AV 18th February 2023

Rupanjana Dutta

Several Victorian love letters written by the parents of a former prime minister were published online in time for Valentine's Day. The letters were among several papers that were bought last year for the national archives by National Records Scotland (NRS) Sky News reported that the letters were written in 1843 by James Maitland Balfour, then MP for Haddington in East Lothian, and his bride-to-be, Lady Blanche Cecil, the daughter of the Marquess of Salisbury

Continued on page 06

Glorious Golden Jubilee Awards pay tribute to Indian entrepreneurs globally

Subhasini Naicker

G u j a r a t S a m a c h a r m a r k i n g i t s 5 0 - y e a r anniversary, hosted the Glorious Golden Jubilee Awards in the House of Lords on M o n d a y 6 F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 3 . T h e a w a r d s w e r e h e l d t o m a r k t h e n e w s w e e k l y ’ s 5 decades in serving the community under the able leadership of Editor-in-Chief CB Patel and paid tribute to the community of successful Indian entrepreneurs, globally.

Continued on page 16-17

CB Patel with Manjit Singh

Kiara, Sidharth throw star-studded reception in Mumbai

India sends relief materials to Turkey, Syria

India takes the top spot for U K’s biggest Scotch whisky imports

His Majesty and the Queen Consort meet London’s Bangladeshi community

Indian thanked by the late Queen for Covid services faces deportation

The Bhavan celebrates Republic Day with a special honour to the Indian High Commissioner

with Keith Vaz

A N I SA NA SI R

An isa Nasir was b orn a nd br oug ht up in Lahore , Pa kistan a s t he eld est of 5 siblings She st udied Bache lor of Art s in Psychology a nd En glish Lite rat ure an d e njoye d it ve r y much Afte r get ting mar ried , she the n came to the UK in the ea rly 80 s and hav e spe nt her life he re eve r sin ce

Her husband and her have 3 wonderful children and have 5 grandchildren She got into the media industr y around 25 years ago and has loved ever y minute She has been a radio and T V presenter and hosted many shows and concerts and more This came from her passion for poetr y and music and she wanted to share with the world She loves speaking with people and helping to bring smiles upon their faces

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

Although I have lived in the UK longer than I have lived in Pakistan, Pakistan will always be the place where I most feel at home Home is where the heart is, and although I love travelling, Pakistan is ver y special for me

2) What are your proudest achievements?

My proudest achievements have to be my 3 children I am also ver y proud of the fact that I have represented myself as a wellknown presenter in the media industr y within such a multicultural environment

3) What inspires you?

I am most inspired by things around me, such as nature, beautiful scener y, sounds of the ocean, sunshine, beautiful weather and positive vibes of those who I surround myself with Life is too short to be uninspired!

4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

Traff ic! Since I began my career more than 25 years ago, I have had to travel from East London to West London ever y single day and the traff ic was horrendous! But I did it for my fans and as stressful as it was, it never stopped me from showing up! I also had a health scare back in 2002 which I thought would stop me from doing what I most love, but all thanks to God, all is well

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

The biggest influence on my career to date has to be Dr Avtar Lit He hired me on Sunrise Radio 1458 more than 25 years ago He believed in me and saw the potential within me when I did not He gave me the platform to build my career on and for that I will forever be grateful

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

The best aspect about my current role is that as a radio presenter on Lyca Radio, I feel like I am a part of my listeners lives and they are a part of mine The over whelming connection I feel with my listeners is like no other, it honestly feels like i have an extended family through my show

7) And the worst?

Honestly there is no worst aspect! I genuinely see no downfall, if I did, I don’t think I would have continued with this career!

8) What are your long-term goals?

My long-term goals are to continue this passion of mine for as long as health allows me too! Although I have listeners across the world, I would actually love to do something similar in Pakistan at some point in the f u t u r e Pe r h a p s a r a d i o s h o w o r a T V show who knows!

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

I would give student loans to all the stud e n t s w i t h o u t a s k i n g t h e m t o r e p a y Education is so critical, and I don't believe that one should be in debt by this

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

This is a hard one! There are so many great historical f igures that I would want to spend time with and ask many questions! However, I have to say I would choose the greatest poet of all time; Mirza Ghalib He was a well-known poet in the Persian and Urdu languages I would ask him where he got his inspiration from, and I would learn so much from him!

British Gas rides profit wave as citizens struggle to keep lights on

Th e owner of British Gas is p o i s e d to p ro v o ke m o re anger wh en i t announces a re c o rd £3 b i ll i o n a nn u al prof it thanks to the rising en e rgy p ri c es t h a t h ave c au s e d mi s e r y fo r c o nsumers Britain’s biggest househ o l d e n e r g y s u p p l i e r i s already under f ire after The Times revealed that it was fo rc i bly i n s t a l l i n g p re p ayment meters in the homes

o f v u l n e r a b l e c u s t o m e r s s t r u g g l i n g t o p a y e n e r g y bills, which are at a record h i g h C e n t r i c a , t h e F T S E 100 group that owns British Gas, is expected to say on T h u r s d a y t h a t i t m a d e adjusted operating prof its of £3 billion in 2022 the highest in its histor y That would be more than three times higher than a year earlier and would outstrip its previous record of £2 7 bil-

Youngsters cutting back on socialising due to cost of living crisis

A p o ll h a s fo u n d th at young p eople are feeling increasing ly lonely - with the cost of liv ing crisis leading m any to take on extra work, m ove in with th e i r p ar ent s a nd cu t back on socialising

The poll, conducted in December, found 37% of 18 to 24-year-olds felt lonelier this winter than they did a year earlier E n g l a n d s l a s t r e m a i n i n g C O V I D r e g u l a t i o n s w e r e lifted nearly a year ago, but t h e c o s t o f l i v i n g c r i s i s m e a n s y o u n g p e o p l e a r e struggling to take advantage of their new freedoms

The effects of inflation mean almost half of those aged 16 to 25 fear they will never earn enough to start a family, a report found, while o t h e r r e s e a r c h h a s fo u n d

young people are likely to be "c a u t i o u s l y h o p e f u l " b u t "s t r u g g l i n g " i n 2 0 2 3 B u t many young people are having to work more than one job to make ends meet

Some 36% of young people sur veyed said that they have less free time than they did a year ago, compared with just 24% of the public as a whole Sur vey of 2,235 British

a d u l t s , i n c l u d i n g 4 0 0 p e o p l e a g e d 1 8 t o 2 4 , b e t w e e n t h e 7 a n d 9 found that 45% of young p e o p l e h a d t a ke n o n more hours at work since Januar y 2022 due to rising prices, while 21% said they had taken on a second job as a result of the spending squeeze And in a bid to avoid rising rents and energy bills, nearly 2 3 % h a v e m o v e d i n w i t h family

The poll also found that y o u n g p e o p l e w e r e m o r e than twice as likely to report m i s s i n g e n e r g y b i l l p a yments as the general public, while 18% said they had fallen behind on housing payments Others have staved off falling behind on bills in ways that may be diff icult to sustain

20% households missed to claim government energy vouchers

October and November – 380,000 each month – with those not taking them up among the UK’s poorest Consumer groups, which have called on ministers to allow households a second chance to claim the vouchers, said as much as £50m of government support for gas and electricity bills had gone unclaimed

B i l l p a y m e n t f i r m PayPoint sent out hundreds of thousands of vouchers in No v e m b e r w o r t h £ 6 6 a month under a government

lion, set in 2012

Prof its at the British Gas energy supply division are expected to account for only about £104 million or 3 5 per cent of the total, according to the forecasts from analysts at Investec That would be lower than in 2021, as customers used less energy during the unusually mild s t a r t t o t h e w i n t e r However, this is unlikely to spare Centrica criticism as the company banks bumper prof its from its North Sea oil and gas production, its interests in nuclear power plants and its energy trading b u s i n e s s , w h i c h h a v e a l l benef ited from high prices

E n e r g y b i l l s h a v e already risen to £2,500 a year for a typical household and are due to increase to £3,000 a year from April C e n t r i c a h a s r e p e a t e d l y upgraded its prof it outlook as it emerged as a winner from the energy crisis It told investors last month t h a t i t e x p e c t s p o s t - t a x p r o f i t s t o b e m o r e t h a n seven times higher than a year earlier

s u p p o r t s c h e m e Bu t o n ly 81% of those vouchers had been redeemed on Sunday when they ran out – 90 days after they were issued The redemption rate is broadly c o m p a r a b l e t o s i m i l a r schemes like the warm home discount, PayPoint said Ho w e v e r, c a m p a i g n e r s said if similar rates occurred across all issuers of vouchers it would lead to many more households missing out on s e v e r a l m i l l i o n p o u n d s between them Last month

Citizens Advice said 3 2 million people – the equivalent of one person ever y 10 seconds – were left with cold a n d d a r k h o m e s l a s t ye a r after running out of prepay credit

The charity said 600,000 people were forced to switch

from credit meters – which allow consumers to pay by direct debit – after they had run up debt with their energy supplier in 2022, compared with 380,000 in 2021 T h e v o u c h e r s a r e p a r t o f R i s h i Su n a k ’ s p r o m i s e i n May 2022 to give £400 to e v e r y h o u s e h o l d t o h e l p them with their energy bills Fo r m o s t h o u s e h o l d s t h i s amount was simply deducted from their direct debits Ho w e v e r, c u s t o m e r s w i t h prepayment meters had to redeem vouchers Steve O’Neill, corporate affairs and marketing direct o r a t Pa yPo i n t , s a i d t h e energy bill support scheme ( E B S S ) v o u c h e r s w e r e administered by the company ’ s 28,000 retailer partners across the UK

Doubts raised over redundancy payment and loan write offs

A fo rm er L a bo u r P art y chairm an was questioned by the tax au thorities after he receiv ed alm ost £14 0,0 00 in p ay m en ts a nd w ri tt en- o f f loans from h is trade union

Ian Laver y, the MP for Wa n s b e c k i n No r t h u m b e r l a n d , t o l d a n HMRC enquir y into his tax affairs found there was “ no f u r t h e r a s s e s s m e n t n e c e ss a r y ” b u t h e d e c l i n e d t o answer repeated questions on whether he had declared all his payments and loans from the Northumberland Na t i o n a l Un i o n o f M i n e w o r ke r s ( N U M ) M r Laver y, who led the small branch of the NUM before becoming an MP, benef ited f r o m t h e s e a r r a n g e m e n t s between 2007 to 2013 D a n Ne i d l e , t h e t a x lawyer who received legal t h re a t s a f t e r h e b e g a n t o question Nadhim Zahawi’s t a x a r r a n g e m e n t s , i s n o w

calling on Mr Laver y to clari f y h i s d i s c u s s i o n s w i t h

HMRC Mr Laver y insisted his tax affairs were up to date, but did conf irm he had been the subject of what he termed a “desktop review” of his tax affairs by HMRC

After becoming an MP in May 2010, Mr Laver y initially received redundancy payments of £60,600 with-

o u t t a x f r o m t h e N U M branch he had been the gen-

eral secretar y of for eight y e a r s No r t h u m b e r l a n d N U M t h e n re c o g n i s e d a n overpayment of £30,600 on the redundancy Mr Laver y paid £15,000 back, but not t h e r e m a i n i n g £ 1 5 ,6 0 0 , meaning he retained a total of £45,600

I n O c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 , t h e C e r t i f i c a t i o n O f f i c e fo r

Trade Unions and Employer

A s s o c i a t i o n s r e p o r t e d o n a l l e g a t i o n s o f f i n a n c i a l i r r e g u l a r i t i e s w i t h i n No r t h u m b e r l a n d N U M W h i l e r e d u n d a n c y p a ym e nt s a re t a x f re e u p t o £ 3 0 , 0 0 0 , t h e Ce r t i f ic a t io n O f f i c e s a i d t h e r e w a s n o

documentar y evidence that Mr Laver y went through a r e d u n d a n c y p r o c e s s T h e

Northumberland NUM also wrote off loans to Mr Laver y totalling £91,545 It is understood this money was used to help pay off Mr Laver y ’ s home mortgage

Ian Lavery MP

A stitch in time saves nine

This year, as Brits celebrate Valentine’s Day, many at home, as the cost-of-living crisis pinches their pocket (see p1) People are unable to spend on premium brands and purchasing fewer items However small, affordable, and homely items are on the rise, including plant-based chocolates People are opting for home deliveries and whipping up a storm in the kitchen, to make experiences more affordable and personalised

While tougher benefit rules have boosted employment in the UK but have also trapped workers in dead-end jobs and weakened incentives to move from part to full-time work, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)

As Britain is expected to be the only major industrialised country to see its economy shrink this year, amid rising interest rates and higher taxes, the government is frantically trying to find ways to boost economic growth

With Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, having launched an inquiry into why hundreds of thousands of people have left the workforce recently, and the Treasury keen to get more people into full-time work, the question of why more people isn’t increasing their hours amid a persistent shortage of workers has once more moved centre-stage

More than 8 million people – a quarter of the UK workforce – are in part-time work now, the latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show

Influential Tory backbenchers are putting pressure on the chancellor to introduce a range of measures to help make childcare more affordable so parents can get back to work

In a speech last month, Mr Hunt urged early retirees and those struggling to find a new job to rejoin the workforce “We need you, and we will look at the conditions necessary to make it worth your while,” he said

Several middle and higher earner couples have said that punitive childcare costs and income taxation meant that going part-time and generating income through property ownership was financially more lucrative than full-time employment

In the meantime, former Chancellor Philip Hammond has admitted that Britain has got poorer because of Brexit

The senior Tory said the Covid-19 pandemic and the soaring cost of energy have also contributed to the cost-ofliving crisis His comments are significant because the government has repeatedly denied that leaving the European Union has had a negative impact on the economy Hammond - who was chancellor between 2016 and 2019 and an MP for 22 years - backed Remain in the Brexit Referendum

The Duke of Sussex has also spoken of the ‘tremendous pressure ’ the cost-of-living crisis, as he released his first charity video since the publication of Spare

Harry has now highlighted the work of families caring for children who rely on life-saving equipment, in a recorded message for the charity WellChild The Duke – dressed in a pale blue open-necked shirt in the clip – appeared to be wearing the necklace he accused the Prince of Wales of ripping

In the meantime, the City of London is planning to ask its cluster of skyscrapers to dim their lights at night as part of a new strategy to reduce visual pollution and save energy

Property owners across the Square Mile will be asked to switch off any unnecessary building lights as part of a proposal by the City of London Corporation to create “brightness zones ” governed by curfews City officials are concerned about energy wastage and light pollution caused by the unnecessary use of lights in office buildings that have few or no workers after a certain time of night

“Over time, as new developments come forward that follow this guidance, we will transform the approach to lighting in the City,” the corporation said in a planning document During the curfew, the City will ask buildings to turn off or dim all external illumination other than that required for safety or crime prevention Internal lights should also be dimmed significantly, although buildings in business areas will be allowed to have brighter lights if needed by workers

Residential areas and those with special heritage status will be assigned earlier curfews than those in central business districts City officials said that efforts to tackle light pollution needed to be balanced with the fact that some people work through the night, especially when keeping international hours, while the area ’ s many bars and restaurants are open until late

“The City is a unique place in which 24/7 business districts and busy transport hubs rub up against historic buildings and residential neighbourhoods,” said Shravan Joshi, City of London Corporation planning and transportation committee chair The corporation’s strategy “is aimed at ensuring an intelligent, sensitive approach to lighting, which ensures the City is safe and accessible while protecting its historic character”, he added The corporation’s planning document says that developments should “ ensure all external and internal lighting is automatically turned off when not needed using [motion sensors]”

The local authority will hold consultations on the planning document

Discovery of lithium a milestone for India

A sense of euphoria has engulfed the country after the Ministry of Mines announced that the Geological Survey of India has discovered lithium in Kashmir, with inferred reserves of 5 9 million tonnes (mt) Lithium is the primary ingredient for making the most sought-after electrochemical batteries, viz , lithium-ion batteries There are other electrochemical batteries blossoming in research laboratories, such as those based on zinc, sodium and iron, and indeed, there are many other ways of storing energy - ranging from flow batteries to pumped storage - but there is no denying that today, lithium is the king

Lithium is the lightest metal and the third element in the periodic table, after hydrogen and helium, both of which are gases It is highly reactive If you put a pellet of lithium in water, it will start sizzling like pakora in hot edible oil and could even catch fire It is extremely light and a good donor of electrons - which makes it the preferred electrode material in batteries But to make better batteries, lithium is mixed with other elements, such as cobalt, iron, phosphorus or sulphur: but it remains the main stuff in lithium-ion batteries India in 2020-21 imported £17 3 million worth of lithium metal and £881 1 million worth of lithium batteries In the April – November period of 2022, the numbers were £16 4 million and £798 6 million respectively In the same period, India also imported £33 9 million worth of lithium hydroxide and £9 5 million worth of lithium carbonate, both of which doubled over the corresponding period of the previous year This gives a sense of buoyancy in imports

These numbers will only increase, exponentially, as, according to Niti Aayog, the demand for advanced chemistry cell batteries is set to increase between 104 GWhr and 260 GWhr by 2030, compared with about 3 GWhr now The Ministry of Mines has estimated that the reserves could contain 5 9 mt of lithium To compare, the previous discovery in India, in the Mandya district of Karnataka in 2021, was estimated at 1,600 tons To put this in perspective, Bolivia has 21 mt, Argentina 17 mt, Chile 9 mt, US 6 8 mt, Australia 6 3 mt, and China 4 5 mt However, the 5 9 mt estimate of the Kashmir find is only in the ‘inferred’ category A lot of work needs to be done before it is established as mineable reserves The GSI survey was a ‘preliminary survey ’ (or, ‘G3’), which is the second step in the exploration of minerals after ‘reconnaissance surveys (G4) After further exploration, the exact reserves will be determined and then will start the process of securing environmental clearances and tendering out for mining Hopefully, as all this happens, a processing

industry will evolve in India A highly optimistic estimate would be seven years, but 10 years looks feasible In the meantime, India has to do with imports Fortunately, under the Indo-Australia FTA, lithium can be imported duty-free

The discovery is important for India because it actually can compete with the global average It is one of the most crucial metals that is currently used in electric vehicle (EV) b a t t e r i e s B y e x p l o i t i n g t h e p o t e n t i a l o f t h e l i t h i u m reserves, India could reduce its dependence on foreign countries making us truly 'Atmanirbhar', while also creating jobs, generating revenue, and furthering its renewable energy ambitions India's plan to increase EV penetration by 30 per cent by 2030 relies heavily on lithium This vital discovery can help boost the production of lithium-ion batteries and will put India on track to reaching its goal of net zero emissions by 2070 So far, India has largely been importing these important minerals, which are used in EVs, the likes of cobalt, nickel, and lithium So it could be a step towards self-sufficiency as well However, a lot depends on how much of it is actually discovered and refined as well, because that is what the value chain looks like After that it goes for refining self-production, then module assembly and that is when it goes into the OEMs So, a lot of steps have to be covered right now

Almost 26 years ago, the GSI submitted a detailed report about the presence of lithium in the same areaSalal-Haimana area of the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, but there seems to have been no meaningful follow-up until now Experts, however, caution that it is too e a r l y t o c e l e

Framework Classification for mineral resources, there are four stages of exploration The GSI's findings are in the second tier at present, with two more levels left As of now, India does not have the technology to excavate and process lithium Mines Secretary Vivek Bhardawaj said once the deposits are auctioned off by the Jammu and Kashmir administration, private players will start the process to excavate the mineral The discovery could potentially put India on the map as one of the world's major lithium m i n e s T h e f i n d i n g m a y e n d I n d i a ' s d e p e n d e n c e o n imports for light metals and aid the country's ambitious plan of switching to electric vehicles, besides boosting other key sectors such as medical infrastructure Experts say besides batteries, mobile phones, laptops, and digital cameras, lithium is used also for the treatment of bipolar disorders In Salal, locals are hopeful that the discovery may turn the fortunes of the village

Thought for the week

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible - Fra nc is of Ass isi

Alpesh Patel

So the UK misse d a recession Why are we stag nating?

B eca use so man y peopl e ar e out of the wor kforce is one r eason Last week I co-hoste d an eve nt in Parl ia me nt for women in t ech and fin ance

From my years of experience and study of the issue, and working with them, I can say with certainty that having more women in tech and finance is not only important, but essential for the growth and innovation of these industries

Studies have consistently shown that companies with diverse teams, including gender diversity, tend to perform better financially For example, a 2020 study by McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity were 21% more likely to outperform those in the bottom quartile

Another study by Peterson Institute for International Economics found that companies with 30% or more w o m e n i n l e a d e r s h i p p o s i t i o n s h a d b e t t e r f i n a n c i a l performance than those with fewer women in leadership

However, despite the clear benefits, women are still underrepresented in tech and finance According to a 2020 report by Girls Who Code, only 24% of computing jobs in the US are held by women In finance, a 2020 report by the Global Financial Centre Index found that only 22% of senior finance roles are held by women globally

So what is holding women back from breaking into these industries?

There are several hurdles that women in tech and finance face, including a lack of female role models and mentors, a gender pay gap, and unconscious bias in the workplace

One of the biggest obstacles for women in tech and finance is a lack of female role models and mentors Research has shown that having someone to look up to and seek guidance from is a critical factor in career a d v a n c e m e n t f o r w o m e n H o w e v e r , i n m a n y c a s e s , women are not able to find female role models and mentors in these male-dominated industries

The gender pay gap is another major hurdle that women in tech and finance face Despite advances in equality legislation, a report by PwC found that women in finance still earn an average of 20% less than men This pay gap has a ripple effect throughout women's careers and makes it harder for them to progress and achieve their full potential (Don't even start on diversity gap)

Finally, (un)conscious bias can manifest in a variety of ways, from women being overlooked for promotions to not receiving equal pay for equal work

Despite these hurdles, there is reason for hope There a r e m a n y o r g a n i z a t i o n s a n d i n i t i a t i v e s w o r k i n g t o promote women in tech and finance and provide support to those who are breaking into these fields

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ness

Violent clashes outside hotel accommodating asylum seekers in Knowsley

Fif teen people, inc luding a 13-y ear-old b oy , have been a rre sted af te r violent clashe s o ut s i d e a M e r s e y s i d e hotel acc ommodati ng asylum s eekers A polic e offic er an d two m emb ers of the public s uffered mi nor i njuries d uri ng the dis order i n Knows ley A p o l i c e v a n w a s s e t alight and missiles includi n g l i t f i r e w o r k s w e r e thrown at officers Thirteen males and two women, aged b e t w e e n 1 3 a n d 5 4 , h a v e been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder A peacef u l p r o t e s t a n d c o u n t e r p r o t e s t h a d b e e n t a k i n g p l a c e o u t s i d e t h e S u i t e s Hotel when police said a group of people arrived who w e r e " o n l y i n t e r e s t e d i n causing trouble"

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said, "They turned up armed with hammers and fireworks to cause as much trouble as they could a n d t h e i r a c t i o n s c o u l d have resulted in members o f t h e p u b l i c a n d p o l i c e o f f i c e r s b e i n g s e r i o u s l y injured, or worse "

Home Secretary Suella

Pizza delivery driver who sexually exploited young girls jailed

Braverman said she condemned the "appalling disorder" A spokeswoman for the Home Office said the violence was "totally unacceptable" A dispersal order has been put in place for the area for 48 hours

I t i s u n d e r s t o o d t h e government appointed priv a t e c o m p a n y S e r c o t o manage the hotel site and provide support to asylum s e e k e r s t h e r e K n o w s l e y C o u n c i l s a i d i t w a s " n o t involved in that contract" and was not being paid to accommodate asylum seekers, but said it was committed to supporting people f l e e i n g p e r s e c u t i o n T h e g o v e r n m e n t h a s b e e n a c c o m m o d a t i n g a s y l u m seekers in Knowsley since 2016, the council said

India takes the top spot for UK’s biggest Scotch whisky imports

B ri tain and India’s shared loves of cricket, curry and te a have been ri valled b y another joint passion as the s ubcontinent imported 219 m i lli on b ottl es of w hi sk y last year

The figure, released by t h e S c o t c h W h i s k y A s s o c i a t i o n , s h o w s t h a t India knocked France of the top spot for imports by volu m e W h i l e F r a n c e increased imports by 17 per cent, to 205 million bottles, that was dwarfed by a 60 p e r c e n t r i s e i n d e m a n d from India The record sales came despite India charging a tariff of 150 per cent on imports, which could be cut under plans for a free-trade deal The rise in demand was fuelled by a taste for Scotch among the burgeoni n g m i d d l e c l a s s e s , f o r whom good whisky is a status symbol

The association has not

in brief

WOMAN DIES AFTER ‘NEGLIGENTLY’ BEING SENT HOME BY THE HOSPITAL

A pizza deli very dri ver plied three tee nag e gi rls wi th alcohol a nd drugs before se xually assa ulting and ra ping one of them i n h is ca r Wahi d Bik , who drov e ar ound Solihull and Shirl ey, groomed his vi cti ms w ho w ere left w ith emoti onal scars

The-43-year-old committed the offences over a month-long period between December 2021 and January last year He spotted his first victim, a 13-year-old girl, in November 2021 as she was walking home alone In passing sentence Judge Andrew Smith KC said, "You pulled up in your car and engaged her in conversation and I am sure that

The family of a mother who died from bowel cancer after being wrongly discharged from a hospital and left in agony for months have received an apology from the NHS Baljeet Kaur 56 was twice “negligently” sent home from Sandwell Hospital in West Bromwich after she went to A&E displaying telltale symptoms She first attended the emergency department with pain vomiting and rectal bleeding before being discharged following an X-ray in January 2019 Baljeet, of Smethwick, West Mids , returned a month later where another X-ray was performed but she was once again sent on her way by bungling medics

you offered her both alcohol and cannabis during that first meeting "

He said it was the beginning of gaining her trust He said, "You chose girls who were at a vulnerable stage in their teenage lives "

In December the defendant offered to meet and collect two 14-year-old girls He plied them both with alcohol until they were both severely affected and took them to a secluded location where he climbed into the back seat and carried out a sex attack on one of them

broken down India’s figures by type for 2022 but data for p r e v i o u s y e a r s s h o w t h a t the country has a strong a p p e t i t e f o r t h e c h e a p e s t b o t t l e d b l e n d s a n d “ b u l k blends” that are imported to be bottled in India The country is also climbing the rankings for sales by value, spending £282 million on Scotch imports, placing it f i f t h b e h i n d A m e r i c a , F r a n c e , S i n g a p o r e a n d Taiwan China was sixth

A s i a - P a c i f i c c o u n t r i e s spent a combined £1 8 billion on Scotch, putting the r e g i o n a h e a d o f t h e European Union EU count r i e s s p e n t £ 1 6 b i l l i o n Mark Kent, chief executive o f t h e S c o t c h W h i s k y Association, said: “India is the industry’s number one trade priority ” He added: “ B y r e d u c i n g t h e t a r i through the UK-India trade deal, we can export even more Scotch ”

NHS consultants have lucrative side business

So me of the cou ntry’s m o s t s en io r NH S clinicians are earning a l u cr ati v e si d e li ne running private firms that offer to cut waiting lists at their own h o s p i tal s T o p co ns u lt ant s i n M anchester, Sheffield a nd L o n d o n are a m o ng d ir ec to rs o f “ ins ou rci ng ” agen cies th at charg e the health service to treat patients at weekends and ev ening s and hav e w on m illions of pou nd s o f wo rk S o m e h o l d l e a d e r s h i p r o l e s a t N H S t r u s t s t h a t have awarded contracts to

their own companies, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest One d e p u t y m e d i c a l d i r e c t o r jointly ran a firm that provided “insourcing” solutions to his own NHS trust before it was sold in a £13m deal last y e a r O t h e r c o n s u l t a n t s

have set up firms that they and their c o l l e a g u e s w o r k s h i f t s t h r o u g h t h e m s e l v e s , o f t e n at rates above NHS p r i c e c a p s T h e Centre for Health a n d t h e P u b l i c Interest, an indep e n d e n t t h i n ktank, this weekend c a l l e d f o r a b a n o n s u c h arrangements The General Medical Council said current conflict of interest policies did not always deliver “the transparency and assura n c e t h a t p a t i e n t s r i g h t l y expect”

Antonie Muller, prosecuting, said, "He used alcohol and other intoxicants It is an aggravating feature that there were other people in the car and he himself was intoxicated "

Abigail Nixon, defending, said, "He is effectively of good character who came to this country and became educated and got a university degree and had good employment "

£40,000 worth chocolate Easter treats stolen

Police in Telford have been on w hat's arg uably the biggest ev er E aster egg hunt - after a thief made off with 20 0,0 00 C ad bury C reme Egg s

A mass was only finally identified in Baljeet’s abdomen following multiple hospital visits and she underwent surgery to remove part of her bowel in April 2019 She was subsequently diagnosed with bowel cancer but by then it was too late and she died less than a year later in February 2020 Following Baljeet’s death, her devastated family including daughters, Neetu Kaur, 40, and Amandeep Kaur Bhogal 38 asked lawyers to investigate her case West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust went on to admit Baljeet had been “negligently discharged” in January 2019 and again in February 2019 The trust later apologised for the failings” and substandard care that Baljeet received Jennifer Shipley, specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the family said, The last two years have understandably been incredibly difficult for Baljeet s loved ones

MATCHMAKER FEARED TO BE IRELAND’S LAST TRADITIONAL ONE

The final remaining traditional matchmaker in Ireland fears he may be the country’s last Willie Daly 80 from Lisdoonvarna Co Clare has been bringing couples together since he was a teenager He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, who operated in times when every town in Ireland would have had their own traditional matchmaker Lisdoonvarna holds an annual matchmaking festival in his honour every September Until recent years, another matchmaker, Dan Paddy Andy O’Sullivan, from Co Kerry, was also operating, and claimed to have matched 400 married couples in his lifetime

Around £40,000 worth of the chocolate easter treats were stolen from Stafford Park in Telford on Saturday 11 February A vehicle was stopped on the M42 northbound shortly after and a 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft West Mercia Police have now charged Joby Pool with criminal damage and two counts of theft P o l i c e h a d t a k e n t o T w i t t e r t o r e v e a l details of its eggs-travagant hunt and to track down the Creme Eggs and ensure the alleged thief didn't egg-scape

But now Daly, who also runs a donkey farm, said he fears he may be the last Describing the art of matchmaking he told: “Pubs, funerals and weddings, that’s where most matchmaking took place, but it could be anywhere ” Mr Daly has a leather-bound matchmaking book stuffed full with letters from people seeking a partner He said the book brings luck and love to people recommending touching it with both hands closing your eyes while thinking about love He said those who want to are likely to find love or be married within six months

Home Secretary Suella Braverman

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Baljeet with her daughter Amandeep (Image: Birmingham Live)

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Their eldest son, Arthur Balfour, later went on to become the Prime Minister from 1902-05

A c c o r d i n g t o a r e c e n t YouGov custom survey, one third of Britons (33%) plan o n c e l e b r a t i n g V a l e n t i n e ’ s Day with a romantic interest, up from 23% of those who celebrated in 2022 The majority (55%) will not celebrate at all, and a small percentage (7%) say they’ll mark the day alone or with family o r f r i e n d s N e w r e s e a r c h using UK Google searches has found that couples are almost twice as likely to cele b r a t e V a l e n t i n e ’ s D a y a t home this year versus previous years when there wasn’t a cost-of-Living crisis

At the same time, cybersecurity company NordVPN c a n r e v e a l t h a t o n e i n 8 Britons (12%) who have tried internet dating, have been t a r g e t e d b y r o m a n c e o r phishing scams

Home cooking v s crowd ed restaurants

A n a n a l y s i s o f c o nsumers ’ planned habits for the season of love shows that couples are 20 per cent more likely to cook at home rather than go out for dinner, and four times more likely to whip something up themselves versus ordering in a takeaway

But, while British pairings may be cutting back on their out of home spend, t h e y ’ r e f u l l y f o c u s e d o n keeping their at-home date night as romantic as possible, according to the data a n a l y s e d b y r e t a i l e r L a Redoute

Speaking to Asian Voice, exclusively, Sourav Paul, an I T p r o f e s s i o n a l b a s e d i n Harrow said, “For my wife and I, this is going to be the 10th Valentine’s Day together We normally celebrate this day at a restaurant But this year we are celebrating at home for various reasons, including budget with the cost-of-living crisis as well as travel time to a restaurant We are cooking our favourite dishes at home for e a c h o t h e r , m a k i n g t h e occasion more personalised M o r e o v e r , w i t h f l u a n d Covid-19 on the rise, it is b e t t e r t o m i n i m i s e s o c i a l gathering as most places will be crowded today

“My wife, Rumki, who is a food blogger by profess i o n , i s b a k i n g a W a l n u t

Coffee cake which is one of my favourites She is baking s o m e R e d V e l v e t c o o k i e s , which is again our daughter Sanvi’s favourite

“After work, we would b e c u t t i n g t h e c a k e a n d munching the cookies As it i s a w o r k i n g d a y , I h a v e taken it quite easy I am m a k i n g B e n g a l i C h i c k e n curry which we would enjoy for our dinner So, this year mostly going to be family time all throughout the day making each other feel spe-

Charity appeals to donate for earthquake relief

by dangling the promise of a r o m a n t i c r e l a t i o n s h i p o r encouraging them to share personal details

The study showed that Brits who encountered an online romance scam lost an a v e r a g e o f £ 4 , 6 2 2 e a c h , while phishing fraud victims typically handed over £2,851 e a c h T h e r e s e a r c h a l s o revealed that Glasgow is the online dating capital of the UK, with more than half its residents (55%) either active o n a p p s a n d w e b s i t e s o r h a v i n g u s e d t h e m i n t h e p a s t R u n n e r - u p i n t h e

cial ” S harmi shth a Ro y, who runs Sharmi’s Kitchen and delivers delectable food UKwide, told the newsweekly, “This year postal order and take aways have increased exponentially Especially as V a l e n t i n e ’ s D a y i s o n a w e e k d a y T h o u g h I d o n ’ t have a special Valentine’s Day menu this year but have ordered as per their likings –and there is a variety ” V i s h al G ana p at h i, a financial analyst in mid 40s, who went out with his wife on the weekend ahead of t h e V a l e n t i n e ’ s D a y w i t h friends, said restaurants in c e n t r a l L o n d o n w e r e packed, though most customers were young, possibly from Gen Z He therefore p l a n n e d t o s p e n d t h e evening of Valentine’s Day e a t i n g h o m e - m a d e p i z z a and watching Netflix with w i f e K a v i t a , a s g o i n g o u t consecutively, wasn’t possib l e g i v e n t h e i r b u d g e t restrictions in these recess i o n t i m e s “ B u t t o c e l ebrate, I have bought my wife a n i c e s i l k p y j a m a s e t t o wear in the comfort of our home, as we cosy in by the tv with wine,” Vishal added La Redoute, the fashion and homeware brand also f o u n d t h a t t o p t r e n d i n g searches this week included s p e c i f i c b r o w s i n g f o r V a l e n t i n e ’ s D a y l i n g e r i e , pyjamas, jammies and bedding – suggesting that shoppers are planning on making the most of their romantic time at-home

C o n t r a s t i n g l y , m a n y were looking to keep their p a r t n e r d r e s s e d ; t h e d a t a show’s we ’ re twice as likely to gift clothing as we are underwear, intimating that the lingerie browsing is for the shopper and not their other half

Social media had seen a n i n f l u x o f n e w b a b y a n n o u n c e m e n t s o n 1 4 February 2023, as searches f o r ‘ V a l e n t i n e ’ s D a y b a b y a n n o u n c e m e n t p r o d u c t s ’ h a v e a l s o b e e n t r e n d i n g since the start of the year

S a rah L i nk, H e a d o f Marketing at La Redoute, said, “With everyone tightening their purses and being more savvy this year, it’s no surprise that people are opti n g t o s t a y i n t h i s

Valentine’s Day By updating your fashion, and home s u r r o u n d i n g s t o f i t t h e

mood of the evening, your date night can be even more bespoke and magical At La R e d o u t e , w e ’ r e e a g e r t o prove that a date night at home can be just as romantic, with a selection of cockt a i l m a k i n g k i t s , p i z z a boards and pillar candles to up the romance levels

“Our silky pyjamas and lacy lingerie will also make sure your partner’s heart is fluttering this February ” Targ eted by scams, Brits w ant d ating past to be deleted

On the other hand, millions of loved-up Brits want t h e i r o n l i n e d a t i n g p a s t deleted from the internet and some are prepared to give up sex to do it

One in four (25%) surveyed by NordVPN said they w a n t e d n o t r a c e o f t h e i r romantic past available on t h e w e b , w h i l e 2 2 % w e r e c o n c e r n e d t h a t h a c k e r s could get hold of information about their sex life

And in a bid to make a clean break from their bagg a g e , 1 2 % e v e n s a i d t h e y were prepared to give up sex in exchange for having their online presence removed

An estimated 20 million adults in the UK have an online dating profile or have used one in the past

D e v e l o p e r i n f o r m a t i o n from the Badoo com mobile a p p s h o w s t h a t u s e r I D s , a p p r o x i m a t e l o c a t i o n , p h o n e n u m b e r a n d a p p activity can all be collected for marketing purposes

Of those surveyed who have dated online, one in six ( 1 6 % ) r e p o r t e d r e c e i v i n g more spam emails having signed up for a dating app

N o r d V P N ’ s r e s e a r c h also showed that 2 5 million Brits have been the victim of romance or phishing scams while looking for love

These cons see frauds t e r s m a t c h w i t h a n o t h e r user and then try to drain their bank account, either

S ew a U K , a n o tfo r -p r o fi t reg istered charity establis h ed in 1 98 9, is based on univ ersal in c lu s iv e v al u es and etho s such as selflessly serving all and resp ecting the d i v i ni ty in al l o f humanity A s part of the larger S ewa In ter na ti o nal m o v e m en t that started in India in 1989 and active in over 20 countries, the charity h as always been o n th e fro nt lin es o f trag ed ies to raise funds and o ff er a h e lp i ng h and f o r tho se in need

The initial goal of the appeal is £5,000 and a good c h u n k o f t h a t w a s r a i s e d over the weekend since the appeal launched

romance stakes was London (44%), with Bristol coming in third (43%)

T h e p r o b l e m o f romance scams is so severe t h a t e a r l i e r t h i s m o n t h Match Group – owner of some of the biggest dating apps and sites, including T i n d e r , H i n g e a n d O k C u p i d – l a u n c h e d a global safety campaign featuring tips to help its users spot swindles

These included being w a r y o f u n v e r i f i e d accounts and matches that shifted the conversation to i n v e s t m e n t s l i k e c r y pt o c u r r e n c i e s , w i t h t h e intention of luring them into a separate fraud

As well as scams, the survey uncovered a range o f b a d b e h a v i o u r a n d issues that people have to deal with when searching for a partner online

Among those who had dated online, one in six (17%) said they had interacted with a fake account or bot, with the same proportion receiving indecent i m a g e s t h e y h a d n o t requested

Having signed up to an online dating app or website, 16% reported receivi n g m o r e s p a m e m a i l s , while one in eight (13%) said that they found it diff i c u l t t o d e l e t e t h e i r account

Most worryingly, 7% of s i t e u s e r s f o u n d t h e mselves being stalked online

Online safety and the security of user data were key concerns for many dati n g s i t e u s e r s , w i t h 3 7 % b e l i e v i n g t h e i r i n f o r m ation should not be shared with third parties

A third (33%) of those surveyed said dating apps did not do enough to verify users ’ identities while 35% f e l t t h e n u m b e r o f f a k e profiles or bot accounts on sites was growing

T h e S e w a U K a p p e a l r e a d s , " A 7 8 m a g n i t u d e e a r t h q u a k e t h a t s t r u c k Turkey and Syria has killed over 20,000 people and devastated many towns and villages, leaving communities in dire need of immediate support News reports indicate that the earthquake has caused widespread damage, destroyed buildings, roads, and homes, and forced people to stay outside in the bitter cold " I n t h e T u r k i s h p r o v i n c e s o f A d i y a m a n , Antep, Hatay, and Malatya, a n d t h e T u r k i s h c i t i e s o f I z m i r a n d S e f e r i h i s a r , bridges and roads have collapsed, damaging the transport infrastructure In Syria's northwest region, the towns o f J a n d a r i s a n d A f r i n i n Aleppo province have seen severe damage Hospitals full of the dead and wounded, and ambulance sirens echoing through these towns give

a glimpse of the heart-rending tragedy that Syria and Turkey are confronting " I n t h e f a c e o f t h i s tragedy, Sewa International w a n t s t o h e l p t h e p e o p l e who have been affected and calls for unified action to support the people and help t h e m r e b u i l d t h e i r l i v e s With your help and support, Sewa can make a real impact, as it has done so in response t o m a n y o t h e r d i s a s t e r s worldwide ”

At the same time, as we went to print, Khalsa Aid representatives, led by Sozan Fahmi, set up hot meals and made 3500 blanket delivery within 72 hours in the earthquake hit zone

F o o d F o r A l l m o b i l e k i t c h e n h a s a l s o e n t e r e d Turkey with plans to drive to Syria later They have the equipment and capacity to p r o d u c e 8 , 0 0 0 v e g e t a r i a n meals daily under extreme conditions It’s been a long drive for them from North London to the earthquake hit areas, having started the j o u r n e y l a s t W e d n e s d a y m o r n i n g A r j u n a a n d Parasuram Das, heading the t e a m , h a v e c o v e r e d 3 , 5 0 0 miles

Children from the Hare K r i s h n a s c h o o l c o l l e c t e d f o o d a n d e s s e n t i a l s a n d raised £4,600 for the survivors in the freezing conditions

Anti-India rhetoric becoming a threat in the UK

An in-depth review into the U K g o v er nm e nt ’ s P re v en t strateg y of early intervention as part of a wider counterterrorism p olicy h as declared that Is lami st extremi sm is the "p rimary threat" to the country’s safety and security and m ust be tackled head on

Among areas of growing concern as potential future t e r r o r t h r e a t s , t h e ‘ I n d e p e n d e n t R e v i e w o f P r e v e n t ’ b y C o m m i s s i o n e r f o r P u b l i c A p p o i n t m e n t s William Shawcross warns of t h e r a d i c a l i s a t i o n o f U K Muslims over Kashmir and a false narrative being spread by a tiny number of proKhalistan groups operating on British soil It found that r h e t o r i c e m a n a t i n g f r o m P a k i s t a n i s i m p a c t i n g U K M u s l i m c o m m u n i t i e s b y “inflaming anti-India sentim e n t , p a r t i c u l a r l y a r o u n d the subject of Kashmir”

The review by Shawcross reads, “There is an element of crossover between those

who seek to impose limits a r o u n d b l a s p h e m y w i t h those who voice incendiary rhetoric on Kashmir ” With reference to other emerging t e r r o r t h r e a t s , S h a w c r o s s r e f e r e n c e s “ P r o - K h a l i s t a n e x t r e m i s m ” a s o n e o f t h e areas for the British government to be mindful of In its overall analysis, the review found that Islamist extremism was “consistently accounting for the majority of terrorist attack plots both carried out and thwarted by the intelligence services'' It f o u n d t h a t a t p r e s e n t , 8 0 p e r c e n t o f t h e C o u n t e r Terrorism Police network’s l i v e i n v e s t i g a t i o n s a r e Islamist while 10 per cent are Extreme Right-Wing U K H o m e S e c r e t a r y Suella Braverman told the H o u s e o f C o m m o n s l a s t w e e k t h a t s h e i n t e n d s t o “ s w i f t l y i m p l e m e n t ” a l l o f t h e 3 4 r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s f r o m t h e r e v i e w i n t o t h e

Sourav with wife Rumki and daughter Sanvi

Sharmishtha from Sharmi s Kitchen

Khichdi preparation by a volunteer at

McDonald’s removes billboard labelled tasteless

M cDon ald's hav e ag re ed to ta ke d own a 'McCr ispy ' a dve rtising billboar d t hat wa s put up n ex t to a r oad sign for a loca l cre mat orium

A l t h o u g h s o m e f o u n d t h e a d v e r t i s e m e n t h i l a r i o u s , o t h e r s were less than impressed to find it featured on a bus stop opposite Penmount Crematorium on a road in Truro, Cornwall The brightlycoloured billboard featuring the signature McCrispy sparked a large amount of online controversy as it gathered a mixed reaction from motorists on the A39 The poster positioned behind the sign pointi n g t o t h e c r e m a t o r i u m w a s l a b e l l e d a s ' t a s t e l e s s ' b y a n g r y locals

One woman, whose motherin-law was cremated at the establishment last year, said, 'Although I can see the funny side, it is tasteless and I'm sure some grieving family members won't like to see it when visiting Penmount for the funeral

Claim against Lord Rami Ranger and Sun Mark Ltd dismissed

and cremation of a loved one ' Another person claimed that ' h o w f u n n y i t i s w i l l p r o b a b l y depend on how long ago you followed the crematorium sign wearing a black tie '

H o w e v e r , t h e r e w e r e o t h e r s who found the positioning of the a d v e r t h i l a r i o u s , a s o n e p e r s o n said: 'Fell off the chair laughing ' Another individual could not help but make the classic pun 'I'm lovin' it - McDonal s well-known slogan

Following the controversy sparked by the advertisement, McDonald's has now said it will remove the sign McDonald's have urged the public that they are taking the serious matter into consideration

A spokesperson for the company said, 'We were unaware of the road sign in the vicinity of this bus stop However, in light of the concerns raised by CornwallLive, we have asked for our advertisement to be removed '

The mischievous past of South London Park

A n area of London depicted on N etf li x s Br id g eto n sh o w s o ne S outh L ond on spot as a hub for sexu al d ev iancy by the super rich It may no t look like mu ch now, but in Geo rg ian tim es it w as said to be a t t h e h ear t o f t h e c ap it al' s nigh tlife

I n 2 0 1 2 V a u x h a l l S p r i n g

Garden's was renamed as Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, quite the fitting name considering its history during the 18th and 19th centuries

The area featured in paintings by a r t i s t s s u c h a s C a n a l e t t o a n d

William Hogarth and in novels like William Thackeray's Vanity Fair It is rumoured this South London p a r k w a s v i s i t e d b y C h a r l e s D i c k e n s t o G i a c o m o G i r o l a m o

Casanova Danielle Thom, curator of a series of articles about the Vauxhall hot-spot for the Museum of London described it as "a place w h e r e t h e g l i t t e r i n g w o r l d o f wealth, fashion and high culture showed off its seedy underside; where princes partied with prostitutes, and the middle classes went

to be shocked and titillated by the excess on display " The pleasure gardens, actually l o c a t e d i n K e n n i n g t o n - f i r s t became active in the 1700s where those seeking an active nightlife would pay an entrance fee Food and beverages would be on offer, as would some more adult themed activities too Recently the history of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens has m o v e d b a c k i n t o m o d e r n d a y spotlight With it featured on the streaming service show Bridgerton as well as appearing in exhibitions at the Museum of London David Coke has suggested that he thinks the area may be responsible for London s reputation as a modern, c o s m o p o l i t a n , c i t y - a g r e a t metaphor for which is the presence of iconic LGBTQ+ venue the Royal Vauxhall Tavern

Former minister favours extra support to grandparents for child care

C h i ld c ar e p o li c y sh ould see grandparents being g iven help t o " tak e o n ca ri ng r es p o ns i bi li t ie s" , a f o rm e r C abi n et M inister h as said, as sh e w elcomed £30 0m o f investm ent in early years centres “ F l e x i b l e b u dgets” for parents to use when they return to work was a l s o a m o n g t h e i d e a s A n d r e a Leadsom told she would support, as she marked the roll out of the government’s new Family Hubs (see page 8) Rishi Sunak unveiled the funding for a network of 75 Family Hubs across England last week, with the intention of them being a ‘ one stop shop’ for families to find support, helping from birth until children reach the age of 19 Ms Leadsom, who has advised

Lord

the government on early years policy and has championed the new hubs scheme, offered her opinion on what should be done to help parents “With regards to childcare, I think that we need maximum flexibility for parents' decisions about their own childcare needs,” she said Parents and carers will be able to access guidance from health visitors and other professionals on topics such as breastfeeding, safeguarding, and mental health

g a i n s t L o r d R a m i R a n g e r T h e

company, chairman and directors t a k e t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s a s a n employer very seriously; we consider our company to be a Sun Mark family-run enterprise The last four years have taken an unspeakable toll on The Ranger and Sun Mark

Learning levels of children entering secondary school a point of concern

PM Rish i Sunak has been warned that a targ et to bo ost the num ber o f c h i ld r en ent eri n g s ec o nd a ry schoo l with th e exp ected standard s of read ing , writing and m aths is “ a far cry from reality”, amid new ev id ence th at 275, 000 p upils a year a re le av i n g p r im ary e d u c ati o n w ithout th e right level of skills

Ministers have set a target of ensuring 90% of children achieve the national curriculum standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of primary education by 2030 However, after several years of slow progress, attainment has slipped back to levels only slightly above those of 2015-16 The slump means that in 2022, 41% of year 6 p u p i l s i n E n g l a n d l e f t p r i m a r y s c h o o l w i t h o u t m e e t i n g t h e expected standards in literacy and m a t h s – 2 7 5 , 0 0 0 1 1 - y e a r - o l d s , a c c o r d i n g t o r e s e a r c h e r s a t t h e C e n t r e f o r S o c i a l J u s t i c e ( C S J ) thinktank That is 50,000 more than in 2019

It comes amid concerns that the impact of the pandemic, and long periods of lost learning, is being felt in classrooms, particularly among children from poorer

households The report states that the attainment gap in education –that between the poorest and most advantaged – is at its widest level f o r a d e c a d e S i m i l a r r e c e n t research by the speech and communication charity I CAN found that skills in speaking had also fallen, with 1 5 million children across the UK suffering from underdeveloped speech and language skills following the pandemic Inside the classroom, concerns are being expressed by teachers about their chances of reversing the slide, given their current working conditions and resources Only t w o - f i f t h s o f p r i m a r y t e a c h e r s believe their pupils will hit expected standards in foundation subjects, according to a poll of teachers by the Teacher Tapp app, commissioned by the CSJ

Polar Preet greeted by Princess of Wales

It w as with a w arm embrace that C ath eri ne , P ri nc es s o f W al es , g ree ted r ec o rd b reak er C ap ta in Preet Chandi – the British Ind ian army officer pop ularly know n as Polar Preet for her p olar exp loits

The duo met at Landau Forte College in Derby, Preet’s home city, this week and Chandi was heard saying that she was excited to welcome the royal to her homet o w n T h e P r i n c e s s d e s c r i b e d Chandi as a “shining example of fortitude” following her recordbreaking feats, most recently completing the longest solo, unsupported, and unassisted polar expedition when she returned from her Antarctic expedition last month

S h e t r a v e l l e d 9 2 2 m i l e s a c r o s s Antarctica in temperatures as cold as minus 30 degrees Celsius and b r o k e t h e p r e v i o u s r e c o r d b y r e t i r e d a r m y o f f i c e r H e n r y Worsley in 2015 at 907 miles

Over 70 days and 16 hours in w i n d s p e e d s o f u p t o 6 0 m p h , Chandi skied for between 13 and 15 hours per day with around five hours’ sleep at time and pulled all her kit and supplies on a sledge or

family We are pleased with the right outcome to the case ” T h e e v i d e n c e c o n c e r n e d t h e contentious claims of Lord Ranger giving death threats to Ms Kaur and claiming that she was a prostitute in the translation of a call between Ms Kaur and a second respondent made originally in the Punjabi language in October 2018, which in turn was allegedly recorded by Ms Kaur without the second r e s p o n d e n t ’ s p e r m i s s i o n According to Lord Ranger’s legal team, such claims were missing in a more accurate translation made by an impartial translator Not only t h a t , t h e c o m p a n y m a k i n g t h e r e c o r d i n g o f t h e c a l l h a d b e e n allegedly persuaded by Ms Kaur a n d h e r p r e v i o u s l e g a l t e a m t o tweak the original translation

LGA calling for same rules for vapes and cigarettes

Vap es should be kept out of sight of children in shops and the leg al m i ni m u m ag e o f 1 8 sh o u ld be marked clearly o n each pro duct, say councils in England

p u l k , w e i g h i n g a r o u n d 1 2 0 k g R e l i v i n g t h e e x p e d i t i o n o n h e r blog, Chandi reflected: “It was very c o l d a n d w i n d y b u t I k e p t m y breaks very short so I didn’t get too cold I didn’t let myself stop earlier though because I wanted to get the miles in ”

During her meeting with the Princess of Wales, the focus of discussions was on the issue of mental health and resilience Chandi, 3 3 , h a s a l r e a d y c o m p l e t e d a

t r e k k i n g c h a l l e n g e t o s e t t h e record for a solo unsupported trek to the South Pole After her latest challenge, she expressed her disappointment at not having enough time to meet her original aim of becoming the first woman to cross Antarctica solo and unsupported

Too many children are being i l l e g a l l y s o l d v a p e s w i t h f r u i t y flavours and colourful packaging, they say Doctors have warned of the potential long-term effects of vaping on the lungs, and are calling for tighter rules on packaging and advertising

Vapes should only be used by s m o k e r s w h o w a n t t o g i v e u p tobacco In the UK, only those aged 18 and over can buy vapes or e-cigarettes

But vaping is growing in popularity among teenagers, who often use disposable single-use products like Elf and Geek bars

T h e y c o m e i n a v a r i e t y o f flavours and colours, are marketed on social media and can be bought in many High Street shops, such as newsagents or mobile phone outlets They cost about £5

T h e L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t Association (LGA), which represents councils in England, is calling for vaping products to be subject to the same rules as cigarettes - sold in plain packaging and kept out of reach and sight of children behind shop counters

T h e U K V a p i n g I n d u s t r y Association said it is developing detailed proposals for the government to consider - "including subs t a n t i a l o n t h e s p o t f i n e s a n d n a t i o n w i d e r e t a i l l i c e n s i n g a n d test purchasing schemes" It also maintains that disposable vapes are not just being used by young people - they are also sought after by older adults too

Lord Rami Ranger CBE

Polar Preet embraces Princess of Wales

Photo courtesy: Instagram @princessandprinceofwales

Prince’s surprise visit to Ipswich Hospital

P r i nc e W i ll ia m t h ank ed NHS workers during a surp rise v isit to a ho sp ital

T h e P r i n c e o f W a l e s made an "informal, private v i s i t " t o I p s w i c h H o s p i t a l with the East of England Ambulance Service He met s t a f f i n t h e e m e r g e n c y department and "found out more about our local NHS", the East Suffolk and North

E s s e x N H S F o u n d a t i o n T r u s t t w e e t e d T h e T r u s t said: It’s not everyday the future king drops in! Thanks

William, Prince of Wales

What do Royals watch?

to Prince William for visiti n g N H S s t a f f a t I p s w i c h Hospital today The Prince thanked staff and found out more about our local NHS ”

S t a f f r e p o r t e d l y w e r e not told the Prince was visiting beforehand, with many p o s i n g f o r p i c t u r e s A Twitter account for staff at the NHS trust said: "Thanks to everyone who welcomed Prince William today A day many of you will remember for a very long time

His Majesty and the Queen Consort meet London’s Bangladeshi community

T he thrif ty Ki ng ha s lon g e s che w e d f a sh i on tr e nd s , pre ferri ng ins tead to don w el l- worn f avou rit es tha t ha ve s tood the te st of time

But while he is determined to be seen as a frugal monarch, royal aides might be advised that His Majesty needs a new pair of socks T h e K i n g r e v e a l e d w h a t appeared to be a hole in his sock during a visit to a hist o r i c m o s q u e o n B r i c k L a n e , e a s t L o n d o n T h e small hole in the black sock on his right foot was visible as he took off his shoes to adhere to custom

The King and Queen w e r e g r e e t e d b y h u g e crowds as they made their way down Brick Lane, the symbolic face of London’s B a n g l a d e s h i c o m m u n i t y M o r e t h a n a t h o u s a n d w e l l - w i s h e r s l i n e d t h e r o u t e a s t h e c o u p l e f o llowed a group of dancers scattering flower petals in their path During an occasionally chaotic visit, the King planted a tree and was

given a box of jalebi and Bengali samosas by a local r e s t a u r a n t , p r o m i s i n g t o try some later

Any hopes of quenching his thirst were dashed, however, when after being offered a cup of tea in the c r o w d e d G r a a m B a n g l a R e s t a u r a n t t h e m o n a r c h only got as far as putting sugar in the cup before it was whisked away on the advice of his police protection officers for fear that it was about to get spilt The King was praised for his w i l l i n g n e s s t o l i s t e n t o

multicultural Britain After the tree planting, the royal c o u p l e w e r e d r i v e n t h e s h o r t d i s t a n c e t o B r i c k L a n e w h e r e C a m i l l a w a s presented with a bouquet o f f l o w e r s b y A y a h Hussain, three

The only note of diss e n t c a m e f r o m a w h i t e man waving a black flag and a card with the legend “No [heart] for a nation ” He said it meant “ no love for a nation” Asked who he represented, he said, “I represent people who did not vote for him ”

Stamp with King’s image to be released in April

The image of King Charles III that is to a p pe ar on n e w s tamps from 4 April h a s b ee n r ev e al e d b y the Royal Mail

The minimalist, unadorned picture, with no crown on t h e s t a m p o r a n y o t h e r d e c o r a t i o n , was approved personally by the King " T h e f e e d b a c k w e got back was that he wante d i t t o b e s i m p l e , " s a i d R o y a l M a i l d i r e c t o r o f external affairs, David Gold

" I t ' s a v e r y h u m a n image, with no embellishment," he said The design was also intended to provide continuity, influenced b y t h e c l a s s i c p r o f i l e o f

Queen Elizabeth II created by the artist Arnold Machin in 1967

The new stamp is even more pared back and stark

It does not have any crown or royal symbols - unlike many of the predecessors,

in brief

Members of the Royal Family lea d pretty diffe rent li ves from the re st of us, so it's on ly n atural that we would be curious ab out the ir more mundan e hab its an d activiti es , s uch a s whe ther the y wa tch the sa me TV show s a s we do

CORONATION LOGO REVEALED, INSPIRED BY KING’S LOVE FOR PLANET AND NATURE

where kings' stamps often include an image of a crown a n d q u e e n s a r e d e p i c t e d wearing a crown or diadem Britain's postage stamps are unique in not showing the name of the country, and the new stamps have nothing except the King's head, the price and also, now, an attached barcode

The design is based on a s c u l p t u r e m a d e b y a r t i s t M a r t i n J e n n i n g s f o r t h e new King Charles coinswith the image then digitally adapted for stamps

Millions of new stamps a r e b e i n g p r i n t e d , w h i c h

will be used concurrently with those of Queen Elizabeth II, which will b e s o l d u n t i l t h e o l d s t o c k s r u n o u t T h e image released by the R o y a l M a i l i s f o r s oc a l l e d " d e f i n i t i v e " stamps, which are the regular, plain, non-comm e m o r a t i v e p o s t a g e s t a m p s S o m e o f t h e f i r s t s h e e t s w e r e u n v e i l e d a t t h e P o s t a l Museum in London, which i s s h o w i n g a n e x h i b i t i o n called the King's Stamp King Charles becomes t h e s e v e n t h m o n a r c h t o appear on stamps - Queen V i c t o r i a w a s t h e f i r s t , i n

1840, when her profile was shown on a "Penny Black"

T h e p i c t u r e o f Q u e e n Victoria used on the first stamps originated from an earlier sketch drawn when she was 15 years old, and that continued as the image used until her death at the age of 81

And it seems their television preferences aren't so wildly different from most Prince Harry has recently claimed in his new memoir Spare that William and Kate were big fans of Meghan Markle's show Suits and the Duke of Sussex also admitted that he had watched and fact-checked Netflix's The Crown

B u t h i s l a t e g r a n d m o t h e r ' s c h o i c e o f favourite show was a little more unexpected A journalist claims that back in 2001 the Queen told him all about her favourite show during a visit to Buckingham Palace He said he'd kept their conversation a secret for 21 years as he'd previously been told that journalists shouldn't reveal their discussions with the monarch The show in question? The Kumars at No 42

And he claims Her Majesty was such a big fan of the programme that she could even "recite some of the one-liners" from it The Queen also shared that she was a big fan of Terry Wogan during their conversation

Kate bumps into her former teacher

A mong the sea of faces greeting the Princess of Wales as she left th e National M aritim e Mu seum in Cornw all, o ne sm ile loo ked fam ili ar , V ale nti n e L o w writes “ O h , m y g o o dness!” Kate said as s h e h u g g e d J i m Embury, her former h i s t o r y t e a c h e r a t her prep school “I do recognise you I remember the classr o o m a n d e v e r ything ” Embury, who taught the Princess i n t h e m i d - 1 9 9 0 s , now works as a volunteer at the museum in Falmouth which hosted the royal visit Speaking after the surprise meeting, he said Kate had been a “fantastic” pupil all those years ago “She was a great participant and a great kid ”

There had been more for Kate to learn as she and Prince William, who were making their first visit to Cornwall, joined in a boat restoration project at the museum The couple met volunteers working on boats including the Kiwi, a 14ft sailing dinghy presented to Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh as a wedding present They tried their hand at riveting on a Helford Delta Class boat dating back to the 1940s, made of mahogany and oak

T h e c o u p l e a l s o v i s i t e d t h e D r a c a e n a Centre, a community hub that provides supports ranging from legal advice, health and wellbeing and training They heard about the support offered to young people and families and even had time to join in a game of table tennis Meanwhile, the Queen Consort played matchmaker where she promised a little girl she would pass on her note requesting a playdate with Princess Charlotte

The official logo for King Charles III s coronation, to feature in street parties, social media and souvenirs has been revealed by Buckingham Palace It has been created by Sir Jony Ive known for his innovative designs of Apple gadgets, including the iPhone This is a more traditional image, with flowers forming the shape of the St Edward s crown used in the coronation The floral design highlights the "optimism of spring" and reflects the King s love of nature, says Sir Jony "The design was inspired by King Charles's love of the planet, nature and his deep concern for the natural world," said the former Apple design guru, who is more usually associated with sleek tech designs of equipment such as iMacs and iPods The logo, also available in a Welshlanguage version, is the latest detail to be revealed from the planned celebrations to mark the coronation which will be held at Westminster Abbey on 6 May The day will include a carriage procession and traditional appearances on the Buckingham Palace balcony although it is still not known who will be attending - with no confirmation yet whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be there On Sunday 7 May there will be a music concert and light show at Windsor Castle, and this week a public ballot opened for the 10,000 free tickets on offer for the event There will be an extra bank holiday on Monday 8 May, with events highlighting the work of volunteers

PM AND WIFE TRAVELLED TO CORNWALL TO PROMOTE THE

GOVERNMENT’S

FAMILY HUB POLICY

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty met parents, babies and toddlers during a visit to promote the £300 million “family hubs” programme They met parents at the St Austell Family Hub in Cornwall who have completed a parenting skills course and spoke to them about their experiences One parent spoke of her anxiety at becoming a mother and being unable to be a parent and said the hub staff really helped with her confidence She told the Prime Minister: “I was a bit anxious in myself and as a parent I felt I had a job to do and I felt like I couldn’t do my job But I knew that wasn’t the case They (the staff) were really really helpful ” Mr Sunak and Ms Murty also joined a health visitor review where parent Giselle was visiting with her two sons, Brody, aged two, and six-month-old Seth Finally the couple spent some time at a stay-and-play group at the hub chatting to mothers and playing with their young children

Photo courtesy: BBC One

Saida Muna Tasneem, the Bangladeshi High Commissioner to the UK greeting King Charles and the Queen Consort Photo courtesy: Twitter @MunaTasneem

PM Sunak with wife Akshata at St Austell Family Hub

Photo courtesy: Twitter @RishiSunak

Princess of Wales

Indian thanked by the late Queen for Covid services faces deportation

V i m a l P and ya, w h o w a s lauded by the late Queen's rep res entativ e for h is serv ices during the C ovid p and em ic, faces deportation to India after lo sing a leg al visa battle Pandya, now 4 2, h ad arrived in the UK from India in 20 11 on a student visa, but w as refused re-entry in 2014 after a visit to Ind ia by UK Border Force officials, who inform ed him that the coll eg e at w h i ch h e w a s enrolled h ad lost its right to s p o n so r sh i p In c id ent all y, n ei th e r t h e H o m e Of f ic e nor his college had inform ed h im of the sam e

Since then Pandya, who had lost his original passport and other important docum e n t s , f a c e d e n o r m o u s

challenges in attempting to regularise his immigration status and complete his education, in addition to the many thousands of pounds in lost college fees and a m o u n t i n g d e b t b u r d e n , N D T V r e p o r t e d H e w a s employed as a shopkeeper during the pandemic during which time he spent nearly ‘ every waking hour’ trying to help those who were isolat-

Neighbours facing issues as Plumstead temple visitors increase

ing during the national lockd o w n H i s e f f o r t s e a r n e d h i m a l e t t e r o f g r a t i t u d e f r o m S i r K e n n e t h O l i s a , Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London, who wrote to him i n F e b r u a r y l a s t y e a r o n behalf of Queen Elizabeth II M e a n w h i l e , t h e R o t h e r h i t h e R e s i d e n t s group have gathered over 177,000 signatures through a n o n l i n e p e t i t i o n i n h i s support, and his case was pleaded by Neil Coyle, the local member of Parliament f o r B e r m o n d s e y a n d O l d Southwark in London during a recent hearing But the latter was turned down by the judge who noted that t h e l a w s t o o k p r e c e d e n c e over the views of one MP

STRO against five people suspected of exploiting vulnerable Indian students

T h e Mo ld Ma gi s tr at es ’ Cou rt Investi gato rs granted a S l ave ry an d T r af fi ck i ng

Risk Order (S TRO) to invest i ga to r s f ro m t h e G a ng ma s te rs a nd La b o u r Abuse Au th ority (GLAA) o n 2 February against five peop le su sp ec te d t o h av e recru ited and exp loited vuln e ra bl e I n di a n s tu de nt s w o rk i n g i n c ar e h o me s across North Wales

T h e G L A A w e b s i t e states that the five people a r r e s t e d b y t h e G L A A b e t w e e n D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 1 and May 2022 were Mathew Issac, 32, and Jinu Cherian, 30, of Cae Eithin, Abergele, E l d h o s e C h e r i a n , 2 5 , a n d Eldhose Kuriachan, 25, of

A b e r e r c h R o a d , P w l l h e l i , and Jacob Liju, 47, of Lon Ceredigion, Pwllheli All the suspects are originally from the state of Kerala in India and either work themselves i n t h e c a r e h o m e s i n A b e r g e l e , P w l l h e l i , Llandudno, and Colwyn Bay o r h a v e f a m i l y m e m b e r s w o r k i n g i n t h o s e c a r e homes

W h i l e t h e r e w e r e n o criminal charges against the accused on Thursday, two of them, Isaac and his wife Jinu, supplied workers to a recruitment agency which was reported to the Modern S l a v e r y a n d E x p l o i t a t i o n Helpline for neglecting or withholding to pay wages to

the recruited workers only t h r e e m o n t h s a f t e r b e i n g registered in May 2021 In t h e p a s t 1 4 m o n t h s , t h e

GLAA has identified over 50 Indian students as potential victims of modern slavery a n d l a b o u r a b u s e A l l o f t h e m r e c e i v e d o r w e r e offered the chance of support from the GLAA, including the opportunity to enter the government’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM) The conditions of the order include not contacting the complaints and witn e s s e s a n d c h a n g i n g a d d r e s s e s , a m o n g o t h e r s , b r e a c h i n g w h i c h w o u l d cause imprisonment of up to five years

Harry and Meghan expected to attend King’s coronation

M em bers of the royal family a re “ f u ll y e xp ec ti n g ” th e Duke and Du ch ess of S ussex to attend King Ch arles III’ s coronation this spring , it has been reported

It comes amid speculation that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might “find a reason not to go ” to the event at Westminster Abbey on 6 May to mark the beginning of the King’s reign

The release of Harry’s

Duke and Duchess of Sussex

memoir Spare and the couple’s Netflix documentary, b o t h o f w h i c h c o n t a i n e d explosive allegations against the royal family, was seen as a possible barrier to the pair

A South Lo nd on temple has attracted so m any v isi to rs that neigh bou rs claim p arki ng h as bec o m e " abs o lu te b ed l am " w i th re si d e nts afraid to use their car for fear th ey will nev er get a s p ac e ag ai n T h o s e l iv i ng nearby said the parking situat i o n h as be co m e w o rs e since a conserv atory extension was add ed to its commu nity centre in Plu mstead

T h e p l a c e o f w o r s h i p , w h i c h h a s b e e n u s e d b y m e m b e r s o f t h e N e p a l e s e community in the area since it was bought in 2011, did not apply for planning perm i s s i o n a n d i s a s k i n g Greenwich Council for retr o s p e c t i v e a p p r o v a l T h e

plans have received 11 objec-

t i o n s o n l i n e f r o m l o c a l s ,

l a r g e l y r e g a r d i n g t h e increased visitors and traffic in the area as a result

A p r e v i o u s a p p l i c a t i o n t o b u i l d a o n e a n d t w os t o r e y e x t e n s i o n t o t h e building was refused in 2021, with council officers saying the plans would significantly increase the number of people who could enter the building They said it would c a u s e a n “ u n a c c e p t a b l e i m p a c t ” o n l o c a l p a r k i n g stress Dashu Pandey, chair of the temple, told the Local D e m o c r a c y R e p o r t i n g

Service: “We are the largest community in the borough

and we don’t have any other place to worship Not only for worship, we are also a community centre We have a lot of Gurkha who do not understand English

A n e i g h b o u r , w h o w i s h e d t o r e m a i n a n o n ym o u s , t o l d t h e L o c a l D e m o c r a c y R e p o r t i n g Service that the temple initially had an agreement with locals that no visitors would park on the site or the nearby Swingate Lane However, they said gatherings at the temple since the extension was built have been “ constant and extremely excess i v e ” , t o t h e p o i n t w h e r e traffic in the area is “absolute bedlam”

Queen Consort to wear Queen Mary’s crown but without the Kohinoor diamond

Qu een M ary ’ s C r ow n h as been rem oved from disp lay at the Tow er of L ond on for mo dification wo rk ahead o f th e C o r o nat io n o f H is Majesty The King and Her Majesty the Queen C onsort on Saturday, 6 May 20 23

Queen M ary ’ s C row n will be used for the C oro nation o f th e Qu e en C o ns o rt a t Westminster Abbey

T h e c h o i c e o f Q u e e n

M a r y ’ s C r o w n b y H e r

Majesty is the first time in recent history that an exist-

ing crown will be used for the Coronation of a Consort instead of a new commiss i o n b e i n g m a d e , i n t h e i n t e r e s t s o f s u s t a i n a b i l i t y and efficiency Some minor changes and additions will be undertaken by the Crown Jeweller, in keeping with the longstanding tradition that t h e i n s e r t i o n o f j e w e l s i s unique to the occasion, and reflects the Consort’s individual style

T h e s e c h a n g e s w i l l i n particular pay tribute to Her

Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as the Crown will be reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds The diamonds w e r e p a r t o f Q u e e n Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection for many years and were often worn b y H e r l a t e M a j e s t y a s b r o o c h e s T h e K o h i n o o r diamond seized by the East I n d i a c o m p a n y i n 1 8 4 9 , which was later featured in t h e l a t e Q u e e n M o t h e r ’ s crown in 1937 will not be used

being invited for the coronation

But a source close to the family was recently quoted as saying that the Sussexes “ w i l l d e f i n i t e l y ” b e a t Charles’ big day, but should not expect any reconciliation talks

There is also speculation t h a t t h e c o u p l e m a y n o t a t t e n d t h e c o r o n a t i o n because it falls on their son Archie’s fourth birthday

Coronavirus infects the Queen Consort

T h e Qu e en C o ns o rt h a s tested po sitive for Co vid-1 9 a ft er s u f fer i ng f ro m c o ld s y m p to m s , Bu c ki n g h am P alace has said " A f t e r s u f f e r i n g t h e s y m p t o m s o f a c o l d , H e r Majesty the Queen Consort has tested positive for the Covid virus," the statement said “With regret, she has therefore cancelled all her public engagements for this week and sends her sincere apologies to those who had been due to attend them "

Earlier, the palace said Camilla, 75, had been forced to postpone a visit to the West Midlands after contracting a "seasonal" illness She was set to carry out sev-

e r a l e n g a g e m e n t s a c r o s s t h e r e g i o n , including celebrating t h e c e n t e n a r y o f E l m h u r s t B a l l e t School in Edgbaston, Birmingham Camilla was also set to visit the Southwater One Library in Telford to thank staff and repres e n t a t i v e s f r o m o u t r e a c h a n d v o l u n t a r y g r o u p s f o r t h e i r c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e community

A B u c k i n g h a m P a l a c e s p o k e s m a n s a i d i t w a s hoped a new date could be f o u n d s o o n f o r t h e p o s tponed events The King and Queen were due to host a C l a r e n c e H o u s e r e c e p t i o n

f o r a u t h o r s a n d members of literacy charities to celebrate the second anniversary of her online book club

T h e R e a d i n g R o o m T h e f o ll o w i n g d a y

C h a r l e s a n d C a m i l l a w e r e

scheduled to attend a reception in Milton Keynes to celebrate the metropolis being awarded city status as part of the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations

T h e Q u e e n C o n s o r t contracted Covid early last year and was forced to cancel her appearance at several events

Vimal Pandya

Camilla, the Queen Consort

Politics in the muddle

One may wonder why our politics is in such a muddle Our politicians have no vision, no charted path to follow and it is like making up the policy on the move No wonder we have sunk from being one of the most successful pre-war economies to Alice in wonder land scenario, miniaturizing our economy to a tiny island nation!

W o u l d w e e v e r g e t p o l i t i c i a n s o f t h e c a l i b r e o f C l e m e n t A t t l e e , A n e u r i n B e v a n w h o g a v e u s N H S , Clement Churchill and few more! The last PM I admire, who had the guts and the vision was Lady Margaret Thatcher who liberated Falkland Islands illegally occupied by Argentina, some nine thousand miles from mainland Britain

At one time I thought Tony Blair was the right person to bring back our past glory I was one of his admirers He was clever, determined and charmed British people, albeit in a difference sense, in the prevailing atmosphere at the time Unfortunately he was more interested in taking a seat, sitting on a podium at international level than looking after us, the ordinary folk who put him on the pedestal in the first place Unfortunately he kept George Brown out of No 10, one of the most honest, sincere and loyal politician one could imagine

No wonder PM Blair was known as US President Bush’s poodle, somewhat unjustly, because of his support for Iraq war to be in the good book of US President He gave away billions of pounds to EU in the hope of becoming the first president of EU, the refunds Lady Thatcher negotiated with guts and determination, using her hand-bag as a weapon of last resort! In my view he deserved to be the first president but it was a false illusion, as France and Germany would never allow him to sit on the podium, take the front seat!

Well, that is water under the bridge Perhaps in Rishi Sunak, we have a politician who is clever, dedicated and will not hesitate to call spade a spade! I hope the British public; in particular Conservative supporters will back him up, his tax plans, as our national debt has risen to 2:5 trillion, the most indebted nation in the western world, paying interest in billions, the money we could use for under pressure NHS!

B hupendra M Gandhi

Ricky Kej, music composer who won his third Grammy India based Indian music composer and producer Ricky Kej, who won his career ’ s third Grammy award dedicated the honour to “India“ Kej won the Grammy for his Divine Tides album which was nominated in the Best Immersive Audio Album category

Ricky Kej is a environmentalist and preformed at venues in over 30 countries including at the United N a t i o n s h e a d q u a r t e r i n N e w Y o r k a n d G e n e v a I n December Kej was announced as a UNHCR “Goodwill Ambassador”

Ricky is India’s youngest Grammy Award winner, and only fourth Indian to do so

Kej has Punjabi and Marwari roots Born in North Carolina, US, he moved to Bengaluru, India at the age of eight

T h e U S - b o r n m u s i c i a n s h a r e d t h e a w a r d w i t h Stewart Copeland, the drummer of the iconic British rock band The Police, who collaborated with Kej on the album He considered Copeland as his ‘ guru ’

I watched some videos of Divine Tides album - pleasing music, scenes of natural beauty of Mother Nature to give peace of mind, serenity and solace to release stress, tension in today’s life

Kej holds a degree in dentistry from Oxford Dental College but he chose music as a career

Hats off to Ricky Kej for dedicating his award to Mother India

Suresh an d Bhavna Patel Ma rk ha m, Canada

Start charging

Y o u r l e t t e r w r i t e r B h u p e n d r a M G a n d h i r e c e n t l y described his harrowing experience when visiting an A&E department crowded with suffering people awaiting medical attention Understandably, he called for a more efficient National Health Service Bhupendra, no matter how much money the government shovels into the NHS it is like trying to fill a bottomless pit It is no longer fit for purpose as demand for its services is increasingly overwhelming, stressing out doctors and nurses who are expected to work way beyond their normal hours to cope with acute staff shortages I think the only future for the NHS is to start charging fees for everything, including doctors’ appointments People will suddenly become more responsible for their health and safety, allowing A&Es particularly to handle real emergencies promptly and efficiently

Rud y Otter

How can an eco-friendly life also lead to wellbeing?

There is much debate on climate change issues and ecofriendly living to address this

An eco-friendly life is good for us on multiple levels It can boost our wellbeing on not just our physical, mental and financial levels, but on many other levels too

We are in the midst of a climate crisis This is causing a huge amount of stress to humanity, as well as the planet Science says that we need to make seismic changes to alleviate the catastrophic harm we are doing to our planet and to our wellbeing

The Eastern health tradition of Ayurveda says we are made of the same elements as the planet, that is fire, earth, water, space and air Therefore, if the balance of these is disrupted through climate change, then this would also affect the balance in our bodies and impact on health

Nature and the environment have been taken for granted for decades, hence change to sustainable living is not easy Changing habits takes time and effort

To begin your sustainable living journey, take a habit you already have every day, and pair it with a simple new one you want to change to For example, if you buy plastic packaged food, then each time you do this, replace it with one loose food item Once you have established this pattern you combine another new habit with an old one, such as walking to the shops instead of using the car This way you master the art of building new habits one after the other until you are living an eco-friendly life

Reflect on the environmental perspectives that impact your wellbeing on all levels and aim for simple small changes you can make in your life to boost your physical, mental, spiritual, social, financial, intellectual and occupational wellbeing

Hansa Pankhania Surrey

Earthquakes are unpredictable

Despite greater scientific understanding of earthquakes and t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f v a r i o u s m o n i t o r i n g a n d w a r n i n g s y s t e m s , t h e d i s a s t e r i n T u r k e y a n d S y r i a s h o w s t h a t earthquakes remain largely unpredictable and can cause tremendous damage to the shoddy infrastructure in most developing countries

We should ensure that our buildings are constructed to the current earthquake-resistant standards which can help reduce damage during an earthquake In most cities in India too, the building codes are not strictly enforced This can lead to significant damage and loss of life in the event of an earthquake It is important that the municipal authorities work together to improve building code enforcement and ensure that all buildings, including new constructions and older buildings can withstand earthquakes

Jubel D'C ruz M umbai, India

Striking out

Strikes should never happen They prove that management and workers have drifted apart due to lack of communication Wise management should have union and worker representatives at every board meeting to share views on work problems and opportunities Then any areas of dissatisfaction could be sorted out on the spot Better still invite employees to become shareholders This would immediately benefit management and workers, both sides striving for the same objectives

A sh Gup ta

Time to wake up to earthquakes

It is unfortunate to note that thousands of people have been killed in powerful and deadly earthquakes in Turkey a n d S y r i a H e a r t - w r e n c h i n g p i c t u r e s a n d v i d e o s o f innocent people trapped under the huge debris and rubble crying for help have been emerging from various news sources worldwide Having watched such videos online, I seriously find no words to explain the trauma the earthquake victims are facing now

There have been numerous human hands trying to reach out to those trapped in the rubble In fact, many people were seen doing their best to pull the innocent victims out of the debris No doubt such humanitarian efforts have been encouraging and touching to the core

Well, it is those helping hands and human spirits that will always stand out from the rest, even in the midst of such powerful natural disasters

Whatever it is, countries have miles to go in the matter of tackling quakes Going by all the facts and figures including these latest Middle East earthquakes, there have been serious lessons to learn from natural disasters It is time to coexist with Mother Earth and its a b u n d a n t n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s F o r i n s t a n c e , t h e o v e rexploitation of natural sources must be avoided at all costs

True, we have technological advances at our disposal

But this does not mean that we can use and exploit Mother Earth to the greatest extent possible As a matter o f f a c t , r i g o r o u s h u m a n a c t i v i t i e s h a v e l o n g b e e n impacting the nature of Mother Earth

Tall building structures must be banned Plus, quakep r o n e a r e a s s h o u l d b e e x c l u d e d f r o m r i g o r o u s construction activities in the best interests of all In fact, such practical and precautionary steps will go a long way in this connection

More importantly, time has come to say big no to concrete jungles Instead, we must pay more attention to green activities like planting trees

The international community should now stand with the people in earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria through all the means and methods possible - from engaging in rescue efforts to sending immediate relief measures to arranging make-shift facilities for the people out there –the sooner, the better

P Senthi l Sa rav ana D urai Mumbai, India

Start charging

Your letter writer Bhupendra M Gandhi recently described h i s h a r r o w i n g e x p e r i e n c e w h e n v i s i t i n g a n A & E d e p a r t m e n t c r o w d e d w i t h s u f f e r i n g p e o p l e a w a i t i n g medical attention Understandably, he called for a more efficient National Health Service Bhupendra, no matter how much money the government shovels into the NHS it is like trying to fill a bottomless pit It is no longer fit for p u r p o s e a s d e m a n d f o r i t s s e r v i c e s i s i n c r e a s i n g l y overwhelming, stressing out doctors and nurses who are expected to work way beyond their normal hours to cope with acute staff shortages I think the only future for the NHS is to start charging fees for everything, including doctors’ appointments People will suddenly become more responsible for their health and safety, allowing A&Es particularly to handle real emergencies promptly and efficiently

Rudy Otter

£27k fine for shop with food spillages, rat droppings and gnawed food packaging

A n Ea s t L on d o n s h op w h e r e i n s pe c t o rs f o un d s pilled f ood , rat poo and f o o d p a c k a g i n g th a t ha d b e e n g n a w e d a t b y t he rode nts has been slapped w i t h a f i n e of n e a rl y £2 7,000 a fter fai ling to deal wi th the iss ues unc overed i n a n ot h e r i n s p ec ti on m on ths before O w n e r o f A r y u b i Express, Ehsan Sherzad, 29, received a written warning following an inspection on 14 May, 2019 that earned a food hygiene rating of just one out of five for the conv e n i e n c e s t o r e A f t e r M r S h e r z a d f a i l e d t o a t t e n d multiple hearings over the condition of the shop the c a s e , w h i c h h a d b e e n delayed by the pandemic, w a s f i n a l l y h e a r d i n h i s

Cllr Khevyn Limbajee

January, 2023 His company – I S A ( U K ) E n t e r p r i s e s Limited - was ordered to pay a £25,000 fine as well as cover £1,709 in costs and a victim surcharge of £190 Cllr Khevyn Limbajee, C a b i n e t M e m b e r f o r C o m m u n i t y S a f e t y a t W a l t h a m F o r e s t C o u n c i l , said, “The sizeable financial penalty in this case should go some way towards illustrating the extent of the

offences and the failure of Mr Sherzad to heed repeated warnings

T h e s t o r e h a s s i n c e

closed down and has been r e p l a c e d b y N e w W a v e Supermarket, owned by a different director

198 women killed last year, almost all by men

The num ber of wom en killed in England and Wales rose by a quarter in th e w ake of th e co ronav irus pandemic w ith a homicid e every two d ays, official fig ures revealed

The Office for National Statistics said that 198 women were killed, almost all by men, in the 12 months to the end of March last year

That was 38 more than the 160 women killed in the previous year a 24 per cent rise and represents one of the highest figures in the past decade

The ONS suggested that the figures which also show rises in men falling victim to homicide and a record number of knife killings, including 51 teenagers were partly the result of the end of Covid restrictions which had suppressed violence on the streets

For all the female homicide victims, 95 per cent of the suspects charged so far are male

Mayor and Leader of Manchester City Council announce Greater

ManchesterPakistan Forum

T he M ayor and Co uncillor

Bev Craig announce th at Greater M anchester are setting up a Greater M anchester- Pakistan F orum with key partners to streng th en existing connections and form ally recognise the relationship

UK delegation supports 'Atmanirbharta' at Aero India

what it is today The contributions that they and their families have made to our communities, our culture, and our economy cannot be understated, and the Forum is about strengthening those bonds between our places and exploring new

The U K defence sector has turned up in fo rce at Ind ia’ s p rem i e r ai r sh o w , A ero India, in a demonstration o f the strong intent to accelerate collaboration w ith Ind ia ac ro s s re se arc h , d ev elo pment and training

Over the course of the w e e k , t h e d e l e g a t i o n w i l l e n g a g e a r a n g e o f I n d i a n stakeholders to reiterate the UK’s ambition to not only make in India but also to ‘Create in India’ The UK delegation will take discussions forward on key offers that are being explored for c o l l a b o r a t i o n , s u c h a s strategic partnership for a jet engine development programme and maritime electric propulsion technology T h e R o y a l A i r F o r c e

On Thursday, 9th February, The Mayor and Cllr Craig welcomed a delegation of Vice-Chancellors and senior representatives from the Higher Education Commission and British Council in Pakistan to Greater Manchester

The Mayor and Cllr Craig were joined by representatives from the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Salford, Manchester Museum, the University of Bolton, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, The Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Manchester Airport Group to discuss Greater Manchester’s ambitions to develop and enhance economic, educational, cultural, and social relations with industries and leaders in Pakistan

Greater Manchester’s towns and cities are home to many people of Pakistani origin and heritage, and the country is one of several areas identified in Greater Manchester’s International Strategy as a growing market for international talent and an emerging economy with a young and growing population of around 200 million

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said, “I am delighted to have welcome representatives from the Higher Education Commission and British Council in Pakistan to Greater Manchester, with support from some of our own world-leading universities and institutions, our mission is to bring together partners from our city-region and Pakistan to deepen collaboration in education, trade, and culture

“Many of our residents came here from across Pakistan to help build Greater Manchester into

opportunities to work together ”

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester portfolio lead for Economy, Business & International said, “We are really pleased to announce that we are setting up a Greater Manchester- Pakistan Forum with key Greater Manchester partners to formally recognise our relationship and to strengthen our existing connections

“We hope that through this Forum we will continue to build and strengthen our existing collaborations as well as exploring new ones, through trade, culture, education and lastly, people to people links

“We’re really excited for the work of the Forum to get started, it will be initially chaired by Afzal Khan CBE MP, and we know from the interest that was generated yesterday that the work of the Forum will be very valuable ”

Consulate General of Pakistan in Manchester, Mr Tariq Wazir said, “The Consulate General in Manchester welcomes the announcement of the Greater Manchester Pakistan Forum Pakistan offers great business potential, which still remains untapped

“The Forum will play a strategic role in driving the economic, educational and cultural links between both regions As Consul General of Pakistan, I support this important initiative "

City-region diplomacy and forging links with likeminded places around the world are a key part of Greater Manchester’s International Strategy, presenting opportunities for collaboration on critical issues including climate change and reducing global inequalities

(RAF) looks forward to welcoming the Indian Air Force (IAF) to the UK for exercise

Cobra Warrior next month

This will be the first time that the IAF would be participating in the multilateral air combat exercise, which will see participation of air forces from 17 nations

T h e U K d e l e g a t i o n , which is led by Minister for Defence Procurement Alex Chalk, comprises represent a t i v e s f r o m G o v e r n m e n t , m i l i t a r y , a n d t h e d e f e n c e industry This includes Air V i c e - M a r s h a l R i c h a r d Maddison of the Royal Air Force and British manufacturing giants such as Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, MBDA U K , T h a l e s U K , C o l l i n s Aerospace and Leonardo

The delegation travelled to Bengaluru following their p a r t i c i p a t i o n a t t h e U P Global Investors Summit, of which the UK was a country partner, to unlock investm e n t p o t e n t i a l i n I n d i a ’ s northern defence corridor

Alex Chalk, Minister for Defence Procurement, said, “As we continue to build the U K - I n d i a C o m p r e h e n s i v e S t r a t e g i c P a r t n e r s h i p , I ’ m h u g e l y e x c i t e d t o a t t e n d Aero India – another key opportunity to demonstrate t h e U K ’ s c o m m i t m e n t t o developing strong bilateral relations and deliver on the 2030 Roadmap “ R e c e n t c o l l a b o r a t i o n s on exercise with the Indian Navy, Army and Air Force underpin the strength of our

t w o n a t i o n s ’ c o m m i t m e n t to working together to promote a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific region ”

Alex Ellis, British High C o m m i s s i o n e r t o I n d i a , said, “I heard today Prime M i n i s t e r M o d i ’ s v i s i o n t o b u i l d I n d i a ’ s i n d i g e n o u s defence capabilities; the UK is the right partner to realise t h a t a m b i t i o n – t h r o u g h sharing knowledge, increasi n g i n t e r o p e r a b i l i t y , m o r e t r a i n i n g a n d e x e r c i s i n g –a n d t h r o u g h i n c r e a s e d i n d u s t r i a l c o l l a b o r a t i o n , i n c l u d i n g t h r o u g h d e s i g n and make in India

“The UK is committed to partner with India in its journey towards becoming atmanirbhar in its defence and security needs ”

Census 2021: UK has more female unpaid carers than male

On Censu s Day 2021 there were ap proximately 4 7 milli o n u n p ai d c ar er s i n England and approximately 31 0 , 00 0 u np ai d c a re rs i n Wales T his equates to 8 9% and 1 0 5% of th e usu al reside nt p o p u la ti o n , a ge d 5 ye ar s an d o ve r p ro vi di n g unpaid care in England and Wales resp ectively

The findings were published in an article Unpaid care by age, sex and deprivat i o n , E n g l a n d a n d W a l e s : C e n s u s 2 0 2 1 r e l e a s e d b y O f f i c e f o r N a t i o n a l S t a t i s t i c s ( O N S ) , o n 1 3 February 2023

The percentage of people providing unpaid care decreased between the 2011 a n d t h e 2 0 2 1 C e n s u s e s across all age groups among males The same was true f o r f e m a l e s , e x c e p t t h o s e aged 85+, where there was an increase in both England and Wales

Females were more likely to be providing unpaid care than males In England 10 3% of females provided u n p a i d c a r e c o m p a r e d t o 7 6% of males In Wales, the b a l a n c e w a s 1 2 0 % o f females compared to 9 0% of males

T h e r e w e r e a p p r o x im a t e l y 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 y o u n g unpaid carers (aged between 5 and 17) in England (1 4%) and 8,200 in Wales (1 8%), a d e c r e a s e s i n c e t h e 2 0 1 1 C e n s u s , w h e n t h e r e w e r e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 6 8 , 0 0 0 (2 1%) young unpaid carers in England and 11,000 in Wales (2 5%) There was a higher percentage of female t h a n m a l e y o u n g u n p a i d carers

The age groups with the h i g h e s t p e r c e n t a g e o f unpaid carers were 55-59 for females and 60-64 for males in England In Wales, it was also 55-59 for females, but 55-64 for males

However, when it came to providing the most hours

of unpaid care (50 hours or m o r e a w e e k ) , t h e a g e groups most likely to provide this were females aged 75-79 and males aged 85-89 in both England and Wales

The most deprived areas of England and Wales had higher percentages of people providing unpaid care: 10 1% and 11 5% respectively, compared to 8 1% and 9 7% r e s p e c t i v e l y f o r t h e l e a s t

deprived areas: The North East was the E n g l i s h r e g i o n w i t h t h e highest percentage (10 1%) of people providing unpaid care London had the lowest percentage: 7 8%

St Helens was the local authority with the highest percentage of people prov i d i n g u n p a i d c a r e i n England at 11 7%, whilst in W a l e s i t w a s N e a t h P o r t

Talbot: 12 3%

C o m m e n t i n g o n t h e findings, Dr Sophie John, ONS Head of Social Care

Analysis said, “We’ve seen a decrease in the percentage of people providing unpaid care since 2011 This may reflect other Census findings where there has been an increase in the percentage of people reporting very good health and a decrease in the percentage of people that were disabled

“However, we need to factor in that 2021 Census took place during the pand e m i c w h e n t h e r e w e r e restrictions on household mixing Unpaid care, previously shared among several people, may have fallen to one person so as to reduce mixing This might explain why, the percentage of peop l e p r o v i d i n g c a r e h a s decreased ”

Carers UK releases good practice briefing for supporting Black, Asian and minority ethnic carers

Carers UK h as released a new best p ractice gui de, to enc ou rage organi sati on s h o w best to su ppo rt unpaid carers fro m Black, As ian and minority ethnic bac kgrounds

T h e b r i e f i n g f o l l o w s C a r e r s U K ’ s report on the experiences of Black, Asian and minority ethnic carers during and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic The report found that carers from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds were more anxious about their current financial situation and more likely to be impacted by the closure of local services The report also found that unpaid carers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are more likely, to state that the services in their area did not meet their needs

Many carers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic minority backgrounds do not often recognise themselves as carers, with some languages lacking a distinct word for ‘ carer ’ They may instead primarily see themselves as a family member, due to cultural expectations and not access resources available to them as a result It is therefore vital that organisations are culturally sensitive, and cater to the distinct needs of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic

carers

T h e b r i e f i n g p r o v i d e s e x a m p l e s o f good practice from organisations across the UK, that work with various minority communities

Carers UK, in partnership with Carers Trust, has received funding from the Covid 19 Support Fund to support the “Making Carers Count” project This part of the three-year project seeks to understand the experiences of four traditionally under-represented groups of carers both during and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic

Matthew McKenzie, Chair of Carer UK’s Black, Asian and ethnic minority advisory group said, “This report is an important step forward for ensuring that c a r e r s f r o m m i n o r i t y b a c k g r o u n d s a r e adequately supported It is essential that organisations recognise the distinct challenges that carers from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds face This briefing can help organisations improve their processes and work to provide all carers in their communities with support that is tailored to meet their cultural needs ”

Delegation of Vice-Chancellors and senior representatives from the Higher Education Commission and British Council in Pakistan

Tory ministers accused of using public money for lavish lifestyle

A campai gn i s bein g laun ched by L abour where g overnment min isters and offi cials are accused of spendin g taxpayer's money on luxury travel and hotels

To cause more damage to the T o r y p a r t y ’ s c r e d e n t i a l s , a s o c i a l media blitz will be deployed by Keir Starmer’s party to highlight five-star hotel visits by the likes of Rishi Sunak and new Tory chairman Greg Hands

On Monday, Labour published i t s d o s s i e r o f f i n d i n g s a n d o n a d e d i c a t e d w e b s i t e , www theGPCfiles com stating that in July 2021 Mr Sunak stayed in the five-star H o t e l D a n i e l i i n V e n i c e w h e n a t t e n d i n g t h e G 2 0 m e e t i n g o f

finance ministers as chancellor, with m o r e t h a n £ 4 , 5 0 0 s p e n t o n accommodation for Mr Sunak and his aides

I n 2 0 1 2 , t h e p u b l i c a c c o u n t s committee (PAC) condemned the use o f f i v e - s t a r h o t e l s a n d e x p e n s i v e t r a n s p o r t c o s t s A n g e l a R a y n e r , deputy leader of the Labour party, said, “As Conservative ministers once

Cost-of-living struggles more for black and South Asians

Cost of living pr ess ures are hitt ing blac k and South Asian comm unities harder due to a wealth race divide, figures have shown

New analysis of data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed black African people are estimated to be £80,000 less wealthy on average than their white counterparts

a g a i n r e a c h i n t o t h e p o c k e t s o f taxpayers to dine out on a five-star luxury lifestyle, families up and down the country are sick with anxiety about whether their pay cheque will c o v e r t h e w e e k l y s h o p F a r f r o m a c t u a l l y g o v e r n i n g , C o n s e r v a t i v e ministers are living the high life and t r e a t i n g t a x p a y e r s l i k e a c a s h machine ”

Home Office policy has disproportionately affected people of colour

M easures under the Hom e Office’s h ostile env iro nment policy “ may d is p ro p o r ti o na tel y i m p a ct o n p eop le of colo ur ” , a rev iew has found

A charity campaigning for the rights of immigrants branded the conclusion a “watershed moment” in acknowledging a finding it said had been “long known” by others

In 2020, the then-Home Secretary P r i t i P a t e l p r o m i s e d a “ f u l l evaluation” of the policy in the wake of the Windrush scandal A critical independent review of the d e p a r t m e n t ’ s h a n d l i n g o f t h a t scandal recommended a full review

Priti Patel

of the policy, which aimed through a series of administrative and legal measures to make staying in the U K a s d i f f i c u l t a s p o s s i b l e f o r people without leave to remain, in t h e h o p e t h e y w i l l d e p a r t t h e

country of their own accord

M s P a t e l p r e v i o u s l y s a i d Wendy Williams, the solicitor who carried out the Windrush Lessons Learned Review published in 2020, was “just a fraction away from even c a l l i n g t h e H o m e O f f i c e institutionally racist”, describing t h e s c a n d a l a s a “ s t a i n o n t h i s department”

An overarching equality impact assessment of the policy – now k n o w n a s t h e c o m p l i a n t environment – said data indicates migrants affected by it are more likely to be of South-East Asian or Black ethnicity

Minister wants to build on Britain’s education export

S ecretary of State for Education, G i lli a n K e eg a n s ay s th at s h e w ant ed to b u i ld o n Br it ai n ’ s b o o m i ng ex p o rt m a rke t i n u niv ersity ed ucation, with plans to expand education export revenues f ro m a bo u t £ 2 6b n to £ 3 5b n b y 20 30

“It’s a sector we should be very p r o u d o f , ” s h e s a i d B u t w i t h 6 8 0 , 0 0 0 o v e r s e a s s t u d e n t s enrolled last year more than the government’s 600,000 target home secretary Suella Braverman i s l o o k i n g f o r w a y s t o c o n t r o l migration numbers Keegan and B r a v e r m a n m e t t h i s w e e k t o d i s c u s s o p t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g r e v i e w i n g t h e a u t o m a t i c q u a l i f i c a t i o n o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l students for a two-year work visa as well as the ability of students on “ l o w v a l u e ” c o u r s e s t o b r i n g d e p e n d e n t s t o B r i t a i n , o f f i c i a l s briefed on the meeting said

Ms Keegan said she would help t h e H o m e O f f i c e r o o t o u t a n y abuse of the system, noting the Tory pledge to cut migration, but s h e w a n t e d t o e n s u r e a h i g hquality “ course offer” to British and overseas students She said of the sector: “It’s world leading, a great advert to our country We have a strategy which is very much focused on growing the revenue ”

The Treasury is also opposing any reforms that would damage u n i v e r s i t i e s T h e E d u c a t i o n Secretary, who left school at 16 to t a k e u p a n a p p r e n t i c e s h i p a t a Liverpool car factory, also said the g o v e r n m e n t w a s l o o k i n g a t a l l o w i n g t e a c h e r s t o q u a l i f y t h r o u g h a p p r e n t i c e s h i p s t o

“broaden the access ” points to the profession, in order to plug staff shortages in schools

Ms Keegan, who in October b e c a m e t h e f i f t h E d u c a t i o n Secretary in four months, has been a k e e n a d v o c a t e f o r v o c a t i o n a l t r a i n i n g a n d a r g u e d t h a t a p p r e n t i c e s h i p s w o u l d t a c k l e l a b o u r s h o r t a g e s a c r o s s t h e economy

W h i l e s h e s t r e s s e d t h a t t h e idea was in its early stages, Ms Keegan said a teacher apprenticeship could encourage more people i n t o t h e p r o f e s s i o n T h e g o v e r n m e n t i n t r o d u c e d a n apprenticeship route to becoming a medical doctor this year “We can g e t p e o p l e w h o h a v e a s e c o n d career to earn and learn,” she said “It would also change attitudes to apprenticeships in schools ”

The Minister says she is the o n l y M P w i t h a d e g r e e apprenticeship, which she has said was the foundation for a business career that took her to Tokyo and Madrid and ultimately to her role as Tory MP for the safe seat of Chichester

Now, as Education Secretary, she plans to replace conventional university degree teacher training with a degree level apprenticeship, including on-the-job training

T h e d a t a c o v e r s w e a l t h a n d equality in Great Britain from 2018 to 2020 It reveals adults identifying as black African had an average of £ 8 0 , 0 0 0 l e s s w e a l t h t h a n w h i t e British adults

T h e w e a l t h d i v i d e b e t w e e n black Caribbean people and white British people is £50,468, for Indian adults it is £88,082 and for Pakistani people the figure is even higher, at £111,869 A c c o r d i n g t o t h e O N S , t h e

figures include a person ’ s financial, p e n s i o n , p h y s i c a l a n d p r o p e r t y wealth but excludes business assets and are adjusted for factors such as e c o n o m i c a c t i v i t y s t a t u s , educational attainment, household m a k e - u p a n d s o c i o - e c o n o m i c status

W h e n t h e s e f a c t o r s a r e e x c l u d e d , a n d t h e d a t a i s o n l y controlled based on age and sex, the wealth divide appears even bigger For example, black African adults h a d a n a v e r a g e o f £ 1 6 5 , 0 0 0 (£164,432) less wealth than white British adults and black Caribbean adults were £138,934 worse off The data also revealed women were found to be £93,000 worse off than men and someone living with a disability has, on average, £67,000 less wealth than their able-bodied counterpart

Fourth successive win for Labour in West Lancashire

The Labour party has secured a conv incing win in a parliam entary by ele ct io n i n W es t L anc as h i re , ret ai ni ng th e s ea t w i th a si g n i fi c ant ly i nc re as ed m aj o ri ty after a big fall in the vote share fo r the ruling Co nserv atives

L a b o u r ’ s A s h l e y D a l t o n w i l l b e c o m e t h e s e a t ’ s M P a f t e r receiving 62 3 percent of the vote, up 10 2 percentage points from the share secured by Rosie Cooper at the 2019 general election Dalton beat Conservative candidate Mike Prendergast by a margin of 8,326 votes, as the Tories’ vote share fell 10 9 percentage points to 25 4 per cent Turnout for the poll dropped f r o m 7 2 p e r c e n t a t t h e 2 0 1 9 general election to 31 per cent

The by-election was triggered b y C o o p e r ’ s r e s i g n a t i o n f r o m parliament to become chair of the M e r s e y C a r e N H S F o u n d a t i o n T r u s t T h e r e s u l t p r o v i d e d t h e latest evidence of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s substantial edge in p u b l i c a p p r o v a l o v e r P r i m e M i n i s t e r R i s h i S u n a k ’ s Conservatives Opinion polls show L a b o u r c o n s i s t e n t l y h o l d s a 2 0 percent lead in opinion polling over the ruling party Dalton, a former local government official and trade unionist, said after the declaration of the result that the p e o p l e o f t h e n o r t h e r n E n g l i s h c o n s t i t u e n c y h a d s p o k e n “ o n behalf of the country”

“They’ve sent a message to this Conservative government: they do not have confidence in them to govern or the prime minister to l e a d , ” s h e s a i d “ T h e p e o p l e o f Lancashire have put their trust in Keir Starmer’s Labour ”

While Labour retained West L a n c a s h i r e i n 2 0 1 9 , t h e s e a t resembles others in the so-called r e d w a l l o f n o r t h e r n E n g l a n d , w h e r e a r a n g e o f t r a d i t i o n a l l y Labour-voting seats flipped to the C o n s e r v a t i v e s , p r o v i d i n g t h e f o u n d a t i o n f o r t h e n p r i m e m i n i s t e r B o r i s J o h n s o n ’ s p a rliamentary majority In May 2019, a 23-year-old neo-Nazi was jailed for a plot to kill Cooper and a police officer, against whom he had a grudge Cooper said when announcing her resignation as an MP that the incident had “undoubtedly” taken a toll on her The poll marked the fourth successive by-election win for Labour although only one, in J u n e i n t h e n o r t h e r n E n g l i s h c o n s t i t u e n c y o f W a k e f i e l d , claimed a seat previously held by t h e C o n s e r v a t i v e p a r t y T h e government’s opinion poll ratings h a v e f a l l e n s h a r p l y s i n c e L i z T r u s s ’ s s e v e n - w e e k t e n u r e a s prime minister last year, which ended after her botched “mini” Budget unleashed economic chaos a n d l e d t o h e r r e p l a c e m e n t b y Sunak

More nurses would soon join the strike action

Nurses from emerg ency d ep artments, intensiv e care and cancer wards could soo n be asked to j oin their colleag ues in strike actio n

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is understood to be considering action across three days and throughout the night as its dispute with the government escalates The union told NHS leaders that it is preparing to end a process where it had agreed around 5,000 local exemptions from strike action within hospitals This would mean nurses in those

endanger life Dates for the next nurses' strikes in England could be announced within days, and the action itself could then take place a few weeks later

England's nurses had walked off the job for two days recently but a strike planned in Wales was called off after the Welsh government i m p r o v e d i t s p a y o f f e r I n E n g l a n d , R i s h i Sunak's government has indicated it will not n e g o t i a t e o n p a y f o r t h i s f i n a n c i a l y e a r

Ministers have said they can look at next year's pay, much to the frustration of union leaders, who say their members need higher pay now to cope with the soaring cost of

Angela Rayner

Photo courtesy: Twitter @AngelaRayner

Gillian Keegan

Photo courtesy: Twitter @GillianKeegan

The Bhavan celebrates Republic Day with a special honour to the Indian High Commissioner

The B ha van, London cel ebr ated India’s Republic Day on 9 Februar y and was joined by HE Vik ram Doraiswa mi, the High Commissioner of India to the UK as their Gue st of H onour

The event began with a traditional Sanskrit prayer by Executive Director Dr M N Nandakumara, after which the Chairman Subhanu Saxena gave a welcome address He spoke about the importance and quality of leadership in today’s world He stressed on the leadership that unites He also spoke about how Indian Classical Arts create and nurture these values and help in bringing communities together

He highlighted the partnership with the Indian High Commission and requested the High Commissioner to become a Patron of The Bhavan, which he gracefully accepted

This was followed by a speech by Lord Navnit Dholakia OBE PC, Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats and Patron of The Bhavan, who spoke about the history of the institution, and how it was one of the first institutes in the UK that identified Indian cul-

ture He praised the power and contributions that the NRIs have made to Britain and to India India, he said, has grown and developed leaps and bounds since becoming a Republic and now makes global contributions Like all the other speakers, he also echoed his unending love for India

Virendra Sharma MP in his speech threw light on the Indian Constitution, and how the country has respected it over the decades since it was first written while sharing a few lines from it He proceeded to highlight the beauty of Indian culture and teachings and the essence of our ancient ‘ parampara ’ (tradition) which holds strong till today

Cllr Daryl Brown, Deputy Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham, shared her delight in the continued friendship of the Hammersmith and Fulham borough with The Bhavan and promised to continue supporting The Bhavan’s activities in its incredible work of spreading Indian culture in the UK

The main address of the evening was delivered by the

Guest of Honour, HE Vikram

Doraiswami He began by speaking about the importance of India’s Republic Day and the Constitution, and then emphasised on the responsibilities and rights of being a citizen

He said, when India gained independence and became a Republic, the average longevity of a man was 32 years, literacy rate was at 23%, and various diseases were common It was assumed that India was too large and too complicated a country to survive The Republic Day is significant because it provided Indians the right to govern themselves, and they have made great strides since then The day established who wielded true power in India – its citizens India has made tremendous progress in various fields including tech, medicine, arts, etc The High Commissioner also spoke briefly about the Magna Carta in the UK His Excellency added about the main qualities of being a good citizen - truthfulness, justice,

Bhagavadajjukam play captivates audiences at Nehru Centre

S a ns kr u ti C en tre f o r C u l tu ra l Excellence hosted the Sanskrit play B h ag av a d aj j u ka m a t th e Ne h ru C entre (IC C R Lo nd on) recently T he event is o rganised as part of the project signed with the world 's o n ly m u l ti -c am p u s lan g u ag e U ni v e rs it y- C e ntr al S ans k ri t U ni v er si t y a nd m ark s A z ad i k a

A mrit M ahotsav celebrations

The play was preceded with the o p e n i n g w o r d s b y S a n j a y Sharma, Deputy Director of the Nehru Centre, shloka rendition b y S a m r a g y i P o k h r e l a n d

Samriddhi Pokhrel representing Sanskrit at St James, and song by Shalini Jeevanigi and Jyothirmayi Rampeta

Best wishes message given b y h o n o u r a b l e M i n i s t e r f o r

Culture and Tourism Shri G Kishan Reddy was read out by S u s h i l R a p a t w a r H e a l s o p l a y e d R a m i l a k a i n t h e p l a y i n v o c a t i o n t o t h e p r e s i d i n g deity of the play Lord Shiva, was presented by Ragasudha Vinjamuri who also played the r o l e o f M a t a i n t h e p l a y R a v e e s h H e g d e a s S h a n d i l y a and Raghavendra Bhat as Guru immensely captivated the audi-

ence Believed to be written in the 7 t h c e n t u r y b y B o d h a y a n a , B h a g a v a d a j j u k a m i s a s a t i r i c a l comedy and a literary masterpiece revolving around these main characters

T h e c u r r e n t p r e s e n t a t i o n i s directed by Prof Ramakant Pandey and anchored by Radhika Joshi Dr Rishi Handa, Head of Sanskrit at St J a m e s S c h o o l , A c h a r y a D u r g a Prasad Pokhrel and Cllr Sharad Kumar Jha were felicitated on the occasion Shri Kapil Dev, Minister of Public Diplomacy & Consular at the High Commission of India was i n a t t e n d a n c e T h e d e l e g a t i o n from Central Sanskrit University shall perform the play in Ireland at the School of Philosophy, led by Prof Rutger

equality, respect, and active participation in society He added how the value of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ is embedded in the Indian tradition, and it includes not just the people but also their efforts to safeguard the environment

While 1 7mn Indians live in the UK, they are proud of their

ter place He also congratulated The Bhavan on being the representative of Indian culture in the UK

The vote of thanks was given by Dr Surekha Mehta, Vice Chair of the Bhavan She spoke on the incredible achievements of India over the years – the remarkable developments in tech and becom-

heritage and their roots

He quoted a shloka from Rig Veda - ‘Ekam sat vipraa bahudhaa vadanti’ – which means the one ultimate truth can be arrived at through different paths of understanding He also explained how humanity can reach a high state of love and understanding, and we must constantly think of how we can help to make the world a bet-

ing the largest digital market of the world, delivering the largest covid vaccine, and the continual importance given to diversity and representation of various sections of the society Speaking about The Bhavan, she expressed pride in it being the largest such institution outside India

Gopi Hinduja of the Hinduja Group, Brigadier Vikramjit Singh Gill, Defence and Military Adviser at the High Commission of India and Murli Ramadoss of Chellaram Foundation were present among guests

The speeches were followed by cultural performances by The Bhavan’s students

The event concluded with national anthems

New Hindu temple opens after break-ins and damages last year

So m e 40 0 p e o p l e a t te n de d t h e o p e ni ng o f a Hin du t em p l e in Swindo n

The Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre will occupy two floors in Regent House, with the temple sitting on the second floor The space will also be used for cultural activities such as Bollywood dancing and Zumba Its opening comes nearly 18 months after Swindon s previous temple closed following safety concerns and a series of burglaries

tees Harish Lakhani, who worships at the temple, said: "We are peaceloving and want to spread the good culture that we have " Mr Bhadwaj reportedly added, This is not just a place of worship - this is also a platform for the community to give back to the town, to do charitable acts ”

Pradeep Bhadwaj, chairman of the temple, reportedly said that having so many people attend the event was "overwhelming to say the least"

The opening ceremony was carried out by Gurukul Sudershan - the p

The temple closed in October 2021 after repeated break-ins caused s i g n i f i c a n t d a m a g e w h i c h l e d Swindon Borough Council to determine that the building was unfit for occupation Finding a new location was not easy and it took almost 18 months to identify and move into a suitable site

p l e with fire before blessing the devo-

h e t e

The main statues of deities were stored in a secret location to prevent them from being damaged They are put back on display now

Performance by the music students

HE Vikram Doraiswami addressing the audience as Lord Navnit Dholakia, Joginder Sanger, Cllr Daryl Brown and Subhanu Saxena look on

Bharatnatyam performance by the students

Kathak by students

Organisers and artists of the play Bhagavadajjukam

Photo courtesy: Facebook

Pradeep Bhardwaj

Photo courtesy: Facebook

Of Problems and Solutions: An Interview with Chayn Kohli

Paramita Purakayastha

C hay n Kohli, at 19, has d one a lot for a woma n her a ge She won the Stude nt A ward for Ex ce llence in G en der Equalit y in 2022 a t t he Un iver sit y of Wa rwick, whe re she is a second -y ea r BSc Mana geme nt st ud ent But her work on wome n ’ s r ights star te d at t he age of 1 4 She spoke to Asian Voice about those beg in ning s, h er mot iv ation , a nd he r fut ure plan s

Talking about the beginning of her journey, Chayn said, “Before working mainly on gender equality, I was working with the healthcare sectors

I've conducted blood donation drives, worked with government hospitals, raised money for body bags and PPE kits So, while trying to increase healthcare opportunities I realised that women were very underrepresented, they didn't have as much access to healthcare as men and they would rather hold in pain

“But while I noticed all that, there was one particular experience that had a strong impact on me Growing up, I was athletic and that was the first time I was playing in a football league outside of school In the league, we had women from various socioeconomic backgrounds from ages 18 to 35 and from places as different as Kashmir and Maharashtra I remember speaking to the different people in my team over the course of the league and meeting girls whose parents were not okay with their daughters taking part in sports because it's not stereotypically a dream that a girl should have So, they would sneak out of the house making excuses to participate

“I even remember one of the girls telling me how she used to give tuitions secretly to be able to pay

for all her equipment and participation registration fees And she told me that if her father came to know he would be furious and would call her back and marry her off But she wanted to pursue football nevertheless Now she's doing well, playing for national team

“I always knew that was gender inequality But these were all girls my age or slightly older, some with husbands, having children of their own So, I realised how valuable it was for everyone to have the right to be able to dream and do something with their life, their careers and there should be more access to it, all around India ”

Importance of perspective

It is not easy for Chayn to approach the girls back home in India, and she told us about the importance of considering perspectives that are different and varied, an ability of hers which she attributed to growing up in a very liberal household “I've noticed very frequently that when people try to help, they try to do that in a way they think would be right They don't realise that people are built differently, and the situations are so different You are supposed to be there for people in the way they need you to be there, not in the way you hoped you would be there for them You might complicate things more, otherwise While helping girls, you have to remember

that each family is different ”

And it is not always one way, she said in her matter-of-fact manner

While Chayn believed that she was blessed to have friends and family who have been very supportive of her endeavours, “ there have also been people that I ve interacted with in my social circles who were completely unaware You can read news but you may not really understand the issues Which is actually fair because honestly I could read about it and I could get a glimpse of it But till you see someone struggling with it, you don't really understand the privilege you have There are so many people from different minority communities- not just women Women's empowerment is something so big But women coming from different backgrounds have so many different issues And everyone s not going to know the context of other people's issues and backgrounds So, there is a lot of awareness that needs to go around ”

At the end of the day, Chayn believes that change will come with a transformation in the mindset of people She added, “The Government of India, is taking initiatives to educate female children But will families understand that their daughters and sons have no difference, and they are both equally capable of achieving their dreams? You could have the law come and help you, but till the mindset changes, it's not going to help Mindsets change laws as people have to demand those changes Law is made for the people ”

Role and future plans

Talking about what she does in Warwick which contributed to the recognition from her university, Chayn explained, “I'm a part of Warwick Women's Career Society where I handle the blogs and the website I have a magazine coming out in a month where we would be talking about employment opportunities and different problems women face and women empowerment generally I've also created a podcast which you can stream on Spotify where we bring in people to talk about exam stress, provide insights into different industries, and struggles that women face in male-dominated industries I recently joined the Warwick ‘Designing for Inclusion Programme’ for which I'm designing or helping design programmes for which I'll be conducting a lot of feedback surveys and getting responses from women ”

What are her future plans? “Besides studying for my course, I'm simultaneously working on gender equality I have taught a lot of women English, math, jewellerymaking- which are sustainable skills I'm always there for the women I work with and I connect them with other agencies if they need it The entire point is to make the women independent, regardless of me being around,” she said

“I also want to increase my outreach, may be start my own podcast, and talk about more issues And I will simultaneously be working on all of this, along with my college work, but I think once I graduate, I want to start my own social entrepreneurship I'm just looking at increasing opportunities for women in healthcare and education as of now ”

Charities urge Justice Secretary to guarantee better protection for women in Family Courts

T he F amily Courts are faili ng su rv iv o r s o f d o m es ti c abuse, according to 28 leading wom en ’ s ch arities, solicitors and surv ivors

A letter signed by the group has been delivered to Secretary of State for Justice D o m i n i c R a a b l a s t w e e k calling for urgent action to stop the practice of perpet r a t o r s o f d o m e s t i c a b u s e from cross examining their victims in court

F a r a h N a z e e r , C h i e f Executive of Women’s Aid s a i d , “ I t i s a p p a l l i n g t h a t women are being subjected to what is essentially states a n c t i o n e d a b u s e w i t h i n court settings, with perpet r a t o r s c r o s s - e x a m i n i n g their victims No one would

Switzerland celebrates Yash Chopra’s legacy, salutes his contribution to present the country’s beauty to Indians

Switzerland is payi ng tribute to the legendary fi lmmaker Y ash Chopra, saluting his c ontribution of havi n g s ho wc a s e d Sw i tz e r la n d’ s b e au ty t o Indians through the magic of his cinema The muchawaited N etflix docu-series, The Romantic s, i s a celebrati on of the legacy of Y ash Chopra, YRF, and i ts cultural impact on Indians over

statue of Yash Chopra was installed by the Switzerland g o v e r n m e n t a s a t r i b u t e , near the Congress Centre in I n t e r l a k e n , a p o p u l a r tourist spot At the prestig i o u s V i c t o r i a - J u n g f r a u Grand Hotel & Spa, a special deluxe cinema-themed suite was named after Yash Chopra In 2011, the filmm a k e r i n a u g u r a t e d t h e suite Lake Lauenen, in the

the past 50 years

Remo Käser, Director of S a l e s J u n g f r a u R a i l w a y s , Switzerland, reveals, “The legend, Yash Chopra, has p r e s e n t e d t h e b e a u t y o f Switzerland and especially t h e J u n g f r a u R e g i o n t o Indians across the world for g e n e r a t i o n s , t h r o u g h h i s beautiful, soulful cinema I n d i a n s , w h o c o m e t o J u n g f r a u j o c h – T o p o f Europe year on year, have always spoken to us about how the romantic films of Yash Chopra have pushed them to visit the Jungfrau Region and Interlaken and make memories for a lifetime " T h e S w i s s a u t h o r i t i e s w i l l c e l e b r a t e Y a s h

Chopra’s legacy across the country, especially in places where the filmmaker shot m e g a - h i t s l i k e D a r r a n d

C h a n d n i H i s s o n A d i t y a

Chopra also shot the alltime blockbuster, Dilwale D u l h a n i a L e J a y e n g e i n

e x p e c t a b u r g l a r t o b e allowed to question the person they held at knifepoint

“We welcomed the government’s announced commitments in 2017 to ban this abhorrent practice, but we remain unconvinced these measures are protecting surv i v o r s o f d o m e s t i c a b u s e effectively Without proper s c r u t i n y , w o m e n a r e l e f t u n p r o t e c t e d , t e r r i f i e d a n d subject to further abuse

“We urge the Ministry of Justice to establish robust monitoring and evaluation to ensure the legislation is c o n s i s t e n t l y i m p l e m e n t e d

T h e l e g i s l a t i o n m u s t b e extended to cover all childcontact cases in the system, n o t o n l y t h o s e t h a t h a v e

begun since July 2022, and w e w a n t a s s u r a n c e s t h a t enough qualified legal representatives are taking on this critical work ”

The letter has been sent

ahead of the sixth annivers a r y o f t h e g o v e r n m e n t ’ s commitment to ban what t h e g r o u p h a v e c a l l e d a n ‘abhorrent’ practice

Collaboration painting by the Queen won’t go on sale

P ain tin gs b y th e K ing s el l these days fo r thou sands of pou nds But o ne royal artwo rk, o nl y jus t co mp let ed, won't go on s al e at all - even if it is u nique More of a co llaboratio n than an excl usive piece, it was finish ed by th e Queen during a vis it to mark th e 1 9 t h a nn iv er s a ry o f a Lon do n c o mm u nit y c en tr e f o r vic t i m s o f do m e s t ic abu se

F e l i c i t y P r a z a k , a n artist, said that art lessons h e l p e d t o b o o s t t h e women's confidence She a d d e d t h a t t h e Q u e e n , who spoke with survivors during her visit, displayed " n o n e r v o u s n e s s " w h e n painting The picture of a sea fern will be kept by the f o u n d e r o f t h e S t o r m F a m i l y C e n t r e a s a memento

Switzerland Every Indian h a s b e e n e n c h a n t e d b y Switzerland’s snow-capped m o u n t a i n s , l u s h v a l l e y s , and pristine lakes in large p a r t b e c a u s e o f Y a s h C h o p r a ’ s f i l m s I t i s s a i d that he visited Switzerland for his honeymoon and was s m i t t e n b y t h e c o u n t r y instantly The Swiss government has continuously h o n o u r e d t h e l e g e n d a r y f i l m m a k e r t h r o u g h t h e

years

I n 2 0 1 1 , S w i t z e r l a n d ’ s

Jungfrau Railways inaugurated a train named after him an honour shared o n l y w i t h t h e r a i l w a y ’ s founder, Adolf Guyer The train featured his signature and name on a signboard

In May 2016, a bronze

Canton of Berne, is referred t o a s L a k e C h o p r a ! T h e S w i s s g o v e r n m e n t h o no u r e d Y a s h C h o p r a w i t h the title of Ambassador of Interlaken, making him the first recipient of the award He was also bestowed the Swiss Ambassador’s Award R e m o a d d s , “Switzerland and India have a g r e a t b o n d o f m u t u a l respect and admiration and Yash Chopra has played a monumental role in solidif y i n g t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between our great nations S w i t z e r l a n d i s o n l y t o o proud to celebrate his legacy here " F r o m A a m i r K h a n t o Salman Khan, Shah Rukh K h a n t o R a n b i r K a p o o r , A m i t a b h B a c h c h a n t o R a n v e e r S i n g h , R a n i Mukerji to Hrithik Roshan, K a t r i n a K a i f t o A n u s h k a Sharma, the mega-stars and icons of Hindi cinema have c o m e t o g e t h e r t o s p e a k a b o u t Y a s h C h o p r a a n d Y R F ’ s c o n t r i b u t i o n t o I n d i a n c i n e m a i n T h e

Romantics

T h e R o m a n t i c s h a s been directed by Oscar & E m m y - n o m i n a t e d f i l mm a k e r S m r i t i M u n d h r a , who returns to Netflix after the phenomenal success of I n d i a n M a t c h m a k i n g a n d t h e ' N e v e r H a v e I E v e r Season 3' In this four-part docu-series, will feature 35 leading personalities from the film industry, who have c l o s e l y w o r k e d w i t h Y R F through its 50-year glorious existence

Interestingly, the reclusive head of the iconic Yash Raj Films, Aditya Chopra, has also recorded his first o n - c a m e r a i n t e r v i e w f o r

SRK and Ruhi Chawla in the film Darr

Chayn Kohli

Amit Sodha: Happiness with Heart

Sunetra Senior

Amit is an award -winning blogger and life coach w ho no w speci a li s es i n l o v e A s i an V o i c e caug ht up w ith th e sparky m otiv ator after som e time: several years on and A m i t’ s bu z zi n g b lo g , U nli m i t ed Cho ice, has hit 1 m illion followers on Facebook and garnered the title o f Best Blo g at the A sian Media A wards (20 20 ) How ever, Am it si gnific antly states meeting his wife as the biggest thrilling w in: “ w e m et back in 20 15 and have been go ing stro ng ev er since Honestly, she is a hu ge part o f the reason I am able to wake up and keep going every d ay S ome people say they are totally independ ent, but I think that’s silly – it is imp ortant to hav e so m e f o rm o f s u p p o rt ” A m i t h ad incorporated ad vice on dating into his life-coaching prior, but has warmly expand ed into the d omain of mod ern rom ance alongsid e his budding relationship “I was thrilled to be doing well in this area, ” he continued, “and wanted to share some helpful experiential tips w ith o thers I had strugg led myself and wanted to m ake it easier ”

M u c h o f t h i s e m o t i o n a l e x p e r t knowledge can be found on Amit’s diverse dating blog: from insights into ‘What Marriage Means’ after five good years to how to ‘Make the Most of Dating Apps’ in the sea of contemporary options that are available to the public In general, the role model recommends: “going into love with an open mind: it is important to be playful and not take things so seriously, particularly early on On the other hand: it is also important to stay balanced by not dating too many people at once These days, there is so much choice that people don’t want to settle Even if they meet someone who could become their future partner, people tend to continue to date widely for fear of missing out This is not always h e l p f u l ” I t s e e m s t h e n t h a t b e i n g grounded is ultimately key Indeed, Amit shared: “I met my wife when I was casually dating but at once mindfully aware I was relaxed but knew to value our unique connection ” This m i n d s e t r e v e r b e r a t e s t h r o u g h o u t Amit’s philosophy:

“Despite having endless variety, it is important not to be overwhelmed by the multitude of choice For example: in terms of growing a brand, it is important to identify one avenue that is working for you It’s great to be prolific but that does not matter if you ’ re distracted from the core project You must have a definite niche What you can offer must be clear to your audience – whether it is through a blog, social media or another enterprise, you need to develop a distinct pull which creates that invested following Can you become a one-stop shop for a specific concept: dating, specialist wisdom, a style or an approach? Keep such output regular and you gain the traction that establishes a platform Many have gone viral because of one brilliant story or a fun-having piece Don’t bend to the idea of being big instantly – that one valuable pursuit is f u n d a m e n t a l l y t h e w a y Y o u c o u l d have so many emails in your inbox for a plethora of launches but conversely lose the focus ” Here, Amit added:

“Start by doing the small, more m a n a g e a b l e t a s k s a n d b e f o r e y o u know it you will have achieved your

Idris Elba decides to no longer call himself ‘Black’

Idris Elba OBE has said he no lo n g er ca lls h i m s elf a “B lack ac tor” b ecau s e th e label puts him in a “bo x ”

The Luther star said that “ as humans, we are obsessed w i t h r a c e ” a n d t h a t t h e “obsession can really hinder p e o p l e ’ s a s p i r a t i o n s ” a n d “growth”

desired goal e g , if you are too scared to get yourself to a singles night to meet those new people, lay out what you might be wearing first and see how that goes If your clothes are sitting in the back of your wardrobe, how are you ever going to make it out?

Actually, I was hosting a mixer night, Electric Shuffle, and there were a pair of sisters really enjoying themselves One told me that the other had been averse to just coming, but once she got herself in, she had a beautiful evening She had been so afraid but ended up having one of the best nights out!”

And so, the formula to love is shown as universal to life: building up personal constructive habits creates spectacular profound change: “That’s happiness!”

You are now happily married: what did you do for your one-month anniversary?

My wife took me to a football match; a year later and we seemed to have tied the knot!

How exactly does one relax when so much rides on a first date?

Don’t put so much pressure on it! Often people have multiple rigid tickboxes Just let go a little Also, don’t just judge by that one date As long as they don’t insult you, it’s always worth going on a second and it’s never too late! There is not always a spark when y o u f i r s t m e e t D o n ’ t g o i n w i t h extremely high expectations My wife and I were at an engagement party just 7 months ago and got chatting to another couple who’d met around the same time us The woman shared that the only reason she even went on a s e c o n d d a t e w a s b e c a u s e s h e w a s bored and hungry but it ended up being a game-changer Take a bit of a risk and it pays off!

You do have an overflowing wealth of healthy positivity. What would your top advice be in navigating these socially adverse, high-tension times?

I think people become wearied when they’re putting in a lot into something but not getting the results I suggest activity-based intervention e g , the best singles evenings, especially after lockdown, are the ones that help get people out of the house and also themselves! I have hosted cricketing and dance socials and people so quickly come out of their shells Many felt uncomfortable coming by themselves but were bouncing off the walls by the end of the night! I always say: simply come along and within 5 minu t e s y o u w i l l f e e l m o r e y o u r s e l f

Interact with the world and make

those experiences positive – put yourself out there, throwing yourself into new hobbies, travelling and keeping w e l c o m i n g n e w i d e a s T h i n k i t i s going to go well and enjoy it

BigQuestion: What have you learned to be an overarching truth as a lifecoach who has experienced a lot?

Elba, 50, made the comments during an interview with Esquire UK He said: “If we spent half the time not talking about the differe n c e s b u t t h e s i m i l a r i t i e s between us, the entire planet would have a shift in the w a y w e d e a l w i t h e a c h other ”

The actor went on to say that while “racism is very real”, his perspective is that “it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be” The actor –also known for his role as Stringer Bell in HBO’s The Wire – said that he entered t h e i n d u s t r y b e c a u s e “ I thought that’s a great prof e s s i o n a n d I c o u l d d o a

I love adapting and keeping active Go with the flow and don’t limit yourself by paradoxically wanting to do everything

Over lockdown, I couldn’t go to the gym, but I still went for a long walk; although I couldn’t go out, I could still host party segments on the Radio That has now evolved into the show, Love Lounge, on Sunrise Radio which is amazing

There’s actually a popular book t h a t I l o v e c a l l e d ‘ A t o m i c H a b i t s ’ which almost summarises the key to happiness One good idea in this vein has been cultivating good habits by attaching them to the parts of routine that you already do yourself e g , if you w a n t t o i n c o r p o r a t e p u s h - u p s a n d exercise into your life, latch it to going t o t h e b a t h r o o m w h i c h y o u w e r e already going to do Develop that, always celebrating the little things Even if my wife and I are having a bad day and we can’t walk to the gym, we will still get a ride there so we are still hitting the goals The trick is to get yourself doing even when you don’t feel like it – just get yourself there as often as possible

Idris Elba

good job at it”

F e l l o w a c t o r J o h n Boyega has responded to the remarks on Twitter, appearing to call Elba’s decision to n o t r e f e r t o h i m s e l f a s a Black actor a “weird adjustment” Elba can next be seen i n t h e h i g h l y a n t i c i p a t e d f i l m , L u t h e r : F a l l e n S u n The film, directed by Jamie Payne, will be available to see in cinemas for one week from 24 February before its Netflix arrival on 10 March

Beaulieu village voted the best place to live in the UK

An Eng lish v illage h as been voted one of the best places to live in the UK – despite its nam e be i ng n o to ri o u sl y hard to pronou nce

The village of Beaulieu ( p r o n o u n c e d b e w - l e y ) , i n t h e N e w F o r e s t , w a s namechecked in a list of “ 54 p o s h e s t U K v i l l a g e s ” f o r 2023 It is noted that the average house price in the H a m p s h i r e v i l l a g e w a s £1,524,287, as well as praising its “16th-century high street” and “artisan shops” T h e n a m e B e a u l i e u i s French in origin, and transl a t e s r o u g h l y a s “ l o v e l y place”

The list is compiled with p r o p e r t y c o m p a n y S a v i l l s ,

and remarks: “It is chocolate-box pretty with a period high street boasting artisan stores, while being on the doorstep of both the New Forest and Buckler’s Hard The list took into account history and heritage, archit e c t u r e , q u a l i t y o f s h o p s , r e s t a u r a n t s a n d b a r s , a n d h o u s e p r i c e s i n t h e a r e a Other villages that made the l i s t i n c l u d e d S t u d h a m , Bedfordshire; Sunningdale, B e r k s h i r e ; a n d K i r k b y O v e r b l o w i n N o r t h Yorkshire Beaulieu was the most expensive in terms of average house price, with Little G a d d e s d e n , H e r t f o r d s h i r e , close behind at £1,333,501

Bus drivers’ strike end after more

W: https://unlimitedchoice org/

Unlimited Choice

Feel Inspired with Amit Sodha

unlimitedchoice org

T : @amitsodha

AMIT SODHA

“Go into love with an open mind: it is important to be playful and not take things too seriously...”

Glorious Golden Jubilee Awards pay tr

PM Rishi Sunak congratulated and extended his best wishes to CB and the newsweeklies on this occasion A letter from PM Sunak read: “Both Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar remained popular for many years, ensuring that the relationship between both countries are treasured I would like to take a moment to congratulate Mr CB Patel and the team for their dedication and hard work which is just as valuable today as it was ”

L ord Loom ba was the host of the event Amo ng g uests were Lad y L oomba, Lord and Lady Dholakia, Lord Karan Bilimoria, Lord Rami Ranger, Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Baroness Usha Prashar, Mr Vijay Sharma, Virendra Sharma MP, Bob Blackman MP, Deputy High Commissioner of India Sujit Ghosh, High Commissioner of Uganda, HE Nimisha Madhvani, Director Nehru Centre Amish Tripathi, Mission Head Mauritius High Commission Disha Ragnuth Other guests included Cllr Krupesh Hirani AM, Cllr Ramji Chauhan, SBI Regional Head UK & CEO Sudhir Sharma, Director FICCI UK Dr Param Shah, The Bhavan UK Chairman Subhanu Saxena, BAPS Trustee Dr Mayank Shah, Dr Bharat Shah CBE, Manubhai Ramji,

Shashibhai Vekaria, Navnat Vanik

Association President Dilipbhai Mithani, Sangat centre CEO KantibhaiNagda, Vinod Thakrar, Zaki Cooper, Rishi Patel, Kamal Pankhania, Merul Patel, Heritage Bengal Global Director Anirban Mukhopadhyay, World Tamil Organisation Founder and Chairman Jacob Ravibalan to name a few The voice of Asians in UK

During the opening of the Golden Jubilee Awards ceremony, Lord Karan Bilimoria said “CB and his publications have grown through the years and become the voice of nations in the UK We have also grown side by side But that kindness and humility of CB has never changed ”

“We are celebrating Golden Jubilee and 50 years of Gujarat Samachar, which is no mean feat for any organisation or business Look back to 50 years ago In 1973, who looked at India as an economy with any respect? But look at where India is today India has the presidency of the G20 Now the whole world is looking to India, as a country with second biggest economy So that's where we are That s the journey 50 years of the UK, 50 years of India and 50 years of CB Patel, the voice of Asians in the UK ”

Serving Asian communities for 50 years

Welcoming the guests, Lord Loomba praised the achievements and leadership of CB Patel He remarked “From Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, CB Patel is serving the Gujaratis and other Asian communities and spreading the knowledge In short, I can say that he is on a mission to help the community, stand with the community and fight for the rights of the common people

“Under his visionary supervision in the past 50 years, our families stood by the Asians who were expelled from Uganda, Gujarat

Samachar started a movement for the rights of Asians and raise their voice CB Patel is committed to solving social, political, or immigration-related problems ” Bridge building between India and UK

Speaking about the positive change in the political scenario fo d munities in the ceremo

Padma Shri Bob Blackm

MP said, “CB Patel is a model for the Indian communities in the UK

You have been at the forefront to make sure that the Indian voice is not only heard in our politics but in our communities forever ”

He added, “We need to develop and grow of relationship with India not only on trade basis, security bas but on every single basi we are friends Togethe are two great nations A must cement that relat make sure that whatever other people wish to do we will never be divided And that is

Lord Loomba

L-R: Lady Loomba, Tejal Bhanderi, Ghanshyam Bhanderi, Lord Loomba, CB Patel, Mahesh Liloriya

L-R: Lord Ranger, Dr Chetan Savaliya, Manish Kumar Ray, CB Patel, Mahesh Liloriya

L-R: Kejal Shah, Rahul Shah, Lord Dholakia, Lady Dholakia, CB Patel, Mahesh Liloriya

L-R: Vijay Davariya Lord Parekh CB Patel Mahesh Liloriya

L-R: H E Nimisha Madhvani, Mission Head Mauritius Disha Ragnuth, Shan Hansrod, DHC Sujit Ghosh, CB Patel, Mahesh Liloriya

L-R: Amish Tripathi, Shivani Sethia, H E Nimisha Madhvani, Vinod Thakrar, Dr Mayank Shah

L-R: CB Patel, Lord Parekh, H E Nimisha Madhvani

Lord Karan Bilimoria

L-R: Cecil Soans, Pratik Dattani, Navika Yadav, Naynesh Desai

Dr Chetan Savaliya and Manish Kumar Ray

L-R: Dr Mayank Shah, Hiral ben Shah, Dr Param Shah, Deputy High Commissioner Sujit Ghosh, CB Patel

L-R: Dr Param Shah, Pravin Amin, Lord Dholakia, Lady Dholakia, Manubhai Ramji

L to R: Rahul Shah, Tejal Bhanderi, Ghanshyam Bhanderi, Lord Bilimoria, Lord Loomba, Lady Loomba, CB Patel, H E Nimisha Madhvani, Amish Tripathi, Dr Mayank Shah, Vinod Thakrar, Lord Ranger, Krishna ben Pujara, Pravin Amin, Kejal Shah, Niraj Sutaria

ribute to Indian entrepreneurs globally

Commissioner of Uganda, Nimisha Madhvani added, “Gujarat Samachar talked about Gujaratis, Sikh, English and whoever suffered from Uganda tragedy You did a fantastic job

“CB is a man who understands people, a man who understands where we all come from And he's also supported, Asian women and other women from different mainstreams and allowed them to come ahead ”

Speaking at the event, CB said, “India is a democratic country that has seen remarkable economic growth despite all of its issues

Furthermore, there are many young Indian talents, intellectuals and entrepreneurs And today we are going to honour a few of new Indian entrepreneurs for their spectacular achievements ”

He added, “In tomorrow’s world there is sustainability in health, education, agriculture, soil conservation etc Kautilya’s Arthashastra, written by Chanakya has a shloka 'Dharmasya Mulam Arthah' which means the foundation of civilisation is wealth creation I’m highly impressed with all the awardees for their tremendous contributions in various sectors and I’m so grateful for their participation in this event ”

The awards and awardees

 Lord Rami Ranger presented ‘The Healthcare Revolution: Exclusive Innovation and Research in Diabetes Mellitus’award to Dr Chetan Savaliya and Manish Ray, Director of Gplife Healthcare Pvt Ltd which invented Botanical dosage form Zero chemical formula; a global breakthrough in medical revolution

 Lord and Lady Dholakia presented‘The Agricultural Revolution: Mission to Save Mother Earth’award to Rahul Shah, Founder and Chairman of Gajali Group of Companies which invented bio-organic fertilizers as an alternative to DAP and Urea

 Lord Parekh presented ‘The Education Revolution: Developing Global Citizens’award to Vijaybhai R Davariya, Founder of Shree Vasishta Vidhyalaya whose aim is to impart an educational experience that is world-class, and which prepares children for global citizenship

 Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK, Sujit Ghosh, High Commissioner Uganda HE Nimisha Madhvani and Mission Head of Mauritius DishaRagnuthpresented‘Strengthening The Community’ award to Shan Hansrod

Director of Shan Properties (UK) LTD which serves the community by strengthening the youth in India

Amish Tripathi, Param Shah, Subhanuji, Kanti Nagda and Manubhai Ramji later honoured the Indian delegation present with mementoes, certificates and medals The event was followed by dinner

The Global Peace T20 cricket league UK winner’s trophy, to be hosted by the London Capital Cricket Club was also unveiled at this event

The vote of thanks was presented by Group Editor Mahesh Liloriya

key to me It's something I will continue to work on I regard India as a key partner for us, not only in the world but across the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

“I regard many of my friends in the Indian community as great for instance supporters And as far as I'm concerned, I will do everything I can to ensure that grows and prospers ay be white on the de But I'm brown on inside ”

Sentinel of Indian communities

Lord Bhikhu

Parekh said, “Being a part of a community allows you to keep an eye on it, care for degenerate trends, ight against them, ee good trends and ognise positive ds and advocate for

That is the duty of a

And that's what CB hed ”

Addressing the ceremony about their long relationship with CB Patel High

CB Patel and other eminent guests handed the awards to the five amazing organisations whose remarkable dedication in various fields not only helped them grow their businesses but also helped to address environmental challenges

Here are the list of p resenters, award s and aw ardees:

 Lord and Lady Loomba presented ‘21st Century's Breakthrough Innovation in the Diamond Industry’award to Ghanshyam Bhanderi, Founder of Bhanderi Lab Grown Diamonds which produces CVD TYPE IIalab-grown diamonds

L-R: Dr Snehal Patel, Dr Bharat Shah, Ruten Bhanderi, Pravin Lakhani, Shashibhai Vekaria, CB Patel

H E Nimisha Madhvani

L-R: Kanti bhai Nagda, Manish Kumar Ray, Dr Chetan Savaliya CB Patel

L-R: Mahesh Liloriya, Krupesh Hirani, Major Rudrabahadur Khadaka, Asif Thakor, Ashok Kumar Chauhan MBE, Shan Hansrod Said Saleh, Jabir Patel

Subhanu Saxena, Vijay Davariya, CB Patel

L-R: Tejal Bhanderi Ghanshyam Bhanderi Lord Loomba

L-R: Lord Bilimoria CB Patel Lord Ranger Virendra Sharma MP

CB Patel with Paresh Kiri

L-R: Manubhai Ramji Rahul Shah Kejal Shah, CB Patel Shan Hansrod Vijay Davariya

Bob Blackman MP

H E Nimisha Madhvani, CB Patel, Shan Hansrod and team

Photo Credit: Raj D Bakrania, PrMediapix

Dear Financia

Voice Reader Alpesh Patel OBE

What is it with the market th is year already? The FTS E 100 m akes an all time hig h and the US sees Tesla leap 33 % I of course am d elighted

As an expert in the field of investment, I have seen firsthand the real costs of haggling and missing out on opportunities in the stock market

T h e r e a l i t y i s t h a t p e n n y - p i n c h i n g a n d t r y i n g t o reverse-engineer a successful investment strategy can lead to missed opportunities and long-term financial losses

One of the biggest costs associated with these types of behaviours is the loss of potential returns The stock market is an incredibly dynamic and rapidly-changing landscape, and those who hesitate or wait for the "perfect" moment to invest often miss out on significant returns

In my experience, many of these missed opportunities are due to fear of the unknown or a lack of confidence in one's investment strategy

A n o t h e r c o s t o f h a g g l i n g a n d m i s s i n g o u t o n opportunities is the potential for regret and feelings of missed opportunity

When investors see the success of others and realize they missed out on a lucrative opportunity, it can lead to a s e n s e o f f r u s t r a t i o n a n d d i s a p p o i n t m e n t k n o w n a s FOMO, or fear of missing out

These costs are not only emotional, but they also have tangible financial implications In the stock market, time is money, and every day you delay an investment is a day you miss out on potential returns

The longer you wait, the more you miss out on the chance to compound your returns and grow your wealth over time

That's why I created the free Campaign for a Million –to teach a million people to be better at investing and get their share of the huge wealth being created in the world by the best companies

Don't let haggling for the market to give you the best time and missed opportunities cost you your financial future Investing in the stock market is a long-term strategy, and the earlier you start, the more time you have to compound your returns and reach your financial goals

Whilst all investing is with risk, you can at least invest in learning and have the hand-holding and expert guidance y o u n e e d t o m a k e i n f o r m e d , c o n f i d e n t i n v e s t m e n t decisions This is a campaigning paper and that is why I got the idea for the Campaign for a Million I want the readers of this paper to benefit And the best part – it’s all free education

UK narrowly avoids recession

The UK has avoid ed entering a p eri od of recessi on by the s l i m m es t o f m ar gi n s as fi gures s how its trad e d ef ici t wi th th e EU hi t record levels i n th e last three month s of 20 22

A d e c l i n e i n g r o s s domestic product (GDP) of 0 5% in December was offset b y i n c r e a s e s i n t h e t w o previous months to leave the e c o n o m y ’ s p e r f o r m a n c e i n the fourth quarter at roughly the same level as the previous t h r e e m o n t h s N e g a t i v e growth in the fourth quarter w o u l d h a v e s i g n a l l e d r e c e s s i o n , a f t e r t h e U K economy shrank by 0 2% in the third quarter – a figure revised up from the initial

e s t i m a t e o f a 0 3 % c o n t r a c t i o n A t e c h n i c a l recession is generally defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth

The chancellor, Jeremy

H u n t , s a i d t h e f i g u r e s u n d e r s c o r e d B r i t a i n ’ s resilience, adding that they showed the economy was the f a s t e s t - g r o w i n g i n t h e G 7 g r o u p o f r i c h n a t i o n s l a s t year However, the economy

r e m a i n s 0 8 % b e l o w i t s

p r e - p a n d e m i c p e a k i n

2019, in contrast with the US, which has experienced growth of 5 1% over the same period, and the 2 4% improvement among the

1 9 m e m b e r s o f t h e

eurozone Business groups said the situation remained difficult, with one describing t h e d r o p i n D e c e m b e r a s “brutal” and a harbinger of a difficult year ahead

T h e d i s m a l g r o w t h figures came as separate data showed trade with the rest of the world declined during the last quarter along with r e t a i l s a l e s , w i t h t h e normally buoyant shopping p e r i o d i n t h e r u n - u p t o

Sunak, Hunt to talk with industry leaders to revive economy

Ri sh i S u nak a nd J ere m y Hunt will ho st som e of the U K ’ s m o s t p ro m i ne nt ind ustry lead ers as part of a d ri v e to d r u m u p f re sh in v es tm ent to re v i v e th e UK’s strug gling economy

The prime minister, who i s e x p e c t e d t o a t t e n d remotely, and the chancellor will address 42 bosses from commerce and industry who sit on the UK Investment Council – with a focus on c r e a t i n g j o b s i n h i - t e c h s e c t o r s C o u n c i l m e m b e r s i n c l u d e e x e c u t i v e s f r o m

A i r b u s , H S B C , N e s t l é , N i s s a n a n d H u t c h i s o n Whampoa, which owns the 3 U K m o b i l e t e l e p h o n e

B ri ta i n' s big g est busi ness l obby has in a re port ur ged Cha ncel lor Jer emy Hunt t o t ackle the chroni c wor ker shor tage whi ch is hurti ng t he economy i n hi s 15th Ma rch bud get Nea rly two i n t h r e e o f t h e ca p i t a l ’ s f irms a re str uggli ng to fil l v a ca nc i e s , a c co r d i ng t o r e se a r ch c a r r i e d o u t by B usi ne ssL DN , Fe d e ra t i on o f S m a l l B u si ne s se s , C on f e d e ra t i o n o f B ri t i sh Industry and t he L ondon

C h a m be r s o f Co m m e r ce a nd Ind ust ry S o m e 7 7 p e r c e n t o f c o m p a n i e s a r e t r y i n g t o h i r e s t a f f , b u t t o d a y ’ s r e s e a r c h s u g g e s t s l o t s o f t h o s e r o l e s w i l l e n d u p unfilled The lobby groups has produced the research to illustrate the scale of l a b o u r s c a r c i t y L o n d o n firms are grappling with to incentivise the Chancellor to free up funds to boost t h e j o b s m a r k e t a t t h e budget on 15 March

B r i t a i n ’ s j o b s m a r k e t h a s b e e n r u n n i n g extremely tight since the c o u n t r y e m e r g e d f r o m

C o v i d - 1 9 l o c k d o w n measures, mainly due to over 500,000 exiting the w o r k f o r c e U K u n e m p l o y m e n t i s a t a multi decade low and the ratio of vacancies to jobless

people is at historic highs

However, existing skill sets a m o n g a v a i l a b l e w o r k e r s a r e f a i l i n g t o f u l f i l b u s i n e s s e s ’ n e e d s O v e r half of the more than 1,000 b u s i n e s s e s s u r v e y e d b y S u r v a t i o n s a i d t h a t t h e b i g g e s t r e c r u i t m e n t roadblock “is a low number of suitable applicants with the required skills” “Skills shortages not only stunt business growth and affect employment but also have long-term implications for the future of our young p r o f e s s i o n a l s , ” R i c h a r d

Burge, chief executive at t h e L o n d o n C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e a n d I n d u s t r y (LCCI), said

Jonath an Haskell, an external member o f th e Bank of Eng land 's M onetary P olicy Com mittee (MPC ), said that Brexit has caused a decline in b u s in es s i nv es tm e nt which is costing an av erage U K h o u s eh o l d ar o u nd £1,0 00 and stopped inv estment in i ts tracks by th e decision to leav e the EU

H e r e v e a l e d t h a t t h e Bank had calculated that the hit to business investment has led to a drop in productivity worth about 1 3 per c e n t o f G D P – a r o u n d £29bn

The expert said Britain w a s a n “ e x t r e m e o u t l i e r ” when it comes to the productivity slowdown, adding: “We suffered much more A

networks The head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the outgoing Legal & G e n e r a l C E O S i r N i g e l Wilson and Liv Garfield, the Severn Trent CEO are also expected to attend T h e g o v e r n m e n t s a i d the event would build on the s u c c e s s o f t h e i n a u g u r a l Global Investment Summit i n O c t o b e r 2 0 2 1 , w h i c h brought together more than 1 7 0 c h i e f e x e c u t i v e s “ t o s h o w c a s e t h e U K ’ s c o m m i t m e n t t o g r e e n i n v e s t m e n t a h e a d o f

Cop26” Ministers said £9 7 b n o f n e w f o r e i g n investment was pledged on t h e d a y , “ c r e a t i n g o v e r

bit of that is that we have this larger financial sector But I think it really goes back to Brexit ”

Haskell said: “We had a b i g b o o m [ i n v e s t m e n t ] between 2012 to 2016, but t h e n i n v e s t m e n t j u s t plateaued from 2016, and we dropped to the bottom of G7 countries ”

O n t h e p r o d u c t i v i t y penalty from Brexit, he said: “That 1 3 per cent of GDP is a b o u t £ 2 9 b n , o r r o u g h l y £ 1 , 0 0 0 p e r h o u s e h o l d ” H a s k e l a l s o w a r n e d t h a t high levels of inactivity in the labour market is a distinctly British problem amid the grim economic outlook

On in flati on H a s k e l s a i d t h e B o E

French firm acquires Burts Snacks

British cr isp compan y Bur ts Sn acks ha s be en bought by a ma jor Fr en ch conglomer ate a ft er almost thre e decad es of fa mily own ership T h e P l y m o u t h - b a s e d business has been acquired b y P a r i s - h e a d q u a r t e r e d E u r o p e S n a c k s , a m a j o r s u p p l i e r o f o w n - b r a n d s u p e r m a r k e t g o o d s i n Europe and the UK Burts w a s f o u n d e d i n 1 9 9 7 b y R i c h a r d a n d L i n d a B u r t

They launched the company in Devon and began selling their upmarket crisps to

i n d e p e n d e n t l o c a l s h o p s T h e c o m p a n y h a s b e e n o w n e d b y b u s i n e s s m a n Jitendrakumar Patel and his f a m i l y s i n c e 2 0 1 4 , w h e n Patel became its majority shareholder

P a t e l s a i d : “ S i n c e investing in the company back in 2006, it has been a very enjoyable and impressive journey It has been an honour to work with the Burts Family over the years and I would like to take this o p p o r t u n i t y t o w i s h t h e c o m b i n e d c o m p a n y e v e r y

30,000 new jobs a n d s u p p o r t i n g g r o w t h i n v i t a l s e c t o r s s u c h a s w i n d a n d hydrogen energy, s u s t a i n a b l e h o m e s , a n d carbon capture and storage”

L o r d J o h n s o n , t h e i n v e s t m e n t m i n i s t e r , i s expected to make a plea for firms to make the most of the UK’s low business taxes and high-skilled workforce J o h n s o n , t h e f o r m e r b u s i n e s s p a r t n e r o f J a c o b R e e s - M o g g a t h i s £ 7 b n S o m e r s e t C a p i t a l M a n a g e m e n t i n v e s t m e n t fund, was sacked from his job as investment minister

s h o u l d b e " r e a l l y , r e a l l y careful" about the risk of h i g h i n f l a t i o n b e c o m i n g embedded and he would watch data closely in the coming months given the high levels of uncertainty "What I would prefer to do is make policy with much more attention on the data f l o w o v e r t h e n e x t f e w

Christmas failing to live up t o h o p e s T h e O f f i c e f o r National Statistics said the UK’s trade deficit with the E U w i d e n e d i n t h e f i n a l quarter of 2022 to its highest level since records began in 1 9 9 7 a s i m p o r t s f r o m t h e b l o c r o c k e t e d t o £ 8 2 b n against an exports total of £49 2bn While the deficit l a r g e l y r e f l e c t e d t h e h u g e increase in gas imports, the ONS said there was a sharp deterioration in the balance of goods and services traded with the rest of the world It said the shortfall widened £2 4bn to £26 8bn, which the s t a t i s t i c s a g e n c y s a i d w a s “driven by lower exports of both goods and services”

success in the years ahead ”

Burts' sales have risen s h a r p l y a s i t b e g a n t o appear in national retailers, with turnover up by a fifth to £68 mn in 2021, according to its most recent financ i a l r e s u l t s B u r t s h a s e x p a n d e d t h e r a n g e o f p r o d u c t s i t s e l l s , m o v i n g into healthier snacks such a s l e n t i l c r i s p s a n d f l a v o u r e d p o p c o r n t o b r o a d e n i t s a p p e a l , a n d c h a n g e d i t s n a m e f r o m

by Sunak when he took over f r o m L i z T r u s s i n N o v e m b e r , o n l y t o b e reinstated 44 days later Business investment fell in the year to October 2022 to leave the level spending o n n e w e q u i p m e n t , machinery and IT systems 8% below its pre-pandemic level, according to the Bank of England and it is expected to fall again by 5 6% in 2023, the central bank said in its latest economic outlook

months," Haskel said M e a n w h i l e , f o r m e r c h i e f B r e x i t n e g o t i a t o r Lord Frost has urged Rishi S u n a k ’ s g o v e r n m e n t t o “fully and enthusiastically embrace the advantages of Brexit” as he warned of a secret establishment plot t o u n d e r m i n e t h e agreement

Universal Credit claimants could lose over £1,000

U n iv er s a l C r ed it c l a im an t s wo uld risk los ing o ver £1,000 u nder p lans being trialed by t h e D ep ar t m en t f o r W o r k a nd P en s io ns ( DW P ) C urrently, tho se cl aiming the b e ne f it u s u a l l y m ee t w o r k co aches once a week f or the f irst three month s, then every two w eeks after this point

But the new plans would s e e U n i v e r s a l C r e d i t claimants have to attend an i n t e n s i v e t w o w e e k p r ogramme to try and get them back into work, according to reports This would impact people claiming the benefit and who have been unemployed for more than three months

T h o s e w h o r e f u s e t o a d h e r e t o t h e s e n e w r u l e s c o u l d l o s e t h e i r s t a n d a r d a l l o w a n c e f o r u p t o t h r e e

months This could potentially cost someone £334 91 a

month, or around £1,004 73 in total

However, as of right now this new rule has not been rolled out across the UK and is only being trialed in four areas These include Crawley in West Sussex, Pontefract in W e s t Y o r k s h i r e , P a r t i c k i n G l a s g o w a n d C o a l v i l l e i n

Leicestershire

The Work and Pensions secretary Mel Stride has written letters to MPs in each area being trialed Mel Stride said: "Evidence shows that the longer a person is out of work the harder it is for them to return, and it is at this 13week point that a claimant’s l i k e l i h o o d o f s e c u r i n g e m p l o y m e n t b e g i n s t o decrease "

It's not yet clear whether t h e p r o g r a m m e w o u l d b e rolled out nationwide following the current trial

Business lobby urges Hunt to tackle worker shortage Brexit is costing UK household £1,000, says BoE official

Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt

Burts Potato Crisps to Burts Snacks in 2019

SC-picked panel to study meltdown of Adani shares

Th e Unio n go vernment has accepted th e S up reme Cou rt’s su ggestio n fo r a retired judge-led co mmittee to stu dy th e re c en t al a rm in g f al l o f Ad an i gr o u p s h ar es f o l lo wi ng U S - b as e d sh o rt sel ler H i ndenb u rg R ese arch ’ s repo rt and recommend improvements in statu to ry and regulatory regimes gove rnin g th e sec uri tie s market to protect investors against such fu tu re events S o l i c i t o r g e n e r a l T u s h a r M e h t a conveyed the government’s stand to a b e n c h o f C h i e f J u s t i c e D Y C h a n d r a c h u d a n d J u s t i c e s P S Narasimha and JB Pardiwala but also maintained that “the government is of the firm opinion that the existing structures and regimes, both statutory a n d r e g u l a t o r y , a l o n g w i t h m a r k e t regulator Sebi and related agencies are f u l l y c o m p e t e n t t o d e a l w i t h t h e

incident that happened recently ” Mehta said, “The government has no objection to the constitution of a committee of experts But the remit of the committee will be very important It should not send a message to the i n t e r n a t i o n a l i n v e s t o r s t h a t t h e markets regulator is not competent to deal with the situation It will affect market sentiments ” W i t h o u t n a m i n g A d a n i G r o u p , Sebi informed the SC that the sharp drop in the market value of shares of the group companies have negligible i m p a c t o n t h e s e n s e x “ W h i l e t h e s h a r e s o f t h e g r o u p h a v e s e e n s i g n i f i c a n t d e c l i n e i n p r i c e s o n account of selling pressure, the wider I n d i a n m a r k e t h a s s h o w n f u l l resilience The combined weight of the group companies in sensex is zero and in Nifty is below 1%,” it said

Airtel Q3 net jumps 92% to £158.8 mn, adds 6.4mn 4G users

T e l e co m o p e r a t or Bh a r t i Air tel re porte d a 92% ye aron -y ea r rise in con solidat ed n et pr ofit a t £158 8 million for the Oct obe r-Dece mber quart er of 20 22-23

T o t a l r e v e n u e r o s e nearly 20% to £3 58 billion in t h e D e c e m b e r q u a r t e r

(Q3FY23) “backed by strong and consistent performance d e l i v e r y a c r o s s t h e p o r t f o l i o ” , t h e c o m p a n y said India revenues for Q3 FY23 stood at £2 49 billion, growing by 19 4% Bharti Airtel managing d i r e c t o r G o p a l V i t t a l s a i d t h e c o m p a n y d e l i v e r e d a n o t h e r q u a r t e r o f consistent and competitive g r o w t h a c r o s s b u s i n e s s e s

“Revenue grew sequentially by 3 7%, while ebitda margin e x p a n d e d t o 5 2 % O u r strategy of winning quality customers has helped us add 6 4 million 4G customers and exit the quarter with an i n d u s t r y l e a d i n g A r p u (average revenue per user) of Rs 193, ” Vittal said P o s t p a i d , e n t e r p r i s e , h o m e s a s w e l l a s A f r i c a b u s i n e s s s u s t a i n e d t h e i r momentum while the DTH b u s i n e s s s h o w e d s i g n s o f growth in an industry that c o n t i n u e s t o b e u n d e r pressure, he said T h e 5 G r o l l o u t i s o n track to cover all towns and k e y r u r a l a r e a s b y M a r c h 2024, Vittal further said

Adani f irms los e £ 100 bn in 13 tradin g days

The slide in Adani Group’s stocks continued in the new week with all 10 scrips closing in the red With the d a y ’ s l o s s e s , t h e c o n g l o m e r a t e ’ s market value erosion since January 24 now tops £100 billion In Monday’s m a r k e t , g r o u p f l a g s h i p A d a n i Enterprises lost another 7%, while six more of the group ’ s stocks - Adani Total Gas, Adani Green Energy, Adani Transmission, Adani Power, NDTV and Adani Wilmar - closed at the 5% lower circuit limit The other three also closed deep in the red: Adani P o r t s a n d A m b u j a C e m e n t s e a c h closed 5 2% down, while ACC lost the least among the 10 stocks (-3 1%), BSE d a t a s h o w e d D u r i n g t h e d a y , t h e combined loss in market value for the Adani Group was £5 15 billion, BSE data showed

India's retail inflation surges to 3-month high of 6.5%

Retai l i nfl atio n in India accelerated to a th ree-m onth high in January o n the back of rising prices o f c er eal s , eg g s, meat, fish and milk, and rev ers ed th e easing trend to pose a f res h c h al le ng e for policym akers

D a t a r e l e a s e d b y t h e National Statistical Office ( N S O ) s h o w e d r e t a i l i n f l a t i o n , a s m e a s u r e d b y the consumer price index, r o s e a n a n n u a l 6 5 % i n J a n u a r y , h i g h e r t h a n December’s 5 7% and above

the 6% recorded in January last year

T h e f o o d p r i c e i n d e x rose nearly 6% in January, higher than the 4 2% in December Rural inflation o u t p a c e d u r b a n i n f l a t i o n rising 6 9% Urban inflation was at 6%

Air India signs deal to buy 470 planes

A yea r afte r coming in to the Ta ta g roup, A ir India sa id it ha d pla ce d an orde r for 4 70 plan es: 250 wit h Eur opean p lan e m ake r A ir bus a nd 220 wit h Amer ica n g iant Boe ing - t he wor ld’ s lar gest eve r sing le -t ra nche air cr aft purchase

B y d o i n g t h i s i t h a s e c l i p s e d American Airlines’ 2011 order for 460 planes The price of the deal is valued at over $70 billion

From Airbus, Air India has ordered 4 0 w i d e - b o d y A 3 5 0 p l a n e s a n d 2 1 0 narrow-body A320neo family planes,

and it has the option to increase the size of this order F r o m B o e i n g , t h e a i r l i n e h a s ordered 10 wide-body B777X planes, 20 w i d e - b o d y B 7 8 7 p l a n e s , a n d 1 9 0 narrow-body B737MAX planes, with an option for an additional 20 B787s and 50 B737MAXs

A wide-body plane has a bigger fuel tank, allowing it to traverse directly on l o n g e r d i s t a n c e s s u c h a s I n d i a - U S

routes The first aircraft to arrive will be

25 Boeing 737s and six Airbus A350-900s

in the second half of 2023

Air India had last ordered planes in 2006, when it had booked 111 aircraft: 68 from Boeing and 43 from Airbus Along with the aircraft order, Air India h a s s i g n e d d e a l s w i t h e n g i n e manufacturers: CFM International (for n a r r o w - b o d y A 3 2 0 / B 7 3 7 s ) , G E ( f o r Boeing 777x/787), and Rolls-Royce for A350 type planes

The first aircraft to arrive will be 25 Boeing 737s and six Airbus A350-900s in the second half of 2023

Retail loans to be costlier as RBI hikes key rate

H ome loans and o th er bo rrowi ngs wi ll get more exp ensi ve, wi th R es erve Bank of I nd ia rai sing its key poli cy rate by 25 basi s p oints I nteres t rates were i nc reased by 25 0 basi s po ints as a result o f the sixth c onsecuti ve i ncrease si nce the R BI began rais ing rates in May 2022

T h e m o n e t a r y p o l i c y c o m m i t t e e voted 4-2 in favour of increasing the repo rate - the rate at which RBI lends to banks - to 6 5% from 6 25% earlier The rate hike will immediately impact individual borrowers and small businesses as most

retail loans are linked to the repo and get re-priced immediately RBI governor, Shaktikanta Das, said that the worst of the inflation was behind us when announcing the MPC decision

"Core inflation's stickiness is a cause for concern We require a significant slowing of inflation We must continue to be steadfast in our resolve to lower inflation, he stressed RBI pr ojects gr owth at 6 4%, inflatio n at 5 3% The central bank's growth prognosis for 2022–2023 is almost identical to the

Economic Survey's projection of 6- 6 8% growth with a base case of 6 5% growth for the next fiscal year “The expected higher rabi outpu t has improved the p r o s p e c t s o f a g r i c u l t u r e a n d r u r a l

d e m a n d T h e s u s t a i n e d r e b o u n d i n contact-intensive sectors should support urban consumption The government's e m p h a s i s o n c a p i t a l s p e n d i n g a n d i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , i m p r o v e d c a p a c i t y u t i l i s a t i o n , a n d b r o a d - b a s e d c r e d i t g r o w t h s h o u l d s u p p o r t i n v e s t m e n t activity,” Das said in his monetary policy

SIP investments hit new high in India

Retail investor s continued to pump money i n to In di a n e q ui ti e s vi a mut ua l fun ds dur ing January de spite the countr y s stock mar ket's high vola tility and gene ral unrest Small ca p funds attr acted net i nflows of nea rly £225 million, the highest a mount among a ll equity sche mes, and monthly inflows into mutua l fund schemes vi a the sy stem ati c i nve stme nt plan ( SIP) route

re ached a new all-ti me high of £1 38 bi llion as a r esult, da ta relea se d by fund i ndustr y tr ade b ody Amfi showe d According to Amfi chief executive N S Venkatesh, the most recent market data reveals an upward trend in equities in MF flows Small-cap funds have seen inflows, primarily from retail investors because they are making long-term investments

“Encouraging SIP numbers indicate retail i n v e s t o r s ’ t r u s t i n m u t u a l f u n d s W e believe that SIP inflow momentum has and will continue to balance out the FII outflows in the market,” Venkatesh said “(January) showed almost 23,00,000 new SIPs being registered, which indicates i n c r e a s i n g i n v e s t o r b e l i e f i n t h e instrument ”

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

Last week w e registered to bid at an auction; cleared all the anti money lau nd ering requi rements, si gned the terms and paid the deposit Very different to a d ecade ag o wh en you could rock up in a cab, wave your umbrella, and even pay the deposit in cash – p ossibly!

We now operate in a parallel world simultaneously as the 3D one in which we exist

Our lot was in the last quarter In a physical auction the crowd thins considerably as the day goes on Online however, with the ability to bid from your phone, this trait may have disappeared

The lots were all going way above the guide price, crazily above it This was a lot we were bidding for on behalf of a client who was dipping his toe into property for the first time, at a young age The property went for more than treble the guide price And the overall figures for the auction was a sale rate of 86%, raising over £30M

From this instant snap shot of the property economy, it sure didn’t seem like the UK economy was struggling or on the brink of a war which has been in the making for the last few years

This is pretty similar across the board An auction is a good and accurate assessment of where the property market is at Normally with comparables they tend to be inaccurate and outdated by their very nature For example, if you use a comparable of a sold property it may be three months old, the deal may have been agreed about six months before then, this means now this piece of data is nine months old As recent events have shown in nine months the world could be in a very different zone

The auction day is the actual day where the deals have not only been agreed, but also executed In property there is a large gap between agreeing a deal and it actually being executed Auctions are as instantaneous as is gets, the deal is agreed and instantly executed

The appetite for property has only increased in the UK, as time has gone on I’m wondering perhaps the sentiment is that investors are not shying away from p r o p e r t y b u t t h e y a r e u t i l i z i n g t h e c u r r e n t m a r k e t conditions in order to get bargains And when they come the appetite for these types of deals is very strong Property at various times of economic uncertainty has been seen as a safety net, an insurance against the uncertain back drop; and for wealthy overseas buyers, a safety deposit box Somewhere safe to park your funds, until the storm has passed

The general sentiment is prices are dropping, bearing this in mind, the auction results are counter intuitive There are two possible answers to this: one is the auctioneer only takes on properties where the reserve is sufficiently low enough to result in a sale The other is BTL rates have recently dropped to reasonable levels; not in comparison to the honeymoon period which we have had for over a decade, but historically Therefore, from a yield perspective it is justified to hang on to a property for five years where the rent can cover the 3 99% fixed for five years rate

Alibaba sells its entire stake in Paytm

Chin ese multi nati onal Al i b a ba ha s s ol d i t s entire stake of 3 4 per cent equity in Paytm

With this, Alibaba i s no longer a stakeholder in Pa y tm The C h i ne s e mu lt i n a ti on a l i n J an u ar y h ad s o ld around 3 1 per cent of 6 26 per cent equity in Paytm

Prior to this, Jack Ma founded firm had sold its stakes in Zomato and BigBasket It is expected that the latest news of Alibaba selling its stake is most likely to bring cheer to the m a r k e t a s i t e n d s t h e C h i n e s e s t a k e h o l d i n g i n t h e homegrown Paytm

Since it announced operating profitability in its Q3FY23 results with EBITDA before ESOP cost at £3 1 million, the fintech giant's shares have been rallying in the last few days P a y t m ' s r e v e n u e f r o m o p e r a t i o n s i n c r e a s e d t o £ 2 0 6 2 million, growth of 42 per cent on a yearly basis It was followed by Paytm's robust operating update of January 2023 that it filed with the stock exchange on February 8

Acid thrown on the face of a Hindu girl in Pakistan

K A RA CH I : A troci ties a re happeni ng on Hi ndus and Si khs in Paki stan T heir minor gi rls are b e i n g t a r ge te d S u n i t a Mun aww ar, a Hin du gi rl liv ing

i n S i n d h , w a s b u r n t a f t e r throwin g acid on her fa ce At the s ame time, a Hin du girl named Sapn a ha s bee n abd ucte d b y M u s l i m y o u th s f r o m Mirpurk has cit y of Pa kis tan Even after complain in g to the

police, n o clue has bee n f oun d

Sunita is seriously injured in the acid attack She lost the sight of her right eye Her face and both hands were severely burnt due to acid Karachi’s

A r e a M a g i s t r a t e F r y e r K h a n recorded her statement

According to Sunita, she w a s b e i n g h a r a s s e d b y a M u s l i m y o u t h , K a m r a n H e used to behave indecently with

her She had complained about t h i s t o K a m r a n ’ s f a m i l y

A n g e r e d b y t h i s , K a m r a n threw acid on Sunita to take revenge

T h e i n c i d e n t o c c u r r e d when she was returning home from work When she was sitt i n g a t t h e b u s s t a n d i n Karachi, Kamran threw acid on her face Sunita was admitted to the hospital, but there was

no improvement in her condition Police registered a case, but no arrest was made

In another incident, a 16year-old Hindu girl Sapna was abducted by Muslim youths from Mirpurkhas town Sapna was abducted when she was r e t u r n i n g f r o m M i r p u r k h a s post office Even after informing the police, no clue that Sapna could be found

Pak misses out on a crucial $1 billion IMF contract

K A R A C H I : P a ki s tan a nd th e I n ter nat io n al M o net ary F u nd are to resume talks online next w eek th ey said, after 1 0 days of f ac e- t o- f ac e d i s cu s s io n s i n Islam abad on how to keep the cou ntry aflo at end ed w itho ut a d eal Pakistan is in the midst of a severe economic crisis and the IMF negotiations are intended to free up at least $1 billion in cash that has been frozen as part of a $6 5 billion rescue agreements inked in 2019

INDIAN ORIGIN NAMED PURDUE COLLEGE DEAN

Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's finance m i n i s t e r s t a t e d t h a t P a k i s t a n and the IMF had reached an agreement on the terms for the

Mob storms Pak police station, lynches man accused of blasphemy

I S L A M A B A D : I n th e m o st r ec en t m u rd e r c o nne ct ed t o reli g io n in Pa kistan, a cro wd attacked a po lice statio n in the cou ntry's east, seized a M uslim m an accused of blasp hem y from d etentio n, and killed him M u h a m m a d W a r i s , i n h i s

mid-30s, was in police custody in Nankana Sahib, in Punjab province, for desecrating pages of the Quran “The angry mob stormed the police station using a wooden ladder, dragged him o u t a n d b e a t h i m t o d e a t h , ” W a q a s K h a l i d , a p o l i c e spokesperson, said “After lynching, they were still not satisfied and tried to burn his body,” he added The most well-known instance of an angry mob killing someone on blasphemy charges o c c u r r e d i n P a k i s t a n i n 2 0 2 1 when a Sri Lankan national was lynched

In Pakistan, blasphemy is a very touchy subject; even untrue accusations can incite violence

Blasphemy offences in Pakistan a r e p u n i s h a b l e b y t h e d e a t h

penalty T h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r , Shehbaz Sharif, condemned the incident and ordered an investigation “Why didn’t the police stop the violent mob? The rule of law should be ensured,” he said

P olice arrest 75

Meanwhile, over 75 suspects, including members of the radical Tehreek Laibbaik Pakistan (TLP) outfit, have been arrested f o r t h e i r a l l e g e d r o l e i n t h e lynching, police said An FIR has been registered against over 800 s u s p e c t s f o r k i l l i n g W a r i s , attacking police personnel, and r a n s a c k i n g t h e p o l i c e s t a t i o n under terrorism and different sections of the Pakistan Penal Code “So far we have arrested over 75 suspects as identification of more suspects is in the proc e s s t h r o u g h v a r i o u s m o b i l e video and CCTV clips,” district police officer Asim Iftikhar said He said activists of a religious outfit were also involved in the brutal killing of Waris

20,000 attend Singapore Hindu temple ceremony

S I N G A P O R E : U nd e t er re d b y h eavy rain, nearly 20 ,000 peopl e joi ned S ingapore's Dep uty Pri me Mi ni ster Lawrence Wo ng to mark th e restoration and consecrati on o f t h e c o u nt r y ' s o l d e s t H i nd u temple, built nearly 200 years ago by early Indi an mi grants

The Sri Mariamman Temple, a n a t i o n a l m o n u m e n t , w a s unveiled to the public after a yearlong restoration The Singapore dollars 3 5 million (USD 2 6 million) restoration involved 12 specialist sculptors and seven metal and wood artisans from India who worked on the sanctums, domes and ceiling frescoes

The temple's original colour scheme and structure have been

retained "This is part of living in m u l t i c u l t u r a l S i n g a p o r e , w h e r e t h e w h o l e c o m m u n i t y c o m e s

together to celebrate each other's cultural and religious milestones," Wong wrote in a Facebook post The one-year restoration was l e d b y c h i e f s c u l p t o r D r K

Dakshinamoorthy who is also the restoration advisor to the Hindu

R e l i g i o u s a n d C h a r i t a b l e

Endowments of Tamil Nadu

Wong was joined at the cerem o n y b y M i n i s t e r f o r

C o m m u n i c a t i o n s a n d I n f o r m a t i o n J o s e p h i n e T e o , Transport Minister S Iswaran and M e m b e r o f P a r l i a m e n t M u r a l i

f u n d s ' d e l a y e d r e l e a s e , w h i c h h a s been ongoing since l a s t D e c e m b e r H e a d d e d t h a t v i r t u a l talks would resume a n d a t t r i b u t e d t h e hold-up to "normal p r o c e s s e s " D a r d e c l a r e d , " W e w i l l p u t i n t o p r a c t i s e whatever has been agreed upon between our teams

In a statement, Pakistan IMF m i s s i o n c h i e f N a t h a n P o r t e r

said talks were continuing and that considerable progress had already been made The hold-up though sent the price of the c o u n t r y ’ s g o v e r n m e n t b o n d s tumbling again

Before the funds is released, a so-called staff-level agreement must be made and approved by t h e I M F ' s h e a d q u a r t e r s i n Washington The $6 5 billion b a i l o u t p r o g r a m m e , w h i c h i s scheduled to finish in June, still has another $1 4 billion in it in addition to the blocked tranche

President seeks Tamils help to rebuild north Lanka

C O L O M B O : P res i d en t Ran i l Wi c kre m es i ng h e e m p h as i ze d the s ig nificance of th e T am i l d iasp ora s inv olv em ent in th e d ev elo p m ent o f th e c o nf li c ttorn northern reg io n and stated his com mitment to devolutio n of p ower within a unitary state as a solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic issue P r e s i d e n t W i c k r e m e s i n g h e also expressed hope that India will help to develop the eastern p o r t o f T r i n c o m a l e e w h e n s p e a k i n g t o s t a t e o f f i c i a l s i n Jaffna The government, according to him, wants to boost travel b e t w e e n T r i n c o m a l e e a n d

Mannar "I think the country's e c o n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t p r ogramme should run concurrently with a big development in the n o r t h e r n p r o v i n c e T h e w a r caused the whole collapse of Jaffna's economy, he claimed, adding that 14 years after the war's end, the progress that has been made is insufficient Wickremesinghe expressed delight for the involvement of the Tamil diaspora in the development of the northern region, w h e r e a t l e a s t 4 0 , 0 0 0 T a m i l civilians may have died in the civil war's last months, according to a UN report

Dhaka removes school books after anti-LGBTQ problem

Arvind Raman an Indian-origin professor and administrator has been named the Dean of Purdue University s prestigious College of Engineering based in the US state of Indiana Raman an IIT Delhi graduate and the executive associate dean of engineering and the Robert V Adams Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the university, was named the Dean by the Purdue executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity, Patrick Wolfe “Professor Raman is passionate about the role of engineering in creating innovative solutions for people We’re confident that as our next engineering dean, he will lead the college to new levels of excellence,” Wolfe said

ATTACK ON PAK COP'S HOUSE; 8 HURT

Some unknown militants stormed the house of a police officer and opened indiscriminate firing, injuring eight people in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, local police said The militants attacked the house of the police assistant sub-inspector in the Ghulam Khan area of the tribal district of north Waziristan bordering Afghanistan and injured eight people including the ASI and two women the police said The condition of three people is said to be critical Meanwhile the vehicle carrying the injured also blasted on the way but authorities managed to shift the victims to the hospital, police said

NEXT BANGLADESH PRESIDENT

Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu a former judge and freedom fighter is set to become Bangladesh s next president after the ruling Awami League, which holds an absolute majority in Parliament, nominated him for the top post Chuppu 74, will replace President Mohammad Abdul Hamid, whose tenure ends on April 24 “The EC has received his (Chuppu s) nomination paper submitted by Bangladesh Awami League a spokesman of the independent statutory body said He said the EC would now accomplish the procedural formalities for his election by members of parliament

PAK’S 1ST HINDU WOMEN CIVIL SERVANT POSTED IN PUNJAB

DHA KA : Followin g pr otest s fr om Isla mist or gan isa tions upse t by a cu rr icu lum re fo rm t o r ecog nise tr an sge nd er ide nt itie s, sa me-se x relat ion ship s, a nd secular science, Ban gla desh withd rew t wo n ew school t ex tbook s

Since last month, tens of thousands of people have protested in the capital city of Dhaka, calling on the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) to reverse the revisions made to the texts written for students in grades 11 through 13 The narrative of a young boy named Sharif who transitions, adopts the female name Sharifa, and moves in with other transgender people is told in one chapter of the new history and social science book

According to the government-run NCTB, the decision to remove the books was made "due to some criticisms and to lessen the reading load on pupils " According to spokesman Mohammad Mashiuzzaman, "many schools in our rural areas don't have the resources to deliver lessons from these books and the contents are a little heavy "

“There are also debates over the contents of the books So we decided to take them out for now so that no one can politicise the issue ” The Bangladeshi government made it legal for people to identify as belonging to a third gender in 2014, and it has recently expanded the rights of "hijras" in sectors like housing and higher education Multiple Islamic clerics have even issued decrees declaring them part of the country’s Muslim mainstream

For the first time in the history of the town of Hassanabdal (Punjab province) a 27-yearold Hindu woman was chosen as the assistant commissioner and administrator According to the media Sana Ramchand Gulwani who was raised in the city of Shikarpur in the province of Sindh completed her medical education at her parents request before applying to the Federal Public Service Commission She became the first woman from the Hindu community to join the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) after clearing the Central Superior Services (CSS) exam in 2020 She assumed charge as the assistant commissioner and administrator of Hassanabdal city in the Attock district last week, media reported

SA RAPPER AKA SHOT DEAD IN DURBAN

One of South Africa s hottest rap artists Kiernan Forbes, known as AKA, has been shot dead outside a restaurant in the southeastern city of Durban, his family said The 35-yearold who won multiple South African awards, was nominated several times for a Black Entertainment Television Award in the United States, and was once nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award

He was gunned down alongside another man while they were walking towards their car

AUSTRALIA TO REMOVE CHINESE CAMS

Australia’s national war memorial will remove several Chinese-made security cameras installed on the premises because officials are concerned they could be used for spying local media said Eleven surveillance cameras manufactured by Hikvision partly owned by Chinese state investors will be removed from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra by mid-2023 according to the Canberra Times

The Australian War Memorial said it did not comment on security matters Hikvision did not respond to a request for comment

SA POLICE PROBE ‘UNUSUAL’ CORPSE THEFT

South African police said they have launched an unusual investigation after robbers carefully dug the side of a grave, broke into the coffin and stole the corpse The theft of the corpse, of a man who died last year aged 83, was discovered at a village cemetery in South Africa s Limpopo province Police “have launched unusual investigations of violation of grave and theft of the corpse”, they said No arrests have been made yet The robbers “cut the coffin on the leg side and pulled the corpse out of it" leaving the coffin inside the grave, police said

2 KILLED IN JERUSALEM CAR-RAMMING

A Palestinian plowed a car into a crowded bus stop in east Jerusalem, killing two people, including a six-year-old, and injuring five others before being shot and killed, Israeli police and medics said, the latest escalation as violence grips the contested capital The carramming took place in Ramot, a Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem Tensions have soared in the Israeli-annexed eastern half of the city following a Palestinian shooting attack outside a synagogue on January 27 that killed seven people in the deadliest attack in Jerusalem in over a decade

MOLDOVAN GOVT QUITS

Moldova’s pro-Western government resigned after a turbulent 18 months in power marked by economic turmoil and the spillover effects of Russia s war in neighbouring Ukraine

President Maia Sandu accepted PM’s Natalia Gavrilita's resignation and nominated 48-yearold presidential aide and former interior minister Dorin Recean to replace her Recean, who is expected to quickly win parliamentary approval said he would press on with Moldova’s bid to join the EU and revive the economy

BILL GATES ‘DATING’ PAULA HURD

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has found love again According to People Magazine a USbased media house Bill Gates is dating Paula Hurd - the widow of Mark Hurd Mark Hurd was the the CEO of software company Oracle and the onetime boss of Hewlett-Packard He passed away in 2019 It s widely known that Bill Gates and Paula Hurd are dating, but she hasn t met his kids yet, a source said Gates and Hurd were photographed seated side by side during the Men s Singles Final at the Australian Open last month

BIDEN TO TRAVEL TO POLAND

US President Joe Biden will travel to Poland on Feb 20 to 22 to mark the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House said John Kirby spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said that Biden will make clear that additional security assistance will be coming from the United States "The President will make it very clear that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," Kirby said

Mahesh Liloriya

S h re e L o h an a M a h ap a ri sh a d w i ll h o st L o h an a I nt ern ati o na l B u si n es s F o r u m

(LIBF) - 2023 from 1 9th to 22nd M arch 2023

The venue will be the famo us Speke Resort & Conference Centre, Munyo nyo, Kam pala, Ug anda Africa Calling w ill be the forum's main theme, and it will discuss business and investm ent prospects in East A frica and promote cro ss-border trad e in good s and services

T h e L o h a n a I n t e r n a t i o n a l B u s i n e s s Forum is an initiative to bring together L o h a n a e n t e r p r i s e s a n d d i s c u s s m a r k e t prospects as well as to help businesses u n d e r s t a n d t h e f i s c a l a n d r e g u l a t o r y environments of participating nations It will offer a unique platform for the business stakeholders to synergize in order to grow & strengthen the global Lohana Businesses a n d I n d u s t r i e s D e l e g a t e s w i l l h a v e a platform during the Forum to advocate for their brands among African businesses

T h i s f o u r - d a y H i g h - L e v e l L o h a n a International Business Forum will bring together Lohana Businesses of Uganda and o t h e r A f r i c a n n a t i o n s , p u b l i c s e c t o r a g e n c i e s , S h r e e L o h a n a M a h a p a r i s h a d Member Organisations, consulates, private s e c t o r t r a d e i n s t i t u t i o n s , b u s i n e s s associations and Chamber of Commerce, financial and non-financial intermediaries, investors, development partners and donor agencies, academia and the civil society to c o n n e c t , s h a r e e x p e r i e n c e s , a n d g a i n

World's Largest Lohana Corporate Event: Africa Calling

knowledge from one another The forum is expected to gather more than 500 attendees from 10 different nations More than 100 investment projects will be showcased and 15+ panel discussions will be held which focuses on key sectors such as Agriculture & A g r i - B u s i n e s s , I n d u s t r y & M a r k e t i n g , Tourism & Hospitality, Infrastructure & Energy, and ICT & Creative Industries To focus on how to trade with Africa and other

India sends relief materials to Turkey, Syria

A NT A K YA : Ind ia has supp lied Turkey and Syria critical relief su p p l i es , l i fe -s av in g m ed i c ati o ns , an d equ i p m e nt w o r th £ 7 0 0 , 0 0 0 , th e U ni o n h e al th ministry announced on T uesd ay T h e In d i an g o v ern m en t la un c h ed O p era ti o n D o st to extend assistance to th e qu akehit reg ion Under the operation, the g overnment has also sent search and rescu e p ersonnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), sp ecially trained dog squads, d rilling m achines, ap art from relief material and emergency medicines The NDRF’s Labrador duo , Ro meo and Julie helped 2 trapp ed g irls in the rubble

Death toll crosses 4 0,0 00

Meanwhile, the death toll from the huge quakes that hit southeastern Turkey and northern Syria surpassed 40,000 on Tuesday

The WHO describes the earthquakes in Turkey as the worst natural disaster in a century in what it characterises as its Europe region

Turkish authorities have detained the 131 people under investigation for their alleged involvement in the construction of buildings that were not able to withstand the quake

Burying unidentified bod ies

The recovered bodies of those who died in the earthquake but whose identities are unknown will be buried within five days, according to Turkey s disaster management agency Unidentified victims would be buried after DNA tests, finger prints, and after being photographed for potential identification, as per the organisation The action is in keeping with Islamic funeral customs, which call for a burial to happen soon after a person passes away M issing Indian fou nd d ead

According to the Indian Embassy in Ankara, the body of Indian national Vijay Kumar, who has been missing in T u r k e y s i n c e t h e e a r t h q u a k e o n F e b r u a r y 6 , h a s b e e n d i s c o v e r e d a m o n g t h e r u b b l e o f a h o t e l i n

Malatya Due to facial injuries, Gaud was recognised due to a tattoo of the word "Om" on one of his hands, as per embassy officials

markets, there will be specific workshops and side events There will be one-on-one meetings set up between African and other businesses, investors, and stakeholders

Shree Lohana Mahaparishad, President Satish Vithalani said, “Amongst the top 20 fastest-growing economies of the world, 10 a r e A f r i c a n n a t i o n s A m o n g t h e s e economies with rapid growth are those in East Africa Tanzania has seen growth of 4 9%, Kenya of 5 5%, Uganda of 7% in the past, DRC is predicted to grow by 6 3%, and Rwanda has seen growth of 7 2% Africa has the youngest population in the world with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30 With an abundance of precious metals and rising oil and mineral finds, Africa is also one of the continents with the biggest n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e r e s e r v e s i n t h e w o r l d Beyond the potential listed above, Africa a l s o b o a s t s a f a n t a s t i c a l l y l a r g e I n d i a n diaspora, which might serve as a link for expanding and developing enterprises This forum will provide a high-level platform for G l o b a l L o h a n a C o m m u n i t y a s w e l l a s p u b l i c - p r i v a t e d i a l o g u e a n d s t r u c t u r e d networking ” T a l k i n g a b o u t t h e w o r l d ' s l a r g e s t Lohana Corporate Event, Subhash Thakrar, Convener of Lohana International Business Forum says, "This forum will present the opportunities available in African Countries t o p o t e n t i a l G l o b a l L o h a n a I n v e s t o r s assembled under one roof This forum will increase the potential for export and import to and from Africa and other countries It w i l l a l s o g i v e i n v e s t o r s a b e t t e r understanding of the business climate and investment climate there, as well as the i n s t i t u t i o n a l , l e g a l , r e g u l a t o r y , a n d a d m i n i s t r a t i v e f r a m e w o r k s n e c e s s a r y t o make investments ”

Indian-American student named as 'world's brightest' again

W AS H I N G T O N: I n di an - Am e ri c an s tu d en t Na ta s h a P er i an ay a ga m w as named in th e " wo rld's brightest” students list for th e second consecu tive year based on th e results o f above- grade-level tests of over 1 5,000 students acro ss 76 countries by th e US-based Jo hns Ho pkins Center Fo r T alented You th P e r i a n a y a g a m , 1 3 , i s a s t u d e n t a t

Florence M Gaudineer Middle School, in New Jersey She also took the Johns Hopkins Center For Talented Youth (CTY) test in Spring 2021, when she was a Grade 5 student Her results in the verbal and quantitative sections levelled with the 90th percentile of advanced Grade 8 performance, which catapulted her into the honours list that year

According to University press release, she was honoured for her exceptional performance on the SAT, ACT, School and College Ability Test, or similar assessment taken as part of the CTY Talent Search CTY used above-grade-level testing to identify advanced students from around the world and provide a clear picture of their academic abilities Perianayagam was among the 15,300 students from 76 countries who joined CTY in the 2021-22 Talent Search year, as per university’s press release "This is not just recognition of our students' success on one test, but a salute to their love of d i s c o v e r y a n d l e a r n i n g , a n d a l l t h e k n o w l e d g e t h e y h a v e accumulated in their young lives so far," said CTY's executive director Dr Amy Shelton

US to welcome India’s efforts to end Ukraine hostilities

WA S HI NGT ON: The U S w ill w elcom e any attem pt that could lead to ending the raging Russia-U kraine conflict, includ ing any effort that Prime Minister Narend ra Mo di is willing to undertake, th e White House h as said

The remarks by National Security Council C o o r d i n a t o r f o r S t r a t e g i c C o m m u n i c a t i o n s

John Kirby came, days after National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held talks with Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin

When asked if there is still time for Prime Minister Modi to convince Russian President Putin to stop the war, Kirby said: “I think there's

still time for Putin to stop the war I think there's still time for it ”

“PM Modi can convince; I will let PM Modi speak to (or make) whatever efforts he's willing to undertake The US would welcome any effort that could lead to an end of hostilities in Ukraine that are in keeping with President ( V o l o d y m y r ) Z e l e n s k y y ' s o b j e c t i v e s a n d h i s leadership, his determination of what is acceptable to the Ukrainian people,” Kirby said India has repeatedly urged Ukraine to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue and end their ongoing conflict

Satish Vithalani President

Subhash Thakrar Convener

Natasha Perianayagam

India's defence sector ready for big leap, says PM Modi

P rim e Mi nis ter Naren dra M od i said during th e inaug uration of A e ro I nd ia 's 1 4 t h ed it io n th a t I nd i a 's d ef enc e e xp o rt s ar e o n track to more than triple from th e present $1 5 billion to $5 billion by 2024 –25, which is bu ild ing a path f ro m be in g th e w o rl d 's to p imp orter to exporting equipm ent to 75 cou ntries

T h e f i r s t i n d i g e n o u s l y designed and built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, the largest helicopter f a c t o r y i n A s i a i n T u m a k u r u , Karnataka, and the nation's first a r m o u r e d s y s t e m s c o m p l e x constructed by a private company

in Surat were cited by Modi as examples of the potential of an independent India eager to take f l i g h t a n d s e i z e o p p o r t u n i t i e s

abroad

A ero Ind ia show cases India’s self-confid ence

P M M o d i s a i d ,

“From here, India will take rapid strides to be

c o u n t e d a m o n g t h e l a r g e s t d e f e n c e manufacturers, and our

p r i v a t e s e c t o r a n d investors will play a big role in that ” He urged industry to invest and create opportunities within the country and beyond "Aero India's deafening roar r e f l e c t s t h e p h r a s e " r e f o r m ,

‘White Gold’ lithium discovered in J&K

A s ignif ic ant find of l ithium i n J a m m u a n d K a s hm ir 's R e a s i d is t r i c t - d ub b e d "White Gold" due to its high g l o b al d e m a n d - wi l l ai d I n di a s s hi f t t o r e n ew a bl e e nergy L i t h i u m b a t t e r i e s ( L iI o n ) , w h i c h p o w e r t h e majority of these necessary electronic devices, are in high demand as nations around t h e w o r l d p u s h f o r g r e e n energy options in response to m o u n t i n g p r e s s u r e t o a d d r e s s e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n c e r n s T h e s e b a t t e r i e s p o w e r e v e r y t h i n g f r o m e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e s t o m o b i l e phones and laptops

For the first time, a large d e p o s i t o f l i t h i u m - b e a r i n g rocks was discovered during an annual field survey carried out by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Reasi around

70 km from Jammu city In its annual technical report presented to the government of Jammu and Kashmir, it is r e v e a l e d t h a t 5 9 m i l l i o n tonnes of inferred resources (G3) of Lithium are present in S a l a l - H a i m a n a a r e a o f t h e district G o v e r n m e n t r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s s a i d t h a t since the GSI's preliminary s t u d y h a d e s t a b l i s h e d t h e e x i s t e n c e o f l i t h i u m resources, a more thorough

i n v e s t i g a t i o n w i l l n o w b e conducted An official stated that "the thorough analysis w i l l e s t a b l i s h t h e p r e c i s e quality and grade of lithium reserve "

“In the initial study, only t h e p r e s e n c e a n d t h e quantity of the resource have b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d N o w G 2 and G3 level exploration will be carried out to determine t h e e x a c t q u a l i t y a n d q u a n t u m o f t h e l i t h i u m resource, ” officials said

p e r f o r m , a n d t r a n s f o r m " t h a t r e p r e s e n t s I n d i a T h e w o r l d i s aware of the reforms implemented to make doing business easier, to i m p r o v e t h e d e f e n c e i n d u s t r y ' s

F D I a n d o t h e r s e c t o r s , a n d t o

s t r e a m l i n e t h e p r o c e d u r e s f o r issuing licences to industries while s i m u l t a n e o u s l y l e n g t h e n i n g t h e v a l i d i t y o f t h o s e l i c e n c e s , h e added Ind igeno us systems to combat future battles

T h e C h i e f o f a r m y s t a f f ( C O A S ) , G e n e r a l M a n o j P a n d e , s t a t e d t h a t d e v e l o p i n g f u l l y i n d i g e n o u s s y s t e m s t o c o m b a t

future battles is still a work in p r o g r e s s " W h a t I w a n t t o emphasise is that in eight to ten y e a r s , w e w i l l b e a b l e t o f i g h t future wars with fully indigenous s y s t e m s t h a n k s t o t h e k i n d o f e n v i r o n m e n t w e h a v e a n d t h e c a p a b i l i t y c i v i l d e f e n c e f i r m s have "

Initially, he said, the army is looking at empowering infantry s o l d i e r s b y i n c r e a s i n g t h e i r situational awareness, providing better surveillance systems and small arms weapon systems and e n h a n c i n g t h e i r f i g h t i n g capabilities at night

Bullet train project is of national importance, rules HC

Th e B om ba y Hi gh C our t r e je c te d a c ha l l e n g e b y G od r e j & B oy c e M a n uf ac tu r in g C o L t d, M u m b a i's l a r g es t pr i v at e la ndl ord, to the £26 4 m illion s ta te a cq uisit ion of its 10a cr e V ikhr ol i pl ot a nd the c ons t ituti on al val idit y of a le gal provision, al lowing the M um b a i-A hm ed a ba d b ul l et t r a in pr oj e c t t o m o ve f orward The HC said when 9 7% of the l and is already ac quired, “interfering at t his s tage would b e totall y against p ub l ic i nt e r e s t in an i nf ra s t ru c t ur a l a n d pub l ic p ro je c t of n a t ion a l importance” A d a y b e f o r e P r i m e Minister Narendra Modi is supposed to go to Mumbai for the Vande Bharat launch,

Transman gives birth to baby in Kerala

T he transgender coup le from no rth K erala, Zah ad and Ziya P aval too k to so cial media to annou nce th e arrival o f th ei r baby

“Finally wait is over, we are thrilled to welcome the new member,” the c o u p l e w r o t e Z a h a d i s t h e f i r s t transman to deliver a baby, activists working among the LGBTQIA (lesbian, g a y , b i - s e x u a l , t r a n s g e n d e r , q u e e r , intersex and asexual) community have confirmed

Speaking to the media, Ziya stated t h a t t h e y w o u l d a s k t h e h o s p i t a l administration to list Zahad as the father and her as the mother The baby w a s d e l i v e r e d v i a C - s e c t i o n a n d weighed 2 920 kg It is fantastic Father and child are in good health While thanking everyone who had supported them, she stated, "We haven't decided on the gender yet She declared, "From

now on, Zahad will be the father and I shall be the proud mother " Both are in good health and can be discharged from the hospital after the necessary rest, according to Dr C Sreekumar, head of the gynaecology department at the medical college hospital in Kozhikode According to h i m , h o s p i t a l a d m i n i s t r a t o r s

w i l l f o l l o w a p r o f e s s i o n a l ' s recommendation when registering role reversal and gender of the newborn "

“It is beautiful, I will be both, father and mother,” Zahad had told media a week before People working in the area also vouch Ziya will be first transman in the country to father t h r o u g h n a t u r a l c o n c e p t i o n T h e c o u p l e h a d a n n o u n c e d t h e i r pregnancy last week

T h e y b o t h d e c i d e d t o p u t t h e hormone treatment on hold and take a chance at becoming parents even though Zahad had undergone breast removal surgery and was waiting to remove her uterus in order to become a man, Zahad was already receiving extensive hormone treatment We simply stopped ” We will continue our t r e a t m e n t a f t e r s i x m o n t h s o f t h e delivery," Zahad had stated, adding that it was a well-considered decision by both "We will continue our path to become a transman and transwoman ”

t h e j u d g m e n t i s r e n d e r e d

The site was turned over to the National High Speed Rail C o r p o r a t i o n , w h i c h i s carrying out the bullet train project “ M e r e l y b e c a u s e t h e r e a r e c e r t a i n a l l e g e d i r r e g u l a r i t i e s i n t h e p r o c e d u r e r e q u i r e d t o b e f o l l o w e d w h i l e a c q u i r i n g l a n d ” , t h e H C b e n c h o f Justices R D Dhanuka and MM Sathaye said it cannot e x e r c i s e i t s d i s c r e t i o n a r y power The bench added, “In c a s e o f c o n f l i c t o n i n t e r -

f u n d a m e n t a l r i g h t s a n d intra-fundamental rights, the court has to examine as to where lies the larger public interest, while balancing the two conflicting rights It is t h e p a r a m o u n t c o l l e c t i v e i n t e r e s t w h i c h w o u l d u l t i m a t e l y p r e v a i l I n t h e facts of this case, the private i n t e r e s t c l a i m e d b y t h e petitioner does not prevail o v e r t h e p u b l i c i n t e r e s t which would sub serve an i n f r a s t r u c t u r a l p r o j e c t o f public importance, which is a dream project of this country and a first of its kind ” The HC declined a plea m a d e b y s e n i o r c o u n s e l N a v r o z S e e r v a i , a p p e a r i n g for Godrej & Boyce, to stay i t s j u d g m e n t e v e n b y t w o weeks

New Chief Justices appointed to 4 high courts

The cen tral governmen t notified the appoin tment of Chie f Justice s for the High Courts of Gujara t, Tripura, Gauhati and Ja mmu and Kashmir and Ladakh

Justice Sonia Giridhar Gokani has been appointed CJ of Gujarat, making her the first woman CJ of the HC Justice Sandeep Mehta has been appointed CJ of Gauhati High Court, while Justice Jaswant Singh will be the new Chief Justice of Tripura High Court Justice N Kotiswar Singh has been appointed as CJ of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court The SC C o l l e g i u m h a d r e c o m m e n d e d J u s t i c e G o k h a n i ’ s n a m e f o r elevation on February 9 She is the senior most judge of the HC and is due to retire on February 25 Recommending her name, the Collegium had noted that she being drawn from Gujarat state judicial service, it “will bring a sense of inclusion and facilitate a representation for judges drawn from the services in the office of Chief Justice” The Collegium had recommended the name of Justice Mehta, of the Rajasthan High Court, for elevation as CJ of Gauhati HC on February 8 It had earlier recommended the name of Justice K Vinod Chandran of Kerala HC as CJ of Gauhati HC This was recalled later and Justice Chandran was recommended for appointment as CJ of Patna HC

Covid helps Indian boy create a multi-million dollar research start-up in US

Nischal Sanghavi

W hi le C o v id ha s l a r g e l y be e n h a r m fu l f o r t h e h u m a n i t y a n d e conomy, t here are some inst ances whe re it has prove d a ble ssing in d isg uise

Raahish Kalaria, 25, went to US for graduation after completing his schooling in Gujarat In the second year of his study he teamed with a college buddy Aneesh to create a start-up in US where companies can spread their messages through social media posts made by the s t u d e n t s B u t m a r k e t g o t t o p s y t u r v y d u r i n g t h e d a y s o f C o v i d lockdown and they stopped getting many clients However, at the same time, since they had a reach to over

60,000 students across America, few companies approached them to g e t C o v i d r e l a t e d s u r v e y s d o n e from those students A c c o r d i n g t o R a a h i s h , “ t h i s

c r e a t e d a s p a r k i n o u r m i n d s

Researches based on regular survey

methods have several flaws like t i m e c o n s u m e d t o r e a c h h u g e audience, risk of fake replies and loopholes in analytical data We made a plan of creating a high-tech r e s e a r c h p l a t f o r m t h a t u s e s Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help c o m p a n i e s c o n d u c t a u t h e n t i c market research via Snapchat and TikTok-style video feedback from c o n s u m e r s W e w o r k e d o n i t relentlessly during Covid times In January ’ 21 we launched ‘Knit’, a p l a t f o r m e m p o w e r i n g b r a n d s t o conduct high-quality, automated r e s e a r c h q u i c k l y a n d a c c u r a t e l y The AI technique analyses factors l i k e s e n t i m e n t s , e m o t i o n s , ethnicity and voice tones to get

authentic information We have also created an affiliation of over 5 m i l l i o n r e s p o n d e n t s o f v a r i e d d e m o g r a p h i c s , a g e a n d s o c i a l b a c k g r o u n d s w h o a r e r e a d y t o respond anytime In fact, the whole process from companies raising a survey query, getting responses of thousands of matching audience, t r a n s c r i p t i o n , a n a l y s i s , g r a p h i c a l representation and a lot of other things are usually completed in as l e s s a s 4 h o u r s C o m p a n i e s a r e f i n d i n g t h e r e s u l t s l o t m o r e a u t h e n t i c a n d u s e f u l t h a n t r a d i t i o n a l m e t h o d s a n d a r e a p p r o a c h i n g u s f o r m o r e assignments ” In just 2 years from inception

‘Knit’ has received a funding of £3 m i l l i o n f r o m U S b a s e d v e n t u r e funds With over 50 top clients, i n c l u d i n g t h e l i k e s o f J B L , N A S C A R , W N B A , C a r g i l l t h e company will be completing this year with a business close to £1 million and has a projection to double it in 2023

According to Raahish’s mother Harsha Kalaria who stays in India, “it has not been an easy journey as Raahish has to be on the move all t h e t i m e R a a h i s h h a s a l r e a d y traveled 38 cities across 14 states of US in last two years ” R a a h i s h ’ s c o m p a n y c u r r e n t l y employs 24 people and targets to double the strength in 1 year

Raahish Kalaria

New governors for 12 states, LG in Ladakh changed

T h e Pr e s i d e n t h a s a ppoi nted gove rnors in 12 s tates and a ne w LG in L a d a k h i n a s i g n i f i ca n t re structuri ng of the govern orshi p pack that in clude d the sele ction of retire d S u p r e me C o u r t j u d g e Justi ce S Ab dul Naze er as t h e g o ve r n or o f An dh r a Pra desh Six of the 13 a re f r e s h f a ce s , i n c lu d i n g L a k s h ma n P r a s a d A c h a r y a , C P R a d h a k r i s h n a n , S hi v Pra tap Shukla, and Gulab C ha n d K a t a r i a , a l l o f w h o m a r e BJP l e a d e r s The y w ere chose n to serv e a s go v e r n o r s o f A s s a m, Jharkha nd and Sikk im Nazeer was part of the f i v e j u d g e b e n c h t h a t u n a n i m o u s l y d e c i d e d i n

2 0 1 9 t o g i v e t h e c o ntentious Ayodhya site for the construction of Ram temple He is the second apex court judge to have been appointed governor by the Modi government 4 BJP leaders, including 2 from UP, were also appointed

T h e e x i t o f M a h a r a s h t r a g o v e r n o r B h a g a t S i n g h K o s h y a r i , who has been replaced by J h a r k h a n d g o v e r n o r Ramesh Bais, has been on the cards because of the controversies he generated with his ill- thought out statements and is expected to help plug a potential vulnerability of the ruling saffron alliance ahead of the crucial BMC polls

SC approves appointment of J&K delimitation panel

A n o t h e r i m p o r t a n t a p p o i n t m e n t w a s o f B r a h m i n f a c e f r o m

Gorakhpur region in Uttar

P r a d e s h S h i v P r a s a d S h u k l a a s g o v e r n o r o f Himachal Pradesh and BJP l e a d e r f r o m R a j a s t h a n ,

G u l a b C h a n d K a t a r i a , b e i n g a s s i g n e d t h e R a j Bhawan responsibility in

A s s a m T h e g o v e r n m e n t sources also rejected the n a r r a t i v e t h a t i t d o e s n ' t rope in minorities in the distribution of responsibilities as four minorities have been elevated to Raj Bhawans including Nazeer and Arif Mohammad Khan (Kerala) who are Muslims, whereas Kataria is Jain and L t G e n G u r m e e t S i n g h (Uttarakhand) a Sikh

Assam child marriages: 2,666 detained after CM's orders

U p to 2 , 66 6 p e o p l e h av e been detained thu s far in c o n n ec t io n wi t h c as e s i n vo lv in g u nd er ag e m arriages i n Assam T he ch ange o ccu rred wh en th e state's c h ie f m i ni s te r, H i ma nt a Biswa Sarma, o rdered h arsh p unish ment for thos e found guilty Taking to twitter, th e c h ie f m i ni s te r u rg ed t h e general p ublic to end th e tradition of ch ild marriage

As of February 7, a total of 2,528 people from across the state were arrested for indulging in child marriage

More than 4,074 such cases have so far been registered

According to media report, those arrested also included

78 women

In the meantime, temporary jails have been converted into the Matia transit camp in Goalpara and a stadium in Silchar to accommodate people detained on suspicion of either marrying females under the age of 18 or solemnising and encouraging such weddings I n d i a n l a w p r o h i b i t s c h i l d m a r r i a g e s a s o f November 1, 2007, when it b e c a m e e f f e c t i v e Additionally, it defends and aids those who have been married off as children The M u s l i m P e r s o n a l L a w , w h i c h p e r m i t s u n d e r a g e m a r r i a g e s w h e n t h i s l a w

forbids them, is unaffected by this, though I n O c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 , t h e S u p r e m e C o u r t o f I n d i a gave a landmark judgment c r i m i n a l i s i n g s e x w i t h a child bride, hence removing a n e x c e p t i o n i n I n d i a ’ s c r i m i n a l j u r i s p r u d e n c e w h i c h h a d u n t i l t h e n viewed the consummation of marriage with a minor wife as legal

The Act's main goal is to f o r b i d c h i l d m a r r i a g e s a s well as related and incident a l p r o b l e m s T h e C h i l d Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 was replaced by the P r e v e n t i o n o f C h i l d Marriage Act of 2006

T he Su pr e me C our t r ul e d that t he Center 's decision t o a p po i n t t h e D e l i mi t a t i on Co mmission of th e Un ion

T e r r it o r y o f Ja m m u & Kashmir was l awful , and that it wa s also le gal to del imit t h e p a r l ia m e n t a r y a n d a s se m b l y c on s t it u e n ci e s ba sed on the r

The petition contesting the delimitation exercise was d i s m i s s e d b y a b e n c h o f Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka on a numb e r o f g r o u n d s , b u t t h e y made it clear that the petit i o n d i d n o t a d d r e s s t h e legality of the Centre's decision to revoke Article 370's provisions on August 5, 2019, relating to the special status g r a n t e d t o J a m m u & Kashmir, which is currently before the Supreme Court

“There is absolutely no m e r i t i n a n y o f t h e c o ntentions raised by the peti-

tioners We may, however, clarify that the findings rendered in the judgment are on the footing that the exercise of power made in the year 2019 under clauses (1) and (3)

o f A r t i c l e 3 7 0 o f t h e Constitution is valid We are aware that the issue of the validity of the exercise of the said powers is the subject matter of petitions pending before this Court Therefore, we have not dealt with the i s s u e o f v a l i d i t y N o t h i n g stated in this judgment shall be construed as giving our

imprimatur to the exercise of powers under clauses (1) and ( 3 ) o f A r t i c l e 3 7 0 o f t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n , ” t h e b e n c h said The court ruled that "there is no illegality associated with the establishment o f t h e D e l i m i t a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n u n d e r t h e i m p u g n e d O r d e r d a t e d March 6, 2020" and that it would be acceptable for the C e n t r a l G o v e r n m e n t t o e x t e n d t h e C h a i r p e r s o n ' s a p p o i n t m e n t u n t i l t h e d e l i m i t a t i o n / r e a d j u s t m e n t task was finished

India to upgrade Ladakh airstrip to handle fighter jets

As C hin a has sec ured al l of its air bases and military po s it io n s d ur in g th e on going 33-mon th armed con fl ict along the boundary, India is now ready to begin upgrading the c rucial Nyoma advanc e l andin g ground (ALG) in eastern Ladakh to ensure it c an al so h a n dl e fi gh t er operation s

T h e 2 7 - k m r i g i d pavement" runway would accommodate all types of f i x e d - w i n g a i r c r a f t f o r "defensive as well as offensive operations" as part of

Indian enters Pak while travelling to Saudi Arabia to perform Haj

A ma n from In dia w ho had p re vi ous ly b ee n d en i ed a v is a b y a P ak is ta ni cour t en tered the nation to finis h hi s arduous journ ey on foot to Saudi Arab ia to perform the Haj S h i h a b , 2 9 , e n t e r e d P a k i s t a n t h r o u g h t h e Wagah border and was welc o m e d b y I m t i a z R a s h i d

Qureshi, the chairman of the Bhagat Singh Memorial

Foundation Pakistan, and Sarwar Taj, who had petitioned the Supreme Court on Shihab's behalf Qureshi told media that Shihab was very happy to get the visa to continue his journey to Mecca “He has brought a message of love, f r i e n d s h i p a n d b r o t h e rhood," Qureshi said, adding he wanted to organise an event in Shihab's honour

on the premises of Lahore High Court but could not do so because of security issues S h i h a b , a n a t i v e o f Kerala, set out on foot to travel 3,000 km from his home state to the Wagah border in October of last y e a r b u t w a s h a l t e d b y Pakistani immigration officials because he lacked a visa

" S h i h a b p l e a d e d t h e immigration officials to let him into the country on h u m a n i t a r i a n g r o u n d s because he was intending to undertake the Hajj on foot and had already travelled 3,000 km He needed a transit visa to travel from Iran to Saudi Arabia "An e m p l o y e e o f t h e F e d e r a l I n v e s t i g a t i o n A g e n c y h a d indicated

the £23 million upgrading w o r k a t N y o m a A L G , which will start in May or J u n e , a c c o r d i n g t o t o p defence personnel With the Nyoma ALG located at an altitude of over 13,400feet, and less than 50-km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, it will take “three working s e a s o n s ” b y t h e B o r d e r R o a d s O r g a n i s a t i o n t o c o m p l e t e t h e e n t i r e upgrade project that also i n c l u d e s d i s p e r s a l a r e a s , hangars and other allied infrastructure in the forbidding terrain “So, everything should be ready by mid-2025,” an official said N y o m a i s a l r e a d y “ a major staging area ” for the

I A F a n d A r m y , b r i d g i n g the crucial gap between Leh airfield around 190km away and the LAC It has been extensively used for forward deployment of troops and heavy weapon systems like tanks since t h e m u l t i p l e C h i n e s e i n c u r s i o n s i n t o e a s t e r n Ladakh in April-May 2020

Heavy-lift The Nyoma ALG is frequently used by Chinook, medium-lift Mi17 V5 and Apache attack helicopters, as well as C130J 'Super Hercules' airc r a f t t h a t c a n l a n d o n temporary airstrips The A r m y h a s a l s o b e e n r e h e a r s i n g p a r a t r o o p e r airdrops in the high-altitude area

Shree Krishna Hospital in Karamsad opens new diagnostic centre

S h re e K r i s h n a Ho s pi ta l i n K a r a m s a d ha s op e n e d th e

Sh an tab en Su rya kan tb hai Des ai ( Vaso) Diagn os tic C enter to serve the requirem ents of the people of A nand di strict on 7th Februa ry

P a d m a B hu s h a n Sw a m i S hr i

Sac chidanan dji (Dantali) offi cially opened it The c enter's c on struc -

ti on costs £55 0,000

O t h e r d i g n i t a r i e s p r e s e n t included Dr Barindra Desai, who donated the centre, as well as Shri Jagrut Bhatt, provost of Bhaikaka

U n i v e r s i t y , D r U t p a l a K h a r o d , dean of Pramukhswami Medical College, Dr Himanshu Pandya, principal of K M Patel Institute

of Physiotherapy, Dr R Harihara, medical superintendent of Shree Krishna Hospital, Dr Jitesh Desai

It is one of the largest facilities in the Charotar area, covering an area of 18,000 square feet, and processing a high number of tests each day, according to Atul

Patel All the labs and the blood centre are housed in this special diagnostic facility The center's c o n v e n i e n t l o c a t i o n n e a r t h e main hospital, the cardiac centre, and the cancer centre assists the patient by allowing for simple access

According to Dr Mustafa, the Centre Head, the centre is one of

its kinds amongst medical colleges where the lab functions as a single entity instead of different d e p a r t m e n t s I t h a s a c e n t r a l common processing room and a common reporting room which allows for pooling of resources for more efficient utilization

A N A B H a c c r e d i t e d b l o o d centre with cutting-edge apheresis and stem cell collection equipment, the reception and collect i o n a r e a a r e l o c a t e d o n t h e ground level, he continued The t h i r d f l o o r h a s t h e m o l e c u l a r facility, while the second floor houses a variety of labs and a

Dalits in TN face atrocities every other day, says governor

C H E N N A I : Ta m i l Na d u governor R N Ravi criticised t he s t at e gov er nm e nt f or w ha t he c a l l e d r i s i ng i n c id e n c e s of a t ro c it i e s a gains t Dalits , all eging that t hes e debunk the DM K-led a d m i ni s t r a t io n ’ s c l a im o f b eing a prot ector of social justice

“We have been talking s o m u c h a b o u t s o c i a l justice But, every other day here some atrocities against Dalits either human feces thrown in the water tank of a Dalit colony or they are publicly humiliated and assaulted and not allowed entry into the temple or anganwadi centre w i l l b e s e p a r a t e d , ” R a v i s a i d w h i l e speaking at the release of Tamil versions of “Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery” and “Ambedkar and Modi – Reformer’s ideals, performer’s implementation” in Chennai

Pointing to the conviction rates of rapes against Dalit women, he said, “When it comes to crime against Dalits, the response of law enforcement and criminal justice system is awful It pains to know in our state only 7% rape cases f i l e d b y D a l i t w o m e n e n d s i n conviction In 100 rapists, 93 go scot free and we talk about social justice and

Babasaheb ”

“

C A G r e p o r t s a y s that the 30% of central allocation for building h o m e s f o r D a l i t s g o u n s p e n t T h e remaining major part i s d i v e r t e d t o s o m e other purposes I am not saying this, but the C o m p t r o l l e r a n d

A u d i t o r G e n e r a l o f India report says So much for social j u s t i c e ” h e f u r t h e r s a i d W h i l e speaking about the development, Ravi s a i d : “ A t t h e m a c r o l e v e l , w e m a y proudly say that we are advanced, one o f t h e p r o g r e s s i v e s t a t e s o f I n d i a n union But the fact is we have hunger, poverty, untouchability and we have a prejudice against women ”

H e f u r t h e r s a i d a f u n d a m e n t a l change has happened after Modi came to power as he saw the country as one family “The world is moving towards India-centric global order and I have no hesitation to say that the single most i m p a c t f u l p h e n o m e n o n o f t h e 2 1 s t century is Modi,” he said, and asserted t h a t “ c o a l i t i o n o f f a m i l y i n t e r e s t coming together and trying to defeat and it won’t happen as the country is awaken today ”

Punjab setting up Aam Aadmi Clinics with Ayushman fund: Mandaviya

N E W D E L H I : U ni o n H e al th Mi n i s te r Mansukh Mandaviya has s l am me d th e A nd h r a P ra de s h an d P u n j ab g o ve rn m en ts , c la i mi n g that the party has created h ealthcare facilities with different names by u tilising Pradh an M a nt ri J an Ar o gy a Y o j na ( P MJ A Y ) fu nds “ S e v e r a l s t a t e s h a v e c r e a t e d h e a l t h c a r e f a c i l i t i e s w i t h t h e utilisation of Ayushman Bharat funds but given them different names like Mohalla Clinics/Aam Aadmi Clinics in P u n j a b , " M a n d a v i y a t o l d t h e L o k Sabha

T h e m i n i s t e r f u r t h e r s a i d t h a t t h e s e s t a t e s a r e " v i o l a t i n g " t h e m e m o r a n d u m o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g ( M o U ) t h a t t h e y s i g n e d w i t h t h e Centre by doing so

"Health infrastructure has been created in Punjab with the utilisation of the funds that are provided by the central government for infrastructure under the Ayushman Bharat Health

Karnataka HC orders advocate’s detention for ‘wild’ charges

B E NG ALUR U: The Kar nataka high court has ordered the dete nt ion of KS Anil, a Bengaluru-based advoc ate, in judicial c us tody f or a week over his “wild and reckle ss ” all egations against the judic ial s yst em and judges

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna

B Varale passed an order to this affect in a suo motu criminal contempt petition registered by the court against the advocate in 2019

The bench pointed out that the record placed before the court clearly shows that the accused (Anil) has no regard for the judicial system The court said the advocate had been making wild allegations against the judicial system, especially judicial officers, and trying to dent the image of the system “This court is left with no other option except to pass an order for taking the accused into judicial custody,” the bench observed while directing that the accused be produced on the next date of hearing The HC’s 2019 suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against him came after he made allegations against the single bench and division bench hearing his case

LANKA DISMISSES TAMIL LEADER'S CLAIM

Sri Lanka on Monday dismissed as a "joke" a top Tamil nationalist leader's claim that LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran who was killed in 2009 by the island nation's military was still alive Pazha Nedumaran a noted nationalist leader in Tamil Nadu told reporters in Thanjavur that the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is doing well and a conducive atmosphere prevails for him to appear now " Sri Lanka s defence ministry dismissed Nedumaran's claim as a joke "It is confirmed that he was killed on 19 May 2009 The DNA has proved it,” Colonel Nalin Herath, Sri Lanka's defence ministry spokesman said

7 WORKERS DIE OF SUFFOCATION IN ANDHRA

and Wellness scheme b u t t h e s t a t e g o v e r n m e n t h a s changed the name of these facilities as Aam Admi Mohalla Clinic," t h e h e a l t h m i n i s t e r s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t h e h a s w r i t t e n a l e t t e r t o t h e governments of Andhra Pradesh and Punjab

Recently, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann inaugurated 500 'Aam Aadmi Clinics' (Mohalla Clinics) across state

“If they won't follow the norms of this scheme under MoU and shut down the health and wellness scheme of the Centre, then the Union Government will not be left with any other option I w a n t t h a t t h e s t a t e a n d C e n t r a l governments should work together for the welfare of the public without any politics,” he warned

Mandaviya also claimed that the funds were given to the states for u p g r a d i n g t h e f a c i l i t i e s a n d infrastructure at health and wellness centres

CH AND IG A RH : Punjab Chief Minist er Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday hit out at Gover nor B anwar ilal Purohit, saying only those who have been “elected” by people shoul d be taking decisions in Punjab, and not those w ho are “sel ect ed”

The retort comes a day after Purohit sent a letter to the CM, questioning the various decisions t a k e n b y t h e A A P g o v e r n m e n t , i n c l u d i n g t h e selection criteria for teachers sent to Singapore and the appointment of a tainted person as a chairman Mann was addressing MLAs at the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during a special training session organised for them “In a democracy, those elected are above those selected,” he said “But we will mend fences with them,” he said, amidst thumping of desks by the MLAs “ S o m e t i m e s , t h e y a r e ‘ t u t o r e d ’ b y c e r t a i n forces,” he said Later, AAP chief spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang said the AAP government would not tolerate any interference in the working of the elected government

He claimed that the real reason behind the governor sending the letter to the chief minister was the protest held on Sunday by their party criticising the “BJP-Adani link”

TMC stands for 'terror, mafia, corruption': Nadda

K OLK ATA : Launc hing a frontal a ttack on the Mam ata Banerjeel ed r e gi m e in B en g a l , B J P na tional president J P Nadda s aid t hat the time has come to bid f arewell to the jungle raj of the TMC, whic h s tands for ’Te rror, M afia, Corrupt ion’

Claiming that the state has b e e n b r o u g h t t o a ” s t a n d s t i l l ” under the TMC rule, with no d e v e l o p m e n t i n s i g h t , N a d d a , who was in Bengal on a two-day visit, said that the BJP would do what it takes to oust the TMC from power R e f e r r i n g t o r e c e n t a l l e g a t i o n s o f m a s s i v e

J P Nadda

i r r e g u l a r i t i e s i n i m p l e m e n t i n g the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY) in West Bengal, Nadda said houses meant for the poor were looted by TMC leaders

“During audit, it was found that people who have two-three storey buildings received houses under the scheme This is the s i t u a t i o n i n W e s t B e n g a l , ” h e

said B e n g a l ’ s p o l i t i c a l c a u l d r o n has been on the boil for a while o v e r a l l e g a t i o n s a n d c o u n t e r allegations of corruption in the i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e c e n t r a l h o u s i n g s c h e m e a f t e r i t w a s r e p o r t e d t h a t a p p l i c a t i o n s b y s e v e r a l p e o p l e , o w n i n g m u l t is t o r e y h o m e s , h a v e r e c e i v e d approval in some districts Nadda also said that West Bengal, despite having a woman chief minister, ”tops the chart when it came to crime against women ”

N a d d a , d u r i n g t h e d a y , addressed back-to-back rallies in

P u r b a s t h a l i a r e a o f P u r b a Bardhaman and Ramnagar area in Purba Medinipur, as part of the BJP’s mass outreach drive ahead o f t h e c r u c i a l p a n c h a y a t p o l l s scheduled in May L a u d i n g p a r t y c a d r e s f o r ”putting up a brave fight against the terror tactics” of the TMC, Nadda said the mass gatherings at his rallies reflect that people are ”yearning for a change” ”It is time to bid adieu to the jungle raj of Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has to be sent on a long leave We have to remove this party from power democratically,” he said

Seven workers suffocated to death at an edible oil factory in G Rangampet village, in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada district The workers were cleaning a boiler tank at Ambati Subbanna and Co when the accident took place One of two workers who first went inside the 25-foot deep tank fell unconscious while the other emerged safely Six other workers then went inside in batches to rescue the worker but all of them lost consciousness due to the nauseous fumes and died The factories department said safety measures were lacking in the boiler tank and charged the company management with negligence

ED ARRESTS SON OF FORMER AKALI DAL MLA

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Gautam Malhotra son of liquor baron and former Akali Dal MLA Deep Malhotra, in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case Deep Malhotra, who owns the liquor manufacturing and distribution company Oasis Group was raided by ED in October last year in Punjab His younger son Gautam is said to manage the markets of Delhi and UP apart from running the group’s distilleries in Ambala and Indore He was produced before Special Judge MK Nagpal and was remanded to 7-day ED custody for the purpose of his detailed and extensive interrogation and confrontations

CAG URGED TO AUDIT BENGAL MIDDAY MEAL SCHEME

Days after forming a panel to review the implementation of the midday meal scheme in West Bengal, the Ministry of Education has requested the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to conduct a special audit of the scheme in the state citing alleged misuse of funds The ministry announced its decision saying that it will take necessary corrective action” based on the audit of the CAG which will look into compliance performance and financial aspects of the scheme which was rebranded as ‘PM Poshan’ in 2021 “The Ministry of Education has received reports about the alleged misuse of funds in West Bengal under the PM Poshan scheme ” an official statement said

Punjab CM hits out at governor's remarks on govt's decision

PM Modi unveils 246-km stretch of Delhi-Mumbai e-way

T he 246-km S ohna-DausaL alsot stretch of the DelhiM umbai Expressway, w hich w ould reduce th e distance between Delhi and Jaipur's travel tim e from fiv e to six h ours to roug hly three and a h a lf to f o u r h o u rs , w as o pened by Prime Minister Narend ra Mod i T he public w il l h av e a cc es s t o th e stretch

M o d i r e f e r r e d t o t h e Delhi-Mumbai Expressway a s t h e " m o d e r n r o a d t o growth" and described it as a "beautiful picture" of a developing India "Now the trip from Delhi to Jaipur, which used to take 5 to 6 hours, will be completed in half the time Consider the amount of time that this p r o j e c t w i l l s a v e P e o p l e who used to routinely travel

or work in Delhi can now r e t u r n i n t h e e v e n i n g "Goods-moving trucks and tempos won't have to drive f o r t h e e n t i r e d a y , " h e claimed

The travel time between the national capital and the P i n k C i t y w i l l f u r t h e r reduce by half an hour by

Ambani to invest £7.5 bn in Uttar Pradesh

December 2024 when the t w o u n d e r - c o n s t r u c t i o n links - DND Flyway (Delhi) to Sohna and Bandikui to Jaipur Ring Road - will be completed Gad kari reiterates PM ’ s plan fo r world-class infra Speaking at the event, union road transport and

India encourages Buddhist travel, welcome pilgrims from S Korea

T he teach ing of Bud dhism h as h ad an im pact o n several cou ntries includ ing Central A sia, Bhutan, Nepal, T ibet, M o ng o l ia , M yan m ar , S r i L anka, and som e cou ntries in th e Nord ic region too I n d i a i s r e c e i v i n g 1 0 8 B u d d h i s t p i l g r i m s f r o m South Korea for the first time since the two nations commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations Before continuing on to Nepal, the Sangwol Society-organized p i l g r i m a g e w o u l d t r a v e l m o r e t h a n 1 , 1 0 0 k m a n d stop at Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

Along with assisting visi t o r s t o l e a r n a b o u t L o r d Buddha's teachings and follow in his footsteps during his lifetime, the pilgrimage seeks to strengthen ties of

friendship and cooperation b e t w e e n I n d i a a n d S o u t h

Korea The Secretary of the Ministry of Information and B r o a d c a s t i n g , A p u r v a C h a n d r a , a n n o u n c e d t h e specifics of this and said that P r i m e M i n i s t e r N a r e n d r a Modi's objective was to promote the Buddhist tourism circuit in India for the rest of the world T h e S o u t h K o r e a n

ambassador to India, Chang Jae-bok, stated that South K o r e a i s c o m m i t t e d t o India's success as the G20 President and that 2023 is a special year for the bilateral relations between the two c o u n t r i e s H e a d d e d t h a t t h e B u d d h i s t t e a c h i n g s a l i g n w i t h t h e m o t t o o f I n d i a ’ s G 2 0 p r e s i d e n c y , ‘ O n e E a r t h , O n e F a m i l y , One Future’

Isro hits another milestone as SSLV puts 3 satellites in space

With the successful launch o f th e S S L V - D 2 , I s ro s newest and sm allest comm e rci al ro ck et, th e S S L V, jo ined the m arket for sm all s a tel li te la u nc h s er v i ce s g lo bally After failing to successfu lly orbit the satellites d uring its initial flight on

A ugust 7, 2022, SS LV successfu lly orbited three satellites during its second develo p mental flig h t, inclu d ing t h e U S c o m p a ny A nt ari s ' Janus-1 and the earth observ ation satellite EOS-07

“We have a new launch vehicle,” said Isro chairman S S o m a n a t h a f t e r t h e l a u n c h L a s t w e e k , S S L V , which is 34m tall and weighs 120 tonnes, lifted off from the first launch pad at Satish D h a w a n S p a c e C e n t r e , Sriharikota Around 13 minu t e s i n t o t h e l a u n c h , t h e vehicle separated EOS-07, weighing 156 3kg and 1 6

minute later ejected the 10

2 k g J a n u s - 1 a n d 8 8 k g

Azaadisat-2 made by Space

K i d z I n d i a T h e s a t e l l i t e s were intended for a 450km circular orbit

Isro chairman said the vehicle used a new, costeffective guidance and navigation system In reference t o t h e i n i t i a l t e s t f l i g h t , Somanath stated, We nar-

h i g h w a y m i n i s t e r N i t i n Gadkari said he was confid e n t o f p e o p l e r e a c h i n g Jaipur from Delhi in two hours when the two new l i n k s f r o m D N D a n d B a n d i k u i b e c o m e o p e r ational According to the current law, private cars are only permitted to travel on motorways at a top speed of 120 kph The expressway's design has improved, and it now has a higher potential top speed Following a thorough investigation by scientists, we will decide The journey duration will likely be shortened to two hours, in my opinion," he said The minister reiterated the PM’s plan of creating world class infrastructure in India after assuming office in 2014

On the first d ay of the U P Gl o ba l In v e st o rs S u m m it , s ev e ral I nd i an bu s i ne ss tycoons unv eiled significant in v es tm ent i nten tio ns f o r th e region Mukesh A mbani, c h ai rm a n o f Re li an c e In d u str ie s, d ecl ared U tta r Prad esh to be the " hub of hope fo r all of Ind ia, like Ind ia had becom e hope fo r th e ent ir e g l o be , " an d planned an inv estment of £7 5 billio n o ver th e next fiv e years “ UP ’ s ‘ sw arni m yu g ’ ( g o l d en er a) , h as begu n, ” h e said A c c o r d i n g t o A m b a n i , over 100,000 jobs would be created by the investment, w h i c h w i l l m o s t l y g o towards Reliance Retail and renewable energy He also added that Reliance Retail will revolutionise thousands of small shops and kiranas, enabling them to profit and

expand more It will also enhance the number of agricultural and non-agricultura l i t e m s i t s o u r c e s T h e h i g h e s t r e n e w a b l e e n e r g y capacity in UP, 10 gigawatts, will be installed by Reliance c o u p l e d w i t h a n e w b i oenergy company

Kumar Mangalam Birla, the chairman of the Aditya

B i r l a G r o u p , d i s c l o s e d a n investment of £2 5 billion

"Seeing UP transform over the past few years under the leadership of chief minister Yogi Adityanath and under t h e d i r e c t i o n o f P M Narendra Modi is encouraging for me as an investor This reminds me of a speech by the prime minister that a f t e r w a r d s b e c a m e v e r y popular He endorsed the state government by saying, "UP plus Yogi bahut hain ab Upyogi "

Second batch of cheetahs from SA expected on Feb 18

A s e con d b a t ch of 1 2 cheetahs is ex pe cte d to arrive in Madhya Prade sh's Kun o N at ion a l Pa r k ( KNP ) fro m Sout h Afr ica on Februar y 18, six mont hs after eight of the spot t ed cat s wer e r e le a sed i n t o t he r e se r v e , a se n i or for est officia l sa id A c c o r d i n g t o c u r r e n t plans, 12 more cheetahs are being brought to KNP on February 18, Principal Chief C o n s e r v a t o r o f F o r e s t (wildlife) J S Chouhan said He said the felines will be flown from South Africa to G w a l i o r b e f o r e b e i n g t r a n s p o r t e d t o K u n o T h e official said he was unaware of the number of male and female cheetahs in the batch of 12 The cheetahs will be k e p t u n d e r o n e - m o n t h quarantine as per the norms, he said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released the first batch of eight cheetahs – five females and three males –f r o m N a m i b i a i n t o a quarantine enclosure at KNP o n h i s 7 2 n d b i r t h d a y o n

September 17 The first batch of cheetahs is currently in h u n t i n g e n c l o s u r e s a t t h e park before their full release into the wild C h e e t a h s a r e b e i n g r e i n t r o d u c e d n e a r l y s e v e n d e c a d e s a f t e r t h e s p e c i e s

became extinct in India The l a s t c h e e t a h d i e d i n t h e country in 1947 in the Korea d i s t r i c t i n p r e s e n t - d a y C h h a t t i s g a r h , a n d t h e species was declared extinct from India in 1952 I n J a n u a r y , I n d i a a n d South Africa signed an MoU o n t h e r e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f c h e e t a h s i n t h e A s i a n country As per the MoU, an initial batch of 12 cheetahs w i l l b e f l o w n f r o m S o u t h Africa to India

India's first advanced surveillance drone to be unveiled soon

r o w l y m i s s e d putting the satellite i n o r b i t d u e t o a deficiency in velocity To make sure the c a r w a s a s u c c e s s this time, we examined the issues and made the necessary corrections ”

A c c o r d i n g t o m i s s i o n d i r e c t o r Vinod SS , Isro scientists realised five new pieces of hardware, a new separat i o n s y s t e m , a n d m a d e adjustments to the navigation and guidance system w i t h i n f i v e m o n t h s o f SSLV's first flight "A trip t h a t b e g a n i n 2 0 1 8 h a s arrived at its final stop We achieved our goal of having a cheap vehicle with a quick t u r n a r o u n d t o p r o v i d e launches on demand with this launch," he said

In dia's first advance d UA V f o r s t r a te g i c r e c o n n a i ssan ce and s urvei llan ce will mak e its public debut soon

By June or J uly, a second h om e g r ow n w e a p on i z e d drone is also expected to do its first f li ght tes t T h e a e r i a l a n d s t a t i c displays of several aircraft d u r i n g t h e A e r o - I n d i a event in Bengaluru will be live streamed by the TapasBH (tactical aerial platform for advanced surveillanceb e y o n d h o r i z o n ) d r o n e , built by the DRDO with over 180 flights tallied to date

“Tapas-BH will showcase its capabilities, which includes operating at altit u d e s u p t o 2 8 , 0 0 0 - f e e t with an endurance of over 18 hours The medium-altit u d e l o n g e n d u r a n c e (MALE) is DRDO’s solution f o r I S T A R ( i n t e l l i g e n c e ,

surveillance, target acquisit i o n a n d r e c o n n a i s s a n c e ) requirements of the Army, IAF and Navy,” a defence ministry official said

A c c o r d i n g t o r e p o r t s , t h e s m a r t a n t i - a i r f i e l d weapon (SAAW) and antitank guided missile-capable A r c h e r - N G ( n e x t g e n e r ation) armed drone would undergo its first flight test between June and July

“The UAV, also capable of night-flying, is now getting ready for formal usert r i a l e v a l u a t i o n b y t h e

a r m e d f o r c e s I t c a n thereafter go for production in large numb e r s b y H i n d u s t a n A e r o n a u t i c s L t d , Bharat Electronics and others,” a source said

The operational utility o f d r o n e s a n d A Ienabled drone swarms has been driven home by recent conflicts ranging f r o m A r m e n i a A z e r b a i j a n t o t h e o n g o i n g R u s s i aUkraine one

However, India has fallen far behind other nations in the development of cutt i n g - e d g e U A V s a n d h a s had to resort to acquiring huge quantities of Heron a n d S e a r c h e r - I I d r o n e s from Israel over the years Additionally, the US comp a n y G e n e r a l A t o m i c s i s leasing two unarmed MQ9B Sea Guardian drones to the Navy

PM Modi gets jacket made from recycled plastic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wore a sleeveless jacket made of recycled plastic bottles while attending the Rajya Sabha last week The jacket was presented to him by Indian Oil Corporation during India Energy Week in B e n g a l u r u w h e n h e l a u n c h e d t h e u n i f o r m s u n d e r t h e “ U n b o t t l e d ” initiative of the company In line with his call to phase out single-use plastic, Indian Oil has adopted uniforms for retail customer attendants and LPG delivery personnel made from recycled polyester (rPET) and cotton, officials said Each set of uniforms shall support the recycling of around 28 u s e d P E T b o t t l e s . T h e P S U i s t a k i n g t h i s i n i t i a t i v e f u r t h e r t h r o u g h “Unbottled”, a brand for sustainable garments launched for merchandise made from recycled polyester Under this brand, the oil giant targets to meet the requirement of uniforms for the customer attendants of other oil marketing companies, non-combat uniforms for the army, uniforms and dresses for Institutions, and sales to retail customers (Agency)

73 kg silver lying in Bijnor vault in Indira's name

resilience makes me weep ” A third user c o m m e n t e d , “ O W ! S h e ’ s a l i t t l e h e r o ! ” (Agency)

Army works with NGO to save elephant

Seventy three kg of silver that was given to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and is currently valued at over Rs 51,00,000 has been lying in the Bijnor teasury's vaults for more than 50 years All efforts by the local authorities to dispose it off proved futile so far District treasury officer, Suraj Kumar, said, “In 1972, the then PM Indira G a n d h i h a d c o m e t o v i s i t t h e u n d e rc o n s t r u c t i o n K a l a g a r h D a m W h e n s h e r e a c h e d t h e p l a c e , l o c a l r e s i d e n t s h a d weighed her in silver and articles made of the precious metal were presented to her She did not take it along with her and asked the then district magistrate to take care of it Since then, it has been lying in the t r e a s u r y w i t h n o c l e a r p l a n o f a c t i o n , a c c o r d i n g t o K u m a r T h e d i s t r i c t authorities had written to the RBI in 2002 to take possession of the siler, but the r e q u e s t w a s r e j e c t e d b e c a u s e i t w a s considered "private property " A museum also declined the offer for identical reasons The valuables can be given to the Gandhi f a m i l y a f t e r c o m p l e t i n g a l l n e c e s s a r y procedures, according to district officials, in the event they made a claim (The Times of India)

7-year-old protects her little brother under debris

N e t i z e n s h a v e b e e n m o v e d b y a touching image of a seven-year-old girl covering her younger brother s head when they were trapped under debris in Turkey and Syria following the earthquake UN representative Mohamad Safa, who shared the photo on Twitter, noted that the duo stayed under the rubble for 17 hours and r e s c u e d s a f e l y T h e p h o t o g r a p h l e f t netizens emotional and many praised the girl for her compassionate gesture in the distressful situation A user commented, “Miracles happen What a great big sister Lovingly protective under such stressful c i r c u m s t a n c e s H o p e f o r a l l t h o s e s t i l l t r a p p e d R e s p e c t f o r a l l t h e r e s c u e r s working tirelessly ” Another user wrote, “ O h b l e s s h e r – c h i l d r e n ’ s l o v e a n d

The Indian army has joined hands with a Mathura-based NGO Wildlife SOS to save a life of a 35-year-old emaciated elephant According to the NGO, the pachyderm Moti, who had fainted, is receiving care in t h e R a m n a g a r d i s t r i c t o f U t t a r a k h a n d Images show that the elephant is lying down while receiving medical attention “His feet, particularly the footpads, wore off due to malnutrition and lack of veterinary care, and he was on the edge of death A miracle was required to lift him from his collapsed position because he was unable to stand up owing to hypostatic pressure and h i s k i d n e y a n d h e a r t f u n c t i o n s w e r e b e g i n n i n g t o f a i l , a c c o r d i n g t o K a r t i c k Satyanarayan, co-founder of the NGO “We are grateful to Shiv Kunal Verma, General V K S i n g h a n d t h e C h i e f o f A r m y a n d Engineers who deployed the Bengal Sappers to come to assist us with this last ditch effort to help the elephant We are also grateful to the forest department and the c u s t o d i a n o f t h e e l e p h a n t f o r t h e i r cooperation and support ” (Agency)

This girl can write with both her hands

K a n n a d a a t t h e s a m e t i m e I a l s o d o mimicry and singing, she said ” (Agency)

Priceless father-daughter moment

There is no doubting that a father and daughter have the purest of relationship

This is about a video that is doing the rounds in the internet So, a clip of a father helping his daughter during her school's annual function has gone viral online In the 24-second clip, a father is seen assisting h i s d a u g h t e r a s s h e p e r f o r m s a d a n c e routine to the well-known Daler Mehndi s o n g T u n a k T u n a k W h i l e s h e w a s performing on stage, her father helped her with the steps from the audience The video went viral with over 100,000 views Twitter users couldn't help but go aww over the p r i c e l e s s f a t h e r - d a u g h t e r m o m e n t a n d s h o w e r e d t h e i r l o v e i n t h e c o m m e n t s section (Agency)

4 women flee with lovers after receiving PMAY money

Four women in Uttar Pradesh deserted their husbands and fled from home with their lovers after receiving funds from the P r a d h a n M a n t r i A w a s Y o j a n a ( P M A Y )

PMAY is a flagship scheme of the central government, which aims to address the urban housing shortage among the poorthose who belong to economically weaker s e c t i o n a n d l o w e r a n d m i d d l e i n c o m e groups As part of the programme, the g o v e r n m e n t d e p o s i t s c a s h i n t o beneficiaries' accounts so they can purchase a home The Centre has made it mandatory under PMAY for the female head of the family to be the owner or co-owner of the house The four women made use of this provision and as soon as a grant of Rs 50,000 landed in their accounts they left their husbands The bewildered husbands h a v e r e q u e s t e d t h e a u t h o r i t i e s n o t t o d e p o s i t t h e n e x t i n s t a l m e n t i n t o t h e accounts that their runaway wives Now, district officials are baffled as to how to recover the money from these beneficiaries (Agency)

4-year-old mauled to death by dog

Plea to mark V-Day as ‘Cow Hug Day’ withdrawn

T h e A n i m a l Welfare Board of India (AWBI said it has withdrawn the appeal to celebrate F e b r u a r y 1 4 a s ' C o w H u g D a y ' f o l l o w i n g d i r e c t i o n s f r o m t h e g o v e r n m e n t a m i d widespread criticism on social media The withdrawal of the appeal comes just a day after Union minister Parshottam Rupala s a i d i t w i l l b e g o o d i f p e o p l e r e s p o n d positively to the call given by the board to celebrate February 14 as 'Cow Hug Day' February 14 is observed as Valentine's Day a c r o s s t h e w o r l d " A s d i r e c t e d b y t h e C o m p e t e n t A u t h o r i t y a n d M i n i s t r y o f Fisheries, Animal Husbandary and Dairying t h e a p p e a l i s s u e d b y t h e A W B I f o r c e l e b r a t i o n o f C o w H u g D a y o n 1 4 t h F e b r u a r y , 2 0 2 3 s t a n d s w i t h d r a w n , " t h e board's secretary S K Dutta said It was for the first time that the AWBI had appealed to cow lovers in the country to celebrate 'Cow Hug Day' Earlier, the board had said the appeal has been made because the vedic t r a d i t i o n s a r e a l m o s t o n t h e v e r g e o f extinction" due to the progress of western culture (Agency)

Woman loses vision due to smartphone use

W h e n p e r f o r m i n g c h o r e s , i n c l u d i n g

writing, the majority of people favour using either their left or their right hand But there are some ambidextrous people in the world who use both hands equally for a variety of tasks Like this Mangalorean girl n a m e d A a d i S w a r o o p a , w h o c a n w r i t e neatly and simultaneously with both hands And, a video of her talent was recently posted online that stunned people Twitter user Ravi Karkara posted the video on T w i t t e r “ S h e i s ' A a d i S w a r o o p a ' f r o m Mangalore She can write in 11 different styles Both parts of her brain functions at the same time, one in a million Amazing! This skill is known as ambidexterity,” he t

Stray dogs attacked and killed a fouryear-old boy who was sleeping outside a hamlet near Surat According to family members, the boy might have been attacked by dogs when he went to the bathroom

The boy's neck was severely injured in the attack He was declared dead on being s h i f t e d t o a h o s p i t a l i n B a r d o l i T h e p r e l i m i n a r y p o s t m o r t e m e x a m i n a t i o n

revealed that the boy died due to heavy blood loss The boy's screams caused family members to awaken, and they shooed the dogs away But at that time, the boy had been viciously mauled Immediately, the boy was transferred to a hospital, but the hospital confirmed him dead The boy s parents are construction labourers and the family hails from Banswara in Rajasthan They were residing in the Kejriwal Mill compound while working at one of its locations (Agency)

A 30-year-old woman has developed vision impairment due to long-term use of s m a r t p h o n e s D r S u d h i r K u m a r , a H y d e r a b a d - b a s e d d o c t o r , s h a r e d a c a s e study of his patient and explained how the ‘ s m a r t p h o n e v i s i o n s y n d r o m e ’ ( S V S ) i s caused and how she corrected her vision “There were moments when she could not s e e a n y t h i n g f o r s e v e r a l s e c o n d s T h i s o c c u r r e d m o s t l y a t n i g h t s S h e w a s e v a l u a t e d a n d d e t a i l e d e v a l u a t i o n w a s found to be normal,” Dr Sudhir said in a tweet He added that his patient Majnu started developing symptoms of impaired vision after she quit her job as a beautician S h e w a s c l a i m e d t o h a v e b e e n u s i n g smartphones for several hours, including over two hours at night after switching off l i g h t s i n s i d e h e r r o o m I n s t e a d o f p r e s c r i b i n g m e d i c i n e s , t h e d o c t o r c o u n s e l l e d M a j n u a n d s u g g e s t e d m i n i m i s i n g t h e u s e o f s m a r t p h o n e s Manju's vision was restored after a month o f c o r r e c t i v e a c t i o n D r K u m a r f u r t h e r suggested to take a 20-second break after e v e r y 2 0 - m i n u t e u s e o f d i g i t a l d e v i c e s

(Agency)

Lifestyle changes to prevent early heart attacks

T h e m ai n re as o ns fo r c au s i ng c o ro n ary a rte ry d is e as es a t an ea rly a g e a re, h ig h b lo o d p res s u re, u n co n tro l le d d i ab ete s, h y p e r c h o l e s t e r o l e m i a , s m o k i ng , d ru g ab u s e a nd l ac k o f p h ys i c al a ct iv it y T herefore, it is essential to m ake li fe sty le ch a ng es to p revent early h eart attacks D r S h a r a t h R e d d y Annam, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, D i r e c t o r o f C a t h L a b , D i r e c t o r o f C T O a n d C o m p l e x C o r o n a r y i n t e r v e n t i o n s , T A V R a n d S t r u c t u r a l H e a r t interventions at Medicover Hospitals, was quoted in an a r t i c l e i n H T L i f e s t y l e a s s a y i n g , " T o p r e v e n t h e a r t a t t a c k s , e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e e a r l y a g e g r o u p , w e r e c o m m e n d a t l e a s t o n e c o m p l e t e c o m p r e h e n s i v e m e t a b o l i c p r o f i l e c h e c k around 35 years of age which m a k e s u s u n d e r s t a n d t o d e v i s e i n d i v i d u a l s p e c i f i c preventive strategies "

He advised, "Smoking is

the most common reason for heart attack in early age groups, which needs to be q u i t c o m p l e t e l y A l c o h o l , t h o u g h s o m e s t u d i e s f a v o u r e d t h a t c o n t r o l l e d i n t a k e w o u l d r e d u c e coronary artery disease, is n o t r e c o m m e n d e d i n g e n e r a l a s i t h u r t s m a n y o t h e r o r g a n s L a c k o f physical activity contributes s i g n i f i c a n t l y t o a h e a r t a t t a c k s i n y o u n g R e g u l a r physical activity, at least ½ hour per day or 15 min twice

a day for 5 days a week, is well-studied in preventing h e a r t d i s e a s e T h e r e f o r e , t h a t i s t h e m i n i m u m exercise recommended for a l l i n d i v i d u a l s t o p r e v e n t h e a r t a t t a c k s a t a y o u n g age " He added that other modifiable risk factors like hypertension, diabetes and h i g h c h o l e s t e r o l c o u l d b e diagnosed early by having regular yearly checkups and treating them adequately to achieve recommended goals of therapy

Healthy snacks for people with thyroid disease

The thy r oid is a sma ll b utt er flyshaped gl and in t he front of your ne ck that produce s hormon es that support metab ol ic functions in t he b od y Somet imes, it mal functions an d has too much or too l ittle hormones, cal led hypert hy roidism an d hypothyroidism For people suffering from t he condition, it is essential to con sume a ba lan ced diet designe d to ma in tain a he althy thyr oid glan d fun ction

A deficiency of certain nutrients, such as iodine, is one of the reasons for thyroid dysfunction Vegetarians should consume a diet rife with fruits and vegetables, beans, and pulses to manage the disease Also, dried fruits contain selenium which can help thyr o i d f u n c t i o n I n a d d i t i o n , N u t r i t i o n i s t Lovneet Batra suggested adding the following snacks to help manage thyroid symptoms

1 4-5 soak ed cashews

Cashews contain the mineral selenium, which plays a vital role in ensuring proper thyroid function, regulating thyroid levels and protecting the thyroid's tissue against oxidative stress

2 Coconut pieces

Coconut has high levels of medium-chain fatty acids, which increase metabolism and energy levels and help regulate blood sugar, which could contribute to improved thyroid

health

3 1 tsp chia see ds (soa ked)

Chia seeds are a rich source of omega-3 Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that may help decrease inflammation in thyroid gland-related conditions like Hashimoto's thyroiditis, de Quervain's thyroiditis or other forms of thyroiditis

4 1 tb sp roasted pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of zinc, critical to thyroid health and required for synthesizing thyroid hormones Also, pumpkin seeds are a natural source of tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes sleep The zinc, copper, and selenium in pumpkin seeds can also affect sleep duration and quality

The wonders of okra; why it's considered a superfood?

M ost of us pu sh ed okra away from o ur plates w hen we were young It i s to o sl i m y, a nd w e n ev e r u nd erstood our parents' v eg etable o bsessio n But, hig h in fibre, o kra controls our blood sugar and is c onsid ered best fo r peop le with d iabetes First, it is a rich source of i n so l u bl e d i e tar y f i br e, w h i c h builds satiety, d elays sugar release and limits hunger p angs, thereby red ucing calo rie loads Seco nd ly, it reg ulates the absorptio n of sugar through the intestinal tract Okra contains high amounts of soluble and insoluble fibres, four g r a m s p e r 1 0 0 g r a m s T h e s e require a longer time to be broken down, digested, and slowly release sugar into the blood So, the blood

sugar never spikes or plummets at any time and remains stable the diabetes-controlling ability of okra r e s u l t s f r o m i t s a b i l i t y t o s l o w d o w n s u g a r a b s o r p t i o n i n t h e

intestine Besides, okra is a good s o u r c e o f p h y t o c h e m i c a l s , antioxidants and other nutrients l i k e p o t a s s i u m , l i n o l e i c a c i d , vitamin C, calcium, protein and

folate One cup of cooked okra packs around 37 micrograms (mcg) of folate

I t i s a l s o a r i c h s o u r c e o f a n t i o x i d a n t s , v i t a m i n s B 6 a n d folate, all of which help regularise blood sugar levels and reduce the p r o g r e s s i o n o f d i a b e t i c neuropathy It has a low glycaemic i n d e x ( G I ) t h a t m e a s u r e s h o w quickly food affects sugar levels in your bloodstream It contains a good amount of liquids and is low in calories, which helps in weight m a n a g e m e n t B e i n g r e a d i l y available and easy to prepare, it can quickly become a part of your daily diet

T h e h i g h f i b r e c o n t e n t i s suitable for controlling cholesterol

Resistance training helps to reduce risk of stress urinary incontinence: study

A study ha s foun d a w ay to h e l p w o me n un d e r t a k e res is tance tra ini ng that w ill h e l p r e d u ce t he r i s k o f s tress uri nary i ncon tin ence - th e i n vol un tar y l os s of urin e on e ffort or phys ical e x e r t i o n T h e s t ud y w a s p u b l i s h e d i n t h e I n te rn a t i o n a l J ou r n a l o f E n v i r o n m e n t a l Re s e a r ch a n d P ub l i c H e a l t h I t in volves women en gagin g in a Kegel e xercis e program t h a t w i l l t i g h t e n pe l v i c floor mus cle s bef ore th ey co m me n c e r e s i s t a n c e t r a i n i n g T h e c o mb i n e d ex erci ses he lp to preven t or co n tr o l u r i n a r y i n co n t in ence U r i n a r y i n c o n t i n e n c e affects up to 70 per cent of w o m e n w o r l d w i d e , w i t h

stress urinary incontinence reported as the most preval e n t s u b - t y p e H o w e v e r , D o n e l l e C r o s s , f r o m t h e C o l l e g e o f N u r s i n g a n d Health Sciences at Flinders U n i v e r s i t y , s a y s h e r research has identified that some incontinent women who continue to perform resistance training experienced an improvement in their daily continence

Cross says, "Physically active women tend to have stronger pelvic floors, and t h i s i s t h o u g h t t o c o ntribute to a successful continence mechanism when there is an increase in their intra-abdominal pressure " In addition, a recent study found over 8 per cent of i n c o n t i n e n t w o m e n n o

longer experienced urinary leakage during their daily life after performing resistance training, which suggests its positive impact on pelvic floor strength and women's ability to timely a n d e f f e c t i v e l y a c t i v a t e their pelvic floor muscles

And the new research s h o w e d t h a t c o m b i n i n g K e g e l e x e r c i s e s b e f o r e resistance training provide d t h e m o s t e f f e c t i v e

results The latest research - "Does a Kegel Exercise P r o g r a m P r i o r t o R e s i s t a n c e T r a i n i n g

Reduce the Risk of Stress

Urinary Incontinence?" by Donelle Cross, Marilynne

m ,

o l i t a

Gahreman - studied incontinent women before they c o m m e n c e d r e s i s t a n c e training, comparing groups w i t h a n d w i t h o u t p r i o r K e g e l e x e r c i s e s T h e y r e c o r d e d t h e i r I n c o n t i n e n c e S e v e r i t y I n d e x s c o r e , p e l v i c f l o o r muscle strength, and body composition (such as body mass index, fat, and muscle mass) both before and after exercising

A dedicated program of Kegel exercises precedi n g a r e s i s t a n c e t r a i n i n g program improved average p e l v i c f l o o r m u s c l e strength and was effective in reducing stress urinary i n c o n t i n e n c e a m o n g incontinent women," says Cross

I t c o n t a i n s t h e e n z y m e p e c t i n , w h i c h h e l p s t o r e d u c e b a d c h o l e s t e r o l a n d i n c r e a s e s g o o d c h o l e s t e r o l , t h e r e b y p r o t e c t i n g heart health It prevents oxidative damage to cells and lowers the risk of cancer It also prevents anemia T h e o k r a ' s m u c i l a g e b i n d s t h e cholesterol and pulls out bile acid, carrying toxins dumped into the liver With 47 4 per cent of linoleic acid, okra becomes an excellent s o u r c e o f p o l y u n s a t u r a t e d f a t t y acids The protein content, which is almost equivalent to soya, the e n z y m e l y s i n e , a n d t r y p t o p h a n a m i n o a c i d ( w h i c h r e g u l a t e s serotonin and melatonin and our s l e e p - w a k e c y c l e ) m a k e o k r a a powerhouse food

Mucosal vaccines for respiratory viruses is challenging: study

It i s challen gin g to create i nflue nza , corona virus, a nd respi ratory s yncyti al virus (RSV) va ccin es that of fer lon glasti ng de fen ce In a ne w revi ew a rticle in Cell Hos t & Mi cr o b e , r e s e a r ch e r s f r om th e N a ti o n a l I n s t i t u te o f Allergy and I nf ecti ous Dis eas es (NI AI D), part of the NIH, e x p l or e t h e c h a ll e n g e s a n d o u t l i n e a p p r o a ch e s t o improved vaccin es An thony S Fauci, M D , former NIA ID dire ctor, i s an author along wi th Jeffe ry K Taub enb erger, M D , PhD, and David M Moren s, M D

Contrary to the respiratory viruses that cause measles, mumps, and rubella, for which vaccination or recovery from illness provides decades-long protection against future infection, flu, RSV, SARS-CoV-2, etc share several traits that enable them to cause repeated re-infections

The authors note that mucosal immunization appears to be an optimal route of vaccination for the viruses of interest, when feasible However, important information gaps must be filled in order to create effective mucosal v a c c i n e s w h i c h i n c l u d e i d e n t i f y i n g t h e b e s t v a c c i n e formulations, figuring out dosage size, frequency, and timing, and creating strategies for combating immune resistance

Kiara, Sidharth throw star-studded reception in Mumbai

Bollywood’s

newly-weds Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra hosted a glittering wedding reception in Mumbai on Sunday, which saw the who’s who of the movie industry in tow The couple got married on February 7, in Jaisalmer’s Suryagarh Palace The couple’s wedding was attended by their close friends including Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra, Shahid Kapoor, Mira Rajput and Juhi Chawla

Karan, who shares a great bond with Sid-Kiara, penned a note for the newlyweds that read, “I met him a decade and a half ago Silent, strong and still so sensitive I met her many years after silent, strong and so sensitive in equal measure Then they met each other and I realised in that moment that these two pillars of strength and dignity can make an irreplaceable bond and create the most magical love story together Watching them is a fairytale that is rooted in tradition and family ”

The filmmaker added, “As they exchanged vows on a mandap of mohabbat everyone around them felt the pulse felt the energy I sat proud, elated and bursting with only love for the two of them! I love you Sid I love you Ki May today be your forever ”

For the reception, Kiara opted for a beautiful dress paired with a huge neckpiece and earrings Her makeup was minimal with hair tied in a low bun Sidharth looked dapper in a suit

Kiara and Sidharth starred together in the biopic ‘Shershaah’ On the work front, Sid is working on his debut web series ‘Indian Police Force’, directed by Rohit Shetty He is also starring in action film ‘Yodha’ with Disha Patani and Raashii Khanna

Kiara, who was last seen in Disney+ Hotstar s ‘Govinda Naam Mera’ with Vicky Kaushal, also has the film ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’ with Kartik Aaryan due out later this year

Javed Akhtar says Salman was a 'shy and quiet' kid

and lyricist Javed Akhtar was one part of the hit screenwriting duo in the 1970s He was a frequent visitor at Salim Khan’s home as the two worked together and gave Hindi cinema some of its best scripts in their 11-year partnership. During a recent interaction, Javed shared anecdotes about Salim’s three sons and actors - Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail.

Scriptwriter

Actor

Shahid Kapoor has clarified his remark that his wife Mira Rajput gives opinions on his choice of scripts In a new interview, the actor said he didn’t say that Mira “sits for narrations and all,” adding that people “can misconstrue ” Shahid also added that he shares everything with Mira.

Shahid said, “I never said that, my wife sits for narrations and all Someone can misconstrue the way it is i d d t h i k t h t

y o u n g e r a n d s h e c o m e s f r o m Delhi The question was does she understand your world? Do you g u y s s h a r e t h i n g s w i t h e a c h other?”

“So in that context, I always share everything with her I guess, like every couple does that, you know, you spend that little time and you always crave that little time in a day or sometimes in a u can just sit down a c h o t h e r w h a t ’ s n Because you know when ople are busy doing their own g sharing reduces and when u are not sharing enough you s e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f e a c h t h e r ’ s s c e n a r i o s I h a v e always felt that if you can r e g u l a r l y s t a y c o n n e c t e d i h h h i allows

person an insight into what you are dealing with, which they might not get So in that way, I share everything with Mira ” Shahid and Mira tied the knot at a private ceremony in Gurgaon on July 7, 2015 They welcomed their first child, daughter Misha in 2016, and son Zain in 2018 On the work front, Shahid currently made his OTT debut with Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s ‘Farzi’

Indian

cricketer Hardik Pandya and actor-model

Nataša Stanković are reportedly all set to have a traditional white wedding this month, three years after they tied the knot in a low-key court marriage A report said that the couple will take their vows on February 14, Valentine’s Day in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

The report quoted a source as saying that the idea of having a lavish wedding has been on the couple’s minds since they got married in a court If media reports are to be believed, the wedding

W h i l e t a l k i n g t o A r b a a z K h a n d u r i n g h i s c h a t s h o w ‘ T h e

Invincible with Arbaaz

Khan’, Javed said, “You ave a ways bee my favourite child I have loved you and I have remembered you so clearly when you were three years old, four years old, you were always a charmer ” Javed said that he saw Salman as a ‘shy kid’ as he never used to talk to the guests w h o c a m e t o h i s h o u s e H e a d d e d , “Salman was a very shy boy He was a very reticent boy, chup rehta tha, durr rehta t h a , m i x u p n a h i h o t a t h a k i s i s e , betakalufi se baat nahi karta tha kisi se (He always stayed quiet, never mixed-up w i t h p e o p l e , n e v e r g o t i n f o r m a l w i t h people) ”

Javed said that Arbaaz was always a “ s e d u c e r ” w h o w o u l d “ c h a r m ” a l l t h e guests who would come to their house Hearing this, Arbaaz also remembered the times when he used to play chess with Javed and it was the lyricist who taught him how to play the game Reacting to this, Akhtar joked, “Mujhe maloom tha isme akal hai isliye isko sikhaao (I knew this one has brains, that’s why I taught you) ”

Salman Khan is the eldest of the Khan brothers and Sohail Khan is the youngest All of them have starred in Bollywood films and have even turned producers However, it is Salman who is the most successful out of the three brothers Their father Salim Khan was always confident that Salman will make it big in the film industry

ceremony will kick-off on February 13, and only end on the 16th While it will be a white wedding, pre-wedding festivities such as haldi, mehendi, and sangeet will also be held According to the s o u r c e , p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r t h e c e r e m o n y commenced in November last year The report also mentioned that the bride will wear a white Dolce and Gabbana gown for the ceremony Hardik, 29, and Nataša, 30 got hitched in an intimate wedding on May 31, 2020 The couple was blessed with their baby boy Agastya in July 2020

Hardik Pandya, Nataša to have white wedding in Udaipur

Shahid clarifies remark that wife Mira gives opinion on his scripts

Woman tries to touch Sara's face at airport

Actor Sara Ali Khan who was in Rajasthan, was papped arriving at the Mumbai airport Going by a paparazzi, she also met some fans on her way out. While she obliged fans with their selfie request, it seems she had an encounter with one who tried to get a little too close.

I n t h e v i d e o , S a r a appeared in a beige salwar suit with a pink dupatta She smiled big while clicking pictures with fans To this, a woman approached her to shake hands As Sara extended her hand, the female almost got hold of her face and walked away However, the actor managed to keep her cool

R e a c t i n g t o t h e v i d e o , a f a n commented, “She was trying to snatch her jewellery How bad is to see that Kya hoga India ka ” “Why invade someone's personal space, kudos to Sara for keeping calm,” added another one Someone else said,

Zeenat Aman makes Instagram debut

Veteran Indian star Zeenat Aman is the latest Indian celebrity to join Instagram. Much to her fans delight, she joined the social media platform over the weekend and shared some recent pictures of herself shot by a young female photographer The former beauty queen revealed how often she was the “only woman on a set” in the 1970s

Zeenat put up a photograph of herself c a s u a l l y d r e s s e d a t h o m e a n d w r o t e , "Laughing at the places life takes me Why hello there, Instagram " She also added a pink flower emoji to her caption One Instagram user commented, "This is not just A Zeenat Aman This is THE Zeenat Aman !!" Other fans also welcomed her on Instagram Another person wrote, "A very, very warm welcome! You’ve been missed by so many of us !!”

For her second post, the veteran actor added a close-up photograph and shared, “In the 70s the film and fashion industry was absolutely male-dominated, and I would often be the only woman on a set Over the course of my career, I have been p h o t o g r a p h e d a n d f i l m e d b y m a n y talented men A woman ’ s gaze though, is different ”

She added, “This series of pictures was shot by young photographer @tanyyaa a in the comfort of my home No lights, no makeup artist, no hairdresser, no stylist, n o a s s i s t a n t s J u s t a l o v e l y s u n n y afternoon together It’s such a pleasure to see so many young women working on b o t h s i d e s o f t h e l e n s t o d a y I l o o k forward to discovering more such talent on Instagram ”

I n h e r I n s t a g r a m S t o r i e s , Z e e n a t

revealed she was waiting to get verified and also thanked Diandra Soares, Tara Sutaria and Amaal Malik for welcoming her to the platform She made her acting debut with ‘The Evil Within’ opposite Dev Anand She also acted in ‘Hulchul’, ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’, Yaadon Ki Baaraat’, ‘Hum Kisise Kum Naheen’

“Sara is way matured and well b r o u g h t u p b y h e r m o t h e r kudos to her humbleness P S it’s not her movie promotions time it’s just a normal day ” R e c e n t l y , S a r a p o s t e d p h o t o s o f h e r U d a i p u r t r i p f e a t u r i n g h e r s e l f w i t h h e r m o t h e r A m r i t a p o s i n g n e a r Lake Pichola She wrote in her caption, "Happiest birthday to my whole world Thank you for a l w a y s b e i n g m y r o c k ( s o m e t i m e s b y c u s h i o n ) , m y moral compass, my mirror (pun intended) and my aspiration " In the photos, Sara Ali Khan wore a white and pink ethnic outfit while Amrita was seen in a black-and-white look The mother and daughter held hands as they sat together In one of the photos, she kept her head on top of her mother's and held her close in another

On the work front, Sara has the films 'Metro In Dino’, ‘Gaslight’ and an untitled movie with Vicky Kaushal, in the pipeline

Major Hindi film stars challenge the term 'Bollywood'

In

the much-anticipated Netflix documentary series

The Romantics' teaser, prominent figures from the Hindi film business may be seen criticising the term "Bollywood " The documentary series, which pays homage to Yash Chopra's legacy, YRF, and its cultural influence on India over the past 50 years, has a number of mega-stars challenging the term "Bollywood," which some claim was given to them informally by the West

From Aamir Khan to Salman Khan, from Shah Rukh Khan to Ranbir Kapoor, from Amitabh Bachchan to Ranveer Singh, from S a l i m K h a n t o R a n i M u k e r j i t o H r i t h i k Roshan to Anushka Sharma, the mega-stars and icons of Hindi cinema are seen speaking out against the usage of the term ‘Bollywood’ because they don’t feel it’s inclusive of other film industries

'The Romantics' has been directed by

Kangana sympathises with Nawazuddin over his row with wife

ActorKangana Ranaut has reacted to a recent video posted by actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife and film producer Aaliyah Siddiqui featuring a verbal spat between the two. Taking to Instagram Stories, Kangana shared the original post, and said she felt bad for Nawaz.

Oscar & Emmy-nominated f i l m - m a k e r S m r i t i Mundhra, who says, “I was s u r p r i s e d t o l e a r n h o w unanimously people in the i n d u s t r y h a t e t h e t e r m

Bollywood But in hindsight it makes perfect sense Who would want to be defined in t h e c o n t e x t o f a t o t a l l y different entity, especially w i t h a t e r m t h a t f e e l s reductive and derivative?”

“The Hindi film industry, and indeed all the regional industries that make up Indian cinema, are juggernauts unto their own It’s just too bad that the word ‘Bollywood’ is so catchy!” she added

Some of the most successful films in Indian cinema, including 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', 'War', 'Sultan', 'Ek Tha Tiger', 'Tiger Zinda Hai', 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi', 'Mohabbatein' and the 'Dhoom' trilogy, have been produced by YRF Additionally, it has created groundbreaking works of art like 'Chak De! India', 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha', 'Mardaani', 'Band Baaja Baaraat', etc

Suniel Shetty says he is Rahul’s father and not father-in-law

Kangana wrote, "Itna dukk ho raha h a i y e h s a b d e k h ke Nawaz saab ko unke ghar ke bahar aise baizzat kiya ja a h a h a i u n h o n e a sab kuch family ko de diya, kai saal rent pe rahe rickshaw mein TWS ki shoot pe aate the abhi last year toh yeh Bangalow? sad looking all these (Nawaz sir is being humiliated like this outside his home he gave his everything to his family, he stayed at a rented place for several years he used to take a rickshaw to TWS shoot Only last year he bought this bungalow and now his ex-wife came to claim it) so sad " TWS is Nawazuddin's upcoming film, Tiku Weds Sheru

She also wrote, "Nawaz saab ne aaj tak jo bhi kamaya tha apne bhaiyon ko de diya (Whatever Nawaz sir earned till date, he gave to his brothers), ex-wife who he divorced many years ago, they were Co parenting kids she was living in Dubai with children, he even bought her a flat in Mumbai and he bought a Bangalow for his mother, he took many house designing tips from me, we were so excited, we did house warming party in this house together ”

Actor

Suniel Shetty recently spoke about his daughter Athiya Shetty’s cricketerhusband KL Rahul, and said he does not know the role of a father-in-law and wants to be Rahul’s father The newly-weds tied the knot on January 23 at Suniel’s Khandala farmhouse

It was an intimate wedding ceremony with few guests in attendance

S p e a k i n g i n a n i n t e r v i e w , S u n i e l addressed himself as KL’s father when asked about Athiya-KL’s reception He added, “I said father, I don’t know the role of fatheri n - l a w , I w a s h i s f a n , t o d a y t h e r e i s a relationship but I loved Rahul, like I do a lot of young talent I am someone who has always gone to watch talents perform, even in my prime as an actor I would go to W a n k h a d e t o w a t c h y o u n g p e o p l e p l a y

When I saw Rahul play, I thought this kid was good, and then he is from my own backyard, he is from Mangalore ”

Shetty added, “I am someone who is very proud of anything that children from small towns achieve, so I was a fan and today I am

father I know him as much as he knows himself, every move of his It is Athiya and Rahul and whosoever comes into Ayaan’s life will be my daughter ” He continued, and said, “Because if I look at it as in-laws, then this stigma that t e l e v i s i o n h a s t h r o w n o n u s , s a a s - b a h u , sasur, that does not last, that’s not a great space ” S u n i e l r e v e a l e d t h a t t h e c o u p l e ' s wedding reception will be held after the I n d i a n P r e m i e r L e a g u e ( I P L ) s e a s o n , probably in Mumbai

Kangana continued, "I never met the exwife but now suddenly she has taken over the Bangalow and not allowing him to enter, I just saw he is standing on the road and she is m a k i n g v i d e o s o f s u c h a b i g s t a r , k y a badmashi hai yeh (what wickedness is this), I feel like crying it's not easy to make money from acting jobs, actors work very hard, how can she just decide to keep the house and lock him outside like that ”

The actor also wrote, "I want to request concerned authorities she should be sent to her apartment immediately the one Nawaz sir has bought for her in Everest apartments and from there she can settle legally whatever her demands are, she can't bully Nawaz saab old mother who is still locked inside the Bangalow and waiting for her son and her son the owner of the house who ex-wife not allowing to come inside, they are divorced for many years now she has no right on his properties and she can most definitely not d e f a m e h i m b y m a k i n g s e c r e t v i d e o s o f

c o n v e r s a t i o n s a n d r e l e a s e t h e m o u t o f context in bits and pieces so that he even fears coming home this is so wrong

In the video shared by Aaliya on her I n s t a g r a m a c c o u n t , N a w a z u d d i n s t o o d outside the gate of the bungalow and spoke with her The actor is currently staying in a h o t e l P r o b l e m s b e t w e e n t h e c o u p l e reportedly started when she returned from to Mumbai with her children

Rajamouli reveals why he doesn’t miss his family while filming

Samantha's 'Shaakuntalam' release postponed

SS Rajamouli and Steven Spielberg had a brief chat about their films in a conversation The latter’s ‘The Fabelman’s released in India on Friday, in which Steven has fictional several key moments of his life, including his parents’ divorce and how he got his start in filmmaking.

Filmmakers

The America director spo balancing both art and family He stated that the movie had no villains as it was a love story Even though it dealt with traumatic instances of his past, he wanted to be respectful of how his parents and three sisters were presented.

In the conversation, Steven spoke about turning down projects in the course of his career so he could be home

with his children and wife He shared that he turned down the first film in the Harry Potter film franchise so he could be with his young children when they were growing up Rajamouli shared does the osite He id, “Luckily or me, I keep my whole family in the film business, my wife, my son, my brother, my other’s wife eryone is with me g ovies, so I don’t miss my family ”

Rajamouli’s wife Rama has designed the costumes in his movies including the ‘Baahubali’ franchise, and ‘RRR’ His son Karthikeya is a producer, while his brother Kanchi Rajamouli is a writer

Composers MM Keeravani, nominated for ‘Naatu Naatu ‘at this year's Oscars, and Kalyani Malik are his cousins

ActorSamantha Ruth Prabhu’s upcoming Telugu film ‘Shaakuntalam’ has been postponed by a couple of months The movie was supposed to be released in cinemas on February 17. The filmmakers confirmed that the film will now hit screens worldwide on April 14. The makers unveiled a new poster with a release date without revealing the exact reason for the postponement.

In 2020, speaking at the launch of the movie recently, Samantha said that this would be her dream project and role The trailer of Shaakuntalam was released in January Speaking at the event, an emotional Samantha said her love for cinema hasn’t changed amid all the recent struggles She said she gathered all her courage to attend the event In her speech, Samantha spoke about how her love for cinema hasn’t changed amid all her life

Ram Charan fulfills wish of 9 -year-old fan ailing from cancer

struggles in the recent past She was talking about her rare auto-immune disease called Myositis, which she has been diagnosed with since last November

“No matter how many struggles I face in life, one thing won’t change That’s how much I love cinema and cinema loves me back I strongly believe that this love will grow manifold with Shaakuntalam,” she had said

On the work front, Samantha was last seen onscreen in the Telugu action-thriller ‘Yashoda’ She played a surrogate mother who won’t stop at anything to protect her child The actress also recently joined the sets of the Indian adaptation of Amazon Prime’s upcoming web series ‘Citadel ’ She will share screen space with Varun Dhawan in the show, which is being co-created by Raj and DK

Vijay Sethupathi not comfortable with labels

Actor Ram Charan, who is currently busy shooting for his upcoming yet-untitled Telugu-Tamil bilingual film with filmmaker Shankar, took time out of his busy schedule to meet a young fan suffering from cancer. Ram visited Sparsh Hospital in Hyderabad, interacted with his nine-year-ol fan Ravula Mani Kushal, and surprised him with a gift

Pictures of Ram Charan interacting with the little fan have surfaced on social media People have hailed Ram for his sweet gesture Sharing the p i c t u r e s , t h e u s e r w r o t e o n T w i t t e r , “#RamCharan met a 9-year-old kid who's ailing from Cancer through make a wish foundation Charan fulfilled the Kid's wish by spending some time with him ”

In the comment section, people praised Ram for his gesture Some even wrote that they’re

roud to be his fans One of t h e m c o m m e n t e d , “ D i d h e take a gift along with him? s m a l l g e s t u r e s g o a l o n g w a y ” “ K i n d - h e a r t e d R a m C h a r a n S w e e t g e s t u r e , ” added another one Someone e l s e a l s o m e n t i o n e d , “ T h i s guy is really humble and kind ”

On the work front, Ram has aborated with Shankar for the ime in his career This project, y dubbed ‘RC 15 ’ , will also mark Shankar s foray into Telugu filmdom Ram Charan also has a sports-based project with director Buchi Babu Sana

Meanwhile, the actor and his wife, Upasana Konidela, announced that they’re all set to enter p a r e n t h o o d L a s t y e a r , U p a s a n a t o o k t o h e r Instagram account and shared a picture featuring the most important women in her life and sought their blessings as she will now embrace motherhood

Actor

Vijay Sethupathi reacted to a journalist who called him a “pan-India star”, saying he isn’t comfortable with the term The actor also said he wants to do films in every language, including Bengali and Gujarati

In an interview, Vijay said, "No sir, I am an actor I am not comfortable with that pan-India statement Sometimes that gives pressure also I am just an actor and no need to put a label under this So, that's enough I want to do every language film I want to do a Bengali film, a Gujarati film So if I get the chance, I'll go and work there "

Vijay’s ‘Farzi’ co-star Raashi Khanna also reacted when asked if she liked the term She said, "Not at all I don't like it We are all actors first and why divide? I don't think it comes from us as actors wanting to be called pan India

It's probably just the people who are sort of putting it out there None of us like the term I think it's more divisional, like why are you diving us? We have already been divided into Bollywood, Tollywood, Kollywood Now suddenly it's the north and the south On top of that, there's another category pan India Why are we categorizing things?"

Helmed by Raj and DK, the crime thriller ‘Farzi’ marks the digital debut of Shahid Kapoor and Vijay It is now streaming on Amazon Prime The series also stars Kay Kay Menon, Amol Palekar, Regina Cassandra, and Bhuvan Arora in pivotal roles

Hollywood actor Paul Rudd admitted to having a love affair with India, which started with its cuisine he and his family has grown to adore Pictures of the actor enjoying an Indian meal with his friend Dan Levy in London went viral some time back, delighting his fanbase

When reminded about the picture recently, Rudd said, “I just love Indian food Well, I went back to the restaurant quite a few times, as well as a few other Indian restaurants I live in New York and there are some really good options for Indian food in New York ”

“There is something about a good biryani Ahh and naan For instance, my daughter, who doesn’t eat

I just love Indian food: Paul Rudd

anything, would say I want Indian food My whole family loves it,” says the actor Rudd added, “I have never been to India If there’s one country that I’ve never been to and I really want to visit, it will be India And this has been the case for many years I’ve never been to India I have a really dear friend who lived in India for a year, in an exchange program, and it changed his life So, yes I want to visit India This is the great thing about l i f e T h e r e a r e s t i l l p l a c e s t o s e e , experience to undergo and explore And India is probably number one for me ”

James Cameron enjoys Indian films, finds similarities with his films

Leonardo DiCaprio lauds Assam government efforts to stop rhino poaching

Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio took to Instagram lately to applaud the Assam government’s efforts to stop rhino

poaching The ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ star penned a note highlighting the government’s accomplishment in ending the poaching of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park

H e w r o t e , " I n 2 0 2 1 , t h e government of the Indian state of Assam set out to end the poaching of the Endangered Greater OneHorned Rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park following the killing of around 190 animals for their horns between 2000 and 2021 In 2022, they met their goal a rhinos were poached in the for the first time since 1977 ”

"Kaziranga National Par h o m e t o 2 , 2 0 0 G r e a t e r O horned Rhinos, which is a t w o - t h i r d s o f t h e w o p o p u l a t i o n T h i s t r i u m p h India also comes with more g news, as @wwf also reports the world population of th rhino soared to around 3,700 about 200 at the turn of th century," he added

A s s a m ’ s K a z i r a n g a N a Park is the biggest habitat one-horned rhinos globally a n d d r a w s v i s i t o r s f r o m a c r o s s t h e g l o b e A n ardent environmentalist, Leonardo has worked to p r o t e c t e n d a n g e r e d s p e c i e s t h r o u g h h i s L e o n a r d o D i C a p r i o

USD 1 million to an innovative Nepalese conservation project to preserve the country’s wild tiger p o p u l a t i o n I t h a s a l s o f u n d e d projects to protect the Black Rhino in Tanzania, the lowland gorilla in C e n t r a l A f r i c a , a n d t h e s n o w leopard in Central Asia

Hollywood

filmmaker James Cameron recently shared that he enjoys Indian films In a recent interview, the director mentioned how Indian movies focus on family, friends and personal duty towards the people around them He also recalled his conversation with SS Rajamouli, adding that watching ‘RRR’ made him analyse what he likes about Indian films

Highlighting similarities between his films and those that are made in India, James said the only difference is that his films do not have a “ song and dance number at the end ” He also recalled talking to Rajamouli at the Critics’ Choice Awards He said, “How much I enjoyed the physical production, the beauty and spectacle that he had created in his film, but also the tension, the action and all the things that I like That film made me think about the Indian film industry at large and how much I enjoy Indian film industry at large and how much I enjoy Indian films for those reasons, whether it is the emphasis on family, friendship, personal duty towards the people around you and all those things,” he said

Cameron added that he started paying attention to Indian films only after his first visit to India in 2010 He had not watched Indian films before that Marking the 25th anniversary of the release of his iconic film ‘Titanic’, the director has re-released the

film worldwide, including in several theatres in India He said the movie did not have a strong release in India “because India was making so many of their own movies that you weren’t interested in our films ”

Itwas an iconic moment when Indian filmmaker SS Rajamouli first met Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg for the first time in Los Angeles earlier this year However, the Oscar-winning filmmaker hadn’t seen ‘RRR’ at the time N o w , t h e f i l m m a k e r s w e r e i n discussion on Steven’s l a t e s t m o v i e ‘ T h e Fabelmans’, which was r e l e a s e d i n I n d i a l a s t w e e k T h e p e r i o d d r a m a i s a n a u t o b i o g r a p h i c a l a n d p e r s o n a l l o o k a t t h e filmmaker’s childhood and how he took up a camera and fell in love w i t h f i l m m a k i n g W h i l e R a j a m o u l i h a d s e v e r a l questions about the movie, the conversation began with Steven gushing about ‘RRR’ He told Rajamouli, "It was amazing, couldn't believe my eyes For me, it was like eye c a n d y I t h o u g h t t h e p e r f o r m a n c e s o f R a m a [ J r NTR], Ram [Charan] and Alia [Bhatt], the cast was just and Alison Doody, my girl from ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ In the movie, I was happy to see how you ended her story because she was so heinous as was her husband Beautiful, visual style and extraordinary to look at and experience Congratulations for RRR!” A delighted Rajamouli replied, "Thank you so much, I can almost get up from the chair and dance from your

compliments It means a lot to me ”

He also asked Steven about the approach that Indian filmmakers have to take to chase the Oscar dream A two-time winner of the Best Director category at the Oscars, Steven shared that he would not want to give any advice on what to do differently, especially if they come from a different country or culture

He said, "I would just say, keep telling your own stories and don't try to conform your stories, to stories you think the world wants to hear Then you're working for the world, you're not working from your own heart Tell the stories that come from your heart and that will service you for the rest of your career " ‘RRR's song ‘Naatu Naatu’ is nominated for Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards The awards ceremony will be held on March 12, 2023, in Los Angeles

Steven Spielberg says ‘RRR’ ' was like eye candy'

Paul with Dan Levy at Darjeeling Express in London

in brief India thrash Australia at Nagpur

Afte r t hree da ys of t he first test , which wa s dom in at ed by spin , India ea sily defea ted Austr alia by a n i n n i n g s a n d 1 3 2 r u n s t h a n k s t o R a v ic h a n d r a n Ashwin, who crushed the m in the ir second inn ings

A u s t r a l i a h a d b e e n struggling since scoring a subpar 177 on a difficult course, and India's triumph seemed certain as the home team collected 400 to take a sizable lead of 223 Ashwin (5/37) then hollowed out Australia's top order with his n a g g i n g a c c u r a c y , a n d t h e tourists were skittled out for 91, l o s i n g a l l 1 0 w i c k e t s i n o n e f r e n e t i c s e s s i o n O f f - s p i n n e r

Todd Murphy claimed 7/124 in his debut Test in what was the

only highlight for world No 1 Australia, who led World Test Championship standings ahead of India

R o h i t S h a r m a s c o r e d 1 2 0 which put India in the box seat and all-rounders Axar Patel (84)

India beat Pak in opening match of women's T20 world cup

In the o pening m atch o f the Wo m e n' s T 20 Wo rl d C u p , J em i m ah R o d ri g u e s h el p ed In d ia bea t P ak is tan by se v en wickets while d isp laying steely nerv es In T 20 cricket, India h ad its hig hest-ever successful chase A t t h e N e w l a n d s C r i c k e t Ground in Cape Town, India a n d P a k i s t a n p l a y e d o u t a c o n t e s t b e f i t t i n g t h e h y p e s u r r o u n d i n g i t I n d i a c h a s e d d o w n a h i g h l y c o m p e t i t i v e target of 150 with six balls to spare

While Player of the Match, Jemimah, led the chase with her unbeaten 53 runs in 38 balls, teammates Shafali Verma (33) and Richa Ghosh (31), who won the U-19 World Cup, also played significant contributions India w a s a l w a y s i n t h e c h a s e , especially with wickets in hand, despite a few glitches and a run rate that once reached 10 per over Pakistan was undone by s o m e b e l o w - a v e r a g e f i e l d i n g

and lack of bowling options in the death overs

India got off to a strong start because to Yastika Bhatia (17) and Shafali, but left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu (2/15) held the side back In the 14th over, when captain Harmanpreet Kaur (16) r e t u r n e d t o t h e d u g o u t , Jemimah took on the duty of l e a d i n g t h e t e a m w i t h s o m e innovative hitting

Earlier, given the conditions, both teams went for spin-heavy playing XIs Pakistan opted to bat and their star of the day was

A y e s h a N a s e e m ( 4 3 n o ) , w h o stole the limelight from their i n f o r m s k i p p e r B i s m a h , w h o top-scored with a 55-ball 68

and Ravindra Jadeja (70) drove h o m e t h e a d v a n t a g e o n d a y three of the contest

Before India crumbled for 4 0 0 j u s t b e f o r e n o o n , M o h a m m e d S h a m i ( 3 7 ) contributed with a light-hearted

stint lower down the order The off-spinner sent back the Oz openers, David Warner (10) and Usman Khawaja (5), and Jadeja removed Marnus Labuschagne (17) Given the significance of the match, Rohit claimed that his first century since becoming I n d i a ' s T e s t c a p t a i n f e l t v e r y meaningful He said, "It's crucial to get off to a strong start while playing this kind of series I'm g l a d I c o u l d d e l i v e r a performance that would benefit the group " Jadeja, who claimed 5/47 in A u s t r a l i a s f i r s t i n n i n g s a n d p i c k e d t w o w i c k e t s i n t h e second in addition to his 70-run knock, was adjudged player-ofthe-match

Smriti Mandana is the costly pick in WPL auction 2023

T h e in au g u ra l au c ti o n o f

W o m en ’ s P r em i er L eag u e

(WPL ) 2023 was h eld at the Jio

W o rld C e ntr e i n M u m b ai

Before the com petitio n, the fiv e f ran c h is es - M u m bai I n d ia ns

( M I ) , De lh i C ap i tal s ( D C ) ,

G u j ara t Gi a nts ( G G) , R o yal

C h a llen g ers B ang al o re ( RC B) , an d U P Warri o rz ( U P W) p u t their best guesses forward and cho se what they regard ed would be the best lineu p A total of 44 8 c ri c ke ter s w en t u n d er th e a u ct io n - o f w h i c h 2 69 w er e Indians and 179 overseas

The first pick in the history of the Women's Premier League auction, Smriti Mandhana made q u i c k c a s h a f t e r t h e R o y a l C h a l l e n g e r s B a n g a l o r e p a i d £340,000 to acquire her She w a s t h e o p e n i n g p l a y e r f o r India The combined budget of the five franchises for the 87 players was £5 95 million The second most expensive Indian player to date is Deepti Sharma,

JADEJA FINED FOR APPLYING CREAM WITHOUT CONSENT OF UMPIRES

Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 25% of his match fee for applying cream on the swollen index finger of his bowling hand without taking permission from the on-field umpires on the first day of the match Jadeja was seen in a video receiving something from pace bowler Mohammed Siraj and rubbing it on his left index finger The ICC said the cream was applied to the finger purely for medical purposes and it did not change the condition of the ball Jadeja s action was deemed to have breached Article 2 20 of the ICC code of conduct for players and player support personnel which relates to displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game” The ICC said the incident occurred in the 46th over of Australia’s first innings, when Jadeja applied a soothing cream to a swelling on the index finger of his bowling hand without asking for permission to do so from the on-field umpires” Jadeja admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft

an all-around player who was purchased by UP Warriorz for £260,000

H a r m a n p r e e t K a u r , t h e I n d i a n c a p t a i n , c o s t M u m b a i Indians far less than Mandhana, at just around £180,000 As a result of their successful bid of £ 2 2 0 , 0 0 0 f o r J e m i m a h Rodrigues, Delhi Capitals have acquired their first player of the a u c t i o n D e l h i C a p i t a l s ' successful bid of £200,000 for Indian opening player and U-19 T20 World Cup skipper Shafali Verma

A s h l e i g h G a r d n e r , a n o f fspin all-rounder from Australia, was selected in the first round a n d c o s t t h e G u j a r a t G i a n t s , o w n e d b y G a u t a m A d a n i , £320,000 Star Australian allr o u n d e r E l l y s e P e r r y w a s purchased by RCB for a cool £170,000, and Sophie Devine, the captain of New Zealand, was acquired for a pittance at a base price of Rs 50,00,000

Shubman Gill named ICC Men's Player of January

Foll owing a st ring of strong ODI per formances, India's Shubman Gil l was named ICC Me n's Play er o f t h e Mo n t h fo r Ja n u a r y E n g l a n d U- 1 9 ca p t a i n Gr a ce S cr iv en s b e ca me t h e y ou ng e st p l a y e r t o g e t t he w o me n 's honour White-ba ll cr icket play er G i l l ha d a r e co r d -b r e a k in g month in Ja nua ry

W i t h 5 6 7 r u n s d u r i n g January, which included three century-plus scores, the 23-yearold Gill wowed fans with a lethal c o m b i n a t i o n o f g r a c e f u l a n d attacking strokeplay

G i l l h a d a m o n t h f u l l o f s t a n d - o u t m o m e n t s , b u t h i s

magnificent double-hundred in the thrilling triumph over New Zealand in the series opener in Hyderabad stands out as his best effort His unbeaten 208 came o f f j u s t 1 4 9 b a l l s w i t h 2 8 boundaries -- a startling feat not just because it made him the y o u n g e s t d o u b l e - c e n t u r i o n i n the ODI format, but also because all those around him seemed to

TOOR WINS SHOT PUT GOLD

Shot putter Tajinder Pal Singh Toor clinched a gold, India s first on the opening day of the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships Toor stood on top of the podium with a best throw of 19 49m Triple jumper Praveen Chitravel smashed the national indoor record during his silver medal-winning effort while long jumper Jeswin Aldrin also bettered the national mark en route to final round

GHANAIAN FOOTBALLER RESCUED IN TURKEY

Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu has been rescued from the rubble of the earthquake that killed and injured thousands in Turkey and neighbouring Syria, Ghana’s Football Association said Former Newcastle midfielder Atsu, 31, joined Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor in September, based in the southern province of Hatay near the epicentre of the massive quake Atsu spent five seasons at Newcastle after an initial campaign on loan playing over 100 games before leaving for Saudi Arabia in 2021 He won the last of his 60 Ghana national caps in September 2019

RAJKUVARDEVI IS MANAGER OF DELHI TEAM

Shubman Gill

f a l t e r o n a d i f f i c u l t p i t c h f o r b a t t e r s B e t w e e n t h e s e t w o

innings, there were two further centuries: 116 in a convincing win over Sri Lanka and 112 against New Zealand in the final ODI G i l l d e f e a t e d D e v o n Conway of New Zealand a n d f e l l o w c o u n t r y m a n Mohammed Siraj in the g l o b a l p o l l t o w i n h i s maiden ICC Men's Playerof-the-Month honour In doing so, he succeeds Virat Kohli from October 2022 as the first

Indian winner " J a n u a r y w a s a s p e c i a l month for me and winning this award makes it all the more m e m o r a b l e I t i s a l w a y s heartening to be recognised for your performances, and I will t a k e g r e a t c o n f i d e n c e f r o m these innings, especially as we h e a d i n t o a n e x t r e m e l y important period prior to an ICC Men s Cricket World Cup on home soil, Gill said in an ICC release

Former India women’s team cricketer Rajkuvardevi Gaekwad has been appointed as the manager of the Delhi Capitals team for the inaugural women s Indian Premier League (IPL) While the tournament will begin on March 4 Gaekwad will join the team on February 26 in Mumbai “It s a great opportunity to be associated with Delhi Capitals in the inaugural edition My job is to look after the entire team, including the foreign players Also, I have to manage the support staff ” Gaekwad said She was a member of India women’s cricket team that played against Australia in 1984-85

Nigerian billionaire set to take over Sheffield United

Nig erian tech entrep reneur, Do zy Mm obu osi, is close to acquiring S heffield U nited , an Eng lish Club for around £90 million am id a transfer em barg o by th e club Reports say Mmobuosi is allegedly in the final stages of finalising the deal He is said to be waiting to pass EFL’s owners and directors’ test but beyond that, he is good to go He is a Nigerian entrepreneur with a projected net worth of $7 billion

He is the owner of Tingo Mobile PLC and Tingo International Holdings, which accounts

largely for his net worth He also runs the Dozy M m o b u o s i F o u n d a t i o n w i t h a m i s s i o n t o promote the progress of Africa and create an environment where Africans can thrive T i n g o M o b i l e ’ s d i g i t a l a g r i - m a r k e t p l a c e platform, Nwassa, provides farmers in Nigeria and beyond with weather forecasts, in addition to information on markets and digital payment options via Tingo Pay His first tech venture was ‘ F l a s h m e c a s h , ’ N i g e r i a ’ s f i r s t S M S b a n k i n g solution He later sold it for a good profit Aside being a tech entrepreneur, Mmobuosi

is also a football investor He has “funded scouting schemes, training programmes and talent management for Porsche United and Nassarawa United, two formidable grassroots clubs in Nigeria,” according to GQ co za He is also set to become the new owner of the British football side Sheffield United for a reported fee of around $108 million The owner of the Championship club, according to reports, is in talks with the Nigerian billionaire after American businessman Henry Mauriss failed in a bid to take over the Yorkshire club