deficit could rise to £150m by 2024. As a consequence, the council is to impose “rigorous spend control measures” that are likely to mean significant job losses, cuts to ser-

vices, and the sale of buildings and land, to ensure it can “live within its means” in the long term. “Slough’s financial problems have not arisen in the past few months. The approach to financial decision-making, leadership and management, processes, quality assurance and review etc that has been adopted by the council over a number of years was not robust and consequently highly detrimental to the council,” a report by its chief financial officer, Steven Mair said. The council has borrowed £580m since 2016, and the cost of servicing these loans added to the pressures on its budget. An audit revealed in

May that the council’s reserves – thought to be £7.5m – were only £500,000 after it emerged they had been drained to correct an accounting error made two years previously that had overestimated the council’s income from a commercial jointventure, Slough Urban Renewal. Slough had approached the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in December for approval to spend £15m of capital loans on funding day to day costs. However, the section 114 report said the emergence since March of a growing number of financial issues meant this sum was not enough.

Children being jabbed as councils ‘go rogue’ Authorities in Covid hotspots defying government rules by giving jabs to 1617-year-olds without underlying health conditions. On Friday, Rochdale borough council invited "anyone aged 16 and over" to have a first dose of the Pfizer jab without the need for an appointment. Another drive-through clinic for teenagers is due to take place in the town on Saturday. On Friday night, a spokesman for the council and local NHS clinical commissioning group said a "multiagency decision" had been taken to expand the criteria to 16- and 17-yearolds because Rochdale was "again in a desperate race to stay ahead of the virus".

GPs in west London and other parts of the country have also given the vaccine to healthy under-18s in recent weeks, it is understood. A senior NHS source said that action would be taken against GPs and local authorities who "go rogue" by ignoring national guidelines. "We

Thousands of house sales at risk as stamp duty break ends Almost 120,000 property buyers are likely to have missed the stamp duty holiday deadline and one in five of these purchases may collapse because of a lack of funds, according to analysis for The Times. Solicitors said that some buyers who forced through purchases in time may have ignored survey results to do so, potentially landing themselves with large repair bills. The break introduced last July by Rishi Sunak, exempted buyers in England and Northern Ireland from paying stamp duty on the first £500,000 of the house price if the transaction was completed by yesterday. From today the tax-free threshold falls to £250,000 and then to its normal level of £125,000 on October 1.

have always been clear that the NHS vaccinates in line with guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and that local health teams are expected to follow this guidance, too." Under the current guidelines set out by the JCVI, 16- and 17-year-olds are not eligible for a Covid vaccine unless they are classified as vulnerable. Yet in a leaflet seen by The Telegraph, Rochdale borough council invited thousands of under-18s to come forward for their first Pfizer jab. It said: "If you're aged 16 or over and have not got an existing appointment, please drop into one of the extra vaccine clinics."

Priti promises tough jail terms to deter ‘asylum shopping’ The home secretary has pledged to fix Britain’s “broken asylum system” and wants to make it a crime to knowingly arrive in the country without permission as part of the Nationality and Borders Bill which is due for its first reading in parliament. The maximum sentence for entering Britain illegally will rise from six months to four years. Patel said: “Our new plan for immigration is fair but firm. We will welcome people through safe and legal routes while preventing abuse of the system, cracking down on illegal entry and the criminality associated with it.” The Home Office said it was

“very likely that those travelling to the UK via small boat will have come from a safe European Union country in which they could have claimed asylum. Where this is the case, they are not seeking refuge at the earliest opportunity or showing good reason for seeking to enter the UK illegally but are instead ‘asylum shopping’ by picking the UK as a preferred destination over others and using an illegal route to get here.” The government also plans to increase the tariff for people smugglers, with those found guilty facing life behind bars up to the maximum of 14 years.

Word Power

Rohit Vadhwana ‘Hi, how are you?’ ‘How can I be with you being in my life?’ These are two messages exchanged between two persons. If no further information is given, you are bound to interpret the answer in various ways. If these messages are exchanged between persons in good relations, it may mean that the person replying means to say that s/he is great and is solely because of the other’s company. But if these messages are between husband and wife who have already filed divorce, it may also mean that the responder’s life is hell and responsibility lies on the person asking the question. Often we interpret words as per our mood. If we are gloomy, ‘oh’ seems to be sad, but in good spirit, the same ‘oh’ is cheerful. This happens especially in text messages which we use more frequently on social media platforms. Our emails, WhatsApp messages or any other text message delivered without vocal support is much more prone to misinterpretation by the reader. Have you ever faced such a situation that your good intention has been taken wrongly when you write a message to someone on WhatsApp? Has it ever been used against you with a wrong intention? Such incorrect interpretation may be because of genuine misunderstanding or intentional mischief by the other person. Sometimes it may also be understood in a very positive way while you have been angry while writing them. A boss writing to his subordinate, ‘I expected this from you,’ may be intended in sarcasm, scolding or appreciation. But it depends on the situation, context and interpretation of the receiver of the message. It is not easy for anyone else to impute meaning to such written words. When it comes to spoken words, of course, there are intonation and ways to express the same words in a different meaning. But apart from the speaker of the words, it is also the listener of them who is responsible for giving meaning to the spoken words. No one else but the person who is listening to them has full power to understand them in a certain context. Unfortunately, it is not even the speaker of the words who has any authority to impute specific meaning to them. Once spoken, they are out of his control and they can be interpreted in any manner. In many situations, comments given in the right spirit are also taken or proven as wrong and offensive, resulting in great damage to the speaker. There is a legal wrong called innuendo which means having hidden meaning behind obvious words. This meaning is clear only to those people who have background information about the situation. In Law of Torts, innuendo is actionable if it can be proven that those who knew the background information could have taken them in a defamatory way and the person’s reputation may be affected adversely. ‘This is her son,’ can be innuendo if the lady about whom this sentence is spoken is unmarried. But this becomes insulting only in the eyes of people who know about the marital status of the woman. (Keeping the possibility of adopting aside.) Although it is not easy to prove in the court of law, innuendo has been a type of wrong being committed again and again in daily life. People tend to give sarcastic comments which may sometimes not be innocent. In a way, it is true that words are innocent but the meaning attached to them by the speaker or the listener may be offensive. Good words could be used in bad ways and as such there are no bad words, leaving the curses aside. But why speak the bad language? Even the best of the words could be conveyed in a way that can be enough nasty in meaning. Using words in different ways is an art that can be acquired with practice. Comedians, writers, poets and good orators – all have this gift of using the words in magical ways. They can make the words work for them and what they make of their life is solely on the basis of the use of words. Leaders use words so effectively that masses follow them. Spiritual gurus are other masters of words who have been guiding millions of people through the use of words. Therefore, it is very important to use the words consciously and carefully. They can be interpreted in different ways and their effects will be long-lasting. Wise people advise handling words carefully as they have power more than an atom bomb. They are creators and they are destroyers. Words spoken by a person can affect many people for a long-long time. Even more, power lies behind the written words as their energy is ever-present behind them to unleash creation or havoc for the times to come. "Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder." -Rumi (Expressed opinions are personal)

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10 - 16 July 2021

PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH UK GOVERNMENT

HOW TO PLAN AND CELEBRATE WEDDINGS, WAKES AND COMMEMORATIONS SAFELY THIS SUMMER of transmission are set out in the government’s performing arts guidance, available at Gov.uk.

For many of us our families and friends have played a significant role in getting through the pandemic. To get back to normal life within the government guidelines and socialise with our loved ones, restrictions on weddings, civil partnership ceremonies, receptions, and commemorative life events such as wakes has been lifted from 21 June 2021. The changes allow people to celebrate their union with families and loved ones whilst also aligning the wedding sector with the way most other Covid secure venues such as restaurants and pubs operate where Covid secure social distancing rules determine a venue’s capacity.

Rupanjana Dutta Q: How can I make sure my wedding is Covid safe? You must continue to practice and follow Hands, Face, Space, Fresh Air guidance before, during and after the day. Get tested twice a week before and after the event, even if you do not have symptoms. Anyone displaying symptoms should not attend, immediately isolate, and get tested. Though there are no longer any limits to number of attendees, anyone planning to host a wedding ceremony must complete a Covid-19 risk assessment of the venue before the event takes place to establish how many people can attend. Q: How many people can attend a wedding, civil partnership ceremony, reception, or commemorative event, if I am organising it myself? If you are organising the event in a Covid secure venue, the venue manager needs to tell you how many people can attend in a socially distanced and safe way. If you are organising the event in a venue such as a private garden, you must determine how many people can safely attend whilst also maintaining a safe distance from each other (1m with additional mitigation such as being outside or 2m) by conducting a Covid risk assessment that is available on Gov.uk. Q: Do I have to carry out risk assessment? It is a legal requirement for a Covid-19 risk assessment to be completed for the venue where

Q: Can dancing or singing take place? Dancing is not advised due to the increased risk of transmission, although there is an exception for the wedding couple’s first dance. Dancefloors and other spaces for dancing must remain closed but can be repurposed, such as for socially distanced seating. Guests are advised not to join in singing with bands or choirs due to the risk of transmission.

the celebration is being held. This will be undertaken by the venue manager or event organiser. Failure to provide a completed risk assessment if asked, could result in a £10,000 fine. Those responsible for organising an event must also take all reasonable steps to ensure that the event takes place in a safe and secure way. Q: What if my ceremony and reception are at different venues? If your ceremony and reception are at different venues, they should be considered separate events and appropriate risk assessments must be carried out for both venues. Q: Can I have a Hen or Stag Do? Yes, in line with wider social

contact limits (6 or two households indoors, 30 outdoors), you may still go ahead with a prewedding celebration. However, in the run up to a wedding or civil partnership you may want to consider reducing social contact to reduce the likelihood of contracting Covid-19. You can reduce your risk further by asking everyone to take a test before meeting up, and of course taking up the offer of a vaccine. Q: Are there restrictions on entertainment - live bands, for example? Bands, DJs or professional performers can perform at a ceremony or reception as long as they follow Covid-secure guidance. Measures to reduce risk

Look at the long-term picture Firdaus Nagree, Founder/ Board Chairman Cavendish Banqueting said: “We have been looking at the long-term picture. The intention is to have safe functions in a socially distanced capacity. Opening weddings and banquet is great for us as a business. We have seen a huge surge in enquiries and demand already. “We have a facility to help people plan their events, and we also help them to whittle down the guest list especially in Asian families through negotiations between parties. “In terms of social distancing, we will be doing temperature checks at the door. We are inviting the bride and groom to

send an email to all their guests, asking them to do lateral flow tests prior to the event. “We have completely revamped our ventilation and air conditioning systems. We have added sanitising stations everywhere with hand gel. The table distancing has been done carefully to maximise social distancing. “We are offering very hightech video streaming for guests who prefer to be at home, or overseas and who can’t attend the event. We are also promoting our outdoor catering and encouraging people to host events at home, especially in smaller sizes. “Overall, I am feeling very optimistic about the business.”

Q: Does table service need to be provided? Businesses providing food and drink at these events must take all reasonable steps to ensure people remain seated while consuming food or drink, even in outdoor settings, to help limit the risks of transmission. At venues where alcohol is served, businesses/ caterers must also take reasonable steps to ensure people order and are served whilst seated. These restrictions also apply where events are held in gardens of private homes, where catering is provided by a business. These measures should also be followed where you are providing the food and drink yourself at the event. Buffets should not take place. Q: Are the rules different for areas with high transmission of the Delta variant? The rules are the same across all areas in England. Events outdoors are safer; but all attendees should take necessary precautions. If the event is taking place in an area where the new variant is spreading fast, everyone should recognise the extra risk. Q: Do easements affect other significant life events? Easements will also affect wakes bringing these rules in line with existing rules on funerals so people can say goodbye to those they have lost. Alternative wedding ceremonies are permitted in line with the same rules as weddings or civil partnerships. Baptisms, bar mitzvahs and other standalone life-cycle events can already take place with a limit of up to 30 people. Restrictions still apply in these events to help manage the transmission of Covid-19. For more information visit gov.uk/coronavirus

Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies & receptions From 21 June The following guidance has been put in place to minimise the risk of Covid-19 speading and to keep you, your guests and anyone working at the event safe. Attendee limits attendee limits will be determined by how many people the venue can safely accomodate with social distancing measures in place. Covid-Secure venues A Covid-Secure venue should have already completed a Covid risk assessment and follow Covid-Secure guidance. Other venues In other venues, such as private gardens, the organiser will have to complete a risk assessment themselves to keep their guests safe. Pre-wedding celebrations Pre-wedding celebrations, such as stag, hen or Mehndi parties, must keep to 30 people outside, or the Rule of Six or two households indoors. Dancing Dancing should not take place. There is an exception for the couple’s ‘first dance’. Entertainment Bands, DJs or professional performers can perform at a ceremony or reception as long as they follow CovidSecure guidance. Singing Guests are advised not to join in singing with bands or choirs. Food and drink People should remain seated when consuming food or drink, even in outdoor settings. For more information, visit: gov.uk/coronavirus

10 10 - 16 July 2021

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READERS' VOICE

Forced marriages and forced conversions in Pakistan Kapil’s article on this subject has again brought to the fore the continuing ill treatment and abuse of the impoverished young girls of the minority communities of Christians, Hindus and Sikhs in the state of Pakistan. Pakistan’s failure to enforce the human rights of these women is indeed shameful. Even more shameful is the fact that such atrocities against women of minority communities have been going on for decades which leaves you in utter despair. How would the perpetrators of such crimes feel if one of their daughters was kidnapped and forcibly converted and married? What worries me even more is that the civil society groups in Pakistan are clearly failing to come to the aid of these impoverished women who may not even know where to go to seek help. Surely, there must be NGOs and civil society groups in Pakistan who can come forward to offer some assistance to the victims? Or perhaps such organisations are afraid to step forward due to the fear of the religious hard liners? Asking/expecting governments to take up the issue using the leverage of aid is one possible approach as intimated by Kapil but, the reality on the ground tells us that this has not had the desired change in the treatment of women from the minority communities. Is it too much to appeal to the faith leaders from all the communities (Muslim, Christian, Hindu & Sikh) in Pakistan and elsewhere to come together in a united front to not only protect the human rights of these women but, more importantly, to offer practical help and support to these women whenever it is needed. After all, all religions preach compassion and talk about helping the poor and needy so it would be nice to see such values displayed in action rather than mere words. Actions speak louder than words. Hopefully, someone in a position to help these women will listen to our appeals for help in the interest of humanity, irrespective of religious affiliations. Dinesh Rai

in brief brief in BAPS UK DONATES 33 OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS TO NEPAL FOR LIFE-SAVING COVID RELIEF WORK On 28 June, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) in the UK responded to Nepal’s escalating crisis by facilitating the procurement and distribution of 33 portable oxygen concentrators to Noble Compassionate Volunteers (NCV) Nepal – a group of humanitarian volunteers based in the country. The donation was received at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on 28 June 2021. NCV Nepal will work with Manisha Koirala – a Bollywood star and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Goodwill Ambassador for Nepal – to distribute these concentrators to the remote and most needful hospitals where oxygen demand is the topmost priority. His Excellency Lokdarshan Regmi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nepal to the United Kingdom, sent a message of appreciation for the donation.

INDIAN CHIEF OF ARMY VISITS THE UK

India’s clean energy space “India’s clean energy space heading for competition” is really showing us the vision of our business leaders. (AV 3-9 July 2021). Both the business stalwarts, Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani have a clear vision with adequate risk-taking ability, financial as well as administrative resources to fulfil the future needs of India as well as of the world. Both the businessmen have a world-class reputation and determination to do things differently. Clean renewable energy will be the buzzword of the future, it is very encouraging that India is taking a lead over other countries. There is abundant sunlight in the country with a very long coastline which can be harnessed fruitfully to provide green energy at competitive rates. We can even export electricity to other neighbouring countries. India can use its vast barren land and coastline to generate wind and solar energy. Manufacturing solar panels at competitive rates will attract homeowners to fix solar panels on the rooftops to generate electricity. Vast canal networks and dams can be used to put solar panels. This will also help in stopping evaporation of water and since the canal network is owned by the government, there is less paperwork in terms of getting permission for installation etc. Mass production of solar panels and batteries for automotive sectors will really give an edge over other countries. Due to the scale of economies and availability of skilled young manpower, this can be easily done. I am sure Adani and Ambani’s vision will result in healthy competition by complementing each other’s’ resources and expertise, giving a huge advantage to the public and the country. Hitesh Hingu London

Doctors' Day

Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane with UK's Chief of Defence Staff Gen Sir Nicholas Carter, on 6 July 2021

Indian Chief of Army Gen M M Naravane arrived in the UK on a two-day visit on July 5, the Indian High Commission in London said in a statement. He met the UK's Chief of Defence Staff Gen Sir Nicholas Carter and exchanged views on defence cooperation between the two countries.He also met the UK Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace and Chief of General Staff General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith. Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army tweeted on Tuesday: "General MM Naravane COAS interacted with General Sir Nicholas Carter, Chief of Defence Staff, CDS and exchanged views on bilateral defence cooperation." Earlier, Gen Naravane is also said to have inspected the Guard of Honour provided by the Grenadier Guards on Horse Guards' Parade Square as part of his welcome by the British Army.

KHICHADI Kapil’s

England on the march? After world cup triumph in 1966 when it was held in England, when English team boasted some of the best players in the world and that includes Nobby Styles, Gordon Bank, rated the best goalkeeper in the world, Martin Peters, Jeff Hurst whose two goals in extra time, sank Germany, the team superbly lead by Bobby More, we have seen steep decline, that is until now. In Gareth Southgate, we have caring, experienced and dedicated manager, not a foreigner as was the trend; we are back on the European stage. Although our team consists of young players, some may not even get into their club’s eleven, they have performed well beyond their capability, cheered, and encouraged by Wembley crowed, are only two wins away from glory that will put England on the world map as a major contender for the world cup glory, last achieved in 1966. The success of Gareth Southgate is due to the long apprenticeship he endured under his predecessor, so he was well trained and ready to take-over when the time was ripe. If England wants to carry on with success under an English manager when Southgate retires, it is time for FA to appoint a young and dynamic Englishman as understudy to the present manager. I feel in Frank Lampard; we have a ready-made candidate who will step in when the time is right. Although Lampard was sacked by Chelsea, many believe he was not given enough time and the success of the present Chelsea manager is due to shrewd buying and above all, Lampard’s policy of developing home-grown talent has played a big part, thus saving millions most successful clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City spends on the open market to bring in top class footballers. They may bring temporary success unless they keep on buying but this policy deprives our own young players their well-deserved place in the first team! It is time to be patriotic and encourage everything British! Bhupendra M. Gandhi

Doctors' Day was celebrated in India on 1 July. Doctors are special to us, and the last two years was where we have seen them as our real-life heroes. The day is an opportunity to thank all the heroes in our medical fraternity for their selfless contribution. The doctors, nurses and the entire hospital staff are putting long hours and working round the clock as the world is gripped with this dangerous pandemic. National Doctors' Day is observed to pay heed towards the medical doctors’ role and responsibilities in saving lives. The day is supposed to recognise their functions and obligations.Amid the Covid-19 outbreak when the instances have elevated tremendously, the doctors have been working 24x7 risking their lives and desperately trying to save several lives. Instead of thinking about their own safety and their family’s safety, they chose to serve the nation. Kudos to their spirit and dedication that they continued to work untiringly in the hour of crisis. In India, Doctors' Day is celebrated to honour the legendary Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, who was also the second Chief Minister of West Bengal. Jubel D'Cruz Mumbai, India

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Galloway: Satan or Saint for Muslims? Kapil Dudakia Last Thursday the good people of Batley and Spen voted, by a mere 323 votes (that is down from 2017 by 16,548 votes), to keep Labour as their parliamentary representative by voting for Kim Leadbeater. Just think about it, that is a reduction of the Labour vote by 55% since 2017. The narrative that was spun by leading characters within Labour and the Muslim community was that there would be an exodus of Muslims voters, and that these votes would go to their knight in shining armour – Saint George, of Galloway fame. Of course, I had informed all of you several weeks back that whilst for this election some Muslims would side with Galloway, that overall, they will not, and cannot, abandon Labour since it is their last and only refuge. The Muslim community had one card to play, and that was to elect someone that Labour detests. Their saviour got only 8,264 votes. I accept that is a decent number of votes, but let’s be clear, Galloway was meant to sweep up the vast majority of the Muslim vote, and also that of other disgruntled Labour voters. Even these two disgruntled vote banks could not remove Labour. What does this tell us about Labour and the power of the Muslim vote bank? With respect to Labour, it is very simple, at a national level they are haemorrhaging votes from all side of the Labour family. Unless there is a miracle, Starmer (if he is still the leader of the Labour Party) will lose the next General Election. With respect to the Muslim vote bank, their fake outrage based on vote bank politics has been exposed. Even with all the power at their disposal, with Galloway heading the publicity campaign, and with so much focus by the media on their community, when it came to it, many Muslims still voted with Labour. Graphic from MEND (Muslim Engagement and Development UK) Manifesto 2019: So what is the best the Muslim community can do in the next General Election? Look at the table above representing the top 15 places in the UK where there is a sizeable proportion of Muslim voters. Labour has a commanding majority in all of them, just like they had in Batley and Spen. So at the very best, if everything goes well for them, then it is possible for the Muslim vote bank to stop Labour in these seats. However the bigger question remains, where will that vote go? If they abstain, then they have achieved nothing. If they seek to support their own Islamic Party, will the British voting public accept such a party? Is there any other political party that has any chance of winning in these seats? Yes, the Tories. And we all know, the Muslim vote bank will never vote en masse for the Tories. So when all the shouting, the screaming, the fake outrage, the threats and the tantrums stop, should Keir Starmer be worried if he rejects the appeasement to the Muslim vote bank? The answer has always been a simple, NO. In fact, the only way he can save Labour is to reject this type of appeasement, and to erradicate antisemitism and the anti-Hindu/anti-India politics of hate. The lesson for all political parties is simple, when you take people and their vote for granted, that is the start of the end. Britain needs a good opposition that is for the nation, not like Labour which is now perceived as an anti-national party. Take the hard decisions Keir, save your party for the good of the nation.

Nice magazine We are impressed with the ‘Matru Vandna’ magazine. The articles inside are incredible, especially about dear Kantaben and Dhamecha family. Well done and many congratulations to Gujrat Samachar and Asian Voice for publishing such a great and successful magazine. Dhiru Bhai Gadhvi

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

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Afghanistan looks at an uncertain future

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

The last of the US soldiers have left the Bagram airbase. Bagram, about one hour north of Kabul, was at the centre of the US war in Afghanistan for almost 20 years. It was the hub of the vast military airlift operation to ferry supplies for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Surveillance aircraft would also fly out from Bagram to keep a watch on the

movements of the Taliban. The airbase was built by Soviet engineers in the 1950s. It has been the centre of two foreign military campaigns: by the Soviet Union in 1979, and the US “war on terror”. Over the last two decades, it was staffed by the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing of the US Force, though units from the army, navy and the marine corps served in rotation. Around 3000 Afghan soldiers have moved into Bagram, as Afghanistan faces the challenge of a resurgent Taliban U.S. forces had invaded Afghanistan in 2001 after the 11 September terror attacks. The war that followed became the longest military engagement of the USA. The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is pursuant to a peace agreement signed in Doha, Qatar, between the US and the Taliban on 29 February 2020, titled the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan. Its provisions included the withdrawal of all regular American and NATO troops from Afghanistan, a Taliban pledge to prevent al-Qaeda from operating in areas under Taliban control, and talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The Trump administration had agreed to an initial force reduction from 13,000 to 8,600 by July 2020, followed by a full withdrawal by 1 May 2021 provided the Taliban kept its commitments. In April 2021, the Biden administration said that it expected to complete the withdrawal by 11 September 2021, announcing later that it would keep 650 American troops in Afghanistan to defend the U.S. embassy and Kabul airport alongside Turkish troops. Earlier, in 2011, President Obama had announced that the US would withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. While significant num-

bers of U.S. troops were withdrawn by 2014, 9,800 American soldiers remained deployed inside Afghanistan. The Taliban had first arrived in Afghanistan in 1994 and until their downfall, were in control of almost 90 per cent of the country. Their insurgency started after their fall from power following the 2001 War in Afghanistan. Their efforts have been against the Afghan governments, as well as the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), targeting not just the Afghan National Security Forces and their NATO allies, but civilian targets as well. The two decades-old conflicts has cost thousands of American and Afghan lives, involving tens of thousands of American men and women. Some of the early troops even saw their offspring participate in the War. Over 2,300 US military personnel have died in Afghanistan with more than 20,000 wounded and between 35,000 to 40,000 civilian deaths since 2001. Speaking about the risks of the US withdrawal, President Biden recalled that the US had been in Afghanistan for 20 years, and he believed that the Afghan government under President Ashraf Ghani “have capacity” to sustain a government and prevent Kabul from being overrun by Taliban. There is concern among the veterans about the safety of thousands of Afghan interpreters and other allies from the region who are likely to face revenge attacks from the Taliban. A group of senior veterans have called on President Biden to evacuate them. There is serious concern about the havoc that the Taliban are likely to create in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US-NATO forces. With the handing over of Bagram’s runway and hangars to Afghan troops, the Taliban are likely to

try and test its defences. For the Afghan armed forces, on the other hand, it will be a priority to defend this strategic base, the fall of which would be a major propaganda score against them. It is most likely to see fighting once again. The Taliban have rapidly moved to make strategic gains in the north of Afghanistan. With a Taliban friendly Pakistan in the south-east, the Taliban controlling the areas bordering the Central Asian countries and Taliban’s increasing pressure in southern Afghanistan, the Afghan forces will face a tough situation. Taliban ranks have over the years been strengthened by ethnic Afghan Tajiks and Uzbeks, and even some Shias. Thus, they can make the claim of no longer being the only Sunni Pashtun group. It remains to be seen if the brave fightback by better trained Afghan forces, aided by weapons and equipment left behind by the Americans, will succeed in enhancing the internal fault lines within the Taliban. Taliban control of Afghanistan has security implications for India. AntiIndia terrorist groups such as Jaish-eMohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba had found strength and space in Talibancontrolled Afghanistan before 2001. One recalls that Indian Airlines flight IC-814 had been hijacked from Kathmandu to Kandahar in December 2000. India has been a major development partner of Afghanistan with over $10bn worth of commitments/ projects. Scholarships, both long and short term capacity building programmes, have been offered to thousands of Afghans. A peaceful Afghanistan that is free of terrorism and foreign interference and is run by and for Afghans is in the interest of not just Afghanistan, but peace-loving nations in the region and the globe.

12 MEDIA WATCH

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SCRUTATOR’S Didi's mango diplomacy to sweeten the bitter exchanges West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi fought a bitter battle during the assembly election in the state. Even after Mamata took oath as CM, the bitter exchanges between the state and the Centre refused to die down. But come mango season and she was prompt in sending her seasonal regards to New Delhi. Mamata sent Bengal’s pick of mango varieties - Himsagar, Malda and Lakshmanbhog - to Modi last week. The gesture was extended to President Ram Nath Kovind, VP M Venkaiah Naidu, defence minister Rajnath Singh and home minister Amit Shah. She also sent mangoes to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Whether Banerjee’s mango diplomacy helps sweeten the bitterness between the state and the Centre - which has continued over political violence in Bengal, Narada scam cases, chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay’s sudden transfer and governor Jagdeep Dhankar - before the monsoon session of Parliament will be keenly watched. (Agency) Birthday cake helps MP brothers escape leopard

Two brothers in Madhya Pradesh escaped from a leopard by throwing a birthday cake at the animal as it chased them while they rode a motorbike. According to report, Firoz and Sabir Mansuri were heading at dusk to a birthday party for Firoz's son in Burhanpur when the leopard leaped out of a sugarcane field. They accelerated but the big cat gained on them on the muddy path, leaving Sabir, riding pillion, no other option than to lob the box containing the cake at the predator. The flummoxed feline gave up its chase and darted back into the fields - and without even trying the cake. "The leopard followed us for over 500 metres," Sabir was quoted as saying. Leopards are less scared than tigers of people and often enter villages and even towns. Attacks on adults are rare but children are more at risk. (Agency) Uttarakhand to move SC over Char Dham Yatra

The Uttarakhand government has decided to knock the doors of the Supreme Court after the Nainital HC took strong exception to the state’s decision to start the Char Dham Yatra for the residents of three districts - where the four Char Dham shrines are situated - and for the entire state from July 11. The appeal will be filed in a couple of days in the Supreme Court, state government spokesperson Subodh Uniyal said. After reviewing the state’s arrangements for conducting the pilgrimage, the court said that holding the yatra at this stage - when the third wave of the pandemic has been predicted - would ‘invite a catastrophe again.’ The division bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma had termed the government’s decision “not only arbitrary and unreasonable but also violating Article14 (equality before law), Article 21 (protection of life) and several other provisions of the Constitution.” (Agency)

Big B to give up part of bungalow Actor Amitabh Bachchan’s family will finally have to part with a portion of his Prateeksha bungalow plot in Juhu for widening of the adjoining Sant Dnyaneshwar Marg. The BMC has asked Mumbai suburban collector to instruct the city survey officials to demarcate the exact portion required for the project. To ease the traffic bottlenecks in the lane leading from Prateeksha towards ISKCON temple, the BMC is taking over a portion of the properties to widen Sant Dnyaneshwar Marg from 45ft to 60ft. The work is almost done, but for the stretch in front of Prateeksha. In 2017, the Bachchans and owners of neighbouring plots on the stretch were asked to give a portion of their plots for the project; most adhered to the notice. In 2019, the BMC demolished the boundary wall of a building adjoining Prateeksha, but the bungalow was left untouched. (Agency) Going 6,000 km on tandem bicycle

who show interest in learning Sanskrit. In fact, this year, the university, established in 2005 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has received applications from three overseas students. Lalit Patel, the departmental head said that this was for the first time that foreign students have enrolled for Sanskrit courses offered by the university. Farshad Salehzehi from Iran has taken admission in BA in Sanskrit language and literature while Rathindro Sarkar of Bangladesh has enrolled for a doctorate programme in Sanskrit from the university. Masoor Sangeem from Afghanistan is the third student who has been given admission by the varsity. “In all there were nine foreign students who had applied but we had to turn down the other applications as we did not offer the courses they were seeking,” said Dashrath Jadav, registrar of the varsity. This university functions under Indian Council for Cultural Relations. The ancient language, which has influenced languages like Gujarati, Assamese, Odia, Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Marathi, among others, is the mother tongue of less than 25,000 people according to the 2011 census of Indian languages. (The Times of India) Teacher builds treehouse class to beat patchy net

With the aim of creating awareness about cycling and the need to keep fit in these trying times, two cycling enthusiasts have embarked on a 6,000-km ride on a tandem bicycle. A 44-year-old mother of two and a 57-year-old ex-serviceman crossed Gujarat’s border and rode into neighbouring Rajasthan. Meera Velankar from Bengaluru and Dinkar Patil from Nashik started off from Bengaluru on June 19 in an attempt to cover the entire ‘Golden Quadrilateral’. Covering 11 states and 6,000 km, the duo will pass through Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, New Delhi, Lucknow, Calcutta, Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatanam and Chennai before returning to Bengaluru. The two riders said the journey so far has been memorable. People have not only welcomed them, but offered food, lodging and money as well. Their network of cycling enthusiasts has also come handy, helping by booking hotels and the like. Velankar and Patil said their aim was to cover 200 km day. The duo had their share of amusement as well. Riding a tandem bicycle and wearing brightly coloured clothes, some bystanders shouted that circus clowns were passing by. (The Times of India) Foreign students showing interest to study Sanskrit Shree Somnath Sanskrit University in Veraval, Gujarat, is now getting students from Bangladesh, Iran and Afghanistan

As classes went online due to the Covid-induced lockdown after the second wave in April, this teacher from Kodagu, about 250km from Bengaluru, found a unique way to overcome patchy internet issues. C S Satheesha, a 37-year-old government schoolteacher, decided to build a bamboo platform atop a tree so that he could continue to teach kids from his high perch. Satheesha, who teaches students from Class 1 to 5 at the government school in Mullur, says it took him two months to build his treetop classroom. “I spent about Rs10,000 to build it, which included lighting,” he adds. The material required - bamboo, hay and gunny sacks - was acquired with the help of friends. The idea came from makeshift watchtowers that villagers build during harvest season to keep an eye on elephants and wild boars that destroy crops. Now, the treehouse platform is where he goes to hold daily classes for students in English, mathematics and Kannada. Since it’s at a height of 20 feet, the problem of weak reception has been overcome. C S Satheesha also helped organise some extra smartphones for students while others were taught using conference calls.

(Agency) Lion's population in Gujarat crosses 700-mark The Gujarat forest department officials said that the lion's population in the state could be between 710 and 730. The officials said that the counting exercise will be made an annual affair so that the lion numbers are published every year instead of every five years. The 2020 Poonam Avlokan in the lion landscape had recorded 674 royal beasts with an increase rate of 28.9% over the 2019 figure. The previous high in the growth rate was 27% in 2015 over the 2010 figures. The 2015 count was 523 lions. “We are still analyzing the data,” a senior forest department officer said. “However, the preliminary indication is that the lion population has definitely crossed the 700-mark, which is a healthy sign for conservation.” The officials said that the 2020 count had revealed the adult male to adult female ratio to be 1:1.61 and the adult female to cub ratio to be 1:0.53. These ratios have not drastically changed. The officials said that a count of lactating lionesses (adult females with cubs less than one year of age) was also undertaken. This data is being studied. Of the 260 adult females, 23% were recorded to be lactating in June 2020. (The Times of India) Garba singer in Gujarat to get name patented Atul Purohit is a much sought after singer who takes garba frenzy to feverish heights every year with his melodious voice not only in India but even across the world. In order to protect his art, the 64year-old singer has now registered himself under trademark and copyright laws. With the patenting, Purohit has now officially become a brand in himself! “Since years, people have been using my name and songs in their videos, YouTube channels, mobile applications and also in events, albeit without my permission. This will cause issues for me in the future and so, I decided to get my name officially registered in the trademark registry,” Purohit said. “I don’t mind people using my name or garba songs but it has to be done with due permission. My name and photographs are protected under the copyright law now,” said Purohit, who has been associated with United Way of Garba, one of the most popular garba venues in Vadodara, for nearly three decades now. “Now, no one can use his name for commercial purposes without his permission. He has sole right over the name Atul Purohit,” said advocate Yash Suryawala, an expert in intellectual property rights (IPR) laws who got Purohit’s name registered. (The Times of India)

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Batley and Spen: A case study on promoting peace in the UK Dr Prem Sharma OBE The recent Batley and Spen by-election saw ugly attempts to divide communities on the basis of religious and political quarrels from other parts of the world. This small town in the north of England had already experienced the murder of its MP by an extremist, five years ago. More recently a teacher was forced to hide for his life after receiving death threats from other extremists. Then the election campaign exploited divisions from the Indian subcontinent. This has no place in our society. The UK is home to communities from all over the world, from different religious, ethnic, social and political backgrounds. We can become torchbearers of a way of life that brings people together across community boundaries, acknowledging differences while also celebrating our shared life. The Magna Carta Foundation exists to promote peace, by investigating and identifying the probable causes of conflict in any part of the world. The events of this by-election are a sharp reminder of the need for community and political leaders in the UK to overcome barriers and build community, in a place that needs healing of divisions. Jo Cox, the murdered MP, famously said that we have ‘more in common than that which divides us’. She was right, but it is a constant challenge to act this out in our personal and public lives. The trustees of the Magna Carta have many years’ experience of working for peace, through personal links with people of all communities, as well as organised

efforts to cross barriers. These included a series of conferences from 2002 onwards, organised by the South Asian Development Partnership, first dealing with issues arising from violence in Gujarat, India, and then responses to the 7/7 bombings in London. Young people engaged with high profile political, business and community leaders to seek constructive ways to build relations between individuals and communities. The focus was on seeking understanding, building trust and proactively ‘reaching across’ to people who were felt to be different. A DVD-based education resource ‘Friends, Strangers, Citizens: Life in Britain post 7/7’, was widely used by schools and community associations. Children and young people, who are the worst affected by conflict and yet often the least heard, were given a voice to share their experiences and express their longings for peace, through another series of conferences in which they were the main speakers. The message was best summed up in the words of one of the young speakers: "We must go on working until the power of love is greater than the love of power." The conferences have had a powerful impact on those attending. The young people involved spoke of the change in their own lives and their on-going commitment to work for peace. One of them travelled to Pakistan to support children affected by the Taliban attack on their school. Another set up a Peace Group in her school, which still continues actively. We have seen the effects of all these initiatives in better relations and communication between communities in the UK, and greater awareness of issues globally. More recently, Magna Carta’s cutting edge research is bringing new insight into the complex factors that lead to conflict. The mission continues as the threats also continue. It will go on until the goal of peace is reached.

“Labour is back” but voters are “woke” Sir Keir Starmer declared that “Labour is back” as the party won the by-election in Batley and Spen by a whisker. A report in the Financial Times stated that Starmer’s team had been braced for an outbreak of civil war if it had lost the seat in West Yorkshire after a string of dismal electoral results in the spring. Instead, the Labour leadership has silenced its internal critics — for now — by winning the seat by a margin of just 323 votes, down from more than 3,000 at the 2019 general election. Earlier the party was accused of using anti-muslim sentiment in a false light by propagating that India is an islamophobic country. The party campaigners wrongfully used Indian PM Narendra Modi’s photo with Boris Johnson at the G7 in their posters. Later on, Labour Friends of India condemned this move and put out a statement to clarify this move. Frank Luntz, who spent nearly 30 years carrying out work for the Republican Party, came to London in May to join the Centre for Policy Studies to conduct the research, found that

Sir Keir Starmer

“wokeism” was a top-three cause of concern among voters, more than sexism or populism “The problem with woke and with cancel culture is that it is never done. The conflict and divisions never end,” he said. “This is not what the people of the UK want but it’s coming anyway.” The term “woke” refers to someone very concerned about social issues such as race and trans rights. Asked for his advice to Starmer, he said that Labour should place greater emphasis on issues of security and safety, which are a top priority for voters, and avoid calling for higher taxes on individuals or businesses because the public think they too will be affected. He

stressed that racial inequality was the number one priority for Labour supporters but not one voter group, and that those most concerned with “woke” issues were Labour-supporting women in their late 20s and early 30s. He said age and political affiliation were the biggest dividing lines when it came to views on woke issues and the culture war. A report in The Times stated: British Indians are the largest of the UK’s ethnic minority groups. Not so long ago they leaned Labour, but since David Cameron’s transformation of the Conservative Party, they have become a swing slice of the electorate. (A measure of the change that Cameron-era Conservatives brought about in the perceptions of minority voters of the two parties comes in a recent poll by the consultancy Number Cruncher Politics. It found that among British Indians, Cameron was perceived to have done the best job of all the recent prime ministers in tackling racial tensions in the UK.)

Evolution of the Vaccine test kits by London Meditech in the UK L ond on Me d ite ch Lt d Est a bl ish ed by Business Entrepreneur Nilesh Sadhu in the United Kingdom. London Meditech Ltd is one of the United Kingdom’s leading manu f ac t u r e r s a n d s u p p l i e r s f o r M e d i c al Devices and Medical Equipments. London Meditech Ltd is acting as UKRP for overseas companies with an expert team. London Meditech has several different types of kits to detect Covid-19 like RTPCR Test Kit, Antibody Rapid Test Kit, RNA Extraction and Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Neutralising Antibody ELISA. In an exclusive Q&A with Asian Voice, Nilesh Sadhu, Director of London Meditech Ltd., shared some insights about the company’s leading healthcare products. Q - Could you explain what is Vazyme Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody ELISA Kit? This Testing kit is for the evolution of the vaccine. Neutralising Antibody is a type of antibody that protects the host cells from virus infection by neutralizing the virus activity. Vazyme Anti-SARS-CoV2 Neutralising Antibody ELISA Kit can be used to qualitatively detect the Neutralizing Antibodies in the serum/plasma, which provides a reference for evaluating the immune protection against the virus. Q - What kind of other products has London Meditech created during the pandemic to help in fighting Covid? London Meditech is ready to sell MHRA (UK) registered and CE-IVD approved different types of kit to detect Covid-19 like RTPCR Test Kit, Antibody

Rapid Test Kit, RNA Extraction and AntiSARS-CoV-2 Neutralising Antibody ELISA. Q - What is the kind of response, success rate and efficacy of these products, especially the ELISA Kit? This kit performance is excellent with high sensitivity and specificity. After the human body is vaccinated, we need to evaluate whether the human body has produced SARSCoV-2 antibodies. With neutralising antibodies, it usually only takes 12 hours to complete the test. Q - Where and how can stakeholders or customers procure some of these products created by London Meditech? Customers can use our website www.londonmeditech.co.uk which provides all the contact details to procure these products. Q - What other products or ideas are in pipeline for you? How challenging is it to manufacture them in these times? We already developed a Rapid Antigen Self-test kit for a quick test of Covid-19. We will be applying soon for MHRA Registration to make avail in the UK.

NILESH SADHU

Smiles compulsory at super-strict school Now children at one secondary school have been told they must always smile, never look out of the window while in class and learn a series of whistle commands from teachers. A newly appointed headteacher, Natalie Teece at John Ferneley College, Leicestershire, has issued a set of strict instructions to her charges. Teece sent out a booklet telling pupils they will be expected to “always smile”. Students have to maintain eye contact with the teacher whenever they are talking and cannot pick up a pen or ruler until a teacher gives them the OK. If a teacher

says hello they should make sure their reply is “upbeat”. When you greet somebody you smile. When a teacher says hello to us in the corridor you reply with an upbeat ‘Hello miss’ or ‘Morning sir’, and you smile.” One mother said: “There has been a problem for a few years regarding

some of the rules, although this year they seem to be stricter than ever. The problematic one is that they’re not allowed to use the toilet between lessons, whilst also being told they must have a pass, obtained by a GP, in order to be excused during a lesson.” Teece said: “All of the amendments we are making to our policy are intended to support our already fantastic students and prepare them for later life. Our staff will support these with warmth and compassion.”

Carlisle Indian Divas to run in sarees for Covid-19 awareness An Indian charity named The Carlisle Indian Divas will host an event to bring India’s struggle with Coivd to the spotlight in Cumbria. The women will walk the five kilometers on Saturday dressed in their colourful saris and they're hoping to raise more than £1,000. “The Carlisle Indian Divas have organised a 5k walk in sarees around Bitts Park in Carlisle on Saturday morning to raise money to help those impacted by the pandemic,” ITV reported. The money will be utilised for vital medical supplies, oxygen, and Covid awareness campaigns. The

women thought of wearing a saree to add some fun while raising awareness and money for their homeland. Some of the participants have lost friends and family during the pandemic in India, therefore this is their way of doing their bit to cope with the losses, grieve and make a difference.

14 WOMEN’S VOICE

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in brief

Miss England finalist wants to spread brain tumour awareness Science at the University of Leicester and aspires to become a doctor with a dream to serve the nation. She is also been raising funds for Alzheimer’s Association, and she loves to celebrate her birthdays at the Orphanage home. She is also associated with The Brain Tumour Charity, UK for the last four years and raises funds for the charity. Hopefully, she will be the Young Ambassador for the Brain tumour charity, Uk from this September. Currently, she is jogging 100 Miles to raise funds for the Beauty with purpose charity. One of the rounds is promoting her home County, Surrey. This round is called Explore the Nation and was run virtually on a live stream with 43 finalists taking part promoting their areas, to hopefully help hospitality & tourism get back on its feet. She is now in the Top 10 finalists. In an exclusive Q&A with Asian Voice, Dhwani shared some insights about the pageant. - What does it take to reach this pageant?

Shefali Saxena Dhwani Kothari is a Miss England finalist and representing Surrey at the grand finale taking place on 27th August. She has been a young carer since she was 8 years old. Dhwani was born in Mumbai and moved to the UK when she was 6 years old. She was 8 years old when she had to spend 3 months without her mother as the latter was operated on with a Brain Tumour. Now she is a National finalist in Miss England 2021 and has been crowned Miss Surrey 2021. Currently, she studies Medical

Lots of hard work, dedication and support from friends and family. Charity work is also a key factor as the pageant is not only about a beautiful face or body it’s also about the Charity work one is doing and that’s why the Pageant is, Beauty with Purpose. - How different is it from what we see on the edited versions on TV and digital media? It’s completely different as on the TV or social media one can just see the edited version but in reality, it has many other factors like there are so many rounds which need a lot of practice, dedication, hard work. The contestant needs to be continuing their

PETITION FOR PAIN RELIEF FOR IUD

charity work if doing any. - How has this experience changed your life? I have become more confident meeting and talking to people. I have got recognition. My Miss Surrey title I have used to raise funds for my brain tumour charity for which I have been associated for the last four years. Next week I will be also visiting Princess Christians care home for Alzheimer’s in Surrey with my Crown and Sash just to spread happiness with them. I want each one of the patients to feel like a Princess for that time. - What is your major takeaway from this journey so far?

This is the most amazing experience I will cherish rest of my life. I have made many friends. I use to be a very introverted person before entering the pageant but now I have become more confident talking to people. - What are your expectations?

I want to win the Miss England title so I can use this platform to spread awareness for the Brain tumour charity, as one day, I want to see a tumour-free world. - What do you wish to do if you win?

If I win the Miss England title, I will get a global opportunity to take my charity work across the globe which will help me spread awareness for the Brain tumour.

Voting can be done by downloading Miss England App and also through the website is www. Miss England.info. She is contestant number 10. The vote gets registered by just clicking on the star which is on her picture and every day one vote is free.

Dr Sheila Kanani and Aine O’Brien win Sir Arthur Clarke Awards Dr Sheila Kanani and Aine O’Brien of the Royal Astronomical Society’s (RAS) have won the Sir Arthur Clarke Awards popularly known as Arthurs – for their outstanding work in outreach. Dr Sheila is NHS doctor Nikita Kanani’s sister. Dr Kanani won the Space Achievement Award for Education and Outreach. She was nominated for the award for her continued outreach work in space and astronomy both before and during the pandemic.

Photo Credit: Royal Astronomical Society / Dr Kanani and Aine

Aine was the winner of the Space Achievement Student Award. She was nominated for

co-creating the national ExoMars outreach programme ‘Roving with Rosalind’, establishing and leading the RAS’s Early Career Network in 2020 and the Diversity team for the UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space in 2018. Sheila and Aine have been connected throughout their time in the space industry, meeting at Space School UK at the University of Leicester in 2008. Aine won a scholarship to attend Space Summer School, at which Sheila was her group mentor.

Surgery may not be the answer to endometriosis woes Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus. Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining your pelvis. One in 10 women globally, have this condition and are often advised to find solace in performing laparoscopic surgery to remove damaged tissue from the body. According to a report published in the Guardian, experts now say the surgery

may not be as effective as once thought in relieving symptoms of endometriosis among women, and could actually be making things worse for some patients,

including those who have developed separate pain conditions as a result of their endometriosis. “We find that patients don’t always get better with surgery, and those who do often feel better for a very short time,” Andrew Horne, a professor of gynaecology and reproductive sciences at Edinburgh University’s MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, told the Guardian.

The two clicked instantly and have been connected ever since! In 2021 Aine is covering the role of Diversity Officer at the Royal Astronomical Society whilst Sheila is on maternity leave. RAS President Professor Emma Bunce said, "Many congratulations to our team members Sheila and Aine on their Sir Arthur Clarke Awards. It is always a great pleasure to see our own team recognised within the space industry, and for such excellent work in outreach and engagement. Well done!”

Lucy Cohen, from Swansea, has set up a petition calling for better pain relief for intrauterine device (IUD) procedures to be offered in Wales. It comes after BBC Radio 5 Live's Naga Munchetty shared her experience of contraceptive coil fitting, prompting many women to share their stories. While medical experts have said that no one should be put off considering the coil as a safe and effective contraceptive and that pain relief should be "part of the discussion", the Welsh Government said: "Appropriate provision of advice and support about pain, and medication or other forms of pain relief, is a part of any clinical contact." It was a common consensus that dialogue around menstruation, contraception and women’s health is still a taboo.

OPEN LETTER FROM MUSLIM WOMEN FROM BATLEY AND SPEN A group of Muslim women from Batley and Spen have written an open letter condemning “shameful” behaviour that has brought the community “into the limelight for all the wrong reasons”. “The women, who write anonymously citing safety fears, say that a “loud minority” of Muslim men have been “endlessly heard” during the tense by-election campaign, described as “the same faces that have plagued our area as ‘community leaders’ for many years” but do not represent them,” Guardian reported. The letter, circulated among local WhatsApp groups on Tuesday evening, comes two days before the culmination of a campaign marred by incidents of aggression and dirty tricks, which many describe as exacerbating divisions within the community. “We cannot claim to be championing the cause of Palestine whilst ignoring the [Muslim practice] of peace and tolerance,” the letter added, criticising those who “belittle or capitalise on this issue to boost your own egos”.

THIRD OF POLICE CHIEFS ARE WOMEN A record 15 forces now have a female leader as experts say they have become less like The Sweeney and more like Line of Duty. A total of 46 forces analysed in the UK with 15 found to have a female chief constable. Police bosses and experts credited shift to crack down on 'sexist canteen culture'. It follows the announcement that Pippa Mills will become chief of West Mercia Police. Debbie Tedds has also taken over as the first female boss of Warwickshire Police.

Disabled women protest against Covid research Disabled women have begun a three-week protest to highlight “appalling” research findings that showed they were almost twice as likely to die from Covid-19 during the pandemic as non-disabled women. They said that the research showed that disabled women have been treated as “collateral damage” by the government during the pandemic. A new study, partly carried out by ONS and based on analysis of 29 million adults in England during the pandemic, says that

working-age disabled women with higher support needs have been about 90 per cent more likely to die from coronavirus than nondisabled women of the same age, even after taking factors such as underlying health conditions, poverty and whether they lived in a care home into account. About 20 disabled members of the Women’s Equality Party (WEP) and allies – including the party’s co-founder, Sandi Toksvig – were outside the Houses of Parliament to begin their #91Percent campaign. The party wants to

ensure that the official inquiry into the handling of the pandemic crisis examines its impact on disabled people, including the disproportionate loss of life faced by disabled women. They believe these deaths were avoidable. Disabled women and allies will be protesting in shifts for a total of 91 hours outside parliament over the next three weeks, with the action split into 90-minute chunks*. Their campaign will run for three weeks, and it will end with a larger protest on 20 July.

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Test-and-trace rules ‘wreaking havoc’ for pubs and restaurants

Cakes by Nirali: Simply Beautiful Baking Sunetra Senior Nirali brings you quirky classic cakes custom-made to scrummy perfection. Whether it’s multicoloured meadow-print accompanied by a big sunflower or a sophisticated dainty creation topped off with Ferrero Rocher, the budding baker makes product that’s as tasty as it is chic. Cakes by Nirali caters to the Vegetarian market being egg-free, but is also especially caring. Having a simple chat, the founder will talk “to the customer to help create their vision collaboratively. They tell me exactly what they want done – which flavours and the decorative vision in mind.” She might be given creative control or provide people useful pointers. The product is never too sweet or creamy – just delicious. As demonstrated by the latest trend of Salted Caramel in desserts within the retail market, chocolatey tastes are in fashion, though Nirali cites Kinder Bueno as popular for personal baking in her experience: “many people are going for this these days! Strawberry is another common beloved flavour.” Indeed, the young entrepreneur enjoys experimenting with fruity flavours, especially if they’re tropical: “I’ll mix mango & passionfruit for example. However, coffee is my all-time

Nirali

produce that which is truly unique. “I love to experiment and explore and have got a lot of the way through trial & error. A recent novel outcome was my Geode Cake (pictured); this type looks as if precious crystals are emerging from the rock! I used different sugaring techniques and it came out gorgeously.” Nirali currently studies Accounting at Brunel University fulltime; her focus on cakemaking is interestingly relaxed: “the baking is therapeutic but obtaining my degree is the primary goal.” Perhaps a physical shop for Cakes by Nirali will organically follow. The baker stressed: “You should do business for yourself first. Don’t expect orders to come in straight away. Bakery was very much a hobby. I made sure I was making cakes that were good quality and the rest worked itself out. I started by baking for my community actually – people loved it and were telling me I should sell. My passion for

to quarantine last week by NHS test and trace staff or their NHS Covid app. The Adam Smith Institute think tank has suggested that the number of people self-isolating could rise to 1.7 million by the end of next month. In Chester, about 20 venues were forced to close in different waves over three weeks. about Ministers have considered plans to allow those who have had both jabs to take daily tests instead, but it is not clear if changes will be in place by 19 July when lockdown is eased further. UK Hospitality is calling for a “test and remain” system in which vaccinated staff who have not tested positive for Covid can carry on working even if they have come into contact with a person carrying the virus.

France, Italy and 18 other countries set to join the UK travel green list this month France, Italy and a host of other countries look set to join the UK’s green list for British holidaymakers this month, according to a travel expert. As well as the two hotspots other countries expected to join are Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Norway, Vietnam, Denmark, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Taiwan and Azerbaijan. All are currently on the UK’s amber list which means you have to self-isolate for ten

days upon your return. The government will announce this month exactly when doubled-jabbed travellers will be allowed to return to the UK from amber list countries without quarantine, Boris Johnson said. It comes as Malta announced it will accept the NHS app as proof of vaccination. The island had previously said travellers would require a formal letter from the NHS to the dismay of many travellers who thought they could rely on the app. But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed last week that the decision had been reversed.

Brexit could wipe out UK school skiing trips to EU

favourite. I’ll find any excuse to include it. If someone orders it, I have a great time; it means they’ll be left-overs for me too!” Of course, light sweet tones are also seasonal. Nirali started her baking boutique while taking a gap year and runs it solely online. Instagram allows the product to visually sell itself: “when I’m more active and consistent so too is the business; it's directly in my hands.” She also takes inspiration from other digital fancy such as fun images from Pinterest, garnering “a mish-mash” of influence to

“I love to experiment and explore and have got a lot of the way through trial & error. A recent novel outcome was my Geode Cake (pictured); this type looks as if precious crystals are emerging from the rock! I used different sugaring techniques and it came out gorgeously.”

Businesses across the country from Edinburgh to Chester, Oxford and London are being hit by waves of closures as staff are forced to self-isolate after being alerted by the NHS test and trace app overcoming into contact with Covid infected person. Under the current rules, workers who have come within 2 metres of a person with the virus must stay at home for 10 days even if they are vaccinated and have tested negative. “The current guidelines are wreaking havoc among hospitality businesses and in essence enacting a further lockdown on large parts of the sector,” said Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of the trade body UK Hospitality. About 400,000 people were reportedly instructed

baking generally began from a young age. My mum and auntie are very savvy in the kitchen so I learned from them. I do watch shows like the Great British Bake-Off, but I’m motivated by the immediate; just by what I enjoy.” This is also how Nirali views the trajectory of her success: “I want to keep seeing where it goes, responding to genuine feedback from the world.” In terms of the fundamental of beginner’s pricing, she advised on the economic front: “generally look at the money being put into the product and how you can make yourself a decent wage from that. Any profit should be put back into the business initially. That’s what’s sustainable and what will propagate growth.” Nirali then proves the ethos that self-drive is essentially priceless. As epitomised in the simple beauty of the name, Cakes by Nirali is based on the assuredly bright. Why not try some playful sampling this summer? The worst you’ll get is happily full… Insta: @cakesbynirali

School skiing trips that rely on British personnel to staff their EU winter camps could be wiped out by Brexit after it emerged they are facing the same obstacles as the music and theatre sectors. Just like rock bands and music artists, instructors who work on the slopes of France, Italy or elsewhere in the EU are now required to have visas if they work in Europe, even if it is for just one week at a time. Pre-pandemic, Robert McIntosh, managing director of Interski, took 250 groups a year involving 10,000 to 12,000 children to Aosta in Italy. Now he does not know if he can survive, with visas for up to 600 instructors costing £300 per visit. Typically, ski schools would hire instructors for

one, two or three weeks at a time to mirror the school peaks in the December holiday and February half-term. “I am facing a battle on two fronts. Brexit throws uncertainty into everything. The increase in costs because of the visas will be in the region of 100%. You don’t have to be an economist to know that is not going to be viable. It is a disaster and there is almost nothing said by the government, they have not provided us with any information on how we work this.” he said His warning came two years after ski industry businesses warned of the loss of 25,000 jobs if they could not hire British staff at ski resorts and chalet villages after Brexit.

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‘Running allowed me some me time, to let out my frustrations’ Shefali Saxena Official research and intelligence supplier to World Athletics has highlighted how runners have increased their participation and the health benefits they gain from it. Across 10 surveyed countries, four in 10 people consider themselves to be runners and 30 per cent of those run at least once a week. Distinct from many other participation sports, recreational running has an equal

participation split. Of all runners, 53% are men and 47% are women. More than a fifth of all runners reveal that they run more often than they did previously as a result of Covid-19 and most in that group say they will continue to run more often once the pandemic is over Among the many benefits of running is the chance to experience the ‘runner’s high’. “It begins with this peace of mind and then a greater ease of move-

ment, a sense of power and confidence, optimism and hope, and you will often hear runners describe feeling loving and connected to everyone and everything,” explained Kelly McGonigal, a psychologist, educator and author of The Joy of Movement, during a recent World Athletics 'Run Anywhere' Webinar in collaboration with Mass Participation World. But the stress and grief that this pandemic has brought with it, has also perhaps made running a form of “running” from grief or at least coping with it. Sahina told Asian Voice that she used to run a lot when she was younger and was part of lots of athletic clubs and competi-

tions but that slowly changed with time as life happened. “I picked it back up about 4 years ago in the gym during Ramadan as a way to get fitter and have been running since. It’s also been an outlet for me during the last year of the pandemic when gyms closed and I started running in my local park and now prefer running outdoors to the gym. My Dad suffers from dementia and my Mum had brain surgery last year and it’s been a tough time for me as I look after them both. Running allowed me some me time, to let out my frustrations and hurt and get fit at the same time. It’s been a very good blessing!” she told the newsweekly.

Ministers announce review to stop baby deaths during childbirth Experts are to carry out a multimillion-pound review of maternity care across the NHS in a bid to prevent babies from dying and suffering brain injuries during birth, The Independent revealed. Asian Voice was the first to break the news on rising cases of stillbirth in Asian babies in the June 26 issue on Page 8. The announcement comes days after The Independent reported that dozens of babies had died at one of the UK’s biggest hospitals, and ahead of an MPs’ report next week which may be highly critical of mater-

services nity throughout the NHS. Ms Dorries told The Independent: “I am determined to make sure as many mums as possible can go home with healthy and happy babies in their arms. This new programme aims to spot warning signs earlier and save lives, preventing families and their babies from facing the horrific ordeal of a life-changing brain injury and will help us deliver on our ambition to halve

London tram station opens for first time in 70 years Kingsway station, in the Holborn area, will be open for people to walk the

south of the city for 46 years. "There are glimpses of the old glamour that

brain injuries during birth by 2025. Under the new plans, RCOG has been given £2m to investigate the best and quick-

9,000 data not in safe hands Public bodies and the private sector suffered nearly 9,000 data security incidents in a year with sensitive and private information hacked, lost or given to the wrong people. Data seen by The Times lists more than 500 firms hit by ransomware attacks. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recorded 8,815 data security inci-

still shine through," said Siddy Holloway, engagement manager at the London Transport Museum, which is organising the tours that will take place from August until September.

dents with the most breaches in the health and education sectors. Over the past three years, police forces across England and Wales suffered an average of eight breaches a week. Privacy experts said the figures were “alarming” and that the public would be disturbed to learn how often important information was being lost.

Retail bosses insist PM to act over violence against shop employees Bosses at Tesco Sainsbury’s and Primark are among those to write to Boris Johnson to take action to tackle the “shocking violence and abuse” against shop workers. In the letter, the industry leaders said: “One business reports a 76% increase in abuse and a 10% increase in violent attacks during Covid-19, of which over half involved a weapon, and many of our colleagues have been coughed at or spat on. This was a very serious issue for

platforms and halls in the same way passengers did before it closed in 1952. The station facilitated an underground interchange between the double-decker trams that served the north and

est ways of identifying when babies are in distress. The work will start with a review of current practices. The college has also been given £449,000 to develop a tool, which will be made available free of charge to NHS trusts, to calculate how many doctors each unit needs. There is currently a national shortage of both midwives and obstetricians across the country, with nine out of 10 junior doctors working in obstetrics and gynaecology reporting rota gaps in their units.

retailers long before the pandemic and the situation cannot be allowed to get any worse – there is a clear need now for better protection in law for retail workers.” The most recent crime survey of retailers revealed a 7% year-on-year increase in violence and abuse in 2019 to 455 cases each day. Retailers are spending record amounts on crime prevention and have invested £1.2 billion in the past year, the BRC said.

Stalking claims hit university Staff and students have called for a “culture change” after one university department recorded more than 100 incidents of sexual harassment and stalking in two terms. Most incidents were allegedly perpetrated by students against

one another. A survey by the Women in Tech society at Sheffield Hallam University revealed that students experienced 126 incidents of harassment between September 2020 and April this year.

in brief in brief INJURY FRAUDSTER TRIED TO CHEAT NHS OUT OF £1.5M Darren Dommett who fraudulently sought £1.5 million compensation from a hospital faces jail today after the NHS signalled an increasingly robust response to bogus claims. He was arrested after repeatedly avoiding court for sentencing and admitted falsely claiming that he had been left disabled for life after delays in treatment for back problems. Videos recorded by a physiotherapist showed him struggling to get up from his bed and having to use a walking stick to get into the new Land Rover Discovery. A month later, undercover investigators recorded him lifting a heavy glass tabletop from a van outside his home and jumping into his car.

DOCTOR WITH STAGE 4 BOWEL CANCER REFUSED LIFE-PROLONGING TREATMENT ON NHS Mari Isdale, 37, was “fit and healthy” when she was first diagnosed with aggressive stage 4 bowel cancer. After having surgery and gruelling treatment, three years later the NHS doctor was relieved to be told she was in remission. But after two years disease-free cancer has come back – and this time Mari has been told that the NHS will not again provide the drug that effectively shrunk her tumours previously. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines say that bowel cancer patients cannot be treated with cetuximab more than once because it’s not considered cost-effective. This has left Mari having to fund the treatment privately. But so far it has cost £25,000 to her – and because she may need the medication for years they cannot afford such ongoing high costs. NHS England has a rule that if a patient has a six-week break from advanced bowel cancer drugs – cetuximab and panitumumab – funding will no longer be provided. NHS Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all adhere to NICE guidelines and do not have the break rule policy.

AUTUMN BOOSTER VACCINES WILL ‘PROTECT FREEDOM’ All over-50s will be urged to have the jabs, which will probably mean receiving one in each arm, as ministers try to “protect freedom” by ensuring that immunity does not wane during the busiest period for the NHS. Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said that getting through the winter without returning to lockdown measures was “heavily dependent” on keeping protection from vaccines high. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) issued interim advice that boosters should begin with offers to health and care workers, the extremely vulnerable and the over-70s. Offering all under-50s third doses has not been ruled out but is less urgent because immunity is known to last at least six months. Sajid Javid, the health secretary, said: “Our first vaccination programme is restoring freedom in this country and our booster programme will protect this freedom. No other country has announced a booster campaign, though it is thought a handful, including the US, have discussed similar plans with UK officials”.

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Unveiling of a Statue of Swami Vivekananda in Harrow

On behalf of Sudin Mandal of the London Kalibari Organising Committee, the statue of Swami Vivekananda will be unveiled at the Harrow Arts Centre on 28th July at 2 pm. Mr Navin Shah is supporting this event in order to fulfil the vision of the former Mayor of Harrow Mrinal Choudhury who unfortunately passed away last year. The statue will be unveiled by the Mayor of Harrow, Cllr Ghazanfar Ali and the Indian High Commissioner Ms Gaitri Issar Kumar. This will be followed by a ceremony in the Hatch End Suite, which is very close to the location of the Statue in front of the Dance Studio.

What’s next for Travel? Interview with Mr Deepak Nangla, Managing Director, Brightsun Travel What are the biggest challenges facing the travel industry? In a word, uncertainty. The goalposts around conditions for the criteria on which destinations can open continue changing. What denotes an amber list country from a green list country also keeps changing. Which nationality can fly where and which tests do they need and how long do they have to quarantine seems to be a very common question amongst many customers. Each government seems to have a different approach towards travel and these governments change rules and regulations instantly resulting in fear of travelling. When do you think travel will get back to normal? Many airlines, hotels and industry bodies such as IATA have stated that the recovery will start in 2022, and 2019 numbers are likely to be seen in 2024. However, the type of traveller is likely to change with fewer business customers likely to travel due to communication tools having been improved vastly through the pandemic. This will result in different types of offerings by hotels and airlines – fewer meeting rooms, possible less use of an executive floor, reduction of hotel location from city centres. In terms of airlines, less premium cabin capacity (as business travellers reduce). What are the tangible next steps for consumers that want to go on

holiday? Scientists say that Covid-19 is here to stay with us possibly forever. Therefore, whilst Covid-19 remains a threat to life, it will be mandatory for travellers to take tests. Brightsun has tied up with PCR testing companies and has passed these discounts to its customers so that PCR testing is as cost-effective as possible. In addition, we have the expertise and resources to advise on quarantine restrictions as they change for various countries. Do you think travel will become more expensive? Travel has already become more expensive. In some cases, costs have increased by more than 100% through the requirements of PCR tests prior to departure, and destinations and possible quarantine upon arriving at your destination or at the origin. As far as destinations are concerned, hotels / airports / transfer vehicles all have to do additional safety assessments to keep travellers safe. All these costs add up. If long-haul travel becomes more expensive, do you think it will only be an option for the wealthy? In proportion, long-haul travel will be no more expensive than short-haul travel. The amount of regulation or the number of safety considerations imposed by a country on arrivals will determine how expensive the destination becomes. For example, some countries are testing travellers who arrive in their

Abhishek Sachdev leads Finance in Hertsmere Borough Council Cllr Abhishek Sachdev was chosen to lead the Finances for the Conservative-led Hertsmere Borough Council in May 2021. He is the firstever Asian Councillor to hold this position. The role is akin to the ‘Chancellor’ for the Council and leads on the responsibility for all of the Council’s financial matters. The role involves joining the Executive Committee or ‘Cabinet’ of the Council. Cllr Sachdev also takes responsibility for the Council’s investment in it's wholly-owned subsidiary Elstree Film Studios which hosts leading productions like ‘The Crown’ and ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. Hertsmere Council has an annual expenditure of £60m and total assets of £168m. Hertsmere Borough Council covers a wide region in Hertfordshire including Shenley, Radlett, Potters Bar, Elstree, Borehamwood and Bushey. Cllr Abhishek Sachdev was also elected as the first Asian to Hertsmere Council in 2014; representing Potters Bar Parkfield. Commenting on his recent promotion, Cllr Abhishek Sachdev commented, “I once again thank my Guru, Morari Bapu for his blessings and guiding light which drives me to help

Cllr Abhishek Sachdev

others in our community. I am looking forward to using the financial skills I use as CEO of Vedanta Hedging Ltd to help Hertsmere become even more financially resilient;

particularly at this unprecedented time.” Cllr Morris Bright MBE, leader of the Council welcomed the appointment, “With his nationally recognised roles in holding financial companies and Local Authorities accountable, we will be wellserved by his expertise.” Cllr Meenal Sachdev was also recently appointed as the Executive member and is responsible for Community, Leisure, Culture & Health; an important role now more than ever.

Three-eyed calf saved from slaughter Nitin Mehta from Animal Ahimsa has managed to save a three-eyed calf from slaughter. His friend Paresh Rughani told him that Satish Parekh wanted to save it from slaughter. On behalf of Jain Animal Sanctuary, Mehta paid £5000 to the farmer. Nilesh Shah with his wife Mayuri Shah contributed £1000 to the calf at their Gaushala (cow sanctuary) in Leicester. The male calf called Isaiha by the Welsh farmer arrived at Leicester Gaushala on Friday 25th June around 4.30 pm. Isaiha was welcomed by Nilesh, Mayuri Shah, Vasant, Nirmala Tank, Satish Parekh and Dixie Patel. Satish and Dixie made the trip from London. Isaiha has been baptised as Mahadeva by Nilesh. If you want to be part of this project which saved the calf from slaughter you can make a donation to the Jain Animal Sanctuary. Bank Details: Barclays Bank, Jain Animal Sanctuary. Account No: 00520225; Sort Code: 20 24 61; Nitin Mehta.

country, for free. Others are subsidising testing to ensure that they are catching signs of infection early. Why do you think travel agencies are valued now and post the pandemic? At the top of the priority list for us was the safety of our customers. The second was to ensure that customers’ trips were cancelled when requested and monies were refunded with ease. Both these have reaffirmed the core of what runs our business – our customers. We look after them and they will look after us. Therefore, even though the pandemic caused us untold challenges, we have adapted to our customers’ needs to continue to be a reliable and trustworthy travel agent which has been reflected in our independent Trustpilot reviews. In return, customers have seen the difference using travel agents to online channels. With a travel agent, a travel consultant is accountable to provide the correct information to the traveller and a pre-and postservice which you don’t necessarily get online. Therefore, the value of a travel agent has been realised and continues to be realised as we encounter different stages of the pandemic. What does the future look like for your business? The future for our business looks promising. Obviously, with the uncertainty upon the time, it will take for travel to return to prepandemic levels, there will be

to look at opportunities complementary industries to travel, and we have started a freight forwarding operation under www.btfreight.com This allows existing travel customers, both business and customers to continue to use our services for international transportation of goods, whether it be a one-off package to family overseas or large commercial goods for import and export businesses. Travel will change, and the corporate sector will be the last to return sometime in 2023. Rather than corporates occupying “weekdays” in hotels and leisure travellers occupying “weekends”, we may see “weekday specials” in the absence of corporate traffic. With airlines not being able to occupy corporate passengers in their business cabins, we may see airlines tempting leisure travellers in premium cabins with “companion offers” or free (or great value) upgrades. Watch this space!

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The India Global Forum: The Pandemic needs to “end everywhere” to end, says WHO Chief Rupali Shinde The India Global Forum 2021 kickstarted on 30 July with an engaging conversation on a topic of radical actions for the post-pandemic area. The discussion was carried out on issues ranging from global health to global leadership, which also included tourism and big tech and democracy. UK-India bilateral relationship and vaccine hesitancy World Health Organisation (WHO) Chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed the need for vaccination and the disparity between highincome countries and lowerincome countries. Speaking at the conference, he raised a concern over many countries failing to vaccinate people. He said that by September, at least 10 per cent of the population of every country should be vaccinated. "Until we end the pandemic everywhere, we will not end it anywhere,” he added. Among many other topics, vaccine hesitancy was given utmost importance. Speaking on the same, Dr Ram Sewak Sharma, the CEO of India's National Health Authority said that in India, vaccine hesitancy has reduced drastically. He further added that the country was able to vaccinate the highest number of people in a day. It reduced post-second wave, said Sharma. Along with vaccine hesitancy, the availability of vaccines and the importance of vaccination was also touched upon. The National Health Service (NHS) is planning to launch booster jabs alongside the annual flu vaccination programme from September. One jab in each arm will be promoted as a way of protecting against not only Covid-19 variants but also the seasonal flu. Nadhim Zahawi, the minister in charge of the UK’s Covid-19 vaccine deployment said that this booster jab will protect the most vulnerable from variants and flu ahead of the winter. “Vaccines are the best way to stay on top of this virus and I urge everybody to take up the offer as soon as possible,” he added. Moving on from vaccine, the discussion was also done on existing geopolitical trend and how it has changed. Tom Tugendhat, Chair, Foreign Affairs Select Committee, UK said that he thinks it has deep repercussions. He emphasised the dearth of PPE kits, and how many countries were struggling for the same. He also mentioned the closure of the Suez Canal. He stressed that these events made us realise the interdependence of the supply chain and it was like a wake-up call for a lot of people. Meanwhile, Ashok Malik, Policy Advisor, Ministry of External Affairs, India somewhat second Tom and added that along with PPE kits, N95 masks, and various basic pharmaceutical ingredients were hard to find in the early months of the pandemic. He added that as the world rebuilt post-pandemic it does need to diversify its sources of critical supplies but overall, the trend is

more towards the diversified and more reliable globalisation. Amongst the dignitaries, former minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor was called upon to speak on 'Global Leadership - The Future of Multilateralism' at the India Global Forum session. He commented on China President Xi Jinping’s controversial remarks who stated that the era of China being bullied is gone forever. According to Tharoor, China has transformed

itself and India should be careful while dealing with China as is it is its biggest trading partner. “So, the wolf-warrior diplomacy in the Indian experience has gone beyond Chinese rhetoric and sabrerattling to actual sabre-thrusting and that is not something we can afford to take lightly," said Tharoor. Meanwhile, while addressing the India Global Forum, UK’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab highlighted the importance of the UK-India bilateral partnership. While addressing the session, he informed that India deemed the UK as its comprehensive strategic partner, which makes Britain the first European country to be designated as such. He further added that India and UK are committed to a 2030 roadmap that will focus on delivering shared priorities and shared values across trade, defence, security, health and immigration. He said that PM Modi and Boris Johnson have signed an enhanced trade partnership which will create thousands of new jobs and investments as well. Electric vehicles- Made in India On the second day of the India Global Forum, Nitin Gadkari, India’s Minister of Road, Transport and Highways, was addressing ‘Climate Action – Electric Mobility Now’ session where he said that his goal is to make India the No.1 manufacturing hub for electric vehicles and said that the country can be a successful example to the world. “India has been importing petroleum products and we are spending 800,000 crores. And because of that air pollution has become a huge problem in the country. So, we want to make India the No.1 manufacturing hub of electric cars, electric buses, electric bikes, electric auto-rickshaws and even electric trucks,” Gadkari said at the India Global Forum on Thursday. “There is a huge market potential for EVs. India’s e-vehicle sector has been rapidly growing over the last three years as both the centre and the state governments have taken the initiative to promote the adoption of EVs. Many start-ups are providing e-bikes on rent to public and logistic companies. Amazon India has completely changed their fleet to electric. The government is

planning to set up a financial institution to fund business with a focus on EVs and facilitate a new financial instrument for lending to public transport and commercial vehicle segments. We are very positive, supportive, flexible, time-bound and transparent towards ease of doing business in the EV ecosystem,” he added. Investments and solutions to avoid future crisis India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke on the traps that lie ahead in terms of huge investments done during a pandemic and exactly what solutions will it need to save off the risk of future crisis. Sitharaman stressed that despite the challenges India is well prepared for the third wave and has upped its medical infrastructure. She added that enhanced revenue collection would help in meeting the challenges. Speaking at the India Global Forum, she mentioned about government’s planned CPSE privatisation drive and said that it is on course. "... No one wishes the third wave but, on the infrastructure, medical infrastructure, I think we have given that kind of attention... we have announced different measures to improve on the medical infrastructure, in tier II, tier III cities and not just those in metropolitan towns”, said India’s Finance Minister. “The ramping up of medical infrastructure, looking at different segments of the population, looking at children, is happening at a good speed. God forbid, if there is a third wave, we are medical infrastructure wise well prepared," she said. In addition to this, paediatric care and beds will be set up in hospitals, for which additional funding of £22,49,385.49 would be given to states, said Sitharaman. Meanwhile, Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal spoke on the need to explore the key areas where attention needs to be drawn for India to build a strong capital base domestically. While speaking at the India Global Forum, he said that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, he is very positive that India will see close to double-digit GDP growth in FY22. He mentioned that as number of cases are falling, the economy is slowly getting back to normal. “We are probably going to see close to double-digit, if not doubledigit in this financial year,” he said at the event. Addressing the ‘Digital FutureCreating an Equitable Revolution’ session Salesforce India CEO Arundhati Bhattacharya said that it is because of the pandemic, digitalisation in the country has picked up a pace. “India was already on a digital journey, but what could have taken 2-3 years longer, has actually been compressed into a matter of one year... subsequent to the pandemic... companies — 100 per cent of them — realise digital has become a must-have, it’s not something that’s just good to have,” she said.

Businesses are facing rising staff shortages, so how do we solve them?

Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL is President of the CBI. He is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors, and Chairman of Molson Coors Cobra India. He is the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, and a former Chancellor of Thames Valley University (now the University of West London) - the youngest University Chancellor in the UK when appointed. As the weeks go by, more and more businesses are re-opening – and with restrictions seemingly set to end on July 19, the rest will soon follow. This is fantastic for our economy. But as restrictions lift, we’re also seeing a surge in demand for staff. We know many businesses are already struggling to recruit. I hear it with more and more frequency (and urgency) from CBI members across the UK – and the figures back it up: the latest REC/KPMG report shows overall candidate availability during the past quarter declined at its quickest rate since 2017. It emerging as a big challenge, not just for individual businesses, who can’t find the people they need, but also for our longer-term economic recovery. As I outlined in my recent speech to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), we’ve got a perfect storm brewing, with a range of factors at play. So what’s going on? During the pandemic, many workers from overseas left the UK to return home – hitting the UK’s hospitality, logistics, and food processing industries particularly hard. Meanwhile, Covid has added major uncertainty. Some people are understandably wary of changing jobs right now. Others have moved away from sectors that have stayed locked down. And the job retention scheme – an important lifeline for millions of employers and employees alike – has temporarily shrunk the talent pool for businesses looking to grow. Furthermore, staff shortages are being exasperated by the government’s strict self-isolation rules; with infections rapidly increasing, anyone who comes in contact with a Covid positive person has to self-isolate for 10 days regardless of whether they have been double vaccinated, have had Covid, have no symptoms and have had a lateral flow or PCR test showing negative results – this has to change to free up not only workplaces but also schools too. On top of all this, the UK’s longstanding skills shortages haven’t gone away. Businesses must first help themselves. By opening up new routes into business, whether it’s a new apprentice scheme or widening access for candidates with technical qualifications. And by investing in innovation and technology. They must also do more to recruit from a wider talent pool. There are organisations and charities they can work with to do this, like Mind, Business in the Community, Movement to Work, or DisabilitySmart. And there are campaigns they can support which will help them think twice about those people they’ve overlooked – such as the CBI’s Change the Race Ratio, which – a year on from launch – has almost 100 businesses signed up. Above all, we know strong employer/employee relations are central to attracting and retaining the best staff and driving the best results. But the Government has an important role to play too. Firstly, it can update the Shortage Occupation List, reflecting the advice of the Migration Advisory Committee in September last year to include jobs such as butchers, bricklayers and welders. Businesses would also welcome a commitment to review the list more frequently, so it remains responsive labour market demand. But workers from overseas aren’t, and shouldn’t be, our only response to labour shortages. Investing in skills in the UK too is vital. It’s not an either/or choice. We must do both to ensure our firms have the access to the people they need to succeed. It’s why we need to align our immigration and skills policies – by using the Lifetime Skills Guarantee and the National Skills Fund to help workers gain skills for jobs on the Shortage Occupations List. Doing more to support British workers, and directing them to qualifications we know are in short supply. It’s why we need the government to extend its Kickstart scheme too – to give time to match young people to these opportunities. And ensuring a steady pipeline of young people equipped with the right knowledge and skills to enter the world of work is vital too. That means getting to grips with travel rules in a way that enables overseas students to start their UK university education as planned in September. The UK government can do these things straight away, with no regrets, to help make sure the UK is open for business. Business and government together can help resolve staff shortages. And if we do, I have every confidence this could be the best decade yet for the UK economy.

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UK - FINANCE

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10 - 16 July 2021

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel Retail Investor Boom Here to Stay Even before my book, Trading Online (Financial Times) became and international bestseller (not so humble brag), I’ve known retail trader numbers will grow, held back only by their know-how of trading. Now, in my more mature years, I’ve gone from writing books to teaching for free people about investing in my campaignforamillion.com According to Vanda Research, retail investors have bought $400bn in stocks since January 2020. This figure is twice the number of equities they purchased in recent years. This growth has been a notable trend in recent years for several reasons. Firstly, the internet has allowed a free flow of information. Secondly, apps like Robinhood allow straightforward fee-free trading. But the big question is if this retail investor boom will survive a market dip? Meme Stocks At the start of 2021, Wall Street wasn't taking retail investors seriously. Reddit and Twitter buzzed with optimistic wannabe traders who were buoyed by the post-pandemic crash recovery. As the market rebounded strongly, most of their picks performed well. But it was meme stocks that made people sit up and take notice. In January, lots of day traders congregated on Reddit's WallStreetBets subreddit. Between them, they drove the shares in GameStop up, forcing short-sellers to lose millions of dollars. Soon enough, the pattern was repeated with investments in other ailing companies like BlackBerry and AMC Entertainment. And so, the success of meme stocks was born. Cryptocurrency A similar situation has been happening with cryptocurrency over recent years. Bitcoin and the other digital currencies are some of the least regulated investments in the financial markets. But many Reddit and Telegram groups have sprung up, with users orchestrating the pump of coin prices to make quick profits. However, this frenzy has increased with the likes of Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency created as a joke. And this is a pattern with meme stocks. These investments aren't about fundamentals and a belief in the value of a company. They are all about thousands of users congregating together and manipulating the price of stocks. But to suggest that cryptocurrency trading is all just reckless gambling would be inaccurate. The crypto options market has been growing exponentially. $1.4 billion in notional amounts was traded each day in May. Should Day Traders Be Protected From Themselves? All this activity has led to calls for regulatory bodies to intervene. While there are profits to be made in these situations, highly volatile stocks that are not backed by fundamentals can lead to huge losses. In fact, most day traders lose money. The new SEC chair Gary Gensler plans to investigate trading apps. To many, apps like Robinhood encourage day traders to invest more than can be wise. On a recent appearance of CNBC, Gensler drew attention to the business model of these apps, suggesting that they weren't exactly feefree. He highlighted the fact that market-makers like Virtua and Citadel Securities pay Robinhood to process trades. From here, they make money off the spread. Secondly, your data is being harvested. Data, as we all know, is a precious commodity. Is the Retail Investor Boom a Revolution For Ordinary Investors? A significant driver of the GameStop phenomena in January 2021 was the opportunity for the little guy to triumph over the market. By noticing that GameStop was shorted by over 100%, retail investors saw a chance to hit back at a system that had shut them out. Most retail investors lack the knowledge, infrastructure, and access to information to beat the market consistently. But by going against the 100% short, daytraders attempted one of the most notable short-squeezes in memory. By banding together, investors on the appropriately named RobinHood app cost hedge funds around $5bn. In turn, Robinhood froze trading on GameStop on January 28. For many retail traders, this was an outrage. Many felt that this allowed hedge funds an advantage to save their shorts. Conclusion Investments like GameStop and Dogecoin are the extreme end of a trend that has seen retail investors flock to trading apps. In late January, Robinhood incredibly topped the download charts. The worry is that gamification of trading encourages gambling and reckless investment. However, amidst the concerns that retail investors will lose money are some green shoots of hope. Increased interest in the markets should drive financial literacy among everyday investors. While many investors will be attracted to the dizzying highs and lows of GameStop or crypto, others will realise that a more slow and steady approach can deliver success. Understanding and investing in a diverse range of resilient stocks has been a winning play over recent years. As the booming retail market matures, a focus on fundamentals — rather than short squeezes — could lead to more sustainable results. Large communities of retail investors sharing and analysing information could turn out to be a positive thing.

Sunak warned of vulnerable economic shocks The Office for Budgetary Responsibility says that the UK government faces an "increasingly risky" situation as debt has soared and the cost of Covid mounts. According to the finance watchdog the government debt now stood at some £2.2 trillion or 99.2% of GDP - a rate not seen since the early 1960s. Meanwhile, there were no plans to fund about £10bn a year of Covid spending on things like health and transport. OBR boss Richard Hughes said chancellor faced a "difficult trade-off". “He must decide where to spend now to prevent the risks and threats that he knows about versus keeping his powder dry, keeping debt low,

keeping borrowing low so that he can deal with the threats he can't anticipate," Hughes told the BBC's Today programme. The UK economy contracted sharply last year as swathes of businesses closed in lockdown, but it is now recovering strongly. However, the government bill for emergency measures such as the furlough scheme continues to climb, pushing up its debt pile by about 20%. In its Fiscal Risks report, the OBR said Chancellor Rishi Sunak was trying to tackle this by cutting future nonCovid public spending and increasing corporation tax from 19% to 25%. Addressing these spending pressures could

require cuts to other government departments, tax rises or looser rules on government borrowing, it added. The report also warned of the rising costs of servicing the government's debt, noting that it was "exposed" to future shocks such as rising inflation or interest rates. The Bank of England has slashed the UK's benchmark interest rate to 0.1% during the pandemic to support the economy. But inflation is increasing quickly as the economy reopens and some fear the Bank will have to raise rates to control prices. Hughes said the OBR expected inflationary pressures to be temporary, but the risks remained.

Richard Hughes

"We are two decades into the 21st Century and governments have already faced two once-in-a-century shocks - the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 coronavirus pandemic," he added. "There are reasons to believe that these kind of shocks are becoming more frequent and more severe. And also that government finances are becoming increasingly exposed to these kinds of shocks."

Chinese firm acquires UK's largest semiconductor producer C h i n e s e - o w n e d manufacturer Nexperia has acquired UK's largest producer of semiconductors, Newport Wafer Fab (NWF) in a deal that has prompted a senior Tory MP to call for the government to review the sale during an increasingly severe global shortage of computer chips. Nexperia announced that it had taken full control of NWF, the largest producer of silicon chips in the country. Tory MP for Tonbridge

and Malling and the chair of the foreign affairs select committee, Tom Tugendhat said in an interview that he would be very surprised if the deal was not being reviewed under the National Security and Investment Act, new legislation brought in to protect key national assets from foreign takeover. He said, “The semiconductor industry sector falls under the scope of the legislation, the very purpose of which is to protect the nation’s technology companies from foreign takeovers when

there is a material risk to economic and national security.” Nexperia meanwhile, said that the deal would help it to keep pace with global semiconductor demand. Chief operations officer at Nexperia, Achim Kempe said, “Nexperia has ambitious growth plans and adding Newport supports the growing global demand for semiconductors. The Newport facility has a very skilled operational team and has a crucial role to play to ensure continuity of operations.” The deal is reportedly valued at £63m.

Fortress Group agrees to buy UK's supermarket Morrison Fortress Investment Group agreed to buy Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc for about 6.3 billion pounds, potentially triggering a bidding war for one of the UK’s largest grocers. The group led by Fortress, a SoftBank Group Corp. subsidiary, has been in talks with Morrison since May and made five offers during the period, people familiar with the matter said. The supermarket chain said in June that it rejected a 5.5 billion-pound offer from Clayton Dubilier & Rice. As essential businesses, grocery chains weathered the past year’s pandemic better than other retailers, and investors are seeking to capitalize on the stores’ improving fortunes as lockdowns end. In a statement, Fortress pledged to stand by recent pay increases at Morrison as well as pensions and arrangements with suppliers. It also acknowledged the company’s role in the security of the UK’s food supply. The assurances came after CD&R’s bid drew some criticism from UK politicians; the Labour Party demanded close scrutiny of the potential foreign acquisition of a chain well known across Northern England and headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Morrison hasn’t yet spoken to the government about the Fortress deal but intends to start the process now, a person familiar with the development said. Others in the Fortress consortium include the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the real estate arm of Koch Industries Inc., the largest

privately held company in the US, run by the Koch family of prominent conservative political donors. “The Morrison directors believe that the offer represents a fair and recommendable price for shareholders which recognizes Morrison’s future prospects," the grocer’s chairman, Andrew Higginson, said in a statement. Within a highly competitive, lowmargin market, UK grocery stores are grappling with the rise of online shopping as well as challenges from German discounters Aldi and Lidl. For each Morrison share, holders will receive 252 pence in cash and a 2 pence special dividend, according to the proposal. That is still below the 270 pence per share range some of Morrison’s top investors had been asking for to engage with CD&R, so there is potential for a counter-bid. Officials with CD&R declined to comment. The offer represents a premium of about 42% to the closing price of 178 pence per Morrison share as of June 18, the final day of trading before the start of the offer period, and a 41% premium to the volume-weighted average closing price of 180 pence per share for the threemonth period ended June 18.

Operations director at NWF, Paul James said the deal will secure vital investment for the business. He said, “The acquisition is great news for the staff here in Newport and the wider business community in the region, as Nexperia is providing much-needed investment and stability for the future. We are looking forward to becoming part of the global Nexperia team and are keen to keep the current workforce. Additional local resources may be required too.”

Barclays stops clients from making Binance payments

British multinational universal bank Barclays has been blocking payments to cryptocurrency exchange Binance over the last week. The bank has confirmed to cardholders that Barclays debit/credit card payments to the cryptocurrency exchange will not be allowed until further notice. The bank, however, has been receiving negative feedback on the new policy. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority warned consumers late June that Binance Markets Limited (BML) will no longer be allowed to engage in any regulated financial services in the UK. Binance however, clarified to users in a statement on July 1, that BML is a separate business and legal entity, and that the FCA's injunction did not exclude Binance.com from conducting business with residents of the UK. The FCA warnings have spooked other banks as well, with British Monzo and Starling Banks also reportedly blocking payments to Binance and other crypto exchanges.

20 FINANCE & REAL ESTATE

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10 - 16 July 2021

NCLT issues final revival order for Jet Airways The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has issued the final revival order for Jet Airways, the carrier which was grounded in 2019 due to strained financial condition. As per the revival order, operating slots would be allotted to the airline in accordance to the the existing norms, and not on the basis of historic rights. "The Resolution Plan submitted by consortium of Murari Lal Jalan and Florian Fritsch is hereby approved. It shall become effective from this date and shall form part of this order," the NCLT said, adding that its order would be binding upon all stakeholders, including the central and state governments. The rescue plan was presented last year jointly by Florian Fritsch-headed Kalrock Capital Management Ltd, a

London-based financial advisory and Murari Lal Jalan, a Dubai-based businessman. It was approved on June 22 by the NCLT. The Jalan-Kalrock consortium is believed to have offered £118.3 million in the form of repayment to financial creditors, employees and staff of Jet Airways, over a period of five years. "The window period of future credit to passengers and employees and workmen shall be one year from the effective date. The beneficiaries shall, however, get themselves registered within 180 days from the effective date to avail the facility,"

the NCLT order said. On the allotment of slots, the Tribunal indicated that the existing norms would be followed. Jet Airways would not be reallotted its slots based on the historic rights. "The facts and circumstances would indicate that presently the slots cannot be restored to the Corporate Debtor on a historic basis. The thumb rule being 'use it or lose it'. Be that as it may, we must remember that running an Airline, much less reviving one, is not a facile business. It involves entire gamut of complex and diverse activities from land to sky and everything in between," the order said. In a recent affidavit submitted to the bankruptcy court, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said Jet

Airways could not claim historicity to obtain the slots and that allocation of slots would be done in accordance with the existing guidelines. The NCLT also noted that the MCA and DGCA will decide on the application of "renewal/grant of Airport Operating Permit". As per the terms of the approved resolution plan, a seven-member monitoring committee is required to be constituted. Three members each would be appointed by the consortium and the financial creditors, respectively. Also, there would be an "independent insolvency professional appointed by the financial creditors (preferably the existing resolution professional)," in the panel, as per the filing. The committee would supervise the implementation of the resolution plan.

Nirav’s sister helps ED recover £1.7 mn from UK account Nirav Modi, the fugitive diamond merchant jailed in London facing extradition to India, would have never expected his sister Purvi to turn approver in a money laundering case against him. It didn’t stop at that. On June 24, Purvi not only informed the Enforcement Directorate of a benami account of her brother in a London bank operated in her name, but also transferred £1.7 million from it to the government of India. “On June 24, Purvi Modi informed the ED that she came to know of one bank account in London in her

Nirav Modi

name, which was opened at the behest of her brother, Nirav Modi, and that the funds did not belong to her,” the ED said in a statement. As Purvi was allowed a ‘tender of pardon’ (approver) on conditions of making full and true disclo-

sure, Purvi remitted an amount of $23,16,889 from her UK bank account to the account of the government of India,” the ED said. The Enforcement Directorate further said it was with Purvi’s cooperation that it managed to recover £1.7 million from the ‘proceeds of crime’. The ED has filed two chargesheets in the Nirav Modi case in which he and his family members are

Youngest Ambani takes seat on boards of RIL’s 2 new solar cos Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Reliance Industries (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani, has been appointed as a director of Reliance New Energy Solar and Reliance New Solar Energy, expanding his role in the family business. The two entities were incorporated before RIL unveiled its green energy plans at its annual shareholder meet on June 24. In February this year, Anant, 26, was inducted as a director of Reliance O2C and a year before that he was appointed on the board of Jio Platforms, where his siblings Isha and Akash too are members. While Mukesh Ambani, 64, hasn’t yet spelt out succession planning at RIL, questions like ‘who’s next?’ have started popping up within the investor community. In Ambani’s own case, after the death of his father, RIL

founder Dhirubhai Ambani, in 2002, there was a feud over succession between him and his brother Anil. Besides Jio Platforms, Isha and Akash, the 29year-old twins, are on the board of Reliance Retail Ventures. With Anant’s latest board appointments, all the three children now have representation in RIL’s key businesses. After

the recent separation of the refining and petrochemicals unit to Reliance O2C, RIL looks similar to Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata Group’s diverse businesses. RIL is also paving the way for initial public offerings of Jio Platforms and Reliance Retail Ventures, which are expected to take place in the near future.

accused, including Purvi and her husband. The two chargesheets were filed in 2018 and 2019 before a special PMLA court. Purvi Modi, alias Purvi Mehta, and her husband Maiank Mehta have been cited as accused in both the chargesheets. In January, a special PMLA court in Mumbai allowed Purvi and Maiank Mehta to turn approvers under Sections 306 and 307 of CrPC “on condition of making full and true disclosure” in the money laundering case and cooperate with the ED’s investigation.

Wearing The Right Lens

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

There’s a site I was looking to visit outside of London, a 2 hour journey one way. It would take up most of the day just on the round trip. I booked the viewing under the assumption the large property could be converted easily and quickly under a little known planning law applicable to certain types of property. If so, the end value would have increased between, 50-100%, with permission to be granted, with certainty, within a couple of months. The property is a vacant Bingo Hall, therefore I assumed wrongly it can not only be converted, but also a couple of floors can be added to the top of the building, without the need of going through a protracted planning process. The gains do not end at this point; there is also the possibility to get a 6-7 floor building, this time through full planning. And, a similar block on the car park associated with the building. This would be a new build block. Therefore, once the profits have been made from the first building, you would simply be looking to make bonus profits, in a more relaxed manner, and if it didn’t happen then that’s ok, as you have made your money already. This would have been the ideal project as your profits from the first project are almost certain, and you still have 2-3 other routes to cash in even further. This was me thinking and speculating, for several days, over the deal. However, my planner who got back to me very late, perhaps it was just torture on his part, said this would not be possible under the planning law that I was considering due to it being listed as a community use asset. Outrageous! When did the sin of gambling come under community use?!? So, this puts a nail in the coffin, as far as I am concerned. There is always the potential for gains through full planning, looking at the property from an aerial view, it seems ripe for planning. However, this is a longer and more complex process, involving negotiations for S106 and so forth, and the whims of councillors, who are controlled by their constituents, and often their decisions have little to do with planning, but rather whims and emotions. This is not the strategy we wish to employ. We prefer more certain deals; there are quicker ways to make money. We have been down the route of full planning and it’s not fun, as there is no certainty to it. It no doubt would suit a Plc building company, who is honed to do these types of deals day in day out, and their funding lines support their business models. It just goes to show, one needs to look at the deal with the filtered lens of a planner. It pays of course to grill and push back on them at times, as most tend to take the path of least resistance and give the most obvious interpretations. Like all rules there are grey areas, which can sometimes be left to open to interpretation. There are also rules which can be combined to produce very clever outcomes, by not breaking any legislation, but by using many simultaneously and creatively. It’s these areas we wish to focus on, and we believe where the money to be made will be in the coming times.

Mittal urges telecom industry to consider tariff hike immediately Airtel chief Sunil Mittal said that the telecom industry should stop “killing each other”, and consider raising tariffs immediately as they are all “gasping for breath”. Mittal, who is seen as the man who heralded the telecom revolution in the country, said that while the Indian market has seen data and voice usage shoot through the roof, tariffs are still to see any action, leaving the companies in a financial mess. “To say that the telecom industry is in a bit of trouble is actually an understatement. It is in a tremendous amount of stress. I hope the government, the authorities, and the telecom department (DoT) focus on this issue and ensure India’s digital dream remains intact,” he said, making a case for support and fiscal relief. The aggressive launch by Reliance Jio in September

2016 had literally broken the back of the telecom industry as Mukesh Ambani made a re-entry into the business by making voice free and offering data at dirtcheap prices. Airtel went through losses for a series of quarters thereafter, while Vodafone and Idea are in the middle of deep losses and financial mess despite merging operations. Mittal reiterated his thought that the country of the size of India needs three private operators. “Ten operators gone out of business, two merged together... gasping for breath right now… How long can you keep on killing each other? The point is, you have a return on capital — even by the best operator - at low single-digit and most of them (are) struggling.” He

Sunil Mittal

said that while Airtel feels that tariffs need to go up, it still “can’t do it unilaterally” as the company needs to be mindful of moves by the competition. Jio, which now leads the Indian telecom market, has been maintaining its hyper-aggressive stance and has not given any clear indications about a consumer tariff raise. Mittal said that the last 5-6 years had been brutal for the older telecom players, adding that the results are there for all to see.

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10 - 16 July 2021

in brief US PICKS OLD INDIA HAND TO HOLD FORT IN DELHI The Biden administration has picked Atul Keshap as the charge d’affaires to hold the fort in New Delhi pending the nomination of a fulltime ambassador to India. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is widely tipped for the post. Keshap, an Indian-American, is returning to New Delhi for a second tour of duty - he first served in Delhi from 2005 to 2008 as counselor for political affairs, one of ambassador David Mulford’s principal advisers on the US-India nuclear energy cooperation initiative. Keshap posted a photo with his mother Zoe Calvert, tweeting, “Before departure for #India, I went home to #Charlottesville to seek my Mother’s blessings. She served in the #ForeignService at the US Embassy in New Delhi1958-1960.” His father Keshap Chander Sen, a refugee from Lahore, was an international civil servant, serving with the ILO and other UN agencies.

9 OF 11 FINALISTS IN US SPELLING BEE OF INDIAN ORIGIN Nine of the 11 finalists for this year’s US Spelling Bee contest are Indian-Americans, reflecting the dominance young kids from the ethnic community have had on this prestigious test for more than a decade now. The 11 spellers, of which nine are Indian-Americans, will compete for the champion title during the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals on July 8. Over the past 20 years, Indian-Americans have been dominating the Spelling Bee contest even though they comprise only about 1%of the US population. There were eight co-champions in 2019, seven of whom were Indian-Americans, bringing the total number of Indian-origin champions since1999 to 26.

INDIAN-AMERICAN WOMAN NOMINATED AS FEDERAL JUDGE US President Joe Biden has nominated IndianAmerican Shalina D Kumar as a federal judge for the eastern district of Michigan, the White House said. Shalina would be the first federal judge of South Asian descent in Michigan, the White House said. Shalina has served on the Oakland county sixth circuit court since 2007. She was appointed chief judge of the court by the Michigan Supreme Court in January of 2018, a media release said. In addition, she retains a full caseload covering both civil and criminal matters, the White House said.

US CONDO COLLAPSE TOLL RISES TO 22 Rescue crews found the body of the 7-year-old daughter of a firefighter while searching the wreckage of the condo that collapsed, officials said, when the known death toll rose, by four, to 22. As many as 126 people are remain missing. The discovery of the girl, whom authorities declined to name, was especially painful for rescue crews. “Every victim we remove, it’s difficult,” said chief Alan Cominsky of MiamiDade fire rescue. It was even more so when we were removing a fellow firefighter’s daughter.” Media outlet WPLG reported that rescuers found the girl and brought the child to her father, who was also at the scene, searching for survivors.

20 MISSING IN JAPAN LANDSLIDE Two bodies were found and about 20 people remained missing after a massive mudslide triggered by torrential rain hit Atami city of Shizuoka prefecture in central Japan on Saturday, local authorities said. The disaster occurred as heavy rainfall swept areas along the Pacific coast in central and eastern Japan, the Xinhua news agency reported. Firefighters are conducting a search and rescue operation in the slide-stricken area for the victims. The Shizuoka prefectural government called for help from the Self-Defense Forces in disaster relief. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held talks with disaster minister Yasufumi Tanahashi over the mudslide and other calamities associated with the rain.

Pakistan blames India for blast outside Hafiz Saeed's home ISLAMABAD: Pakistan accused India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of orchestrating last month’s car bombing near the Lahore residence of 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed that killed three people and left 24 injured. National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yousaf claimed “the whole drama about some mysterious drones flying in Jammu and Kashmir” was a “deflection tactic” in the face of Pakistan gathering proof of the alleged Indian hand in the bombing. “We have concrete evidence and intelligence, including financial and telephone records, of this particular incident in Lahore, which points towards direct Indian sponsorship of these terrorists,” Yousaf

said at a presser with minister Fawad Chaudhry and Punjab police chief Inam Ghani. Soon after, PM Imran Khan appreciated law-enforcement agencies for “unearthing evidence” of the bombing and urged the world community to take note of India’s “rogue behaviour. I appreciate the diligence and speed of Punjab

police’s counter terrorism department...and commend the excellent coordination of all our civil and military intelligence agencies,” he tweeted. On June 23, an explosivesladen vehicle blew up near the house of the banned Jamaat-udDawa chief in Lahore’s Johar Town. “We have absolutely no doubt or reservation in informing you that the main mastermind of the attack is an Indian citizen, and he is associated with RAW,” Yousaf said. The NSA said there were thousands of coordinated cyber attacks on Pakistan’s information infras-

tructure that day. “We have evidence... The cyber attacks were an attempt to foil our investigation and buy time for the terror network to disperse.” “...the scale at which the cyber attacks were mounted, there is no doubt that there was state involvement of our neighbour.” Yousaf alleged India had been using “territory and people in third countries” to carry out attacks in Pakistan. “We have identified the person who was delegated the task to... execute the attack,” Punjab police chief Ghani said, identifying the suspect as Eid Gul. According to details shared by Ghani, a third suspect named Ziaullah provided financing for the car to Peter Paul David, who handed over the vehicle to Gul.

Protest lodged with Pak over drone hovering over Indian mission ISLAMABAD: India has twice lodged protests with Pakistan in the past couple of weeks over developments involving the Indian high commission in Islamabad. While the latest protest relates to a drone which was flown over the Indian mission on June 26, hours before the drone attack on an air force base in Jammu, another protest was lodged last week over harassment of Indian diplomats in Islamabad. The drone flew over the Indian high commission premises while a diplomatic event was underway there. The MEA has asked Pakistan to probe the incident and ensure that such security breaches don’t take place in the future.

“We expect Pakistan to investigate the incident and prevent recurrence of such breach of security,” said spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. Pakistan’s foreign ministry denied the incident claiming that this “propaganda campaign” by India was taking place at a time when “evidence” collected in the Lahore blast of June 23 was “increasingly pointing to external forces with a history of perpetrating state-sponsored terrorism against Pakistan.” The incident follows cases of harassment of Indian diplomats in Islamabad against which India had lodged a protest last week. There was also another case of security breach last month in which

Taliban take control of key Kandahar district KANDAHAR: The Taliban have captured a key district in their former bastion of Kandahar after fierce night-time fighting with Afghan government forces, officials said, sending scores of families fleeing from the area. The insurgents have pressed on with their campaign to capture territory across Afghanistan’s rural areas since early May when the US military began its final pullout of troops from the country. The fall of Panjwai in the province of Kandahar comes two days after US and Nato forces vacated their main Bagram airbase. Over the years, the Taliban and Afghan forces have regularly clashed in and around Panjwai, with the insurgents aiming to seize it given its proximity to Kandahar city, the provincial capital. The chief of the outfit, Hibatullah Akhundzada, hails from Panjwai and Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban. Panjwai governor Hasti Mohammad said Afghan forces and the Taliban clashed during the night, resulting in the forces retreating from the area. “The Taliban have captured the police

headquarters and governor’s office.” Kandahar provincial council head Sayed Jan Khakriwal accused government forces of “intentionally withdrawing”. Assadullah, a commander of border police, said it was only the police force that was fighting against the insurgents. “The army and the commandos who have better military equipment are not fighting at all,” he said. Scores of families fled their homes after the Taliban captured the district. “The Taliban fired on our car as I was fleeing with my family. At least five bullets hit the car,” Giran, a resident said as he took refuge in Kandahar city. “The Taliban don’t want peace.” Panjwai is the fifth district in Kandahar to fall to the insurgents in recent weeks. Afghan officials dispute the claims but acknowledge that troops have retreated from some districts.

strange activities involving civilians were noticed outside the Indian mission. India had then too officially lodged a protest. These developments have again exposed the vagaries of India’s ties with Pakistan, coming as they do after the two countries approved all pending visas for diplomats last month allowing their respective missions to work at the sanctioned strength. India refrained from linking the Jammu drone attack with Pakistan for now as investigations were still on. Will retaliate Pak drone attack India will strongly retaliate at a time and place of its choosing if Pakistan attempts to use drones or indulges in ‘hybrid

warfare’ of any kind to target Indian civilian or military assets, chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat warned. Investigative agencies are probing whether the drones used in the terror attack on the Jammu Air Force Station on June 27 were launched from Pakistan or from within the region, said Gen Rawat. “Let them (Pakistan) attempt to do something to damage our assets, and the reaction from our armed forces will be very different. Our armed forces are ready,” he said.

African leaders pay tribute to Kenneth Kaunda at memorial service

LUSAKA: African leaders gathered in Zambia to attend a memorial service for Kenneth Kaunda, the founding president and a champion of African nationalism. The leaders of Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe flew into Lusaka to honour Kaunda, who died of pneumonia last month aged 97. Kaunda is remembered for leading Zambia to independence from British colonial rule in 1964 and backing nationalist movements that fought to bring majority rule to the southern

African states of Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Zambian President Edgar Lungu presided over the service at the National Heroes' Stadium where Kaunda's casket, draped in Zambia's flag, was brought in by a military guard. Since his death on 17 June, Kaunda's body has been taken across Zambia's ten provinces to enable people throughout the country to pay their respects. He's due to be buried on 7 July.

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Interpol issues 'red notice' against Zuma's allies, the Guptas PRETORIA: Gupta brothers Ajay, Atul and Rajesh - are at the centre of a long-running probe into the embezzlement of state assets under former South African president Jacob Zuma. In a statement, the prosecution authority's chief investigator, Hermione Cronje, said Interpol had issued a "red notice" against two of the brothers, Atul and Rajesh. Red notices are a global alert enabling law enforcers to arrest a person sought for prosecution or serving a sentence and detain them pending extradition. The three brothers are at the centre of a 2016 graft report by South

Ajay and Atul Gupta

Africa's anti-corruption watchdog, which claims they paid bribes in exchange for massive state contracts and influence ministerial appointments. They fled South Africa

shortly after a judicial commission started in 2018 and are suspected to be in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2019, the US Treasury slapped sanctions on the Guptas, effectively freezing their assets under US jurisdiction, and forbade Americans particularly international banks with any US operations - from transactions with them. Last month South Africa said it was close to finalising an

extradition treaty with the UAE. The third brother, Ajay, who is not named in the red notice, is part of a separate case, Cronje's office said. His siblings Atul and Rajesh Gupta are being sought in connection with a 25-millionrand ($1.76 million) contract paid to a Gupta-linked company, Nulane Investments, to conduct an agricultural feasibility study, it said. The red notice also applies to Atul Gupta's wife, Chetali. The alert came as Zuma sought to avoid jail after he was sentenced to 15 months in jail for contempt after failing to appear before anti-corruption investigators.

South Africa court agrees to examine Zuma's appeal on July 12 PRETORIA: Sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court, former South African president Jacob Zuma is not expected to be arrested until at least 12 July. The Constitutional Court will now examine his appeal. Jacob Zuma had argued that at 79 years old and in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, a stay in prison would be equivalent to a death sentence. He made a brief appearance outside his home in Nkandla, KwaZuluNatal, to meet his supporters in a festive atmosphere. "South African justice system is not fair. We need to show sympathy to comrade Jacob Zuma. We're here to support him and enforce that he doesn't go to prison. We'll defend him." Ngryngrai Ngwenya, Jacob Zuma

supporter said. Nduna Mpanza , Zulu warrior. "We are here to protect Msholozi (Jacob Zuma, ed) because we trust Msholozi is always protecting our nation, the Zulu nation. We're here to present as a Zulu Nation called Ibotho iKa Zulu. So Msholozi is a Zulu man, always protecting the Zulu nation". The situation is expected to remain calm for now as Zuma will not be arrested in the coming days. The Constitutional Court, which sentenced him to 15 months in prison, will consider his appeal on 12 July. The veterans of the former armed wing of the ANC who are guarding Zuma's house can let their guard down. Top court sentences Zuma Earlier, the country's highest court had sentenced

him to 15 months in jail. He has been given five days to hand himself in to police. Failing that, the police minister must order his arrest. The sentence comes after the Constitutional Court found him guilty of contempt for defying its order to appear at an inquiry into corruption while he was president. The former president testified only once at the inquiry into what has become known as "state capture" but then refused to appear subsequently. The inquiry headed by Justice Raymond Zondo asked the Constitutional Court to intervene. Acting Chief Justice

argument over the price of a pass to use the motel’s swimming pool on a hot summer day. Hotelier Zeshan Chaudhry, 30, of Vernon, was shot at the Motel 6 after demanding $10 for a pool pass, police said. The suspect, 31-year-old Alvin Waugh, of Hartford, had offered $5, police said. Chaudhry did not take the money, police Sgt. Robert Marra said. There was a verbal argument and Chaudhry told Waugh, who was staying at the motel with a friend, to leave, police said. But he instead went upstairs, retrieved a gun and came down, Marra said. Chaudhry was shot several times and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Waugh ran into some nearby woods, but surrendered to police after being contacted on his cellphone. He was being held in lieu of $2 million after his arraignment in Superior Court on charges including murder, criminal use of a weapon, use of a firearm for a felony, carrying a firearm without a permit, tampering with physical evidence, reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a minor. Vaugh and his girlfriend had been staying at the motel for about a month. Waugh's girlfriend told police she asked Chaudhry about using the pool and began arguing with him after he told her she would have to pay $10 for a pool pass, said the report. Waugh joined the argument and at one point Chaudhry kicked the couple out of

45 KILLED AS PHILIPPINE MILITARY PLANE CRASHES A Philippines air force plane crashed and broke up in flames on a southern island, killing at least 45 people after some jumped free, officials said. Pictures from the scene showed flames and smoke pouring from wreckage strewn among coconut palms as men in combat uniform milled around, while a column of thick black smoke rose into the sky. The Lockheed C-130 transport aircraft, carrying troops bound for counterinsurgency operations, crashed with 96 people on board. The plane had attempted to land at Jolo airport, but overshot the runway without touching down. It failed to regain enough power and height and crashed at nearby Patikul. It was not immediately clear how many jumped or whether they had survived.

MYANMAR FORCES KILL 25 IN RAID ON TOWN

Jacob Zuma

Sisi Khampepe was damning in her ruling. Zuma refused to come to the court to explain his actions, she said, and he "elected instead to make provocative, unmeritorious and vituperative statements that constituted a calculated effort to impugn the integrity of the judiciary. "I am left with no option but to commit Zuma to imprisonment, with the hope that doing so sends an unequivocal message... the rule of law and the administration of justice prevails."

Scorching heat wave Indian American hotelier shot dead in kills more than 500 argument over $10 pool pass VERNON: An Indian American motel owner in Canada, US in Connecticut was shot dead after an

OTTAWA: Hundreds of deaths in Canada, and in the US states of Oregon and Washington may have been caused by the historic heat wave that baked the Pacific Northwest and shattered all-time temperature records in usually temperate cities. Oregon health officials said that more than 60 deaths have been tied to the heat, with the state’s largest county, Multnomah, blaming the weather for 45 deaths since the heat wave began. In Canada’s British Columbia, chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said her office received reports of at least 486 “sudden and unexpected deaths.” Normally, she said about 165 people would die in the province over a five-day period. “While it is too early to say with certainty how many of these deaths are heat related, it is believed that the significant increase in deaths reported is attributable to the extreme weather,” LaPointe said in a statement. Like in Washington’s city of Seattle, many homes in Vancouver, British Columbia, don’t have air conditioning. “Vancouver has never experienced temperature of 49.6°C. Washington state authorities had linked more than 20 deaths to the heat, but that number was likely to rise. The heat wave was caused by what meteorologists described as a dome of high pressure over the Northwest and worsened by human-caused climate change, which is making such extreme weather events more likely and more intense.

in brief

Myanmar security forces killed at least 25 people in a confrontation with opponents of the military junta at a town in the centre of the nation, a resident and Myanmarlanguage media said. A spokesman for the military did not respond to calls requesting comment on the violence at Depayin. One resident of Depayin said four military trucks dropped soldiers at the village. Youths from a local People’s Defence Force, formed to oppose the junta,confronted them. But, they only had makeshift weapons and were forced back by the forces’ heavier firepower, the person said. A total of 25 bodies had been collected, the person said. BBC’s Burmese service website and Than Lwin Khet News service carried similar accounts.

AT 112, PUERTO RICAN MAN IS WORLD’S OLDEST Emilio Flores Marquez from Puerto Rico has become the world’s oldest living man at an age of 112 years and 326 days old, Guinness World Records announced. Asked about his longevity, Marquez, known as “Don Milo” to his friends,said the secret to his advanced years lay in compassion. “My dad raised me with love and taught me to love everyone. He always told me and my brothers and sisters to do good, to share everything with others. Besides, Christ lives in me,” Guinness quoted him as saying. He wife of 75 years Andrea Prez De Flores, with whom he had four kids, died in 2010.

BRITNEY SPEARS’ FATHER TO STAY ON AS GUARDIAN Zeshan Chaudhry

the motel and told the staff to lock them out of their room, according to the court documents. That's when Waugh left the pool area and went to his room, then returned with a gun and, after arguing with Chaudhry again, shot the motel owner several times, according to the arrest affidavit. Ken Greene, interim AAHOA president and CEO, said there has been an increase in attacks against hoteliers and anti-Asian xenophobia during the pandemic. The senseless shooting is the latest example of the danger hotel owners and employees face when simply trying to do their job, Sagar Shah, Reform Lodging president and co-founder, was quoted as saying.

A Los Angeles court denied Britney Spears’ request to eject her father from a guardianship arrangement that gives him control of her affairs, US media reported. The decision comes a week after the singer made an impassioned plea to end the “abusive” conservatorship during which she said she has been medicated to control her behaviour and prevented from having a contraceptive implant removed, despite wanting more kids. The Los Angeles Superior Court ruling was in connection to a request filed in September by Spears’ lawyer to add wealth management firm Bessemer Trust to the conservatorship and remove her father Jamie Spears. “The conservator’s request to suspend James P. Spears immediately upon the appointment of Bessemer Trust Company of California as sole conservator of estate is denied without prejudice,” the judge said.

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Celebrations to mark 200 years of Gujarati journalism and Mumbai Samachar On 1 July 2021, India’s oldest running newspaper, Mumbai Samachar, entered its 200th year of its journey. To mark this historical event, a webinar was organized by Gujarati Press Journalism Dwishtabdi Mahotsav Committee. Wellknown editors and journalists across the world joined the event. It was decided to celebrate the first of July as Gujarati Journalism Day in the loving memory of Fardunji Marzban, the founder of Mumbai Samachar. On this occasion, a video was presented by Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani congratulating Mumbai Samachar for entering its 200th year of its publication. He said, “It is a proud moment that Mumbai Samachar is the only newspaper published continuously for 200 years across the Asia. Gujarati journalism is glorious and a lot of editors and journalists have enriched it. Describing newspapers as an important sphere of operation he said newspapers play an important role for the betterment of the society. Journalism can also create history, if it writes history. Recalling Gandhiji's journalism, he said that journalism had a major role at the time of freedom struggle. He also recalled the social reformer Karshan Mulji and his contribution. The committee’s logo was unveiled by renowned painter and designer of the logo Kanu Patel. President of the commit-

tee Kundan Vyas said this occasion is a proud moment not only for Mumbai Samachar but for the Gujarati language and the Gujarati people. It is a noteworthy journey for a newspaper to run for so many years with the same consistency and respect. He added that generally awards are presented to journalists or editors, but honoring a newspaper is very rare. According to the RNI records, there are 1,926 Gujarati language newspapers being published in India out of which 108 are dailies and 993 weeklies. Gujarati newspapers are also published outside Gujarat, which includes Mumbai and other foreign countries. Newspapers are playing an important role in preserving the Gujarati language and magnificent Gujarati culture. On this occasion, July 1 was declared as the Gujarati Journalism Day by Shirish Kashikar, a member of the committee and director of NIMCJ. Nilesh Dave, Editor, Mumbai Samachar, said, “Mumbai Samachar is not just India’s but Asia’s first newspaper to have entered its 200th

year. To be part of a publication that has witnessed history spanning two centuries feels humbling. Explaining the growth of readership, Dave says we started with just 150 subscribers and today there are more than 10 million readers of Gujarati newspapers around the world. Speaking about Mumbai Samachar: Fardunji Marzaban’s initiatives, Ramesh Tanna said Fardunjee Marzaban established the first vernacular printing press in Bombay. He also started India’s oldest running periodical called the Bombay Samachar, which was printed primarily in Gujarati. He pioneered vernacular journalism in India. On this occasion, the publisher and editor of Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice C.B. Patel shared his views on Gujarati journalism outside India. The webinar was inaugurated with a prayer by a young singer Rishabh Kapadia. The entire program was managed by Ramesh Tanna. The webinar was attended by a large number of people, including Gujarati journalists and editors, committee members and administrators of various journalism institutes.

Zydus seeks approval for its needlefree Covid vaccine Homegrown healthcare and pharmaceutical major Zydus Cadila has applied for emergency use authorisation (EUA) to the office of the Drug Controller General of India for ZyCoV-D, its plasmid DNA vaccine against Covid-19. "As the first-ever plasmid DNA vaccine for human use, ZyCoV-D has proven its safety and efficacy profile in our fight against Covid-19. The vaccine, when approved, will help not only adults but also adolescents in the 12-to-18-years age group," said Dr Sharvil Patel, MD, Cadila Healthcare Ltd, the flagship of the Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila Group. What is the ZyCov-D vaccine, and how does it work? ZyCov-D is a “plasmid DNA” vaccine - or a vaccine that uses a genetically engineered, non-replicating version of a type of DNA molecule known as a ‘plasmid’. The plasmids in this case are coded with the instructions to make the spike protein of SARSCoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Vaccination gives the code to cells in the recipient’s body, so they can begin making the spiky outer layer of the virus. The immune system is expected to recognize this as a threat and develop antibodies in response.

Most Covid-19 vaccines currently are given in two doses, with a couple of single-shot ones also available. ZyCov-D by contrast, will be given in three doses, with an interval of 28 days between the first, second and third shots. The other unique thing about the vaccine no needle is used - instead, a spring-powered device delivers the shot as a narrow, precise stream of fluid that penetrates the skin. ZyCov-D has been developed with the support of the central government’s Department of Biotechnology and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). How safe and effective is the vaccine? ZyCov-D has been tested in phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials involving over 28,000 participants in all. A thousand of these participants were of ages between 12 and 18 years. In December 2020, Zydus Group chairman Pankaj R Patel had said that the first two phases of the trial showed that the vaccine was “safe and immunogenic”. According to trial data so far, the vaccine has been able to bring down symptomatic cases of Covid-19 in those who received doses by nearly 67 per cent compared with those who did not get

a vaccine. This is based on 79 to 90 RT-PCR confirmed cases of Covid-19 from those vaccinated in the phase 3 trials, Dr Patel said. Two doses of the vaccine seem to be enough to prevent people from developing severe symptoms of Covid-19 and to prevent death, while three doses keep even moderate symptoms at bay, according to trial data. If cleared, by when will this vaccine be available, and what will it cost? Zydus is setting up a new facility to manufacture up to 120 million doses a year. This would mean up to 40 million people can be vaccinated with three shots of ZyCov-D in a year. The new facility is expected to be ready by the end of this month, and production is expected to begin by midAugust, according to Dr Patel. The company will be producing 10 million doses every month then on, and hopes to supply 50 million doses to the country by December. The company has not yet decided on a price of the vaccine, Dr Patel said.

In the footsteps of Shastri Narayanswarupdas Nitin and Kamu Palan In the footsteps of Shastri Narayanswarupdas (Pramukh Swami Maharaj)1951 to 1961 A President in the role of a sevak – a unique approach in management With the passing of Shastriji Maharaj in 1951, while Gadhada Mandir was about to open its doors for the first time, it was a time for grief and concern for the organisation. However, Yogiji Maharaj was Pramukh Swami Maharaj at the helm fully supported by the young, 29 year old, Pramukh Swami, (now referred to as Swamishri), and all concerns were soon put aside. The grand opening of Gadhada Mandir happened on the pre-agreed date in its full glory. The cremation of Shastriji Maharaj had taken place at the site he had chosen in Sarangpur. A small deri was built as a memorial to him in March 1952 (A one-shikhar mandir was later built here in 1981as a permanent reminder of his contribution). Introduction to Vinu Bhagat (Mahant Swami Maharaj) As per the divine wish and plan, Vinubhai, 18 years of age, came with his family to Sarangpur to attend Shastriji Maharaj’s final rites. Here he met for the first time the young Pramukh Swami and immediately formed a friendship. There were a number of occasions when they met over the next few years and during these meetings, Swamishri blessed him with a kanthi and introduced the initial thought of becoming a sadhu. It was also at the wish of Swamishri that he did his first waterless fast on ekadashi. Working tirelessly to spread satsang Young Pramukh Swamiji immediately started working tirelessly spreading satsang in hundreds of villages, stepping in whenever Yogiji Maharaj fell ill and carrying out pratishtha of numerous mandirs and literally conducting hundreds of parayans and discourses. He grew from a very young person to a hard working sadhu that had no care for his personal needs – be it food, place to sleep, travelling in third class or on horse or bullock carts, no matter what the weather was from extreme heat to cold and wet. He truly kept his oath that he took when he was appointed as the president of the organisation. First special train journey in 1953 After initiation, young Pramukh Swami had once expressed to Shastriji Maharaj of his wish to visit Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s birthplace. Shastriji Maharaj had told Yogiji Maharaj: “Please fulfil his wish in the future.” According to these words of Shastriji Maharaj and through Yogiji Maharaj’s inspiration and blessings, a special train yatra was arranged in 1953. 500 devotees had put down their names to take opportunity of this yatra. In the end, there was so much demand, that two more compartments were added to the train. A second train yatra was organised 3 years later to accommodate those that could not come on the first one. When the group arrived in Chhapaiya, sadhus from the Swaminarayan Mandir gave them all a warm reception. Six elephants and 60 bullock carts had been kept ready. With great fanfare, they were welcomed into the village. Swamishri became overwhelmed with emotion merely on visiting this sanctified land of Chhapaiya. For one who was seeing Bhagwan Swaminarayan in every dust particle of this land, the darshan of the murtis gave him immense bliss. First Yuvak Adhiveshan (Youth Convention) in 1955 Yogiji Maharaj had already made great efforts to develop the youth activities of the Sanstha. To further encourage the development of all youths, the first Yuvak Adhiveshan (Youth Convention) was organised in Atladra. The seeds that were planted then later bore fruits with thousands of young devotees participating in daily activities of BAPS mandirs in every part of the world today. This also resulted in some of the highly educated youths becoming sadhus. Yogiji Maharaj foreign trips in 1955 and 1959/1960 The first trip took place in 1955. It was the first time that sadhus of the Sanstha were to embark on vicharan abroad to spread satsang. This was a short trip to East Africa where Yogiji Maharaj opened a beautiful mandir in Mombasa, Kenya and also planted the seeds for mandirs to be built in Uganda. In 1959 these mandirs were ready in Kampala, Jinja and Tororo. Yogiji Maharaj was invited to the pratishthas of these mandirs. Yogiji Maharaj asked Swamishri to join him this time as he was quite keen to introduce him as the President of the organisation to devotees in East Africa. Vinu Bhagat (later Mahant Swami Maharaj)and Arunbhai (later Ishwarcharan Swami) also accompanied them on this trip. On 21 January 1960, the murti pratishtha took place in Kampala, followed by Jinja murti pratishtha on 1 February 1960, and finally the third pratishtha in Tororo on 22 February 1960. There were thousands in attendance at each of the mandirs and these mandirs became centres of spiritual and social development for the wider community. In this way, Yogiji Maharaj created three wonderful mandirs in Uganda. (Today in Africa, there are over 30 mandirs, with many more centres.) Everyone felt that these sadhus did not just conduct parayans or home visits; they also created mandirs and Satsang centres to provide the essence of Indian culture and Sanatan Hindu Dharma. After covering over 20,000 miles and sanctifying 103 villages and cities, Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami returned to India from Africa in June 1960. Diksha to nine yogeshwars in 1960 Soon after his return to Mumbai in India, Yogiji Maharaj gave parshadi diksha to nine educated youths on 3 July 1960. These included Mahant Swami, Kothari Swami, Tyagvallabh Swami, Ishwarcharan Swami and Viveksagar Swami. These parshads were later to become sadhus when Yogiji Maharaj intitiated 51 sadhus in Gadhada in 1961. On this occasion, Swamishri also addressed the parshads and passed on his best wishes. He also mentioned: “Through this feat, Shri Yogi Bapa has entrenched the foundations of the Sanstha all the way to the core of the earth.”

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SOUTH INDIA

Setback for Karnataka CM as court rejects closure report in land case BENGALURU: In another setback for Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, a special court for cases related to elected representatives dismissed the ‘Breport that had been filed by the Lokayukta police seeking closure of investigation against him in a 15-year-old case relating to denotification of prime land in Bengaluru. The court also directed the Lokayukta police to expedite the investigation and furnish the final or additional report. Judge Sridhar Gopalakrishna Bhat noted, “The B-report submitted by the investigating officer under Section 173(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code is hereby rejected. Consequently, acting under Section 156(3) of CrPC, the Deputy Superintendent of Police attached to the police wing of

Karnataka Lokayukta, Bengaluru, is hereby directed to investigate the matter further in the light of the observation made in this order and to file a final report expeditiously as per law.” The court also reminded the investigating officer to keep in mind the observations made by the Karnataka High Court with regard to delay in conducting an investigation. The case pertains

to the denotification of prime land in 2006 in the erstwhile Bellandur and Devarabeesanahalli village limits, close to the Outer Ring Road on the Varthur-Whitefield IT corridor and BS Yediyurappa valued at over £10 million. The land was acquired in 2000-2001 for an IT park. However, in 2006-07, Yediyurappa who was the Deputy Chief Minister in the Janata Dal Secular-BJP coalition government, denotified the land, according to a private complaint lodged by Vasudeva Reddy with the Lokayukta court, alleging irregularities. The court directed the

Lokayukta police to register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which was done on February 21, 2015. In December 2020, Chief Minister Yediyurappa had filed a petition in the High Court seeking quashing of the case. He had contended that the High Court had quashed the same FIR against the then Industries minister and Congress leader R V Deshpande on October 9, 2015. He told the court that the investigation against him based on the same FIR was illegal, but the court rejected his argument. Dismissing the petition, Justice John Michael Cunha directed the police to intensify the investigation. The Lokayukta police then filed a B-report seeking closure of the investigation, which Reddy had challenged.

PUNJAB

Arvind Kejriwal’s free power promise intensifies poll battle in Punjab New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's promise of “free power'' in Punjab on the lines of Delhi has electrified the electoral battle in the state and posed a big challenge to the ruling Congress and the main opposition parties SAD and BJP. A day ahead of his visit to Chandigarh, the AAP leader also claimed that women in Punjab are very unhappy with rising inflation. "...In Delhi we provide 200 units of free electricity to every family. The women are very happy. Women in Punjab are also very unhappy with inflation. If the AAP comes to power in the state, it will also provide free electricity in Punjab. Kejriwal had earlier said that AAP will field a Jat Sikh as its CM face in the upcoming assembly polls and now he has

promised free power, which the party is likely to use as a major poll plank in Punjab polls. It may be noted that Kejriwal’s promise of providing cheap power and free water to millions of Delhi households had played a major role in his party’s victory in the last assembly polls in Delhi. The AAP convenor, who has announced to scrap and renegotiate the lopsided power purchase agreements with private companies which run power plants in Punjab, wants to use his ‘free power’ promise as a trump card to woo voters during the crucial electoral battle in Punjab. Punjab's main opposition party AAP had alleged that "faulty" power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed during the tenure of the erstwhile SAD-BJP government

were adversely affecting the state's power utility. Sikh bodies to raise ‘Bargari Morcha’ The Sikh radical parties have decided to revive the Bargari Insaf Morcha and another agitation to trace the whereabouts of 328 Saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) ahead of the political campaign in Punjab. Jarnail Singh Sakhira, a close confidant of officiating parallel Jathedar of Akal Takht Bhai Dhian Singh Mand said that they would resume the Bargari Insaf Morcha in near future. The Morcha had begun on June 1, 2018, seeking justice for the sacrilege of SGGS in 2015. Despite vowing to not end the morcha before reaching a logical conclusion, Mand lifted

Arvind Kejriwal

the morcha in December 2018 after promises by the government that were never fulfilled. Mand who was elected as the officiating parallel Jathedar of Akal Takht during a gathering of Sikhs held under the name of ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ had in recent past arrived at Golden Temple to seek forgiveness from Almighty for lifting the morcha and had also sought an apology from the ‘sangat’.

WEST BENGAL

Bengal Governor forced to cut short address in Assembly amid ruckus KOLKATA: The opening session of the newly constituted West Bengal Assembly last week got off to a stormy start as Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was forced to cut short his inaugural speech amid ruckus by opposition BJP MLAs who took offence after finding “no mention” of postpoll violence in the address. The Governor arrived at the Assembly and was received by Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay. He started reading out the address and skipped the middle portion of it. While concluding, Dhankhar read out the portion where it was mentioned that a section of the group in society is trying to divide people of Bengal and obstructing the state government’s beneficiary schemes, and that’s when the BJP legislators started shouting. Dhankhar could barely speak for

inaudible. Amid sloganeering, Dhankhar tabled the speech after reading a few lines from an 18-page address approved by the state Cabinet. “There was no mention of post-poll violence in the Governor’s speech which happened after the counting of the election Governor Jagdeep Dhankar and Mamata Banerjee results. Surprisingly, in the draft, it was mentioned four minutes as BJP MLAs, that there was no post-poll carrying posters and pictures of violence in Bengal. We felt that alleged victims of post-poll it may be possible that he was violence, rushed to the well of saddened with the content of the House to stage a protest. To the speech drafted by the CM counter them, TMC MLAs, too, and that is why he cut short his shouted denying BJP’s speech,’’ said Leader of allegations. Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. According to the Assembly On June 28, after returning from sources, the Governor began his his north Bengal trip, Dhankhar speech at 2 pm and ended it at said he had requested the CM to 2.04 pm, as his voice became make changes to the speech but

she turned down the proposal saying it was approved by her cabinet. "If they write anything in the address which is unconstitutional... will I read that? Every address has to conform to constitutional parameters and boundaries," Dhankhar had said. Mamata accused Dhankhar of being a "corrupt man"; "This governor's name was in the Jain Hawala case. But they have cleared it from the court. There is a PIL. But the PIL is pending. What you want to know? He is a corrupt man, I am sorry to say," she said. For his part, in May, moments after Mamata took oath for the third time, the governor chose to raise the violence and reminded her of her duty to control law and order in the state.

in brief 1 MILLION SAPLINGS PLANTED IN AN HOUR About one million saplings were planted in an hour as part of the Green India Challenge in Telangana on Sunday, setting a new record for the largest such plantation drive anywhere in the world. The event led by Telangana Rashtra Samiti Rajya Sabha MP J Santosh Kumar in Adilabad is expected to enter Guinness Book World Records. The earlier record of 303,000 saplings was registered in Turkey in 2019. Over 30,000 TRS members, as well as locals, participated in the drive along with Telangana's forest and environment minister A Indra Karan Reddy, who also marked his birthday with the mammoth plantation event. At least 500,000 saplings were planted using the Miyawaki model in the degenerated forest area spread over 200 acres.

KARNATAKA FURTHER EASES COVID RESTRICTIONS In the wake of Karnataka registering more number of recoveries, the state government announced further relaxations in Covid-19related restrictions allowing certain activities, including re-opening of religious places and conducting of weddings. The relaxations would be in place for the next 15 days from July 6, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said after chairing a meeting with his Cabinet colleagues and senior officials. "Shops, restaurants, malls, and private offices have to enforce Covid-appropriate behaviour failing which action will be initiated under the Disaster Management Act, 2005," Yediyurappa said. Educational institutions, tutorials and colleges would remain shut until further orders, he said. Night curfew would continue to be in force from 9 PM to 5 AM the next day, he said.

HARYANA CM ASKS FARMERS NOT TO CROSS LIMITS Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, facing resistance from farmers protesting the three central agriculture laws, said that political leaders have been patient in the face of protests but it "won't be good for anyone to cross their limit". The warning comes after a clash broke out between anti-farm law protesters camping out at the Uttar PradeshDelhi border at Ghazipur and the local BJP workers. "The word kisan (farmer) is pure and everyone holds them in high regard. Due to a few unfortunate incidents the word has become tarnished," Khattar said. On reports that political leaders have been facing intense protests by farmers when they visit villages in the state, Khattar said those running the government have a responsibility to meet people.

HC SLAMS BENGAL GOVT ON POST-POLL VIOLENCE The Calcutta high court asked the West Bengal government to “register” all post-poll violence complaints lodged with it or the National Human Rights Commission, adding that the NHRC report had “established prima facie” that there had been post-poll violence. A number of persons were killed, the HC said after a “perusal” of the interim NHRC report, adding: “Many suffered sexual violence and grievous injuries. Even minor girls were not spared. They have been brutally assaulted sexually. Properties were damaged and a number of them were forced to leave their homes and migrate to neighbouring states. We may make it clear that we are not making the interim report public as the matter is still being investigated,” the HC said, repeating that “only an interim report” had been filed. Before passing any final order, opportunity shall be granted to all parties to place their cases,” the HC added.

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INDIA 25

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10 - 16 July 2021

Growing from strength to strength, Cong, BJP spar as France influential people join AAP launches probe over Rafale deal The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) convoy is increasing day by day in Gujarat with eminent personalities joining the party. The AAP has been trying to make inroads into Gujarat since its inception in 2013. In 2021, led by its Gujarat president Gopal Italia, AAP fielded 469 candidates for 576 seats in six municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar. While the party couldn’t manage to win even a single seat in the remaining five corporations, it won 27 seats in Surat, replacing Congress as the main opposition to the ruling BJP in the Surat Municipal Corporation. The AAP has succeeded in inducting two influential people - journalist Isudan Gadhvi and philanthropist businessman Mahesh Samani - in the presence of Delhi chief minister and party chief Arvind Kejriwal and deputy CM Manish Sisodia. Gadhvi, a former news anchor for a regional channel, said he quit his job in the media since his power to help people was limited as a journalist. “Power lies with the elected political leaders. I have joined politics to remove the dirt in the system,” he said. Savani is known for organising mass weddings for orphaned woman. He also runs hostels for HIV positive girls in

Gopal Italia

Surat. In May, he supplied hundreds of generators in the villages in Saurashtra region affected by Cyclone Tauktae. “I have joined politics to replicate my work in Surat across Gujarat. I was impressed with the AAP government’s style of running schools in Delhi during my visit to the Capital,” he said. Samani’s induction into AAP is said to have shocked the BJP, which had been trying to woo him for a long time. He belongs to the Leuva Patel community which is highly influential in Surat and the southern districts of Gujarat. observers Political believe that the AAP has decent chances to get its foot in the door in Surat, the epicentre of the Patidar community’s massive agitation in 2016 demanding reservation. The AAP had made a smart move to field the leaders of Patidar Andolan Samiti (PAS) on its ticket in the corporation election after the Congress refused to give them election tickets. As a result, AAP made inroads in Surat while

Congress was wiped out. Last week AAP leaders were allegedly attacked by a mob in Junagadh district. The incident took place during a campaign tour as the AAP is looking to expand its presence in states like Gujarat and Punjab, where Assembly elections will be held next year. Kejriwal tweeted, “If people like Isudan and Maheshbhai are being attacked, nobody is safe in Gujarat. This violence is your frustration and is your defeat. Win the hearts of the people by giving them facilities; don’t scare the opposition by attacking them. They will not be afraid.” Both Gadhvi and Savani escaped unhurt, but one of their leaders was injured in the attack. He also spoke to CM Vijay Rupani, urging him to file an FIR against the miscreants. “Spoke to Vijay Rupani ji. Urged him to file FIR, arrest the culprits, ensure strong action against culprits and ensure protection of AAP leaders and workers,” the Delhi CM tweeted. While both AAP and the Congress are confident of toppling the BJP this time in Narendra Modi’s backyard, it will be interesting to see how the new political equations and the new narratives take shape in Gujarat. A stronger AAP may eventually give a push to BJP to rise from its complacency.

A fresh political fight broke out over the Rafale deal, following reports in the French media that a judicial investigation has been launched over allegations levelled by an anti-corruption NGO. Congress demanded a joint parliamentary committee probe, while BJP said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was being used as a “pawn” by competing defence companies. “Corruption in the Rafale deal has come out clearly now. The stand of Congress and Rahul Gandhi has been vindicated after the French government ordered a probe,” said AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, pointing to reports of the investigation ordered by the French public prosecution agency into the £5.9 billion deal. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra cited the SC verdict and the comptroller and auditor general’s report, which had found no wrongdoing in the defence deal between the Indian and French governments, to reject Congress’ allegations. Reports of a middleman in the deal were about an individual named and investigated for a UPA-era defence contract. According to French media reports, the judicial investigation has been ordered by the country’s national financial prosecu-

tors’ office, following investigative website Mediapart’s claims in April of wrongdoings in the deal as well as a complaint filed by French NGO Sherpa that specialises in financial crimes. The highly sensitive probe into the inter-governmental deal signed in 2016 was formally opened on June 14th,” Mediapart said. Mediapart journalist Yann Philippin, who filed a series of reports on the deal, said a first complaint was “buried” in 2019 by a former PNF chief. In April, Mediapart, citing an investigation by the country’s anti-corruption agency, reported that Dassault Aviation had paid about one million euros to an Indian middleman. Dassault Aviation has rejected the allegations of corruption, saying no violations were reported in the frame of the contract. Surjewala attacked the

'Pitruvandana' - a virtual tribute to all Fathers Fathers are the solid foundation of our lives. They are the strength we rely on as we take our first step in the world. Fathers can be tender, tough, fragile or powerful but they are probably the most uncomplicated love we will ever know. Father’s Day is celebrated annually on the third Sunday of June. ABPL Group's weekly newspapers, 'Gujarat Samachar' and 'Asian Voice' organized a unique event named 'Pitruvandana' on the occasion of Father's Day on 20 June 2021, on Zoom platform from 3 pm to 6 pm (BST). The programme was managed by famous announcer Tushar Joshi. He initiated the programme by wishing his father and commemorating the memories spent with him. He said it is the father who protects his children. The father explains the importance of hard work at every step of life. He said that C B Patel, the Editor/Publisher of Gujarat Samachar' and 'Asian Voice', was advised by his father to work in the field of education and with this Gyanyagna he started the ABPL group. Famous singer Maayaben Deepak presented a song composed by Punit Maharaj,” Bhulo Bhale Biju Badhu Maa-Baap ne Bhulsho Nahi.” She also dedicated a song from a movie named “Hum Sath Sath Hai”. Ms Jyoti Gurnani, Assistant Sales and Marketing Manager, ABPL Group, wished all the viewers and paid condolences to the parents who lost their lives in the pandemic. Renowned doctor from Ahmedabad Dr Prashant Bhimani joined the event from USA. Dr Bhimani said, “I loved the word ‘Pitruvandana’. Usually, people believe fathers are an obstacle, but he is the only person who removes all the problems from one’s life. Father is the one who guides and instructs the right path of life". My father,

Prashant Bhimani and Ruchi Ghanshyam

Harish Bhimani, once guided me in my difficult times and said, we have to show the world who we are”. And this sentence helped me a lot. Dr Bhimani explained the relations between father and child. Parents are believed to be our God who gives us everything. He described Mr CB Patel as one the best persons and a brilliant personality and praised him. Mrs. MeenaTrivedi, who received her musical training from Bhartiya Vidhya Bhavan and settled in the UK, presented various melodious songs for sons and daughters. Mrs. Vandana Somaiya, born in Africa and learned Hindustani classical music from her father, presented melodic song, “Tora Man Darpan Kahelaaye”, “Tumhi ho Mata, Pita Tumhi ho.” Former High Commissioner of India to the UK, Mrs. Ruchi Ghanshyam wished Happy Father's Day to all the fathers of the world. Sharing her views, she said,” father is like an enormous tree and in that tree’s shadow, the children will feel safe. Children learn a lot from him. Father plays an important role in shaping the future of his children. Talking about her father, she said, “her father used to spend enough time to help her in her studies. In India, mothers give more attention to household chores, cooking etc, but

fathers always encourage their children to study more and choose the right direction in life. She also recalled the golden time she spent with her father. Consulting Editor of Gujarat Samachar, UK, Mrs. Jyotsna Shah’s son and Managing Director of KKR and Head of Legal and Compliance, India Mr Jigar Shah said, "my father was very special to me. He took all the responsibilities as a guardian of our whole family from a young age. We recently lost him". Mumbai based Chandrakantbhai Khatri of Umang Publication said, “In foreign culture only a day is marked to remember our parents but in our Indian culture, we mark 15 days i.e. Shraddha Paksha in the loving memories of our parents. Valuable readers Harshaben Pandya, Sureshbhai Patel and Tarlaben Modha also shared sweet memories and praised the initiate of celebrating Father’s day virtually. The event was attended by dignitaries of various organizations. Lord Jitesh Gadhia’s mother Shrimati Hansaben Gadhia, Kantibhai Nagda, Vimalji Odedra, and Jitubhai Gadhvi were special invitees at the function. CB Patel thanked everyone and said, “Father is not just a term but a feeling that comes with huge responsibilities. He is the one who makes us believe that no matter what happens, there's someone who always stood like a rock behind us. As Dr. Bhimani said, “we should accept the flaws of each and everyone. For me the path to beatitude is service through the media.” To make this event more memorable, Kokilaben and the ABPL team worked hard. Tusharbhai concluded the event by thanking each and everyone. Around 200 people joined the virtual celebration.

government, saying, “When the French government has accepted that there is corruption in the deal, should a JPC probe be not held in the country where the corruption took place?” He added that the demand should not be seen through a partisan political lens, but viewed as a concern for national security. “Will the Prime Minister, like the French, now answer to the nation and tell when will he submit his government to a JPC probe into the Rafale scam?” AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted: “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth, said Lord Buddha.” Patra countered Congress, saying, “The way Rahul Gandhi is behaving, it will not be an exaggeration to say that he is being used as a pawn by competing companies. He has been lying right from the beginning on the issue.”

After India threat, 9 European nations approve Covishield vaccine A day after India threatened to put European visitors under mandatory quarantine, Switzerland, Iceland and seven European Union countries approved Covishield, the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India. Government sources said Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Estonia and Spain have confirmed accepting Covishield for travel entry. Iceland and Switzerland, which too have allowed Covishield for travel to the country, are not part of EU. Estonia has confirmed that it will recognise all vaccines authorised by the Indian government - Covishield and Covaxin - for travel of Indians to Estonia. Sources said India will extend the same approvals to citizens of these countries. Foreign minister S Jaishankar had raised the matter of approving Indian vaccines with EU high representative Joseph Borell Fontanelles. Meanwhile, Serum Institute has submitted an application to the European Medicines Agency for approval for the Green Pass. Serum officials were quoted as saying that they expected the EMA clearance in a month. Covaxin is yet to be cleared by the WHO and it is expected that EMA will okay it after that approval is granted. Some other countries are also tending towards accepting Indian vaccines. India has requested EU member states to individually consider extending exemption to those people who have taken Covishield and Covaxin and said it would institute a reciprocal policy for recognition of the EU Digital Covid Certificate, according to sources.

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PM Modi to reshuffle cabinet by inducting new ministers Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mega cabinet reshuffle, the first in his second term, will be announced on Wednesday at 6 pm. The new cabinet will be the youngest ever in India's history, top government sources said. The average age will be the lowest ever after the revamp, there will be more women ministers and special representation will be given to those who have administrative experience, sources said. "Overall two dozen OBCs (Other Backward Class) will be represented. The plan is to involve the smaller communities," they said. The average education will also be higher, with "PhDs, MBAs, post-graduates and professionals", the sources say. Special focus will be on each state and even region in

states, the sources said. Most importantly, the changes are likely to factor in polls in five states next year and the 2024 national election. Some of the probable ministers, who have arrived or are heading to Delhi, include Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sarbananda Sonowal, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)'s Pashupati Paras, Narayan Rane and Varun Gandhi. Jyotiraditya Scindia was seen offering prayers at Ujjain's famous Mahakal temple, hours before he took a flight to Delhi. "I was on a visit to Ujjain. After completing my visit here, I'm going to Delhi," said Scindia, whose switch to the BJP last year contributed to the Congress' collapse in Madhya Pradesh. Former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who agreed

to give up the Chief Minister's post in Assam for Himanta Biswa Sarma after the BJP's re-election, is also set to be a Union Minister. So is Pashupati Paras, who led the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) coup in Bihar against ex-Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's son Chirag Paswan. Paras, spotted shopping for a kurta, clammed up when asked whether he had received an invite from Delhi and said: "Raaz ko raaz rehne do (let secrets be)". Sources close to him say he received a call from Home Minister Amit Shah and promptly took a flight to Delhi. Union Social Justice Minister Thawarchand Gehlot's appointment as Governor of Karnataka has left a significant vacancy in the government. His Rajya Sabha term was till April

Pushkar Singh Dhami takes oath as 11th Uttarakhand CM Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday took oath as the 11th chief minister of Uttarakhand, a day after he was elected as the leader of the BJP's legislature party in the hill state, thus paving the way for his elevation as to the state's top post. Dhami was administered oath of office by governor Baby Rani Maurya at the Raj Bhavan in Dehradun. At 45, Dhami, the lawmaker from the Khatima assembly constituency, is the youngest chief minister of Uttarakhand, which came into existence in November 2000 after being carved out of Uttar Pradesh. Dhami, who had never held any ministerial position before being elevated as the chief minister, succeeds Garhwal MP Tirath Singh Rawat, who resigned on Friday. Rawat himself succeeded Trivendra Singh Rawat, and was in office for only around four months.

Dhami was a "unanimous" choice of all 56 members of the BJP's legislature party, according to former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat. "We're sure that Uttarakhand will attain new heights of development in the coming period under his leadership," Rawat said. Earlier, Tirath Singh Rawat's resignation came amid uncertainty over the by-polls he was required to win to continue as the chief minister. According to rules, he had six months from his swearing in, which took place on March 10, to be elected as a member of

the legislative assembly to continue in the post. However, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has the option to not conduct by-polls if the term of the assembly is expiring in less than a year. Under this scenario, Rawat would have become ineligible to stay in office. Assembly elections in Uttarakhand are likely to take place in early 2022. In the previous elections, in 2017, the BJP won 56 of the state's 70 assembly constituencies. BJP leader Trivendra Singh Rawat was then sworn in as the chief minister then.

Big win for BJP in UP local body polls, setback for Akhilesh Yadav The BJP clinched a massive victory in local body elections in Uttar Pradesh, in a big setback for Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party. The BJP took 67 seats in the zila panchayat chairperson election where 75 seats were at stake. Yadav's party won only five seats. The Rashtriya Lok Dal, Jansatta Dal and an independent candidate won one seat each. In comparison, back in the same election in 2016, Yadav's party took 60 of the 75 seats. Those analysing the elections, however, say the local body polls are unlikely to be any indicator of which direction the wind will blow in the assembly election next year, which will also serve as an ultimate test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of the BJP. Yet, the local body elections are being keenly watched. Samajwadi Party workers who held a street protest alleging rigging in the local

body election in Prayagraj, formerly Allahabad, were met with police baton charge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the win: "The glorious victory of BJP in the UP District Panchayat elections is the blessing given by the people for development, public service and rule of law. The credit for this goes to the policies of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the tireless hard work of the party workers." "The BJP has won 67 out of 75 district panchayat chairperson seats. We will win 2022 assembly elections also," UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh said. Twenty-one BJP candidates and one from Samajwadi Party got elected unopposed earlier. Uttar Pradesh has some 3,000 zila panchayat members. This election will choose chairpersons for the state's 75 districts.

2024, so a leader who is not a member of either house of parliament can be brought into the council of ministers Narendra Modi and can be elected to the he started his second term in 2019. Rajya Sabha on Gehlot's remaining The expansion is likely to factor in term. polls in five states next year and the Dinesh Trivedi and Jitin 2024 national election. Before the Prasada, who switched to the BJP exercise, PM Modi carried out a from the Trinamool and the month-long review of ministers' Congress, fit the slot. Others performance, especially during the camping in Delhi are Anupriya second wave of Covid in April-May, Patel (Apna Dal), Pankaj which had the government facing Chowdhury, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, unprecedented criticism in the Ramshankar Katheria, Lallan Singh country and abroad. and Rahul Kaswan. The Union Ministry of Cooperation Cabinet, which can have 81 carved out members, currently has 53 Ahead of PM Modi's cabinet ministers. This means 28 ministers reshuffle a new ministry - Ministry can be added. of Cooperation - has been PM Modi is making changes to launched. his cabinet for the first time since

Seven governors moved, a union minister joins their group Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected cabinet expansion, a different shuffle saw seven governors swapping states and Union Minister Thawarchand Gehlot becoming a governor. Thawarchand Gehlot, 83, will take over as Governor of Karnataka. He was Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment and also the BJP's Rajya Sabha leader. His shift not just creates a vacancy in the government but also takes him out of party politics. "I have served the BJP for long. Whatever responsibility I was given, I did well," Gehlot said, denying any resentment at being moved to a ceremonial role. "I am not upset with anyone. I will resign as a minister and also quit as BJP member." PS Sreedharan Pillai, the Governor of Mizoram, has been moved to Goa. Satyadev Narayan Arya,

Haryana Governor, will shift to Tripura. Tripura Governor Ramesh Bais has been transferred to Jharkhand. Bandaru Dattatraya, the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, will take over as Governor of Haryana. Hari Babu Kambhampati will be Mizoram Governor. Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel will be Governor of Madhya Pradesh. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has been named Governor of Himachal Pradesh. There are a "record number of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class (OBC) governors, said sources. "Three Jat leaders are currently serving as governors – such respect is unparalleled," a BJP leader said. Among them, Jagdeep Dhankar, the Governor of West Bengal, has had a controversial term dominated by run-ins with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Acharya Devvrat

(Gujarat) and Satyapal Malik (Meghalaya) are also from the Jat community. Besides Gehlot, other senior leaders from the Scheduled Caste community made Governor are Rajendra Arlekar, Satyadev Narayan Arya and Baby Rani Maurya (current Uttarakhand Governor). According to the BJP, Governors Mangubhai Patel and Anysuiya Uikey represent tribal communities. Key governorships are held by leaders who have worked for OBC aspirations, said BJP leaders. Phagu Chauhan, the Governor of Bihar, belongs to the Lonia community. Others representing tribals are Ramesh Bais, Bandaru Dattatraya, Ganga Prasad Chaurasiya and Tamilisai Soundararajan. BJP leaders also pointed to leading Muslim faces who are Governors Arif Mohammad Khan (Kerala) and Najma Heptulla (Manipur).

India reports over 400,000 Covid-19 deaths so far India became the third country in the world to report over 400,000 Covid-19 deaths after US and Brazil. Apart from these, Mexico is the only other country to have registered more than 200,000 deaths. There are ten countries where more than 100,000 people have succumbed to Covid or related complications. With 600,000 deaths, US is at the top of this list and is followed by Brazil (520,000), India (400,000), Mexico (230,000) and Peru with 190,000 deaths. The others with five figure death tolls are Russia, UK, Italy, France and Colombia. Among these countries, India’s deaths per million population is by far the lowest at 287. It’s 916 in Russia and between 1,000 and 2,000 for France, Mexico, the US, and UK. Among these countries, the ratio is

highest for Peru, which has seen 5,765 deaths for every million of its population. For Colombia, Italy and Brazil, the other three countries that have seen over a 100,000 deaths so far, the death per million ratio is over 2,000 but less than 3,000. India’s case fatality rate (deaths per 100 infections) is 1.3, which again is the lowest among these countries. When compared to other large Asian countries (both economy and population) and its neighbourhood, however, India’s death per million ratio is among the highest. Except for Nepal, which has seen 308 deaths per million of its population, most of these countries have a lower ratio than India. The Philippines and Indonesia are the only other countries where this ratio exceeded 200.

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10 - 16 July 2021

Cocktail Covid doses may provide higher protection, study finds A study backed by the UK government finds that mixing and matching Covid-19 vaccines may result in higher protection against the virus. People vaccinated with AstraZeneca for their first dose, and topped up with Pfizer, had nine times more antibodies than those who took two AstraZeneca doses. Researchers of the Oxford University said the findings strongly suggested the approach could enhance immunity, although, antibodies are just one part of the immune response. Chief investigator of the study, Professor Matthew

Snape said the UK should stick to its standard dosing regimen because it was proving to work in the real world. He warned there was a danger of complicating the hugely successful roll-out, which has seen four-fifths of the adult population getting at least one vaccine. Speaking in a press brief, he said, “The default has to stay to what is proven to work.” Scientists of the study said the findings opened the door for more flexible rollouts in countries with limited supplies. They will continue to monitor 830 participants in the trial to see how

much protection the 'mix and match' strategy provides against Covid in the real world. Published in The Lancet, the study looked at the efficacy of either two doses of Pfizer, two of AstraZeneca, or one of them followed by the other. The Com-Cov trial found that AstraZeneca's vaccine followed by Pfizer's induced higher levels of antibodies and T cells than vice versa. The mix-match approach produced more antibodies than two regular doses of AstraZeneca's, no matter which way round the jabs were given. All second

Why Emotional Strength Is the Key to Personal Growth doses were given four weeks apart and the trial recruited 830 volunteers who were aged 50 and above. All combinations worked well, priming the immune system. The largest antibody levels were induced after two doses of Pfizer, and the highest T cell response was from AstraZeneca's followed by Pfizer. Prof Snape said the findings will give officials confidence that in case the Covid situation in the country changes, there are different dosing strategies that are safe and highly effective.

5 Ayurveda rules to follow for better gut health Ayurveda is an all-encompassing science that provides guidelines to help improve one's lifestyle. It especially gives great guidance on what to eat to boost digestion. Following are some Ayurvedic guidelines for better gut health. 1) Eat only when hungry. This means, eat only after your previous meal has been digested completely. Listen to your body, react accordingly, and rediscover how it feels to be really hungry. 2) Eat slowly, without

distraction. When your parents tell you to shut down the TV or iPad while eating, listen! Sit down when you eat, and eat with as little distraction as possible. 3) Eat the right quantity. Listen to your body and eat to the point when you feel satisfied, and not heavy. Everybody has different needs, stomach sizes, and metabolic speeds. 4) Warm meals. The ideal foods to consume are freshly prepared meals. If you avoid any food that comes straight from the

fridge, you will preserve your digestive enzymes. 5) Avoid incompatible

food items. Case in point, fruits and milk, fish and milk, etc.

Study finds correlation between physical exercise, sleep A new study has found that those with the least active schedules, and poor sleep quality, are most at risk of death from heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, findings of the study revealed both physical inactivity and poor sleep are independently associated with a heightened risk of death and/or cardiovascular disease and cancer. Researchers drew on information provided by 380,055 middle-aged men and women participating in the UK Biobank study. It is tracking the long-term health of more than half a million 37-73 year olds, who were recruited from across the UK between 2006 and 2010. Participants supplied information on their normal weekly physical activity levels, which were measured in Metabolic Equivalent of Task minutes. For example, 600 MET minutes a week is the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, or more than 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity a week. Physical activity levels were categorised as: high

(1200 or more MET minutes/week); medium (600 to less than 1200); or low (1 to less than 600); and no moderate to vigorous physical activity, according to World Health Organization guidelines. Sleep quality was categorised using a 0-5 sleep score derived from chronotype ('night owl' or 'morning lark' preference), sleep duration, insomnia, snoring, and daytime sleepiness: healthy (4 ); intermediate (2-3); or poor (0-1). Participants' health was then tracked for an average of 11 years up to May 2020 or death, whichever came first, to assess their risk of dying from any cause as well as from all types of cardiovascular disease; coronary heart disease; stroke; all types of cancer; and lung cancer. The lower the sleep score, the higher were the risks of death from any cause, from all types of cardiovascular disease, and from ischaemic stroke. Lower levels of physical activity amplified the unfavourable associations between poor sleep and all health outcomes, with the exception of stroke. While

this is an observational study, and can't establish causality, the study also relied on self-reported data, and the key information on sleep patterns and physical activity was collected at one point in time only. The researchers concluded, “Physical activity levels at or above the WHO

guideline threshold eliminated most of the deleterious associations of poor sleep with mortality. As emerging evidence supports a synergistic effect of sleep and physical activity on health outcomes, future trials concurrently targeting both behaviours are warranted.”

Psychologist Mamta Saha Feelings and emotions are often confused to mean the same thing. What exactly are emotions? Where do emotions originate and how do they impact our daily life? Emotions are feelings such as happiness, disappointment, and anger. Emotions have both physiological and cognitive elements that affect behaviour. Faced with a bullying boss, the anger you feel may lead you respond aggressively. Every emotional experience brings various physiological changes like increase in heart rate, sweating and psychological changes like changes in levels of attention and motivation within us. Experts still have many questions about the brain’s role in a range of emotions but have identified the origins of fear, anger, happiness, and love. According to studies the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and hypothalamus of the brain play a role in the origin of emotion. Emotions can have a positive and negative effect. Fear, anger, and jealousy can be harmful to an individual’s development, studies suggest that negative emotions lead to chronic stress, hormonal imbalance, and in some cases lead to hypertension. Positive emotions like joy, amusement, curiosity, and happiness lead to faster recovery, better sleep, and contribute to positive attitudes like gratitude and serenity. Have you ever said something out of anger and later regretted? Do you let fear talk you out of taking the jump that could really benefit you? If so, you are not alone. Emotions have a certain power over our thoughts. Research suggests, when making judgements people often ask themselves “how do I feel about this” in such cases positive affect leads to a more positive evaluation and a negative affect leads to a negative judgment. Emotions can also influence the quality of decisions we make. For Example, anger can lead to impatient decision making and if excited we make quicker decisions without considering implications. Gaining control over your emotions will help you become mentally stronger. Emotional strength is necessary as it involves many facets of our life. Ignoring your emotions will not make them go away. Before you can change how you feel, it is important to acknowledge what you are experiencing. Labelling how you feel can take the judgment out of the emotion. It can also help you take careful note of how those feelings will affect your decisions. Reframe your thoughts. Consider the emotional filter you are looking at the world through. Then, reframe your thoughts to develop a more realistic and accepting view. Building emotional strength will help you gain selfacceptance, enable you to love yourself more while still striving for self-improvement. You will be able to enjoy life to its fullest when you turn challenges into opportunities for growth. As your emotional strength increases, you will feel more confident in the decisions you make. Remember, Emotional strength does not mean you are perfect, it just means you have the skills to cope with whatever life hands you to win your inner game. Grab your free ebook now for deeper insights for yourself www.mamtasaha.com. Until next time, good luck x

Add folate, Vit B12 to tea to counter health issues in women A new study has suggested Indian women add folate and vitamin B12 to tea to counter the high levels of anemia and neural tube defects. Published in the online journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention and Health, the study divided 43 young women from Maharashtra into three groups. They were asked to use teabags laced with therapeutic doses of 1 mg folate plus one group took 0.1 vitamin B12, another took 0.5 mg, and the third group used unfortified teabags in their daily cuppa for two months. Their serum vitamin and haemoglobin levels

were compared at the beginning and end of the study period. Most women had anemia with low to normal serum folate and below-normal serum vitamin B12 levels at the start of the study. After 2 months, there were significant average increases in serum folate levels of 8.37 ng/ml and 6.69 ng/ml in groups 1 and 2, respectively, compared with a rise of 1.26 ng/ml among the women in group 0. Serum vitamin B12 levels rose to more than 300 pg/ml in more than half of the women in group 1 and in two-thirds of those in group 2. Average haemoglobin levels also

rose by 1.45 g/dl in group 1 and by 0.79 g/dl in group 2. It was therefore found that a single daily cup might provide an ideal vehicle for fortification with these water-soluble vitamins. Study authors pointed out that this was a feasibility study, involving small numbers of participants, so large comparative studies would be needed before any firm conclusions could be drawn. They, however, suggested that fortified tea could potentially be used in India for all those with either borderline or low folate, and as a lower dose

to ensure those on a nutritionally poor diet can still get these two nutrients every day. They concluded, “Tea is an outstanding scalable vehicle for fortification with folate and vitamin B12 in India, and has the potential to help eliminate haematological and neurological complications arising from inadequate dietary consumption or absorption of folate and vitamin B12.”

ART & CULTURE

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‘Every day, we wish she were still with us’ Prince William and Prince Harry unveiled a statue of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace on what would have been her 60th Birthday on 1 July. The statue was commissioned by the brothers in 2017 to memorialise their mother and mark the twentieth anniversary of her death. Prince William and Prince Harry wanted the statue to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world, and help future generations understand the significance of her place in history. The unveiling took place at a small family event attended by The Princess’ siblings: The Earl Spencer, The Lady Sarah McCorquodale, and The Lady Jane Fellowes, in addition to the Statue Committee, the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, garden designer Pip Morrison and Chair of Historic Royal Palaces, Rupert Gavin. The statue aims to reflect the warmth, elegance and energy of Diana, Princess of Wales, in addition to her work and the impact she had on so many people. The figure of Diana, Princess of Wales is surrounded by three children who represent the universality and generational impact of The Princess’ work. The portrait and style of dress were based on the final period of her life as she gained confidence in her role as an ambassador for humanitarian causes and aims to convey her character and compassion. Beneath the statue is a plinth engraved with The Princess’ name and the date of the unveiling. In front of the statue is a paving stone engraved with an extract after the poem The Measure of A Man which featured in the programme for the 2007 memorial service for The Princess: “These are the units to measure the worth Of this woman as a woman regardless of birth. Not what was her station?

The Beatles And India A brand new single has been released, taken from the companion album to a major documentary exploring The Beatles’ lasting legacy from their culturally groundbreaking time spent in India. ‘Mother Nature’s Son’ by producer Karsh Kale and vocalist Benny Dayal is the second track taken from the album to be released from The Beatles and India: Songs Inspired by the Film, which features interpretations of songs that The Beatles were inspired to write from their time in India, by contemporary artists of Indian heritage. The Beatles And India film is the first serious exploration of how India shaped the development of the greatest ever rock band and their own pioneering role bridging two vastly different cultures. Premiering earlier in June at the UK Asian Film Festival, the film won two awards for Best Film Audience Choice and Best Music. It will now also feature at upcoming film festivals in Thessaloniki, Greece, Gent, Belgium, and Valladolid, Spain across the coming months, before a wider distribution in Autumn. The Beatles and India: Songs Inspired by the Film will also feature artists such as Vishal Dadlani, Kiss Nuka, Dhruv Ghanekar, and Nikhil D’Souza who released the first single from the album, ‘India, India’.

LIGHT, WATER, MOVEMENT AND LAUGHTER

Prince William and Prince Harry look on at the statue of their mother, Princess Diana

But had she a heart? How did she play her God-given part?” The bronze statue was sculpted by Ian Rank-Broadley and is 1.25x life-size. It was cast by Castle Fine Arts Foundry in the traditional “lost wax” process with a patina of a bluish-green over black. The cast is hollow and is supported by a stainless-steel armature. Prince William and Prince Harry said: “Today, on what would have been our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better. “Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy. “Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison and their teams for their outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive.” The sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley said: “Diana, Princess of Wales was an icon who touched the lives of people right around the world, so it has been a privilege to work

alongside Prince William and Prince Harry on this statue which commemorates her life. “We wanted to capture her warmth and humanity while showcasing the impact she had across generations. I hope that people will enjoy visiting the statue and the Sunken Garden, and taking a moment to remember The Princess.” The statue is situated in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace, which was one of The Princess’ favourite locations. The Princes hope that the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother’s life and her legacy. Work on the garden began in October 2019, and since then five gardeners have spent a total of 1000 hours working on planting. Over 4000 individual Flowers have been planted, including: • over 200 roses, of five varieties including Ballerina and Blush Noisette • 100 Forget-me-nots • 300 tulips, of three varieties including White Triumphator and China Pink • over 500 lavender plants • over 100 dahlias • 50 sweet peas • over 400m of fine, short cut turf has also been laid

Great photographer Derry Moore’s affection for India Ace photographer Derry Moore’s forthcoming exhibition of equestrian life around the world, including luminous studies of the Presidential Guard in Delhi, will be shown in September at the Osborne Studio Gallery (www.osg.uk.com) in London’s fashionable and affluent Belgravia. Derry writes an introduction to his Delhi experience: “Thanks to Anne Wright who lives in Delhi (please take a look below at a picture of her stables with visiting geese) I was able to photograph the Presidential Guard. This would not have been possible without Anne’s perseverance, for, after writing a letter to the Colonel of the Guard, she delivered it personally to the residence of Colonel Mundi, at dead of night, no easy feat. As a result, I was

able to photograph both the changing of the guard ceremony and the stables.” Moore’s pictures have been reproduced in magazines worldwide, he has published more than a dozen books, among them two focusing on India: ‘ In the Shadow of the Raj’, with a foreword by Mark Tully, and ‘Evening Ragas, a Photographer in India’. He first visited India at the start of his professional career, in 1971, the country of ‘dreams, fascinating and eternal’.He has a lifelong devotion to India, partly on account of its diversity – but you might like to talk to him. Suggested news is a September exhibition in London of equestrian images including his exquisitely lit photographs taken in Delhi.

UK City of Culture 2025 scrapped by Lancashire In a recent development, Lancashire has ditched its bid to become the UK City of Culture 2025 after the council withdrew its support. The BBC reported that it was aiming to be the first county to clinch the coveted title. Lancashire County County (LCC) said it was a strong proposal but underwriting it by up to £22m was "too great a financial risk". The bid director Debbi Lander had said Lancashire 2025 would mix the "urban, coastal, countryside, industrial, historical and technological" as part of "our imagined, virtual city". Councillor Alan Vincent, LCC deputy

leader and cabinet member for finance, said: "We know this will be disappointing to those who have worked so hard on this project but feel it is the right decision for Lancashire County Council. We felt underwriting the bid to the tune of up to £22m created too great a financial risk when there are significant pressures on services and continuing financial uncertainty following the pandemic." The idea of nominating a UK City of Culture came when the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport wanted to build on the success of Liverpool's year as a European Capital of Culture in 2008

London Borough of Waltham Forest is launching Fellowship Square, a new outdoor cultural space for London with a season of performance, art, food and fun. From this summer, Fellowship Square will be a vital new year-round outdoor space for arts and culture with a year-round programme of events and exhibits. At the heart of Fellowship Square is a beautiful, accessible fountain incorporating sound and light displays, a surefire draw for families. Fellowship Square will launch with a season of events bringing together global and local talent across comedy, music, dance and visual art between 17 July and 14 August. The launch of Fellowship Square is a chance to bring the diverse communities of Waltham Forest back together in a shared and safe space. Central to Fellowship Square is the Fellowship Fountain – an accessible water installation, with 144 individual jets which can be programmed to music.

PHASE TWO OF WOLVERHAMPTON ART GALLERY BEGINS Phase two building works have started to make major improvements to Wolverhampton Art Gallery. Croft Building and Conservation Ltd was last month appointed as the contractor and has now begun the task of creating a large ground floor dining area alongside a new kitchen, and developing the St Peter’s Gardens entrance, helping accessibility. The historic gallery will remain open during the phase two works and the upstairs café will continue trading until the new downstairs facility is ready to open. The works will support the Council’s Relighting Our City strategy by protecting a major capital investment project that will enable one of the city’s cultural gems to deliver further jobs and investment in Wolverhampton. One of the first events the new-look Lichfield Street venue will welcome is the prestigious British Art Show 9 in January 2022.

THE BEST OF BENGALI CINEMA This year the London Indian Film Festival curated a brilliant selection of Bengali films from West Bengal and Bangladesh. From documentaries to dramas and even a hybrid. It includes Swimming Through The Darkness: an inspiring documentary following blind swimmer Kanai Chakraborty compete in the world’s longest swimming competition, Abhijaan: a beautiful and tender biopic paying tribute to the incredible life and work of Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee, The Salt in Our Waters: a sleepy Bangladeshi village is the setting for this sumptuous drama about an urban artist who moves to the coast co-produced by Spike Lee’s company. Who is Baul: an exquisite soundtrack accompanies these anecdotes from the Bauls of Bengal, wandering musicians keeping history and tradition alive.

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Alia is 'nervous' on the sets of 'Darlings' Actor Alia Bhatt shared a series of monochrome pictures from the sets of her debut production venture 'Darlings.' The photos, posted on Instagram, show Alia in her makeup van, sitting in a chair in front of the mirror with a script in her hand. She is seen wearing a white full-sleeved shirt with her hair tied in a high ponytail. The actor captioned the pictures, “Day one of DARLINGS! my first film as a producer but I will always be an actor first & forever (in this case a very nervous actor) I don’t know what it is .. a night before I start a new film I get this nervous tingling energy all over my body.. i dream all night about messing up my lines..become jumpy.. reach set 15 mins before time fearing I’ll be late!” She continued, “I guess this feeling will never go away.. and it shouldn’t - because being nervous.. and feeling unsure means you really really care. P.S - wish me luck pls (I’ll need all of it to match up to my co-actors @itsvijayvarma @shefalishahofficial @roshan.matthew).” The project is co-produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment, and also stars Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma, and Roshan Mathew. The film is set in Mumbai against the backdrop of a conservative lower-middle-class neighbourhood. Directed by writer Jasmeet K Reen, it is a dark comedy tracing the lives of two women as they find courage and love in exceptional circumstances. On the work front, Alia has several projects in the pipeline. She will be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', 'RRR', and 'Brahmastra'.

Aamir, Kiran announce separation after 15 years of marriage Actor Aamir Khan and filmmaker wife Kiran Rao have announced their separation after 15 years of marriage. In a brand new video shared on the YouTube page of Paani Foundation – a non-profit founded by the duo, they talk about the end of the decision, and their son Azad Rao. Aamir begins by saying that the news must have come as a shock and dismay for many. “We just want to say that we both are extremely happy and are still one family. Our relationship has changed but we are still together in a way. And Paani Foundation is like Azad, our kid. So we will always stay together as a family. Pray for our happiness. That's all we wanted to say.” The couple had earlier released a joint statement announcing the separation. They had said, “In these 15 beautiful years together

Kartik Aaryan's movie 'Satyanarayan Ki Katha' to change title Makers of movie 'Satyanarayan Ki Katha' featuring Kartik Aaryan, have decided to change the project title to “avoid hurting sentiments”. The new title of the movie, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala has not been announced yet. Satyanarayan Ki Katha translates to the story of Satyanarayan, another name for Hindu God Vishnu. The title has already attracted outrage on social media. Aaryan reposted the Instagram post of film director Sameer Vidwans. It read, “A title of the film is something that emerges organically through the creative process. We have taken a decision to change the title of our recently announced film 'Satyanarayan Ki Katha' to avoid hurting sentiments, even if that's purely unintentional. Producers of the film and the creative team also are in complete support of this decision. We will be announcing a new title for our love story in the due course of our journey.” The movie is touted to be an epic love

story. Aaryan had earlier shared a promo of the film. He wrote on Instagram, “A story close to my heart #SatyanarayanKiKatha. A special film with special people.” He had said in a statement, “I have been wanting to work with Sajid sir for some time now. I couldn’t have asked for better collaboration. Satyanarayan Ki Katha is a musical love saga which brings together a powerhouse of people who are National award-winning names. It’s also a first for me with Sameer Vidwans sir who has an astute sense of making sensitive topics highly entertaining.”

we have shared a lifetime of experiences, joy and laughter, and our relationship has only grown in trust, respect and love. Now we would like to begin a new chapter in our lives – no longer as husband and wife, but as coparents and family for each other.” The statement continued, “We began a planned separation some time ago, and now feel comfortable to formalise this arrangement, of living separately yet sharing our lives the way an extended family does. We remain devoted parents to our son Azad, who we will nurture and raise together. We will also continue to work as collaborators on films, Paani Foundation, and other projects that we feel passionate about.” The two got married in 2005. Aamir was previously married to Reena Dutta, with whom he got divorced in 2002.

Raj Kaushal's sudden demise shocks the industry Filmmaker Raj Kaushal passed away last week after a heart attack. His sudden departure has left the industry in shock. His last rites were held at the Shivaji Ground crematorium last week, which were attended by his friends, including actor Ronit Roy and wife Neelam Singh, Manasi Joshi Roy, Sameer Soni, and Ashish Chowdhry. Kaushal is survived by his wife and actress Mandira Bedi, and children Vir and Tara. Celebrities like Raveena Tandon, Mouni Roy, Rohit Roy, Aditi Gowitrikar, Vidya Malvade, and Sulaiman Merchant were clicked visiting Mandira at her residence. Ashish paid tribute to Kaushal on social

media. He wrote, “My big brother, my guiding light, my happy quotient, my pamper-me-lots person, is gone. My brother who supported me fiercely like my sister Monica who I also lost, is gone. But yet, he’s filled positivity and gratitude real hard in me. He’s taught me well. To survive any storm. And I’ll do the same today. For him. I love you forever, my Rajiee. Until then my bro. Until we meet again.” Raj Kaushal is known for movies such as 'Pyaar Mein Kabhie Kabhie', 'Shaadi Ka Ladoo', and 'Anthony Kaun Hai'.

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Sara gives us a glimpse into her life with new set of pictures

Taapsee Pannu talks about wage disparity in Bollywood Actor Taapsee Pannu weighed in on the wage gap between male and female actors in Bollywood. She said that female actors who ask for more money are seen as “difficult” whereas the same is a measurement of success for male actors. In a new interview, Taapsee talks about women-centric films being made on a lower budget. She said, “If a female actor asks more, she is termed difficult and problematic and if a man asks more it’s a mark of his success. Difference is, the men who started with me earn 3-5 times more than what I do. And the gap keeps increasing as we go in higher star category.” She said the audience does not celebrate female actors as much as male actors, resulting in lower box office collections for women-centric films. “Even now we struggle with budgets. Everyone hears that since it’s a female-driven film budgets will have to be slashed and that’s because our returns are always unfair in comparison to our male counterparts. And audience is a big reason behind that,” she said. On the work front, Taapsee was last seen in Vinil Mathew's 'Haseen Dillruba' alongside Vikrant Massey and Harshvardhan Rane. She plays a woman who becomes the prime suspect after her husband dies in a cylinder explosion. Her pipeline includes Deepak Sundarajan’s Tamil film with Vijay Sethupathi, 'Shabaash Mithu', 'Looop Lapeta', 'Rashmi Rocket' and 'Dobaaraa'.

Sara Ali Khan shared a brand new set of pictures and videos on Instagram, giving us a peak into the actor's life. The photo dump featured several unseen photos as well. The series showed Sara doing various activities, including yoga, watching the sunset, reading a good book, and enjoying a lavish spread. She also shared pictures from her vacations, featuring her mother Amrita Singh, and brother Ibrahim Ali Khan. Sara also managed to dig out pictures from the sets of her movie 'Kedarnath' co-starring Sushant Singh Rajput. The gallery also featured the actor goofing around at a tea stall, presumably on the sets of 'Atrangi Re'. Sara captioned the photo series, “Simplest ways to Sara’s heart Try to guess my favourite part? The rising sun for an early start? Or making chai like it’s an art?” Her aunt Saba Ali Khan took to the comments section and reacted to the post, “Rising sun..Early start ... I don't believe you can make chai ;)... Lol. Love u.” On the work front, Sara was last seen in 'Coolie No. 1', starring opposite Varun Dhawan. She will next be seen in a dual role in 'Atrangi Re', starring Akshay Kumar and Dhanush.

Govinda and Raveena reunite after many years Raveena Tandon last week took the Internet by storm when she revealed a secret project of hers with none other than ’90s superstar Govinda. The two have worked together in many comic capers and after several years they are reuniting for something special. The news came in when Raveena shared a selfie with Govinda on her social media and this amazing pic, comes with a subtitle that says, “The Grand reunion! back together to hit the screen again! What ? Where ? When ? Coming Soon. #Kisidiscomeinjayein.” As soon as the picture went online, the internet was buzzing about their reunion. The actress even shared a boomerang of them enacting something. Netizens got super-curious to know what is their favourite Jodi upto. Take a look at the post and take a dose of excitement.

Govinda and Raveena have worked together in films like 'Dulhe Raja', 'Aunty No 1', 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' and 'Pardesi Babu' in the past. Their iconic songs Kisi Disco Mein Jaaye and Ankhiyon Se Goli Maare are still party-numbers and their chemistry even in a comedy film was sizzling hot. Now lets see where and when we can see this reunion, until then the selfies are all we have.

Kangana targets Priyanka, calls her 'secular puppy' Kangana Ranaut, in her latest bout of online attacks, has targeted actress Priyanka Chopra, talking about her “changed” political stance. Sharing a tweet about an alleged job posting by The New York Times for an “anti-establishment” correspondent for India, Kangana targeted Priyanka, unprompted. Kangana wrote, “But this is not just in journalism. It is in every field, the way Priyanka Chopra has gone from being a nationalist to secular puppy. From being Modi ji's biggest fan to his passionate critic and hater is evident. Basically roti ke liye duniya nachati hai. Apne desh mein freedom toh hai. Jo karna hai karo (The world can do anything just for their daily bread. There is indeed freedom in our country to do anything).” This isn't the first time the 'Dhaakad' actress has verbally

attacked Priyanka. She had previously criticised the actor for voicing her support for protesting farmers last year. Retweeting a tweet by Diljit Dosanjh, Priyanka had tweeted, “Our farmers are India’s Food Soldiers. Their fears need to be allayed. Their hopes need to be met. As a thriving democracy, we must ensure that this crises is resolved sooner than later.” Kangana had later wrote, “People like @diljitdosanjh and @priyankachopra will be hailed by the left media for misleading and encouraging farmers protests, pro Islamists and anti India film industry and brands will flood them with offers and English/living in colonial hangover media houses will felicitate them with awards, the problem is whole system is designed to make anti nationals flourish and grow and we are too less in numbers against a corrupt system, but I am sure magic will happen in every fight of GOOD versus EVIL, evil has been much stronger, JAI SHRI RAM.”

Shah Rukh looks dapper in new ad dropped online

Actor Shah Rukh Khan's fans were overjoyed to see him in a new hair colour brand endorsement dropped online. The video features SRK in a long-haired look, clad in a white striped shirt, black waistcoat and trousers. In the monochrome video, SRK says the lines, “So, what do we have here? It’s so se… Yeh nahi keh sakte. Hmmm, I know! Instead kehte hai, ‘it’s so Streaxy.” And then, he starts singing. This was enough to make the fans swoon, as comments came flooding in. One wrote, “OMG, I AM SCREAMING SRK”, while another wrote, “OML, that look!” Just last week, the actor hosted a Q&A session on Twitter, and when asked when he would release his next movie, he said, “Right now with the situation I think it's prudent to make film release scheduled with a bit of patience.” On the work front, Shah Rukh was last seen in Aanand L Rai's 'Zero'.

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Sonakshi Sinha set to make her Telugu debut If grapevine is to be believed, Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha is all set to make her Telugu debut opposite Chiranjeevi in his upcoming yetuntitled Telugu film. Media reports suggest the actress is excited for her role. Sona has reportedly already heard the script and is impressed with her character. A source was quoted in a media report as saying, “Bobby has recently narrated the script to Sonakshi over the phone and received a goahead from her. She was quite impressed with

Suriya voices Mehreen objection against Pirazada Cinematograph Bill calls off engagement with Bhavya Bishnoi

Actor-producer Suriya has tweeted his objection to the controversial draft Cinematograph Bill 2021, and has urged his followers to record their objections to the proposed changes to the law. Sharing a Google document link where people can register their comments against the bill, Suriya wrote, “Law is meant to protect the freedom of expression.

the script and her character in the movie and is equally excited to debut in Telugu alongside Chiru. She is looking forward to the shoot and will sign the dotted line soon. Chiranjeevi, however, will only commence work on the project next year as he currently awaits the release of upcoming Telugu film 'Acharya', which also stars Ram Charan in a key role. Sona made her Tamil debut a few years ago with Rajinikanth's 'Lingaa', which bombed at the box office.

Telugu actress Mehreen Pirazada called off her engagement to politician Bhavya Bishnoi. The announcement comes almost four months after their engagement took place. The actor, in a statement posted on Instagram, called the break-up “amicable”. She also added that she is no longer associated with Bhavya, his family, or friends. Her statement read, “Bhavya Bishnoi and I have decided to break off our engagement and not go ahead with the wedding. It’s a decision that has been taken amicably and in the best interest. With respect in my heart, I would like to say that from now on I have no further association with Bhavya Bishnoi, any of his family members or friends. This is the only statement I will be making regarding this, and I hope that everyone respects

my privacy as this is a very private matter. Meanwhile, I will continue to work and am looking forward to giving my best in my future projects and performances.” Bishnoi too posted a statement on his however, Instagram, cited “differences in values and compatibility” as the reasons for their break-up. Mehreen and Bhavya got engaged on March 12 in Jaipur in the presence of family members and close friends. Mehreen has deleted pictures of herself and Bhavya from her Instagram page. On the work front, Mehreen will be seen next in 'F3', also starring Tamannaah Bhatia, Venkatesh Daggubati and Varun Tej in the lead roles.

Vignesh Shivan reveals wedding plans with Nayanthara It is not supposed to strangle its voice.” Several actors and filmmakers of the Indian film industry have united against the draft Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which gives the Central government “revisionary powers” to re-examine or even recall certificates issued to films by the censor board. With the recent dissolution of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), the filmmakers will have to move High Courts with their grievances, which would add to their financial burden. The draft bill was slammed by Kamal Haasan earlier last week. He had tweeted, “Cinema, media, and the literati cannot afford to be the three iconic monkeys of India.” He too urged people to raise their objections to protect “freedom and liberty” in the country.

Filmmaker Vignesh Shivan hosted a Q&A session on Instagram, and to nobody's surprise, most of the questions revolved around his relationship with actress Nayanthara. During the interaction, Vignesh shared a lot of details about his relationship. He revealed that the song 'Thangamey' was his first gift to the actress. He wrote the song for his directorial debut 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan', the sets of which, romance bloomed between the two. He said the secret of her beauty is her prayers, and that to him, she looks best in a saree. Highlight of the interaction was Vignesh's comment on why the two aren't married yet. He wrote, “Roma selavu aagum bro marraige & all (The wedding will cost a lot of money, bro).. so saving money for marriage and waiting for corona to go away.” Vignesh and Nayanthara have been dating for about six years now. The couple is currently working on romantic comedy 'Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal'. The movie also stars Vijay Sethupathi and Samantha Akkineni in lead roles. 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI

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BCCI decides to add two new IPL franchises The BCCI has finalised to add two new franchises to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Player retention, a mega auction, increments in the salary purse and a fresh media rights tender are among the plans that are waiting decisions between August 2021 and January 2022. A tender document for the addition of new franchises will be brought out in mid-August and

following the mandatory checks, bids will be opened in mid-October to be timed with the final of IPL Phase 2 in the UAE. Kolkata-based RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, the Adani group headquartered in Ahmedabad; Aurobindo Pharma Ltd based out of Hyderabad and the Torrent Group that operates from Gujarat are learnt to be showing interest. The BCCI is

set to increase the salary purse from £8.5 million to 9 million, that will mean adding £5 million to the total salary pool (among 10 franchises). Franchises must mandatorily spend 75% of the allotted purse. Over the next three years, the purse will increase from £9 million to 9.5 million and eventually £10 million ahead of the 2024 season. Player retention has also been finalised. Each franchise will be allowed to retain four players, but with the following conditions – they can either retain three Indians and one overseas player or two Indians and two overseas players. Franchises retaining players must deduct specified sums from their salary purse before heading into an auction. With the salary purse set to increase and BCCI allowing franchises to retain a maximum of four players now, this structure may undergo a slight change going forward.

“Some players may like the idea of not wanting to be retained and will want to head into the auction pool. That’s because there’s an increase in the salary purse and two new teams are being added. So, there’ll be a rush to grab talent. Expect some leading Indian cricketers to forward their names for the auction,” sources said. BCCI is planning the big media-rights auction too, towards the end of 2021. With the month of March now potentially being available to them for an early start of IPL 2023 onwards – that’ll help the board accommodate 90-plus matches between 10 teams. The board and the industry expect a minimum 25% increase in the value of media rights. The pandemic has seen a massive rise in the OTT space as against traditional linear broadcast and that factor alone will dictate the rights industry in coming months.

Mithali becomes highest run-getter in women’s cricket India captain Mithali Raj became the highest run-getter in women’s cricket across formats, overtaking former England skipper Charlotte Edwards last week. Mithali achieved the feat during the third and final inconsequential ODI against hosts England while chasing 220 for a consolation win. The talismanic India batter got to the milestone with a boundary down the ground off Nat Schiver in the 23rd over. Mithali, anchored India’s chase with an unbeaten 75 off 86 balls as the visitors surpassed England’s 219 all out in 46.3 overs. In the twilight of an epic career, as she eyes one last hurrah at next year’s ODI World Cup, as she says her hunger for runs remains the same as it was 22 years ago and she is trying to add “new dimensions” to her batting. Mithali now has 10,337 runs in her kitty, with 7,304 runs

in ODIs. No other batter has more than 6,000 runs in women’s ODIs. It was her third consecutive half-century in a series where her colleagues have struggled, with the next highest score being 44 by Shafali Verma in the second ODI. Recalling her more than two decade-long journey, the legend said: “The way things have gone, it wasn’t an easy journey. It had its trials and challenges. I always believed that trials have a purpose,” she said at a post-match virtual presser. The 38-year-old made her debut at Milton Keynes against Ireland on June 26, 1999. Interestingly, she was exactly as old as the great Sachin Tendulkar-16 years and 205 dayswhen she played her first international game. Along the way, there have been controversies, and phases where she got a feeling that she was being sidelined, forcing her to think about quitting, but she kept going on. “There were times when I wanted to give up for various reasons but something kept me going and here I am, 22 years of international cricket, but the hunger for runs has never sort of dried up,” she said.

While critics feel she doesn’t bat at the pace which the modern game demands, Mithali is focused on adding more strings to her bow. The way she changed the pace of innings - taking her time to get her eye in before batting freely in the end - in the chase on Sunday was remarkable. “I am still very passionate to go out there, be there in the middle and win games for India. I know there is still room for improvement in terms of my batting and that is something I am working on... There are certain dimensions I would like to add to my batting,” she said. Having retired from the hustlebustle of T20 cricket in 2019, Mithali now relishes the role of being the bulwark of the batting, using all her experience to help the team. How well India fare in the Women’s ODI World Cup, to be held in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3, will depend on how she performs. It will be her swansong, and there’s no doubt that she would like to bow out of the international stage with one major trophy, just like Tendulkar did when he played his part in India’s 2011 World Cup triumph.

Mary Kom, Manpreet to be India’s flag-bearers at Olympics Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said that MC Mary Kom, the six-time world boxing champion, and Manpreet Singh, the men’s hockey team skipper, will be India’s flag-bearers at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. Bajrang Punia, a silver medallist at the 2018 World Wrestling Championships, will be the flag-bearer at the closing ceremony on August 8. In a first, India is having two flag-bearers - one male and one female - at the upcoming Tokyo Games to ensure “gender parity”. The IOA has communicated the decision in this regard to the Organising Committee of the Games. The contingent comprises 56 per cent male and 44 per cent female athletes. “It would be a huge moment

Mary Kom and Manpreet Singh

for me given that it is my last Olympics. Who knows I might even get emotionally overwhelmed,” Mary Kom said. “I am honoured to get this opportunity of leading the team out during the opening ceremony. It would be an added motivation. I promise to do my best for a medal,” she said. After hearing IOA’s decision,

29-year-old Manpreet Singh said, “I think it’s a huge honour to be named the flag bearer for the opening ceremony alongside the incredible Mary Kom. I have always been inspired by her journey in boxing and personally for me, this is a big moment in my career, and it is also a huge moment for hockey. I thank the Indian Olympic Association for

this great opportunity, and I am looking forward to the responsibility at the Opening Ceremony in Tokyo.” The Tokyo Games are scheduled to open on July 23 and over 100 Indian athletes would be gunning for podium finishes at the postponed showpiece. Earlier last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had made provisions for flag-bearers from both genders at the opening ceremony. “The IOC Executive Board decided that there should be for the first time ever - at least one female and one male athlete in every one of the 206 teams and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team participating at the Games,” chief Thomas Bach had said.

in brief SIX GUJARATI FEMALE ATHLETES QUALIFY FOR OLYMPICS, PARALYMPICS Six female athletes from Gujarat have qualified for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Ahmedabad's Maana Patel has qualified for the Olympics where she will be representing India in the 100 meters backstroke event. Maana is the first female and the third to qualify for the Olympics. Maana, 21, has had over 180 medals in her kitty, including 25 international, 72 national and 82 state level achievements. The swimmer recently won gold in 100m and silver in 50 m at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Belgrade, Serbia.Besides Maana, Ankita Raina has qualified for tennis and Elavenil Valarivan for shooting. The other three females representing India have qualified for the Paralympics Gandhinagar's Parul Parmar for badminton, Bhavina Patel, a native of Mehsana for para table tennis and Sonal Patel who hails from near Viramgam for para Tennis. It was 60 years ago that someone from Gujarat represented India in the Rome Olympics in 1960. Govindrao Sawant played for the hockey team from India. Before that, Shankarrao Thorat represented India in wrestling in the 1936 Olympics.Ankita Raina will represent India in women’s tennis in doubles along with Sania Mirza. Ankita said, “It is a dream come true. Every athlete plays and trains every day in pursuit of the Olympic dream and for me now it is not a dream anymore. It is a reality. I am happy and looking forward to participating in Olympics. I will be planning practice sessions in UK after the Wimbledon gets over and plans to leave for Tokyo from UK as of now.” Shooting star Elavenil Valarivan will aim for glory in the 10m air rifle event – both mixed and individual. The 21-year-old Ahmedabad girl, who is currently training in Croatia, said, “I felt very happy when I received the information from NRAI. The ultimate dream of any athlete is representing the country at Olympics. I was waiting for such a moment. I am thankful to Gagan Narang - my mentor and my coach. I will work hard to make my country proud.” In the Paralympics, the three athletes from Gujarat who have made the cut are 48-yearold Parul Parmar in para badminton, and Bhavina Patel and Sonal Patel in para table tennis. Parul, ranked number one in the SL3 category, said, “I was waiting for the moment when para badminton will be included in the Paralympics. It is my dream to compete at the Paralympics and win a medal for the country. I have medals at the World para badminton championship and Asian Para Games but as para badminton was not part of Paralympics, I have not been able to participate in it till now. Bhavina Patel (35) and Sonal Patel (34) will compete in TTF4 category. The duo started playing the sport at the Blind People’s Association 13 years ago when they were students of ITI for the persons with disabilities. Bhavina and Sonal were very happy to represent India at the sporting event.

GOLDEN CHANCE TO WATCH EURO 2020 FINAL AT WEMBLEY London Mayor Sadiq Khan has offered a golden opportunity to watch UEFA Euro 2020 final at Wembley and in the iconic Trafalgar Square Fan Zone to Londoners who get their first Covid-19 vaccination this week. With England poised to make their first major final in 55 years, Sadiq is offering 50 pairs of tickets to the Trafalgar Square Fan Zone to those who are due to get their first vaccination. Londoners can enter the online ticket draw by showing proof that they have attended a vaccination centre for their first dose, or have booked an appointment to get their first jab. Sadiq is supporting the NHS to get as many Londoners as possible to get their first and second doses and has launched a new campaign to encourage young people to take up the vaccine.