AV 15th July 2023

The annual South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) runs from 18 July to 17 August each year. This year, the UK is already basking in the glory of Indian heritage ahead of this celebration and as we know, the diaspora always has ‘stories to tell’

Indian tri-services team trains in France for PM Modi's visit

T h e o f f i c i a l w e b s i t e o f S A H M r i g h t l y d e n o t e s t h a t o u r s t o r i e s a r e w h a t m a k e u s u n i q u e , a n d they connect us to each other i n p r o f o u n d w a y s W h e t h e r you express yourself through art, writing, music, fashion, or food, there are so many ways to share your experiences and celebrate your heritage

Continued on page 15

FULL STORY ON PAGE 25

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron

Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla with Ruth Ganesh from Elephant Family and Sabyasachi at The Animal Ball 2023

with Keith Vaz

SA I M A A FZ A L M B E

Saima Afzal MBE is a n active Ind ep ende nt Huma n Rig hts campa igne r a s we ll a s be ing the Dire cto r of he r o wn Training and Re sea rch Consu ltancy, S aima Af za l Solutions In 20 16 sh e also fou nd ed S A S RIGH TS a Co mmunity Int ere st Compa ny to provide a p latform for marg ina lised com mu nities Sa im a has he ld ke y roles such as Nat ional Police Autho rit y lea d for Equal ity and Huma n Righ ts and ser ve d as a n Assista nt Pol ice and Crime Co mmissioner

Saima is recognised as a national safeguarding /public protection expert adviser on the National Crime Agency database, and is often deployed in cases involving for example, Forced Marriages, Traff icking, Sexual Exploitation, Spiritual Abuse

Additionally, Saima is co-authoring a book commissioned by Routledge on ‘Rape Culture’ within the context of exploring ‘believe-based’ and culturally driven interpretations

She was recognised for her work when she received the MBE for her Ser vices to Policing and Community Relations and an Honorar y Fellowship in Oct 2013 by Blackburn College

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

Blackburn! Home is where my family and friends are, the friendships I cemented during my toughest years are with people who live in Blackburn In them I f ind the support I need, especially when I come across challenges the line of work, I am involved in inevitably brings

2) What are your proudest achievements?

A s i d e f r o m p r o fe s s i o n a l a c h i e v ements, my biggest is not accepting a forced marriage! Living alone with my son and raising him with the help of my family I did this against a backlash from ‘community’ and institutions alike, I found they preferred to revere the views of ‘community leaders’ over mine

3) What inspires you?

My biggest inspiration is my Mum, s h e t a u g h t m e a h u m a n i t a r i a n approach Regardless of a person ’ s identity, their differences, and their background, I was encouraged to embrace humanitarianism, reject injustices and to question unacceptable behaviours She has inspired, enabled, and facilitated my human rights approach and my successes to date

4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

Misogyny and intersections of it! This is an ongoing struggle! The regressive ‘community leader’ is my biggest o b s t a c l e , a l o n g s i d e t h e i n a b i l i t y fo r some organisations, including the political, to fully understand the exclusionar y tactics that exist for someone like me; a progressive, but non-conformist ‘brown’ woman who will question the ‘community-elites’

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

Other than my mother, I don’t recall many role models who were publicly questioning the cultural and communi-

India is the third largest contributor to online hate for Sadiq Khan

A recent s tudy reveal s a su rge in o n l in e a bu s e ta r ge t in g Londo n m ayo r Sadiq Kh an, p articul arly f ro m India, fo ll o w ing a de c l ine f ro m th e p eak in 2019

Since his election as the m ayo r o f L o n d o n i n 2 0 1 6 , K h a n h a s r e c e i v e d o v e r 304,000 explicitly racist or racially-charged social media messages, with a signif icant portion originating from outside the United Kingdom

Khan

ty-based inequalities between the sexes!

Benazir Bhutto did however influence my decision to participate in the 1999 local elections in Blackburn If it is okay i n Pa k i s t a n , t h e n w h y n o t fo r Blackburn?!

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

I often play a forensic expert witness role as part of an investigation team, analysing behaviours, assessing crimes, and safeguarding options I examine the e v i d e n c e a n d p r o v i d e a c u l t u r a l l y n u a n c e d e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h e f a c t s Supporting an investigation to bring to justice the ‘perpetrators’ of any given crime is immensely satisfying

7) And the worst?

T h e b a d m o u t h i n g , fo r e x a m p l e , being called an ‘immodest’ woman, a ‘bad’ Muslim, all hurt Then on the other hand the far-right use my struggles as a flag to promote their own poisonous agendas It is also demoralising when despite my qualif ications, I have been used politically as an ‘equality’ tick-box

8) What are your long-term goals?

Grow my community organisation, stop the inequity, remove the risk aversion that exists in statutor y and political o r g a n i s a t i o n s , a n d t h e i r i n a b i l i t y t o def ine ‘problematic’ behaviours until a crisis is reached, i e , a murder, rape! The fear of offending ‘communities’ whilst understandable, is not an acceptable reason to do nothing /avoid issues!

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

I would address the structure/culture of parliament, make it more inclusive and representative, not just visually b u t i n g i v i n g p r o g r e s s i v e t h i n ke r s opportunities to contribute! Removing nepotism is key to this! Only then will we have politicians that will constructively work to remove inequity and poverty in all its forms

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

R a z i a Su l t a n a , t h e f i r s t w o m a n Su l t a n a t e (ruler) of Delhi I would chat about the barriers and conflicts she faced o v e r h e r g e n d e r, b a c kground, what led to her removal, was she expected just to be a ‘f igurehead’, to not assert her p o w e r, a n d u t i l i s e h e r position of privilege and influence?

W h i l e t h e m a j o r i t y o f abusive messages have come from the United States, followed by the UK itself, India stands out as the third-largest s o u r c e o f h a t e m e s s a g e s directed at Khan, according to an analysis conducted by t h e Gr e a t e r L o n d o n Authority

T h e s t u d y h i g h l i g h t s a p a t t e r n i n t h e v o l u m e o f online abuse originating from I n d i a , w i t h a l t e r n a t i n g increases and decreases since the peak in 2019 Notably, the m a y o r r e c e i v e d m o r e h a t e messages from India in the f irst half of this year than he d i d t h r o u g h o u t t h e e n t i r e year of 2022

T h e r e s e a r c h a l s o obser ved that the abuse from I n d i a r e a c h e d i t s h i g h e s t point in 2019, coinciding with

t h e c o u n t r y 's g e n e r a l e l e ct i o n D u r i n g t h a t e l e c t i o n , Narendra Modi was re-elected as the prime minister of I n d i a i n A p r i l-M a y, w i t h n a t i o n a l s e c u r i t y c o n c e r n s being a prominent issue following the Pulwama terror a t t a c k i n K a s h m i r, w h i c h resulted in the loss of 40 lives In 2019, a total of 16,567 messages from India targeted Khan, representing the highest number from any countr y t h a t y e a r T h e s e m e s s a g e s accounted for 40 percent of a l l o n l i n e h a t e d i re c t e d a t Khan This year, Mayor Sadiq K h a n's p ro p o s a l t o e x p a n d t h e c l e a n -a i r z o n e fo r m o t o r i s t s i n L o n d o n h a s sparked a signif icant increase in online racist abuse directed at him

Post office apologises over failure in handing over racist files

T h e Po st Of f i ce h as expressed regret for its failure to submit racist documents to the p ublic inqu iry re g ard i n g t h e Ho ri z o n ac c o u nti ng sc an d al A l th o u g h th e Po s t O ff i c e ac k no w le d g ed th a t t h es e do cu ments were circulated i nte rn all y, t h ey w er e n o t provid ed to the inqu iry D u r i n g t h e i n q u i r y, i t was revealed that internal d o c u m e n t s i n s t r u c t i n g fraud investigators to categ o r i z e p o t e n t i a l s u s p e c t s based on race, including the u s e o f r a c i a l l y o f fe n s i v e terms like "negroid types," were shared within the comp a n y o n 2 3 o c c a s i o n s between 2012 and 2019 The guidance required investigators to classify postmasters into racial categories such as

"d a r k- s k i n n e d Eu r o p e a n t y p e s , I n d i a n / Pa k i s t a n i t y p e s , " a n d "C h i n e s e / Ja p a n e s e t y p e s " This caused outrage among black and Asian postmasters T h e r e p o r t i n d i c a t e s that a request for prosecution documents was made in Februar y of last year, but t h e r a c i s t g u i d a n c e o n l y came to light through a freedom of information request made by a postmaster campaigner in May of this year

The Horizon inquir y is investigating the wrongful p r o s e c u t i o n o f o v e r 7 0 0 p o s t m a s t e r s w h o w e r e accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting, despite the m i s s i n g m o n e y b e i n g a t t r i b u t e d t o n u m e r o u s flaws in the Post Off ice's £1

billion

IT system

The failure to disclose the racist documents by the Po s t O f f i c e h a s b e e n described by Jason Beer KC, counsel to the inquir y, as a s c a n d a l w i t h i n t h e l a r g e r c o n t e x t o f t h e Ho r i z o n a c c o u n t i n g s c a n d a l To a d d re s s t h e s i t u a t io n , t h e Post Off ice has committed to conducting a more extens i v e s e a r c h , w h i c h m a y result in the submission of a n a d d i t io n a l 1 ,5 0 0 d o c uments to the inquir y

Last week, Darren Jones, t h e c h a i r m a n o f t h e C o m m o n s b u s i n e s s s e l e c t committee, called for Read to reimburse an additional £ 3 0 , 4 0 0 f r o m h i s b o n u s , which was also tied to his performance related to the inquir y

FTA’s Trade and G ender Equality chapter to support women-led businesses

D u ri ng t h e o ng oi n g U KIndia free trad e ag reem ent (FTA ) neg otiations, a ch apter on "Trad e and Gender Equality has been included to suppo rt wom en-led small an d m ed i u m e nte rp r is es ( SM E s) in b oth c ou ntries

U K Secretary o f State fo r Busi ness and Trad e, Kemi B ad e no c h , rev eal ed t h is inform atio n as th e minister in charg e of th e trad e negotiatio ns She said: “We have also provisionally closed a Trade and Gender Equality chapter in which we have agreed

Kemi Badenoch

t o u n d e r t a ke c o o p e r a t i o n activity “ T h i s a c t i v i t y m a y e n h a n c e t h e c o m p e t i t i v eness of women-owned and women-led SMEs, to better enable them to participate

i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l t r a d e I

hope that this will encourage businesses of ever y size and from ever y region of India and the UK to take advantage of this deal ” According to Badenoch, a n y f r e e t r a d e a g r e e m e n t (FTA) between the UK and India will not include comm i t m e nt s o n i m m i g r a t io n or provide access to the UK domestic labor market This implies that the FTA will not a d d re s s t h e m o v e m e nt o f p ro fe s s i o n a l s b e t w e e n t h e two countries in terms of i m m i g r a t i o n p o l i c i e s o r labor market access

L ack of diverse staff at the Buckingham Palace

A c c or di n g t o re po rt s , Buckingham Palac e has not achieved its staff divers ity goal, with the proportion of e m pl oy ee s f ro m et hn i c m i n or i ty ba c k g rou n ds remaining stagnant at 9 7 percent

T h e i n i t i a l t a r g e t o f reaching 10 percent by the end of 2022 has not been met In response, the King's household has set a revised o b j e c t i v e o f a c h i e v i n g 1 4

p e r c e n t o f a l l e m p l o y e e s

from ethnic minority backgrounds by 2025

The f inal diversity f igure for the previous year (2021-2022) was reported as 9 7 percent, with an unaudited f igure of 9 6 percent i n t h e p r e v i o u s y e a r s Sovereign Grant accounts and 8 5 percent reported the year before

In contrast, the househ o l d o f t h e P r i n c e a n d

Princess of Wales (Charles and Camilla) has achieved a

higher rate of staff diversity, w i t h 1 6 3 p e r c e n t o f employees coming from an e t h n i c m i n o r i t y b a c kg r o u n d T h i s f i g u r e a t Ke n s i n g t o n Pa l a c e h a s increased from 13 6 percent compared to the previous year

The 2021 Census data revealed that approximately 18 percent of the population belongs to a black, Asian, m i xe d , o r o t h e r e t h n i c group

Sadiq

President Joe Biden and PM Rishi Sunak’s ‘rock solid’ bonhomie

US President Joe Biden met and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday 10 July, before they headed to Lithuania for NATO Summit The President also met King Charles III for the first time, since his Coronation

Mr Sunak at their meeting told President Biden that Britain was a signatory to an international convention that discouraged the use of cluster munitions, and it was up to each country to make their own decision about how the weapons were used, a spokesperson said

The Prime Minister also updated on the UK’s AI Summit which will be held this autumn and welcomed the President’s strong support for the initiative A new report by Google has highlighted that by 2030, AI could boost the UK economy by £400 billion leading to an annual growth rate of 2 6 percent

The UK is a world-leader in AI – ranking third behind the US and China Our AI sector already contributes £3 7 billion to the UK economy and employs 50,000 people across the country

Our departure from the EU also helps us to act more quickly and agilely in response to this rapidly changing market

The UK was one of the first leading nations to set out a blueprint for the safe and responsible development of AI, which will be adaptive to the speed of advances in this technology And the UK has launched an expert taskforce to help build and adopt the next generation of safe AI, backed by £100 millions of funding, alongside a commitment to spend £900 million developing compute capacity, including an Exascale

supercomputer in the UK

The Prime Minister and President Biden agreed on the need to strengthen the alliance and maintain UK’s support for Ukraine and discussed the progress of the counter-offensive and emphasised on the importance of providing the support Ukraine needs to win this war and secure a just and lasting peace (see p14)

As UK celebrates South Asian Heritage Month (see p1), it is an incredible of excitement of achievement among the diaspora, to see the first ever Indian-origin Prime Minister of Britain to lead the nation with success While PM Sunak has never shied away from his Indian and Hindu heritage, including flaunting a holy thread tied around his wrist, it is commendable to watch him represent Britain’s rights and place in the world, as a true British - the power and success story of South Asian heritage

Mr Sunak, a former hedge fund manager and reputedly the UK's wealthiest ever prime minister, and his wife, Akshata Murthy, have an estimated worth of about £529mn according to the latest Sunday Times rich list Both hosted the UK-India week in end of June, at the No 10 garden, as humbly as possible, in presence of PM’s mum-in-law and a celebrity in her own rights - Sudha Murty, interacting with the community members, that included politicians, entrepreneurs, CEOs, leaders, celebrities among others with a smile, as samosas made rounds

Climate change playing havoc in India

Global warming is causing climate change not only in India but the world over As prime minister Narendra Modi said during remarks at the UN’s COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland: “For many developing countries, climate change is looming large over their existence We have to take big steps today to save the world This is the need of the hour ”

From heat waves devastating crop yields to torrential rains causing flooding that submerges entire communities, India is experiencing some of the most extreme impacts of the climate crisis While India comprises a little over 17% of the world’s population, it produces just about 7% of global emissions This might seem miniscule, but slight increases in temperature can throw our planet’s natural systems out of whack, contributing to extreme weather like heat waves, drought, and flooding In India (and all over the world), you can see the effects of rising temperatures everywhere you look as the climate crisis disrupts our daily lives – and critical sectors like our energy, agriculture, and transportation systems This summer, India sweltered through its hottest months on record

A heat wave lasting for weeks caused temperatures to soar above 110 degrees, with some areas hitting 115 degrees Researchers found that India saw a 55% increase in deaths due to extreme heat Heat waves killed many people across India and Pakistan Like many countries around the world, India is facing water security issues, and at the same time, widespread flooding The heavy rains has heavily impacted Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Gujarat, North Eastern states, West Bengal and South India The extreme rainfall events have

Thought for the week

Political Sketchbook

Alpesh Patel

The Atomic Age and the Ancient Wisdom: Lessons from Oppenheimer and the Bhagavad Gita

As we approach the anni vers ary of the fi rs t atomic explos ion on July 16 th, a mome ntous event tha t forever altered the c ourse of human history, we are als o greeted with the release of the movie O ppen hei mer Thi s convergence of pas t and present, of history an d culture, provides a uniq ue opportunity to reflect on the profound connec ti on s between the s cienti fic an d the s pi ritua l, the politi cal and the philosophical

increased threefold over the last 70 years, but have also had a decrease in total annual rainfall The Himalayas, a long-time protector against drought in India, are at risk, too A report predicted that by 2100, at least one-third of the glaciers in the region will be gone Glacial melting as a result of rising temperatures has also exacerbated both flooding and drought, especially in agricultural mountain communities that rely on seasonal snow melt Flooding impacts India’s urban areas, too In some city areas, rapid urbanization and a lack of sustainable infrastructure is thought to have contributed to the flooding

There’s still time to turn things around Regional cooperation is one way to fight climate change Saarc countries, especially Pakistan, should coordinate their action to fight climate change Global warming is caused mostly by the activities of people, primarily because of the burning of fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere Protecting earth’s remaining biodiversity and restoring at least one-third of what has been lost in the last 30 years is the most efficient and cost-effective step we can take to stabilise the climate emergency

In the US, the average temperature has increased by 1 3 to 1 9 degrees F since the 1970s Heat waves have also become more frequent and intense, especially in the West Cold waves have become less frequent and intense There have been regional floods and droughts The intensity, frequency and duration of North Atlantic hurricanes have all increased since the 1980s Winter storms and heavy downpours are also increasing The length of the frost-free season has also increased since the 1980s

Democratic deficits

Democracy is the notion that people should actively participate in managing their government, either directly or through elected officials The word "democracy" derives from the ancient Greek words demos meaning people, and kratos meaning strength The phrase democracy first arose in the ancient Greek political and intellectual fort in the city state of Athens throughout classical antiquity

B r i t a i n h a s e a r n e d a r e p u t a t i o n a s t h e " M o t h e r o f Democracy" for its tremendous contributions to the advancement and promotion of democratic ideals The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, marked a milestone in establishing the rule of law and curbing absolute monarchy The parliamentary system, with its long history, has served as a model for democratic governance The Glorious Revolution of 1688 strengthened the power of Parliament and established a constitutional monarchy Individual liberties were further safeguarded, and parliamentary a u t h o r i t y w a s c o n f i r m e d b y t h e E n g l i s h B i l l o f R i g h t s Additionally, colonisation by Britain , in a way, was crucial to the development of democratic institutions and ideas around the world Sad and painful exploitation has been of some consequence

According to Freedom House's 2022 report, there has been a decline in world freedom for 16 consecutive years Even countries viewed as standard-bearers of democracy are experiencing anti-democratic currents When there is a democracy deficit, it means that a system or institution is not functioning adequately or fully in accordance with democratic principles This deficit can occur at various levels, such as within a specific country, a regional organisation, or even globally It is possible for outcomes like a lack of representation, the repression of rights and liberties, the degradation of accountability, etc to occur Democracies are often involved in complex decision-making processes and have laws in place to enforce accountability

Although these systems are necessary, they may lead to delayed and ineffective decision-making, which makes it difficult to deal with important concerns in a timely manner Negative impacts such as financial fraud and corruption not only undermine the rule of law but also erode public trust in democratic institutions Cases like Nirav Modi's PNB fraud scam, the Vijay Mallya money laundering case, etc increase corruption; by entrenching strong networks and enabling them to operate freely, they further exacerbate the democratic deficit

Additionally, the issue of refugees coming from many regions of the world questions democracies' commitment to h u m a n i t a r i a n p r i n c i p l e s , h u m a n r i g h t s , a n d i n c l u s i v i t y Democracies must find a compromise between maintaining security and offering safety to people escaping repression, hostility, or economic suffering To address this difficult issue while respecting democratic norms, strong immigration policies and efficient integration procedures are crucial Extremist groups exploit democratic spaces, such as freedom of speech or assembly, to advance their agendas or provoke overreactions from governments that could erode civil liberties and democratic values The Khalistani movement has had implications for international relations, particularly between India and some foreign countries with sizable Sikh diaspora populations The movement’s activities have sometimes strained diplomatic relations and led to concerns about the movement's external support

Addressing a democracy deficit requires various measures, including enhancing political participation, bolstering transparency and accountability mechanisms, encouraging civic education, fostering a free and independent media, and ensuring the rule of law These efforts aim to restore and strengthen democratic principles and institutions, providing citizens with a voice and empowering them to shape their societies

J Robert Oppenheimer, the 'father of the atomic bomb', was a man of many facets A physicist by profession, he was also deeply interested in philosophy and spirituality, particularly the ancient Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita It was this text that he famously quoted upon witnessing the first successful atomic test, saying, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds "

As the chairman of City Hindus and the India League, I find this intersection of science, spirituality, and politics particularly fascinating The Bhagavad Gita, a 7 0 0 - v e r s e t e x t t h a t i s p a r t o f t h e I n d i a n e p i c Mahabharata, is a conversation between Prince Arjuna and the god Krishna, who serves as his charioteer It is a profound exploration of duty, righteousness, and the path to spiritual enlightenment

Oppenheimer found solace and guidance in the Gita during the tumultuous times of the Manhattan Project He navigated through the dangerous political environment of his time, balancing the immense power of the atomic bomb with the moral and ethical implications of its use The Gita's teachings on duty, action without attachment to results, and the impermanence of life resonated with him

As a young man working in the US Congress we lobbied the White House to prevent nuclear proliferation by AQ Khan of Pakistan

In today's volatile political landscape, there are lessons to be learned from Oppenheimer's journey and his engagement with the Gita Politicians today are often faced with complex dilemmas that require not only strategic thinking but also ethical discernment The Bhagavad Gita's teachings can provide valuable insights into how to navigate these challenges

Firstly, the Gita emphasizes the importance of duty or 'dharma' In the face of difficult decisions, politicians must remember their fundamental duty to serve the people and uphold justice This sense of duty can guide them through the most challenging political storms

Secondly, the Gita teaches 'Nishkama Karma', or action without attachment to results This does not mean indifference to outcomes but rather focusing on the right action and letting go of the anxiety over results This can be a powerful antidote to the short-termism that often plagues political decision-making

Lastly, the Gita's wisdom on the impermanence of life can help politicians maintain perspective in the face of success and failure, praise and criticism It can foster resilience and a steady mind, qualities that are essential in the turbulent world of politics

As we commemorate the anniversary of the atomic age and watch Oppenheimer's story unfold on the big screen, let us remember the profound wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita that guided him In the face of today s political challenges, may we too find guidance and inspiration in its timeless teachings

“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” ~ Will Rogers

Judge rules that doctor was driving too fast despite being under speed limit

A warning has been issu ed by a ju dge regard ing the risks associated w ith d riv ing at a speed that i s co n si d e re d exc es s i v e an d u n rea s on ab le T h i s ca u ti o n came after a hospital docto r collided with a 1 2-year-old girl on a p e d es tri an c ro s si ng , w ith th e ju dge determ ining that the doctor was d riv ing too fast d espite being within th e 30m ph sp eed limit

D u r i n g t h e p r o c e e d i n g s ,

D e p u t y H i g h C o u r t J u d g e

D e x t e r D i a s l e a r n e d t h a t D r Shanthi Chandran, a consultant physician, was driving her BMW i3 Range Extender at 28 mph in a 30-mph zone when the accident occurred on a dark and rainy M o n d a y m o r n i n g i n J a n u a r y 2018 on Buckingham Road in Oxfordshire

It was also revealed that the child, who sustained a serious h e a d i n j u r y , h a d e n t e r e d t h e

crossing while the traffic light

w a s g r e e n N e v e r t h e l e s s , t h e j u d g e c o n c l u d e d t h a t D r Chandran, who was en route to w o r k i n M i l t o n K e y n e s ,

B u c k i n g h a m s h i r e , h a d b e e n driving at an excessive, unsafe, a n d u n r e a s o n a b l e s p e e d , a n d h a d f a i l e d t o g i v e s u f f i c i e n t attention to hazards and other road users

Dr Chandran was sued by the girl's mother on behalf of her daughter for damages Judge Dias has summarized his findings in a ruling that was released o n W e d n e s d a y , f o l l o w i n g a t h o r o u g h e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h e e v i d e n c e p r e s e n t e d d u r i n g a

High Court hearing in London held in April

In the ruling, the judge highlighted that due to the child's "cognitive and psychiatric problems," her identity must not be disclosed in media reports

Second death in Wimbledon school crash

A no ther child has lost h er life following a d ev astating incid ent in southwest London, w here a L and Rover crashed th roug h a scho ol fence, resulting in a series o f inj uri es T h e M etro po li tan P olice has identified the second v ictim as eigh t-year-old Nuria S ajjad

At approximately 9:54 am, the car veered off the road and collided with a building at The S t u d y P r e p S c h o o l i n W i m b l e d o n T h i s i n c i d e n t caused multiple individuals to sustain injuries Later on the s a m e d a y , t h e h e a r t b r e a k i n g news of the passing of another eight-year-old girl, Selena Lau, was announced

In a statement, Nuria’s family said: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passi n g o f o u r b e l o v e d N u r i a o n Sunday 9 July 2023 Nuria was t h e l i g h t o f o u r l i v e s S h e e m b o d i e d j o y , k i n d n e s s a n d generosity and she was loved by all around her

Following the tragic crash, a significant response was mounted with 35 police vehicles and other emergency services personnel rushing to the scene A total of 16 individuals received initial treatment at the location, a n d 1 0 o f t h e m , i n c l u d i n g a s e v e n - m o n t h - o l d g i r l , w e r e

Royal Mail ordered to pay £2.3m on whistleblowing

dismissal

I n 20 1 9 , t he S u p r e m e C o ur t r uled tha t Ms Jhuti, a media specialist e mploy ed in the Mar ke t R each unit of Roya l Mail G roup, ha d been unfair ly dismisse d an d su bj ect e d to va r ious for ms of m is t r e a tm e n t a ft e r s he r a i se d concer ns r ega rdin g t he v iolat ion of Ofcom guidan ce and quest i o n a b le p r a c t i ce s r e la t e d t o e mploy ee bonuses

T h e m i s t r e a t m e n t s h e endured included instances of bullying, harassment, and intimidation from her manager, who imposed mandatory weekly oneto-one meetings and set targets e x c l u s i v e l y f o r M s J h u t i Additionally, she was asked to provide her key contacts from her previous job and was offered a three-month pay settlement i n i t i a l l y , f o l l o w e d b y a y e a r ' s salary, in an attempt to persuade her to leave Royal Mail

WATFORD LOAN SHARK AVOIDS JAIL TERM

S o u r c e M e t r o p o t a n P o i c e

transported to the hospital

A m o n g t h e i n j u r e d , a woman in her 40s remains in the hospital in a serious condition, while others were treated for injuries that were not lifethreatening It was clarified by the police that the injured adults were parents or caregivers and not staff members of the school

The driver of the vehicle, a 4 6 - y e a r - o l d w o m a n f r o m Wimbledon, was apprehended a t t h e s c e n e o n s u s p i c i o n o f c a u s i n g d e a t h b y d a n g e r o u s driving She was subsequently taken to the hospital, where her condition was determined to be n o n - l i f e t h r e a t e n i n g S h e h a s been released on bail until late July pending further investigations

D e t e c t i v e s f r o m t h e M e t r o p o l i t a n P o l i c e ' s s e r i o u s collision investigation unit are spearheading the inquiry, which is currently ongoing The incident is not being treated as terrorism-related

Furthermore, it was discovered that Royal Mail intentionally delayed providing a resolution t o M s J h u t i ' s g r i e v a n c e a n d appeal in a timely manner As a result of the mistreatment she experienced, she took sick leave and ultimately left the company in 2013

O r i g i n a l l y s c h e d u l e d f o r 2016, an employment tribunal hearing to determine compensation for the unfair dismissal was r e p e a t e d l y p o s t p o n e d d u e t o

multiple appeals that took place o v e r s e v e r a l y e a r s F i n a l l y , i n 2 0 1 9 , t h e S u p r e m e C o u r t reached a verdict that confirmed she had been automatically and unfairly dismissed Evidence indicated that her mental health had prevented her from being able to work since l o s i n g h e r j o b I n 2 0 2 2 , t h e e m p l o y m e n t t r i b u n a l f i n a l l y conducted a hearing to determ i n e c o m p e n s a t i o n I n N o v e m b e r , t h e j u d g e r e c o mm e n d e d t h a t R o y a l M a i l p a y £109,065 as compensation and £12,500 as aggravated damages However, the tribunal instructed the parties to agree on the final amount at a later stage N o w t h e t r i b u n a l h a s ordered Royal Mail to make a total payment of £2,365,614 13 This sum includes awards for detriments, past losses (includi n g p e n s i o n ) , f u t u r e l o s s e s ( i n c l u d i n g p e n s i o n ) , a b a s i c award, Acas uplift, and a taxrelated award after the solicitors from both parties were previously unable to reach a consensus

Child involved in vicious dog attack in east London

In an inciden t a t a par k in e ast Lon don, a youn g boy was swiftly t ran sp or te d t o t he hospita l afte r a ll e g e d ly be i n g a t t a ck e d by a d o g E m e r g e n c y se r v i ce s pr omptly ar rive d at the locat ion o n Ac k r oy d Dr iv e , w he r e t h e incide nt took place a t a pla yg r o u n d a r o u n d 3 :2 0 P M o n Sa turd ay (July 8)

The boy, who sustained multiple bite injuries, was taken to the hospital in the company of h i s d i s t r e s s e d m o t h e r F o r t u n a t e l y , h i s i n j u r i e s w e r e deemed to be non-life-threatening Following the attack, the police seized three dogs involved in the incident

D i s t u r b i n g v i d e o c a p t u r e d from a neighbouring high-rise apartment building reveals the horrifying ordeal, capturing the

victim's piercing screams as he d e s p e r a t e l y a t t e m p t s t o f r e e himself from the attacking dogs

In subsequent footage, law e n f o r c e m e n t o f f i c e r s a r e observed grappling with one of t h e l a r g e d o g s a s t h e y m a k e efforts to secure it inside a van T h e p l a y g r o u n d l o c a t e d a t Ackroyd Drive enforces a strict no-dogs policy to prioritize the safety and welfare of residents, particularly children

The owner of the dog deliberately ignored the prior warnings about the prohibition and allowed their pets to enter the playground in violation of the rules The owner themselves suffered a bite during the incident but reportedly declined medical treatment despite the potential risks associated with the injury

Labour party feuds on the Ulez scheme

T he Ulez scheme has gen erate d sign if icant d ivi si ons with in the L abour Party, lea din g to i ntern al ten si ons th at some percei ve a s bei ng on the bri nk of a civ il w ar T h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f t h e U l t r a L o w E m i s s i o n Z o n e

(ULEZ) in London has imposed a fee of £12 50 for older, more p o l l u t i n g v e h i c l e s t o d r i v e w i t h i n t h e d e s i g n a t e d z o n e This zone is set to expand and c o v e r a l l L o n d o n b o r o u g h s , a f f e c t i n g n o t o n l y v e h i c l e s within London but also those e n t e r i n g f r o m s u r r o u n d i n g c o u n t i e s s u c h a s K e n t a n d

have put Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer in a challengi n g p o s i t i o n , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n B o r i s J o h n s o n ' s f o r m e r c o ns t i t u e n c y o f U x b r i d g e a n d S o u t h R u i s l i p T h e U l e z scheme has been strongly supported by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, but Labour's candidate i n U x b r i d g e , D a n n y B e a l e s , o p e n l y o p p o s e s t h e s c h e m e after hearing distressing stories f r o m p o t e n t i a l c o n s t i t u e n t s a b o u t i t s i m p a c t S i r K e i r ' s stance on the matter has been somewhat ambiguous While he has previously emphasized the importance of cleaner air in

London, he has also expressed support for his Uxbridge candidate, acknowledging the need for him to represent the concerns of local voters Although this does not represent a scientific survey, a sign i f i c a n t m a j o r i t y o f c a l l e r s (approximately 80% or more) express anger and frustration r e g a r d i n g t h e U l e z s c h e m e , w h i c h i s s c h e d u l e d t o t a k e e f f e c t o n A u g u s t 2 9 M a n y argue that it is merely a moneym a k i n g s c h e m e , q u e s t i o n i n g the legitimacy of the mayor's mandate for its implementation

Despite his involvement in issuing over 650 loans amounting to a total value exceeding £175,000, a loan shark from Watford has managed to avoid a jail sentence On June 29, David Evans was given a suspended 12month prison sentence by St Albans Crown Court after pleading guilty to running an unlawful money lending business Between 2017 and 2021, the 74-year-old had been involved in an illegal money lending scheme Operating a legitimate loans business requires permission from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and adherence to proper conduct standards Despite previously working for an authorized credit business, Evans operated his illegal scheme personally informing customers about his activities "under the radar " Evans had a total of 175 borrowers registered with his illegal operation charging them a minimum interest rate of 20 percent No formal documentation was provided, and customers were instructed to repay loans directly into his personal bank account without mentioning the term "loan" on their payments Throughout the duration of the scheme, Evans issued a minimum of 655 loans totalling £175 653 20 in value He collected over 3 100 payments from borrowers

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY GROUP APPRENTICESHIP RECEIVES ROYAL APPROVAL FROM KING CHARLES

A prestigious royal approval has been bestowed upon Coventry University Group's apprenticeship program as it has been recognized as one of six green apprenticeships to receive the Coronation Emblem in celebration of the Coronation of King Charles III The Sustainability Business Specialist (SBS) apprenticeship offered at the Master's level (MSc), has been selected by industry experts for its outstanding sustainability credentials and its contribution to promoting a lower carbon economy Currently, this apprenticeship is only available at four institutions nationwide These green apprenticeships are considered the pinnacle of training for environmental skills, encouraging individuals to pursue careers in the green industry while meeting the skills demands of employers and fostering economic growth a key priority of the Prime Minister Delivered by the School of Energy, Construction, and Environment within the Faculty of Engineering, Environment, and Computing this unique apprenticeship differs from traditional degree programs as students are already employed in the sustainability sector The course aims to develop future sustainability managers and equip the workforce with the necessary skills to support the transition towards achieving net-zero emissions

Nuria Sajjad

Sir Keir Starmer

Goddess Lakshmi’s blessings for King Charles

“May G oddess Sri Lakshmi and God Sri Venkates wara b le ss You r M aj es t ie s a n d the royal fami ly wi th puri ty a n d u n i ty of t h ou g ht s , words an d deeds to s erve and uplift the people of the Un ited Ki ngdom an d the C omm on wea lth,” s ai d Dr S ri ha r i V al l a b h aj ou s ul a , H on o r ar y P r i e s t of t h e Hindu Temple of Scotlan d i n G las gow The ble ss in g w a s b e s t ow e d o n Hi s Highness at a readin g durin g the N ati on al Servic e of T h an k s gi vi n g a n d D e di c a ti o n a t St G i le s Cathedral in Edi nburgh T h e S c o t t i s h c e l e b r ation of King Charles III's C o r o n a t i o n t h i s w e e k r e f l e c t e d t h e i n c l u s i v e n a t u r e w i t n e s s e d a t W e s t m i n s t e r A b b e y i n L o n d o n T h e c e r e m o n y i n c o r p o r a t e d r e p r e s e n t atives from various faith and belief communities, includi n g a H i n d u p r i e s t , a M u s l i m I m a m , a J e w i s h R a b b i , a n d a B u d d h i s t monk, who offered blessings and greetings N o t a b l y , S c o t l a n d s F i r s t M i n i s t e r , H u m z a Yousaf, who is of British M u s l i m h e r i t a g e , p a r t i c ipated in the ceremony by delivering a biblical reading from the Old Testament The presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, also

‘Horrendous’ responses to anti-racism strategy

k n o w n a s t h e D u k e a n d D u c h e s s o f R o t h e s a y i n S c o t l a n d , a d d e d f u r t h e r significance to the event, w h i c h t o o k p l a c e i n Edinburgh

The coronation festivit i e s i n E d i n b u r g h s h o wc a s e d a r a n g e o f e v e n t s , i n c l u d i n g t h e P e o p l e ' s P r o c e s s i o n , t h e R o y a l Procession, a 21-gun salute, and a captivating flypast by the Red Arrows The iconic Royal Mile in the city cent e r a t t r a c t e d b o t h r o y a l e n t h u s i a s t s a n d a n t imonarchy protesters

During the traditional ceremony, significant symb o l s o f S c o t t i s h r o y a l t y , such as the ancient sceptre a n d c r o w n f r o m t h e Honours of Scotland, were presented to King Charles I I I , a l o n g w i t h t h e Elizabeth Sword The service blended centuries-old S c o t t i s h r o y a l t r a d i t i o n s w i t h c o n t e m p o r a r y e l ements, including specially composed music, a psalm sung in Gaelic, and pass a g e s f r o m t h e N e w Testament read in Scots

As part of the monarchy's annual traditions, the British sovereign traditionally spends a week at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in E d i n b u r g h , k n o w n a s Holyrood Week or Royal Week in Scotland

BBC in crisis following star presenter’s sleaze scandal

BBC executives are in a state of panic as allegatio ns surf ac ed th a t o n e o f th ei r prominent stars had paid a v ulnerable teenager £3 5, 000 i n ex ch a ng e f o r exp l i ci t images Th e seriousness of the situatio n led to crisi s talks, while concerns grew re g ar d i ng t h e p er ce i v ed i na d eq u ac y o f t h e BB C ' s investigatio ns into the m atter

Although the presenter's i d e n t i t y r e m a i n s u n d i sclosed, they are described as a w e l l - k n o w n f i g u r e A c c o r d i n g t o r e p o r t s , t h e a l l e g e d p a y m e n t s t o t h e teenager began when they were 17 years old and the funds provided by the star were reportedly used by the teenager to support a crack cocaine addiction

These disturbing claims emerged following a newspaper report that the youngster's family had lodged a complaint about the conduct of this widely recogn i z e d i n d i v i d u a l s e v e n weeks prior However, they e x p r e s s e d d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n w i t h t h e r e s p o n s e t h e y received from the BBC

Former Home Secretary P r i t i P a t e l c r i t i c i z e d t h e BBC's handling of the comp l a i n t , r e f e r r i n g t o i t a s d e r i s o r y T h i s d e v e l o pment adds further pressure t o B B C D i r e c t o r - G e n e r a l Tim Davie, who is scheduled to address the press d u r i n g t h e c o r p o r a t i o n ' s

T h e ca mp ai g n g ro u p , Inclusive Equal Rights UK ( IERUK ) h as called fo r ‘ cons t ru c ti v e di a lo g u e ’ a f ter receiving racist and threate ni n g r es p o n s e s t o i ts launch of a five-year antir ac i s m s t ra te gy f o r Y o rk Local media o utlets repo rted they had to ‘martial’ th eir co mment sectio ns, with o ne edito r saying the co mments in resp onse to th e story he p o s te d o n T w i tte r we re ‘ horrendous ’

The five-year strategy is a response to quantitative d a t a c o l l e c t e d b y researchers at IERUK alongside a qualitative study by a c a d e m i c s f r o m Y o r k S t J o h n U n i v e r s i t y C h a i r o f IERUK, Haddy Njie, put forward the motion for York to

be the North’s first antiracist city after experie n c i n g a ‘ l i f e - a l t e r i n g ’ racist attack in the city

A national tabloid ran articles in response to the strategy, with one headline declaring ‘outr a g e ’ a t t h e s t r a t e g y , ‘ f u n d e d b y L a b o u r council’ that concludes the city is ‘racist ’ H a d d y N j i e s a i d : “ W e a r e d i s a p p o i n t e d and dismayed about some of the abusive responses we have had to the publication of the report “

“We would like to make it very clear; we are not saying that all of the people of York are racist or that York is a racist city But our evid e n c e - b a s e d r e s e a r c h h a s

demonstrated that the city has some serious issues of casual and systemic racism

The IERUK report states Y o r k h a s a n a p p r o x i m a t e 14% BAME population (that is, non-white British) which includes White Irish, White Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller and White Other, but the

tabloid says the 2021 census puts the figure at just 7 2% I n a s t a t e m e n t I E R U K s a i d t h e i r figures were correct as the statistics in their research were divided into White British and White

It states: “White people are defined as people who are, f o r e x a m p l e , E a s t e r n E u r o p e a n , I r i s h , Traveller/Gypsy, and individuals who may have one white parent This category falls within the definition of a minority ethnic group and as part of the Black, Asian a n d o t h e r M i n o r i t y Ethnicity (BAME) ”

T h e m o t h e r o f t h e alleged victim, upon discovering the payments, pleaded w i t h B B C e x e c u t i v e s t o intervene and put an end to the star's financial support

According to The Sun, she expressed feeling sick whenever she saw the individual on television

The BBC has not confirmed whether any action has been taken or if they have confronted the present e r r e g a r d i n g t h e a l l e g ations As of now, the star has not been suspended but is not scheduled to appear on air Priti Patel, among others, emphasized the importance of a full and transparent investigation for the vict i m a n d t h e i r f a m i l y , expressing concerns about the BBC's accountability as a publicly funded organization S e n i o r f i g u r e s w i t h i n the BBC are keen to avoid a c c u s a t i o n s o f i n a c t i o n , reminiscent of the criticism leveled at ITV regarding the h a n d l i n g o f t h e P h i l l i p Schofield scandal The BBC a c k n o w l e d g e d t h a t s o m e stars were wrongly linked to the claims but stated that it would be dealt with internally According to BBC News e n t e r t a i n m e n t c o r r e s p o nd e n t L i z o M z i m b a , t h e unnamed presenter is curr e n t l y n o t s c h e d u l e d t o appear on air in the near future

Summer Fair at local temple raises thousands of pounds for charity

S h re e S wa mi n ar ay an Mandir K ingsbury held its first ever Summer Fair on S unday 9 Ju ly 2023 whi ch saw over seventeen hu ndred p eople fro m the T emp le and loc al community attend

Many councillors from t h e B o r o u g h s o f B r e n t , B a r n e t a n d H a r r o w a l s o attended to play their part in this magnificent charitable d r i v e a l o n g w i t h T h e W o r s h i p f u l t h e M a y o r o f

t u r a l e x c h a n g e , a n d s u p p o r t i n c r e d i b l e c a u s e s t h r o u g h f u n d r a i sing initiatives

The event featured a wide range of exciting games and activities suita b l e f o r a l l a g e groups from bouncy castles, bumper cars and trampolines to face painting and henna stalls

One Jain celebrates 10th Anniversary, hosts conference

On Su nday 2 Ju ly, lead ers of v ario us Jain o rganisatio ns of the UK gath ered to celebrate the 1 0th anniv ersary of One Jain at Vish a Oshwal's Ekta Centre in North Lo nd on

The main theme of this conference was to create awareness amongst the younger generation about Jainism, and its values

Recycling and Waste Reduction in South Asian Communities

Ketan Dattani

South Asian cultu res h av e st res s ed th e i m p o rt anc e o f extending their commitment to the ‘ larger whole’ and British S o u th A si an s h av e taken the initiative to promote recycling as an essential com ponent o f their cultural and religio us beliefs

B r e n t C o u n c i l l o r O r l e e n

Hylton and The Worshipful t h e M a y o r o f B a r n e t C o u n c i l l o r N a g u s

Narenthira

The Summer Fair was organised to bring the community together and make a positive impact on lives It created a wonderful opportunity to foster unity, cul-

T h e c r o w d a l s o h a d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o b e e n t e rtained by the world-famous S h r e e M u k t a j e e v a n

Swamibapa Pipe Band and Dance Academy whose perf o r m a n c e s l e f t a l l m e smerised; a truly colourful, m e l o d i o u s , a n d c u l t u r a l event topped off with an array of Indian street food

and beverages

At the heart of this lively and joyous event was the s o l e p u r p o s e o f r a i s i n g funds for incredible causes O v e r £ 1 5 , 0 0 0 w a s r a i s e d f r o m t h i s S u m m e r F a i r w h i c h w a s s p o n s o r e d b y over 30 local businesses All the funds raised will cont r i b u t e t o w a r d s t h e M a n d i r ’ s v i t a l c h a r i t a b l e causes for the London comm u n i t y i n c l u d i n g f o o d drives for the homeless and gift donations to local hosp i t a l s a n d h o s p i c e s T h e Mandir community’s devot i o n o f t i m e , e f f o r t a n d d o n a t i o n i s t h r o u g h t h e inspiration of their late spiri t u a l G u r u , V e d R a t n a A c h a r y a S w a m i s h r e e Maharaj and guided by their c u r r e n t L e a d e r , A c h a r y a Jitendriyapriyadasji Swamiji Maharaj

Vibrant celebration of Indian culture at India Day concludes with great success in Milton Keynes

I n d ia D a y M il t on Ke yn es, a v ibra nt ce leb r a t io n o f I n d ia n cult u r e , t r a d i t io n s, a n d a chie v eme n ts, concl ude d wit h gr eat success on 24, 2023 The ev ent, held a t C a mp b e l l P a r k in Milt on Ke ynes, b rought t og e t he r a n impr e ssi ve t o t a l fo o t fa l l o f ov e r 1 5 ,0 0 0 in d i v id u a l s t hr oughout t he day People g at her ed t ra vel ing fr om as far as Cambridge to Oxfor d

to the cultural tapestry, there was a guest parade performance by the African diaspora, further promoting multi-

various Indian classical and folk-dance forms, these vibrant a n d e n e r g e t i c d i splays left the spect a t o r s s p e l l b o u n d R e n o w n e d a r t i s t s a n d t a l e n t e d i n d iv i d u a l s s h o w c a s e d their skills, spreadi n g j o y a n d embodying the spirit of India's cultural excellence

The culinary delights of

R u m i t S h a h , P r e s i d e n t o f O s h w a l Association of the UK and the host of the event, inaugurated the conference emphasising the importance of 'One Jain' by saying, “It is a networking platform through which the identity and the contribution of the Jain community can be promoted to a wider audience ”

D r M e h o o l S a n g h r a j k a , D i r e c t o r o f Institute of Jainology said, "Together we can inculcate the pride of being a Jain to the youngsters of our community and develop the ability to overcome the challenge of their identity " Considering the Jain population in the UK, there is a limited representation Realising the importance of all this, we are committed to finding solutions within and outside the community which is imperative

Enumerating the achievements in the last decade by the establishment of 'One Jain', he added, “Unity prospered, and the unification strengthened the voice of our community As a result, the Jain representation attained recognition on national level which is a significant achievement ”

Rajesh Jain of Jain Vishva Bharti said, “

Punya Pragyaji’s contribution to the community during their two decades in London was r e f

Our places of worship strive to maintain a clean and pure, or sattvic, atmosphere, to ensure prayers are accepted This has been the Vedic tradition for thousands of years, and yet today, at this time o f g l o b a l e c o l o g i c a l c r i s i s , t h e n a t u r a l world is suffering in ways we have never experienced before

We all have a part to play in the recovery of the natural world, but more often t h a n n o t , i t f e e l s l i k e a n i n c r e a s i n g l y impossible task

Reducing what you waste and reusing items as much as possible is a great way to reduce our impact on the environment

From thinking differently about what you buy to refilling water bottles or using bags for life, to composting at home - there are lots of ways to make a real difference

So, how can we start to promote recycling and waste reduction? Here are five ways we can start joining in to save our planet:

a nd Birmin gha m to Lon don t o part ake in the fe stivities

T h i s y e a r m a r k e d t h e third edition of India Day, o r g a n i s e d b y I D : M K T h e event has grown in popularity and scale with each passing year, establishing itself as a prominent cultural celebration in Milton Keynes

India Day showcased the rich diversity of Indian culture through the participat i o n o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y 4 5 0 p a r a d e p a r t i c i p a n t s T h e parade featured 80 children a b o v e t h e a g e o f 1 0 , 2 3 5 women, and 135 men representing 17 different states and communities of India Adding

culturalism and inclusivity

T h e e v e n t p r o v i d e d a platform for small businesses, with 18 catering stalls, including 2 in the bustling Bazaar area, and the promotion of 14 stalls run by local e n t r e p r e n e u r s A t t e n d e e s h a d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o e x p l o r e t r a d i t i o n a l I n d i a n a r t s , h a n d i c r a f t s , t e x t i l e s , a n d j e w e l l e r y , i m m e r s i n g themselves in the intricate beauty of Indian artistry India Day hosted more t h a n 1 5 p r o f e s s i o n a l s t a g e performers and groups who m e s m e r i s e d t h e a u d i e n c e with captivating dance perf o r m a n c e s R e p r e s e n t i n g

I n d i a w e r e a n o t h e r m a j o r attraction at India Day, with a wide range of authentic Indian dishes available at the f o o d s t a l l s T h e a r o m a t i c spices, vibrant colours, and exquisite flavours delighted attendees, offering a gastronomic journey through the diverse regions of India

India Day showcased the strong bond between India and Milton Keynes, fostering u n i t y , a p p r e c i a t i o n , a n d respect for cultural diversity

The event left an indelible m a r k o n t h e h e a r t s a n d m i n d s o f a l l t h o s e w h o attended, truly representing the best of Indian culture

e

d u

i n g t h e i r farewell ceremony Emphasising the importance of unity, Samaniji said that when we all work together, the possibility of achieving success increases ”

Sandip Shah of Oshwal Association, said that through advanced technology and English language if religious education is given to the young generation of the Jain community, it can reach wider audience

Prof Ajay Shah from Jain Network invited everyone to attend the Pratishtha Mohotsav from 23rd to 27th August of the newly build Jain Centre in Colindale Late Dr Natubhai Shah's vision, guided to bring together all sects of Jains was recalled during the event Aditya Sanghvi of SRMD said that adding subjects like sports, service, holistic wellbeing, and philosophy will attract the young generation of the Jain community He also shared the details of the Youth Festival which will be held in London by their organisation at the end of July He also mentioned about the Shrimad Rajchandra Jain Maitridham Animal Hospital project inspired by Jain values, which has developed concrete work plan to build animal health facilities

Amit Lathia, Director of IOJ made a significant suggestion, to compile important inform a t i o n o n J a i n i s m a n d c r e a t e ' O n e J a i n Resources Hub'

Apart from this, Jaysukh Mehta, Dr Vinod Kapasi, Niranjan Sutaria and many others, reflected on the importance of One Jain in their speeches

1 Educating people about the importance of waste reduction and recycling: It is crucial to raise awareness of the advantages of recycling and rubbish reduction To achieve this, efforts will be needed to inform the public about the effects of waste on the environment This can be as simple as teaching our younger generations to save energy or providing advice on social media channels

2 Encouraging reusable items: Promoting the use of reusable items such as cloth bags, water bottles, and containers can help to reduce waste

3 I m p l e m e n t R e c y c l i n g p r o g r a m s : Governments and businesses can implement recycling programs that make it easy for people to recycle This can be done by providing designated recycling bins for different materials and organising collection services

4 Reduce Food waste: Food waste is a significant contributor to waste, and reducing it can help to promote waste reduction This can be done by buying only w h a t i s n e e d e d , p l a n n i n g m e a l s i n advance and composting food waste

5 Supporting Eco-friendly Products: Ecofriendly products are made from sustainable materials and are designed to minimise waste Supporting the use of s u c h p r o d u c t s c a n h e l p t o p r o m o t e waste reduction and recycling

In order to address global environmental challenges, the UK can learn from the South Asian traditions' proactive approach t o s u s t a i n a b i l i t y O u r c o m m i t m e n t t o recycling and environmental protection is e v i d e n c e t h a t c u l t u r a l v a l u e s h a v e a n impact on a greener future

UK diaspora engages in sewa for community

S e v e r a l d i a sp o r a g r o u p s a n d o r g a n i s a t i o n s a c r o ss th e UK ar range eve nt s a nd i ni t i a ti v e s to p r ov i d e t he communi ty with opp ortuni tie s to enga ge i n se wa, i n i t i a t i n g t h e y o u ng e r member s to engage i n the pr actice

One such organisation, Sewa Uk is known for its tireless efforts to help the community and society in India and in the UK and promote selfless thought

Following the success of

Adventure4Sewa Yorkshire

3 Peaks, where over 800

p a r t i c i p a n t s r a i s e d o v e r £10,000, Sewa UK’s drive to bring more events continues in the next few months

O n e s u c h e v e n t i s Cycle4Sewa which brings together people of all ages f r o m a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y where the money raised by cycling goes towards Sewa U K p r o j e c t s , p r o m o t i n g c a t e r i n g f o r p e o p l e w i t h

disabilities in India

A n o t h e r i n i t i a t i v e ,

Youth4Sewa is a collaboration between Sewa UK and N a t i o n a l H i n d u S t u d e n t s F o r u m ( N H S F ) T h i s unpaid summer internship connects individuals from diverse backgrounds with NGOs in India and the UK, i n s p i r i n g i n d i v i d u a l s t o work for the wellbeing of humanity S u s t a i n a b l e S e w a a n d Medics4Sewa are other initiatives that will be organi s e d i n t h e u p c o m i n g months

The Worshipful the Mayor of Barnet Councillor Nagus Narenthira (right) at the temple

Performers at the Summer Fair

Government reaffirms support for widows campaign

In a specia l H ouse of Lords deb ate a bout In te rna tiona l Wid ows D ay t abl ed by Lord Loomb a on July 6, t he G ove rnment expre ssed its cont in ue d support for the campaign to e r a di ca t e d is cr im i n a t io n a g a i n st w i do ws t h r ou gh w or l d - l e a d in g r e s e a r ch a n d sh a r in g t h e UK ’ s e xpertise and technical k nowl edge g lobal ly a s part of its in terna tion al women and girls str ategy

The question tabled by Lord L o o m b a a s k e d w h a t t h e Government has done in response t o t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s ’ International Widows Day and to empower widows to achieve economic independence in the face of c o n t i n u i n g d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a n d prejudice N o t i n g t h a t I n t e r n a t i o n a l W i d o w s D a y w a s “ b o r n i n t h i s building” when it was launched by the Loomba Foundation in 2005, and adopted officially by the United Nations in 2010, Lord Loomba gave a deeply personal account of how the experience of seeing his mother widowed when he was only ten had driven his commitment to eradicating discrimination against widows all over the world “ O v e r t h e l a s t 1 4 y e a r s , U N m e m b e r s t a t e s h a v e w o r k e d t o tackle the issue,” said Lord Loomba, “but the problem still affects more than 1 billion people, with more than 100 million widows and their dependants living below the poverty line

Labour peer Lord Parekh highlighted that in India, widows’ dis-

crimination is a cultural problem that requires revolutionary change “To be a widow means to be not

j u s t d e p e r s o n a l i s e d , ” h e said, “but depersoned ” Lord Hussain (Liberal D e m o c r a t ) o u t l i n e d t h e impact on widows of laws, customs, conflict and disease in African countries; the Bishop of Exeter, The R i g h t R e v d R o b e r t

A t w e l l , a n d L a b o u r p e e r L o r d Davies of Brixton both drew attention to the disadvantages faced by many widows in the UK when it comes to pensions; and the Earl of Sandwich pointed to the plight of the widows of migrants and widows who themselves become refugees or m i g r a n t s B a r o n e s s H u s s e i n - E c e (Liberal Democrat) drew attention to the continuing emergency faced by widows, and by all women and girls, in Afghanistan Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour) emphasised the importance of basing policy on evidence

In his address, Lord Loomba p o s e d t h r e e q u e s t i o n s f o r t h e Minister: “First, will he support a focused study of changes in legislation and attitudes in UN member countries over the last two decades to inform effective policy development? Secondly, will he support an international campaign of education and awareness based on the evidence? Finally, will he consider s c h e d u l i n g a d e b a t e o n I n t e r n a t i o n a l W i d o w s D a y n e x t

Sonam Kapoor to be the only Bollywood celebrity to attend Wimbledon 2023 finals in London

y e a r f r o m t h e Dispatch Box?”

R e s p o n d i n g f o r the Government, the Rt Hon Lord Mott, G o v e r n m e n t W h i p and Lord-in-Waiting, u n d e r l i n e d t h e G o v e r n m e n t ’ s s u pport for the cause and in answer to the first two questions stated t h a t “ t h r o u g h t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l w o m e n a n d g i r l s strategy, we are committed to using world-leading research to deliver quality programmes and policies for women and girls and to share the UK’s expertise and technical k n o w l e d g e g l o b a l l y ”

A c k n o w l e d g i n g t h a t t h e Government does not have a dedicated research platform on issues facing widows, Lord Mott was keen to emphasise that “ we support the efforts of other researchers in this space, to help both our efforts and those of other development partners to leave no one behind ”

In response to Lord Loomba’s entreaty for a Government-sponsored debate next year, he confirmed that “it is customary for the Government to schedule a debate on this subject,” and added that “I certainly hope this will be possible next year, if parliamentary time allows

“He has my personal support,” said Lord Mott, “and I will make sure that the Chief Whip is aware of this representation ”

Authentic South Indian restaurant included in The Good Food Guide

S ud ha r s an Mu ru ga v el , th e c oowner of the D osa Kitchen has b een a chef for the last 2 5 years H aving a career spanning 25 years, he has worked with various prestigious hotels and has mastered the art of various cuis ines

When it came to taking the n e x t s t e p i n h i s c a r e e r , M r Murugavel decided to elevate the authentic taste of South Indian cuisine with his restaurant, Dosa Kitchen “My wish and my aim was always to start a restaurant or a startup on my own So when I was finally working on something of my own, I wanted to start with

Newcastle

The initial popup was the idea of Mr Murugavel and his business partn e r M r M a t h e n

Ganesan The partners didn’t want to risk it and the popup gave them the c o n f i d e n c e t h e y needed to expand the Dosa Kitchen “ W e s t a r t e d o u t with a pop-up as going for a restaurant might have been a huge risk”, e x p l a i n s M r

Murugavel

Elaborating on the food scene in the city, he added“ B e i n g t h e f i r s t a u t h e n t i c S o u t h

Bollyw oo d ac to r So nam

Kap oor will be attend ing the Wimbledon finals at the All Eng land Club in London, making her the sole rep resentativ e from In d i a K n o w n f or h er fashion cho ices, fans are eag erl y aw ai ti ng to s ee h er o u tf i t f or th e Wim bled on 2023 o uting Sonam resid es in L ond on with h er h us band A nand A h uja and their son Vayu Kap oor A huja

choices and co-ordination of outfits Wife very happy about that! Glorious day and amazing line-up in Centre court today ”

I n a s p e c i a l c e r e m o n y o n Centre Court, former Wimbledon C h a m p i o n R o g e r F e d e r e r , w h o retired in September, was honored for his remarkable achievement of winning eight grand slam titles in SW19

A l t h o u g h i n v i t e d , S e r e n a Williams, who has won seven of her 23 major singles trophies at Wimbledon, will not be attending due to her pregnancy and desire to avoid travel

M a l a l a Y o u s a f z a i , the Pakistani education activist and Nobel Peace

P r i z e l a u r e a t e , a l o n g with her husband Asser Malik, expressed their e n j o y m e n t o f t h e Wimbledon experience on Twitter S a n j a y B h a n d a r i , Chairperson of Kick It

O u t , a t t e n d e d

W i m b l e d o n w i t h h i s wife and shared their e n c o u n t e r w i t h t h e W i m b l e d o n C h a n n e l F a s h i o n team, who interviewed them about their outfit coordination as they entered the Royal Box He tweeted: “We got stopped and interv i e w e d b y W i m b l e d o n C h a n n e l Fashion team on way into Royal Box today asking us about our

Recently, Shakira was seen at the British Grand Prix, leading to speculation among her fan base about a possible connection with B r i t i s h F o r m u l a 1 d r i v e r L e w i s H a m i l t o n W h i l e t h e r u m o u r s remain unconfirmed, both Shakira and Hamilton have been spotted t o g e t h e r o n m u l t i p l e o c c a s i o n s , i n c l u d i n g G r a n d P r i x e v e n t s , restaurants, and boat rides

Maternity unit receives donation from Lord Paul on 75th anniversary of NHS

different things in these markets If people like the food, it becomes much easier to persuade them to try out the restaurant ”

the food I grew up with We started dosa kitchen to bring authentic southern Indian food to our customers”, said Mr Murugavel

Dosa Kitchen started out as a pop-up in 2015 and has now made it to The Good Food Guide Out of around 37,000 restaurants nominated all around the UK, only 100 restaurants were included in the g u i d e B e i n g o n e o f t h o s e 1 0 0 restaurants in the whole country is a great achievement for this S o u t h I n d i a n r e s t a u r a n t i n

I n d i a n r e s t a u r a n t , we were not sure of the response There are lots of Indian r e s t a u r a n t s i n N e w c a s t l e , b u t none of them did South Indian food and most of the locals are m o r e u s e d t o c h i c k e n t i k k a masala, tandoori naan and stuff like that ”

Dosa Kitchen is a regular at farmer’s markets and food festivals, successfully converting the wandering public into regular customers In Mr Murugavel’s opinion, “When people see dosas being served at these events, they do come to try as it is not very expensive They are more open to trying

Following the inclusion in The Good Food Guide, Mr Murugavel wants to continue growing his v e n t u r e a t a s t e a d y p a c e D i s c u s s i n g t h e f u t u r e o f t h e restaurant, he says, “We upgraded from a pop-up to a permanent space in 2017 and have been doing quite well since then Of course, C o v i d - 1 9 a f f e c t e d o u r b u s i n e s s like it affected the rest of the world but we were able to bounce back from that quickly Following the massive exposure from The Good Food Guide, we definitely want to expand to other cities like Edinburgh or York ”

“ I w a n t t o t h a n k t h e c u stomers who have been supporting our journey from the get go It is with their support that pushing our standards and making it to the Michelin Guide is another milestone I’m eager to achieve”, he adds

entrance

The maternity unit serves one of the most diverse communities in the UK and delivers more than 4,000 babies a year It is one of the first units in the country to offer a 24/7 translation service for pregnant women whose first language isn’t English

Lord Paul said, “The maternity unit donation is made in honour of my dear late wife, Lady Aruna, who gave me my four darling children There are few things as important as helping bring a new life into the world

“That is why I wanted to support the midwives and staff who do such wonderful work here at Northwick Park”

P i p p a N i g h t i n g a l e , C h i e f Executive of LNWH, added, “We are grateful to Lord Paul for his generous donation I started my career as a midwife so know how important it is to make women feel safe and comfortable in a maternity service

“It is a place where they are putting their trust in the NHS to safely care for them during pregnancy and birth ”

Lord Raj Loomba CBE

Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja

Malala and her husband Asser Malik

Sanjay Bhandari with his wife

Barry Gardiner MP Lord Swraj Paul and Pippa Nightingale during handing over of the donation

Autism Acceptance event hosted at the Nehru Centre to raise awareness

The Autism Acc eptance event held a t Nehru Centre i n the U K in 2 023 was a unique initi ative orga nise d by the Intern ational Autis ti c & Complex N eeds (IA &C) , the I'm pos sib le fami ly, a nd the mem bers of "A mrut"

Patel Dughalaya

The event aimed to raise awareness, encourage acceptance, education and struggles about autism and caring for individuals with different abilities

Gita Chaudhary, the founder of IA&C & I'm possible family, led the event as a community leader, freelance autism consultant, and public speaker

It began with a welcome speech by Yuvrajsinh Jadeja, a host and neuroscience student, followed by a beautiful, divine prayer in Sanskrit performed by Swathi

Lakshmeesha and Lakshmi Rao Various individuals showcased their talents during the multiskilled programme Vidwan

Pramod Rudrapatna Prasanna Kumar, the grandson of a renowned Veena Naestro Athana

Vidwan in Mysor Palace, performed a mesmerising therapeutic Veenavadan (Veena performance) He was accompanied by Aniruddh on the tabla, who has been playing the instrument for 10 years and performing around the UK Swathi accompanied her husband, Pramod, on Talam

Pritesh, a talented singer with a passion for music and technology gadgets, sang the bhajan ‘Raghupati Raghav’ confidently Vallabh, a 13-yearold drummer, performed ‘The Beatles - Come Together’ with great enthusiasm Vallabh enjoys playing musical instru-

Creating strong supporting homes for autistic children

Parents across th e U K are c o ll abo r ati n g w i th l o ca l councils to establish innov ative su pported-living hom es f o r t h ei r se v er ely a u ti st ic children

T h i s p a r t n e r s h i p h a s emerged as a result of the increasing difficulty parents face in finding appropriate, secure, and safe residential a c c o m m o d a t i o n s f o r t h e i r young adult children with a u t i s m M e a n w h i l e , c a s hstrapped councils struggle with the high costs associate d w i t h b r e a k d o w n s i n existing placements

ments, reading books about animals, history, and geography Followed by Vijaiji speech about his talented son

After the performances, the speakers were introduced by Ankita Chaudhary, the assistive coordinator of the event Dr Steven Stagg, a senior lecturer and clinical psychologist, gave a speech titled "What is Autism Spectrum Disorder and Why Does it Matter? He discussed the critical features of autism and shared research conducted with the British Indian community, effectively conveying complex messages with simplicity

Fawzia Govender, the Head Teacher of an Autism Special School, delivered a honest speech on "The dilemma of bringing up an Autistic child," highlighting the challenges faced by families from identification to acceptance and diagnosis Ms Govender drew from her 30 years of experience working with special needs parents, making her story relatable to all parents of neurodiverse children or adults

Gita recognised the strengths of the event and announced plans for a Part-2 event in the future to meet the audience's desire for more knowledge about autism A video was

presented featuring Ishwar Sharma, a 13-year-old internationally recognised yoga prodigy and speaker who has won multiple awards, for Yoga, worldwide Dr Saraswati Hosdurga introduced the Asian Autism movie called "Varnapatala" (The Spectrum), and S Nair introduced Ira Gurukul, which provides a therapeutic environment and learning opportunities for autistic, and complex needs young people in heart of India

The event concluded with the distribution of certificates to the participants by Mahant Mahamantradasji, Dr Stagg, and Ms Govender Ms Chaudhari delivered the vote of thanks expressing gratitude to the Nehru Centre team members, the Indian High Commissioner, and everyone involved for their valuable participation Special appreciation was given to Ramila Chaudhary and Narsih Chaudhary for their contribution in managing the technical aspects of the performances Radhikaba and Jagdish Chaudhary captured the beautiful memories of the event through their cameras, ensuring that the rest of the world could watch and gain knowledge to spread awareness about different abilities

The success of Linden

F a r m , a j o i n t p r o j e c t between the Simon Trust and Surrey County Council, has served as a model for this approach The Simon Trust was created by Sally and Peter Lawrence, parents

of Simon, who encountered challenges when their local authority failed to provide suitable housing options for their 25-year-old son after he left the residential school where he had resided since the age of eight

To ensure that Simon could continue living in his local area, which was essential due to the complexity of h i s n e e d s , t h e L a w r e n c e s successfully convinced their council to purchase a 2 4hectare (6-acre) site nearby

They established a charity and raised £250,000 to fund the project Working hand in hand with the council, they collaborated to develop Linden Farm, a residential facility with ten beds

L i n d e n F a r m p r o v i d e s not only housing but also tailored activities and spe-

c i a l i z e d c a r e f o r s e v e r e l y autistic adults This collabor a t i v e e f f o r t b e t w e e n t h e Lawrences, the council, and the charity has resulted in the creation of a unique and supportive environment for i n d i v i d u a l s w i t h s e v e r e autism

T h e c o l l a b o r a t i o n between parents and counc i l s a i m s t o a d d r e s s t h e housing needs of individuals w i t h s e v e r e a u t i s m w h o require additional support By working together, they can create specialized living environments that meet the u n i q u e r e q u i r e m e n t s o f individuals on the autism spectrum This pioneering i n i t i a t i v e o f f e r s h o p e f o r families facing difficulties in securing appropriate housing options for their adult children with autism

RSV vaccine approved for older adults in the UK

The UK's medic ines regulator has granted approval for the first vac cine designed to protect older adults against r espi ratory s ync yti al vi rus ( RSV)

T h e M e d i c i n e s a n d H e a l t h c a r e p r o d u c t s Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted authorization for the use of the Arexvy vaccine in adults aged 60 a n d o l d e r , m a k i n g i t t h e first RSV vaccine approved for older adults in the UK

W h i l e R S V c o m m o n l y causes cold-like symptoms, it is a significant cause of pneumonia in infants and t h e e l d e r l y I n f a c t , R S V infections in older adults account for approximately 8,000 deaths, 14,000 hospitalizations, and 175,000 GP

appointments each year in t h e U K , s u r p a s s i n g t h e impact of influenza during a typical winter season

Individuals with underl y i n g m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n s s u c h a s d i a b e t e s , c h r o n i c heart or lung disease, are at the greatest risk of severe illness from RSV Currently, there are no specific treatments for RSV, but individuals with severe infections may receive supportive care i n c l u d i n g s u p p l e m e n t a l oxygen, intravenous fluids, or mechanical ventilation until they recover

T h e a p p r o v a l o f t h e R S V v a c c i n e f o r o l d e r adults is a significant step t o w a r d s p r e v e n t i n g t h e s e r i o u s h e a l t h c o n s eq u e n c e s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h

RSV infections, particularly among vulnerable populations

A r e x v y , p r o d u c e d b y G l a x o S m i t h K l i n e , h a s a l r e a d y r e c e i v e d a p p r o v a l for use in the United States a n d E u r o p e A d d i t i o n a l R S V v a c c i n e s f o r a d u l t s from Moderna and Pfizer are expected to be reviewed in the coming months

T h e J o i n t C o m m i t t e e o n V a c c i n a t i o n a n d I m m u n i s a t i o n ( J C V I ) , which provides advice on i m m u n i z a t i o n m a t t e r s t o UK governments, recently advised the Department of Health and Social Care to d e v e l o p a c o s t - e f f e c t i v e R S V i m m u n i z a t i o n p r ogram for infants and older adults

Racism is a stain on NHS, says psychiatry chief

Dr Ad rian James, the outgoing p resident of the Ro yal C o l le g e o f P s yc h i atr is ts ( RC P ) , em p h a s is es th a t ad d re ss i ng ra ci s m in t h e w o rk p la ce is c ru c i al f o r recruiting and retaining psychiatrists and oth er healthcare professio nals

H e f i r m l y s t a t e s t h a t there is no place for racism in today's society and that it is a stain on the National H e a l t h S e r v i c e ( N H S )

R a c i s m n o t o n l y h a r m s mental health but also exacerbates existing mental illnesses, impacting the lives of patients and colleagues

T h e N H S R a c e a n d Health Observatory, established in 2021 to address disparities in healthcare based on race, has highlighted that improved anti-racism policies can strengthen the NHS w o r k f o r c e T h e R C P s u pports this view, stating that

i m p l e m e n t i n g b e t t e r c a r e , t r a i n i n g , a n d a n t i - r a c i s t

p o l i c i e s w i l l n o t o n l y enhance the patient experience but also save significant funds currently spent on addressing racism-related claims from staff, clinicians, and patients

To tackle racism in the w o r k p l a c e , t h e R C P h a s launched a campaign urging m e n t a l h e a l t h e m p l o y e r s throughout the UK to make

c h a n g e s i n l e a d e r s h i p , accountability, and access to opportunities They provide guidance for employers on recognizing and responding to instances of racial and e t h n i c d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a n d offer resources to support affected staff These initiatives aim to create a more i n c l u s i v e a n d s u p p o r t i v e w o r k e n v i r o n m e n t w i t h i n the mental health sector

T h e N H S R a c e a n d Health Observatory, established in 2021 with the aim of studying racial disparities in health and social care, has highlighted the potential for improved anti-racism policies to strengthen the NHS workforce The observatory recognizes that addressing r a c i a l i n e q u a l i t i e s a n d implementing effective antiracist measures can have a p o s i t i v e i m p a c t o n t h e healthcare system

Dr Adrian James

MP for Reading West and former COP26 President Alok Sharma was knighted by His Majesty King Charles III at Windsor Castle on 11 July. His family was in attendance at the ceremony.

Because these stories are always in danger of disappearing

Shefali

Saxena

A P ebble in the Throat con-

trasts Aasmah’ s experi ence g row ing up in Glasg ow w ith that of her m oth er growing u p in P akistan and cam e to Glasg ow as a you ng bride

Hou sing themes of fam ily, i d e nt it y, rac i sm , m a rri a g e and m ore, th is is a v iv id , p oignant and m oving memo ir “ For m y m um and dad, w ho gave us everyth ing And for my d aug hter R, who is m y ev eryt h in g , ” th e bo o k kickstarts with this ode to

her loved ones Asian Voice spoke to A asm ah M ir about th e book

What inspired the title of the book?

A story my mother used to tell me when I was a child, about a bird that couldn’t s i n g T h e n a n e a g l e befriended it checked inside his mouth and pecked out a tiny belle in his throat From that day on he was free to sing like his siblings It has always stayed with me, that idea of freedom, of s t o p p i n g c i r c u ms t a n c e s o r p e o p l e holding you back

What kind of mind space and clarity do you need to write a book that showcases cultures while telling moving stories with historic details?

I t ’ s a t w o - l a y e r t h i n g Y o u w r i t e down the bald factswhen, who, where etc

-

t h e n y o u a d d i n what you remembert h e e m o t i o n , t h e s m e l l , t h e f a b r i c o f your school blazer or the feel of your favourite blanket, the food that sweetened your mouth after yet another sour encounter You have

to revisit passages and chapters many many times to add in stuff, to make it flow, to make it emotive but not self-pitying It’s such a long process - I felt like i was going round and round in circles I would probably still be writing it now if i hadn’t had a deadline

Why do you think telling immigrant stories is so relevant in contemporary scenario?

Because these stories are always in danger of disappearing, that immigrant stories from the 1970s and 80s still have resonance todayf o r t h e p e o p l e w h o l i v e d them and for their children Many people who are not immigrants said that they n e v e r k n e w t h e s e t h i n g s happened - and why would they really? I think if you can paint a picture while imparting information that’s a use-

New study to investigate breast cancer in ethnic minority groups

A new res earc h p roject, fu nded by C anc er Research UK , aims to s hed ligh t on th e variation in breast cancer in diff er e nt e t h ni c m in o r it y grou ps

Dr Toral Gathani, an academic and consultant cancer surgeon at the University of Oxford, will investigate why women from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to get breast cancer, but why it is more likely to be a more aggressive form of the disease when they do

Former reporter

ful thing to do What amount of diligence and abstraction does it take to tell a personal story, while making sure that one doesn’t hurt the sentiments of the people involved in it? The book has to stand the test of time, it is something that will always exist for the next generation of my family I left some stuff out that couldn’t go on the page - not everything canand my mother read every chapter twice for fairness and accuracy No one has complained - yet Ilove the opening dedication of the book where you call your dad and mom your everything This is a sentiment many South Asian daughters often share publicly and its heartwarming. Please elaborate a bit on this I actually said that ‘ my m u m a n d d a d ’ g a v e m e everything They worked all hours, and poured all their money into us - our education, everything They gave us love They gave us everything they thought we needed - they did their best They c o u l d n ’ t h a v e e m p a t h i s e d with what we were going through but they gave us so much love

sues CNN for unfair dismissal

F o rm e r C N N re p o rte r S a im a Mo hsin is suing th e ne w s ch a nne l f o r unfair d ismissal and rac ial d iscrim inatio n af te r s uf f eri n g a severe injury w hile o n assig nm ent in Israel

M o h s i n, a Br it is hPakistani journalist, was left disabled following an accident in 201 4 wh en her cameraman ran over her foot, c au s i ng s i g ni f ic a nt t is s u e damage Sh e has been struggling with mo bility and is u nable to return to w o rk full-time

A c c o r d i n g t o M o h s i n , s h e r e q u e s t e d a l t e r n a t i v e d u t i e s a n d r e h a b i l i t a t i o n support from CNN after the incident, but the network refused She also claims that she asked to transition to a p r e s e n t i n g r o l e t o r e d u c e travel time, but was allegedly told that she didn't have t h e d e s i r e d a p p e a r a n c e

Three years later, CNN terminated her contract

Mohsin decided to file a n e m p l o y m e n t t r i b u n a l claim due to what she perceives as a lack of support f r o m C N N f o l l o w i n g t h e l i f e - c h a n g i n g i n j u r y S h e e x p r e s s e d h e r d i s a p p o i n t -

ment, stating that she risked her life on multiple assignments for CNN, expecting the network to provide support

In addition to unfair dism i s s a l , M o h s i n ' s c l a i m includes allegations of race a n d d i s a b i l i t y d i s c r i m i n ation She also raises concerns about the gender pay gap at CNN Mohsin contends that she was denied high-profile on-air opportunities, with white American c o r r e s p o n d e n t s b e i n g f a v o u r e d o v e r h e r e v e n w h e n s h e w a s r e a d y t o report live from the scene CNN has chosen not to c o m m e n t o n t h e s p e c i f i c allegations The broadcaster is opposing the claim on terr i t o r i a l g r o u n d s , a r g u i n g that the terms of Mohsin's contract prohibit her from bringing the case in London T h e e m p l o y m e n t t r i b u n a l hearing is scheduled to take place in London on Monday

Analysis of national data h a s s h o w n w o m e n f r o m Black Caribbean and BlackA f r i c a n b a c k g r o u n d s a r e severely affected

Additionally, this analysis which studied women aged 3 0 - 7 0 i n E n g l a n d u s i n g national data, has shown that t h o s e f r o m c e r t a i n e t h n i c m i n o r i t y b a c k g r o u n d s h a d significantly greater odds of less favourable tumour chara c t e r i s t i c s c o m p a r e d t o White women, and that these differences are more marked

in Black compared to Asian groups

Dr Gathani’s three-year project will use existing data from large national studies a n d t h e N a t i o n a l C a n c e r Registry Service in England to look at breast cancer incidence rates in different ethnic groups

Cancer Research UK has f u n d e d t h e p r o j e c t w i t h £ 1 0 1 , 0 0 0 f o r t h e f i r s t y e a r with future funding planned for a further two years The results will help better unders t a n d b r e a s t c a n c e r f o r w o m e n w i t h a n e t h n i c minority background

Dr Toral Gathani, Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and Consultant Surgeon, said: “If we can establish the barriers p e o p l e f a c e i n a c c e s s i n g healthcare and describe the pattern of risk factors in certain groups, we can work to improve cancer outcomes ”

The personal and genetic f a c t o r s w h i c h i n f l u e n c e breast cancer risk, and the type of breast cancer at diagnosis, have not been examined in detail in different ethnic groups The research will be supported by an ethnically d i v e r s e P a t i e n t a n d P u b l i c I n v o l v e m e n t P a n e l a n d a national Ethnicity and Breast Cancer Working Group comprising clinical and academic e x p e r t s i n h e a l t h c a r e a n d cancer research

The history of Indian Rupee

Few days ago, one of our long-time friends Dineshbhai Patel (of Sokhda near Vadodra India) came from New Jersey to visit us He brought for us Rupee beer cans brewed and packaged by Dorchester Brewing Company, Boston, MA, USA

I was amazed to see that Rupee was written in English as well as Hindi, and India’s map and the history of the Indian Rupee was printed on it, which we did not know!

There is also a photo of Sultan Sher Shah Suri and underneath written as follows

Sultan Sher Shah Suri was the leader of the revolutionary 16th century Suri Dynasty stretching across present day India After defeating the Mughal Empire, the wealthiest empire of its time, his most notable contribution is attributed as being earliest issue of the modern-day Rupee Today, the Rupee remains the official currency of India and seven other countries around the world

Many of our acquaintances asked for to have empty beer cans to keep as a sovereign and preserve Rupee’s history

Suresh and Bh av na Patel

Can PM save the NHS?

I must admit that since Rishi Sunak took the reign of his hopelessly divided party, the party following into the footsteps of Italy, one of the most politically instable European nations, PM has indeed gained the trust of the nation, laid out plans for economic stability, growth and to increase and improve living standards of the long-suffering British public

In any economy inflation can save or destroy the nation Who can forget the out-of-control inflation in pre-war Germany that brought Hitler to power? It needed a suitcase full of German currency to buy a loaf of bread!

It is indeed a shame that our NHS, once regarded as our crown jewel; has now become a cheap joke, to be plundered by one and all No one cares who gets the treatment, who is entitled and who is an overseas scrounger visiting this nation to obtain free treatment, even heart surgery and cancer treatment while our own patients are waiting, even dying before they get the appointment!

This is in sharp contrast to other EU nations where if you call an ambulance, first thing they ask you is to see your medical insurance certificate They will turn away if you can’t produce one, no matter how ill you may be

Pouring limitless money in NHS’s bottomless coffer is not the answer It needs shake-up from top to bottom, without guilt or apprehension First measure needed is to stop health tourism Some flights landed here are full of pregnant women, known as “Maternity Express ”

The second most important step is to introduce ID (Identity Card) which needed to be shown at every turn and contain full history of the person and can be used t o o p e n b a n k a c c o u n t , a t p o l l i n g s t a t i o n a n d G P surgery, as well as at the hospital No card means you pay upfront for any treatment you may need Our bleeding-heart politicians will never show the courage to take right step for the nation

The third one is for NHS to work in harmony with private sector that can also provide excellent medical treatment For example, if a hip replacement cost NHS £10k, while private cost is £12k, patient can go private paying the difference between NHS and private cost

This will reduce the waiting list and elderly may not have to wait months, even years that may be detrimental to their well-being Then our politicians will call queue jumping, not fair to those who could not afford to pay

Well, we all do not drive Mercedes or Jaguar; some of us have to do with Toyota and Hondas, live in terraced houses rather than detached bungalows! This is called Capitalism where entrepreneur, highly educated professionals will always enjoy better living standard than the rest of the population We tried Socialism but did not work Whatever you may think of Capitalism, there is no meaningful alternative

Bhupe nd ra M Gandhi

Tomato scores 100

With petrol touching Rs 100 and LPG touching Rs 1000 mark in India have found a new friend tomato scoring 100 Rs/kg This reminds us of our very own Indian Udupi hotels, which are kind enough to give extra sambar or chutney free but tomato sauce is chargeable in fast food restaurants Petrol bunks may put up 'tomato price today' along with their petrol and diesel price

Train strikes

Looking at the strikes undertaken by various unions in recent months, it seems that they are taking British people for a ride Whichever government/party comes to power, they will not be able to print money and fulfil the reckless demands of unions

At a time when the cost-of-living crisis is looming high, prices of some of the essential commodities are at the highest level, the interest rates are at the highest level in the last 15 years and the inflation is very high, I think it is right time to consider other productive options Strikes will bring hardships to people who have already been suffering from the various factors mentioned above It is time to think outside the box to fix the problem Whoever or whichever political parties are behind the strike/instigating strikes should keep aside political differences and keep the nation on priority

The agenda should be to boost productivity, how to make Great Britain great again If we do not take corrective actions now, we are making irreparable losses for future generations Strikes are giving negative impressions about the country to the outside world

This is the right time to think and make sure that we keep all the strikes out of the way for at least one year from now So far striking on various days, especially during big events or during the holiday seasons has only created more and more hardships for people but the employees who were on strike did not get any advantage The railways’ employees, teachers and doctors should be reasonable in putting forward their demands The cost of living is affecting everyone, not only some people Unions and collective bargaining powers should be used judiciously

Hitesh Hing u

Tomatoes have become even more costlier than petrol

The price of tomatoes in India has risen to Rs 130 a kilogram in several states of India and has become even more costlier than petrol

Tomatoes are the major dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer They are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K The government must control inflation and do something to bring down the price of tomatoes and other household ingredients as a relief to the common man

Jubel D'Cruz

Air India Direct flight from London Heathrow to Ahmadabad

When I first learnt from ex-Air India colleagues, about Air India, switching their flights from Heathrow to Gatwick I was shocked and sad

The revenue generated by operating flights from Heathrow was adequate to continue operations These flights were very convenient for passengers from all around London and far with convenient travel from counties

I congratulate you for highlighting and bringing the matter up in both, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar

We fly every year for the last 22 years by Air India from Heathrow and have booked our flights for 20 Nov 2023 on Virgin, flight no VS354 connecting on Indigo flight VS8750 via Bombay as a protest

Shakoo joins me in protesting whilst supporting you and ABPL to chase Air India to bring back their flight operations back to Heathrow for convenience of passengers, some of whom would be old and infirm

Wish you a great success as you did in the past for s t a r t i n g H e a t h r o w - A h m e d a b a d f l i g h t s w h i c h w e r e stopped by ex-Aviation Minister, Praful Patel

Vinoo Vadgama

I strongly appeal to have above flights run from Heathrow instead of Gatwick

It has been most convenient way for all Gujarati pass e n g e r s s i n c e A i r I n d i a s t a r t e d d i r e c t f l i g h t t o Ahmedabad

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have always raised their voice for general public

Suresh Patel

I would prefer atleast one flight directly from London Heathrow airport to Ahmedabad, as it’s convenient for our elderly and people with health issues, living in London or nearby Heathrow airport

D hiru and Rekha Shah

Kapil D udakia

K A P I L’ S K H I C H A D I

House of Labour

Ov er the past few months, I h av e been hav ing some very interesting conv ersations with many insiders in Labour T here are m any issues arising , and these I will reflect on and cover in Kapil’ s K hichad i in d ue course

For now, it seems the Labour leader Keir Starmer has a master plan to turn the House of Lords into the House of Labour If he is elected, it seems he has a plan to quickly appointed Labour supporters to the House of Lords A list with more than 100 names, yes you read that correctly, has been prepared and he intends to appoint them to the House of Lords and take control of the second chamber

Politically there is nothing wrong with this of course Afterall, in politics if you win, it’s up to you to make sure that all decks are staked in your favour By controlling the House of Lords, he ensures no matter what absurd legislation Labour come up with, they can push it through both the primary (House of Commons) and the secondary (House of Lords) chambers

I have also noticed that during this same time period there has been a sudden increase in traffic to Hindu Mandirs and community centres by Labour politicians Quite astonishing given that almost everything Labour has done over the past 20 years has been anti-Hindu and anti-India Recently we have seen a parade of Labour MPs visiting some of our high profile Mandirs As is our tradition, we will of course welcome everyone with open arms and give due respect Our greatest strength is our openness for the whole of humanity And that very often becomes one of our weaknesses because those who wish us harm, those who incite hatred, those who undermine the very fabric of our faith and culture, tend to get away with their clandestine bigotry

Let’s return to peerages It seems the Labour leader has reserved some ten peerages for people from our community It now makes sense as to why suddenly some Hindus and Indians are falling over themselves in trying to catch the attention of Starmer They are all lining up to become that person who can deliver votes and publicity for Starmer and make him more acceptable I wonder if you can guess who these individuals might be?

There is a mistaken view in our community that we have to bend our knee to the whims of politicians, just in case they get into power There are those in our community who will sell us short, mostly because they want an honour, or a peerage, or something else Contrast this with the Jewish and Muslim community They will never compromise

They have always been tough and blunt When the Jewish community took on Labour and called out the antisemitism that was rampant in the party, they did so with unity of purpose They brought Labour to its knees and now they command respect

I take my hat off to the Muslim community as well They have put the fear of God into Labour to such an extent, that even today Keir is forced to keep many Muslim MPs on his front bench or end up being on the w r o n g s i d e o f t h e i r w r a t h F o r e x a m p l e , S h a b a n a Mahmood, Rosena Allin-Khan, Imran Hussain, Naz Shah, Lord (Wajid) Khan, Afzal Khan, Tulip Siddiq, and Yasmin Qureshi are all given prominent positions Yet as far as I know, none of them have ever publicly denounced the anti-Hindu and anti-India hatred that we witness so o f t e n B e t h a t t h e a t t a c k s o n t h e I n d i a n H i g h Commission, to the attacks on our Mandirs

Did you know that at the recent India Global Forum event in London, Starmer was given a prime position Whilst he spoke about India, not once did he refer to PM Modi and his government for all the developments and successes It was almost as if he did not want to offend his Pakistani vote bank The Labour Party of 2014 that orchestrated the visa ban on Modiji, still cannot apologise for their indiscretions of past or present

The master plan to control the House of Lords is great As is his capacity to grant peerages to those from our community who bend their knee In time, who these people are will become clearer I am sure I am not on the list!

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

Ruchi Ghanashyam

Mrs Ruchi Ghanashyam is the former High Commissioner of India to the UK With a career in Indian Foreign Service for over 38 years, she has been posted in many countries including South Africa, Ghana, before arriving in the UK She was o n l y t h e s e c o n d w o m a n H i g h Commissioner to the UK since India’s independence and during her tenure, she w i t n e s s e d a n u m b e r o f s i g n i f i c a n t developments in the UK-India relations

@RuchiGhanashyam

The five-day state visit of PM Modi to the USA traversed some familiar and much new distance It is well desc ri bed as a pathbreaki ng visit The grand ceremonial welcome extended i nto an open display of warmth, friendship and bonhomi e that was visible throughout the vis it PM’ s eloquent address to a joint session of the US Co n gr e s s , hi s s ec o n d, h i g hl i gh te d th e sheer sc ope, breadth and depth of the relati onship that is en vis aged, said India’s FS in a press briefing There is c onviction that the expanding I ndi a- US partnership is a force for good that will help all humanity

The India-US Joint Statement of 22 June 2023 s ets out “ a vis ion of the United States and India as among the c losest partners in the world a partnership of democ raci es looking into the 2 1st c entury with hope, ambition, and confidence”

The exuberance of the visit and its outcome should put to rest doubts raised in some quarters about an abiding India-US partnership Around the time of the visit, there were comments that seemed almost to be aimed at undermining the forward m o v e m e n t o f t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p

Commitment from both sides managed to defy the pessimists as the visit achieved historic outcomes in a variety of areas

Technology featured prominently during the visit in multiple manifestations

Areas like technology transfer, including trade in technology products, technology s e r v i c e s , c o v e r i n g r e s e a r c h , a n d j o i n t efforts on developing technologies across different sectors, as well as technology capacity building cooperation between the two countries featured during discussions

The joint statement identifies several areas of technology partnership The decision of investors like Micron to set up a semiconductor assembly and test facility in India with a total investment of around $2 75 billion or that of Lam Research’s plan to train 60,000 Indian engineers are some of the interesting outcomes of the visit,

A n i m p l e m e n t a t i o n a r r a n g e m e n t between the National Science Foundation o f t h e U S a n d I n d i a ’ s M i n i s t r y o f Electronics would streamline the process of funding of joint projects in areas like

semiconductors, next generation communication, cyber security, green technologies and intelligent transport systems This w o u l d a l s o h e l p i n d e a l i n g w i t h t h e i n c r e a s i n g l y c o m p l e x t h r e a t p o s e d b y cyber space

An initiative on critical and emerging technologies is aimed at joint development and commercialization of AI and quantum technologies, High Powered Computing technology and development of source codes, as well as the regulatory easing required for this area to develop Google's $10 billion India Digitalization Fund and Amazon’s new investment of $6 5 billion will strengthen techno-commercial links New initiatives are envisaged focusing on green hydrogen, biofuels, the deployment of greenfield renewable energy, battery storage, and emerging green technology in India

An important outcome is in the area of cooperation in outer Space India became a signatory to the Artemis Accord opening up a new area of partnership between Indian Space Research Organization and NASA and other relevant entities for cooperation in the field of outer space, including exploration initiatives on the moon and other outer space objects

Substantive progress in the area of defense, led to an MoU between GE and India’s HAL for production of GE- F414 aeroengine for India's light combat airc r a f t , w h i l e p l a n s t o p r o c u r e G e n e r a l

A t o m i c s M Q - 9 B H A L E U A V s s h o u l d enhance the capabilities of India’s armed forces Commencement of negotiations with the U S Department of Defense for concluding the security of supply arrangement, and discussions on the reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement should lead to further progress in times to come

T h e c o m m i t m e n t t o e m p o w e r t h e Quad “ as a partnership for global good” highlights the growing strategic convergence between the two countries The unambiguous position on global terrorism, calling for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups like the AlQ a e d a , I S I S / D a e s h , L a s h k a r e - T a y y i b a

( L e T ) , J a i s h - e - M o h a m m a d ( J e M ) , a n d Hizb-ul-Mujhahideen, condemnation of “cross-border terrorism”, the use of terrorist proxies and calling on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks, are evidence of this growing convergence The Joint Statement also said that “they called for the perpetrators o f t h e 2 6 / 1 1 M u m b a i a n d P a t h a n k o t attacks to be brought to justice ”

In her comments on the visit in the Sunday Guardian of 2 July, Ambassador (retired) Shyamala B Cowsik describes how far India and the US have travelled from the time in 1992 when Ambassador Dennis Kux regretfully titled his book ‘Estranged Democracies’ With so much m e a n i n g f u l p r o g r e s s m a d e d u r i n g P M Modi’s visit, she believes that the unprecedentedly wide range of cooperation set out in the 58-para Joint Statement has enough c o n t e n t t o i n s p i r e a n e w b o o k b y A m b a s s a d o r K u x , e n t i t l e d “ U n i t e d Democracies”

Victim identified in North Harrow stabbing

The victim of the attack o n Saturday (July 8) in Pinner Ro ad , No r th H arr o w h as been identified as 49-yearold Bod han Vandzh ura from Harrow E mergency serv ices were alerted at 6 25am, but unfortunately, despite their ef fo rt s , M r V an d zh u r a passed away at th e scene

The post-mortem exami n a t i o n c o n d u c t e d o n S u n d a y c o n f i r m e d t h a t B o d h a n V a n d z h u r a d i e d from "multiple stab wounds to the chest and neck " His f a m i l y h a s b e e n n o t i f i e d

Charity helping poor mothers fears closure due to ULEZ scheme

Ba by Ba n k HQ , a c ha r it y t h a t s u pp o r t s st r ug g l in g mot hers in L ondon by prov i d i n g e s se n t ia l it e m s f or t heir in fa nts, is facing pote nt i a l c lo s ur e d ue t o S a d iq Kha n's clea n air scheme The char ity ha s be en in st rume nt al in supplyin g ba by food, c lo t h e s , c ot s , a n d o t h e r n ecessit ies to disa dva nt age d families in the East En d

With the expansion of t h e U l t r a L o w E m i s s i o n Zone (ULEZ) into outer boroughs, Baby Bank's future has become uncertain The c h a r i t y c u r r e n t l y u s e s a diesel Vauxhall van to collect donations and deliver them to families in need Since the van is not ULEZ-compliant, t h e c h a r i t y w o u l d b e r e q u i r e d t o p a y a d a i l y c h a r g e o f £ 1 2 5 0 f o r e a c h journey

As a result, they may have to scale back their oper-

a t i o n s o r e v e n h a l t t h e i r work entirely Baby Based in Havering, Baby Bank is curr e n t l y a t t e m p t i n g t o r a i s e

£ 5 , 0 0 0 t h r o u g h a

G o F u n d M e c a m p a i g n t o acquire a new van that complies with ULEZ standards Unfortunately, their efforts have only yielded £55 thus far

K e l l y R o s e v e a r , a c ofounder of the charity and an active police officer with t h e M e t r o p o l i t a n P o l i c e , e x p r e s s e d h e r c o n c e r n s about the ULEZ expansion She highlighted the signifi-

cant increase in individuals s e e k i n g a s s i s t a n c e f r o m Baby Bank due to the escalating cost of living If the U L E Z r e g u l a t i o n s r e s t r i c t t h e i r o p e r a t i o n s , R o s e v e a r w o r r i e s t h a t t h e r e a r e n o other charities in the area providing a similar service

L a s t w e e k , f i v e o u t e r London boroughs initiated a H i g h C o u r t c h a l l e n g e against the expansion of the U l t r a L o w E m i s s i o n Z o n e (ULEZ), arguing that certain aspects of the consultation process conducted by Sadiq Khan were incomprehensible, rendering the entire process "illegal "

Many others affected by the ULEZ expansion are faci n g s i g n i f i c a n t c h a l l e n g e s , f i n a n c i a l b u r d e n s , a n d p o t e n t i a l d i s r u p t i o n s t o t h e i r l i v e l i h o o d s a n d lifestyles as a result of the policy implementation

Vulnerable women dying prematurely

A report highligh ts that a rising num ber of disadv anta g ed an d v u lne rab le wo men in o ne of the most deprived regio ns of Eng land are experiencing prem ature deaths due to public serv ices failing to m eet their needs

The research, published recently, indicates that in 2021, women in the northe a s t o f E n g l a n d w e r e 1 7

times more likely to die pre-

m a t u r e l y f r o m s u i c i d e , addiction, or domestic violence compared to women across England and Wales

According to the report,

b e t w e e n 2 0 1 8 a n d 2 0 2 1 ,

t h e s e t y p e s o f d e a t h s

i n c r e a s e d b y 1 5 % i n t h e

n o r t h - e a s t C a m p a i g n e r s

s t r e s s t h a t w o m e n w i t h

c o m p l e x n e e d s a r e d y i n g

p r e m a t u r e l y b e c a u s e t h e y are often perceived as burdensome by the system

Changing Lives, a charity that supports women at risk in the north-east and throughout the country, has observed that the average a g e o f w o m e n w h o h a v e died while accessing their services is now 37, compared to 47 before 2020

a b o u t t h e t r a g i c i n c i d e n t G a r e t h T h o m a s , t h e Member of Parliament for Harrow West, expressed his c o n d o l e n c e s o n T w i t t e r , acknowledging the devastati n g l o s s s u f f e r e d b y M r Vandzhura's family Abdul Khan, residing on Durham Road in Harrow, was arrested on the day of

t h e i n c i d e n t a n d s u b s equently charged with murd e r a n d p o s s e s s i o n o f a n o f f e n s i v e w e a p o n H e i s scheduled to appear in cust o d y a t W i l l e s d e n M a g i s t r a t e s ' C o u r t t o d a y (July 10)

Due to the investigation, Pinner Road was closed in b o t h d i r e c t i o n s f r o m W e s t m o r l a n d R o a d t o Station Road, with a cordon in place Bus routes, including the 183, H18, and H19, were diverted away from the affected area

Virendra Sharma MP pledges support for people with arthritis in Ealing Southall

Over 10 million people in the UK are now living with the debilitating condition

V i ren d ra S h arm a M P p ledg ed his suppo rt fo r p eop le w ith arthritis in E a li ng S o u th al l o n M o nd a y, at a n ev en t h o s te d b y c h ari ty V ersu s Arth ritis in the

Hou ses of Parliament

O v e r 1 0 m i l l i o n people in the UK are living with arthritis –that’s one in six of us –according to a new report by the charity

V e r s u s A r t h r i t i s , t h e U K ’ s l e a d i n g a r t h r i t i s charity and biggest funder o f a r t h r i t i s r e s e a r c h , t o l d M P s t h e y m u s t s u p p o r t constituents living with the d a i l y p a i n , f a t i g u e , a n d r e s t r i c t e d m o b i l i t y c a u s e d by the condition

V i re nd ra S h ar m a M P , w h o att en d ed th e ev e nt, ‘ A rth r i ti s: T h e i m p a ct o n y o u r c on s ti tu en ts ’ , sa i d :

“The pain of arthritis can t a k e a w a y y o u r a b i l i t y t o work, care for a family, and l i v e i n d e p e n d e n t l y , a n d a c c o r d i n g t o V e r s u s Arthritis, the condition will c o s t t h e N H S a n e y ewatering £118 billion over the next decade ”

At the event, MPs heard directly from people with

Former PM Boris Johnson's wife Carrie Johns on took to I n s t a gr a m t o s h ar e t h e del ightful news of her third c hild's arr ival In her pos t, the wife of B oris Johnson happil y i n t ro du c e d t h ei r ne w bo r n s on, Frank Alfred Odyss eus Johns on, who was born on July 5th a t 9 :15 am P l a y f u l l y , s h e a d d e d ,

a r t h r i t i s a n d h e a l t h professionals about what it i s l i k e l i v i n g w i t h t h e debilitating condition The c h a r i t y a l s o p r e s e n t e d f i n d i n g s f r o m i t s n e w r e p o r t , t h e S t a t e o f M u s c u l o s k e l e t a l H e a l t h 2 0 2 3 , w h i c h r e v e a l s t h a t arthritis is one of the leading causes of sickness absence in the UK, causing 23 million lost working days in 2021 alone

M a n y o f t h o s e w h o cannot work due to arthritis a r e w a i t i n g f o r j o i n t replacement surgery, which h a s s o m e o f t h e l o n g e s t waiting times in the UK

V e r s u s A r t h r i t i s i s asking MPs to write to their l o c a l I n t e g r a t e d C a r e System to ask how they are i m p r o v i n g T r a u m a & Orthopaedic (T&O) waiting

"(Can you guess which name m y h u s b a n d c h o s e ? ! ) " I t ' s w o r t h n o t i n g t h a t M r J o h n s o n , w i t h h i s background in Classics from O x f o r d U n i v e r s i t y ' s B a l l i o l C o l l e g e , d r e w i n s p i r a t i o n f r o m t h e l e g e n d a r y G r e e k king Odysseus, known from H o m e r ' s e p i c p o e m , t h e Odyssey

National Security Bill becomes law

times in their area, and to do more for people w i t h a r t h r i t i s b y becoming one of the c h a r i t y ’ s A r t h r i t i s

C h a m p i o n s i n Parliament

Z o e C h i ve rs ,

D ir ec t o r o f S er vi c es an d I nf l u en c i ng a t

Versu s Arth ritis sai d:

“Far too many people a r e l i v i n g w i t h t h e d e v a s t a t i n g e f f e c t s o f arthritis, feeling dismissed, ignored, and desperate for the treatment and support t h e y d e s e r v e I f y o u o r someone you know is living w i t h a r t h r i t i s , V e r s u s

A r t h r i t i s i s h e r e f o r y o u W e ’ r e p r o v i d i n g s u p p o r t through our Helpline and o n l i n e s e r v i c e s , f u n d i n g r e s e a r c h i n t o f u t u r e treatments and cures, and c a m p a i g n i n g f o r b e t t e r a c c e s s t o a r t h r i t i s t r e a t m e n t , d i a g n o s i s , a n d support It is crucial that parliamentarians recognise the impact of arthritis and take action to improve the lives of people with arthritis in their constituencies, so w e a r e v e r y g r a t e f u l t o

V i r e n d r a S h a r m a M P f o r their support ”

F r a n k A l f r e d O d y s s e u s joins Wilf and Romy as the n e w e s t a d d i t i o n t o t h e family Mrs Johnson, 35 years old, expressed her joy in the Instagram post, stating, "Am loving every minute of the sleepy baby bubble Seeing my older two embrace their new brother with such joy and excitement has been the most wonderful thing to see We are all very smitten " S h e a l s o e x t e n d e d h e r gratitude to the exceptional N H S m a t e r n i t y t e a m a t UCLH, acknowledging their amazing care and expressing immense gratitude for their support

Mrs Johnson humorously c o n c l u d e d h e r p o s t b y s e e k i n g r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s for good series or box sets to enjoy during breastfeeding, adding a light-hearted note of "Time for a drink "

The couple tied the knot in May 2021, and Romy was b o r n i n D e c e m b e r o f t h e same year, followed by Wilf i n A p r i l 2 0 2 0 W i t h t h e arrival of their third child, this becomes Mr Johnson's e i g h t h c h i l d o v e r a l l H e p u b l i c l y c o n f i r m e d h i s n u m b e r o f c h i l d r e n , p r e v i o u s l y s u b j e c t t o s p e c u l a t i o n , d u r i n g a n interview in 2021

Notably, this is the first t i m e t h e c o u p l e h a s welcomed a child outside of D o w n i n g S t r e e t , a s t h e y d e p a r t e d f r o m t h e i r r e s i d e n c e i n S e p t e m b e r o f the previous year when Mr J o h n s o n f a c e d a p o l i t i c a l t r a n s i t i o n w i t h i n h i s government

O n 1 1 J u ly, th e Na ti o na l S ec u ri t y B i ll b ec am e l aw after being passed by bo th Houses of P arliam ent and secu ring Royal A ssent T h i s n e w a c t b r i n g s together vital new measures to protect the British public, m o d e r n i s e c o u n t e respionage laws and address the evolving threat to our national security

W i t h t h i s n e w legislation, the UK is now a h a r d e r t a r g e t f o r t h o s e states who seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK, w h i c h i n c l u d e e s p i o n a g e , f o r e i g n i n t e r f e r e n c e (including in our political system), sabotage, and acts that endanger life, such as assassination

T h e n e w p o w e r s w i l l h e l p e n s u r e t h a t t h e U K r e m a i n s t h e h a r d e s t operating environment for malign activity undertaken by foreign actors

Russia remains the most

a c u t e t h r e a t t o t h e U K ’ s s e c u r i t y , t h o u g h w e h a v e s e e n i n t e r f e r e n c e f r o m C h i n a i n c l u d i n g t o c o m m u n i t i e s h e r e i n t h e U K , a n d I r a n h a s m a d e concerted efforts to kill or kidnap British or UK-based individuals

Security Minister Tom

T u g e n d h a t s a i d : “ W e a r e facing growing threats from foreign states Over the past years we ’ ve seen attempts to harm our people, damage o u r e c o n o m y a n d undermine our democracy

I r a n ’ s r e c e n t a t t e m p t s t o kidnap or kill people living

i n t h e U K a r e b e y o n d c o n t e m p t , a n d a f u n d a m e n t a l v i o l a t i o n o f our sovereignty

T h e N a t i o n a l S e c u r i t y A c t p r o v i d e s t h e t o o l s t o expose this type of activity and hold those responsible to account

“The National Security Act overhauls our outdated e s p i o n a g e l a w s a n d w i l l p r o v i d e o u r l a w e n f o r c e m e n t a n d i n t e l l i g e n c e a g e n c i e s w i t h new and updated tools to d e t e r , d e t e c t a n d d i s r u p t m o d e r n - d a y s t a t e t h r e a t s

For the first time there is an o f f e n c e o f f o r e i g n interference, meaning it will now be illegal to engage in conduct that interferes with fundamental rights, such as v o t i n g a n d f r e e d o m o f speech, that are essential to the UK’s democracy

“These powers will apply to an individual acting on behalf of any state, which means the UK will be better equipped to tackle the full spectrum of malign activity, w h e t h e r i n t h e f o r m o f d i s i n f o r m a t i o n , c y b e ra t t a c k s , e l e c t o r a l i n t e r f e r e n c e o r e v e n physical attacks, including

the barbaric use of chemical weapons ”

Director General of MI5, K e n M c C a l l u m s a i d : “ W e face state adversaries who operate at scale and who are n o t s q u e a m i s h a b o u t t h e tactics they deploy to target people and businesses in the UK

T h e N a t i o n a l S e c u r i t y A c t i s a g a m e c h a n g i n g update to our powers We now have a modern set of l a w s t o t a c k l e t o d a y ’ s threats

“The act also introduces a n e w F o r e i g n I n f l u e n c e Registration Scheme (FIRS), w h i c h c r i m i n a l i s e s t h o s e a c t i n g c o v e r t l y f o r s t a t e s w h i c h p o s e t h e g r e a t e s t t h r e a t t o o u r n a t i o n a l security and strengthens the resilience of UK democracy by bringing transparency to foreign political influence ” T h e s c h e m e h a s b e e n c r e a t e d t o t a c k l e c o v e r t influence in the UK, it is s p l i t i n t o t w o p a r t s : t h e political tier of FIRS makes a n y p o l i t i c a l i n f l u e n c e activity undertaken at the direction of a foreign power r e g i s t e r a b l e ; a n d t h e e n h a n c e d t i e r – w h i c h i s d e s i g n e d t o t a r g e t t h o s e countries that pose a risk to the safety or interests of the U K – w i l l r e q u i r e r e g i s t r a t i o n o f a r r a n g e m e n t s t h a t a r e entered into with a specified f o r e i g n p o w e r , o r e n t i t y c o n t r o l l e d b y a f o r e i g n p o w e r F a i l u r e t o r e g i s t e r w h e n r e q u i r e d w i l l b e a criminal offence

R a p e v i ct i m s a r e b e i n g be tte r sup por te d across t he cr i m i n a l j us t i ce s y st e m 2 ye ars on from t he lan dmar k End to End R ape R ev ie w, t h a n k s t o p r o g r e ss i n deliver ing t he gov er nmen t’s action pla n t o tra nsform t he r e spo n se t o ra p e a n d pu t m or e p e r pe t r a t o r s be h i n d ba rs T h e p r o g r e s s r e p o r t published on 10 July showed the government has already met 2 of the 3 key ambitions in the Rape Review ahead of s c h e d u l e – r e s t o r i n g t h e number of police referrals and cases reaching court to 2016 levels – and is on track t o e x c e e d a l l 3 a m b i t i o n s b e f o r e t h e e n d o f t h i s

parliament

It comes as all 43 police forces across England and W a l e s , a n d a l l r a p e p r o s e c u t o r s a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y , b e g i n i m p l e m e n t i n g a n e w a p p r o a c h t o d e a l i n g w i t h r a p e a n d o t h e r s e r i o u s s e x u a l o f f e n c e s , e n s u r i n g

f o r c e s c o n d u c t t h o r o u g h investigations which put the f o c u s o n t h e s u s p e c t a n d centre the rights and needs o f v i c t i m s K n o w n a s

O p e r a t i o n S o t e r i a a n d piloted in 19 police forces

and 9 Crown Prosecution

A r e a s a l r e a d y , t h e programme brings together p o l i c e f o r c e s w i t h a c a d e m i c s , u s i n g e v i d e n c e and new insight to enable f o r c e s a n d p r o s e c u t o r s t o transform their response to r a p e a n d s e r i o u s s e x u a l offences

There are early signs of improvements in the police forces and CPS Areas already p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n t h e O p e r a t i o n S o t e r i a p r o g r a m m e A l l f i v e pathfinder forces have seen an increase in the number of cases being referred to the CPS – more than doubling in West Midlands Police and Durham

The number of cases being prosecuted by the CPS f r o m A v o n a n d S o m e r s e t have more than tripled, and a l l p a t h f i n d e r f o r c e s h a v e s e e n a r e d u c t i o n i n t h e a v e r a g e d a y s t a k e n f o r a c h a r g e o u t c o m e t o b e assigned – with South Wales seeing a reduction of almost 3 0 0 d a y s i n t h e l a t e s t quarter

And to further improve the response to rape, 2,000 e x t r a p o l i c e i n v e s t i g a t o r s will be specially trained in rape and sexual offences by

April 2024 It will also be compulsory for new recruits t o u n d e r t a k e r a p e a n d s e x u a l o f f e n c e s t r a i n i n g , which will also be rolled out t o a l l e x i s t i n g f i r s t responders

Home Secretary, Suella Braverman MP, said: “As a society, too often we have failed the victims of sexual violence I have been clear that we must transform the way these investigations are handled, to make sure that a l l v i c t i m s h a v e t h e b e s t support possible throughout the entire process This is a vital step in delivering on t h a t p r o m i s e I t w i l l h e l p ensure investigations focus on the suspect, and never on seeking to undermine the a c c o u n t o f t h e v i c t i m , a s well as placing the utmost importance on their rights and needs ” T h e R a p e R e v i e w p r o g r e s s r e p o r t s h o w s i m p r o v e m e n t s h a v e b e e n made in response to rape a c r o s s e v e r y s t a g e o f t h e criminal justice system and, crucially, data suggests more a n d m o r e v i c t i m s a r e r e p o r t i n g t h e s e a b h o r r e n t c r i m e s t o t h e p o l i c e –demonstrating an increase in victim confidence

Overhaul of criminal justice system delivers significant improvement for rape victims

Boris Johnson becomes a father again

KAUR: A British South Asian woman embraces her Sikh identity in a new short film

" Kau r," an up co mi ng s ho rt f ilm p rod uced by talented indiv iduals from the Mid land s, is set to prem iere exclusively on BritBox U K

T he film centers around a British S outh Asian wom an wh o bravely embraces her Sikh identity, choosing to wear a turban despite her father's objections

The narrative delves into the conflict between the protagonist and her father, who is still processing the trauma he experienced as a t u r b a n - w e a r i n g S i k h P u n j a b i immigrant in Britain "Kaur" aims to shed light on the journey of selfdiscovery undertaken by the main character, portrayed by Parvinder Shergill an award-winning filmmaker from Pinder Productions The film is co-produced and co-

written by Juggy Sohal from Flip the Script Network, in association with Raise Creatives Mark your calendars, as "Kaur" is set to premiere on BritBox UK on July 18

Parvinder Shergill, who hails from Coventry, Birmingham, and Leicester, and currently works at St Mary's Hospital in London, takes

o n t h e l e a d r o l e o f ' A v a n i ' Although she herself is not a tur-

b a n - w e a r i n g S i k h w o m a n , D r

Nottingham maternity review to become the largest in UK

Shergill shares that the community expressed their preference for her t o e m b o d y t h e c h a r a c t e r T h i s decision was seen as a way for her to authentically embark on the journey of self-discovery that the film explores She emphasized that it would be disrespectful to ask someone in real life to remove t h e i r t u r b a n , f u r t h e r s o l i d i f y i n g the importance of honouring the story's authenticity

One of the film's primary goals is to address the underrepresentation of Sikh women who wear the D a s t a a r ( t u r b a n ) i n m a i n s t r e a m c i n e m a , t e l e v i s i o n , t h e a t r e , a n d music "Kaur" seeks to provide visibility and representation for this often-overlooked group within the Sikh community

UK care operators accused of “shocking abuse” of migrant workers

C are o perators are f ac ing all egations o f " s h o c k in g a bu s e" o f m i gr a nt w orkers in th e soc ial c are s ector, w ith rep orts of fo rced repayment of r e c r u it m e nt f e e s , s u b s t an da r d a c c o m m o d a ti o n, a nd e x c es s iv el y l o ng w o r k in g h o u r s C h r is ti na M cAnea, th e general s ec retar y o f U nis on, h as written to so cial care m inister Helen Whately, urging the g o v er n m en t t o i nt e rv e ne a n d requ es ting a meeting to address the c ris is

In the past year, approximately 58,000 individuals from countries such as the Philippines have come to the UK to fill around 165,000 vacancies in the social care workforce

Unison has received an increasing

number of reports concerning care w o r k e r s w h o a r e s u b j e c t e d t o e x p l o i t a t i v e p r a c t i c e s , i n c l u d i n g being constantly on call, working 19hour shifts without breaks, having t h e i r w a g e s w i t h h e l d , a n d b e i n g required to pay significant sums to r e c r u i t m e n t a g e n c i e s , w h i c h a r e then shared with care operators

Unison highlighted the case of Lisa, a nurse from the Philippines, w h o h a d o v e r £ 1 0 , 0 0 0 d e d u c t e d from her salary when she resigned T h e c h a r g e s i n c l u d e d e x p e n s e s explicitly prohibited by the Home

O f f i c e , s u c h a s t h e i m m i g r a t i o n s k i l l s c h a r g e A n o t h e r w o r k e r n a m e d S a n d r a , a l s o f r o m t h e Philippines, faced demands for over

£ 8 , 0 0 0 w h e n s h e l e f t h e r j o b Migrant workers like Sandra were a l l e g e d l y a c c o m m o d a t e d i n c a r e homes but were constantly on call and asked to work during their designated time off They also reported u n s a f e w o r k i n g c o n d i t i o n s a n d instances of unpaid work and additional hours

These allegations raise serious concerns about the mistreatment of migrant workers in the care sector U n i s o n i s c a l l i n g f o r i m m e d i a t e action to address these issues and ensure that care workers, including those from migrant backgrounds, a r e p r o t e c t e d f r o m e x p l o i t a t i v e p r a c t i c e s a n d p r o v i d e d w i t h f a i r working conditions

Surgery victim interrupts Humza Yousaf as years of trauma come out

T heresa Mallett d idn't intend to interrupt Hum za Yousaf's keynote s peech w hen s he entered C aird Hall in Dund ee a little more than a fortnigh t ag o

Mallett, a devoted patriot who was a member of the SNP and attending the independence convention, had intended to share her experience with a party official or journalist there

S h e c l a i m s s h e h a s b e e n i n “soul-destroying” pain for more than a decade since a botched sciatica operation performed by Sam Eljamel, a disgraced surgeon from Tayside Mallett is one of 118 former patients calling for a public inquiry into what they believe is years of negligence, cover-ups and bad governance

When the first minister got up

Study

Humza Yousaf

to speak, she decided to do the same “I was listening to Humza and he came out with something like ‘ every person in Scotland counts’,” said Mallett, 61, as though still incredulous at what she did next “I f e l t e n r a g e d a n d I j u s t s t a r t e d

shouting at him Eleven years of t r a u m a a n d p a i n , g e t t i n g n o answers, gaslit by doctors – that all came out

“Where my voice came from, I don’t know I’m usually easy-going But I was glad I got it out ”

For those listening in the hall, the effect was electrifying Some audience members started booing the disruption, but stopped when t h e y r e a l i s e d t h e s o u r c e o f Mallett’s fury Yousaf called for calm, then walked off the stage into the crowd

What happened next is a bit of a b l u r , M a l l e t t s a i d “ T h e o n l y thing I can remember clearly is him standing in front of me with his back to the cameras and saying, ‘ a public inquiry is not off the table’ ”

shows programs to detect AI discriminate against non-native English speakers

C omp uter prog rams th at are used to detect essays, jo b applicatio ns and o ther work generated by artificial intelligence can discriminate against people wh o are non-nativ e English speakers, researchers say

Tests on seven well-known AI text detectors revealed a bias that could have a negative effect on students, professors, and job applicants: papers authored by authors for whom English is not their first language were frequently falsely labelled as AI-generated

With the rise of ChatGPT, a

generative AI program that can write essays, solve problems and create computer code, many teachers now consider AI detection as a “critical countermeasure to deter a 21st-century form of cheating”, the researchers say, but they warn that the 99% accuracy claimed by some detectors is “misleading at best ”

Scientists led by James Zou, an assistant professor of biomedical d a t a s c i e n c e a t S t a n f o r d University, ran 91 English essays w r i t t e n b y n o n - n a t i v e E n g l i s h speakers through seven popular

A compreh ensive rev iew is being cond ucted into failing s in maternity care at hosp itals in No tting ham , making it the larg est such investigation ever carried ou t in th e UK

Do nna Ockend en, who prev iously chaired the inquiry into maternity services in Shropshire, will lead the review

The inquiry will examine the cases of 1,700 families affected by incidents at the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital, both

o p e r a t e d b y N o t t i n g h a m University Hospital (NUH) NHS Trust

T h e d e c i s i o n t o l a u n c h t h e review follows a series of baby deaths and injuries at NUH Trust

T h u s f a r , 1 , 2 6 6 f a m i l i e s h a v e reached out to the review team directly, with 674 of them giving t h e i r c o n s e n t t o p a r t i c i p a t e

However, Donna Ockenden has stressed the need for a "radical r e v i e w " t o e n s u r e t h a t w o m e n from all communities are being contacted by the trust and feel

Donna Ockenden

confident enough to come forward

In response to requests from t h e a f f e c t e d f a m i l i e s , t h e Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and the trust have agreed to change the review from an "opt-in" to an "opt-out" basis This means that cases will be handled under the assumption of consent, with families having to actively opt out if they do not wish to participate This change aims to e n c o u r a g e g r e a t e r p a r t i c i p a t i o n and ensure that as many families a s p o s s i b l e a r e i n c l u d e d i n t h e review process

Ministers ‘too quick’ to celebrate increased rape convictions, say campaigners

Vi o le n ce a g a in s t w o me n ca mp a ig n e r s a r e cr i t i c iz in g g o v e r nme n t m in i st e r s fo r p r e m a t ur e l y ce le br atin g incre ased r ape conv ictions while over all r epor ting ra tes rem ain low Justice Se cr eta ry Ale x Chalk a nnoun ce d on M on day tha t the gov ern men t is on tra ck t o surpass its ta rge t of rev ersing the low con viction rat es for ra pe by the en d of t he cur re nt pa rlia men tar y te rm Chalk highlighted "significant progress" made since the governm e n t ' s 2 0 2 0 e n d - t o - e n d r a p e review, which revealed a decline in the number of reported rape cases resulting in prosecution in England and Wales since 2016 The Home O f f i c e a n d M i n i s t r y o f J u s t i c e ' s progress report acknowledged that more work needs to be done but stated that two of the three ambitions set out in the review have already been met ahead of schedu l e , i n c l u d i n g r e s t o r i n g p o l i c e referrals and court cases to 2016 l e v e l s H o w e v e r , c a m p a i g n e r s argue that Chalk's claims are prem a t u r e a n d m i s l e a d i n g T h e y argue that celebrating increased c o n v i c t i o n s w i t h o u t a d d r e s s i n g the underlying issues that lead to low reporting rates is insufficient The focus should be on encouraging more survivors to come for-

ward, improving support services, and addressing systemic barriers within the criminal justice system t o e n s u r e a m o r e e f f e c t i v e response to sexual violence

The number of adult rape cases referred by the police to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), showing a 41% rise compared to the 2016 quarterly average The year up until December saw 1,079 cases referred, compared to the previous average of 766 cases Furthermore, in the year up until March last y e a r , 6 0 5 c a s e s r e a c h e d c r o w n court, surpassing the government's target by 9% H o w e v e r , t h e r e p o r t a l s o reveals that the number of charges for adult rape remains 12% below the 2016 quarterly average, with CPS charges lagging behind the target by 12% as well

On 08th July 2023

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar organised a special zoom event on “Our Community Organisations and their activities”

GPT detectors to see how well the programs performed

The essays were prepared for the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL, which is a widely accepted English proficiency test More than half of the writings were marked as AI-generated, with one programme identifying 98% of the essays as such The same AI detectors classified more than 90% of the essays written by eighth-graders in the US who are fluent English speakers as being created by humans

Leaders of various community organisations joined this special programme N i r a j S u t a r i a , President of Mahavir

F o u n d a t i o n , D i l i p Mithani, President of N a v n a t V a n i k Association, Neetaben

B i p i n b h a i S h e t h o f Jain Vishva Bharati, Vijay Sheth of J a i n N e t w o r k a n d M a n h a r b h a i

M e h t a , C h a i r m a n o f V a n i k

C o u n c i l U K w e r e t h e k e y n o t e speakers for this event

The entire programme was compered by Jyotsnaben Shah, C o n s u l t i n g E d i t o r o f G u j a r a t Samachar Detailed report of this event will be published in the coming week edition

Alex Chalk

UK-US relationship is “rock solid”

T h e P ri m e M i ni s ter w elcom ed the P resident o f th e U nited S tates, Jo e Bid en, to D o w n in g S tre et o n t h e m orning of the 10th of J uly T h e l ea d ers d i sc u s s ed p r o g res s m ad e s i nc e th e y a nn o u nc ed th e A tl ant ic D ec lar ati o n, a fi rs t- o f- it skind framework for the econom ic partnersh ip betw een t h e U K a nd t h e U S , l as t m onth

The US leader arrived in the UK ahead of a North A t l a n t i c T r e a t y Organisation (NATO) summit in Lithuania Biden, who w a s r e c e i v e d b y K i n g C h a r l e s I I I a t W i n d s o r Castle later, hailed the UKU S r e l a t i o n s h i p a s “ r o c k solid” ahead of his discussions with Sunak

Since the Prime Minister and President Biden’s last m e e t i n g i n t h e W h i t e House, we have begun work o n a U K - U S C r i t i c a l Minerals Agreement and the J o i n t A c t i o n G r o u p o n Energy Security has met to begin work on strengthening our clean energy supply chains

The Prime Minister and President Biden agreed to h o l d t h e f i r s t h i g h - l e v e l m e e t i n g b e t w e e n N u m b e r 10 and White House repres e n t a t i v e s i n O c t o b e r t o d r i v e p r o g r e s s u n d e r t h e Atlantic Declaration

The Prime Minister also u p d a t e d o n t h e U K ’ s A I Summit which will be held this autumn and welcomed the President’s strong support for the initiative

Looking ahead to this week’s NATO Summit, the P r i m e M i n i s t e r a n d President Biden agreed on the need to strengthen the alliance and maintain UK’s support for Ukraine They d i s c u s s e d t h e p r o g r e s s o f the counter-offensive and emphasised the importance o f t h e c o u n t r y ’ s i n t e r n ational partners committing t o i t s l o n g - t e r m d e f e n c e , p r o v i d i n g t h e s u p p o r t Ukraine needs to win this war and secure a just and

NHS Shingles

Castle, following which His M a j e s t y i n v i t e d t h e President to view an exhibition in the White Drawing R o o m o f i t e m s f r o m t h e Royal Collection relating to t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o f America

In the Green Drawing

R o o m , T h e K i n g a n d t h e President joined the particip a n t s o f t h e C l i m a t e

F i n a n c e M o b i l i s a t i o n F o r u m , w h i c h t o o k p l a c e e a r l i e r i n t h e d a y T h e F o r u m b r o u g h t t o g e t h e r

Vaccine to be offered to almost one million people

Almost a million more people (900 ,00 0) will beco me eligible for a shing les vaccination from September, the NH S an no u nc e d o n Tuesd ay

had the virus

lasting peace

Sunak told Biden Britain was a signatory to an intern a t i o n a l c o n v e n t i o n t h a t discourages the use of cluster munitions, and it was up t o e a c h c o u n t r y t o m a k e t h e i r o w n d e c i s i o n a b o u t how the weapons are used, the spokesperson said

“We stand by our obligations under the convention, which include discouraging their use There is no change from us on that, obviously, it is for each country to make a decision,” the spokesperson told reporters “PM Sunak and Biden also discussed the broader geopolitical context, including in the Indo-Pacific and w i t h r e g a r d t o I r a n , ” a Downing Street spokesperson said

It marked the first time Biden has visited Downing Street as the US President and his sixth meeting with S u n a k s i n c e h e b e c a m e Prime Minister in October last tear “We stand as two of the firmest allies in that alliance and I know we’ll want to do everything we c a n t o s t r e n g t h e n E u r oA t l a n t i c s e c u r i t y , ” s a i d Sunak

O n b r o a d e r N A T O issues, they agreed on the need to ensure that Sweden h a s a s w i f t p a t h t o f u l l

N A T O a c c e s s i o n T h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r a n d P r e s i d e n t B i d e n a l s o d i scussed the broader geopolitical context, including in the Indo-Pacific and with

regard to Iran

The leaders agreed on t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e i r friendship and of continuing the close dialogue they have had in the few months T he K ing m eets Presid ent Bid en at Windsor Castle

T h e K i n g m e t t h e P r e s i d e n t o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m e r i c a a t Windsor Castle on Monday 1 0 t h J u l y H i s M a j e s t y received President Biden at the dais in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle Upon the President’s arrival, a Guard of Honour formed by The Prince of Wales’s Company of the Welsh Guards gave a R o y a l S a l u t e , a n d t h e U S N a t i o n a l A n t h e m w a s played by the Band of the Welsh Guards

The President, accompan i e d b y T h e K i n g , t h e n i n s p e c t e d t h e G u a r d o f Honour, before returning to the dais to watch the military march past

T h e P r e s i d e n t j o i n e d The King for tea in Windsor

f i n a n c e a n d p h i l a n t h r o p i c l e a d e r s f r o m t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m a n d t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m e r i c a t o s t r e n g t h e n t h e i r c o m m i tm e n t s t o c l i m a t e a c t i o n w i t h i n e m e r g i n g m a r k e t s and developing economies

The King and the President were briefed on the conclusions of the discussions

The King has previously met President Biden at the G 7 L e a d e r s S u m m i t i n Cornwall in June 2021, and a t C O P 2 6 i n G l a s g o w i n November 2021 President Biden, accompanied by the F i r s t L a d y , a t t e n d e d t h e Heads of State Reception at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, before a t t e n d i n g t h e S e r v i c e a t Westminster Abbey on 19th September 2022

T h e K i n g f i r s t m e t a serving US President when President Eisenhower visited Queen Elizabeth II and P r i n c e P h i l i p a t B a l m o r a l Castle in 1959

Anyone who is severely i m m u n o s u p p r e s s e d a n d over 50 will be able to get two doses of the Shingrix vaccine - currently the vacc i n e i s o n l y a v a i l a b l e t o those over 70

From 1 September 2023, those turning 65 and 70 will also be able to get the vaccine after their birthday, in a d d i t i o n t o t h o s e a l r e a d y aged 70-80 Patients will be contacted by their GP practice when they become eligible

Eligibility will then be expanded to include those 6 0 a n d u p b y S e p t e m b e r 2028

The change comes on t h e b a c k o f t h e J o i n t Committee of Vaccination a n d I m m u n i s a t i o n ( J C V I ) r e c o m m e n d i n g t h a t t h e Shingrix vaccine should be extended to a wider cohort o f p e o p l e , a f t e r t r i a l s s h o w e d t h e v a c c i n e w a s highly effective and safe for these groups

S h i n g l e s c a n o c c u r a t any age, but the risk and severity of shingles and its complications increase with age and is higher in individu a l s w h o h a v e a s e v e r e l y weakened immune system

S h i n g l e s c a n n o t b e caught from other people Instead, it develops in peop l e w h o h a v e p r e v i o u s l y been infected with chickenp o x o v e r t h e i r l i f e t i m e C h i c k e n p o x c a n a p p e a r quite mildly in people so m a n y w i l l b e u n a w a r e i f they have been infected in the past, but studies show that nearly every adult has

Team Mohammedan Sporting Fans wins IFA Shield UK by beating Indian High Commission

B en g al i d i a sp o r a i n an d aro und L ond on zoom ed in a t A rb o u r P ar k, h o m e S lou gh Tow n Football C lub o n S und ay to celebrate IF A S hield UK ’ s annual football t o u rna m en t o r g an is ed by H er i tag e B eng al Gl ob al ( HBG) It was a festive atm osp here th rou ghout the d ay w ith sev eral food stalls selli ng Bengali deli cacies and sw eets A f t e r a w e l l f o u g h t g a m e , M o h a m m e d a n

Sporting Fans emerged as the winner of the SNU IFA Shield UK for Men beating t h e I n d i a n H i g h Commission's team at 2-0, w h i c h h a d f o r m e r I n d i a international’s Jules Alberto playing for them

The women team saw a v e r y e x c i t i n g r o u n d o f

p e n a l t y s h o o t - o u t w h e r e M o h u n B a g a n w o n t h e I I H M I F A S h i e l d U K f o r W o m e n T h e c h i l d r e n ’ s s h i e l d w a s w o n b y E a s t Bengal A l l t h e p l a y e r s o f t h e tournament signed a cong r a t u l a t o r y c a r d f o r t h e S A F F C u p w i n n i n g I n d i a

T e a m , w h i c h w a s l a t e r

handed over to the Indian Deputy High Commissioner Sujit Ghosh

The event was attended b y r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f t h e B r i t i s h R o y a l A r m y a n d Royal Air Force, who handed over the winning trophies along with the Deputy High

At least nine in 10 adults are already infected with the virus that causes Shingles, having had chickenpox as children, and around one in four people will go on to d e v e l o p S h i n g l e s i n t h e i r lifetime - the risk of this increases with age

Some cases can result in serious symptoms such as b l i n d n e s s , h e a r i n g l o s s , nerve pain and potentially death, however the vaccine can significantly reduce the r i s k o f p e o p l e d e v e l o p i n g s h i n g l e s a n d e x p e r i e n c i n g nasty symptoms The rash developed by the illness can be extremely painful and the pain can remain for many years after the rash has disappeared

GPs and practice nurses may also offer the vaccines o p p o r t u n i s t i c a l l y , s u c h a s d u r i n g r o u t i n e v i s i t s o r c h e c k - u p s , t o m a k e i t a s easy as possible for patients to get the jab

C h i c k e n p o x c a n a l s o a p p e a r m i l d l y s o s o m e might think they have never had it, but it is vital that anyone eligible, even if you think you may not be at risk, gets the vaccine

Anyone who has already b e e n v a c c i n a t e d a g a i n s t shingles, and received the Zostavax vaccine, does not n e e d r e - v a c c i n a t i o n w i t h S h i n g r i x , a n d s e v e r e l y immunosuppressed individu a l s w h o h a v e a l r e a d y r e c e i v e d 2 d o s e s o f Shingrix® do not need revaccination F o r t h o s e t h a t a r e s e v e r e l y i m m u n o s u pp r e s s e d , t h e g a p b e t w e e n doses is from 8 weeks to 6 months For those that are immunocompetent the gap is 6 to 12 months

C o m m i s s i o n e r M r G h o s h and representatives of the lead sponsor GBS T h e e v e n t s p o n s o r s Tushar Fas Ghosh of ETOS from London, Surajit Nandi of Floral from Kolkata and Deepak Pramanik of Aidias based in the UK and India, expressed similar feelings of h a p p i n e s s a t t h e w a y t h e event was delivered engaging the diaspora

The director of Heritage B e n g a l G l o b a l , A n i r b a n M u k h o p a d h y a y , t h a n k e d everyone for their participation and announced their plan to organise a diaspora

c r i c k e t e v e n t i n A u g u s t , c a l l e d t h e I n d i a n P r o f e s s i o n a l s C r i c k e t L e a g u e ( I

) f o r t h e

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomes the President of the United States Joe Biden to 10 Downing Street

King Charles III with US President Joe Biden

Winners from the children’s team with Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK- Sujit Ghosh and HBG’s Anirban Mukhopadhyay

Winners of the IIHM IFA Shield UK for Women with members of RAF, British Army, Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK- Sujit Ghosh and HBG s Anirban Mukhopadhyay

SOUTH ASIAN STORIES TO TELL

Jasvir Singh CBE of South Asian Heritage Month told Asian Voice, "South Asian Heritage Month will be a good opportunity for us to celebrate what it means to be South Asian today, commemorate important dates and the intertwined history of South Asia and Britain, and more importantly educate people so that we all leave the month having learned something new The theme 'Stories to Tell' will allow SAHM to explore what is important to us all and ensure that we never forget the past, whilst also focusing on what the present and future hold for the South Asian c o m m u n i t i e s i n t h e U K a n d beyond "

to create economic sustainability for heritage crafts and craftspeople

“The Elephant Family and I are committed to similar but different missions While I aim to preserve endangered heritage crafts, they conserve endangered animals and habitats It’s my privilege and honour to be a part of their cause ” The Shola masks were made by hand u s i n g a r t i s a n a l t e c h n i q u e s a n d m a t e r i a l s , a s a c o l l a b o r a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e a r t i s t s f r o m t h e S a b y a s a c h i A r t F o u n d a t i o n a n d c r a f t s p e o p l e f r o m B e n g a l T h e designer added, “Every year the craftspeople make decorations for the deities and entire structures during the Durga Puja celebrations – t h a t i s a p a r t o f U N E S C O ’ s R e p r e s e n t a t i v e L i s t o f t h e I n t a n g i b l e C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e o f

Humanity The Shola Masks are made in homage to Bengal’s living heritage and culture ”

The Speaker of the House of Commons will be marking South Asian Heritage Month for the first time in Parliament with an event on July 18 There is also a dinner at Lincoln’s Inn (first time) on 17 July, to celebrate the diversity of South Asian identity at the Bar

As we enter the celebrations of South Asian Heritage Month, one of the most attractive and truly gratifying sights was to see Indian d e s i g n e r S a b y a s a c h i M u k h e r j e e who had yet another moment of glory promoting Indian heritage in the UK The King and Queen wore elephant masks designed by him to mark the 20th anniversary of a w i l d l i f e c o n s e r v a t i o n c h a r i t y ’ s A n i m a l B a l l 2 0 2 3 a t L a n c a s t e r H o u s e I n d i a n d e s i g n e r s Mukherjee, Manish Malhotra and A n i t a D o n g r e r e p r e s e n t e d t h e c o u n t r y b y c r e a t i n g m a s k s f o r guests at the event

Aatish Sharma, CEO Southall Football Club told the newsweekly, “ S o u t h A s i a n H e r i t a g e M o n t h marks an important time in our calendar as we celebrate and hono u r S o u t h A s i a n c u l t u r e , t r a d it i o n s , h i s t o r y a n d d i v e r s i t y

Southall Football Club is proud to r e p r e s e n t a c o m m u n i t y l i k e Southall which is one of the most well known hubs for the South Asian community in the world We hope this month shines on the achievements, stories and activities of the community, as we hope this inspires future generations South Asian Heritage month highlights the sacrifices and efforts made by past and present generations for a better future for the South Asian c o m m u n i t y S o u t h a l l F o o t b a l l Club welcomes all to share their stories and be proud of their heritage We will do our very best to r e p r e s e n t t h e c o m m u n i t y o f Southall to the best of our ability for 2023/2024 and beyond”

Th e King and Queen wear

Sabyasachi

T h e d e s i g n e r s a i d , “ T h e i r Majesties King Charles III & Queen Camilla in The Shola Mask from Sabyasachi For The Animal Ball

2 0 2 3 P r e s e n t e d b y E l e p h a n t

Family I like to tell hyper-local stories to the world in an attempt

village is empowered The minute t h e w o m a n i s e m p o w e r e d , h e r daughter gets a better education, a n d s h e k e e p s t h e f a m i l y u n i t going She gets the respect of the

guest parade performance by the African diaspora, further promoting multiculturalism and inclusivity (SEE FULL STORY ON PAGE 6)

Br it ish Pil ot r ecr eate s mission of Noor In ayat Khan

M e a n w h i l e , a B r i t i s h f e m a l e pilot, Fiona Smith, who won the British women pilots’ association scholarship in 2021 used her scholarship towards a special flying mission to recreate the deadly mission behind enemy lines undertaken by B r i t i s h I n d i a n s p y , N o o r I n a y a t Khan, during the World War II

carry out covert intelligence

“Located somewhere near the town of Angers, I was encouraged to discover there is a decent serviced airfield nearby, and a quick calculation suggested it was within reach of London within the day,” said Smith of her recent flying mission

“My mission was clear – to fly f r o m t h e s o u t h o f E n g l a n d t o Angers, lay a wreath for Noor, and fly back As it happened, our actual flight has coincided with the 80th year of her leaving England ” “

Oscar award-winning director

Kartiki Gonsalves who made The Elephant Whisperers received The Tara Award, inspired by the bond between elephants and humans

T h e C r e a t i v e I n d u s t r i e s a n d

C u l t u r a l E c o n o m y S u m m i t i n London was held at the Nehru Centre in London, the second edit i o n o f t h e s u m m i t b r o u g h t together leaders from the world of art, culture, fashion and cinema to highlight the transformative power of culture in fostering diplomacy, e c o n o m i c g r o w t h , a n d m u t u a l understanding between the two nations It is also evident from the consistent efforts and success of t h e a r t s c o m m u n i t y t h a t i s a n essential part of Bollywood films and theatre groups in the UK (See P16-17)

Diversity need s to be explored mo re

B o l l y w o o d , a c t o r S o n a m

Kapoor at the UK-India Week 2023 said, “Diversity has become token word We have a diverse cast, but who is your lead? I’ve been represented internationally for a while, and I know, you are always cast as the exotic Indian girl in a film I don’t think that has not changed m u c h T h e r e a r e s t r i d e s b e i n g made, but not enough There could be more stuff that could be done

D i v e r s i t y i s a t o k e n w o r d t h a t needs to be explored more and taken more seriously ”

D e s i g n e r A n i t a D o n g r e

d e s i g n e d “ P a n c h h i M a s k ” w i t h birds for the ball to represent tropi c a l c o u n t r i e s a n d a c e d e s i g n e r

M a n i s h M a l h o t r a c r a f t e d t h e

‘Maharaja Mask’ symbolic of a lion worn by Bollywood actress Janhvi

Kapoor

D u r i n g t h e U K - I n d i a W e e k

2 0 2 3 , F a s h i o n D e s i g n e r A n i t a Dongre underlined the importance of empowering rural women artisans “India’s growth is its women

W o m e n i n I n d i a n e e d t o b e

empowered Even 40 years later, there is so much change we need to bring in, especially in the villages

The only way you can empower a woman is to economically empower her

“I believe you need to empower a woman in the village, the whole

w h o l e v i l l a g e a s s h e i s e a r n i n g money and she can do that from the comfort of her home without having to move to a village To take work back to Indian villages is very important ”

In her speech at the King’s C o r o n a t i o n C o n c e r t , B o l l y w o o d a c t o r S o n a m K a p o o r h a d m e ntioned, “Our Commonwealth is a union Together, we are one-third of the world's people One-third of the world's ocean One-quarter of the world's land Each of our countries is unique; each of our peoples special, but we choose to stand as o n e , l e a r n i n g f r o m o u r h i s t o r y ; blessed by our diversity; driven by our values; and determined to build a more peaceful, sustainable and p r o s p e r o u s f u t u r e f o r e v e r y o n e ; where every voice is heard," the 37year-old actor said in her spoken word piece ” B r a d f o r d ' s f i r s t S o u t h A s i a n Women s choir, Song-Geet, which b e g a n a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Bradford’s Theatre in the Mill, also p e r f o r m e d a t t h e c o r o n a t i o n o f King Charles III They performed a rendition of Brighter Days by Emeli Sandé at Windsor Castle Choir leader Madiha Ansari, who graduated from the university with a degree in clinical sciences in 2009 and who now works as a theatre producer, said: “It’s such a privilege to be performing at the coronation We’re proud to be representing not just our community but the region This is a great opportunity for women, and it’s particularly poignant in the run-up to Bradford City of Culture

2025 ”

Last year, over 1,000 Women t u r n e d u p i n s a r e e s f o r R o y a l Ascot’s Ladies Day, making history

The saree-clad women, many of I n d i a n o r i g i n , s h o w c a s e d I n d i a s c u l t u r e o n a w o r l d w i d e f a s h i o n platform

T h i s y e a r , S o u t h A s i a n s l i k e Sanjay Bhandari, Malala Yousafzai and Sonam Kapoor are gracing the Wimbledon courts Cel ebra tion of Indian culture a t India Da y I n d i a D a y M i l t o n K e y n e s , a vibrant celebration of Indian culture, traditions, and achievements, concluded with great success on 24, 2023 The event, held at Campbell P a r k i n M i l t o n K e y n e s , b r o u g h t together an impressive total footfall of over 15,000 individuals throughout the day People gathered traveling from as far as Cambridge to Oxford and Birmingham to London to partake in the festivities India Day showcased the rich diversity of Indian culture through the participation of approximately 450 parade participants The parade featured 80 children above the age of 10, 235 women, and 135 men representing 17 different states and communities of India Adding to the cultural tapestry, there was a

Noor Inayat Khan, a descendant of the 18th century Mysore

r u l e r T i p u S u l t a n , w a s a n S O E agent who had been air-dropped to a field in Nazi-occupied France to

I t i s w o n d e r f u l t o l e a r n o f F i o n a ’ s t r i b u t e f l i g h t f o r N o o r Inayat Khan It is even more special a s i t t o o k p l a c e o n t h e 8 0 t h anniversary of Noor’s departure on h e r d a n g e r o u s m i s s i o n N o o r ’ s story and sacrifice continues to i n s p i r e i n s o m a n y w a y s , ” s a i d Shrabani Basu, the author of Spy

Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan, the biography of the British Indian spy who was awarded the UK’s George Cross and France’s Croix de Guerre bravery medals posthumously

Events @ SAHM

Exhibition at London Metropolitan Archives

Unforgotten Lives presents the stories of Londoners of African, Caribbean, Asian and Indigenous heritage who lived and worked in the city between 1560 and 1860 and are recorded in London s archives Exploring a range of experiences, these multi-layered stories speak of love enterprise wealth and family life; discrimination hardship resilience and resistance

AP Santhanaraj (1932-2009) Modern & Contemporary

AP Santhanaraj

Art From South India

(1932-2009) is one of the most influential artists of the second wave that followed KCS Paniker and S Dhanapal out of the Madras College of Arts and Craft Santhanaraj forged an artistic style of his own dedicated to ascertaining the various complexities of pictorial space through an abstract engagement with the figurative subject matter Crucial to his work from the start was his love of line: its meandering through pictorial space, defining and dividing in its wake, shaping and destroying form, aiding, and inhibiting light and colour His spontaneous free line inspired his colour palette and archetypes to emerge, especially the female heroine or lovers in an embrace These archetypes would appear from his subconscious through the jagged lines and the spatial areas they displaced within his process Santhanaraj saw his line as fuelled by divine power A devout Christian himself his understanding of artmaking related just as much to Hindu interpretations of Shiva Nataraja – creating and destroying in its wake to form life

Sangam Festival

Sangam Festival is a community festival celebrating South Asian arts, culture and heritage in Kirklees, West Yorkshire Our aim is to bring people together to enjoy heritage and multi-arts events in a spirit of celebration, positivity and harmony

Sangam Festival takes place from 18 July – 17 August 2023, with events and activities held online and in venues and outdoor locations across Kirklees

GemArts

Masala Festival Launch ROSHNI - Sonia Sabri Company

GemArts will launch Masala Festival 2023 with Sonia Sabri Company Roshni, from the Persian word meaning light or brilliance, is a beautifully intimate crafting of dance and live music, transporting and uplifting the audience on a journey of joy This soul-stirring performance is a captivating combination of Kathak dance with live music from a global palette of styles The sumptuous music from different lands features kaval and violin led by the bold rhythms of tabla percussion Roshni brings together Sonia’s distinctive style of dance, rooted in the traditions of Kathak from Northern India, yet reimagined in the context of her lived British experience with diverse musical genres and artists, ranging from South Asia Middle East and Europe and celebrates the rich diversity of our global community

Aatish Sharma

Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla in The Shola Mask from Sabyasachi

Jasvir Singh CBE

Sabyasachi Animal Ball Edition

Bollywood meets the diaspora in Rifco Theatre’s “Frankie Goes to Bollywood”

Pravesh Kumar MBE is a writer and director who embarked on a journey to establish the Rifco Theatre Company in 2000 His mission was to present the narratives and lived experiences of British Asians in a manner that resonated with and captivated the community, ensuring accessibility for all

Having won hearts with works like “Britain’s Got Bhangra” (2011), “The Deranged Marriage” ( 2 0 1 5 ) a n d “ H a p p y B i r t h d a y S u n i t a ” ( 2 0 1 4 ) , "Frankie Goes to Bollywood", the latest groundb r e a k i n g p r o d u c t i o n f r o m R i f c o T h e a t r e Company will captivate audiences starting in April 2024

real Bollywood story This is a British musical and you can’t tell a Bollywood story without the troupes of the genresongs, dance and romance! But I wanted to stretch deeper, really look at the films and what they mean to us And what is it like to work in such an Industry Many young British hopefuls have made it there, a n d e v e n m o r e h a v e b e e n u s e d a n d churned out The major themes are about love and family but also being true to yourself

How have your experiences in Bollywood helped in cultivating the script for ‘Frankie Goes to Bollywood’?

I lived and worked in Mumbai for many years I still have many good friends working in commercial Indian cinema and Indian cinema, making some great (and some not so great) films

I h a v e b e e n i n s i d e t h a t m a c h i n e c a l l e d Bollywood, it looks glamorous and beautiful from the outside but can be quite different from the inside This is the story of a young British South Asian girl, who gets caught in the bright spotlights and what she has to do to get to the top

How and when was the idea of the play devised?

What is its relevance in current times?

László’s painting at risk of leaving the country

With extravagant dance routines, pulsating British Bollywood pop, and breathtaking costumes, "Frankie Goes to Bollywood" is the most a m b i t i o u s p r o d u c t i o n f r o m R i f c o T h e a t r e Company to date It is an exhilarating British Bollywood musical that delves into the life of a young British South Asian woman thrust into the dazzling realm of the world's largest film industry and takes you on Frankie's vibrant journey to stardom, revealing that not everything that glimmers is gold

In an interview with Asian Voice, Mr Pravesh talks about his upcoming play, Bollywood and where the diaspora fits in all of this

‘FrankieGoes to Bollywood’ seems like a fun and relaxed experience on the outside, but it actually tries to take a strong stance What are the major themes that this play works on?

Rifco Theatre Company has not done a Bollywood themed production for many years now Of course, much of the work has the tone and colour of popular South Asian culture, but it was high time we went back and looked at the

All my work is derived from real life I have interviewed many actors and actresses and been to many Indian film sets, witnessing the ongoings first-hand This musical is based on many true events but isn’t the story of anyone in particular

As an insider what are some stereotypical perspectives about Bollywood that you’ve found are actually true and vice-versa?

Nepotism is a huge issue in Bollywood

A c t o r s l i k e K a n g a n a c o n s t a n t l y c a l l i t o u t , because she has had to graft with no ‘godfather’ to watch over her It’s a huge problem because Bollywood is not a talent-based industry, it is a family business And like anything that starts to be inbred, it needs a blood transfusion Just look at all the great films coming of out the South Industry, they have been making good cinema for years, and yes, they have some nepotism too but it is not anywhere near Bollywood There is also little respect for writers in Bollywood and that is the biggest problem, no script - no good film! Everything is ‘hero’ led and some of those films work but how many of those can you keep watching? We all want a good story and acting to

National Portrait Gallery reopens with a remarkable collection

L as t w e ek, th e N ati o n al P ortrait Gallery reopened its d oors following an extensive t h ree - yea r re no v a ti o n, w hich amounted to a cost of £ 41 3 m illion Th e reop ening c er em o n y w as g r ac ed by C ath erine, th e P rincess of W al es T h e g a ll ery no w sh owcases a rem arkable coll ec ti o n o f p o rtra i ts t h at sp ans six centuries, offering a cap tivating narrative o f the U ni ted K in g d o m 's h i s to ry from the Tud or era to the p resent d ay T h e c o l l e c t i o n h o u s e d within the gallery consists of 4,000 paintings, sculptures, and miniatures, along with 8,500 works on paper It not o n l y r e f l e c t s t h e r i c h tapestry of British history but also addresses contemporary themes such as the Black Lives Matter move-

m e n t a n d t h e i n f l u e n t i a l w o m e n w h o h a v e s h a p e d history F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e gallery's displays highlight the deep and intricate connection between Britain and I n d i a , e n c o m p a s s i n g t h e period of colonial rule, the tumultuous war years, the f i g h t f o r I n d i a n i n d e p e ndence, and the subsequent growth of the Indian comm u n i t y w i t h i n t h e U K N o t e w o r t h y f i g u r e s l i k e F a r r u k h D h o n d y a n d t h e l a t e M a l a S e n , p r o m i n e n t activists from their time in the East End of London, are featured in the exhibition

A section titled "History Makers Now" showcases a p o r t r a i t o f t h e a c c l a i m e d a c t o r R i z A h m e d , w h i l e

w a l l T h e w o r k s o f renowned personalities like S i r S a l m a n R u s h d i e , c a ptured by Bhupen Khakhar, N o o r I n a y a t K h a n , p o rtrayed by Felix Man, and VS N a i p a u l , d e p i c t e d b y B i l l Brandt, can also be found among the gallery's diverse collection

A d d i t i o n a l l y , v i s i t o r s w i l l e n c o u n t e r a b u s t o f J a w a h a r l a l N e h r u , I n d i a ' s first prime minister, sculpted by Jacob Epstein, placed adjacently to a photograph o f N e h r u ' s s i s t e r , t h e e s t e e m e d d i p l o m a t V i j a y Lakshmi Pandit Alongside t h e m i s a p h o t o g r a p h o f B e g u m Z u b e i d a H a b i b R a h i m t o o l a , t a k e n d u r i n g h e r h u s b a n d ' s t e n u r e a s Pakistan s first high comm i s s i o n e r i n L o n d o n i n

1947

dig into, right?

We always talk about the challenges faced by the diaspora in the UK Focusing on the flip side is it equally challenging for British Asians to make a mark in an industry like Bollywood?

Having seen the industry from both sides, it is pretty much impossible unless of course you have a relative that will write, fund or produce your film There has been a big conveyer belt of v e r y y o u n g B r i t i s h A s i a n g i r l s g o i n g i n t o Bollywood and this is what disturbs me the most! Young girls with middle-aged men on screen, and no one is saying anything? How are we watching this? In a country and culture where domestic violence against women is one of the worst in the world, there are some serious questions we need to ask ourselves as an audience who watches these films

What do you have to say about the representation of the South Asian diaspora in terms of storytelling in theatre plays?

It’s taken me years to really get Rifco Theatre Company to where it is today It’s not been easy getting our important stories on the main stages of this country Theatre has now really started to look at a great range of our stories but this is just the tip of the iceberg I’m so happy to see other theatre companies, writers and directors making new theatre and this is how we change the landscape You can’t be what you can’t see Representation matters

I got to make my first feature film, Little English which is based on my play ’There’s Something About Simmy’ - it was released across the country to mains stream cinemas and lots of brown people went to the cinema to see themselves authentically represented I hope we can keep making waves and keep telling important and until stories

“The Empress” all set to woo the audience

Tanika Gup ta’s “Th e Em press ” is all set to take the stage on 18th July, Swan Th eatre, Stratford-upo nA von

Spanning 13 years over the ‘Golden Era’ of Empire, the play narrates the story which blends the experiences of Indian ayahs and lascars who worked on the ships carrying trade goods, alongside the first Indian politician to be elected as a Member of Parliament This epic story reveals how socially diverse the Asian presence was in nineteenth century Britain

A s ig n i fic a n t p a in t i n g b y Philip de Lá szló, portr aying t w o In d i a n so l d ie r s w ho s e r v e d d u r in g t he F ir s t Worl d War, is in danger of l e a vi n g t h e U K un l e ss a b uy er within t he coun try is found Valued at £650,000, the a r t w o r k d e p i c t s R i s a l d a r J a g a t S i n g h a n d R i s a l d a r M a n S i n g h , b o t h c a v a l r y o f f i c e r s w h o h e l d j u n i o r troop commander roles in t h e B r i t i s h I n d i a n A r m y ' s Expeditionary Force They fought valiantly at the Battle of the Somme The soldiers p o s e d f o r t h e p a i n t i n g i n London merely two months before being dispatched to France to join the trenches N o t a b l y , t h i s a r t w o r k i s exceptionally rare as it portrays active Indian particip a n t s i n t h e F i r s t W o r l d War, providing a unique perspective on the conflict

The painting serves as a remarkable example of de László's portraiture, showcasing the skill of one of the most renowned artists of the twentieth century It captures an important moment in British history when soldiers from across the Empire were deployed to Europe for the war effort

It appears that the painting was originally intended for de László's personal collection and remained in his s t u d i o u n t i l h i s d e a t h i n 1937 Now, there is an urgent n e e d t o f i n d a d o m e s t i c b u y e r t o e n s u r e t h a t t h i s v a l u a b l e p i e c e o f a r t w o r k remains within the UK

Based on the significant historical and cultural value of the painting depicting the Indian soldiers' contribution to the war effort, it is recomm e n d e d t h a t t h e e x p o r t l i c e n c e a p p l i c a t i o n b e deferred This deferral period, set to end on 13 July 2023, allows for ample time for potential buyers to consider purchasing the artwork at the recommended price of £650,000

Directed by Pooja Ghai, Artistic Director of Tamasha, Tanika Gupta’s The Empress will take you from the rugged gangways of Tilbury docks to the grandeur of Queen Victoria’s Palace, whilst unveiling the long and embedded culture of British Asian history

During the initial deferr a l p e r i o d , o w n e r s o f t h e p a i n t i n g w i l l h a v e 1 5 Business Days to evaluate any offers received for its p u r c h a s e S u b s e q u e n t l y , i f a n O p t i o n A g r e e m e n t i s signed, the second deferral period will commence, lasting for three months This extension allows for further o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o e x p l o r e potential buyers who recognize the painting's outstanding significance to the study of the Indian contribution to the war effort and the individuals involved

Pravesh Kumar MBE

‘Story of Now’ aims to introduce children to the British Empire

S tory o f No w, a bo ok by S helina Janmo ham ed , is d ue for release on 3rd Augu st, 2 0 2 3 T h e bo o k a im s to t eac h c h i ld ren ab o u t t h e h istory of th e Empire and instead o f end lessly listing K ing s and Queens, battles and dates, this book introd uces child ren to the ideas and experiences of real p eop le I t h e l p s d i s c o v e r t h e f o r c e s b e h i n d t h e b i g g e s t e m p i r e o f a l l t i m e a n d answers some big questions like what does it mean to be B r i t i s h ? W h a t d o p e o p l e believe in? What makes us the country we are and why?

The book chronicles stories from real children all o v e r t h e w o r l d ; c h i l d r e n who may have lived at different times, had different

Mo Khan’s “I Don’t Mind” brings musical powerhouses together

Mo Khan is a music p roducer ba se d in London who has been workin g with in the British Asian Music in dustry for a round 15 ye ars an d is curr ent ly wor king on his own a lbum So fa r, he ha s r eleased 2 singles tha t were fea ture d an d topped t he char ts on BBC Asian N etwor k

experiences, skin colour and religions but they have one t h i n g i n c o m m o n – t h e British Empire It aims to discover how British Empire i m p a c t e d c o u n t r i e s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s a c r o s s t h e world and, most importantly, discover its impact on children

The Royal Court Theatre announces ‘Word-Play’

T h e Ro yal C o u rt T h eat re h a s ann o u nc ed Rab i ah Hussain's new play, WordP l ay , d i re ct ed b y Ni m m o Ism ail Issam Al Ghussain, K osar Ali, Simon M anyonda, S i r in e S aba , a nd Y u sr a Warsama hav e been selected t o b ri ng th i s ca p ti v at in g p rod uction to life

W o r d - P l a y d e l v e s i n t o the hierarchical structures of language and the profound and enduring impacts t h e y h a v e T h i s t h o u g h tp r o v o k i n g p l a y e x a m i n e s h o w l a n g u a g e i n f l u e n c e s and shapes our lives, revealing the intricate dynamics at play

Rabiah Hussain had the o p p o r t u n i t y t o d e v e l o p W o r d - P l a y d u r i n g h e r attachment as part of the R o y a l C o u r t T h e a t r e a n d Kudos Writing Fellowship in 2019 This valuable exper i e n c e p r o v i d e d a f e r t i l e ground for the play's creation and allowed Hussain to further explore and refine her ideas

The play is scheduled to r u n a t t h e R o y a l C o u r t J e r w o o d T h e a t r e U p s t a i r s from Thursday, July 20 to Saturday, August 26, 2023, with the press night taking place on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 7pm

Indian author wins Elizabeth Longford Prize

Indian auth or Ram ch andra

G uh a rec eiv ed the pres tig io u s El i za bet h L o n g f o rd P r i ze fo r H i st o ri ca l Biog raphy 2023 , co inciding w it h th e p ri ze 's 2 0 th anniv ersary Guh a m ad e a statem ent em phasising that the debate su rround ing th e m eri ts and d r aw b ac ks o f emp ire d oes not hav e to be d ivisiv e or co ntentiou s H i s a w a r d - w i n n i n g b o o k , “ R e b e l s a g a i n s t t h e R a j : W e s t e r n F i g h t e r s f o r

India's Freedom” (published by William Collins), delves into the remarkable tale of s e v e n w h i t e i n d i v i d u a l s , consisting of four men and three women These individuals faced severe consequences at the hands of the ruling British establishment

Mo’s new single “I Don't Mind” featuring Mutya Buena from the Sugababes was released on the 7th of July In a conversation with Asian Voice, he talks about his music career, accomplishments and his upcoming single

How did your musical journey begin and how has it evolved over the years?

Living in a multicultural environment, I started learning at a very young age and had a chance to experience music from all over the world My father saw my interest in music and being a composer himself, he bought me a Sequencer Keyboard at the age of 9 I gradually got really good at it, to the point where I once started an impromptu music night at a restaurant

By the time I was 11, I was sequencing music and used to save the projects on small Floppy Disks After a bit of research about the technological aspects, I bugged my dad for a year before I finally got a computer powerful enough to make music Since then I have travelled the world, learned to play more instruments, worked with very talented artists and became a full-time music producer/artist

How have your South Asian roots helped your art? Are there any Indian singers who served as an inspiration?

ing to vocals while A R Rahman taught me how to make everything sound huge while still sounding pleasing More recently Sonu Nigam and Arijit Singh are all inspirations to my music I try to mix all the different genres together by bringing the South Asian Roots and merging them with our UK style!

What are some challenges that you’ve faced as a South Asian artist in the UK?

I don't think there are any challenges being South Asian I believe if you are good at what you do, especially in music it doesn t matter where you re from or what your roots are, The world will appreciate you and your talents I have seen this first hand while growing up listening to Apache Indian who became one of the biggest South Asian artists internationally recognised Not forgetting Jay Sean and Raghav! All of these artists have carved their way into the world by being the best and I feel this is what it takes

What genre of music do you prefer listening to? How do your listening choices affect your music composition?

'Nai Jeena' and it was released on VYRL which is a subsidiary of Universal Music India They liked my music and got in touch with me Amaal gave his input on the song and introduced me to Kunaal Verma, who wrote an amazing hook and collectively we agreed we should get a male and a female

S o u r c e T w t t e r

Being South Asian has played a massive part in my development I am proud of our heritage and how we have so many different genres Indian music has a massive influence on my music

I prefer to listen to every genre of music I grew up listening to R&B, Hip Hop, House and 2step music of course not forgetting Bollywood, Qawwali, Ghazals, folk music All these genres are locked inside my head! I am constantly learning and trying to find innovative ways to merge genres together In my previous song 'Sweet Surrender' that featured the amazing Kelsey, was a UK Garage Vibe with a hook vocal from a very talented Sufi Artist from Pakistan So I'm constantly trying to merge genres and of course trying to bring my South Asian roots into it

singer I mixed and mastered the entire record

Can you elaborate on your upcoming track ‘I Don’t Mind’? What is in store for the audience with this track?

Guha

for their support of India's struggle for independence Among the seven, four were British, two were American, and one was Irish

In addition to receiving a cheque worth £5,000, the w i n n e r o f t h e E l i z a b e t h

L o n g f o r d P r i z e f o r

H i s t o r i c a l B i o g r a p h y 2 0 2 3 was presented with a bound copy of Elizabeth Longford's a u t o b i o g r a p h y , t i t l e d T h e Pebbled Shore (1986)

Growing up, I was listening to Ghazals, Qawwali, Bollywood music and folk music, and when artists like Timbaland, Just Blaze, Dr Dre and Scott Storch started sampling the Indian forms, I was inspired Asian instruments became an integral part of all my songs to a point where now my sound is defined by some of the amazing unheard South Asian instruments I have used and sampled Nusrat Fateh Ali, Mehdi Hassan, Abida Parveen and Pankaj Udhas taught me how to add feel-

You have collaborated with artists like Asim Azhar, Palak Muchhal and Amaal Malik in the past

How do musical collaborations usually work?

What is the energy mix like?

Working with so many artists, it's all about energy in the studio that can lead to a great song When it comes to working with more established artists who know what they want, it's almost a battle trying to get your ideas heard but working with Asim Azhar, Yash Narvekar, Palak Muchhal, Amaal Malik etc, they invited me for the type of music I do and produce The track is called

My new single 'I Don't Mind' is a collaborative project For this song, I produced the entire beat first before inviting Justin who is my in-house songwriter to the studio Justin loved the vibe and collectively we came up with an awesome hook We then worked on it for a few days perfecting the lyrics and the music so it all merges well together before sending it to the singer In this instance, I sent it to Mutya Buena from the Sugababes who is a very close friend of mine and I felt that her vibe and singing style would be perfect for the song She loved the song, came to the studio and we recorded the track It combines all our musical styles and showcases my production/writing influence with Mutya's amazing vocals and undeniable charisma Our collaboration on the song represents a union of musical powerhouses who have united for the passion for creating memorable and timeless music

Having collaborated with Mutya Buena and Justin Edwards for ‘I Don’t Mind’, what is your favourite aspect about this collaboration?

It easily has to be the time we spent in the studio The vibe was amazing and we were loving every second of it We had

incredible energy in the studio when we were producing, writing and recording the song We had laughs, played jokes on each other, had food together and generally just vibed out the entire day! I take studio sessions as vibes and energies I bounce off others as they bounce off me, I like to make people feel comfortable to get the best out of them We spent the first half of the day just talking about what our plans were, how we see the song fit within the industry and how we feel we can push the song once released Mutya and Justin bring so much energy and it shows in the song Can you shed light on an experience that has been the biggest highlight of your career?

The biggest highlight of my career so far has been releasing the music that I have worked so hard to create I want people to hear my story through my music and I feel now is the right time I have worked with some incredibly talented artists from across the world and by taking in the experiences and learning from all the long sessions I've had; I was certain to release my own music which represents me as an artist I have compiled an album of songs that is featuring amazing artists The Album is called ' Ijazat Hai' and it will be released later this year! I cannot wait for it to be released and to showcase my talent as an Artist, producer, songwriter and composer out to the world

Mo Khan

Ramchandra

Alpesh Patel OBE

T he one th ing we learnt about MP' s 's ecret' u ndisclo sed s hareho ldings (s tory in th e Guardian) is MP s are po or at inves ting Barcl ays a p opu lar pick is down 50% in the pas t decade Maybe if th ey bo ught more - th e c omp any wo uld h ave h ad s ome p olitic al oversight asking wh y its management has let do wn p ens io ners wh o are sh areh olders

And on the issue of BT's potential takeover by the Germans Well the share price is the lowest in over 30 years Consider this too is probably in your pension fund because of the 'genius' investment trust fund managers you entrusted to screw your pension over

Back to those MP stocks: BP was popular - it's at 1997 price levels So was Sainsburys - at 2000 price levels - the level when I wrote in my Financial Times column I am only buying US stocks (Good job I also decided not to be an MP) HSBC was also well liked - great because it's at 1997 price levels! Seriously, I am questioning the judgement of MPs - but that would be a first wouldn't it

There is a reason our Government's allow us to invest tax free in foreign companies via ISAs and SIPPs!

This past week I was in Oxford Let me tell you my journey as a trader and investor: Tracing the Roots of Success from Oxford to Wall Street

The Oxford effect isn't just a theory or an obscure notion to me; it's a lived experience Oxford isn't just a place that expects; it s a place that instills, inculcates, and nurtures

It s a place that hones raw potential into honed intellect and ambition into measured success It's the foundation where I learned the art of critical thinking in scary one to one tutorials with tutors such as David Butler, complex problemsolving, and the ability to assimilate and evaluate diverse streams of information swiftly – skills that are incredibly essential in the world of trading and investing

When I became a Visiting Fellow, all of this was multiplied

When I transitioned into the world of trading and investing, the parallels were apparent The labyrinthine streets of Oxford were replaced with the complex web of the financial markets The stacks of books and research papers turned into the fluctuating trends and patterns of economic data The robust discussions in classrooms found their echoes in the negotiation rooms with investors

The intellectual rigour that Oxford demanded of me became my armour in the often unforgiving world of trading on Wall Street Just like at Oxford, I found myself continually learning and adapting In the financial world, similar to the academic world, there are always new theories to understand, new strategies to deploy, and new challenges to overcome

When in 2005 I held the first hedge fund board meeting off Wall St at our prime brokers, following a meeting with the traders at the NYSE who would be executing our trades, I knew the confidence of the Oxford effect was core to getting here I did not fit in many other ways Chutzpah as they say in the Big Apple

So, as I look at this picture this week back in Oxford, I see the beginning of a journey that led me to where I am todaytrader and investor It all ties back to those formative years, under the spires of the Oxford skyline, where I learned that the only constant is change and that continuous learning and adaptability are the key drivers of success

Ang San Suu Kyi put it well, "Oxford Expects" One cannot feel humbled at best and a total failure at worst

Perhaps this is the Oxford Effect at its core: a relentless pursuit of knowledge, adaptability, and resilience that not only prepares us for academia but also for the broader canvas of life, whether that's on Wall Street or any other endeavor we choose to pursue And it's something I carry with me every day, in every transaction, in every decision, and in every success

(Post script: I was in Oxford with dozens of Pakistani students this past week judging their business plans to make their country better Will write about that separately I am Indian btw - fascinating read My work as a Visiting Fellow w a s p u b l i s h e d i n m y b o o k b y M a c m i l l a n ' I n v e s t i n g Unplugged' you can download it for free from www investing-champions com)

Biggest drop in UK house prices since 2011

UK house prices are experienci ng th eir m os t s ig ni ficant annu al d ec lin e s inc e 20 11, ind icating strain in the prop erty market d ue to rising borrowing co sts In June, the average cost of a hom e dro pped by 2 6% compared to the p revious year, reaching £ 28 5, 93 2 A d di tio nally, there was a 0 1 % d ecrease in p ri ce s i n t h e l as t m o n th alo n e, m ark i ng th e th i rd co n se cu t iv e m o nth l y decline

T h e r e i s s p e c u l a t i o n that the Bank of England will need to continue rais-

ing interest rates in order to c o n t r o l p e r s i s t e n t l y h i g h inflation This speculation has resulted in an increase in the cost of mortgages, with the rates for the most c o m m o n f i x e d - r a t e l o a n s now surpassing 6% and now

Issa brothers backing hydrogen-powered lorry start-up

Bi ll io n ai re I ss a bro t h ers , Mohsin and Zuber who o wn A sd a a re b an kro l li ng a fled gling zero emission lorry co mpany and plan to create Bri ta i n ’ s fi r st net w o rk o f hy d ro g en fu el s tat io ns to su pport the d ecarbonisation of Britain’s 30 0,0 00 heav y good s v eh icles

H V S , f o u n d e d i n G l a s g o w a s H y d r o g e n Vehicle Systems in 2017, is t e s t i n g a n d d e v e l o p i n g a lorry running on hydrogen fuel cells at the automotive i n d u s t r y ’ s M i r a p r o v i n g g r o u n d a t N u n e a t o n , W a r w i c k s h i r e , a f t e r w i nning £21 million of taxpayerfunded grants

The company also has a t t r a c t e d £ 3 0 m i l l i o n o f i n v e s t m e n t f r o m M o h s i n

and Zuber Issa, who made their fortune with the Euro Garages petrol station business that they have merged with Asda, the supermarkets chain they bought during the pandemic HVS plans to start production by 2026 as a first mover in a sector that is proving slow to cut its carbon emissions

It is understood that the I s s a b r o t h e r s ’ E G G r o u p b e l i e v e s t h a t a h y d r o g e n long-range lorry fleet can be s e r v i c e d b y o n l y s e v e n strategically sited hydrogen f i l l i n g s t a t i o n s o n t h e m o t o r w a y n e t w o r k : a t D o v e r , o n t h e n o r t h e r n stretches of the M25, in the Midlands and near Bristol, M a n c h e s t e r , L e e d s a n d Glasgow

the possibility of inter-

e s t r a t e s t o 6 5 % b y

December, reaching the highest level since 1998

This news adds to con-

cerns about the housing

m a r k e t , w i t h a n a l y s t s

p r e d i c t i n g a p o t e n t i a l

1 0 % d r o p i n h o u s e prices from their peak in the summer of the previous year

T h e c o o l i n g h o u s i n g market is further evident in

d a t a f r o m N a t i o n w i d e

B u i l d i n g S o c i e t y , w h o s e house price index revealed a 3 5% decline compared to

the previous year, marking t h e m o s t s i g n i f i c a n t decrease since 2009 While many individuals have yet to feel the full impact of the surge in borrowing costs, industry body UK Finance e s t i m a t e s t h a t a r o u n d 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 f i x e d - r a t e l o a n s will need refinancing in the second half of this year, and an additional 1 6 million in 2024 This indicates potential challenges for homeowners who may face higher mortgage repayments in t h e c o m i n g m o n t h s a n d years

BoE governor accuses retailer of overcharging on petrol, other goods

Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of E ngland, has c ritici sed retailers for adding additional fi nancial pressure on households by overcharging on petrol and other goods This comes at a time when UK authori ti es ar e fa c i n g c h a ll e ng e s i n controlling i nflation Bailey has emphasised the need to address inflated fuel pric es as a means to bring i nflati o n, wh i c h c u rr e nt l y stands above 8%, b ac k i n line with the B ank's target of 2 %

B a i l e y ' s r e m a r k s a r e likely to intensify the pressure on petrol retailers The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and other watchdogs have been collaborating with the govern-

Explanation sought from bank bosses over low rates on savings

The U K's financial watchd og h as summ oned bank executives to add ress co ncerns ov er low interest rates o n sav ing s While hig her interest rates hav e caused m ortgage costs to rise sharp ly, savings rates hav e not increased at the sam e pace C hancellor Jerem y Hunt acknowledges th is as an issue that requires a solution, p articularly as m any hou seholds are stru ggling with the rising cost of liv ing The heads o f Lloyds, HSBC, NatWest, and Barclays banks w ill meet with the F inancial C onduct Authority ( FCA ) to d iscuss these matters

According to reports, the FCA will discuss savings rates and the banks' communication with customers during the meeting HSBC stated that it has raised its savings rates multiple times for every savings product since the beginning of last year The Bank of England has been gradually increasing interest rates in an attempt to address soaring inflation The base rate, which directly affects mortgage and savings rates, currently stands at 5%, a significant increase from near zero 18 months ago The aim of the Bank of England s strategy is to make borrowing more expensive and saving more appealing, with the intention of reducing consumer spending and cooling price rises However, while average mortgage rates have risen above 6%, returns on savings and current accounts have increased by a much smaller margin The average rate for a two-year mortgage deal reached 6 47%, while the average easy access savings rate stood at 2 45%, creating a gap of 4 02 percentage points The average one-year fixed savings rate was 4 8%

UK’s inflation rates remain unchanged

A c c or d i n g t o l a te s t da t a , B ri t a i n ' s i n f la t i o n r a te rem ained unchanged in M ay, d e f y i n g e x p ec ta t i o n s of a s lowdown i n price i ncreas es T h e O f f i c e f or N a t i o n a l Statis ti cs reported a cons um er pric e inc rea se of 8 7 per cen t c om pared to the same period las t year, matc hi ng April's figures Ec onom ists had predicted a slight dip in pri ces, but the data sugges ts otherw ise

This development is likely

to heighten concerns about t h e c o u n t r y ' s c o s t - o f - l i v i n g c r i s i s , a s m o r t g a g e h o l d e r s f a c e t h e b u r d e n o f h i g h e r i n t e r e s t r a t e s a i m e d a t a d d r e s s i n g p e r s i s t e n t i n f l a -

tionary pressures

The Bank of England is widely expected to raise interest rates for the 13th consecutive time, with a quarter-point i n c r e a s e t o 4 7 5 p e r c e n t , r e a c h i n g t h e h i g h e s t l e v e l since early 2008 Recent wage

d a t a r e v e a l e d f a s t e r - t h a nanticipated growth in pay, further contributing to inflationa r y p r e s s u r e s A d d i t i o n a l l y , the statistics agency reported that core inflation, excluding energy and food prices, rose to 7 1 p e r c e n t o v e r t h e y e a r through May, the highest pace since 1992 Services inflation, a crucial indicator for policymakers, also climbed to 7 4 per cent from 6 9 per cent in April B r i t a i n ' s h e a d l i n e i n f l a -

t i o n r a t e h a s i n d e e d decreased from its peak of 11 1 p e r c e n t i n O c t o b e r

However, it remains relativel y h i g h , p a r t i c u l a r l y w h e n compared to other countries I n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , t h e Consumer Price Index rose by 4 per cent in May compared t o t h e p r e v i o u s y e a r S i m i l a r l y , i n t h e e u r o z o n e , inflation averaged 6 1 per cent in the last month for the 20 countries that utilise the euro

ment to protect consumers and have recently agreed upon measures to prevent price gouging

There is a growing concern about "greedflation," whereby companies exploit high inflation as an excuse to further increase prices and boost profit margins In response, the government has instructed regulators to take action against unfair price hikes throughout the country R e t a i l e r s h a v e p u s h e d back against these allegat i o n s H o w e v e r , B a i l e y stressed the negative effects o f " g r e e d f l a t i o n " a n d emphasized the importance of promoting fairness and saving money for people in the process

Ford ends production of UK’s all-time bestselling car

The last F ord Fiesta rolled off the assem bly line, marking the end of an era for a m odel that h as sold 22 million v eh icles wo rldwid e and holds th e title of the UK's all-tim e bestselling car T his significant mo ment took place at Ford's factory in C o lo g n e, Ge rm an y H ow ev e r, a s F o rd bi d s farewell to the Fiesta, it is preparing to introd uce a new lineup of electric v eh icles, signaling a shift in its p rod uction strateg y

“At Ford in Europe, we are rapidly transitioning to an electric future As part of this transition, production of the Fiesta in Cologne, Germany, will be discontinued from 7 July, and a new era at the Cologne electric vehicle centre will begin ”Ford said in a statement

The fate of the final two Fiestas holds symbolic value One will be retained in Germany, while the other will join Ford s UK heritage collection This milestone coincides with the impending 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars Erin Baker, the editorial director of AutoTrader, an online vehicle trading marketplace, predicts that Ford's transition to electric cars will mirror the wider industry trend as the ban approaches T h e F o r d F i e s t a w a s i n t r o d u c e d b y t h e Michigan-based carmaker in 1976 as a response to the growing demand for smaller and more fuelefficient vehicles Over its impressive 47-year tenure on UK roads, the Fiesta has maintained its status as a modern classic Out of the 22 million Fiestas sold worldwide, a significant 4 8 million were sold in the UK Notably, the Fiesta held the title of the UK's top-selling model for an uninterr u p t e d 1 2 - y e a r p e r i o d f r o m 2 0 0 9 t o 2 0 2 0

However, the popularity of smaller cars has dwindled in recent years, largely due to the rising dominance of larger sports utility vehicles (SUVs)

Jio set to sign £1.32 bn deal with Nokia for 5G equipment

India's Reliance Jio Infocomm is likely to sign a contract w orth £1 32 billio n w ith Nokia to purch ase 5G network equipment, according to repo rts Th e contract could be sig ned in Helsinki, F inland, where Nokia is headquartered , the report added

I n O c t o b e r o f l a s t y e a r , a s J i o prepared to expand cellular services in India, the telecom division of Reliance

I n d u s t r i e s s e l e c t e d N o k i a a s a k e y provider

In an auction for 5G spectrum last August, Jio purchased airwaves worth $11 billion and already had 5G services a v a i l a b l e i n a n u m b e r o f c i t i e s

Additionally, it is collaborating with G o o g l e t o i n t r o d u c e a l o w - c o s t 5 G smartphone A c c o r d i n g t o r e p o r t s , H S B C , J P Morgan and Citigroup are among those

RBI group seeks to boost acceptance of rupee outside India

T he Reserv e Bank of Ind ia's i n ter -d ep ar tm e nta l g r o u p constituted to look at the i nternatio nalisation o f the rupee has sug gested th at in a n i nc rea s in g ly p o l ar is ed w orld, India sh ould explore alternatives to the US do llar and the euro as strong forex reserv es are not a sufficient d efen ce ag ai ns t e co no m i c sanctions

The group has proposed a h o s t o f m e a s u r e s t o increase the acceptance of t h e r u p e e o u t s i d e I n d i a n borders Allowing foreigners to hold rupee accounts in overseas branches is one of the ideas for the near future

Increasing the usage of UPI for cross-border payments as well as currency market t r a d i n g a r o u n d - t h e - c l o c k have also been advised

The working group has a d v i s e d t h a t t h e r u p e e

should be included in the s p e c i a l d r a w i n g r i g h t s (SDRs) of the International Monetary Fund, which serve as an alternative to keeping d o l l a r r e s e r v e s a n d n o w represent the value of the dollar, euro, renminbi, yen, and British pound

“While the Asian crisis o f 1 9 9 7 - 1 9 9 8 u n d e r s c o r e d the necessity of emerging m a r k e t e c o n o m i e s h a v i n g s t r o n g f o r e i g n e x c h a n g e reserves to manage external shocks, in an increasingly polarised world, it no longer s e e m s s u f f i c i e n t d e f e n c e a g a i n s t t h e t h r e a t o f e c o n o m i c s a n c t i o n s T h e IDG, therefore, feels that it is imperative for India to c o n t i n u e e x p l o r i n g alternatives to both the USD a n d t h e e u r o , ” t h e g r o u p c h a i r e d b y R a d h a S h y a m Ratho said in its report

b a c k i n g J i o ' s 5 G - r e l a t e d p u r c h a s e s , while European export credit agency Finnvera will be issuing guarantees to the lenders to extend offshore loans to Jio S w e d i s h t e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n company Ericsson had in October last year, announced a partnership with Jio to build a 5G standalone network in India Jio announced the release of a 4G feature phone earlier this week in an effort to attract those who have not yet switched to smartphones, but analysts said the move was unlikely to have a s i g n i f i c a n t i m p a c t o n t h e I n d i a n telecom market

Adani Green to sell equity for £1.23 bn via QIP route

G a ut a m A d a n i ’ s A d a n i G r ee n En e r gy wi ll s e l l shares worth £1 23 billion to institutional in vestors , day s after he sold a 2 9% stake i n th e c om pa n y t o G Q G Partners for £423 2 mi llion

The cash will be used by the renewables company, w h i c h F r a n c e ' s TotalEnergies owns around 2 0 % o f , f o r b u s i n e s s e x p a n s i o n T h e b u s i n e s s i n t e n d s t o i n c r e a s e i t s green energy capacity by r o u g h l y 3 g i g a w a t t s t h i s f i s c a l y e a r , a t a c o s t o f a b o u t £ 1 4 b i l l i o n , a c c o r d i n g t o i t s C F O P h u n t s o k W a n g y a l , w h o made the announcement in May

A d a n i G r e e n ' s b o a r d has approved a fund-raising strategy using the qualified i n s t i t u t i o n a l p l a c e m e n t ( Q I P ) r o u t e , a n d t h e company is now looking for shareholder approval The

Double edged sword

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

C urrently , rates , es peci ally for commercial borrowi ng, a re around the 10% mark I spok e to a cli ent on ly y este rday, who fixe d a deal for 10 4 9% for 5 yea rs Some may say this w as n ot a wis e move Clearly this clien t is e xpecting thin gs to w orsen , or he may jus t wa nt the comf ort of s tab ility , kn owin g what he w ill be pa yin g for the fi ve year s; and thi s is the price he’s pre pared to pa y f or thi s comfort Bridgi ng len ders too have s tarted to e dge the prices up, s omeon e we work clos ely w ith has moved up from 0 8% pm to 1%; w hich, relativ e to w hat’s goi ng on in the mar ket, i sn ’t actually that much of a hi ke

There are some seasoned investors who would not touch bridging with a barge pole We certainly have a few tales to tell in this regards However it is a tool which has its use, but needs to be used very carefully; the end goal must be in sight and executable before one enters into a bridge

s h a r e h o l d e r ' s a p p r o v a l i s good for 12 months Adani a n d h i s f a m i l y w i l l l o s e around 8% of their present 5 7 % o w n e r s h i p i n A d a n i G r e e n t o t h e c o m p a n y ' s post-equity capital

In May, the Ahmedabad b a s e d b u s i n e s s t y c o o n ’ s t w o o t h e r c o m p a n i e s , A d a n i E n t e r p r i s e s a n d A d a n i T r a n s m i s s i o n , announced that they will collectively raise up to £2 1 b i l l i o n t h r o u g h t h e Q I P m o d e Q I P i s a l e s s r e g u l a t e d r o u t e t h a n a public market offering like follow on offering (FPO) to r a i s e m o n e y f r o m institutions such as banks and funds It will also help a company to broad-base its s h a r e h o l d i n g a n d a t t r a c t more research analysts to c o v e r i t A c c o r d i n g t o B l o o m b e r g , o n l y o n e a n a l y s t c u r r e n t l y t r a c k s Adani Green

After TCS, Tata Steel sacks 35 for breach of ethical code

T ata Steel h as fi red 35 wo rkers fo r v iolating its cod e of conduct, just days after TCS (Tata Consultancy Serv ices) fired six employees o ver the bribes-forjo bs controversy

“We have taken action against 38 people who have been dismissed by t h e c o m p a n y , ” s a i d T a t a S t e e l c h a i r m a n N C h a n d r a s e k a r a n H e a d d e d t h a t 3 5 w e r e f i r e d f o r “unacceptable practices bordering on ethical issues” and three for sexual misconduct

The steel major looked into and responded to whistleblower concerns r e g a r d i n g a n u m b e r o f m a t t e r s , including abuse of authority, conflicts of interest, and contract management agreements

Addressing shareholders at Tata S t e e l ’ s a n n u a l g e n e r a l m e e t i n g ,

Chandrasekaran said the company has made significant acquisitions in the last few years and initiated a drive for a n o p e n c u l t u r e “ E m p l o y e e c a n

express his or her concerns It c o u l d b e o n s e x u a l harassment or a practice they noticed at the company We a r e e n c o u r a g i n g p e o p l e t o r e c o r d t h e i r g r i e v a n c e s A combination of these factors l e d t o a h i g h e r n u m b e r o f complaints We received 875 complaints last fiscal, and 158 w e r e r e l a t e d t o w h i s t l e b l o w e r s , 4 8 w e r e regarding safety and 669 on HR and other behavioural issues ” “As a company, we are a global benchmark, so we will continue to push the culture where we uphold h i g h e s t v a l u e s a n d h a v e a z e r o tolerance policy,” he said

World Bank approves £1.17 bn for green energy in India

The World B ank’ s B oard of Executive Direc tors has recently approved £1 17 b illion dollars fin anci ng to a ccelerate I n di a ’ s de ve lop me n t of l ow -c a rb on en ergy The World Bank stated that t h e f u n d i n g w i l l a s s i s t I n di a i n p r om ot i n g lo w - c a r b o n e n e rg y through boosting renewab le en ergy , c re a t i n g g r e en h y dr o ge n , a n d en couragi ng clima te fi nanc e f or lowc arbon energy de ve lopmen ts “ I n d i a i s o n e o f t h e f a s t e s tgrowing large economies in the world W h i l e t h e c o u n t r y ’ s e n e r g y consumption per capita is only onethird of the global average, India’s

energy demand is expected to grow rapidly as the economy expands This calls for a phasing down of fossilb a s e d e n e r g y s o u r c e s i n l i n e w i t h India’s goal of achieving net-zero by

2 0 7 0 , ” s a i d t h e W o r l d B a n k

statement

Future energy consumption and emissions are mostly driven by the industrial sector, and green hydrogen c a n b e i n s t r u m e n t a l i n f i r s t d e c a r b o n i z i n g t h e c h a l l e n g i n g industrial sectors, such as fertiliser and refinery industries, and then the heavy industries, like the iron and steel industry

“ I n d i a h a s a c h i e v e d i m p r e s s i v e progress in renewable energy installed capacity and a decline in costs Scaling u p t h e p r o d u c t i o n o f r e n e w a b l e energy will accelerate the transition to low-carbon electricity and support the e m e r g e n c e a n d e x p a n s i o n o f t h e

g r e e n h y d r o g e n s e c t o r , ” s a i d t h e statement “The programme will support the s u c c e s s f u l i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e N a t i o n a l G r e e n H y d r o g e n M i s s i o n that aims to stimulate $100 billion in private sector investment by 2030, ” said Auguste Tano Kouame, World Bank country director for India

R e c e n t l y w e u s e d i t t o c o m p l e t e a n a u c t i o n purchase A property failed to sell at auction, and so the price was agreed post auction at about 30% below market value Given the small size and the location, this is an exceptional purchase We certainly haven’t come across a deal like this for a few years

As it was a simple BTL flat, it was anticipated that a conventional BTL mortgage would suffice We ran two applications in parallel, one lender took issue to one of the clients having a £2M mortgage in the background, and the other lender took issue to the other client having too many debts in the background All this was taking up valuable time The 28 days were coming to an end, notice was served, after this point one has ten days to complete or the deposit gets forfeited

Luckily we have a relationship with a family office who has private funds to deploy, these were deployed without the need of a valuation, due to the past relationship This saved valuable time However, we still had the lender’s lawyer who it seemed to us was f i n i c k y o v e r e v e r y m i n o r p o i n t ; n o d o u b t o u r perception was skewed due to the time pressure we had to complete under

However, we managed to get the deal funded within the notice period We have a third remortgage application running alongside which will be the exit for the bridge

The aim is to hold on to the asset for a five year period, as there is more growth to be had in this location

The discount can be tapped into by way of a refinance, rates permitting

The property is occupied by a tenancy unknown which is the reason for the discount in the auction Our local intelligence tells us this is an AST, therefore this can be dealt with in the normal manner, i e by serving the relevant notices and evicting the tenants

Once the property is rented at market level most of the money put into the deal can be extracted by way of refinance Allowing the client to be in a position to purchase again and take advantage of declining market conditions

Sitharaman asks officials to keep tabs on budget projects

I n di a ' s f i na n c e m i n i s te r Nirmala Si tharaman asked top officials in the ministry to ensure that they should k ee p c l os e t a bs on th e implementati on of budget announcements to ensure that they are implemented in a time-bound manner

T h e m i n i s t e r r e c e i v e d t h e d i r e c t i v e s w h i l e m e e t i n g w i t h s e c r e t a r i e s

from the corporate affairs a n d f i n a n c e m i n i s t r i e s

M a n y o f t h e b u d g e t announcements are based o n e x e c u t i v e d e c i s i o n s , even though some of them c a l l f o r l e g i s l a t i v e amendments A day prior to t h e F M m e e t i n g , P M

N a r e n d r a M o d i h a d a meeting with the council of ministers S i n c e t h e b u d g e t presentation was moved up to February 1, expenditures a n d o t h e r d e c i s i o n s c a n now be made starting in April, when the new fiscal year starts This allows the ministries time to plan the implementation and start issuing tenders, which are now awarded early, helping t o e n h a n c e c a p i t a l investment, which has been a m a i n e m p h a s i s o f t h e government Anyhow, the tax-related amendments go into effect in either April or July

Pak monsoon rains claim 55 lives, including eight children

I S LA M AB A D: The rains have r e tur n e d t o P ak i s t an a y ea r a f t e r th e c li m at e - i n d u c e d d own pou r i nun d ate d a t on e p oi n t on e -t hi r d of Pa k i st a n, ki lli ng 1,739 people

Authorities reported that 12 people, including eight child r e n , p e r i s h e d i n w e a t h e rrelated accidents in Pakistan amid concerns of flash floods, bringing the total number of fatalities from two weeks of monsoon rainfall to at least 55

Last week, a record-break-

4 GUJARATI STUDENTS KILLED IN TURKEY CAR ACCIDENT

ing downpour in the eastern metropolis of Lahore caused numerous streets to flood and disrupt daily life According to officials, 19 individuals have passed away in the city as a result of collapsed roofs and electrocution More rain was expected to fall in the city, according to Pakistan's weather service

Officials stated that at least e i g h t c h i l d r e n d i e d w h e n a massive landslide hit Shangla, a d i s t r i c t i n t h e K h y b e r

Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan Rescuers were trying to remove a large mud pile for fear that other missi n g c h i l d r e n w e r e buried under Heavy rain also continued t o l a s h t h e i m p o v e r i s h e d nation, overflowing the main rivers in the Punjab province, Jhelum and Chenab, prompting the disaster management agency to be on high alert for fear of flash floods

Lanka speaker thanks India for providing aid amid crisis

C O L O M B O : S r i L a n ka 's P a r l i a me nt S p e a ke r M a h i nd a Y a p a Ab e y w a r d e n a p rai se d New De lhi as a "close associa te" a nd a "trusted f rie nd " of Colombo and t hanke d i t for p rovi di ng t he i sla nd na tio n w i t h f i n a n ci a l a i d wh i l e i t st r u g g l e d t hroug h a n unp reced ented economic crisi s last ye ar

Sri Lanka was hit by a catastrophic financial crisis in 2022, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948, due to a s e v e r e p a u c i t y o f f o r e i g n e x c h a n g e reserves As the country struggled, locked in the throes of the crisis, India extended multi-pronged assistance of about USD 4 billion to it last year, through multiple credit lines and currency support, in line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy Abeywardena claimed that India "saved us" during the financial crisis and that w i t h o u t I n d i a , t h e r e w o u l d h a v e b e e n "another bloodbath for all of us" during his speech at the gala dinner reception held for the Indian Travel Congress members here

"Sri Lanka and India are very, very closely interconnected countries, culturally, nationally, and policy-wise, and above all, India has been a very close associate a n d t r u s t w o r t h y f r i e n d o f S r i L a n k a , " Abeywardena said, adding that when "we were in trouble", India always helped out And, even this time, today, I heard that India is willing to extend our restructuring of loans for 12 years Never expected, and never in history, not a single country has extended that kind of assistance," he said

Five Pakistanis arrested for ‘illegal emigration’

I S L A M A B A D : Fi v e P a k is t a n is ha v e be e n arrested on alle gat ions of “illegal emigration” to Is rael, which Islam abad does not rec ognise as a s tate, the news paper report ed quoting the Federal Investigation Age ncy (FIA)

All of the arrests were made in Pakistan, although there is little information available on the time of the suspects’ alleged return from Israel The FIA stated in a tweet that the arrests were carried out by its Mirpur khas crime circle, adding that the suspects had been working as “helpers and car washers” in Tel Aviv

Separately, the five people detained were all Mirpur khas residents who "travelled to Israel with the help of an agent, said to be an Israeli citizen," according to Abdul Hameed Bhutto, director of the FIA Sindh (Zone-II)

According to the FIA statement, each suspect paid the agent between PKR 300,000 and 400,000 to enter Israel, whereas Bhutto indi-

to Israel

cated that they paid more than PKR 2 million to the agency to get work in Israel, as per newspaper Bhutto said that they were arrested after an inquiry initiated by the FIA on the basis of a strategic analysis report (SAR) regarding foreign remittances He also said, “By travelling to a country that was not recognised, the suspects had violated multiple laws FIRs have been registered against them on account of t h e i r i l l e g a l e m i g r a t i o n t o I s r a e l , d e s p i t e knowing that their passports do not validate their travel to or stay in the country for the purpose of employment ”

The media were able to retrieve one of the FIRs, which stated that the FIA’s Mirpur khas branch recently opened an inquiry on the basis of an SAR regarding outward and inward foreign remittances concerning individuals living in Mirpur khas, who were reportedly involved in receiving payments from Israel

Anti-Sweden rallies in Pak to denounce Quran burning

IS L A M A BA D: F ollowing a request from Prim e M inister Shehbaz Sh arif to "send a stro ng message to Sweden, " thousands o f Muslims across Pakistan demonstrated in o pposition to the burning of the Quran last week in S tockholm

The largest anti-Sweden demonstrations took place in Lahore and Karachi, where tens of thousands of people congregated on major streets before peacefully dispersing Lawyers carrying copies of the Quran demonstrated in front of the Supreme Court in the nation's capital, Islamabad, while worshippers outside mosques staged minor demonstrations calling for the breakup of diplomatic relations with Sweden A group of minority Christians in the northwest also held a rally to denounce the incident

In a televised speech in parliament the previous day, Sharif asked why Swedish police allowed the burning and urged his supporters “to send a strong message to Sweden” by taking to the streets A similar call for protests was issued by former prime minister Imran Khan

Meanwhile, the Swedish government is considering changing the law to allow police to prevent Quran burnings in public by turning down such requests, according to justice minister Gunnar Strommer Sweden had become a "prioritised target" for strikes, he continued “We can see that the Quran burning has generated threats to our internal security ”

A year after a climate-related rainstorm that flooded a third of Pakistan and swollen rivers and caused 1,739 fatalities In 2022, the floods damaged Pakistan, which was in financial trouble, to the tune of $30 billion

Indian bizman

efforts’ to

me PM, says Prachanda

K A T HM A ND U : The opposition is calling f o r th e re s ig nat io n o f P ri m e M i ni s ter Push pa Kam al Dah al Prachanda after he said that an Indian bu sinessm an liv ing in Nep al "o nce made efforts" to make him the leader Sard ar Pritam Singh , a forerunner in the Nepali trucking industry, was credited by Prachanda w ith significantly ad vancing ties between Nepal and Ind ia

Prachanda made these remarks while addressing a function to launch the book, ‘Roads to the Valley: The Legacy of Sardar Pritam Singh in Nepal’ “He travelled to D e l h i s e v e r a l t i m e s a n d h e l d m u l t i p l e rounds of talks with political leaders in Kathmandu to make me the PM,” he said

A number of people have criticised the remarks The national assembly meeting was interrupted by the largest opposition g r o u p , t h e C o m m u n i s t P a r t y o f N e p a l ( U n i f i e d M a r x i s t - L e n i n i s t ) ( C P N - U M L ) , which demanded the resignation of the prime minister Chairman of CPNUML KP Sharma Oli said they want resignation from the PM, not a clarification “His remarks have given a blow to national independence, dignity, the constitution and the parliament ”Speaking in the lower house, UML lawmaker Raghuji Pant said, “We don’t need a PM appointed by Delhi ” The ruling parties have a l s o e x p r e s s e d d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n w i t h Prachanda’s statement

The PM has clarified his remarks about Sardar Pritam Singh“has been misinterpreted to cause a stir ” What he had said was quoted from what Pritam Singh had said in the book, he said “I wanted to show that Pritam Singh was not only interested in social service and transport business but also in politics and that he had lobbied with parties in Delhi and Nepal to make me PM ”

Afghan Taliban order closer of beauty salons

K AB U L: In the latest shrinki ng of access to public place s for Afghan wome n, the T aliban administra ti on has or der ed bea uty salons to close within a month, the mora li ty mi nistry said

“The deadline for the closing of beauty p a r l o u r s f o r w o m e n i s o n e m o n t h , ”

Mohammad Sadiq Akif, a spokesperson for the ministry for the prevention of vice and propagation of virtue, said, referring to a ministry notice Foreign governments and U N o f f i c i a l s h a v e c o n d e m n e d g r o w i n g restrictions on women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 after defeating a U S - b a c k e d g o v e r n m e n t a s f o r e i g n f o r c e s withdrew

Last year, the administration closed most girls’ high schools, barred women from university and stopped many female Afghan aid s t a f f f r o m w o r k i n g M a n y p u b l i c p l a c e s including bathhouses, gyms and parks have been closed to women

Four Gujarati students who were studying in hotel management in Turkey were killed in an accident in which two cars crashed head-on The mishap occurred close to Turkey s Kyrenia

Among the four students two were from Porbandar one from Banaskantha and the other from Vadodara The incident was reported to the police, and they reached the spot The police began an investigation into this incident and the bodies were transported to a nearby hospital for an autopsy The police investigation revealed the names of the deceased as Anjali Makwana Pratap Karavdara Jayesh Agath and Heena Pathak

INDIAN-ORIGIN STORE CLERK KILLED IN US ROBBERY BID

A 36-year-old Indian-origin store clerk was shot dead during an apparent case of armed robbery in the US state of Georgia and two juveniles were arrested in connection with the killing, a media report said Mandeep Singh, a clerk at the Wrens convenience store, was pronounced dead at the scene after being struck twice by gunfire by two 15-year-olds in the Wrens city of Georgia the Augusta Chronicle newspaper reported Singh, a resident of Augusta city, had been working at the store for less than one month, according to Wrens Police Chief John Maynard “It appeared to be an armed robbery to start with, and at some point, shots were fired, and the clerk was deceased,” Maynard was quoted as saying in the report

5 ARRESTED FOR STEALING COOKING OIL IN PAKISTAN

The Karachi police arrested a three-member gang that used to loot stocks of cooking oil in a police van, a report claimed Over five suspected members of the gangs were named during a raid near the Garden Headquarters, the police was quoted as saying The arrested include the owner of a godown a worker and a policeman They used a police van to loot from goods vehicles transporting stocks of cooking oil in District Central the report claimed The police said that dozens of such robbery incidents were reported last month The accused used to hide the cooking oil in the godown the police said

LANKA SHARES SURGE AFTER DEBT RESTRUCTURING PLAN

Sri Lankan shares jumped 6% to a nine month high after the country s parliament approved a key domestic debt restructuring plan over the weekend while inflation also cooled sharply Lanka’s parliament last week approved a plan that seeks to rework part of the island nation’s $42 billion domestic debt, a move that is part of the conditions for the IMF’s $2 9 billion bailout package The surge was “driven by the banking sector, as investors perceived the domestic debt optimisation would have minimal impact on the financial system ” said Udeeshan Jonas chief strategist at Colombobased equity research firm CAL

17 DIE IN GAS LEAK BLAMED ON ILLEGAL GOLD MINING IN SA

The death toll from a toxic gas leak that authorities blamed on an illegal gold processing operation in South Africa rose to 17, including three children, as police removed canisters from a community of closely packed shacks and sifted through evidence The leak of what authorities said was a toxic nitrate gas happened in the informal Angelo settlement in Boksburg, a city on the eastern outskirts of Johannesburg At least 10 people were hospitalised A statement from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said it was a “devastating and tragic loss of innocent lives ”

Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena

‘made

make

in brief WORLD

REGISTERS HOTTEST DAY EVER RECORDED ON JULY 3

Data from the US National Centres for Environmental Prediction shows that July 3 was the hottest day ever observed on earth As heatwaves sweltered around the globe, the average worldwide temperature rose to 17 01 degrees Celsius (62 62 degrees Fahrenheit), breaking the previous record of 16 92C (62 46F) set in August 2016 The southern US has been suffering under an intense heat dome in recent weeks In China an enduring heatwave continued with temperatures above 35C (95F) North Africa has seen temperatures near 50C (122F) Even Antarctica which is presently experiencing winter had unusually high temperatures Recently the Argentine Islands of the white continent s Vernadsky Research Base in Ukraine broke its July temperature record with 8 7C (47 6F)

US NAVY THWARTS IRAN’S TANKER SEIZURE IN GULF

The US Navy said it intervened to prevent Iran from seizing two commercial tankers in the Gulf last week in the latest in a series of seizures or attacks on ships in the area since 2019 The first incident involved the Richmond Voyager, a very large crude carrier managed by the US oil company, and that crew onboard were safe An Iranian navy vessel fired shots during the second seizure attempt, Navy Fifth Fleet spokesperson Timothy Hawkins said Both incidents took place in the Gulf waters between Iran and Oman Hawkins did not say how the US Navy prevented their seizure Details regarding the second vessel involved in the incident were not clear Iran seized two oil tankers in a week just over a month ago, the US Navy said

US COMPLETES DESTRUCTION CHEMICAL WEAPONS

US President Joe Biden has announced that the country has completed the destruction of its last chemical weapons stockpile "For more than 30 years, the US has worked tirelessly to eliminate our chemical weapons stockpile

Today I am proud to announce that the United States has safely destroyed the final munition in that stockpile bringing us one step closer to a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons he said in a statement The US President also expressed gratitude towards the thousands of Americans who gave their time and talents to "this noble and challenging mission" for more than three decades

WALMART SHOOTER JAILED FOR 90 YEARS

A federal judge sentenced a white supremacist to 90 consecutive life terms in prison for a 2019 shooting in which he killed 23 people and wounded 22 others at a Texas Walmart while targeting Hispanics, the El Paso Times newspaper reported The sentencing by US district judge David Guaderrama in El Paso adheres to a plea agreement from February in which shooter Patrick Crusius 24, pleaded guilty to and agreed to 90 consecutive life sentences in order to avoid the federal death penalty The shooter still faces Texas state charges that could result in the death penalty

14 KILLED IN BRAZIL APARTMENT BLOCK COLLAPSE

An apartment building has collapsed in the city of Recife in north-eastern Brazil killing at least 14 people rescuers say Two children aged five and eight were among the victims when the block disintegrated last week The cause was not immediately clear but Recife has been pounded by heavy rain in recent days Reports say three people were rescued from the rubble and six are still missing in the Janga neighbourhood The collapse happened in Recife's Paulista suburb, where some residents called this type of four-storey building a "coffin block", complaining of poor construction

Indian groups counter Khalistani protests in Canada

T ORONT O: Th e Ind ian d iaspora gathered outside the Indian co ns ul ate w i th tri co lo u r i n a show of solidarity with its d iplomats targeted with threats by pro -Khalistan extremist g roup s in C anad a's Toronto

They shouted slogans like ‘ B h a r a t M a t a k i j a i ’ , ‘ V a n d e Mataram’, ‘Long Live India’ and ‘ C a n a d a s t o p s u p p o r t i n g Khalistani Canadian terrorists’ a s a c o u n t e r - a c t i o n t o t h e protest rally by Khalistanis

" W e a r e s t a n d i n g h e r e i n front of the consulate to face the K h a l i s t a n i s W e a r e t r y i n g t o stop Khalistanis nonsense here and we are here for the solidarity of India and Canada, altogether They are giving wrong information saying that they will kill our

diplomats which is and we are totally against that," one of the supporters said K h a l i s t a n i s u p p o r t e r s h a d called for worldwide rallies outside Indian diplomatic missions i n C a n a d a , t h e U K , U S , a n d Australia over in the wake of the

killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last month

This was followed by threatening posters of Indian ambassadors being circulated as part of the so-called “Kill India” rally T h e I n d i a n g o v e r n m e n t h a d

raised the issue with its partner allies to ensure the safety and security of its diplomatic staff

In the UK, a small group g a t h e r e d o u t s i d e t h e I n d i a n H i g h C o m m i s s i o n i n L o n d o n amid a tightened security presence by the Metropolitan Police Meanwhile in the US, Indian A m b a s s a d o r T a r a n j i t S i n g h Sandhu arrived at the Indian embassy and after reviewing the security arrangements declared that everything seemed calm

It came after San Francisco witnessed an attempted arson attack by extremists and violent rhetoric aimed at Indian diplomats, including Sandhu, earlier this month Security had been beefed up outside the Indian embassy in Washington DC

Indian nursing student in Oz buried alive by boyfriend

M E LB OU RNE : In a h orrific act o f v en g ea nc e, a 2 1 - yea r- o ld In d i an nu rs i ng st u d en t i n Australia nam ed Jasmeen Kaur was abducted by h er jilted exbo y fr ie nd f ro m I n d i a, d r iv en nearly 650 km and buried alive in S outh Australia state’s remo te F li nd ers Ra ng e s, a c o u rt h a s heard Fro m A delaide C ity, Kaur was killed by Tarikjot Sing h in M ar ch 20 2 1 , a m o n th a ft er reporting h im to the police for stalking

She was abducted from her workplace on March 5, 2021, and driven more than 644 km while

bound with cable ties in the boot of a car Singh had borrowed from his flatmate He buried her in a small grave after giving her "superficial" throat wounds that were enough to kill her and she was aware of her surroundings when she died at some point on March 6

Singh pleaded guilty to the murder but the horrific details of his crime came to light during sentencing submissions at the S u p r e m e C o u r t P r o s e c u t o r Carmen Matteo said the murder was “not efficient” and Kaur was “made to suffer” Kaur’s family,

including her mother, were in the court to hear the sentencing submissions “(It was) a killing

that was committed as an act of v e n g e a n c e o r a s a n a c t o f revenge, ” he said

Indian-origin

business owners arrested in Covid relief fraud scheme

TE X AS: A group of around 14 people have been charged in a huge fraud scam involving a Covid - 19 pandemic relief programme in the s tate of Texas, the United States, including several business owners and s taff of I ndi an desc ent T h e d e f e n d a n t s w e r e a p p r e h e n d e d t h r o u g h o u t T e x a s , C a l i f o r n i a , a n d Oklahoma in the investigation, which is s a i d t o b e t h e l a r g e s t t h e P a n d e m i c R e s p o n s e A c c o u n t a b i l i t y C o m m i t t e e

(PRAC) Fraud Task Force has looked into thus far T h e a c c u s e d a r e a l l e g e d t o h a v e d e f r a u d e d t h e P a y c h e c k P r o t e c t i o n P r o g r a m ( P P P ) , a f i n a n c i a l p r o g r a m m e introduced during the Covid pandemic, as well as various financial institutions, out of over $53 million in loan proceeds

Leigha Simonton, the US attorney for the northern district of Texas, emphasised

t h e g r a v i t y o f t h e a c c u s a t i o n s , s a y i n g ,

Defrauding the government is an insult to American taxpayers Fraud against the government during a pandemic, when millions of diligent business owners were struggling to pay their bills, is adding salt to the wound ”

“These defendants allegedly conspired to steal tens of million of dollars from the P a y c h e c k P r o t e c t i o n P r o g r a m - f u n d s which could have helped legitimate businesses pay their bills and keep their employees afloat ”

T h e 1 4 i n d i v i d u a l s f a c e a 1 6 - c o u n t indictment, with charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, making false statements, and conspiracy to commit money laundering The accused allegedly submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications, inflating payroll expenses by manipulating bank statements and tax forms

S Africa’s Indian origin anti-apartheid stalwart dies at 84

J O H A N N E S B U R G : E s s o p Go olam P ahad, a veteran o f t h e an ti - a p a rth ei d mo vement of Indian descent and a f o rm er mi n is te r in t h e p re si d en c y, p as s e d a wa y S o u th A fr i c an P re s id en t Cyril Ramapho sa exp ressed g ri ef at h i s de ath P a h ad died i n his sleep at th e age o f 84 Ramaph osa said h e was “deeply saddened” by t h e de at h o f th e v ete ra n I n di a n- o r i gi n p o li t i ca l activist

Pahad retired in 2008 after serving as a minister in

Thabo Mbeki's administration from 1999 to 2008 In that position, he had a significant impact on the formulation of policies for the n e w l y e s t a b l i s h e d d e m oc r a t i c g o v e r n m e n t , w h i c h President Nelson Mandela h a d e s t a b l i s h e d i n 1 9 9 4

“Essop Pahad was a thinker and strategist who brought h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e human condition, injustice a n d i n e q u a l i t y a t t h e national and international level to bear on our transition to democracy and in

Indo-Canadian gangster killed in British Columbia

O T T A W A : A 25 -y e a r- old , In d o-C a n a di a n g ang st er Kar nvir Sing h G archa was shot a nd k illed in the C ana dian pr ovince of British C olumbia A squad fr om t he Roya l Can adia n M oun te d Police (R CMP) wa s se nt t o the are a a fter re ceiving a ca ll r eport ing gunfire Whe n t he office rs a rriv ed, the y d iscove red Ga rcha lay ing on the groun d suffer ing from gunshot w oun ds an d star ted performin g life-sav ing p rocedure s right awa y He did, howeve r, die fr om g unshot wounds

According to police, Garcha was dropped off at a condo complex minutes before he was fatally shot He was scheduled to make a court appearance on two matters, July 6: one on a charge of breaching a release order, and a second on assault charges dating back to March of 2019, CTV News reported Calling the killing an “unfortunate incid e n t ” , p o l i c e s p o k e s p e r s o n S e r g e a n t Timothy Pierotti told CTV News that they were trying to determine if Garcha lived in the condo building and build a timeline of e v e n t s l e a d i n g u p t o t h e k i l l i n g

introducing a democratic, n o n - a l i g n e d a n d a c t i v i s t South Africa to the global c o m m u n i t y ” , R a m a p h o s a said Pahad will be remembered for his contributions to public life, his role in the fight against apartheid, and his support for closer links between India and South A f r i c a , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e Indian Consulate General in Johannesburg He was also a recipient of the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2015

"Investigators have learned that Garcha was dropped off at the scene minutes before the homicide," police said

“We are looking to speak with anyone who had contact with Garcha in the days leading up to the shooting, including the driver of the vehicle that dropped him off ”

Last year in December, the Surrey RCMP issued a public safety warning for Garcha, and 22-year-old Harkirat Jhutty – the two Indo-Canadian men allegedly involved in gang activities

According to the RCMP, the warning was issued because of "a significant threat to the public posed by these individuals through their connection to criminal activity and high levels of violence, police believe that anyone connected to or in proximity to them may be putting themselves at risk "

Jasmeen Kaur & Tarikjot Singh

Ajit Pawar asks Pawar senior to hand over charge of NCP

A jit P a wa r, th e M ah a ra s h tr a de p u ty c h ie f m inister, rep ortedly urged h is u ncle Sh arad P awar to cede contro l of the party to him w h il e as s er t in g t h e b ac k in g o f a l l N C P l egislato rs “You are 83, aren’t you go ing to s top ?” Ajit Pawar asked Give us you r bless ings and w e will pray that yo u live a lo ng life ”

All 29 MLAs attended the ceremony where Pawar delivered the statement at the Mumbai Education Trust in support of him Separately, 14 MLAs showed up to support the seasoned leader at a meeting convened by Sharad Pawar at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai To the MLAs, both groups had issued a whip

The Nationalist Congress Party witnessed a split after Ajit Pawar, along with eight other MLAs, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party- Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra on July 2 Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister for the third time in less than four years

Last week, Ajit Pawar said that he has served as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra five times, but added that he has aspirations to serve as the chief minister of the state “I got a lot from you, ” Ajit Pawar said “ I became deputy chief minister five times It is a record, but I am stuck at that post only I also wish to

1,100 Indian students face deportation from US universities

lead the state ”

Ajit disclosed that the NCP had been in talks to form a government with BJP in 2014, 2017 and 2019, but things did not proceed Yet, when he joined the BJP government, he was singled out as a villain, he said Recently, Sharad Pawar had claimed that he held talks with BJP in 2019 only to expose its lust for power

A j i t a l s o w r o t e t o t h e E l e c t i o n Commission staking claim to the NCP name and ‘alarm clock’ symbol on June 30, two days before he joined the Maharashtra government with eight party MLAs Last week, the poll panel received affidavits of 43 NCP MLAs, MPs a n d M L C s , a l l d a t e d J u n e 3 0 , d e c l a r i n g allegiance to the Ajit faction and an undated resolution unanimously electing him as the NCP chief Alliance wo n't end w ell: Paw ar senior

S h a r a d P a w a r a v o i d e d a t t a c k i n g h i s nephew personally while accusing the BJP of having double standards and the Ajit Pawar camp of being opportunistic Despite a whip, only 15 of the 53 parliamentarians who favour the senior Pawar were present at the meeting; three more were rumoured to have expressed support but were not present

N ea rl y 1 , 1 00 s tu d en ts studyi ng in th e US varsities, most of th em Gu jarati s, are likely to be depo rted fro m the US by the FBI as th ey are s u s p ec ted to h av e g ai ne d a dm is s i o n u si n g du b i o u s means

The development comes f o l l o w i n g t h e M e h s a n a police booking 42 men in t h e I E L T S s c a m a n d t h e Cyber Cell arresting three p e r s o n s f o r m a n i p u l a t i n g

T O E F L , I E L T S , P T E a n d

G R E e x a m s t h a t a r e m a n d a t o r y t o c l e a r f o r securing admission in PG courses in the US varsities

A top cyber crime source s a i d t h e y h a v e b e e n contacted by an FBI attaché regarding more than 1,000 students facing deportation f r o m t h e U S T h e F B I i s expected to arrive in the city to probe the cases

Vadodara, and Sagar Hirani of Mota Varachha in Surat

The police have recovered

f i v e l a p t o p s , t h r e e C P U s , and seven mobile phones from the accused

“The accused are highly e d u c a t e d C h e r l a i s currently pursuing Bachelor o f C o m p u t e r S c i e n c e c o u r s e , H i r a n i h a s completed his Bachelor of E n g i n e e r i n g a n d I T a n d works as a visa consultant, w h i l e K a r a l p u d i h o l d s a BTech degree They used to charge Rs 70,000 from each student aspiring to study in t h e U S , ” s a i d D C P A j i t Rajian of the Cyber Crime Cell

Indian

couple striving to create a niche for Gandhian Khadi in fashion industry

Nischal Sanghavi

Khad i - the hand woven fa bric - was use d by Ma hatma G and hi as a tool t o win In dia it s i n d e p e n d e n ce fr o m t h e Br i t i sh R a j Howeve r, in spite of its popula rity in In dia, Khad i fa iled to become a popular fa br ic in the wa rdr oves of the e lite or t he masses So fa r K h a d i h a s be e n a m a r k o f In d i a n polit icia ns M ost of the m e nsure tha t t hey a r e d o n n e d in K h a d i d u r in g p u bli c appe ar ance s I n d i a n d e s i g n e r A m i n F a r i s t a , a f t e r c o m p l e t i n g h i s f a s h i o n d e s i g n i n g i n

Mumbai decided to dedicate his life for the promotion of khadi and handwoven He made it his life’s mission to bring khadi from boring Bhavans to upmarket malls in India and work towards making it the Gateway of Indian fashion to the world

Impressed by his passion for khadi, his wife Dr Rupal also left her job as a lecturer to join him in the mission to make wearing k h a d i a n u p m a r k e t f a s h i o n a n d a l s o support weavers around the country Amin a n d R u p a l , w h o l i v e i n R a j n a n d g a o n , C h h a t t i s g a r h , h a v e b e e n o n t h e m o v e during the last 18 years doing research on Khadi, spending days to procure the right material, creating awe inspiring designer clothes and participating at fashion shows and exhibitions in India and abroad

Talking to Asian Voice, Amin says, “the inspiration came from families of both of us who have had immense admiration for Gandhiji and this handwoven clothes since t h e d a y s o f I n d i a ’ s i n d e p e n d e n c e M y m i s s i o n i s t o b r i n g k h a d i i n t o t h e wardrobes of the young and elite, and I am glad that our efforts are paying off as the fabric is now finding its way into the closets of fashionable Page 3 personalities in India E v e n t h e N a r e n d r a M o d i l e d I n d i a n g o v e r n m e n t i s m a k i n g h u g e e f f o r t s t o promote the fabric, which is helping us to accomplish our goal ”

In fact Amin is the only designer of his kind in the country who is solely dedicated to khadi His clothes including Indian and w e s t e r n w e a r a r e e a g e r l y s o u g h t b y collegians and the young crowd Some of their hottest selling attires and articles include crop tops and jackets, open and fused coats, winter tabards, shopping bags, hot pants, straight pants and kaftaans The

most favourite among youngsters currently are fringed short and long dresses

Rupal says, “finally we have also started getting orders from end users in US, UK and other countries In fact, for us the turnaround came during the Covid times, when our Khadi face masks were a big hit with foreign residents In fact, khadi meets WHO specifications for face masks, as it is a highly breathable yet thick fabric ”

K h a d i a l s o s e e m s t o b e g a i n i n g popularity in England lately Pure khadi outfits took the centerstage on India Day at the London Fashion Week 2023 The show, in association with the London School of T r e n d s ( L S T ) , w a s r e f l e c t i v e o f t h e i r mission to bring Indian handloom, weaves, a r t a n d c r a f t o n t o a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l platform for the world to experience the rich textile and handicraft history of India

P o p u l a r m o d e l s l i k e S h e e l a T r u c h i , Chitrashi Rawat, Alankrita Shahi, Ayesha S Aiman and Queen Charles (Nigeria) have already been very excited to work with Farista at the exhibitions in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Bengaluru, Goa, Lucknow, Nagpur, Amritsar, Raipur and Dubai where t h e y h a v e s h o w c a s e d t h e i r k h a d i collections ”

Amin believes that, “khadi has a great future in India and around the world, if presented in the right way Though the government is also doing a sincere effort, it w o u l d b e g o o d i f m o r e d e s i g n e r s e x p e r i m e n t w i t h k h a d i c l o t h i n t h e i r designs It is just a matter of time before khadi becomes an international brand ”

T h e t h r e e a r r e s t e d i n connection with the scam a r e M a h e s h w a r a C h e r l a ( R e d d y ) , C h a n d r a s h e k h a r K a r l a p u d i , b o t h f r o m

A n d h r a P r a d e s h a n d c u r r e n t l y r e s i d i n g i n

A C P J e e t e n d r a Y a d a v said a week ago they were informed by a student that w h i l e t r y i n g t o l o c a t e a centre for GRE test in Surat he came across a website “ V o i c e o f I m m i g r a t i o n India” with a listed phone number On contacting the number, he was informed that he would need to pay Rs 70,000 to pass the exam After paying an advance of

Rs 19,000, he received an a p p o i n t m e n t l e t t e r s p e c i f y i n g t h e t i m e a n d location of the exam The location turned out to be a h o t e l T h e s t u d e n t g o t s u s p i c i o u s a n d i n f o r m e d the police DCP Rajian explained, “ H i r a n i u s e d t o t a k e p i c t u r e s o f t h e q u e s t i o n s a n d s e n d t h e m t o C h a n d r a s h e k h a r a l i a s R a h u l , w h o , i n t u r n , f o r w a r d e d t h e m t o Maheshwara Reddy Reddy w o u l d t h e n w r i t e t h e a n s w e r s a n d s e n d t h e m b a c k t o H i r a n i H i r a n i would connect a Bluetooth k e y p a d t o t h e s t u d e n t ’ s laptop and discreetly write the answers without being n o t i c e d b y t h e e x a m i n e r The student was instructed to pretend as if they were w r i t i n g t h e a n s w e r s T h e a c c u s e d i n d i v i d u a l s o p e r a t e d t h i s r a c k e t f o r a p p r o x i m a t e l y a y e a r , m a n i p u l a t i n g T O E F L , I E L T S , P T E , a n d G R E exams by booking rooms in various hotels ”

Ahmedabad boy tops CA

final exam result

A kshay Jain, a student from

A hmedabad, has top ped the C A fi n al exa m r es u lts conducted in May K ashish K h an d h a r, a ls o f ro m

A hmedabad, p assed the C A i nt erm e d i at e t es t w i th a s co re of 64 8 ou t of 8 0 0 , ea rn in g h i m th e 1 3 th - A l l India rank (AIR) J a i n , w h o s e c u r e d 6 1 6 m a r k s o u t o f 8 0 0 , i s o r i g i n a l l y f r o m P a l i i n R a j a s t h a n H e c a m e t o A h m e d a b a d f o r s c h o o l i n g and decided to pursue the C A c o u r s e b a s e d o n h i s c o u s i n ' s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n

He had previously achieved AIR 1 in the CA intermediate exam as well

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e I n s t i t u t e o f C h a r t e r e d

Accountants of India (ICAI), 1,805 students appeared for the CA final exam in Groups 1 and 2, with 406 passing the exam

Students who attempted both group tests had a 9 8 3 % s u c c e s s r a t e S i x

hundred and fifty eight out of 2,504 students who took t h e C A i n t e r m e d i a t e t e s t passed it 0 75% of students who attempted both group tests were successful 8 33% o f C A f i n a l t e s t t a k e r s passed, while 10 24% of CA I n t e r m e d i a t e e x a m t a k e r s passed T h e c o m b i n e d s u c c e s s rate for both groups in the Ahmedabad chapter of ICAI was 9 83 per cent, lower t h a n t h e p r e v i o u s y e a r ' s s u c c e s s r a t e o f 1 6 3 4 % Experts have noted that this year's results have shown a d e c r e a s e i n s u c c e s s percentage compared to last year

CBI arrests 3 railway employees for Balasore train mishap

The CBI l ast we ek a rrested thre e railway empl oyees over t h e Ju n e 2 B a l a s or e t r a in a cci d e nt t h at cl ai me d 294 an d booked them under IPC S e ct i on s 3 0 4 ( cu l p a b l e homicide not amoun ting t o murder) a nd 201 (destruct ion of ev ide nce)

T h e a g e n c y h a s n o t

i n v o k e d S e c t i o n 1 2 0 B (criminal conspiracy) against the accused, which shows it has no evidence of sabotage at this stage The three are s e n i o r s e c t i o n e n g i n e e r

( s i g n a l ) a n d i n c h a r g e a t B a l a s o r e A r u n K u m a r

Mahanta, Mohammad Amir Khan, a section engineer at Soro, and technician Pappu

Kumar

W h i l e C B I r e m a i n e d tight lipped, a faulty repair

work on a signalling device

l o c a t e d j u s t a h e a d o f t h e a c c i d e n t s i t e a t B a h a n a g a

Bazar station shortly before the crash is being probed as a possible reason for the tripletrain crash

The CBI’s findings tie in w i t h a j o i n t i n s p e c t i o n r e p o r t t h a t t h e r a i l w a y s prepared immediately after t h e a c c i d e n t a s w e l l a s f i n d i n g s o f t h e Commissioner of Rail Safety which submitted its report last week

S i g n i f i c a n t l y , M a h a n t a , who was part of the team t h a t p r e p a r e d j o i n t inspection report, had given a n o t e o f d i s s e n t t o i t s p r e l i m i n a r y f i n d i n g s t h a t diagnosed faulty signalling as the probable cause for the tragedy

Sources said that use of the IPC sections shows that the troika had the knowledge that their negligence would result in an accident but had no intent to cause one They w o u l d h a v e b e e n c h a r g e d w i t h m u r d e r i f t h e investigation had established i n t e n t T h e c h a r g e o f destruction of evidence has b e e n s l a p p e d b e c a u s e t h e a c c u s e d a l l e g e d l y t r i e d t o cover their tracks after the accident, sources said

Amin and Rupal Farista With Chak de India fame Chitrashi Rawat in the centre

Akshay Jain

India's third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3

C hand rayaan-3, Ind ia's third lunar missio n, will lau nch o n July 1 4 aboard the GSL VM k3 o r LVM3 , and if all goes a cc o rd in g t o p la n a nd V i k ram ( la nd e r) w o u ld to uch d ow n o n mo on on

A ugust 23 or 24 Isro ch airm an S S o m ana th s ai d i n B eng alu ru : “I f th e lau nch takes place on that d ay [July 1 4], w e'll reach the moon by the end of Aug ust

L a n d i n g w i l l b e o n August 23 or 24 as we want the landing to happen when the sun rises on the moon so we get 14-15 [earth] days to work If landing cannot happen on these two dates, we'll wait for another month and l a n d i n S e p t e m b e r ”

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 Chandrayaan-3 is made u p o f t h r e e m o d u l e s : p r o p u l s i o n , l a n d e r , a n d rover, unlike its predecessor, which also carried an orbiter in addition to Vikram and P r a g y a n ( t h e r o v e r ) T h e total weight of the space-

launch on July 14

c o u l d g e t e x t e n d e d

F o u r t e e n e a r t h d a y s would be one lunar day,

w h i c h i s m e a s u r e d i n

t e r m s o f t i m e b e t w e e n s u n r i s e a n d s u n s e t o n moon, or the time taken for sun to return to the same position in the lunar sky “ O n c e t h e s u n s e t s , there will be no power for the lander and rover to f u n c t i o n a n d a l l t h e

Lawyers clash, fire at each other in Delhi court

Sh ots were fired and the Tis H az ari c o u rt c o m p le x i n Delhi w as throw n into ch aos as tw o g ro u ps o f law yers f o u g h t W i th i n m i n u tes , f o o tag e sh ow in g s o m e l aw ye rs fi ri ng w i t h w h a t seemed to be locally m ad e firearms surfaced online

At least five to six rounds were fired While no one was injured, panic-stricken people ran for cover

craft will be 3,900 kg, of which 1,752 kg will be the rover and 1,148 kg will be the propulsion module On the p r o p o s e d l a n d i n g s i t e , h e said: “We cannot go to the South Pole as the sun won’t be visible and the lander and rover will have no power W e w i l l g o 7 0 d e g r e e s south ”

He said the life of the lander and rover will be for 14 earth days but the same

e q u i p m e n t w i l l s t o p w o r k i n g H o w e v e r , o u r tests show that there are possibilities of the batter getting recharged upon the next sun rise If that happens, we could get another 1 4 d a y s o r m a y b e e v e n more, ” Somanath said Pragyan will slide down from Vikram after a successful touchdown, which will be caught on camera by the lander, and start to travel on the lunar surface using its w h e e l s A d d i t i o n a l l y , P r a g y a n h a s c a m e r a s f o r avoiding obstacles

Jaishankar files Rajya Sabha nomination from Gujarat

S Jaishan kar , the ministe r of fore ign affa irs, pr esen ted his n omina tion pap ers for the R a j y a S a bh a e le c t i o n t o r et ur nin g office r Rita Me hta a t t he Vidhan Sabha comp le x , a cco mp a ni ed by C M B h up e n d r a Pa t e l, G u j a r a t BJP pre side nt C R Paa til, and o the r d ign ita r ies Spe ak ing t o the me dia afte r filing his p ape rs, Jaisha nk ar tha nk ed P r i m e M i n is t e r N a r e n d r a M o d i , t h e BJ P le a d e r sh i p, M L A s , a n d t h e p e o p le o f G uj a r a t f or g i v in g h i m a not her chan ce to r epre sent t he sta te in t he upper house

“I got a chance to be part of the changes seen in the last four years, especially in f o r e i g n p o l i c y , u n d e r t h e leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi I hope and expect to contribute to the development of the country

under Modi's leadership,” he told reporters after filing his form Jaishankar said he was f o r t u n a t e t o r e p r e s e n t Gujarat, considered a model state not just in India but also globally for its schemes and developmental projects

“I would express gratitude for another chance I am also thankful for the support and enthusiasm of legislators,” he said On India’s relations

w i t h n e i g h b o u r i n g c o u nt r i e s , t h e e x t e r n a l a f f a i r s minister said overall there has been great progress with c o u n t r i e s s u c h a s N e p a l , Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in nine years of the Modi government “We have increased trade and connectivity, our relationship has improved, and even from the perspective of security, there has been an improvement,” he said

India flays Pakistan for ‘politicallymotivated’ remarks at UNSC

In respon se to a Security C ou n c i l d i s c us s i on on c hil dren and armed conf l i c t, I n d i a c r it ic i s e d Pakistan for its "politicall y- m ot iv a te d an d v e no m ou s c o m me n t s r e ga r di n g Ja m mu a n d K a s h mi r , c l a i mi n g t ha t people w ho are steeped in b igotry w ill fin d it difficult to comprehend a pluralistic society

A t t h e U N S e c u r i t y Council open debate on children and armed conflict, which was held during the UK's month-long presidency, counsellor in I n d i a ' s P e r m a n e n t Mission to the UN Ashish S h a r m a r e s p o n d e d s h a r p l y a f t e r P a k i s t a n ' s

UN envoy Munir Akram made reference to Jammu and Kashmir in his statement

Akram said that it was an anomaly that the latest r e p o r t o f U N S e c r e t a r y

General Antonio Guterres on Children and Armed Conflict does not include I n d i a “ L e t m e a l s o respond to the politicallym o t i v a t e d a n d f r i v o l o u s remarks made by one delegation against my country I will not dignify their venomous comments on I n d i a b y r e s p o n d i n g t o those, since those who are soaked in bigotry will find it hard to understand a p l u r a l i s t i c s o c i e t y , ” Sharma said

It is a serious security breakdown raising considera b l e w o r r y t h a t a t t o r n e y s were able to bring firearms inside a court building This has happened before in the capital At least one lawyer has received a suspension notice from the bar association

To restore order, senior officers flocked to the scene and met with the solicitors To find out the cause of the conflict, an investigation is

being carried out According

t o p r e l i m i n a r y i n v e s t i g at i o n s , a n i m o s i t y b e t w e e n t w o o r t h r e e s o l i c i t o r s turned into a full-fledged altercation, which attracted other solicitors from each side

T h e p o l i c e s a i d a f t e r receiving information about the incident, a team from t h e l o c a l p o l i c e s t a t i o n reached the spot which was near chamber no 433 “We

have found that the clash took palce between memb e r s o f D e l h i B a r Association with one of the members firing at another,” d e p u t y c o m m i s s i o n e r o f police (north) Sagar Singh K a l s i s a i d S o m e l a w y e r s , who didn’t wish to be identified, confirmed this and claimed that at least seven t o n i n e r o u n d s h a d b e e n fired Some of the bullets hit the walls

Man held for urinating on tribal, booked under NSA

A man accused o f urinating on the face of a tribal in MP’ s Sid hi was arrested and booked under the National Security Act (NSA ) Ev en as protests by Dalits and tribals broke out in som e areas of th e state, inclu ding Ind ore, a portio n o f his hom e was dem olish ed by the auth orities

Suspect Pravesh Shukla was apprehended from the outskirts of his native village, Kubri, some 630 km east of Bhopal He faces charges also under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and IPC for obscenity and i n t e n

peace Sidhi SP Ravindra Verma said, “The accused has been booked under NSA and the illegal construction at his house in Kubri has been razed We have also arrested the person who shot that video and booked him under the IT Act ”

Teams from the district administration and police went to Pravesh's ancestral home in Kubri to inspect the plot and building details According to sources, they discovered that roughly a third of it had been constructed illegally and that portion has been demolished, according to sources

The incident has triggered political turmoil in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, espe-

cially because of pictures and posters on social media that allege Pravesh has links with Sidhi BJP MLA Kedarnath Shukla The lawmaker has said Pravesh isn’t even a BJP member and denied that he is his representative, but the accused’s father told mediapersons that Pravesh had been working as the lawmaker’s representative for years Shiv raj wash es feet of tribal

Amid nationwide outrage over the incident, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, meanwhile, apologised to the victim and washed his feet at the CM house, offered him a shawl and an idol of Lord Ganesha Expressing regret over the shocking incident, Chouhan s a i d h e i s o v e r w h e l m e d w i t h a n g u i s h Chouhan spoke with the victim’s wife over phone and offered apologies to her as well Chouhan tweeted a video of him washing the victim’s feet with a message: “This is an attempt to share your pain I also apologise to you For me, the public is God I am sharing this video with you so that everyone s h o u l d u n d e r s t a n d t h a t S h i v r a j S i n g h Chouhan is in Madhya Pradesh, so the public is God Atrocities against anyone will not be tolerated The respect of every citizen of the state is my respect ”

Minister Piyush Goyal discusses FTA during UK visit

Sharma said India dism i s s e s a n d c o n d e m n s “these frivolous remarks” w i t h t h e c o n t e m p t t h a t they deserve “It is nothing but an attempt to divert t h e a t t e n t i o n o f t h e Council from grave violations against children that continues to be committed in Pakistan, as highl i g h t e d i n t h e S e c r e t a r y General’s report,” Sharma said

H e a s s e r t e d t h a t t h e entire Union Territories of J a m m u a n d K a s h m i r a n d L a d a k h “ w e r e , a r e a n d always will be an integral a n d i n a l i e n a b l e p a r t o f India, irrespective of what t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f Pakistan believes or wishes ”

India's M inister of C ommerce and Ind ustry, C o n su m er A ff ai rs , Fo o d an d P u b li c D is trib uti o n and Tex tile s, P i yus h Go yal, en d ed h is tw o - d a y v i s it to th e U n i ted Kingd om w ith a focus on the Free T rade A greement (FTA ), according to a statement f ro m t h e M i n is tr y o f C o m m erc e and Industry

The Commerce Minister met with ministers from European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members during his two-day visit on July 10–11 to discuss the development of the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA)

"The visit comes at a crucial juncture, as both India and the UK are committed to expanding their economic ties and exploring avenues for enhanced bilateral trade With the FTA negotiations gaining momentum, the visit aims to further propel the discussions and pave the way for a comprehensive

would drive economic growth and strengthen ties between the two nations," the official release said

M e a n w h i l e , I n d i a ' s N a t i o n a l S e c u r i t y Advisor Ajit Doval and his UK counterpart Tim Barrow agreed to enhance India-UK cooperation to address violent extremism and radicalism The two sides agreed that there can be no justification for violent extremism and radicalization in a democracy

The National Security Advisors of India and UK met for restricted discussions on regional and global issues of mutual interest This was followed by delegation-level talks where both countries reaffirmed their close strategic partnership and agreed to accord maximum priority to further enhance security linkages, as per sources

According to official UK government statistics, the India-UK bilateral trading relationship was worth £34 billion in 2022, growing by £10 billion in one year

Rs 400,000 accident cover for gig workers in Karnataka TN CM urges President to remove Ravi as Governor

BE NGA L U RU : Presenting h is 14th bu d g et o v era ll and fi rs t f o r th e c u rre nt C o n g re ss d i sp e ns ati o n , Karnataka C M and finance minister

Sid daramaiah announced insurance cover of Rs 400 ,00 0 for gig wo rkers, p er h ap s a fi rs t f o r any s ta te P re se nt in g th e p ro p o s al , S i d d a ram ai ah p a rti c u la rly n am e d d e li v er y w o rk ers i n e- c o m m er ce comp anies “ I n o r d e r t o p r o v i d e s o c i a l security to the gig workers in the unorganised sector, ie, employed as f u l l - t i m e o r p a r t - t i m e d e l i v e r y personnel in e-commerce companies like Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon etc, insurance facility of total Rs 4 lakh w i l l b e p r o v i d e d ” S i d d a r a m a i a h said The coverage will include life i n s u r a n c e o f R s 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 a n d accident insurance of another Rs 200,000 The cost of the premium will be borne by the government

In the run-up to the Karnataka assembly elections in May, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had interacted with gig workers in Bengaluru and spent an evening listening to their demands and grievances

T h e K a r n a t a k a - b a s e d U n i t e d

F o o d D e l i v e r y P a r t n e r s ’ U n i o n appreciated the move but said they n e e d t o b e r e c o g n i s e d a s f o r m a l employees and not gig workers “The expectations of the Union have not been fulfilled in this budget We w e l c o m e t h e m o v e t o e x t e n d insurance coverage to our peers and colleagues but the gig worker has still not received the recognition of being a worker in letter and spirit,” said Vinay Sarathi, president of the union

The union said its workers are in the field for long hours and toil like everyone else, but are deprived of even the most basic facilities, such as sanitation, drinking water, resting places and so on “The government must enact a law to immediately put an end to the gross exploitation and i n j u s t i c e p r e v a l e n t i n t h e g i g economy, ” the union said

C HE NN A I: Ta mil N adu Chie f Ministe r M K Sta lin has wr it te n t o Pre side nt Dr oupadi Mur mu accusin g Gov ern or R N Rav i of in cit ing “ commun al hatr ed” and la be llin g him a “t hrea t to pea ce in the st ate ”

The CM called Ravi “unfit for the office of Governor” and requested the President to “consider removing him from the high constitutional position” due to his “political bias, hasty actions, and incitement of communal hatred” He alleged t h a t R a v i ’ s “ a c t i o n s s h o w h i s e x t r a o r d i n a r y a n i m o s i t y towards Tamil Nadu as well as defaming the name Tamil Nadu”, which was the name bestowed by the state’s first CM and DMK founder C N Annadurai The Tamil Nadu CM said he would leave it to the President to decide on extending Ravi’s term

Alleging that the Governor is “evidently a person who bears a deep-rooted enmity against Tamil Nadu, the Tamil people, and Tamil culture”, Stalin told the President that Ravi’s comments and speeches were “not only obstructing the democratically elected government but also provoking disdain, contempt, and hostility towards the law of the land”

The CM accused the Governor of being “involved in ideological and political conflict with the democratically e l e c t e d D M K g o v e r n m e n t ” s i n c e a s s u m i n g o f f i c e i n September 2021, listing several examples The Governor’s actions, the government statement said, had caused distress and hindered the government’s functioning

The CM also accused Ravi of making false remarks about criminal cases being probed by the state police and criticised him for denying child marriages ever happened at the C h i d a m b a r a m N a t a r a j a T e m p l e S t a l i n c l a i m e d R a v i ’ s statements would have invited legal action if they were from an individual not holding his high constitutional position

BJP must shed 'junior ally' tag, says Jakhar as he takes over as party chief

CH AN DI GA R H: Ta king a jibe o v e r a ga i n ha v i ng a n a lli a n ce wit h t he Shiroma ni A kali Da l, P u n j a b BJ P p r e s id e n t S u n i l J a k ha r sa i d t h e sa ff r on p a r t y m ust shed t he tag of “ young er brot her” (junior ally) S p e a k i n g a f t e r f o r m a l l y assuming the charge as BJP state p r e s i d e n t , J a k h a r s a i d t h e alliance with the SAD was a “tale of the past and it was formed in mid-1990s when the situation was different” “ P u n j a b i s o u r s W i t h c h a n g e d t i m e s , w e n e e d t o

change our way of thinking,” he said Jakhar said Prime Minister N a r e n d r a M o d i , n a t i o n a l president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had shown faith in him “My first duty is to make you realise of y o u r s t r e n g t h W e m u s t w i n h e a r t s o f P u n j a b i s b e f o r e thinking of winning the seats,” h e s a i d w h i l e a d d r e s s i n g B J P office-bearers and party workers

He said India is the world’s largest secular country and there was no bigger secular state in the country than Punjab “We must

defend communal harmony in Punjab,” he said Former Gujarat chief minister and Punjab affairs in charge Vijay Rupani also laid emphasis on contesting all 13 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Punjab “We must keep communal harmony in the state intact,” said Rupani Former BJP state president

A v i n a s h R a i K h a n n a s a i d t h e party must be ready to contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab

Former cabinet minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi said people in Punjab were looking towards the

TMC looks set to win rural polls in Bengal, bags 18,606 seats

KO LKAT A: TMC looks set to s w e e p t he vi o le n c e - s c ar r ed rural polls keeping intac t the m a nd at e i t wo n tw o ye ar s b a c k d ur i n g t he a s s e m bl y polls by taking an early but s eemi ngly unass ai lable lead in results dec lared till now by t he S ta t e E le c t i on Commissi on

The ruling TMC has won i n 1 8 , 6 0 6 g r a m p a n c h a y a t s e a t s o u t o f t h e 2 7 , 9 8 5 s e a t s declared, besides leading in 8,180 seats, according to the SEC as on Tuesday Its nearest rival BJP has won 4,482 seats and is leading in 2,419 seats In all elections are being h e l d f o r 6 3 , 2 2 9 g r a m p a n c h a y a t seats

The Left Front has won 1,5002 seats, of which the CPI(M) alone has won 1,424 The Left is currently leading in 969 seats The Congress won 1,073 seats and is leading in 693

Other parties won 476 seats and l e a d i n 2 0 8 s e a t s , w h i l e independents which included TMC

KARNATAKA KAYAKER SAVES 70 FROM FLASH FLOODS

When all seemed to have lost for Udupi villages at the mercy of flash floods, hope came floating on a kayak Kayaker Mohammed Imthiaz Kemmannu has rescued more than nearly 70 people in the last few days, and over 250 people over the last few years Imthiaz, 44, provides kayaking services to tourists, but is also a member of the Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project’s disaster management team “On July 6, when the fire and emergency department could not reach an isolated house in Nittoor, I rescued two elderly persons stranded there,” he said He rescues mainly the ailing or elderly, along with women and children using his kayak His hardest rescue ever was an elderly bed-ridden patient who had to be moved to hospital from his flooded home

MADRAS HC ANNULS LS ELECTION OF EX-CM'S SON

rebels won 1,060 seats and lead in 466 seats Candidates tied for 785 seats so far

T h e r u l i n g T M C w o n 1 1 8

P a n c h a y a t s a m i t i s e a t s w h i l e

leading 782 seats BJP has drawn a blank till now though it is leading in 79 seats, while CPI(M) has won one seat and is leading in 27 others and

C o n g r e s s i s l e a d i n g i n 8 s e a t s

E l e c t i o n s w e r e h e l d f o r 9 , 7 2 8

Panchayat Samiti seats

TMC has also won all 18 Zila Parishad results declared so far and is leading in 64 others while CPI(M) has won two seats In all, there are 928 Zila Parishad seats

BJP with a new hope

B r i n g i n g g r o u p i s m i n t h e Punjab BJP out in the open, the o u t g o i n g s t a t e p r e s i d e n t Ashwani Sharma failed to turn u p E v e n d u r i n g h i s s p e e c h , R u p a n i s a i d h e w a s m i s s i n g Sharma Earlier, when he was removed from the post, Sharma did not congratulate Jakhar and only thanked the party workers f o r s t a n d i n g b y h i m W h e n Jakhar was appointed president, a g r o u p o f p e o p l e c l o s e t o Sharma had publicly expressed their anger

Saket Gokhale among 6 TMC RS nominees

K OL K A TA / NE W D EL H I: Trinamool Congress on Mo nd ay renominated Derek O’ Brien, Sukhendu Sekh ar Ray and Dola Sen as its Rajya Sabh a candidates w hile add ing RTI activist Saket Gokhale, Kolkata-based social activist and professor Sam irul Islam and Prakash C hik Baraik, a member of a S ched uled T ribe, as th ree others to fig ht for the sev en seats from Bengal V oting for the U pper House w ill take place on July 24 BJP, which is set to get its first elected member to Rajya Sabha from Bengal, is likely to announce its candidates soon, leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari said The saffron party has had nominated leaders to Rajya Sabha (Swapan Dasgupta and Roopa Ganguly) but never had an elected member Acharya Debaprasad Ghosh was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1952 from Jana Sangha

assembly but, at various times, seven more MLAs - six from BJP and one from Congress - expressed their support for the party BJP officially has 75 MLAs in the assembly but may not be able to count on the support of at least six MLAs

B e n g a l n o w h a s 2 9 3 M L A s ( a f t e r m i n i s t e r S a d h a n Pande’s death in 2022) The numbers, Trinamool leaders said, assure a smooth passage for all six party nominees There was no speculation about the renomination of O’Brien, party chief whip Ray and trade union leader Sen The three new names came at the expense of Sushmita Dev and Shanta Chettri and former Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro (who resigned as MP in April) Dev is likely to get a larger role in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

The Madras High Court declared as “null and void” the 2019 election of expelled AIADMK member OP Ravindhranath from Tamil Nadu’s Theni parliamentary constituency while allowing an election petition filed against him Ravindhranath is the son of deposed AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam Justice SS Sundar gave the ruling on a petition filed by one P Milany from Theni According to advocate V Arun, counsel for Milany, the petitioner contended that Ravindhranath, while filing his nomination for the election, had suppressed various material, including the particulars of his movable and immovable assets and liabilities, and those of his family members The suppression of facts materially affected the election, the lawyer said The counsel appearing for Ravindhranath argued that the suppression had not materially affected the result of the election

SEVERAL AREAS FLOODED IN PUNJAB'S PATIALA, JALANDHAR

Rescue work is on in Patiala as the district administration and army officials have reached around 30 residents from Gobind Bagh Colony after the overflow from the Badi Nadi The Patiala administration and the army officials continue to evacuate residents from Urban Eatate Phase 2 after water level in many parts has gone up As a precautionary measure, people are being moved to safer places Meanwhile, breaches at two points in Dhussi Bundh in Shahkot led to flooding of villages A 27-year-old from Mundi Cholian village in Jalandhar has been washed away in floods But the administration is yet to confirm it In Kapurthala, 14 villages of Sultanpur Lodhi were submerged in water In Mohali the administration rescued 75 people with the help of Army from Gulmohar City Extension in Dera Bassi on Monday night

SC REJECTS TMC NETA ABHISHEK’S PETITION

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain Diamond Harbour MP and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s plea challenging a Calcutta HC order, which had rejected his application for recall of HC’s order directing CBI and ED to probe his alleged role in the teachers recruitment scam case A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha said that it agreed with the Calcutta HC that the ED probe cannot be interdicted at an incipient stage However it kept legal remedies open for Banerjee and clarified that the HC orders and SC’s order would not prejudice his rights under criminal procedure code “At this stage, we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order since the consequence of doing so would be to stifle the investigations at the incipient stage ” the bench said

WEST BENGAL

Indian tri-services team trains in France for PM Modi's visit

D efence sources stated th at the Indian tri -services contingent trained in France for the Bastille Day celebration o n J u l y 1 4 P re s i de nt E mm an u el M ac r o n o f F ra nc e i n vi t ed P r i me Minister Narendra Mo di to b e th e h o n or ary gu es t at t h i s y ea r' s p ar ad e T h e Bastille Day Parade will witness a 269-member tri-s ervices contingent from India m ar c h i n g al o ng s i de t h ei r F re nc h p a rt n er s, th e Ministry of D efence said

T h e F e t e N a t i o n a l e Francaise is celebrated on July 14 or the National Day in France It is also known as Bastille Day as this day is t h e a n n i v e r s a r y o f t h e

storming of the Bastille in 1 7 8 9 d u r i n g t h e F r e n c h R e v o l u t i o n T h e M i n i s t r y further stated that the association of the Indian and the French Armies dates back to World War 1 Over 1 3 million Indian soldiers participated in the war and almost

74,000 of them fought in t h e m u d d y t r e n c h e s t o n e v e r r e t u r n a g a i n , w h i l e a n o t h e r 6 7 , 0 0 0 w e r e w o u n d e d I n d i a n t r o o p s valiantly fought on French soil also

Both nations are comm e m o r a t i n g 2 5 y e a r s o f

their strategic partnership t h i s y e a r T h e a r m i e s o f both countries have been participating in joint exercises and sharing their exper i e n c e s O v e r t h e y e a r s ,

I n d i a a n d F r a n c e h a v e b e c o m e r e l i a b l e d e f e n c e partners

Captain Aman Jagtap is i n c h a r g e o f t h e 3 8 b a n d musicians and 77 marching m e m b e r s o f t h e I n d i a n A r m y c o n t i n g e n t W i n g Commander Sudha Reddy is in charge of the Indian Air F o r c e , w h i l e C o m m a n d e r Vrat Baghel is in charge of the Indian Navy contingent

T h e I n d i a n A i r F o r c e ' s Rafale fighter jets will also take part in the flypast during the celebration

Over 40 killed as rain batters north India

T he com bined migh t of the m onso on and a western disturbance continued to barrel d own on northern India, leav ing more than 40 peo ple d ead till M ond ay and causing extensiv e land slid es and flood ing in the m ountains a nd th e p lai n s, w i th th e s w o llen and s w if t-f lo w in g Beas, Su tlej and o ther rivers a nd s trea m s taki ng d ow n h ouses and parked cars, and s ub m erg ing c iti es, v i llag es and swathes of crop land I n w o r s t - h i t H i m a c h a l P r a d e s h , C M S u k h v i n d e r Singh Sukhu put the death count at 17 since Friday and said the estimated loss to public and private property has already reached around £400 million Relentless torrential rainfall has caused w i d e s p r e a d d a m a g e t o i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , i n c l u d i n g roads, power transformers, e l e c t r i c s u b - s t a t i o n s , a n d n u m e r o u s w a t e r s u p p l y schemes Officials said 4,686 transformers were damaged, leaving hundreds of villages in darkness

A portion of the Manali Leh national highway collapsed, severing road connectivity to Lahaul-Spiti district and Ladakh Efforts are underway to evacuate about 300 tourists and residents stranded in Lahaul-Spiti and

Urbanisation must address climate change, says Gujarat CM

U rba ni s ati o n s h o u ld b e d esig ned in such a way that it inco rporates so lutions to p roblems p ertaining to clim ate chang e, pu blic serv ice an d traff ic am on g o thers , said Gujarat C M Bhup endra P atel at th e inaug ural ev ent o f the U 20 Mayoral Summ it in Gand hinag ar last w eek “Develo pment of every city is im portant to shape o ur future,” he said

A b o u t 5 0 0 d e l e g a t e s from cities of G20 countries p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h e e v e n t The U20 is an engagement g r o u p u n d e r I n d i a ’ s G 2 0 presidency It is a city diplomacy initiative emphasizing the role of cities in taking forward the global agenda for sustainable development through collaboration

K u l l u d i s t r i c t s u s i n g h e l icopters as soon as weather c o n d i t i o n s p e r m i t D G P

Satwant Atwal said approximately 70 tourists en route t o M a n i m a h e s h l a k e i n Bharmaur region of Chamba district are stranded The Shrikhand Mahadev Y a t r a h a s b e e n a b r u p t l y halted for the remainder of the season due to six reporte d d e a t h s d u r i n g t h e p i lgrimage In Uttar Pradesh, the state relief commissioner ’ s office reported a total of 17 fatalities across different parts of the state in the past 24 hours due to lightning strikes Mainpuri witnessed f o u r d e a t h s , w h i l e t h e r e m a i n i n g 1 3 o c c u r r e d i n nine other districts T r a g e d y s t r u c k R a e Bareli district Monday when at least eight children were injured after being struck by

lightning while tending to t h e i r c a t t l e h e r d s i n t h e fields Heavy rainfall in the A g r a r e g i o n h a s c a u s e d s e v e r e w a t e r l o g g i n g i n u r b a n a r e a s , l e a d i n g t o water seeping into houses and shops The road infrastructure has also suffered significant damage, and over 1 0 0 v i l l a g e s e x p e r i e n c e d p o w e r o u t a g e s F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e r a i n f a l l has resulted in the destruction of maize and groundnut crops across the region Punjab reported at least f o u r d e a t h s a s t h e s t a t e g r a p p l e d w i t h d e v a s t a t i n g flooding, prompting authori t i e s t o m o b i l i s e r e s c u e , relief and evacuation in several areas, including Mohali, R o p a r , F a t e h g a r h S a h i b , Jalandhar (rural areas), and P a t i a l a F o u r t e e n t e a m s from NDRF, two units of

the SDRF, and 12 columns of Army and Punjab police personnel have been deployed t o m e e t t h e c r i s i s , D G P Gaurav Yadav said R a i n i n H a r y a n a h a s caused significant damage to rail routes, national highw a y s , b r i d g e s , a n d p o w e r s t a t i o n s a c r o s s t h e s t a t e

The death toll has risen to five, with a couple losing their lives due to a house collapse in Karnal, and three children perishing in a landslide in Pinjore

Five kid s drown in Gujarat

Large swathes of land in north and central Gujarat resembled sprawling water bodies and several villages were marooned as torrentinal rains triggered a floodlike situation on Monday F i v e c h i l d r e n - t h r e e i n

B a n a s k a n t h a a n d t w o i n M a h i s a g a r - d r o w n e d i n o v e r f l o w i n g l a k e s I n B a n a s k a n t h a ’ s F a t e h p u r a v i l l a g e , t h r e e c h i l d r e n drowned when one of them fell into an overflowing lake w h i l e a n s w e r i n g n a t u r e ' s call and two others plunged inside to save him Two boys drowned in a pond in the M a k h a l i y a v i l l a g e o f L u n a w a d a t a l u k a o f M a h i s a g a r d i s t r i c t w h e n they went into bathe and misjudged the water level

India sets 18-month target to produce microchips from Gujarat plant

India has set an 1 8-month t arg et to p ro d u c e m icrochip s from the Sanand p lant for w hich an M oU has been with US -based Micron T e c h no lo g y re ce ntl y A s h wi ni Vai sh naw , Ind i a ’ s m inister of electronics and i n fo rm ati o n t ec h no l o g y, said that the construction p h as e o f th e $ 2 7 bi l li o n, state-sup ported initiative to e s tab li s h a c h i p as se m b ly and testing p lant in Sanand w ill start next month

Vaishnaw said the India S e m i c o n d u c t o r M i s s i o n s p e a r h e a d e d b y 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 ’ s government was also doing “extensive work” to marshal s u p p o r t f r o m o t h e r p a r t -

ners, including suppliers of chemicals, gases and manufacturing equipment, alongside groups interested in setting up silicon wafer fabrication plants

“This is the fastest for any country to set up a new i n d u s t r y , ” s a i d V a i s h n a w “I’m not just saying a new c o m p a n y - t h i s i s a n e w i n d u s t r y f o r t h e c o u n t r y

Eighteen months is when we have targeted for [the f i r s t ] p r o d u c t i o n t o c o m e out of this factory, that is, December of ’ 24 ” The minister's comments imposed a s t r i c t d e a d l i n e o n M o d i ' s administration as it works to increase production of electric vehicles, batteries, cell-

phones, and other devices

India’s tech manufacturing sector lags behind those o f E a s t A s i a ’ s e c o n o m i e s , p a r t i c u l a r l y C h i n a , w h i c h started earlier and provided larger subsidies Following the failure of three initial applicants, including a comb i n a t i o n m a d e u p o f t h e i n d u s t r i a l c o n g l o m e r a t e Vedanta and the Taiwanese A p p l e s u p p l i e r F o x c o n n , N e w D e l h i r e c e n t l y reopened bids for its $10 billion subsidy programme for chipmakers

New Delhi revised the requirements reopened the application process to seek i d e a s t o m a n u f a c t u r e

“With over 500 particip a n t s , i n c l u d i n g m a y o r s , deputy mayors, and city offic i a l s , b e s i d e s g o v e r n m e n t d e l e g a t e s a n d k n o w l e d g e partners, this is poised to become one of the largest U20 summits ever, ” Union urban affairs ministry joint secretary Kunal Kumar said

An exhibition showcasing India’s urban story, espec i a l l y c i t y - l e v e l s u c c e s s e s , notable projects and innovative initiatives, were part of the event Select films were screened to raise awareness a b o u t t h e m u l t i f a c e t e d impacts of climate change o n u r b a n a r e a s a n d v i c e

versa T h e m a t i c s e s s i o n s o n the six U20 priority areas were organized at the summit They included talks and presentations by mayors or equivalent city leaders from Tokyo, Riyadh, Paris, Surat, S r i n a g a r , A m m a n , L o s A n g e l e s , N e w Y o r k C i t y , K a t o w i c e , R i o d e J a n e i r o , D u b a i , I n d o r e , K i t c h e n e r , L o n d o n , M o n t e v i d e o , J o h a n n e s b u r g , K o c h i a n d Durban, among others

The priority areas under the U20 included encouraging environmentally responsible behaviours, accelerating climate finance, ensuring water security and prom o t i n g l o c a l c u l t u r e a n d economy On the first day of the two-day event, delegates f r o m 6 0 c i t i e s a c r o s s 4 0 countries participated in a heritage walk from Kalupur S w a m i n a r a y a n t e m p l e t o Jama Masjid They also visited the Sabarmati Ashram

Maharashtra speaker issues notice to 53 Sena MLAs

nanometers or above - larger t h a n t h e m o r e e x p e n s i v e 28nm chips it had already r e q u e s t e d V a i s h n a w s a i d

officials were in talks with more than a dozen applicants “Out of 14-odd companies which are in discussion with us, two of them are very good, which should be able to make it ”

But Vaishnaw said India had “ 50,000 plus” semiconductor designers, and “ practically every complex chip in t h e w o r l d ” w a s a l r e a d y d e s i g n e d i n I n d i a “ T h a t ecosystem is already there Getting the fab is the next step, which is what we are focused on and the Micron win is a very big win ”

Ek na th Shi nd e, the c hi ef m inis ter of M aharashtra, is one of 53 Shiv Sena lawm akers who have received a show-cause noti ce as king them to explain why their m embershi p i n the legi slat i v e a s s e m b l y s h ou l d b e m aintain ed after disq uali fic at i o n p r oc e d u re s w e re c om menc ed agains t them

The lawmak ers have been i nstructed to respond withi n seven busin ess day s

In all, notices were sent to 54 legislators - 39 belong to the Shinde-led Sena, 14 t o S e n a ( U B T ) a n d o n e other Disqualification proceedings against members

had initiated proceedings against 14 Sena (UBT) legislators

o f t h e S h i n d e - l e d S e n a were initiated by the Sena (UBT) whip, Sunil Prabhu, w h i l e S h i n d e - l e d p a r t y ’ s w h i p , B h a r a t

o g a w a l e ,

A s s e m b l y s p e a k e r Rahul Narwekar confirmed to the media that following different sets of petitions filed by rival factions for violation of the anti-defect i o n l a w , h e h a s i s s u e d s h o w c a u s e n o t i c e s t o 5 4 legislators, 39 belonging to t h e E k n a t h S h i n d e - l e d party and 14 to Sena (UBT) Narwekar’s decision to swing into action assumes s i g n i f i c a n c e s i n c e a t a n event at Raj Bhavan for the release of a book on veteran Congress leader Balasaheb Desai, father of state excise minister Shamburaj Desai, N a r w e k a r h a d o b s e r v e d that soon he will take a “revolutionary” decision

Bhupendra Patel

A sustainable and technologically advanced future of travel

Anusha

Singh

Rikant Pitti is recognised as one of the youngest entrepreneurs in India and is the co-founder of EaseMyTrip With six years o f e x p e r i e n c e a s a c a p i t a l i s t , h e h a s established a notable presence in the online travel sector by introducing innovative ideas to the travel and tourism industry. Through EaseMyTrip, Mr Pitti has contributed to the growth and development of the online travel sector in India.

Mr Pitti, in a conversation with Asian V o i c e , d i s c u s s e s E a s e M y T r i p , s u s t a i n a b l e tourism practices and the future of travel industry

1How did EaseMyTrip come into existence?

Before EaseMyTrip came into existence in 2008, our origins can be traced back to Duke Travels Initially, we began by assisting our father's business in booking tickets to avoid the high fees charged by travel agencies

As word spread, more people sought our services, leading to the formation of a travel agency and the birth of EaseMyTrip We focused on providing competitive prices and e x c e l l e n t c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e B u i l d i n g relationships with airlines and hotels allowed us to offer our clients the best discounts

Over the years, we expanded our offerings and became one of the largest online travel agencies in India

2How has the company evolved over the years to keep up with the competition in the tourism industry?

Despite the highly competitive nature of travel sector, we have successfully completed 15 years since our inception Our enterprise initially focused on serving B2B clients and s u c c e s s f u l l y r e s o l v e d t h e c h a l l e n g e s encountered by over 11,000 travel agents

Subsequently, we transitioned to a customerfacing business, which currently generates 84% of our total revenue Henceforth, our organisation opted for self-financing until the time of our initial public offering (IPO)

Considering the dynamic nature of the travel industry, it is imperative for companies to prioritise consumer needs and preferences to establish themselves as the top choice among patrons

3The tourism industry is responsible for roughly eight percent of the world’s carbon emissions. Given this impact, how d o e s E a s e M y T r i p p r o m o t e s u s t a i n a b l e travelling initiatives?

The environmental impact of tourism is a pressing concern In order to address this issue, it is imperative that we prioritise the i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f s u s t a i n a b l e p r a c t i c e s within the tourism industry At EaseMyTrip, we are dedicated to promoting responsible t r a v e l b y a d v o c a t i n g f o r e c o - f r i e n d l y accommodations, supporting carbon-neutral transportation options, and participating in c a r b o n o f f s e t i n i t i a t i v e s O u r s t r a t e g i c a p p r o a c h i n v o l v e s c o l l a b o r a t i n g w i t h sustainable service providers, streamlining our operations, and increasing awareness a m o n g t r a v e l l e r s t o r e d u c e t h e environmental impact of tourism and pave the way for a more sustainable future

4What do you predict the future of travel to be? What do you expect will remain the same and what are the major changes that we can expect?

A s a n i n d u s t r y l e a d e r w i t h y e a r s o f experience, I predict that the future of travel will be a dynamic combination of continuity and change While the intrinsic desire to e x p l o r e , c o n n e c t , a n d e x p e r i e n c e n e w c u l t u r e s w i l l r e m a i n , w e c a n e x p e c t significant shifts driven by sustainability, technological advancements, and changing t r a v e l p a t t e r n s T r a v e l l e r s a n d i n d u s t r y stakeholders will increasingly prioritise ecofriendly practices, personalised trip planning, a n d e n h a n c e d i n - d e s t i n a t i o n e x p e r i e n c e s through technology

The pandemic has also led to a preference for remote, nature-based destinations, with

An ancient murder that haunts infamous London tube

William Terriss

health and safety measures becoming crucial

The rise of digital platforms, a focus on traveler well-being, and evolving regulations for environmental and ethical concerns will s h a p e t h e f u t u r e o f t r a v e l , o f f e r i n g transformative experiences and responsible exploration

5Has the travel industry recovered from the Covid effects?

After being affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, India's tourism sector has seen a recovery The situation continues to improve, and demand for travel and tourist services is anticipated to bounce even more robustly It is not surprising to see a double-digit uptick in hiring activity in the travel and tourism s e c t o r t h i s y e a r , a s m a n y c o u n t r i e s a r e starting to open up to international tourists and people are eager to travel again

6W i t h t h e c o s t - o f - l i v i n g c r i s i s a n d austerity on the rise, and flight prices so steep, how or what changes do you see among the travellers? W i t h t h e c o s t - o f - l i v i n g c r i s i s a n d austerity on the rise, and steep flight prices, we can expect travellers to shift towards budget-friendly options, prioritise value for m o n e y , e m b r a c e a l t e r n a t i v e accommodations, show flexibility in travel plans, and potentially benefit from travel subsidies and programs Cost consciousness w i l l p l a y a s i g n i f i c a n t r o l e i n d e c i s i o nmaking, leading to a focus on affordable flights, discounted deals, and destinations with lower costs of living These changes are context-dependent and subject to economic c o n d i t i o n s , t r a v e l r e s t r i c t i o n s , a n d individual preferences

7Among the people who book through EaseMyTrip, what is the most popular destination for holiday nowadays?

Among the people who book through EaseMyTrip, the most popular destination f o r h o l i d a y s c u r r e n t l y v a r i e s b a s e d o n m u l t i p l e f a c t o r s s u c h a s s e a s o n , t r a v e l t r e n d s , a n d i n d i v i d u a l p r e f e r e n c e s H o w e v e r , s o m e d e s t i n a t i o n s h a v e c o n s i s t e n t l y s h o w n h i g h p o p u l a r i t y I n recent times, popular holiday destinations have included beach destinations like Bali, M a l d i v e s , a n d P h u k e t , c u l t u r a l a n d h i s t o r i c a l c i t i e s l i k e R o m e , P a r i s , a n d Istanbul as well as the Middle East - Dubai, Saudi, and Abu Dhabi Additionally, apart from metro cities like Delhi and Bombay, domestic destinations such as Goa, Kerala, a n d H i m a c h a l P r a d e s h i n I n d i a h a v e r e m a i n e d p o p u l a r c h o i c e s f o r t r a v e l l e r s s e e k i n g s c e n i c l a n d s c a p e s a n d c u l t u r a l experiences

8On your website you promote great discounts for family and couples as travellers, how are you promoting safe solo travelling, as its popularity soars?

At EaseMyTrip, we prioritise promoting s a f e e x p e r i e n c e s f o r s o l o t r a v e l l e r s Alongside our discounts for families and couples, we offer a wide range of secure a c c o m m o d a t i o n o p t i o n s a n d t a i l o r e d i t i n e r a r i e s f o r s o l o t r a v e l l e r s A s t h e p o p u l a r i t y o f s o l o t r a v e l s o a r s , w e a r e committed to continuously improving our offerings and ensuring that solo travellers c a n c o n f i d e n t l y e x p l o r e t h e w o r l d w i t h EaseMyTrip as their trusted travel partner

Furthermore, our no-convenience fee bookings have helped passengers book their most suitable tickets in no time and with e n d - t o - e n d s e c u r i t y , m a k i n g s o l o t r a v e l safer and much easier, and accessible for travellers

Claims of ghostly encounters at London's Covent Garden Station, known as the city's most haunted underground station, have been made by tube staff. The station is believed to be haunted by the spirit of William Terriss, a Victorian actor who was tragically murdered in 1897.

According to reports, Londoners have reported sightings of a ghostly figure floating through the station's tunnels for many years William Terriss was a well-known performer in the West End, and he was fatally stabbed by his former apprentice, Richard Archer Prince, as he was entering the Adelphi Theatre to prepare for a performance of "Secret Service "

Several documentaries produced by Channel 4 and the History Channel have interviewed individuals who claim to have witnessed Terriss's ghost Some reports even suggest that tube workers have been so unnerved by the haunting that they have requested transfers to other stations believed to be less haunted

It is believed that William Terriss's ghost has chosen to haunt Covent Garden station due to his frequent visits to a bakery that once stood on the corner of the station However, it is also said that his spirit lingers in the theatre where he met his tragic end

Since the station's opening in 1907, commuters have shared accounts of encountering a tall figure wearing a hat and cloak, wandering through the tunnels after dark Engineers and staff have reported hearing echoing footsteps, banging noises, as well as sighs and gasps from a disembodied voice William Terriss, born William Charles James Lewin, was a well-known English actor famous for his swashbuckling hero roles, including portrayals of characters like Robin Hood He also performed in classic dramas and comedies, including works by Shakespeare

Book Review

The Palace of Illusions

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s retelling of an epic compels and engages the reader throughout

h t b e t w e e n t h e

P a n d a v a s a n d t h e K a u r a v a s i n

Kurukshetra is widely known, as is the e p i c o f t h e M a h a b h a r a t a T h i s t e x t portrays and extols heroic figures such as Yudhishthira, Bheeshma, and Karna, who are revered as champions of women and defenders of the vulnerable

"The Palace of Illusion" is a brilliant piece of mythological reimagining of the epic from the perspective of Draupadi (Panchaali) The story delves into her experiences, relationships, and role in the epic saga The novel explores themes of love, destiny, power, and the complexities o f h u m a n r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h i n t h e framework of Indian mythology " T h e P a l a c e o f I l l u s i o n " o f f e r s a

unique and female-centric perspective on the Mahabharata, providing readers with a f r e s h a n d c o m p e l l i n g n a r r a t i v e I t maintains an unbiased tone while subtly e n c o u r a g i n g s e l f - l o v e a n d c o n f i d e n c e right from the beginning

The book contains several incredibly beautiful parts For instance, there is a p o i g n a n t m o m e n t w h e n

Dhrishtadyumna's teacher tells a young

D r a u p a d i t h a t v i r t u o u s w o m e n a r e instantly transported to their next life H o w e v e r , D r a u p a d i a r g u e s t h a t a preferable gift would be a world without m e n , w h e r e s h e c o u l d l i v e a l i f e o f f r e e d o m A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e s t o r y o f

S h i k h a n d i n i i s e x p e r t l y n a r r a t e d ,

captivating the reader

In this rendition of the Mahabharata, the larger-than-life characters exhibit a relatable human side, allowing readers to e s t a b l i s h a d e e p e r c o n n e c t i o n T h e narrative flow is gripping, keeping readers on the edge and eager to uncover more

What sets this book apart is its refusal to glorify or demean any character; it p r e s e n t s a m o r e r e l a t a b l e p o r t r a y a l , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t o d a y ' s c o n t e x t T h e a u t h o r ' s t h o u g h t - p r o v o k i n g q u e s t i o n s and creative thinking are at the core of the b o o k , m a k i n g i t a n e n g a g i n g a n d fascinating read A b o u t th e au th o r : C h i t r a B a n e r j e e D i v a k a r u n i a n I n d i a n - b o r n A m e r i c a n author, and poet, and currently holds the position of the Betty and Gene McDavid Professor of Writing at the University of H o u s t o n C r e a t i v e W r i t i n g P r o g r a m D i v a k a r u n i ' s w r i t i n g s p r e d o m i n a n t l y revolve around the experiences of South Asian immigrants, with settings that span both India and the United States

Rikant Pitti

6 toxic habits that put you on the fast track to diabetes

Diabetes cases are skyro cketing world wid e, and unfortunately, Indians face a hig her predisposition to the d isease, often developing it at younger ages com pared to o ther po pulatio ns How ev er, significant red uctions in d iabetes risk can be ach iev ed thro ugh lifestyle m odifi catio ns By leading an active lifestyle, maintaining a balanced d i et, and steering c lear of junk f o o d , d ee p -f ri ed i tem s, s u g ary treats, and refi ned flo ur, you can effectiv ely av oid contracting this condition

In this article, we share six lifestyle habits that make you vulnerable to diabetes By recognising and addressing these habits, we can take proactive steps towards reducing our risk and promoting overall health

Unhealthy eating habits

Poor dietary choices can sig-

nificantly increase your risk of diab e t e s C o n s u m i n g e x c e s s i v e amounts of processed foods, sugary beverages, and foods high in saturated and trans fats can lead to weight gain and insulin resistance

Opt for a balanced diet rich in whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats Avoid excessive consumption of sugary t r e a t s , d e e p - f r i e d f o o d s , a n d

refined carbohydrates

Sedentary lifestyle

Leading a sedentary lifestyle is one of the primary factors contributing to the development of diabetes Lack of physical activity can lead to w e i g h t g a i n , i n s u l i n resistance, and impaired g l u c o s e m e t a b o l i s m Engaging in regular exerc i s e a n d i n c o r p o r a t i n g movement into your daily routine can help lower your diabetes risk Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each w e e k , s u c h a s b r i s k w a l k i n g , cycling, or swimming Poor sleep habits

I n a d e q u a t e o r p o o r - q u a l i t y sleep can disrupt hormonal bala n c e a n d c o n t r i b u t e t o i n s u l i n resistance Chronic sleep depriva-

tion and irregular sleep patterns have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night and establish a regular sleep routine to p r o m o t e o p t i m a l h e a l t h a n d reduce diabetes risk

Chronic stress

P e r s i s t e n t s t r e s s c a n w r e a k h a v o c o n o u r o v e r a l l h e a l t h , including our risk of developing d i a b e t e s W h e n w e e x p e r i e n c e s t r e s s , t h e b o d y r e l e a s e s s t r e s s h o r m o n e s , w h i c h c a n e l e v a t e blood sugar levels and contribute to insulin resistance Find healthy c o p i n g m e c h a n i s m s t o m a n a g e stress, such as exercise, mindfulness, yoga, or engaging in hobbies that bring you joy

Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption

Both smoking and excessive alcohol consumption have been

Brain waves during deep sleep control the body’s insulin sensitivity

Researchers h av e discovered a po tenti al m ech ani sm i n h umans that explains how and wh y d eep -sleep brai n w av es at night can regulate t h e bo d y ’ s s en s it iv it y to i n su l in , w h i c h i m p r o v es blood sugar control the next d ay T h e st u d y w as p u bli sh ed in the jo urnal C ell Reports Medicine

A UC Berkeley professor o f n e u r o s c i e n c e a n d p s ychology and senior author of t h e n e w s t u d y , M a t t h e w W a l k e r , s a i d , " T h e s e s y nchronized brain waves act like a finger that flicks the f i r s t d o m i n o t o s t a r t a n a s s o c i a t e d c h a i n r e a c t i o n from the brain, down to the heart, and then out to alter t h e b o d y ' s r e g u l a t i o n o f blood sugar ”

The researchers say this i s a n e x c i t i n g a d v a n c e because sleep is a modifiable l i f e s t y l e f a c t o r t h a t c o u l d now be used as a therapeutic and painless adjunct treatment for those with high blood sugar or Type 2 diabetes Scientists also noted an additional benefit besides

the potential new mechanistic pathway T h e U C B e r k e l e y researchers first examined sleep data in 600 individuals They found that this p a r t i c u l a r c o u p l e d s e t o f deep-sleep brain waves pred i c t e d n e x t - d a y g l u c o s e control, even after controlling for other factors such as age, gender and the duration and quality of sleep

Next, the team then set out to explore the descendi n g p a t h w a y t h a t m i g h t e x p l a i n t h e c o n n e c t i o n between these deep-sleep brain waves sending a sign a l d o w n i n t o t h e b o d y , u l t i m a t e l y p r e d i c t i n g t h e regulation of blood glucose

The findings from the team reveal an unfolding set of steps that could help explain how and why these deep-sleep brain waves are related to superior blood s u g a r c o n t r o l F i r s t , t h e y f o u n d t h a t s t r o n g e r a n d more frequent coupling of the deep-sleep brain waves predicted a switch in the body's nervous system state i n t o t h e m o r e q u i e s c e n t and calming branch, called t h e p a r a s y m p a t h e t i c n e rv o u s s y s t e m T h e y m e asured that change in the body and the shift to this low-stress state using heart rate variability as a proxy

Next, the team turned its attention to the final

step of blood sugar balance

The researchers further discovered that this deep sleep s w i t c h t o t h e c a l m i n g branch of the nervous system further predicted an increased sensitivity of the body to the glucose-regul a t i n g h o r m o n e c a l l e d i n s u l i n , w h i c h i n s t r u c t s cells to absorb glucose from the bloodstream, preventi n g a d e l e t e r i o u s b l o o d sugar spike

T h a t ' s p a r t i c u l a r l y important for people trying to back away from hyperglycemia and Type 2 diabetes In the electrical static of sleep at night, there is a series of connected assoc i a t i o n s , s u c h t h a t d e e psleep brain waves telegraph a recalibration and calming of your nervous system the following day," Walker said " T h i s r a t h e r m a r v e l l o u s associated soothing effect on your nervous system is t h e n a s s o c i a t e d w i t h a reboot of your body's sensitivity to insulin, resulting in a more effective control of blood sugar the next day ”

Multiple factors contribute to delayed timely diagnosis of endometriosis

R e s e a rc he r s h a v e d i s co ve red a varie ty of contrib uti ng re ason s a fter rev iewi ng q ualita tive s tudies over the pre vious 20 y ears , i ncludi n g a p e r s i s t i n g s t i g ma a r o u n d p e r i o d s , s oc i e t y ’ s n orma lisa tion of mens trua ti on d i s co mf o r t , a n d a la ck of medi cal know ledge concerni ng the i ssue E n d o m e t r i o s i s , w h i c h a f f e c t s 1 0 p e r c e n t o f w o m e n g l o b a l l y a n d 1 5 million women in the UK a l o n e , i s c a u s e d b y endometrial (womb) tissue growing outside the womb I t ' s e x t r e m e l y p a i n f u l , exhausting, interferes with daily life and can lead to infertility if untreated

The researchers found that women in the studies

often weren't sure if their pain was unusual or severe enough to seek treatment W h e n t h e y d i d , s o m e found that their GP was doubtful or dismissive of t h e i r s y m p t o m s G P s i n two of the studies themselves admitted that they found it difficult to differe n t i a t e p r o b l e m a t i c p a i n f r o m o r d i n a r y m e n s t r u a l

symptoms

Dr Sophie Davenport, who led the research and is now a doctor in the NHS, says, “Society has traditiona l l y n o r m a l i s e d p e r i o d pain, so we need to rethink what constitutes 'non-normal' periods If symptoms

a r e a f f e c t i n g d a i l y l i f e , where the woman is not going to work or school, or

unable to carry on social life, that's a clear sign that m e d i c a l i n t e r v e n t i o n i s needed ”

D r D a v e n p o r t s a y s , " G i v e n t h e n u m b e r s o f women affected, we think there should be additional, m a n d a t o r y t r a i n i n g a b o u t menstrual conditions during medical school At present, as little as 4 weeks out of 5 years of medical training may be spent on gynaec o l o g y ; a n d d u r i n g t h a t t i m e , e n d o m e t r i o s i s m a y barely be mentioned Given that 1 5 million women in t h e U K a r e a f f e c t e d , w e think it's time to prioritise this ”

E v e n i f s u s p e c t e d , t h e definitive method of diagn o s i s h a s b e e n b y

laparoscopy under general anaesthetic, so some practitioners have been reluctant to order such an invasive procedure However, recent ESHRE guidelines now reco m m e n d a t w o - s t e p a p p r o a c h i n w h i c h t r e a tment is started more quickly, based on clinical suspic i o n a n d M R I / u l t r a s o u n d imaging, rather than waiting for laparoscopic findings

Supervising author Dr Dan Green, Senior Teaching Fellow at Aston University s College of Health and Life Sciences, adds “It will be interesting to see if these n e w E S H R E g u i d e l i n e s affect the existing time to diagnosis and can improve p a t i e n t s ' e x p e r i e n c e s i n future ”

associated with an increased risk o f d i a b e t e s S m o k i n g d a m a g e s blood vessels, leading to complicat i o n s t h a t c a n e x a c e r b a t e d i ab e t e s - r e l a t e d c o m p l i c a t i o n s

Excessive alcohol intake can contribute to weight gain, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance

Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption to lower your risk of d i a b e t e s a n d i m p r o v e o v e r a l l health

Excessive sugar consumption

Excess sugar consumption is a major culprit in the development o f d i a b e t e s C o n s u m i n g s u g a r y foods and beverages can lead to weight gain, obesity, and insulin resistance Be mindful of hidden s u g a r s i n p a c k a g e d f o o d s a n d drinks Instead, opt for natural sources of sweetness like fruits or u s e s u g a r s u b s t i t u t e s i n moderation

Consumption of soybean oil can lead to unhealthy gut: Study

Res e arc h er s at th e U ni v e rs i ty o f C a li fo r ni a, Ri v er s id e, h av e fo u n d an as so c i at io n b et w een th e widely used soybean oil with obesity and diabetes, as w ell as autism, Alzheim er ’ s d iseas e, anxiety, and dep ression Th e scientists examined the gut of mice that were consistently fed a diet high in so ybean oil fo r up to 24 weeks in the lab They fo u n d ben ef i ci al bac te ri a decreased and h armful bacteria increased - conditions that can lead to colitis

Soybean oil is the most commonly used edible oil in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a n d i s increasingly used in other c o u n t r i e s , p a r t i c u l a r l y Brazil, China, and India In the U S , soybean production took off in the 1970s for u s e a s a n i m a l f e e d ; a byproduct of the increasing trend in growth was soybean oil Soybeans, a good source of protein, are easy and cheap to grow " O u r w o r k c h a l l e n g e s t h e d e c a d e s - o l d t h i n k i n g that many chronic diseases stem from the consumption of excess saturated fats from animal products and that, conversely, unsaturated fats from plants are necessarily m o r e h e a l t h f u l , " s a i d

Poonamjot Deol, an assistant professional researcher i n t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f

M i c r o b i o l o g y a n d P l a n t

Pathology and a co-corres p o n d i n g a u t h o r o n t h e p a p e r p u b l i s h e d J u l y 3 i n

G u t M i c r o b e s , a n o p e n

access journal

Deol explained it is the linoleic acid in soybean oil that is the main concern "While our bodies need 1-2% of linoleic acid daily, based on the paleo diet, Americans today are getting 8-10% of their energy from linoleic acid daily, most of it from soybean oil," she said Deol and her co-authors found that a diet high in soybean oil encourages the

growth of adherent invasive E coli in the gut This bacterium uses linoleic acid as a source of carbon to meet its n u t r i t i o n a l d e m a n d s F u r t h e r , s e v e r a l b e n e f i c i a l bacteria in the gut are not able to withstand linoleic a c i d a n d d i e o f f , w h i c h results in harmful bacteria growing out Adherent invasive E coli has been identif i e d i n h u m a n s t o c a u s e

IBD

"It's the combination of good bacteria dying off and h a r m f u l b a c t e r i a g r o w i n g out that makes the gut more susceptible to inflammation and its downstream effects," Deol said "Further, linoleic a c i d c a u s e s t h e i n t e s t i n a l epithelial barrier to become porous ”

The barrier function of the intestinal epithelium is c r i t i c a l f o r m a i n t a i n i n g a healthy gut; when disrupted, it can lead to increased p e r m e a b i l i t y o r l e a k i n e s s Toxins can then leak out of the gut and enter the bloods t r e a m , g r e a t l y i n c r e a s i n g the risk of infections and chronic inflammatory conditions, such as colitis The r e s e a r c h e r s n o t e t h a t t h e increase in IBD parallels the increase in soybean oil consumption in the U S and hypothesize the two may be linked

According to Deol, olive o i l , w h i c h h a s l o w e r amounts of linoleic acid, is a h e a l t h i e r o i l t o c o n s u m e

"Olive oil, the basis of the Mediterranean diet, is considered to be very healthy; it produces less obesity, and we have now found that, unlike soybean oil, it does not increase the susceptibility of mice to colitis," Sladek said

Ananya Panday confirms cameo in ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'

Actor Ananya Panday has confirmed her appearance in Karan Johar’s upcoming movie ‘Rocky Aur

Rani Kii Prem Kahaani ’ The film stars Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh in lead roles

She made the announcement on Ranveer’s birthday, sharing a photo with him and KJo from the movie sets Ananya took to her Instagram story and posted a photo where she is seen wearing a red outfit as Karan hugs her and Ranveer Singh captures the moment.

Some eagle-eyed fans had spotted her in the trailer of the movie, where she was seen dancing alongside Ranveer While h e r c a m e o w a s n e v e r o f f i c i a l l y announced, her fans and followers are taking her photo as confirmation Sharing t h e p h o t o , A n a n y a w r o t e , “ H a p p y birthday Ran Ran aka Rocky wish you the best best best always ”

‘Bawaal’ isn’t just about Hitler: Nitesh Tiwari

I t m a r k s K a r a n Johar's return as a director after over six years The film

a l s o s t a r s J a y a B a c h c h a n ,

S h a b a n a A z m i a n d

Dharmendra

Besides Ananya, actors

V a r u n D h a w a n , S a r a A l i Khan and Janhvi Kapoor are a l s o r u m o u r e d t o m a k e c a m e o appearances in the film Reports also initially suggested that actor Shah Rukh Khan might make a special appearance, h o w e v e r , K a r a n c l a r i f i e d i t r e c e n t l y Speaking in a live session on Instagram, he said, “No, he is not (in the film) but his love and blessings are always with me He is family to me and he was the first person to put out the first unit of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani ’

Kangana praises Sharmila Tagore and Waheeda Rehman

Actress Kangana Ranaut recently praised veteran actors Sharmila Tagore and Waheeda Rehman She compared Sharmila’s role in ‘Gulmohar’ to the “warmth of winter sun,” and urged her fans to “manifest” Waheeda in a “full-fledged role ”

ActorKajol broke her silence after a recent comment on “visionless leaders” went viral and provoked the ire of social media users She had recently said that there are political leaders who don’t have an educational background Without any straightforward apology, she clarified her intentions

The controversy began with an interview where Kajol was promoting her upcoming courtroom drama ‘The Trial ’ She said that change in India is slow because the people are steeped in traditions and lack proper education Talking about women empowerment in the country, she said, “Change, especially in a country like India, is slow It is very very slow Because we are steeped in our traditions and steeped in our thought processes and, of course, it has to do with education ”

“You have political leaders who do not have an educational system background I'm sorry but I'm going to go out and say that I'm being ruled by leaders, so many of them, who do not have that viewpoint, which I think education does give you, at least the chance to look out for a different viewpoint," she added

After a wave of disagreement on the internet, Kajol tweeted, “I was merely making a point about education and its importance My intention was not to demean any political leaders, we have some great leaders who are guiding the country on the right path ”

Kajol will be next seen in ‘The Trial,’ an adaptation of the American courtroom drama ‘The Good Wife ’ It marks her OTT debut Actor Jisshu Sengupta will be seen playing the role of her husband The show us set to release on July 14

On Instagram, Kangana shared a picture of Sharmila smiling in a still from the film She wrote, “On a different note, recently saw a lovely film ‘Gulmohar,’ was beyond delighted to see veteran superstar Sharmilaji back on screen her screen presence, voice modulation, nuances in her performance was like the warmth of winter sun so beautiful and elegant ” Helmed by Rahul V Chittella, ‘Gulmohar’ stars Sharmila and Manoj Bajpayee The film revolves around the multi-generation Batra family who are all set to move out of their 34-year-old family home - Gulmohar- and how this shift in their lives is rediscovery of the bonds that have held them together as a family with secrets and insecurities The film released on Disney+ Hotstar in March this year She also wrote, “Now, hoping to see Waheeda ji in full-fledged role soon come on everyone let s manifest this (hug face and star face emojis) " Kangana also posted a throwback picture of the actress from one of her films In the photo, Waheeda smiled as she looked ahead of her She added the song ‘Piya Tose Naina Laage Re’ from the 1965 movie ‘Guide’ as the background music

Nitesh Tiwari recently opened up about his upcoming romantic movie ‘Bawaal’ during the trailer launch event, asserting how it’s not just about Adolf Hitler The movie, which stars Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan, came under the scanner after showcasing Holocaust in its teaser The trailer was released last week

Filmmaker

It follows the relationship between Varun and Janhvi who have nothing in common Amid problems of their strained marriage, they take a trip to Europe and explore places where World War II took place The historical event is used as a recurring reference in the story, as the characters speak of a “world war within ” Janhvi even says in a scene, “Hum sab bhi toh thode bohot Hitler jaise hi hai na (we all are a little bit like Hitler) ”

Tiwari finally broke his silence on the references that many on social media have frowned upon He said, “While creating a character, you can go back and look at the events and incidents which can play an important role in the overall arc of that character and the relationship in general It’s not just about Hitler There are many more things that you may not have seen in the trailer Every incident has been very carefully chosen that can have an impact on the overall arc ”

Reasoning how crucial it is to include Hitler in the film as he was an important part of the war, Tiwari said, “World War II is humongous There’s so much that had happened and you can’t take everything You’ve to pick and choose things which would probably impact the journey of the characters and that’s precisely why it [World War II as a backdrop] has been taken Hitler also happens to be a part of it and you can’t not have him in World War II ” ‘Bawaal’ will premiere on Prime Video India on July 21

Kajol clarifies her 'visionless' leaders comment amongst backlash

KJo responds if he’s gay on Threads, shares regrets, B-Town crush

Among one of the many celebrities to have joined Threads recently, filmmaker Karan Johar hosted an ‘Ask Karan Anything’ session on the app over the weekend He responded to questions regarding his sexuality, crush in the industry, regret and expectations, among more questions regarding work and personal life.

Kartik Aaryan reportedly buys Mumbai apartment for over £1.7 mn

Actor Kartik Aaryan has reportedly invested in a Mumbai property worth a whopping £1 75 million It is reportedly located in Siddhi Vinayak Building, in the Presidency Co-operative Society of Juhu area A report previously claimed that the actor is renting Shahid’s home and paying a rent of Rs 750,000 per month.

The new investment property is in the same area of Juhu Reportedly, Kartik’s family owns a house on the eighth floor of the building, while his new apartment is on the second floor According to a report f r o m M o n e y C o n t r o l , K a r t i k ’ s n e w Mumbai apartment comes with an area of 1,916 feet (sq feet)

In 2019, Kartik reportedly purchased a flat in Versova, where he lived as a paying guest in his struggling days It is said he paid a sum of £160,000 for the flat located

at Rajkiran Co-op Housing Society on Yari Road A stamp duty of 960,000 was also reportedly included in the deal The report added that the flat had a carpet area of 459 sq ft (with the total being 551 sq ft) and was located on the fifth floor of the building

On the work front, Kartik's last outing w

r a Advani The Sameer Vidwans film has mostly received positive reviews and was praised by social media users The film is having a decent run at the box office and recently crossed the £5 million mark

The film boasts of an ensemble cast in a Gujarati family setup Besides Kartik and Kiara, it also has Supriya Pathak, Gajraj

also a part of the film Kartik will be next seen in ‘Chandu Champion ’

Saira Banu makes Instagram debut on Dilip Kumar’s second death anniversary

K a r a n w r o t e , “ A K A ! A s k K a r a n Anything!!! Happy to answer legit questions that make me gush and blush not flush! Am here for 10 minutes my threaders!” Soon after he posted the note, one user wrote to him, “You are gay, right?” Karan responded, “You’re interested?” He was also asked about his biggest regret, to which he said, “I never got to work with and direct my favourite actor Sridevi ma ’ am ”

Someone else also asked him, “Who is the Bollywood crush?” KJo responded, “Uh ” KJo further revealed his strength is his “thick skin ” Yet, another person asked him, “Dharma and SRK collaboration happen in future?” Karan replied, “Ask me no secrets will tell you no lies ” He was also asked about collaboration with Salman, to which he didn’t any much

K J o i s c u r r e n t l y b u s y w i t h t h e promotions of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem K a h a a n i ’ I t m a r k s h i s r e t u r n t o t h e director’s chair after more than six years The film stars Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh in the lead It is their reunion onscreen after the success of their last outing ‘Gully Boy ’

T h e f i l m a l s o h a s J a y a B a c h c h a n , Shabana Azmi and Dharmendra It's set a g a i n s t a g r a n d b a c k d r o p o f c l o s e - k n i t families and revolves around a quirky love s t o r y o f t w o p e o p l e f r o m d i f f e r e n t communities It is all set to hit the theatres on July 28

July 7 marked the second death anniversary of legendary actor Dilip Kumar He passed away in 2021 after a prolonged illness His wife and veteran actress Saira Banu made her Instagram debut and wrote a long note for him She also penned a heartfelt note for a news portal, where she spoke about her plans for the day

Both, Saira and Dilip were married for 55 years Sharing a black-and-white picture of herself and Dilip, as well as a more recent throwback of the couple, she wrote, “I am writing this note on the 7th of July to especially express my g r a t i t u d e t o t h e o v e r w h e l m i n g multitude of caring well-wishers and dearest friends from the world over who have so tremendously swept me off my feet till today with their everlasting remembrance, love and respect for my Kohinoor, Dilip Kumar Sahib This is the day, 7th of July at 7am when time stood still and my loved one slid into a deep slumber ”

She further added in her Instagram caption, "Till this day, I feel he is with me and no matter what, we will still walk the path of life together, hand in hand, one in our thoughts and being until the end of time ”

Saira also shared how she plans to use her new Instagram account She concluded, "On Instagram, I would like to share his l i f e , h i s t h o u g h t s a n d v i s i o n , a s a l s o h i s d e d i c a t i o n a n d commitments not only to the Film Industry of which he has

been the Ultimate Actor, but various other activities towards society and well-being of the world at large ”

M e a n w h i l e , a n e x c e r p t f r o m a note Saira wrote for a news outlet read, "I can’t fathom the fact that two y e a r s h a v e g o n e b y w i t h o u t D i l i p saab, not around me It just feels like yesterday when I was caressing his head or feeding him his favourite dishes and even listening to some of the finest melodies along with him I remember him every second of my l i f e T h i s d a y c o m e s a s a thunderstorm in my life Since Dilip Saab’s passing away, life has been really difficult for me because we spent around 56 years together and grew up together as husband and wife ”

Born Yousuf Khan, Dilip Kumar made his acting debut with the film ‘Jwar Bhata’ in 1944 His last film was ‘Qila’ in 1998 His five-decade career included films such as ‘Mughal-e-Azam,’ ‘Devdas,’ ‘Naya Daur’ and ‘Ram Aur Shyam’ among many others

Shahid was ‘distraught’ when photos of kiss with Kareena leaked

'

Actor Shahid Kapoor has opened up for the first time about a 2004 incident when the me leaked images of him and his then-girlfriend Kareena Kapoor In an interview, he said the entire episode “destroyed” him Shahid and Kareena dated for a few years the early 2000s They even starred together in films like ‘Fida,’ ‘Chup Chup Ke,’ ’36 China Town,’ ‘Milenge Milenge’ and the hugely popular ‘Jab We Met ’ The two split in 2006, and Kareena later dated and married Saif Ali Khan Shahid had an arranged marriage with Mira Rajput Shahid has now opened up about how leak affected him He said, “I was destroyed at that time I was a 24-year-old kid and I felt like my privacy had been invaded and I could not do anything to protect (myself) So I was a mess wondering ‘what’s happened, what's going on?' Of course it affects you a lot and at that age specially You don't even know your own feelings and

figuring out how to be with a girl and 're dating You're both actors, in different laces and then this happens ”

The interviewer explained how three 'kids' came to their office with the clip from the club and were given 500 for it S h a h i d l a u g h e d w i t h h i m a s t h e y discussed how the interviewer himself must have given them the money Shahid also spoke about how things have changed now “Now you are 100% aware that it's gonna happen At that time, ou were caught off guard by it It's an rmed devil as compared to an uninformed devil kind of a scenario Also, ab toh meri shadi ho gai, bacche ho gae (I am married with kids now) Nobody is interested in those things about me now Now, you have other 24 year olds to focus on, ” he said Shahid Kapoor was last seen in Amazon Prime Video series ‘Farzi’ and Jio Cinema's ‘Bloody Daddy ’

Anurag Kashyap to join Thalapathy Vijay, Sanjay Dutt in ‘Leo’

Samantha planning to take a long break

ActressSamantha Ruth Prabhu is reportedly planning to take a long break from work A report quoting sources close to her suggests she is going to take a year-long absence from the screen. She will soon be wrapping up shooting for her upcoming projects ‘Kushi’ and ‘Citadel’s Indian version. After which, she will not sign any new Telugu or Bollywood films.

The actor has reportedly also returned advance payments to producers she had previously taken money from for some upcoming projects, which she has now backed out from The actor is currently shooting the Telugu film ‘Kushi’ in its final shooting schedule Sam has also almost finished her shoot for her upcoming web series ‘Citadel ’

She wants to take a break to focus on her health and rejuvenate Last month, she visited Serbia’s Church of Saint Sava as she completed one year of her diagnosis of myositis, a rare autoimmune disease

Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is all set to feature in director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s upcoming film ‘Leo’ starring actor Thalapathy Vijay in the lead Actor Sanjay Dutt will be seen as the antagonist in the film While details of Kashyap’s role are yet to be known, many are excited to see him on board. He also also the third director to join the project after Mysskin and Gautham Menon.

Samantha was last seen in the Telugu film ‘Shaakuntalam ’ In the film, Samantha played the central character Shakuntala, the daughter of Menaka and Viswamithra The project marked her maiden collaboration with director Gunasekhar The period drama, which was dubbed and released in Tamil as well as in Hindi, did not manage to gross over 10 crore in its opening weekend

Chiranjeevi jets off to the US for short holiday with wife

Film industry tracker Sreedhar Pillai took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce the news He tweeted, “Now noted director Anurag Kashyap joins other directors like Mysskin and Gautham Menon in playing a role in Thalapathy Vijay’s Lokesh Kanagarajdirected big budget action extravaganza, the multi-starrer Leo!”

A person tweeted, "Leo casting becomes more and more interesting (fire emojis) One of the most versatile performers Anurag Kashyap is onboard " A person also tweeted, "What is even cooking? Anurag joins Leo c a s t " A n o t h e r t w e e t r e a d , " B o l l y w o o d ’ s acclaimed director Anurag Kashyap is playing an interesting role in Leo! Now, the list of directors associated with the film is getting bigger and bigger!" One person also tweeted, “This could be fun ”

‘Leo,’ which marks Lokesh Kanagaraj’s second film with Vijay after Master, also s t a r s T r i s h a , S a n j a y D u t t , A r j u n , P r i y a Anand,

Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mansoor Ali Khan, Sandy and Mysskin

Veteran

actor Chiranjeevi flew to the US for a short holiday with his wife Surekha ahead of his next project He took to Instagram to share some glimpses inside their luxury flight.

Radikaa Sarathkumar said, "Have a good time, u deserve the best " A fan wrote, "Two souls one heart " A person called them an 'inspiring couple’ Gold Box Entertainment House is

Kamal Haasan gifts car to woman bus driver who quit job over ticketing DMK’s Kanimozhi

Last week, actor-politician Kamal Haasan gifted a car to a Coimbatore-based woman who quit her job as a bus driver over a controversy surrounding issuing a travel ticket to DMK MP Kanimozhi recently

In the pictures, Chiranjeevi and S u r e k h a g a v e d i f f e r e n t p o s e s a n d expressions as they looked into the camera For the travel, Chiranjeevi wore a grey shirt and denim while Surekha draped a black saree with a red blouse Chiranjeevi flashed the t h u m b s - u p s i g n a n d a l s o h e l d Surekha in the photos

They also gave a peek at their seats with a huge monitor in front of it An LED folding mirror, a small lamp and a small basket with products were also seen near it Several beverage cans were also kept next to their seats Their drinks were placed in front of them on the table

Sharing the pictures, Chiranjeevi captioned the post, "Off to US on a short holiday with Surekha to refresh and rejuvenate before I join the shoot of my next, a hilarious family entertainer being produced by @goldboxent " Reacting to the post, Kushboo S u n d a r w r o t e , H a v e s u p e r f u n

o w n e d b y C h i r a n j e e v i ' s d a u g h t e r S u s h m i t a K o n i d e l a H o w e v e r , t h e official announcement of the movie h a s n o t b e e n m a d e y e t T h e Instagram handle of the production house reposted Chiranjeevi’s post and w r o t e , " H a v e a n a m a z i n g h o l i d a y Boss We @GoldboxEnt can't wait to h a v e y o u b a c k s i r @ c h i r a n j e ev i k o n i d e l a @ s u s h m i t a k o n i d e l a #VishnuLaggishetty @potla saranya ”

Recently, Chiranjeevi wrapped up shooting and dubbing his new film ‘Bhola Shankar ’ Helmed by Meher Ramesh, the film stars Chiranjeevi, T a m a n n a a h B h a t i a a n d K e e r t h y Suresh in the lead roles The film is all set to hit the theatres on August 11 Anil Sunkara's AK Entertainments is p r o d u c i n g t h e m o v i e w h e r e Tamannaah will be seen in the lead role and Keerthy Suresh will be seen as Chiranjeevi's sister Sushanth will also be seen in the film

The car was provided to Sharmila, Coimbatore's first woman bus driver, on behalf of the Kamal Panbattu Maiam (Kamal Cultural Center) to enable her to become a driver-entrepreneur, the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief said in a statement

"I was anguished over the recent debate surrounding Sharmila, who was a very good example to women of her age Sharmila should not remain a mere driver My belief is to create many Sharmilas," Haasan added He added that she would now use the car for rental service and become an entrepreneur

Sharmila had to quit her job after Kanimozhi who took a ride in her bus was disrespected by a colleague, and also because her management accused her of seeking publicity by inviting prominent personalities to travel in the bus

She claimed she had intimated her management about the proposed visit of the MP, but she could not digest the "disrespect" meted out to the DMK leader The transport firm denied being informed about Kanimozhi's visit and insisted Sharmila had left on her own accord

On the work front, Haasan has now boarded Nag Ashwin's multilingual sci-fi movie ‘Project K ’ Headlined by Prabhas and Deepika Padukone, the upcoming bigbudget film is produced by C Aswani Dutt, founder of Vyjayanthi Movies Production house Vyjayanthi Movies shared Haasan's casting announcement on its official Twitter page

Alia shares fun moments with her 'Heart of Stone’ co-stars Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan

Alia Bhatt is bracing for her Hollywood debut with ‘Heart of Stone’ alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan The actor took to Instagram to share a fun reel with her co-stars that referred to the title of the movie in an adorable way Alia posted a short Instagram video where Gal joined her to flash a heart sign with their hands.

I n t h e v i d e o , t h e a c t r e s s e s a r r i v e d f r o m opposite directions and formed a heart shape After this, Dornan appears in the clip and breaks the heart with his fingers folded together like a stone All three of them shared a smile in the end

The video is seemingly taken during the movie promotions at Netflix’s Tudum event in Brazil

Alia posted the clip and added in the caption: "A lot of heart and @jamiedornan with a stone ( l a u g h i n g e m o t i c o n s ) # H e a r t O f S t o n e @gal gadot"

‘Heart of Stone’ will release on the streaming

Danielle Jonas talks about feeling 'less than' Priyanka Chopra, Sophie Turner

Jewellery designer Danielle Jonas has opened up about feeling “less than” her sisters-in-law

Priyanka Chopra and Sophie Turner She appeared on the LadyGang podcast with her husband, Kevin Jonas, recently, where they opened up about their feelings Danielle also added that she wants “something else” to her name when she compares herself to Pri and Sophie

Danielle married Kevin on December 19, 2009 They are parents to two daughters - Alena Rose and Valentina Angelina Priyanka married Nick in December 2018 and welcomed their d a u g h t e r M a l t i M a r i e C h o p r a J o n a s v i a surrogacy in 2022 Sophie and Joe got married in 2019, and have daughters Willa and another born last year

Danielle said, “I am so different than him It’s actually made it work even more because we ’ re not trying to fight for the celebrity part of it or whatever, but it is a love-hate I feel like I am torn I feel like I am torn Finding my place in it, because the two boys married somebody w h o , t h e y ’ r e a c t r e s s e s , t h e y ’ r e o u t t h e r e , e v e r y o n e k n o w s t h e m A n d I f e e l l i k e I ’ m Danielle, you know, and it's hard ”

Kevin added, “I think everyone's listening [and] they're like, ‘No, not even close, what are you talking about?!’ But I feel that way too Nick and Joe, right? Like solo careers, movies, all this stuff It's like everyone has to find their place No matter the situation, right? I think for us communicating, talking through it ”

Danielle also shared, “It’s also that, like, I’m out there celebrity-wise because I’ve married you And that's where it’s like, ‘Oh, I wanna have something else to my name too ’ So that it feels, I don’t know More than, or like, the other girls ‘Cause then when I’m with the other girls, I feel just less than sometimes It’s weird ” D a n i e l l e , P r i y a n k a a n d S o p h i e h a v e appeared in two Jonas Brothers music videos together, ‘Sucker’ in 2019 and ‘What a Man Gotta Do’ in 2020

platform Netflix on August 11 "It was a very special film in the first place to be a part of I shot it at a very exciting time when I was feeling like it was a nice time for me to break into another language, into Hollywood as you say But it was a lot of fun and I met a lot of interesting people," Alia told a media outlet about her work experience on the film from the global fan event Alia shot the film and also performed the action sequences while she was pregnant The actor g a v e b i r t h t o d a u g h t e r R a h a l a s t y e a r i n

November

On the work front, Alia is gearing up for the release of her upcoming film ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii

Prem Kahaani ’ The Karan Johar film sees her reunite with her ‘Gully Boy’ co-star Ranveer S i n g h T h e f i l m a l s o s t a r s S h a b a n a A z m i , Dharmendra and Jaya Bachchan and is slated to release in cinemas on July 28

Jemima Goldsmith and Shekhar Kapur's film wins four UK awards

'What's Love Got to Do with It?', a movie produced by British film personality Jemima Goldsmith (ex-wife of former Pakistan PM Imran Khan) and Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, has received recognition in four categories at National Film Awards. The event took place in the UK on June 3.

The romantic comedy won the awards for best s c r e e n p l a y , b e s t B r i t i s h f i l m , b e s t d i r e c t o r a n d best supporting actor J e m i m a , w h o w r o t e the screenplay and won t h e a w a r d i n t h a t category, shared a series o f h a p p y p i c t u r e s o n

Twitter The first photo shows Jemima, who also produced the film, and the team posing with their trophies The next slide was the template of Best Screenplay 2023 with Jemima Khan’s photo Jemima has also expressed gratitude to all the fans

“No one likes a show-off But wooohooo

!!! We won 4 National Film Awards for our film What's Love Got to Do with It? I felt so g r a t e f u l a n d h a p p y B e s t s c r e e n p l a y , B e s t B r i t i s h F i l m , B e s t D i r e c t o r a n d B e s t Supporting Actor Thank you and well done to the entire team,” she tweeted

Grand glimpse into the world of ‘Jawan’ takes internet by storm

The highly anticipated prevue of Shah Rukh Khan's mega film, 'Jawan' has taken the internet by storm, upon its release on Monday, pushing the anticipation for the film to the next level. Jawan, promises to be a high-octane action thriller that outlines the emotional journey of a man who is set to rectify the wrongs in the society

Asim Chaudhry, who plays the character ‘Mo the Matchmaker’, shared a video with the prestigious award Shekhar Kapur, the man behind the romantic comedy, wrote a thank you note for recognising his efforts Mim Shaikh, Emma Thompson, Lily James, Shazad Latif, and Pakistani actor Sajal Ali are also part of the film So is Indian actor Shabana Azmi

The movie follows the life of protagonist Zoe (Lily James), who is a film-maker by profession The movie released in February in the UK

B r i n g i n g t o g e t h e r a p e r f e c t blend of action and emotion, the Jawan prevue showcases stunning visuals and an unparalleled scale bound to leave viewers wanting more Every frame of the prevue is attention-grabbing and offers a glimpse into the world of Jawan

The prevue begins with the inimitable voiceover of King Khan, building up the excitement for what awaits One of the highlights for fans is witnessing the various looks of SRK, in avatars they have never seen before Moreover, it u n v e i l s a s t a r - s t u d d e d c a s t , f e a t u r i n g n a m e s f r o m a c r o s s I n d i a n c i n e m a F a m e d d i r e c t o r A t l e e , k n o w n f o r d e l i v e r i n g a series of successful films, brings his directorial prowess to 'Jawan' J a w a n i s o n e o f t h e m o s t anticipated and ambitious films, produced at a never seen before scale for an Indian film It will be released worldwide in theatres on S e p t e m b e r 7 t h , 2 0 2 3 i n H i n d i , Tamil and Telugu languages

Tom Cruise speaks perfect Hindi during an interview

Hollywood action superstar Tom Cruise touched the hearts of his Indian fans after a video of him from a recent interview surfaced online The clip shows him speaking Hindi a little too perfectly T o m i s o n a p r e s s t o u r , g i v i n g interviews for ‘Mission Impossible Dead R e c k o n i n g P a r t O n e , ’ s c h e d u l e d f o r release on July 12 The movie brings him back as Ethan Hunt, pulling off a few more daring stunts to save the world During one interview, the actor had a great time speaking with the interviewer and she even got him to speak a little Hindi

In a recent clip, Tom is seen in a happy mood The interviewer made Tom laugh while speaking about his French in the movie She asked, “Is there anything you cannot do? Is he going to speak in Hindi with me?” Tom eagerly said, “If you want me to speak in Hindi with you I will Let’s try it ” She got him to say the c u t e s t ‘ N a m a s t e

i m p r e s s e d t h a t t h e interviewer could also speak Punjabi and Farsi and wanted to keep talking about her Fans of the actor thought he was too charming in the video A fan wrote, “He is so cute while speaking ‘namaste a a p k a i s e h o ’ & I s t h e r e anything he can't do,” wrote one “Namaste Tom Cruise Sir,” wrote another “Is there anything #TomCruise can't do? He spoke ‘Namaste! Aap Kaise Hain?’ in my mother tongue Hindi with an Indian accent,” said another

‘The Mission: Impossible’ series follows the globe-trotting adventures of Ethan Hunt, a secret agent of the Impossible Missions Force, or IMF, as he undertakes high-risk covert operations The film also stars Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementiff, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby and others The film is set to release on July 12

Lakshya Sen wins Canada Open, beats All England Champ Li

Lak shy a Se n en ded his ye ar -long title drought wit h a stunn ing 2118, 22-20 win ov er All En gla nd cha mpion Li Shi Fe ng in the Can ada Ope n BWF Super -500 fin al in Calgar y on Sun day This is S e n ’ s f ir st t it le a ft e r t h e C om m o n w e a l t h G a m e s g o ld la st A ugust

After a splendid season last year, where he won the India O p e n S u p e r - 5 0 0 t o u r n a m e n t , reached the All England final a n d w o n t h e C W G g o l d , L a k s h y a u n d e r w e n t s u r g e r y (septoplasty) on his nose late last year and struggled for form thereafter

Despite reaching two semifinals, Lakshya looked to be at his best only in this tournament, w h e r e h e o u t c l a s s e d s e c o n d seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the first round and Li in the final

He made a strong statement the way he came back from 16-20 in the second game “I am very happy to win this tournament I thank all those who supported me Today I played the right game, ” Lakshya said after the victory He said he was in no mood to give up at 16-20 “Towards the second game, it was difficult f o r m e t o p r e d i c t a n y t h i n g because I was trailing all the way All I could think of was to cover the lead Even when I was trailing, I never thought I would lose this set I went all out to score key points The key was to remain patient,” he said Li praised Lakshya for the fighting spirit and said these kind of matches are good for b a d m i n t o n “ L i i s a d i f f i c u l t opponent to play He played a

India beat Kuwait; lift SAFF championship trophy for 9th time

Indian football team lifted its nith South Asian Football Fed eration ( SAFF) champ io nship trop hy after the Ig or Stimac-managed sid e beat Kuwait 5-4 on penalties The regulation time ended 1-1

When Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved the final shot of the penalty shoot-out from Kuwait captain Khalid El-Ebrahim, the Indian fans, who had filled the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru to the brim, celebrated like never before India won on the penalty shootout 5-4 after the match ended 1-1 in regulation time (90 minutes) plus extra time (30 minutes)

Earlier in the evening, visitors Kuwait, who are not part of the SAFF but one of the two invited members alongside Lebanon from the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), took the lead with a goal from Shabib Al Khaldi in the 14th minute India were in shock for some time before realising what had happened

After realising that they were behind, the Indian players pulled things back and winger Lalrinzuala Chhangte brought the Blue Tigers back on level terms It was a cross from Sahal Abdul Smad that Chhangte netted Just before the goal, Anwar Ali had to be stretched away after he was injured Mehtab Singh replaced him

The second half as well as the two extra times ended in zero goals, but six yellow cards Four of the six cards went to Kuwait, who wanted to get the match into the penalty shoot-out more than anything else Gurpreet Singh saved a certain goal in the 92nd minute Chhangte, who was awarded the senior player of the year (male) award by All India Football Federation (AIFF) earlier, hit one over the bar in the extra time, failing to give India the lead

England keep Ashes hope alive

E ng land secured another memorable A shes victory at Head ing ley after Harry Brook help ed to set up a threew icket win ov er A ustralia in the third Test on S und ay to keep the five-match series aliv e Bro ok and C hris Woakes h ad shared a match-chang ing 59-ru n partnership for the seventh w icket on the fourth day befo re Brook w as caugh t o ff M itchell Starc to make it an increasingly tense finish England was then at 230 -7 in its second inning s with a target of 251

Playing his 10th Test match, Brook scored 75 off 93 b a l l s w i t h n i n e f o u r s H e b a t t e d w i t h m a t u r i t y a n d appeared ready to carry the burden all the way to the final stretch before passing it over to Woakes and Mark Wood (16 not out), who both made an emphatic first impression on their belated introductions to the series Woakes hit the winning boundary late in the afternoon session against Starc as England finished on 254-7 Woakes crunched the b a l l t o w a r d t h e d e l i r i o u s W e s t e r n T e r r a c e t o f i n i s h unbeaten on 32 Australia lead 2-1 with the fourth Test at Old Trafford starting on July 19

By lunch, England had moved to 153-4 and within 98 runs of its target, four years on from a famous Ben Stokesinspired victory at the same venue

in brief

PAKISTAN'S ODI PARTICIPATION HINGES ON BILAWAL PANEL’S ADVICE

very good game but I did well at crucial times,” Lakshya said L a k s h y a ’ s t w o - m i n u t e display of his talent towards the end of the second game, when he won six straight points, was a good exhibition of his fighting ability Lakshya will travel to America this week to collect

some points from the US Open S u p e r - 3 0 0 t o u r n a m e n t T h e task for Lakshya, who is ranked 19 now, is to get into the top16 and be one of the two ranked Indian men Only two Indians qualify for the Olympics if they a r e i n t h e t o p - 1 6 o f t h e rankings

England women inflict rare T20 series defeat on Australia

England beat Australia by five w i c k e t s t o w i n t h e b e s t - o fthree Twenty20 series against the world champions 2-1 and keep the women ’ s Ashes alive Australia still lead the multiformat series by six points to f o u r , b u t E n g l a n d i n fl i c t e d t h e i r fi r s t T 2 0 s e r i e s d e f e a t since 2017

“We talked about trying to win the series and the way we p e r f o r m e d t o n i g h t w a s brilliant,” said England captain Heather Knight In a rain-disrupted match f o r w o m e n ’ s b i l a t e r a l i n t e r n a t i o n a l a t L o r d ’ s , A u s t r a l i a p o s t e d 1 5 5 - 7 f r o m their 20 overs Ellyse Perry top scored with 34 off 25 balls as the tourists recovered from 663 at the midway point of their innings Due to a rain delay, E n g l a n d w e r e s e t a r e v i s e d target of 119 off 14 overs The

hosts appeared to be cruising t o v i c t o r y t h a n k s t o A l i c e Capsey’s 46 off 23 balls And despite the loss of three late wickets, Knight’s women got over the line with four balls to spare when Danielle Gibson hit her first ball for four Three O n e - d a y I n t e r n a t i o n a l s remain in the series with one win enough for Australia to retain the Ashes “ W e ’ v e m a i n t a i n e d b e l i e f a f t e r a t o u g h s t a r t , ” a d d e d K n i g h t “ A n o t h e r a m a z i n g atmosphere out here tonight h e l p e d u s , a n o t h e r r e c o r d There is not much room for e r r o r , b u t w e ’ l l t a k e i t o n e g a m e a t a t i m e ” A u s t r a l i a captain Alyssa Healy remains confident her side will bounce back from losing a T20 series for the first time since New Zealand’s 2-1 win over six years ago

Agarkar appointed as senior men’s chief selector

Form er India pacer Ajit Agarkar was nam ed as the men ’ s chief sel ector at a cr itical tim e f or Indian cricket, when t he OD I Wo rl d Cup i s j us t t hr e e m onths away, and c alls for a tr ansition growing louder in recent tim es due t o ce rtain unfavourabl e r esults

T h e 4 5 - y e a r - o l d h a s r e p l a c e d another former India pacer Chetan Sharma, who had to step down in February due to his loose comments in a sting operation conducted by a TV news reporter

Interestingly, it is perhaps the first time that BCCI has dumped the ‘zonal formula’ while appointing a national selector, as Agarkar’s former Mumbai and India teammate Salil Ankola, who is already a part of the committee, is also from the West Zone Shiv Sunder Das, Subroto Banerjee and S Sharath are the other members of the panel Having played 26 Test, 191 ODIs and

f o u r T 2 0 I s i n a d e c a d e - l o n g career(1997-2007), in which he took 3 4 9 i n t e r n a t i o n a l w i c k e t s , A g a r k a r , w h o s t i l l h o l d s t h e r e c o r d f o r t h e fastest half century by an Indian in ODIs - against Zimbabwe in 2000and scored a Test century at Lord’s Cricket Ground in 2002, is the seniormost member of the panel and as per the BCCI rules became its chairman Agarkar’s first task will be selecting the side for the five T20Is against West Indies, which starts on August 3, and also selecting a second-string team for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September-October Few can forget Agarkar’s 6-41 which shaped India’s famous win the Adelaide Test against A u s t r a l i a i n 2 0 0 3 - h e w o u l d o f t e n rustle up 140-plus pace and was known as a skiddy bowler Early in his career, he held the record of being the fastest to 50 ODI wickets (23 matches)

Islamabad: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif has formed a high-profile committee led by foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to determine whether Pakistan should send its national cricket team to participate in the ICC ODI World Cup in India, scheduled to commence in October The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that the participation of the Pakistan team in the prestigious event is contingent upon government clearance, given the tense relations between the two countries PCB wrote last week to PM Sharif who is also the patron in-chief of the cricket board seeking his guidance on whether the national squad should travel to India In response the PM formed a 14-member panel with the task of providing recommendations on the matter which has become more complex due to India’s refusal to play Asia Cup matches in Pakistan Based on the panel s recommendations the PM will make the final decision regarding the country s participation in the World Cup The committee includes the foreign minister, several other ministers, heads of security and intelligence agencies and representatives from political parties in the coalition government Additionally, the letter addressed directly to the PM on June 27 requested advice on the venues for the team’s scheduled matches and enquired if the government wanted to send a security delegation to India PCB s chief operating officer Salman Naseer asked the government to evaluate the expected security arrangements at the five venues offered to Pakistan for their World Cup matches The much-awaited India-Pakistan game will be held in Ahmedabad on October 15 Pakistan will play their opening two matches in Hyderabad against Netherlands and Sri Lanka The team is also scheduled to play in Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata

INDIA START WTC CYCLE AGAINST STRUGGLING WINDIES

India s quest for an elusive World Test Championship title gets under way on Wednesday in the lush tropical setting of Windsor Park Stadium in Dominica against a West Indies team expected to struggle to cope with the formidable challenge presented by the visitors in the two-match series Rocked by the failure of the two-time winners to qualify for the 50-over-aside World Cup in India in October-November this year the Caribbean cricket community is unlikely to find solace in the shape of Kraigg Brathwaite’s side in seeking to end a barren run of 21 years without a single Test match victory against the Indians This brief series which ends in Trinidad the following week in what will be the 100th Test between the two teams, marks the start of the next two-year WTC cycle leading to the final in 2025 Beaten by New Zealand in the inaugural final in 2021 and then outplayed by Australia in the 2023 decider just four weeks ago, Rohit Sharma’s team is likely to show no more than three changes from the side that lost the new Test cricket showpiece by 209 runs at The Oval in London With Cheteshwar Pujara dropped and Mohammed Shami rested, there are now opportunities for either of the uncapped Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ruturaj Gaikwad to make the number three spot their own while it will be a toss-up between Jaydev Unadkat and Navdeep Saini to fill the breach in the fast bowling department

Lakshya Sen