AV 14th December 2024

Two British Indian honours annulled by royal decree P11

Desi pub owners speak out on rising national

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

Fadnavis sworn in as Maharashtra CM; Shinde,

become Dy CMs P22

Trump names Harmeet Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General P25

Indian billionaires’ wealth up 42% in last FY, says Swiss bank report P26

EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION

Square with posters, banners and placards, shouting “we want justice” as they protested against the treatment of the community in Bangladesh, and demanding the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu of ISKCON

Protest at Parliament Square in London

Kamlesh Pattni

H H Mahant Swami Maharaj honoured

welcomed in

parade on a decorated chariot

Navjot “Jo” Sidhu,

during its 2022 pay strike a

until giving up his practising certif icate earlier this year

The charges involved his conduct toward a paralegal in her 20s, who was shadowing him in November 2018

Si

hotel room to discuss a case, then persuaded her to stay

overnight and share his bed despite her reluctance

One charge stated that Sidhu invited a paralegal, referred to as "person two," t

hotel room and share his bed during a mini-pupillage, despite knowing or should have known the invitation

Sidhu initiated sexual con-

knew or should have known

unwanted

Judge dismisses £8mn abuse claims against Hindu leader

A Hindu le ade r, who r eport -

e dly claime d to be 'God on

e a r t h , ' h a s d e fe a t e d a n £ 8 million lawsuit accusing him of rapin g a nd abusing for mer follower s A judge ruled that the

e v i d e n c e a g a i n s t h i m w a s not suff iciently credible

Fo u r w o m e n a c c u s e d Rajinder Kalia, head priest of a Hindu temple in Coventr y,

o f g r o o m i n g fo l l o w e r s t o believe he was "an incarnation of God" while exploiting women and underage girls

K a l i a a l l e g e d l y l u r e d worshippers by claiming he

c o u l d p e r fo r m " m i r a c l e s , "

such as setting f ire to water and extracting blood from a lemon

Rajinder Kalia, 68, was sued by four former temple members who accused him o f s e x u a l a b u s e , t h r e e o f them as children Denying any wrongdoing, Kalia won his case after a month-long High Court trial in June and July, with the judge rejecting all claims

He a l s o d e n i e d e v e r claiming divine powers, such as curing cancer, and alleged he is the victim of a conspiracy to extort millions from him

"The claimants fabricated stories and lied to extort money from me," Kalia told the judge, Mr Justice Martin Sp e n c e r T h e j u d g e r u l e d their evidence was "not suff iciently credible" to support claims of abuse Rajinder Kalia

11-year-old breaks his own record with queen’s portrait

A schoolboy has set a new w orld record by creating a p ortrait o f Queen Elizabeth I I u si n g 3 , 0 0 0 Ru bi k 's Cubes

He n i l S o n

under an hour in front of his

High School, where he is

record, set earlier this year, when he made a portrait of I n d i a n P r

Na re n d r a Mo d i u s i n g t h e same technique

Sadiq Khan to receive knighthood in New Year Honours

Labour’s S ad iq Khan, th e f i rs t M us l im M ay

Lo nd on and elected fo r a third term this year, is set to receive a knighthood in the New Year ho nours for h i s p o li tic al an d p ub lic serv ice after nearly two decad es in frontline p olitics He w as prev io usly an MP Emily Thornberr y, chair of the Commons

Labour frontbencher under Sir Keir Starmer, is set to receive a damehood New Labour-era h

Pa

expected to be honoured

Fo r m e r We s t M

WATER

FIRMS BENEFITED

FROM OFWAT ADVISORS

He

Street, who lost his seat in May after seven y

Conser vatives likely to receive knighthoods Additionally, Nick Gibb, a long-ser ving MP and former schools minister for a decade across three terms, is also in line for recognition Tw

Jayawardena and Marcus Jones, are expected to receive knighthoods

A petition opposing Sadiq Khan's potential knighthood has gathered over 70,000 signatures in just 48 hours Launched by Hatch End councillor Matthew Goodwin-Freeman, the petition criticises Khan’s leadership as Mayor of London, claiming it has left the city divided, stagnant, and struggling with strikes and rising crime rates It accuses Khan of deflecting responsibility and overseeing a period of "expensive paralysis" while failing to address key challenges facing the capital

Flood alerts and power outages persist after Storm Darragh

Tens o f th ous ands of ho mes are s til l witho ut p ower, and floo d w arnings remain in pl ac e follo wing Sto rm Darragh

Two men died after trees struck their vehicles in separate incidents during the weekend storm, which caused widespread power outages and travel disruption

Paul Fiddler, a well-known football coach at Lytham Town FC, was killed when a tree fell on his van in Lancashire In a separate incident,

Birmingham city councillor Majid Mahmood as the man killed by a falling tree Mr Mahmood expressed his condolences, offering thoughts and prayers to Shahin's family West Midlands Police have not yet off icially conf irmed the m

Ofwat hired multiple consultancies including PwC and Deloitte while they were simultaneously advising water and sewerage companies, raising concerns over conflicts of interest Research from Tussell, experts in government contracting, revealed that five firms were contracted by the England and Wales water regulator over the past six years while also providing regulatory or management advice to water companies Ofwat is in ongoing negotiations with water companies over price increases for the next five years Last year, it hired PA Consulting on a "need only" basis for the Price Review 2024, sharing a £1 2m contract with Grant Thornton, according to tender documents At the same time, PA was advising Thames Water, which is seeking leniency on fines and higher customer bills Baringa was hired this year for business and management consultancy worth £112 560 while also advising Thames Water on regulatory matters Ofwat paid PwC over £1m in 2020 and 2021 for help with the regulatory settlement but at the same time PwC advised Southern Water on its price negotiations with Ofwat

POLICE ILLEGALLY STORING INNOCENT FACES FOR FACIAL RECOGNITION

Images of innocent people arrested but not charged or acquitted are still stored in a police database used for facial recognition despite a 2012 High Court ruling deeming this practice unlawful An official report warns that these custody images remain on the Police National Database accessible to UK police and select law enforcement agencies and can be used for facial recognition checks The annual report from the biometric s and surveillance camera commissioner revealed that police retain images of people arrested but never charged, potentially using them for facial recognition The report noted efforts are "underway" to ensure the retention of these images remains lawful and proportionate Charlie Whelton from Liberty condemned the continued retention of biometric data by police, saying it is "deeply concerning" and violates legal rulings from over a decade ago He criticised the unregulated use of facial recognition technology, likening its sensitivity to fingerprints, and urged Parliament to "urgently act" to regulate its use

Cu

" I fe e l v e r y p r o u d o f myself," said the 11-year-old after the record was conf irmed by a Golden Book of World Records adjudicator Henil’s mum, Priyanka, 35, revealed that her son f irst started playing with Rubik's

watching YouTube tutorials To support his latest record-

spent about £3,000 on the colourful puzzles

E

family cleared their living room furniture to give Henil

Minister Rishi Sunak using the cubes

Association reported that around 66,000 cus-

Britain While 97% have now been reconnected, the south and south-west of England and Wales remain the most affected areas National Grid reported 31,972 properties without power across south and mid Wales, Affected residents are being offered warm drinks and charging facilities at community centres

Focus on emergency care as NHS puts patients before targets

Wes Streeting has direc ted the N HS to prio ritise emergenc y

are for the mo

avoidabl

urgent meeting with NHS England's Amanda Pritchard and key hospital and ambulance leaders to tackle the winter crisis

Thousands of patients are facing long ambulance delays and A&E waits as health leaders warn of a severe flu

s

Streeting has urged hospital bosses to prioritise treatment for patients with the greatest clinical need

Health leaders warn that focusing on emergency care could worsen hospital waiting lists, with 7 6 million people awaiting treatment Matthew Taylor, CEO of the NHS Confederation, said prioritising urgent care might lead to elective surgeries being delayed Streeting admitted that treating the most severely ill could result in more patients waiting beyond the four-hour A&E target, but stressed the need to “put patients ahead of targets ” Currently, only 58% of patients at major A&Es are seen within four hours, with concerns hospitals may prioritise easier cases to meet this target

BUCKINGHAM UNIVERSITY VICECHANCELLOR SUSPENDED OVER ALLEGATIONS

The 65-year- old Vice - Chancellor of Buckingham University, Professor James Tooley has been suspended over allegations of a past romantic relationship abroad with a young woman whom he is believed to have assisted with her fees However his supporters claim his suspension is a result of his anti-woke stance rather than the allegations Professor James Tooley faced internal opposition at Buckingham University for supporting academic s "cancelled" at other institutions and attempting to appoint Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a vocal critic of Islam, as the inaugural Thatcher Chair for the Constitution of Liberty The allegations stem from a past romantic relationship in Hyderabad during his fifties while working on a project for low- cost private schools Joseph O’Brien KC has been appointed to investigate the claims, with inquiries expected to conclude before Christmas Meanwhile, the situation has left university staff and 3,000 students in uncertainty for nearly two months

Navjot “Jo” Sidhu

Henil made a portrait of Queen Elizabeth

Sadiq Khan

UK’s SMEs struggle for support as voters show highest volatility in a century

The 2024 general election was the most disproportional in British electoral history - and also one of the most disproportional anywhere in the world - as voters displayed the highest volatility in a century

A new report viz ‘A System Out of Step’, by the Electoral Reform Society on this year ’ s general election shows that the parties’ votes have shifted more than at any time since 1931, with voters more willing than ever to ‘shop around’ and vote for smaller parties than in any other election in modern times

This election saw a number of firsts such as being the first UK election where four parties received over 10% of the vote, five parties received over 5% of the vote and Labour and the Conservatives received their lowest combined vote share (57 4%) in the era of universal suffrage

The historically disproportional result also highlighted how the current First Past the Post electoral system, which is designed to work largely as a two-party system, is struggling with the shift towards multiparty voting and is producing erratic results

The 2024 election also saw a further eroding of traditional electoral heartlands; with the number of seats the Conservatives have held for over a century almost halved from 94 to 48 – only four of which now have majorities of more than 10,000 Of the 17 seats Labour has held for over a century only three now have majorities of more than 10,000

A contributing factor to this historically disproportional and volatile election is the rise of ‘cross-pressured’ voters - voters who now find themselves aligned with different parties on different issues, such as one party on economic issues and another on cultural ones

One of the key issues faced by voters is the cost-ofliving crisis - also affecting small and medium businesses disproportionately Despite last weekend being celebrated as the Small Business Saturday in the UK, to support and encourage people to 'shop local' and support UK’s 5 5 million small businesses, the reality remains far from

perfect

The business and trade department has pledged new reforms to save SMEs a minimum of £22,000 per annum A ‘Fair Payment Code’ was launched to tackle late payments, to reward good practices and ensure SMEs are paid on time Backed by biggest UK banks also unveiled to help more disabled entrepreneurs to get access to finance and support to start their own business

According to a Parliamentary research file, in the UK, about 60% of businesses are SME-owned 7% of it are South Asian Out of that 26% are Indian-owned, 6% are Pakistani-owned and 1% are Bangladeshi-owned

But when it comes to funding support for these businesses to grow or fight cost-of-living crisis, according to Funding Exchange, only 5 per cent of companies are ultimately able to avail the bank referral scheme to secure finances and loans- The Times has reported The report further said that according to an analysis, about half of the reasons for decline had “readily fixable” issues and easily “could turn the ‘ no ’ into a ‘ yes ’ ”

A new report by The Entrepreneurs Network and Sumer, the UK's leading mid-market accountancy practice for SMEs, has found that 44% of UK businesses have come close to shutting down in 2024 The Institute of Directors (IoD) blamed such closures on the cost-of-living crisis, the economic fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and emerging from the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic The economy is also due to shrink for Chancellor Reeves’ increase in taxes, including a £25 billion rise in employers’ national insurance contributions

This country once known as a ‘nation of shopkeepers ’ , hugely SME friendly - now struggles to keep businesses afloat Celebrating a weekend with community to determine importance of the SMEs is a good initiative but not enough for survival Constructive conversations around round tables between the government and businesses are needed to make changes at policy levels and to thrive

Money Magnet politics

The influence of money in politics is a longstanding issue, but it has become more pronounced in recent years across most countries worldwide It is driven by the belief of rich and powerful individuals that they can impose their will on the politics of a country When comparing politics in the US, India and the UK, the role of money, particularly in political advertising, has become a dominant force in shaping campaigns and outcomes

In recent years, and particularly during the recent US elections, money was deeply intertwined with political success When Donald Trump first ran for president, he invested millions of dollars from his own pocket into his campaign In 2024, Elon Musk contributed approximately $270 million to political groups, fuelling a spending spree

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

y Presidential campaigns require substantial financial backing for advertising, rallies and voter outreach, giving candidates with significant personal wealth or strong corporate support a clear advantage The ability to inject large sums into a campaign provides donors with considerable influence, often securing favourable policies or government contracts

I n t h e U K , t h e s i t u a t

s b

m

b t l e Historically, political funding was not as reliant on advertising, partly because of restrictions on buying TV spots However, with the rise of various media platforms, this has changed dramatically Big money is now at play more than ever at influencing voters and this trend shows no signs of slowing down One pressing issue is the infiltration of "black money" into UK politics Transparency International reports that nearly £1 in every £10 donated to political parties comes from questionable sources Loopholes in the law allow donations from dormant comp a n i e s , u n r e g i s t e r e d a s s o c i a t i o n s a

channelling foreign funds Additionally, foreign governments, such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have spent millions on gifts and trips for UK politicians, bypassing rules requiring donations to originate from UK sources These practices highlight significant vulnerabilities in the system, enabling large donors to exert undue influence over political decisions and policies

In India, the connection between politics and business runs even deeper Companies or individuals in highly regulated sectors often make massive donations to political parties in exchange for favourable policies or preferential treatment The political business nexus in India isn’t new, but it has evolved over the years, particularly after econ

political corruption 10 JMM and Janata Dal MPs voted to defeat a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao’s minority government, allegedly in exchange for bribes Though the CBI accused the MPs, the Supreme Court dismissed the case citing Article 105(2) of the Constitution, which grants parliamentary immunity for voting decisions This scandal exposed the deep-rooted issue of political corruption and the delays in legislative reforms Similarly, during Manmohan Singh’s tenure, the

because of the unprecedented amount of money from wealthy entities pouring into the political and economic system Privatisation of industries like airlines and mining sectors during this time demonstrated how strategic

favourable regulatory adjustments

The trend of wealthy individuals investing in strategic sectors highlights a political-economic link: investors not only seek profit but also aim to secure their ability to

What's even more amusing is that many of the rallies, which are portrayed as a spontaneous show of public support, are filled with paid campaigners These individuals are hired to create the illusion of a large, enthusiastic crowd backing the candidate This carefully orchestrated display of "grassroots support" is designed to sway public perception, making it seem like the candidate has genuine popularity when it’s all a performance funded by big money

The situation is not limited to these countries In nations like South Korea, Japan and China, money and p

However, a common issue emerges as financial power often outweighs democratic values and good governance Wealthy backers use deceptive tactics, further damaging the integrity of political systems globally The reality is that these massive investments in politics don’t just create favourable policies; they are an incredibly profitable business for those involved Even when these big players get embroiled in scandals, scams or allegations, their political dominance often ensures they can weather the storm without serious consequences Their influence over the political establishment allows them to navigate legal and ethical challenges more easily, as their wealth and power keep them in the game, no matter the scandal

Ultimately, the growing role of money in politics is reshaping the global political landscape, favouring power players with wealth and influence who manipulate the system for profit

The true danger lies in how these financial interests erode fairness and public trust, ensuring the powerful win while ordinary citizens pay the price

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams " - Eleanor Roosevelt

Political Sketchbook

Who Defines Hinduism?

In recent years , the gl obal H indu community has found itself at a crossro ad s, wi th two powerful narrati ves vyi ng f or the soul of a rel igion th at dates back mi llennia On o ne sid e i s th e Hi ndutva i deology, champi oned by gro ups and indi vi duals wh o seek to d ef ine H indu id enti ty i n alignment with a nationalist, and s ometi mes excl usivis t, visi on On the other si de are organizations l ike Hi nd us fo r Human Ri gh ts (HfH R), whi ch ad voc ate fo r a plu rali stic and inclusi ve interpretati on o f Hi nd u values, grou nd ed in th e ethos o f soci al justi ce Each c lai ms to rep resent the true essence of Hi ndu ism, and th is schi sm is no t just theolo gi cal but d eep ly pol itic al, cultural, and soci al Hindutva: A Politicized Vision of Hinduism

Hindutva, as articulated by its architects is not just about faith but about cultural and political identity It seeks to assert Hindu primacy within India, often in opposition to perceived or real threats from minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians For proponents of Hindutva, Hinduism is a unifying force to forge a collective national identity one that rejects multiculturalism or secularism that has historically characterized Indian society

While Hindutva advocates claim to protect Hinduism from external threats, critics argue that it distorts the religion's inherently pluralistic and introspective nature By reducing Hinduism to a rigid political ideology, Hindutva risks alienating not only other communities but also Hindus who cherish the religion's philosophical depth and diversity

Hindus for Human Rights: The Counterweight

On the other side, Hindus for Human Rights represents a countercurrent It emphasizes the values of sarva dharma samabhava (equality of all religions) This group aligns itself with human rights movements worldwide, standing against caste discrimination, gender and religious intolerance

Critics of HfHR, especially from the Hindutva camp, often accuse it of being overly influenced by Western liberal frameworks and of undermining Hinduism by excessively focusing on its shortcomings Yet, HfHR argues that introspection and reform are the hallmarks of a living tradition and that engaging critically with Hinduism s past and present strengthens rather than weakens the religion

A House Divided?

Both sides tap into authentic aspects of Hindu tradition, yet their visions are starkly different Hindutva reflects a yearning for unity and strength in an era of perceived vulnerability, while Hindus for Human Rights seeks to channel Hinduism’s spiritual and ethical dimensions into modern social justice causes The irony is that Hinduism itself has historically been capacious enough to accommodate both perspectives and more However, this battle risks reducing Hinduism to a binary, ignoring its incredible diversity The religion that produced the Upanishads, the Bhakti movement, Gandhi's non-violence, and modern science advocates is too vast to be confined to any one ideology

Advice to the Keyboard Warriors

For those engaging in these debates online, often with the zeal of crusaders, it’s essential to pause and reflect Hinduism, at its core, values introspection and dialogue over dogma Here are three guiding principles for digital warriors:

1 Seek Unders tanding Over Victory: Rather than attempting to "win" arguments, engage in meaningful dialogue Ask yourself: are you seeking to inform or merely to provoke?

2 Prioritiz e Civility: Hinduism teaches respect for others' perspectives Keyboard warriors would do well to remember that vitriol and name-calling are antithetical to the religion they claim to defend

3 F ocu s on Co ns tructive C ontribu tions : Instead of amplifying division, find ways to build bridges Highlight shared values, such as a commitment to justice, compassion, and self-discipline, which resonate across Hindu traditions

The Way Forward

This is not merely a clash of ideologies but an opportunity for Hindus worldwide to rediscover and redefine their tradition in a rapidly changing world Whether through Hindutva’s lens of collective identity or Hindus for Human Rights’ focus on individual dignity, the global Hindu community has a chance to shape a vision of Hinduism that is both true to its roots and relevant to contemporary challenges

The real challenge is not to destroy one another but to ensure that this dialogue is conducted with the depth, nuance, and respect that a 5,000-year-old tradition deserves

This New Year, share the gift of knowledge and connection with your loved ones through our special combo subscription offer for Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar For more details, see page: 9

Alpesh Patel

Ethnic groups experienced increased risk of losing loved ones during Covid

E

by r esea rcher s a t the Unive rsity of St An dre ws T h e s t u d y , t i t l e d

Inequalities in Scotland’, was authored by Professor Nissa Finney from the School of Geography and Sustainable Development

The report found that in Scotland, bereavement rates were highest among those

ethnic group (68%), Indian (44%), and Pakistani (38%), compared to a national aver-

age of around 25% Similar

England and Wales

This study, a collaboration between the Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) at the University of St Andrews, the University of Manchester, and BEMIS, highlights the first compre-

inequalities in bereavement during the Covid-19 crisis

The report also explored d

and policing It found that 9

respondents reported recent experiences of racist insults

Brella’s sister says husband pressured wife to withdraw abuse complaint

T h e h u sb and o f H ars h it a

B r el la , wh o se bo dy w as fo und in the boot o f a car,

r e- e n te re d h e r li f e a f te r being arrested fo r domestic

a b u s e, h er si s t er h as revealed

Mr Lamba physically abused her sister, denied her access t o m o n e y , a n d b e c a m e i n c r e a s i n g l y c o n t r o l l i n g , even pressuring her to stop working M s B r e l l a i n i t i a l l y

P o l i c e b e l i e v e t h e 2 4year-old was strangled in

C o r b y o n N o v e m b e r 1 0 before her body was trans-

p o r t e d t o I l f o r d , e a s t London, where she was discovered in the boot of a sil-

v e r V a u x h a l l C o r s a o n November 14 Her husband,

P a n k a j L a m b a , 2 3 , i s t h e prime suspect in the ongoing murder investigation

Ms Brella s sister, Sonia

D a b a s , d i s c l o s e d t h a t

P a n k a j L a m b a h a d b e e n arrested in September for d o m e s t i c v i o l e n c e , a n d a protection order was issued, but he convinced his wife to w i t h d r a w h e r c a s e S o n i a said Ms Brella, from Delhi, h a d m o v e d t o C o r b y , Northamptonshire, for a job in a packing factory after marrying Mr Lamba in an

a r r a n g e d m a r r i a g e e a r l i e r this year She alleged that

remained silent about the abuse but eventually shared h e r e x p

a phone call with Sonia on August 28 and decided to report him to the police Sonia said, "The run-up to it was beatings by Pankaj over nothing She went to the police because he had beaten her "

Mr Lamba was arrested b

N

Police on September 3 but released on conditional bail w

protection order, according to the IOPC Despite the order, Ms Brella received a

added to the call and pressured her to drop the case

S

complaint and found a rented room

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Other groups, including 44% of Chinese respondents, 41% of Other Black respondents,

respondents, also reported

years due to ethnicity, race, color, or religion

Nissa Finney is Professor of Human Geography at the

Director of the Evidence for

and a founding member of the Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) and the ESRC Centre for Population Change She has extensively researched ethnic inequali-

neighbourhood change

Cheerleading coach jailed for abusing girl

In her twenties, cheerlead ing co ach Rosanna A wan mistreated a 13 -year-old girl o n mu ltiple occasio ns Aw an, now 34 , repeatedly inappropriately touch ed the girl The abuse cam e to l ig h t w h en th e v i c ti m rep o r ted i t to Leicestershire Police in 2019

Awan was convicted of four counts of having sex with a minor and one crime of causing or persuading a juvenile to have sex after being tried at Leicester Crown Court in October 2024 She was just sentenced to ten years in prison

Detective Constable Catherine Anderson, leading the investigation, said after sentencing: "Awan abused her position of trust, acting in a predatory manner towards her young victim I'm so pleased the victim came forward to report this, recognising the abuse years later I urge anyone in a similar situation to come forward your reports will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated "

Awan received a 10-year restraining order and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order in addition to her prison sentence

Suella Braverman’s husband joins Nigel Farage’s Reform UK

party

The businessman was campaigning for the party following his defec-

third significant Conservative defection in the past week

S

Suella Braverman might join Reform UK, potentially increasing the party’s MPs to six However, she dismissed the idea, stating, “I’m not defecting to Reform My husband does not speak for me, nor does he control my political choices ” She added, “We respect e a c h o t h e r ’ s i n d e p e n d e n c e h e doesn’t tell me how to do my job, and I don’t tell him how to choose a political party ”

Farage said, “He’s out leafleting and campaigning today I hoped he would become an active member, and he’s proving that already, despite the weather He sent me a text saying it’s

nice to believe in something again ” When asked if Suella Braverman would follow suit, Farage replied: “She’ll make her own decision in her own time We’ll have to see, but we ’ ve already seen a few names crossing over, and I suspect many more will follow ”

A recent poll saw Reform UK lead Labour in a national survey for the first time Across the nine latest polls, Reform UK averages 20% support, up from 14% at the last general election Labour stands at 28%, down from 34%, while the Tories have seen a slight rise to 26%, up by just two percentage points

Empty homes in Leicester could house all homeless families

Leicester has 1, 859 long-term empty homes, enough to h ouse all o f th e city’s h omeless families more than twice, according to June go vernment fi gures

Meanwhile, 873 households, including hundreds of children, are in temporary accommodation like hotels and B&Bs Homeless charities are urging the government to repurpose empty homes to help those in need

Around £2 billion of taxpayers' money is spent annually on hotels and B&Bs to house the homeless

While national policy limits families to six weeks in temporary accommodation, the shortage of council housing often makes this target unachievable In Leicester, 247 households were in B&Bs for over six weeks between April and June Despite 1,859 long-term empty homes in the city, hundreds more remain vacant across the county

In Charnwood, 861 long-term empty homes outnumber 91 homeless households by about nine times In Melton, 161 empty homes are compared to 31 homeless households

Rebecca Moore, director of Action on Empty Homes, urged the government to fund efforts to bring unused homes back into use to house homeless families She highlighted the growing number of empty homes alongside 117,000 families and 151,000 children trapped in temporary accommodation, costing £2 billion annually Moore called for a strategic, targeted approach to tackle the housing crisis, emphasizing that immediate action with funding and incentives could save public money and transform lives “Homeless families can’t wait for new towns they need housing now, ” she said

I N B R I E F

FACEBOOK UK CUTS 700 JOBS AND SLASHES TAX BILL

Facebook cut over 700 UK employees last year, costing £79m, as parent company Meta launched its first round of redundancies to address a sharp revenue decline The tech giant one of the most valuable US companies after Apple, Alphabet, and Amazon, also reduced its UK tax bill to just over 12% of pre-tax profits half the standard 25% rate Mark Zuckerberg cut 11 000 jobs globally after admitting that Meta overinvested during the coronavirus pandemic expecting a lasting surge in online activity post-Covid I got this wrong and I take responsibility for that said Zuckerberg founder and CEO of Facebook WhatsApp and Instagram, in a staff memo at the time Facebook UK's accounts show this led to a 10% reduction in its workforce last year, with employee numbers falling from 7,053 to 6,338 by the end of 2023 The UK workforce cuts primarily impacted the sales support administration, and marketing teams, which shrank from 2,307 to 1,734 employees

CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, AND HOSPITALS SAY NO TO ROYAL PORTRAIT

Coastguards at all 23 sites accepted the offer of a free portrait of the King To mark the new reign, over 20,500 portraits of Charles in his Royal Navy uniform as an admiral of the fleet have been distributed to public institutions across Britain All 23 HM Coastguard centres from Falmouth to Shetland accepted the offer of a free portrait of the King but only 40 of the country’s 1 454 hospitals did so representing less than 3 percent Meanwhile 7 4 percent of universities and higher education institutions accepted the portrait, taken by Hugo Burnand at Windsor Castle last year Of the schools 33 percent accepted the offer, while 25 percent of Church of England churches did Out of 67,152 eligible locations, only 20,565 (30 percent) applied for the portrait

NOROVIRUS CASES

SURGE; 48-HOUR ISOLATION URGED

Health officials are urging anyone with symptoms of a winter vomiting bug to stay at home for 48 hours According to the UK Health Security Agency, norovirus cases are rising, driven by a strain known as GII 17 According to the latest weekly winter update flu and RSV cases continue to rise with more people being hospitalised The UKHSA also reported an earlier-than-usual surge in norovirus cases with activity between November 11 and 24 showing a 43 9% increase compared to the previous two weeks Amy Douglas, epidemiologist at UKHSA, warned that norovirus activity is rising as expected She advised: if you have symptoms like diarrhoea or vomiting, stay home for 48 hours after they stop, avoid preparing food, and refrain from visiting hospitals or care homes Wash hands with soap and warm water, and use bleachbased cleaning products, as alcohol gels don t kill the virus

Harshita Brella (the victim)

Suella Braverman with her husband Rael

King Charles III

T

m ent in the illicit gold trade, the U K Foreig n Office announced

Kamlesh Pattni, implicated in Kenya's £470 mill i o n ( $

scandal, has also faced allegations of involvement in Z

trade, which he denies The UK statement called illicit gold “ an assault on legitimate trade,” fueling corruption, undermining law, and

child labor

The UK claims Russia exploits the illicit gold trade to launder money and evade sanctions, directly support-

Western nations, including

U K

gold imports in 2022 to limit Moscow s war funding The sanctions against Kamlesh

Pattni aim to "disrupt and deter" his business

illegal trade

accused of being

cen-

Goldenberg scandal, a massive gold and cur-

1990s that nearly bankrupt-

senior government officials

Although he faced trial in 2006 for his alleged role, the case collapsed Pattni later reinvented himself as a selfproclaimed pastor

with the launch of a new programme aimed at combating global corruption

Husband and wife face separation over deportation flight

The Home Office plans to de po r t a h us b a n d t o Pakist an, l eaving his wife to remain in the UK , resulting in f orc ed separation for the couple

L a b o u r h a s p l e d g e d t o boost deportations, removing over 10,000 people since taking office, including asyl u m r e f u s a l s , v

c r i m i n a l c o n

i c t i o n s N o deportation charter flight to Pakistan has occurred since

planned flights in 2020 and 2021 cancelled by the Home Office

The 37-year-old couple, together for 14 years in the UK, fear forced separation as t h e H o m e O f f ic e

Pakistan He fled an arranged marriage in Pakistan, and his fiancée later killed herself T h e y f e a

asylum based on their risks, their claim was denied The w

, adding to their fears

The man was arrested on 14 November during a routine reporting session at a Home Office centre Since then, he has been detained at Y

Bedfordshire, which has sepa r a t e w i n g s f o r m e n a n d women

Reeves signals new chapter in UK-EU relations

Rachel Reev es w ill becom e the first L abour chancellor to meet her EU counterparts s i nc e Br ex it , o u tli

p with the EU She will aim to m

ties o f recent years and fos-

She believes fostering trade opportunities and reducing

Keir Starmer calls Saudi trip essential for UK economy

K eir S tarmer has ju stif ied h i s t ri p t o S a u d i A rab i a, emphasising th at it was crucial to sup port his prim ary g o a l o f b o o s ti ng th e U K econom

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he emphasised his goal of improving living standards in the UK

K e i r S t a r m e r e m p h asised his focus on UK economic growth, highlighting the importance of securing

global contracts and investment, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE as key partners

During his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed b i n S a

invited him to the UK, suggesting they could watch a f

t o i m p

human rights under Saudi’s Vision 2030 D o w n i n g S t r e e t c o nfirmed that Starmer would a d d r e

Saudi Arabia's human rights record T h e P r i m e M i n i s t

’ s spokesperson told reporters that international relationships do not prevent the UK f r o m a

rights issues and promoting global values They emphasised that economic growth r e m a i n

P

m e Minister’s top priority, while referencing the recent plan for change as evidence of the government’s focus on British priorities

Rachel Reeves

£ 1,600 worth of

u cts from a cosmetic clinic

Dr Nimrit Dhillon, 35, was caught on CCTV taking

storeroom while working as a trainer Footage showed her checking the coast was

C

her to the police

After being caught, Dr N

the clinic’s founder via text

n

m

deeming erasure from the medical register "disproportionate" due to undisclosed personal issues

Nimrit Dhillon was ordered to complete 200 hours of

community service, and pay £1,450 after admitting theft b

Rishi Sunak and his wife plan new office to boost positive impact in Britain

Rishi Su nak and his wife, A ksh ata Murty, are considering establishing an office next year to focus on initiatives aimed at m aking a p ositiv e imp act on Britain

I N B R I E F

ENGLAND FACES CRISIS WITH 300,000 CHILDREN MISSING FROM SCHOOLS

, pleading, “I can’t risk my GMC ” Convicted of three counts of theft by employee last August, Dhillon faced

stealing the Botox for her own cosmetic surgery business, although a probation

Tribunal Service this week Found guilty of misconduct, she was suspended for eight

been driven by poor consequential thinking and financial motivation ”

Black and Asian cancer patients less likely to survive UK stem cell transplant

A st udy published in ‘La ncet

B la c k a n d A s ia n ca n ce r pa tie nts a re le ss like ly to surv ive five ye ar s after a donor

s t e m ce ll t r a n sp la n t c ompa re d to white pa tien ts

Of the 30,000 patients

w h o u n d e r w e n t s t e m c e l l t r a n s p l a n t s o n t h e N H S

b e t w e e n 2 0 0 9 a n d 2 0 2 0 , 19,000 were cancer patients

The study found that cancer patients from all minority ethnic backgrounds faced a

higher risk of fatal complications after a donor stem cell

t r a n s p l a n t c o m p a r e d t o white patients

Black and Asian patients, in particular, showed a higher risk of death within the f i r s t 1 0 0 d a y s p o s t - t r a n splant

T h e s t u d y f o u n d t h a t within five years of a donor t r a n s p l a n t , A s i a n c h i l d r e n had a 32% risk of death, compared to 15% for white children D

Director of Immunogenetics a n d R e s e a r c h S e r v i c

s a

A n t h o n y N o l

n a n d l e a d author of the study, said it is the first to highlight how e t h n i c i t y a f f e c t s s u r v i v a l rates after stem cell transplants

"Despite being used for over 50 years to treat blood cancers and disorders, little has been known about the health inequalities faced by UK patients," she added

Gang jailed for nearly 50 years for £2.4mn Covid-19 fraud

A group of criminals who f ra ud ul en tly cl ai m ed o v er £ 2mn in C ovid -19 fund ing h as been sentenced to nearly 50 years in to tal They subm itted false applications f or sm al l bu si nes s g ra nts, bounce back loans, the Eat Out to Help Out schem e, a nd s el f- a ss es s m en t p aym ents fo llow ing the 20 20 p andemic

Twelve men were convicted for their roles in the fraud, with ten sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court

J u d g e R o d e r i c k Henderson called it a per-

s i s t e n t a n d s o p h i s t i c a t e d f r a u d , i n v o l v i n g s t e a l i n g large sums from the comm u n i t y d u

n a l e m e

g

Credit: B rminghamL ve

Centre: Qirat Deeas Clockwise from top left: Ummer Yousaf, Sajid Hussain Tassaddaq Hussain Usaamah Bin Taariq Noah Deen Sameer Ali Mohammed Imaan Hussain and Naqeeb Shakurt

Sunak and Murty, whose combined wealth exceeds £500 million, will personally fund the office The former prime minister chose not to claim the £115,000 annual allowance he is entitled to after leaving No 10 They are receiving support from Coulson Partners, a PR firm founded by Andy Coulson, a former No 10 adviser and newspaper editor Sunak and Murty are still determining the office's focus but share a strong passion for education Sunak called it the “closest thing to a silver bullet” and the reason he entered politics Before the election, he pledged to overhaul A-levels, though Labour has since abandoned those plans Murty regularly invited thousands of children to No 10 on Friday mornings for lessons ranging from business and beauty to cooking, coding, and chemistry Murty said: “I have an entrepreneurial mindset and come from an entrepreneurial family, so Lessons at 10 has been a journey It started as a tour with a bit of history, but talking to these young people, I wondered how I could enhance their experience That’s how the lesson idea came about It’s about helping them discover their passions I don’t frame it as career advice, but if that’s the outcome, that’s great ”

Couple convicted of son’s death and buried remains

Th e p arents of a four-year-old boy who se skeletal rem ains w ere discovered buried in a Handsw orth g arden have been fo und gu ilty in connection with his death

Morland Road, Glastonbury, were convicted at Coventry Crown Court of multiple charges, including child cruelty, causing or allowing the boy's death, and attempting to cover up their actions

In December 2022, police discovered the

Incomplete records and patchy data may mean up to 300 000 children in England are missing out on education according to the Education Policy Institute (EPI) The figure is based on a gap between children registered with NHS GPs and those enrolled in schools or recorded as homeeducated The EPI noted the potential gap widened by 40% between 2017 and 2023, partly due to the Covid pandemic s impact on prolonged absences While acknowledging limitations in the data including families moving abroad or double GP registrations the institute highlighted that many missing children are among the most vulnerable, such as those from Traveller, Gypsy, or Roma communities, where up to 75% exit the education system Whitney Crenna-Jennings, EPI associate director, urged the government to address these “data gaps” and implement targeted interventions, stressing that every child deserves access to education

HUNDREDS ARRESTED IN NORTHERN IRELAND FOR SMUGGLING

Hundreds detained in Northern Ireland in a crackdown on people smugglers crossing the border from Ireland into Great Britain Criminal gangs are charging up to €8,000 for illegal routes promoted as safer alternatives to crossing the Channel, say immigration officials The arrests are part of Operation Comby’, launched by the UK Home Office last April to strengthen ‘Operation Gull’ a joint effort with Ireland’s Garda Síochána to combat misuse of the Common Travel Area Border Security Minister Angela Eagle said the UK is stepping up efforts against smugglers at every border ” Driven by greed these gangs show no regard for human life charging high fees and forcing vulnerable people into dangerous situations, she added The Common Travel Area (CTA), which allows only British and Irish citizens to travel without passports between Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands, has sparked controversy in Ireland over concerns that Belfast is being used by irregular migrants as a backdoor route to the republic

FUNDING CRISIS CLOSES HUNDREDS OF HOSPICE BEDS

o b t a i n e d f u n d s t o l e a s e Volkswagen and Audi cars,

n c y " H e added: "The urgency of the situation led to payments with minimal checks, and these defendants exploited that opportunity " O p e r a t i n g f r o m a n office in Digbeth, the gang used some of the illegally

flaunting their wealth Most of the men used their illgotten gains to live in Dubai, transferring money to the UAE for distribution, while also traveling to Istanbul, Turkey

AI used to detect benefits fraud found unfair

T he ar ti f i c ia l i n te ll i ge n c e s ystem used by the UK govern ment to detec t w elf are f ra ud has b een found to b e b i as ed The s y st em 's bi as wa s based on f actors s uc h

a s ag e, d is a bi l it y, m a ri ta l s tatus , an d nationality

Yasharahyalah buried in the garden of the

Forensic evidence revealed he had died in 2020 from severe cruelty and neglect The court was told his parents had prioritised strict cultural beliefs, including dietary practices and rejecting conventional medicine, over their child's well-being

c e r t a i n g r o u

investigations The admis-

s released by the Department f o r W o r k a n d P e n s i o n s (DWP) under the Freedom of Information Act

“It is clear that in most c a s e s , t h e D W P d i d n o t evaluate whether its auto-

An internal review of a machine-learning program used to process thousands of Universal Credit claims across England revealed it disproportionately targeted

Selman, senior research fel-

Project

She added: “The DWP must end this ‘hurt first, fix

Abiyah's exhumed body showed evidence of severe malnutrition, rickets, anaemia, bone malformations, fractures, dental decay, infections, and poor immunity

The defendants denied causing Abiyah’s death, claiming their actions were in line with their cultural beliefs However, the Crown Prosecution Service proved that the couple neglected their son by failing to provide adequate food and medical care Photographs t a k e n b e t w e e n J u l y a n d S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 9

revealed Abiyah had swollen wrists, knees, and ankles, along with an unusually prominent forehead signs of severe vitamin D deficiency

Hospice UK reveals that 300 of England's 2 200 inpatient beds are closed or out of use due to funding and staff shortages A hospice leader warned that relying on donations for two-thirds of funding is unsustainable The organisation has urged the Government to step in to prevent further service cuts The Department for Health and Social Care said it is looking at how we can financially support hospices next year to ensure they are sustainable Rachel McMillan, chief executive of St Ann s Hospice, highlighted the growing challenges “We re not sustainable as a charity We’re part of the NHS, part of social care, and fundamental to that framework Two-thirds of our funding comes from the public, and it’s becoming harder to raise money for essential services ” She added: “Hospices are vital to health and social care If they weren’t here, the consequences would be devastating The Government must listen to our needs we’re not a ‘nice-to-have’ service but a critical part of the system ”

Nimrit

Dhillon

Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty

Cred t Ian West/PA

Multi-cultural marketing guru and diaspora analyst- Manish Tiwari honoured as British Indian of the Year 2024

Manish

(IEBF), the summit brought together distinguished lead-

trade, innovation, and sustainability between India and Europe

Mr Tiwari, a pioneer in multicultural advertising, was recognised not only for his contributions to bridging cul-

c h a m p ioning the Indian diaspora in

t h e U K b u t a l s o f o r h i s research on the influence and impact of migration in the UK His latest theory Shaping

E c o n o m i c R e s i l i e n c e ,

C u l t u r a l D y n a m i s m , a n d

Global Influence: Migration in the UK is a new chapter in the study of the economic and socio-cultural contribution of the migrants, especially the

Indian diaspora, to the UK

emerged as critical drivers of the UK’s post-Brexit recovery, bolstering sectors like health-

enriching the nation’s cultural and social fabric Their con-

essential role of migration in sustaining the UK’s competitive advantage and positioning it as a dynamic, globally connected nation ” Under Tiwari’s leadership, ‘Here and Now 365’ has b

consultancy, crafting campaigns that resonate with diverse ethnic communities H

immense potential of crosscultural collaboration, fostering inclusivity and understanding

The summit also recog-

Kumar, who were awarded ‘Top Fund Manager of the Decade’, Shreeram Iyer for Global Firm of the Year in Visual AI and Ashesh Jani,

‘Fintech of the Year’

WarmPro brings winter initiative to Ipswich

A N N O U N C E M E N T Special Tribute Segment on 26th December "Soneri Sangat"

Dear Readers and Supporters,

We are pleased to announce that our 26th December Soneri Sangat will feature a special tribute segment, offering you the opportunity to remember and honour your loved ones who are no longer with us This is a heartfelt moment to pay tribute and keep their memories alive

To participate, please share a high-quality photo of your loved one, along with the following details: their name, date of birth and demise, place of birth and place of demise and a short message of up to 25 words by 21st December, 2024 via email at : support@abplgroup com During the programme, we will showcase these photos and details, allowing us all to come together and honour the lives of those who have left us.

This unique opportunity is a beautiful way to remember and honour your loved ones, giving them a lasting place in our collective hearts We look forward to your participation in this meaningful tribute

Stay tuned for more details about this Zoom programme, and thank you for being a part of this meaningful event

Wembley came togeth er to m

D

in

Winter Care Packs, serving warm food and drinks, and raising funds for the Suffolk

Surviving Winter Appeal is a testament to the compas-

Swami Paramanand Giri ji Maharaj delivers peace message at UK Parliament

The UK Parliame nt was gra ced b y the pr esence of Yug Purush Mahamandales hwar Swam i Param anand ji M aharaj, hosted by Para m Shakti Peeth of UK The gathering focus ed on the timel y t opic , “Worl d Peace at Cros sroads: Of ferings from the Sanata n Dharm a ”

Rt Hon Bob Blackman MP welcomed Gurudev, noting the relevance of his speech in today’s uncertain world Attendees from diverse backgrounds, including trustees of mandirs, social organisation members, and the Sikh community, were inspired by the message of promoting global peace Gurudev Swami Paramanand Giri Ji Maharaj’s life is a testament to selfless service, profound devotion, and a steadfast commitment to truth and enlightenment His teachings, rooted in the ancient wisdom of sacred scriptures, emphasise that dharma is the key to achieving lasting world peace

He warned that technological advancements, like smart weapons and nuclear bombs, threaten global peace, likening it to a moth flying into a flame In this context, Sanatan Dharma offers guidance, emphasising unity, peace, and the duty to protect the earth Unlike the limited Hindu Bhavantu Sukhinah, it teaches Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaha" – may all be happy Overcoming hate, ignorance, and ego is key to ending conflict The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya symbolises peace Gurudev urged everyone to share this message, calling for unity under Dharma to promote global peace

Born in the 1930s near

the Ganges, Pujya Gurudev ji, a disciple of Swami Akhandanand ji Maharaj, is a master of Advaita Vedanta He has addressed global peace summits, authored over 150 books, and led numerous humanitarian projects As a Trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, he oversees the Ram Mandir project in Ayodhya During this UK pravachan yatra, Swami Jyotirmayand ji also shared a message of unity and strength for the Hindu community

Note: We regret to have printed a wrong story last week under the same headline We apologise for this mistake and appreciate your understanding

Community members and dignitaries present at the event

Manish Tiwari Founder and Managing Director of Here and Now 365

E2E Gala reception celebrates the UK’s fastest growing private companies

E2E hosted a spectacu lar gala in Londo n to honour the 600 f as tes t- gro wi ng priv ate U K com panies as part of its E2E 1 00 Tracks The ev ent celebrated innov ation, resilience, and entrepreneurship, bringing tog ether ind ustry lead ers and visionary entrepreneurs

T h e E 2 E 1 0 0

, curated with Experian and Go Live Data, celebrate the

Shalini Khemka

E

gala with reflections on the UK budget, urging stronger support for private businesses as the economy's back-

industries

brated UK entrepreneurship

game-changing app launching next year

insightful panel discussions with industry leaders

Group), and Matthew Hayes (

Simon La Fosse (La Fosse Associates), Deepak Nangla (Brightsun Travel), Sara Daw (The Liberti Group), Colin

Byrne (Travel Counsellors) The event also welcomed notable attendees, including

Dragons’ Den investor) and Sir Anthony Seldon (British historian) The evening conc

British Indian student leads historic Cambridge Union

Ano ush ka Kale, a Britis h Indian stud ent, h as been ele c ted p r es id ent o f th e historic Cambridge U nion Society, one o f the world ’ s o ld e st d eb at in g s o ci e ti es fo und ed in 18 15

and British Indian

Union has

rich history of hosting influential figures,

Admiral Insurance, sharing the inspiring mantra, “Keep Earth in the window

remarks by Lord Bilimoria CBE DL, who reflected on the resilience and ingenuity of private companies navi-

The

Brexit, inflation, and global political shifts

Shri Anandpriyadasji Swami's statue unveiled with 40,000 vibrant diamonds

A magnificent statue of Shri

A nandpriyadasji Swami, the

A hmedabad , has been

d ivine creation will be placed

f o r d ar sh a n a t S h ri

S w am i na ray an M an d i r –

K u m ku m , A n and d h am , H i rap u r , o n D ec em ber 1 5, m arking the auspicious o ccasion of Magshar Pu rnima

On this occasion, Sadhu

Premvatsaldasji of Kumkum M a n d i r s h a r e d t h a t K u m k u m M a n d i r i s a l s o

Coldean Store shortlisted as Best Local Convenience spot

Ma ni sh a nd Raj Such ak, the f ath er-and-son d uo behi nd C o l d e a n Co n v e ni e nc e i n Bri ght on, have bee n nomin a t e d a s t h e B e s t L o ca l Conve ni ence Stor e by the Na tiona l Lott ery

ously supported the local s

d cover the remaining costs

Raj and Manish Suchak

“ I t b r i n g s u s t r e m e ndous joy to know that our wonderful customers voted f o r u s , ” s a y s M a

S

to be part of such a supp o r t i v e c o m m u n

a n d everything we do is simply our way of giving back ” For the past two years, Manish and Raj have gener-

located in the Stanmore area of London Weekly satsang sabhas are held there every Saturday and Sunday

Despite being physically challenged, Divya dedicated herself to crafting this statue over two months, working f o u r h o u r s d a i l y , t o t a l l i n g 240 hours

S h r i A n a n d p r i y a d a s j i

S w a m i l i v e d a n i l l u s t r i o u s life of 100 years, of which 80 years were dedicated to his service as a sadhu Over the

y e a r s , h

L

n d o n more than eight times, leaving a lasting impact on many

young individuals by sharing the richness of Indian culture and the values of the Swaminarayan tradition

Speaking from London, Divya Hirani said, “I have never come across a saint as v i r t u o u s a s S h r i A n a n d p r i y a d a s j i S w a m i W h e n e v e

L o n d

I w o u l d t a k e

t

i s darshan from a distance Yet, my heart would be filled with d i v i n e p e a c e a n d r e s o l v e Inspired by these feelings, I created this statue so that many others, like me, can benefit from his darshan ”

W i n n i n g 1

s uncontested for the Easter 2025 term, Kale ran on a platform to strengthen ties with cultural groups like the India Society She currently serves as the society's debate officer " I ’

Cambridge Union Society for Easter 2025 and grateful for the support," said Ms Kale "I’ll focus on promoting diversity and access by collaborating with cultural g r o u p s

Society, while continuing t

speakers and global debate

HEF UK celebrates women empowerment with inaugural meeting

Th e H i n d u E c o n om i c Forum (HEF) U K Chapter celebrated a historic mi les to n

Wo

n Em powermen t Team at the Indian Gym khana Club

The event, attended by a n e n t h u s i a s t

, primarily women, featured inspiring dialogue and col-

began with a calming meditation session by Hina Shah, setting a serene tone, while S

y compered the proceedings

Subhash Thakrar OBE, Vice President of HEF UK, welcomed attendees, high-

influence of women in driving growth within families

h

Ranjan Singh, President of HEF UK London Chapter, e m p

volunteers and dignitaries at the event

Shankar, CEO of HEF UK, announced the

“I heard on the radio that a good breakfast helps children perform better at school,” Manish explains “ T h

t h t h e i

w

i e s p a rents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles Helping out felt like the natural thing to do ”

potential of the 1 2 billionstrong global Hindu community, contributing to a $6 3 trillion economy He underscored HEF’s role as a platform for collaboration, fostering opportunities for collective prosperity

T h e p r o g r a m m e f e

tured a distinguished panel of speakers who explored w

through economic success, well-being, and spirituality

Mrs Vee Bharkhada shared

pendence, while Dr Ashish Paul highlighted the trans-

holistic health and fertility

Mrs Indu Venugopal captivated the audience with the tale of Maha Kali, symbolis-

resilience inherent in every

The evening concluded with Anil Puri, President of

delivering

vote of thanks, praising the event's success and the dedication of the HEF

Upcoming events at The Bhavan

- The Bhavan invites you to its festive Christmas celebrations on Sunday, 15th December, starting at 1:00 PM Enjoy a delightful programme featuring carols and vibrant dances, marking the spirit of the season Entry is free, but prior registration is required

Join ‘The Bhavan's Founders' Day’ cel-

onwards This annual event showcas-

es the talents of our students, teachers, and staff, celebrating Indian classical arts and the torchbearers of its future

- Celebrate India’s Republic Day with The Bhavan UK on Thursday, 6th February Join us at 6:30 PM for a 7:00 PM start The event, featuring Chief

Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India

Shalini Khemka CBE announcing the new E2E website and app, set to be launched early 2025

Statue of Shri Anandpriyadasji Swami

CBE pictured with Surinder Arora (left) Founder of Arora Group and Thomas Teichman, Venture Capitalist, Co-founder of The Garage Soho, Chairman of SPARK Ventures

Anoushka Kale

Captain Avhilash Rawat receives 2024

IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery

c r e w a b o a r d t h e

and his

M

r l i n Luanda’ were recognised for

d endurance" in coordinating f i r e f i g h

control efforts following a fire caused by an anti-ship ballistic missile strike in the Red Sea earlier this year I n h i

expressed gratitude to his entire crew, saying: “I want

to thank my crew for their exceptional courage, professionalism, and unwavering d

p p o r t and trust were invaluable during those critical hours, and together, we overcame c

insurmountable ” He also extended heartfelt thanks on behalf of the ‘Marlin Luanda’ crew to the

S Navies: “Your timely intervention and steadfast comm

n guiding us through the most critical moments of our firefighting efforts ”

Virendra Sharma awarded Lifetime Achievement honour at House of Commons

T h e Wo r ld T am i l

O rg a ni s ati o n ( WT O- U K)

p r es en ted f o rm er M P

V i re nd r a S h ar m a w

L if et im e A ch i e v em e nt

A ward at the iconic House o f Com mons T he honour recog nised his u nw averi ng d ed ication to th e S outhall com munity and his signific an t c on tri bu ti o ns to th e bro ad er As ian d ias po ra in the United Kingd om

The award was presented by Dr Simon Opher, MP for Stroud, a strong advocate for the Asian community and promoter of IndiaUK business ties The event was further distinguished by the presence of Lord and Lady Dholakia

I n h i s a c c e p t a n c e speech, Mr Sharma called the recognition a “thrilling

empowering the Tamil com-

supporting Asian communities in his capacity M r S h

d down as MP in July ahead of the UK parliamentary elec-

tions The event was attended by Tamil business leaders who have excelled in their industries while promoting

these leaders were also honoured during the ceremony for their outstanding contributions

BIMA co-founder wins 2024 Diana Award

H a rr

Bola overcame personal challenges as a first-genera-

Imperial College London to co-found BIMA in 2020, creating a supportive and thriving community for Indianorigin medical students

In his final year at university, he earned praise for his leadership, chairing

Captain Avhilash Rawat receiving the award

Former MP Virendra Sharma honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award

Credit: Kerala link

Harroop Singh Bola

The happenings in the USA

What is happening in America? What are Americans like? What has the US been doing all these years towards the people and the world? Similar questions about America have been aplenty and yet more such questions will come up in the pipeline All the hullabaloo and hallucination should be stopped right away

But the fact is that America has reached remarkable milestones on boundless fronts like technology and economy only trudging through the hard paths and rough territories down the years There have been many beautiful people like Bill Gates hailing from the US In fact, Bill Gates had been my big inspiration during my college years between 1998 and 2001 in Tuticorin and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu

That said, at this time America is encountering a lot of political conflicts Donald Trump has been embroiled in so many unnecessary problems caused by his rivals Pandora's box includes internal conflicts, Russian interference in American elections and et cetera

The sooner Mr Trump comes out of all these crises, the better it will be for all To nudge the rivals out of the way, the American President should take the diplomatic route and smooth talk – that he has in abundance At the end of the day, he will be able to get on with his sole duty and relevant responsibilities

P S enth il

Indian innovators are creating impact

I am delighted to read that 3 distinguished scientists have won the prestigious Tata Transformation Prize (As reported in Asian Voice dated 7-13 Dec 2024) They have done remarkable jobs which will be really helpful not only to I n d i a b u t a l s o t o o t h e r c o u n t r i e s a s w e l l D r

Anandharamakrishnan has developed the rice which is going to combat issues of nutrient deficiencies and chronic diseases In the Southern and Eastern parts of India, rice is an important food so that will be helpful to poor people

Dr Amartya Mukhopadhyay’s work on Na-Ion batteries will prove beneficial to small vehicles in reducing carbon emissions Energy storage is a major obstacle so this ecofriendly battery will be helpful in rural and semi-urban areas We need to have cheaper and more sustainable options so more people can afford them

A sound and solid healthcare system is the backbone of a n y c o u n t r y f o r l o n g - t e r m g r o w t h D r R a g h a v a n

Varadarajan’s research in developing a cost-effective vaccine for respiratory illness is a great milestone During Covid-19 era, Indian scientists and manufacturing companies have proved that they are capable of meeting any eventuality

The most important thing is a solid partnership among researchers, local governments and manufacturing units to make sure that the common people get the advantage of the research It has to be cost-effective so people can afford it Manufacturers need to make money but excessive profit will put the public away from the benefits

Hitesh Hingu

Treatment of Hindu communities in Bangladesh

Recently, we have all heard and read of Hindu nationals being abused and ill treated in Bangladesh To the extent that temples are being burnt and our girls are being taken as easy victims

If history has forgotten it was India that liberated East Pakistan during war in 1971 and created Bangladesh during a bitter war which was fought on both east and western fronts Hence at the time west Pakistan became a Pakistan republic

A t t h e t i m e M u

b u r R a h m a n b e c a m e l e a d e r o f Bangladesh during Indira Gandhi's reign and great celebrations took place

So today it is a sad state of affairs that Bengali nationals have forgotten who granted them independence in the first place and are now acting in a non appropriate and appreciative behaviour

Ajay

Is Christmas only about Santa Claus?

If you ask any child about Christmas, he or she will only remember Santa Claus and the gifts offered by him to little children As we celebrate this great festival of Christmas, we cannot but lift up our hearts to the Christ Child and thank him for all the caring, sharing and giving of our generous hearts during the year gone by And so we cherish these memories with gratitude during this holy season

Christmas is a time of fun and cheer The activities of Christmas-tide like parties, visits and hopefully even the sacraments, fills us with joy and contribute to making the season joyful and exciting Christmas is the celebration of the ultimate love of God abandoning the glory of heaven to make his will dwelling with us

Jubel D'Cruz

'Tooting

Four' convicted over Sadiq Khan home protest

London M ayor S ad iq Khan’s home in Tooting o n April 6 hav e been found guilty of harassm ent

Known as the 'Tooting

protest as Khan’s re-election campaign gained momen-

and plan to appeal, calling the verdict a “travesty of justice” and a threat to free speech

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard their protest, titled ‘Khanage at Khan’s’,

, including ‘The Bill’ theme

protester, Ms Young, wore

group was part of

larger

demonstrators on April 6 Judge Daniel Sternberg s

aggressive during the arrest phase, and he was satisfied they “knew or ought to have known” their actions were likely to cause alarm or distress to Sadiq Khan T

require proof that Mr Khan or anyone else was actually d

effect Though the mayor was not believed to be home

d u r i n g t h e p r o t e s t , Sternberg noted that neighbors were disrupted in their private lives

Two arrested following moped crash on Talgarth Road, West Kensington

T w o p e o p le h a v e be en arrested after a wo man d ied in a hit-and-ru n m oped collision in Hammersm ith

Ina Rodrigues, 58, was s

Kensington on January 16 She was taken to hospital but tragically died a week l a t e r o n J a

a r y 2 1 T h e moped did not stop at the scene and was abandoned nearby shortly after the incident

A man in his 20s and a woman in her 30s have been

a

death by dangerous driving and perverting the course of

t h a court date set for later this month

This New Year, share the gift of knowledge and connection with your loved ones through our special combo subscription offer for Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. For more details, see page: 9

Speculation !

How the world can cha nge in less t han a week I refer of c ou r se t o t h e c ol l a ps e o fP r e si d e n t B a s ha r a l -

Assa d’sdictatorship in Sy ria Pundits of every col our have come out of the woodwork wit h comme ntary on eve nts unfol ding Most declar e t hemsel ves a s expert s in middle ea ste rn politics The tr ut h however is ofte n very diffe rent as we have seen in the past The me dia comme ntat or s, an d now the social media pa rrots, wil l gen erate a lot of hot a ir for consumption b y the masses So l et me de cl are upfront, my piece t oda y is pure specul ation

The first question I asked myself was, why now? I mean this mess in Syria has been on-going since the days of Hafez al-Assad who was in power for 29 years, and then his son, Bashar al-Assad who took over in 2000 For the past14 years Syria has been in a civil war and now within a matter of days we have seen thetakeover of Syria by the ‘rebels’ ‘Rebels’, an interesting term being used by people in the west Let me define who they really are, they are Islamist terrorists The whitewashing of their extremism and their brutality by the west is rather interesting The west has a history of dictating terminology that suits their duplicitous political agenda

Of course, we have also seen another huge earthquake in America with Ex-President Trump coming back to take over the presidency in January Sodid this have anything to do with events unfolding? Coincidence? Or is there a bigger game plan?

We know that Trump has already stated he expects the Russia-Ukraine war to be sorted very quickly That will happen whether Volodymyr Zelenskyy likes it or not Zelenskyy has read the writing on the wall; he will have no choice but to reconcile differences with Moscow and give up territory for peace Putin will win by putting in place a new Line of Control (LoC) that marks a sort of red line for the west, that no longer can they expand NATO otherwise there will be consequences Of course, lest people have forgotten, decades ago it was the west that promised Mikhail Gorbachev that it would not expand NATO if Moscow agreed to German unification and an end to the ‘cold war ’ Remember, it was the west that broke the agreement

Having wasted billions of dollars trying to hoodwink their own citizens into thinking they are supporting Ukraine and winning the war against Russia, they realise that they are in fact losing it They need a way out, as does R u s s i a s i n c e t h i

resources We are therefore left with the age-old classic of diplomacy, give with one hand and take with the other

It seems the sacrifice of parts of Ukraine are a payment to Russia moving out of Syria and allowing the western backed ‘rebels’ to march in and take over Syria By so doing, in one move they have destabilised the Iranian establishment The Shia enterprise in the middle east will be curtailed as the Sunni phase gathers momentum

What we must never forget is that all rebels in the middle east are Islamist terrorists All dictatorships in the middle east are Islamist And all Islamists are either Sunni or Shia, both intent in destroying each other, and in wiping out people of other faiths It won’t take long before we hear of the persecution of Christians in Syria!

The litmus test for Syria is simple, if the rebels coming into power are good for the nation, then we should see the millions of Syrian refugees rushing to get back to their country Somehow, I don’t see that happening

The picture developsfurther when we considerthe geopolitical position of Israel Israel will prevail no matter what the Shia’s or the Sunni’s attempt to do It has already dismantled the Palestinian Hamas terror regime, and it has put massive dents in the Hezbollah enterprise of Iran in Lebanon

Nations like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordon, Egypt are making sure they stay on the right side UAE becoming the nerve centre for international business and finance, Saudi Arabia from being the energy supplier to the world,to now rapidly becoming the centre for international sports, Egypt maintaining its holiday destination vibe and Jordon the late comer to the party trying its best not to mess it all up Nations like Qatar have more money than commonsense Their tacit support for terrorism is well known It’s only a matter of time before under the pressure of regional politics it either changes dramatically, or it is dismantled by external forces

Some may ask, can we now assume that Libya, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen are in the gutter and will remain so for decades to come The answer, yes

And in all of this chaos where does Turkey sit? It wants to become part of the EU, and it also wants to be the leader for Islamic nationsby establishing a caliphate As it stands, it has gained tremendously by the fall of Assad’s dictatorship However, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would be well advised if at this crucial time he simmers down on his customary rhetoric and not make himself or Turkey the new target!

Is this all just pure speculation?I guess time will tell!

Kapil Dudakia

Ina Rodrigues (the victim)

Two British Indian honours annulled by royal decree

British India n busine ssma n

a nd pe er, Lor d Ra mi

R ang er ha s cond emne d the UK's For feiture

Com mit te e's de cision t o r evok e his C omman der of t he Br itish Empir e (CBE) hon our, criticisin g the a ct ion as viola ting h is fre edom of spe ech A spoke sperson ha s a lso issued a sta te ment clarifying Lord Ra nge r ’ s sta nd

In a separate message that Asian Voice has seen, Lord Ranger said, “The decision of the Forfeiture Committee has serious implications for all upstanding citizens, that they should not speak their mind in case they forfeit their honour for standing up against those who wish to harm us and our country ”

Alongside Lord Ranger, Anil Bhanot, an accountant and managing trustee of the Hindu Council UK, also had his Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) title revoked The revocation was linked to allegations of Islamophobia stemming from tweets he posted in 2021 about violence against Hindus in Bangladesh (See his statement next to the story)

Lord Ranger, a Sikh himself, is a well-known critic of Khalistani separatist movements and has plans to pursue legal action, including a judicial review and an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights He was awarded a CBE in 2016 for his contributions to business and community and became a peer in 2019 as part of Theresa May's resignation honours Lord Ranger has always been a strong advocate for community cohesion, founding the Pakistan, India & UK Friendship Forum, and chairing the British Sikh Association

An official spokesperson for Lord Ranger, in a statement told the newsweekly,

Anil Bhanot

T h e Ho n o u r w i th d r aw a l aside, I fear the problem for u s H i nd us h as s u d d e nl y beco me v ery much of second class citizens in the UK w hen it comes to sp eaking ag ai nst th e i nju sti ces w e m ay suffer fro m Islam ists, w e have to silently suffer, for fear of being accused of Islam ophobia, which seems now the number one priority of this Gov ernment

During the Autumn of 2 0 2 1 , I g o t i n v o l v e d i n t w e e t - d e b a t e s f r o m t h e Indian subcontinent when I s l a m i s t m o b s i n

B a n g l a d e s h w e n t f r o m town to town seeking out poor Hindus to attack as k a f i r s a n d d e s t r o y t h e i r

temples My reply-tweets were mostly one-line reac-

t i o n s t o o t h e r s ’ t w e e t s a m o n g s t t h e h o r r o r

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

Hindus Then compounded by the fact that the BBC w a s s i l e n t o n r e p o r t i n g these incidents, I felt I had to speak for those innocent

s o u l s b e i n g t a r g e t e d b y m o b v i o l e n c e N o w o f course we see a full-scale genocide of Hindus, which t h e 2 0 2 1 v i o l e n c e s e e m s like a mini trailer

Then later in December

2 0 2 1 , a H i n d u c h i l d Lavanya committed suicide

“Lord Ranger has not committed any crime, nor has he broken any law, where the majority of the people who have had their honour revoked in this way, have committed a crime or broken the law Lord Ranger is devastated that the CBE awarded to him for his services to British business and for promoting community cohesion has been taken away It is a sad indictment that the honours system, which is designed to empower

individuals who go the extra mile and contribute a great deal to the nation, should be used to curtail the basic fundamental rights of free speech and thought process

“Complaints that had previously been made to the House of Lords Standards Committee and rejected, were resubmitted to the Forfeiture Committee These included a complaint by Sikhs for Justice a US based group who have been banned by the Indian

government who has designated it as an ‘unlawful association’ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act together with the organisation’s leader, who on 1 July 2020 was declared a ‘designated individual terrorist’ by the Indian government ” The spokesperson also emphasised that Lord Ranger had addressed prior complaints through public apologies and rehabilitative training These included a tweet concerning a

"Hindus treated as second class citizens"

because of pressure to convert Then again, I replied to tweets from the subcontinent because of my empat h y f o r a h e l p l e s s c h i l d tweeting that coercive or f o r c e d D a w a h o r

Proslytisation is wrong, it is evil

But at all times, I asked for dialogue and legislative measures only, even for my claim that Hinduism is the father of all religion, my purpose was not to claim some superiority, far from it, but in all humbleness show that the high level spirituality in all religions w e s h a r e a l i k e , t h a t w e

s h o u l d s e e t h e u n i t y i n spirit to enable us cohabit peacefully Now the historian William Dalrymple in his book the Golden Road

g i v e s e v i d e n c e o f

l trade from the time of the I

i o n 4,500 years ago and he even discovered Buddha statue i n a t e m p l e i n E g y p t Spirituality seemed to have

b e e n s h a r e d a c r o s s t h e world through trade and people migrations

A n y w a y d u r i n g l a t e F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 , a y o u n g individual from the 5 pillars of Islam picked some of t h e s e o n e l i n e r r e p l ytweets and exposed them o u t o f c o n t e x t , a s

Al-Assad's family flees UK, heads to Moscow

T h e in - law s o f f o rm er S yrian P resident Bash ar alA ssad hav e reported ly fled the UK and are believ ed to be in M oscow, according to neighbors and friend s F a w a z A k h r a s , a w e l l -

k n o w n c a r d i o l

S a h a r A k h r a s , a

t i r e d diplomat, are the parents of Asma al-Assad, who married the ousted Syrian leader in 2000 while he was studying in London

T h e c o u p l e l i v e d i n a m o d e s t h o m e i n N o r t h Acton, west London, where they raised Asma before she b e c a m e t h e S y r i a n F i r s t Lady living in luxury, while her husband waged a brutal campaign against political

opponents

The owner of a Syrian supermarket in Acton, who k n o w s M r A k h r a s b u t w i s h e d t o r e m a i n a n o n ymous, said: "I saw him about ten days ago He mentioned he was going abroad for a while and that his wife was already out of the country There’s a large Syrian community here, and the word is they’ve gone to Moscow to support their daughter and son-in-law It doesn’t surprise us, as they are a close family and have always stood by their daughter "

A n e i g h b o r , w h o h a s k n o w n t h e f a m i l y f o r 3 0 years but wished to remain anonymous, said the prop-

erty has been empty for the past week and believes Mr Akhras and his wife have likely traveled to Russia to visit their daughter and her

y around but keep a low profile because there are many S

added

The Kremlin confirmed that Bashar Al Assad, Asma,

Acton, a west London suburb, is home to one of the city's largest Syrian communities, with many gathering in a local coffee shop to discuss recent events in Syria

Islamophobic I did try to engage with him then too but in vain He complained to the Charity Commission a n d t h e I n s t i t u t e o f

C h a r t e r e d A c c o u n t a n t s ICAEW, but both institut i o n s r e j e c t e d t h e c o mp l a i n t a n d a b s o l v e d m e under the free speech and s10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 In addition, the ICAEW cited two cases of B S B v H o l b r o o k a n d o f

T o c h w h e r e , i n M a r c h 2022, both Holbrook and Toch were cleared of tweet complaints

T h e G o v e r n m e n t i s eager to prioritise injunctions against Islamophobia But the Islamophobia definition is flawed, indeed it w o u l d b e i m p o s s i b l e t o d e f i n e i t I n s t e a d , t h e

G o v e r n m e n t s h o u l d t r y

a n d d e f i n e a n t i - M u s l i m hatred to protect Muslims and likewise Hindu-Misia, a s t h e y ’ v e d e f i n e d

Antisemitism The legislative emphasis should be on anti-hatred not a perceived phobia which will always be a moving target, never a singularity in legislation I t h i n k t h e F o r f e i t u r e

Committee found it convenient to impose an antiHindu dhimmitude on me in their attempt to show

t h e y a r e t a k i n g a c t i o n a g a i n s t w h a t t h e y m a y t h i n k i s I s l a m o p h o b i a I d e n y I a m I s l a m o p h o b i c and have harmonious relat i o n s w i t h M u s l i m s , m y f r i e n d s , m y c l i e n t s , m y e m p l o y e e s a n d m y r e l ations But the consequence o f t h i s G o v e r n m e n t ’ s action is that I am left feeling religiously persecuted u n d e r t h e E q u a l i t y A c t 2010

After the 7/7 bombing I did ask the Communities Dept to debate the word ‘Kafir’ as I claimed it comes f r o m t h e S a n s k r i t w o r d ‘ K a a y e r ’ f o r C o w a r d , b u t nobody took responsibility to do such difficult debates My reactionary tweets centred around the mob vio-

l e n c e t h e I s l a m i s t s w e r e p e r s e c u t i n g t h e p o o r Hindus in the Autumn of 2 0 2 1 , a n d s o m e t i m e s t o p u s h t h e b o u n d a r i e s o f debate but with the aim of bringing a peaceful solu-

Southall Sikh Gurdwara trustee, his criticism of a BBC documentary on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Gujarat riots, and an online dispute with journalist Poonam Joshi Furthermore, President Vimalji Odedra of the National Council of Gujarati Organisations UK (NCGO UK) has sent a letter to Sir Chris Wormald, Cabinet Secretary, at 10 Downing Street, in support of Lord Ranger

tion to such mindless violence I gave contextual explanations to all my tweets a n d i n d e e d r e f u t e d e a c h one of the claims in the Cabinet Office letter, but it s e e m s t h e G o v e r n m e n t ’ s priority is to set an example even by wrongful means I d i d t w e e t t h a t I s l a m o p h o b i a c u l l s f r e e speech and so what else is this? Please don’t judge me, ask me too I would be the f i r s t o n e t o p r o t e c t Muslims under attack as I have spoken against their w r o n g f u l k i l l i n g s t o o , a s well Christians, indeed for h u m a n i t y , b u t t h e G o v e r n m e n t

has to be weighed in by its

q u e n c e o f Dhimmitude and only then it will lead to the right defi n i t i o n o f a n t i - M u s l i m hatred, which finally would be workable in legislation If I may offer an Indian poet shaeyer: “Voh Katal Bhi Kartay Hain, To Charchaa Nahi H o t a ; H u m A h h H i Bhartay Hain To Ho Jatay Hain Badnaam” –They even Kill others, y e t N o b o d y M u r m u r s a Word; We simply take a Sigh and are put to Shame

MP proposes ban on first-cousin marriage

Former Conservativ e minister Rich ard Holden has p ropo sed banning firstcousin m arriages in th e U K, arguing that th e children of such unio ns face a hig her risk of birth d efects and that the ban w ould protect public health

Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed opposed the ban, suggesting education programs would better address risks Last month, the government said it would carefully review marriage laws before taking a public stance on the issue Holden introduced his proposal under the 10minute rule, allowing backbench MPs to propose new bills with a 10-minute Commons speech

However, such bills rarely become law without government backing due to limited parliamentary time Currently, marriages with siblings, parents, or children are prohibited, but not between first cousins

Holden highlighted that while first-cousin marriage is rare in Western countries, it is common in some diaspora communities, such as Irish travellers and British Pakistanis, with rates of 2040% Citing research, he said children of first cousins face double the risk of inheriting serious disorders

Holden also linked the practice to threats to women ’ s freedom, noting

that strict honour codes in some communities enforce social isolation and violence He argued that first-cousin marriage undermines the values and foundations of modern British society and democracy

MP Mohamed opposes first-cousin marriage ban, advocating health awareness instead He acknowledged health risks but argued that banning adults from marrying each other would be ineffective and unenforceable Instead, he suggested promoting genetic testing and health education in communities where the practice is most common, emphasising awareness over stigma

Lord Rami Ranger

Anil Bhanot

EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION

The 2023/24 academic year also saw a steady rise in overall apprenticeship participation, with 339,580

a p p r e n t i c e s h i p s t a r t s - a 0 7 % increase from the previous year Of

t h e s e , a d

accounted for 43 1%, and higher

a p p r e n t i c e s h i p s f o r 3 6 0 %

Additionally, Level 6 and 7 apprenticeships saw a 7 1% rise, underlining the demand for higher-level skills Despite some declines in learner participation, apprentices h i p a c h i

9 8%, signalling the growing success of these programs

On the other hand, the UK is the only major economy that has seen its employment rate fall over the last five years, reversing the previous long-run trend of declining rates of economic inactivity This has been driven predominantly by a rise in the number of people who are economically inactive due t o l o n g - t e r m s i c k n e s s Apprenticeship can serve as the solution to this inactivity as well

These trend signals an important shift towards apprenticeships as a more sustainable and rewarding career path, providing students and those rejoining the workforce with the skills and qualifications employers need, without the burden of long-term debt associated with university education Gov ernm ent turns to app renticesh ips as NEET figures soar

Official estimates suggest that the number of 16-24 year-olds not

employers value highly ”

“For many, this model is more relevant and financially sustainable than pursuing a university degree especially in light of the increasing costs and student debt burdens of university degrees ”

The South Asian perceptio n of apprenticeship

Historically, many South Asian cultures have placed a high value on formal education, particularly in subjects like medicine, engineer-

apprenticeships being perceived as

ited qualifications and diplomas

t

these cultural perceptions They also equip schools, parents, and young people with the information they need to make informed choices and provide EDI governance and support to regulated businesses

Ap prenticeship s need funding as UK skills gap wid ens

Seventy percent of UK employers acknowledge that they are not

employees' personal development

This comes at a time when more than three-fifths of UK professionals report feeling increased pressure to upskill compared to just a year ago

released a report highlighting the critical role of new skills in driving growth, yet new research from tal-

Walters underscores the growing concern over employer underinvestment in this area According to t

Commerce, more than 60% of businesses across the UK are currently grappling with skills shortages Chris Eld rid ge, C EO of Robert Walters UK & Ireland, commented, “The UK is facing an escalating skills shortage, driven by an aging workforce, tightening budgets, and the rapid evolution of technologies and AI The solution lies in a collective effort to upskill, train, and d e

sectors, which requires active collaboration from employers ”

Despite the need for skill training, with cuts to funding for vital h

under the Growth and Skills levy, there are concerns that skills shortages may worsen, hindering productivity and long-term economic growth

Dr J o e M a rs h all , C E O o f NC U B, stated, “These qualifications, delivered collaboratively by

for producing the

national growth sectors They are crucial for employers, as they build a high-quality skills pipeline that drives productivity

“However, the future of this pathway is at risk due to the government’s proposed reforms to the

apprenticeships while maintaining flexibility for businesses to support

including at Level 7, where there

of

student visas, which have decreased by 19% since 2023 Marshall concluded, “This is a critical issue for universities The

apprenticeships occurs alongside ongoing financial instability The decline in international student visas only worsens the situation Institutions need clarity and decisive action to ensure financial stability and deliver the qualifications and educational pathways essential for national prosperity ”

An employer and employee perspective

K

i n e m p l o y m e n t , e d u c a t i o n , o r t r a i n i n g ( N E E T ) a

reached 872,000 during the period from April to June 2024 and the government has turned to apprenticeship as a part of the solution

The government’s Get Britain Working white paper appropriately addresses the challenge of economic inactivity, especially among young people With NEET levels approaching one million and youth confidence rapidly declining, the proposed Youth Guarantee - which offers a job, training, or apprenticeship within six months - represents a vital intervention

Viv ek Rawal, Chief E xecutiv e Officer, ABMA Education Ltd feels that apprenticeships are perfectly p o s i t i o n e d t o a d d r e s s k e y c h a ll e n g e s “ T h e y b r i d g e t h e g a p between education and employment by equipping young people with the practical skills employers need today, while simultaneously tackling issues like youth unem-

p l o y m e n t a n d s k i l l s s h o r t a g e s A

ready professionals from day one, ensuring young people can contribute meaningfully to the economy ” , he said

“The future of education must

Apprenticeships provide a pathway for young people to thrive, businesses to grow, and the UK economy to remain competitive on the global stage”, he added

A c c o r d i n g t o V i v e k , a p p r e n -

ticeships are no longer an alternative lesser path they are a primary route to success, offering opportunities that can surpass traditional university education in appeal and i m p a c t H e s a i d

A s i n d u s

s evolve, so do the skills required to s u c c e e d w i t h i n t h e m

Apprenticeships allow young people to gain hands-on experience, earn while they learn, and develop

families who have invested heavily in ensuring their children pursue university degrees Vivek acknowledges the cultural biases and challenges that deter some families particularly within

, university education has been perceived as the ultimate marker of success and stability in many Asian households, partly due to historical a n d e c o n o m i c c o n t e x t s t h a t emphasised traditional professional roles such as medicine, law, or e n g i n e e r i n g A p p r e n t i c e s h i p s , unfortunately, are sometimes seen as lacking prestige or security ” However, he feels that it is vital to challenge the outdated percept

“lesser” option compared to university education “This misconception is rooted in a traditional v i e w o f s u c c e s s t h a t n o l o n g e r reflects the diverse and dynamic opportunities available in the mode r n w o r k

p s lead to careers in sectors as varied a s t e c h n o l o g

, h e a l t h c a

,

n g ineering, and the creative industries often with earning potential and career progression equal to or

graduates ”

Vikek also offers some practical solutions stating, “To break down these barriers, we must focus on

families to share success stories of apprentices who have excelled in fields ranging from technology to

earning potential that apprenticeships provide

“Employers and policymakers also have a role to play by ensuring apprenticeships lead to structured career progression and are visibly celebrated in the same way university achievements often are ”

His own organisation works to create vocationally related accred-

Ahmed Shakir's journ ey i nto an apprentice ship s tarted as he reali sed that universi ty was n’t the right fi t for him He began studying at Bradford C ollege in

Level 2 over two years Eager to

he joined Abraham s & Carlisle in

appren ti ceshi p in B ench J oi nery

A Level 2 Joinery Apprentice, Ahmed clinched second place in

SkillBuild National Final 2024, his apprenticeship played a significant role in his success “I spent two years at college, and have only been in my apprenticeship for a year In that time, I feel like my skills have grown significantly more than they did during college”, he said

Reflecting on the differences between college and an apprenticeship, Ahmed emphasised the practical experience and career opportunities that an apprenticeship provides He noted that one of the biggest advantages is earning while learning, stating, “You're earning money on the job, and by the end, you also receive a qualification For me, that's the key difference In an

, whereas being in college doesn't quite offer the same hands-on learning in a real-world setting

trade, Ahmed firmly advocates for apprenticeships as the best o

combination of earning, learning, and gaining real-world experience

J on a t h an He m

w

y , Di rector at A brahams & Carlisle and Ahmed Shakir’s employer, views apprenticeships as a vital pathway for addressing the local

skills shortage He recognises the value of a p p r

pipeline of skilled workers to meet the needs of the business and maintain quality service for clients By bringing in apprentices, the company ensures the development of talent for the future while securing its ability to deliver projects effectively J o n a t h a n h i g h l i g h t s h o w apprenticeships have positively impacted the company's perform a n c e a n d p r o d u c t i v i t y H e shares that Ahmed, having completed two years of college before starting his apprenticeship, was a b l e t o c o

from day one This prior experience allowed Ahmed to hit the

ground running, engaging productively in projects and assisti n

n g deadlines and achieving goals

J

mutual benefits of apprenticeships for both employers and employees He said, “The main

apprenticeships is that we

re able to build our workforce, especial-

receiving applications for joiners through regular advertising By bringing in apprentices, we can expand our team We typically take on two or three apprentices each year, and this stream helps grow our numbers

benefit is clear: once they earn their qualification, they secure a job with us We aim to train our apprentices with the intention of them staying with the company l

believes the focus in hiring is shifting from formal qualifications to skills While apprentices still need foundational qualifications such as GCSEs in Maths

experience in the workplace sets them apart

Vivek Rawal

Dr Joe Marshall

Ahmed Shakir and Jonathan Hemingway

by Anusha Singh

Dipna Anand is a celebrated chef, restaurateur, author, and educator, renowned for her deep passion for Indian cuisine

Known as the "Curry Queen" of the Indian culinary world, her family’s journey spans over seven decades, starting with her grandfather, who opened the first Brilliant Restaurant & Nightclub Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, in the 1950s Brilliant in Southall was founded by her father, Gulu, in 1975 and has recently clinched the prestigious title of 'Best International Kitchen' at the Hospitality Awards UK 20 has earned a reputation for excellence, attracting diners from around the world, including His Royal Highness the King

In an interview with Asian Voice, Dipna opens up about her love for cooking, her family's legacy, and the story behind Brilliant

What sparked your passion for Indian cuisine? Can you share your earliest memories of cooking?

I was born and raised in a family of chefs and restaurateurs, which was truly fortunate as it gave me a deep-rooted connection to food from the very beginning By the time I was born, my dad already had a restaurant i Southall and was there 24/7 My mom was also actively involved and I wa lucky to have the best of both worlds I learned restaurantstyle cooking from my dad and homestyle cooking from my mom As a child, I would watch my mom in the kitchen She’s an incredible cook, though she can’t cook much now due to Parkinson’s On the other hand, my dad gave me invaluable insight into the restaurant industry It was a blend of these experiences that shaped me I went on to study food technology in college and later pursued a degree and master’s in hospitality and catering

period, I began sharing recipes on social media and my following skyrocketed People truly started appreciating what I do, eagerly waiting for me to release a new recipe every day during that time What they cooked often depended on the recipes I shared That period became a defining moment, and I believe that's where the "Curry Queen" title originated It gained traction on social media, with people praising my recipes

to the table My dad often describes Brilliant as a "big ship" and says, "It’s now your and your brother’s responsibility to steer it in the right direction " That responsibility is something we hold very close to our hearts as a family

Can you share a bit about your experience cooking alongside your father?

25-year-old’s home café goes viral as hundreds seek friendship

After m oving from India to London, 25year-old Ananya Sharm a felt lonely and started a hom e café to connect with others Since sharing her journey on TikT ok, she’ s been floo ded with over 500 messages from fellow TikT okers exp ressing interest in joining her coffee meetups

coffee meetup to meet new people

“When I moved to London, I didn’t know anyone and struggled to make friends I wanted to connect with like-minded people, so I started hosting coffee mornings and promoted them on TikTok,” said Ananya Sharma “To my surprise, my at-home café video went viral!”

Shruti Haldankar, 28, who also moved from India to London, was one of the first to connect with Ananya through her TikTok video about making friends in the city

and newspapers dubbing me the "Curry Queen " It’s a title that I cherish, but it also carries a sense of responsibility, a standard to uphold This title keeps me motivated and inspired, knowing how much people rely on me for recipes, advice, ingredient tips, and ideas for their next meal

‘Brilliant’ has a history of three generation What does it feel like to be part of such a legacy?

While completing my master’s at the University of West London, I began teaching Indian cooking, which led to the opening of my cookery school in Southall From there, things naturally progressed, culminating in the launch of my first book It’s incredible how each step fell into place

You’ve been hailed as the “Curry Queen" How did that title come about, and what does it mean to you?

During the lockdown

My grandfather started the first Brilliant restaurant and nightclub hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, in the 1950s It's an overwhelming feeling to be part of such a remarkable legacy As I often say, we had a head start my grandfather laid a strong foundation for us to build upon While people often commend me on my achievements, I always acknowledge the incredible groundwork left by him

For us, it's about living up to the high standards and reputation he established while bringing our own innovations

During lockdown, we spent a lot of time cooking together, d my father is someone I eply admire He's my role odel and we have a playful namic These days, we ok together regularly on V, and it’s become mething fans truly love If ver appear on the show thout him, I get a flood messages asking, Where’s Dipna’s dad?” eople say it’s just not the me without him It’s eartwarming to see how uch they appreciate our ther-daughter duo, and I hink that connection esonates with viewers ooking with him is lways a joy In fact, I feel ke I’d be a bit lost doing TV segments without him now Our banter on the how is something people eally enjoy if I suggest adding an ingredient, he’ll often disagree and say, No, not yet!” That playful back-and-forth seems to strike a chord with viewers, as it reminds them of their own relationships with their parents It’s been a wonderful experience, and I feel so grateful to share this journey with him

As an ambassador of Indian cuisine, how do you see its global appeal evolving?

I definitely believe Indian cooking is here to stay When the late Queen declared curry her favourite dish, it became a national symbol Britain is known as the curry capital of the world, with over 30 different regional varieties of Indian cooking available While Bangladeshi restaurants dominate, the diversity of Indian cuisine in the UK is something to be proud of Globally, Indian cuisine has also become a staple wherever you go, from Copenhagen to anywhere else, you're bound to find Indian restaurants People all over the world love curry, and we ’ re fortunate in Britain to have so many options to choose from

Sharma’s experience highlights a wider issue new research from Breville reveals 66% of Brits feel lonely in daily life While 35% believe chatting over coffee is the best way to connect, 49% would be open to attending a

“We instantly hit it off and now we ’ re basically sisters,” Shruti said “Ananya’s café has been a way to meet like-minded people and make London feel like home ” Shruti’s experience reflects a growing trend: nearly one in three (27%) Brits prefer coffee over alcohol for socialising, with sober socialising rising in popularity, especially among Gen-Zers

Gynaecology patients opt for private treatment to avoid delays

Women fa cing pr ol onged de lay s for essen tial gyn aecol ogical t reat me nt are turning t o the privat e sector, hoping t o se cure ur gent referra ls to the top of t he NH S waiting list

Leaders of 11 major women's health organisations have signed an open letter calling on the public and health professionals to join their "Change NHS" conversation

T h e y h i g h l i g h t e d , " W o m e n a n d girls have repeatedly been left to 'fall through the gaps' of fragmented government policy " T h e R o y a l C

f

Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

v i e w s t h

health plan as an opportunity to push for much-needed funding

especially to address long delays for

ments and treatment

"We welcome public and professional feedback through ‘Change N H

h b

hood women ’ s health hubs nationwide, providing thousands more women with access to specialist care in their communities

First woman joins The Society of Dorset Men in 120 years

The Society of Do rset M en h as welcomed its first female member in 120 years, jo ining th e trend of V ic to r ia n- s tyl e m en - o nly cl u bs opening their doors to w omen Elizabeth Day was approved by the society, founded in 1904 to connect Dorset men in London, a f t e r t h e c o m m i t t e e v o t e d i n August to admit female members

U n d e r p r e s s u r e f r o m c a mpaigners, the prestigious Garrick Club, founded in 1831 and counting lords, ministers, high-profile actors, and even King Charles III a m o n g i t s m e m b e r s , a l l o w e d women to join this year after facing criticism over gender discrimin a t i o n S i m i l a r l y , M a y f a i r ’ s Flyfishers’ Club, founded in 1884, voted to admit women in October following accusations of elitism Peter Lush, chair of the Dorset society’s committee, said, “This is little Dorset on the south coast, n o t t h e G a r r i c k C l u b ” H e explained that women had always b e e n i n v o l v e d i n t h e s o c i e t y ’ s events and meetings, but it was

C r e d i t : T h e S o c i e ty o f D o r s e t M e n / B N P S

Elizabeth Day

time to take the next step by granti n g t h e m m e m b e r s h i p , v o t i n g rights, and a say in its activities

I n A u g u s t , d u r i n g a s p e c i a l general meeting, members voted to admit women with 28 in favour and 12 against, securing the twothirds majority needed Peter Lush said, “There has been pressure for this change for some time, but the reaction from members has been minimal, suggesting most had no strong views either way ”

Chef Dipna Anand

Ananya Sharma with her guests at home cafe

Nikita Kanda set to host Asian Network Comedy

Subhasini Naicker

A prominent radio presenter

a nd b ro ad ca st er, N i ki ta

K a nd a w h o j o i ne d B BC

A sian Network in 2021 and became the host of ‘A sian Network Breakfast’ in July 20 22 In 2023, sh e comp eted in the 21 st series of ‘Strictly C ome Dancing ’

Nikita is now set to host ‘Asian Network Comedy’, an exciting evening of stand-up

f e a t u r i n g t a l e n t e d S o u t h Asian comedians

Speaking to Asian Voice,

N i k i t a s h a r e s h e r j o u r n e y into radio, her experience

w i t h A s i a n N e t w o r k Comedy, and more

1) Can you share your journey into broadcasting and what inspired you to pursue a career in radio?

I’ve always loved radio since I was young My mum would have it on in the car on the way to school, and I’d

l i s t e n t o t h e p r e s e n t e r s laughing, having banter, and creating such a fun atmo-

s p h e r e I u s e d t o t h i n k , ' W o w , t h e y ’ r e m a k i n g u s

l a u g h a n d f e e l i n c l u d e d without us ever seeing them

o r k n o w i n g w h a t t h e y looked like ' It was such an i n s p i r i n g e x p e r i e n c e t h a t stayed with me I studied radio at university and knew I didn’t want to pursue anything else it felt completely natural to me My university tutor encouraged me to keep going after graduation, s o I j o i n e d a c o m m u n i t y radio station to gain experience and build my skills I

always aspired to join the BBC, and after a few years of working on pilot shows, I started hosting a Saturday a f t e r n o o n s h o w o n B B C

Asian Network Landing the Breakfast Show was truly a dream come true

2) What do you love the most about connecting with audiences through your work as a presenter and broadcaster?

It’s incredibly rewarding because I get to impact people’s lives by becoming part of their daily routine I love connecting with the audience by discussing relatable topics while also having fun a n d s p r e a d i n g p o s i t i v i t y Making someone ’ s day a litt l e b r i g h t e r w i t h j o y o r laughter is what truly matters to me

3) How has your role as presenter and broadcaster allowed you to explore and share South Asian culture, identity, and stories?

Being a presenter gives me the platform to celebrate a n d p r o m o t e o u r c u l t u r e and identity, which is a key p a r t o f w h a t B B C A s i a n Network stands for We’re committed to ensuring our voices are seen and heard, a c t i v e l y l

t a n d t h e i r n e e d s a n d p e r s p e ctives For me, being relatable

a n d a u t h e n t i c o n a i r i s vital I share parts of my o w n l i f e b e c a u s e I k n o w they resonate, regardless of age or South Asian backg r o u n d T h i s c o n n e c t i o n fosters a sense of community, and it’s special to share l a u g h t e r o v e r e x p e r i e n c e s t h a t o n l y w e , a s S o u t h Asians, truly understand

4) You’re set to host Asian Network Comedy, an unforgettable evening of stand-up featuring incredible South Asian comics. How excited are you to bring this event to life?

I’m super excited to host

A s i a n N e t w o r k C o m e d y again, it’s such a great night full of very talented British Asian comedians I’ve always loved comedy it truly is the b e s t m e d i c i n e a n d w i t h

Asian Network Comedy taking place in January, we ’ re hoping to lift those January blues with a night full of

also excited to bring audiences a DJ set from DJ Kizzi, one of our brilliant Asian

about: laughter, great vibes, and a party atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else!

5) What can audiences expect from Asian Network Comedy, and what makes this event special for the South Asian community?

Asian Network Comedy is truly special because it highlights the best British Asian comedians while also

jokes many of which only resonate with us as South Asians It creates a brilliant, safe space where we can cel-

laughter together " 6) How do you see comedy contributing to the conversations around South Asian identity, representation, and storytelling?

Comedy is a powerful way to share relatable stories those unique experi-

that only we understand It allows us to touch on topics like family expectations or marriage pressures, but in a light hearted way that offers

n our community while also helping other cultures gain a better understanding of our shared experiences

Jasleen Kaur wins 2024 Turner Prize for 'Alter Altar'

G lasgow-born Scot tish Sikh

a rtist Jasle en Kaur has won

t he 2024 Turner Prize for her

e x hi b it i o n ‘A l t e r Al t a r ’ , e xploring pe rsona l, polit ical,

a n d s pi r i t ua l t h e m e s S he r ece iv ed the £25 ,000 awar d a t Ta te Britain in Lon don, m a r k i n g t he pr i ze ' s 4 0 t h a nniversary t his year

T h e T u r n e r P r i z e j u r y p r a i s e d K a u r ’ s " e v o c a t i v e blend of sound and sculpture" that delves into family m e m o r y a n d c

y struggles Her work explores

t h e S i k h c o n c e p t o

Piri’, blending political and spiritual themes to envision new ways for humanity to coexist Her exhibition fea-

C r e d t A P

tured a Ford car, symbolising her father’s migrant aspirations I n h e r a c c e p t a n c e speech, Kaur expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, condemned Israel's actions in Gaza, and called for an arms embargo She is

‘All

We Imagine As Light’ tops Sight & Sound’s 2024

S igh t and Sou nd, th e BFI’s i n te rn at i o na l f i lm m ag azine, reveals the results of its 2 024 Best F ilms of th e Y e ar p o l l, w i th ‘ A ll W e

Imagine As Light’, wri tten a nd d i re c te d by P ay a l K apadi a, secu ring th e to p sp ot T he poll is vo ted on by ap p r o xi mate ly 1 00 of t h e world’s leading film critics The 2024 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winner, starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam, i s t h e f i

Competition at Cannes in three decades Now playing in UK and Irish cinemas via

Indian feature combines the style of a European arthouse c

Best Films Poll

Kapadia shared her excitement about ‘All We Imagine as Light’ topping ‘Sight and Sound’’s 2024 Best Films of the Year poll: “When I was at film school, we’d eagerly

'Coronation

Jasleen Kaur

among the signatories of a letter urging Tate to sever ties with donors linked to Israel's war in Gaza

artist's career or safety We need a proper ceasefire now "

read ‘Sight and Sound’ The

have

special place in every cinephile’s heart, so this is very

Stevens added: “Watching ‘All

cinematography, and

Girls' chronicles a royal reunion after seven decades

A n e w do c u m en ta ry , ‘Coronation Girls’, features Charles meeting Canadian women in their late eigh ti es who had attended h is mother ’ s 19 53 co ro nation Twelve of th e origi nal 50 gi rls are retraci ng their jo urney fo r h is recent co ro nation Their trip ended with a visit to Buckingham Palace in December, where King Charles shared his memories from his mother’s 1953 c o r o n a t i o n “ M y g r a n dmother explained things to me while I was there I can remember quite a lot, particularly what I was dressed in and what the barber did to me beforehand,” he said, recalling his feelings about his hair, which one of the women called “perfect” but

which Charles admitted he “hated ” T h e K i n g a l s o s h a r e d t h a t h e p r e p a r e d f o r h i s own coronation by following his mother’s example and practising wearing the S t E d w a r d ’ s C r o w n , t h e most sacred of the crown jewels Made with a solid gold frame, it is twice as heavy as the Imperial State C r o w n , w o r n a f t e r t h e coronation and during the S t a t e O p e n i n g o f P a r l i a m e n t D u r i n g h i s

c o r o n a t i o n i n M a y , t h e Archbishop of Canterbury required two attempts to place it

C h a r l e s r e c a l l e d t h e

l e a d - u p t o h i s m o t h e r ’ s c o r o n a t i o n v i v i d l y : “ M y sister and I had bathtime

in the evening, and Mama would come up at bathtime wearing the crown to practise because you have to get used to how heavy it is ” He expressed gratitude for meeting the Canadian women who travelled to London for his mother’s coronation, saying, “I hadn’t realised you came over all those years ago ” In a recent encounter recorded before the King’s c a n c e r d i a g n o s i s , o n e woman invited Charles to r e t u r n t o C a n a d a H e replied, “I’m sure I will If I’m still alive ” ‘Coronation Girls’ will p r e m i e r e i n C a n a d a o n Boxing Day, with the UK broadcast date yet to be confirmed

Pushti Academy unveils innovative pathways for religious and academic learning

Pushti Academy i s excited t o an n ou nc e i ts of f i c i a l launc h, offering a fresh and innovative approac h to religious education rooted in the i nsights and pri nciples of Pushti knowledge

C o m m i t t e d t o e x c e llence, creativity, and lifelong learning, the academy empowers individuals aged 1 0 a n d

scape Located

H a v e l i , P u s h t i A c a d e m y serves as a hub of inspiration, offering diverse programs in academic enrichment and skill-based training rooted in the teachings of the respected Acharya in

Pushtimarg "We are excited to embark on this journey to make a positive difference in religious educat i o n , " s a i d [ B h a v n a Lakhani], Founder of Pushti Academy "Our mission is to create a supportive and s t i m u l a t i n g e n v i r o n m e n t w h

inspired to reach their full potential "

Healthtech and university collaborate on music therapy for Dementia in South Asians

British h ealthtech comp any M e d i M u s ic a nd A ng

ed £1 83, 682 from Innov ate UK to exp lore how A I and mu sic can reduce anxiety in Sou th A sian indiv iduals liv ing w ith dementia

MediMusic’s innovative technology creates personalised, relaxing playlists by

p

marks the first music therapy study focused specifically on South Asian care home

residents in the UK R e

e x p a n d t h e I n d i a n a n d Pakistani music libraries on MediMusic before exploring how its AI-driven music recommendation app can supp o r t d e m e n t i a c a r e f o r Indian and Pakistani resid e n t s a n d t h e i r c a r e r s M e d i M u s i c u s e s m a c h i n e learning to analyse the digital DNA of music, creating p e r s o n a l i s e d “ f i n g e r p r i n t s ” tailored to a patient’s

Nikita Kanda

Sufian Ahmed: Worldly Whimsy in Watercolour

Sunetra Senior

Based in the dynami c district of Liverpoo l S treet, London, Spi talfi elds Market is an accessible hub o f arti stry, street foo d and fashio n: it is th e perfect place for one of its regular, su cces sfu l vendo rs, Su fi an, who cap ti vati ngly p aints magical miniatures of everyday English life Yo u may spy an inky blue butterfly, Big Ben splattered i n gold paint o r a series of full- fi gured nu des who are proudly

sprouting gossamer wings

“I love being o utside,” th e fine yet p layful artist shared with u s: “hi king, peop le-watchi ng and exp lo ring my su rroundings are some of my favo urite activities to do ” Su fi an wo rks minimally u sing a techniqu e called ‘line and wash’ wh ich means drawing images in p en and th en adding watercolou r, in th is instance, so that clarity throu gh vivid colour of the subject speaks fo r itself

***

However, there is also an interestingly profound dimension that is seemingly expressed through the painter’s fantastical touch whether it be a vibrant splash of rogue pigment, exaggerated angles or his ethereal fairy-like figures: “this is not necessarily a departure from reality,” Sufian explained “I always paint what I observe and am drawn to – I may experiment with my approach such as using metallic watercolours on black paper or on Musou black paint which makes a piece appear more abstract or combine elements of nature such as the wings of an insect with life drawing, but I think my passion lies very much in what is directly in front of me ” What Sufian does then is very sentimentally embrace reality Indeed, it seems the latent sense of creative grace emerges more from his formulation of style which is informed by personal ties to historical rural influence: that of the South-Asian Moghul Empire Sufian grew up in Wales but spent a significant amount of his childhood in

Pakistan “admiring the architecture, people and objects I was painting from a young age and would explore culture and the world visually – we would travel a lot in trains visiting cousins in different cities, so I drew a lot of trains, for example " I have also always admired the grandeur of the buildings and the stories behind them ” Similarly to the artist’s gentle signature pieces, traditional royal paintings in 16th-century South Asia were tiny

bright works, completed incredibly delicately with even the use of “ a single hair as a paint brush” at times Sufian’s representative watercolours blend contemporary sightings and rich cultural heritage to celebrate the fluid fusion of current identity: “the medium of watercolour is inherently spontaneous, lending to that quality in the world: the paint will travel into different dips and valleys of the paper – that’s quite exciting and fun, and so I always come back to that medium ”

Sufian began running his stall at Spitalfields Market following his experience during lockdown, adapting his professional trajectory to suit the times: “I had been furloughed and my love of painting really exploded then I found myself filling my home with more paintings than it could hold, and it felt that it was the right time to start sending off my work ” Before the liberating move to predominantly painting as a career, Sufian was an interior photographer who spent much of his time capturing still spaces inside: “ one path definitely made me happier!” In terms of

"I found myself filling my home with more paintings than it could hold, and that was

the right time to start sending off work”

artistic inspiration, the painter states “intimate association with the subject is key – I need to have closeness to the content A lot of the time I will paint friends and lovers, and even my pet

Pepper – my black cat is recurring in my work and popular with marketgoers

The process of painting is already very hands-on and immersive ” Truly, there is a lot of emotional drama inherent in individual attachment where an almost literary theme is another aspect of Sufian’s work A painting of a moody whale which evolves into a mythical kraken by the next piece springs to mind: the frames for these seem as if actual portholes where the artist is very careful in his selection of what goes around his work too “I find the right frames for pieces everywhere and anywhere – sometimes repurposing old broken mirror frames ” The “often baroqueinspired’ complementary borders are harmoniously matched to the paintings to enhance the casual narrative splendour

Finally, Sufian’s natural passion for painting beautifully illustrates that the formula for succeeding in business is what is fundamental to experiencing life: the imitable joy of human connection where this alchemy makes us feel alive “If you are a painter who wishes to sell work often,” the artist concluded here, “ your pieces must immediately resonate with the observer and bring them happiness – if pieces are too abstract or elusive, it is harder to reach a wider audience I feel that the joy I paint in ordinary life really touches people and authentically brings them in ”

I: @SufianAhmed

Community organisations encourage transition to e-visa for convenience and security

tion documen

e-visa,

UK immigr ation st atus

The latest Home Office

now made the switch from using physical immigration documents to an e-visa

The transition will be a more convenient and secure way for UK visa holders to show their immigration status by replacing Biometric

R e s i d e n c e P e r m i t s ( B R P s ) , passports containing a visa vignette sticker or ink stamp ( f o r t h o s e w i t h i n d e f i n i t e leave to enter or remain) and Biometric Residence cards (BRCs) with an e-visa For those who may be less familiar with digital technology, there is support including t h r o u g h t h e g o v u k / e V i s a w e b s i t e , A s s i s t e d D i g i t a l , and a network of national and local organisations who can provide specialist support

S o u t h a l l C o m m u n i t y

A l l i a n c e , A s s o c i a t i o n o f

H i n d u O r g a n i s a t i o n s a n d

National Council of Gujarati Organisations UK are just s o m e o f t h e c o m m u n i t y

o r g a n i s a t i o n s i n E n g l a n d

t h a t h a v e m e n t i o n e d t h a t

t h e y a r e k e e n t o s u p p o r t community members with the transition to an e-visa to e n s u r e n o o n e g e t s l e f t behind

R a v i B h a n o t M B E J P from Association of Hindu Organisations told us “Some c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s h a d c o m e t o u s u n s u r e a b o u t what an e-visa means for them and what the process is for the transition But now we are able to give people more information so they feel more confident, and we know that as a community w e c a n c o m e t o g e t h e r t o support with this important change as the world moves to a more digital space ”

S p e c i a l i s t i n I m m i g r ation Law Nisha Patel tells us

what she advises as the next s t e p s t o g e t t h e p r o c e s s s t a r t e d “ I f y o u ’ v e h e a

about the switch to e-visas but aren’t quite sure what to do next, all the details are on www gov uk/eVisa If you are a BRP holder, you may have already received some i n f o o n s e t t i n g u p y o u r UKVI account and getting access to your e-visa by the end of the year Even if you have an older visa, like an ink stamp or vignette sticker in your passport, without an expiry date, it’s still a good idea to make the switch to the e-visa If you need support you can ask a friend or r e l a t i v e t o h e l p y o u g e t started with the process and there is also help available online, over the phone, and in person if you don’t have computer access ” If you are affected by these changes, here are the t o p f i v e r e a s o n s w h y t h e transition to an e-visa will make viewing and proving y o u r c u r r e n t i m m i g r a t i o n status easier: 1 Instant, anytime access

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

v i s a d

l s instantly from any digital device, so there’s no need to carry extra physical immigration documents The evisa can’t be lost or stolen and e-visa holders can easily verify their immigration status and share details with third party checkers such as employers or landlords as needed 2 S impler trav el Traveling to and from t h e U K w i l l b e c o m e smoother too Border Force officials and carriers, includ-

ing airlines, rail and ferry o p e r a t o r s w i l l b e a b l e t o access a visa holder’s immigration status electronically, speeding up the process and a v o i d i n g a n y c o n f u s i

n about stamps or stickers It’s o n

y about when people are planning a trip To help ensure a smooth transition to e-visa, airlines a n d o t h

accept BRPs and EUSS BRCs e

D

2024 or later as evidence of permission to travel to the U

kept under review

Passengers travelling to

remain subject to the usual

requirements, and anyone

K whose underlying immigration status has expired will be liable for refusal of entry

An EUSS BRC is a BRC that was issued following a successful application to the EU Settlement Scheme

3 Better secu rity and peace o

m ind Unlike passport stamps or vignette stickers, which can wear out, lost or be tam-

s stored safely online

4 E as i

u p d at es an d renewals

Using an e-visa streamlines this process, allowing you to update your personal details through the secure UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account Everything c a n b e h a n d l e d d i g i t a l l y , saving you time and effort

5 The transition is free and has no effect on your immigration status An e-visa is an electronic record of a person ’ s immig r a t i o n s t a t u s I t d o e s n ’ t change the person ’ s immigration status or conditions of their permission to enter or stay in the UK People can still use their valid documents to show their status but are encouraged to make the transition to an e-visa For information and support available go to www gov uk/eVisa

Only 50% of UK asylum decisions pass quality checks

O nly h a lf o f th e H o m e Office’s recent asylum decisions have passed its own i nte rna l q u ali ty c h ec ks , a sharp d ecline from 72% the prev ious year

Errors and omissions are fueling a surge in costly legal challenges, with over 9,300 appeals filed between April and June Civil servants and lawyers attribute the drop to R i s h i S u n a k ’ s e f f o r t s t o reduce the backlog of asylum claims

Between April and June, appeals against asylum decis i o n s a t t h e F i r s t - T i e r Tribunal rose from 8,000 to 2

proving successful An anonymous asylum

s b y 2023 have led to riskier decisions “Training periods for d e c

i o n - m a k

e s i gn i f i c a n t l y s h o r t e n e d , a n d targets focused on quantity o v e r q u a l i t y , ” t h e y s a i d “ D e c i s i o n - m a k e r s w e r e expected to complete seven cases a week, regardless of t h e c o n s e q

The Home Office implemented a two-hour limit on m o s t a s y l u m i n t e r v i e w s , which an official said made it difficult to gather sufficient information for decisions that could withstand legal scrutiny T h e y a l s o i n t r o d u c e d “ c o n c i s

a s s u r a n c e p r o c e s s w a s weakened during the backlog clearance, with a June 2023 internal report warning of “insufficient activity to identify risks” and a “risk of incorrect or unsustainable decisions ”

SUFIAN AHMED

Sufi Dancer Spitalfields Butterfly

Nisha Patel

Lord Loomba stresses community resilience in House of Lords debate on social cohesion

Drawing from his extensive work with marginalised c

the importance of fostering

shared sense of purpose in

c h a n g e a n d g l o b a l u n c e rtainty

A d d r e s s i n g I n t e r n a l

D i v i s i o n s W i t h i n

Communities and Families, Lord Loomba said: “Social tensions are often framed in terms of divisions between g r o u p s o f d i f f e r i n g b a c kgrounds However, some of the most painful and damaging rifts arise within communities, and even within f a m i l i e s S u c h i n t e r n a l divisions weaken the social fabric and diminish a community’s ability to act collectively ” He called for a deeper examination of rela-

t i o n a l d y n a m i c s t o m e n d these internal fractures

Underscoring the transformative power of education, Lord Loomba stated t h a t e d u c a t i o n m u s t g o beyond the acquisition of k n o w l e d g e , s e r v i n g a s a f o u n d a t i o n f o r d i

mutual respect, and social

“Education fosters empathy and understanding, particularly during times of transformation Curricula that include diverse perspectives a n d h

and global can counteract polarisation and promote a sense of common purpose ” L o r d L o o m b a p r a i s e d the role of cultural expression and heritage preserva-

t

communities, emphasising the value of shared traditions and cultural exchange in fostering trust and mutua

“Community festivals, arts initiatives and storytelling

p

suspicion with solidarity By creating spaces for cultural

and understanding to flourish

equitable access to opportunities and resources to combat feelings of discontent and alienation “When communities feel excluded from opportunities or experience restricted access to services, feelings of discontent and alienation often follow,” he remarked “These disparities

sense of injustice and erode t

social cohesion

called on leaders, communi-

remain committed to foster-

n g e q u i t y , i n c l u s i o n , a n d resilience during challenging times

Margaret Hodge named UK anti-corruption champion

M arg are t Ho d g e, a lo ng -

s ta nd i n g ca m p ai g n er

a g ai ns t g lo ba l c o rru p ti o n, h as been nam ed the UK’ s anti-corruption ch am pion Her appointment high-

l i g h t s F o r e i g n S e c r e t a r y

D a v i d L a m m y ’ s c o m m i tment to prioritising corruption in his reshaped Foreign Office, focusing particularly on UK overseas territories

D a v i d L a m m y b e l i e v e s t h e C o n s e r v a t i v e g o v e r nment neglected anti-corrup-

t i o n e f f o r t s a f t e r D a v i d C a m e r o n ’ s r e s i

2016 He sees tackling cor-

a n t t o both the British public and

the global south Before becoming a peer, Lady Hodge, as an MP and chair of the Public Accounts Committee (2010–2015), and through the all-party group o n a n t i - c o r r u p t i o n a n d responsible tax, pushed the government to address dirty money in London and target enablers of money laundering

Lady Hodge led efforts to amend the law, requiring British overseas territories to establish publicly accessi-

ownership to combat money laundering and tax evasion

However, at a November

Desi pub owners speak out on rising national insurance and staffing struggles

Subhasini Naicker

Lo nd on pubs

ever, w ith

of the

Economics

ploying

(50

Beer and Pub Association (

may force many establishments to make tough decisions to protect jobs in the sector

Research commissioned

under-25s, up from 26,040 in 2019

Nationwide, the cost of N a t i o n a l I n s u r a n c e Contributions for under-25s has nearly doubled under the new Budget, rising from £82 million to £153 million

The BBPA highlights the sector's vital role in offering y o u n g p e o p l e a n d t h o s e seeking flexible work their first step on the career ladder

R i s i n g N a t i o n a l I n s u r a n c e C o n t r i b u t i o n s a n d i n c r e a s e d w a g e c o s t s from the Budget may force pubs to make tough choices, such as halting recruitment or raising prices

ing staffing costs are hinderi n g e x p a n s i o n p l a n s a n d making it harder to hire and retain quality staff “These pressures are not unique to hospitality they are being f e l t a c r o s s i n d u s t r i e s , ” h e noted

rants’ proximity to a university “We attract students

valuable job experience By hiring young adults aged 18 to 25, we reduce costs and support their growth,” he explained Pradip emphasised the

meeting in London, some

Court of Justice rulings on privacy Deadlines, including one in December 2023, have been missed, with ministers yet to take action Margaret Hodge

E X C I T I N G O P P O R T U N I T

Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice, the leading newsweeklies, are seeking an enthusiastic and energetic individual with excellent communication skills, to help expand newspaper distribution across London and the UK, focusing on areas with a larger Asian community presence.

w Visit shops to introduce and promote the sale of our newspapers w Build strong relationships with shop owners and managers

If

Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub A s s o c i a t i o n , w a r n e d t h a t new regulations will have a devastating impact on the i n d u s t r y S h e s a i d , “Working in pubs is more than a job it builds skills, c o n f i d e n c e , a n d f i n a n c i a l i n d e p e n d e n c e f o r y o u n g people, helping them afford essentials like rent and education ” “ T o k e e p p e o p l e e m p l o y e d a n d b u s i n e s s e s v i a b l e , w e u r g e t h e Government to reconsider the timing of these costs and deliver meaningful business rate reforms to sustain our r o l e a s a c o r n e r s t o n e o

U K job market,” she added

Asian Voice has spoken to several Asian or Desi pub owners in the UK about how they plan to balance staffing challenges amid rising costs Rising costs strains pubs business

Satnam P urewal, owner of The Red Lion in West Bromwich, highlighted the challenges posed by rising living costs and increased minimum wages, particularly in hospitality He said, “ W i t h t i g h t e n i n g p r o f i t m a r g i n s , b u s i n e s s e s o f t e n have no choice but to raise prices About a third of our workforce are young adults m o s t a f f e c t e d b y w a g e increases, especially 18-yearolds While they are invaluable, the sharp rise in wages strains budgets, forcing us

t o b a l a n c e f a i r p a y w i t h financial sustainability ” Purewal added that ris-

S a t n a m c a l l e d o n t h e g o v e r n m e n t t o i n t r o d u c e measures to ease the financial burden on pub businesses He said, “The business rates relief introduced a few years ago was a lifeline, but i t s r e d u c t i o n , c o m b i n e d with rising employee contributions, is putting immense p r e s s u r e o n b u s i n e s s e s M a n y a r e r e c o n s i d e r i n g e x p a n s i o n p l a n s o r e v e n w o r k f o r c e r e d u c t i o n s , w h i c h s t i f l e s g r o w t h P o l i c i e s s h o u l d e n c o u r a g e expansion, not create additional hurdles ” Highlighting the broade r r o l e o f p u b s , S a t n a m added: “Pubs are more than p l a c e s t o d r i n k t h e y a r e vital community hubs that r e d u c e i s o l a t i o n a n d i m p r o v e m e n t a l h e a l t h

Rising business rates, taxes, and wages are driving up costs, making outings less affordable In a world where r e m o t e w o r k b l u r s h o m e and office, pubs provide an essential escape Supporting them isn’t just about economics; it’s about preserving spaces that foster social connection and well-being

The government must prio r i t i s e p o l i c i e s t h a t k e e p these spaces accessible and thriving ” Challeng ing period for slow business growth and uncertainty Prad ip Nale, owner of Z i y a A s i a n G r i l l i n Manchester, expressed concerns over the impact of rising National Insurance contributions following the latest budget changes He said, “The recent announcement places the entire burden on employers, rather than shari n g i t b e t w e e n e m p l o y e r s and employees This is particularly challenging during a period of slow business

e r changes after April adds to our worries, making it a difficult time for businesses to move forward ” Addressing strategies to b

training within 15 days to a month Each year, we welcome a diverse workforce, providing opportunities to young people of all nationalities at both our restaurants ” High staffing co sts are majo r burden Me gh a K h a n

over

costs and their impact on the hospitality industry “The industry is

challenges, with thousands

staffing costs are a major

focus on homemade food, which requires more staff and increases our expenses If National Insurance cont

will only worsen the situation, making it harder to

afloat,” she said Megha added that many of their staff are students or

and rising costs

operations “We rely on adequate staffing to ensure customer care, and cutting staff isn’t an option We urge the government to address ris-

to support struggling businesses like ours, ” she said As an Asian pub, Megha highlighted their commitment to homemade dishes like curries and mint chutney, which set them apart but require more kitchen s

from drinks and 20% from food, any increase in costs strains operations Y

and

Raj Loomba

Pradip Nale Megha and Gaurav Khanna

Nitish Rai Parwani

Th e r e c e n t P

Perspective of Dharmic-Faiths on the British Assisted Dying Bill

Ter min ally Ill Adults (En d of Life) Bill 2024 [A ssisted Dy ing Bill or ‘ADB’ , for shor t], has spar ke d int ense debat e on life , d eat h, and indiv idual aut onomy The Bill seek s to prov ide te rmina lly ill, m ent ally compet ent a dults the opt ion to en d the ir live s with d ig nity Howe ver , the abse nce of pe rspective s from Dha rmic-fa iths Hin duism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism is concern ing These com munities, r epr esent ing ove r 1 5 million pe ople in the UK, possess profound ph ilosophica l t rad itions tha t could en rich this ethical debate Their ex clusion from the g over nmen t’s consult ation p aper rev eals a misse d opport unity to en gage in a more inclusiv e and compr ehen siv e dialogue Dharmic-faiths present a distinctive ethical framework on life and death They view life as sacred and the body as a temporary vessel for the soul (Ātman) or, in the case of Buddhism, a transient manifestation of consciousness The Bhagavad Gītā (2 22) illustrates this concept through a metaphor: “Just as a person discards worn-out clothes and dons new ones, so the soul discards old bodies and enters new ones ” However, preservation of the body is considered a duty, as it serves as vehicle for fulfilling Dharma the ethical responsibilities necessary for sustaining the individual, society, and the cosmos [śarīramādya khalu dharmasādhanam, (Kumarsambhava, 5 33)] Consequently, premature-termination of the body is generally discouraged

Another central tenet, the law of karma, asserts that every action has consequences Karma is categorised into prārabdha (ongoing-karma), sanchit (accumulated-karma), and agāmi (future-karma) The karmic-principle dictates that one must endure the consequences of past actions within the current life until prārabdha-karma is exhausted Ending life prematurely interferes with this natural process, resulting in unresolved karmic-debts that must be borne in future incarnations

H o w e v e r , D h a r m i c - f a i t h - t r a d i t i o n s a l s o r e c o g n i s e exceptions where the voluntary ending of life may be permissible One such exception is when the act is spiritually motivated In Yogic traditions, practitioners may enter mahāsamādhi, a conscious and intentional departure from the body

Another exception is when an individual, typically in old-age or suffering from a terminal-illness, can no longer fulfill their societal or Dharmic duties due to physicaldecline In such cases, relinquishing the body is permitted However, even in these instances, the principle of karma remains central The body’s natural decline must be allowed to run its course, ensuring that prārabdha-karma is fully exhausted For instance, practice of Sallekhana or Santhārā in Jain-traditions involves gradually fasting to death as a means of destroying rebirth-influencing karma These acts are not considered suicide in the conventional sense but are viewed as acts of spiritual liberation

When examined through this Dharmic-faiths’ lens, ADB presents some ethical challenges The Bill allows terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to seek assistance in ending their lives Yet, if spiritual intent or infirmity to serve society and Dharma are not the sole intentions to terminate the body-life prematurely, cases under the ADB would not meet the criteria outlined in the exceptions above Moreover, the active administration of life-ending substances (clause 20) conflicts with the karmic principle of non-intervention, as prārabdha-karma must be allowed to unfold naturally

There is a crucial distinction between passive and active assisted dying Passive methods, such as withholding life-sustaining treatment, may align with Dharmic-faiths’ principles as they permit the natural course of life and death In contrast, active methods involve direct intervention and are generally inconsistent with Dharmic faiths’ teachings unless motivated by spiritual purposes ADB, primarily endorsing active intervention, has to meet a high standard of purpose test to satisfy ethical conditions required by Dharmic faiths

Furthermore, informed decision-making on assisted dying necessitates introspection (often spiritual), engagement with religious texts, and consultation with spiritual leaders, none of which are adequately facilitated under the current framework Palliative care and psychological support (clause 9) of ADB don’t address the need for spiritualguidance The UK healthcare facilities currently lack adequate faith-based support for Dharmic communities

Therefore, while Dharmic traditions acknowledge limited circumstances under which the voluntary ending of life may be permissible, the Assisted Dying Bill does not sufficiently address these nuances Without a robust infrastructure for spiritual guidance and faith-based support, the ethical and cultural justification for assisted dying remains incomplete for Dharmic-faith communities

N D O F A N E R A

The vanishing legacy of Kolkata’s iconic yellow taxis

Ko lk a t a ’ s i c on ic y e llo w

mete re d tax is, once a symbol of t he cit y ’ s cha rm, ar e faci ng a sha rp de clin e as over 4,500 v ehicle s mor e than half the fleet ar e se t to re tire by ye ar-e nd This come s in r esponse t o a 15yea r ser vice lim it imposed by

depa rtm ent

Kolkata s iconic yellow taxis have been a vital part of the city's identity for decades

The Ambassador earned the nickname "King of Indian Roads

rolled off the assembly line on May 24, 2014, as declining sales and rising competition led to its end The factory’s closure has made spare parts scarce, worsening challenges for Kolkata's aging taxi fleet The Covid19 lockdown and transport

drivers to quit or sell their

A p pbased services like Ola and Uber have further impacted traditional taxis with com-

nience

Asian Voice spoke with

community in the UK to

connection to and the cul-

Ambassador taxis

Kolka ta 's ye llow tax is loss st irs emot ion s of n ost algia and sa dne ss

Asian Ethnicity by Taylor

and Francis, highlighted the emotional and cultural significance of Kolkata’s yellow Ambassador taxis: “The e m o t i o n a l s i g n i f i c a n c e o f Kolkata's yellow taxis lies not just in their utility but also in their role as a movi n g m e t a p h o r o f K o l k a t a i t s e l f : u n p r e t e n t i o u s , resilient, and deeply connected to the city's history For me, they represent the i n t i m a t e c o n n e c t i o n t o

e v e r y d a y l i f e i n t h e c i t y , where each ride is a journey not just through physical s p a c e b u t t h r o u g h t i m e itself The potential disappearance of Kolkata’s iconic yellow taxis feels like bidding farewell to a piece of the city's soul More than j u s t v e h i c l e s , t h e y a r e woven into the fabric of K o l k a t a ’ s c u l t u r e , r e p r esenting an era now fading a m i d s t m o d e r n i s a t i o n

Their loss stirs emotions of n o s t a l g i a a n d s a d n e s s , marking the end of an era and raising concerns about t h e f u t u r e o f t h e c i t y ’ s unique character ” “As a Green Party member, I feel that the yellow taxis are not very efficient, but they are the cultural icon on the city's transport s y s t e m w i t h t r a m s a n d metro The city will lose its charm without them The decline of Kolkata’s iconic yellow Ambassador taxis is d r i v e n b y r i s i n g m a i n t en a n c e c o s t s , p o l l u t i o n r e s t r i c t i o n s , a n d a s h i f t toward app-based rides and m o d e r n v e h i c l e s F a c t o r s l i k e l i b e r a l i s a t i o n i n t h e transport sector and changi n g c u s t o m e r p r e f e r e n c e s

also play a role While cities like New York and London

h a v e m o d e r n i s e d t h e i r fleets with CNG and EVs, Kolkata could adopt similar

s o l u t i o n s b y i n t r o d u c i n g

e l e c t r i c v e r s i o n s o f t h e s e classic taxis With electric buses already in place, this could be a step toward pres e r v i n g t h e A m b a s s a d o r ' s legacy,” he added Soura v N iyogi, Partner

at EY and Trustee of the

B e n g a l H e r i t a g e

F o u n d a t i o n , r e f l e c t e d o n t h e e m o t i o n a l i m p a c t o f Kolkata’s declining yellow

A m b a s s a d o r t a x i s :

“ G r o w i n g u p i n a s m a l l town, Kolkata always held a s p e c i a l c h a r m d u r i n g m y childhood visits Alongside

i c o n i c l a n

Victoria Memorial, a ride in the city’s yellow taxis was the highlight of my trips

T h e s e a m b e r - h u e d c a b s were more than just transportation; they symbolised Kolkata’s vibrant identity and were a vital part of India’s urban landscape

“However, four decades later, while India has progressed economically and socially, heritage preservation has fallen behind The

these iconic taxis is

stark reminder of this neglect Once the heartbeat of the

outdated policies and the lack of modernisation,” he added S

that, unlike London’s successful modernisation of its black cabs through green

platforms while preserving

lacked clear public policies for its yellow taxis He said, “Similarly, Mumbai’s black-

Padmini taxis were phased

with heritage conservation underscores missed opportunities to maintain both functionality and cultural identity ” S ubha Sarkar, a Project

, Canada, reminisced about Kolkata’s iconic taxis, saying, “Before the app cab

cabs or just yellow ones

and

special for rides to the zoo, museum, or New Market I have fond memories of riding in these taxis with my father to kindergarten, a 30-minute journey where I

driver in those huge cars I

thrown out lucky to be alive as there were no seatbelts back then! Another memory is the challenge of finding a taxi, as drivers often refused rides, requir-

d Now that Kolkata is considering removing these taxis, it marks the end of a significant era Perhaps we could explore heritage routes or

tourists and Gen Alpha a taste of this classic charm ”

Glasgow researcher develops new Alzheimer’s monitoring technique

Dr Akhil Kallep alli, a Ch ancello r ’ s Fello w in the University of Strathclyde’s Dep artment of Biomedical Engineering and a Leverhu lme Early Career Fellow, is leading research on using light for noninvasive monitoring o f Alzheimer’s disease as p art of an internatio nal project based in S cotland

The medic will collaborate with Professor Joseph Culver and his team at Washington University in St Louis to develop a new technique using singlepixel imaging for brain

activity measurement

This approach aims to enhance existing diffuse optical tomography (DOT) by improving imaging

fidelity while making the process safer and more cost-effective Unlike DOT, which is limited to surface brain activity, single-pixel imaging could enable volumetric imaging, capturing deeper tissue activity

Dr Kallepalli explained: “The DOT technique uses a wearable headset with multiple optical diodes to examine brain activity

However, DOT cannot capture certain types of brain activity, which is why I propose developing an alternative technique to

address this gap

“With single-pixel imaging, we project light and measure the returned optical signal after it interacts with tissue using a ‘bucket’ detector, such as a photomultiplier tube or single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), which records electrical signals

Our goal is to integrate this with a DOT-compatible system to enhance its accuracy for deep tissue imaging and combine these two methods to provide a new perspective on brain activity ”

Dr Akhil Kallepalli

Dr Debojyoti Das

Sourav Niyogi

Vyman Solicitors hosts inspiring event for women in business and leadership roles

V ym an Solicitors, a prominent law firm based in North West L ond on, proud ly hosted its su ccessfu l " Breaking the Glass C eiling" event -a po werful evening d ed icated to empo wering w omen in business and senior leadership Held to empo wer and connect wom en from v arious ind ustries, the event featured an evening of networking, inspirational speech es, and com munity bu ild ing for future g row th

The event featured moving talks by distinguished speakers, including Paven Kaur, Dr Rasha Gadelrab, and Shilpa Chedda, who each shared unique insights from their journeys across fields from Finance, Healthcare, Fashion and Business Their stories of resilience and triumph over life and workplace challenges provided a meaningful platform for attendees to exchange experiences and inspire one another

Z h a r n a S u t a r i a , H e a d o f V y m a n ' s F a m i l y L a w Department, commented, "This event is a testament to the strength and determination of women who continually strive to surpass the boundaries set before them Bringing together so many talented women reminded us all of the power of community and collaboration "

Tata Steel UK losses rise to £1.1bn from Port Talbot closure

T at a S t ee l ' s U K o p e ra ti o ns reported a sharp increase in los ses , risi ng to £ 1 12bn in the y ea r to M ar ch , u p f r o m £27 9m The Indian-owned company attributed the loss to £1 12bn in restructuring costs linked to the closure of two blast furnaces and coke ovens at its Port Talbot site in South Wales Tata Steel ended primary steelmaking at Port Talbot in September with the closure of its last blast furnace, resulting in 2,500 job losses This followed the earlier closure of another blast furnace in July

T a t a w r o t e o f f £ 6 1 9 m i n

r e s t r u c t u r i n g a n d d i s p o s a l costs ahead of the shutdowns

R e v e n u e s f e l l 1 6 % t o

£2 63bn due to lower steel prices and reduced volumes

T o s u p p o r t t h e t r a n s i t i o n ,

Business Secretary Jonathan

R e y n o l d s s e c u r e d

toward building a new greener electric arc furnace, which will produce 3 2m tonnes of s t e e l a n n u a l l y f r o m s c r a p metal, with Tata contributing £750m

The new electric arc furnace, expected to be operational by late 2027, will be less l a b o u r - i n t e n s i v e , c r e a t i n g about 500 jobs during construction

Tata estimates redundanc i e s w i l l c o s t £ 1 5 2 m , w i t h 7,900 employees as of March P o s t - c l o s u r e , T a t a p l a n s t o source much of its slab and coil supply from its sites in India and the Netherlands Unions and politicians have

r a i s e d c o n c e r n s a b o u t t h e economic and security risks of reduced raw steel production in the UK However, Tata highlighted that switching to steel production using scrap metal will cut emissions at P o r t T a l b o t b y o v e r 5 m tonnes

UKABC hosts Christmas Networking & awards

C

Ev ent a nd Ri s in g Bh a rat

Award s, org anised by Forty Green M ed ia Group at the Ho u s e o f C

n s, brough t to gether a v ibrant co mmunity of p rofessio nals

H o s t e d b y T a h a

Coburn-Kutay, Chairman of UKABC, and supported by Sudeep Sakalle and Junaid Ahmed, the event highlighted the power of networking a

tions Attendees shared personal stories of how UKABC has supported their goals, reinforcing the community s strength and inspiring many to support future initiatives Neil Lal discussed the F

potential to boost jobs and

UKABC's role in supporting UK businesses globally since its 2016 launch, partnering with 45+ countries and global organisations

U K A B C award ceremony, the first o

introduction of

new cate-

Awards, allowing individuals to nominate themselves with their stories for future recognition A total of ten

t e d , including three Chairman’s Awards Winners included Sudeep Sakalle and Junaid

A h m e d a s U K A B C Chairman’s Supermen, and Erin Coburn-Kutay as the U K A B C C h a i r m a

Chourey Sakalle as ‘Rising C

Transact World Group as

Provider’, Ms Smita Patil of SSPL

With Christmas approaching and finan cial comm itm

minds , HMRC is remi nding Self

about the opti on to spread the c ost of their

Assessment taxpayers have already set up a Time to Pay plan for the 2023-2024 tax year to spread their tax bill

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) continues to offer these plans to help those u n a b

a l l o w i n g m o n

h l y i n s t a

ments to manage tax payments

The online deadline to file a tax return and pay any owed tax for the 2023-2024 tax year is 31 January 2025 Taxpayers owing less than

NatWest set to return to private ownership by mid-2025

NatWest CEO Paul Th waite said th e bank is on a "very fast trajectory" to ward priv ate o w ner s h ip , wi th th e G o v er nm en t p o te n ti al ly fu lly o ffloading its stake by mid-2025

Once symbolically significant, this marks the final s t e p a f t e r t h e

npound bailouts during the 2008 financial crisis The Government s stake in the bank is now about 11% fol-

l o w i n g a £ 1 b i l l i o n s h a r e buyback last month

Paul Thwaite, CEO of NatWest, said the bank is on a "very fast trajectory" toward private ownership, with the possibility of full government offloading by the first half of 2025, barring

British Steel may be renationalised under ministerial plans

T h e U K Go v ern m ent i s c o nsi d eri ng th e renationalisation of British Steel under plans to secure its S cuntho rp e p lant, currently ow ned by C hinese firm Jingye

Although renationalisation is viewed as costly and the "least attractive option," a government source said it would be "negligent not to consider it " British Steel had planned to replace its blast furnaces with a less polluting electric arc furnace if supported by the government Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is considering options for British Steel, including returning it to public ownership for the first time since 1988 While Conservatives oppose this, trade unions sup-

Courtino criticised the idea, saying taxpayers shouldn't fund uncompetitive industries

GMB union officer Charlotte BrumptonChilds argued that public money should be used to renationalise the steel sector rather than reward private failures Unite's Sharon Graham called for steel to be designated as

governments of "selling the family silver" through privatisation Before the election, Labour pledged to make the UK a “world leader in clean, green steel,” with Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighting its role in areas like Scunthorpe

m a j o r e c

T h w a i

c r i b e d this shift as "symbolic" for b o t h N a t W e s t a n d t h e wider industry, allowing the bank to focus on its future p o t e n t i a l r a t h e r t h a n i t s past challenges

N a t W e s t C h a i r m a n Rick Haythornthwaite previously stated that the gove r n m e n t ’ s s

i t s r e m a i n i n g s t a k e w o u l d bring an end to the sorry tale for the UK and for the b a n k " M e a n w h i l e , C E O

P a u l T h w a i t e q u e s t i o n e d

t h e r i n g - f e n c i n g r e g i m e introduced after the financial crisis, which mandates m a j o r b a n k s t o s e p a r a t e retail banking from investm e n t a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l banking activities

£30,000 can apply online without contacting HMRC T

£30,000 can still apply but m u s

directly

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s D i r e c t o r G

n e r a l f o r C u s t o m e r S e r v i c e

“We’re here to support customers in managing their t

Asda secures £155mn to reduce debt

Asda , the st ruggling British s up e r m a r k e t ch a i n , h a s secure d an add it ional loa n of £155 million t o suppor t d ebt r e p a y m e n t s o v e r t he n e x t t wo y ea rs B r i t a i n ’ s t h i r d - l a r g e s t grocer, Asda has secured a £155 million loan, combined with cash from its balance sheet, to address £310 mill i o n o f d e b t m a t u r i n g i n 2025 and 2026 This follows a £3 2 billion refinancing in M a y , p u s h i n g n e a r - t e r m debt maturities into the next decade and giving management time to focus on recovery efforts

Allan Leighton returned as e x e c u t i v e c h a i r m a n l a s t month, two decades after his previous role as CEO Asda is currently owned by private

equity firm TDR Capital and Mohsin Issa, while Walmart retains a 10% stake W a l m a r t ' s p r e f e r

shares in Asda are valued at around £500 million on the company ’ s books, accruing i

approximately £900 million when they mature in 2028,

spokesperson

A s d

o s i n g market share to rivals Tesco and Sainsbury's, according to recent data In the third quarter to September, likefor-like sales fell 4 8%, and the company warned that

£100 million in annual costs Asda's net debt stood at £3 8

September

Christmas dinner prices surge 6.5% amid rising veg costs

The cost of an average Christmas di nner has risen 6

parsni

according

Kantar

saw price hikes except sparkling wine, with turkey rising 8 5% The festive meal's cost grew nearly three times faster than overall grocery inflation, which rose to 2 6% in the four weeks to 1 December, up from 2 3% the previous month Household essentials like toothbrushes and chilled juices saw the fastest

and toilet roll prices

Grocery spending rose just 2 5% in the 12 weeks to 1 December, closely trailing inflation, as shoppers remain cautious and look for savings Discounted items made up 30% of sales in November, the highest since last Christmas, driven by loyalty scheme price cuts Fraser McKevitt of Kantar said shoppers are spending more on Christmas specials, with champagne, wine, and spirits seeing the highest discount-driven sales However, festive spending may be lower overall due to large supermarket discounts on vegetables, with Aldi offering bags, including potatoes, for 15p Growers have criticised the price cuts, warning of financial strain

Team members at the event

At £14bn, IPO mop-up in ’24 surges by 139% over last year

T he year 20 24 has been a

b lo c kb u s ter f o r i ni t ia l

p ublic offerings A total o f 298 companies hav e listed

o n the stock exchang es,

r ai s in g £ 1 4 b n - a 1 3 9% increase ov er the £5 88bn

r ai s ed i n 20 2 3 T h e

p revious best was in FY 22

w hen a total of £1 3bn was raised via equity sales, the h ighest in the last 35 years

b as ed o n nu m b er s f ro m

P RIM E Database Gro up, a

c ap it al m a rke ts d a ta

p rov ider The total num ber

o f companies that hav e gone

p

2 2 6% m

p revious year

M o r e o v e r , 2 0 2 5 i s expected to be a blockbuster year too given the number of offerings in the pipeline,

a n S & P G l o b a l M a r k e t Intelligence report said The research unit said that this is because of economic growth

w h i c h , c o u p l e d w i t h

improvement in regulatory frameworks, helped achieve these new records

The current fiscal also saw two of the top five IPOs:

listing

According to Dharmesh Mehta, MD & CEO at DAM Capital, domestic investor demand for Indian equity will be a constant and FPIs t

markets in FY26 The new

expected to come from some giant companies

Capital “Supply brings

there is equity supply from a good company,

conditions Prime example of this is Hyundai,” Mehta said

He added that the key to

there is any bad news on the economy, the valuation of IPOs will factor in that The demand is not going away The change in mindset from savings to equities is a longt

a short-term one I would say that if valuations improve (due to price correction), the demand for equities is likely to increase,” he said

RBI leaves key rate unchanged for 11th time in a

Reserve Bank o f India (RBI)

k ep t t h e p o li c y ra te

u n ch a ng e d f o r th e 1 1 th consecutive tim e at 6 5%, cut t h e ec o no m i c g ro w th forecast to 6 6% for 20 24-25 from th e earlier 7 2%, and

r ed u c ed th e c as h res er v e ratio ( CRR) by 50 basis to 4 % , w h i ch i s exp ec ted to r el eas e nea rly £ 1 6 bn fo r b anks an d h elp m o d e rate lend ing rates

The sharp reduction in

t h e G D P g r o w t h f o r e c a s t comes against the backdrop

o f t h e s l o w d o w n i n

e c o n o m i c g r o w t h f o r t h e

s e c o n d q u a r t e r , w h i c h slumped to a seven quarter low of 5 4% RBI also raised the inflation projection for FY25 to 4 8% from 4 5%

row

“ S i n c e t h e l a s t p o l i c y , inflation has been on the upside, while there has been a m o d e r a t i o n i n g r o w t h Accordingly, the MPC has a d o p t e d a p r u d e n t a n d c a u t i o u s a p p r o a c h i n t h i s meeting to wait for better visibility on the growth and inflation outlook At such a critical juncture, prudence, practicality and timing of decisions become even more c r i t i c a l , ” R B I g o v e r n o r Shaktikanta Das said in his statement after the meeting o f t h e m o n e t a r y p o l i c y committee

C R R r e f e r s t o t h e portion of deposits that are i m p o u n d e d w i t h R B I t o maintain a liquidity buffer and control money supply

Hikes rate caps on d iaspora's deposits M e a n w

deposits, in a move aimed at attracting more capital flows amid pressures on the rupee RBI Governor said it has been

C N R ( B

tenors The move comes at a time when rupee has been hitting lifetime lows against the dollar, and the RBI seems to be deploying forex reserves to contain the volatilities, as seen in the sharp fall in the kitty over the last few weeks

Revenue secretary Malhotra appointed as next RBI governor

Govt on M onday a ppointed re venue s ecre tary Sanjay Malhotra, 5 6, as the 2 6th Reserve Bank of India governor to replac e Shaktikanta Das , whos e six-year s tint ended on Tuesday Af ter we ek s o f s us pe n s e , t h e a p po in t m e n ts com mittee of cab inet z eroed in on Malhotra hours before Das ’ s tenure wa s to end Like his pr e de c e s s or s , M a l ho t r a h as b e e n gi ve n a three-year term s tarting De c 11

T h e a p p o i n t m e n t w a s a s u r p r i s e f o r Malhotra himself and he was said to be coming to grips with the development as he left North Block The IAS topper from the 1990 batch - Malhotra, who has been in the t h i c k o f a c t i o n , p o r i n g o v e r B u d g e t

proposals and preparing for the crucial GST Council meeting later this month - will leave IAS more than three years before his age of r e

powerful jobs in the country

Hailing from Bikaner, Malhotra will be the third IITian, after Raghuram Rajan (IIT Delhi) and D Subbarao (IIT Kharagpur) to occupy the crucial post, and also the second Malhotra – after R N Malhotra (1985 to 1990) – to lead the central bank

But the similarities end there In opting for Malhotra, the Modi govt has signalled its preference for a civil servant to run Reserve Bank after Das

Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan

Ericsson

wins 4G, 5G deal from Bharti Airtel for India operations

Telecommuni cations gi ant

E ric ss on sai d i t ha s been awarded a multi-bi llion, 4G and 5G extens ion deal by Bharti Airtel for i ts India operations

A s p a r t o f

h e m u l t iyear deal for 4G and 5G R A

deploy centralised RAN and Open RAN-ready solutions f o r n e t w o r k transformation, which will help customers with wider coverage and the enhanced capacity on the network

deployed 4G radios thereby

statement

“This deployment will e n a b l e u s t o f u r t h e r i m p r o v e t h e s p e e d , reliability, and coverage of our network, ensuring an

exceptional experience for o u

Bharti Airtel

As a global leader in 5G, Ericsson currently powers

The company has been a t r u s t e d c o n n e c t i v

t y partner for Airtel for over 25 y

communications

Andres Vicente, head of

Oceania and India, said

LG Electronics India files for $1.8bn IPO A f t e r S o ut h K o r e a n car mak er Hy undai, it is n ow t he turn of compatr iot and p o p ul a r c o n s um e r e lect ronics gian t LG to ta p Ind ia n capita l ma rke ts

L G E l e c t r o n i c s , t h e global electronics giant, is e y e i n g t o m o b i l i s e a n estimated £1 5bn by selling a 15% stake in LG Electronics

I n d i a t h r o u g h t h e I P O

route The Indian company f i l e d i t s o f f e r d o c u m e n t s with markets regulator Sebi

The Korean parent - which has been in India for over three decades - is proposing to sell nearly 102 mn shares

t h r o u g h t h e o f f e r , I P O papers showed It’s a complete offer for

s a l e , l i k e t h e I P O f o r H y u n d a i M o t o

O F S f o

Hyundai Motor India in Oct this year, its Korean parent raised £2 78bn, making it the biggest such offer in India

According to Sebi rules,

3 5 % o f t h e o f

panel televisions, inverter

microwaves It’s been the number one player in this industry for 13 consecutive years (2011-23) according to the value market share in the offline channel in India

Gujarat CM performs Bhoomi Pujan for Welspun's new textile project

G uj a rat c h ie f m i ni st er Bhupendra Patel perform ed the Bh oomi Pujan ceremony for Welspun Group's textile

p ro j e ct a t A nj ar , K u tc h I nd u s tr ie s M i ni st er

B alv ant si n h R aj p u t a nd

Minister o f State for Home

H ars h S an g h v i w e re al so present

A d d r e s s i n g t h e

g a t h e r i n g , t h e C M u r g e d every citizen to make this Amrit Kaal a Kartavya Kaal ( p e r i o d o f d u t y ) b y contributing to the vision of a Viksit Bharat through a V i k s i t G u j a r a t T h e C M

£300,000 and transferred the money into fake accounts From there, the money was moved into Kothari's own accounts Kapuria claimed she did not receive any SMS or email alerts about these transactions

Siddiquee, explained that Kothari gained her trust by taking signed

Kapuria that the money

mentioned that the next 25 years of Kartavya Kaal o f f e r a u n i q u e opportunity to help build a V i k s i t B h a r a t R e f e r e n c i n g t h e P r i m e

M i n i s t e r ' s w o r d s , " Y a h i

S a m a y H a i , S a h i S a m a y Hai," the CM emphasised that now is the right time to work towards making India a leading developed nation

T h e C h i e f M i n i s t e r a l s o u r g e d e v e r y o n e t o

their responsibility towards the nation by engaging in socially beneficial activities s

environmental preservation,

d conserving water

Reflecting on the Prime Minister's decision to bring the Rann Utsav to global prominence, the CM said that, thanks to the Prime

affection for Kutch, Dhordo has been named the

Kothari

Prosecutor Kranti Hiwrale told the court that Kothari had been

I

South Korean President Yoon survives impeachment move

SEO UL : South Korean President

Y oo n Su k Y e ol s ur v i v e d a n impeachme nt vote in parl iament

p r o mp

a ttempt to impose mart ia

t his wee k, but t he l eader of his o w n p a r

id t h e pr e s id e n t would even tuall y st ep down

Yoon’s People Power Party

b o y c o t t e d t h e i m p e a c h m e n t vote, put forward by the main

o p p o s i t i o n D e m

, and the motion was scrapped after not enough lawmakers participated After the vote, however, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said the party had decided that

Yoon would resign “The declaration of martial law was a clear and serious violation of the law,”

Han told reporters

H a n h a s a h

y o f clashes with Yoon, however, and it was unclear if he was speaking for all PPP members

There was no word yet from Yoon on Han’s comments

Yoon shocked the nation last week when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called “anti-state forces” and

after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unan-

Imran Khan threatens civil disobedience movement

ed former Prime Minister Imran Khan ha s call ed on his

a de

dl y p ro te st mar ch in Islamab ad I n a p o s t o n X , K h a n asked supporters to converge on Dec 13 in the northwest-

h r e e k - e - I n s a f

(PTI) party

He demanded a judicial probe into the crackdown on the Nov 25 protest march which he said killed at least 12 of his supporters and viol e n c e o n M a y 9 l a s t y e a r which killed 8 All arrested political workers should also be released, he said “If these two demands are not met, a civil disobedie n c e m o v e m e n t w i l l s t a r t from December 14, and the g o v e r n m e n t w i l l b e h e l d responsible for any consequences, ” Khan said

Meqnwhiole, Khan was i n d i c t e d o n c h a r g e s o f directing the May 9 attacks, t o w h i c h h e p l e a d e d n o t guilty The indictment was the latest in dozens of cases against the 72-year-old form e r c r i c k e t s t a r , w h o h a s been in jail since late last year He and his party say the cases were made up to keep him out of politics at the behest of the military after he had fallen out with the army ’ s generals ahead of his 2 0 2 2 o u s t e r T h e a r m y denies the accusation

No security clearance needed for Pakistanis to enter Bangladesh

D H A K A : I n y e t a n o t h e r

s ign of its i nten t to move

B a n g l a d e s h cl o s e r t o I sla mab ad, th e Muhamma d Yun us- led in terim govt is re ported to ha ve remove d

t h e r e q u i r e me n t f o r P akis tan i ci tiz ens to ob tain

s e cur i t y cl e ar a n ce b e f o r e a pplyin g for a vis a T h i s s i g n i f i c a n t d e c i -

s i o n w a s c o m m u n i c a t e d , local media reports said, by

t h e S e c u r i t y S e r v i c e s

Division (SSD) of the ministry of home affairs to the

f o r e i g n a f f a i r s m i n i s t r y

T h e g o v t , h o w e v e r , refrained from comment-

ing on the decision

S i n c e 2 0 1 9 , P a k i s t a n i citizens have been required to secure a “ no objection” certificate from the SSD

b e f o r e b e i n g g r a n t e d a B a n g l a d e s h i v i s a T h i s measure was introduced as p a r t o f b r o a d e r s e c u r i t y p r o t o c o l s a m i d o n g o i n g p o l i t i c a l a n d d i p l o m a t i c tensions

The waiver of the clearance requirement is being interpreted by many as a s i g n o f i m p r o v i n g Pakistan-Bangladesh relat i o n s u n d e r t h e i n t e r i m g o v t I t c o m e s b a r e l y a

m o n t h a f t e r t h e g o v t allowed direct cargo vessel movement from Karachi to Chittagong in Nov On Dec 3 Pakistan high

his wife, made

imously against the decree

political crisis in decades, threatening to shatter the country’s reputation as a democratic suc-

addressed the nation in a televised speech to apologise for the move, and to say he would face w

would be, though he did not offer to resign Yoon said he would put his fate in the hands of the PPP, which Han said later was effectively a promise to leave office early

Nepal, China sign deal on BRI plan, paving way for projects’ progress

K A T HM A ND U : Nepal has signed a framewo rk agreement with China on th e Belt and Road initi ativ e, after an initial pact was signed 7 years ag o but no prog ress made since, paving th e way for cooperation on projects, its foreig n m inistry said PM KP Sharma Oli has been in Beijing on a four-day visit, his first to a foreign country since his July swearing-in, breaking tradition by not making New Delhi, with which Kathmandu has centuries-old ties, his first foreign port of call Nepal and China signed an initial deal in 2017 for President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road I n i t i a t i v e , w h i c h a i m s t o b u i l d C h i n a ’ s i n f r a s t r u c t

in brief

LUDHIANA MAN STABBED TO DEATH IN CANADA

An Indian postgraduate student from Punjab’s Ludhiana who had gone to Canada just four months ago for higher studies, was stabbed to death at his rental house in Ontario on December 1 The deceased identified as Gurasis Singh 22 was pursuing post-graduation in business from Lambton College in Canada after completing his graduation from Punjab College of Technical Education The Sarnia police in Canada said in a statement that the accused identified as Crossley Hunter 36 shared space in the same rooming house with Singh Sarnia was stabbed him multiple times as a result of altercation between both residents in the kitchen

SAUDI COURT HANDS DEATH PENALTY TO MEERUT MAN

A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a man from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to death on charges of drug trafficking, triggering panic and despair among his family members who have pleaded for clemency Meerut SSP Vipin Tada confirmed receiving a letter in this regard from the Indian consulate in Saudi Arabia via the district administration "The letter said Zaid Junaid, a resident of Rachauti village under the Mundali police station area, has been sentenced to death by a court in Mecca for drug smuggling His family has been informed about the option of filing a mercy plea," the SSP said A notice was also pasted at the entrance of the family house to ensure they were aware of the situation Zaid s father Zubair, a farmer, and mother Rehana became inconsolable on hearing the news

INDIAN ORIGIN MAN DEFENDS HIS BEHAVIOUR

interest, including bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh

Gandhi's bust unveiled in Nebraska's State Capitol building

planned or begun in the past seven years, as a framework for cooperation had not been set and as Nepal struggled to get consensus from its political parties The signing of the deal implies that both countries will now move ahead with details of projects, which may include road upgrades and transportation corridors, and how to finance them Debt concerns have, meanwhile, spurred debate within Oli’s coalition govt, with the Nepali Congress party, a key supporter of Oli, opposing any project funded by loans China has loaned Nepal $216 million to build an international airport in Pokhara, the seco n d

An Indian origin man who was recently involved in a confrontation with several people in a lift lobby in Singapore has come forward to share his side of the story In a video the man identified as Suresh Vanaz was seen shouting and being restrained by several men The clip showed him falling over and hurling a backpack at another man It suggested that the fight started when the man tried to help a wheelchair user enter the lift Vanaz claimed that the video was edited for virality instead of showing his family s perspective He explained that the altercation began when he was helping his wheelchair-bound brother out of the lift

s t c i t y a b o u t 1 2 5 k m w e s t o f

K a t h m a n d u , w h i c h b e g a n o p e r a t i n g l a s t year But the Chinese-built airport, claimed by Beijing as a symbol of Belt and Road success, has grappled with problems such as a lack of international flights, due to India’s refusal to let planes use its airspace

Cadets honour Indian American hero and actor at Pentagon ceremony

DENVER: Th e US A ir Force Art Program C ollection h as immo rtalized the legacy of Indian A merican actor and World War II hero Sg t S abu Dastag ir with a p ortrait by artist June X u T he p ainting was u nv eiled during a November 12 cerem ony in the Pentag on ’ s World War II h allw ay, attended by US Air Force A cad em y cadets o f South A sian heritage, w ho reflected on the significance of the mom ent Sgt Dastagir, a Hollywood star of the 1930s and 1940s known for films like 'The Jungle Book' and 'The Thief of Baghdad', left a successful acting career to serve his adopted country during World War II

After becoming an American citizen in 1944, he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps and flew dozens of combat missions as a tail gunner with the 307th Bomb Group in the Pacific theater For his bravery, Dastagir was awarded five Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor He passed away in 1963 at the age of 40

During the ceremony, Cadet 3rd Class Anoushka Rishi, a Systems Engineering major, spoke passionately about Dastagir’s enduring legacy “Sgt Sabu Dastagir was a man who embodied great courage and sacrifice in his service to our country,” Rishi said “His service on B-24 Liberator bombers after his beginnings in India reminds us that bravery knows no borders ” Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Dr Ravi Chaudhary, who helped bring Dastagir’s story to light, reflected on its importance He noted that discovering Dastagir’s contributions as a South Asian Airman was a deeply personal experience

INDIAN AMERICAN ELECTED AS ASSEMBLY MEMBER

Democrat Dr Darshana R Patel officially took the oath of office as the newly elected State Assembly member for California’s 76th Assembly District Patel won victory in the competitive race after maintaining a decisive lead over Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane She captured 53% of the vote, a seven-point margin with Bruce-Lane trailing by nearly 14 000 votes Despite the district’s increasing Republican influence following a 2021 redistricting Patel outpaced Bruce-Lane in fundraising and voter support The campaign marked by contentious exchanges saw BruceLane criticize Patel s leadership on the Poway Unified School Board and accuse her of aligning with radical ideologies

HINDU WOMAN STABBED TO DEATH IN BANGLADESH

A 45-year-old woman Chumki Rani Das was killed by a group of people allegedly over a monetary dispute in Khagrachhari town in Chittagong division, according to police Her neighbour Md Rasel (22), who borrowed Tk 90,000 (Rs 63,771) from her son Pranta and is a suspect in the case, was arrested, police said, adding that the dispute arose after Rasel, an auto-rickshaw driver failed to return the money Miscreants had entered Chumki’s house, stabbed her to death, and decamped with her necklace and earrings, police said

Yoon Suk Yeol

Governor Jim Pillen unveiling the bust of Gandhi

in brief

PERU LAWMAKERS ASK PREZ TO QUIT OVER NOSE JOB

A nose job by the Peruvian President, Dina Boluarte, sparked controversy, with some lawmakers calling for her to be removed from office for not delegating her responsibilities during the procedure The procedure that Boluarte, 62, underwent in the summer of 2023 has been discussed at length on social media and in the press but was only officially confirmed now when Boluarte’s former PM Alberto Otarola revealed it to a congressional commission ” Lawmakers and legal experts now charge that Boluarte s behaviour constitutes a constitutional violation and are calling for her removal V-P of Congress Patricia Juarez sought to quell the row calling it a storm in a glass of water Boluarte, who has been embroiled in controversy for months has a disapproval rating of 95%

JAILED IRANIAN NOBEL WINNER TEMPORARILY

FREED

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi has been released from jail for three weeks on medical grounds, according to her lawyer Mostafa Nili said officials had suspended his client s jail sentence on doctor s advice after Narges underwent surgery to remove a tumour Her family and supporters have called for her to be freed permanently describing the temporary release as "too little too late" The 52-yearold women's rights activist has been held in Tehran s notorious Evin prison since 2021 In a statement the Narges Mohammadi Foundation said she underwent surgery last month after doctors discovered a bone lesion in her right leg suspected of being cancerous

2 KINDERGARTNERS WOUNDED AS GUNMAN FIRE AT US SCHOOL

Two children were in “critical condition” after being shot at a tiny religious school in northern California and the gunman died at the scene, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot, police said The gunman may have targeted the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists in Palermo because of its religious affiliation, but isn’t believed to have had a prior connection to the victims or the school Butte County Sheriff Kory L Honea said He didn’t explain further The wounded children boys ages 5 and 6 are kindergartners at the school and were being treated at a trauma center in the Sacramento area officials said

POLAND’S QUEER COMMUNITY GETS FIRST MUSEUM

Poland s first LGBTQ museum opened dubbed a landmark moment by the community still striving for full legal rights

Tucked between a kebab shop and a secondhand clothes store it hosts almost 150 artefacts offering a timeline of Poland s LGBTQ movement s struggle for recognition The institution was set up by non-profit rights group Lambda and is the first of a kind in all of post-communist Europe , said its director Krzysztof Kliszczynski

CAMBODIAN JOURNALIST SHOT DEAD

A Cambodian journalist died after he was shot this week while investigating illegal logging in the country s northwest, police said Chhoeung Chheung, 63, who worked for local news outlet Kampuchea Aphivath, was shot in the abdomen with a homemade weapon in a forest in Siem Reap province, provincial police chief Huoth Sothy said “He went to investigate problems at a community forest when he was shot ”

Rebels oust Syrian president Assad, end 5 decades of dynastic rule

declare d they had ousted Syrian preside nt B asha r al -Assad after se i zi

forcing him to fl ee the country, which has bee n rul ed by his family wit h an iron fist since t he earl y 1970s It mark ed a dramatic bre akthrough for reb el factions in Syria t ha t have been trying to un

war In a seismic moment for West Asia, the Islamist rebe ls also deal t a major b low to the influence of Russia a nd Iran - al lies who had proppe d up Assad during critical periods in the war

Thousands of people in cars and on foot congregated at a main square in Damascus waving

Syria erupted into the deadliest war of the 21st century, complicated by the interests of fore

down on peaceful pro-democracy Arab spring protests in 2011 Assad was saved by his Iranian

advance of rebel forces backed by Qatar and Turkey in 2015, as well

A l -

and chanting “Freedom” from 50 years of Assad family rule People w

Rawda Presidential Palace, with some leaving carrying furniture from inside Rebel commander Abu Md al-Golani said there was no room for turning back “The future is ours, ” he said The pace of events stunned

Biden approves $1.17bn defense equipment sale to India

D i s t r i b u t i o n S y s t e m - J o i n t

Mult i-Mission Helicopt er equip-

$1 17 billion The sale aims to bolster In dia’s de fe nse capa bilities, p art icularly in an ti-submarine warfa re, a ccor ding to t he De fe

Age ncy (DSCA)

I n i t s n o t i f i c a t i o n t o Congress, the DSCA stated that t h e p r o p o s e d s a l e w o u l d enhance India’s ability to deter current and future threats by significantly upgrading its maritime security and anti-submar i n e w a r f a r e c a p a c i t i e s T h e

a n n o u n c e m e n t c o m e s j u s t weeks before the Biden administration completes its four-year term, highlighting the growing s t r a t e g i c p a r t n e r s h i p b e t w e e n the United States and India

The deal includes 30 Multif u n c t i o n a l I n f o r m a t i o n

Tactical Radio Systems (MIDSJTRS) and a range of advanced equipment, such as data transfer s y s t e m

, AN/AAS 44C(V) forward-looking i n f

and spare containers Additional

n , a n d other technical requirements

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems will serve as the principal contractor for the project To oversee program implementation and provide technical support, up to 20 US government officials or 25 contractor representatives are expected to t r a v e l t o I n d i a t e m p o r a r i l y , according to the notification

T h i s a p p r o v a l u n d e r s c o r e s the deepening defense collaboration between the two nations, with India increasingly seen as a c r i t i c a l p a r t n e r i n t h e I n d oPacific region

Biden pardon contradicts his own assurance

WAS HING TON: Joe Biden is sued the most s weeping US presidential pa rdon since Richard Nixon’s aft er Watergate whe n he reneged on pl edges to let justice take its c ourse and ab solved his son Hunter Biden of a ny c rim es s inc e 2 014

Biden, 82, justified his announcement by saying that “ once I made this decision, there was no sense in delaying it further” but it broke with precedent of pardons issued in the last days of office to come before two sentencing hearings for his son

Biden insisted that his son had been targeted for political reasons in a “miscarriage of justice” and appealed for understanding from the American people for acting as a father to spare his son from an anticipated three years of jail time But this contradicted his own assurance while still running for re-election in June that “I said I’d abide by the jury decision and I will do that And I will not pardon him ”

Democrats, many on his own side lamented the way he had gone back on his word to use a presidential prerogative usually applied after someone has been sentenced

Democrats also fear it will make it much harder for them to oppose pardons issued by Trump, who almost immediately revived his pledge to free those jailed for the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, whom he refers to as hostages “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?”

Trump wrote on Truth Social ”Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” Even critics of Trump pointed out that the January 6 convicts had at least served some time in jail for their crimes

On a family level, Biden clearly came under intense pressure during the traditional Biden Thanksgiving gathering But Democrats believe it has further tarnished the office of president and weakened their claim to occupying a higher ground than Trump

Arab capitals and raised concerns about a new wave of instability in a region in turmoil Assad had fled the capital in a private plane and the Russian s t a t

that the president and his family were in Moscow and had been given asylum on “humanitarian grounds”

Hezbollah, forcing the opposition to withdraw to the northwest of the country

At least 300,000 people have been killed and 100,000 disappeared since 2011 Half the country – about 12 million people –have been displaced from their homes, with about 5 4 million seeking shelter abroad

Bashar al-Assad, the tyrant

D A M A S C U S : Ba s h a r a l -

As sad, 5 9, i s th e third of fiv e child ren of Hafez a l-

As sad, a member of Syri a ’ s mi nori ty A lawi te s ect who be come the n ation ’ s lea der in 1971 af ter ruthles sly risin g up the r an ks of t he Ba ath Party

Bashar initially held no p o l i t i c a l a m b i t i o n s a n d s t u d i e d m e d i c i n e a t

D a m a s c u s U n i v e r s i t y before moving to the UK in the early 1990s to specialise in ophthalmology at the Western Eye Hospital in London When his older brother, Bassel, died in a car accident in 1994, Bashar was s u m m o n e d b a c k t o S y r i a t o replace him as heir apparent to the presidency Assad came to power in July 2000 after the d e a t h o f h i s f a t h e r W i t h i n months he married his Britishborn wife, Asma Akhras, right, now 49, whose parents were family friends

late for it to help her or her children The Assad regime has close historical ties with the UK w h i c h o p p o s i t i o n g r o u p s believe have been used to circ u m v e n t s a n c t i o n s f o r y e a r s and will finance the family’s exile

The president’s wife, Asma, 49, is the daughter of Fawaz

Anger at Assad’s autocratic rule spilt over into large-scale p r o - d e m o c r a c y p r o t e s t s i n March 2011 In the face of a crackdown on dissent, in which tens of thousands of Syrians were killed or imprisoned, the n a t i o n s p i r a l l e d i n t o a f u l lblown civil war involving various factions, including Islamist groups linked to Al-Qaeda

Assad has also deployed chemical weapons when rockets carrying sarin gas killed at least 350 people, according to British intelligence By 2019, Assad had regained control of much of Syria with the military support of his two key backers, President Putin of Russia and A y a t o l l a h A l i K h a m e n e i , t h e supreme leader of Iran

With Russia mired in the Ukrainian war, and Iran and its proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas, u n d e r p r e s s u r e f r o m I s r a e l , that backing has been on the w a n e I t h a s a l l o w e d t h e Islamist group Hayat Tahrir alSham, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda, to launch an offensive from its stronghold in Idlib, northwest Syria, and oust Assad Assad’s wife battles for her health

A s s a d ’ s w i f e m a y h o l d a British passport, but it is far too

A k h r a s , a c a r d i o l o g i s t , a n d Sahar, a diplomat at the Syrian embassy The family still own the £1 million terraced house in Acton, London, where Asma grew up There is no suggestion the family has been involved in any wrongdoing

Asma studied at Twyford C h

H

g h School in Acton before attending the private Queen’s College in Marylebone After a degree in computer science she joined D e u t

J P Morgan She met her future husband during childhood holidays in Syria but became better acquainted when he moved to London in 1992

The first lady was initially s

influence on her husband In 2

n e described her as a “long-limbed beauty with a trained analytic mind” The edition was still on

groups in the city of

during which 500,000 people were killed and six million left as refugees

Asma was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and in M

leukemia

Bashar al-Assad

Fadnavis sworn in as Maharashtra CM; Shinde, Pawar become Dy CMs

the chief minister and two deputy chief ministers were

The

event saw the

p r e s e n c e o f p r o m i n e n t

l e a d e r s , i n c l u d i n g P r i m e

M i n i s t e r N a r e n d r a M o d i ,

Union Home Minister Amit

S h a h , a n d s e v e r a l c h i e f

m i n i s t e r s , d e p u t y c h i e f m i n i s t e r s , a n d U

ministers from the BJP and i

Alliance (NDA) partners

D e s p i t e t h e M

i coalition securing a decisive majority with 230 seats out of 288 in the Assembly, only

other ministers highlighted

portfolio allocations among the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, the three parties forming the coalition government Under

include up to 43 members, including the chief minister T

appointed in 2014, when he led the BJP to a landmark

completing

full five-year term

served as chief minister from 2022 to 2024, took up the deputy chief minister role

over not retaining the top post but eventually agreed to

before Amit Shah arrived in

and cricket stars What hiked

the glam quotient was not just A+ listers – but that they w

handshakes, smiles and a few bro hugs When you get stars from biz, showbiz and sports to mingle and they seem to have a good time

Mahayuti Or that BJP will clock in at 137 (132 of its own p

wanted to send a message

The who’s who of Mumbai society was the glam part of i

rajneeti

you would have

Union cabinet heavyweights

Scindia – and so many CMs

n a t t e n d a n c e N D A C M s f r o m G o a a n d G u j a r a t t o A s s a m , a n d U P a n d

Uttarakhand to Odisha and Andhra were there

Defence ministry clears 5 modernisation projects worth £2.17bn

The defence mini stry gave i ts preliminary approval for fi ve military modernis ation p ro j e c ts w or t h £ 2 1 7 b n , w hic h i nc lude fas t attac k c rafts for Navy, elec tronic warfare suites for Sukhoi30MKI fi ghters of IAF and h e li c o pt er s f or C o as t

G uard

11 more ministers join Hemant Soren's cabinet in Jharkhand

Eleven members of Jharkhand ca binet to ok oat h of o ff ic e and sec rec y at Raj Bhava n W ith th e s e i ndu c tio n s, t h e I N DI A bl o c go v t l e d b y

Hemant Soren, th e 14th C M of Jharkhand, h as reach ed its fu ll cabinet strength Soren was sworn in for the fourth time as CM on N o v 2 8 a f t e r I N D I A b l o c secured a decisive victory in t h e J h a r k h a n d a s s e m b l y e l e c t i o n T

JMM, 16 from Congress, four f r o m R J D , a n d t w o f r o m CPIML, followed a formula o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y o n e m i n i s t e r i a l b e r t h p e r f o u r MLAs

ML chose to extend outside support JMM’s ministerial picks

The Rajnath Singh-led d e f e n c e a c q u i s i t i o n s council (DAC) granted the a c c e p t a n c e o f n e c e s s i t y (AoN) for the procurement o f 3 1 n e w w a t

attack crafts “These vessels will perform low-intensity m a r i t i m e o p e r a t i o n s , s u r v e i l l a n c e , p a t r o l , a n d search and rescue missions c l o s e t o t h e c o a s t I n addition, they will play an effective role in anti-piracy missions, especially in and a r o u n d o u r i s l a n d territories,” an official said DAC also accorded AoN for procurement of 120 fasti n

j e t f a s t

f performing multiple roles,

d submarines near the coast

The Sukhoi-30MKI jets, in turn, will get electronic warfare suites with external a i r b o r n

c e i v e r

operational capabilities and protect them from enemy

w h i l e c a r r y i n g o u t missions,” the official said S i x a

a l s o cleared for Coast Guard to strengthen surveillance and security in coastal areas “ D A C a l s o a p p r o v e d proposals for the overhaul

o f T - 7 2 a n d T - 9 0 m a i n b a t t l e t a n k s , B M P s (infantry combat vehicles) a n d e n g i n e s o f S u k h o i fighters, which will enhance t h e s e r v i c e l i f e o f t h e s e assets,” he added

US rejects BJP charges of working to destabilise India

The U S re sponded t o BJP’ s claims that t he Sta te Depa rtme nt a nd “dee p st ate ” we re wor king t o desta bilise In dia by t a r g e t i n g P M N a r e n d r a M o d i a n d in dustria list Ga utam A dan i, sa ying it ’ s “d isa ppointin g t hat the r ulin g pa rty in I n d i a w o u ld m a k e t h e s e k in d s o f a ccusat ions ” BJP had alleged that the US deep s t a t e w o r k e d w i t h i n v e s t i g a t i v e

j o u r n a l i s m p l a t f o r m O C C R P (

C

n Reporting Project) and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to target India’s interests

The allegations followed a report by a French newspaper that claimed to expose “hidden links” between OCCRP

a n d t h e U S g o v t a n d t h e m e d i a organisation’s funding by billionaire philanthropist George Soros Congress

leaders have protested the allegations in Parliament OCCRP has also dismissed the accusations

A US embassy spokesperson said t h a t t h e U S g o v t w o r k s w i t h i n d e p e n d e n t o r g a n i s a t i o n s o n p r o g r a m m i n g t h a t s u p p o r t s professional development and capacitybuilding training for journalists “This programming does not influence the editorial decisions or direction of these organizations,” said the official, adding that the US has long been a champion of media freedom around the world

“A free and independent press is an essential component of any democracy, enabling informed and constructive debate and holding those in power accountable,” said the spokesperson

B J P

operates as a syndicate that facilitates

registration, ID creation, and money laundering through complex networks of benami bank accounts

The Mahadev group, established by Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal with their associates, attracted attention

featuring performances by Bollywood celebrities last year In March, ED said investigations in

allegations about the opposition party’s

operator George Soros BJP had referred to a French media report and said it revealed that OCCRP is funded by the US State Department’s USAID, along with other “deep state f i g u r e s ” l i k e G e o r g e S o r o s a n d t h e Rockefeller Foundation

OCCRP refuted the report calling it “simply wrong ” In its response, it said, “ O C C R P h a s n o l i m i t s o n i t s journalism and no donor influences our reporting “The story, co-written by a disgruntled former member of our network, was unable to cite a single instance of inaccuracy or influence in o u r w o r k a n d r e l i e d i n s t e a d o n insinuation and implication,” it added

Kolkata revealed Tibrewal’s involvement in stock market manipulation alongside company promoters ED said, “Tibrewal, using his immense capital, used to create temporary fluctuations in share prices, d

n withdrew funds once the prices reached a desirable level

ED has previously secured assets w

valued at £110mn in demat accounts, and arrested 11 individuals, including Tibrewal’s associate Suraj Chokhani

The cabinet now includes s e v e n J M M m e m b e r s ( i n c l u d i n g C M ) , f o u r C o n g r e s s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s , and one RJD member CPI-

Din in Parliament as BJP, oppn spar over SorosCong nexus charge

Billiona ir e he dge fun d oper ator Ge orge Soros, who wa s a m ajor don or t o Ka mala Har ris’ US pre sid ent ial ca mpaign , was a t the ce ntr e of n oisy e xchang es betwe en BJP and Cong ress, w it h th e forme r a llegin g t hat the 94-yea r-old wa s acting in collusion with the opposition in Ind ia to unde rmine t he Modi g ovt

Citing the claims made by French media outlet Mediapart and others, BJP said in both Houses that Soros, through his proxies like Open Society Foundations, Human Rights Watch, and Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), has consistently been timing volleys of allegations to coincide with Parliament sessions in India which are then used by Congress and its functionaries to disrupt proceedings Congress members in both Houses protested against BJP’s attack which saw the saffron party levelling its allegation outside Parliament as well

“Agents of Adani have been given only one task - to defame and abuse those who expose their mega corruption We do not tolerate the objectionable words used against LOP R a h u l G

Congress party by Adani Agent Nishikant Dubey on the floor of the House,” AICC general secretary K C Venugopal posted on X BJP found its ammunition in disclosures by a group of foreign media outlets - French investigative online newspaper Mediapart, German broadcaster NDR, Drop Site News of the US and others that OCCRP was created by the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), which provides almost half of its funding and vets its employees

The report said that Soros’s Open Society Foundations was another important funder of OCCRP, which has been associated with investigative projects like on Israeli spyware Pegasus and allegations of stock manipulation by Adani Group which were used by the opposition to attack the Modi govt

Citing the report, BJP member Nishikant Dubey alleged that Soros had used OCCRP to derail India's development under PM Modi's leadership, with Congress being a willing accessory

Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar

Over 100,000 BAPS volunteers gather in Ahmedabad to mark 50 years of cadre

Over 100,000 volunteers (swayamsevak/karyakar) associated with the Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) sect of Swaminarayan Sampradaya gathered at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday to celebrate 50 years since the foundation of its organised volunteer cadre in the 1970s by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the immediate past spiritual head of the sect

Mahant Swami Maharaj was welcomed in the stadium in an artistically crafted chariot that circumambulated the stadium He gave darshan and offered his humble pranams to all the volunteers As the chariot advanced along the periphery of the stadium, a symb

unified into a garland and

petals as an honour to Mahant Swami Maharaj for uniting them and blessing them with purity and goodness

U

Shah and Gujarat CM Bhupendra

P

along with Mahant Swami, the s

senior sadhus The event also celebrated the 103rd birth anniversary of Pramukh Swami Maharaj as the d e v o t e e s p a i d h

t o h i m through prayers and a laser show Shah, in his speech, said that as a person who saw the journey f r o m a g

national president of a party, he knows how tough organising people is He commended the event as ‘

m

were felicitated for their social and spiritual services

and 30 other countries participated in the event, said the organisers

a l o n g w i t h

immediate past spiritual leader of

throughout his

journey

Lauding the efforts of BAPS volunteers, PM Modi said that the BAPS workers are bringing about a change in the lives of millions of people through their tireless service across the world “Karyakar Suvarna Mahotsav is a celebration of the humanitarian teachings of Bhagwan Swaminarayan I had the opportunity to join them multiple times, like after the devastation caused by the earthquake in

“The volunteers have created families with values and have prom o t e d ‘ g

The event saw the participation of children and youth who

where all members of a family

n c e a week) to resolve domestic issues, de-addiction and education,” he added

Volunteers from across India

effects and a fireworks show In the end, a maha aarti was performed with Mahant Swami Brahmavihari Swami, a senior

made different formations on the ground A special tribute was paid

h

i

commitment, as a video tribute mentioned acts of service across t

e involved a laser and drone show

India, China delegation hold talks, agree to prevent repeat 2020 border standoff

India hosted a Chinese dipl om atic del ega tion for another r o un d of b o r de r t a l k s i n whic h b oth sides “positively” a ffirm ed the im pl ementation of the Oc t 21 disengagem ent a gre ement that brought to an

e n d t h e 5 4 -m o nt h e a s t e r n Ladakh m ilitary standoff

According to the Indian s i d e , t h e t w o c o u n t r i e s r e v i e w e d

n border areas, and reflected on the lessons learnt from the events of 2020, which included the deadly Galwan clashes, in order to prevent their recurrence

Confirming that the disengagement process has been completed in eastern Ladakh, foreign minister S Jaishankar had said in Parliament that India will now focus on deescalation and on effective management of border activities He had also said that ties with China, which went into a tailspin after the 2020 Galwan military clashes, are now improving

In the latest round of the W

implementation of the most recent disengagement agreement which completed the resolution of the issues that emerged in 2020, said the Indian govt “They also prepared for the next meeting of the special representatives, which is to be held in accordance with the decision of the two leaders in their meet-

2024, ” added the Indian readout

T

agreement in the remaining a

D

paved the way for

bilateral

Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the margins of the Brics summit in Kazan in which the leaders

endorsed the agreement and agreed to resume exchanges between the special representatives on the boundary

ministers In the talks, both sides highlighted the importance of regular exchanges and contacts at diplomatic

h established mechanisms

“They agreed on the need for effective border manage-

bilateral agreements, proto-

Indian govt, adding that the

called on foreign secretary Vikram Misri

in Kerala, the

of

monk with the sect, highlighted instances of volunteerism and said that even a single volunteer at several places was an agent of change for de-addiction, eradication of

broken families

slides in Uttarakhand, and even during the recent disaster of a global pandemic, coronavirus,” he said He added that even at the start of the Ukraine war, BAPS workers helped govt and people who were reaching Poland

Uproar in Rajya Sabha after wad of cash found on Cong MP's seat

A major co ntrov ersy eru pted in Rajya Sabha soon after C h a i rm an J ag d e ep Dhankhar announced th at a “wad o f cash” was fou nd on the seat allotted to Congress MP Abhishek M anu Singhv i

D h a n k a r s a i d t h e r o l l appeared to be of Rs 500 notes and was found on seat number 222 allotted to the senior Congressman It was f o u n d d u r i n g a r o u t i n e “ a n t i - s a b o t a g e ” s e c u r i t y check in the House

As uproar ensued with BJP and its allies demanding an inquiry, Singhvi termed the “ recovery ” from his seat “bizarre” and demanded a p r o b e i n t o w h a t h e d e s c r i b e d a s a “ s e c u r i t y lapse” He said he was on the

seat for only three minutes that day and “carried a single Rs 500 ” note when he went to the RS

A h i g h - l e v e l i n v e s t i g ation has been ordered and CCTV footage, sources said, w a s b e i n g r e v i e w e d Dhankhar made the sensat i o n a l a n n o u n c e m e n t a s soon as proceedings started

He said he had ordered an inquiry since no one stepped f o r w a r d t o c l a i m w h a t l o o k e d l i k e a “ w a d o f 1 0 0 notes of Rs 500 ”

Stating that it was diffic u l t t o s a y i m m e d i a t e l y whether the currency notes were genuine or counterfeit, t h e c h a i r m a n e m p h a s i s e d the need for a probe “No o n e s h o u l d o p p o s e t h i s (probe) because this House should send a signal We are increasingly getting into the f o r m a l e c o n o m y D o e s i t reflect on the state of the e c o n o m y , h o n o u r a b l e finance minister, that peop l e c a n a f f o r d t o f o r g e t (money)?” he asked L e a d e r o f o p p o s

highlights Northeast's developmental initiatives

Modi said deve lopme nt in the re gion wa s side lin ed for y ea rs due to a focus on vot e based polit ics, but his govt re ver se d t hat t re nd by in vestin g in in fr astr uct ure, socia l init iativ es a nd pe ace-building me asure s Speaking at the inauguration of the three-day Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav, he

reduction in violence and insurgency in the northeast, attributing it to historic peace agreements and efforts to resolve border disputes

“Thousands of young people have abandoned the path of violence and embraced the path of development Incidents of violence have significantly decreased, Modi said, “For years, development in the northeast was sidelined due to a focus on vote-based politics

investing over £50bn in the region over the past decade, a figure unmatched in previous decades ” “In the last 10 years, nearly 5,000 km of national highways have been

increased manifold, and the first Vande Bharat train in the northeast has start-

while he had no objection to the probe, the chair should n o t h a v e n a m e d t h e M P since an inquiry was underway “Until the authenticity is established that the notes have been found from one seat, his name should not be taken,” he said T

s opposed Kharge’s observation Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said, “The chairman has rightly mentioned the seat number

occupies that What’s wrong

going towards digital India,

y note bundles in the House? We don’t carry notes in the House We are only saying an investigation should be done Why are they opposing it?”

Swamishri, senior swamis and dignitaries on the stage

Amit Shah lighting the lamp

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the assembly via video conference

SOUTH INDIA

After Cyclone Fengal, new lowpressure system to approach TN

C H EN N A I: A f r e s h lo w -p r e ss u

sy st em has d eve lope d ove r Ba y of

Be nga l an d it is hea din g t owar ds

Ta mil N adu Accor ding to the India n M ete orolog ica l De part men t (IMD),

t he sy stem is ex pected to move westn or t h we st w a r d s, be c o mi n g m o r e pr onounce d over t he ne xt 24 hours

By December 11, it is likely to come close to Tamil Nadu’s coast, t

memories of Cyclone Fengal, which recently wreaked havoc in Tamil

N

districts

T h e d e

cyclone caused relentless downpour in north coastal and interior districts leading to severe flooding Districts l

Puducherry were among the hardest h

streets, power outages, and severe disruptions to daily life

Forecasts for the coming days

PUNJAB

indicate light to moderate rainfall over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, intensifying into heavy to very heavy downpours in several coastal and interior districts from December 10 onwards

The same districts which were battered by Cyclone Fengal are going t

again On December 11, heavy rain

Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Ariyalur and Perambalur districts of

Karaikal area

On December 12, heavy to

Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, while heavy rain

AM R I TS AR : Shi romani Akali Dal p resident an d former Punjab deputy chief min ister Sukhbir

Si ng h B adal n arrowly escaped assass in atio n att em pt wh i l e u n d erg oi n g r el i g

u s punishment outsi de the Golden Temple when an al ert plain clothes poli ceman l unged an d pushed pro- Khalistan hardlin er Narain Sing h Chaura’s gun , causin g the shot to go wi de The gunman had come wi thi n a few feet of Sukhbir

The timely intervention of ASI Jasbir

S i n g h i n S u k h b

n d a sewadar (volunteer) who helped overpower the gunman averted a tragedy The attack, which occurred in the morning was filmed by reporters who had converged outside the Golden Temple to cover the second day of Sukhbir’s penance

Police said Sukhbir was unhurt Clad in a blue sewadar uniform, the SAD president was sitting at the entrance of the Golden Temple at the time of the attack; he had a

WEST BENGAL

Karnataka CM hints at reinstating 4% Muslim reservation

BE L A G A V I: Karnataka Ch ief M inister Sid daramaiah has indicated that the state gov ernment may reinstate the 4% reserv ation for Muslims und er the 2B categ ory of the Other Backward Classes ( OBC) list This mov e aims to add ress w hat S id d aram aiah d escri bed as an “ inju stice” cau sed by the p revious BJP g overnment’s d ecision to scrap the reservation and redistribute it

Speaking on Monday, during the first day of the winter legislative session in Belagavi, Siddaramaiah referred to the affidavit submitted by the BJP government to the Supreme Court, which had stated that the status quo on Muslim reservations would be maintained “I will place the affidavit before the House,” he said, highlighting the inconsistency between the BJP’s affidavit and its subsequent actions

The 2B category under Karnataka’s OBC classification is

Muslims The 4% reservation for Muslims under this category was initially introduced in 1994 by the Congress government led by Veerappa Moily

The BJP government, under Basavaraj Bommai, scrapped this reservation in 2023 and reallocated the 4% quota equally

communities, classified under the 3A and 3B categories,

Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category This decision, made ahead of the May 2023 Assembly elections, drew criticism from various quarters, including the Congress party

“tankhah” religious punishment pronounced by the Akal Takht for religious misconduct

tenure as CM from 2007 to 2017

Chaura was wearing a jacket and drew the pistol from his pocket as he advanced towards Sukhbir After the shot went wide,

C h a u r

immediately frisked, and then taken to an undisclosed location by security personnel

Bengal BJP fails in fulfilling membership target

K OL KA T A : BJP national g eneral secretary and Bengal mind er Sunil Bansal, along with co -m ind er Mang al Pandey, came dow n heav ily on the party state unit for failing to m eet the membership targ et o f 10m n, ev en after a 15-day d eadline extension

Despite this extension, the state BJP achieved less than one-third of the target The number of members has not even touched 30,00,000 so far The BJP’s membership drive officially ended on November 30, but Bengal received a two-week extension at the request of state unit chief Sukanta Majumdar

D u r i n g t h e ‘ S a n g a t h a n P a r v ’ w o r k s h o p i n D

November, Majumdar sought extra time from Union home minister Amit Shah, citing delays caused by state leaders’ involvement in pressing matters, including the campaign related to the RG Kar rape and murder

W h i l e t h e n a t i o n w i d e d r i v e , l a u n c h e d b y P r i m e M i n i s t e r Narendra Modi on September 2, ended as planned, Bengal’s effort, relaunched by Amit Shah on October 27 in Calcutta, was extended until December 15 Shah had set the 10mn target Pandey and Bansal slammed the state BJP leaders along with the district level and mandal committee leaders in a meeting Bansal urged the BJP state unit to intensify grassroots recruitment efforts or face the risk of being sidelined Asked about the membership drive, BJP chief spokesperson of the state Samik Bhattacharya said: “This is our party’s internal matter and I cannot discuss it with everyone I can allow you to my drawing room but not to my bedroom ”

“ G

membership target appears impossible,” a senior BJP leader said Sources in the party said that the central leaders are very unhappy with the performance of some of the districts, particularly South and North 24-Parganas, Calcutta, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia and Jhargram

Singh Bhullar said Chaura was arrested and c h a r g e d w i t h a t t e m p t e d m u r d e r a n d violations under the Arms Act

S h i r o m a n i G u r d w a r a P a r b a n d h a k

C o m m i t t e e ( S G P C ) s e w a d a r s , a l o n g w i t h

s e c u r i t y p e r s o n n e l a n d p a r t y w o r k e r s accompanying Sukhbir, immediately provided h i m c o v e r w i t h t h e i r b o d i e s S u k h b i r continued to carry out duties as a sewadar, despite the scare, holding a spear in his hand and sitting in a wheelchair due to a hairline fracture He later washed used utensils and l i s t e n e d t o k i r t a n s T h e s h o o t e r ’ s w i f e ,

J a s m e e t K a u r , c o n d e m n e d h e r h u s b a n d ’ s actions She said Chaura had told her he was attending a “death anniversary programme ” in Amritsar “I didn’t know what had happened until reporters came knocking here Earlier, h e h a d b e e n l o d g e d i n j a i l s i n A m r i t s a r , Ludhiana, & Gurdaspur,” Kaur said “I don’t think what he did was right,” she added

NORTH-EAST Assam CM expands cabinet with 4 new ministers

A ssam chief m inister Him anta Bisw a Sarm a expanded his 14 -member coalition ministry in a tactical m ove ahead of the assembly elections du e in 16 m onths

Sarma, following deliberations with BJP n a

announced on X that four of his colleaguesPrasanta Phukan, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul and Rupesh Goala - shall be inducted as

newcomers and from the BJP Sarma was in

minister Devendra Fadnavis

With these four inclusions, BJP's share in the council of ministers will increase by two from its earlier strength of 13, including the

remains unchanged with two berths and

announcement, his labour

and tea

departed for New Delhi earlier in the day, said he was resigning in accordance with the chief minister's wishes, having pledged to honour whatever decision the CM and the party makes

ASSAM GOVT BANS CONSUMPTION OF BEEF AT PUBLIC PLACES

The BJP-led govt in Assam banned consumption of beef in public spaces – hotels restaurants and even social and religious gatherings - days after Congress accused the saffron party of distributing beef among the electorate as part of its winning strategy for the assembly byelection in Muslim-majority Samaguri CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had responded to the accusation by saying he would be happy to clamp a beef ban if Congress made a written request, chaired an online cabinet meeting from Delhi before announcing that consumption of beef in public anywhere in Assam was prohibited with immediate effect

According to the cabinet brief, the decision is meant to strengthen the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021 The legislation bans sale or purchase of cattle within a 5km radius of any Hindu temple or Vaishnavite satra (monastery), and in areas predominantly inhabited by Hindus Jains Sikhs and other communities that don't traditionally eat beef

NORTH EAST CMS STRESS ON REGIONAL COLLABORATION

injured, five of whom

be hospitalised

Sources in the cooperative society said that the election

electorate of

Kanchannagar Bidya Bhawan High School, the flashpoint of the clash, served as a polling booth for one of these seats,

expected to cast their votes

There was tension in the area from the morning with both Trinamool and the BJP b

c

president Meghnad Pal arrived at the polling venue

Pal worked as the election agent of Suvendu Adhikari in the 2021 Assembly elections, where Adhikari defeated TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee by a water-thin margin

TMC supporters reportedly obstructed Pal’s entry, claiming he was not a registered voter a

access the premises Police and local authorities intervened to r

V

n

n t i n u e d u n d e r h e i g h t e n e d security as tensions lingered

“ T r i n a m o o l s u p p o r t e r s w e r e t h r e a t e n i n g t h e v o t e r s and stopping them from going t o t h e b o o t h t o c a s t t h e i r f r a n c h i s e I h a d t h i s information and so I went to t h e

(

s e

s personally) However, the TMC supporters threatened me and stopped me from going there,” Pal said

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma emphasised the importance of coordination among NorthEast states, stating that many areas require collaborative efforts Speaking on the sidelines of Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav, Sangma urged Centre to institutionalise the event as a regular feature, recognising its role in fostering connections among states, the ministry of development of north eastern region (MDoNER), and stakeholders He highlighted that such platforms could unlock the region’s vast potential, particularly in tourism, horticulture, food processing IT, and education Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang echoed the sentiment, emphasising the importance of regional collaboration infrastructural investment digital connectivity and youth empowerment to harness the North-East’s potential for national progress Sangma noted that Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav is enabling states to share ideas and work collectively The platform allows different states to come together, enabling the DoNER ministry to play a facilitation role and stakeholders from diverse areas to interact It opens up immense opportunities and creates an environment where coordination, often missing, can thrive,” he said

a

Isro’s PSLV places Proba-3 of European Space Agency in orbit

Oppn may move resolution for Dhankhar’s removal

I

A gen cy ’ s (ESA) Proba-3 m issio n a boa

r d t he P SLV-C59

r ock et , which lifted off from t he fir st laun ch pad a t Satish

D h a w a n S p a c e C e n t r

Sr ihar ik ota

In its 61st launch, the PSLV lifted off a little after 4 pm as per a revised schedule, and the satellite was placed in the desired orbit more than 18 minutes thereafter

T h e m

p

postponed due to a propul-

s i o n s y s t e m g l i t c h

e satellite

The first acquisition of signal was expected by the flight control team at ESA’s

quarter of an hour after separation

O

eclipses only occur every 18 months on an average, and last just for a few minutes

Solar scientists have to travel all over the world to take

advantage of them Proba-3 will be able to create solar eclipses on demand, observing closer to the edge of the S

Earthor space-based instrument, down to just 1 1 solar radii And it will do so for six hours per 19-hour 36-minute orbit,” said ESA The latest

member of ESA’s family of in-orbit demonstration missions, Proba-3, is, in fact, two spacecraft launched together in a dedicated commercial

space PSU New Space India Limited (NSIL)

“We’re delighted to have

This is the first time ever that the PSLV has placed a satellite in such a highly elliptical orbit with an apogee of nearly 60,500 km PSLV has again demonstrated its reliability and versatility in undertaking customer satellite missions in varied orbits ”

Trump names Harmeet Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General

U S P r esi de n t -e le

In dian-A merican Harm eet K

D h il lo n a s A ss is t a n t

A tt or ne y Ge ne ra l for C ivil

R ights a t the De part men t of Justice Dhillon , a n a ccomplished a ttor ney , has mad e he adline s for he r le gal ba tt le s a gainst big tech compa-

n ies, her de fe nce of re ligious fre edom durin g t he Covid-

1 9 pand emic, a nd he r cha llen ges t o corpora te policies

s h e d e e ms d is cr i mi n a t o r y , Tr ump sa id

B o r n i n C h a n d i g a r h ,

Dhillon moved to the US as a child with her family She graduated from Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia Law School

Dhillon clerked for Hon

P a u l V N i e m e y e r a t t h e

U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f

A p p e a l s f o r t h e F o u r t h

Circuit She practised law in New York, London, and the

S

focusing on federal and state commercial litigation, arbit

property matters

In 2006, she founded her law firm, Dhillon Law Group Inc , specialising in commercial litigation, employment l a w , F i r s

m e n t rights, and election law She is now the firm's Founding partner She is also the CEO of the Centre for American Liberty

Dhillon gained recognition for her battles against

clients in election and campaign law matters, including compliance, ballot description contests, and intellectual property disputes related

tions She also advocated for

the Covid-19 pandemic and challenged corporate policies she considered discriminatory She unsuccessfully ran for the position of Republican National Committee chairmanship in 2023

me mbe rs came to a he ad on Mon day with t he r iv al ca mp c o n si d e r i n g su bm i t t i n g a n otice “ ve ry soon ” for movin g a

While the move may fail as the numbers are not in favour of the opposition parties, it would be the firstever attempt to remove the chairman in India’s parliamentary history, and would be seen as an embarrassment to the chair

O p p o s i t i o n s o u r c e s c l a i m e d t h e y h a d t h e “required number of signatures” from all INDIA bloc parties when the move was first planned in Aug during t h e m o n s o o n s e s s i o n b u t they did not go forward as t h e y d e c i d e d t o g i v e Dhankhar “another chance” b u t h i s “ c o n d u c t ” o n Monday convinced them to press ahead Besides mar-

tackle the requirement of 14 days notice for the chairman ’ s removal

had taken the lead on the

were supportive “This

not about the chair, it is about BJP,” a TMC source said

opposition parties were concerned that the microphone of the leader of opposition was allegedly being turned off repeatedly “The opposition wants the House to be run by rules and conventions, and personal remarks against members are unac-

said

has to begin with a resolution moved in RS The resolution must be passed by 50% of members present, plus one member, of those in the House If the resolution gets passed, it has be passed by Lok Sabha by a simple majority for it to get accepted

Jaishankar reaffirms India's support to 2-state solution for Palestine, Israel

Reaffirming Ind ia’s long-standing supp ort for a two-state solution to the I s rae l- P al es ti ne c o nf li c t, e xt ern al affairs minister S Jaishankar told Rajya S abha that wh ile co untries hav e the rig h t to respo nd to terrorism , they m ust also rem ain mindful of civ ilian casualties and h umanitarian laws

R e s p o n d i n g t o a s u p p l e m e n

r y during question hour on the reason for India’s abstention from a resolution in the UNGA on Oct 27, 2023, regarding the protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations, Jaishankar said the country voted or

abstained on resolutions based on several considerations “In this particular case, we felt that the resolution was not well-drafted a n d n o t w e l l - c o n s i d e r e d W e h a d reservations on the language Our concerns were not accommodated That is why we abstained,” Jaishankar said

“In the resolution, there was no reference to terrorism There was no reference to hostage-taking A country like India which is itself a victim of terrorism, if we countenance the fact that terrorism is underplayed and ignored, it is not in our interest that we do so ”

On the country’s position in the ongoing conflict, the minister said, “We condemn terrorism, we condemn hostage-taking We do believe countries have the right to respond to the s i t u a t i o n b u t c o u n t r i e s s h o u l d b e mindful of civilian casualties They must observe humanitarian law and we would like a ceasefire and an early end to violence ” India has always supported a negot i a t

state of Palestine living side by side in peace with Israel

Amid protest by UK Hindus, India raises safety of minorities in Bangladesh

Continued from Page 1

Misri arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day, marking the first high-level diplomatic meeting between India and Bangladesh after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League government in August An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was instated in Bangladesh following the collapse of the Hasina-led government Misri also met Yunus

The diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have been strained since Hasina fled to India, following which incidents of violence against religious minorit

Bangladesh

w

Tensions escalated in the past few

arrested on charges of sedition and several Hindu temples came under attack

Idols bu rnt in temp le at tack

Amid reports of escalating violence

places of worship in Bangladesh, another Hindu temple was allegedly set on fire in the outskirts of Dhaka The Mahabhagya Lakshminarayan Mandir, at Dhor village, in North of Dhaka came under attack in the latest incident

Babul Ghosh, supervisor of the temple

s a i d t h a t a c o m p l a i n t h a s b e e n f i l e d against unidentified miscreants for burning down his ancestral temple Ghosh said that the attackers poured petrol on the idols while he was not present at the

house and ran away on hearing his footsteps He alleged that the attackers had some 'ulterior motives' other than burning the idols

Clarifying the name of his temple, Ghosh said that Iskcon temple is right opposite to them and their temple is different and was maintained by his family

M e a n w h i l e , R a d h a r a m a n D a s , V i c e President of Iskcon Kolkata, said, "the

head of the interim government of Bangladesh recently held a meeting with leaders of religious minorities We had hoped the situation would change after that, but what we are seeing is something entirely different I am regularly receiving threatening videos with ultimatums to ban Iskcon in the country, or they will kill Iskcon devotees," he added

October 25 on sedition charges led to heavy protests India had noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Chinmoy Das, who

Jagran Jote US advice to Dh aka Bangladesh must ensure legal representation for all detainees in keeping with basic human rights

spokesperson said in Washington, hours a

Chattogram court was adjourned by a month as he didn't have counsel

Meanwhile, leaders of minority reli-

Muhammad Yunus that “Obtaining bail is the right of all individuals,” Father Albert Rosario of St Mary’s Cathedral said after attending a dialogue hosted by Yunus with leaders of major faiths Noted Bangladeshi writer Farhad Mazhar also underscored the importance of Das’s right to bail

At the meet, Sukomal Barua, chief

Federation, proposed hosting an international conference to showcase the nation’s commitment to peace and unity Abinash M

Ramna Harichand Temple, said the Hindu community put forth its grievances and Yunus gave a patient hearing D haka co nfirms 8 8 incidents of violence

Bangladesh confirmed 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, m

Sheikh Hasina in August Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam stated that 70 individuals have been arrested in connection with these incidents The announcement came a day after Misri highlighted “

minorities and expressed India’s concerns regarding

and welfare during meetings with Bangladeshi officials

Vikram Misri

Harmeet K Dhillon

Coast Guard rescues 12 Indian sailors with Pak help

T

rescued 12 crew members of an Indian merchant vessel w

v oyag e from Po rband ar in Gujarat to Bandar Abbas in Iran, officials said

Pakistan’s search and rescue

r

c a r r i e d o u t

e s c u e operation in collaboration with the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), the ICG said in a release

n search and rescue mission

s a w c l o s e c o l l a

a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e I n d i a n C o a s t Guard and PMSA, with both

n a t i o n s ’ m a r i t i m e r e s c u e

c o o r d i n a t i o n c e n t r e s ( M R C C ) m a i n t a i n i n g continuous communication throughout the operation,” it

s a i d T h e m e r c h a n t v e s s e l left for the Iranian port from P o r b a n d a r o n D e c 2 w i t h

general cargo On its way, it reportedly sank due to rough seas and flooding, the release said

A d i s t r e s s c a l l w a s received by the Indian Coast G u a r d ’ s M R C C , M u m b a i , w h i c h a l e r t e d t h e I C G r e g i o n a l h e a d q u a r t e r s ( N o r t h W e s t ) i n Gandhinagar

I C G s h i p S a r t h a k w a s d i v e r t e d t o t h e r e p o r t e d l o c a t i o n M R C C P a k i s t a n

was also contacted to alert

their assistance was swiftly

Later, Sarthak reached the p r o

search

The 12 crew members,

refuge in a small dinghy, were located and rescued

west of Dwarka, within P a k i s t a n ’ s s

The search was supported by

Glory

members were examined by

Sarthak and were reported to be in good health, the release added

statement, MRCC Pakistan

locate and rescue survivors of the sunken vessel The vessel was reported to have

members stranded on a life craft in distress, it said

Indian billionaires’ wealth up 42% in last FY, says Swiss bank report

The we alth of Indian bil lionaires surged 42%

t o over $ 905 bill ion during the las t financial y ear, positioning it as the third la rge st base b ehind the US and China, a report by Swis s b ank UBS s aid In China, where t he Xi Jinping r egim e ha s gone after bus ine sse s, bill ionaires s aw an erosion in their net worth

The UBS Billionaire Ambitions Report also said that during the last 10 years, the number of Indian billionaires has more than doubled to 185, with their combined wealth trebled (rose 263%) at the end of April 2024

Family-led businesses are playing a pivotal role in India’s economic rise As India breaks into the top tier of global economies, it boasts one of the highest numbers of publicly listed f a m i l y - o w n

phenomenon has contributed significantly to the surge in Indian billionaires over the past decade

Family businesses are spread across a diverse range of sectors -from established conglomerates to new-economy ventures in p h a r m a c e u t i c a l s , e d u c a t

financial technology, and food delivery

While global billionaire wealth growth has slowed, India remains an exception This is

Extensive

attributed to the continued dynamism of I

s favourable economic environment

g

“It’s been a time of exceptional economic

National Democratic Alliance government

helped propel the economy to the fifth biggest in the world,” the report said

This trend is expected to continue, fuelled

entrepreneurs over the next decade, mirroring China’s trajectory until 2020 In recent years, there has also been debate in the country over growing economic disparity between the rich and the poor Between 2015 and 2024, global

b

4 trillion, outpacing the 73% gain in the MSCI AC World Index The number of billionaires grew from 1,757 to 2,682, peaking at 2,686 in 2021 However, growth has stalled since 2020, with a 1% annual increase in billionaire wealth globally, down from a 10% rate between 2015 and 2020

anti-drone system soon to secure borders: Shah

H i g h l ig h t in g t h a t t h e me n a c e of d r o n e int rusions from across the borde r is set to gr ow, home minister Amit Sha h said a “lasere quippe d, an ti-dr on e, g un-mount syst em ” , j oint l y d ev el ope d b y t he bor de r g uar din g forces, ministr y of defence, DRDO and other govt R &D depar tments, at the t est in g sta ge, e n ab l e d th e n eu tr a li sat ion of 5 5% dr on es a long the Punjab b or der, as a gainst 3 % e arl ie r Sharing the “ very encouraging” outcome of the trials of the indigenously-developed a n t i - d r o n e m e c h a n i s m , S h a h , d u r i n g h i s address at the BSF’s 60th Raising Day event, underlined that various govt departments had worked in tandem as part of the “whole of govt” approach to assess the threat from d r o n e s , a n d a c c o r d i n g l y , d e v e l o p e d t h e solution

“I am sure that in the next few years, we will establish a comprehensive anti-drone unit that will effectively secure our borders,” he said As many as 257 drones, including 250 on the western border, were recovered or

Monkey parks itself on Shashi Tharoor’s lap

A sweet encounter between Shashi Tharoor and a monkey is the latest X post that is making social media users happy In a series of photos, the MP shared how the primate sat on his lap, ate food, and even gave him the most adorable hug Tharoor's post about this “extraordinary experience” has gone viral “Had an extraordinary experience today While I was sitting in the garden, reading my morning newspapers, a monkey wandered in, headed straight for me and parked himself on my lap He hungrily ate a couple of bananas we offered him, hugged me and proceeded to rest his head on my chest and dozed off I gently began to get up, he leapt off and loped away, ” Tharoor wrote as he shared four photos The first picture shows the monkey comfortably sitting on Tharoor's lap The second one captures the animal enjoying a banana The visuals also show how the primate catches a quick nap without getting down from the MP's lap In a follow-up post, he added, “Reverence for wildlife is ingrained in us, so though i was a bit concerned about the risk of a monkey-bite, I stayed calm and welcomed his presence as non-threatening I am gratified that my faith was borne out and our encounter was entirely peaceful and gentle ” Indian origin man pockets £845,000 lottery

An Indian-origin man in Singapore has become an overnight millionaire after winning

Balasubramanian Chithambaram won the top prize after he purchased a gold chain for his wife three months ago at the store that conducted the lucky draw Mustafa Jewellery, the shop running the contest, took to social media to share the news of the winner that left Chithambaram elated and surprised in equal measure "What an unforgettable day at Mustafa Jewellery's Million Dollar Event! On 24th November, we witnessed history being made as the grand winner of USD 1,000,000 was revealed amid cheers and excitement!" the store captioned the post

Groom plays Ludo during wedding ceremony

Amid the ongoing wedding season across India, a groom has gone viral after a picture surfaced, showing him playing ludo on his phone while the rituals were underway The now-viral photo, shared by an X user showed the groom, surrounded by two of his friends, engaged in what looks like an intense match of online ludo A priest and a wedding photographer can also be seen in the background As of the last update, the post had garnered over 465,000 views with the majority of users finding the humor in the situation "Bro has his own priorities," read the caption of the post As the post went viral, a wave of humorous reactions started pouring in from all quarters "This is a bengali wedding and honestly can't blame him coz those can go on and on for a while," said one user, while another added: "Imagine explaining this to your kids someday!" A third commented: "He's clearly got his life priorities sorted Love him for it"

Woman fined for littering cigarette in village she hadn't visited

Natalie Walton has been left confused ever since she received a fine for dropping a cigarette in a village, nearly 300 km from her home - a place she had not visited in over a decade The penalty notice, addressed to Walton, was sent to her parent's house in Gravesend, Kent, accusing her of littering in nearby Swanscombe The notice, dated November 12, stated a Dartford council officer witnessed her "committing an offence" which was also recorded on a body-worn camera, on October 29 and that she needed to pay a £75 (Rs 8,082) fine or appeal it The notice added that Walton could be taken to court and if convicted, she may have to pay a fine "up to & £2,500 for littering" Walton claimed that she could not have been the accused as she is a non-smoker and has not visited the place where the offence took place, since she was a kid Walton added she had an alibi which proved she was not even in Kent at the time of the supposed offence

Actress dies after participating in cleansing ritual

Faith holds great significance, but when it lacks rational thinking, it can lead to tragic consequences This was the case for Mexican short film actress Marcela Alcazar Rodriguez, who sadly lost her life after vomiting and suffering from diarrhoea after participating in a cleansing ritual at a retreat The ritual involved ingesting the venom of the Amazonian giant monkey frog, known as Kambo The young actress was attending a spiritual retreat in Mexico as part of a healer training diploma program when she consumed a drink called Kombo This drink, which contains frog poison, is traditionally used by indigenous communities for toxin cleansing According to The Metro, Rodriguez started throwing up and had severe diarrhoea, which are part of the body's reactions while going through the healing ' She first refused help while feeling ill but eventually gave in when her friend came to see her, witnesses said Rodriguez was rushed to a Red Cross hospital, where she died

Firefighters rescue dog stranded on bridge pier in chilly water

shot down by the BSF till Nov 30 this year as against 110 in 2023 BSF DG Daljit Singh Chawdhary, while highlighting the sustained use of drones by elements across the western border to smuggle drugs and weapons into Indian territory, said that the force’s drone forensic laboratory had examined 190 UAVs shot down or recovered by BSF personnel over the past year, and had shared the results with the agencies concerned Shah said govt had earlier, as part of its c o n s t

m (CIBMS), which integrates manpower, sensors, networks, intelligence and command control solutions to detect, soft-kill and hard-kill drones A CIBMS pilot project was undertaken in Dhubri, Assam “The initial results are

improvements We will make the necessary upgrades and extend CIBMS to the entire western and eastern borders,” Shah said

A dog has been reunited with its owner after being rescued by firefighters from the chilly waters of a Houston bayou The little dog was spotted stranded on a bridge pier in the Sims Bayou in southwest Houston by an employee of the Houston Botanic Garden Houston firefighters were called, and a member of the department’s swift-water rescue team made his way to the pier Video of the rescue shows that as the firefighter approached, the dog barked at him and nipped at his hands before jumping in the water The firefighter eventually caught the dog and brought him safely to shore Television station KHOU-11 reports the dog named Burbie was reunited with its owner later

China moots 'love education'

China has urged colleges and universities to introduce “love education,” aiming to promote positive perspectives on marriage, relationships, family, and childbearing The move is part of efforts to address the country's declining birth rate Authorities in Beijing have reportedly rolled out various strategies to make starting a family more appealing to young couples, as the nation recorded a second straight year of population decline in 2023 Despite being the world's second-most populous country, with approximately 1 4 billion people, China's population is ageing rapidly This demographic trend is expected to strain government spending and place additional pressure on the economy According to the Chinese media, college students represent a key demographic for reversing the fertility decline, but their attitudes toward love and marriage have shifted considerably The publication highlighted the need for educational institutions to take responsibility by offering courses focused on relationships and marriage Such measures aim to foster a “healthy and positive culture surrounding marriage and childbirth ”

Air pollution linked to male infertility, traffic noise to female infertility

A stu dy p u bli sh ed in th e

BMJ Jo u rnal h as fo un d a lin k be twe en exp o su re to two commo n enviro nmenta l fa c to r s a ir p o l lu ti o n and road traffic noise and infertility in both men and women

T h e s t u d y f o u n d t h a t long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM2 5) significantly affects male fertility, while women, particu l a r l y t h o s

o

o a d traffic noise

Researchers noted, "In men, exposure to PM2 5 was linked to a higher risk of infertility, with similar haz-

groups (30-36 9 and 37-45 years) "

lighted, "For women, road traffic noise was associated with a higher risk of infertility in the 35-45 age group, but no such association was f o u n d i n t h o s e a g e d 3 034 9 "

Infertility is a growing global concern, influenced by lifestyle, health condit i

, a n d n o w ,

n

o nmental factors This study h i g h l i g h t s h o w i n v i s i b l e pollutants, like air pollution and road traffic noise, can disrupt reproductive health, creating new challenges for public health and individual well-being

Breakthrough brain discovery could lead to ‘yoga pill’

This b reakthrough c ould pave the way f

and stre ss dis or ders , potential ly even a pil l m im ic king yoga's cal ming ef fec

h e brain's complex regions and

t h e p r i m i t i v e b r a i n s t e m ' s b r e a t h i n g c e n t e r , e n a b l i n g coordination of breath with emotions While breathing is m o s t l y a u t o m a t i c , h u m a n s and some animals can cons c i o u s l y s l o w i t t o s e l fs o o t h e a k e y e l e m e n t o f

mindfulness and yoga practices The brain's role in regu l a t i n g b r e a t h i n g a n d i t s impact on emotions and anxiety remains poorly understood, with research so far f o c u s i n g o n s u b c o n s c i o u s m e c h a n i s m s i n t h e b r a i ns t e m T h e n e w s t u d y explores conscious pathways

l i n k i n g b r e a t h i n g t o e m otional regulation

R e s e a r c h e r s a n a l y s e d a brain connectivity database, identifying a breathing circuit linking the anterior cingulate cortex to the brainstem and medulla While the medulla triggers breathing, signals from the brainstem can inhibit this activity to slow breathing

Nature's glow booster for eyes, skin, and immunity

Pumpkin is a powerhouse of betacarotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, vital for maintaining healthy vision and glowing skin Rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, it strengthens the immune system, protecting against infections Its nutrient profile also supports heart health, aids digestion, and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases

Essential tips for winter eye protection

Winter can present unique challenges for eye health, including cold weather, low humidity, and increased exposure to wind and allergens Here's a look at common winter eye issues and tips for protecting your eyes

1)Preventing dry eyes

Cold, dry air and indoor

comfort such as pain, burn-

and increasing the risk of

eyes, use over-the-counter lubricating drops, consult an

toms persist, and consider using a humidifier to add

moisture to the air Staying

eyes moisturised

2) Combatting eye

infections and allergies

Cold weather, increased

allergens like mold and dust can lead to eye irritation and infections like conjunctivitis Dry, inflamed eyes are more vulnerable to infections, and winter allergies can cause redness, itching, and watering To relieve discomfort, use a humidifier to p

your home by opening windows, and avoid overheating If you develop conjunctivitis, consult an ophthalmologist and follow good e y e h y g

spreading

3) Protecting your eyes from wind exposure

Strong winter winds can i r r i t a t e t

dryness, redness, and excessive watering, especially for those with pre-existing dry eye symptoms To protect your eyes, wear wraparound

wind and debris, and use hats or scarves to block cold air and wind

4) Managing eye strain from screens and indoor lighting

more indoor time, causing eye strain and fatigue from

digital eye strain, follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away Also, adjust lighting to ensure your space is

5) Practices for contact lens wearers

Tuberculosis incidents in England climb 11% in 2023

Data from the UK Health S ec u ri ty A g en c y ( U K H S A ) rev e al an 1 1 % i nc re as e i n reported TB notifications in Eng land in 2023 , rising to 4 ,8 5 5 c ases fro m 4 , 3 8 0 i n 20 2 2 De sp i t e th e ri s e, Eng land rem ains a low-incidence country for T B, w ith a rate of 8 5 notifications per 100, 000 people

In 2023, TB notifications were lower than the peak in 2011, which saw 15 6 notifications per 100,000 population The increase in 2023 was observed in both UKborn and non-UK-born populations, with 80% of cases in people born outside the UK, particularly from India,

Romania

a r g e u r b a n areas, with the highest rate i n L o n d o n a t 1 8 7 p e r 1

l e n t a

p

n g t h o s e experiencing homelessness, substance dependence, and contact with the criminal justice system

While overall TB numbers remain low, there was an increase in drug-resistant infections in 2023, with 2 4% of lab-confirmed cases being m u l t i - d r u g r e s i s t a n t T h e

U K H S A s W h o l e G e n o m e

Sequencing diagnostics program allows for faster identification of drug resistance, enabling quicker access to

effective treatment D r E s t h e r R o b i n s o n , H e a d o f t h e T B U n i t a t UKHSA, emphasised, "TB is curable and preventable, but it remains a serious public health concern in England

I f y o u ' v e r e c e n t l y m o v e d from a country with higher TB rates, be aware of the

symptoms and seek prompt t e s t i n g a n d t r e a t m e n t through your GP A persistent cough with mucus lasting more than three weeks, along with fever, could indicate TB rather than flu or C o v i d - 1 9 I f y o u ' r e c o ncerned, speak to your GP about your risk "

Dark chocolate may lower type 2 diabetes risk, study finds

Consuming d ark chocolate fi v e ti m e s a w eek , w h il e av oiding milk chocolate, has been linked to a low er risk o f type 2 d iabetes While the co nnection is contro versial, researchers note that m ost previou s stu dies did not d ifferentiate between types o f ch ocolate

showed no such association

Researchers called for further trials to confirm these findings, published in the BMJ

Diabetes UK estimates 4 4 million people in the UK have diabetes, with 1 2 million possibly undiagnosed

The number of people under 40 diagnosed with type 2 d

n c r

oped type 2 diabetes

In the group analysed by chocolate type, 4,771 partici-

found that eating 28 3 grams (one ounce) of chocolate five times a week reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 10% D a r k c h o c o l a t e , w i t h higher cocoa content, was linked to a lower risk, while milk and white chocolate, with more sugar and milk, may have different effects T

pants developed type 2 diabetes The study found that consuming one serving of dark chocolate five times a week reduced the risk by 21% However, increased milk chocolate intake was linked to long-term weight gain,

d b y 39% in six years, driven by r

n g o b e s i t y

n d c h e a p junk food With two in three adults overweight or obese, the NHS currently spends £6bn annually on obesityrelated health issues, a figure expected to rise to £10bn by 2050

Study shows brain stimulation can improve mobility in spinal injury victims

Scientists h av e found that elec tri cal sti mu latio n of a sp e ci f i c b rai

d s th o s e with partial leg mov em ent and an intact brai n- spinal co rd connectio n Wolfgang Jaeger, a 54y e a r - o

said the technique significantly improved his mobility, enabling him to tackle s

S

,

b r e a k t h r o u g h s i n s p i n a l cord stimulation, published t h e i r f i n d i n g s i n ‘ N a t u r e Medicine’, focusing on the brain region key to recovery from spinal cord injuries

s i n g

activity in mice with spinal c o r d i n j u r i e s , c r e a t i n g a " b r a i n - w i d e a t l a s "

Surprisingly, they identified the lateral hypothalamus a region known for regulating arousal, feeding, and motivation as key to walking recovery Specific neurons in this area appear crucial, e x p l a i n e d n e u r o s c i e n t i s t G r é g o i r e C o u r t i n e o f Switzerland s EPFL

T h e t e a m u s e d d e e p brain stimulation, a proced u r e i n v o l v i n g i m p l a n t e d electrodes and a chest device sending electrical pulses to the brain, to amplify signals from key neurons Tests on r a t s a n d m i c e s h o w e d i m m e d i a t e w a l k i n g improvements, and a 2022 S w i s s t r i a l b e g a n w i t h a woman with an incomplete spinal cord injury

Exploring Hindu culture and vegan cuisine in Trinidad and Guyana

Nitin Mehta MBE

Iarrived in Trinidad on 12th November, and my visit has been filled with cultural discoveries One of the highlights is the Hanuman Mandir in Trinidad and Tobago, which stands 85 feet tall, making it the largest Hanuman statue outside of India. The second notable temple is the Temple in the Sea, renowned for its stunning location with the backdrop of clear blue water This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and offers a serene and picturesque setting Trinidad is home to around 280,000 Hindus, making it the

religion Hindus here greet each

Krishna Mandir located on the

n , nestled in the countryside

As for food, I’m primarily living on Doubles, as there is

o n l y o n e f u l l y v e g

restaurant in Trinidad, run by t h e C h i n m a y a M i s s i o n T h a n k f u l l y , I h a v e a s t e a d y

s u p p l y o f G a t h i a , K h a k h r a , S a k a r p a r a , B h a k h r i , a n d d r y

K a c h o r i , t h o u g h s a d l y , n o

Thepla!

During my stay, I also had the pleasure of meeting Annisa

K h a n , w h o w i l l s o o n b e

launching the Vegetarian and Vegan Society of Trinidad and

T o b a g o S h e a l s o d i d a n

interview with me for Radio

Sangeet

Spiritual journey in Guyana

After Trinidad, I took a 4 hour flight to Guyana PM Modi arrived here on 19th November

G u y a n a h a s a r o u n d 2 7 0 , 0 0 0

Hindu They were brought as i n d e n t u r e d l a b o u r e r s b y t h e

British to work on plantations

The Tulsidas Ramayan is deeply popular here It’s said that after a long day of hard work on the plantations, the Hindu laborers would gather in the evenings to recite the Ramayana, finding solace and comfort in its verses during their challenging lives

T o d a y H

i k e everywhere else I have already s e e n V a l m i k i S c h o o l a n d R a m a

Sunday, the Hindu Maha Sabha had a big event in which young people will take part in a Bhajan

Promenade in George Town, Guyana, I had the privilege of

restaurant run by a Rastafarian Dal and Rice tasted very good!

famous Radha Krishna temple

interviewed on Guyana national Television about the benefits of

myself, saying, "Narendrabhai, my name is Nitin Mehta, and I’ve come from London " I then presented him with my book, ‘Ancient India’s Imprints and the World’, and suggested that it be introduced in schools to

The ultimate gifting guide for Christmas 2024

Christmas is around the corner, and the joy of giving is at its peak! While the festive spirit brings us closer to our loved ones, choosing the perfect gift for everyone can sometimes be a daunting task But worry not whether you’re shopping for the tech-savvy sibling, the self-care enthusiast, or the foodie friend, this gifting guide has something for everyone.

1) P er s on a l

personalised presents are

someone feel truly special Custom photo gifts, such as albums, calendars, or even puzzles featuring cherished memories, add

modern soul: For the techs a v v y i n d i v i d u a l s i n y o u r life, technology gifts are a g r e a t w a y t o e n h a n c e c o n v e n i e n c e a n d e n t e r t a i n m e n t S m a r t speakers, like the Amazon Echo or Google Nest, can u p g r a d e a n y h o m e w i t h voice-controlled assistance and seamless connectivity

W i r e l e s s e a r b u d s , c o m b i n i n g s l e e k d e s i g n with practicality, are ideal for music enthusiasts and professionals on the go For the health-conscious, smart

t h

l d s e m

t i o n

l v a l u e M o n o g r a m m e d a c c e s s o r i e s , f r o m s t y l i s h l e a t h e r w

i c a l i t

w i t h individuality, making them perfect gifts for loved ones

2 ) Tec h tr eats f or the

them track their wellness and achieve fitness goals

transform any setting into

perfect for starry outdoor

e v e n i n g s o r c o z y i n d o o r marathons

3 ) S el f c ar e gi f t s : Wellness and self-care gifts

encourage your loved ones

themselves Luxury spa kits, complete with bath bombs, essential oils, and calming candles, can transform

stainless steel water bottles

freshness to any space Ecof

i

n

y b e a u t y p r o d u c t s , such as organic skincare in recyclable packaging, offer a g u i l t - f r e e w a y t o p a m p e r loved ones Beeswax wraps, a sustainable alternative to p l a s t i c w r a p s , m a k e a practical gift that aligns with a greener lifestyle

5 ) D e le ct ab l e g i ft s f o r fo od lo vers: Food gifts are a l w a y s a h i t , e s p e c i a l l y during the festive season, and there’s no shortage of delicious options to choose

f r o m G o u r m e t h a m p e r s f i l l e d w i t h p r e m i

, o

care about their

and well-being

These gifts are ideal for the environmentally conscious,

with

wines are a luxurious treat that can cater to a range of tastes and preferences For the home chef, personalised a p r o n s a d d a f u n a n d t h o u g h t f u l t o u c h , w h i l e p r a c t i c a l c o o k i n g g a d g e t s like air fryers, fancy cheese b o a r d s , o r h i g h - q u a l i t y knives make for functional y e t e x c i t i n g p r e s e n t s Subscription services, such as those offering monthly deliveries of coffee, wine, or snacks, provide a gift that k e e p s o n g i v i n g , o f f e r i n g

y e a r - r o u n d j o y a n d a delightful way to indulge in their favorite flavors

L to R Nitin Mehta, Sri Jagdeo and Annisa Khan

Nitin Mehta during PM Narendra Modi visit to Guyana

Nitin Mehta at Hanuman Mandir

Triptii

Triptii

Bollywood’spower couple, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, stepped out together for a rare oint appearance at a party in Mumbai Married for over 15 ears, the couple has been attending events separately of ate, making this recent sighting a delightful surprise for heir fans

Aishwarya looked elegant in a monochrome outfit bhishek, on the other hand, opted for a more formal ook, wearing an all black attire The couple was all miles as they posed for photos together, exuding their ignature charm and chemistry Ayesha Jhulka, a close riend of the couple, and producer and industry insider nu Ranjan shared a bunch of pictures and selfies with ishwarya and Abhishek on social media, giving fans a limpse into their fun night together

Amidst rumours, Aishwarya and Abhishek have made their second joint appearance this month, putting on a united front Earlier this month, the couple had come together to celebrate a special milestone – their daughter Aaradhya’s 13th birthday This recent appearance is a clear indication that despite the rumours, their bond remains strong The couple’s decision to step out together sends a positive message to their fans, who have been rooting for them throughout their

AishwaryaAbhishek make rare appearanc together

Priyanka Chopra hints at Bollywood comeback next year

Dimri becomes the most popular Indian star of 2024

Dimri is riding high on success

First, she impressed with her role in 'Animal' and then went on to give memorable performances in 'Bad Newz', 'Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video' and 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' Now, the actress has added yet another feather to her cap.

She has been named the Most Popular Indian Star of 2024 on IMDb's list She surpassed prominent names such as Shah R u k h K h a n , A l i a B h a t t a n d D e e p i k a Padukone to reach this position

Deepika Padukone bagged the second

Sharvari, Aishwarya Rai, Samantha,

Alia Bhatt and Prabhas

IMDb shared this news on its social media handles and wrote, The wait is over! Presenting the Most Popular Indian Stars of 2024 who lit up our screens and your IMDb searches! Did your favourite make it to the list? The IMDb Top 10 Most Popular Indian Stars of 2024 list is

ranked the highest on the IMDb weekly

rankings are based on the actual page

monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide " Triptii Dimri will next be seen in

Chaturvedi

While Priyanka Chopra Jonas is currently juggling two major projectsthe American action-comedy 'Heads of State', where she shares the screen with Idris Elba and John Cena, and the action drama 'The Bluff' - it appears that the global star is finally set to return to her home turf after a six-year hiatus. In a significant update, Priyanka recently revealed that she is close to zeroing in on a new Hindi project

“Not joking, I meet many filmmakers here, read scripts I have actively been looking for something I want to do in Hindi This year was really busy for me But I have something up my sleeve, I will leave it at that,” Priyanka said during a chat Naturally, the next question was whether she was referring to the Farhan Akhtar directorial 'Jee Le Zaraa ' “You will need to speak to Excel (Entertainment, Farhan Akhtar’s production house) about that,” she said, offering no further details Touted as a road movie, 'Jee Le Zaraa' has been generating significant buzz since its announcement in 2021, since it features Priyanka, Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhat in the lead roles it has been dekayed Co-written by Zoya Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar and Reema Kagti, with Farhan himself at the helm, the film has faced delays due to difficulties in coordinating the schedules of the three lead actors and the director Zoya, during an appearance earlier this year, confirmed that the film remains in the works and that the delays were due to scheduling conflicts

captivate audiences

As we remember this legend, here’s a look at some of his most iconic films that not only defined his illustrious career but also played a pivotal role in shaping Indian cinema Guide (1965): Considered one of

'Guide' was based on R K Narayan’s novel and directed by Vijay Anand,

Waheeda Rehman, was mesmerizing

Dutt, 'Baazi' introduced Dev Anand as the quintessential anti-hero of Hindi cinema Playing a rebellious young man drawn into a world of crime and moral dilemmas, Anand’s magnetic performance left a lasting impression

milestone in the “ supercop ” genre, 'Johny Mera Naam' featured Anand as a detective seeking revenge for his parents’ murder

Kala Pani (1958): In 'Kala Pani',

convicted of murder The film tackled corruption and social justice Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971): Anand’s directorial debut, 'Hare Rama

1970s, addressing themes like drug abuse and generational conflict

Fahadh Faasil to make Bollywood debut in Imtiaz Ali film?

Fahadh Faasil's acting prowess has made him a fan favourite not only in the south industry but all over India. The actor is seen in 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' with Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna which was released on December 5. He reprises his role as SP Bhanwar Singh Sekhawat in the Sukumar directorial

Amid this, we are getting to know that he is gearing up for his Bollywood debut

As per reports, he is collaborating with Triptii Dimri and Imtiaz Ali for a film which will go on floors in early 2025 Reports also state that they have been discussing this project for months and it was finalized only recently Faasil is excited for this collaboration and looks forward to kickstarting his journey in Bollywood

T

Imtiaz Ali She made her debut with the d

Avinash Tiwari

Keerthy Suresh to wed boyfriend Antony Thattil

Keerthy Suresh is all set to make her relationship with long-time boyfriend Antony Thattil official by tying the knot with him in a ceremony in Goa The actor has already arrived in Goa, where the wedding festivities are scheduled to take place later this month

According to an update Instagram, the actor along with her

b o y f

Keerthy’s friends shared the flight tickets of Antony, Keerthy, and some other close friends from Chennai to Goa with the hashtag ‘#KAwedding’ The picture was re-posted by Keerthy on her own Instagram Stories

Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala tie the knot

Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala have o tied the knot, markin new chapter in their lives The wedding, held at Chay’s family-owned Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad, was a deeply emotional and special event, with Nagarjuna, Chay’s father, sharing the first glimpses of the ceremony on social media

The wedding took place at Annapurna Studios, a 22-acre family property in Hyderabad Founded in 1976 by Naga Chaitanya’s grandfather, the legendary actor-producer Akkineni Nageswara Rao, the studio is not only one of the largest film production hubs in India but also holds great sentimental

value for the Akkineni family er 60 feature films uced on its ounds, Annapurna tudios is a key landmark in Tollywood’s history

The wedding was graced by several prominent figures from the film industry and beyond Notable tendees included astar Chiranjeevi, ic athlete PV , tress Nayanthara, and many members of the Akkineni and Daggubati families The guest list also featured power couples Ram Charan and Upasana Konidela, along with Mahesh Babu and Namrata Shirodkar, making the event a true celebration of love and friendship in the film industry

Court grants divorce to Dhanush, Aishwarya Rajinikanth

According to the wedding nvitation shared by a user on X, Keerthy will tie the k n o t w

r

December 12

The wedding invite

pleasure to inform you that our daughter is getting married on December 2 in an intimate gathering We hold your blessings in high regard and sincerely hope you will k e e p t

n d prayers We would be grateful if you could shower your blessings upon them as they begin a new chapter of their lives together With warm regards and lots of l o v e G S u r e s h K u m a r a n d M e n a k a Suresh Kumar ”

Rashmika Mandanna

The much-discussed divorce case of actor Dhanush and director Aishwarya Rajinikanth has come to a close On November 27, the family court issued its final verdict, officially granting divorce to the couple.

Dhanush and Aishwarya, who tied the knot in 2004, had been married for 18 years The couple shares two sons, Yathra and Linga, and have agreed to co-parent their children moving forward

The duo announced their separation in January 2022, citing irreconcilable differences Despite efforts from both families to reconcile, the couple remained firm in their decision On November 21, Dhanush and Aishwarya appeared in court and confirmed their intent to part ways

This marks the end of an era for the once-celebrated couple Fans and wellwishers have expressed their support, hoping they find peace and happiness in their respective journeys ahead

credits Allu Arjun, Ranbir Kapoor for her success

Rashmika

Mandanna who attained the title National Crush, impressed with two back-to-back hit films - 'Animal' and 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' In Animal, she shared the screen with Ranbir Kapoor and the sequel of Pushpa saw her reuniting with Allu Arjun Now, the actress has credited her two costars for where she is today

A fan shared a collage of Animal and Pushpa 2 on social media and wrote, "two alpha males are dominated by one girl named Rashmika "

Reacting to it, the actress wrote, "Performing with these men has set the bar soooo high for me it's crazy and I am so freaking glad! I like the actor I am today because of these two mind blowing actors!"

Meanwhile, Rashmika is receiving rave reviews for her performance in Pushpa 2: The Rule along with Allu Arjun and Fahadh Faasil She has reprised her role as Srivalli, Pushpa s love interest in the film

Aamir Khan, Emily

Blunt to be honoured at Red Sea Film fest

The 2024 Red Sea Film Festival, taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is poised to celebrate global cinema with a star-studded lineup

Bollywood icon Aamir Khan and Oscar-nominated Hollywood actor Emily Blunt will be honored at the festival’s opening ceremony, marking a highlight of the prestigious event.

Now in its fourth edition, the Red Sea Film Festival has become a cornerstone of cultural celebrations in the Middle East, showcasing both established and emerging talent while fostering innovation and dialogue in the global film industry

Reflecting on the honour, Aamir Khan shared his gratitude, stating, “Cinema has been my lifelong passion, and to be amid such an inspiring group of artistes from across the world is truly humbling ” Emily Blunt, known for her critically acclaimed roles in films like 'A Quiet Place', 'Sicario', 'The Devil Wears Prada', and 'Edge of Tomorrow', recently garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Christopher Nolan’s 'Oppenheimer' On her recognition at the festival, she said, “I love all that this festival is doing for innovative and emerging talent in the film industry I’m enthused by how they are empowering women in cinema and amplifying their voices ”

Netflix announces documentary on Bollywood’s Roshan family

Netflix has announced a new documentary series titled 'The Roshans', which will explore the legacy of Bollywood’s iconic Roshan family Directed by Shashi Ranjan, the series delves into three generations of the family, beginning with the patriarch and musical maestro Roshan, his sons - filmmaker Rakesh Roshan and composer Rajesh Roshan - and superstar Hrithik Roshan

The series promises candid interviews with industry peers, friends, and colleagues, offering diverse perspectives on the Roshan family’s contributions to Hindi cinema Netflix described the project as “ an intimate journey through their lives, exploring three generations of passion, dedication, and outstanding contributions to Hindi cinema ”

Director Shashi Ranjan expressed his gratitude for being entrusted with the project, saying, “Directing this docuseries has been an incredibly rewarding journey Being invited into the Roshan family’s world and entrusted with their legacy is a privilege

I am grateful for It is an honor to bring their story of creativity, courage, and commitment to the world, and having Netflix house the legendary movie family’s stories was undoubtedly the only way to go ”

The announcement follows the release of other Bollywoodthemed documentaries, including Netflix’s 'The Romantics', celebrating Yash Raj Films, and Prime Video’s 'Angry Young Men', which explored the legacy of Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan

Two

Golden Globe nominations for Payal Kapadia’s film

Filmmaker

Payal Kapadia’s “All

We Imagine As Light”, a Mumbai-set story about three women and their friendship, received two nominations at the 82nd Golden Globes in Best Motion Picture Non-English Language and the Best Direction -Motion Picture categories It will compete with “Emilia Perez” (France), “The Girl With the Needle” (Poland), “I’m Still Here” (Brazil), “The Seed of the Sacred Fig (US) and “Vermiglio” (Italy) in the Best Non-English Language Motion Picture category In the Best Director category, Kapadia will compete with “The Brutalist” director Brady Corbet, Coralie Farge at “The Substance”, E

“Anora” “I’m deeply honoured by this nomination and grateful to the HFPA for this recognition This is

Mindy Kaling to announce Golden Globe nominees

Mindy

Kaling and Morris Chestnut will announce the nominees for the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Kaling and Chestnut will reveal 10 exclusive categories during CBS Mornings on CBS.

producing the

showcased on the Golden Globes’ social media accounts, with the

GoldenGlobes com immediately after the announcement

show of the season, will air

series 'The Sex Lives of College Girls' and will produce and write the Netflix series 'Running Point', set for release in 2025

Filmfare OTT awards: Diljit Dosanjh wins best actor for 'Chamkila'

film,” Kapadia said Meanwhile, Payal's film added

collection On December 3 the film won Best International Feature at the New York Film Critics Circle ( N Y F C C

claiming the same honor at the renowned Gotham Awards 2024

The film tells the story of two roommates, Prabha and Anu, who are nurses navigating their own challenges Prabha’s life is thrown into chaos when she receives an

boyfriend, searches for a secluded spot in the Mumbai city

The 5th edition of the Filmfare OTT awards 2024 was held in Mumbai on December 1. Numerous celebrities, including actors, directors, show runners, and technical crew, attended the awards ceremony Nominations were unveiled across 39 categories for web series and films ahead of the ceremony 'Heeramandi: The Diamond

Director: Sameer Saxena

Australia beat India by 10 wickets to level series 1-1

P at C umm ins’s first fiv e-w icket h aul at the Ad elaid e Oval has led A ustralia to a comp rehensive 10w icket win in the second Test against India, helping the hosts level the fiv e-match series at 1-1

The Australian skipper took 5 - 5 7 a s h e b o u n c e d o u t t h e Indian lower order on Sunday, with the visitors crashing to 175 all out in their second innings for a slender 18-run lead

R e s u m i n g a t 1 2 8 - 5 i n t h e second innings, India needed a near-miracle from Rishabh Pant to have any hope of setting a testing fourth innings target for Australia to chase But Mitchell Starc had other ideas, as he had Pant (28) caught at slip from the sixth delivery of the afternoon Cummins then got into the

act using the short ball tactic against the Indian lower order to

Ashwin (7) was caught behind

Rana (0) could not fend off a rising delivery and was caught at backward point Nitish Reddy top-scored for India with 42 off 47 balls He was caught off Cummins again trying

the last man out, caught

finished with 3-51 in his

place of the injured Josh Hazlewood

None of the Indian batters passed 50 across the two innings – India previously suffered the same fate

Championship final against New Zealand at Southampton

Needing just 19 runs to win the Test and level the series, Nathan McSweeney (10 not out) and Usman Khawaja (12 not out) saw Australia home safely in 3 2 overs India were bowled out for

180 runs in the first innings on the back of Starc’s career-best

scored a blistering 140 off 141 balls to propel Australia to 337 runs in reply and take a 157-run lead

A

dismantled India’s top order in the second innings under lights to leave the match strongly in the hosts’ favour heading into the third day

India took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after winning

Perth

The teams will play a third Test beginning December 14 in Brisbane, followed by matches in M

26 and in Sydney from January 3

Coventry to host Kabaddi World Cup 2025 at CBS Arena

C o v en try is s et t o h o s t t h e

K abad di World Cup 2025 Th e e v en t w il

C oventry Bu ild ing So ciety Arena from M arch 17 to 23 , 2025 Th e 1 00-d ay countdow n has begun, and 16 participating nations are ready to co mpete

T h e t o u r n

w e l c o m e t h e w o r l d ' s b e s t kabaddi players, including those f r o m A f r i c a ,

Teams from the USA, China, India, and Pakistan, as well as

h o m e - n a t i o n t

which will be hosted for the first time outside of Asia

Kabaddi is an ancient sport, traced back to pre-historic times w

groups for survival and food K a b a d d i w a s p l a y e d a s a demonstration sport at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and is now the fastest-growing sport in South Asia

The contact sport involved teams divided into raiders and blockers The aim was to score points by entering opposition

territory, tagging an opponent, and making it back into their own half without being tackled to the ground

Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport, Cllr Kamran

C

Coventry will play host city for the Kabaddi World Cup in 2025 I

n a l sporting event to add to our e

r - g r o w i n g l i s t B r i n g i n g kabaddi to Coventry means we c a n t

communities, increase physical

which is really special

6 young footballers win fourth edition of United We Play initiative

A p o ll o T y res an d M an c h es ter U ni te d celebrated the bigg est ever season of United We Play (UWP) at the football club’s hom e g rou nd at Old Trafford , playing host to six exceptional you ng foo tballers from India, Nepal, Th ailand and UA E

P C L a l c h h u a n a w m a ( f r o m M i z o r a m , India), Shreejal Kisku (from Bhubaneswar, India), Mohd Ayan (from Lucknow, India), B h a k t a B a h a d u r P

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n g k o k Thailand) and Shayaan Nabil (from UAE) had emerged as the winners in the fourth edition of United We Play, a grassroots football initiative by leading tyre maker

A p o l l o T y r e s , i n a s s o c

h Manchester United

C h o s e n f r o m 1 5 , 0 0 0 o t h

The 16 nations taking part in the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 are: Asia: India, Pakistan, Hong K o n g , M a l

i a , S r i L a

, T a i w a n , C h i n a ; E u r o p e : England, Scotland, Italy, Poland; A f r i c a : T a n z a n i a , K e n y a , Cameroon, Egypt; Pan America: USA

President of World Kabaddi, A s h o k D a s , a d d e d : " W e h a v e been working closely with the W e s t M i d l a n d s C o m b i n e d Authority and partners over the l a s t t w o y e a r s t o p l a n t h e Kabaddi World Cup 2025 and are excited to be now drawing the teams for the competition

Rampaging Australia women win series against India

i d en

E ye i ng t

U nd er, co nnoisseurs expected India to make amend s for a lacklustre perform ance in the fi rs t OD I a nd d raw lev el in th is g am e I ns te ad , I nd ia w as o u tc las s ed b y a ram pag ing Au stralia in the second of the three-m atch series It w asn’t even a contest, leave alone being close

GUJARAT TO MEET BENGAL IN COOCH BEHAR QUARTERFINAL

Gujarat marched into the quarterfinal of the U19 Cooch Behar Trophy following a comprehensive 75-run win over Saurasthra in their last league game at the Sardar Patel Stadium, in Valsad Gujarat won four out of five matches in Elite Group ‘B’ to occupy the second place in the table Their only loss was by 23 runs to Bengal, whom they play in the quarterfinal at the Eden Gardens from Dec 22-25 Chasing 283, Kavya Patel’s 5/34 along with Khilan Patel’s 2/72 and Keval Patel’s 2/23 helped Gujarat bowl out Saurashtra for 207 and seal their place in the last eight Sent in to bat Gujarat had made 254 in their first innings courtesy captain Rudra M Patel’s 58-run knock In reply Saurashtra made 269 with Ulva top scoring with 55 Captain Ghoghari (51) and wicket-keeper batter Yuvraj Gohil (53) chipped in with useful contributions

SIRAJ, HEAD PUNISHED OVER ADELAIDE EXCHANGE

India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj and Australia batsman Travis Head were both charged with misconduct following a fiery exchange that took place during the second Test in Adelaide Siraj was fined 20 per cent of his match fee by the International Cricket Council after he gave Head a send-off after bowling the Australian for 140 in the hosts first innings He admitted a charge of using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon dismissal” Siraj received one demerit point, as did Head who was sanctioned for his reaction Head’s charge related to the “abuse of a player, player support personnel, umpire or match referee” A verbal exchange followed Siraj’s dismissal of Head after the bowler pointed in the direction of the Australia dressing room

ENGLAND THRASH NZ BY 323 RUNS

The UWP programme is a grassroots

underrepresented in global football’s top leagues Despite a combined population of

there are no Indian or Thai players in the

determined to challenge this paradox by

untapped communities to showcase their performance at the highest level

g footballers across multiple cities in Asia Pacific and the MENA region, the six young footballers converged at Old Trafford for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to train alongside Manchester United Soccer School coaches, meet footballing legends including former Man Utd player and Irish coach John O’Shea, and participate in an exciting match day experience

India juniors flounder as Bangladesh defend title

The batters could not c apitalise on the good j ob done by the bowlers as India s uffered a mas sive 59- run defeat to Bangladesh in the low scoring U19 Asia Cup title clash in D ubai on Sunday

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A f t e r I n d i a p r o d u c e d a

p Bangladesh to a mere 198 in 49 1 overs, it looked like the job was half done since the batters had played their roles to perfection since the defeat in the tournament-opener to Pakistan However, in the crunch final, I n d i a l o s t

n t w o occasions which broke the back of their chase, as Bangladesh bowlers and fielders rose up to the occasion

Chasing 199, India were bundled out for 139 in 35 2 overs as none of their specialist b

including the youngest IPL star Vaibhav Suryavanshi who managed a mere 9 off 7 balls India suffered early blows in the form of S

stumble to 24 for two inside five overs With t h e s u m m

c l a s h p

d p r e c

u s l y , Bangladesh edged ahead by keeping the rest of the Indian batters largely quiet, drying up the boundaries and also the singles It was Iqbal Hossain Emon who made the most of the situation as he snapped three vital wickets to severely dent India's hopes

On a searing Sunday, two Australian toporder batters with contrasting experiences –Ellyse Perry (105), and last-match debutant Georgia Voll (101) raised the temperature at the Allan Border Field by several notches

R i d i n g o n t h e d u o ’ s s c i n t i l l a t i n g performance, the hosts crushed India by 122 runs for their second win on the trot

That India were woefully short in every department would be an understatement They were dismissed for a below par 101 in the series opener, but here, they were invited to bowl first on a surface which had little assistance for the bowlers The home side simply batted the visitors out of the contest, putting on a commanding 371/8, the highest against India in this format The visitors then folded for 249 in the 45th over

If India are to avoid an all game rout in P e r t h o n D e c 1 1 , t h e A m o l M u z u m d a rcoached team will have to pull themselves up by their bootlaces – a miracle if they do so given their record so far Take this statistic for example: India dropped four catches on Sunday, with Perry being the beneficiary twice

Brief scores: Australia 371/8 in 50 overs (Ellyse Perry 105, Georgia Voll 101, Phoebe Litchfield 60; Saima Thakor 3/62) beat India: 249 all out in 44 5 overs (Richa Ghosh 54, Jemimah Rodrigues 43; Annabel Sutherland 4/38) by 122 runs

England conquered the Wellington gale to seal a 323-run win over New Zealand on the third day of the second Test and take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series Joe Root completed his 36th century as England batted for less than 30 minutes in the morning before declaring with a lead of 582 runs New Zealand crumbled under the weight of the deficit and was all out for 259 in its second innings England s win followed its comprehensive eight wicket win in the first Test at Christchurch capping its first series victory in New Zealand since 2008 ahead of the final Test in Hamilton Root resumed the day on 73 with England already 533 ahead He sped to his century from 127 balls with 10 boundaries He was finally out for 106 at which point Ben Stokes declared England s second innings at 427-6

SA OVERPOWER LANKA TO SWEEP SERIES

South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 109 runs in the second cricket Test at St George s Park and swept the series 2-0 The odds favoured South Africa which needed five more wickets while Sri Lanka needed 143 more runs in a chase of 348 and their last recognised batters were in the middle The Proteas ended the fightbacks of captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis in the first half hour, exposed the tail, and finished off Sri Lanka for 238 before lunch Spinner Keshav Maharaj took three of the five wickets and achieved his 11th career five-wicket haul 5-76 South Africa also consolidated their hopes of qualifying for a first World Test Championship final by moving to the top of the standings with two more home Tests to come against Pakistan starting on Dec 26