AV 17th December 2022

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UK Trade Secretary revives FTA with India

T h e E n d

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P o v e r t y C o a l i t i o n ( E F P C ) h a s w a r n e d t h a t t h e c u r r e n t prolonged freezing minus t e m p e r a t u r e s c o u l d prompt a sharp increase in excess death this winter as f i n a n c i a l w o r r i e s f o r c e vulnerable households to s k i m p o n h e a t i n g T h e Coalition fears there will be f a t a l c o n s e q u e n c e s f r o m t h e s c a l e o f t h o s e economising on heating, as forecasters predict the UK w i l l b e h i t b y s u b - z e r o temperatures for the rest of the week.

Shefali Saxena and Rupali Shinde

As Britain faces subzero temperatures, the community comes forward to help vulnerable Britons, otherwise forced to make tough choices

UK’s Secretary of State for International Trade, Kemi Badenoch meets Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution & Textiles, Government of India to discuss FTA on 13th December

Vish was born and raised in

L ond on From a very young age, h e demonstrated a flair for creativ ity and music, Vish took to the stag e and beg an sing ing He pursued h is musical aspirations further by writing, p rod ucing and recording m uch of his own material

After graduating, Vish commenced his working life within the education sector, mentoring young people who displayed signif icant emotional and behavioural diff iculties Using this experience to develop his career, Vish soon moved into the Criminal Justice System, where his professional capacities focused around the management and resettlement of high risk, prolif ic offenders upon their release from long-term custodial sentences He also wrote Sentencing Guideline Reports for many high-prof ile Court Houses across the UK After leaving the CJS in 2014, Vish started to build his own property portfolio, both in London and in the North of England Vish also presents a daily Radio Show discussing current affairs

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

No matter where I may travel in the world, London will always be home Born and raised, I'm an East Londoner through and through!

2) What are your proudest achievements?

I think one of my proudest personal achievements was f inally making the realisation that being able to show vulnerability and emotional transparency in life is not a weakness, but actually a true demonstration of strength of character and integrity Ver y often, I'm also my own harshest critic, so learning to be a little less self-judgemental has been a real education for me

On a lighter note, teaching myself to swim was one of the best possible things I ever did I'm so proud of that too!

3) What inspires you?

One of the biggest inspirational influences of my life since childhood has always been music, or food for the soul It's a language that is universal to us all, transcending generations, cultures and backgrounds Music will always remain a boundless gift to me, that just keeps on giving

4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?

In my previous role within the Criminal Justice System, various aspects of working with high risk, prolif ic offenders proved both professionally and personally chall e n g i n g A f t e r h e a r i n g m a n y h o r r i f i c accounts of prolonged heinous criminal behaviour, I often struggled to be able to see both sides of the stor y, and initially found it hard to offer an authentic level of support or empathy to offenders

However, after watching several triu m p h a n t b r e a k t h r o u g h s f i r s t h a n d , i n cases where I fully believed all hope had gone, I came to realise that ever ybody has the capacity to change regardless of background or circumstance This was monumental

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

The biggest influence on my career has always been my Dad A strong, kind and gentle man, who taught me to be courageous in the face of adversity, to always show affection openly, and to have faith in

my own abilities when pursuing my aspirat i o n s I t r y m y u t m o s t t o l i v e b y t h e s u p re m e v a lu e s h e i n s t i l le d w i t h i n m e ever yday

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

Whether it be a companion during times of loneliness, a guest around the breakfast table, or perhaps a passenger in the car on the afternoon school run, radio is such an intimate part of our daily lives Being given the privilege to engage with listeners on the radio ever yday, providing r e a s s u r a n c e a n d c o m fo r t w h e n i t i s r e q u i r e d , o r s i m p l y b e i n g a n u p l i f t i n g

familiar voice in the background is without doubt the best aspect of my role

7) And the worst?

I think the hardest aspect of my role is not being able to see my listeners whilst I m on air Watching listener reactions, having direct engagement, and maintaining face to face interaction would just be epic On a lighter note, not being able to eat in the studio is a tough one too A freshly delivered, stone baked margherita pizza would be a great sporadic on-air companion!

8) What are your long term goals?

My long term goals will always include radio presenting For me, this is not just a job, it actually forms an intrinsic, spiritual part of who I am

I'm also hugely passionate about writing, an area that I have aspirations I am keen to pursue I'd love to write a novel, and also perhaps a screenplay within the Thriller or Fantasy genre or even both together, a Thrantasy!

Finally, I'm a massive foodie and relish any opportunity of getting in the kitchen and cooking for hours It s one of the most therapeutic and creative outlets for me I d love to someday open up a small little c h a r m i n g b i s t r o , s o m e w h e r e n i c e a n d sunny overlooking the water

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

If I was Prime Minister, I think one of the key issues I'd make efforts to address would be the ongoing, prevalent concerns s u r r o u n d i n g y o u n g p e o p l e a n d m e n t a l health

I would allocate a far greater budget to enable young people, particularly from low income families to gain access to a much wider array of resources 10) If you were marooned on a deserted island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?

My i d e a l d e s e r t i s l a n d mate in reference to a historical f igure I think would have to be Mahatma Gandhi ji A globally iconic f igure, whose p h i l o s o p h i e s o f p e a c e a n d harmony will always continue to inspire me Also, his regular fasting stints would be a real asset to learn from whilst being stuck

Snowy and icy weather across the UK has already caused major disruption on roads and rail networks, with many ser vices cancelled, delayed or revised But as the UK received its f irst major snowfall and continues to have subzero temperatures, it has ignited hopes for a white Christmas in the South East! Many enjoyed picturesque landscapes across the countr y, as inches of snow covered the open f ields, gardens and streets

Asian Voice team chose two of the best photos for publishing from those received from our readers These beautiful photos were submitted by Heritage Bengal Global members Mahua and Arijit

Bexleyheath;

Man detained for treatment for grabbing flag draped

over Queen’s coffin

A man wh o grabbed at th e flag draped over the Queen’s c o f f i n , le av in g m o u r ne rs who had qu eu ed to f i le past “cl ea rl y a ng u i s h ed ” , h as been detained in a mental h ealth facility

Mu h a m m a d K h a n , 2 8 , f r o m L i m e h o u s e i n e a s t London, was charged with a public order offence after t h e i n c i d e n t o n 1 6 September and will be treated at the facility The district judge Louisa Cieciora found that Khan had caused distress to members of the public who had queued to p a y t h e i r r e s p e c t s t o t h e Queen as she was lying in state at Westminster Hall

Police wrestled Khan to the ground after he left the queue and grasped at the royal standard on the coff in at about 9 45pm Khan told one off icer he “wanted

t o s e e i f s h e w a s r e a l l y dead” The television live feed briefly cut away as he was detained and arrested, We s t m i n s t e r m a g i s t r a t e s court heard The judge said she was satisf ied that the distress experienced by the nearby mourners was “ as a result of Mr Khan’s actions” and not due to the arrest by the off icers

S h e s a i d t h e c o f f i n ’ s

raised platform was a sign i f i c a n t d i s t a n c e a w a y f r o m t h e p e o p l e f i l i n g through Westminster Hall I n a p p r o a c h i n g t h e catafalque, Khan’s actions would have been noticed by members of the public, “most of whom would have been looking at the coff in and who were there to pay their respects”, the judge added

L abour recommends to move 50,000 jobs out of London

Fifty-thou

rm e r p r im e m i n is te r Gord on Bro wn calls the civ il service too London-centric an d rec o m m e nd s m o v i ng j ob s i nto reg io nal of f ice s, c o u nc i ls a nd c o m bi n ed au t h o ri ti es S o m e p u bl ic bodies would also be m oved outside Londo n und er the proposals

Entitled A New Britain: Re n e w i n g o u r D e m o c r a c y a n d R e b u i l d i n g o u r Economy, the report's reco m m e n d a t i o n t h a t t h e House of Lords be scrapped has drawn the most attent i o n , b u t i t a l s o i n c l u d e s w i d e -r a n g i n g c i v i l s e r v i c e reform plans

The Commission on the UK’s Future report, released o n Mo n d a y, s u g g e s t s p u t t i n g t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between ministers and the c i v i l s e r v i c e o n a fo r m a l statutor y footing to make clear where accountability

and responsibility lies

It a l s o r e c o m m e n d s ensuring civil ser vants have m o r e e x p e r i e n c e o u t s i d e Whitehall, by changing the g o v e r n m e nt ’ s a p p ro a c h t o r e c r u i t m e n t , t r a i n i n g a n d p r o m o t i o n Tr a n s fe r r i n g 50,000 jobs out of London would save at least £200m per year, according to the report Experienced policym a ke r s s h o u l d b e lo c a t e d e i t h e r a lo n g s i d e o r i n s i d e local government and combined authorities “to help build governance capability across the countr y ” , it said

Radio Presenter

Sutton; Photo Credit: Mahua Bej

Photo Credit: Arijit Ganguly

India is not petty-minded about UK’s visa stance

Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch reached India on Monday 12 December to discuss about the future of Free Trade Agreement negotiations between the UK and India The FTA negotiation took a hit when Home Secretary Suella Braverman alleged that Indians formed the highest number of overstayers in the UK

With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to the UK getting cancelled last minute and FTA closure falling through, the community feared UK-India relationship has taken an unnecessary hard hit But with Rishi Sunak’s appointment as the UK’s first ever Indian-origin Prime Minister, much has been salvaged, including the probability of UK-India’s future as two nations helping each other

Right after Mr Sunak’s appointment, within a day of his Cabinet appointment, James Cleverly, UK’s Foreign Secretary went to India to discuss economic cooperation as well as global security challenges with India He visited Mumbai and Delhi and met India’s Minister of External Affairs Dr Jaishankar to discuss the latest on the 2030 Roadmap, the landmark commitment to boost cooperation between the UK and India over the next decade under a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

In the meantime, Mr Sunak and PM Narendra Modi spoke over the phone, followed by a meeting at the G20 Summit in Bali The very next day Mr Sunak announced an exceptional visa for young Indians Though India’s demand for more student visas haven’t yet been met with, the relationship seems to be slowly growing As a reciprocal step, India has also restored the e-visa for UK nationals

Kemi Badenoch is the second Cabinet Minister to visit

India, in Mr Sunak’s 48-day-old government (as we go to press) Badenoch is due to meet her counterpart, Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, in person for the first time, aiming to strengthen ties between the two countries and reinvigorate talks on an ambitious bilateral trade deal

She will address both teams of senior negotiators ahead of the sixth round of formal negotiations taking place throughout the week

The talks, the first formal round since July, will target a deal to cut tariffs and open opportunities for UK services such as financial and legal, making it easier for British businesses to sell to an economy set to be the world’s third largest - with a middle class of 250 million people - by 2050 During her visit, the Trade Secretary will also meet with business leaders to better understand their needs for a modern UK - India trade relationship

Ms Badenoch before her trip explained that she would not like to discuss the issues of student visas when in India, especially as it involved the Home Office She also told the press that Mr Sunak had prompted a 'lot of warm feelings' in India But British press analysed her decision to avoid visa topic as ‘inflaming a row with India’

May how delicate one may believe UK-India relationship is, it is a fact that India is not petty-minded Every relationship has its own bumps as well as strengths, and it is rather presumptuous to consider this trip would derail a 70-year-old strong association UK needs India- that’s the ultimate truth One must have that little faith as doubt has no room in such cases

Every little counts

The Guardian in a recent report wrote that, according to a study, 30 million people in the UK will be unable to afford ‘ a decent standard of living’ by the time the current parliament ends in 2024

Thinktank New Economics Foundation reportedly said rising p r i c e s , b e l o w - i n f l a t i o n i n c r e a s e s i n e a r n i n g s a n d p r o j e c t e d increases in unemployment will result in 43% of households lacking the resources to put food on the table, buy new clothes or treat themselves and their families – a 12%-point rise compared to 2019 (see page 1)

They also said that by 2024 almost 90% of single parents and 50% of workers with children will fall below a minimum income standard, calling for universal credit to be scrapped and replaced by a national living income

The British Asian community has always believed in ‘ sewa ’ , especially when the financial crunch has hit their country

The community has taken up the challenge of fighting the cost-of-living crisis, especially helping those who are struggling to put food on the table They have opened soup kitchens and widely

helped with the Covid-19 vaccine programme during the pandemic For example, BAPS Neasden Temple, that opened a vaccination centre, was visited by then Home Secretary Priti Patel Their trustees also provided buses to transport healthcare staff to hospitals free of cost during lockdown, as well as transported food, donated by members and well-wishers

King Charles III inaugurated the new Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Luton recently He interacted with volunteers as well as listened to ‘kirtan’ and ‘hukumnama’ of Guru Granth Sahib with the members of the British Sikh community at their Diwaan Hall

He also heard stories of how the Gurdwara was helping the community by fighting misinformation, vaccine hesitancy and its Covid-19 clinic during the pandemic He met with the volunteers who run the Luton Sikh Soup Kitchen Stand, providing hot veg food every day of the year at the Gurdwara

Though these small efforts may not be enough to sustain and will need wider government intervention, every little counts, as the country goes through unprecedented challenges

The changing pattern of Indian politics

India has adopted democratic system of governance after attaining independence from Britain Political parties played a major role in shaping India's democracy Modern democracies are unimaginable without the political parties as they serve as the nerve centre linking citizens and the State in three critical domains - as channels of voicing individual grievances, vehicles of political ambitions, and platforms for interest groups to forge political settlements The party system in India has seen at least four transformations since the very inception In the first system (1952-67), the Congress was the predominant party winning both at the national level and in most states, overshadowing other parties The next phase was marked by the emergence of Opposition against the Congress party in several states, resulting in the polarisation of state party systems (1967-89) The third phase marked the beginning of the postCongress polity - a competitive multi-party system (1989-2014) in which the Congress was no longer the dominant player nationally The period witnessed the formation of coalition governments at the national level since no party could get a majority on its own State-based parties acquired a greater voice both in the states and at the national level in this phase The current party system began with the formation of a singleparty majority of the BJP in 2014 With a consecutive victory in 2019 and the party’s increasing presence, it was clear that India h a s e n t e r e d i n i t s s e c o n d - d o m i n a n t p a r t y s y s t e m p h a s e anchored around the BJP

The first general election in India was held in 1952 Congress emerged as the dominant party at that time Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister of the country The criterion to select candidates was caste During this period, the civil servants run the country since the politicians lack experience During Nehru's period, India adopted the Russian model of industrial development Hindi Chini bhai bhai slogan began during this period Since Nehru was anti-west he did not adopt the American system of capitalism After Nehru, Indira Gandhi emerged as the most powerful leader She split the Congress party to emerge as the leader She won the election on the slogan of gharabi hatao But the slogan remained as a slogan only During this period banks were nationalised and private players were almost banished The nationalised banks failed to achieve the objectives The work culture of the banks deteriorated and they lost customers to private banks Then came the Mandal commission of reservation on the basis of caste VP Singh emerged as the champion of Mandal system That was the period of great impediment to development

Violence erupted between different castes Then came the period of Modi He began as the chief minister of Gujarat for two consecutive terms In 2014, he contested the Lok Sabha election and won the election BJP merged as the ruling party at the Centre and Modi became the Prime Minister During the 2019 Lok Sabha poll BJP consolidated its grip BJP has been ruling Gujarat for the last 27 years During the recent assembly election BJP, not only defied 27 years of incumbency but also made history by winning the highestever number of seats The Man of the Match was clearly Narendra Modi Congress has been decimated in Gujarat During Modi's rule, the religious place regained their lost glory Many religious places were developed During this period India has emerged as an economic super power India was for many years seen as poor in relation to China, held back by a sclerotic, sprawling state sector and labyrinthine bureaucracy It still has enormous problems of poverty and poor infrastructure, but it is beginning to emerge as a rival to its large neighbour with the kind of economic growth figures that were once the pride of Beijing Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 13 8% in the second quarter of this year as pandemic controls were lifted and manufacturing and services boomed Although double-digit growth is unlikely to be repeated in subsequent quarters, India is still on track to expand by 7% this year as it benefits from economic liberalisation in the private sector, a rapidly growing working population, and the realignment of global supply chains away from China “India has overtaken the UK to become the world’s fifthlargest economy and set to continue its march up the global rankings In all, India is expected to overtake Germany and Japan to become the third-largest economy in the world within the next decade A key part of India’s continued rise will be its ability to grow its manufacturing sector and challenge China as the world’s No 1 exporter India has already benefited from a large, well-educated, often English-speaking middleclass, helping the country to develop world-class IT and pharmaceutical sectors

Before the emergence of BJP, the North -East was considered as a lost territory But now the BJP brought development to the region and the people were enjoying the fruits of development there Another region which was neglected during the earlier regime was Jammu and Kashmir Now J&K is also on the path of development The air transport also improved in India with the inauguration of more airports in the country From 74 in 2013, India now has 140 airports

Thought for the week

Political Sketchbook

Artificial Intelligence and India

I wri te havi ng just returned from I ndia where at the largest Tech exhi bition i n Europe I s aw numerous AI compani es So I thought I would ask an Americ an AI company, from he re i n the UK, “Who are the most influential and i mportant pe ople i n I ndian history?” Here is the answer It’ s a c on te mporary an swer You will di sagree with the ans wers But AI is taki ng over the world!

“India has a long and rich history, and there have been many influential and important people who have contributed to its development and growth Some of the most influential and important people in Indian history include:

Mahatma Gandhi: Gandhi is one of the most wellknown figures in Indian history, and is considered the father of the Indian nation He was a political and spiritual leader who is best known for his philosophy of nonviolent resistance, which he used to lead the Indian people in their struggle for independence from British rule

J a w a h a r l a l N e h r u : N e h r u w a s t h e f i r s t P r i m e Minister of India, serving from 1947 to 1964 He was a key figure in the Indian independence movement and is considered one of the architects of modern India Nehru was a strong advocate for social justice and economic development, and is credited with implementing policies that helped to modernize India

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Patel was one of the leaders of the Indian independence movement and is known as the "Iron Man of India " He played a key role in the integration of the princely states into the newly-independent Indian union, and was instrumental in the creation of a strong and united India

B R Ambedkar: Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, and political leader who is best known for his efforts to uplift the Dalit (formerly known as "untouchable ) community and promote social justice in India He was the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, and is considered one of the most important figures in Indian history

These are just a few examples of the many influential and important people in Indian history There have been countless others who have contributed to the development and growth of India, and it is impossible to name them all ”

Okay, how about “How can we improve the UK Parliament?” this is what AI said,

“Improving the UK Parliament is a complex issue, and there are many different ways that it could be done Here are a few potential ideas:

Increase the number of women and ethnic minorities in Parliament: The UK Parliament is currently not representative of the population as a whole, with a disproportionate number of white men holding elected office Increasing the diversity of Parliament would make it more reflective of the people it represents and could lead to better decision-making

Implement electoral reform: The current first-pastthe-post electoral system in the UK tends to produce a two-party system, which can lead to a lack of diversity of views in Parliament Implementing alternative electoral systems, such as proportional representation, could make it easier for smaller parties and independent candidates to gain representation and bring new perspectives to Parliament

R e d u c e t h e p o w e r o f t h e e x e c u t i v e : T h e U K

Parliament is currently dominated by the executive branch, which is made up of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Reducing the power of the executive and increasing the power of Parliament as a whole could make the legislative branch more independent and better able to hold the government accountable

Increase transparency and accountability: Making Parliament more transparent and accountable to the public could help to build trust and improve its reputation This could include measures such as publishing MPs' expenses and increasing the availability of parliamentary proceedings to the public

Miracles happen to those who believe in them. - B ernard Berenso n

Alpesh Patel

Toughest crackdown on asylum seekers to be planned

Sue lla Br ave rman is conside ring her toug hest cr ackdown on asylum se eke rs y et as she vows t o d o “wha te ver it t ake s ” t o t ackle the mig rat ion crisis

Writing in a foreword to a report which calls for an annual limit of 20,000 people arriving in the UK through resettlement routes, the Home Secretary claimed Brits are “fed up with the continued flouting of our laws and immigration rules to game our asylum system” She added that the “persistent abuse of human rights laws” that prevents the removal of migrants who have “ no right to be in the UK” must end

It comes as provisional figures show that 44,000 people have arrived in the UK in the past year - marking a dramatic increase on the 28,500 who did so throughout the entirety of 2021 - with total net migration also

expected to hit 504,000 Braverman and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are therefore understood to be finalising a plan which will “ d e l i v e r t h e o p e r a t i o n a l a n d l e g i s l a t i v e changes necessary to comprehensively tackle this problem” - but have not yet announced official new measures

Therefore, Braverman contributing so publicly to a report on migration before the government itself has formalised its own position is a rare move from a cabinet minister Although the Fareham MP did highlight that she does not agree with all of the policies suggested by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), her foreword has nevertheless been taken by many as a general endorsement of t h e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s o u t l i n e d - l i k e l y because many of them are not far removed from her previous comments on the topic

Winter fills Birmingham’s warm spaced

It w as a bo u t z er o d eg ree s ce ls i us i n

Birmingham as families piled into Gas Street St L uke’s church cafe, one of th e city council’s d esignated “ warm spaces ” , to escape the December co ld

Staff said the cafe, just outside the city centre, had been busier than ever over the past few weeks as the cold weather set in and people try to keep the heating off at home because of rising costs “Being at home with the children, you ’ re burning through gas and electricity, so coming here, it’s not just letting the kids have a play; we ’ re saving so much money too,” said 34-year-old Stacey, a mother of five, who visited the cafe after doing the afternoon school run “If not for

this, we’d be at home with the heating on and the kids would be charging their tablets It all adds up ” Sat next to her was Charlene White, 42, who said she was especially feeling the strain as she tried to save for Christmas “My daughter has diabetes and respiratory problems, so I have to have the heating on for her; I can’t cut down The staff are really understanding They know why we ’ ve come in here,” she said The cafe is run by Love Y o u r N e i g h b o u r , a n a t i o n a l n e t w o r k o f churches and charities working in communities, and is open to everyone regardless of whether they are buying food, and staff can waive costs for people who are desperate

Diplomat comments in Manchester clash threatening

A senior Ch inese diplomat inv olv ed in the recent violence ag ainst pro-demo cracy pro testers in Manchester has sug gested Ch inese stud en ts i n Br i tai n s h o u ld “ res is t d is tor ting and d iscr ed i ti n g ” C h in a ’ s C o v i d policies

T h e c o m m e n t s b y C h i n a ’ s c o n s u l g e n e r a l i n

Manchester, Zheng Xiyuan, at a symposium to discuss the work of international s t u d e n t s w e r e s a i d b y Lyndon Lee, 23, a secondy e a r l a w s t u d e n t a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Y o r k , t o appear threatening Zheng w a s f i l m e d i n O c t o b e r p u l l i n g t h e h a i r o f a protester, Bob Chan, who

had been dragged into the g r o u n d s o f t h e c o n s u l a t e where he was kicked and punched to such a degree t h a t h e r e q u i r e d h o s p i t a l treatment

A n o f f i c i a l a c c o u n t o f the student symposium last week, posted on a WeChat social media account used to share information with t h e u n i v e r s i t y ’ s C h i n e s e S t u d e n t s a n d S c h o l a r s Association (CSSA), reported Zheng as championing the “remarkable advantages” of China’s socialist system

Tory MP warns of foreign investors spiking London rents

Foreig n inv estors buying up London p roperty are fo rcing rents to unaffo rdable levels and contributing to a “perfect storm ” ho using crisis, an M P has w arned

Private rents in the capital have skyrocketed by an average of 17 per cent in the 12 months to August, London Councils said L o c a l H o u s i n g A l l o w a n c e ( L H A ) r a t e s , which low income tenants can claim to help with housing costs, have remained frozen since 2020 Tory MP for Harrow East Bob Blackman said buyers from abroad were snapping up new properties, often to let out,and reducing the number of homes available for Londoners to buy or rent at affordable prices

He claimed the Battersea Power Station development was an example, saying that when he visited the project a sales manager told him that the majority of flats had been sold to Singaporean investors A slump in the pound after Liz Truss' disastrous mini budget last year saw US investors plough cash into UK property, with London a key target for overseas buyers

Some 95,000 residential properties in England and Wales are registered to offshore owners saAlmost half of these are in London, with many concentrated in central areas In the borough of Westminster alone, more than 12,000 homes are in overseas ownership

Man throws egg at King

T he King has had an eg g th row n at him, w hile meeting members of the public, f o r th e s ec on d ti m e i n l ess th an a m onth

A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of common assault following the latest incident Bedfordshire Police said the suspect was being held in custody for questioning after he was arrested in St George’s Square in Luton Following the alleged assault, the King w a s t e m p o r a r i l y s t e e r e d a w a y f r o m crowds outside Luton Town Hall by his security staff

He then resumed shaking hands with members of the public a short while later after being moved to a different area The incident comes just weeks after 23-year-old Patrick Thelwell was arrested for throwing an egg at the King and Queen Consort during a visit to York

in brief

FIRST DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT OF COVID PATIENT IN UK

The first patient in the UK who required a double lung transplant due to complications from Covid-19 has been successfully discharged from a London hospital Cesar Franco, 50, contracted the virus just before Christmas 2021 Despite being healthy and having no underlying conditions he was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital after his condition deteriorated Within days he was on life support and breathing through a ventilator Mr Franco went on to develop Covid pneumonitis an inflammation of the lungs which leads to lung fibrosis The fibrosis caused scarring of his lung tissue, meaning he was unable to breathe independently He remained in the Intensive Care Unit for five months before being transferred to Harefield Hospital, where he went on to receive a double lung transplant - the first of its kind in the UK Professor John Dunning, Director of heart and lung transplantation at Harefield Hospital and Cesar’s surgeon said: “Cesar’s story exemplifies everything that is great about the NHS, receiving excellent care throughout his journey He was someone with an acute illness whose condition deteriorated to a point where he required expert care from ICU staff and mechanical life support

CROYDON

COUNCIL

SHOULD REPAY WRONGLY TAKE £40M

Around £40million was wrongly taken from Croydon Council’s fund for social housing over the last few years This was one of the issues that forced the authority to issue its third bankruptcy notice in just two years The council’s scrutiny homes subcommittee heard the latest at a meeting on December 5 The council s director for housing, Susmita Sen, explained that £9 5m a year was being taken from the ringfenced Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and used by the council’s general fund The HRA holds rent and charges from council tenants and is only supposed to be used for the authority s social housing stock It is this account that funds maintenance and repair costs for council homes The council is now waiting to hear whether the government will step in to help the struggling authority Recently, the council s cabinet heard from Tony McArdle, chair of Croydon’s improvement and assurance panel which reports back to the Department for Levelling Up He warned a bailout loan like the £120m one issued in 2020, would not cut it this time

Suspended sentence ordered for making racist assault

A former sold ier w ho p lead ed guilty to a racist assault after chasing a teacher do wn the street with two um brellas and using a racial slur h as receiv ed a 10-week su sp ended sentence and been ordered to pay his victim £30 0

Robert Browne, 56, pleade d g u i l t y l a s t m o n t h a t Tameside magistrates court to racially/religiously aggravated common assault/beating on 25 J u l y t h i s y e a r a f t e r a v i d e o s h o w e d h i m h u r l i n g r a c i s t abuse at Shabir Makim, 40, and striking him with umbrellas In a sentencing h e a r i n g a t t h e c o u r t o n T h u r s d a y , Browne apologised and admitted he had been under the influence of alcohol when he carried out the assault

B r o w n e a n d a n o t h e r m a n became involved in a heated e x c h a n g e w i t h a h o m e l e s s man begging outside a Tesco store in Cheadle, in Stockport, G r e a t e r M a n c h e s t e r M a k i m f i l m e d t h e i n c i d e n t o n h i s phone

he was worried

might escalate Browne became angry with Makim for filming and began to pursue him down the street and striking him on the head with the umbrellas

Makim shared the video with friends and family in a WhatsApp group and one of them posted it on social media It received 1 5m views on Twitter In the video, Browne can also b e h e a r d r e p e a t e d l y h u r l i n g r a c i s t abuse at Makim

“I apologise for my behaviour on that day It was unacceptable,” he said The court heard that he had recently been diagnosed with PTSD Makim, however, said justice had not been served He was assaulted and verbally a b u s e d a f t e r h e i n t e r v e n e d w h e n

because

that it

MasterChef: The Professionals Champion 2022

crowns Nikita Pathakji as the winner

one of the most prestigious and unique cooking events in the country

As the 16th professional chef to earn the e

title, Nikita takes her place in MasterChef history alongside other outstanding champions: Derek Johnstone; Steve Groves; Claire Lara; Ash Mair, joint winners Keri Moss and Anton Piotrowski; Steven Edwards; Jamie Scott; Mark Stinchcombe; Gary Maclean; Craig Johnston; Laurence Henry; Stu Deeley, Alex Webb and last year ’ s winner, Dan Lee Nikita entered the prestigious competition alongside 31 other professional chefs, all aiming to achieve culinary perfection, cooking her way to the top after six weeks of increasingly demanding challenges Nikita i m p r e s s e d M i c h e l i n - s t a

e d M a r c u s Wareing, acclaimed chef Anna Haugh and seasoned MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace with innovative, memorable dishes inspired from her travels, mainly around Asia Critics and leading chefs also raved about Nikita and her food, with William Sitwell describing her as “ a force to be reckoned with” and Michelin-starred Jun Tanaka said of her octopus starter at Chef’s Table: “You absolutely nailed it It really took me back to when I was a child in Japan ”

Reacting to her win, Nikita said: “This is incredible and I can’t put it into words It surpasses every achievement of my life I don’t know how I’m going to top this This is the peak, I think I’ve reached it!”

A n intense final week

In an intense Final Week, Nikita was cooking against exceptional fellow finalists in increasingly tough culinary tasks and had to bring the very best creativity, technique and skill to the table, to outperform them The challenges included the chance of a life-

Table was held this year at the five-star Lanesborough Hotel in London, and the guests, who hold 19 Michelin stars

Social Company

f i l l e d w i t h C h i c k e n , M u s h r o o m s a n d Coriander and Coriander Oil, topped with handmade Sev, finished with a Coconut Curry Sauce and a side of Crispy Chicken Skin dusted with Chilli Powder, topped with a Mango, Cumin and Onion Purée

To finish, Nikita served Cardamom and Custard Tart, Apricot poached in Honey Syrup, topped with a Honey Tuile and an Apricot, Honey and Lemon Sorbet, to which Gregg reacted with: “The whole thing is delightful ” Family w ith a focus o n food

T

w e

e a l s o stretched as they were tasked with creating a plate inspired by a food memory, to transport the MasterChef judges to that time or place Another formidable cooking challenge was to deliver a showstopping dish for a discerning dining room full of some of the UK’s leading food critics - Jay Rayner, William Sitwell, Leyla Kazim, Jimi Famurewa and April Jackson

With the stakes at an all-time high, the exhilarating last challenge for the final three professionals was producing the best three courses of their lives, in just three hours Tasting their way through the final menus, were judges Marcus Wareing, Anna Haugh and Gregg Wallace, who expected nothing less than the finest cookery on show

Nikita’s winning menu started with Sea Bass cured in a Citrus Dressing, Smoked Aubergine Purée, Spicy Red Pepper Purée w i t h P o m e g r a n a t e , P r e s e r v e d L e m o n , Parsley Oil and a side of Aubergine Crisps On tasting the dish, Marcus said: “This sings what you ’ re all about ”

Inspired by her favourite dish from her time in Thailand - Khao Soi - Nikita’s main course was Crispy Chicken Thighs, Tortellini

Derby-born Nikita grew up in a family for whom food was always a focus She now lives in Clapham, London, with her mum, step-dad, sister and Dexter the dog Nikita said: “I always cooked with my dad and my mum throws elaborate dinner parties with several courses She also introduced me to t h e L o n d o n f o o d s c e n e , t a k i n g m e t o Michelin-starred restaurants But I’d never considered it as a career because my family is so academic ”

After her A-levels, instead of going to university to study Chemistry, Nikita decided to follow her passion and embark on c o o k i n g c a r e e r S h e t r a i n e d w i t h Westminster Kingsway College and at the end of her apprenticeship, travelled for nine months around Asia This journey further awakened her appreciation for local flavours and styles of the region She says: “Because I travelled, it opened up a whole different world of cuisine It was amazing ” Although Nikita is classically trained and has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens across London ever since, her own food is heavily influenced by her experiences in Asia

Talking about her time in the competit i o n , N i k i t a s a i d : “ M a s t e r C h e f i s a l w a y s something I’ve thought about, but never felt

ready for My family always wanted me to do it, especially mum So I entered partly just to get her off my case! I decided this was the year because I’m now in a restaurant environment where I’m very comfortable and confident but that’s dangerous! It was time to push myself that much further The Chef’s Table was the most intimidating moment of the competition Cooking for that room of people was such an immense challenge I felt like I needed a shot of something strong before going out there to receive their feedback Equally though, it was an amazing experience, and for it to be hosted in the hotel where I first joined this industry was utterly incredible

“I didn’t let myself dream of getting to this point when I entered I’ve given everything to this Sleepless nights is an understatement!”

Working as a Chef de Partie at the time o f f i l m i n g ( n o w J u n i o r S o u s C h e f ) a t Michelin-starred restaurant Kitchen W8 in London, Nikita is looking ahead: “Next, I’d love to do pop-ups and festivals to cook for as many people as physically possible It would be brilliant to work alongside the other MasterChef finalists to do bespoke menus and events My long-term goal is to be a chef-owner of a successful restaurant where I get to cook my own food every day I’d want to foster a great working environm e n t , m u c h l i k e m y c u r r e n t w o r k p l a c e Championing women in the industry, as well as creating a good work life balance, is so important to me ”

Heating vs Eating

This coincides with rail strikes ahead of Christmas, that too amid a massive cost of living crisis with r i s e i n e n e r g y b i l l s w h i c h w i l l d i r e c t l y i m p a c t b u s i n e s s e s l i k e restaurants and pubs because people will be unable to travel across the country or city This has led to c a n c e l l i n g o r p o s t p o n i n g o f C h r i s t m a s p a r t i e s a s w e l l N o t only does it affect celebration and recreation, but it unfortunately engulfs the elderly and underprivileged into its garb who may not have enough pension or funds to afford heating, hot food and may have to depend on volunteers and community organisation for help It is also important to note that t h e s e v o l u n t e e r s a n d o r g a n i s ations also aren’t independent of t h e r a i l s t r i k e s I f t h e r e i s n o means of transport, the will to help will not be enough to save people from bitter cold

A Y o u G o v s u r v e y o n C h r i s t m a s s p e n d i n g i n t e n t i o n s that was conducted at the end of September 2022 displayed that six in ten or 60% of people in the UK a r e p l a n n i n g t o s p e n d l e s s o n Christmas this year, owing to the cost-of-living crisis Meanwhile, 28% declared that they will be spending as much as they normally do on Christmas

Sharing his two cents on the rail strike and its impact on the h o s p i t a l i t y s e c t o r , R oop Pa rta p Choudhary of Colonel Saab told Asian Voice, “Our sector is one of the hardest hit by the rail strikes, first to close and last to open during the pandemic The current circumstances are critically impacting hospitality and will require a government intervention and further support for the food and beverage industry We’ve lost around 250 bookings so far since the dates h a v e b e e n a n n o u n c e d L a r g e r events have reduced their numbers and the hopes for covering the backlogs in terms of sales have also gone The effect of the strikes will pile additional pressure on restaurants that are already strugg l i n g w i t h l a c k l u s t r e b o o k i n g s , l a b o u r s h o r t a g e s a n d i n c r e a s e d costs – from energy bills and payroll to the price of ingredients ”

Aadi t Sha nkar of Atc ha U K told us, “Rail strikes have a debilitating effect on our business, and one which is more pronounced at this time of year when we expect to be very busy I am not against industrial action per se, but the timing has huge knock-on impact Our raw materials aren’t being delivered, our staff can’t get to work on time, and our customers are cancelling orders It’s a tough end to the year!”

S i m o n F r a n c i s , t h e g r o u p ’ s c o o r d i n a t o r o f E F P C t o l d T h e Guardian, “People are now literally choosing between heating and dying We obviously understand the financial pain that everyone is going through, but you can recover from debt, you can’t recover from dying If people don’t have their heating on, they will end up at the doors of the NHS or even worse ”

A c c o r d i n g t o h i m , 1 0 , 0 0 0 more people die every year due to damp homes and lack of heating He said: “We are concerned that as temperatures plummet, people cannot stay warm and the worst impacts of living in fuel poverty

w i

excess deaths are based on years when energy bills were half what they are now ”

“We know that levels of fuel poverty are way ahead of where they were in previous years The stories that we ’ re hearing from people are really heart breaking ”

Erika Radford, head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK also told the Guardian that winter is already a deadly time for people with lung conditions and the last thing we want to see is more people being rushed to hospital fighting for breath, because of exposure to the cold

C he f J o m on K ur i ak os e , E xecutive Chef The Lalit London, told the newsweekly, “If you ask me professionally we are facing a good amount of cancellations due to the strike Most of them were big groups If you ask me personally, after long day in the kitchen it’s very hard to be on railway stations to find out the options to reach home It physically, morally a n d p r o f e s s i o n a l l y p u t t i n g u s down, especially those who works late nights like me ”

30 million in the UK ‘priced out of dec ent s tandard of living by 2024 ’

M e a n w h i l e , a c c o r d i n g t o a new study, thirty million people in the UK will be unable to afford what the public considers to be a decent standard of living by the time the current parliament ends in 2024 The NEF calculated that by 2024 almost 90% of single parents and 50% of workers with children would fall below a minimum income standard showed the need for a radical overhaul of the welfare system

Fami lies are struggling to come to terms with their situation Sangat Centre in Harrow prov i d e s w a r m m e e t i n g p l a c e Monday to Friday, tea and coffee through out the day as well as freshly cooked meal daily

E l y a s I s m ai l of N e wh a m

C o mm u ni t y Pr oj e c t t o l d t h e newsweekly that the cost-of-living inflation has caused a nationwide crisis, leaving many families vulnerable and displaced In the past 6 months we have seen an escalation in people facing destitution and in need of our services Rents have increased, utilities and food c o s t , a l l h a v i n g a d e v a s t a t i n g impact on lives

“Newham has one of the highe s t p e r c e n t a g e s o f l o w - i n c o m e families in the country, and the wages are simply not enough to e v e n c o v e r e s s e n t i a l e x p e n s e s Some of our service users have two jobs, which barely covers the rent and bills! They are making that tough decision whether they put food on the table or pay the bills!

“Families are struggling with

coming to terms with their situation, and whilst we run a food b a n k p r o v i d i n g e s s e n t i a l p r o v isions every week, we also run a baby bank and other wraparound services We provide warm clothing for children, blankets, nappies, and other child necessities

“We have a team of mental h e a l t h e x p e r t s a n d t r a u m a informed practitioner that offer one to one and group support to help with the stigmatisation our service users are facing There are many barriers for those in desperate need to getting support and o u r w r a p a r o u n d s e r v i c e s h e l p overcome some of these barriers and the stigmatisation

“We also offer many weekly workshops and clubs including an i n t e g r a t i o n a n d c o h e s i o n p r ogramme helping with social development and engagement, employability and life skills and mental wellbeing workshops These all benefit our service users and the wider community to help with the current cost of living nationwide crisis, peace of mind, increased employment, and day to day living,” Ismail told Asian Voice Charities to the rescue?

Amidst these gloomy times, there are many charities who have come forward to help people in distress One such charity is Go Dharmic who after the success of summer food aid partnership with Bloomsbury Football, they have launched a Winter food aid programme

C h ar a n Se k ho n - Fo un de r Chairm an SE VA Trus t UK told Asian Voice, “The impact of high living costs have been felt by all but the medium & low income families and the elderly people are s t r u g g l i n g a l o t W i t h f r e e z i n g cold weather, cost of gas and elect r i c h i t t i n g s k y h i g h , t h i s h a s become a very difficult winter and more and more families are indiv i d u a l s n e e d u r g e n t h e l p O u r charity is receiving a lot of calls for help with family food, children uniform and warm clothing I feel the government and local councils also need to do more and act fast to help people in need and all c o m m u n i t y o r g a n i s a t i o n s a l s o need to work together to support our local communities throughout this this winter ”

B l oo m s bu ry Fo ot b al l h a s organised holiday football camps for disadvantaged children who are eligible for free school meals d u r i n g t e r m t i m e , a n d G o Dharmic will organise, provide, and deliver the hot meals for the children Go Dharmic will deliver food to 4 football camps across North and West London Between 19th and the 22nd of December, M a r k e t R o a d , H a r r i s A c a d e m y , C a p i t a l C i t y A c a d e m y , a n d Westway Sports Centre will be s e r v e d O n t h e 2 3 r d , a n d t h e n

A total of 640 meals are being d e l i v e r e d , t a k i n g i n t o a c c o u n t dietary requirements, providing meals for these children outside of term time and alleviating pressure on struggling families

Sacha Voynot, who coordinated and oversaw the project, said: “Making children smile is always a very rewarding experience This project is a fantastic opportunity for Go Dharmic to support local

t h r o u g h o u t D e c e m b e r a n d

beyond and are open to everyone All funds raised will go towards providing life-changing support for vulnerable children and young people who face huge life chall e n g e s l i k e a b u s e , n e g l e c t o r exploitation

Families and communities are welcome to come and celebrate at t h e f e s t i v e f u n d r a i s i n g e v e n t s , w h i c h r e v o l v e a r o u n d c h i l d r e n decorating oranges with red ribbon, cocktail sticks and sweets These, as well as a candle, high-

c o m m u n i t i e s i n N o r t h L o n d o n during these difficult times

"Overall, it is a very enjoyable e x p e r i e n c e w o r k i n g f o r G o Dharmic as well as AP, not only b e c a u s e o f t h e g o o d p e o p l e involved, but also it is satisfying k n o w i n g t h e f a c t t h a t y o u a r e working towards a philanthropic cause ”

Another event by G o D harmic is The Salt Ride Event, which is an a n n u a l e v e n t t h a t i s o r g a n i s e d every year The event began on 9th December and will end on 16th December where people will be cycling from Ahmedabad to D a n d i t o r a i s e m o n e y f o r G o D h a r m i c ’ s e n v i r o n m e n t a l p r ojects

P a u l a S t e i , O p e r a t i o n s Executive, Go Dharmic believes this will help in raising funds and will inspire others to donate

"GD’s mission is to ‘Love All Feed All Serve All’ and I find this particularly poignant during the festive season Things are so hard right now The cost of living has gone up by 10% Energy prices are skyrocketing and we ’ re moving into the harsher temperatures So many – young and old – are suff e r i n g , a n d t h a t ’ s w h y i t i s s o important to be proactive and give when you can Because too many don’t even have adequate living conditions, warmth or food, let alone presents And I thought it would be great to combine the festive spirit of sharing and love with a historic event dedicated to raising people’s well-being I’m hoping that these endeavours will not only help to raise funds, but will also inspire others to give, share, a n d c a r e f o r t h o s e s t r u g g l i n g today, and prompt some much needed conversations during our festive gatherings,” a spokesperson told Asian Voice

Help vulnerab le children in Lon don feel like they belong this Christm as

Churches in London are inviting their local communities to help bring hope and a sense of belonging to some of the UK’s most vulnerable children this festive season by supporting their Christingle celebration for The Children’s Society

Several services are being held

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

Christian story

Christingle is a tradition that has been taking place for over half a century and these events are an opportunity for people of all ages to join in, light a candle and enjoy the warmth and connection of this special festive occasion With t h o u s a n d s o f p e o p l e a t t e n d i n g each year, the Christingle events play a key role in supporting The Children’s Society’s vital work to help some of this country’s most vulnerable children

Mark Russell, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, said: “ W e ’ r e t h r i l l e d t h a t s o m a n y Christingle events are happening across London to help us be there for the vulnerable children we support and we ’ re truly grateful to everyone who attends for their support These Christingle events in London and across the country make it possible for us to continue with our vital work and transform the lives of even more children in need of our help ”

Experts reveal top tips on how to reduce stres s from c os t-of-livi ng crisi s

T h e l i n g e r i n g s t r e s s o f t h e cost-of-living crisis weighs heavily on the shoulders of many, and with temperatures dropping, food p r i c e s s k y r o c k e t i n g , a n d Christmas just around the corner, i t i s b o u n d t o h a v e a n a d d e d impact on the stresses of everyday l i f e T h e r e f o r e , p e o p l e u p a n d down the country are looking for tips and tricks to ease and eliminate as much stress as possible

C B D e x p e r t s S i m p l y C B D have revealed some tips that will help encourage stress relaxation and a stress-free routine that you can implement into your weekly routine

N e w a n a l y s i s r e v e a l s t h a t searches in the UK for ‘reduce stress’ increased 216% over the past month, proving just how desperate Brits are to find solutions f o r f e e l i n g s o f o v e r w h e l m i n g s t r e s s I n f a c t , s e a r c h e s f o r ‘ i s stress normal’ has seen a huge 6 3 5 % i n c r e a s e o v e r t h e p a s t month in the UK, showing just how concerned people are about stress levels and how they can impact their health

between the 28th and the 30th, m e a l s w i l l b e g i v e n t o M a r k e t Road

Aadit Shankar

Charan Sekhon MBE

Chef Jomon Roop Partap Choudhary

Albanian children subjected to racist bullying

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and sections of the media during the recent rise in the number of his country’s citizens travelling across the Channel to claim asylum in the UK He called for an end to the “ campaign of

d i s c r i m i n a t i o n ” a n d warned against reinforcing n e g a t i v e s t e r e o t y p e s H i s c o m m e n t s a p p e a r t o b e aimed at the UK governm e n t a f t e r S u e l l a Braverman, the home secr e t a r y , s i n g l e d o u t “Albanian criminals” during a debate on the crisis The g o v e r n m e n t , e n c o u r a g e d by rightwing media outlets and MPs, is seeking to stop Albanians from being able to claim asylum in the UK Qirko said more than 140,000 Albanians living in

Airport disruptions expected as staff to strike on Christmas

Britons face furth er travel ch aos over the festive p eriod after staff at UK’ s largest airp orts vo ted for eig ht days o f strikes ov er Christmas and the new year

Border Force staff will walk out in a row over pay, pensions and jobs from 23 to 2 6 D e c e m b e r a n d a g a i n b e t w e e n 2 8 a n d 3 1 D e c e m b e r a t G a t w i c k , H e a t h r o w , M a n c h e s t e r , Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff It comes amid a raft of strikes set to hit festive travel, with industrial action organised by train, bus and r o a d w o r k e r s o v e r Christmas

T h e P u b l i c a n d Commercial Services Union ( P C S ) s a i d a r o u n d 1 , 0 0 0 officials at passport control would walk out in a push for a 10 per cent pay rise – with g e n e r a l s e c r e t a r y M a r k

Serwotka adding it would have a “significant impact” on Britons’ travel plans At b u s i e r a i r p o r t s w i t h c o nstrained space – particularly H e a t h r o w – l o n g q u e u e s c o u l d l e a d t o p a s s e n g e r s being held on planes rather t h a n d i s e m b a r k i n g T h i s c o u l d t r i g g e r d e l a y s f o r incoming and departing aircraft, putting pressure on a system that has little spare capacity and possibly leadi n g t o c a n c e l l a t i o n s a n d diversions

If widespread disruption did happen it would cost airlines millions of pounds Besides providing yet another hurdle for British trave l l e r s h e a d i n g a w a y f o r Christmas, the strikes could also deter inbound tourism a n d p u t o f f l a t e b o o k e r s considering a festive break in the UK

the UK had been negatively a f f e c t e d b y t h e d e b a t e , w h i c h w a s “ r e i n f o r c i n g n e g a t i v e s t e r e o t y p e s a n d racism ” The UK government is reportedly planning a blanket ban on anyone from a list of designated “ s a f e ” c o u n t r i e s c l a i m i n g asylum

Plans supposedly being drawn up by No 10 have o u t l i n e d l e g i s l a t i o n t o make it easier to reject and r e m o v e a s y l u m s e e k e r s f r o m A l b a n i a U n d e r t h e proposed changes, claims

w o u l d b e a u t o m a t i c a l l y refused and a check that o f f i c i a l s a r e c u r r e n t l y expected to carry out would be removed The move is d e s i g n e d t o t a r g e t Albanians after more than 1 2 , 0 0 0 a r r i v e d f r o m t h e B a l k a n c o u n t r y v i a s m a l l boats in the nine months to September – accounting for a b o u t a q u a r t e r o f a l l C h a n n e l c r o s s i n g s T h e Guardian understands the number of Albanians coming to the UK has fallen over the last two months

Drivers beware: You may be fined £100 for wearing winter clothing

Wh en yo u v e go t to head out in the cold, it's tem pting to bund le up as much as you can, in an effort to keep warm d uring the dash from yo u r c ar to yo u r d o o r How ev er, it's v ery i mp o rtan t to m ak e s u re yo u rem o v e an y c u m be rs o m e cl o th es be fo r e yo u s ta rt driving , as you could risk points on your licence and a fine if you don't T h e c a r e x p e r t s h a v e warned you could be fined on the spot for wearing winter clothing staples, if they prevent you from using the c o n t r o l s p r o p e r l y F r o m l o n g s c a r v e s t o o v e r s i z e d coats, there's several culprits that could fall foul of the

Highway Code As rule 97 stipulates, drivers must have " f o o t w e a r a n d c l o t h i n g which does not prevent you using the controls in the correct manner "

If you're involved in an a c c i d e n t - s o m e t h i n g nobody wants in the first place - the experts say you can also end up with a £100 f i n e a n d t h r e e p o i n t s o n y o u r l i c e n c e f o r " d r i v i n g without care and attention" T h e w a r n i n g c o m e s a s research into car collisions in 2020 and 2021 in Great Britain found most car collisions occurred during rainy weather conditions - when stopping times are 10 times slower

Vale4Africa Charity Dinner raises money for health and education in Uganda

clean water to 32 primary s c h o o l s a n d o n e n u r s e r y school Over a 9 year period over 8,000 pupils have benefitted from the provision of drinking water and school dinners Above all, the girl pupils are saved the long trek to fetch water for the school use during class time This has contributed to the reduction in attrition rate for girls from education Our v ision for the charity:

How many times in life do we regret not knowing som e skill?

I can't sing , I can't play a p articular game, I can't speak th at lang uage, I can't swim , I can't co ok - all these are v ery familiar regrets that we h ear around us Many of them are our ow n regrets as well But the point is - wheth er they are our reg rets o r excu ses? T here is a big d ifference between regret and an excuse An excu se is som ething we can t d o becau se we h av e nev er g iven enoug h effort to do it But regret is someth ing w hich d espite our best effort w e are u nable to do I can't sw im is reg ret if it is because of some physical d isability that prevents you from swim ming, but if you never tried to learn swim ming, and say I can't sw im - it's an excuse S imilar is the case with any other excuse or regret th at you m ight be putting forward

It is not necessary that you should be able to do everything under the sky If you are not interested in singing, you don't have to learn it You can simply say, I don't sing - it is neither regret nor an excuse Because we all have limited time and energy we have to direct towards certain preferences We can't spread ourselves so thin doing everything Therefore, it might be your considered choice to not learn many skills, and that's perfectly fine There you don't have to say - you can't, better you say - you don't

But then comes the question of identifying your choices, regrets and excuses If something is decided out of choice, its fine But if there is confusion between regret and excuse, you better take them up on a piece of paper and assess why you can't do certain things that you would have otherwise liked to do Why can't you cook if you actually want to do it? Why can't you speak a particular language if you actually want to learn it? Is there any genuine reason which prevents you from acquiring that skill? If so, what are those reasons? Can they be addressed effectively to give you a chance to put down your hands at it? What stops you from doing so? Is it a physical or mental inability? Is it a lack of resources? Is it a lack of time? Is it the availability of guidance? What is the exact reason that prevents you from converting your inability into ability?

If you say you don't have time, reconsider the answer Can you not give at least one hour a week to that particular skill? One hour a week, consistently for one year, will certainly put you in a better situation next year There is hardly any skill which cannot be acquired, at least partially, in 52 hours, which you can dedicate easily over the period of a year If there is a lack of resources, perhaps alternatives are available that you will find much more costeffective You can also rethink your priorities in terms of the allocation of your available resources Lack of guidance can more or less be resolved in today's time of technology where every kind of lesson is available online Therefore, it becomes your decision whether you would like to learn something by next year or keep giving the same excuse that you have been giving for many years Remember, you still have many more years to enjoy the newly acquired skill if you decide to learn it from today onwards and convert your excuse into an opportunity (Expressed opinions are personal)

Pig’s head found on mosque roof, terrifies community

On the 20th of Nov em ber 20 22, a charity fundraising d in ne r w as h el d by t h e V ALE4 Africa at the Mercure h o t el i n C a rd i ff to rai s e f u nd s f o r th ei r w o r k i n T o r o ro , eas te rn U g a nd a Over 100 colleag ues attended the d inner The charity raised £ 1, 61 0p ound s sterling to g o tow ards supporti n g V ale ’ s ac ti v i ti es i n T ororo

P r o f H a s S h a h B E M Trustee Vale 4 Africa who organised this charity dinner, according to him -Vale4 Africa is a registered charity b a s e d i n B a r r y , V a l e o f Glamorgan With our partn e r o r g a n i s a t i o n c a l l e d A d v a n c e m e n t f o r

Community Empowerment in Tororo (ACET), we work

Our

In terms of health care provision, the funds raised go to support the purchase of equipments to support the health services provided b y t h e B e n e d i c t i n e E y e H o s p i t a l a n d T o r o r o General Hospital With the s u p p o r t f r o m t h e Vale4Africa, both hospitals c o n t i n u e t o p r o v i d e v i t a l health care service to thousands of patients Prior to disruptions brought in by COVID, both hospitals in c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h O p t o m e t r y a n d

Ophthalmology

from Wales and local health cent r e s , r u n j o i n t e y e c a r e camps for over 5 years (20142019) and treated over 5,000 patients

There are currently two e d u c a t i o n p r o j e c t s A C E T rural library is one of the o n l y p r i v a t e l i b r a r i e s i n Tororo offering services to school children and those in s e c o n d a r y s c h o o l F u n d s raised will go towards the p u r c h a s e o f e d u c a t i o n a l reading materials like textbooks and maintenance of a library so that the registered users who are over 2600 in number have a safe place to study

T h e s e c o n d e d u c a t i o n project is water to schools project which has provided

V a l e 4 A f r i c a a i m s t o improve access and quality o f e d u c a t i o n t h r o u g h t h e p r o v i s i o n o f i n f o r m a t i o n t e c h n o l o g y ( I T ) t o t h e library That way, the library has an online provision of educational reading materials to supplement the provision of books The water to schools project is set to cont i n u e t o s u p p o r t t h e g i r l child education and provide access to clean water

In terms of improving access to health care, it is h o p e d t h a t t h e e y e c a r e camps can resume as soon as it is safe to do so in 2023 Till then, Vale4Africa will cont i n u e t o s u p p o r t t h e t w o h o s p i t a l s w i t h e q u i p m e n t for their health service provision

Members of a M uslim community centre fear a hate crime after a pig ’ s head was th ro w n o nt o th e ro o f o f their m osqu e

The animal’s corpse was discovered at around 9 15pm o n F r i d a y n i g h t a t t h e H e a t o n s M u s l i m s Community Trust (HMCT) building in Heaton Mersey, S t o c k p o r t , G r e a t e r M a n c h e s t e r I t w a s e a s i l y visible from a low, flat part of the building’s roof and h a s b e e n l o g g e d b y t h e police as an Islamophobic hate crime HMCT trustee, M u h a m m a d T a y y a b M o h i u d d i n , s a i d : ‘ I n t h e evening we have a bit of a gathering at the community c e n t r e a n d s o m e p e o p l e came out and someone said

“there’s a pigs head on the roof”

‘In our religion, we are not allowed to eat pig’s meat or handle it in any way so someone has done it specific a l l y f o r t h a t r e a s o n W e have a lot of elderly people and a lot of children who use the centre and obviously they are a bit terrified that someone is targeting us and fear in the future someone could go further or take a wrong step ’

M r M o h i u d d i n s a i d CCTV footage showed a car pulling up and two people getting out One of them was carrying a bin bag He added the registration plate was caught on camera so they hope police will be able to find who did it

Rohit Vadhwana

How many times in life do we regret not knowing some skill?

in Tororo district to support r u r a l b a s e d i n i t i a t i v e s i n developing improved health and education outcomes for its residents

cu rrent projects in Toro ro

teams

Jenny Rathbone MS, Member of Senedd, Prof Has Shah BEM Trustee, Jane Hutt MS, Minister for Social Justice,Maureen Owor Trustee,Councillor Helen Payne, Mayor of Barry, Naheed Bardai, Principal of Atlantic College, Llantwit Major

Nominations for the 21st annual Asian Achievers Awards now open

Th e nominations for the UK’s m ost prominent and long standing celebration of British A sian achievement across m ultiple field s are now o pen

South Asians in the UK today occupy leadership positions across a range of fields, including politics, business and civil society

The Asian Achievers Awards continue to recognise the outstanding work of such individuals within the South Asian community

The next edition of the Awards will take place on Friday 15th September 2023 at the prestigious London Hilton on Park Lane The event is organised by global advisory firm EPG in partnership with Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar

In this year ’ s edition, the Awards paid tribute to Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II, with Dame Arlene Foster DBE PC, former First Minister of Northern Ireland, leading the tribute with a oneminute silence

The evening was hosted by actor Nitin Ganatra OBE, and entrepreneur and documentary filmmaker Deana Uppal It welcomed

celebrities, public figures and dignitaries including Love Island contestant Priya Gopaldas; TOWIE stars Dani Imbert and Junaid Ahmed; comedian, Tez Ilyas (Man Like Mobeen); actors Raj Ghatak, Nisha Aaliya and Yanick Ghanty; music artists Bambi Bains, Rumer and H Dhami; Premier League presenter Manish Bhasin; former Miss England Hammasa Kohistani; Deputy Mayor for Business for London Rajesh Agrawal; Founder and Chairman, Vitabiotics Dr Kartar Lalvani OBE; Founder and Chairman of Lyca Subaskaran Allirajah, and lead researcher for the COVID vaccine from the Oxford Vaccine Group, Maheshi Ramasamy Now in their 21st year, the Asian Achievers Awards arerecognised as the most

prestigious and longstanding celebration of the leading figures of the UK’s South Asian community and their achievements, initiated by public nominations

There are ten categories available for nomination, including: Business Person Of The Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Uniformed And Civil Service, Media, Arts And Culture, Community Service, Sports Personality Of The Year, Professional Of The Year, Woman Of The Year and Entrepreneur Of The Year

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss said: “This event is always a fantastic reminder of the tremendous contribution that the British Asian diaspora have made to the United Kingdom, and I am pleased

to celebrate that alongside you

“I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Gujarat Samachar on its 50th anniversary You have played a remarkable role in representing British Asian interests in the UK across the decades This year we are also remembering 50 years since the expulsion of Ugandan Asians, which is another timely opportunity to pay tribute to the outstanding contribution of Asians to the UK

“British Asians have always gone above and beyond, succeeding in every walk of life the arts, sciences, business, and indeed our Conservative Government Our country is all the stronger because of it ”

Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer said: “British Asians are a driving force behind the much of the social, cultural and economic innovation we see in Britain today You represent

so many of the values that help our communities thrive – inclusiveness, hard work and ambition to name a few These are Labour values too

“I grew up in a small town in Surrey My dad worked as a toolmaker on the factory floor and my mum was a nurse for the NHS Later I became the first in my family to go to university So, like many in the room tonight, I share in the pride and sense of empowerment you will take from the inspirational stories of the nominees I hope it will inspire those in the audience to succeed in the years ahead

“Let me end by saying

thank you to all

nees,

Britain a better, brighter, more secure and more prosperous country Your example is truly inspiring to me and my colleagues in the Labour Party ”

In the last edition, more than 500 nominations were received, from which the judges shortlisted four per category, evenly divided between male and female candidates

Members of the public can nominate change-makers in the community they deem worth via the awards website at asianachieversawards com

the nomi-

attendees and indeed the committed organisers for helping make

Time to care about mother Earth

I am sorry to hear news of an earthquake that has hit western Nepal, killing at least six people And the earthquake was also felt in northern parts of India like New Delhi First up, the whole bunch of news reports must be taken seriously Well, this is not something that will pass by like anything But we should pay attention to such natural disasters as earthquakes instead

It is unfortunate to note that the powerful earthquake that hit Indonesia has killed over 200 people apart from leaving behind a trail of destruction out there First off, immediate help should be extended to the affected in Indonesia Plus, global forums like the UN should send officials to the earthquake-hit areas to take stock of the situation

To begin with, Indonesia has long been one of the most beautiful Asian countries in the world Thanks to amazing seas, natural resources and panoramic vistas, it has always been a tourist attraction As a school student, I got to learn a lot about Indonesia and Jakarta in geography during my schooldays in the 1990s in Korkai, Tiruchendur, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu

Now that the COP27 has come to an end at last after prolonged parleys, it is time to have some quick insights into the subject of climate change - like why this issue has been getting worse by the day down the line

This way, my native areas like Korkai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Nagercoil, Marthandam, Kanyakumari and T i r u n e l v e l i h a v e l o n g b e e n h o s t t o b e a u t i f u l n a t u r a l resources like seas, rivers, big green trees, mountains and above all, farmlands that I have been admiring no end from childhood More than technology, it is all about nurturing all the wonderful natural resources literally on the ground with respect to negating the effects of global warming

The international community apart, global forums such as the UN and other intergovernmental organizations like the G20 should stop at nothing to eliminate climate change crises from Mother Earth Apparently and overall, the whole fight against climate change must be fifty-fifty in a nutshell

Giving without spending money this Xmas

It may be a cliche, but it is a good one: Giving really is better than receiving and volunteering during the festive season is one of the best ways of doing this Of course, we all know that volunteering is beneficial to the people we are helping, but there are a lot of benefits to ourselves as well, such as meeting new people and being part of a community It helps us to build new skills and improves our employability and career prospects as well as social skills and our confidence

Most volunteering roles allow you to meet new friends and interact with people from diverse backgrounds This allows you to understand a range of other perspectives and broaden your horizons Your fellow volunteers have chosen the same organisation as you to volunteer for, therefore, it stands to reason that you will share common interests and views with the other volunteers

For a lot of people, volunteering allows them to become part of something greater than themselves This is especially the case for people who are retired, unemployed or grieving; volunteering can give your life new meaning, as well as giving you mental stimulation It is a great way of making you feel like a valuable part of the community

Volunteering is also a great way to boost your selfesteem and confidence Doing something that adds value to your community can give you a superb sense of achievement Consequently, you end up feeling fulfilled and more positive about life If you spend time working with others, you will improve social skills, such as active listening and managing relationships This will benefit you in other areas of your life and allow you to enhance your personal and work-related relationships

Volunteering often means that you have to leave your comfort zone and do something completely new with people you do not know You may also have to tackle a variety of problems and use critical thinking skills This is a great way of aiding your personal development There’s also the fact that many volunteering roles may involve physical activity This exercise is another great way in which volunteering can benefit us

Most importantly of all, volunteering can make us feel good Contributing to projects and organisations that have meaning to us, can put a smile on our faces Overall, volunteering can provide you with the tools you need to become a happy individual It can allow you to build bonds and connections with people

There are many ways you can find volunteering roles t h r o u g h C o m m u n i t y g r o u p s , L i b r a r i e s , C a r e C e n t r e s , Animal Shelters or Places of Worship Think about the topics you are passionate about and look for roles within those areas This will allow you to explore your interests, plus discover potential new ones, all whilst having a lot of fun Hansa Pankhania

How you can support Lymphoma Action this Christmas

Christmas is a time of giving, and at Lymphoma Action we are asking people to make a difference this winter and show their support for people affected by lymphoma We are excited to be holding two fun events in December to raise funds to support our work

At home, work or school, get your friends, family and c o l l e a g u e s t o j o i n i n t h e f e s t i v e f u n o n T h u r s d a y 1 5

December by donning your favourite Christmassy gear for our Festive Fashion Day You can take part individually or as part of a group It's a wonderful excuse to wear anything from a jolly jumper to a festive frock

Our brand new Elf Run is a fantastic way for children and schools to have lots of festive fun Children (and big kids!) can all get involved - and will receive an elf hat to get into the spirit! Taking part is simple, set the time, date, distance and venue - you can run, walk or even wheel your Elf Run! Register online when, where and how many elves are taking part and you will be sent everything you need

There are many other ways to support Lymphoma Action over the festive period Our Christmas cards are now available to purchase, and we are asking people to light a virtual star for a loved one through our website to help us shine a light on the UK’s fifth most common cancer The Lymphoma Action Christmas Appeal is also your chance to give the gift of hope, reassurance and empowerment to those affected by lymphoma By supporting the Charity with a gift this Christmas – be it a one-off donation, or a regular direct debit – you will help provide information and support to anyone affected by lymphoma in 2023 and beyond

We are the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma Your support will help us to continue our work in making sure no one has to face lymphoma alone For further details on all our Christmas events visit https://lymphoma-action org uk/Christmas

Lymphoma Action Organisation

Dog chasing it’s own tail

Getting inflation under control is akin to a dog chasing its own tail! Unless one is carful and willing to make sacrifices on all fronts, it will only get from bad to worse, ultimately leading to an economy comparable to banana republic When economy is in free fall, unemployment at its pick, people struggling to put food on the table, children going to bed on an empty stomach, this is a perfect situation for civil war, leading to a dictatorship, bringing extreme right or left wing politicians like Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin, a few amongst many such dilatators to power and ultimately lead to war!

Fortunately in our PM Rishi Sunak, we have a politician who understands and is willing to take unpopular steps to curb the inflation in the bud before it can ravage the economy Unfortunately there are many trade-unions whose sole aim is to maintain living standard of their members at any cost, with strike the ultimate weapon to heap misery on the nation

We have unprecedented 11% inflation, the highest since the end of WW2 and if not checked, brought under control, nip in the bud; it will do unrepairable harm to our economy, leading to mass unemployment, depreciation of our currency and borrowing on an unprecedented level, the interest payment become unaffordable burden that will keep the economy down for decades! Our national debt is already some 2 trillion and rising, one of the highest in the world

Nurses want 19% increase and most other trade unions demand at least 11% increase in their wages to maintain their living standard While it is understandable but not sustainable, inflection next year may even be higher than 11% So where it would end! We may need a bag full of pound notes to buy a loaf or a bottle of milk, as was the case in Germany before the WW2 that brought Hitler to power

There is no other way than to sacrifice on all fronts, both public and government playing their parts to achieve lower inflation and higher living standard in the future! What we sow, so we reap!

dhi

The Trojan Horse Affair

T his week th e Policy Exch ange Th ink Tank published its findings into the ‘T ro jan Horse Affair’ Readers may recall that in 2014 alarms started ringing when it came to light that state sch ools ru n by Islamic entities were secretly indoctrinating you ng minds to the way of the Islamists

T a h i r A l a m , f o r m e r c h a i r m a n o f t h e P a r k V i e w E d u c a t i o n a l T r u s t w h i c h r a n t h r e e s c h o o l s i n Birmingham, was alleged to have written a 72-page document for the Muslim Council of Britain in 2007 detailing a blueprint for the "Islamisation" of secular state schools In his foreward to the report, the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP reminds us of what Peter Clarke described as “ a hard line and politicised strand of Sunni Islam” – motivated those involved in segregating boys and girls, exposing pupils to intolerant views, pressuring girls to wear headscarves, broadcasting the call to prayer across the playground, bullying headteachers and governors to leave their posts, and installing sympathetic replacements

Khalid Mahmood MP in his foreward said, ‘when the Trojan Horse affair emerged into public view in the spring of 2014, as the MP for Perry Barr in Birmingham, I had an insider’s perspective on the unfolding drama Numerous teachers, head teachers and governors confided in me at the time about their concerns But they were prevented from speaking out, either due to gagging clauses in compromise agreements signed with Birmingham City Council (BCC), or for fear of reprisals from extremists’

The report also discusses the alignment of the far-left, in particular the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), with the Islamist-led narrative that Trojan Horse was a state-sanctioned exercise in “Islamophobia” In 2014, the SWP’s S o c i a l i s t W o r k e r c h a r a c t e r i s e d c o n c e r n s a b o u t Birmingham schools as “blatant racism” and more recently, in February 2022, it encouraged its readers to listen to the NYT/Serial podcast, whilst claiming that the Trojan Horse affair had led to racist attacks

Readers of KK will know that since at least 2014 I have raised the issue of Islamists and the Labour Party It is my genuine belief that hard core Islamists have infiltrated the left in this country I am also of the belief and have said so in the past on numerous occasions, that the Islamist agenda in the UK is far bigger and more strategic than many so called intellectuals, politicians and journalists dare to accept

In an astonishing outburst, at least one Labour MP s t a t e d t h e o b v i o u s P a u l e t t e H a m i l t o n M P f o r Birmingham Erdington in 2015 spoke at an event titled “The Ballot or the Bullet? Does Your Vote Count?”, hosted by the Organisation of Black Unity at Birmingham City University The BBC reported that at this event she stated:

“We have a Trojan horse in the council” and said “ our Muslim brothers and sisters” had “made a plan” to “ ensure that their teachings and what have you got into the system” She added: “What then happened was many of the schools, inner-city schools in Birmingham, the Muslim families they filled schools, they then made sure they took over the governorships, as they took over the governorship, they made sure that the heads of those schools were people they wanted to represent their cause What they then did with doing all of this was made sure that their religious views and their beliefs were taken through the education system, it was also then taken into politics”

The Islamisation of our institutions is in full flow Under the cloak of ‘Islamophobia’, those who dare to challenge them are declared racists I say to Keir Starmer, your party has and will potentially become the very engine that will deliver this dream of the Islamists It is not too late for people in power to see sense To protect the nation and people of ALL faiths, including Muslims, it is necessary to defeat the Islamist ideology

Most helpful

Thank you, Mr Kiran D Patel, director of Albury Associates, for producing a most helpful page in Asian Voice dated 26 Nov/2 Dec on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement 2022 Mr Patel gives a clear explanat i o n o f t h e v a r i o u s l e v e l s o f i n c o m e t a x , N a t i o n a l Insurance contributions, council tax, VAT and a lot more, and how the changes affect individuals and businesses This is a page well worth keeping as a ready reference source

Courtesy: The Trojan Horse Affair - A report from Policy Exchange’s Understanding Islamism project by Dr Damon L Perry and Dr Paul Stot (Published Dec 2022)

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

P Senthil Sarav ana Durai M umbai, Ind ia

Bhupe ndra M Gan

• Kapil D udakia

SCRUTATOR’S

Couple books entire plane to take relatives for wedding

Destination weddings are gaining prominence in India In one such incident, a couple booked an entire flight to fly with their family and relatives In a video shared by Instagram user Shreya Shah, the user says that she booked an entire flight for her sister's wedding She shows her family and relatives waving and having fun inside the plane Towards the end, she also shows the couple who is about to tie the knot. According to the stories shared by the user, the wedding is taking place in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan Many internet users were surprised to see the entire clan flying together. One user said, "All I need in my life is this kind of money." A second person wrote, "Waooo full plane booked for wedding " (Agency)

Lecturer moonlights as porter to help poor kids

Woman ‘killed’ in 2015 found ‘alive’

interrogation, SP Dinesh said (Agency)

Man marries techie twins, booked

Ch Nageshu Patro of

Ganjam district is a a guest lecturer at a private college by day and a porter at the railway station by night In between, he finds time to teach poor students at a coaching centre he himself set up Patro has been working as a registered porter since 2011, but his life changed after the Covid outbreak “Most trains stopped running and I lost my livelihood Instead of sitting idle, I started teaching students of Class X,” says Patro, a postgraduate in Odia Later, he opened a coaching centre for classes VIII to XII, where mostly poor kids come “Whatever I earn as a porter is mostly spent on paying four teachers at the coaching centre,” he says He earns Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 a month working as a porter and pays his teachers between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 each He earns around Rs 8,000 a month from the college Patro lives with his father and mother His parents are small time goat and sheep farmers (Agency)

This 6-seater e-bike covers 150 km on single charge

Recently, a LinkedIn post on a boy cleaning the food from the Delhi Metro's floor is catching the attention of many people In the post shared by user Ashu Singh, he wrote, "In #DelhiMetro a young boy was taking out his water bottle from his bag when his tiffin box fell and all his lunch spilled onto the floor The boy tore out a page from one of his notebooks and picked up all the food from the floor " He further added, that the boy took out his handkerchief and wiped the floor till it was clean This post was shared just a few days back Since being shared, it has been liked 67,000 times and has several comments ' One person in the comments said, "More than a brand ambassador of swatch bharath mission, this boy is a brand ambassador for taking responsibility or accountable behaviour I salute this boy and his parents " (Agency)

India’s first line women climb power pyramid

The Uttar Pradesh police have reopened a seven-year-old case of “kidnapping and murder” of a woman in Aligarh - then a 14-year-old - after she was allegedly found alive and living with her husband and two kids in Hathras, 40 km away, while the “killer” has been languishing in jail The mother of the accused, convinced of her son ’ s innocence, had been conducting her own investigations with the help of locals, which finally led to the girl being found Acting on the inputs, a police team went to Hathras and brought the girl, who is now 22, to Aligarh to record her statement before the magistrate Police said, on the court’s order, the woman ’ s DNA samples will be collected to ascertain her identity The case dates back to February 17, 2015 when the girl, who was a class 10 student at that time, went missing Her parents lodged a complaint “A few days later, the body of a girl was recovered in Agra The girl’s father went there and identified the body as that of his missing daughter An FIR was lodged against the girl’s neighbour on charges of kidnapping and murder in Aligarh He was arrested and sent to jail,” police said The accused was an 18-year-old class 12 student when he was arrested He was released on bail a few years later (Agency)

9-year-old killed by father, uncles to frame rival

A 36-year-old man from Maharashtra’s Solapur district was booked for marrying twin techie sisters from Mumbai The unusual wedding took place at a hotel in Malshiras in presence of over 300 guests and videos of the twins exchanging wedding garlands with the accused have since gone viral The next day, a local resident filed a complaint against the man, stating that he had violated the law by marrying two women Police booked the accused under different sections IPC Section 494 Section 494 states that such a “marriage” is void and punishable with imprisonment of up to seven years It is a non-cognisable offence, bailable and can be tried in the court of a magistrate (first class) The accused, who runs a travel agency in Mumbai, had helped the sisters cope with an accident they had met with along with their mother a few months ago One of the sisters grew close to the man and proposed marriage but on condition that he marry her twin too Police said there was apparently no objection from either family According to a criminal lawyer, marrying a second time while the first partner is legal and alive is a crime (Agency)

Pleas seeking probe into Taj history junked

A youth from Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh has impressed the internet by inventing a low-cost 6-seater bike that runs on electricity The innovation has won praise from netizens and the Mahindra group chairperson, Anand Mahindra The video ends with Ashaad taking five people on a ride Anand Mahindra said the invention could find global application as a tour ride in crowded European tourist centres "With just small design inputs this device could find global application As a tour ‘bus’ in crowded European tourist centres? I’m always impressed by rural transport innovations, where necessity is the mother of invention Some Twitter users said the ride can be very useful in parks and zoos, where elderly people can't walk long distances Ashhad said he collected scrap materials to create the six-seater ride He now wants to patent it According to him it has been made in a month's time with a cost of around Rs 10,000-12,000 (Agency)

Without their bright yellow safety helmets and harness, V Bharathi and Babburi Shirisha betray no signs that they climb tall high-voltage power transmission towers for a living They come across as simple homemakers from small-town Telangana, but they are India’s first line women - a job considered a male preserve because of the dangers attached to it No woman had ever been considered until they sent in their applications It wasn’t easy to break the glass ceiling, although they were confident of reaching the top of the pyramid shaped power towers The duo had to fight a pitched legal battle, spanning over two years, and clear hurdles to finally break into this all-men profession Both have ITI certification to work as electricians But they found themselves in courtrooms to convince naysayers that they were sufficiently qualified to take the written test and also prove that they were physically fit to climb an 8ft-tall structure, as part of a mandatory ‘pole test’, to clinch the job (Agency)

UP police claimed to have cracked the murder of a 9-year-old girl who was found mutilated in a wheat field in Pilibhit on December 3 with her abdomen cut open and insides strewn around SP Dinesh Kumar Prabhu said the Class 3 student was killed by her own father, three uncles and grandfather with the intention of implicating their rival, Shaqil Vaistava, in the murder case They had allegedly plied her with sleeping pills before committing the cold-blooded murder

“The girl’s father, Anis Ahmad had an old enmity with Shaqil dating back to 2018 when the former’s younger brother Shadab Ahmad had eloped with the latter’s sister and subsequently married her against the family’s will Police said Anam's family members came under suspicion when some witnesses told the cops that the girl never went missing and was in fact taken by Shadab, his brothers and their father Suspecting foul play, the five accused were taken into custody and they confessed to the gruesome murder during

In a bid to curb frivolous PILs, the Supreme Court imposed Rs 100,000 cost on a petitioner seeking a declaration that Sri Sri Thakur Anukul Chandra be declared as the only God for all Indians, and refusing to entertain another PIL seeking re-writing of the history of Taj Mahal A bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar told petitioner Upendra Nath Dalai that every citizen of India has the constitutional right to profess a religion of his choice and that no one is allowed to interfere in their belief and faith This is not a PIL but publicity interest litigation,” the bench said and dismissed it with a cost of Rs 100,000 Later the bench dismissed another petitioner seeking a direction to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to thoroughly examine the Taj Mahal and determine which structure pre-existed the Mughal-era monument The bench said, “PILs are not meant for fishing inquiries Taj Mahal has been there for 400 years and let it be there You make a representation to the ASI and let them decide Do not drag courts into everything Everything cannot be reopened after 400 years ” (Agency)

Odisha’s

Boy cleans Delhi Metro's floor after spilling food

UK Trade Secretary revives FTA with India

Her visit to India is instrumental amid PM Rishi Sunak and Indian PM Modi’s recent e x c h a n g e a t B a l i , I n d o n e s i a a t t h e G 2 0 S u m m i t F u r t h e r c e m e n t i n g t h e F T A ,

Badenoch is taking the negotiation forward This also refutes the doubts that emeged a g a i n s t t h e F T A w h i l e H o m e S e c r e t a r y Suella Braverman and Sunak’s plans to axe student visas to cut down immigration of student dependants continues to be debated

It was reported earlier that Braverman s remarks on Indians overstaying in the UK have reportedly annoyed the officials in New Delhi and the India-UK FTA is on a verge of collapse The free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom (UK) is reportedly on the verge of collapse following the remarks made by UK home secretary Suella Braverman on Indian migrants making up the largest number of visa overstayers in the UK, report suggested "I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don’t think that’s what people voted for w i t h B r e x i t , " B r a v e r m a n h a d t o l d t h e

Spectator earlier in the month

"Look at migration in this country, the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants," she added Braverman further said that the agreement between the Indian and the UK government to facilitate better cooperation on migration has not necessarily worked very well

Ministers in New Delhi were shocked by the comments and the Diwali deadline for t h e F T A , s e t b y f o r m e r U K P M B o r i s Johnson, may not be met, as reported by PTI

"I’m proud of the British Empire, I’m not going to apologise for our past history," she told The Telegraph’s Christopher Hope Badenoch met her counterpart, Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, in person for the first time, aiming to strengthen ties between the two countries and reinvigorate talks on an ambitious bilateral trade deal She addressed both teams of senior negotiators ahead of the sixth round of formal negotiations taking place throughout the week

The talks – the first formal round since July – will target a deal to cut tariffs and open opportunities for UK services such as financial and legal, making it easier for British businesses to sell to an economy set to be the world’s third largest - with a middle class of 250 million people - by 2050

During her visit, the Trade Secretary will also meet with business leaders to better understand their needs for a modern UKIndia trade relationship This will include a m e e t i n g w i t h e n v o P A P , a U K c o m p a n y investing over £10 million in India to con-

struct a plant producing Fairtrade paper and packaging products

S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e f o r I n t e r n a t i o n a l

Trade Kemi Badenoch said: “I’m here in New Delhi to kickstart round six of UK-India trade negotiations and meet my counterpart Minister Goyal in person to drive progress on this agreement

“Both nations have come to the table with the very highest of ambitions and a w i l l i n g n e s s t o w o r k t o g e t h e r t o w a r d s a mutually beneficial deal I’m excited about the opportunities we can create for British business

“India and the UK are the 5th and 6th biggest economies in the world We have a long shared history, and are in pole position to do a deal that will create jobs, encourage growth and boost our £29 billion trading relationship ”

Strong growth in the Indian economy is expected to boost UK exports to India by over £9 billion by the middle of the next decade, and UK businesses are already taking advantage of the flourishing trading relationship

UK household name Pret A Manger and f i n t e c h p i o n e e r s T i d e a n d R e v o l u t a r e among those expanding in India

British coffee and sandwich retailer Pret will open its first branch in India early in 2023 following a franchise partnership with Reliance Brands Mumbai will be the chain’s first branch, as part of a plan to open 100 in total across the country

Pano Christou, CEO, Pret A Manger, said: “Bringing Pret’s freshly made food and organic coffee to more people around the world is a key part of our transformation strategy, and I’m delighted to be launching Pret in India

“With strong demand for fresh food and new dining experiences, we see an exciting opportunity to grow the Pret brand across India while also adding something truly unique to its food-to-go market ”

Andy Burwell, International Director at the Confederation of British Industry, said: “The UK-India FTA remains a top priority for industry We applaud the Secretary of State and Prime Minister for listening and prioritising substance over pace Trade is a fundamental driver of growth and India will be an important partner and market as the U K l o o k s t o e s c a p e s t a g f l a t i o n , a t t r a c t skilled labour and deliver on the green transition ”

Businesses like these could benefit from a reduction in red tape, more affordable cross-border trade, and increased opportunities to work with Indian companies and s u p p l i e r s t h a n k s t o t h e F r e e T r a d e Agreement

Artificial Intelligence and India

These are just a few potential ideas for improving the UK Parliament Ultimately, the specific changes that are needed will d e p e n d o n t h e u n i q u e c h a l l e n g e s a n d opportunities facing the UK at a given time ”

Well the intelligence may be artificial but those are all pretty good answers

Finally, “How do we limit the dangerous power of China to the West” – and the answer

“Strengthen international institutions: I n t e r n a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s s u c h a s t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s a n d t h e W o r l d T r a d e O r g a n i z a t i o n c a n h e l p t o r e g u l a t e t h e behavior of powerful countries and promote global cooperation By strengthening these institutions and working together within them, Western countries can help to limit the dangerous power of China and other powerful countries

Increase military and defense cooperation: By increasing military and defense

cooperation among Western countries, t h e y c a n b e t t e r r e s p o n d t o p o t e n t i a l threats from China and other countries This could include measures such as joint military exercises and the sharing of intelligence and technology

Promote economic cooperation and integration: By promoting economic cooperation and integration among Western countries, they can create a stronger economic bloc that is better able to compete w i t h C h i n a a n d o t h e r c o u n t r i e s T h i s could include measures such as free trade agreements and the creation of common markets

E n c o u r a g e p o l i t i c a l a n d c u l t u r a l exchange: By promoting political and cultural exchange between Western countries and China, they can help to build mutual understanding and reduce the potential for conflict This could include measures such as exchanges between politicians, business leaders, and other individuals ”

Pretty impressive is AI

Virendra Sharma MP backs campaign to commemorate local hero

Vi rendra Sh arma, MP fo r Ealing S outhall, is backing the camp a i gn to c o mm em o r at e t h e brave pilots and navigators of t h e P h o t o gr ap h i c Re c o n na issance Units (P RU) du ring the S eco nd World War Ph oto Reconnaissance Units

The purpose of the PRU was to provide up-to-date intelligence to strategically plan the Allied actions in the war Flying S p i t f i r e s a n d M o s q u i t o s , t h e intelligence it gathered was used by all the armed forces, giving same day intelligence on enemy activity

The intelligence provided by the PRU was used in the Cabinet War Rooms – now the ‘Churchill War Rooms’ located underneath the Treasury – and was instrumental in the planning of major operations; D-Day and the Dambusters Raid, the monitoring of m a j o r s h i p p i n g m o v e m e n t s s u c h a s t h e Bismarck and Tirpitz, and the locating of the site of the V1 and V2 rocket launching site at Peenemünde

Due to the clandestine nature of their o p e r a t i o n s – t h e y f l e w s o l o o p e r a t i o n s , unarmed and unarmoured – the death rate was nearly fifty percent However, despite having one of the lowest survival rates of the war – life expectancy in the PRU was around two and a half months – there is no national memorial to the PRU

The ‘Spitfire AA810 Project’ has therefore led the campaign to establish such a memorial to the PRU pilots and navigators

Local Hero

Among those who served in the PRU was Melvyn Harris

W/o Melvyn Harold Harris was born on 16 April 1918 in Ealing Southall, the son of William Harris, a banker, and his wife

Edith He joined

He left the bank to join the R A F i n S e p t e m b e r 1 9 4 0 Learning to fly he was posted t o 6 8 1 P h o t o g r a p h i c R e c o n n a i s s a n c e S q u a d r o n based in the Far East theatre of operations He would fly many o p e r a t i o n s o v e r B u r m a a n d Thailand right up until the end of the war when tragedy would strike

On the 19th June 1945, just two months before the end of the Second World War M e l v y n t o o k o f f i n a R e c o n n a i s s a n c e S p i t f i r e f r o m R A F M i n g a l a d o n a n d s e t course for his mission objective No further news was ever heard from him and despite search and rescue attempts, no trace of him nor his aircraft were found

He is remembered on the Singapore Memorial, and on the bank war memorial a t t h e N a t W e s t S o u t h a l l b r a n c h , b u t remains missing in action to this day He was just 27 years old

Supporting the campaign is local MP, Virendra Sharma Commenting:

“I am delighted to support this fantastic campaign to commemorate those who s e r v e d i n t h e P h o t o g r a p h i c Reconnaissance Unit

T h i s i n c l u d e s M e l v y n H a r r i s , w h o served admirably under exceptionally difficult conditions, and sadly lost his life during his service to our country

I look forward to working with the Spitfire AA810 Project to establish this memorial and I look forward to being able to pay my respects there once it is completed ”

his father in the West Ealing branch of the Westminster Bank in August 1935, moving to the Southall branch in April 1939

Cycling UK enabling millions to cycle

Rupali Shinde

Cyc li n g h as a l o t o f benefits and millions have been using it as a m ode o f transport and as p a rt o f t h ei r ex erc i se Interestingly, the pandemic l ed p eo p l e t o ad ap t to c y cl in g i n la rg e nu m b ers fearing th e contracti on o f the virus and to m aintain s o c i al d i st anc i ng T h o u g h cycling is a p ersonal cho ice, t h ere is o ne or g an i sa ti o n that h as been running since 1 8 78 and h as m ad e m any p eop le switch to cycling

Cycling UK organisation has a long and illustrious h i s t o r y , f o u n d e d i n 1 8 7 8 , they fought and advocated for cyclists' rights for over 1 4 0 y e a r s , f i r s t l y a s t h e Bicycle Touring Club, then the Cyclists Touring Club and now as Cycling UK

Now, the UK's cycling c h a r i t y h a s m o r e t h a n 7 0 , 0 0 0 m e m b e r s w i t h a n aim to create a better world by bike for all

T i i a J a a k o l a , Communications and media officer at Cycling UK said they want a cleaner, happier and healthier world They w a n t p e o p l e o f a l l a g e s , backgrounds and abilities to be able to cycle safely, easily and enjoyably

“Our mission at Cycling U K i s t o e n a b l e m i l l i o n s m o r e t o c y c l e I m a g i n e a country where cycling is a safe and popular mode of transport for people of all b a c k g r o u n d s a n d a b i l i t i e s , w h e r e a i r p o l l u t i o n i s n o longer poisoning our children, obesity has been eliminated, and traffic congestion is gone This is Cycling UK’s vision

“ A s a n i n d e p e n d e n t , d e m o c r a t i c a n d e x p e r t

organisation, our activities reflect the commitment of o u r m e m b e r s , v o l u n t e e r s a n d p a r t n e r s t o m a k e cycling mainstream and to create a lasting difference to the lives of individuals and communities ”

Cycling UK also runs a whole host of community programmes that introduces cycling to people who might not normally consider how r i d i n g a b i k e c o u l d h e l p them Their Big Bike Revival i n E n g l a n d , w h i c h i s a l l about helping anyone and everyone begin or return to c y c l i n g , i n c l u d i n g l o t s o f work with the British Asian community is one example " T h e B i g B i k e R e v i v a l helps people through a prog r a m m e o f f r e e a c t i v i t i e s a n d s e r v i c e s d e l i v e r e d b y local community organisations, fixing bikes, teaching skills and leading rides to give people the confidence they need to turn cycling i n t o a l i f e l o n g h a b i t a n d source of joy "

The charity also launches its annual 100 Women in Cycling 2022, a list now in i t s s i x t h y e a r c e l e b r a t i n g i n s p i r a t i o n a l w o m e n w h o empower others to get in the saddle

The list this year includ-

ed household names from sport such as Tour de France Femmes winner and Road World Champion Annemiek v a n V l e u t e n , p a r a - c y c l i s t p a i r S o p h i e U n w i n a n d Jenny Holl, 10-year old BMX champ Amelie Eaton, and other inspirational figures like poet Caroline Burrows who uses her medium to tell stories about cycling and climate activist Jessie Stevens, who was just 17 when she

winning races, supporting their community, or telling stories about the adventures a n d c h a l l e n g e s f a c e d b y other inspiring women ”

Social media influencer and Brompton bike enthusiast Kamar Omar, who was nominated for 100 Women C y c l i n g 2 0 2 2 , s t a r t e d c y c l i n g d u r i n g t h e l o c kdown on a Brompton

“Cycling has opened so many doors for me, espe-

Government supports a new public sexual harassment offence

P u bl ic s ex u al h ara ss m e nt was made a specific offence th ro u g h g o v e rnm e ntbacked legislation returning to P a rl ia m en t o n 9 th December

A wide range of experts w e r e c o n s u l t e d o v e r t h e summer on introducing a s p e c i f i c o f f e n c e T h e v a s t majority considered public sexual harassment to be a widespread problem

T h e c o n s u l t a t i o n showed the need for a specific offence to make the l a w s s u r r o u n d i n g p u b l i c harassment clearer to both the public and the police D e s p i t e p u b l i c s e x u a l h a r a s s m e n t a l r e a d y b e i n g illegal, the introduction of a specific offence will encourage women to report to the police, as well as emphasising the severity of the crime

fear of harassment or violence And that is why we are supporting this bill to introduce a specific offence o n p u b l i c s e x u a l h a r a s sment

It’s a complex issue and we ’ ve carefully considered the arguments, taking into account a range of views We are putting the needs of victims at the heart of our decision, which will mean the criminals who commit these acts face the consequences they deserve ”

British Transport Police Assistant Chief Constable C h a r l i e D o y l e , s a i d : “ N o woman should be subjected to harassment or intimidation as they travel and we w i l l a l w a y s w e l c o m e a n y extra help in bringing more offenders to justice

c y c l e d f r o m D a r t m o o r t o Glasgow for COP26

Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK’s chief executive, said:

“At a time when people in the UK are turning to cycling in numbers not seen s i n c e t h e 6 0 s , i t ’ s m o r e important than ever to celebrate those who empower others, whether people want t o c y c l e b e c a u s e i t ’ s a n affordable, sustainable and healthy transport option, or because it’s simply fun

“Representation makes a h u g e d i f f e r e n c e , a n d improving the visibility of w o m e n ’ s c y c l i n g m e a n s more women are likely to feel it is also for them This is what makes the work our 100 Women in Cycling do so important – whether it’s

cially being independent It has changed my life and it has given me so much freedom I just believe every day that I am on my bike is a n e w a d v e n t u r e b e c a u s e there is always somewhere new to explore and see ”

She took to Twitter to share the certificate that she received as part of the nomination

“ Y a y ! M y #100WomenInCycling certificate has arrived! I m so proud of myself I ve come a l o n g w a y w i t h m y Brompton adventures This h a s t o b e t h e b i g g e s t achievement

I am so glad and happy that I was able to inspire lots of other people to start or go back to cycling ”

£257 million fund to help over 70,000 victims of domestic abuse

A n estim ated 70, 000 victims o f dom estic abuse will benefit from speciali st su ppo rt s e rv i c es to h elp th em rebuild their lives in a safe enviro nm ent

£ 2 5 7 m i l l i o n w i l l b e handed to councils across England to make sure safe accommodation spaces such as refuges and shelters can provide vital support The support will include couns e l l i n g , a s s i s t a n c e w i t h rehousing, financial advice and play therapy for traumatised children

The funding, allocated over 2 years and issued as a flexible grant, will be used by local authorities to plan support services and work closely with local charities and other service providers to best meet the needs of victims who have had to flee their homes

H o u s i n g a n d H o m e l e s s n e s s M i n i s t e r Felicity Buchan said:

Domestic abuse is a deva s t a t i n g c r i m e , a n d t h i s f u n d i n g w i l l h e l p v i c t i m s

and their children across the country who need to e s c a p e f r o m d a n g e r t o recover and rebuild their lives in safe housing

W h e t h e r i t ’ s c o u nselling, advice on how to handle finances or help f i n d i n g a n e w h o m e –c o u n c i l s c a n u s e t h i s money to make a real difference on the ground, giving victims the help and support they need

Domestic abuse is the most prevalent form of viol e n c e a g a i n s t w o m e n a n d g i r l s T h e 2 0 1 9 t o 2 0 2 0 crime survey estimated 2 3 million people experienced in the previous year experienced domestic abuse, with women more likely to be impacted

This funding follows the g o v e r n m e n t ’ s l a n d m a r k Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which places a legal duty on councils to fund support in safe accommodation for all victims and their families The money will help pay for these vital services

More than £330 million has already been invested since 2014 to provide support for domestic abuse vict i m s i n s a f e a c c o m m o d ation, with refuge bed spaces

increasing by more than 20% in the past 12 years

On top of this, £5 7 million is being invested in the Respite Rooms programme which supports vulnerable rough sleepers impacted by domestic abuse

This is in addition to the £2 million we provided to increase the capacity of d o m e s t i c a b u s e h e l p l i n e s and online services during the pandemic

After careful consideration, the government is supporting legislation brought forward by Greg Clark MP w h i c h i n t r o d u c e s h a r s h e r sentences if someone who d e l i b e r a t e l y h a r a s s e s , alarms, or distresses someone in a public place does so because of the victim’s sex, w i t h t h e m a x i m u m s e nt e n c e i n c r e a s i n g f r o m s i x months to two years

Home Secretary Suella B r a v e r m a n s a i d : “ E v e r y woman should feel safe to walk our streets without

We have always taken reports of sexual harassment extremely seriously, however I hope the proposed legislation will reinforce our clear message to perpetrators that it simply won’t be tolerated

W e k n o w t h a t a l l f o r m s o f s e x u a l h a r a s sment are under-reported to police and I hope this increased awareness will encourage more victims to come forward and tell us about what’s happened to them ”

£1.97 million awarded to support women in the workplace

Ov er £ 1 9 7 m i ll i o n has been award ed to org anisations across E ng l and to b o ls te r inn ov at iv e s ch em es th at a re i m p ro v i ng th e health o f wo men in the w orkplace

L a u n c h e d i n A p r i l 2 0 1 8 , t h e H e a l t h a n d Wellbeing Fund is a joint i n i t i a t i v e r u n b y t h e Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England (NHSE) and the U K H e a l t h S e c u r i t y Agency (UKHSA) A new r o u n d o f t h e f u n d i s launched every year and typically runs over three financial years

health and gynaecological conditions - to remain in and return to the workplace

C wi th a div ersi ty of s kills and b ackgrounds

to carry out i ts important work promotin g eq uality and h uman rights acr os s the UK

Arif Ahmed MBE is a Professor of Philosophy at t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f C a m b r i d g e H e w r i t e s mainly on decision theory, but also has an interest in religion He was awarded an MBE for services to education in 2021

The theme of the fund f o r 2 0 2 2 t o 2 0 2 5 i s w o m e n ’ s r e p r o d u c t i v e w e l l b e i n g i n t h e w o r kplace Linking in with the development of the new Women’s Health Strategy, this fund aims to support organisations that can prov i d e a h o l i s t i c s u p p o r t o f f e r t o a s s i s t w o m e n experiencing reproductive health issues - for example menopause, fertility probl e m s , m i s c a r r i a g e a n d pregnancy loss, menstrual

O n e o f t h e f u n d a w a r d e e s i n c l u d e t h e A s h i a n a C o m m u n i t y P r o j e c t A s h i a n a Community Project will be u s i n g f u n d i n g t o t a c k l e g e n d e r i n e q u a l i t i e s t h a t w o m e n e x p e r i e n c i n g m e n o p a u s e t r a n s i t i o n e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e w o r kp l a c e T h i s w i l l i n c l u d e capturing the lived experiences of women to inform, educate and to advocate c h a n g e w h i l e p r o v i d i n g opportunities to offer tailored interventions so the diverse needs of women from all cultures can be a d d r e s s e d , a n d b y t o e n a b l i n g t i m e l y s u p p o r t a c r o s s a n d t o c h a l l e n g e negative stereotypes

Police officers sacked

T wo s erving p ol ic e o ff ic ers h ave been sacked fol lowing a m is c o nd uc t h e ar ing int o a W h atsAp p gro up , in wh ic h r a c is t an d s e xi s t m e s s a ge s w ere sh ared with o ther cons tables

M e t p o l i c e m a n G a r y Bailey and Matthew Forster, f r o m t h e C i v i l N u c l e a r Constabulary, were dismissed a f t e r a n i n d e p e n d e n t l yc h a i r e d d i s c i p l i n a r y p a n e l f o u n d t h e I n d e p e n d e n t O f f i c e f o r P o l i c e C o n d u c t (IOPC) case against the officers had been proved It also found the case against former M e t P C s J o e l B o r d e r s , J o n a t h o n C o b b a n a n d William Neville, as well as

former Norfolk Constabulary P C D a n i e l C o m f o r t , t o b e true To build its case against the officers, the IOPC analysed more than 6,000 messages which included racist and homophobic comments, a n d d e r o g a t o r y r e m a r k s aimed at domestic abuse victims, people with disabilities and women

IOPC regional director Sal Naseem said: "The views expressed by these officers do not belong in a civilised society and, as we have said before, social media cannot be a hiding place for them, whether on a public platform or as part of a private group "

Independent government adviser quits on differences with Braverman

A Gove rnment ad viser on v iole nce aga inst wome n i s t o qui t her role , cit ing the f act she is o n a “complete ly d if fer ent p lanet” f rom the H ome Secreta ry N i m c o A l i , w h o w a s appointed as an independent government adviser o n t a c k l i n g v i o l e n c e against women and girls by then home secretary Priti P a t e l i n O c t o b e r 2 0 2 0 , effectively quit live on air during a radio interview Asked during an appearance on Times Radio if she was happy to remain as an i n d e p e n d e n t a d v i s e r , d e s p i t e d i s a g r e e i n g w i t h t h e c u r r e n t H o m e

Secretary, she said: “No I’m committed to ending v i o l e n c e a g a i n s t w o m e n a n d g i r l s , a n d I t h i n k t h e r e ’ s m a n y a v e n u e s i n order to continue that ”

She went on: “I’m just saying that Suella and I are o n c o m p l e t e l y d i f f e r e n t planets when it comes to the rights of women and girls, and also the way that w e t a l k a b o u t e t h n i c minorities, and specifically p e o p l e l i k e m e w h o a r e f r o m a r e f u g e e b a c kground ” The current CEO of The Five Foundation, Ms Ali is a prominent camp a i g n e r a g a i n s t f e m a l e genital mutilation (FGM)

'Landmark moment' in breast cancer treatment

A ft er a l and m ar k b re akthrough in treatment that cou ld prolong liv es, breast c an c er p ati en ts w i ll h av e “ p recio u s extra ti m e w ith their loved ones ”

T h i s t r e a t m e n t c o u l d help around 8,000 women i n B r i t a i n e v e r y y e a r S c i e n t i s t s h a i l e d t h i s moment as a “major success story for UK science”

The findings, presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, are relevant for around seven in 10 o f a l l n e w b r e a s t c a n c e r cases

Dr Kotryna Temcinaite, o f B r e a s t C a n c e r N o w , a

l e a d i n g c h a r i t y , s a i d : “Understanding how we can keep incurable breast cancer under control when it stops responding to existing treatments is vital to help more people live longer with the disease

T h e s e e n c o u r a g i n g results suggest a new way to treat patients with advanced ER positive HER2 negative breast cancer giving them p r e c i o u s e x t r a t i m e w i t h their loved ones before the disease progresses “We hope that people c a n s t a r t b e n e f i t i n g f r o m this treatment combination as soon as possible ”

Jeremy Hunt axes EU red tape

Chancellor J erem y Hunt has annou nced plans to refo rm the U K financial sector, in what would be the biggest sh ake-up of its kind in more than 3 0 years

T h e p a c k a g e o f m o r e than 30 regulatory changesknown as the "Edinburgh Reforms - will replace EU r e g u l a t i o n a n d c u t r e d tape" following Brexit The C h a n c e l l o r s a i d t h e n e w measures will "turbocharge" growth in towns and cities across the UK Rules introduced after the 2008 financial crisis, which saw some UK banks face potential collapse, will be reviewed as well

This includes the “senior m a n a g e r s ’ r e g i m e ” , w h i c h holds bosses accountable for financial mistakes, and socalled “ring-fencing” rules, which require banks to separate high street operations f r o m r i s k i e r i n v e s t m e n t operations

H o w e v e r , c r i t i c s h a v e cast concern over the potential loosening of these rules Mr Hunt also said that City r e g u l a t o r s , s u c h a s t h e F i n a n c i a l C o n d u c t A u t h o r i t y ( F C A ) , w i l l b e g i v e n a s e c o n d a r y o b j e ctive to deliver growth and competitiveness The policy c h a i r m a n a t t h e C i t y o f L o n d o n C o r p o r a t i o n s a i d major reform of the UK's f i n a n c i a l s e c t o r i s s o m ething to be "excited" about

Government had responsibility towards PPE procurement checks

Aft er sca nda ls ov er supply, in cluding tha t involving the pe e r M i ch e ll e M o n e , t h e a u d it o r g e n e r a l sa id , t h e gover nme nt had a re sponsibilit y to a pply “basic stand a r d s ” o f p r o c ur e m e n t che ck s on PPE dur ing the Covid pan demic Gareth Davies, the head of the National Audit Office, said people agreed that some normal processes needed to be suspended in an emergency, such as lengthy tenders for PPE

“When accepting highrisk compromises, the government had a responsibility to apply mitigating controls that were available, including better transparency to

parliament and the public, r i g o r o u s m a n a g e m e n t o f conflicts of interest, reduci n g v u l n e r a b i l i t y t o f r a u d and timely accounting

“Maintaining these basic standards is critical to preventing financial losses, and public trust in the government’s emergency responses", he said in a speech at parliament

In November 2020, the p a r l i a m e n t a r y s p e n d i n g watchdog first reported that PPE suppliers with political connections were directed to a “high-priority” channel f o r U K g o v e r n m e n t c o ntracts where bids were 10 times more likely to be successful

Councils face shortage of gritter drivers

Labour claims Braverman sidelined by PM Sunak

Rishi Sunak has “sid elined” S u ell a Br av e rm a n an d i s “exclud ing ” her from im portant d ecisions, Labo ur Party has claim ed

Within 20 yea rs, more than four mill ion elde rly people will have no childre n to l ook a f t e r t h e m, p u t t in g h ug e pr essure on the care system, pe ers hav e war ned

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e P a r l i a m e n t a r y r e p o r t , t h e future looks "extremely haza r d o u s " f o r t h e g r o w i n g number of people who do not have children to look after them in their old age

I f u n p a i d c a r e r s d o n ' t provide help to the elderly and vulnerable, the country’s health and social care systems would "collapse'', said t h e H o u s e o f L o r d s a d u l t

social care committee

"For them, we were told that the prospect of ageing causes great fear, as the current system is ill-prepared to respond to their needs, the study states This fear is not j u s t o f l o n e l i n e s s a g e i n g without children brings tangible challenges, such as in undertaking low-level supp o r t t a s k s , p e r s o n a l t a s k s and navigating the complex social care system

" T h e f u t u r e l o o k s e x t r e m e l y h a z a r d o u s f o r people ageing without children, and yet they are a fastgrowing group "

In E n g l a n d , n e a rl y t w o thirds of councils are distressed over not recruitin g enough HGV drivers this winter to run their gritting lorries, amid suggestions they can't compete with higher private sector pay in a sector b lighted b y workforc e shortages

As per the new data in t h e L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t A s s o c i a t i o n ’ s a n n u a l weather resilience survey, a l m o s t t w o t h i r d s o f council said they are finding it difficult to recruit and train HGV drivers for “winter resilience activities” such as driving gritting lorries

I n o r d e r t o f i l l t h e gaps, local authorities are now having to use agency workers or retraining and redeploying their existing staff, according to the new

LGA data

A spokesperson for the L G A t o l d P o l i t i c s H o m e : “ A s t h i s s u r v e y s h o w s , councils along with many other organisations have had continued difficulties i n r e c r u i t i n g n e w H G V drivers

“As well as this, fast i n f l a t i n g H G V d r i v e r salaries in the private sector exacerbates issues in the public sector, with the rises creating a retention as well as a recruitment problem for councils and their contractors

“ T o e n s u r e g r i t t i n g lorries can get to out treat roads and pavements this w i n t e r , c o u n c i l s h a v e been retraining and redeploying existing staff as w e l l a s m a k i n g u s e o f short term agency workers ”

Y v e t t e C o o p e r a l l e g e d that the prime minister was cutting out the home secret a r y o v e r i m m i g r a t i o n I t c o m e s a f t e r B r a v e r m a nwho was re-appointed home secretary by Sunak just six days after she was forced to quit for breaking the ministerial code - was criticisedf o r h e r h a n d l i n g o f t h e migrant crisis

Shadow home secretary

Cooper went on to say the home office was in “total chaos” and that the Tories only provided “rhetoric” not “practical plans” However, a source close to Braverman hit back, telling HuffPost U K : “ L a u g h a b l e n o n s e n s e a n d a d e s p e r a t e l i n e o f a t t a c k w h i c h s a y s m o r e about the person making it than anything else ”

Labour has pledged to introduce a new fast-tracki n g p r o c e s s f o r m i g r a n t s f r o m “ s a f e ” c o u n t r i e s t o clear the backlog of asylum claims

Gas prices surge

3 times in 30 days

Wholesa le gas pri ces have r i s e n s i g n i f i ca n t l y t h i s mon th as Brits reach f or th e t h e r mo s t a t t o b a t t le the cold wi nter wea ther

Figures from the Office f o r N a t i o n a l S t a t i s t i c s s h o w t h a t t h e S y s t e m Average Price of Gas (SAP) s p i k e d u p t o i t s h i g h e s t s i n c e S e p t e m b e r , m o r e than trebling in a month SAP is an industry measure which tracks the on-the-

day commodity market It is used by National Grid to b a l a n c e o u t s u p p l y , d e m a n d a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n of gas

The average household spend on gas is expected to rise to £4279 in January meaning the Government’s E n e r g y P r i c e G u a r a n t e e (EPG) will cost the taxpayer more The EPG caps the annual household cost of gas at £2,500

Cash recovered from drug-dealing sisters may be used for community projects

Ea rlier this y ear , t wo sist er sat th e ce nt re of a h ug e drug tra fficking opera tion - we re ord er e d t o pa y ba ck hund r e d s o f t h ou s a n d s o f po un d s of t h e i r ill- g ot t e n gains

S h a z i a D i n , 4 4 , l e d a B u r y - b a s e d c r i m e g r o u p , together with her older sister Abia Din, 47, a court was told A beauty business - The Beauty Booth - was set up on t h e C h e s h a m I n d u s t r i a l Estate in Bury as a front to launder dirty money made from the vast profits, police s a i d I n A u g u s t , a t a Proceeds of Crime Act heari n g a t M a n c h e s t e r C r o w n Court, the judge confiscated a total of £345,031 40 from seven individuals involved in the drugs ring, including the sisters

Shazia Din, who used to run the criminal empire out

of her shop, had £259,079 17 confiscated, while her sister and partner in crime, Abia D i n , l o s t t h e s u m o f £ 4 9 , 4 7 8 4 5 O t h e r G r e a t e r M a n c h e s t e r p a r t i c i p a n t s also had substantial wealth confiscated Now, some of that cash will be used to help community projects across Greater Manchester

The cash seized from the Dins is part of the £3 3m of dirty cash seized by GMP this tax year - i e since April 2022 - with confiscation of i l l - g o t t e n g a i n s b e i n g t h e final part of GMP's pursuit o f c r i m i n a l s H a l f o f t h a t money goes to the Home Office, but GMP gets just under 50 per cent back to fund policing initiatives and c o m m u n i t y p r o j e c t s , l i k e s p o r t i n g a c t i v i t i e s a n d s c h e m e s t o d i v e r t y o u n g people away from crime

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper

Home Secretary Suella Braverman

Over four million elderly will have no children to look after them

James Cleverly quotes Modi in his first major speech

twenty years and beyond

H e s a i d , “ W e a r e a t p e a c e , w e a r e p r o s p e r o u s and we live on an island– so w h y d o w e b o t h e r d o i n g f o r e i g n p o l i c y a t a l l ” Speaking about his visit to K e n y a a n d E t h i o p i a l a s t w e e k a n d P o l a n d a n d Romania the week before t h a t , h e a r g u e d w h y m i n i s t e r s o f t h i s d e p a r t m e n t t r a v e l a r o u n d the world, why do we have officials across the globe

“As Foreign Secretary of a former imperial power, I know that in the past we s u c c u m b e d t o t h e t e m p t a t i o n o f w i l l a n d appetite And none of us can f o r g e t h o w , i n t h e 2 0 t h century, aggressive tyrants made the globe their prey, starting two world wars and l e a v i n g o v e r 1 0 0 m i l l i o n people dead

A n d a f t e r w a r d s , o u r p r e d e c e s s o r s r e a l i s e d t h a t humanity would not survive another catastrophe of that scale So a generation of fars i g h t e d l e a d e r s b u i l t a n a s s e m b l y o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l r u l e s a n d i n s t i t u t i o n s designed to make law – not power alone – the arbiter of r e l a t i o n s b e t w e e n s t a t e s , ” he said

A c c o r d i n g t o h i m , Britain joined hands with t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o f America, France and nearly 50 other nations to create the United Nations And the U N G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y a d o p t e d a U n i v e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n o f H u m a n R i g h t s w i t h o u t a s i n g l e dissenting vote, proclaiming – a n d I q u o t e – t h e “ i n a l i e n a b l e r i g h t o f a l l m e m b e r s o f t h e h u m a n family” In the same era, 23 n a t i o n s f o u n d e d w h a t

would become the World Trade Organisation and the World Bank began to fund reconstruction and recovery across the globe For all the tragedies and bloodshed of the last eight decades, the remarkable truth is that by h i s t o r i c a l s t a n d a r d s , t h a t system has worked He further mentioned t h a t b e t w e e n 1 9 4 6 a n d 2020, the number of deaths in state conflicts as a share of the global population fell by 95 per cent And only once since the foundation of the UN has a member country been wiped off the map, with its entire national t e r r i t o r y a n n e x e d b y another

That act of aggression, by Iraq against Kuwait in 1990, was swiftly reversed The volume of world trade h a s m u l t i p l i e d 4 0 t i m e s s i n c e 1 9 5 0 , g e n e r a t i n g c o u n t l e s s j o b s a n d livelihoods in every corner of the earth And in recent d e c a d e s , t h e f a s t e s t economic growth has been c o n c e n t r a t e d i n t h e developing world

“In fact, the UK wants to welcome Brazil, India, Japan and Germany as permanent m e m b e r s o f t h e U N Security Council, alongside p e r m a n e n t A f r i c a n representation Our aim is to uphold a historic shared achievement that benefits everyone, ” Cleverly said

Speaking about Putin’s goal, he believed that it is to

turn back the clock to the e r a w h e n m i g h t b e r i g h t a n d b i g c o u n t r i e s c o u l d t r e a t t h e i r n e i g h b o u r s a s prey Cleverly believes that P u t i n i s w a g i n g a 1 9 t hc e n t u r y w a r o f i m p e r i a l c o n q u e s t , d e l i b e r a t e l y d e b a s i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o n d u c t , u t t e r l y c o n t e m p t u o u s o f t o d a y ’ s v a l u e s A n d b y a t t a c k i n g one of the world’s biggest p r o d u c e r s o f f o o d a n d fertiliser, he is driving up global prices and inflicting s t i l l g r e a t e r h a r d s h i p o n some of the poorest people around the world

The Foreign Secretary further added, ” ‘Hence it was Prime Minister Modi who told Putin to his face, and I quote: “I know that today’s era is not the era of w a r ’ T h e o n l y r o u t e t o peace in Europe is for Putin t o e n d h i s w a r a n d withdraw his troops

"As we stand against the R u s s i a n i n v a s i o n , t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m b e n e f i t s beyond measure from our rock-solid friendships with t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m e r i c a , w i t h F r a n c e , Germany, Canada, Australia and many others "

The minister feels that n o w t h e U K m u s t w o r k with its international allies and new partners to sustain t h e b e s t o f t h i s achievement, which seeks t o p r o t e c t e v e r y c o u n t r y a n d c r e a t e a s e t t i n g f o r everyone to prosper

E-visa relief for UK travellers makes airlines open up more capacity

Rupali Shinde

C i t i ze n s li v i n g i n t h e U k n ow will be able to ma ke plans of visit ing In dia as eVisas ha ve been r ein st ate d Ind ia ha s re ver se d it s policy by e x clu d i n g Br it i s h t r a ve llers from the e Visa sche me

On December 5, 2022, by t h e H i g h C o m m i s s i o n o f I n d i a ( H C I ) w h e r e H i g h Commissioner of India to t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m , V i k r a m D o r a i s w a m i announced the decision on Twitter

He said the service will be available "forthwith" and High Commission officials in London confirmed that travellers can start applying for e-visas to India immediately It said that the system upgrade process is underway and the Indian visa website will soon be ready to receive applications for e-visas

T o u r i s m p r o f e s s i o n a l N a m r a t a B a n s a l a l s o h a s welcomed the move adding it was much needed

“Well it’s a positive and a m u c h - n e e d e d s t e p b y t h e Indian authorities to reinstate E-visa for the British p a s s p o r t h o l d e r s Suspension of e-visa made travel to India challenging for a lot of British travellers

a n d t o u r o p e r a t o r s / t r a v e l agents were losing a lot of business

Typically, over one million British nationals visit India every year making the U K t h e t h i r d i m p o r t a n t s o u r c e m a r k e t o f f o r e i g n tourist arrivals in India Now is the right time to take steps t o p r o m o t e f u r t h e r t r a v e l from the UK to india ”

T o b o o s t I n d i a n v i s a p r o c e s s i n g f a c i l i t i e s , including a new Indian visa centre in central London and Visa at Your Doorstep (VAYD) service, to address t h e h i g h p o s t - p a n d e m i c travel demand from the UK to India, several measures have been undertaken

T r a v e l a g e n c i e s h a v e also welcomed the move, who are seeing a surge in flight enquiries since the announcement last week

S p e a k i n g t o A s i a n Voice, a spokesperson from S o u t h a l l T r a v e l U K s a i d , “As the airlines are opening up more capacity, the average price for an economy c l a s s f a r e i s c u r r e n t l y between £600-£900 for the n e x t y e a r , w h i c h i s m a r g i n a l l y c h e a p e r t h a n 2022 However, when we compare to pre-covid/lockd o w n t h i s i s s t i l l o n a n

a v e r a g e £ 1 0 0 - £ 1 5 0 m o r e than the price consumers paid back in 2019 ” Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the vast majority of UK visitors to India w e r e p e r m i t t e d t o e n t e r India on an eVisa – a relatively simple online system s i m i l a r t o t h e U S E s t a s c h e m e H o w e v e r , p o s tpandemic, online visas for h o l i d a y s i n I n d i a w e r e made available for nationals of 156 eligible countries f r o m A f g h a n i s t a n t o Zimbabwe, but the UK was excluded

C u r r e n t l y , c i t i z e n s o f the UK have to apply for a visa in person The process is exorbitant and time-consuming compared to the online eVisa, and there is a l o n g w a i t i n g l i s t f o r a p p o i n t m e n t s a t I n d i a n visa centres in the UK

People have widely welcomed the move amid a massive rush for visas to India in recent months It had emerged that during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in I n d o n e s i a l a s t m o n t h , I n d i a ’ s P r i m e M i n i s t e r Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart, Rishi Sunak, d i s c u s s e d e - v i s a s , a l o n g with other issues

HM King Charles III visits the newly built Guru Nanak Gurdwara

H M K i n g Charles III at the newly built Guru N a n a k G u r d w a r a , where His Majesty m e t v o l u n t e e r s who run the Luton Sikh Soup Kitchen Stand The kitchen provides vegetaria n h o t m e a l s 7 d a y s a w e e k , 3 6 5 d a y s a y e a r a t t h e G u r d w a r a D u r i n g t h e pandemic, the Gurdwara

"Post Office is disinterested in paying up compensation"

Baljit Seth i is still c lueless as t o w h y t h e P o s t O f f ic e is delaying to pay him co mpens atio n " I t d o e s n ' t s e e m l i k e t h e y ' r e i n t e r e s t e d i n d o i n g anything," he says

He is one of the unfortunate thousands of sub-postmasters who lost everything, after the introduction of a f a u l t y I T s y s t e m m a d e i t appear as though money was going missing

For a third time, the official inquiry into the scandal was looking into the compensation process

A f t e r i t s c h a i r m a n S i r W y n W i l l i a m s s a i d i n S e p t e m b e r h e w a s " d i s a pp o i n t e d w i t h t h e a p p a r e n t lack of substantial progress to date", the inquiry heard from government, Post Office and legal representatives

"We haven't had a single penny," he says " W e ' v e s e n t t h e m s o

Sethi' "

"I mean, how long c a n I h a v e p a t i e n c e for? he says M r S e t h i a n d h i s w i f e r a n t w o p o s t offices over the period o f 2 0 y e a r s n e a r R o m f o r d i n e a s t L o n d o n , i n v e s t i n g i n t h e b u s i n e s s e s a n d working long hours

In the accounts at one of his two branches, he noticed

the new IT system was causing shortfalls He alerted the P o s t O f f i c e , b u t h i s p l e a s were ignored Following the ongoing erratic results from the Horizon accounting software, he lost his businesses, b e c a m e b a n k r u p t , a n d h i s reputation in the local comm u n i t y w a s d e s t r o y e d H e ended up working as a lowp a i d n i g h t s e c u r i t y g u a r d , s t r u g g l i n g t o m a k e e n d s meet

r a n a p o p - u p C o v i d vaccine clinic, which was one of the first of its kind in the UK The Gurdwara

a l s o e n c o u r a g e d o t h e r places of worship to tackle misinformation regarding vaccine hesitancy

Driver kills pregnant woman and her dad

A driv er ha s bee n ja iled for 16 y ea rs for m ow in g down a fa mily of five, killing a pre gnan t scient ist an d he r fathe r Following the crash in R a m s g a t e , K e n t , N i t e s h Bissendary, 31, had fled the scene

Under the influence of cocaine, he lost control of his black Alfa Romeo and v e e r e d i n t o t h e f a m i l y a s

Hounslow families are patrolling the streets themselves

'Scar ed' H ounslow fa mil ie s have st arted pat rolling the stre ets as the y fee l police don't kee p the m safe

R e s i d e n t s l i v i n g i n t h e W e s t

L o n d o n b o r o u g h a r e l i v i n g i n f e a r owing to the rise in crimes, including a murder, multiple stabbings and in particular a sexual assault being the main catalyst

However, a group of passive vigilantes are hoping that they could bring peace of mind to their community by

disrupting criminality with their street p a t r o l s 3 3 - y e a r - o l d J a s s a S i n g h h a s been living in Hounslow for 20 years but began organising the walks recently as he believes police don't have the physical resources to keep people safe

T h e r e h a v e b e e n h u g e f a i l u r e s from the police, the delivery driver told MyLondon "Week after week I'd hear of another tragedy, in the sexual assault case the suspect was reported but still nothing was done and then

something horrific ended up happening " "The police officers are doing as much as they can, but they're under huge pressure," Jassa added "Where there once may have been a community officer around the neighbourhood, there isn t anymore so there s just not that tangible deterrence for offenders

The Metropolitan police said in a statement, that they continue to work closely with the community, including the patrol group, to enforce safety

they walked near a car park

Police said, before striking his victims, he mounted the curb and travelled nearly 100ft

Yoram Hirshfeld, 81, and Noga Sella, 37, who was five months pregnant with her third child, lost their lives when Bissendary hit them with his car on August 10

Mrs Sella, who worked as a physicist at Cambridge U n i v e r s i t y , w a s d e c l a r e d dead at the scene and Mr Hirshfeld, who had been a maths lecturer at Tel Aviv U n i v e r s i t y i n I s r a e l , d i e d shortly afterwards

M r s S e l l a ’ s h u s b a n d Omer, 40, suffered a lacerate d s p l e e n a n d t h e i r f i v eyear-old daughter survived a life-threatening head injury

The couple’s eight-yearold son also suffered shock and minor injuries

many emails, and after four or five months they reply: ' P l e a s e h a v e p a t i e n c e , M r

L-R: Russian President Vladimir Putin UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Indian PM Narendra Modi

A

We do not think of the emotional impact and trauma of racism

While Britain continues to p ro m o te m u ltic ul tural is m and boasts of div ersity and inclu sio n, w e continue to read stories of racist attacks a nd i nc id en ts on a d ai ly basis Yet, people o f co lour p l ay a v i t al r o le in contributing to the British ec onom y, h ealth care, and a lm o s t e v er y s ec to r We asked so me members of the com munity to reflect and react to the everyday racism stories that m ake headlines i n B ri ta i n, th e ir e xp e ri enc e s, s u g g es ti o ns a nd tak e on t h e n ev e rending subtle racism , that h as not spared the Royal D uch es s as w ell the first lady o f Britain

I m m i g r a t i o n e x p e r t S h o a i b K h a n t o l d A s i a n Voice, “It is hard to escape the conclusion that racism i s p e r v a s i v e i n B r i t i s h society We regularly hear p e r s o n a l s t o r i e s f r o m p e o p l e w h o s u f f e r harassment and abuse due to their race in their daily l i v e s , b u t e v e n m o r e , concerning is the attitude o f s t a t e i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d o t h e r o r g a n i s a t i o n s t o w a r d s p e o p l e f r o m minority backgrounds

“ T h e p o l i c e i s f r e q u e n t l y d e s c r i b e d a s i n s t i t u t i o n a l l y r a c i s t , a n d last week an independent i n q u i r y f o u n d t h a t t h e London fire brigade service i s " i n s t i t u t i o n a l l y m i s o g y n i s t i c a n d r a c i s t " These are claims routinely m a d e a g a i n s t o t h e r d e p a r t m e n t s a n d o r g a n i s a t i o n s a s w e l l People who were brought to the UK decades ago to cover labour shortages here and their descendants still face serious racism in the U K , i n c l u d i n g s t a t em a n d a t e d r a c i s m , f o r instance through the Home O f f i c e T h e y a r e d e n i e d t h e i r b a s i c r i g h t s a n d t r e a t e d l i k e n o h u m a n should

“ T h i s i s a l l t o l e r a t e d only because they belong to ethnic minorities At work t h e y a r e d i s c r i m i n a t e d against, in education they are discriminated against, w h e n i t c o m e s t o s t a t e facilities and benefits they are discriminated against J u s t t h i s m o r n i n g , P o l i c e S c o t l a n d w a s a c c u s e d o f r a c i a l p r o f i l i n g a f t e r i t

emerged that people from m i n o r i t y e t h n i c backgrounds were up to 20 t i m e s m o r e l i k e l y t o b e s t o p p e d u n d e r c o u n t e r t e r r o r i s m p o w e r s , with 46% of those stopped under Schedule 7 belonging to an ethnic minority A lot more needs to be done in r a i s i n g a w a r e n e s s , e d u c a t i n g p e o p l e a n d creating opportunities But the first step has to be to admit that this is a serious problem and one that needs to be urgently resolved, not just for those people who are the victims of racism, but society as a whole As long as we keep denying it a n d b l a m i n g t h e v i c t i m s , this will only get worse The government needs to admit its mistakes and proactively and sincerely work towards creating an equal society ”

C h i e f M e d i c a l O f f i c e , Black Country NHS system, Dr Ananta Dave told the newsweekly, “I would say t h a t m a n y o f B r i t a i n ’ s institutions in the public sector are structurally racist - their policies, procedures a n d t h e i r r e c r u i t m e n t p r o c e s s e s a r e discriminatory The people w o r k i n g i n t h e s e i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d t h o s e i n s e n i o r d e c i s i o n m a k i n g p o s i t i o n s a r e n o t r e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f t h e communities we live in Yes I have faced racism in my personal and professional l i f e o v e r t h e y e a r sn u m e r o u s i n s t a n c e s t o count It was more in my earlier years in the UK It s t i l l o c c u r s b u t a m i n a better position to respond or call it out ”

W h e n B r i t a i n n e e d s l a b o u r a m i d a l a b o u r s h o r t a g e o r a n y s t a f f , i t turns to ethnic minorities and immigrants Yet, the question of how they will

be treated on the basis of their skin colour remains Dr Dave said, “I agree We have an inconsistent and discriminatory attitude to the workforce issue We get people in when needed but do not do enough or are s o m e t i m e s d o w n r i g h t i n d i f f e r e n t t o t h e i s s u e s that people of colour face We do not address issues of bullying & harassment, do n o t h a v e f a i r r e t e n t i o n p o l i c i e s a n d w e d o n o t t h i n k o f t h e e m o t i o n a l i m p a c t a n d t r a u m a o f racism

“I think we have moved forward so we are not back to square one But we have not progressed at the pace we should have and there is still a great reluctance in m a n y p l a c e s t o a c k n o w l e d g e o r a c c e p t there is structural racism P e o p l e a r e s p e a k i n g u p more, there is legislation in terms of the Equality Act 2 0 1 0 a n d s o m e l e a r n i n g f r o m C o v i d h o w e v e r w e have a long way to go, ” she added

According to her, in the immediate and short term, we need senior decisionm a k i n g l e a d e r s w h o a r e representative and have the r i g h t v a l u e s , n o t j u s t t o k e n i s t i c a p p o i n t m e n t s P e o p l e ’ s c o n c e r n s a b o u t b u l l y i n g , h a r a s s m e n t a n d discrimination need to be t a k e n s e r i o u s l y a n d i n v e s t i g a t e d f a i r l y D e v e l o p i n g a c u l t u r e o f allyship where people with privilege support those who are affected by racism is important too In the long term we need to introduce education & conversations a b o u t r a c i s m r i g h t f r o m primary school, change our curriculum and training in healthcare to de-colonise it a n d i n c l u d e p e o p l e o f colour in feedback, service design and research

Birmingham University launches new teaching and research programme in Jainism

establish the programme at the University of Birmingham

PM announces five-point plan to tackle illegal immigration

On T uesd ay, prime minister Ri sh i S una k anno u nce d a five-point plan fo r "tackling illegal im migration" Su nak says that it is " unfair" people com e to th e U K illegally, and "u nfair" that people coming f ro m s af e c o u ntr i es tak e places in the asylum system by applying for sanctuary

H e s a y s p e o p l e a r e "right" to be angry about the situation Mr Sunak says the global asylum framework is "obsolete"

H e a d d s t h a t " h o s t i l e states" are using migration as a weapon on the border of Europe, and the effects of c l i m a t e c h a n g e a r e a l s o m a k i n g m o r e p l a c e s "uninhabitable"

While praising the UK for its role in taking asylum s e e k e r s a n d v u l n e r a b l e people, Mr Sunak says "far t o o m a n y o f t h e b e n e f i c i a r i e s o f t h e U K s g e n e r o s i t y a r e n o t p e o p l e fleeing war or persecutionb u t p e o p l e c o m i n g f r o m " f u n d a m e n t a l l y s a f e c o u n t r i e s " , o r t r a v e l l i n g through safe nations

Rishi S unak then sets out fiv e steps to tackle illeg al

mig ration

1 A n e w , u n i f i e d , s m a l l b o a t s o p e r a t i o n a l command to prevent the fragmented approach of p r e v i o u s a t t e m p t s t o tackle Channel crossings

2 Extra resources will be freed up to increase the number of raids carried o u t b y i m m i g r a t i o n officers

3 N e w s i t e s , i n c l u d i n g d i s u s e d h o l i d a y p a r k s , former student halls and s u r p l u s m i l i t a r y s i t e s , will be used to house a s y l u m s e e k e r s - w i t h 10,000 spaces identified, costing half what is now being spent

4 The number of asylum c a s e w o r k e r s w i l l b e doubled, and the system

will be re-engineered to shorten the amount of t i m e t a k e n t o p r o c e s s claims - with a promise to abolish the backlog by the end of next year

5 A new agreement with A l b a n i a , i n c l u d i n g Border Force officers in T i r a n a A i r p o r t , n e w guidance stating Albania i s a s a f e c o u n t r y , a raising of the threshold someone has to meet to be qualified as a modern s l a v e r y v i c t i m , a n assurance from Albania t h e y w i l l p r o t e c t genuine people at risk, a n d a n e w d e d i c a t e d u n i t t o p r o c e s s Albanians will be set upw i t h m o r e t h a n 4 0 0 specialists

T h e Ro y a l F a m il y h a v e a lwa ys bee n able to dra w crowds and d ocumenta rie s a bo ut the ir live s ha ve o fte n b e e n s o m e o f t h e m o st v iewe d mate rial across t he world

With the release of the D u k e a n d D u c h e s s o f Sussex’s docuseries, simply titled Harry & Meghan, on D e c e m b e r 8 t h o n t h e s t r e a m i n g p l a t f o r m Netflix, this trend looks set to continue

O n l i n e p r i v a c y a n d s t r e a m i n g e x p e r t s a t V P N O v e r v i e w c o m h a v e a n a l y s e d v i e w i n g f i g u r e s and search volume to find out if Harry & Meghan can t o p p l e d o c u d r a m a T h e Crown and gain the top spot on Netflix

Early figures for Harry & M e g h a n f r o m t h e B r o a d c a s t e r s A u d i e n c e R e s e a r c h B o a r d ( B A R B ) show that the first part of t h e d o c u m e n t a r y h a d v i e w i n g f i g u r e s o f 2 4 m i l l i o n T h i s i s a 1 1 8 % increase on the 1 1 million viewers that series 5 of The C r o w n g a i n e d o n i t s premiere date

A group of philanthropists, including Dr Jasvant Modi representing US donors and Nemu Chandaria OBE representing UK donors, made a gift of $1 5 million to

Launching in September 2023, the new programme features the creation of an Assistant Professorship in Jain Studies, an Assistant Professorship in the Ethics of N o n - V i o l e n c e , a n d a P o s t d o c t o r a l R e s e a r c h F e l l o w s h i p i n J a i n S t u d i e s

Students can apply to the new programme from January to March 2023

Data also showed that episode three of Harry & M e g h a n o n l y h a d a n a u d i e n c e o f 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 Figures from BARB only look at television data, so it i s l i k e l y t h a t t h e s e numbers fall short of the true figures when mobile p h o n e s a n d t a b l e t s a r e considered

Currently, both shows are in the Netflix top 5 in the UK, with The Crown

has stayed within the top 10 for four weeks in both the UK and the US Harry & M e g h a n i s r a n k e d i n s e c o n d p l a c e w h i l e T h e Crown is ranked 4th in the UK and 8th in the US

A s p o k e s p e r s o n f o r VPNOverview said: “While early figures suggest that The Duke and Duchess of S u s s e x ’ s d o c u m e n t a r y i s f l y i n g a h e a d o f i t s competitor, it’s important to note that The Crown is a c o m p l e t e s e r i e s W i t h

two more parts to come, it will be interesting to see if H a r r y & M e g h a n c a n retain these viewers and their audience share ”

A c c o r d i n g t o N e t f l i x , T h e C r o w n h a s h a d 7 3 m i l l i o n a c c o u n t s a c r o s s the world tune in since 2016 when it first released, with season three bringing in 21 million viewers in its first month

The next part of Harry & Meghan will air on 15th December on Netflix

Netflix's royal rumble as Harry & Meghan face off against The Crown

Shefali Saxena

Dear Financia Voice Reader Alpesh Patel OBE

As we get ready for 2023 – I thought I would share the best investment advice I can think of

Warren Buffett is a successful investor and one of the richest people in the world He has shared many tips and pieces of advice throughout his career In this article, we will discuss ten important investing tips from Warren Buffett that can help investors achieve long-term success

One of the most important things when it comes to investing is to be patient and disciplined Many investors make the mistake of getting caught up in the excitement of the stock market and making impulsive decisions This can lead to poor investment choices and significant losses Instead, investors should focus on developing a long-term investment plan and sticking to it This means avoiding the temptation to buy and sell stocks frequently and instead holding onto high-quality investments for the long term

Another important tip from Warren Buffett is to invest in what you know This means focusing on companies and industries that you understand and have experience with This will make it easier for you to evaluate the potential risks and rewards of an investment and make informed decisions For example, if you have experience working in the healthcare industry, you may want to consider investing in healthcare companies By investing in what you know, you can gain a competitive advantage and make more informed decisions

Diversification is also key when it comes to investing Putting all your eggs in one basket can be risky, as a downturn in a single industry or company can significantly impact your overall portfolio Instead, investors should aim to diversify their portfolios across different industries and asset classes This can help reduce your overall risk and improve your chances of achieving long-term success

In addition to being patient and disciplined, and investing in what you know, it's also important to focus on the long term when it comes to investing The stock market can be volatile and unpredictable in the short term, so trying to make quick profits by buying and selling stocks frequently is often a losing game Instead, focus on finding high-quality companies and holding onto them for the long term This can help you ride out any short-term market fluctuations and achieve long-term success

Another important tip from Warren Buffett is to keep your costs low High fees and expenses can eat into your returns and make it difficult to achieve long-term success Look for low-cost investment options, such as index funds, that can help you maximize your returns Avoid investing in high-fee actively-managed funds, and instead focus on lowcost index funds that track the performance of a particular market or sector

Another important tip from Warren Buffett is to avoid following the crowd Just because other investors are buying or selling a particular stock doesn't mean that you should do the same Do your own research and make investment decisions based on your own analysis and beliefs Avoid getting caught up in the hype surrounding a particular stock or industry, and instead focus on making informed decisions based on your own research and analysis

Debt can be a major problem for investors Too much debt can make it difficult to weather market downturns and can limit your flexibility to take advantage of investment opportunities Avoid taking on too much debt when making investment decisions, and always make sure you have enough cash on hand to cover any potential losses It's also important to avoid using borrowed money to invest, as this can increase your risk and make it difficult to achieve longterm success

Another important tip from Warren Buffett is to be willing to hold cash Sometimes, it's better to hold onto cash rather than investing it right away This can provide a financial cushion in case of unexpected events and give you more flexibility to take advantage of investment opportunities as they arise By holding onto cash, you can avoid making rash decisions and can instead focus on making informed investment decisions Don't try to time the market: It's impossible to predict exactly when the market will go up or down Instead of trying to time the market, focus on finding good investment opportunities and holding onto them for the long term Always do your own research: It's important to do your own research and analysis before making any investment decisions Don't rely solely on the advice of others, and make sure you fully understand the risks and rewards of any investment before committing your money And to help you I have my www campaignforamillion com to teach a million people who to be better at investing

Fastest decline in house prices since 2008

Hou se prices have fallen for a thi rd consecutive month and at the fastest p ace since th e 2008 financial crisis as ri s i n g bo r ro wi ng c o s t s squeezed prosp ective home buyers

D a t a p u b l i s h e d b y mortgage provider Halifax s h o w e d a v e r a g e h o u s e prices declined 2 3 per cent b e t w e e n O c t o b e r a n d N o v e m b e r T h a t w a s t h e largest monthly dip since October 2008, the thirdl a r g e s t s i n g l e m o n t h decline in the index’s 40year history, and follows a 0 4 per cent drop between S e p t e m b e r a n d O c t o b e r a n d a 0 1 p e r c e n t f a l l b e t w e e n A u g u s t a n d September The annual rate o f h o u s e p r i c e g r o w t h s l o w e d t o 4 7 p e r c e n t ,

down from 8 2 per cent in the previous month and the s l o w e s t p a c e s i n c e J u l y 2020 Mortgage rates have s u r g e d i n t h e p a s t f e w months, reflecting expectat i o n s o f h i g h e r m e d i u mt e r m b o r r o w i n g c o s t s , a s the Bank of England contends with inflation running at a 41-year high Market expectations of further interest rate rises a l s o j u m p e d a f t e r t h e n c h a n c e l l o r K w a s i Kwarteng’s “mini” Budget,

w h i c h c o n t a i n e d £45bn of unfunded t a x c u t s , b u t t h e y have now returned to pre-September 23 l e v e l s T h e f a l l reflected a “ process o f n o r m a l i s a t i o n ” a f t e r s o m e o f t h e

“biggest house price i n c r e a s e s ” e v e r o v e r t h e p a s t c o u p l e o f y e a r s I n August this year, the average house price was up 23 p e r c e n t c o m p a r e d w i t h J a n u a r y 2 0 2 0 , b e f o r e t h e onset of the pandemic

M o r t g a g e p r o v i d e r N a t i o n w i d e l a s t w e e k reported the largest monthly fall in house prices since June 2020 Halifax said the rate of annual price growth s l o w e d i n a l l b u t o n e region, the North East, in

November Both Wales and the South West registered the sharpest annual slowdown, from 11 5 per cent to 7 9 per cent and from 10 7 p e r c e n t t o 8 4 p e r c e n t respectively

B o t h a r e a s w e r e k e y h o t s p o t s o f h o u s e p r i c e inflation during the pandemic, suggesting previous drivers of the market, such as a desire for more space and heightened demand for rural living, were receding, H a l i f a x s a i d J o n a t h a n Hopper, chief executive of buying agency Garrington Property Finders, said: “The p o s t - p a n d e m i c d a y s o f soaring prices and the ‘ race for space ’ as professionals snapped up homes in the m i d d l e o f n o w h e r e a r e over ”

Hunt announces biggest shake-up in banking rules

J er em y H u n t h as annou nced plans to reform th e UK financial sector, in wh at wo uld be the biggest shake-u p o f its kind in more th an 30 years

T h e p a c k a g e o f m o r e than 30 regulatory changesknown as the "Edinburgh Reforms" - will replace EU r e g u l a t i o n a n d " c u t r e d tape" following Brexit The C h a n c e l l o r s a i d t h e n e w measures will "turbocharge" growth in towns and cities across the UK Rules introduced after the 2008 financial crisis, which saw some UK banks face potential collapse, will be reviewed as w e l l T h i s i n c l u d e s t h e

“senior managers ’ regime”, w h i c h h o l d s b o s s e s a c c o u n t a b l e f o r f i n a n c i a l m i s t a k e s , a n d s o - c a l l e d “ring-fencing” rules, which require banks to separate high street operations from r i s k i e r i n v e s t m e n t o p e r ations

However, critics have cast concern over the potential loosening of these rules Labour's shadow City minister Tulip Siddiq said rules governing senior management were introduced for g o o d r e a s o n " a f t e r t h e financial crisis She added: "Introducing more risk and potentially more financial instability because you can't

Microsoft to buy stake in LSE Group

Microsoft has agreed to buy a £1 5 bn stake in Lo nd on Sto ck Exchang e Group as part of a 1 0-year strategic p artnership betw een the US software com pany and the 30 0-year-old U K exchange

The deal marks the latest tie-up between finance and Big Tech In November, Google invested $1 bn in Chicago-based CME as part of a 10- year cloud computing deal; Nasdaq and Amazon Web Services agreed a similar partnership last year Under the agreement, Microsoft will buy a 4 per cent stake in LSEG worth about £1 5 bn from Blackstone, Thomson R e u t e r s , C a n a d a P e n s i o n P l a n I n v e s t m e n t B o a r d a n d Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC

Microsoft will help improve the exchange’s data and analytics and the companies said LSE’s revenue growth would increase “meaningfully” over time as new products were developed via the partnership Shares in LSEG rose 4 per cent after the announcement As part of the deal, Microsoft will provide LSEG with data analytics and cloud infrastructure products using its Azure, AI and Teams platforms The two companies plan to develop digital market infrastructure based on cloud technology

They plan to use Microsoft Teams to connect users They also intend to use Microsoft’s machine learning capabilities to help investment groups “avoid the labour-intensive and expensive process of creating models from the ground up ”

Financial trading platforms were for a long time seen as being out of reach of cloud companies because of the high speed requirements, but the string of new alliances underscore how that has changed as cloud capabilities improve

Under the terms of the deal, LSEG must spend £2 3bn at Microsoft over the 10-year partnership, “reflecting minimum cloud consumption expectations“

control your back benchers is this Tory government all over The shake-up will also include a commitment to make "substantial legislative progress" on repealing and r e p l a c i n g t h e S o l v e n c y I I directive next year

Solvency II is an EU d i r e c t i v e , r e t a i n e d i n U K l a w , t h a t r e g u l a t e s t h e i n s u r a n c e i n d u s t r y T h e Treasury says replacing this w i l l u n l o c k m o r e t h a n £ 1 0 0 b i l l i o n o f p r i v a t e investment Mr Hunt also promised to reform the UK prospectus regime to support stock market listings and capital raises, reforming rules on real estate invest-

world ”

3 bond traders banned for market manipulation

A UK regulator has banned three bond traders and fined them a total of almost £600,000 for “market manipulation” six years ago when they were employed by the UK-based subsidiary of Japan’s Mizuho Financial Group

The Financial Conduct Authority has decided to fine Diego Urra £395,000, and Jorge Lopez Gonzalez and Poojan Sheth £100,000 each for market abuse and ban them from “performing any functions in relation to regulated activity”, the watchdog has said The FCA said the traders placed “large misleading orders” for Italian sovereign bond futures that “they did not intend to execute, giving false and misleading signals and a false or misleading impression as to the supply or demand” of the securities from June 1 to July 29 2016

The traders are contesting the FCA’s decision and have referred it to the upper tribunal, an independent body where people can challenge the regulator’s decisions The tribunal will hear both sides of the case and determine whether to approve the FCA’s decision Urra had more than 18 years of experience in financial services and joined Mizuho International in 2013, according to the FCA He managed the company ’ s European government bond desk and oversaw both Lopez Gonzalez and Sheth, who had 10 and four years of trading experience respectively The FCA said the trio carried out an “abusive trading strategy” for Italian government bond futures by placing a large order to create the impression of increased supply or demand This would help them execute a smaller genuine order that they actually wanted to trade on the opposite side of the order book

“Mizuho International itself reported these events to the FCA in 2016 and has fully cooperated with the FCA,” the company said No other investigations related to the trading are being carried out They repeated this ‘deliberate and intentional market manipulation and were dishonest’

Santander UK fined over anti-money laundering failings

Santander UK has become the latest bank to be hit with a heavy fine by the country’s financial regulator over anti-money launderi n g f a i l i n g s T h e F i n a n c i a l C o n d u c t Authority said that it had fined the UK division of the Spanish bank £107 8 mn for failing to manage its systems properly, which affected the way it dealt with 560,000 busi-

ness customers

It is the largest fine Santander UK has received from the FCA and one of the regul a t o r ’ s b i g g e s t a n t i - m o n e y l a u n d e r i n g penalties The regulator found that between 2012 and 2017 the bank’s systems were not able to properly verify information provided by customers about their businesses It is

the latest sign of the regulator taking banks to task over their failure to stem flows of dirty money The FCA has previously taken action against three other lenders It fined HSBC £64 mn in 2021 and rebuked the bank for “serious weaknesses” in its anti-money l a u n d e r i n g c o n t r o l s I t f i n e d S t a n d a r d Chartered £102 mn in 2019, and NatWest

was fined £264 7 mn by a London court for failing to prevent a £365 mn alleged money laundering scheme The regulator’s largest anti-money laundering fine to date was handed out to Deutsche Bank in 2017 after $10 bn was transferred from Russia to offshore bank accounts The German lender was fined £163 mn

ment trusts and reviewing p r o v i s i o n s o n i n v e s t m e n t research in the UK T h e C h a n c e l l o r s a i d : " W e a r e c o m m i t t e d t o securing the UK's status as o n e o f t h e m o s t o p e n , d y n a m i c a n d c o m p e t i t i v e f i n a n c i a l s e r v i c e s h u b s i n the

Jeremy Hunt

World Bank raises India's growth forecast to 6.9% from 6.5%

T he W or ld B a n k i n c r ea s e d i t s estimate of India's GD P growth to 6 9% for FY23, ci ti ng the country s e c on o my s i nc r e as e d re s i l i en c e to global s hocks The World Bank s tated in its India Development Update that the revis ion was caused by the Indian e c on o my ' s i nc r e as e d re s i l i en c e to g lo b al s hoc k s a n d b et t er - th a nanticipated s ec ond quarter res ults

India’s economy grew at 6 3% in S e p t e m b e r q u a r t e r 2 0 2 2 - 2 3 a s c o m p a r e d t o 1 3 5 % i n t h e J u n e q u a r t e r , m a i n l y o n a c c o u n t o f c o n t r a c t i o n i n o u t p u t o f manufacturing and mining sectors

This is the first upgrade of India’s growth forecast by any international agency amid the global turmoil The

World Bank had reduced India s GDP growth prediction in October from 7 5 % t o 6 5 % T h e a n a l y s i s , t i t l e d "Navigating the Storm," stated that while India's development prospects will be affected by the worsening external environment, the country's economy is better positioned than

m o s t o t h e r e m e r g i n g countries to withstand global spillovers

I m p a c t o f a t i g h t e n i n g global monetary policy cycle, slowing global growth and elevated commodity prices will mean that the Indian e c o n o m y w i l l e x p e r i e n c e l o w e r g r o w t h i n F Y 2 3 compared to FY22 (8 7%), it said M e a n w h i l e , F i t c h R a t i n g s r e t a i n e d I n d i a ’ s e c o n o m i c g r o w t h forecast at 7% for the current fiscal, but cut projections for the next two financial years saying the country is n o t i m p e r v i o u s t o g l o b a l developments

RBI hikes rates by 35 bps; lowers growth forecast

T he Reserve Bank of India r ai s e d th e be nc h ma rk i n te re s t r at e b y 35 ba s i s p o i nts , b ri ngi ng th e to tal i ncrease since May to 225 b a s is p o i n ts Al th o u gh l ende rs as se rted th at th i s wo u ld no t af fec t de mand f o r ne w l o an s, bo r ro wer s who too k ou t lo ans in April 2 0 2 2 wh en i n te re s t ra te s were at an all-time low may su ffer becau se lenders may request an increase in the m o n th l y i ns ta l me nt a m o u nt ( E M I ) to e n su re th at the interest expense is co vered

T h e R B I g o v e r n o r S h a k t i k a n t a D a s l o w e r e d the growth forecast for the current year to 6 8% from

7 % e a r l i e r a n d r e t a i n e d inflation projections at 6 7% Das said that despite this India would be among t h e f a s t e s t - g r o w i n g economies in the world

T h e w o r s t o f t h e inflation situation was past, but the war still needed to b e w o n , D a s s a i d w h e n a n n o u n c i n g t h e r a t e i n c r e a s e G i v e n t h a t inflation is predicted to be b e l o w 6 % i n 2 0 1 9 , m a n y believe this to be the RBI's penultimate rate increase

T h e M o n e t a r y P o l i c y Committee (MPC) voted 5:1 to increase the repo rate by 35 basis points, with external m e m b e r J a y a n t h V a r m a being the sole dissenter In

Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo to shift export production to India

L eading C hinese firms like Vivo, Op po and Xiaomi have agreed to export devices made in India to cou ntries all ov er the wo rld, giv ing away a portion o f crucial manu facturing o utpu t from th eir C hinese factories This is a significant v ictory fo r the gov ernm ent's efforts to m ake India a global m anufacturing hu b for electronics and smartphones

When Chinese businesses export smartphones made in India, their manufacturing strategy will likely change since they will have to share their global production volumes with India for the first time and open up their global markets, something they have resolutely refused to do up until now Sources said that all the three top Chinese makers have now finalised elaborate plans to begin exports from Indiamirroring the steps taken by American giant Apple and Korean Samsung - and potential overseas markets could be in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and even Europe, apart from neighbouring countries

The government's decision to slow or stop investments from China in response to the Covid-19 outbreak and the unrest in Ladakh coincides with the policy adjustment C h i n e s e i n v e s t m e n t s a r e n o l o n g e r e l i g i b l e f o r F D I ' s a u t o m a t i c a p p r o v a l p r o c e s s , a n d s o m e c o m p a n i e s a r e experiencing delays with their certifications Additionally, Chinese telecom firms are not on the preferred supplier list, and several of them are under tax audits

a d d i t i o n , V a r m a a n d h i s c o w o r k e r A s h i m a G o y a l abstained from the MPC's decision to remove excess liquidity from the markets

Despite the 35-basis point hike being shorter than the four prior rises, Das insisted that there was no space for complacency "We stand out as an island of resilience in a n o t h e r w i s e v o l a t i l e a n d gloomy world," he said The moderation in the rate hike w a s f a c t o r e d i n b y t h e m o n e y m a r k e t s a n d t h e yield on 10-year bonds rose marginally from 7 25% to 7 27% The rupee, however, settled marginally higher at 82 47 against the dollar T h e R B I c u t i t s G D P

growth forecast for 2022-23, c i t i n g a c c e n t u a t e d headwinds from protracted g e o p o l i t i c a l t e n s i o n s , tightening global financial c o n d i t i o n s a n d s l o w i n g e x t e r n a l d e m a n d b u t r e t a i n e d t h e e s t i m a t e f o r inflation for the year

“Taking all these factors into consideration, the real GDP growth for 2022-23 is projected at 6 8%, with Q3 at 4 4% and Q4 at 4 2%, with risks evenly balanced R e a l G D P g r o w t h i s p r o j e c t e d a t 7 1 % f o r Q1FY24 and at 5 9% for Q2,” the RBI said in its monetary p o l i c y s t a t e m e n t I t h a d e a r l i e r e s t i m a t e d t h e economy to grow at 7%

Tatas may revive Nano in EV avatar

The Ta t a M o t or s m a y b e considering a res urre ction of the peopl e ’ s c ar Nano in an el ec t ri c v e r s i on wi t h s ub s t a n t ia l r ev a m p o f i t s original platf orm , including c ha n g es t o it s s us p en s i on an d t yr e s , s o ur c e s in t he automotive indus try said

According to reports, the c o m p a n y m a y b e t h i n k i n g a b o u t b r i n g i n g t h e N a n o p r o j e c t b a c k t o l i f e a n d u p g r a d i n g i t s p l a t f o r m a s p a r t o f i t s a m b i t i o u s footprint development in the e l e c t r i c m o b i l i t y m a r k e t W h e n a s k e d a b o u t t h e u p g r a d a t i o n o f N a n o , a s p o k e s w o m a n f o r t h e company said, "Tata Motors d o e s n ' t c o m m e n t o n r u m o u r s a b o u t u p c o m i n g vehicles "

T a t a M o t o r s ’ s e l e c t r i c vehicle (EV) ambitions were r e c e n t l y h i g h l i g h t e d b y

chairman N Chandrasekaran

At the 77th AGM, he said that the company sold 5,000 EVs in FY21 and 19,500 in FY22 In the current fiscal, the target w a s t o s e l l 5 0 , 0 0 0 E V s , h i t t i n g 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 b y F Y 2 4 Already the company has sold over 24,000 EVs in the AprilNovember 2022 period - a s h a r p j u m p o v e r t h e F Y 2 2 t a l l y o f 1 9 , 5 0 0 u n i t s T a t a M o t o r s ’ s e l e c t r i c l i n e u p includes the Nexon EV, Tigor EV, Tiago EV and the Xpres-T EV The company has already showcased its EV concepts Curvv and Avinya and has announced it will roll out 10 models in the next five years Currently, its Nexon EV is the top selling electric passenger vehicle in India with a 35,000 strong customer pool Tata Motors is the market leader i n t h e E V f o u r - w h e e l e r segment

UK-based small business financial platform Tide enters India market

Tide, a smal l a nd medium en terprise ( S ME ) -fo cu se d b u si n e ss fi n a n ci a l pl atfor m based in the UK, has launched oper ations in India by int roducing a b usi n e ss b a n k in g a cc ou n t a n d it s R u P a y -p ow e r e d T i de Ex p e n s e C a r d The company al so said that it pla ns to on-boar d 500,000 SMEs in India over 24 months

The fintech offers banking services in partnership with banks For example, the Tide Business Account and Tide

A Healthy Dose Of Caution

The art world has a reputation of being und er h anded There is no regulation in this market, th e price of a picture is not even quo ted The artists and dealers protect themselv es by saying th is allows the v iew ing to be to tally about the art and not the p rice In theory, and som etimes in practice, dealers will quote a different price depending on w ho they are speaking to Why would they do this? Because, depend ing where th e piece end s up will affect the future of the artist In certain galleries the artist will gather repute, and in the h ome of a priv ate collector who perhaps does no t even know wh at he’s bu ying, the sale will have little im pact

Given this is only one thread of how the art market works, it is refreshing when there is an auction, as anyone who qualifies for a paddle can come in and bid The auction room offers transparency OR does it?

Auctioneers often have a habit of, what they call in the art market, chandelier bidding The term for the property market is bidding against the wall, as you don’t always have a chandelier in the humble rooms used Here, the auctioneer starts the bidding below the reserve price, and if there are no bids in the room they pretend there are bids coming in until they hit the reserve price Not exactly transparent

In the property market, unlike the art market, there is transparency in terms of pricing One can see within minutes what all the other properties in the block or street have sold for, and when the sale occurred You can also see the ownership details, and whether they have a mortgage and with whom This is arguably perhaps a little too much information This is one of the issues with the property market, there is too much information and therefore the margin is very tight; meaning everyone knows the construction cost, and the resale values etc

The property auction market may look transparent and on the whole is; however, those who know the rules also know how to bend them With the influx of retail investors, many auctions instead of being the realm for dealers, have now become a dumping ground for traders With the idea being to dupe the unsuspecting buyer, whilst complying with the letter of the law but not the spirit

We have seen several cases of buyers ending up with lemons from the auctions However, auctions can also be a great place to pick up opportunities, and you do have the security of actually getting the deal done One just needs to exercise a healthy dose of caution when tackling them

Consortium of foreign firms can own over 51% in IDBI bank

T he gove rnment will allow a c on s o r t i u m o f f o r e i g n f u n d s a n d i n v e s tm e n t f irms to ow n more tha n 5 1 % i n I DB I B a n k , a c co r d i n g t o a n o f f i c i a l c la r i f i ca t i o n i s s u e d F o r e i g n o w n e r s h i p i n n ew l y e s ta bl is h ed pr iv at e b a n k s i s n ow p r oh i b i t e d u n d e r R e s e r v e Ba n k o f In dia (RBI) regulati ons

w i l l a l s o t a k e t h a t i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n w h e n deciding whether to relax the five-year lock-in period f o r s h a r e s , i t s a i d T h e explanations are made in advance of the deadline of D e c e m b e r 1 6 f o r e x p r e s s i n g i n t e r e s t i n b u y i n g t h e m a j o r i t y o f IDBI Bank, one of the few l e n d e r s i n w h i c h t h e government is looking to sell its stake

regulated PPI issuer,

small business owners to track spending and b u s i n e s s e x p e n s e s a n d f a c i l i t a t e t r a n s a c t i o n s a t a l l m e r c h a n t s t h a t accept RuPay payments In future, the c o m p a n y s a i d t h a t i t w i l l f a c i l i t a t e lending on its platform

The company said that SMEs who sign up for the Tide Business Account will have access to contactless services,

a n d c a n u s e t h e f r e e o f c o s t T i d e Expense Card to withdraw cash, for instore purchases (including contactless tap and pay), ecommerce purchases and o t h e r p a y m e n t s T h e a p p i s n o w available for downloads on the Google Play Store, it further added “We believe there is a vast untapped segment of small businesses in India that hasn’t b e e n f o r m a l l y a c c o u n t e d f o r , ” s a i d Oliver Prill, CEO, Tide, on launching the new operations in India

A current business like IDBI Bank would not be s u b j e c t t o t h e c e n t r a l b a n k ' s r e s i d e n c y r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r p r o m o t e r s , w h i c h o n l y apply to newly established banks the department of i n v e s t m e n t a n d p u b l i c asset management (Dipam) s a i d i n a r e s p o n s e t o interested bidders’ queries “ T h e r e s i d e n c y c r i t e r i a w o u l d n o t a p p l y t o a consortium consisting of funds investment vehicle i n c o r p o r a t e d o u t s i d e India,” it said

I f a n o n - b a n k i n g financial company merges w i t h I D B I B a n k , t h e government and the RBI

At current prices, IDBI B a n k h a s a m a r k e t c a p i t a l i s a t i o n o f o v e r R s 63,000 crore and is worth more than Union Bank of India, which is much bigger in size The bank’s share price has run up ahead of t h e p r i v a t i s a t i o n a n d f o l l o w i n g i t s r e t u r n t o profitability Sources claim that the RBI would be able t o p e r f o r m a " f i t a n d appropriate" study on the potential bidders thanks to the statement of interest Only those who qualify can pick up a stake since the people who don't qualify are likely to be sounded off

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

Protesters rally in Bangladesh to demand fresh elections

D H A K A : T e ns o f t h o us and s o f s u p p o rt ers o f

Banglad esh's largest oppositi on g ro up hav e as sembled in Dhaka to oppo se the P ri m e M i n is te r S h ei kh Hasina-led ad mi ni stratio n and call for fresh elections

The protesters rallied at t h e G o l a p b a g h s p o r t s ground, where the crowd chanted “Sheikh Hasina is a vote thief” amid heightened tensions in the Bangladeshi c a p i t a l T h e o p p o s i t i o n B a n g l a d e s h N a t i o n a l i s t Party (BNP) headquarters w e r e r a i d e d b y s e c u r i t y f o r c e s d a y s p r i o r t o t h e gathering The raid resulted in at least one death and numerous injuries A n t i - g o v e r n m e n t

p r o t e s t s h a v e e r u p t e d across the country in recent months triggered by power cuts and fuel price hikes

T h e p r i m e m i n i s t e r h a s r e j e c t e d c a l l s t o s t a n d down

A BNP official said that some 200,000 people had j o i n e d t h e r a l l y b y m i dm o r n i n g D h a k a M e t r o p o l i t a n P o l i c e

s p o k e s m a n F a r u q A h m e d rejected the claim and said the venue could not hold more than 30,000 people

“Our main demand is Sheikh Hasina's resignation and parliament is dissolved and let a neutral caretaker government step in to hold a f r e e a n d f a i r e l e c t i o n , ” B N P s p o k e s m a n Zahiruddin Swapan said

Climate change leaves Karachi at the mercy of water mafia

K ARAC HI : In P akistan's Karach i water is synonymous with po wer Des pite having 20 million resi dents, the coastal city's water needs are o nly p artially met Residents claim th at i n addition to being controlled by mafia gangs and di shonest local officials, th e broken water system is also struggling with climate ch ange

Water is distributed throughout the city u s i n g g o v e r n m e n t - o w n e d s u b t e r r a n e a n pipelines, however the supply is only available to a few, occasionally fewer days per week The delivery is considerably impeded by organisations known as the water mafia who tap into the pipes and divert the water to private hydrants or to fill tankers from which they subsequently sell water The supply does reach some homes directly but also goes to community distribution centres

Often, these tankers refill at unofficial water sources This combined with old, leak-

ing government water pipes, means many residents living in poor areas of the city have to fill plastic containers with filthy water that burns their skin and makes them sick

Syed Salahuddin Ahmed, the new chief executive of Karachi's water and sewerage board, acknowledges there are significant issues According to him water supply needs full commitment of the government as well as the internal law enforcement authorities " Ahmed said that he was taking a hard line with those operating outside the law P l a n s i n c l u d e d i g i t i s i n g t h e s y s t e m , installing flow meters in pipes and pushing for prosecution of those involved with the mafia groups, which is not without risk “I have been informed about direct threats against me, ” Ahmed said He said that a £1 3 billion water and sewerage improvement programme, jointly financed by the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the government, was underway

Bangladesh police force get spy training in the UK

D H A KA: Accordi ng to media report, severa l m e mb e r s of an an t i - c r i me un i t i n Banglades h accus ed of human rights abuses travelled to the UK in 2022 to attend security traini ng

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a law enforcement unit dubbed the “death squad” by human rights organizations, travelled to the UK in May and October 2022 to complete a cyber security course and training on the use of mass surveillance devices

Although RAB has been sanctioned by the US for its involvement in human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings and f o r c e d d i s a p p e a r a n c e s , t h e B r i t i s h l a w e n f o r c e m e n t e x p e r t s ' o r d e r n o n e t h e l e s s comes in the wake of the sanctions News of the RAB’s training in the UK led by media to discover that the UK had reversed a decision to join the US in imposing sanctions on the police force in 2021 It is unclear why the UK government chose not to sanction the RAB

If that had been the case, the 2022 training trips would probably not have happened, but the sanctions were inexplicably not implemented by the UK, although the US did

“RAB is reaching out to US partner countries for the kind of training, tools and resources they need to be a more ‘effective’ force back home in Bangladesh And by effective, I mean they will continue to engage in the repression in Bangladesh,” said Amanda Strayer, senior accountability advocate at human rights NGO Human Rights First

The British High Commission in Dhaka was alerted of the RAB members' trips via a memo from the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the document reviewed by the media and presented to the FCDO

In May, at least five officers travelled to the UK to attend a training course run by the Cyber Incident Response Management Foundation and a cyber security practitioner training course run by Irish company IT Governance, according to the documents

in brief

2 SIKH PEOPLE KILLED IN CANADA

Two Indian origin Sikh people, a 24-year-old man and a 40-year-old women were killed in Canada In the first case the Sikh man has died of gunshot wounds in the Canadian province of Alberta with police citing homicide as the reason for his death The victim identified as Sanraj Singh was located by the police in Edmonton city when they responded to a gunshot report on December 3 night Singh was found sitting in a vehicle in medical distress The police performed CPR, until the emergency medical services arrived and declared him dead In the second incident, the Sikh woman Harpreet Kaur was killed at her home in Surrey British Columbi Her husband was initially arrested on suspicion but later released Police have appealed to anyone who has information about Kaur or her death to come forward and help investigators

US TAKES IN 25 STUDENTS FROM INDIA FOR QUAD FELLOWSHIP

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has congratulated the first cohort of 100 Quad Fellows from Australia, India Japan and the United States, saying these young people will bring the Quad members closer Leaders of Quad countries in May this year launched the QUAD Fellowship a first-of-its-kind scholarship programme designed to build ties among the next generation of scientists and technologists from the four member nations

The Fellowship sponsors 100 students per year - 25 from each Quad country - to pursue masters and doctoral degrees at leading STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) graduate universities in the United States “Today we are proud to welcome a group of 100 diverse interdisciplinary inspiring and exceptional students 25 from each Quad country Sullivan said in a statement

AFGHAN FORCES KILL 6 CIVILIANS IN BORDER FIRE: PAKISTAN

IS L A M A BA D: Th e Pakistan Taliban hav e intensified th eir attacks against secu rity o fficials in th e co untry’s v olatile no rthwest and s o ut hw es t s in ce t he g ro up recen tly c all ed o ff th e tru c e w i th Islam abad, d eclared earlier this year, fo rcing th e m ilitary to launch a crackdow n

The talks between the Pakistan government and the Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP), facilitated by the Afghan Taliban, had broken down months earlier, but the ceasefire had remained in force till last week Since then, TTP has unleashed a wave of attacks against security forces

Last week, a Frontier Constabulary soldier, Rehmat Zaman, was beheaded after being shot dead along with his son at his house in Bannu, a district adjacent to the restive North Waziristan Rehmat’s wife told police that her husband and son were asleep when about 20 armed men entered their compound When the family came out, the gunmen shot the two men They then chopped off Rehmat’s head and hung it from a tree in the nearby market The same day a tribal elder was shot dead in Mirali town of North Waziristan This was preceded by the killing of three policemen in Nowshera district ofKhyber Pakhtun khwa In the last three days, two top police officials survived attacks on their convoys, claimed by the TTP, in the northwest The group was also behind a suicide attack on a police truck that left four dead and nearly two dozen injured in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province

The resurgence of violence has forced the military to escalate its i n t e l l i g e n c e - b a s e d o p e r a t i o n s a g a i n s t t h e m i l i t a n t s a l o n g t h e Afghanistan border, killing several of them Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir visited the troops along the Afghan border in Tirah area of Khyber “No one will be allowed to disrupt the hardearned gains of war against terror made thus far,” Munir vowed while interacting with the troops The truce withdrawal was also followed by an attack on the Pakistan embassy in Kabul, claimed by the ISKhorasan, which has been joined by some TTP factions

K A B U L : A r m e d m e n o p e n e d f i r e i n s i d e a h o t e l i n c e n t r a l K a b u l p o p u l a r w i t h C h i n e s e n a t i o n a l s i n a n a t t a c k t h a t ended when at least three gunm e n w e r e k i l l e d b y s e c u r i t y forces, the Taliban-run administ r a t i o n s a i d T w o f o r e i g n e r s w e r e i n j u r e d w h i l e t r y i n g t o e s c a p e b y j u m p i n g f r o m t h e h o t e l b a l c o n y K a b u l ’ s E m e r g e n c y H o s p i t a l r e p o r t e d r e c e i v i n g 2 1 c a s u a l t i e s - 1 8 i n j u r e d a n d t h r e e d e a d o n arrival

T a l i b a n s o u r c e s s a i d t h e attack was carried out at Longan Hotel where Chinese and other foreigners usually stay Videos p o s t e d o n T w i t t e r s h o w e d smoke billowing out of one of the floors amid sounds of gunshots, while a person was seen trying to escape the attack by jumping out of a hotel window

The attack came a day after C h i n a ’ s a m b a s s a d o r m e t t h e Afghan deputy foreign minister to discuss security-related matters and sought more attention on the protection of its embassy C h i n a ’ s s t a t e - r u n X i n h u a news agency said the attack hap-

p e n e d n e a r a C h i n e s e g u e s thouse and its embassy in Kabul was closely monitoring the situa t i o n T h e e m b a s s y d i d n o t respond to request for comment S e v e r a l b o m b i n g s h a v e t a k e n place in Afghanistan in recent months, including an attack on the Pakistan embassy earlier this month and a suicide blast near t h e R u s s i a n e m b a s s y i n September Both attacks were claimed by the IS The Taliban, which seized power after US-led f o r e i g n f o r c e s w i t h d r e w i n August 2021, have said they are focused on securing the country

Deadly shelling from Afghan forces killed 6 people in a border town, Pakistan s military said The violence hitting Chaman in southwestern Pakistan follows a series of deadly incidents and attacks that have skyrocketed tensions with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers Chaman is the main border crossing for trade between the countries The Pakistani army’s media wing said the fire wounded 17 people and blamed the casualties on the “unprovoked and indiscriminate fire” of heavy weapons by Afghan forces on civilians A doctor said seven people were in a critical condition In Afghanistan a spokesman for Kandahar’s governor Ataullah Zaid appeared to link the clashes between Pakistani and Taliban forces with the construction of new checkpoints on the Afghan side of the border

SALMAN RUSHDIE RETURNS TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Four months after Salman Rushdie was critically injured in a stabbing attack at an event in New York, he took to Twitter and Facebook to share an excerpt from his forthcoming novel Victory City' that was published recently in The New Yorker The novel features a woman living in the 14th century in what is now part of India The publishers describe it as “the epic tale of a woman who breathes a fantastical empire into existence only to be consumed by it over the centuries” This is Rushdie’s 15th novel and it is due to be published in February by Penguin Random House

Pak Taliban intensify attack on security forces post truce withdrawal

Kabul hotel popular with Chinese attacked; 18 hurt; 3 gunmen killed

GERMANY ARRESTS 25 ACCUSED OF

in brief Indian origin now makes bid for Republican leadership

COUP PLOT

Germany detained 25 members and supporters of a far-right group that the prosecutor s office said was preparing a violent overthrow of the state to install as national leader a prince who had sought support from Russia Prosecutors said the raids were conducted across 11 federal states Suspects were also arrested in Austria and Italy said the office Among those detained were a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany party who had served in the German parliament, a member of the German nobility and a Russian citizen accused of supporting the group s plans Federal prosecutors said that they were investigating a total of 52 suspects

AL JAZEERA MOVES ICC

OVER ISRAELI FORCES

Al Jazeera said it has filed a lawsuit at the International Criminal Court against Israeli forces over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot during an Israeli raid in the West Bank in May The lawsuit following an investigation by the television news network’s legal team, Al Jazeera said The ICC must identify the individuals who were directly involved Abu Akleh’s killing, Al Jazeera lawyer Rodney Dixon KC told a news conference in The Hague “The rulings of the International Criminal Court stipulate that those responsible be investigated and held accountable Otherwise, they bear the same responsibility as if they were the ones who opened fire,” Dixon said

S KOREANS GET YOUNGER

South Korea last week passed laws to scrap its traditional method of counting ages and adopt the international standard -a shift which will make its citizens either 1 or 2 years younger on official documents Koreans are deemed to be a year old when born and a year is added every January 1 This is the age most commonly cited in everyday life A separate system also exists for conscription purposes or calculating the legal age to drink alcohol and smoke in which a person s age is calculated from zero at birth and a year is added on January 1 Since the early 1960s, however, South Korea has also used the international norm of calculating from zero at birth and adding a year on every birthday

W A S H I NG T O N : A s el fd es c ri bed " P u n j aba n" f ro m Chand igarh is running for th e Republican Party's top organisa ti o nal le ad e rs h i p p o s it io n Ha rm ee t Dh i ll o n, th e c h ai rw o m an o f t h e Re p u bl i ca n Nat io n al C o m m i t tee f ro m California, announced h er candidacy for the national positio n ag ai n st i nc u m be nt R o nn a McDaniel, claim ing sh e was sick of the Rep ublican Party consistently losing elections and that sh e wanted to "mo dernize" th e Grand Old P arty to com pete with Democrats

“ G r a s s r o o t s R e p u b l i c a n s ,

donors and fellow RNC members alike have been reaching out to me since the midterm e l e c t i o n s s e e k i n g c h a n g e s i n Republican leadership,” Dhillon said, adding, “After successive disappointing election cycles, I believe we owe it to our voters t o h a v e a n h o n e s t d i a l o g u e about the direction of our party and what needs to change for us to win in 2024 ”

The RNC chair position is decided by a majority vote of the committee's 168 members, including state GOP chairs and national committee members M c D a n i e l h a d p r e v i o u s l y

declared her intention to run for a third term Mike Lindell, the CEO of a pillow company who, like Dhillon, is a fervent supporter of Trump and has his endorsement, is also running When the RNC holds its winter meeting in January, a vote is anticipated T h e R N C c h a i r t y p i c a l l y supervises grassroots activity, the logistics and mechanics of hosting the party convention and nominating the presidential candidate, although she or he lacks the clout and profile of the prospective or nominated Presidential candidate

Dhillon, who tweets with the handle @pnjaban, came to the US as a child when her father, an orthopedic surgeon, emigrated in the 1970s After a t t e n d i n g s c h o o l i n N o r t h C a r o l i n a , s h e w e n t t o Dartmouth College and later graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law She began her public life in the liberal spectrum of California politics, becoming a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) after the 9/11 attacks, and working on discrimination against Sikhs and other South Asians

Rachna Singh becomes first South Asian minister in Canada

Surrey Green Tim ber (C anada): A native of P unjab and a threetim e ML A from S urrey Green Timber, Rachna Sing h (4 9), created his to ry by becom ing the fi rs t S o u th A s i an w o m a n to be co m e E d u c at i on a nd C h i ld c a re M i ni s ter o f Br i ti sh Columbia prov ince in Canad a She is the second P unjabi after Moe Sihota to h andle the po rtfolio

Her parents Raghbir Singh and Mother Sulekha, besides sist e r S i r j a n a a r e t e a c h e r s H e r becoming an education minister

overseas is therefore significant for the family

Rachna Singh said, “I’m really excited to take on this role and work with school boards, t e a c h e r s a n d s t a k e h o l d e r s t o

Indians in Brussels conduct street campaign to raise awareness about hate crimes

ensure all students have the support they need to be successful ”

She said, “I am proud to be a part of the government that listens and cares for the people We are committed to free and accessible education to all and committed to make sure all children receive a high quality education in safe classrooms We have done a lot, but there is more to do,” said the new minister

Prior to her election to the legislature, she worked as a psy-

chologist and drug and alcohol counsellor She became active in her local labour union and eventually became a national representative (staff) for the Canadian Union of Public Employees repr e s e n t i n g w o r k e r s t h r o u g h advocacy in grievance handling and labour arbitration

She moved to Canada along with her husband and children in 2001 and worked with CUPE as a social worker before being n o m i n a t e d a s c a n d i d a t e f o r S u r r e y - G r e e n T i m b e r s b y t h e NDP

Democratic senator ditches party, leaving Senate in balance again

O p p r e s s e d ( D O T O ) D a t a b a s e since 2014, which constitute a minimum of publicly available e x a m p l e s , t h e b a n n e r s n o t e d that 2,420 people are attacked for their religion annually on average Over 86% of victims are Muslims, but violence against Christians has also risen by 81% between 2020 and 2021

W A S H I N G T O N : D e m oc r a t ic Part y ’ s jubil ation on winn in g a n a r r o w 5 1- 4 9 m a j or i t y l a s t e d b a r e l y 72 h ou r s a s A r i zo n a Sena tor Krysten Sine ma bolt ed from the pa rty to re giste r as a n Independe nt

NZ COURT RULES

AGAINST ANTI-VAX PARENTS

A New Zealand court temporarily took away medical custody of a baby from his parents after they refused blood transfusions for him unless the blood came from donors who were un-vaccinated against Covid-19 The court s ruling in favour of health authorities places the 4-month-old boy into the guardianship of authorities until after he undergoes an urgently needed heart operation The parents remain in charge of decisions about their boy that don’t relate to the operation The parents’ legal battle has been embraced by anti-vaccine groups, who gathered outside the courtroom this week as evidence was presented

US BASKETBALL STAR FREED IN PRISONER SWAP

WITH RUSSIA

Brittney Griner was freed from prison in Russia President Joe Biden said The US agreed to release imprisoned Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, Biden said, in a swap of prisoners that ends nearly 10 months of detainment for Griner Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner She is safe She is on a plane She is on her way home, Biden said “Held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along This is a day we worked toward for a long time We never stopped pushing for her release ”

B R U S S E L S : I nd i a n d i as p o ra members in Brussels toured the city to raise aw arenes s abo ut attacks on relig ious minorities i n I nd i a On De ce m be r 1 0 , In te rna ti o nal Hu m a n Ri g h t s Day, w hich com memorates the an ni v er sa ry o f t h e U ni v e rs al Declaration of Human Rig hts, a th ree-d ay tour w as held wi th tw o eno rmo us banners on bicycles that featured statistics on h ate cr im es ( U DH R) W h i le Ind ia w as instru mental in framing th e hu man rights language fo r th e U D HR, the ri gh ts o f m i no ri t ie s h av e st ee p ly regressed under the reg ime of Narendra Mod i

The bicycle-mounted placards notified onlookers about H u m a n R i g h t s D a y a n d i t s t h e m e , # S t a n d U p 4 H u m a n Rights, before bringing up the extreme marginalisation of and r e g u l a r a t t a c k s o n r e l i g i o u s minorities in India One banner read: “In India, police tortured 41 children Their crime? They are Muslim ” This referred to the treatment of 41 Muslim children by Uttar Pradesh police as p a r t o f t h e c r a c k d o w n o n protests against the discriminat o r y C i t i z e n s h i p A m e n d m e n t Act in 2020 Another banner informed passer bys of an incid e n t i n O c t o b e r 2 0 2 2 , w h e n police officers in Gujarat tied nine Muslim men to a pole and publicly flogged them, while a civilian crowd cheered

T h e d i a s p o r a m e m b e r s reported general support from the public Citing figures from t h e D o c u m e n t a t i o n o f t h e

"India must never forget that it was founded on equality, diversity, tolerance, and secularism We urge the Indian government to provide respect, liberty, and justice for all people on this Human Rights Day, especially the country's religious minority, said Dr Ritumbra Manuvie, the head of the Indian diaspora-led think tank The London Story

The first openly bisexual senator in the Senate, Sinema, 46, has long been a mysterious compromiser, frequently side with R e p u b l i c a n s o n c r u c i a l i s s u e s However, considering that one other lawmaker, West Virginia's J o e M a n c h i n , l i k e w i s e l e a n s toward Republicans on several i s s u e s , h e r f o r m a l d e p a r t u r e f r o m t h e D e m o c r a t i c a i s l e s brought the chamber back to a close balance

Sinema, a first-time Senator,

Death for 5 in Iran over protest-linked killing

TEH RA N : Jud iciar y in Ira n ha s sen te nced to de at h fiv e pe ople o v e r t h e k i ll in g o f a Ba s i j pa ram ilita ry force member d urin g na tionwide prot ests spar ked by Ma hsa Amini’s dea th Another 11 people, including t h r e e c h i l d r e n , w e r e h a n d e d lengthy jail terms over the murd e r , j u d i c i a r y s p o k e s m a n M a s s o u d S e t a y e s h i s a i d Prosecutors said Ajamian, 27, was stripped naked and killed by a group of mourners who had been paying tribute to a slain protester, Hadis Najafi Najafi had been killed on September 21, five days into the wave of protests that erupted across Iran after the death of Amini, following her arrest by the morality police for an alleged breach of the country’s hijab dress code

for women Iran has struggled to quell the protests and street violence According to the judiciary s p o k e s m a n , A j a m i a n p a s s e d away on November 3 in Karaj, a city west of Tehran, after being attacked with "knives, stones, fists, kicks," and being dragged down the street He was a member of the Basij, a group of stateapproved volunteers connected t o I r a n ' s p o t e n t I s l a m i c R e v o l u t i o n a r y G u a r d C o r p s T h e f i v e s e n t e n c e d t o d e a t h were convicted of “corruption on earth” The other 11, including a woman, were convicted for “ t h e i r r o l e i n t h e r i o t s ” a n d r e c e i v e d l o n g j a i l t e r m s , s a i d

Setayeshi The latest court rulings bring to 11 the number of people sentenced to death in Iran over the protests

d r o p p e d t h e b o m b s h e l l i n a n o p e d i n t h e l o c a l A r i z o n a R e p u b l i c “ A m e r i c a n s a r e t o l d that we have only two choicesDemocrat or Republican - and that we must subscribe wholesale to policy views the parties hold, views that have been pulled further and further toward the extremes,” she wrote, explaining, “Most Arizonans believe this is a false choice, and when I ran for the US House and the Senate, I pledged to be independent and w o r k w i t h a n y o n e t o a c h i e v e l a s t i n g r e s u l t s I c o m m i t t e d I would not demonise people I disagreed with, engage in namecalling, or get distracted by political drama When politicians are more focused on denying the opposition party a victory than t h e y a r e o n i m p r o v i n g Americans’ lives, the people who l o s e a r e e v e r y d a y A m e r i c a n s T h a t ’ s w h y I h a v e j o i n e d t h e growing numbers of Arizonans w h o r e j e c t p a r t y p o l i t i c s b y declaring my independence from the broken partisan system,” she added

In US politics, abandoning parties or switching allegiances is uncommon Arlen Specter, a legi s l a t o r f r o m P e n n s y l v a n i a , switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party more than 10 years ago, marking t h e l a s t p a r t y c h a n g e i n t h e S e n a t e B e f o r e t h a t , i n 2 0 0 0 , C o n n e c t i c u t S e n a t o r J o e L i e b e r m a n , w h o s e r v e d a s A l Gore's running mate, defected from the party, declared himself an Independent, and ultimately backed Republican John McCain in the presidential election

Rachna Singh

Patel sworn in as Gujarat CM for second time along with 16 ministers Modi wave triggers landslide win for BJP in Gujarat

B h upe n d r a P a t el wa s s w or n in a s Gujarat's chief m inis ter f or a sec ond t e r m in G a n dh in a ga r , c apping a record-br eaking perform ance in the ass embl y elec tion where the BJP won a historic 156 of 182 s eats Prime M inis ter Narendra Modi and a ga laxy o f V V I Ps , in c l u di ng s e v e ra l U ni on m inis ters , c hief minister s of BJP-ruled s tates , and other dignitaries att ended T h e B h u p e n d r a P a t e l 2 0

government's council of ministers bore the imprint of PM Modi, who was the primary driving force behind the BJP's resounding victory, everywhere they w e r e a p p o i n t e d T h e c h o i c e o f ministers clearly indicated the cabinet members were picked with an eye on the 2024 general election The PM arrived in Gujarat and oversaw the p r o c e s s o f f i n a l i z i n g t h e n a m e s o f MLAs who were inducted as ministers

The Patel cabinet has appointed five newcomers, three from the earlier Vijay Rupani government, and seven m i n i s t e r s f r o m h i s p r e v i o u s administration Four Congress traitors - K u n v a r j i B a v a l i y a , R a g h a v j i P a t e l , B a l w a n t s i n h R a j p u t , w h o r e c e i v e d c a b i n e t p o s i t i o n s , a n d K u n v a r j i Halpati, who received the MoS rankwere among those who took oath Cabinet berths were also given to Kanu D e s a i , R u s h i k e s h P a t e l , M u l u B e r a , Kuber Dindor and Bhanu Babariya H a r s h S a n g h a v i a n d J a g d i s h

V i s h w a k a r m a w e r e s w o r n i n a s ministers of state with independent charge At the same time, Parshottam Solanki, Bachu Khabad, Mukesh Patel, P r a f u l P a n s h e r i y a , K u n v a r j i H a l p a t i and Bhikhusinh Parmar were inducted as MoS-rank ministers CM Patel reserved all significant portfolios except for the industries department whose independent charge was given to Balwantsinh Rajput, an industrialist The BJP’s rising star in G u j a r a t , 3 7 - y e a r - o l d S a n g h a v i w a s e n t r u s t e d w i t h a s i g n i f i c a n t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y a s M o S h o m e a n d industries along with an independent charge of eight other departments The lone woman minister, Babariya, is the only Dalit face in the cabinet She was given social justice and empowerment and woman and child development departments Striking a fine balance between r e g i o n s , c a s t e s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s ,

Patel-led 17-member government has four Patidars, seven OBCs, a lion’s share of which went to four from the Koli community, and two tribals One each from the Dalit, Jain, Brahmin and Kshatriya communities found a place in Team Bhupendra

A f t e r s w o r n - i n c e r e m o n y , P M t w e e t e d “ C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o S h r i Bhupendrabhai Patel on taking oath as CM of Gujarat I would like to also congratulate all those who took oath as ministers This is an energetic team which will take Gujarat to even n ewer heights of progress ” The BJP high c o m m a n d a p p e a r e d t o h a v e systematically rid the party of any ministers who had stirred up rumours or controversy Five current ministers i n t h e B h u p e n d r a P a t e l 1 0 government were not fielded at all, although some other election winners were not given a cabinet spot in favour of newcomers

Will bring back OPS in 1st cabinet

meet: Himachal CM Sukhu

S ukh vinder Singh Sukhu, a four-tim e C ongress lawmaker, too k the oath of o ffice as th e 1 5th ch ief m inister of H i m ac h a l P rad es h , and M uk es h A gnihotri was sw orn in as the state's first deputy chief minister Th e party r an i ts c am p ai g n o n a p ro m i s e to p r o v i d e 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 j o bs an d th e o l d p e ns i o n s c h em e ( O P S ) to p u bl ic emp loyees

Sukhu later said his government will bring back the OPS at the first cabinet meeting “We have given 10 g u a r a n t e e s a n d w e w i l l i m p l e m e n t them We will give a transparent and honest government,” he said OPS were a contentious issue in the hill state after it was discontinued in 2004 In O P S , p e n s i o n w a s 5 0 % o f t h e l a s t drawn salary of the employee and the e n t i r e a m o u n t w a s p a i d b y t h e government

G o v e r n o r R a j e n d r a V i s h w a n a t h Arlekar administered the oath of office to Sukhu, 58, and Agnihotri, 60, at a c e r e m o n y o n t h e h i s t o r i c R i d g e Maidan in Shimla, which was attended by senior Congress functionaries such P r i y a n k a G a n d h i V a d r a , A I C C p r e s i d e n t M a l l i k a r j u n K h a r g e , a n d Rahul Gandhi, who took a short break from his Bharat Jodo Yatra In the 68member assembly, Congress has 40 MLAs, BJP 25 and three independents after the recent assembly elections

Cabinet formation put on hold

T h e f o r m a t i o n o f t h e n e w

Himachal cabinet could be delayed as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday summoned all 40 newly elected MLAs of the party to Alwar in Rajasthan amid frantic lobbying by factions for berths in Sukhu's ministry Rahul, whose Bharat Jodo Yatra is passing through the desert state, might get the entire flock of legislators to join him in the march, in which case the cabinet is unlikely t o b e f i n a l i s e d b y D e c e m b e r 1 5 , s o u r c e s s a i d C M S u k h u a n d h i s deputy Agrihotri went into a huddle w i t h t h e o t h e r 3 8 M L A s a t t h e s e c r e t a r i a t , b u t t h e r e w a s n o information about what transpired at the meeting Rahul s call to the state party leadership added to the intrigue

In by-polls, SP retains MSY bastion, BJP wrests Azam fort

If Gujarat and Himachal P radesh w ere the m ain acts, by-polls spread across fiv e states made for captiv ating sid e battles, especially in U P’s M ainpuri LS and Ramp ur and Khatauli assem bly seats as well as K urhani in Bihar

S P c h i e f A k h i l e s h Y a d a v ’ s w i f e Dimple won Mainpuri by a margin of over 280,000 votes, a feat even party p a t r i a r c h a n d h e r f a t h e r - i n - l a w M u l a y a m S i n g h Y a d a v h a d n e v e r achieved in the constituency that had elected him every time since 2004 But BJP handed a stunning defeat to SP in another of its bastions, Rampur, where the party had never lost since 2002 There were many firsts - it was BJP’s first win there and Rampur elected a non-Muslim legislator for the first time since the first assembly polls in 1952

Akash Saxena of the BJP defeated Asim Raja of the SP by a margin of 3 4 , 1 3 6 v o t e s i n a d i s t r i c t t h a t h a d p r e v i o u s l y s u p p o r t e d M u s l i m

candidates 19 times Ten times, Azam had taken the seat The elections were prompted by his disqualification in a case involving hate speech Only eight months ago, Saxena was defeated by Azam by a margin of over 55,000 votes B J P a d o p t e d t h e s t r a t e g y o f consolidating Azam’s detractors and r e a c h i n g o u t t o M u s l i m s w h o c o n s t i t u t e a r o u n d 6 5 % o f t h e electorate But the Rampur by-polls w e r e m a r r e d b y a n a b y s m a l l y l o w turnout of 31% amid SP’s allegations that the BJP government misused state machinery to scare away voters BJP denied the charges

But the BJP lost in Khatauli Raj Kumari Saini, the wife of former MLA Vikram Saini, who was disqualified on s u s p i c i o n o f h i s r o l e i n t h e Muzaffarnagar riots, lost to SP-backed RLD candidate Madan Bhaiyya for the s e a t R a j K u m a r i w a s d e f e a t e d b y Ghaziabad strongman Madan Bhaiyya

by a margin of 22,143 votes Since 2017, BJP has been victorious in Khatauli In Bihar, BJP dealt a blow to the Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan governing the state by wresting the Kurhani assembly seat in Muzaffarpur B J P ’ s K e d a r P r a s a d G u p t a d e f e a t e d Manoj Singh Kushwaha of JD (U) by a margin of 3,649 votes I n O d i s h a , C M N a v e e n P a t n a i k halted an upbeat BJP in the Padampur by-polls, considered a BJD stronghold BJD’s Barsha Singh Bariha defeated BJP candidate Pradip Purohit by 42,000 v o t e s C o n g r e s s i n C h h a t t i s g a r h r e t a i n e d t h e t r i b a l B h a n u p r a t a p p u r (ST) assembly seat with its candidate Savitri Mandavi winning the seat by a margin of 21,000 votes The victory adds another feather to CM Bhupesh Baghel’s cap, as the party has won all five assembly by-elections held since Congress took over the reins of the state four years ago

BJP ha s no t o n ly d efi ed 27 y e ar s o f incumbency in G ujara t but also ma de h i st o r y by w i n n i n g t h e h i g h e s t -e v e r n u m be r o f s e a t s, a n d i m p o r t a n t l y improv ing on it s record for vote share Clea rly , Na ren dra Modi wa s t he playe r of t he ma tch

The BJP made electoral history in Gujarat by gaining 156 seats, romping to a blockbuster victory under the direction, inspiration, and script of Prime Minister Modi Records were broken as the BJP not only put up its best-ever performance but also eclipsed the 149-seat threshold that the Congress set 37 years prior under the direction of former chief minister Madhavsinh Solanki Kejriwal’s party pitilessly cut into the Congress’s vote s h a r e B u t t h i s w a s n o t t h e m a i n r e a s o n f o r t h e B J P ’ s phenomenal show as its vote share of 52 5% was more than that of the Congress (27 3%) and the AAP (12 9%) put together

The AAP s top leaders, including its chief minister Isudan Gadhvi and the state's president Gopal Italia, were all defeated, but the newcomer made a splash in the third state as its candidates demolished the mighty BJP and the Congress on five seats But in Muslim-dominated seats, the party failed to make any gains

Caste warriors Hardik Patel (Patidar), Alpesh Thakor (OBC) and Jignesh Mevani (Dalit), whose frenzied agitations had cost the BJP dear in 2017, also won in this election Hardik tasted his first electoral success, on a BJP ticket Thakor too brought a seat for the BJP Mevani managed to scrape through with a margin of 4,000 votes as a Congress candidate

Given that the BJP had lost 15 seats to the Congress in 2017, the victory in Saurashtra was joyful moment for the party In reality, the BJP won 40 of the 48 seats, completely upending the opposition, and, more importantly, regaining all five of the seats it had previously lost in Amreli All three constituencies of Morbi, the site of the horrific bridge collapse tragedy that killed 135, also voted for the BJP However, AAP candidates stunned the frontrunners on four seats of the region, two of them having a significant number of Patidars

The biggest surprise was Chhotu Vasava s loss on the Jhagadia seat in the tribal area, which strongly supported the BJP Chaitar Vasava, a former close aide of his, shocked everyone by resoundingly winning the Dediapada seat on the A A P t i c k e t W i t h o n l y t h r e e s e a t s w o n - o n e b y a n independent- in the six districts of central Gujarat, the Congress was humiliated In these districts, the BJP captured the final 36 seats, preventing the AAP from opening its a c c o u n t D u r i n g t h e p o s t - G o d h r a H i n d u t v a w a v e , t h e Congress gained five seats in the districts of Anand and Kheda in 2002, but this defeat was considerably worse In south Gujarat, the BJP established its supremacy by winning 33 of the total 35 seats including several tribal segments

AAP ends BJP’s 15-year run in Delhi civic body

Ending 15 ye ars of BJP’s he gemon y, Aa m A admi Par ty capt ured t he Ci v ic C e n t r e , wi n n i n g 1 3 4 s e a t s i n t he 250 -m e m be r r e u n i fi e d M u n i ci p a l C or po r a t io n of D e lh i a n d pe op l e ’ s con fid ence Even though e xit polls ha d foreca st a lan dslide victory , the A AP worke rs wen t into a fre nzy afte r the result

Facing a strong anti-incumbency, BJP put up a spirited fight and managed to bag 104 seats, much less than its 2017 tally of 181 in the three erstwhile corporations combined, but its vote share swelled by three percentage points The Congress managed to get 9 seats The saffron party got 39 1% of the total votes polled while AAP’s share doubled from 21 1% in the last civic election to 42 1%, according to the State Election Commission data

Speaking after the victory, AAP national convener and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “blessings” and the Centre’s support to “clean” and m a k e D e l h i b e t t e r E v e n w i t h a r e l a t i v e l y s m a l l 3 0 - s e a t advantage over the BJP, the work won't be any simpler for an AAP-led MCD, which would have to overhaul the city's waste management, offer better services, and root out corruption

Both the BJP and AAP engaged in active campaigning in the lead-up to the elections While the latter persistently criticised AAP and used a number of national figures, including union ministers, to campaign for its candidates, Kejriwal s party pledged to implement the Delhi model of government in MCD

While conceding defeat, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta s a i d d e s p i t e 1 5 y e a r s o f a n t i - i n c u m b e n c y , t h e p a r t y ’ s performance was far better than expected “We worked for the people of Delhi but maybe some people were not happy But there was no anger against BJP,” Gupta said

P o l i t i c a l s c i e n t i s t s b e l i e v e A A P s h i f t e d t h e p o l i t i c a l discourse “from ideology to service providing” and the electorate stamped its approval on it by giving it a clear majority

Narendra Modi

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

Several hurt as India and China forces clash near LAC in Arunachal

In a significant escalation o f t h e o ng o i ng o ve r 30month military conflict in eastern Ladakh, wh ich has seen Ch ina bolster its military installatio ns all along the frontier; several Indian and Chinese soldiers were h urt in a figh t in the import an t T aw an g se c to r o f A ru n ac h al P r ad es h la s t week

The extended physical clash between the rival soldiers took place at Yangtse on December 9 morning after 300-400 soldiers from t h e P e o p l e ’ s L i b e r a t i o n Army (PLA) intruded across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which was “conteste d ” b y I n d i a n s o l d i e r s deployed there “in a firm and resolute manner ”

Troops from both sides sustained fractured limbs and other injuries in the clash At least six wounded Indian soldiers were evacu-

ated to the military hospital at Guwahati, a source said

The Army, in a brief statement, said: “Both sides i m m e d i a t e l y d i s e n g a g e d from the area As a followu p o f t h e i n c i d e n t , o u r c o m m a n d e r i n t h e a r e a held a flag meeting with his (PLA) counterpart to disc u s s t h e i s s u e i n a c c o rd a n c e w i t h s t r u c t u r e d m e c h a n i s m s t o r e s t o r e peace and tranquility

“In certain areas along the LAC in the Tawang sec-

tor in Arunachal, there are areas of differing perceptions, wherein both sides patrol the area up to their claim lines This has been the trend since 2006 ”

T o p r e v e n t a n y P L A m i s a d v e n t u r e s , I n d i a h a s stationed a sizable contingent of soldiers in Tawang, w h i c h C h i n a c l a i m s i s a part of south Tibet The PLA has already breached the area across the LAC to d e s t r o y u n o c c u p i e d bunkers and other facilities on the Indian side

HC releases Deshmukh on bail but stays order for 10 days

T h e Bo m b ay H i g h C o u rt g ran ted ba i l to fo r m er M ah arashtra hom e m inister a nd NC P l ea d er A ni l Deshmukh in a corruption c ase bein g p robe d by th e C ent ral Bu re au o f Investig ation ( CBI)

Deshmukh won t be able to leave jail, though, as the high court has suspended the judgment for 10 days in order to give the CBI time to a p p e a l i t t o t h e S u p r e m e Court After hearing from b o t h s i d e s , J u s t i c e M S Karnik's single bench granted Deshmukh's request for bail

He is currently in judicial custody and lodged at the Arthur Road prison in M u m b a i D e s h m u k h , 7 4 , h a d a p p r o a c h e d t h e h i g h c o u r t a f t e r a s p e c i a l C B I court rejected his bail plea

last month He sought bail both on medical grounds as well as on merits

T h e N a t i o n a l i s t Congress Party (NCP) leader h a s b e e n i n j a i l s i n c e November last year after he w a s a r r e s t e d b y t h e E n f o r c e m e n t D i r e c t o r a t e (ED) in a money laundering case

This year, in April, he was arrested by the CBI in the corruption case He was g r a n t e d b a i l b y t h e h i g h court last month in the ED

c a s e D e s h m u k h ' s bail plea in the corr u p t i o n c a s e w a s , however, rejected by the special CBI court n o t i n g t h a t t h e r e was prima facie evidence against him I n M a r c h 2 0 2 1 , IPS officer Param Bir S i n g h c l a i m e d t h a t Deshmukh, the home minister at the time, had set a goal for police officials to c o l l e c t £ 1 0 m i l l i o n f r o m Mumbai's eateries and bars each month In April 2021, the high court ordered the CBI to conduct a prelimin a r y i n v e s t i g a t i o n i n t o Deshmukh The CBI subseq u e n t l y r e g i s t e r e d a n F I R against Deshmukh and his associates for alleged corruption and misuse of official power

Cong leader's ‘kill Modi’ remark snowballs into controversy

In the mid st of a political u p ro a r, an F IR w as fi l ed against former C ong ress MP Raja P ateria after a v ideo o f h i m sa yi ng , " I f t h e C onstitution is to be saved, then be ready to assassinate Mo di," went v iral

Police in Panna filed the FIR against Pateria on the o r d e r s o f h o m e m i n i s t e r Narottam Mishra He had been a cabinet minister in the Digvijaya Singh government from 1998 to 2003

T h e c l i p i s f r o m a nukkad meeting in Pawai region of Panna Addressing t h e g a t h e r i n g , P a t e r i a i s h e a r d s a y i n g , “ N a r e n d r a Modi will end polls He will divide people on religion, c a s t e a n d l a n g u a g e T h e future of Dalits, tribals and m i n o r i t i e s i s i n d a n g e r S a m v i d h a n a g a r b a c h a n a hai, toh Modi ka hatya karne ke liye tatpar raho (If the Constitution is to be saved, then be ready to kill Modi)

H a t y a , i n t h e s e n s e o f defeating Modi ”

Pateria alleged that the video has been “misrepresented What I said was that he (Modi) should be defeated politically in polls to save the Constitution and rights of Dalits, tribals and minorities I said defeating him in polls is the answer to spiralling inflation and unemp l o y m e n t , ” h e s a i d However, that wasn’t good enough to calm down BJP M a d h y a P r a d e s h C M

C h o u h a n c a l l e d t h e r e m a r k s against Modi the “ h e i g h t o f a n imosity, and the extreme of hate” H e s a i d : “ S u c h things will not be t o l e r a t e d ” H e added: “The real face of those who h a v e b e e n r u nn i n g a s h a m B h a r a t J o d o Abhiyan is being revealed Our PM lives in t h e h e a r t s o f t h e p e o p l e C o n g r e s s c a n ’ t c o m p e t e with him in the field, which is why, a Congress member is talking about the assassination of the PM ” P a t e r i a w a s c h a r g e d u n d e r s i x I P C s e c t i o n s , w h i l e s t a t e B J P c h i e f V D Sharma demanded that NSA be slapped on him He said he would ask Union home minister Amit Shah for a thorough probe

Heat wave may break survival limit in India, says

Accord ing to a ne w r epor t, seve re hea t wave s, which ha ve cau se d thousands of d e a t h s a cr o ss Ind i a ov e r th e past f ew decad es, a re occurri ng more fr equently th an ev er bef ore Soon, the n a t i o n m a y e xp e r i e nc e h e a t w a v e s t h a t a r e to o i nte nse for h umans t o su rvi ve , ma ki ng it one of the f irst p laces i n the world to d o so

The World Bank report titled "Climate Investment O p p o r t u n i t i e s i n I n d i a ' s Cooling Sector" said the c o u n t r y i s e x p e r i e n c i n g higher temperatures that arrive earlier and stay far longer

" I n A p r i l 2 0 2 2 , I n d i a was plunged into the grip of a punishing early spring heat wave that brought the c o u n t r y t o a s t a n d s t i l l ,

with temperatures in the c a p i t a l , N e w D e l h i , t o pp i n g 4 6 d e g r e e s C e l s i u s ( 1 1 4 d e g r e e s F a h r e n h e i t ) T h e m o n t h o f M a r c h , which witnessed extraordin a r y s p i k e s i n t e m p e r atures, was the hottest ever recorded , it said

T h e t w o - d a y " I n d i a Climate and Development Partners' Meet," which is b e i n g o r g a n i s e d b y t h e World Bank in collaboration with the Kerala government, will include the report's release

" I n A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 , t h e S i x t h A s s e s s m e n t R e p o r t of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change ( I P C C ) w a r n e d t h a t t h e I n d i a n s u b c o n t i n e n t w o u l d s u f f e r m o r e f r eq u e n t a n d i n t e n s e h e a t w a v e s o v e r t h e c o m i n g

report

decade "The G20 Climate Risk Atlas also warned in 2021 t h a t h e a t w a v e s a c r o s s India were likely to last 25 times longer by 2036-65 if carbon emissions remain h i g h , a s i n t h e I P C C s w o r s t - c a s e e m i s s i o n s c enario," the report said

Additionally, it issued a warning that India's growi n g h e a t c o u l d e n d a n g e r e c o n o m i c o u t p u t A c c o r d i n g t o t h e r e p o r t , "up to 75% of India's workforce, or 380 million peop l e , d e p e n d o n h e a texposed labor, sometimes w o r k i n g i n p o t e n t i a l l y l e t h a l t e m p e r a t u r e s B y 2030, India may account for 34 million of the projected 80 million job losses worldwide from heat stress-associated productivity decline

2022

The Forbes list is topped by South Korean smartphone and electronics maker Samsung, which is followed by tech giants Microsoft, IBM, Alphabet, and Apple With 230,0000 employees, Reliance Industries occupies 20th place on the list and is the only Indian company in the top 100 Only 7 Indian companies figure in the top 500 in the list

Among the other Indian businesses listed on Forbes World's Best Employers 2022 are HDFC Bank, which is ranked 137th, Bajaj, which is ranked 173rd, Aditya Birla Group, which is 240th, Larsen & Toubro, which is 354th, ICICI Bank, which is 365th, HCL Technologies, which is 455th, and State Bank of India, which is 499th The list of 800 firms published by Statista for Forbes also includes Adani Enterprises, Infosys, and WNS Global Services

The Forbes rankings are based on Statista research that involved surveys of 150,000 full- and part-time workers for universities and multinational corporations in 57 different countries Participants were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their employers to friends and family and to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stood out either positively or negatively This year's list comprises 800 companies that received the highest scores," Forbes said in the rankings published in October this year

hile Harris is ranked third

This is the fourth year in a row that Sitharaman made it to the list Last year, she was in the 37th spot, 41st in 2020 and 34th in 2019

In 2021, Harris became the first woman, the first Black person, and the first S o u t h A s i a n - A m e r i c a n t o become the American Vice

Jamaica

A p a r t f r o m H a r r i s , London-born Bela Bajaria, head of Global TV at Netflix, is another Indian-American on the list who is ranked at number 71 She is responsi-

and 'Cobra Kai'

Before joining Netflix in 2016, Bajaria was president o f U n i v e r s a l T e l e v i s i o n , where she made history as the first woman of color to oversee a studio She was named to TIME s 100 Most I n f l u e n t i a l P e o p l e l i s t i n

In May 2019, Sitharaman became India's first female f i n a n c e m i n i s t e r S h e worked for the BBC World S e r v i c e a n d t h e U K ' s A g r i c u l t u r a l E n g i n e e r s Association before entering politics

B e s i d e s S i t h a r a m a n , o t h e r I n d i a n s o n t h e l i s t include, HCL Corporation C E O R o s h n i N a d a r M a l h o t r a - - t h e y o u n g e s t Indian woman on the list; B i o c o n f o u n d e r K i r a n Mazumdar-Shaw; Madhabi Puri Buch, the first female chair of the Securities and E x c h a n g e B o a r d o f I n d i a ; S o m a M o n d a l , t h e f i r s t woman to chair the staterun Steel Authority of India; and Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar

Reliance among Forbes' world's best employer’s rankings

Raja Pateria

Anil Deshmukh

Kamala Harris & Nirmala Sitharaman

in brief

CBI RECORDS STATEMENT OF KCR'S DAUGHTER

AU R A N G A B

A D : Ahe ad of t he sched ul

isit of Prime Minister Nare ndra Modi to Na gpur f

Sa mrudd hi Expr essway , f or m e r c hi e f mi n is t e r Uddhav Thacker ay said that t he PM must speak on the “ h ig h -h a n d e d ne ss ” of t h e Kar natak a chief minist er

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, on the other hand, asserted that while Union home minister Amit Shah will hold a meeting with CMs of both the states next week, it would make no difference to the dispute, nor would it change Karnataka’s stand “Since the case is pending in the Supreme Court, it should be reasonable for both the states to wait for the verdict,” said Bommai T h a c k e r a y , w h o w a s s p e a k i n g a t a function in Jalna district, said, “The PM can criticise us as he has the right to do so But after doing so, he must speak on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border row and the high-handedness shown by the Karnataka CM Entire Maharashtra will be waiting to hear your (PM) stand on the dispute tomorrow,” he said, adding that the work of the remaining stretch

Kotkapura firing:

C HA ND IGA RH : S hirom ani A kal i Da l c h i ef S u kh b ir S i n g h Ba d al o n M o n d ay a p p ea red bef o re a s p ec i al i n v es ti g at io n te am o f th e P unjab p olice probing the 20 15 Kotkapura police firing c as e T h e S I T le d by A dd itional Director General o f P o li c e L K Y ad av h ad sum moned Bad al to appear befo re the pro be team

B a d a l w a s t h e D e p u t y Chief Minister and holding the Home portfolio when i n c i d e n t s o f d e s e c r a t i o n o f religious texts and the subsequent police firing at people protesting a g a i n s t i t h a d t a k e n p l a c e i n Faridkot in 2015

The incidents relate to the theft of a ‘bir’ (copy) of Guru Granth S a h i b , p u t t i n g u p h a n d w r i t t e n sacrilegious posters, and torn pages o f t h e h o l y b o o k b e i n g f o u n d scattered at Bargari in Faridkot

These incidents had triggered p r o t e s t s a n d t w o p e r s o n s w e r e k i l l e d i n B e h b a l K a l a n a n d f e w

o f S a m r u d d h i

E x p r e s s w a y s h o u l d

o g r e s s f a s t , b u t answers must be given on the road “blocked” b y K a r n a t a k a f o r Maharashtra “ Y o u a r e constructing big roads, b u t w h a t a b o u t t h e c l o s e d r o a d s ? T h e S a m r u d d h i E x p r e s s w a y i s n a m e d a f t e r ( l a t e ) B a l a s a h e b T h a c k e r a y , w h o r e m a i n e d behind bars for agitating over the border d i s p u t e w i t h K a r n a t a k a , ” h e s a i d Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP president C h a n d r a s h e k a r B a w a n k u l e , w h o w a s addressing a press conference in Nagpur ahead of the PM’s visit, claimed that some prominent leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) were vitiating the atmosphere on both sides for political g a i n s , a n d t h a t t h e S u p r e m e C o u r t should hear the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute case urgently and give a decision soon as the situation is getting t e n s e B a w a n k u l e s a i d t h e E k n a t h Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has put its submissions strongly in the Supreme Court

C H EN NA I: At l east four pe opl e were k il le d whe n cyclonic storm Mandous made lan dfal l in Tamil Nadu on Sat ur day 'The re is no damage on a l arge scale , ' Chief Minist er M K St alin said a fte r visiting affe cte d fishing ne ighb ourhoods and distributing relief assista nce to the m Ta mil Na du a nd particul arl y Chenna i has 'come out of the impact of Mandous,' he said S t a l i n , w h i l e a n s w e r i n g a q u e s t i o n , s a i d t h a t estimation of loss was being done and if required Central assistance would be sought Four persons were killed, he said, apparently referring to rain-related incidents As many as 181 hutments were damaged and information on other kinds of damage was being compiled In 201 relief camps, 9,130 people belonging to 3,163 families are being sheltered

Around 400 trees fell in the city under the impact of 70 kmph wind speed, when the weather system crossed the coast Civic agencies and police removed the fallen trees, and in total 25,000 personnel were involved in cyclone related relief and rescue tasks This is in addition to 496 personnel of the NDRF and State DRF

The cyclone caused damage to electric poles and transformers in several areas and power supply was suspended and resumed later Tiruvannamalai district, which witnessed very heavy rainfall (25 CM) was among the regions that reportedly witnessed crop damage Damage to boats was seen in Kasimedu fishing harbour

Mohali-type RPG attack on police station in Tarn Taran

S A R H A L I ( T A R N T A R A N ) : A r o ck et p ro p e lle d g r ena d e (RPG) was fired at a police station in Tarn T ar an d i st ri ct o f P u nj ab las t w ee k, exactly seven month s after a similar attack on the building ho using the P u nj ab P o li c e i nt ell i g en ce headqu arters i n Moh ali on May 9

injured at Kotkapura in Faridkot in police firing Badal had earlier been questioned by the same SIT on September 14 He was questioned by the SIT on June 26 last year too

The SAD chief was also grilled by another SIT, led by Inspector General of Police Naunihal Singh, in the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing case on September 6 While the Yadav-led SIT is probing the K o t k a p u r a f i r i n g c a s e , t h e Naunihal-led SIT is investigating the Behbal Kalan firing incident

P u n j a b D G P G a u r a v Yadav said the grenade was f i r e d f r o m t h e h i g h w a y ( A m r i t s a r - B a t h i n d a ) u s i n g RPG and the device seemed t o b e “ m i l i t a r y - g r a d e h a r d w a r e t h a t c o u l d h a v e been smuggled from across the border”

The grenade damaged a portion of the cement walls and windows of the Sanjh K e n d r a , s i t u a t e d o n t h e p r e m i s e s o f S a r h a l i p o l i c e station, but no major damage to property or loss of life was

reported Yadav said a case under the UAPA had been registered, and police teams were investigating the crime technically and forensically, a s w e l l a s c o l l e c t i n g c l u e s from the spot to reconstruct the RPG attack scene

P o l i c e a r e p r o b i n g t h e role of Pakistan operatives, t h e i r h a n d l e r s , a n d t h e elements in touch with them to catch perpetrators of the crime Yadav said it appeared that the enemy country was r a t t l e d b y t h e s u c c e s s o f shooting down of drones and confiscation of ammunition and explosives in the past two-three months

A CBI team recorded the statement of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao at her Hyderabad residence in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on Sunday

The CBI team took her statement for more than seven hours The CBI officers arrived at Kavitha’s Banjara Hills residence in the mokrning Kavitha s legal team had reached her residence before the CBI officers arrived The BRS – formerly the Telangana Rashtra Samithi –had asked party leaders and workers not to gather outside the house or on the street to protest and had appealed to them to maintain law and order Security was also strengthened in the area as a precautionary measure On December 2, the CBI had issued a notice to the MLC 0, asking her to join the probe in connection with its investigation into alleged corruption in the Delhi government’s nowwithdrawn excise policy

K O L K A T A : F o rm e r W es t B en g al m in is t er P ar th a C hatterjee on M ond ay prayed f o r b ai l b ef or e a sp e ci al C B I cou rt in a case in co nnection w ith th e alleged irreg ularities in the recruitment of teach ing and n o n- te ac h i ng s ta ff i n s ta te g o v er nm e nt- ai d e d a nd sp onsored sch ools

Opposing his bail prayer, the CBI prayed for an extension of his judicial remand The special CBI court judge, after hearing a r g u m e n t s o f b o t h s i d e s , r e s e r v e d t h e o r d e r o n t h e prayers The court had on earlier occasions rejected bail prayers of the former minister Chatterjee, first arrested by

t h e E n f o r c e m e n t D i r e c t o r a t e ( E D ) o n J u l y 2 3 f o l l o w i n g recovery of a huge amount of c a s h , j e w e l l e r y a n d p r o p e r t y d e e d s f r o m h i s a l l e g e d c l o s e a s s o c i a t e A r p i t a M u k h e r j e e ' s flats, was taken into custody by the CBI on September 16 on the basis of a court order

C h a t t e r j e e , w h o w a s s u s p e n d e d b y t h e T r i n a m o o l Congress following his arrest, was produced before the special C B I c o u r t b y t h e a g e n c y o n Monday Praying for his bail, Chatterjee's lawyers submitted t h a t h e h a d n o t g i v e n a n y i n s t r u c t i o n t o a c o m m i t t e e which had been set up in 2019 to s u p e r v i s e , m o n i t o r a n d g u i d e

t h e W e s t B e n g a l S c h o o l Service Commission (SSC) in c o n n e c t i o n w i t h p e n d i n g recruitments as alleged

T h e r e c r u i t m e n t s w e r e made on the recommendation of the SSC The CBI counsel o p p o s e d C h a t t e r j e e ' s b a i l prayer, stating that he is an i n f l u e n t i a l p e r s o n a n d r e l e a s i n g h i m a t t h i s p o i n t may affect the ongoing probe in the case Chatterjee held the e d u c a t i o n p o r t f o l i o b e t w e e n 2 0 1 4 a n d 2 0 2 1 w h e n i r r e g u l a r i t i e s i n r e c r u i t m e n t were alleged to have taken place H e w a s r e l i e v e d o f h i s m i n i s t e r i a l d u t i e s b y t h e Mamata Banerjee government

KERALA GOVT TABLES

BILL TO REMOVE GOVERNOR AS

CHANCELLOR

The Left government in Kerala introduced the University Laws (Amendment) Bill in the Assembly to replace the Governor as the Chancellor of universities in the State and appoint eminent academicians in the top post even as Opposition UDF contended that the move would downgrade varsities as mere “government departments” Law minister P Rajeeve introduced the Bill in the House amid the continuing tussle between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the Pinarayi Vijayan government over various issues, including the appointment of Vice-Chancellors of universities Though the Congress-led UDF made it clear that they were not against the power of a democratic government to remove the Governor as Chancellor, but argued that the alternative system would destroy the autonomous status of the varsities

KISAN MORCHA PRESENTS LIST OF DEMANDS TO MP

Members of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), led by district president Harnek Singh Bhallmajra presented a memorandum to Dr Amar Singh MP Fatehgarh Sahib, regarding their demands and issued a warning, telling him that he would not be allowed to hold any function in his constituency if he did not raise their issue in the ongoing Parliament session Addressing the media, Bhallmajra said the Centre had made certain promise during the agitation in Delhi a year ago, but it had not fulfilled them He said the MP had assured the SKM members that he would raise their issues in the Parliament He said their main demands include making of an MSP law for crops and fixing the prices according to c2 + 50% formula punishing the culprits of Lakhimpur massacre and compensating the victims of farmers agitation

TMC TEAM MEETS CEC OVER 'HARASSMENT' TO SAKET GOKHALE

A five-member TMC parliamentary delegation met the chief election commissioner on Monday and registered their protest against the arrest of party spokesperson Saket Gokhale by the Gujarat Police "The delegation met the CEC over the harassment and torture of our national spokesperson We told him that he was arrested once in Ahmedabad and a case was also lodged against him in Morbi while the model code of conduct was in force "We also said that he has been wrongly charged under Section 125 (of the Representation of the People Act) which is not attracted by what he tweeted So, this is a case of harassment," said TMC MP Saugata Ray after the meeting He asked why the section was not raised when Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and former BJP MP Paresh Raval when they reportedly "preached and fanned communalism towards religious minorities while campaigning in Gujarat

PUNJAB

Border talk with Shah is pointless, says Karnataka CM 4 killed as cyclonic storm Mandous makes landfall in TN

court reserves order on ex-Bengal minister Partha’s bail plea

Sukhbir Badal appears before Punjab police SIT

ed v

or the inauguration of

Basavaraj Bommai

Sukhbir Singh Badal

following his arrest by the ED H e h e l d s e v e r a l p o r t f o l i o s including Parliamentary Affairs, Industry and Commerce when he was arrested The Trinamool C o n g r e s s a l s o r e m o v e d h i m from all posts he held in the p a r t y , i n c l u d i n g t h a t o f i t s secretary general

Partha Chatterjee

C

Speaker Om Birla objected to Cong ress lead er Adhir Ranjan C h ow d h ur y ' s co m men t s , alleg in g "subv ers ion of c onv en ti on," and questi oned him as to whether he was "challengi ng " the Sp eaker, whose job it is to choose who chai rs the commi ttees This es calated the di spute between the g o v ern me n t an d o pp o si t i on parti es ov er the di stri bution of th e ch ai rman sh i p o f p arli amen tary stan din g committees Chowdhury accused the

c o u n t r y “ P r o f i t a b i l i t y o f f i r m s h a s b e e n i m p a c t e d during the pandemic, as a result, many that delivered negative returns were not compelled to spend on CSR M a n y c o m p a n i e s h a v e therefore not complied due t o w h i c h t h e i r e f f e c t i v e spending has declined This is a trend seen across the c o u n t r y a n d i n G u j a r a t , ” said Bhomik Shah, founder and CEO, CSR Box

Furthermore, according to CSRBox, companies had o v e r c o m m i t t e d t h e i r spending targets “Covid-19 was the key driver for cor-

p o r a t e s t o o v e r - c o m m i t spending targets in FY 2021 This was rationalised considerably during the subsequent year, ” said Shah E v e n a f t e r t h e C o v i d y e a r , G u j a r a t ' s c o r p o r a t e s c o n t i n u e d t o p r i o r i t i s e i n v e s t i n g i n C S R i n t h e healthcare sector However, overall healthcare spending dropped by 60% Spending in areas, like education and the environment, increased s i g n i f i c a n t l y a t t h e s a m e time

A c c o r d i n g t o C S R B o x “The decline is a sign of the postCovid recovery period

A shift in priorities can be seen in other sectors like education and skill developm e n t , e n v i r o n m e n t a n d s u s t a i n a b i l i t y a n d s p o r t s promotion The latter two, in fact, emerged vitally in CSR Landscape for FY 202122 in Gujarat ”

As far as projects exec u t e d i n G u j a r a t i s c o ncerned, the state received £ 5 9 6 1 m i l l i o n o f C S R spends in FY 2021-22 from c o r p o r a t e s a c r o s s I n d i a This declined 12% as compared to £67 6 million of spending in the state in FY 2020-21

India has br ought down it s ma t er n al mor t a l it y r at io (MMR) t o less than a quarter of the l evels about two decades ago, out perfor ming al most al l of it s erstw hi l e pe e r s , i nc l u d in g n ei gh b our s l ik e Ban gl adesh, Pa kist an an d Bhutan The progr ess has been st eady, an analysis of dat a fr om 2007 -09 to 201820 shows

t h e r e s t o f t h e c o u n t r y Additionally, the MMR levels in various Indian states range widely, from those of the least developed to those of the developed world

Adhir Ranjan & Om Birla

government of "subverting" parliamentary traditions by denying opposition parties

B ac ki n g C ent re' s 2 0 1 6 d em o n eti s ati o n d ec is i o n, the Reserve Bank of India told the S upreme C ourt th at it was not a "thoug htless" p r o ce s s as c on te nd e d by p e ti ti on ers w h o a re c h all en g i ng th e d ec i si o n a nd s u b m i tte d th at th e c o u rt sh ould refrain from scru tinising it for being a eco nom ic p olicy decisio n

Senior attorney Jaideep G u p t a t e s t i f i e d b e f o r e a f i v e - j u d g e c o n s t i t u t i o n bench consisting of Justices S A b d u l N a z e e r , B R Gavai, A S Bopanna, V Ramasubramanian and B V N a g a r a t h n a a n d c l a i m e d that there was consensus on the issue, with the exception of a few opponents

G u p t a , s p e a k i n g o n behalf of the RBI, argued t h a t t h e c o u r t s h o u l d n ' t interfere with the governm e n t ' s e c o n o m i c s t r a t e g y a n d s h o u l d n ' t r e v i e w t h e

legality of the decision to demonetize the Rs 500 and 1 , 0 0 0 n o t e s i n 2 0 1 6

Referring to various judgments of the apex court, G u p t a s a i d t h a t c o u r t s should not interfere in policy matters unless the policy is found to be discriminatory and arbitrary H o w e v e r , t h e b e n c h d e c l a r e d t h a t t h e c o u r t w o u l d n o t c o n s i d e r t h e decision's merits but rather its decision-making proced u r e J u s t i c e N a g a r a t h n a stated, "We are not delving

into the law of the decision, but the process of decisionmaking Gupta submitted that elaborate arrangement w a s d o n e f o r s m o o t h i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e decision but accepted that citizens had to face hardship due to it

" T e m p o r a r y h a r d s h i p s are also an integral part of the nation-building process Some of the hardships may not have been anticipated But we had a mechanism by which problems that arose were solved," he said

opposition is protected in the House through conventions and precedents You have ended these convent i o n s a n d s n a t c h e d a w a y (the post of) chairman of all parliamentary panels from opposition parties Yet, we hear of ‘One Nation, One Direction and One Family’ We lost the chairmanship of the IT committee, Sudeep ( B a n d o p a d h y a y ) a l s o l o s t h i s c h a i r m a n s h i p , ” Chowdhury said

The maternal mortality r a t i o i n I n d i a w a s 4 0 0 around the turn of the cent u r y I n d i a ' s M M R decreased from 212 in the sample survey in 2007–09 t o 1 7 8 o v e r a t h r e e - y e a r period in 2010–12 and from 2 1 2 t o 1 3 0 i n 2 0 1 4 – 1 6 M a t e r n a l m o r t a l i t y d e c r e a s e d b y 2 5 % t o 9 7 between the SRS surveys in 2 0 1 4 – 1 6 a n d 2 0 1 8 – 2 0 , demonstrating a consistent trend of declining maternal mortality

India's maternal mortality ratio down 75% in less than 2 decades RBI backs govt on demonetisation in SC

At a time wh en th e Glo bal Hunger Index p laced India a t 1 0 7 t h p l a ce , t h e S u p r em e C o u rt said t h e Cent re and state gov er nments mu st target elimin at i o n o f h u ng er , e v en while praising th eir ‘excellent’ wor k during th e pandemic to feed t he poo r and migr ant worker s

A i s h w a r y a B h a t i w a s q u e s t i o n e d a b o u t t h e Union and state governments' plans to ensure that t h e r e g i s t e r e d w o r k e r s took advantage of all benefits under various welfare measures, including subsidised food grains under the "one nation, one ration card" scheme, by a bench of Justices M R Shah and Hima Kohli while taking stock of the registration of workers in the unorganised sector, who were primarily migrants

B h a t i i n f o r m e d t h e

H o w e v e r , s t a t e s l i k e W e s t B e n g a l , H a r y a n a , M a d h y a P r a d e s h , a n d Punjab experienced a slower rate of reduction than

India’s MMR (the number of maternal deaths during a given period of time per 100,000 live births) at 97 in 2018-20 is at the level of Nicaragua, a low middle income country, among the least developed countries in Central America However, the current MMR of 167 in a state like Uttar Pradesh is more or less at par with that of war-torn Yemen in 2017 according to Unicef data

India’s MMR is less than half of the world’s MMR worldwide in 2017 was 221 Given that India accounts for one-fifth of all annual b i r t h s w o r l d w i d e , a n y i m p r o v e m e n t i n t h i s parameter there will have a n i m p a c t o n t h e g l o b a l value India is on track to meet the sustainable development goal (SDG) of 70 by 2030 thanks to the steady improvement

Gujarat shrinks 30% in FY22 TMC, Cong attack govt over change in parliamentary panel heads SC asks govt to ensure that no one goes starving

l o w e d b y K e r a l a ( 5 9 % ) , R a j a s t h a n ( 5 6 % ) , G u j a r a t a n d A n d h r a P r a d e s h (both just over 50%)

c o u r t t h a t 2 8 2 6 m i l l i o n workers were registered by the Centre and states as of September 19 in the e-portal, which was 73 7% of the target Uttar Pradesh registered 82 9 million workers against a target of 66 million, Odisha registered 13 million (102% of target) a n d C h h a t t i s g a r h , Uttarakhand, West Bengal, a n d H i m a c h a l P r a d e s h registered more than 90% of targeted workers

Delhi registered 62% of t a r g e t w o r k e r s i n t h e u n o r g a n i s e d s e c t o r , f o l -

Low registration of unorganised workers i n M a h a r a s h t r a (38%), Karnataka and T a m i l N a d u ( b o t h 37%), and Telangana ( 3 6 % ) , i r k e d t h e b e n c h w h i c h s a i d , “ e v e r y t i m e , M a h a r a s h t r a i s f o u n d wanting It is not doing anything ”

The government must "tell us how it is going to use the data collected on r e g i s t r a t i o n o f u n o r g a ni s e d w o r k e r s t h r o u g h eShram portal," the Justice Shah-led bench demanded, despite the fact that the government has disputed t h e G H I s t a t i s t i c s a n d questioned the methodology used to classify India at the dismal 107th place

Refurbished Air India fleet to join service in mid-2024

Eleven months after taking o v e r A i r I n d i a , T a t a s a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e r u nd o w n a i r c r a f t w o u l d b e refurbished and join the serv i c e i n m i d - 2 0 2 4 W h a t would surprise flyers though is the time needed to complete the job There are many things that money can’t buy and what falls into that category within the airline industry is the time taken for the gargantuan task of refurbishment

“On the one hand, the c h a l l e n g e i s t o d e s i g n t h e

c a b i n - i n c l u d i n g s e a t s , tables, armrests, seat belts, e t c - i n a n a e s t h e t i c a l l y a p p e a l i n g m a n n e r ; o n t h e o t h e r , t h e a i r l i n e s h o u l d ensure that the new installat i o n s a r e l i g h t w e i g h t a n d

c o m p l y w i t h t h e s a f e t y requirements laid down by the multiple aviation regulat o r s c o n c e r n e d , ” s a i d a n industry source “The baseline of safety is that in the event of an accident, a pas-

s e n g e r s h o u l d b e a b l e t o come out of the aircraft safely without any injury,” he added The planning process i t s e l f c a n t a k e m o n t h s , b e c a u s e t h e e n t i r e c a b i n needs to be stripped down and rebuilt sequentially, like a jigsaw puzzle, with minute details in place

Take the passenger seat f o r i n s t a n c e R e g u l a t o r y norms demand the use of f i r e - r e t a r d a n t m a t e r i a l T o keep the aircraft light, the seats should be lightweight B u t t h e y s h o u l d a l s o b e

strong and secure enough to stay put without deforming to cause bodily harm to the passengers or block their exit in case of a crash “The seat is expected to withstand 16G dynamic force (16 times that of earth’s gravity) Each seat also has bundles of wires for i n f l i g h t e n t e r t a i n m e n t , phone charging, emergency l i g h t s , a n d s o t h e r e a r e a m y r i a d o f t i n y a n d l a r g e spare parts involved,” he further said

The big problem though i s t h a t a i r c r a f t e q u i p m e n t

such as seats, because of low volumes of production and exacting safety standards, are r a t h e r e x p e n s i v e a n d p r oduced by select manufacturers across the world Supply schedules of various vendors would need to be coordinated “Also, if a certain manufacturer has shut shop and spare parts supplied by him are no longer available, then a n a i r l i n e c a n n o t m e r e l y switch to any other manufacturer unless the required d e s i g n a p p r o v a l s a r e i n place,” said a source

t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o c h a i r committees in a zero hour intervention “For years, the

Manchester Museum’s new South Asia Gallery

Shefali Saxena

Manchester M useu m, w hich is set to re -o p e n to th e p u b li c o n 1 8 F ebru ar y 2 0 23 , f o llo w in g a £ 1 5 m i ll i o n t ran sf o rm a ti o n T h e m u se u m reop ens its d oors with a m ission about lev elling up for cultu re and putting the div erse co mmu nities of M anchester at the centre of p rog ramming, includ ing its South Asian d iaspo ra

Manchester Museum will be the firstever museum to have a permanent South A s i a g a l l e r y i n t h e U K , a s a p a r t o f a l a n d m a r k p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h t h e B r i t i s h M u s e u m T h e g a l l e r y w i l l b r i n g f o r t h diverse histories and experiences of the

the UK's first permanent space dedicated to the lived experience of the South Asian community

through her role and the personal objects in the collection

Penguin and Jaipur Literature Festival announce a mentorship programme for unpublished writers

South Asian diaspora living in Manchester a n d w i l l g e n e r a t e n e w i d e a s , e v e n t s , p e r f o r m a n c e s , l e a r n i n g a n d p u b l i c programmes in the museum Curated by Nusrat Ahmed, and co-curated with The South Asia Gallery Collective, a group of 30 inspiring individuals including community l e a d e r s , e d u c a t o r s , a r t i s t s , h i s t o r i a n s , journalists and musicians, the gallery will be a celebration of the contributions of the South Asian community in the UK The

S h o w c a s i n g o v e r 1 4 0 historic artefacts from the c o l l e c t i o n s o f t h e M a n c h e s t e r M u s e u m a n d B r i t i s h M u s e u m , a l o n g s i d e n e w c o n t e m p o r a r y c o m m i s s i o n s a n d p e r s o n a l o b j e c t s p r o v i d e d b y t h e C o l l e c t i v e , t h e g a l l e r y w i l l present a range of personal stories that provide visitors with a window into South Asia The gallery’s story-led design will reflect multiple voices and perspectives on South Asia through six overarching themes: P a s t & P r e s e n t , L i v e d E n v i r o n m e n t s , Innovation & Language, Sound, Music & Dance, British Asian, and Movement & Empire

N u s r a t A h m e d , t h e g a l l e r y ’ s Community Producer is a first-generation, B r i t i s h - b o r n S o u t h A s i a n , w h o c o u l d d i s c u s s h e r h o p e s t o e n g a g e f u r t h e r diaspora communities through the gallery a n d s u p p o r t i t s c o n t i n u a l e v o l u t i o n

Nusrat Ahmed told Asian Voice: “I am a first-generation British-born South Asian person and when I was growing up I felt that I didn’t belong in museums If I had the opportunity of seeing myself within museum spaces, through the stories being told, then finding a way to connect to my h e r i t a g e w o u l d h a v e b e e n f a r e a s i e r Representing South Asian diaspora and preserving South Asian history in museums is long over-due

“My father came to the UK after the Partition of British India into India and Pakistan I am deeply moved that I have the opportunity to tell his story in the new South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum Parts of the gallery grapple with difficult subjects, but by telling and learning from these stories I hope we can work towards a brighter future

“We hope to engage further diaspora communities to support the South Asia Gallery’s continual evolution, telling stories about real people and their objects By d r a w i n g u p o n c o l l e c t i o n s a n d d i v e r s e cultural perspectives, museums can help to b u i l d b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g b e t w e e n cultures and become more relevant to the communities they serve ”

Wuthering Heights opening at Royal & Derngate in April

Told through the eyes and memories o f h o u s e k e e p e r N e l l y , a l o n e i n h e r kitchen during a long night of the soul, haunted by the story she relives again and again

T h e lea d i ng p u b li sh in g h o u se i n I nd ia , P enguin Rand om House Ind ia, m arks its 3 5th year in Ind ia with the launch of a oneo f-a-kind platform to discover and m ento r e m er g i ng w ri ter s fr o m t h e c o u nt ry, i n association with the w orld’s larg est literary festiv al, the Jaipur Literature Festival Titled T h e P erf ec t P i tc h , i t i s a m en to rs h i p initiativ e to scout for the best pitch fo r u n p u bl is h e d , s u bm is s i o n- rea d y w o rk by aspiring w riters and storytellers, where th e cand idates can win an o pportunity to be g uided by experts in publish ing and th e literary w orld and polish th eir pitch Th e E d it o r Rec o m m e nd s , a f as t- g ro w i n g , p o p ular literary so ci al m ed ia infl uenc er, com es on bo ard as a knowled ge p artner fo r this program me

h a Nat ional Pr ess Night on F r i da y 2 8 A pr i l ah ea d o f a U K t our , playing Oxfor d, London, War wick and Newcast le

Channelling Emily Brontë’s piercing wit and fierce emotion, Inspector Sands present a retelling of this classic story of obsessive love and revenge in a thrilling new version for our times, drawing out t h e m e s o f i n t e r g e n e r a t i o n a l t r a u m a , r a d i c a l i s a t i o n , a n d s o c i a l e x c l u s i o n c o n f r o n t i n g a u d i e n c e s w i t h u r g e n t questions and home truths

S tud

This new Inspector Sands’ adaptation has been conceived and developed by founding members Lucinka Eisler and Ben Lewis with the script written by Ben Lewis and the production directed by L u c i n k a E i s l e r ( I n s p e c t o r S a n d s ’ C oArtistic Director), the work has been a live collaboration from the outset Designer Jamie Vartan (Evening Standard Award nominee for Misterman at the NT), will be bringing the moors and manors to life with integral sound design by Elena Peña (Misty, Bush and West End)

£490 million skills training boost to help get more people into jobs

ting

cilities

Universities and colleges across England will benefit from almost £490 million, giving their students access to w o r l d - c l a s s f a c i l i t i e s a n d e n a b l i n g t h e m t o o f f e r m o r e h i g h - q u a l i t y training opportunities that will set them on a path to a great career

O n e h u n d r e d c o l l e g e s a n d universities have today (8 December) been awarded a share of £432 million to invest over the next three years in stateof-the-art facilities and equipment and help level up more opportunities for people to gain the skills they need to progress

Meanwhile, £57 million has also been awarded to 20 higher education providers for 2022/23, who specialise in areas including s c i e n c e , a g r i c u l t u r e , b u s i n e s s a s w e l l a s

c r e a t i v e a n d p e r f o r m i n g a r t s T h i s funding will support them to offer a wider range of high-quality courses including specialist courses in cancer research, public health and tropical diseases

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said Investing in education and skills w i l l u n l o c k f u t u r e g r o w t h , b o o s t productivity and help build the skilled workforce of the future

That’s why we ’ re spending £490 m i l l i o n t o s u p p o r t h i g h - q u a l i t y teaching and world class facilities in universities and colleges right across the country

Whether it’s in aerospace engineering or green tech, this funding will provide young people with the support they need to build a great career ”

A s p i r i n g w r i t e r s f r o m a l l o v e r t h e country are invited to present the pitch of their finished manuscripts to a jury panel made up of editors, literary experts, and n o t a b l e a u t h o r s C a l l f o r e n t r i e s o p e n s t o d a y , 7 D e c e m b e r , a n d c l o s e s o n 2 5 December Criteria and guidelines are listed in the annexure The finalists will be invited to Jaipur Literature Festival 2023 to present their pitches to the esteemed jury and in front of an audience in an exclusive session Jaipur Literature Festival is scheduled from 19 January to 23 January

The writer with the best pitch will be awarded an opportunity to be mentored in o n e - o n - o n e s e s s i o n s w i t h e x p e r i e n c e d e d i t o r s f r o m P e n g u i n w h o h a v e c o m m i s s i o n e d b e s t - s e l l i n g a n d a w a r dwinning works, an acclaimed author who has published with Penguin and Shreya P u n j , a l s o k n o w n a s T h e E d i t o r Recommends The winner’s work will also be considered for a book deal with Penguin, s h o u l d i t m e e t t h e p u b l i s h i n g h o u s e ’ s requirements

S p e a k i n g a b o u t t h i s p a r t n e r s h i p , N at as h a K a p u r, S eni o r V ic e- P r es id ent , M arketing , Peng uin Random House Ind ia says, “Penguin and Jaipur Literature Festival h a v e a l o n g s t a n d i n g a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h common aspirations to make reading, books and authors accessible On the occasion of Penguin’s 35th anniversary in India, we join hands with Jaipur Literature Festival to present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to India’s budding writers with a chance to pitch their book to an eminent jury of editors and authors in front of an audience of potential readers As a publisher, we aim to discover and promote the best of Indian writing and with Jaipur Literature Festival we get the chance to bring together all elements of the literary community under one roof- the writers, the readers, and the editors, and celebrate India’s vibrant and burgeoning literary culture ”

Sanj oy K Roy, M anag ing Director of T e am w o rk A rts , p ro d u c er o f t he J ai p u r L iterature Festival, said, “It's a delight for the Jaipur Literature Festival to partner with Penguin Random House in creating a space for writers to find their voice Through this initiative, we aim to bridge the gap between new writers waiting in the wings and the global arc of publishing so that new writing can be brought to the forefront ”

new South Asia Gallery will be

Nusrat Ahmed, photo by Maryam Wahid

Singh Twins Exhibition at Manchester Museum

South Asia Gallery object, photo by Michael Pollard

o ur n a l Fr o n t ie r s in A llerg y It ha s been found t hat by 2050 clima te cha nge w i ll si g n i fi c a n t ly in cr e a se a irborne polle n loa ds, wit h some of the la rge st surges in t he Un ited St at es P a n o s G e o r g o p o u l o s , w h o a l s o i s d i r e c t o r o f t h e C o m p u t a t i o n a l

Hemodynamics Laboratory a t R u t g e r s a n d f a c u l t y a t R o b e r t W o o d J o h n s o n M e d i c a l S c h o o l , s a i d , “Pollen is an excellent sentinel for the impacts of climate change because shifts in variables like carbon dioxide and temperature affect the way plants behave At the same time, the production of pollen and pollen’s influence on allergic disease has been increasing due to climate change, and this is one of few studies to fore-

T he seas on of chappe d lips a nd dry s kin is here , and w h i l e mo s t o f u s s p e n d h u n d r e d s o n s k i n c a r e , e specially i n the wi nter, we on ly f ocus on the face and f orget the 93 per cen t of the s ki n below our neck Our b ody is expos ed to harsh a nd d ry we ather w ith the te mper ature droppi ng

Here are some tips we can use to maintain your skin

Use oil- bas ed clean sers : As the first step of your winter routine, include almond or organ-based oil body wash in your body care regime Such oil-based body wash acts as a double cleanser for your dry skin It gives your skin that extra hydration,

Const ipa tion in the winter u s u a l l y be c o m e s a co mm o n i ss u e i n ch i l d r e n , e sp ecia lly th ose who ar en’t g ive n hyd rat ing f oods and a d iet hi gh in fi bre Also, t he stea dy consu mp tion of junk food and dee p-fri ed f ood ite ms only ad ds to the p r o bl e m , m a k i ng b o we l m o v e me nt s p a i nf u l a nd d if fi cult T he ri ght l ife sty le cha ng es i n you r chi ld’s di et l i ke a d d i n g mo r e f i br e , i nc r e a s i n g wa t e r i nt a ke a nd e ncoura gi ng the m to e at gre en lea fy ve geta ble s ca n hel p r eli eve th e sy mpt oms

C h r o n i c c o n s t i p a t i o n in children is quite comm o n T h i s c o n d i t i o n i s , h o w e v e r , t r e a t a b l e T h i s a r t i c l e d i s c u s s e s s e v e r a l

c a s t t h i s t r e n d i n t o t h e future ”

R e s u l t s s h o w e d t h a t even under moderate warming conditions, pollen season will start earlier and last longer throughout the U S , w i t h i n c r e a s i n g a v e r a g e p o l l e n c o n c e n t r a t i o n s i n m o s t p a r t s o f t h e n a t i o n Mean concentrations of oak pollen could climb by more t h a n 4 0 p e r c e n t i n t h e N o r t h e a s t a n d S o u t h w e s t and mean concentrations of ragweed could jump by more than 20 per cent in these areas

R e g i o n a l p o l l e n s h i f t s were observed, too In parts

o f N e v a d a a n d n o r t h e r n T e x a s , o a k p o l l e n l e v e l s could double by mid-century, while Massachusetts and Virginia could see an 80 per c e n t i n c r e a s e i n r a g w e e d pollen by 2050

The pollen research was part of an ongoing project by the Rutgers Ozone Research Center, which is funded by the EPA and New Jersey to study how climate change will influence air quality in the state The bulk of that work examines the state's struggles with ground-level ozone, a byproduct of fossil f u e l c o m b u s t i o n t h a t c a n damage the lungs

Yoga helps in improving cardiovascular health: Research

A ccording to a three-m onth pilot study of hypertension i nd iv id ua ls p u b li sh ed b y E ls ev i er i n th e C a nad ia n Journal of C ardiology, yog a i s m o re ben ef i ci al th a n s tre tc h i ng ex erc i s es f o r i m p ro v in g ca rd i o v a sc u la r h ealth and w ellness Y og a d e cr eas e d s y st ol i c b lo o d pressure and resting heart rate, which reduced 1 0-year cardio vascular risk

For multiple individuals, stretching exercises and the p h y s i c a l a s p e c t s o f y o g a practises share many commonalities but also have sign i f i c a n t v a r i a n c e s R e s e a r c h e r s s a i d , “ W h i l e there is some evidence that yoga interventions and exercise have equal and/or super i o r c a r d i o v a s c u l a r o u tcomes, there is considerable v a r i a b i l i t y i n y o g a t y p e s , components, frequency, session length, duration, and i n t e n s i t y W e s o u g h t t o apply a rigorous scientific approach to identify cardiov a s c u l a r r i s k f a c t o r s f o r which yoga is beneficial for

scrub is gentle on the skin a n d d o e s n ’ t d a m a g e t h e skin Almond powder and walnut shell are two excellent exfoliators

at-risk patients and ways it could be applied in a health setting such as a primary prevention program ”

I n v e s t i g a t o r s r e c r u i t e d 60 individuals with previously diagnosed high blood press u r e a n d m e t a b o l i c s y ndrome for an exercise training program Over the threem o n t h i n t e r v e n t i o n r e g im e n , p a r t i c i p a n t s w e r e d i v i d e d i n t o t w o g r o u p s , which performed 15 minutes of either structured yoga or stretching in addition to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise training five times weekly

Blood pressure, anthro-

Scores were meas u r e d A t b a s eline, there was no d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n g r o u p s in age, sex, smoking rates, body mass index (BMI), resting systolic and d i a s t o l i c b l o o d p r e s s u r e , resting heart rate and pulse pressure

A source from the study quoted in media reports as saying, “As observed in several studies, we recommend that patients try to find exercise and stress relief for managing hypertension and cardiovascular disease in whate v e r f o r m t h e y f i n d m o s t appealing Our study shows that structured yoga practices can be a healthier addition to aerobic exercise than simply muscle stretching ”

First wave Covid-19 patients more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression

smoothening, and nourishment it requires in the cold U se t h i c k m o i s t u r i s e r s :

Moisturisers are a musthave Use thick cream or lotions that contain emollients like shea butter and avocado oil Apply them on exposed skin like ankles,

hands, and neck to prevent dryness and chicken skin

U s e m o i s t u r i s e r b e f o r e going to bed

S cr u b d e a d sk i n o nc e a we ek: People with dry skin should use a scrub at least once a week to eliminate flaky skin A cream-based

Use body oils: Body oils are extremely good for winter, especially if you have dry skin If you have oily skin, use dry skin Use lighter o i l s t h a t h a v e a r g a n , m a c a d a m i a a n d b u r r i t o , and almond oil Body oil is suitable for all skin types a n d g i v e s y o u r s k i n a n extremely satisfying level of nourishment

Keep h ydrat ed: Drinking water is essential, especially in the winter While at i t , a l s o i n c l u d e s e a s o n a l veggies and fruits in your diet

A y u r v e d i c r e m e d i e s y o u could use to help kids Tri pha la

T h e c o m b i n a t i o n o f t h r e e f r u i t s - H a r i t a k i , Bibhitaki and Amalaki is called Triphala It is seen as a fine balancing agent of all t h r e e d o s a s s p e l t i n A y u r v e d a - K a p h a , V a t a , and Pitta Having Triphala solution or tablets regularly can effectively manage b l o o d g l u c o s e l e v e l s a n d intestinal infections It is one of the most popular Ayurvedic medicines recommended to children and pregnant women

No junk food

O n e m u s t s t a y a w a y from junk food to prevent digestive issues To avoid facing the repercussions of

chronic constipation, it is a hardline dietary rule to not have cold foods and drinks, d r i e d f r u i t , s a l a d s a n d b e a n s T h e r e a r e w a r m foods, homemade detoxific a t i o n d r i n k s a n d w e l lc o o k e d v e g e t a b l e s I t should contain nutritionp r o v i d i n g c o m p o n e n t s which relieve the stomach of toxins and bacteria

Milk a nd gh ee

One of the most efficient Ayurvedic remedies is having a hot glass of milk with two spoons of ghee to r e l i e v e c h r o n i c c o n s t i p ation Contrary to popular belief, ghee is an effective A y u r v e d i c a g e n t w h i c h l o w e r s t h e s e v e r i t y o f chronic constipation and gives instant relief

Ba el sherbet

The pulp of bael fruit is m o s t l y a v a i l a b l e i n t h e s u m m e r I t c a n b e c o nsumed in pulp and liquid f o r m , a s s u r i n g a s p e e d y recovery from constipation It is good for digestion and reduces cholesterol levels If you prefer a sweeter bael pulp juice, you can also add tamarind water and jaggery to it, making it sugary and tastier

Anjeer

The fruit is high in fibre a n d a l s o g o o d f o r b o w e l m o v e m e n t I t a l s o e a s e s symptoms of chronic constipation Children can take it to school and have it during recess or lunchtime It also cures indigestion, diarrhea, and loss of appetite

The study relied on participants self-reporting Covid-19, as limited testing was available at the beginning of the pandemic However, the levels of reported infection are similar to two other key UK studies conducted at a similar time They also found that having a mental health condition before the pandemic was associated with increased odds of contracting Covid-19 Possible reasons for this may include lifestyle factors such as smoking, physical health vulnerabilities linked to poor mental health, and lower levels of adherence to government Covid-19 restrictions

The researchers are calling for medical professionals to consider their findings when treating patients who have had Covid-19 Professor O'Connor said, “The findings highlight the importance for GPs and other healthcare professionals to be vigilant to these longer-lasting symptoms and to put in place treatments and support for mental health, as well as physical health, for patients who may have contracted Covid-19 infection ”

The researchers highlighted that long Covid may also be a factor in the findings, as its long-term symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, headaches, brain fog, loss of taste and smell and breathlessness could contribute to anxiety, depression and poor well-being

They concluded that further investigation was needed to identify the causes of the long-term impacts of Covid-19 on mental health

p o m e t r y , h i g hs e n s i t i v i t y Cr e a c t i v e p r o t e i n (hs-CRP), glucose and lipids levels, a n d t h e Framingham and R e y n o l d s R i s k

Kajol reflects on Shah Rukh romancing younger actresses

There has always been a debate about older Bollywood male stars romancing younger female actors Kajol, who recently essayed the role of a mother to a 24-year-old man in ‘Salaam Venky’, reflected upon why actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan are romancing actors 20 years younger than them

Speaking at Agenda Aaj Tak, Kajol said that movies are also ultimately a business which needs to earn profits She said, “I think the heroes of our film industry, in fact, feel they are in this nut for a reason And the reason is that the film industry is a business at the end of the d a y W h a t e v e r y o u d o a t t h e e n d o f t h e business, every hero has to pull in that much to make that film a hit It’s a huge responsibility on their heads ” She, however, clarified that that’s her opinion and not a fact Kajol believes she has been able to play

d i v e r s e r o l e s i n h e r c a r e e r b e c a u s e s h e wasn’t responsible for b r i n g i n g b u s i n e s s t o t h e i n d u s t r y S h e a d d e d , “ S o m e b o d y asked me this question, ‘You have grown as an a c t o r a n d y o u r c o n t e m p o r a r i e s h a v e not grown as diverse as the roles that you have d o n e ’ I t h i n k t h a t really has to do with the fact that they are also stuck down the line b e c a u s e o f t h e n u m b e r g a m e T h e y a r e shouldering that responsibility ”

Kajol will be next seen in ‘The Good Wife’, a n I n d i a n a d a p t a t i o n o f t h e A m e r i c a n courtroom drama of the same name

Bollywood lacks spine: Karan Johar

Anushka-Virat celebrate 5th wedding anniversary

Actor

Anushka Sharma and cricketer

Virat Kohli celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary on December 11 The actor took to Instagram and shared seven pictures of the couple through the years, including funny memes

The first picture featured Virat Kohli photoshopped on the poster of Anushka’s horror film ‘Pari’, which the actor quipped p r o v e s t h a t h e w i l l always have her back T h e s e c o n d p i c t u r e Anushka posted was a meme which featured Virat clicking a selfie with Anushka with the caption “When a West D e l h i g u y l a n d s a South Delhi chick ”

“ W h a t b e t t e r d a y t h a n t o d a y t o p o s t these lovely pictures to celebrate us, my love!

P i c 1 – m e k n o w i n g you ’ ve always got my b a c k P i c 2 - f o r e v e r h o l d i n g g r a t i t u d e i n o u r h e a r t s ( b o t h getting incredibly lucky) Pic 3 – You resting on hospital bed a day-after my long and painful labour “Pic 4 – Us keeping fine taste in things Pic 5- some random fellow Pic 6- you making most of my photos unpost-able with ur unique expressions Pic 7C H E E R S T O U S , M Y L O V E T O D A Y , TOMORROW & FOREVER,” she wrote

A l t h o u g h A n u s h k a k e p t h e r anniversary post fun and light, Virat posted

Filmmaker

Karan Johar has made a strong statement on Bollywood’s alleged inability to make o even criticising himself as part of the indu interaction, he said that the Hindi film indu spine and conviction to try original things stuck in bandwagons and trends

Karan, who has directed blockbuste Hota Hai’, and ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie G industry to all other film industries of getting wrong in recent years Sharin roundtable discussion by Galatta Plus, t h i n k t h e c o r e i s s u e i s t h a t w e c o mainstream industry in Hindi cinema includes myself, which does not have a strong quality that every other cinema panel has That is conviction We ki always go with the flow We had such original voice in Salim-Javed in the 70s ” H e a d d e d , “ W e c r e a t e d a c e r t a i n c h a r a c t e r a n d t h e c o n c e p t o f t h a t angsty, angry hero was derived in other cinemas Then, in the 80s, suddenly something happened and there came a

a dreamy picture of the two with a heartfelt caption “ 5 years on a journey for eternity How blessed Iam to find you , I love you with all my heart ”

Anushka, however, had a cheeky reply t o V i r a t a n d c o m m e n t e d o n h i s p o s t , “Thank god you didn’t go for ‘payback’ post ” While Virat dropped a “My love ” comment on her hilarious post

After months of dating, Anushka and Virat got married in Italy on December 11, 2017 Last year, the couple turned parents

to a baby girl, Vamika Virat and Anushka have been extremely guarded about their daughter's privacy, requesting media and paparazzi to refrain from clicking her

On the work front, Anushka Sharma is back on screen after four years, although in a special appearance in ‘Qala’ The Anvitaa Dutt-directed drama, which was recently released on Netflix, features Anushka as a yesteryear actress

host of remakes That’s where the conviction loss started We popular in Tamil and Telugu ” al trends took hold in Bollywood ole film year after year and said, “In e story that stormed the nation veryone, including myself, decided dwagon, and Shah Rukh Khan was f all our roots in the 70s Then t e d f o r a n O s c a r i n 2 0 0 1 a n d d making those kinds of films In ngg ’ did well and we again started mercial films That’s the problem ally lack- and I say this more for than anyone else- the spine and ction That’s what we need to get all the other industries ” Karan currently heads Dharma Productions His last directorial ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', was released in 2016 He is returning to direction with his next project ‘Rocky Aur R a n i K i P r e m K a h a n i ' , w h i c h eleases in 2023

Shah Rukh pays obeisance at Vaishno Devi shrine in J&K

"The

A brief video, purportedly showing the 57-year-old actor moving towards the Bhawan

with his personal staff and some policemen, is making rounds on the social media Earlier this month, K h a n w a s p h o t o g r a p h e d p e r f o r m i n g

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan offered prayers at the revered shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Monday Khan, dressed in complete black with hooded jacket, reached the shrine late on Sunday night to pay his obeisance, the official said

superstar was at the shrine around 11 30 pm and offered his prayers before returning back," the official said

along

Umrah in Mecca after the schedule wrap of his film 'Dunki' in Saudi Arabia

asks KJo to leave after r about getting married

The trailer for a new episode of ‘Moving In With Malaika’ was released recently, and in the video of the Disney+Hotstar show, Malaika is quizzed about marriage again and is seen getting into an awkward tiff with Nora Fatehi The trailer of the latest episode begins with her close friend and filmmaker Karan Johar meeting her at her house The director asks Malaika, “How does it feel when your ass is such a big topic of discussion?” To which she exclaims, “Are you serious?”

Karan then asks who is currently on her “thirst trap” before asking the million-dollar question– “When are you getting married?” Malika is seen laughing and saying, “Ok bye Karan, you go This is my couch, not yours!”

The trailer later shows the arrival of actor-dancer Nora F a t e h i a n d c h o r e o g r a p h e r T e r e n c e L e w i s , w h o m e e t Malika at a cafe “I have worked with her a couple of times, I felt she was a little blow hot blow cold person, ” Malaika

is heard as saying Terence then pitches the idea of Nora and Malaika dancing to ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’, but Nora doesn’t look convinced and is seen walking off, leaving Terence and Malaika shocked

The 16-episode Disney+ Hotstar series promises to give fans access to her “past, present, and future through u n f i l t e r e d c o n v e r s a t i o n s ” P r o d u c e d b y B a n i j a y A s i a , ‘Moving In With Malaika’ features guest appearances from her friends and family

In a previous episode, the actor had taken a dig at those who targeted her for her walking style, divorce from Arbaaz Khan and relationship with Arjun Kapoor Malaika spoke about Arjun and said that she is not ruining his life by dating him “And unfortunately not only am I old, I am also dating a younger man I mean I have guts I mean I am ruining his life, right? Just a PSA for everyone, I am not ruining his life,” she had said The two have been together for over three years now

Nargis Fakhri 'feels annoyed' when people ask about her dating life

Ranbir talks about being 60 when his children are just 20

Actor Ranbir Kapoor talked about his “biggest insecurity” recently when he attended the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Speaking at the sidelines of the festival, the actor revealed that he wonders if he can play football and run with his children when he is 60 years old

R a n b i r s a i d a t t h e f e s t i v a l , " M y b i g g e s t insecurity is that when my children are 20 and 21, I will be 60 years old W i l l I b e a b l e t o p l a y football with them? Will I b e a b l e t o r u n w i t h them?”

Ranbir and his wife, actor Alia Bhatt became parents to Raha Kapoor on November 6 this year In an Instagram post, Alia announced the baby’s arrival, "And in the best news of our lives:- Our baby is here and what a magical girl she is We are officially bursting with love - Blessed and obsessed parents!!!! Love love love Alia and Ranbir ”

The couple announced their pregnancy in June this year, two months after they tied the knot After dating for several years, they got married on April 14 at Ranbir's Mumbai residence in an intimate ceremony

Announcing their baby s name, Alia had written on Instagram, The name Raha (chosen by her wise and wonderful Dadi) has so many beautiful meanings Raha, in its purest form means divine path in Swahili she is Joy, In Sanskrit, Raha is a clan, In Bangla - rest, comfort, relief, in Arabic peace, it also means happiness, freedom & bliss ”

Ranbir and Alia were recently seen in ‘Brahmastra: Part 1- Shiva’, helmed by Ayan Mukerji The film also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, and Mouni Roy in the lead roles She will be next seen in director Karan Johar's ‘Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’ alongside Ranveer Singh, Dharmendra, and Jaya Bachchan

Ranbir will be next seen in director Luv Ranjan's next untitled romantic comedy film alongside Shraddha Kapoor and in director S

Nargis

Fakhri rose to fame after starring opposite Ranbir Kapoor in ‘Rockstar’ She is known for films like ‘Madras Cafe’, ‘Phata Poster Nikla Hero’, and ‘Main Tera Hero’. Generally a private person, Nargis revealed she finds it odd when people ask her about her dating life. The actress was once in the news for dating actor-producer Uday Chopra. She was later rumoured to be dating Kashmir-born, US-based entrepreneur Tony Beig. However, when asked about it, the actor said, “I’m single until there’s a ring on my finger That is my only comment ” Now, speaking in a new interview, Nargis talked about her private life and said, “I’m honest and authentic, and I don’t see a problem if people ask me about my personal life But the issue is that they highlight that instead of important stuff like work I’m not embarrassed or shy about talking about my personal life But to be honest, I would rather highlight my work ”

She added, “There are some people who deny or don’t talk about their (love lives) but that’s also fine, we need to respect their privacy This business is very strange So what’s left for me? I need to be given something that’s only for me ”

She blamed internet for breaching actors privacy and said, “Even the phone knows what we think because they register our keystrokes Social media knows what we usually look at The internet has distorted the definition of privacy It feels like we're almost naked I feel annoyed sometimes thinking why do people care about who I date? But I try to be nice about it ”

Nargis was last seen in ‘Torbaaz’, which got streamed on Netflix in 2020 The film starred Sanjay Dutt, Rahul Dev, Rahul Mittra among others The film was directed by Girish Malik

Nawazuddin describes his experience of working with Shah Rukh, Salman

“With Salman bhai, the experience is different He’s so generous as an actor that he will give his best dialogues to you to say He’ll be with you in front of the camera and say, ‘Ye le, ye dialogue tu bol le yaar (You can take this dialogue)’ I enjoyed working with bhai a lot,” he added about Salman

Nawazzudin gained recognition after starring in Anurag Kashyap's ‘Gangs of Wasseypur Part 2 ’ in 2012 He was last seen in Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria’s

Nawaz worked with Shah in the 2017 hit ‘Raees’, while with Salman he appeared in hit films 'Kick' (2014), and ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ (2015) Speaking in the interview, the actor said, “The best part of working with Shah Rukh was that we got to do a lot of rehearsals Even when the team would think that a particular scene should be redone, we would shoot it again ”

‘Heropanti 2 ’ , which failed to hit the mark at the box office

The actor will be next seen in his upcoming film ‘Haddi' Directed by Akshat Ajay Sharma and cow r i t t e n b y h i m a n d A d a m y a B h a l l a , t h e f i l m i s scheduled to be released next year Nawazuddin also has films like ‘Tiku Weds Sheru’, ‘Noorani Chehre’ and Bole Chudiya’ in the pipeline

Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has proved his mettle as an actor and over the years gone on to deliver multiple hits He is also among the few actors who have worked with the two reigning Khans- Salman and Shah Rukh In a new interview, he spoke about his work experience with both stars He said the rehearsals were the best part of working with Shah Rukh and called Salman a generous actor

to the sets after a cancer battle Hamsa Nandini returns

tor Hamsa Nandini returned to a film set a year after she was iagnosed with hereditary breast cancer In an Instagram post, vealed that she rang in her birthday on a film set and feels e’s reborn he posted last week, “On the movie set and feeling like I'm n! Bringing in my birthday the best way I know in front of mera is where I m most alive Celebrating tonight with my rs & my movie crew!! Oh how I ve missed this Couldn t been possible without the massive love and support from all u Hugs and kisses Yay! I am back (sic) ” the comment section, several e welcomed her back One comread: “Yaaaaayyy my queen is Y o u ' r e g o i n g t o s i z z l e b a b e msanandini lots of love luck and your way (sic) ” Another wrote, c o m e b a c k Y o u r f i g h t i n g ves all this more strength to you

ast December, Hamsa Nandini to Instagram to share that she positive for hereditary breast r and that she has already under-

TV Listing

9:00 SHUBH PRABHAT

9:30 SUR PRABHAT

10:00 DESHI BEATS

17:00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR (O)

17:30 RASOI SHOW (O)

18:00 RASOI SHOW (O)

18:30 SURI (O)

MON 19 DEC - FRI 23 DEC 2022

6:00 BHAGAT GORA KUMBHAR

9:00 SHUBH PRABHAT

9:30 SUR PRABHAT

10:00 DESHI BEATS

17:00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR (O)

17:30 RASOI SHOW (O)

18:00 RASOI SHOW (O)

18:30 SURI (O)

19:00 JODE REJO RAAJ (O)

19:30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU (O)

20:00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI (O)

20:30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU (O)

21:00 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM (O)

21:30 GEETA (O)

22:00 MARI LADKI RE (O)

SATURDAY 24 DEC 2022

6:00 SAJAN-SONALDE

19:00 JODE REJO RAAJ (O)

19:30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU (O)

20:00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI (O)

20:30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU (O) 21:00 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM (O)

21:30 GEETA (O)

22:00 MARI LADKI RE (O)

SUNDAY 25 DEC 2022

9:00 SHUBH PRABHAT

9:30 SUR PRABHAT

12:00 MENDI RANG LAGYO

15:00 MARI LADKI RE 17:00 RASOI SHOW

19:00 CHHUTA CHHEDA

21:30 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

22:00 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU

MAMTA

SIMAR

gone nine cycles of chemotherapy with seven more to go She recalled that she felt a tiny lump in her breast “That very moment I knew that my life was never going to be the same 18 years ago I had lost my mom to a dreadful disease and I had since lived under its dark shadow I was scared,” she wrote, recalling how the ordeal started

"After a plethora of scans and tests, I walked bravely into the Operation Theatre where my tumour was removed At this point, the doctors confirmed that there was no spread and I was lucky to have caught it early A silver lining, Hamsa added

However, she claimed that the relief was short-lived “I tested positive for BRCA1 (Hereditary Breast Cancer) This means that I have a genetic mutation that almost guarantees that I would have a 70% chance of another Breast Cancer and a 45% chance of Ovarian Cancer throughout my life The only way to mitigate the risk is through some very extensive prophylactic surgeries which I need to undergo before I can claim Victory,” she wrote

Basil Joseph wins top honour at Asian Academy Creative Awards

Filmmaker-actor

Basil Joseph recently won the Best Director (Fiction) honour at the Asian Academy Creative Awards The ceremony, which recognises the best content from 16 APAC countries, took place at the Chijmes Hall in Singapore last week.

Basil received the aw for directing the superher ‘Minnal Murali’ “There have been tons of superhero stories in the past and creating one with a new story and vision was challenging to say the least The Asian Academy Creative Awards recognising my work and praising it has showcased my success in doing so, ” Basil said after winning the award

“It has been a joyride to work with such incredible actors, producers, writers and Netflix, who supported my vision and brought it to life in such a beautiful man-

Starring Tovino Thomas i n t h e l e a d r o l e , ‘ M i n n a l Murali’ tells the tale of two social pariahs who end up g a i n i n g s u p e r h u m a n trengths after being struck by e same lighting While one a hero’s legacy to live up to, er one uses it to hurt those who hurt him The film received rave reviews for the way Basil juxtaposed the hero and the villain, highlighting the dangers of the collective indifference of society in creating destructive forces

Even though the movie was first conceived as a theatrical release, the movie was eventually released through Netflix in 2021 owing to the Covid-induced lockdown Besides Tovino Thomas, the film a l s o s t a r r e d G u r u S o m a s u n d a r a m , A j u Varghese, and Shelly Kishore

Rashmika Mandanna responds to online trolls, ‘Kantara’ remark

Actor

Rashmika Mandanna has responded to the recent controversy around her relationship with Rishab Shetty, who came to fame following the stupendous success of ‘Kantara’ Speaking in a recent media interaction, Rashmika responded to questions about being subjected to trolling She said, “I just have love for them I don’t know what else I’m supposed to say about it It’s left to th

Rashmika drew flak when she said didn’t watch ‘Kantara’ a few weeks ago w a s a c c u s e d o f f o r g e t t i n g h e r r o o Kannada cinema after she found succe Telugu and Tamil film industries “I asked if I had watched the film within 2 days after its release I had not seen it When I saw the film, I messaged the (Kantara) and I also got a nice ‘thank yo a reply,” she said

In an interview, the controversy g bigger when Rishab suggested he doesn l i k e w o r k i n g w i t h R a s h m i k a E v e though he didn’t take her name, hi words and actions were clear that he ha s o m e u n r e s o l v e d i s s u e s w i t h h e Interestingly, Rishab was the director Rashmika’s debut movie ‘Kirik Party’

“See, the world doesn’t know what happening on the inside We can’t alwa put a camera on our personal life an show it We are not these people who will release messages also What people say about our personal life doesn’t matter What they are saying about us professionally is what we will take and work on it,” Rashmika explained

S h e w a s a l s o a s k e d a b o u t t h e rumours that suggested she was banned by the Kannada film producers “So fa have not been banned,” she said I n t h e w a k e o f t h i s c o n t r o v

ner You are only as good as your team, am elated to have worked h such a beautiful one, ” the mmaker-actor added

Rashmika also released a statement expressing her pain of being the subject of online trolling The actor is now waiting for the release of ‘Varisu’ where she has shared screen space with Tamil superstar Vijay The film is due in cinemas in January during the Pongal festival

Their

Pottery

Barn has announced a global partnership with international star Deepika Padukone. The portfolio brand of Williams-Sonoma, Inc., the world’s largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer, Pottery Barn signed the celebrity to promote its international expansion which began with the launch of pottery Barn in July and the opening of the company’s first retail location in

Deepika Padukone is the brand ambassador of Pottery Barn

September in Delhi, India As the brand ambassador, Deepika will also work closely with the brand to co-create a collection. D e e p i k a s a i d , “ I ’ v e a l w a y s b e e n fascinated with spaces and my passion for interior design is no secret! I am t h e r e f o r e t h r i l l e d t o b e c o l l a b o r a t i n g w i t h g l o b a l h o m e f u r n i s h i n g l e a d e r P o t t e r y B a r n a n d l o o k f o r w a r d t o c r e a t i n g t i m e l e s s p i e c e s t o g e t h e r ! ”

Design Officer, said, “We are excited to p a r t n e r w i t h g l o b a l i c o n D e e p i k a Padukone Deepika’s passion for home d e s i g n a n d t i m e l e s s s e n s e o f s t y l e r e s o n a t e w i t h P o t t e r y B a r n f a n s w o r l d w i d e - a n d t h r o u g h o u r c o l l a b o r a t i o n l a u n c h i n g i n 2 0 2 3 , customers will have the opportunity to b r i n g P o t t e r y B a r n ’ s c o v e t e d d e s i g n s infused with Deepika’s signature style into their own homes ”

‘RRR’ gets two nominations at the Golden Globes 2023

SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘RRR’ grabbed two spots on the prestigious 2023 Golden Globes nominations list The movie was nominated in the Best PictureNon-English language category and ompetes with ‘All Quiet on the stern Front’, ‘Argentina’, 5’, ‘Close’, and ‘Decision to ’ o, ‘RRR’ song ‘Naatu Naatu’ n n o m i n a t e d i n t h e B e s t g - Motion Picture category with ‘Carolina’ from ‘Where the Crawdads sing’, ‘Ciao Papa’ from ‘Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio’ ‘Hold My Hand’ from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Lift Me Up’ from ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ R a j a m o u l i e x p r e s s e d h i s h a p p i n e s s o n Twitter following the nominations announcement He t w e e t e d , “ T h a n k s t o t h e j u r y a t @ g o l d e n g l o b e s f o r nominating #RRRMovie in two categories Congratulations to the entire team Thanks to all the fans and audience for your unconditional love and support through out ”

Hrithik, Mahira share a conversation at Jeddah fest

On the work front, Mahira was last seen with Fawad Khan in ‘Maula Jatt’, which was released earlier this year She also has her upcoming project ‘Neelofar’ with Fawad in the pipeline

interaction

f i

s i

n a l a w a r d s including Rajamouli’s Best Director award by the New Y o r k F i l m C r i t i c s C i r c l e The film also bagged the Saturn award in the Best I n t e r n a t i o n a l F i l m c a t e g o r y T h e N a t i o n a l B o a r d o f R e v i e w n a m e d ‘RRR’ one of its ten best f i l m s o f t h e y e a r T h e magnum opus also bagged the second position in the Best Picture category at the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards 2022

‘RRR’ released on March 24 this year and stars Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt and Shriya Saran among others The film has grossed over Rs 1200 crore globally

Keeravani wins Best Original Score for ‘RRR’ at Boston Society of Film Critics ‘R

Last week, the film bagged the Best International Film award at the Atlanta Film Critics Circle Atlanta Film Critics Circle shared a photo of lead actors Ram Charan and Jr NTR and tweeted, "The 2022 Atlanta Film Critics Circle Awards Best International Picture: RRR " Before this, SS Rajamouli had won the best director award at the New York Film Critics Circle The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) announced the winners on its social media platforms RRR's Twitter handle also shared the news of SS Rajamouli's win at the movie gala

d Hrithik’s girlfriend Saba Azad Sitting near each other next to the stage, Hrithik wore a white shirt under a black jacket and matching pants, while Mahira was seen in a sleeveless golden-coloured gown with a shimmery transparent cape over it Apart from Hrithik and Mahira, the festival, which took place over several days, was also attended by Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Sonam Kapoor, Kareena

e n s

Meanwhile, Hrithik will be seen in ‘Fighter’, which is being helmed by Siddharth Anand Apart from him, the film also stars Deepika Padukone, Karan Singh Grover, and Akshay Oberoi in pivotal roles Anil Kapoor is also a part of the movie, which is considered India's first aerial action drama ‘Fighter’ is scheduled to release in theatres on January 25, 2024 Hrithik was most recently seen in ‘Vikram Vedha’, the Hindi remake of the Tamil hit of the same name

‘RRR is a Telugu feature film based on the lives of two Telugu freedom fighters, Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem Released theatrically in March, it raised over £110 million at the global box office The Hindi version of the film premiered on Netflix on May 20 and soon became the most popular movie from India on the streamer globally

Despite huge success, ‘RRR’ was not selected as India's official entry for Oscars 2023 So the makers applied in 14 categories under ' F o r y o u r c o n s i d e r a t i o n ' c a m p a i g n T h e t e a m h a s a s k e d f o r

consideration for the Oscars in categories including - Best Picture (DVV Danayya), Best Director (SS Rajamouli), Best Actor (Jr NTR and Ram Charan), Best Supporting Actor (Ajay Devgn), Best Supporting Actress (Alia Bhatt) and more

Jr NTR also posted on Twitter and said “Delighted that #RRRMovie has been nominated in two categories at the G o l d e n G l o b e A w a r d s ! C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o a l l o f u s Looking forward ” The movie has been in the headlines ever since it hit theatres and its recent success in the West The

l m h a s b a g g e d v a r i o u

n t e r n a t i o

Monica Bhargava, Pottery Barn's Chief

Actor Hrithik Roshan was seen sharing a conversation with Pakistani actor Mahira Khan as they sat together at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Several pictures and videos of the two emerged online over the weekend Both the actors attended the closing ceremony of the festival

heart-warming

has prompted n e t i z

t o d r a w p a r a l l e l s b e t w e e n M a h i r a a n

Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and

RR’ composer MM Keeravani won Best Original Score at the Boston Society of Film Critics The movie continues to dominate critics’ awards in the western hemisphere The Boston Society of Film Critics Circle took to Twitter to write, “WINNER, Best Original Score: RRR (by M M Keeravani), Runner Up: WOMEN TALKING (by Holder Guðnadóttir)”

Usha becomes 1st woman IOA president

m u l t i p l e A s i a n G a m e s g o l d medlast, sprinter Usha, and one o f I n d i a ’ s m o s t d e c o r a t e d badminton players and coach, Pullela Gopichand Finally, the p e o p l e r u n n i n g t h e s p o r t s administration in the country picked ‘Payolli Express’ as their unanimous choice

in brief

RAHANE & ISHANT MAY LOSE BCCI’S CENTRAL CONTRACTS

p o rt s b o d y f o r de c ad es T h e e le c ti o n s ar e subject to th e Su preme Co urt’s app ro val

E x c e p t f o r n e w t r e a s u r e r Sahdev Yadav, who owes his allegiance to Lalit Bhanot camp, n o n e o f t h e e l e c t e d o f f i c eb e a r e r s c o u l d s a y h e o r s h e b e l o n g s t o f o r m e r p r e s i d e n t Narinder Dhruv Batra or exs e c r e t a r y g e n e r a l R a j e e v

Mehta’s camp But one thing c a n d e f i n i t e l y b e s a i d – t h e newly-elected panel has every i m p r i n t o f t h e r u l i n g dispensation at the Centre

According to sources, the n a m e s o f s e a s o n e d B J P p o l i t i c i a n s s u c h a s H i m a n t a

Biswa Sarma, Arjun Munda and D r A n i l J a i n d i d t h e r o u n d s initially for the president’s post A f t e r i t w a s d e c i d e d t h a t a sportsperson has to be handed over the reins of a divided and f a c t i o n - r i d d e n I O A , t h e t w o n a m e s z e r o e d i n w e r e o f

I O A o f f i c e - b e a r e r s : P T Usha (president), Ajay H Patel (senior VP), Gagan Narang & R a j L a x m i S i n g h D e o ( V P s ) , S a h d e v Y a d a v ( t r e a s u r e r ) , Kalyan Chaubey & Alaknanda Ashok (JSs), Amitabh Sharma, Bhupender Singh Bajwa, Lt Gen H a r p a l S i n g h , R o h i t R a j p a l , D o l a B a n e r j e e & Y o g e s h w a r Dutt (ECs), M C Mary Kom & A c h a n t a S h a r a t h K a m a l ( a t h l e t e s c o m m i s s i o n members)

Consolation win for India against Bangladesh

Is han K ishan was an ep itome of i n s an e p o we r- h i t ti n g as h i s record breaking fastest do uble h u nd re d p r o vi d ed a h ea li n g tou ch in India’ s crushing 227r u n c o n s o l at io n vi c t o ry o ve r B a ng la de s h in th e i nc o nseq u enti al t hi rd ODI a t C h a tt o gr am o n S at u rd ay D es pite the reco rd margi n of v i c to r y b i gg es t by a ny te a m agai nst Bangladesh the 1 -2 series defeat will certainly rankle th e I ndian team as bo th matches slip ped away fro m its grasp after being i n p ole position

Virat Kohli (113) struck his 44th ODI hundred The century came Kohli’s way after nearly 40 months of barren spell but it w a s e a s i l y o v e r s h a d o w e d b y Kishan’s blitzkrieg as his 210 off

131 balls formed the cornerstone of India’s mammoth total of 409 f o r 8 H i s i n n i n g s h a d 2 4 boundaries and 10 sixes and the double ton came off only 126 balls

The total was always going t o b e i n s u r m o u n t a b l e a n d B a n g l a d e s h w e r e n e v e r i n contention as they were bowled out for 182 in 34 overs with all t h e I n d i a n b o w l e r s b e i n g a m o n g s t w i c k e t s A x a r P a t e l

( 2 / 2 2 ) , S h a r d u l T h a k u r (3/30), Umran Malik (2/43), M o h a m m e d S i r a j ( 1 / 2 7 ) and Kuldeep Yadav (1/53) n e v e r r e a l l y a l l o w e d t h e h o m e t e a m b a t t e r s t o dominate as they shared t h e s p o i l s a m o n g themselves

Bangladesh win ODI series I n d i a ’ s s h o d d y b a t t i n g display and the inability to land the killer blow contributed to their second successive series l o s s i n B a n g l a d e s h a f t e r t h e d i m i n u t i v e M e h i d y H a s a n Miraz led the hosts to a five-run win in the second ODI with a m e m o r a b l e h u n d r e d e a r l i e r M i r a z t o r m e n t e d t h e I n d i a n bowlers on way to his maiden century as Bangladesh staged a

remarkable recovery to reach 271/7

India’s challenge looked all over at 207 for seven but skipper Rohit Sharma’s (51 not out off 28 balls) valiant effort went in-vain as he nearly took his team home while batting with a split left webbing

India needed a six off the f i n a l b a l l o f t h e g a m e b u t Mustafizur did well to perfect t h e y o r k e r u n d e r p r e s s u r e after bowling a slew of slow l e g - b r e a k s i n t h e 4 8 t h o v e r forcing Mohammed Siraj to play out a maiden Bangladesh had also won their last ODI series against at home back in 2015 when Mashrafe Mortaza’s men got the better of M S Dhoni and Co

The BCCI is likely to remove out-of-favour Test specialists Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma from its annual central contracts while Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav may get promotion when the list for the 2022-23 season is finalised during the Board s Apex Council meeting on December 21 The meeting, which has 12 items on the agenda, will be held via video conference Hardik Pandya, who is being seen as future T20 captain, is likely to get a promotion to Group B from C Stumper-batter Wriddhiman Saha will also be axed from the list as he was specifically told at the start of the year that he won't be selected for India again “Surya was in Group C but his performance in the last one year warrants a promotion to Group B at least, if not A He is currently world No 1 in T20I ICC rankings and is a serious contender in ODI team also,” a senior official

VAISHALI, PARUL CLINCH DOUBLES GOLD IN PERU

Two women para shuttlers from Gujarat brought laurels for the country, bagging a gold medal in the doubles, at the recentlyconcluded Peru para badminton international 2022 in Lima Vaishali Patel and Parul Parmar teamed up to defeat India’s Mandeep Kaur and Kelly Edith 21-17 21-19 to win the gold medal The duo had thrashed India’s Charanji Kaur and Maria Brenda 21-9 21-9 in the last four clash The pair had competed in the combined SL-3 (standing/lower limb impairment/severe) and SU-5 (standing/upper limb impairment) category Vaishali said, The victory means a lot to me The doubles triumph has helped me climb up the ranking ladder from 28th position to 8th It has improved my chances to qualify for the Asian Games in China next year and World Paralympic championship in Thailand ”

E n g la nd p u ll ed o f f a s eri e sclinch ing 26-run victory ag ainst P akistan in the dram atic second test in M ultan o n Monday in a fresh vindication of their hig hly entertaining brand of cricket A w eek af ter p ul li ng o ff a m em orable v ictory in the series o p e ne r i n Ra w al p in d i , Be n S tokes and his men prev ailed in yet anoth er thriller to register, w ith a match to spare, England’s first series win in P akistan since 20 00-0 1

The hosts, set a daunting victory target of 355, added to the drama with their spirited rearguard before being all out for 328 in the second session on

t h e p e n u l t i m a t e d a y o f t h e contest England had won only two away tests against Pakistan prior to the start of this series

Under Stokes, England have now won eight of the nine test matches playing a positive and result-oriented cricket that has endeared them to the fans Day

f o u r b e g a n w i t h P a k i s t a n needing 157 runs to level the series, and England requiring six wickets to clinch it Partt i m e s p i n n e r J o e R o o t dismissed overnight batsman Faheem Ashraf to claim his 50th test wicket but Pakistan clawed back into the contest riding Saud Shakeel’s 80-run s t a n d w i t h M o h a m m a d Nawaz (45)

Saud (94) held the fort while N a w a z c o u n t e r - a t t a c k e d t o transfer the pressure back on England until Mark Wood (4-65) i n t e r v e n e d T h e p a c e m a n strangled Nawaz down the leg s i d e a n d t h e n e n d e d S a u d ’ s

gallant knock via a debatable d i s m i s s a l T h e s o f t c a u g h tbehind signal against Saud was upheld though replays suggested the ball in Ollie Pope’s gloves may had grazed the turf

With only 64 runs separating them from victory with three w i c k e t s i n h a n d , P a k i s t a n refused to throw in the towel Abrar Ahmed, who had claimed 1 1 w i c k e t s i n h i s d e b u t t e s t , s m a s h e d f o u r f o u r s i n j e c t i n g fresh drama into the contest England could not be denied their victory and Ollie Robinson s e a l e d i t w h e n h e h a d Mohammad Ali caught behind for a duck

Deepika to unveil FIFA World Cup trophy during final in Qatar

To promote equality, diversity and inclusion, it has published updates on its progress, the ECB made 12 commitments It said a new system that could deal with complaints of discrimination had "taken longer than anticipated"

Still, it said 208 complaints were received last year, all of which have now been reviewed "The ECB anticipates the first phase of the implementation plan will be operational by the end of December 2022, followed by phase two by spring 2023," it said

T h e E C B h a s a l s o p l e d g e d t o c o n t i n u e a n t i - d i s c r i m i n a t i o n training and around 4,500 people have completed the training in 2022, including 97% of ECB employees

Deepika Padukone w il l un veil the FIFA Worl d Cup trophy in Q at ar l a te r t hi s m on t h, a c c or di n g t o r ep o rts T h e trophy will b e unveiled before th e W or l d C u p f i n al on Decemb er 18

Deepika is expected to fly to Qatar soon to participate in t h e e v e n t T h e 3 6 - y e a r - o l d w i l l b e t h e f i r s t a c t o r t o receive such an honour at the w o r l d ' s m o s t - w a t c h e d sporting event L a s t w e e k , N o r a F a t e h i

performed at a FIFA Fan Fest event in Qatar Dressed in a s h i n y d r e s s , F a t e h i s e t t h e stage on fire dancing to the World Cup anthem 'Light the sky' She also grooved to her hit songs such as O Saki Saki H e r p e r f o r m a n c e r e c e i v e d immense praise with several a t t e n d e e s t a k i n g t o s o c i a l m e d i a t o p r a i s e F a t e h i ' s d a n c e O n D e c e m b e r 1 8 , Deepika is expected to unveil the World Cup trophy at the Lusail Iconic Stadium

AHMEDABAD TO HOST 4TH TEST OF INDIAAUSTRALIA SERIES

Nagpur Delhi Dharamsala and Ahmedabad have been chosen as the venues for the much awaited four-Test series between India and Australia from February 9 to March 13 The BCCI announced the schedule for the BorderGavaskar Trophy as well as the limited overs home series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand in January-February The Test series will be part of the World Test Championship cycle The VCA Stadium in Jamtha will host the opening Test from February 9-13 before the caravan moves to Delhi for the second Test from February 17-21 Third Test takes place in Dharamsala from March 1-5 The final game of the series will be played in Ahmedabad from March 9-13 The two teams will also play a three-match ODI series with the games being played at Mumbai, Vizag and Chennai on March 17 19 and 22 respectively

PAK BLIND TEAM GETS VISA FOR WC

Decks have been cleared for the Pakistan blind cricket team to take part in the ongoing Blind Cricket World Cup in India after the Union home ministry s visa clearance to 34 players and officials of the neighbouring country After its nod the Ministry of External Affairs will issue the Visas to the Pakistani players and officials so that they can travel to India for the Dec 5-17 tournament Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council had claimed that its team could not get

P T Usha